The Littlest Elemental

by D G Palmer

A chronicle of Minh, a young woman of Vietnamese heritage taken into custody after combat by Elemental warriors of Clan Wolf.

10. Chapter 9

The Littlest Elemental - Chapter Nine by D G Palmer

Fort Bivouac

Strana Mechty, Beyond the Periphery

14 June 3051

Minh's return to Fort Bivouac did not have the result she expected. Sitting in the jail cell, she belatedly supposed she should have expected incarceration. Ever since she had been locked in, no one had come to see her. She had been alone with her thoughts for hours.

Had she really presumed to be welcomed back with open arms?

Minh sat on the cloth and pipe-frame bunk that was attached to the ferro-crete back wall of the cell. The cell was one of ten that were in the room, five on each side of the center walkway. At both ends of the walkway was a metal door. Inset at head level was a sliding door that covered a view port. Having come through the closest door, Minh did not know where the other door led. She was the only occupant confined in the detention facility.

Andre came into the room. One of the jailers brought in a chair for him to sit on. He sat facing her and waved the jailer out of the room. Minh remained seated on the bunk, her posture stiff.

Andre had already spoken to the gate guard who had apprehended Minh. Even though the shoot on sight order had been months old, he wanted to know why Minh had not been detected long before she was close enough to surrender herself. The gate guard had not noticed the young woman because she had approached behind a group of warriors returning after having lunch in town. Even face to face, she did not match the description of the runaway bondswoman.

Minh was a small woman with a naturally pale complexion. With her almond shaped eyes and delicate features, she should have stood out from the crowd. After all, her small, exotic appearance was not that common. The only real change was that her black hair had grown out and her figure was no longer as sleek as before. These changes were not that outstanding.

Andre was amazed that such a minimal change in appearance had been so effective. This was the sort of information he was interested in. With it, he would be able to establish the operational techniques of his intelligence gathering organization.

He had given the order to keep Minh's return a secret. He wanted the opportunity to interrogate her before the report of her return was sent up the chain of command. Star Colonel Quint DeVega wanted her dead. That was his order when she had escaped and his disposition had not changed. Once he found out the woman had returned, he would order her immediate destruction. Of that, Andre had no doubt.

He felt it was a sheer waste. If he had been able to, he would take her for his own mission. It was too bad that he could not have captured her himself. Then he could have hidden her away and found a way to put her to use.

Andre considered armed incursion to be a poor intelligence gathering tactic. Informants were on guard and there was little opportunity to get comparative information. Andre would rather get the information without the informer suspecting that he had let something slip. The process of using combat had proven wasteful as he had discovered when Minh had first been captured. He was in agreement with others who had already made public their opinion on the trip into the Draconis Combine. There had to be a better way. To that end he would investigate every possible method in his research.

"Do you remember me?" he asked. Minh nodded once in a subdued manner. He could have had the cell opened, but he preferred to let the girl look back at him through the bars. It would serve to keep her helplessness foremost in mind during their conversation.

"I am going to ask you questions," he announced. "You will respond, quaff?"

"I tell you what you want to know," Minh said earnestly. Her grammar sounded stilted, as if she were uncomfortable. Andre knew there was no need to threaten the young woman with drug interrogation. It was obvious she remembered that mentally invasive procedure.

Minh definitely remembered the man in the leather jacket from imprisonment on the JumpShip. She had never learned his name. Knowing from first hand experience that she could not resist interrogation, Minh had chosen to be completely candid.

He wanted her to begin at the beginning. She assumed he wanted to know from the day of her escape. He stopped her and asked her to begin when she decided to escape. That was on day one of her captivity and she said so, explaining that she had not attempted to escape because she did not have the opportunity. Relating her attempts at research seemed to give him the information he asked for. He did not interrupt her deposition as she explained what she had thought during her planning and disappearance.

Later she explained that she chose not to escape by DropShip because she was sure she would have stood out without help from the crew. She waved a hand at herself saying that she looked too distinctive. Andre noted that her distinctive appearance had not been seen the intervening months she had been missing. He was curious to discover how she had managed that.

He interrupted her at various points, asking many personal questions. She did not understand what bearing her sleeping habits had on her escape. He was curious about the interpersonal relationships she developed. He seemed to be fascinated by the little things, such as how the farmer folk bartered with each other and how the serving girls behaved. His interest reminded her of his questions about her family farm life during his interrogation of her months ago. What exactly did he want? What was he looking for? No matter what it was, she did not prevaricate.

He was also curious about what he found in her neck purse. Did she actually play the cloth wrapped harmonica? How had she come into possession of the trade scrip? What purpose was served by the string with knots spaced at one end?

Minh admitted that she had just started to learn how to play the harmonica. She had earned the scrip while waiting tables. The knots in the string had been careful spaced to carefully measure the width and thickness of a motorcycle's rubber drive belt. She was unable to bring the broken drive belt with her, so she decided to use a piece of string. After the knots had been tied, the string had been placed alongside the original drive belt and cut to that length. What Minh intended to do, if she ever found an unbroken belt, was to wrap the string around the outside and see if the ends lined up exactly.

That was a simple enough solution, Andre thought. Like when she had assumed the name of Consuela. It was familiar to her and she would not likely fail to answer to it during a moment of inattention. That was the kind of innovative thinking he was looking for. He wanted more well thought out ideas. The respect he felt was tinged with regret. It was obvious she did not suspect that she was to be executed. There was no point in telling her that. It would only serve to make her uncooperative. If she knew she was soon to die, she would also know there would be no time for a drug interrogation.

There was something else he would not tell her. He had found Minh's father in the database that had been compiled from their hostile sojourn to her home planet. He had been found wandering lost through the town of Provost. With a suitcase in hand, he was suspected of looting. He explained that he had been looking for his daughter. He had not volunteered anything more about her than that her name was Minh and that she lived in Provost. He was released when it was confirmed that his suitcase held changes of clothing. That tidbit of information had not been added to the database until after the Clan Wolf warriors had departed the planet Demeter. Not that it mattered one way or the other.

At least, not the information itself. No, it was how the information had been gathered and compiled, or in this case, not compiled until long after the fact that concerned Andre. He needed to streamline the system and make it more efficient. That was one of the criticisms he had been mulling over concerning the unpopular mission.

Another complaint had been that not much information had been gleaned in the way of tactical importance. That had not been the purpose of the trip. It had been strategic planning that had been best served. They now had a better insight into the combine's organizational doctrine as well as how their society served to support their logistics. However, insight was no replacement for hard information. To get that, he had to build up his intelligence gathering apparatus.

However, he could forget any further patronage from Quint DeVega. The star colonel had soured against Andre's ideas, especially after Minh's escapade.

Minh felt unclean as she cooperated with the older man in the leather jacket. She had been completely candid, telling him everything. It felt almost like a confession, but it did not make her feel better. It did not help that she could not tell what he was thinking while he examined her through the metal bars of her cage. When he left, she was positive he had kept her talking for hours. Although she was happy that he was through with her, the relief she felt at his departure did not last long. Alone and uncertain, she resumed her wait.

xxXxxxXxx

"What is this stuff?"

Star Commander Salen dumped the contents of Minh's neck purse onto the guard office desk. From the way it had been cluttered in the purse, it was obvious that the purse had been searched before. Leaning over the desk, her black braided hair slipped past her shoulder and hit the pile. She absently moved the braid out of her way.

"This looks like money," Point Commander Keen picked up some of the paper scrip and examined it. It was not something that warriors had contact with. After all, they did their business through the use of vouchers. The pieces of paper seemed small in his massive fingers. Keen raised his head, his dark hair trimmed in a crewcut, to watch the star commander poke through the items.

"She has certainly been industrious," Salen noted as she inspected the harmonica, handkerchief, and tangled piece of thread. Apart from the scrip, nothing she saw told her how Minh had spent her time on the run. Shaking her head, she stuffed the items back into the purse in the same sloppy way she had found them. She then handed the entire thing to Keen who placed it into a pocket in his coveralls. "Well, let us get on with it."

Looking through the view port of the door to the cell room, Keen and Salen could see Minh in her jail cell. She sat centered on the bunk, her legs together with her sandal-clad feet on the floor. Her hands were folded on her dress covered lap. A despondent look was on her face as she stared straight ahead at the locked cell door before her.

"She looks well fed," Salen commented, observing her neat appearance. "She does not look like she put up much of a fight."

"She came back on her own," the warrior in charge of the brig commented. He had listened to the interrogation earlier. He had easily heard them at his desk in the guard office as they had spoken loud enough to be heard by each other.

"Interesting."

That was Keen's only comment. Salen looked at him sharply. There had been something in his voice, like pleased surprise or hesitant approval. Noticing her, he looked back, a determined expression on his face. Salen gave a single nod in agreement as if he had sought to confirm her resolution.

Keen and Salen had been summoned by the star colonel just after dinner. Informing them of Minh's apprehension, he reinstated his execution order. Keen objected by stating that such dire action was counter to proper conduct of warriors. Since Minh was in custody, she was no longer an uncontrolled threat. To kill her when she had done nothing to warrant that death would be a real travesty of justice.

The star colonel wanted to repudiate Keen's objection, more to satisfy his personal need for reprisal than anything else. However, he knew that the Elemental had spoken truly. His last chance to eliminate the troublesome bondswoman slipped away when the gate guard accepted her surrender instead of shooting her. As he realized that, he knew it was pointless to persist. Keen was no doubt prepared to challenge him to a Trial of Refusal. A challenge he was not prepared to meet, much as it galled him.

Having grown tired of the radical thinking that seemed to have infected the people of his trinary, he was unconvinced of its practicality. Instead of going head to head with Keen over the matter of the bondswoman, he proposed his own terms.

The surprise Quint saw in their eyes at his change of mind was gratifying. At least he had that minor satisfaction.

Now the two of them were in the detention facility. Keen took a deep breath, then slowly released it. Salen looked to him and waited. It was not long before Keen reached to the door and pulled it open.

Minh looked at the two warriors with wary eyes as they entered the room. Her expression changed to hope, which died in her eyes as she observed Salen's stern visage. As for Keen, he merely looked unemotional. Noticing his apparent apathy towards her, Minh's unsteady spirits fell.

The jailer had followed them into the room and unlocked the cell. Nothing was said as he left the room to the three. Looking back at the silent warriors, it was all she could do not to wither under their scrutiny.

"Come here," Salen commanded curtly.

Eyes burning with shame, Minh rose to her feet timidly. She walked slowly to the door of bars and pushed it open. She stood before them, waiting uncomfortably.

"What is this?" Salen reached for Minh's head. Minh tried not to flinch at the invasive action. "Bondswomen are not permitted to wear unearned trinkets."

Minh remembered she wore a head band to keep her long hair out of her face. Gripping it firmly, Salen took it off, tugging the young woman's hair out of place as she did so. Dropping it to the floor, Salen indicated Minh's bare wrist.

"Where is your bond cord? The last time you took it off, I whipped you for it."

"I submit myself to your punishment," Minh replied quietly to Salen.

Without hesitation, Salen slapped Minh's face with the flat of her hand. Caught by surprise, Minh staggered sideways as her head twisted on her neck. She felt her cheek heat up from the impact.

At least she does not hit as hard as Keen does, she thought as her eyelid fluttered involuntarily above her stinging cheek.

"I am very disappointed."

The direct statement had an influential effect. Minh would prefer to have been whipped with the electro-lash again rather than be inflicted by Salen's condemnation of her.

Keen said nothing, which was not indicative of anything at all. On one hand, he could be in complete agreement with the infuriated MechWarrior. On the other, he could not care less about her opinion of his bondswoman. In either case, it was apparent he felt little need to contradict Salen.

Dark eyes wide with entreaty, Minh longed to hear his voice . She had hoped he would be happy to see her, yet she could not blame him for her unfaithfulness. It bothered her that she did not know how he felt. She needed to know, one way or the other, so she could make restitution to him. Speechless, she was afraid he would not listen to her explanation. Not knowing where she stood in his eyes only made her feel worse.

If he would not speak, then Minh decided that the proper reply should be silence. Squaring her stance toward Keen, she bowed to him.

It was Salen who lost patience with Minh's abasement. She found the smaller woman's shyness to be extremely offensive to her. It was very unlike a warrior's manner.

"You think you can bow down and apologize? Oh, no way, Missy," Salen berated her.

Minh straightened up, her eyes wide in shock. Though the MechWarrior had her full attention, she could not miss seeing Keen turn away from her and walk out of the holding cell area. He had not spoken at all.

Salen took custody of Minh. Keen did not accompany them as Minh was escorted from the brig. It was dark outdoors. Minh had missed having lunch, since she had bided her time to follow a group of warriors back to base. Her interrogator had kept her talking past dinnertime as well. Hungry and discouraged, Minh walked beside Salen in a state of shock. She was not surprised when they arrived at the barracks where Minh had resided before her escape.

Salen followed her up the exterior stairway to the third floor. As Minh entered the door at the end of the bunk room, the women inside looked to her in surprise.

"Take that rag off," Salen indicated Minh's dress.

Minh pulled the garment off over her head and handed it into Salen's outstretched hand. Her hair in disarray from removing her dress, all she wore was her underwear and sandals. Standing just inside the door of the barracks room, she felt exposed in her undressed state.

This is bad, she thought as she looked back at the staring women. Someone snickered.

Salen reached over and took Minh's chin in hand like a child. Turning her head back, Salen was satisfied that she had Minh's attention.

"You will not leave this barracks without permission, quaff?"

"Aff, Salen."

"You will not be disobedient in any manner, quaff?"

"Aff, Salen."

"If you cause any trouble," Salen said in a careful voice. "If I even think there is any trouble, this barracks will be decimated with a neural lash. Do you understand what the term 'decimate' means?"

Minh wanted to shake her head in a negative manner, but Salen had not released her chin. Such contact was humiliating to her, as Salen no doubt knew.

"Kill them?" she guessed. She had heard the expression used before, usually in the context of combat unit annihilation.

"One in every ten women in this room will be chosen at random to be whipped," Salen explained. "One in every ten that is except for you. You will watch them suffer as a result of your folly."

Looking onto the other woman's eyes, Minh knew that Salen was serious and that she would carry out the threat of punishment. The effect of the threat was that Minh would not allow the innocent to be harmed on account of her actions. She had been lashed once, months ago. The marks on her body had long since faded away, but an unnoticeably faint burn scar remained on her forearm. The painful memory that surfaced made her flesh crawl.

"Do you understand?"

Minh thought about the women in the room, women like Henna, Erin, and Fal. The thought of them suffering a cruel neural whipping was unthinkable. A surge of anger filled the bondswoman. Salen squeezed her chin as the silence lengthened.

"I understand, Star Commander," Minh grated, letting her resentment show.

Salen released Minh's chin and straightened her hand, holding it to the side of her face. Minh knew what was coming, but she dared not attempt to avoid it.

Salen gave the side of her face a slap, not too hard, but making a noise loud enough to be heard across the bunk room. Minh blinked rapidly several times.

"Good girl," Salen said. Minh was not sure if the commendation was for her answer or for not resisting the abusive gesture.

"I will return for you in the morning for exercise," she continued, looking Minh over scornfully. "You are out of shape. Wait for me in here."

"Aff, Salen," Minh barely had time to finish the response before Salen was out the door.

Minh walked to her bunk, the top bunk closest to the showers. The women shrank away at her advance, giving her plenty of room. No one spoke to her. Reaching her bunk, she found the mattress to be bare and the locker at the foot of the bunk empty.

What am I going to do? Minh wondered. In her mind, she imagined Salen forcing her to the nature course in her underwear. She just stood there, not looking around. The women had heard Salen's threat against them. They stayed away from Minh, obviously resentful. They would be no help.

I did this to myself, Minh thought in resignation.

"Minh," Henna, the dark brown tech in charge of the barracks room, gestured to her from her office door. "I saved your things."

Henna explained that when it appeared that Minh would not be coming back, she had gathered Minh's clothes from her locker. That was all that remained. Those things of Minh's that could be used by someone else had already been taken. The only exception were her clothes, since no one else was her size. She did not have much to begin with, but most noticeably her bedding and grooming kit were missing. Even her duffel bag was gone. Henna had not expected Minh to return, so she kept the clothing on hand in case a woman who happened to be the right size could use it.

She did not have any spare bedding on hand, but she could get some the next day.

It cannot get any worse than this, Minh hoped as she picked up a folded jumpsuit to put on.

xxXxxxXxx

Salen knew she had angered Minh with the threat of decimation. It was one way she knew to control and guarantee the bondswoman's good conduct. Before her escape, she had orchestrated a challenge against men from the adjoining barracks. Salen had not been there, but Batiste had told her about the duel. Apparently, Minh had appointed herself the women's protector. It was this sense of responsibility that Salen intended to use as leverage.

Minh's wonton behavior toward Keen in the detention facility sickened her. She had all but thrown herself at the Elemental point commander. The normally demure woman had been completely shameless.

She spent much of the night thinking about the bondswoman, finding it difficult to fall asleep. There were things that she had wanted to tell Minh and she was dissatisfied that she had not done so. The girl had no idea the trouble she had caused. Not only was Keen's training program threatened, but he was in danger of losing his position of leadership. Minh's unreliability was an indication of the fallacy of Keen's plan. Why had she come back? It was obvious that she had been sheltered. The girl's own fate was uncertain, as well. She had not been starving, no not at all. Salen pounded her pillow at that thought with disapproval as she sought to become comfortable.

There was no need for her to return, so why had she?

Salen decided that it would have been better if Minh had been shot. Before she was through with her, perhaps Minh would reach the same conclusion.

xxXxxxXxx

In the early morning, Minh was waiting by the door that led to the exterior stairs. She was dressed in a leotard and running shorts. Exercise sandals were laced to her feet and up her ankles. Her hair was in a ponytail, tied to itself in a simple knot.

Her night had been mostly sleepless as she lay on the bare mattress of her bunk. For a pillow, she used a folded jumpsuit that had been rolled up into a tubular shape.

The women made their displeasure for her known by being noisy as they visited the water fountain, which was just outside the shower room by Minh's bunk. From experience, Minh knew that such frequent trips at night were not common. However, it was one way they could disrupt her sleep. In voices not quite whispering, they complained to the night sentry at the injustice of the threatened punishment. They declared that they would not put up with any trouble from Minh. Others did not speak, but "accidentally" bumped into Minh's bunk as they made their way to the water fountain.

Minh could not blame them for their fear. After all, the situation was out of their control. Minh's actions had not been their fault. She wanted to reassure them that she did not want to cause them trouble. That the women avoided her had made that difficult to accomplish. Short of physically grabbing someone and throwing her down, there was nothing she could do to without causing the trouble they feared.

There were things Minh wanted to tell Salen, as well. She hoped that Salen would have calmed down after a good night's sleep. Perhaps she would be able to reason with the MechWarrior and get her to rescind her punishment pledge. Minh was uncertain as to how to proceed. As a young woman, she did not have the experience or training a clan warrior received. In the Draconis Combine, much of her martial indoctrination came to her late in life, often second hand from veteran soldiers. Such reasoning was not her own. She was not sure how to communicate with someone like Salen. Salen had been adversarial, like when she took issue with Minh's head band and dress. It was as if she had suffered personal insult.

She had risen at the appointed time and quietly dressed, having slept fitfully. Despite her discouragement, she was thankful that Henna had a spare bar of soap and a towel. She would need to wash after her work out. She would not be getting her linen issue until after breakfast.

Salen entered the door, a surprised look on her face upon finding Minh waiting. An unpleasant look of surprise, that is.

She hoped to find me still asleep and drag me from my bunk, Minh thought, realizing that Salen was still angry.

"Give me your hand," Salen pointed and Minh held out her right hand. Salen wrapped a woven white rope around her wrist once and tied it securely. It was a replacement bond cord.

"Thank you," Minh said, her voice low to keep from disturbing the women still sleeping.

Salen ignored her.

Minh followed the MechWarrior out of the barracks. At the bottom of the stairs, she threw herself down in Salen's path.

"What do you think you are doing?" Salen demanded.

"I beg for your forgiveness!" Minh blurted with her face to the ground. "I ask you to reconsider-."

"Get on your feet!" Salen commanded, trying to step around the crouching woman. Minh scooted sideways, remaining in Salen's way. She tried to apologize again.

"Get up!" Salen ordered in exasperation, kicking the bondswoman none too gently in the shoulder. Minh continued to plead her case, not rising. Her speech changed from English to Vietnamese as her voice became almost hysterical.

Glaring furiously, Salen reached down and tangled her fingers in Minh's hair. Gripping firmly, she pulled the smaller woman up. Rising involuntarily, Minh gasped in pain as she stood on her feet, then chattered in Vietnamese again.

"Stop speaking in that tongue! Nobody understands you anyway!" Salen commanded harshly. "Shut your face."

The lapse into her own language had been instinctive. Minh had not intended to do that, but she resisted the urge to explain herself. Salen was in no mood to listen to her at all. Instead, Minh found herself the focus of verbal onslaught.

"I thought you understood, Minh!" Salen charged furiously.

"I do not understand myself," Minh stated simply. After she spoke, she realized her folly. She should not have spoken. Her desire to express her point of view had caused her to speak up. In her present state of attitude, the MechWarrior had undoubtedly taken it as a challenge.

"I do not understand!" Salen mocked her. I am not that mad, she thought to herself, then changed her mind. Yes, I am that mad. In for a gram, in for a kilo.

"You are a bondswoman. It is not your place to think, you little idiot!" Salen suddenly unloaded, startling the other woman with her ferocity. "How dare you behave in such a manner!"

Where is she going with this? Minh remained silent, not wishing to ask for more of the tirade than she was going to get.

"We accepted you into this trinary, treating you with dignity and care and this is the result! This is obviously a waste of effort!"

What acceptance? What trinary is she talking about? With the exception of the Elemental point she served, the rest of the trinary did not even tolerate her presence. As for her relationship with Salen, Minh had believed that they had become friends. That seemed to be all that Salen had observed.

"You almost killed yourself and I was stupid enough to feel sorry for you."

So that was why Salen's attitude had changed towards Minh after her attempted suicide. It was not friendship. Instead, she had been treated with kindness born of pity, not respect. That was the ultimate humiliation. Salen rolled on, showing no sign of losing momentum.

"The spaceport was closed down for two days while we searched for you. Not only did you disrupt the base here, but DropShip schedules were interrupted as well.

"We had shoot on sight orders for your sorry hide. Did you know that?

"Keen had orders to kill you last night. You did not know that, did you? He talked the star colonel out of it, but I wish he had not. Given the opportunity, I would happily snap your neck myself after what you have done."

As out of shape as Minh was, Salen knew it would be too easy to take her down. Minh had filled out. Her svelte, almost willowy form was gone.

"You are on probation. Do you understand what "probation" means?"

Minh shook her head negatively. It was not that she did not know, but that she was afraid that it would have a second meaning. Much like the word 'decimate' did.

"Your conduct will be carefully monitored. If you are found wanting, the star colonel will reinstate your death sentence, but he will not discuss it with Keen."

Minh cocked her head sideways. Keen was her bond holder. It was highly peculiar that he would not be consulted about her.

"I will be the one to end the probationary period," Salen had declared that she would be Minh's executioner. The way she said it, there was no mistake that Salen would have no compunction about carrying out the death sentence.

The small woman before her was miserable, but Salen wanted to really devastate her. Salen had been betrayed by Minh's escape. Her anger was not so much a result of the insult of escape as it was a display of Minh's distrust. It was not something she cared to admit to anyone. A warrior was not supposed to have personal feelings. A warrior was not supposed to care about the thoughts of others. All that mattered was superior skill and ability. Then she remembered that Minh had been concerned about Keen's previous relationship with Suni.

"At least Suni was here to give Keen comfort when you left him," Salen said, feigning a nonchalant tone.

The resulting shock on Minh's face was most pleasing.

Salen was surprised by her own vindictiveness. She did not just want to teach Minh a lesson, she wanted to emotionally destroy her.

"And just so that you understand," Salen paused, placing emphasis on the last word. Minh waited expectantly, knowing she would not like what would come next. The feeling of dread felt heavy in the pit of her stomach.

"I have no compunction about killing you."

xxXxxxXxx

Minh accompanied Salen to the nature trail in meek silence. The nature trail was what Minh called the running path inside the woodland. It was still dark when they arrived. The trees were shrouded in predawn gloom. The Elementals seemed identical, and even more massive in the shadows. Minh could identify each one by his movement and mannerism. There were only four. She was positive that it was Keen who was absent before she figured out who each one was.

Advancing with authority, Batiste approached the two women. Minh wanted to greet him, but she did not get the opportunity.

"Start running now," he pointed at the trail. "Do not stop until I tell you."

Minh ran in the darkness, appalled by the vehemence of her Elemental point. Although she was unable to see their faces, their body language revealed their disfavor. This was not how she had visualized the reunion. It had not occurred to her that these people were not her friends. She had always been alone, but this desolation sapped her spirit. The curving path straightened out before her. She squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears from forming.

Minh knew that these people could act like this. Could they really be the descendants of Kerensky's Star League Army?

She was suddenly struck in the face by a hard fist. She fell, clutching her head as she skidded on her backside. A flash of anger fired her spirit in the belief that she had been attacked. She looked for her assailant past her hands, but she was alone. She must have strayed off the path and run into a low hanging branch. The force of impact had knocked her down, but her momentum had carried her forward underneath the tree limb.

Dazed and disoriented, she remained sitting on the ground next to the trail. At first, she did not fully comprehend what had happened. It had been a moment of inattention and she berated herself for it. It should not have happened. She felt so stupid, promising herself to get self control.

Her eye hurt, the pain spreading through her cheekbone. Cautiously, she felt her face with shaking hands. The nerves of her stinging skin complained at her touch. She encountered a sticky substance and loose skin yielded to her probing fingers. She could smell the sharp tang of tree sap. Carefully exploring with her fingertips, she decided the rough-textured skin was actually the paper thin bark from the bough she had run into. She peeled it from her face, wincing at the pain as it stubbornly clung to her skin. Examining it in the dim light of morning, she was relieved to confirm it to be as she suspected. It was sap covered tree bark.

She could hear the rapid cadence of approaching foot falls. She did not want to be caught stopped on the trail. The punishment for disobedience would surely be more than an Elemental-sized strike.

Picking herself up, she found herself on wobbly legs. She wanted to rest but she had no choice. No one had given her permission to stop. She began running again. Moments later, a large figure passed her. From his growl at her, she knew it was Anton. Despite the heat her exertions had generated, she felt a chill from his enmity.

As she stumbled along, the Elementals caught up and passed her by at regular intervals. Minh assumed the reason they were running separately was to keep an eye on her. If she dared to slack off, they would catch her at it. Of Salen, she did not see her go by at all.

As she ran on, a pain developed in her side within her ribs. She was out of shape. Really out of shape. Her tortured lungs burned and her breathing aggravated her dry throat. She had been running too fast and hard. She realized that she needed to pace herself. With every other footfall, her thin voice punctuated her panting breaths. The pain in her head throbbed with each impact of her feet.

By the time she reached the end of the trail, Minh was at the end of her endurance as well. Since she had missed eating two meals the day before, she lacked the reserves to maintain a steady pace. She wanted to stop, but dared not to without instruction. The warriors watched her as she tried to decide where to run next. Her feet hit the ground heavily, lacking grace as well as her reserves. The trail had nearly come full circle, returning to the other side of the clearing from where she had started. She was afraid that she would be made to her repeat the course and she just did not have it in her. Salen stood in the clearing, showing no signs of having run the course. Beside her, Batiste made an imposing figure with his arms crossed.

"You can stop," Batiste commanded.

Minh fell to her hands and knees on the grass. She suddenly retched, spewing what little contents were in her belly. Lost in her own misery, she did not hear Salen's snort of disgust.

Minh panted, her chest heaving. She silently cursed her small lung capacity. She coughed once more, then spat repeatedly to clear the sour taste from her mouth. She felt something slip along her face and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. She looked at her hand, barely comprehending the red smear of blood mixed in with the tree sap.

She was about to wipe her hand on the grass when a hand firmly gripped her chin. Her face tilted up and she saw Salen look down at her distastefully. The MechWarrior examined her critically. In addition to the facial injury, Minh had red scratches on her arms and legs. Covered with dirt and plant stains, it was obvious that she had taken a tumble somewhere.

"What did you do?" she demanded with displeasure. Lacking sufficient breath, Minh was unable to respond.

xxXxxxXxx

Salen escorted Minh to the infirmary. Arriving unannounced, there was no one waiting for them. The only person on hand was a med tech sleeping on a bed. She lay on her side with her back to the room's lighting. Salen roused her by kicking the frame of the bed. The tech rolled over and sat up.

"Minh?"

It was Katya, the first bondswoman Minh had ever met. She was no longer a bondswoman, but now a novice medical technician. The untrained med tech had the night watch in the infirmary because she was junior to the other med specialists. The surprised look on her face changed to concern as she quickly took in her small friend's appearance.

"Here, sit down," she rose from the bed. As Minh sat down, Katya went to a desk and pushed a button on an intercom. After several moments, someone answered. Katya announced one patient, then she returned to Minh.

"What happened?" she asked.

Minh opened her mouth to respond when Salen cut her off.

"Shut up, Girl! I have not given you permission to speak."

Katya glared at the MechWarrior, angry with the belief that she had hurt Minh. With Minh's black eye, it looked to Katya as if she had been beaten. It was obvious that she wanted to take issue with Salen, but apparently had the common sense not to say anything. However, her anger was conspicuous in her expression.

"It was not-."

"Remember 'decimation'?" Salen interrupted Minh.

Minh felt even more miserable. She did not want Katya to misunderstand the circumstance. She wanted to set the story straight, but it was not worth causing the other women trouble. Salen was satisfied with what she saw in the two women. Katya did not concern her. Let the medical technician be upset. As for Minh, she deserved to suffer for her folly.

"What has Minh done to deserve this?" Katya's demand seemed to echo Salen's thoughts. Katya could see that Minh was under some sort of duress. She did not approve of the situation.

"I do not answer to you, tech!" Salen declared. "You are not Doc. I do not have to put up with your disrespect."

Katya was saved from retorting by the arrival of another med tech. Minh recognized the tech, but she did not know the woman's name. Ignoring the warrior, the tech leaned down and looked directly into Minh's eyes. The injured woman did not appear dazed, but alert and responsive.

"Good. No sign of shock," she said. Straightening up, she turned to Katya. "Okay, clean her up. I want to see what is beneath this mess." Stepping back, she watched the junior med tech set to work.

When Katya had cleaned around the eye, the med tech examined Minh again, this time using a pen light. With the light so close, her eye watered from the intense glare.

"There is no damage," the tech commented. "Go ahead and put an analgesic on the cut and put a bandage on it. Put nothing on her eye, but give her a cold pack to hold on it. That should keep the swelling down."

When Katya was done, Salen jerked her thumb at the door.

"You wasted enough time this morning," she said impatiently.

"Perhaps if you had not beaten her, your time would not have been wasted," Katya said.

"Really?" Salen said in a deceptively cool voice. She gave Minh a measuring look. The other tech saw the distress in Minh's expression at Katya's interference.

"Kat, let it go," she said. She saw a look of relief appear on Minh's face. She did not know what was going on with the bondswoman, but she did not want Katya drawn into it. After all, it was no secret that Minh was major trouble. She did not want any of her own people to get caught in it, especially one with as much promise as Katya.

Minh followed Salen back to her barracks. The MechWarrior maintained a brisk pace. Minh almost had to run to keep up.

"Hurry and wash up. I will take you to breakfast," Salen instructed her. She watched the small woman go up the stairs and go into the building.

The women were just rising when Minh entered the bunk room. Unlike the evening before, they said nothing derisive. In fact, they were silent as they stared at her, seeing the cold pack that Minh held to her face. Humiliated by the attention, she was unable to summon the nerve to look back at them. Keeping her head down, she proceeded to get herself washed.

After washing and drying herself, she looked at herself in the mirror. She was appalled by the appearance of her savaged eye. The skin around it was puffy and had already taken a dark tint. The white bandage at the side only served to call attention to the discoloration. Despite the cold pack, her eye had still swelled up. It was getting harder to see through the injury.

Taking a moment, she experimented with her damp hair. Using her fingers like a comb, she pulled some hair down and let it hang over half of her face. While causing some irritation to her blackened eye, it did conceal it like a shroud.

Returning to her bunk, Minh dressed. As she had discovered the previous evening, her coveralls fit snugly, especially at thighs and hips. Before she had run away, they had been loose and comfortable. She did not like the way her figure showed against the tight fabric.

Salen arrived as Minh sat on the floor to put her shoes and socks on. Minh wondered how Salen had showered and dressed so quickly. Without a word, the MechWarrior gripped Minh by her collar and lifted her to her feet. Minh was unable to get her shoes on while Salen impatiently dragged her out of the barracks.

Salen permitted Minh to finish dressing at the entrance to the warrior dining facility.

"You are not going to make me look bad in here," she insisted.

But it is okay to look bad outside, me with one sock on and the other foot bare, Minh thought with ironic cynicism.

"Walk in front so I can keep an eye on you," Salen instructed her when she was finally dressed.

Minh led the way, walking past the dining tables to the serving counter in the back of the room. The warriors here had never approved of her presence, so their hostile looks at her were no surprise. One of them was in the act of sitting down when he caught sight of her. He looked at his tray and sighed.

"Well, there goes my appetite," he said, shaking his head. He rose up and took his tray away to discard the contents without eating.

Minh recognized him, remembering his name even though she had never been introduced to him. It was the MechWarrior Rick. She also remembered that he harbored a serious grudge against her.

Minh arrived at the counter and picked up a tray. The warm smells coming from self service bar whetted her hunger. With a pair of tongs, she picked out a sticky bread. When she tried to get a second one, Salen took the tongs from her hand.

"You are on a diet," she said. "Only one." She directed Minh to ladle a modest amount of hot cereal and scrambled eggs. While she was being directed, a food service technician brought out a fresh pan of sausages.

"Ah, Minh! Welcome back!" he greeted her.

Minh looked up at the man in surprise. It was Grigsby, also known to her as 'Cook'. Minh wanted to return his greeting, but her treatment by Salen had made her cautious. She looked up to Salen for permission to respond. The MechWarrior narrowed her eyes in answer. Remaining silent, Minh lowered her face in shame. Salen took her to the table where the Elementals were already eating, then went to sit somewhere else to eat.

Minh had just sat down when she stood up again. She wanted to get a glass of juice to go with her breakfast. A large hand gripped her shoulder and slammed her back down.

"Eat," Anton growled at her.

"I want to get-."

"Shut up," Batiste said. Minh risked looking up at him. Familiar as she was with his bronzed face and hairless scalp, she realized that she did not know this man. She obediently complied with the Elementals' commands.

Once Minh had finished her meager breakfast, she was not permitted to leave the table. Unlike before, the Elementals did not add tidbits of food to her tray. They did not say anything to her, but they did exchange comments with each other. Only once did they speak about her, saying it as if she were not present. They were of the opinion that she was overweight.

xxXxxxXxx

After breakfast, Minh accompanied the Elementals to the point's armory. It was a ferro-crete box-shaped building. Apart from the armored door, there were no other openings. Minh heard a knocking noise. It did not sound substantial enough for an Elemental to have done it and she looked up in curiosity. Their weapons tech Don had arrived just before the Elementals. He had beat on the door with his fist. Minh assumed that it was Keen who was inside, since he was the only member of the point she had yet to see. The door rattled as the small door behind the spy port was opened and closed. Minh did not look up at it. She heard the crossbar next just before the door opened.

It was Nagatake who admitted them. Minh was surprised to see him. Even more surprised to see that he no longer wore a bond cord. With his impassive expression, he backed against the desk and chair, yielding the door space to permit the newcomers to enter. It was evident he was not surprised to see her. Minh looked away from him.

The room was much as she remembered. There were five large boxes that held disassembled suits of Elemental powered armor. That was why each one had a handle on one end with power controls. Elemental armor had great weight, much more than an Elemental could casually carry. The large boxes were outnumbered by smaller sized heavy duty lock boxes.

Beyond the collection of boxes in the far wall were two doors leading to ammunition rooms. They were locked shut with a warning sign forbidding the presence of flammables and sparking items within the rooms. Minh had been inside the room holding the point's cache of small arms ammunition. There had been no reason for her to be in the other arms room that contained the short range missiles for the powered armor.

Along one side of the room was a work bench and a stool. A selection of rifles were laid out on the bench top, their actions open. The smell of bore cleaning solvent indicated that the weapons had just been cleaned.

"Prefires have been completed," Nagatake reported to Batiste.

Formerly Nagatake Tsubaki, a captain in the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery, he had been Minh's commanding officer in the militia. Of Japanese heritage, he resembled Minh in appearance.

When Minh had escaped from Salen, Keen had been ordered to find and execute Nagatake. He was suspected of harboring rebellious tendencies also. Another reason was that word gotten back to the star colonel that the former DCMS officer had been instructing women in combat skills. Keen had taken Nagatake from his work detail unexpectedly. As they walked away, Nagatake asked if Minh had done anything. Keen merely looked down at the bondsman, the measuring look in his eyes chilling him. Nagatake explained to him that Stev Ch'in had come for him one time before, when Minh had tried to kill herself. Keen announced that Minh had escaped. Nagatake was surprised and said so. Minh had adapted to clan life so well that he could not relate to her anymore. Since Keen was in a mood to listen, Nagatake continued to talk. He admitted that it would be pointless for him to contemplate escape. Should he manage to return to the Draconis Combine, his only course of action would be to kill himself to make amends for his failures, both as an officer and representative of the dragon. He had been disgraced, what the clans would call dezgra, by his inability to properly lead his company. Worse, he had survived while the men and women subordinate to him had not. He would not wish to cheapen the sacrifice of his soldiers under his command by returning to the combine alive.

Keen had taken Nagatake with him in his search for Minh. It was during the search that Nagatake learned of the execution orders for both Minh and himself. A squad of armed men had confronted them, intending to take Nagatake into custody. The massively muscled man resisted the order. Even though he was unarmed, Keen made an intimidating opponent and the squad backed down. Keen declared his objective to utilize the bondsman for his own purposes and that he intended to make his intentions known to the star colonel. Nagatake had been surprised by the action, but a part of him wished that the Elemental had ended his life.

Keen had taken him under personal supervision, rehabilitating him instead. Nagatake was not to be a warrior, but an apprentice under the tutelage of the weapons tech Don. In doing so, Keen had taken great risk to give a former adversary almost complete access to the weapons. A clan adversary did not normally present such a liability, but Nagatake lacked that cultural background.

Minh would undergo rehabilitation now. Keen had carefully instructed Nagatake not to interfere with the process. Months before, he had been instrumental in turning her attitude. This time, he was forbidden from participating. He was not supposed to offer her any encouragement. Understanding the reasons did not make it easy.

"Very good," Batiste acknowledged. He turned to Minh and pointed to a corner in back of the room.

With all their emphasis on combat prowess, Nagatake felt that these clan warriors did not understand the subtleties of psychology. Using Minh as if she were a science project was as hit or miss as it was extreme. Given his record in her case, Nagatake had already demonstrated his own lack of psychological understanding.

Boots lined one wall of the corner where Minh had been sent. Each pair had a polishing kit set before it. There was also an empty bucket.

"You know what that is for," Batiste indicated the bucket.

"To wake you if you fall asleep," Keller laughed unpleasantly. The memory of being doused with cold water and having the emptied bucket dropped next to her head with a resounding clanging noise came to mind.

Minh filled the bucket only partway with water from the sink, then carried it back to her assigned corner. Keeping to herself, she spent the morning shining large boots. In the part of the room where she sat, the lack of air movement was almost stifling. The steady effort caused her to become heated and she removed the sweat from her face with her sleeve. It would not surprise her if the Elementals had somehow arranged for the corner to be unventilated.

As she bent over her work, her hair hung over her face like a tent. Her hair made her face itch, so she scratched with the back of her hand. She tried to be careful, avoiding touching her face with polish-stained fingers. At one point when she had paused to relax her tired fingers, she examined a smear of black polish on her hand and realized that she must have gotten some onto her face anyway.

She was aware that Nagatake was keeping an eye on her. She also noticed that Don seemed to be nervous, but it was her former commander who had his attention, not herself. She wondered what was going on.

Nothing was said, but while Minh worked, Nagatake opened the armory door and propped it open. The two techs moved their work from the workbench to the desk. Minh did not think the odor of shoe polish was that overpowering at all. She received no benefits of the open door from where she sat across the room. Without another door, or some sort of window to permit free air flow through the room, there was no air movement.

When she finished, her fingers ached and her arms were tired. She leaned back, arching her spine backwards to work out the stiffness. Her stomach rumbled. Her effort at polishing had used up what little reserve of energy she had gotten from her unsatisfying breakfast. She wondered if it was close to lunchtime. She did not have long to wait. Upon their their return from the shooting range, the Elementals found her standing by their footwear. No one so much as glanced at the results of her hard work. Even though they were inspection ready, she had expected them to mess up the shine at the very least. It was a sign to her that she was not worth the effort.

"You were instructed to shine those boots," Batiste did not even look at her as he placed his sidearm on the bench. She understood his comment to be a command to shine them all over again.

Kneeling back down, she began shining the shoes again, starting with his first. Her tired muscles complained. She had just fouled the reflective leather surface when she was stopped.

"You will do that after lunch."

Minh wanted to give Batiste a grateful look for the momentary reprieve, but she resisted the urge. She was of the opinion that he had waited for her to begin so he could stop her. Calculated to be inconsiderate, he was manipulating her in malice. With a feeling of spite, she was determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was having any emotional effect on her. Silently, she accompanied the Elementals.

Minh's lunch was a repeat of breakfast. Again, she was prohibited from filling her tray, and thus her stomach, to satisfaction. Once more, their strict supervision did not make allowances for her to get a beverage.

Salen was already seated with another MechWarrior that Minh did not recognize. The star commander seemed to be amused by Minh's mussed appearance as she passed by.

At least I could have washed my face, Minh thought resentfully as she remembered the sink in the armory.

Minh tried to eat slowly, but in her famished state, her meal was over much too soon. When she was finished, she sat silently, not looking up from her plate. It was bad enough knowing that the Elementals were able to sate their hunger. She did not want to watch them do it.

The techs had already returned from their lunch when Minh was brought back to the armory. They were still at the desk by the open door. The air was still heavy with the odor of polish. Minh went back to her stifling corner.

When the Elementals left, she took the opportunity to get her fill at the sink, drinking directly from the faucet. Don had been speaking softly, but paused at the sound of her guzzling the water. Half-sprawled over the sink, she did not see Keller walk back into the armory. He looked at her for a long moment listening to her drink noisily.

"We will have a weapons and ammunition inventory tomorrow morning," he said to Don. "Make sure everything is ready." Minh flinched, pausing in her drinking. When nothing had been said to her, she began drinking in a quieter manner. When she finished, she went meekly back to work. Keller stood waiting for her.

"These really need polishing," he placed his boots in front of Minh as if she had not touched them yet. It was insulting. She had not even finished repolishing Batiste's. She stopped what she was doing and just sat there.

"Get started now."

Minh felt her face flush with anger. She stared at his boots without moving.

Keller squatted down and took her chin firmly in one strong hand. She glared back at him past the veil of hair that covered one eye.

"Must I knock some more sense into you?"

Keller had never struck her. Conscious of the techs watching, she could only assume that they would believe that it had been the Elemental who had "administered" her black eye. To permit him to continue that charade would be a lie. With her head held immobile, she could not shake her head. Then she realized that his question was a demand for an answer. With downcast eyes, she spoke up.

"Neg, Keller."

She expected him to squeeze her chin between his finger and thumb as a show of supremacy over her. Instead, he released his grip on her and, with his hand still in front of her face, pointed down at the boots with one finger.

With Keller crouched over her, she began to work on his boots. He watched her for a while, then stood and walked out.

After a minute, she stopped and stared at the buffing cloth in her hands. There was no point to the work she was performing. The only thing that was really being accomplished was that she was being frustrated. Without thinking about it, she used her father's favorite curse.

Startled by her vehement remark, Don looked at the bondswoman. He had heard her say that before, long ago when he was assigned to keep her under observation. He was about to ask what she had said when Nagatake stopped him with a touch of his hand. Turning his attention to Minh, Nagatake gave her a look of disapproval for that loss of self control. He did not understand Vietnamese, but some phrases were self evident by the tone of voice in which they were expressed.

Preoccupied with her thoughts, she did not notice the two men. If she had, she probably would not have cared. Minh did not think that the Elementals could have treated her worse than they had when she first met them. At that time, she was just a bondswoman, one who did not know any better. Now she was a bondswoman who had betrayed their trust. They had trusted her and she had paid them back with betrayal. If she had befriended someone and that someone had treated her in an untrustworthy manner, she did not think she would like that person neither.

xxXxxxXxx

For some reason, Batiste was already at the dining facility when the other Elementals brought her to eat. Distracted by her own curiosity, she was looking towards him and thus away from the serving line when there was a loud clattering next to her feet.

"You clumsy fool!" Anton snarled.

Minh had dumped her tray on the floor, scattering the contents. The mess was surprisingly large considering that her meal had barely filled a portion of the tray. She stooped to clean up the mess, but Anton seized her shoulder in a vise-like grip.

"Someone will clean that up," he said sternly. "Get another tray and stop wasting our time."

Minh miserably obeyed. The warriors witnessing the scene seemed uncomfortable, almost embarrassed. She had thought they would have enjoyed her discomfiture. During the meals she had partaken since her return to the base, they had become more watchful as the Elementals displayed their disdain for the bondswoman. She felt her humiliation grow as a result.

Minh ate her supper slowly. Minh did not like to sit idly by while the others ate their fill. Trying to savor the meal, she hoped to fool herself that her stomach was being satisfied. Preoccupied with her meal, she did not notice Batiste conclude his meal and leave.

As it turned out, Minh had eaten too slowly. She was forced to leave the table with her meal unfinished when the Elementals were through eating. Anton actually pulled her away from her seat by the scruff of her collar. There had been no encouragement to finish. By placing her tray on his own to carry it away, Anton denied Minh the opportunity to finish eating on her way out. In fact, he continued to disparage the amount of food she had on her tray to begin with, especially since she had wasted a whole tray full already.

She continued to be dissatisfied and hungry.

xxXxxxXxx

It was in Anton's custody that Minh had been returned to her barracks. As they arrived, they encountered Batiste descending the exterior stairway. Greeting Anton as they passed each other, he did not look at her. Standing beneath the notice of the towering man, she felt as insignificant as an unwanted child. Minh watched Batiste walk away for a moment before Anton nudged her and pointed up the stairs. Dejectedly, she obeyed the silent command and went up the stairs.

Entering the bunk room, she was aware that the women were staring at her. There was an expectant air, as if they knew something that she did not. She was sure that it had something to do with Batiste's visit. When she reached her bunk, Henna walked up to her from her office.

"I'm sorry, Minh," she said. "If I had a choice, I would not do this."

Minh remained silent, waiting for what she knew would be bad news. Henna placed a comradely brown hand on her shoulder.

"I have to put you to work," she continued. "It'll be every evening, but you won't have to stand watches."

At least I can get a full night of sleep, Minh thought. At least, provided that no one will keep waking me up in fits of pique.

"I'm really sorry about this," Henna said.

The older woman seemed to expect a response from the bondswoman. Minh had nothing to say. There was nothing she could say. She shrugged her shoulders, hoping to convey that she held no hard feelings. That seemed to be enough.

Moving two sets of bunks out of the way, Minh had to scrub wax from the floor from the wall to the center aisle. She was expected to finish that section by lights out, in about three hours. Eventually, the plan was for her to strip the wax from the entire bunk room floor.

Using a pungent solution, she hand scrubbed the floor with a brush. With a scraper, she scooped up the waxy gunk and put it in a bucket. In addition to the foul smell, it was a filthy mess. She found that the chemicals bleached out the pigment of her jumpsuit as she worked on her hands and knees. She decided that those ruined coveralls had become her floor stripping uniform. She would not ruin her other uniforms doing this.

The floor scrubbing was much like shoe polishing. Monotonous and repetitive, there was no mental challenge. Far from being mind numbing, her thoughts dwelled on what brought her to this point in her life. She was heartily tired of it all. She could not help feeling the regret that surfaced with her thoughts. Every rash action she had taken ever since she left home seemed to sit heavy in her belly. The unsettling discontent, the noxious odor, and her incessant hunger combined to make her ill.

It seemed that she was always making poor choices. Everything she tried to do for herself had come to ruin. She had joined the militia to escape an unwanted marriage. She had spurned the clan way and had run away. By coming back, she had only caused herself more grief. Her interrogation upon her return only convinced her that she had gotten clean away. No one had been looking for her, believing that she had somehow gotten off planet. Could she have stayed in the countryside? After all, she had regretted her own culture's farm life, which in turn caused her to run to the militia. She had been able to run from the clan. She could do it again. As her self analysis turned circles in her mind, she found herself scrubbing harder and faster.

Stop that!

Minh paused in her furious scouring and straightened her back. Leaving the brush on the floor, she stretched her arms up and back over her head. Her spine made a popping noise.

This stops now.

She would not run away again, now that she was back. They would not make her. She was through running. Never mind that the welfare of the other women in the barracks rested on her own conduct. That threat was not necessary.

Minh returned to the abusive punishment with renewed resolve.

xxXxxxXxx

The next day, Minh had accomplished her morning run without mishap. She felt sick to her stomach, but managed to resist throwing up the limited contents within her belly.

After breakfast, she was informed that the Elementals did not want their shoes worn out by her constant polishing. She was given a new assignment. She would remove the paint from outside of the armory and prepare the walls for repainting.

A simple scaffolding was set up to permit her to begin at the top of the walls. While she scraped and sanded the walls, one of the techs was detailed to watch her work. At no time did she ever lack supervision.

After lunch, she was included in the Elemental's martial training. It was not the privilege that it had been months before. Salen had escorted Minh from her barracks to a clearing near the running trail. The grounds there provided a variety of surfaces ranging from dirt and sand to grass and mossy undergrowth. There were several well worn areas that indicated frequent bouts were held there. The Elementals stopped their training at the approach of the women.

"There is no need for the star commander to sully her hands on this," Batiste said in a formally distasteful manner to Salen. To Minh, it sounded like he had left his statement unfinished, as if he been about to say 'this thing'. In response, Salen waved her hand as if she were brushing away an annoyance.

After providing Minh with a few minutes to warm up, she first faced Wendal. Of all of Keen's subordinates, Minh had considered Wendal the most gentle and easy going. However, as an opponent, he was completely unyielding.

Minh did not have the same skill she did before when practicing against the Elementals. Her attacks were useless and she was thrown aside repeatedly. Each time, Wendal beckoned her to attack again. After a dozen times, she was exhaustively winded. He then made his own attack. Minh had expected his signal to attack again, so she was caught by surprise by his lunge. His palm struck her high on the shoulder and she spun backwards. Off balance, she went down hard. She tried to roll, but landed awkwardly on top of her arm. Her ribs hurt from the impact on the hard ground and her shoulder hurt from being wrenched. She coughed a couple of times, then rolled slowly to a sitting position. Wendal had stepped several meters away and stood impassively, his arms crossed over his chest. Minh could detect no sign that he was cared one way or another about her fall.

It was Batiste who examined her, gripping her arms with a firm hand, then probing her ribs with a straight finger while she struggled to get her air back. She felt faint from shortness of breath and desperately wanted to give in, if only for a few moments of peaceful oblivion.

"No broken bones," he decided. Minh just stared at him. She did not have the strength to pick herself up from the sand. "You are clumsy as a result of soft, self indulgent living."

It was evident to everyone present that Minh had lost the smooth grace she had possessed months before. She was out of shape from having performed no practical exercise and eating too much food.

"Just watch," he ordered and the Elementals continued practicing around her. In a muddled daze, she barely comprehended the activity around her. As her lungs finally began pulling in oxygen, she felt humiliated by his contemptuous tone.

The middle of a melee was not the best place to observe technique, but it seemed safer to remain in place rather than risk moving through a battle zone. She did not notice Salen until the MechWarrior gave her a hard nudge with her toe from behind.

"Get off your lazy duff and fight me," she commanded. Minh took to her feet and Salen drove her mercilessly in hand-to-hand practice.

"You can do better than that!" Salen taunted her. No matter what Minh tried, Salen still bested her. In addition to the blocks and throws, Salen took cheat shots. After several slaps and pokes, Minh began to develop a temper and said something in Vietnamese. Salen took immediate offense.

"You have something to say, you will say it in English."

"Make me," Minh challenged.

"You think you are a tough girl?" Without waiting for an answer, Salen went to where the Elementals had left their practice gear and returned with a sheathed fighting knife. Unsnapping the holding strap, she pulled the sheath free and let it drop.

"You talk a lot of nonsense for someone who cannot back it up," Salen continued to verbally harangue Minh, waving the blade around for emphasis. "I thought you combine people were disciplined. That just goes to show what I know. After all, if you had an inkling of discipline, you would not have let yourself become so weak and ineffectual!"

"Here!" she tossed the knife to Minh. "Put yourself out of our misery! Maybe you can do it right this time!"

Minh barely caught the knife, cutting her palm before she could get control of it. She saw the disdain in Salen's eyes. Anger and hatred rose up like bile from deep inside her guts. She could remember when Salen had electro-whipped her. She had shown no real emotion, not even pleasure. Now she was different, displaying an eagerness to release her hostile emotions unto Minh.

"What are you waiting for? Have you no honor? Oh, I forgot. You are mercenary militia," Salen sneered. "You only volunteered for the militia for what you could get out of it. There is no honor in that."

Having been given the knife, she was being goaded into killing herself. This unrealistic situation was totally unbelievable. That last comment about her honor was completely uncalled for. Minh could recognize that Salen was being overtly confrontational, but it did not make the words any less hurtful.

She held the knife up, her grip on the pommel so tight that her fingers were white. Suddenly she dashed it away to the side and behind her, not even thinking about where it would go. The knife skittered past Batiste's feet.

"You will not rid me that easy. You will have to kill me yourself," Minh grated. "If you can."

Her words proved to be empty bravado. Salen tore into the smaller women, knocking her off of her feet and pinning her to the ground. She could have killed Minh if she so chose. Salen looked down at Minh with contempt, disgusted at Minh's lack of challenge. The woman had tried to fight back when Salen took her down, but her effort had been futile. Unable to get free, Minh did the only thing she could to get back at the MechWarrior. In an insulting tone, she spoke in Vietnamese.

"I told you to speak English!" Salen spat out each word.

Minh did not feel satisfied, even though she had gotten the desired result. Her defiant anger had brought her down to Salen's level.

"You are not so tough!"

Minh could think of nothing to say. Coming to her senses, she realized that she was in no position to smart off. Lacking energy reserves, she had been unable to maintain any semblance of resistance. Salen could feel the agitation leave her.

Releasing Minh, she picked herself up and brushed herself off. She made no attempt to help the bondswoman to her feet.

"Tomorrow," Salen turned her back and stalked away from the practice field, muttering angrily. Apparently, training was over for the day.

With careful effort, Minh got back to her feet.

xxXxxxXxx

Salen made her report to Keen. Although she outranked him, he was in charge of the project to rehabilitate Minh.

He had been keeping his distance from Minh. For the plan to be successful, he had to let the others do the dirty work. His heart was not in it and he wondered about that. Something akin to instinct warred with his methodology, threatening to keep him from following through with what had to be done.

He felt a strong affection for the small bondswoman. The depths of his feelings surprised him. He remembered her expression when she appealed to him. She wanted some sign from him and he had not dared to give it. He dared not let her see his pleasure in her return. It was that affection that prevented him from dealing with her as the star colonel wanted. The star colonel wanted to have her broken. The only way to save her was to risk destroying her.

He wondered if his logic made him any less of a warrior.

Salen had thrown herself into the star colonel's plan. She had taken what Minh had done very personally. It showed in her recent treatment of the bondswoman. His point of Elementals did not have that emotional investment, but that did not make their efforts any less dedicated.

It was ironic that Keen was glad that Minh had run away. When he admitted as much to Salen, she rounded on him in angry astonishment.

"How can you say that? All the time she was gone, you acted as if a part of you were dead."

Regarding her silently, Keen raised one eyebrow. He had never been melodramatic.

"You were not yourself," Salen continued, explaining her thoughts. "You were less stoic, more angry, more Elemental."

"I am an Elemental."

Salen gave an irritated snort.

"She returned by choice," Keen explained. "She did not have to come back, yet she did so anyway. We must ensure that her choice is true."

"You say 'we'," Salen commented thoughtfully. "You intend to increase your involvement?"

"I am relying on you to push Minh through her limits. You have a way of breaking through to her, of getting her to respond even when she would not wish to."

"And if she fails our test?"

"There is more to her than meets the eye. I knew that when I pried her out of her tank." He thought back to that day. The battle had seemed over, the last tank knocked out of commission. Keen had been about to detail his point to search for survivors when the last tank swiveled it's turret toward Salen's Hellbringer heavy BattleMech. Augmented by his powered armor, he had leaped onto the tank and peeled the armor plate away from the front of the turret. That was his first view of Minh. Distracted from her gun sight, a startled expression was plain on her face. But it was her eyes, those dark eyes, that he remembered most. He saw no fear, no panic, no hysteria. After a very short moment, she dismissed him as something beyond her immediate control. Before he could stop her, she had returned to her gun sight and fired the gauss rifle at Salen's 'Mech.

"She did not look much older than a girl," Salen commented. Keen remembered her anger when the two women met face to face. Salen had been angry that a "little girl" had put up such resistance in combat against a clan MechWarrior.

xxXxxxXxx

The next day, it was Minh's personal objective to make amends to Salen. She was concerned that her conduct the day before would travail the other women. The challenge was to choose the best time to speak to the MechWarrior. It had already been demonstrated that Salen was impatient and unapproachable first thing in the morning. It was when the women faced each other in the practice field that Minh felt confident enough to talk.

"Yesterday, I spoke in haste. I was angry," She told Salen carefully. "I wish to take my words back."

"So you think you can speak to warriors with disrespect? Not only that, but you dared to issue challenge to me, even though you are just a bondswoman. If you think you can weasel out of your obligation by withdrawing those ill chosen words, you are sadly mistaken," Salen coolly informed her.

Salen looked past Minh and her harsh expression hardened. Minh looked back and saw Keen. Distracted, she never saw Salen strike her. Minh spun and fell, belatedly realizing that she had been tricked into looking away. She was further surprised when Salen followed up on her attack.

As Minh tried to pick herself up, Salen moved in close. Lightning quick, the vicious jabs had no trouble getting through her lack of defense. Salen purposely struck from Minh's "blind" side, striking her in the head near her eye. Minh hit the ground again, gaining a bloody nose as she tried to shield her face from the assault with her own forearm.

Soundly beaten down, Minh tried to rise. The side of her head throbbed with pain. The aches in her body intensified as she moved. She tried to gather herself for a counterattack, but her legs faltered and she collapsed in a heap.

"Pathetic whelp!" Salen said in disparagement as she contemptuously walked away.

Minh responded breathlessly in Vietnamese.

"You seem to have a memory problem. Or is it a learning problem? I told you before to speak English!" Salen declared. "Perhaps I should not have ended this lesson?"

The MechWarrior paused in suggestion of continuing the beating. Painfully, Minh crouched down, her huddling body seeming to seek cover against the ground. Her hair pooled below her face as she pressed her forehead to the dirt.

"I speak English," she affirmed in a voice barely loud enough to be heard, the pain in her side sapping her strength.

"How the mighty have fallen," Anton's derisive comment did not carry beyond the other watching Elementals.

"It was an uneven match," Keller sounded sympathetic to Minh.

"Would you rather it have been one of us that dished out punishment on her?" Batiste asked him. "In her soft state, she would not have survived."

Minh, uncaring that the the Elementals were speaking among themselves, pushed herself back into a seated position. Deep in thought, she absently wiped at the blood beneath her nose, smearing it with the back of her hand. She wondered why Salen was so difficult to apologize to. It was as if she did not want to hear it, that she wanted to drag out the situation as long as she could. It ran contrary to polite combine conventions. Totally foreign to her way of thinking, Minh did not understand it.

So be it. If that was how Salen wanted to behave, Minh would oblige her.

Batiste was standing over her as she regained her feet. When she looked up at him, he silently pointed toward the base. She could not see the buildings hidden by the trees that surrounded the clearing, but she knew the infirmary was in that direction. Taking the hint, she began walking with Batiste trailing her.

Katya was reporting on the overnight activity to the morning shift medical tech when the two arrived. The morning tech was first to notice their arrival. Katya glanced in their direction, then stopped in mid sentence.

Seeing the small woman's bloodstained face, Katya was instantly angry. She believed that Batiste had beaten Minh, but had the presence of mind to keep that suspicion to herself. It was never wise to rile Elementals, after all. Despite the misplaced blame, Minh got some pleasure from that measure of unspoken sympathy from her friend. If Batiste noticed the implied accusation, he did not attempt to set the record straight. He merely looked impassively at the novice medical technician. Katya did not press the subject.

The morning tech checked to make sure that Minh's nose was not broken before permitting Katya to clean her up. She examined her eyes and measured her pulse. Determining that the small woman was not in shock, she turned her over to Katya's care.

Clucking her tongue, she spoke to Batiste about Minh's failure to keep her battered eye from swelling up.

"The bondswoman is not noted for her conscientiousness," the Elemental rumbled, dismissing the matter as unimportant.

xxXxxxXxx

The long work hours took their toll on Minh. She slept as if dead to the world. The following morning, the bunk room sentry had been unable to rouse her. When Salen arrived to take her to morning exercise, it was with no small pleasure that she dragged the smaller woman from her upper level bunk, awakening her in the process. She sagged to the floor, but the MechWarrior held her up by the arm.

Minh had been positive that she had risen when the sentry had awakened her. It had only been a dream that she had dressed and was waiting for Salen. In reality, with dread in her stomach, she had not wanted to rise and promptly went back to sleep.

Minh leaned against the bunk, still very sleepy. Salen shook her roughly, causing her to fall onto the lower bunk. The woman there complained at the disturbance.

"Wake up!" Salen impatiently prodded the hapless bondswoman.

xxXxxxXxx

At the running trail, Minh carefully paced herself as she ran the course. Tired as she was, she knew she had to husband her strength. She still had some breath left as she arrived back at the clearing. She derived some pleasure from that accomplishment and it showed on her face.

Waiting for her, Batiste and Salen were scowling. They could not miss seeing Minh's expression.

"Run it again," Salen nodded her head to the beginning of the course.

"This time, go faster," Batiste said unpleasantly. "You are taking too long."

Having paused for barely a moment after her run, Minh obeyed them. The two warriors followed close on her heels.

"Hustle it!" Batiste growled. "I do not want to see you stopping."

"You slept in. This should be no problem for one as well rested as you," Salen declared. "Pick up your feet!"

Midway in her run, Minh collapsed on the path. Half curled in the dirt, she wheezed as she clutched her sides. Batiste commanded her to get back up, but Minh just lay there. Her only answer was to breathe heavily. He nudged her hard with his foot. Apart from being slid by his forceful contact, she did not move. Salen walked up and beckoned him to lower his head to her level. She spoke softly into his ear. He nodded, then turned his attention back to Minh.

"Does the term 'decimate' mean anything to you?" he asked her.

Minh made a noise, similar to a whimper but not unlike a growl. She got her legs underneath her, then propped herself up on her knees in the dirt trail. She turned her head and looked directly at Salen. The naked hatred on her face was unmistakable.

Once she regained her feet, she staggered to a tree and leaned against it. She continued to stare at Salen, her chest heaving as she sought to regain her breath. Finally, she pushed off to propel herself down the path.

"If her eyes were lasers, you would be toasted now," Batiste commented.

"It would have been worth it to see her face," Salen chuckled.

"You are a hard woman, Star Commander."

"I know," Salen started to follow Minh. "And that girl is a real pain in the butt."

xxXxxxXxx

"Oof!" Minh hit the ground with a loud exhalation. She knew the Elementals had been holding back. She was thankful for that fact. However, that did not prevent them from using their superior size and skill to their advantage.

"You are making this too easy," Keller said to her. He had dumped the bondswoman to the ground repeatedly.

"She is game," Batiste observed.

"Aff, small game," Salen snorted derisively. "That almost sounded like admiration."

The two warriors were standing to the side watching the others practice. In comparison to Anton and Wendal being paired off in unarmed combat, Minh and Keller were obviously mismatched. With the two pairs weaving and maneuvering around each other, it sometimes became difficult to see every move they made. Thus was the case when Minh managed to connect with a kick, then pull Keller down to the ground by his neck.

"How did she do that?" Salen asked.

"He probably tripped over his own two feet," Batiste replied. "We cannot let this pass."

"Aff," Salen nodded. "Do it."

Anton and Wendal stopped their match to see Keller sit up in surprise. Minh had a pleased look on her face. Batiste left Salen's side and spoke to the other Elementals.

"Melee," he said.

The Elementals arrayed themselves around Minh. They were close enough together to restrict her movement. It was obvious to her that the Elementals were ganging up on her. They out massed her by twenty times. Their features were dark with menace.

"This is not zellbrigen," Minh stated. "This is not honorable one-on-one combat."

"Zellbrigen and honor are for warriors," Anton said. "You are less than a warrior. You are not entitled to be treated as a warrior."

What is the point of trying to do my best if they seek to discourage my efforts? she wondered. From outside of the circle she could see Salen watching her. The MechWarrior crossed her arms with a humorless smile.

"I will show you 'honor'," Minh did not have any real choice. Escape was out of the question. If she tried to run past the men, they could easily catch her and put an end to the fight. By the same token, she could not wait for them to attack first neither. Her only hope was to attack them and keep them off balance.

Minh knew she had to remain out of the reach of their arms, which were much stronger than her own legs. That realization created her strategy. She could use her legs to neutralize their advantage against her.

Better than nothing, she thought.

Given the time she had spent in practice with these men, she was able to read their intentions in their body language. Anton did not seem to be gathering himself for attack, but he presented the immediate threat. She kicked out in his direction, then round kicked to the other side to keep Keller away from her back. Though tactically logical, her prediction was wrong. It was not Keller but Batiste who took advantage of her attacks against Anton and Keller. Instead of his arms, he also used his legs. His longer kick caught her at shoulder height as her own leg swung by underneath. Off balance, Minh fell onto her back.

I should have foreseen that, she berated herself.

As she tried to roll away from Batiste, Keller darted in. His foot stomped down, striking the ground between her elbow and ribcage, almost pinning her in place. Without thinking, she grabbed Keller's powerful shin and levered her legs up with a scissors kick. Keller stepped backwards to avoid her surprise move, pulling himself free from her grasp at the same time.

Balanced on her shoulders as she rolled upward, Minh stabilized herself on the ground in an impromptu handstand. Her legs continued to windmill in the direction of her kick. As they touched down, she pushed off with her hands and she straightened up. She could see that the Elementals were momentarily nonplused.

"I have never seen a move like that before," Keller commented.

"She will not have the opportunity to do that again," Anton promised.

Her sense of accomplishment quickly turned to hopelessness. The well trained Elementals could see through her every feint. Looking at Batiste, she made as if to charge him, then she quickly shifted to Anton. It was as if they knew when she intended to strike. None of her attacks went through. At the same time, she tried to keep away from their attacks in return. She kicked low, no higher than their knee level to prevent them from grabbing her foot.

The Elementals had strength, endurance, and numbers on their side. They did not have to really try to hit her. She could no longer kick, having used up her energy in making them keep their distance. It was all she could do to redirect their arms with her own, but only if she could see the attack coming. Her reflexes were dulled to the point of futility when a heavy handed strike knocked her forward into Anton. He pushed her away and she rebounded against Wendal and fell to the ground.

Batiste pulled her to her feet with a savage motion.

"Your opponent will not stop just because you are tired!" he said, sending her back into the melee.

The one sided contest degenerated into a juvenile shoving match. No matter who she tried to fight, someone else would send her flying. Much like her earlier clash with Salen, there was no semblance of mercy.

She wished they would put her out of her misery. Her desperation did nothing to improve her flagging endurance.

After several rounds with each Elemental, Minh could no longer even pretend to offer any resistance. It took all of her energy reserve just to prevent herself from getting seriously hurt from the throws and falls. The Elementals relentlessly traded her off. By not finishing the fight right away, they demonstrated that they were still holding back. Only it did not feel like it.

She was not aware when she lost her senses.

She was shocked to consciousness by a heavy spray of cold water on her flushed skin. She cried out, or tried to anyway. Only a gurgle sound forced itself from her vocal cords. Lying on her back, her limbs felt slack and she lacked the strength to move.

The unyielding ceramic tile beneath her and the steady shower of water clued her to the fact that she was in the women's wash room. Out in the bunk room, women were complaining about a man being in the barracks.

That man was Batiste, who was standing over her. None of the women dared to take issue of his presence to his face, not a powerful man like him, but they were confident enough to voice their objection from a separate room. He was looking down at her with contempt.

"Star Commander Salen has better things to do than nursemaid a worthless bondswoman like you," he said, explaining why it was he and not Salen that had brought her back to the barracks. He left Minh where she lay under the cascade of water, making it apparent that he was not about to nursemaid her any farther than necessary.

She was too weak to move herself, much less lift herself to turn the water off. She wanted to call out for assistance, but her voice failed her as well. She resigned herself to a long stay in the freezing shower.

The water had stopped running for several moments before she realized it. She became aware of Fal staring down at her with a strange smirk on her face.

"You really are frail," Fal commented. Turning away, she did not see the anger flare to life in Minh's eyes. An anger that rapidly faded to shame.

I do not even have enough energy to keep a good mad on, Minh thought dejectedly.

"Here. You cannot stay here," Henna stepped into Minh's view, startling her. The senior tech helped her up. "Fal has to finish cleaning the shower. Can you walk?"

Lacking the will to do more than undress, Minh lay in her bunk and slept the late afternoon away. It was only in the early morning when she awoke, hungry and muscle sore. Fal was on sentry duty and she followed her into the shower area.

"That MechWarrior woman tried to wake you for supper. She did not try very hard, I guess, since she did not drag you out of bed this time," she said.

Minh was worried that she might be in trouble for not working on the floor that evening. What was surprising was Salen's show of mercy in letting her sleep. After all, Salen had derived great pleasure from pulling her from her bunk the previous morning.

"You sure have a lot of bruises."

"I have a lot of enemies," Minh did not want to talk.

"That big guy did that?"

"They all did."

"They sure worked you over. What did you do to make them so mad?"

Minh had turned the water on. Dousing her head under the shooting water, she pretended not to hear the question. What had she done? She had knocked down an Elemental, but she did not want to admit that. Fal might not believe such a fantastic tale. Also, the Elementals had gone out of their way to show their displeasure at that feat. They wanted her to know that what she had done was not appropriate. Until she understood what she had done wrong, she would keep that information to herself.

She took her shower, thankful for the hot water that soothed her pains. To her relief, when she looked, she noticed that Fal had returned to her rounds as sentry.

xxXxxxXxx

When techs began spray painting the armory, another point of Elementals asked to borrow her so their armory could be painted as well. An agreement was made, an insulting bargain to Minh's point of view. As she lugged her scaffolding to that armory, she saw a familiar dusky Elemental with a pale crewcut. Minh recognized her with a pang in her heart. It was Suni. Salen's words came to mind as Minh observed the Elemental's smug expression. This was the woman Salen said whom had been giving comfort to Keen.

Suni watched her from the door, a cup of steaming liquid in her hand as Minh set up her scaffold. The small bondswoman was humiliated by the thought of this woman in private company with Keen. The Elemental seemed to enjoy her discomfiture.

It was several days before she was finished there. Being in close proximity with Keen's intimate acquaintance caused her to think about her own relationship with Keen. She acknowledged her own jealous nature, but realized that she had no real claim on her bondholder.

After working on the neighboring building, Minh was brought back to scrub the inside of her own armory. It had been obvious that the interior needed to be painted even before she tried to clean the surface. Then she had to sand it down and wash it again in preparation for painting. However, this time she was the one tasked with the painting. Instead of the spray rig equipment, she performed it with brush and roller.

The physical activity and training, in addition to her meager meals, caused a change in her figure. Her coveralls were no longer so tight around her waist and legs. The Elementals had taken every opportunity to put Minh through her paces, with the exception of swimming. That was the one activity they knew that she enjoyed, thus they made it a point to deny her that pleasure. On those days the Elementals went to the lake, Minh performed make work in the armory.

xxXxxxXxx

Early one evening, Salen arrived at the women's barracks, much to the chagrin of the occupants. Working on the bunk room floor, Minh paused in her scrubbing as a result of the sudden hush. Looking up, she saw Salen smirking at her, a coiled neural whip in hand. With her skin flushed with perspiration and dirty wax staining her coveralls, Minh felt self conscious about her messy appearance. Rather than pause, Salen continued toward Henna's office.

"What did you do?" Fal demanded.

"I did nothing," Minh said as she watched Salen walk away.

"I get whipped, I will kill you," someone hissed from the other side of a bunk at Minh.

"I will die before you are whipped. I promise you that on my honor," the words were not spoken in heat, but with a tiredness that was felt to the bone.

The woman on the other side of the bunk snorted in disbelief.

Another woman had heard the exchange. It was Erin, a bondswoman who had been badly hurt months ago. Bondsmen from a neighboring bunk room had ganged up on her, beating her badly. Minh had been teaching her self defense tactics and Erin had idolized her as a result. Now Erin was disappointed in her heroine. She had been avoiding Minh, but Salen's arrival seemed to have emboldened her. Intent on adding her own commentary, she finally approached the small woman.

Minh was surprised at Erin's deliberate advance. She had come to the realization long before that Erin had been keeping her distance from her. Seeing the woman's unhappiness, she knew what was to come did not bode well.

"You left us. That was very selfish!" Erin accused. "How dare you?"

Standing in clear sight of everyone in the barracks, Minh felt vulnerable. Anyone within earshot could hear what Erin was saying. Minh did not believe that she had hurt the women in any way by her escape, yet she could hear the pain in Erin's charge. Deep down, she felt that Erin's plural 'us' was really meant to be singular. She had been hurt by Minh's betrayal. Erin had believed the two of them to have been good friends, a belief encouraged by the individual martial arts instruction that Minh had given her.

That conception had been understandable. Minh had been fond of Erin. The woman had been a good and kind person, a fact difficult to keep in mind at that emotional moment.

"You act so noble and long suffering!"

Yes, it was very difficult to keep in mind.

Minh noticed Fal watching from among the other women. She had a look of disgust that Minh thought was meant for her. Minh broke eye contact and returned her gaze to Erin. Rather than meet her face, she kept her head level and looked at her knees instead.

"You brought this on yourself," Erin waved at where Minh had worked on the floor. "Who do you think you are kidding?"

I was not trying to joke, Minh thought. I do not think this is funny.

"You are not fooling anyone here," Erin kept up her tirade despite of Minh's lack of expression. "You never had to work before. Now you think to impress us with diligent effort!"

Minh said nothing. She did not understand half of what Erin was saying. She did not want to make matters worse by saying the wrong thing. She would rather have Erin angry at her than add to her emotional pain.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Erin wanted something. Whatever it was, Minh was supposed to guess.

"I do not want to hurt you."

Erin barely heard Minh's simple statement. Frustrated by her inability to get satisfaction, she balled up her fists and clenched her teeth. Trembling, she resisted the desire to grab the small woman and shake her. The woman was too messy to touch. She knew that if she were to give into her impulse, Minh would most likely take her down.

"Agh!" Erin burst out in frustration, holding her hands out before her as if she wanted to choke someone. "What is the point of talking to you? You don't get it! It would be easier to talk reason to a wall. Walls do not make inane responses!"

After Erin stormed away, Fal followed her out the door of the barracks.

"Keep away! Don't follow me!"

"Yeah? Who are you to make commands, anyway?"

"Back off or I'll-!"

"Minh may have to take that, but I don't!"

Erin paused on the stairs and looked up at Fal as a result of the implied threat. Both women had been given the benefit of individual martial art instruction from Minh. Even though it had been a long time since they had practiced, Erin recognized that she could lose any fight she started with Fal.

"Minh is getting what she deserves."

"How so?"

"She thinks she is so special."

"What way it that? Minh has never used her abilities to lord over us. She could have taken charge of us when she first showed up. No one would have cared to stop her. After all, we are only women. Remember? Those men had beaten you up and their peers did not do anything about it. It was Minh who had saved you. She was the one who carried you to the doctor. She shared her skills us."

Erin was ashamed. Her anger against Minh had made her look ungrateful.

"She beat up Trent," she said. "He had not been a part of it."

"Trent accepted her challenge," Fal countered. "Speaking of which, I thought you were stupid to strike up a friendship with him. I still do, but Minh talked me out of saying anything before."

"Oh, really?" Erin could really be a snot sometimes.

"She said it was none of our business," Fal said. "I suppose if she thought there was a problem, she would have done something about it."

There was a pause, then Fal went on.

"I am not going to be whipped."

"You cannot fight the MechWarrior," Erin snapped.

"I do not have to. I believe in Minh. She is working her fingers to the bone, not out of fear for herself, but for us. I don't know about you, but I would never work that hard, no matter what the threat. She is not being selfish."

"Oh? And I am?" Erin sounded petulant.

Fal did not tell her what she thought, but she remembered how Minh had rallied the women and redirected them from having an uncontrollable riot. She had led them and later fought for them. Minh had promised not to cause them to suffer the neural lash. She knew deep down that Minh would not give her word if she did not mean it.

"I was talking to one of the women in the other barracks. One of the new women from the ship. She told me that a MechWarrior with braided black hair had whipped Minh. I think that is her in there," Fal said. "Having done it before, I believe she means it. Minh knows what that feels like to get beaten. She will not wish us to suffer that."

"She is so noble," Erin said sarcastically.

"Jumping all over her when she is down is not going to help us," Fal pointed out. "What are you trying to do? Do you want her to leave? Do you want to get us into trouble? Are you really that spiteful?"

At the other end of the bunk room, Henna had met Salen at the door when she arrived at the office. Closing the door, they spoke in private.

"Minh has not been a problem. She is a hard worker," Henna testified before Salen could say anything.

"You are not covering for her, quaff?"

"I do not want to see her get into trouble," Henna said honestly. "But she has done nothing that I need to cover up. She has not done wrong, has she?"

Salen silently observed the tech and saw the fear of retribution that the MechWarrior represented. That was to be expected, but there was something else. An honest concern for the bondswoman.

Henna was obviously doing the job assigned to her by Batiste in keeping Minh busy. She could not fault the tech's efforts to follow her orders. The exhausted young woman was a shadow of her former self, lacking the aggressiveness she had exhibited before her escape. In her stained coveralls, she presented a positively wretched appearance. She literally cowered behind her hair, letting it conceal her half-ravaged face. She lacked that warrior heart that Keen had professed to have discovered in her upon his capture of her.

"I am just checking up on her," Salen said, holding the whip in plain view. "I do not want anyone to believe I was making an empty threat when I was here last."

"Everyone here believes you," Henna said earnestly. She did not want to sound defensive, but she did not want to give the MechWarrior reason to carry through with the punishment neither.

When Salen left, she stopped to watch Minh work. The bondswoman had her back to her. Crouched over on her hands and knees, she scrubbed in a furious manner. Exposed by the rolled up sleeves of her jumpsuit, her forearms glistened with sweat. The hard working woman did not seem so soft now in appearance. The forced exercise and reduced rations had caused Minh to lose weight. She had regained her litheness. Her slight frame would never develop the large muscles that exemplified Elementals, but the definition was there. Wolfishly lean, her slimness was being fine tuned into a tool that could be used. Like a steel blade that had been improperly forged, she had lost her temper, but she was being reforged.

She paid no attention to the other women as they fearfully tried to ignore the antagonists. Such people were normally beneath her notice and that was the case here. After several moments, she made her way out of the barracks and down the stairs. Two women made room for her on the stairway, but she did not find them to be remarkable in any way.

xxXxxxXxx

The next day, Salen faced the lanky limbed bondswoman in the practice field.

"You are not trying!" Salen's accusation accurately described Minh's lackluster effort in her hand-to-hand practice. "You are only going through the motions!"

"I am not allowed to try," Minh responded in a dead voice. "You have promised me that other women will suffer if I cause you trouble."

"You have shown a marked lack of reliability," Salen replied. "Perhaps this will instill you with responsibility."

"My responsibility has never been an issue. It is my success that seems to be trouble."

"Right," Salen said dubiously.

"I dropped Keller and I was punished for it," Minh shrugged her shoulders. "You do not want my best effort.

"You are holding the women against me. That has given you unfair advantage. You prevail against me and yet you are still not pleased."

Salen felt the sting of the mildly spoken reproof. Pursing her lips, she resisted the angry urge to respond to the dispirited bondswoman. Speaking the first thoughts that had come to mind would only have made her sound reactionary. Maintaining a respectful attitude, Minh had not looked up as she spoke. The open criticism showed that the small woman still had backbone, despite the efforts to totally subjugate her.

I must keep control of myself, Salen thought. It was not just for Minh's benefit. She did not want the other warriors to see a bondswoman prevail against her. It was more than just dignity, it could lead to another Trial of Position.

The Elementals silently observed the exchange between the two women. The practice of psychology was not a warrior's strong suit. Granted, a warrior sought to 'psych out' an opponent, but apart from tactical advantage, that was the extent of their experience. Crushing the spirit of the bondswoman in an attempt to manipulate her growth was beyond their understanding. They were destroying Minh. They could not see how that would improve her. It was only breaking her down.

With her face downcast, Minh did not see the effect of her words on the Elementals.

xxXxxxXxx

"I feel less than a man," Keller admitted to Batiste as he watched the small bondswoman work that afternoon. Minh was out of earshot where she stood on the scaffolding at the armory next door. With brush in hand, she was painting the nooks and crannies that were missed by the spray paint team. "That is not the usual effect one expects from that bondswoman."

Something attracted his attention and he turned from the doorway. Don was studiously absorbed in his own task as he tried to avoid bringing the Elemental's ire on himself. Keller glared at the tech anyway.

"It is your fault for being clumsy and letting Minh take you down," Batiste said.

"I was not clumsy. I was off balance," Keller insisted, turning back to look out. "Minh was in the right place at the right time and she followed her instincts."

"That is inconsequential," Batiste shook his head at the incongruities. "The star colonel does not care about the method. Whether skill or blind luck, he only sees the end result. Minh had defeated a superior appointed over her. He would have taken permanent action against Minh if we had not punished her ourselves."

"It was training," Keller said. "It was not as if she had made an unprovoked attack."

"If you had gotten back up, it would have looked like training," Anton interjected.

"So it is my fault for that too?"

"You underestimated her," Anton said.

"It is interesting to hear you say that," Keller noted. "You do not respect her."

"Respect has very little to do with estimation," Anton explained. "Anyone can be dangerous under the right conditions."

"That was a good strategy she used," Wendal continued. "Kicking compensated for her lack of upper body strength. It also extended her reach beyond her arms. If she gets herself together, she will be a force to be reckoned with." The other Elementals stared at him.

"She was willing to face us. All of us," Keller added. "She was brave."

"She was desperate. Cornered animals are more fierce than normal," Anton dismissed the favorable recognition. "She had no choice, nothing to lose."

Listening to the Elementals, it was obvious to Nagatake that they were not totally united in the way they were dealing with Minh. There was no agreement among them. Admiration for her conduct was mingled with contempt for her as an individual.

Like Don, Nagatake had overheard the conversation. Although he had been told to stay clear of Minh, he felt he had to do something.

xxXxxxXxx

It was unmistakable that Minh had entered into a deep depression. Nagatake had no opportunity to speak to her while she worked under Elemental supervision. Once, Nagatake spoke to her when Batiste was present. She looked to the Elemental for permission to speak. Batiste's glare kept her from responding. She would not even look at Nagatake after that. Batiste gave him a warning look as well. During the rare times the Elementals were absent, she was uncommunicative, refusing to answer Nagatake at all. Don spoke to Nagatake, but he did not initiate conversation with Minh. It was as if he did not wish to cause her additional trouble.

He did not approve of the Elementals' despicable conduct toward the bondswoman. They had created her as a militant. Now they were trying to beat that out of her. That was unusually contrary of the Elementals. It did not make sense. Were they crazy? Did they know what they were doing? Did they even care? Her present treatment was much worse than he had ever faced and he had grown increasingly concerned about her. Having been rebuffed at the armory, he wanted to find a way to break through to her.

This was not the first time he had to do something like this. AeroSpace Pilot Stev Ch'in had previously enlisted him to right a wrong with Minh. That time, Nagatake had wrongfully forced her to take responsibility for his own guilt. Somehow, she had been prevented from destroying herself, but it had been a very near thing as evidenced by the scar on her throat.

He feared for her sanity. He did not know what she would do if she were to lose her sensibilities. Without self control, she could be a danger to anyone, even herself. He had to help her.

At one time she had been his subordinate. Since then she had become more. He genuinely liked her as a person, caring for her. Perhaps it was their common background and the fact that the two of them were radically different to the others in the clan.

Nagatake sought out Katya after supper. She was busy with her duties, but she was able to get free two hours later. When they arrived at the barracks to see Minh, the facility showed signs of undergoing cleaning. The floor was still unfinished. It was a big job for one small woman. Squared section by squared section, it would be done in another week or so.

They found her lying on her back on the top bunk. It was apparent that she had just settled down for the evening. Her hair was still damp from showering. With her hands were cupped over her mouth, she was making shallow breaths, inhaling and exhaling with peculiar rhythm. The sound went unheard more than a few meters away. Nagatake did not know what to make of the strange act, but he was afraid this was a sign that she was developing dementia. He looked at Katya, who looked back at him with an expression of puzzlement that mirrored his own. Had Minh retreated into fantasy?

Looking back at the bondswoman, he was again reminded of the time he saw her lying on a sick bay bunk. This time, she wore a T-shirt that fit her like a dress. Her bare arms and legs were lean, but with a defined muscle tone. He did not share the Elemental's opinion that she had been overweight. She had seemed a bit soft maybe, but not heavy. The physical regimen she was undergoing had since reduced her figure. Lying prone, as opposed to when she was working in her coveralls, Nagatake saw her differently. In her linear position, she appeared to be thin.

"Minh?"

The small woman jumped, her hands flying away from her face at the sound of Nagatake's voice. She was so engrossed in her mental exercise that she had not heard the obligatory 'man in the room' warning call.

Not saying a word, she sat up and faced her visitors. She curled her legs beneath her as she arranged herself. With her hair grown out, it easily shielded half of her face. Nagatake was struck by her self conscious, demure manner.

"You have not been to the infirmary lately. I wanted to check on you," Katya announced, peering at Minh's face searchingly. The small woman's perch on her bunk kept her head out of Katya's reach.

"Lean down here," Katya instructed her.

"I can jump down," Minh offered.

"No, this is fine," Katya said as Minh leaned over. She reached up and gently moved her hair out of the way. The younger woman tried not to flinch under the attention to her eye. "Why did you take off the bandage?" Katya touched near the spot it had been below her temple.

Bereft of friendship among the women in the barracks, Minh was touched by Katya's gentle care and concern. She relaxed under Katya's examination. A sense of peace stole over her. Seeing Nagatake watching her, she felt her face flush with warmth from the shame of having him witness her emotion.

"It had came off in the shower," Minh explained. She touched her lower lip thoughtfully. "Two days ago."

"The abrasion is healing nicely," Katya noted. "Leave it alone and it should not get infected."

"Are you qualified to determine that?" Nagatake asked her as Minh straightened back up.

Katya looked at him in annoyance, then she shrugged. Katya was not a trained physician, after all.

"Does it hurt?" she returned her attention to Minh.

"Itches," Minh had forgotten all about the scrape until Katya brought it to her attention.

"Same thing. It is healing. Let it," Katya said. "How have you been?"

"No worse than any other slave, I imagine," Minh said deprecatingly.

"Why do you say that? You are not a slave," Katya said. Seeing Minh's look of disagreement, she went on. "Your bond to the Wolf Clan does not make you a slave."

"Bonds are shackles," Minh stated, holding her wrist up to display the cord. "I am a prisoner here."

"You are not in prison," Katya said. "That cord is not meant to bind your hands together. It is a symbol of the pledge between you and the clan."

"I made no pledge," Minh said automatically. Or have I? she wondered as she recalled her decision to surrender. Did her desire for the return of the Star League mean that she had made a deal? She had never discussed the subject with anyone. Distracted by her own thoughts, she did not hear what Katya said in reply. A moment later, she regained her senses and saw her visitors looking back at her expectantly.

"I-," she waved her hand distractedly as she looked away. Her confusion was evident, much to the others' dismay.

It is time Minh discovered the true status of bondsmen and bondswomen, the med tech decided.

"That bond cord on your wrist means that you are a part of Clan Wolf," Katya explained patiently. "At the same time it sets you apart from the others as a bondswoman, a newcomer who must learn the ways of the clan."

Minh recalled the contempt she had been given by the warriors when she had first been released from solitary confinement months ago. The rest of the people under bond had been neglected as well, left to their own destructive self control. They lived like animals and preyed on each other. After arriving at Strana Mechty, conditions were little better. Procedures for proper supervision were in place, but they were not used very much.

"You are not a slave. No one owns you. Not Keen. Not anyone else. He is actually accountable for you, but that does not imply ownership," Katya continued. Minh looked at the woman skeptically. "Minh, you are also held accountable."

"No kidding," she mumbled, glancing around the barracks. Salen would not let her forget that through her treatment of contempt.

"You have to learn the ways of the clan. You have independence that is normally denied prisoners." The Elementals served as her jailers, which gave lie to Katya's argument.

"I am confined to the barracks."

"No locks prohibit your movement. You remain here on your own recognizance. Only your honor keeps you here."

"There is no honor. I am not allowed to move freely. A warrior has to accompany me when I am out of the barracks. The only thing missing is a leash," After a moment of silence, she held up her wrist and displayed the cord. "Oh, here it is. I was mistaken."

"Not everyone who is captured by the clans become bonded. Many, especially the incorrigible, are detained and eventually left someplace where they cannot cause harm.

"Someone has recognized your skill. You have been given an opportunity for acceptance."

Listening to Katya explain bond status, Nagetake was reminded that he had been considered incorrigible. Minh turned her face away, clearly uninterested in the direction the conversation had taken.

"Being a bondswoman is an honor," Katya declared.

"Vera is a bondswoman," Minh retorted bitterly. "She has no honor."

Katya could think of nothing to say to that. Nagatake cracked an involuntary grin at her inability to deal with Minh's logic.

It was clear Minh still did not get it.

After a long moment, Minh looked back to her friends. Both of them had been under bond like her. Now they were passing her by. Short in stature, it would seem she was short in accomplishment as well.

"You have not seen the best example of bondswomen when you joined us on the ship," Katya went on, trying another tack. "None of us really cared about ourselves. There was a reason we had been taken under bond, but at the time we did not know. It was only after Nagatake had put things right that we became properly motivated."

Under Stev Ch'in's guidance, Nagatake had supervised the women. He remained silent about that. He felt that any comment on his part would undermine Katya's reasoning. Minh appeared to be unconvinced.

"They would not do this if they did not care," Katya said. "Once you were released from a solitary confinement, you ceased to be a prisoner. You had been bestowed with the honor of bond status. You had the freedom you needed, plus you are held accountable when you exceed that freedom," Katya paused and let Minh think about that for a moment. "Everything that happened to you came as a result of your decisions, not because of that cord on your wrist. You have so much promise, yet you act so irresponsibly. You are just like a little kid."

"I did as I thought right," Minh said defensively, smarting from the personal observation.

"You ran away because that was right?" Katya asked.

"I escaped because it was my duty to the Draconis Combine."

"Was your return also in accordance to your duty to the Combine?"

"I did that for the Star League."

Say what? Nagatake did not see that coming. Minh saw his startled look and explained herself.

"General Kerensky was not the renegade he had been painted by the historians in the Draconis Combine."

Katya appeared shaken by the statement, that someone would dare say something like that against a popular ancestral figure of the clans. Nagatake narrowed his eyes in disbelief, a look that Katya noticed.

"The Kerensky bloodline runs in the Wolf Clan," she explained. She was rewarded with a look from him herself.

Returning his attention back to Minh, Nagatake noticed the bondswoman's nod of agreement at the novice med tech's words. He quickly concluded that Minh must have come under a mind altering influence during her absence. That would help to explain her delusional attitude.

"The clans are the descendants of the Star League Army," Minh said. "They have returned to rebuild the Star League."

"The Star League was not the perfect, enlightened government portrayed in history. It was not what you believe it to have been," Nagatake tried to contradict Minh's political position. It would seem he was right to be concerned about her mental stability. After the way the Elementals had been driving her, it was no wonder she resorted to this strange talk. "If the Star League was so beneficial, why did it have an army to enforce it's will?"

"The same question can be asked of the Combine," Minh countered, her voice sounding uncertain in reaction to Nagatake's opposition. She plucked nervously at the hair that concealed that part of her face.

"Is your eye bothering you?" Katya asked, hoping to deflect the disturbing conversation. From the look on Nagatake's face, she was afraid it would become heated.

Minh gave a quick shake of her head. A stray hair aggravated the tender skin around her eye as she concealed that part of her face. She dared not admit that. She did not want anyone to think she was weak. She did not want anyone looking at her eye again.

"Well, leave it alone and let it heal," Katya said. "You will only irritate your eye."

Minh nodded.

"You are doing well. Do not give up now. Be strong!" Nagatake exhorted. Minh keyed on the final word.

"Taking responsibility is a measure of strength," she said tonelessly. "Clan Wolf has no room for weakness."

"Do not let them win!" Nagatake incited, inwardly appalled at the brainwashing she exhibited.

"They have already won. I surrendered to them. This is my punishment. I deserve this," Minh declared.

"You are letting them treat you in a worthless way."

"It is the only way I can convince them of my sincerity," Minh said quietly.

"You have converted to their cause?" Nagatake hissed. It was worse than he had suspected.

"I have discovered-," Minh lost track of her line of thought. She started again. "I saw Go-Four."

Katya looked blank.

"That was my tank," Minh explained to her. "The clan fixed the battle damage. They made it a much better tank than when I was in it. If they can restore a tank, they can restore the Star League."

Nagatake looked at her as if she were crazy. There was a vast difference between a mechanical contrivance and an entire society. Correction: an entire collection of societies. The invading clans were facing several governments.

"It looks as if they are convincing you instead," he observed. Stroking her hair with one work worn hand, Minh had the appearance of a woman fighting to avoid a nervous breakdown, struggling to hold herself together.

Minh felt a sudden stab of doubt at Nagatake's subtle evaluation. She wanted to tell him that it was not the warriors on base that had told her, but a farm tech that was her source. Fearing that he would scoff, she remained silent. She would not allow him the opportunity to criticize her information. It was all she had to cling to. She had nothing else to believe in.

Nagatake saw the change in her eyes, as if shutters had closed off the soul within her. He knew it was pointless to debate the matter further with her. He would only make things worse. Shaking his head, he silently made his way out of the bunk room. Katya lingered, wanting to say something, but she did not know what. With a sad smile, she departed also.

"I do not know if I helped her or not. Now I am confused," Nagatake said to Katya outside of the barracks. Looking at her, he wondered if the two of them were even on the same page. During the conversation, Katya managed to connect with Minh. She seemed to understand what Minh was talking about.

Minh's desire to cooperate with the clan, to become a means to an end, reminded Nagatake that the term for samurai meant "to serve". In a way, it bothered him, as he was reminded that his own service was far from exemplary. Not for the first time, he wondered why she was being trained. What did the Elementals want from her? Whatever they were doing was too elaborate just for the sake of inflicting torture and malice. His concern was for her appropriate use. She had a strength of will, but would that be enough? At one fifth their body mass, she was not an Elemental. It made as much sense as placing a light BattleMech in the vanguard against assault class opponents. The only real cost to the enemy would be in ammunition expenditure and effort. In regard to Minh, would she survive?

Minh lay back down on her bunk and returned to her imaginary harmonica practice. Her concentration had been broken by the visit. Replaying their conversation in her mind, she considered Nagatake's reaction to her conversion. Minh pondered that as she stared at the ceiling. She had disappointed Nagatake. Did that matter to her? Perhaps. Would it affect her determination? She hoped not. She could not please everyone all the time. It seemed that she was displeasing everyone every time she made the smallest decision.

xxXxxxXxx

Minh was barely half way through her song when someone clambered up over the end of her bunk and settled down at the foot of her mattress. She was startled and more than a little indignant at the invasion of her personal space. Uncupping her hands from in front of her lips, she propped herself on her elbows and looked at her uninvited visitor.

It was Fal. She sat staring expectantly back at her.

Minh wanted to be left alone. She did not try to conceal her feelings.

"You look really pitiful."

"You should not be here."

"For someone seeking pity, you're acting awfully antisocial."

"It is not safe to associate with me."

"How noble of you," Fal said deliberately. "How fake! That is your problem."

Erin lay on her own bunk nearby. Trying to sleep, she could not help but listen to the exchange. After the way Fal had spoken to her the other day, she was surprised that Fal seemed to have turned against Minh. She rolled away and pulled her pillow over her ear to blot out the noise.

Angry, Minh sat all the way up and the two women stared at each other.

"You do not want any of this!" Minh pulled her hair from over the side of her face. Bold in her fierceness, she did not blink.

"Could you put your hair back? You're a bit hard to look at."

"I am not that hard," Minh said in her own defense as she complied, not smiling. In truth, her eye had been getting better. It was not as puffy as it had been before and the dark bruise was fading. Save for the veil of hair she maintained, she could see out of it. Having nothing more to say, she glared at Fal.

"What were you doing before?" Fal asked, miming Minh's breathing exercises with her hands over her mouth.

"Harmonica," Minh explained.

"What harmonica?" Fal asked, unable see Minh's imaginary musical instrument.

"It was confiscated when I came back," Minh said.

"Wait a minute. What do you mean, you came back? They didn't catch you?"

"I came back of my own will. Of my own free will," Minh corrected herself. "I did not believe that they would shoot me if I gave myself up willingly."

"Why would they shoot you?"

"They had shoot on sight orders for me."

"You knew they had orders to shoot you and you came back anyway?" Fal demanded, incredulous. "You are stupid!"

"Aff," Minh agreed quietly.

"Real stupid!"

"You said that already."

"It deserved to be said again," Fal insisted with a smirk. "Those Elementals are really hard on you. They have a mean spirit."

"They are not being mean. They are doing this to demonstrate that they care." With that declaration, Minh realized that she really wanted to believe it. The undercurrent of confusion she had been feeling seemed to fade as she reacted emotionally to that thought.

"If that is so, then why are you about to cry?"

Minh's lips, half parted, snapped closed as she glared at the other woman again. Fal smirked in response.

"Why are you acting crazy?" she asked, bringing her hands back up to her face and blowing on them.

"I am not crazy," Minh denied. "I am just bored."

"I have a guitar," Fal piped up. As Minh watched, Fal held one hand out to the side and waved the other one in front of her belly. "See? It's an air guitar!"

I am not amused, Minh thought in response to Fal's joke. The thought had no sooner appeared in her mind than she began to smile.

"Air harmonica," she snorted.

Inside, she decided that she wanted the companionship that Fal offered, even if they did not get along. The sense of aggravation that she had felt before had faded.

Henna observed the two women talking together. She had been about to send Fal on her way, but changed her mind. Fal was not being malicious and no trouble was being fomented. Sitting in her office, she could hear their conversation.

It was good to hear Minh respond with good humor.

xxXxxxXxx

Minh began to settle down, becoming less expressive when in public view. Concealing her emotions, she was cold and distant. Rather than let the warriors see her misery, her face had become a placid mask. Her level movement when walking was a picture of self control.

Her manner also affected her attitude in the practice field. Her movements were smooth and less haphazard. Seeing the change in the bondswoman, Salen decided to put her to the test. She instructed her to get a knife from Batiste. Minh refused, informing the MechWarrior that she would not handle a blade weapon. Impatient, Salen borrowed the knife herself and returned to the field. When threatened with the knife, Minh managed to disarm Salen. With revulsion on her face, she flung the weapon away without excessive handling on her part. The knife landed in the dirt near Anton's feet.

"Pick it up," Salen commanded.

Do not let them win! Minh remembered Nagatake's words.

"No."

Though spoken without heat, the challenge in Minh's flat voice was unmistakable. There was no aggressive tone, just flat refusal. Salen was angered more by the lack of emotion than the open defiance to her authority. It was time to teach the small bondswoman an additional lesson.

Both women remained motionless as they faced each other. Salen calmed herself, not allowing herself to give in to rage. Minh gave no sign at all. Her eyes, which had so recently showed her emotional distress, revealed nothing. It was as if she were an automaton.

Salen, confident of her self control, attacked. Minh sidestepped the strike, pivoting into the taller woman. With seemingly little effort, Salen found herself lying on her belly with three of her four limbs splayed out. Minh knelt next to her, one knee at rest against her rib cage and the other at her shoulder. Minh held Salen's striking arm up away from her back in a surprisingly loose grip, yet Salen could not free herself.

"Yield."

Minh's voice was still emotionless. Salen sputtered indignantly, then coughed from the airborne dirt she had stirred up. The unusual pin did not require superior strength or size. She conceded the match to Minh.

The bondswoman carefully let the MechWarrior's arm down and rose up, stepping away cautiously. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. It was Anton, picking up the discarded fighting knife. Expecting him to take issue over her defiant conduct, she was surprised when he turned his back on her and walked away.

Batiste had watched with disapproval. A warrior always took the best advantage in combat. It was wasteful not to go for the quick win. It was a waste of resources. It was a waste of skill. In her gentle handling of Salen, Minh had shown too much mercy. An attitude like that would get a warrior killed.

"Melee?" Anton asked him. Batiste shook his head.

"Let Salen bring her star for a melee if she is so inclined."

Anton was surprised by his fellow Elemental's change in attitude. To be honest, he did not have the heart to punish the woman again. Condemning the woman's successful efforts, it reeked of hypocrisy. It was not the Clan Way, since she was doing what she was supposed to.

"If the star colonel wants to take issue, let him."

Batiste's final words on the subject summed up the feelings of the Elementals. It was in their nature to be merciless, but there was a limit to their bellicosity. He had lost much respect for the star colonel and it showed.

Bemused, Salen wanted another try against Minh's technique again, but she said nothing. She refused to ask Minh to show her what she had done, not wishing to flaunt her ignorance. It was bad enough that the Elementals had been witness to it.

Minh had hoped that the peaceful resolution of the fight would rekindle the friendship between them, but Salen was proving uncooperative. Minh felt that she should have not been surprised at that, but she was anyway.

xxXxxxXxx

Despite her resolution, she was still susceptible to mood swings. Except for Fal and Henna, most of the others were conspicuous in their efforts to avoid contact with her. She ignored the other women, her efforts dovetailing with theirs as she sought not to call undue attention to herself.

Mealtimes in the warrior dining facility were not as trying as they had been before. She did not have to listen to the derogatory comments about unwelcome bondswomen. The warriors said nothing about her at all. Perhaps they chose not to waste their breath adding insult to injury. The Elementals' contemptuous and heavy-handed treatment of Minh had been exceptionally blatant. She never raised her eyes to look at the others, but she seemed to sense their embarrassment.

Such was the situation after her knife match with Salen. She had completed her meal, which had consisted of a piece of roasted bird and a thick gruel-like gravy. She sat staring at her tray, coated as it was with spoon marked residue. She was mentally debating with herself whether to chew the vestige of fat from the stripped bird bone when Batiste put his cup down. He was on the other side of the table from her and her eyes alighted on his drink. He noticed her attention.

"You can have what is left," he said, nudging the partially-filled cup toward her.

Minh started to reach for it, then paused. She was torn between her thirst and the revulsion of drinking from another's cup. Batiste looked impatient, a precursor to changing his mind and rescinding his offer. Without further thought, Minh snatched the cup and quickly downed the remainder of his drink. It would have been folly to reject even the smallest mercy from an Elemental.

xxXxxxXxx

Andre had to find another way to gather information in the Inner Sphere. Despite the treasure trove of information that had been brought back, that was not enough justify further raids. That was part of the criticism against the expedition upon its return. The warriors involved had felt cheated. They had fought for little glory and cared little for the art of espionage. In their eyes the trip had been wasteful with little honor.

He was interested in Minh's journey. He had initially assumed that she had managed to escape the planet. No one had seen her since she had escaped from Salen. Instead, she had managed to evade recapture for months and then return without being detected. He had not even considered looking for Minh on the farms. Given her past aversion to living her life on her family's farm, he was surprised that she would go back to one. It gave him an insight to what she would be willing to do.

He had checked out her story by going to Quiet Springs Farming Trust. Rather than tell them of her capture, he instead acted as a searcher. He stated that he had looked for the bondswoman everywhere else and that he had at last come to the farming area. In this way he was in a position to find any inconsistencies in either their information, or Minh's.

Much of the information corresponded, with some minor differences. That was to be expected when there was differing views. However, he did discover something else.

It was not in what they said, but the underlying feelings in which they expressed themselves. He was sure they knew more about Minh than what told him. He could sense their suspicion of him and concern for the bondswoman. Even though their testimony matched Minh's story, it seemed there were things left unsaid. It reminded him of how Minh spoke. She had been very candid as she tried to take responsibility for her stay with those people. It was very similar to hostage situations, when hostages and captors developed an emotional bond for each other over an extended period of time. That was known as Stockholm syndrome, so named after a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden on ancient Terra. When the policed stormed into the bank, some of the hostages tried to protect the robbers. The robbers also reciprocated.

At Quiet Springs, who were the hostages and who were the hostage takers? More importantly, could he turn that information to his advantage?

Upon his return to base, he had gone to Star Colonel Quint DeVega to get her assigned to him, but Keen was to be given one last chance. He was her bondholder after all. She would surely fail that test, after the way his point had been running her into the ground. They obviously did not know what they were doing. He hoped there would be something left when she became Andre's to use.

Andre's relationship with the star colonel could not last indefinitely. Since the trinary had returned, Quint had become sour in regard to intelligence gathering. The incalculable events of the mission had affected the warriors adversely. The information they had collected had been of little tactical value. Worse, Quint looked worse than a fool. He was all but considered ineffective. Andre knew he was losing his former comrade's patronage. Since he was no longer a MechWarrior, he had no official standing among the martial arm of the clan. He could barely be regarded a warrior. As a disabled has-been, Andre needed to make himself indispensable. He needed to demonstrate that his intelligence gathering scheme was worthwhile, not for tactical advantage but for overall strategy. To do that, he needed to recruit as much talent as he could. His acquisition of Minh would help him meet those needs. The immediate problem was to figure out how to get her away from Keen before her usefulness was destroyed.

Keen would certainly not cooperate. It was obvious that he did not like Andre. The former MechWarrior had shown too much interest in his bondswoman. Could that be another manifestation of the Stockholm syndrome?