Grave to cradle, Arc 3 of "Gone with the Sun"

Chapter 25 Small mercies


Gladiators

The doctor and the hard-faced Alliance soldier might not want to kill him, but Hawthorne could feel he was about to tip over. Here I go, cardiac arrest.

"Right, stop. Don't collapse, lad, tread lightly in place, walk around."

"(Heave) Yes, (Heave) sir." What was this all about? All Chakwas had said was, 'Do anything he asks, without exception. Try for me, would you.' Which had been easy (Heave) to agree to at the time, but expiring on a gym treadmill had not been remotely foreseeable (Heave).

On the other hand, top of his list of 'Ways I'm most likely to go' was 'Don't do what Chakwas says.'

None of them could go off the ship. The hatred and fear of Cerberus troopers galaxy-wide was painfully obvious. And, to start with at least, they only had to look in a mirror to be reminded of why.

"Seen enough, Mr Coats?"

"Thank you yes, Mr Wiks, the RFL is satisfactorily exceeded. Have all the implants been excised?"

"I've left one in. There's a VI for gym training while the brain's asleep. They've been doing four hours a night. Hence the required fitness level being met so fast."

"Well… is that likely to be a problem?"

"It's been useful during recovery, but it'll be removed tomorrow, at the same time as the last cosmetic changes. There can be no dreaming while the VI is running, which creates psychological instability in the medium term."

The salarian turned to Hawthorne and asked, "Has Dr Chakwas told you the tapetum lucidum will be removed also? That will degrade your enhanced night vision slightly."

"No sir. She just said she'd look after us."

"Hm. A little short on detail. But perhaps for the best. Mr Coats, are you quite finished?"

"One more. The firing range."

"Very well, Coats. I lay them in your charge till you return."

"Thank you, doctor. Lady and gentlemen, fall in. By the right…"

Tinker, Taylor, Soldier

"… Pistol now, twenty metres."

Goldstein took two steps to the bench, picked up the N7 Eagle and with automatic hand clicked in a new clip, "Weapon unsafe", one more pace to the firing step.

"Target left, Eight rounds rapid, begin."

PowPowPowPowPowPowPowPow.

"Weapon clear."

For the fourth and last time, Coats brought his pistol target set back for viewing. The central bull had been obliterated.

"That's… impressive, Ms Goldstein. And a little unexpected."

Hadley piped up: "That's not Cerberus, sir. That's just Jenny."

"Who taught you to shoot, Ms – Jennifer?"

"My father, sir."

"That would be, let's see, Master Sergeant Goldstein of the Patricias."

"Yessir."

"Much is explained. Very well. Fall in… At ease."

Coats favored them with a meditative stare. "A wholly inordinate amount of time has been expended on you by persons who do not have a lot of time. I think we should proceed to the next phase."

"Next phase, sir? Is that release?"

"You are technically a civilian. At request you could be landed earthside and answer to the civilian authorities… I see this is not your desire. But I am not your superior officer, Matthews. You need not call me Sir. My name is James Coats. You may call me Mr Coats if you wish."

"Yessir." Coats grinned internally. My, how fast this little batch was learning.

"You are about to meet a former colleague, a man of some influence. You will be aware that you are presently on evaluation for pardon. Do not fail him."

"Yessir. Who is this person, sir?"

Coats tapped his ear and said, "Jacob, we are ready for you." The firing range door opened and a familiar figure walked through. Goldstein stiffened ramrod-straight and felt the others do likewise.

"A Spectre is in-system to rubber-stamp Council ratification of the decision of the Admiral in this matter. She, however, has deferred to the human Councilor to approve any such pardon. He has delegated the matter to me. I have not, so far, found a good reason to deny ratification, but I will leave that decision to Mr Taylor here. Jacob?"

Coats and Taylor shook hands. Coats stepped back two paces.

"Any questions?"

"Yes, Mr Taylor. Can we go home?"

"Not quite yet, Matthews, we do not wish to cause a riot. From tomorrow, I am told, that may be an option. But under the circumstances, I have arranged for your homes to come to you, in about a week."

"Thank you, Sir."

"It's Jacob. Don't thank me, it wasn't my idea. In any event, given the current sensitivity, great clanging hints have been dropped in front of me that you may wish to hire with a certain mercenary company. It will be spending the next five years, proper time, on a mission for the Council. You will be spending most of that time in cold sleep, hence the approved visit of your families. I'm told the pay is superlative – but commensurate with the risks."

"Would we stay together?"

"That, Matthews, is the general idea."

More unspoken words passed.

"We will do as you suggest, sir. Jacob."

"Very well. Be advised that the nominal leader of the party in question is a former Alliance soldier named Toombs who had until recently a pronounced negative attitude to all things Cerberus." There was general unease at this.

"However, certain events involving his major client, one Miranda Lawson, have brought about a sea-change. The mercenaries in question are now a mixed bunch. Some former alliance, some former Cerberus who got out before the attempted Citadel coup, and at least one former Cat 6 pilot who trained with the Alliance Navy."

"Our Lawson, Sir?"

"That Lawson, yes, Hadley. Now fabulously rich following the death of her father, as I understand it. Hence the ability to contract a group of mercenaries with her pocket change. Do you have any qualms working under Ms Lawson, any of you?"

"No, Mr Taylor. Not if you say so."

"It is not your only option, folk. You could hire on with the Alliance. I believe there are people in high places who would have you. Or, you could accept new identities and live ordinary lives. I've settled down. It's far from a bad thing, if one has the right motivation."

They all looked at one another. They had never shared the joint consciousness of the White Guard, but mutual understanding was quasi-instantaneous.

"We'll take Lawson, if that's OK, sir."


Next chapter will be #26, "Dark seas…"


Sunday, July 19, 2015 -3/3-