Warriors For The Working Day

Chapter Three
By
(UCSBdad)

Disclaimer: Stolen about equally from the Henson Co., David Drake and a bit from George MacDonald Fraser. Shakespeare is in the public domain, I hope. In any case, no money changes hands here. Rating: T due to language Time: Some twenty-five plus years after Peacekeeper Wars.

The admiral tapped the table in front of her. The hologram changed to one showing the planet and its moons from high above. "Our priority is to destroy those ships. If one gets away, and spreads the word that there's a nasty task force in this supposedly empty area, it could complicate things."

Rudy spoke up. "More than complicate things, if I may say so, Admiral. We do not want to get the reputation of just another rogue fleet out to raid anyone that attracts our attention. If we are to survive and prosper here, we need to show that we are a force for stability and peace. That means we'll want to present this raid to the waiting public on our own terms. If the next shipload of wealthy sadists shows up here and finds their palaces destroyed, their slaves freed and gone, and their wealthy neighbors hanging by their necks in the rubble, it will have a salutary effect on them. And, I doubt seriously that they would want any publicity. That allows us to present ourselves freeing abused slaves, punishing evildoers, and so forth. If we can find a nice telegenic female slave…"

Aida cut him off. "I'm sure you'll do us proud, Rudy. Just don't expect me to star in your propaganda epic." She turned to Admiral Nagumo. "Now, before Rudy can present us as the Saviors of the Universe, we need to destroy those damned ships. How?"

"Easily enough, I think." She gestured to the holo. "It'll take too long to go around to the other side of the planet and use it for cover. And we can't just come in at flank speed and start shooting. As big as our ships are, even if those bastards are all asleep over there, we're just too easy to spot. But I think we can use the planet's moons just as easily. The planet has three moons. You can see that we've named them Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Gamma's a little rock in a very high, eccentric orbit. But, Alpha is a nice sized moon about two hundred and seventy thousand kilometers out. Beta is a somewhat smaller moon at about one hundred and ten thousand kilometers out. This is what I propose..." She said, gesturing to the hologram.

What she proposed was simple, like most good plans. The task force would maneuver until Alpha blocked them from observation and then close with the larger moon and hide behind it. The missile frigates would wait for an arn or so until Beta passed between the ships in orbit and Alpha. They'd move out, keeping Beta between them and their target.

Admiral Nagumo smiled happily. "When they pass beyond Beta, they'll be in full stealth mode. Depending on what the flotilla commander sees, he'll either keep coasting in until he's on top of them, or if they spot him, he'll go to max acceleration and close on them as fast as possible. Either way, we should be able to launch one hundred and forty four missiles at thirty-one ships. Four or five missiles apiece at sitting ducks. The missile flotilla will start reloading and we'll pop out from behind Alpha to take care of anything that's left. But I can't imagine anything will be."

"Better to be safe." muttered Rudy.

Aida glanced at me, then Rudy and Kathleen and then nodded. "Looks good. What about ground combat, General Stoll?"

Stoll glanced over at the admiral and smiled. "My intelligence cell, under Captain Kadar has made some interesting discoveries."

The ground forces officer seated at the end of the table smiled. His naval opposite number buried herself in some papers as Admiral Nagumo glared at her.

Stoll went on. "The late unlamented Settiette Brissollino, had a brother with him on the planet, Vasa Corbellote, by name. Their lot don't appear to use family names." Stoll waved vaguely at the hologram that appeared. It was a younger and fatter version of my tormentor. "He's comming all over the planet trying to find out how his brother died. Well, he's comming when he isn't enjoying the party at what is now his palace. Mostly he's talking to one Goro Szchwanzhend. Goro is the bird who decided to come out to the middle of nowhere and find a planet where he could play hunter with intelligent beings. Over the years, he's made it into a quite profitable business. Corbellote's mentioned two cousins who are apparently on their first trip here."

"How old are these cousins?" Aida interrupted.

"Old enough to kill a few slaves in the backyard for practice." Stoll replied evenly.

"Old enough to hang." Rudy added.

Stoll continued. "If I could have your Guard company and the recon troop, Ma'am, for this operation?"

"What did you have in mind?"

The hologram changed again to a view of the river valley with the compounds marked. Now a few were marked as red dots and the rest as yellow dots. Two red dots started pulsing.

"Red dots are active compounds. Yellow dots have only skeleton staffs. I want to drop a company team on Corbellote's compound and another on Goro's. The remainder of the infantry, my sapper company and my scouts will be broken up into one or two platoon forces to cover the remainder of the occupied compounds. I assume you'll be going to Corbellote's compound, so I'll drop the Guards there. I'll go with the other company and meet Goro. When the company teams have taken their objectives, they'll head for the next occupied compound. Each compound we wrap up will free up a platoon or two to hit another compound, and so on." An odd set of symbols started flashing on the map.

"I'll have my artillery set up on this ridge where it can dominate almost all of the compounds. There'll only be three platoons out of artillery range and I'll give them more heavy weapons from the weapons companies. I'll also divide the tank company up into two-tank sections to support the infantry."

"That'll thrill the panzer boys." Someone muttered.

"What do you want with my recon troop?" Aida asked. "They're not armed or armored heavily enough to get in a firefight. They depend almost entirely on stealth. I don't want to get a highly trained recon troop killed."

General Stoll shook his head. "There are two compounds off in the woods, away from the main valley. Neither appears to be occupied by more than a handful of people. I just need someone to keep an eye on them."

Aida nodded. "All right."

Aida stood. "Now, people, I'm sure we all have a lot of work to get these basic ideas into an operational plan. Admiral, when can we attack?"

"Anticipating your approval, I've already started moving the task force to a position behind Alpha." Nagumo glanced at the time piece on her wrist." The missile frigates should pass Beta and begin their attack run in twenty two hours, ma'am."

Aida glanced at the general. "Sufficient time?"

Stoll nodded.

"Then let's be off."

As soon as we reached the corridor I put my hand on Aida's arm. "I'm going with you."

"Aeryn, that is not a good idea. You've been injured and…;"

"And you are not getting proper medical attention." Added the gruff voice of Dr. M'Boya. "Vice Marshall, I approved Mrs. Crichton to go for breakfast and to stay off of her ankle. Now I find her walking around attending staff meetings. I have not cleared her as having no neurological damage. I at least expect professional courtesy…"

Aida waved him to silence and smiled at him. "Guilty as charged, doctor. I leave Mrs. Crichton in your hands. Can someone get Aeryn her wheelchair?" She said over her shoulder. Aida batted her eyes at M'Boya. "I presume that by way of punishment that the next time I have a physical examination, your subordinates will leave their examination gloves in the refrigerator for an extra long time?"

M'Boya roared with laughter and pushed me away. I had to put up with a good half arn of fussing from Dr. M'Boya, but he finally decided that I had not damaged myself and that I was healing better than he had hoped. Really! What did he expect of a former Peacekeeper?

Later, I found myself alone in my bed. I still had no idea what Aida and her mercenary force were doing in this universe. I could ask, of course, and would have to eventually. But my first priority was finding John and my children. There was one good thing. While it could all be an act for my benefit, this didn't seem like an army bent on conquest and plunder. But why were they here? I sighed. Even if the O'Donnell's wanted to set themselves up as petty tyrants in the Uncharted Territories, a mercenary army could hardly be in the same league as the Peacekeepers, Scarrens, Luxans, Hynerians and other powers in our universe. Could they? Frell it. I needed to sleep.

I woke up the next ship's day and was asked if I wanted to eat with Aida. I did, of course.

"I don't blame you." Dr. M'Boya chuckled. "Hospital food has a deservedly bad reputation. Perhaps I can scrounge a few bites if I push you to Command myself.

I don't know what the doctor ate, but I found another massive plate of food awaiting me when I arrived in Aida's office. She and Kathleen were already eating.

"Just in time for lunch, Aeryn." Kathleen said around a mouthful of food. "Do you like prosciutto?"

I smiled at her and then turned to Aida. "I intend to go with you on this raid."

Aida shook her head. "Even if I get a medical release from Surgeon-Major M'Boya, which I admit I just might get, a combat zone is no place for convalescing. In addition, you are totally unfamiliar with our weapons, communications procedures, or tactical drills. You'd be in the way."

I glared at her. "I'm not proposing to lead your infantry in a frelling charge. I intend to stay back with you. I assume you won't be leading any charges?"

"No, I won't. And I won't be watching out for you, either, since you'll be on this ship. There's nothing you can do in a battle, Aeryn."

"There certainly is something I can do. I can find my husband and children. John and I have been together for decades. We know each other. If he is there, and I agree, he probably isn't, but if he is, he'll try to leave a sign for me. Something his guards wouldn't recognize but that I would."

"And you can do that once the fighting is over." Aida said in a strained voice.

"After a battle? After all the buildings have been shot up? After a company of soldiers has trampled everything?"

I was interrupted by Kathleen's laughter.

"Is something funny, Colonel O'Donnell?" Aida asked coldly.

Kathleen nodded and swallowed. "This is exactly like looking at my mother arguing with herself. One of you has to be the most stubborn person in multiple universes. Which is it?"

"My husband!" I growled at her.

After a microt I turned back to Aida in shock. She had said exactly the same thing. We both started to laugh.

Aida shook her head. "Kathleen, when we're done here, please take Aeryn to see Gunner Ismaili and have her outfitted for a trip planetside with us. I'll clear things with Doctor M'Boya."

A half an arn later, I met Gunner Ismaili. He was a type I'd met once or twice in the Peacekeepers. He had fought his first battle before most of the people in the task force had been born. He survived battle after battle and for decade after decade he remained a soldier. Medical science had kept him fit despite wounds and aging. However, finally, age and old wounds kept him out of combat and into a job in ordnance with the task force. For a Peacekeeper, being degraded to a Tech after having been a Warrior would have been an insult. Human soldiers were different.

Gunner Ismaili was a tall, lean man with no extra fat on him. His skin was dark and seamed with age and old wounds, but his hair and mustache were an iron grey. His face was split by a fearsomely hooked nose set over a grim slit of a mouth.

"I've been expecting you, Lady Crichton. If you'll step in here, please?"

I followed him through a hatchway. "I should advise you, Gunner Ismaili, that I have only one title, and that is Mrs. I realize billions of women share that title with me, but I am quite proud of it. Otherwise, people call me Aeryn."

Ismaili turned and gave me a tight smile. "Aeryn. I suppose even Mrs. Crichton is rather formal. I'm Tewfiq." He held out his hand and we shook.

"And this is what I have to get you ready for, Aeryn." He turned slightly and waved to some dull black contraption squatting in the middle of the room. On closer examination, it resembled a cross between a vacuum environment suit and a set of Peacekeeper armor.

Tewfiq slapped the thing affectionately. "There was a day when people went into combat using their own muscles, but no more."

"Gunner Ismaili was written up once for having a dirty bow and arrow, according to legend." Kathleen said with a smile.

Tewfiq ignored her. "Now they use powered armor. Pseudo-muscles allow you to carry around a suit of large-molecule bonded ceramic matrix armor, a 2 cm powergun with nitrogen cooling, and/or other weapons, a nice sensor, comm and AI suite, not to mention food, water and a medic kit."

Tewfiq glanced at Kathleen. "In spite of what some people will tell you, not everyone regrets the passing of the old days."

Kathleen made no reply, but arched an eyebrow.

"I just regret the old days are so damned long ago." Tewfiq muttered.

"Time for training, Aeryn." Tewfiq said. He pushed some control and the helmet lifted off and the torso of the suit split down the middle." You'll need to drop into the suit from the scaffold behind it. If you need any help, Colonel O'Donnell and I can help."

Well, I was not about to let anyone think that I wasn't fully capable of taking care of myself. I climbed up the scaffolding, hung by one arm and lowered myself into the armor. Once I was in, the torso closed up, but the helmet was left hanging behind my head.

"Easier to talk to you without the helmet, Aeryn. Now first we have to properly introduce you to the AI, the artificial intelligence."

I spent the next arn learning all of the systems that I'd need to operate the suit of powered armor. Both Tewfiq and Kathleen were surprised and pleased with my progress. I silently thanked whatever gods there were for Pilot's multi-tasking abilities.

At the end of the arn, the helmet was lowered and some simulations were displayed on the view screen inside the helmet. After showing that I could simulate firing my weapon, communicate, react properly to damage to the suit and understand orders, Tewfiq raised the helmet.

"Damned good, Aeryn Damned good!" He said with a smile. "Now, before we go on, do you have any questions? Anything at all?"

Actually, I did have a question. "The soldiers that rescued me weren't wearing power armor? Why?"

"You were picked up by SORT, right?" Tewfiq asked.

"She was picked up by a team from the Special Operations Reconnaissance Troop." Kathleen quickly clarified.

Tewfiq nodded. "There are a couple of reasons not to use power armor. The recon boys value stealth above all else. A team's too small to survive if they get into a heavy firefight. In order to have their camo suits blend in damned near perfectly with their background, and give them excellent sensors and a top flight AI, they need a power cell that weighs twenty-eight point six pounds. Their suits not only give them visual camouflage, but it reduces their thermal signature and even uses white noise to cut down on any sound they make. Most of them wear no armor at all, or at best ceramic mesh over the torso. They don't carry powerguns, either. They like weapons with less of a signature. All together a recon will carry about a hundred pounds of gear, half their body weight, or so."

Tewfiq patted the shoulder of the powered suit of armor. "You can do the same thing with powered armor, but it takes a power cell of seventy or eighty pounds. Even if you cut down the weight of armor, weapons, and other gear, your power cell runs out of juice pretty fast. And a power cell that heavy is harder to move around, and that takes more power. A vicious cycle. Plus the power cell generates heat that an alert enemy can pick up if you don't cool the exterior of the suit. And it makes noise and leaves really noticeable tracks. So, specialist recon powered armor suits were found to be bigger, bulkier, and easier to spot than a simpler camo suit. The bigger something is, the harder it is to stealth. The lander you got picked up by carries a dozen people. A platoon lander can carry fifty and is half the size. The difference is the size of the power plant." Tewfiq stopped for a microt. "Well, a stealthed lander moves faster, too. It has to."

I nodded. That all made sense. "You said there were a couple of reasons not to use power armor?"

Tewfiq nodded. "The big one is cost. Most top of the line mercenary regiments could afford to outfit a company at most in power armor." Tewfiq turned away and spat. "When the bastards that run things back on our side asked us, oh so politely, to come over here, they wanted to sweeten it for us. So they opened up their arsenals and gave us the best of everything, up to a point. Marshall O'Donnell's combat troops, infantry, combat medics, artillery FO's, combat engineers and sappers, and all the rest have power armor. The rest, anyone who might get caught by artillery, or infiltrators, or God forbid, see actual combat when things turn to shit, get lightweight un-powered armor."

Tewfiq reached behind me and pulled an armored suit from a rack. He held it out with one hand. "This'll keep stray shrapnel out, and give you fair comms, sensors and AI."

"Any other questions, Aeryn?"

I had lots of questions, but I wanted answers from Aida. I shook my head.

"Now, let's see how you walk."

In short, I didn't. When I took my first step, I fell flat on my frelling face. Tewfiq and Kathleen picked me up and I tried again. This time I managed to move almost a three denches forward. After a while I found I could move forward by stepping forward with my good leg and dragging the injured leg after me.

After a half an arn, I saw Kathleen looking at me with a sad expression I didn't like.

"Forget about it Kathleen. I'm going. If you want to stop me, you'd better bring all of your frelling power armored infantry to try to stop me."

Before she could say a word, Tewfiq bellowed. "Corporal Gupta, get out here." From somewhere there was the sound of movement and shortly a short, solidly built young man appeared. His round, dark face was split by a smile. His left arm ended in a bulky metal canister of some sort. "Yes, Gunner Ismaili?"

Tewfiq turned to Kathleen with a wide smile on his face. "It seems to me that if Aeryn had a couple of likely lads to look after here, she'd do just fine."

Kathleen frowned. "And the likely lads would be?"

Tewfiq waved at the other soldier. "Lal's been working here while his new hand grows in. I'm the other likely lad."

Kathleen shook her head. "Neither of you are medially cleared for combat which means…"

"Combat?" Tewfiq said with exaggerated surprise. "I was told Mrs. Crichton was not to go into combat. Definitely not! Why I was told that she'd be so far from combat that she'd be able to have tea with Mr. Vergraah. What is the universe coming to when a poor old soldier is given inaccurate information by…"

Kathleen silenced him with a glare. "If you'll excuse me, I need to have a brief chat with Vice-Marshall O'Donnell."

Kathleen stepped out in the corridor and was back again within a few microts. "You three are going. But if you even see Rudy's back, you're too damned close to combat."

Tewfiq smiled like a redneck with his first pick-up, to quote a human I was in love with. I had always wondered exactly what that meant.

Tewfiq and Corporal Gupta headed off to prepare their own armor. I suspected that Tewfiq, at least, had his all ready to go.

Kathleen was kneeling in front of me, fussing with my armor.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Kathleen?"

She stood up. "Of course. Ask anything. You're one of my heroes, you know. Whenever I have a problem, I try to decide what Dad or Mom would do, or Admiral Kurta, Captain Neem, or you and John."

By the goddess! That was a shock. I wasn't sure that I had ever been a hero to anyone. Our children, perhaps? I went on.

"How did you end up being adopted by the O'Donnells?"

Kathleen laughed. "After you left, Dad, or Captain O'Donnell, as he was then, set about recruiting his own mercenary company. He wanted mom along, but he felt I should stay with the Antonine priests."

Kathleen scowled and growled in an odd accent, "Damn it all, gel. Combat's no place for a child. I was taught by the priests back on Donegal, it'll do for her."

She shook her head. "Mom knew that would never work. Having been raised as a Peacekeeper, she knew I'd head off with some mercenary company, or go exploring with the K'hiff traders and end up dead or someone's whore."

I smiled and nodded. "I bet your mother can be quite persuasive."

Kathleen laughed. "She was. And in two years time, when Dad asked Mom to be his wife, he insisted on adopting me. It was odd, at first, having a family, but I wouldn't change a thing now."

"Me either."

We were interrupted by Corporal Gupta. "The Vice-Marshall commed. She says you should both report to CIC. Things are starting to happen."

CIC turned out to be the combat information center. The center contained a huge holo of the planet and local space around it. Around the holo were three tiers of workstations, each with a human operator hard at work on some incomprehensible task. I took a seat behind Aida. Kathleen sat next to me.

She leaned over and whispered in my ear. "We have a couple of drones watching the planet, communicating with us on a very tight directional beam. The main display usually combines all of our sensor reading and intelligence, but anything can be put on the main display. Most of what you see is from the drones."

So far, all seemed well. The task force was approaching the larger moon, Alpha, and beginning to slow down. I was having trouble translating human writing and symbols, but it looked like we were going to make our rendezvous with Beta, the smaller moon.

"Engines at fifteen percent, Ma'am" Someone reported. "Vector is nominal. We'll keep our position relative to the enemy fleet and the moon. Missile frigates will pass over to behind Beta in eight minutes from….Mark"

"So far so good." Kathleen whispered.

I didn't feel that good. As the holo icons representing the frigates passed us on their way to the small moon, my imagination took over. Suppose John and the children were held aboard one of those ships? What if they were on the planet and a missile missed its target and vaporized them? What if….

I managed to control my imagination but it was an effort. If I kept on like this, I'd never do anything and I'd be of no help to anyone.

"Missile frigates are now behind moon Beta. Drones report no change in enemy ship's status."

"How long?" I whispered to Kathleen.

"The frigates are going a little faster than planned. Say fifty minutes."

I sat quietly. From all that anyone could tell, I was completely calm and in control. Inside, my mind went over all the things I should have done to prevent my kidnapping. All of the things I should have done on that frelling planet.

When was the last time I had told John I loved him? Suppose he had no idea where I was? Would he think I had abandoned him? I had mistreated him before, but that was before we were married. He'd realize I must be in trouble, wouldn't he? He'd get the children to safety first, of course. He had to think of them first.

"Aeryn?"

"Yes, Kathleen? What is it?"

She gave me a concerned look. "I just told you that the frigates will pass beyond Beta in thirty seconds. It's closer to ten seconds now."

"Task Group Fox has now passed Beta." A mechanical voice announced. "TG Fox is one one zero thousand miles from target and still in stealth mode. Drones report no change in enemy fleet status."

The frigates seemed to crawl towards their prey. I was starting to get, what was John's expression, "antsy".

Kathleen squeezed my shoulder. "Don't worry, Aeryn. Everything is going to be okay."

Frell! Were my nerves that obvious? What had happened to all of that Peacekeeper training?

"What if a ship gets away? What if John is still free somewhere and they hunt him down?" I whispered.

"The frigates could have fired as soon as they passed Beta. It's past normal range, but against an enemy that's almost asleep, the missiles could be programmed to run slower but further. And, they're only a minute or so from maximum missile range. It'll be okay."

I stared at the holo icons, willing them to close faster with the enemy.

Maximum range was reached and the frigates went on. Then they reached optimal range and still they were undiscovered.

"God!" Whispered Kathleen. "They'll be at point blank range before anyone spots them."

That was the wrong thing to say, apparently.