Honor Amongst Warriors

Chapter One

No One

I used to be someone… used to be… still… when I was someone, I was also no one. I had to be. I had to be that face in the crowd. Someone seen, but not noticed. I had to move like everyone else, but every move being calculated. No missteps. I couldn't afford to. One mistake and I would truly be no one. Not missed. No one to miss me. That's the way it had to be. I don't really care if there was someone to morn my passing. We all pass at one point… just some of us get to choose how we pass.

I suppose that I have made that choice.

It's not the way I want to go… but I made my choice. As the old saying goes, "You've made your bed, now lie in it." Nothing could be a truer statement… especially in my line of work. The choices I made determined who lived and who died. Either they die at the end of my knife or others die from the chaos that would be released. I don't like chaos personally. That's why chose the career I did. To end lives that could potentially unravel society… dispose of morals and ethics that defines it.

I once preserved such things…

But I am not bound by them…

There is no place for morals or ethics where I come from. They only hinder my work. Strange how one must live outside what they admire most in order to protect it. Don't get me wrong… I do have principles… no… It's more of code… A code of honor. It's kept me alive and pushed me to places I didn't even know exist. Places within myself that I had to take a long look at. Both dark and light. I rely on the darkness to conceal my work, but I pray to whatever greater power that would hear me that I am a light in the darkness. My code… my honor is the light within me. I hold it close and hope that it will always guide me.

If I don't have my code, I have nothing…

But I am nothing… now… I am no one…

"Wakie-wakie," someone bumped the butt of their gun into her chest, "You still with us Angel?"

With a big yawn, she looked up, "I was having the loveliest soliloquy going on inside my mind. Truly a thing of beauty. I've become quite the poet since my incarceration. Perhaps you would like to hear some of them?" she gave the most pleasant of smiles.

"Perhaps you would like to hear the sound of my Pulse Rifle cracking your skull wide open," the soldier raised his gun.

She didn't even flinch at the empty threat. They couldn't do anything to her. They had to hold themselves back. Any unprovoked attack could send them to them to the same place she was going. Funny how things worked that way. The same people that were burying her deep in the middle of nowhere were protecting her as well. They didn't have a choice though. They had to follow orders. Even if they were from a dead man. He held weight over his former subordinates… the ones that held power now. Though they dare not disobey orders. Just as these soldiers wouldn't dare disobey their orders.

"Stop it Shultz!" his commanding officer ordered.

"Sorry Sgt. Collins," he backed down, "I was just making sure that our friend was still with us. Don't want this little deserter dying before we get to our destination," he placed the barrel of the rifle under her chin and raise her head.

"Private!" the Sergeant pulled the rifle away, "Keep that thing stowed until you need it," he barked, "And with those restraints on her, she ain't going nowhere," he looked to her, "You nice cozy Angel?"

She smirked, "As snug as a bug in a rug."

"See," the sergeant smiled as he went back to his seat, "Not going anywhere."

"Don't know about that," another officer entered, "With her rap sheet… surprised we ain't dead yet."

Shaking his head, Sgt. Collins snorted, "She hasn't done anything in three years. Just kept to herself. When there was a prison riot, she blockaded herself in the library with some of the prison workers. When offered to escape with several other inmates, she refused. Never once in a fight. Never once spoke out. Not a peep," he sighed, "She is considered a model prisoner."

"Then why is she being transported to a deep space prison colony if she's little miss perfect?" the officer didn't understand.

"Classified Jordan… classified," was the only thing he could say, "The big wigs back home want this little angel to be as far out of their sight as she can be. I don't ask questions and I advise that you don't either," he gave a little growl.

That was the end of it. No more questions or idol threats. Once the sergeant told them to drop it, they had to drop it. Again with the orders. Though he didn't actually order them, but it was implied. Didn't matter though. It just meant that the trip was going to be a little bit quieter. She could appreciate that. The quiet and solitude that life offered was precious. It needed to be savored whenever possible. A time to let the mind go free and dance along the edges of sanity and madness. She would often debate which was preferable in her current situation. Sanity would always win, but madness was never too far behind.

"So… why ain't we keeping her in hypersleep?" Shultz asked.

The peacefulness was gone.

"Because…," she cracked her neck side to side, "Your bosses want to give me a chance to escape, so you can then shoot me without the fear of consequence."

He looked to the sergeant, "Is that true?"

"Don't listen to her men," he growled, "She's nothing more than a traitor. She was a coward and couldn't perform her duties," he smirked, "Lost her spine. Now she's nothing more than a sad, pathetic excuse for a sack of skin and bones. She's a no one. Isn't that right Angel?"

She only smiled, "That would be correct sergeant."

He looked to the two officers, "Leave," he leaned forward, "I need to talk to our prisoner alone."

With a quick yes sir, they left the cargo hold and locked the door behind them. The sergeant stood up slowly and paced the floor, quiet in thought. He knew that he had careful with what he was about to say. It amused her. He knew what was going on. He knew what he was supposed to do. It was just the question on whether or not he could carry it out. She only needed to give him one reason to pull the trigger. Where he thought he was about to make a step of ahead, she was already miles in front of him.

"You probably have figured out that I know what's going on," he approached, "Which means you also know that I'm here to kill you," he came straight up into her face.

She gagged, "With your halitosis?"

"Funny…," he wasn't smiling, "Give me the excuse and I will put a bullet in the back of your head. That way, we can all go home and not have to trek out to the middle of nowhere hauling your traitorous ass. Come on," he held the keys up in front of her, "It would be so easy."

She closed her eyes and gave a little sigh, "Given the choice, I would rather sit it out. Your bosses were once mine. I know how they work. They are just buying time until the noose around their neck tightens to a point where breath won't enter their lungs. They're already struggling," she thought for a moment, "I think they use to call it dancing if the person's neck didn't break on the drop…," she shrugged her shoulders, "Not sure though."'

Sgt. Collins thought for a moment, "Maybe that's what I should do with you. An accident…"

She gave a little chuckle, "You won't. I don't have accidents. I make them. Now," she leaned back, "if you don't mind. I would like to catch some zzz's before we land."

He clinched his fist. She wasn't going to play his game. She had played it so many times before, but she was usually on the other side. It was useless to speak to her. He would have to bide his time and wait. It was going to be a test of wills. But she knew something that he didn't. Her patience was infinite and he was getting to the end of his.

Opening the door to the cargo hold, he snarled at the privates who were obviously trying to listen. They entered once more and took their position across from her. Back to guard duty for them. Back to dreaming for her. She almost wished that they had put her in hypersleep. She could then at least dream without interruption. Dreams were her only way of dealing with what she had done. A remembrance to those that had expelled their last breath due to her actions. Some would think it strange that she would want to dream about all the death she had brought about. Maybe even a little crazy. It wasn't though. It was about remembering her past. It was all she had. She was never the type to ponder about the future. Her life was in the now. Yes she planned ahead, but it was because she was already there. Living now, yet also beyond.

So confusing for those that didn't understand.

She really didn't want to think about things like that. It didn't matter. She was about to spend what remained of her life in a deep space prison colony. A place where the truly tormented lived. Men who were insane, but it wasn't a choice for them. This colony was for the forgotten. Ones that should have been kept away from everyone else. Of course it was shame that they were still being kept alive. It would have been better just to end their ongoing nightmare. Mercy. She believed in it. It was the only thing she could offer. A quick death. It was only proper.

Her thoughts left her as a sound started to fill her ears. It sounded like metal scrapping on metal. It ground and squealed. It clicked and groaned. Something was just off… or coming to a stop. She placed her ear against the cold metal wall. The noises were coming from inside.

"What are you doing?" one of the soldiers noticed her movements.

"Shh...," she continued to listen, "I hear something..."

He didn't appreciate her answer, "Keep your eyes forward!"

Roughly, he grabbed her chin and forced her head forward. He smirked. The sergeant wasn't there to stop him. The private could at least get a little fun in. The other officer just smiled. He wasn't going to say a thing.

Looking back to her, the first officer smirked, "Give me a reason."

She only smiled, "Private Shultz is it? You should really see to that noise. Don't want the ship to go dead."

"Shut your mouth," he slapped her face hard, "You don't tell me what to do."

"It is merely a suggestion," she aligned her jaw.

There was no way to tell what was going to happen next. Something was off. It just wasn't right. Years of experience and strong instincts told her that it was time to prepare. Prepare for what, she couldn't say.

It was that moment to decide on fight or flight. She looked down to the heavy restraints that bound her arms and legs and tethered her to the floor. Fight was plausible, but in a small area that was surrounded by the vacuum of space… it was not the wisest decision. Similar problem with flight. Nowhere to run. Not when movement was restricted. Her muscles were stiff and there was a knot in her neck. Not to mention behind the heavy metal doors lay eight soldiers that were more than willing to shot her and the two there that were ready to shoot.

"Of course you don't want to shoot when you're in a tin can in the middle of a frozen vacuum," she leaned down and took hold of the tether.

"What did you say?" Shultz took aim, "Sit up!" he order, "I said sit up!" he reached for her.

It happened in that moment. Everything slowed down. Something snapped from behind the wall. The sound of shearing metal filled the air. Emergency lights started to flash as a voice overhead started to warn of a decrease in pressure. A chorus of other voices filled the air. They screamed and yelled as the ship violently shook back and forth. Everything that wasn't tied down soon was lifted and tossed about. That included the two soldiers with her. She was at least fastened to the ground. Her body wanted to move, but it had no choice but to stay.

Funny…, she smiled as she watched bodies and items suspend in air, they leashed me to the ground and now they wish they were…

Things that were once on the ground were plaster to the back of the cargo bay. The soldiers struggled and moaned as their bodies started to feel the pressure. The ship was falling. To where, she did not know. How far, she could only guess. The bay heated up. Planet fall or an explosion. Both of them were plausible. Though she hoped for the first. That would easier to survive. She just hunkered down and let her body go loose. All she do was wait for the crash.