A few minutes later Rhade and Becka boarded Eternity and joined the others in the conference room.
Harper looked at Becka and grinned.
"You just kept bugging Dylan till he finally let you come play, didn't you?"
"I couldn't let you guys have all the fun." Becka replied.
"I am here because Dylan felt that you could use someone with some military experience." Rhade said.
"As if Brendan and I don't have enough experience fighting Ubers." Harper grumbled.
"Harper!" Becka said. "That's not what he meant."
"I know." Harper said. "Look, Rhade, I'm sorry. To be totally honest, we need all the help we can get, and if you have any ideas on how we can pull this off, then speak up."
"Let me see what you have planned so far." Rhade said. Eternity instantly showed the battle plans on the viewer. Rhade sat down and studied the plan.
"If what Marcus said was true, we'll need to split our forces and have another team check out the Lab." Harper said.
Harper looked over at Shauna.
"Do you have any problems teaming up with Rhade?"
"No. I know that not all Nietzcheans are like the Dragans. I understand that Rhade is from Terrazed, and currently a member of Andromeda's crew?"
"That's correct." Rhade said.
"Then I have no problem working with you."
At that moment, Engineering Officer Lena Jenson entered.
"I hope you don't mind, but I thought you might need some more help." She said.
"The more the merrier, I always say." Replied Harper.
"If it's ok with everyone,." Harper said. "Rhade and Shauna will take a team to the lab, and if John Styvers is there, they will rescue him. If he's undamaged, give him a weapon and join Becka and I at Faneuil Hall. If he needs repair, escort him back to Eternity, where Trance and Lena will be taking care of any injured parties. … Any questions or comments?"
"I want to say that I think you're doing a wonderful job Harper." Trance said. She then gave him a kiss on the cheek. Harper's face blushed slightly.
"Um, thank you Trance." Harper said. "Rhade, any comments or changes in the plan needed in your opinion?"
"I have only one question." Rhade said. "When do we start?"
"Tonight." Harper replied. "One hour after sunset. Until then we have time to send some food and other supplies back to their families, and arm Brendan's forces with some of the toys that Rick let us bring with us."
"We don't have time to train them how to properly use any complicated firearms." Rhade said.
"You're right." Harper said. "We better stick with force lances, gauss guns, and grenades."
Harper noticed that Trance had a sad look on her face.
"What's wrong Trance?" Harper asked. "Is something wrong with the plan?"
"No." Trance replied. "The plan is fine. It's just that,… I don't like being left behind."
"Trance. I don't want anything to happen to you. Although I hope that your medical skills won't be needed, the truth is that in war, there are casualties. There will be injured men and women, and they will need you to take care of them. Lena and Eternity will be here to help you. OK?"
"OK." Trance said.
"Don't worry Trance." Becka said. "I'll take care of Captain Shorty."
In the hours that followed, Brendan's men were busy taking supplies back to the rest of the resistance fighters and their families.
Brendan came back, after having delivered some supplies. Accompanying him was a dozen men women and children. All of them looked very ill. Some were being carried by Brendan's men on stretchers.
"I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience." Brendan said. "But these people are very ill, and beyond any help that we can offer them. If they were to stay in the tunnels, they would surely be dead within days. Please,… help them."
"Don't worry." Trance said. "We'll help them."
Trance put her arm around a young lady that was obviously having trouble walking, and helped her to Medical as the others followed.
The rest of that day Trance was busy doctoring her new patients. Brendan had been right. Many of them would've died very shortly if not properly treated. Fortunately she was able to diagnose and treat them all. It would be some time before they fully recovered, but with proper medical care and warm nutritious meals, Trance was sure that they would all recover with time.
Brendan's men spent the day with Rommie, Rick, and Rhade, in a crash course of weapons and hand to hand combat.
Many of the young soldiers thought it was a silly notion that they needed training on how to fight. They had been fighting all their lives. They had to in order to survive. But when Rommie handed one of them a knife and instructed him to attack her, they learned that they were in need of some training.
The man had reluctantly thrust the knife toward Rommie.
"Is that the best you can do?" Rommie asked.
"I don't want to hurt you." The Earther replied.
"I'm an android." Rommie stated. "You couldn't hurt me if you tried."
"This is an unfair demonstration then." He said. "How can I hope to defeat you?"
"I won't use any more strength against you than a normal human female of my size would have. I promise. Now! Attack me!"
"If you say so."
Even though she was an android, he felt somewhat ashamed of attacking an unarmed woman.
In an instant, the blade neared Rommie's chest, but before it could make contact, she reached out and grabbed it from its wielder's hand. She then tripped her attacker, causing him to fall to the floor. Before you could say AI, she was on top of him with the knife blade at his throat.
Rommie stood up and helped the man up off the floor. She then looked at the rest of the troop.
"Any questions?" She asked. There was no reply.
"Anybody can wave a knife or gun around. Anyone can pull a trigger or possibly get lucky and actually stab their enemy with a knife, but in what little time we have here today, Rick, Rhade, and I will attempt to train you how to properly defend yourself, prevent your weapons from being taken from you, and protect your fellow squad members. All of you will be divided into three groups. Each group will then be trained by either Rhade, Rick or myself. This won't be easy. What we hope to teach you normally takes weeks, but we don't have weeks. When we are done, each of you will be evaluated, and armed and placed in your squad according to your ability and how much you learned."
Back on board Andromeda.
"In what way do you believe that Mr. And Mrs. Styvers aided in the survival rate of native Earther births?" Dylan asked Marcus.
"They tried to hide what they were doing, but sources have told me that they have been giving free medical treatment to the Earthers, especially those Earthers involved with the Resistance."
"So, better medical treatment equals higher birth survival rate." Dylan said.
"It would appear so." Marcus replied. Tell me captain. My communications systems were nonfunctional in my ship. How were you able to contact me after destroying my attackers?"
"It seems the disruptors my engineer created allows Andromeda to initiate communications with those being effected by the disruptors. Once we established communications with you, you could communicate with us."
"Amazing. I would like to meet your engineer some time." Marcus said.
"That may be arranged, when all of this is over."
"All may be over before you expect it captain." Marcus said to himself.