"Oh my god Sasha you are not a kitten anymore your like twenty kilos get off! "
She grumbled at the muse and tried to rub off the yellow strands of fur off her dress.
Her communicator went off again, she rifled around in her clutch and pulled it out. "Serena are you okay? " Torn's voice came over the speaker worried. "I'm fine I just got in the door."
"Good I want a debrief at seven pm sharp at the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon in the port. "
Serena shuddered about going into that dive of a bar by the port. "Roger that." And for once she cut the line. Picking herself up she removed her shoes trudged to the bathroom, removed her jewellery and makeup, took off her dress and walked to the bed. Its soft pillows and throws looked so inviting l, she curled up under the blanket with her muse.
Serena awoke to the alarm, she stared at it groggily and evily, five am she rolled out of bed uncerimonly and that's when the pain hit her head. Oh god she thought remind oneself never to go drinking with Ashelin again. This was one killer hangover, Serena drunk very rarely and she had to deal with Erol and Praxis in the war room at six. It was going to be a long day.
Busying herself with her morning routine making sure to get in some pain killers she then left the house and made her way to the palace, which was a short five minute walk.
A quick stop into the barracks to ensure the first set of patrols in and around the palace were in place she headed to the war room. She could already hear the muffled yells of the Baron through the closed door. If it was anyone else Serena would have turned on her heel and walked away. She mentally prepared herself checked over her standard uniform of, black cargo pants, long knee high combat boots, yellow leather jacket with a black stripe up each arm and black tank top. Her pistols were strapped to her thighs in black leather holsters, worn from years of use and her long black hair french plaited down her back. The room went a little quiet, although she could still hear murmurs she picked this as a good time to enter and she swiped her security pass, the door slid open to reveal a darkened circular room with a table in the middle at waist height.
On the table was a three dimensional map of Haven city including the surrounding areas. Erol had his arms on the edge of the table and Praxis was staring at the surveillance screens on the wall. "Nice of you to join us Acheron, " Praxis growled. "Now we are all here let's begin." He turned and nodded at Erol.
"Baron, we don't know how much longer the eco shields are going to hold out against these metal heads, ground troops are stretched and I don't have enough time to train recruits to keep replacing my men." Erol exclaimed.
"But has Vin not started the construction of the KG bots you ordered Praxis? " Serena asked the Baron. " Construction is under way and I expect you to go and visit Vin today and give him a rark up, I didn't spend billions on that war factory for nothing. " He slammed his fist on the table and the map flitted out of focus for a moment. He had always had an anger problem after his accident.
The Baron had his face semi reconstructed with metal plates, his eye missing, along with his ear and half his nose, he had in irony became similar to what he hated most.
"The metal head armies have been stirring in the wastelands, reports from Spargus have suggested mass migrations across the dessert. " Erol made a mark on the map to the west of the city. "Toughen patrols along the western boarder." Praxis replied. Erol went through his lists as Serena listened to him and Praxis converse.
She tried to listen but got lost in thought as most of the information shared didn't have anything to do with her, she almost felt her eyes glaze over. "Acheron!" The baron barked, she immediately stood to attention.
"Yes Baron?" "Since Commander Erol is stretched thin I want you to put Lutinante Marshall in charge of day to day running of the guards in the palace and ammo dump, I want double guards for the prison cells and I want you to help Commander Erol with the new recruits trainings. "
"Of course Baron Praxis"
"Good now I have some private buissness to attend to, I expect reports on my desk by the end of the day. " Praxis then left in a hurry leaving the two commanders alone to plan their days. Serena sat on the edge of the table with her tablet in hand and began shifting the positions of her troops around ensuring that the patrols matched what the Baron wanted. Alpha teams had been working exceptionally hard this week where as Delta had been slacking and had slipped up a few times this week. Well looks like Delta have proved they need to be taught a lesson and will go on prison duty she thought to herself sliding the tiles into place. Although why the baron wants double the guards down there is interesting, he must be planning something, she took a mental note to report this to Torn later. Once done she emailed it to Marshall and contacted him on the communicator to confirm. He understood the Baron's plan and that he would be in charge today which left her to do the personal objectives Praxis had set for her. Swinging her legs backwards and forwards she felt her leg bumb into something. She looked up and Erol was there, she hadn't noticed him move from the security monitors.
"So the great Commander Acheron is being dragged out of the palace to help train recruits?" He stared down at her questionly.
"I guess so its been some time working in the palace has become a bit of a bore at current, " she replied to him. "Well let me take you out of your ivory tower, I hope you are ready to go hard on these recruits as I won't be pussy footing around with them. " He said with a tone of arrogance and cockiness.
Serena stood up at that moment starting to become irritated but suddenly realised she was about a foot shorter than Erol. She didn't care though she prodded him in the chest anyway. "You think I would pussy foot around? I wouldn't be where I am if I pussy footed around with my troops so you better watch your mouth, I don't care if your my commanding officer, nobody insults me and my troops. " She spat out in anger at him. She worked hard with her troops and even harder to get where she was, the fact she could leave Marshall in charge was a testament to her abilities to train. " Kitty has claws, I like." Erol purred with a smile on his face and stepped closer to Serena closing the gap between them. He growled and picked her up and put her back on the table kissing her as he went, he was aggressive but not in a way that would hurt, he just knew what he wanted and he wanted her, so he took it. Shock settled in at first but Serena soon relaxed and followed suit. The way he tasted was intense and all she knew was she wanted more. She didn't understand why the tension between them had started to turn this way but she gave in and went with it. Erol was anything but gentle he was rough in his assault of her and he couldn't get enough of her, he slid his hand up her stomach, and she let out the smallest of moans in appreciation, he had almost reached his way to her cleavage when the door slid open and someone cleared their throat. "Shit," he let out in a whisper, more frustrated and angry they had been interrupted.
Serena quickly jumped off the table and turned to see Ashelin. "Wow! So I'm guessing something did happen between you two." Ashelin pointed at the two of them, at that moment Serena's face went red. She could not believe she had been caught out, at least it was only Ashelin and not one of the other guards or worse Praxis. "And you'll do good to keep your mouth shut about it!" Erol snapped, angry he couldn't continue. " I expect to see you, Acheron, at one pm to make introductions to the new recruits in the barracks. " He began to walk off but not before grabbing Serena's arse on the way out with a playful smirk on his face. Both woman's eyes followed him out as he turned down the corridor to sort his troops out.
"What the hell Serena! I leave you for six hours and your already making out with him at work? What did he go home with you too last night?" Ashelin said shocked leaning against the table "Ahhhhh no he didn't go all the way home with me, he walked me home after I tripped and almost got killed by a zoomer last night. "
"What? " Ashelin looked dumbfounded and couldn't believe it, "This sounds like some sort of story."
"Yes well I have to debrief with Torn later tonight you could come with me? " She asked expectantly, she hated going to Krew's bar, the man was a giant sleeze ball. "Sure I'll meet you there, but right now my farther wants me to go with you to check in on Vin, also he wants us to go see the old soothsayer Onin in the Bazaar district. "
"Well if that's the case I'm driving I don't get to play in the hellcats too often these days. "
Ashelin threw the keys to Serena and they were off down to the hanger.
"Vin you arse open the god damn door! Or I'm gonna blast it open!" Serena yelled at the shut door to the power grid in the industrial area. "All right, all right, as if I didn't have enough to keep me awake at night." Mumbled Vin's voice through the door. The stand off had been going on for five minutes with Ashelin leaning against the parked hellcat and Serena trying to coax Vin to open the door. By coax, serena meant yell, swear and threaten the man. The man was such a mess most days since the war began he wouldn't let the door open to most people.
It had started with gentle cooing until a fuse tripped in Serena's temper and she let rip at Vin. As soon as the door opened the woman stepped in. "What gives Vin? " Serena asked the older man. "You can't be too careful these days with the shield walls under constant failures and metal heads everywhere, how did I know your not metal heads? " He peered at them through beady eyes and his overly large specticales.
"Cause we talk, you know for a genius you can be dumbarse sometimes." Ashelin stated flicking through the magazine she picked up off the desk. "Look Vin, Praxis wants a status update on those KG bots." Serena started walking towards him and he started backing away. "He's getting angry." She had backed him up against the control panel.
"It's also my arse on the line so give me good news." She poked him in the chest and glared at him. He quickly turned and started typing into the control panel.
Serena leaned against it and folded her arms. " The spider bots are on line and are ready to go into frontline use, the u86 bots, I'm still working out the kinks, I also have plans for blast bots." Exclaimed Vin jumping from one screen to another on the computers. "Can you download the reports to my tablet and I can bring this to Praxis? " Serena asked.
"Yea sure give it here." He reached behind him not even looking and grabbed the tablet docked it and uploaded the report.
"Can you also give me the mine and drill reports for the eco wells?"
"Yes, yes it's getting dangerous out there my men keep getting attacked, the eco wells attract the nasty blood sucking creatures."
"I'll update the Baron, thanks Vin," Serena reached over the old man grabbed her tablet and have him a peck on the cheek.
"Come on Ash."
She sighed put the magazine down and waved to Vin. "Bye Vinny boy, behave and don't let the metal heads bite."
"What?! " Vin screamed and hid under a desk. Ashelin laughed and jumped into the hellcat with Serena and they headed to the Bazaar sector.
The woman parked the hellcat up just out of the area and walked in, the smells of good food and the bustle of people was always an amazement to Serena. They reached the Soothsayer's tent and went in. It was dimly lit with eco lamps glowing in the corners, incense hung in the air and an old blind woman sat cross-legged on her mat on the floor.
A colourful moncaw with a ringed tail landed on her hat and began to interpret the woman. " I am Pecker and this arrrck is Onin, she says it is a pleasure to see you again Ashelin and a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Serena."
The woman waved her hands and eco filled the room. "Onin has a warning for the Baron, on the next full moon during the day a boy will fall from the sky in a streak of purple, he will be the Baron's downfall. "
"How is a boy meant to be the downfall of a great leader? " Ashelin scoffed. "Shut up dimwit I'm telling the story here." Pecker ruffled his feathers. " You girl, you are touched by light, be wary as you may help or hinder this boy who comes to our world." He pointed to Serena. " I have no idea what you are on about I've never been able to channel eco." She laughed nervously. All though she knew she was able to channel light eco she had kept it a secret most of her life. Eco channelers were frowned upon and sometimes worse banished to the wastelands, or had harsh experiments performed on them by the Baron's scientists.
"You have been warned, now Pecker says flock off I'm tired! "
He closed his eyes and tucked his head under his wing. The woman went to leave when Onin grabbed Serena's arm and placed a bracelet in her hand patted her hand and shooed her away. She quickly stuffed it in her pocket before Ashelin saw and went back to the hellcat.
The morning flew by quickly after getting back to the palace Serena uploaded and printed her reports and put them on Praxis' desk, checked on Marshall and had a quick lunch. Looking at the time she made her way down to the new recruits barracks to give her introductions.
Walking into the big long open room lined with bunks either side, locker boxes at the ends of the beds, she watched the men and woman meander around laughing and conversing. Not one of them took notice of her. She made her way to the other end of the room and waited for Erol to arrive. "Commander on the floor! " One of the proceeding guards yelled before Erol walked in. All the recruits scrambled to the front of their bunks and stood at attention, whilst Serena leaned against an empty bunk at the end. "Psst stand up" said the man next to her.
She looked at him with a scowl and he quickly ignored her. Erol walked down the isle till he came to her, he turned and faced her, he winked at her. Let the fun begin she thought. "Soldier why aren't you in correct dress uniform? "he barked. " Cause I don't wanna," said Serena. " What was that soldier?" He stepped closer so his face was an inch a way from hers. " I... Don't... Wanna," she said slowly spelling it our for him. The room was deathly silent as the whole barracks watched them.
He grabbed her by the front of her shirt, she grabbed his arm and twisted it away and flipped over him landing on her feet, now with Erol's hand in hers raised up high. The whole room stared in amazement. "Everyone meet Commander Acheron of the Elite Gaurd" Erol shouted. " She will be helping me train you scumbags into worthy soldiers and if some of you are good enough maybe even an elite guard."
"Alright lads and lasses I want a sound off of your name from left to right down the hall and back up. I want you to sound off like you have a pair! Go! " Serena instructed the recruits and they began to sound of their names. Erol leaned over to Serena and whispered in her ear. "I never get tired of doing that."
She laughed and waited for the sound off to end. Twenty eight new recruits, the numbers were getting worse it wouldn't be long and they would be drafting people into the ranks. "Right men and woman your gonna start with the basics of how to keep this room clean and then it's time to run your first gauntlet of the training course." Erol commanded.
After teaching them how to live basic life, Erol took the troops to the course and watched their pathetic attempts at going through, trying to run it as individuals rather than as a team. Serena sighed and turned to Erol, " Do we show them how it's done? "
" Oh, I thought you'd never ask deary." Erol replied. He blew the whistle he had and the troops stopped and returned sweaty and muddy breathing heavily. "Right troops Commander Acheron and I have decided to give you a demonstration of how it is done."
They both walked to the start and began, they worked amazingly as a team helping one another up the walls over the logs under the barbwire and through the mud, across the bridges carrying logs up the ropes and finally splashing down one of the guidelines into the water. They walked back to the troops and waited, their eyes were in awe of the two and let out a round of applause and cheer.
" Right troops pair up and work as a team to get through the course." Serena commanded. After three hours of running drills the troop was working better and more coordinated.
"Right hit the showers dinner is in the mess hall at six sharp!" Erol yelled "Dismissed!"
The recruits ran back to the barracks for showers and food. "Thanks for your help today Acheron."
"I don't think I had much choice since Praxis made me."
"Well I'm thankful anyway," he pushed her sideways a little as they walked. " Oh did you just push me Commander Erol? "She exclaimed.
"Don't know what your talking about" he replied smiling. "Your an arse Erol."
"And by what I felt earlier you have a nice one"
"What? " Serena exclaimed shocked. They both laughed and walked into the palace.
"Erol where are your reports?! " The Baron snapped as they walked in, their laughter stopping suddenly. "On your desk sir." Erol replied sharply. "Good I need a word with you in the throne room at seven, don't be late!" The Baron stormed off down the hall. "Wonder what's up his nose tonight, well I'm off home I have to get changed and meet some friends for dinner. " Serena said to Erol she turned to go but he grabbed her arm. "Look, here's my personal number." He handed her a piece of paper " Message me."
He gave her a quick chaste kiss and walked into the men's shower blocks.
Serena got home, got out of her gears and jumped in the shower washing the sweat of the day away, and the mud in her hair. Getting out she got dressed into a pair of black jeans, knee length black boots, a black tank top and leather jacket. She fed Sasha and grabbed her zoomer keys. The ride over to the port was great she hadn't gotten her zoomer out in a while. She had saved so hard to buy the custom hover bike and it was her pride and joy. Tonight she had brought Sasha her muse with her who loved being on the bike with her.