The guard turned on the lights and came into the room. He saw her body on the floor and ran to it. Turning her over he checked her vitals.

  I made a grunting noise.

  He turned and noticed me, sitting there still covered in blood, staring at him. Quickly, he grabbed the sergeant’s hands and pulled her body from the room closing the door behind him.

  It was another full day before that door opened again.

  Chapter 3

  The small fleet dropped into sector twelve unannounced the next day.

  The HQ traffic controller jumped in surprise when his control board lit up and started beeping at him. He quickly checked the IFF and saw that the ships belong to the home fleet. Using fleet frequency, he hailed the ships.

  “This is Fleet Admiral Yager on board the EOH ship Falcon. I need docking clearances immediately!” The Admiral looked really pissed.

  This was way, way beyond the traffic controllers pay grade, so he sent out the clearances. “Someone is about to have a bad day,” he thought to himself.

  The fleet consisted of one of the new battleships, a cruiser, and five destroyers. It certainly looked formidable. As he watched, six armored troop transports left the ships and headed for the Fleet station. Leaving formation, the five destroyers began a CAP (constant air patrol) around the inner sector. Protecting an Admiral looked like it was serious business!

  Six transports soon docked with the station. A quickly formed honor guard was waiting for them.

  Governor Buckley had hastily dressed and arrived almost too late. Buckley growled at his chief of staff “Why didn’t I know the Admiral was coming? Did you not get a notice? You are supposed to be on top of things like this! Why else am I paying you!”

  “Sir, the Admiral sent no notice. We received nothing, not a single communique. I have no idea why he is here. There must be something serious going on for him to bring that much firepower with him!”

  The transports unsealed, and the hatches opened up. Off first was the Admiral’s security team. Six very scary troopers in assault gear exited and took up firing positions around the entrance to the ship. At some unknown signal, the admiral and his staff exited. Just behind the admiral were two ESS agents.

  The ESS was the special police that answered only to the Senate and the Chairman of the Empire.

  “Holy Shit, Governor! Why are they here? Whatever this is, it must be a huge threat to the Empire!”

  The Governor nodded he looked at his staff telling them “ Whatever these agents need, supply it to them. They answer only to the Senate. Give them everything that they need.”

  Before the Governor cto the only to theould step forward and greet the party, the agents interrupted him. “Excuse us, Governor?”

  Buckley paused in mid-step and asked, “yes?”

  “We are placing you and your entire staff under arrest.”

  “What! How dare you. I am the Governor of this sector! What in the hell are the charges?”

  “The charges are attempted murder and treason.” The agent signaled the Admiral.

  The other five transports opened, and several hundred armored combat Marines marched out.

  “We are declaring military martial law and taking command of this station in the name of the Senate. Admiral Yager is now in charge of operations here.”

  Two squads of Marines followed the agents as they entered the station. The lead agent pointed at one of the station guards, who was standing there with his mouth open.

  “Where are the holding cell and the brig located at?”

  I was not having a good week.

  After the ordeal of the past three days, I was tired, hungry, and cold. The pain was almost unbearable.

  Checking my link, it had been more than 30 hours since I last saw one of the guards.

  I tried yelling, but the room is soundproof.

  Another beating from the guards would be nice right about now. At least with the waterboarding, I would get some water. I’m having trouble sitting up, and the pain in my arms has gotten worse since the fight.

  Maybe they intend to starve me to death?

  Wilson chimed in whispering into my ear “Hold on Athena, help is coming.”

  At least I think that was Wilson. I’ve been slipping in and out of consciousness all day. Hearing the door open I looked up.

  “If she’s dead, it’s the death penalty for all of you! By all that is holy! What have you been doing to her?”

  Two men in a uniform that I didn’t recognize entered the room. “I want a medical team in here NOW!”

  At that point, I fell over and passed out.

  Awakened by the sharp pain in my ribs, I heard voices and loud beeping.

  “... nurse, I need 3 units of whole blood ... get a hemostat up here ... she’s seizing, hold her ...” and I passed out again.

  When I awoke again, I was in a white room, this must be sick bay. Once again, I could hear voices. Someone was yelling.

  “Dammit, I’m not telling you again. Lock up every security guard on this station! I want everyone that had anything to do with THAT locked up!”

  Feeling the drugs kick in I passed out again. I awoke in a haze. Checking my link, several days had passed me by. The monitors must have alerted them as a doctor, and those strangely uniformed men entered the room.

  Chapter 4

  “Ensign, can you hear me?” at my nod and groan, he nodded and sat by my bed.

  “My name is Dr. Agda. I’m your primary care doctor.”

  “How hurt ... am ... I?” The doctor replied to that one.

  “You have three broken ribs, a cracked ulna on your right arm, a severe concussion, three broken teeth, a dislocated wrist and three fingers. You have deep cuts on both your arms and right hand. Because of lack of water and heavy bleeding, you are very dehydrated. There are numerous scrapes and scratches and deep bruising. You are very lucky to be alive.” He paused looking at his hands.

  “I saw the video, the former sergeant was a very skilled knife fighter.”

  I thought for a moment and answered the unspoken question. “When I was young, my father wanted me to be prepared to defend myself. He trained me in Krav Maga and other fighting skills. During my time alone on the station, I kept in shape doing the fighting drills. I never expected to have to use them.”

  “It’s a good thing that he taught you then. The agents here have further questions for you, I believe. If you need help, press the bedside button.” With a smile, the doctor left the room.

  The taller of the two agents sat down. “If you are up to it, we would like to talk to you about the state of affairs. We represent the Senatorial police also called the ESS. We have reviewed the reports of what happened out in the Diablo sector.” The Agent paused to allow me to catch up.

  “All actions that Admiral Kane took have been upheld by the Senate. Somehow, the entire record of the Diablo incident and your recent incarceration and torture was forwarded to our office at the ESS. I’m sure you can imagine our surprise when the vid was viewed. It was as if someone ‘kicked over a hill of ants’ at the Senate building. Everyone demanded military action.

  A fleet was sent. Governor Buckley has been arrested along with his entire staff. What happened to you impinges on the honor of our government. Is there anything that we can do for you to help?”

  It was kind of hard to breathe with the broken ribs. I asked the agent, “what’s my status? Legally. Am I still a POW?”

  Both agents nodded their heads. “Yes, you are still a POW, technically. It’s our understanding that the original plan, before the gov ... before Mr. Buckley’s intervention was to have you resign your service with the PPLN and sign on to the Empire’s Navy. No reduction of rank at all. Now? Now it is becoming a very large, very loud, very public political snafu.”

  “I’m sorry, agents, I don’t understand. Snafu? What is going on?”

  “Fifteen years ago, when we joined the two groups together, the joining wasn’t perfect. Political sub-groups formed to repeal the joining. Most were and are still underground movements. When the records came to light about both your existence and torture, some of those groups came out into the light. Protests have broken out across many worlds. Several well-known politicians have ‘come out’ as leaders of these movements. The Senate believes that you are a lightning rod or figurehead with these groups. We are going to turn you over to the Admirals and to the fleet. Please pay careful attention to the situation that you are in.”

  With that, they left the room.

  “Politics, why is it that I get wrapped up in things I either know nothing about or have nothing to do with. All I have ever wanted to be is an engineer.”

  Chapter 5

  The med staff moved me from the station back aboard ship where I’d be safer.

  Once again, my old friends Turner and Hooch were my security detachment. The boys were actually talking to me now and are very sweet.

  In some ways, my getting beat up and tortured helped me. Not really, but it might be nice to think that way.

  No jail cell for me yet, I’m confined to sick bay at least until my broken bones heal. This time I have a nice viewport to look out of, even if it’s at the station that I now hate looking at.

  Wilson has been unusually quiet the past few days. I suspect that he got himself into trouble helping me out and is keeping a low profile. None of the Admiral’s staff or security has asked about him. I haven’t volunteered anything either.

  I borrowed a new tablet from security so I could read and keep busy. I suspect that it’s bugged and they’re watching me.

  As I’m not a programmer, Wilson fixed the tablet, so they only see me reading ‘old’ manuals and books, not the new and shiny manuals that Wilson actually got for me. One has to stay current, don’t you know?

  I have been looking at the instrumentation that the sick bay uses. Not something that I know much about, but I made some notes to myself to read up on it. What I am reading about now is, the new jump engines. They are way more efficient than our old mark 21Bs. They have similar parts, and the repair procedures are roughly the same.

  Everything that was old is now new again. Part of me wants to learn how to build one from scratch, and the other part wants to take one apart. Tinkering is in my blood.

  Fun!

  Unfortunately, they still won’t let me into the engine compartment. At least not yet.

  Very soon, I will be joining the Imperial Navy and leave my old one by the wayside. In some ways, I don’t want to go. I have spent my whole life in the PPL Navy. But now I am the only current member of it. So, time for a change. I expect to hear from the Admiral or her staff any day now.

  It took about another week.

  My ribs and arm had healed, and I was starting to irritate the med staff.

  I looked up from my reading and saw Admiral Kane and her staff entering the room.

  “Good morning Admiral,” I said as I nodded to the staff. Admiral Kane smiled at me and sat in the chair beside my bed.

  “Ensign, it is time to decide your status here. My staff tells me that you are recovered medically and are ready to resume work?”

  At my response of yes, she continued. “I have had calls from Navy shipyards and station construction asking for you. Several of our best fleet engineers wish to pick your brain.”

  I smiled. Things were looking up. Lots of new ‘toys’ to play with! Then she said it and shot me down.

  “Unfortunately, because of the political shit storm that former Governor Buckley has caused, all of those potential assignments are now out the hatch. What is going to happen is, we will have the public ceremony of you leaving the PPL and formally joining the EOH. Your assignment will be to sector 25 aboard the training vessel Empire.”

  Sector 25? That’s way out in the boonies. There goes the fun I wanted to have. Visions of a lonely freighter filled with cadets entered my mind.

  “From the look on your face, I see that you know where that is. It’s not a permanent assignment, Ensign. Right now you have too high a profile. This is more of a way to keep you out of sight while still putting you to work.”

  “Oh, OK, I understand, Admiral.”

  “If you like you can take leave and go visit your family.”

  “Thank you, but no, I will resume my duties if that is all right with you.”

  Looking troubled the admiral turned to her staff “is your family not happy you are alive?”

  “No, no. Everything is fine with them ma’am. Traditions are different in my family. Don’t get me wrong, they care about me. My family believes that if you choose a military career that becomes your life. You may call and visit if you must, but the military is your family until you retire. My father is a planetary militia colonel.”

  “Well, then; the ceremony will be tomorrow. Lt. Commander Smith will get with you tonight and go over any legalities that you need to be aware of. Dress blues for tomorrow as this will be on the vid. Have a good day.”

  That was three hours of my life that I will never get back.

  The trip to uniform and supply was an adventure in boredom. The techs had to research the uniform since I was its only member and my old one had been destroyed. They claimed that it took three hours to reprogram the cloth extruder. I could have helped with that, but no, I was still a POW.

  I had dinner that evening in the mess hall. This was my first time back since my arrest. Turner actually allowed me to speak to the cooks, claiming it was because I was about to join the Navy. Less pointing, more talking this trip. For once I was spoken to by some members of the crew, it was nice.

  <<< >>>

  Something my dad says all the time, ‘what a clusterfrak’ described this ceremony pretty well. Never leave something like this up to a committee especially a political one, bad things tend to happen.

  The group that did the invites did not tell catering or the hotels how many people were coming to this thing. They also failed to put on the invites that this was military, not politics. All the politicians and their wives showed up wanting food and housing like it was a major social affair.

  Big old mess.

  Didn’t bother me, not MY circus, not MY monkeys.

  It was fun watching them scurry around. My biggest part in this was to just stand at attention. I shook some hands, resigned my commission in the PPL Navy and was sworn into the Imperial Navy. The Admiralty surprised me with a promotion to Lieutenant (JG). I guess they didn’t want me to be the galaxy’s oldest Ensign. Everything was easy peasy, or at least you would think that.

  The newsies and the protesters were like swarms of annoying flies that just would not go away. The newsies were just desperate for me to say two words in their direction. The protesters were either for or against me or both. Very confusing. If I hadn’t been in the middle of it, I would have thought it was a mob at a ball game.

  After the swearing in, I had a nice private dinner with the Admiral and her staff. She apologized for what she was about to do in sending me away, but after seeing the surrounding circus at the ceremony, I could understand her reasoning.

  The next morning, I put on my new uniform and made my way down to the shuttle bay. Overnight I had received my orders along with a vid refresher course on military deportment. When I reached the shuttle bay, I reported to the chief in charge. I got in line with the rest of the transfers. Unlike some, I only had a small carry-on bag with me. I was the last to board and was strapping myself in when I noticed a commotion at the hatch.

  “Captain Whitfield, I’m sorry, but this shuttle is full, there is another scheduled for...”

  “I don’t want another shuttle Chief,” the tall Captain argued, “I need to be on THIS, shuttle!”

  “But, sir,”

  “Dammit, Chief that’s an order. You will bump someone, or I will make sure that the waste disposal area gets a new basic rating. I swear I will bust you so low ...”

  “Yes. Sir. Of course, Sir.” the flushed looking Chief glanced at his tablet. “Lieutenant, Lee? I’m sorry, but you are being bumped. I will schedule you for the next available.”

  The smug looking Captain grinned at me as he pushed past me onto the shuttle.

  The Chief closed the hatch and cleared the shuttle for liftoff.

  A loud whine and screech tore me from my musings, and I shouted at the crewman “Chief! Stop that shuttle! That sounds like a drive containment breach!”

  BOOOM BOOOM BAAAABOOOOOM!!!

  The massive explosion happened just inside the shuttle bay door.

  The shuttle blew completely apart raining fire and destruction all over the bay. A large chunk of what looked like a tail fin landed about a meter from me. Alarms began to wail. Crewmen in bunker gear swarmed into the compartment and began fighting the fires.

  I made my way out of the bay past the med-techs that were standing by. I was not injured.

  I returned to the security department since I was the last one on and off they most likely wanted to talk to me. After my interview, I reported to the Admiral’s staff for my orders.

  “Lieutenant, thank you for coming in.”

  The harried-looking Commander directed me to wait for the Admiral. Exiting her office, Admiral Kane saw me and asked me to follow her. The meeting room was full. I found a place at the back of the room to wait and listen.

  Calling the room to attention, the Admiral began the meeting. “What do we know about the explosion? Was it an accident?” the room was silent.

  “Don’t all speak at once! Captain Daniels what does the maintenance department say about that shuttle.”

  “Sir, that shuttle had just passed a recent inspection last week, it had new anti-matter injectors and updated software. Engineering has determined that it wasn’t mechanical.”

  Looking at me leaning against the wall at the back of the room, she said, “Lieutenant, you were on the shuttle, can you say what happened?”

  The other officers, recognizing who I was began to murmur to each other.

  “Before the Lieutenant Lee starts, let me say that she was bumped by one of the destroyer command captains.”

 

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