Varna The Grojan War Book TwoChapter 12 Desperate Measures
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"God, I hate fucking computers!" Mark slammed his fist against a bulkhead. He had been working for several days now attempting to get the ship's core to boot. He had traced several faults to the ship's consoles, particularly the navigation control Arron had damaged during his campaign against the pirates. To his frustration the core refused to co-operate with his efforts, a blank screen just stared back at him like a large holographic sightless eye. The Grojan ship's core was a type he had never seen before, which didn't surprise him as his training had been limited to a few ships the humans had managed to salvage during the war that had not suffered too much damage.
He checked his watch, it was getting late and he had worked all day and made no progress. He ran a hand through his close cropped hair. "Time for a beer I think."
Arron and Minara had let him use their town house, which he preferred to being a guest in their country manor. The almost medieval society on this planet, with its servants, social rules, regulations and attitudes irritated him. Arron had been assigned this planet and was used to it, Minara was a Grojan so God knew what went through her mind. He liked the solitude of the town house that other than a housekeeper had no servants. At the end of the street was a hotel that served a passable beer for aliens, and good simple food. He also liked the company of the artisans who frequented the bar rather than the stream of high society guests who frequented Arron and Minara's manor.
When he had first walked into the hotel bar all conversation had stopped and everyone had turned to look at him. With his blonde hair and aquamarine eyes he stood out from the crowd. They instantly recognized him and being 'their' General Arron's friend had meant he rarely had to buy his own beer and he also had to insist on paying for his meals otherwise he would have got them free as well, and he did not feel comfortable with that even though the landlord told him that since he had started frequenting his establishment business had not been better.
He walked out of the ship and sealed the door. It had been one of the first things he had repaired so at least the ship would be secure. He walked down the ramp and made his way out of the palace gardens. He nodded to the guards as he passed them and walked down the street parallel to the high garden wall before turning down the side street that led to the house. As luck would have it he had to pass the hotel on the way. Bright light and a jovial atmosphere greeted him. At least they were used to him and his presence went largely unnoticed. As always a table had been prepared for him and he made his way through the crowd, acknowledging their greetings, and sat down.
The landlord's daughter, with her ample bosom, appeared at his side as if by magic and placed a brimming tankard of beer in front of him, leaning forward to reveal even more of her ample assets. "We have a spiced stew today, Mark, would you like that?" She asked.
"Yes please, Mithoran, and line me up another beer as well please." She smiled, revealing her even white teeth and turned towards the bar wiggling suggestively as she walked away.
Mark sighed. Ever since looking into that woman's eyes, only weeks ago for him, years in reality, all he could see was her face, her amazing eyes and even her strange pointed teeth. This Grojan bonding thing really, really sucks, he thought to himself. His size and looks had always ensured he never lacked female company, and not so long ago he would have seriously considered taking the pretty landlord's daughter up on her overt invitation. Even the beautiful court ladies in their finery who frequented Arron's manor or the palace gardens where he worked on the crippled ship, and openly tried to flirt with him did nothing for him. It was just the face of a murdering pirate and bounty hunter that stirred him. "Shit!" He gulped down his beer and banged the empty tankard on the table. In the hubbub of the busy bar no one noticed so he breathed a sigh of relief not wishing to draw attention to his sudden flash of annoyance. Moments later Mithoran brought him a plate of steaming stew and another beer. He thanked her and started to eat.
The next morning he rose after another restless night and wandered down to the kitchen. The housekeeper had, as usual, left out some bread and cheese for his breakfast. He grabbed a handful of both and sat at the kitchen table to eat. He knew he was breaking local social rules, but as there was no one else about he didn't care. As he chewed on the bread he thought about Varna again. "I have to get that murdering bitch out of my head." His voice echoed in the empty kitchen. "God I wish my sister were here to talk to, she would know what to do." His words echoed round the empty space again. He had over the last couple of days sensed there was something wrong. They had always been sensitive to each other's emotions, even as young children, and he had been relieved once he had recovered from the trauma of the cryochamber to sense even over the vast distances that separated them that she was still alive.
At least she had survived the destruction of Earth, and he hoped his grandparents had survived as well. He had a strange feeling she was getting closer. He shrugged. "Oh bollocks, this is not getting the ship fixed." He rose and made his way out of the house then turned down the street towards the palace gardens.
He had been working for a couple of hours, tracing another fault back to the navigation console when he heard voices. He stood up and walked towards the main corridor just as Minara appeared accompanied by a pretty young Grojani woman in her late teens early twenties.
Minara smiled. "Good morning Mark, this is Theasa."
He nodded to the young woman. "Hello." To his amusement she flushed a bright red. Minara appeared not to notice her companions discomfort and continued. "Theasa knows her way round computers Mark, so she should be able to help you get the ship repaired."
Mark raised his eyebrows. "No offense Minara, but isn't she a Grojani? Aren't the Grojani, on this planet living in a technology free world, for the moment anyway?"
"Ah, but she is special, just give her a chance, all right."
"Yes, of course, any help would be appreciated." He smiled at Theasa and was surprised when she flushed an even deeper red.
"Good, I have a meeting with the Queen shortly, so I will leave you two to get acquainted." Minara turned on her heels and walked back down the corridor to the exit hatch.
"Right then Theasa, the main core is this way."
She smiled nervously. "Yes I know."
Mark shrugged at her confidence. "Oh, all right then." They walked together down the corridor and stepped into the core. He watched as Theasa knelt down and removed what looked like a portable computer from a bag she had been wearing on her shoulder. She pulled out a cable and connected the portable to the main monitor.
She looked over her shoulder as the portable powered up. "I can run some diagnostics so we can see what the faults are. Hopefully it will be something simple. The trouble with these units," she gestured towards the cabinet holding the core, "is they are very sensitive to any errors during the start up sequence." Once they are past that they are very robust and are able to cope with most problems and damage. It's just getting the things to go in the first place that's the problem." She smiled at Mark's obvious surprise.
"Where have you been these last few weeks Theasa? While I have been struggling with this thing on my own, and without any test kit to boot!"
She remembered Minara's warning not to reveal she was a member of Varna's crew, not until he had got to know her better at least. "Umm ... I've been detained elsewhere."
Mark raised an eyebrow at that and opened his mouth to say something, when the screen on her portable flashed up a warning.
"Oh that's not good." She touched a key and a stream of data scrolled down the screen. "There is something attached to the core that should not be there." She walked over to the core cabinet and popped a panel and Mark watched as she felt about inside. After a couple of minutes she stood back and frowned at a device in her hand.
"What is it?" He asked as he moved to stand next to her so he could see what she was looking at.
She turned it over a couple of times. "Ancestors! I think it's an active transponder."
"Why would there be an active transponder hidden in the core?" Mark asked in a puzzled voice.
She shrugged. "I don't know, Mark, the only person who would do something like that was Sisanna, but why is another question entirely." She bit her lip. "Unless..."
"Unless what?" He asked.
"Unless it was the bounty hunters who were after us because Sisanna, the evil bitch, murdered the woman who she blamed for causing her to fail the mating ritual. Unfortunately, the woman was a member of an important family and we were all lumped together because of her ... Oh! I wasn't supposed to say anything." She flushed a bright red.
There was a knock on the cabin door. Nora rose and walked over and opened it. A junior officer stood to attention. "The Captain requests the pleasure of your company in her cabin for dinner." Nora glanced back over her shoulder as Varna rose and walked over to her. "All right, Lieutenant, please lead on." As the officer turned away, Varna whispered to Nora, "Don't forget, let me do most of the talking." "Okay," Nora replied with a slight dip of her chin. They followed the...
"It's been six hours since we should have heard from Minara, try and contact her again, Catana." After several attempts, the quantum communication system just hissed static with no connection established. Sisanna sat with her boots on the navigation console. "Maybe she has given up and left." "No that's impossible, I don't care whether you like her or not, Sisanna, Minara is nothing if not reliable. She will do exactly what she says she will do and is certainly someone I would want...
Varna slept fitfully, running plans of escape through her mind. For some reason she did not understand she was certain Mark would come for her. But she was no shrinking maiden waiting for her knight to rescue her. She was determined to take matters into her own hands and escape. It niggled at her that they had taken her alive. Of course she didn't object in the slightest, but why? For the bounty all they needed was her ears and her thumb with her personal ID chip. Keeping her alive was a...
The Slexi Moon orbited a barren planet deep in the Scorpious Sector. They had been on the run now for three months and had at times come close to being captured. Varna sat at the Navigation console moving randomly through the database. She was alone, attempting to forget the pull the casket in the hold had on her. When she was occupied or asleep she forgot about it, but when she had time on her hands, time to think the emotion bubbled to the surface. She hated it because it was how Sisanna...
The old man rose. "Now, my dear, there are pressing matters I have to attend to and there is nothing more I can tell you about your artifact." Varna stood and followed him to the door. He put his hand on the door catch then hesitated and turned towards her. "Are you certain you do not want to sell it to me, I can pay a great deal of money for it?" She frowned for a moment - it did take up space in the hold and while most of her crew accepted her eccentric attachment to it Sisanna would...
The streets were busy, the city bustling, everything had returned to normal after the King and Queen had come out of hiding. The whole country had thought them dead and Minara had suspected the Halcyons would insist she and Arron took the crown. Once it became known they had survived there was rejoicing throughout the kingdom. The fact that she had hidden the royal family from the Usurpers, as Varna and her crew were being called, made her a heroine as far as the people were concerned. As...
"Well it would seem we are officially classed as pirates." Four young women sat round a table in a dark corner of a seedy bar located in a rundown city on a lawless rim planet. Theasa looked round the table at her comrades and captain. "I hacked into the planetary security network and we are on the list, a bounty on our heads." She shook her head. "It's not fair we are lumped together with that murdering bitch Sisanna." A tear trailed down her cheek. "I only just failed the mating...
The ship smelt damp and musty with a hint of oil and stale alien sweat thrown in for good measure. Mark thumped the main console as the nav screen flickered out for the umteenth time. The jump engines were charging, and as the small three berth scout ship drifted in interstellar space it creaked and groaned like an old fashioned wooden sailing ship. Most of their money had been spent on a decent ship for Arron and Minara. They had left the station several days ago to search for their young...
The inner airlock refused to close. Mark had removed it from its track and dismantled it three times now and it was seriously pissing him off. He had used the door from Varna's cabin to repair the blast damaged airlock. He had ripped the closing mechanism from the cabin wall to escape and it was not worth repairing, especially as the ship needed an airlock to go into space. Cabin doors were a low priority. Mark swung a booted foot at the door and hit it hard in frustration. It groaned and...
The evening was cold and Varna stood on the palace battlements watching the market close and the stall holders pack up. She shivered and pulled her cloak round her. She heard footsteps and looked round; Petara was making her way along the walkway towards her. Varna turned back to watch the activity in the square below. Petara stopped next to her and they stood together in silence for a while. "I saw Minara walking around the market this morning," Petara broke the silence. "Yes, I think...
The carriage rattled along the cobbled street, the leather and wood suspension barely isolating Minara from the uneven surface, the early morning light only just illuminating the still deserted city streets. It would be another hour before the traders would be opening their shops and the market holders advertising their wares, each adding to the noise and bustle common in cities everywhere. She yawned, and her mind wondered to the previous night, and she smiled to herself as warmth suffused...
On paper the ship looked to be ideal for Varna's purposes - a heavily armed converted freighter that still retained a reasonable size hold. The downside was, being rather old, it needed five crew to run it. A pilot, navigator, engineer and two for weapons control. The navigator, co-pilot and second in command was Sisanna, an older, hard and vicious woman she had befriended after she pushed Minara away and transferred to a different brigade. Varna wanted a reputation as a badass, and the...
Two Intelligence Corp psychology officers strode down the corridor and knocked on the commanding officer's door, one Grojan and one human. "Come in." The base commander, Major James Evans, sounded weary. The doctor sighed, opened the door and stepped into the commander's office. The commander looked up. Yes?" "We have a problem with Captain Fuller, sir." The commander ran his hands through his hair. "Dear God, that's all I need on top of everything else." The human doctor made a...
Four days had passed since arriving at the ICorp base and Mark busied himself checking the ship's systems. He unconsciously raised his left hand and touched the long tip of his left ear. There was no feeling as it had no nerves, but the surgeons had done a perfect job of bonding synthetic tissue to his own ears. He now looked like a Grojan. Footsteps sounded behind him and he turned just as Arron and Minara walked onboard, followed by Theasa carrying Arron Jr. Minara smiled, showing perfect...
Catana leant forward and pointed at the star map floating in the center of the control room. "I was told a few human ships were spotted there." Varna walked around the map and tapped the tips of her fingers to her lips in thought. She looked across at the rest of the crew. "That's the Scorpious Sector, it is vast and deserted, if there are humans there then they would be difficult to find." She turned back to the map. "There's something about that sector." She spoke almost to...
"Well, ladies, that proved easier than I thought." The man smiled and glanced at Nora's deecrets. Varna could see out of the corner of her eye the female had sat down next to her. She had known them long enough to realize that the way the deecret was swishing her tail, the end moving from side to side in short flicking movements, that she was not happy. Varna chose her target as Nora spoke. "And you are?" "Oh, a distant cousin, my dear, Motasa Rmaxis at your service." He bowed his...
With the baby settled, Minara made her way along the hall to the landing. She stood at the top of the stairs then hesitated. She wondered if Mark Fuller had shown any sign of improvement and regained consciousness. The doctor had said there was nothing further he could do and Arron believed he had been revived from cryogenic sleep, whatever that was, too quickly. He was due back from inspecting the condition of the army barracks in the city that had suffered during a riot against Varna's...
"Who are they Nora?" "I don't know, Jim, they look human though." Valenora Fuller lay flat on her stomach looking at the group working on a large military style scout ship. Others milled about round the ship, some setting up a camp. From their vantage point on a small wooded ridge overlooking the ship they could spy on the new arrivals without being seen. "They're not Grojan are they?" Diana asked, an edge to her voice. Nora, as her friends called her, twisted back to look at the...
The sun was just setting as Minara stood on the palace walls watching the last of the market stalls being packed away in the square below. Her back ached and she groaned; she wondered if she had walked too far today. One of the palace guards stepped away from his post. "Are you alright, my lady?" "Yes!" Minara snapped, and the guard flinched at her tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." "That's no problem, my lady, would you like a hand down the steps?" "Yes...
"Stand up straight!" the drill sergeant yelled into Arron Johnston's face and the sergeant's spittle landed on his cheeks. He stood impassively, as to flinch, or heaven forbid, wipe his face, would probably result in fifty press-ups. Arron hated the sergeant with a passion reserved for raw recruits against their drill sergeant, probably since the time of the Romans. For an eighteen-year-old, such treatment seemed pointless. He had joined up to fight the Grojan, not put up with crap like...
With Minara safely out of the way he could move to the second part of the plan. The Grojan would be gathered in one place tonight so it was time to visit the City Guard and make his presence known. First he changed into his traveling leathers, then he made for a local stream and removed the hair dye he had smothered into his hair. Once it was all removed he walked back to the city. As he reached the outskirts people started to notice him and a crowd started to build behind him. He heard the...
The queue for drinks at the bar melted away as soon as Minara bared her teeth. Filed teeth marked her out as a failure, but she had learnt that generally, people both male and female, regarded her and others like her with fear. For some it was justified, and the woman she had come to meet had a reputation as a ruthless bounty hunter and pirate. Some of the things she was reported to have done were justified, some, Minara suspected, were meant to enhance her fearsome reputation. Minara...
Arron had used the culvert to gain access to the castle grounds for a second night. He was half expecting to have to use one of the other secret entrances but he was amazed nothing had changed. He envisaged the Grojan's would use the royal quarters, and since he had warned them of his intensions he hoped they would stay close together. Ideal from his point of view, because he knew all the secret passages in the royal residence. He hoped one was sleeping in what had been the Princess's bed...
The next three days dragged as Arron kicked his heals waiting for a reply from the King of Terfain. He left the Guard building for a safe house on the outskirts of the city in the rundown poor quarter as he wanted to avoid being recognized. The fair-haired General of the Halcyon Western Army was as infamous in Matheros as he was famous in Halcyon. He was relying on the fact he was infamous in Terfain as well for his plan to work. With time on his hands he considered what Minara had told him....
Minara made her way to a small Inn in the center of the village and she pushed open the door and walked to the bar. Conversation stopped and everyone turned and looked at her, and she noted there were no female customers. The inn keeper looked her up and down, raised his eyebrows, but did not comment; she half expected him to say it was for men only and women were not welcome when she noticed a barmaid standing with a tray of drinks between two tables against a far wall. "Where is this?"...
Eight months later, Arron was ready to start the campaign against the Matherosians holding the southern province of Halcyon. He had spent the time bringing what was more or less an undisciplined rabble into a cohesive disciplined fighting unit. A trusted Captain, and troops from Halcyon, had replaced Arron's trained men at Harcross, so he had a core of trained, battle experienced men to help speed up the process. Jerros had remained his second in command. Morale was high and the men were...
The final section of the path to his hideaway cottage was treacherous. Arron picked his way with care. He had left it like that on purpose, to dissuade visitors. The little fisherman's cottage he had purchased was originally built with only access by boat. To ensure it remained secure, and just in case he needed to open the door when he didn't have a key, he had adapted part of his defunct radio transmitter case. The case had been secured with a thumb print lock. He had stripped the lock...
The journey back proved largely uneventful. The tales of horror and cruelty coming out of Halcyon city had at least abated and things had settled to an uneasy peace. The Grojans, from what he could ascertain, were replacing people from the previous government with lackeys of their own. People with no particular skill, but who had sworn allegiance to them, mostly criminals and dropouts who could feather their own nests by sucking up to the new regime. Of the young King and Queen, other than...
"Fuck! The Admiral is going to be pissed," Captain Mike Bonnet of the USS Badger said. "I know, and I am going to have to tell him. It's my responsibility. As to your Mechs and Marines, the ship has been cleared of all Crytherians. Anyone left alive is outside and fair game. If you can get your Mechs to create a safe zone for us, I will get all my spiders initiating emergency repairs to get us back into space," turning he looked at Lisa and asked, "Lisa, how long until we get repairs...
Arron had been walking for just over a week. He had left his advanced weapons, explosives and uniform under a low-level force field in the back of the cave, close to where he had been dropped. He wore the clothes of a Halcyon, a citizen of the country he had been assigned to. His identity was that of a junior army captain in the Eastern Division of the Halcyon Army. His papers showed that he originated in the north of the country and had joined the Army and purchased his commission as a...
The ship shuddered, waking Arron, and he stretched and yawned. The ship was no longer rocking so he pulled on his boots and, bending low so as not to strike his head, he made his way above decks and found the ship had docked and lines were being tied. The First Mate spied him. "Good morning, sir, we have arrived, the winds were favorable and we made fast passage. We should have the gang plank out shortly." Arron nodded his thanks and stood back while the crew completed the docking...
The morning of departure was problem-free, for which Arron was grateful. He had ensured the additional wagons for the extra supplies needed for the Princess and had sufficient military escort as well as the wagons for her retinue. With extra military protection to the border and the Halcyon Prince meeting them on the Halcyon border, Arron was confident that baring a full-scale military assault the Princess would be delivered safely. There were some last minute changes with the Matheros...
Arron had started to pick his way over the bodies when he noticed Minara pause. "Wait, Arron, there is one here, still alive." She kicked a body and it moved. "Stop playing dead, animal!" She stood and pulled up her skirts, revealing long shapely legs. She hitched them up to her thighs. Arron stared at the creamy smoothness of her skin, and he sensed the beast within stir. "Minara stop! It won't take much to tip me over the edge again." She smiled, revealing her filed teeth, and drew...
At least the food they had been giving her was good, although the facilities left a lot to be desired. Minara had to put her chamber pot by the cell door hatch at first light or it would not be emptied and she had no washing facilities. By the ninth day she really, really, needed a bath. When they had come for her, whoever they were, she had been woken with a sword at her throat. There was no sign of Arron and she noticed his clothes and weapons had gone. She had sat up slowly then swung her...
Arron had started counting the days since he had been locked in the dungeon. When the first door was opened he expected to be led away for his execution, but so far all that happened was the hatch lifted and a plate of gruel was pushed through. He ate, then placed the empty plate by the hatch, then an hour later the door would open followed by the hatch and the plate was snatched away. Once he had not placed the plate to be collected and the next day he was not fed so he made sure he always...
Arron fingered his high collar and shifted his feet. He stood with his three senior officers, his dress uniform stiff and uncomfortable. They were first in line waiting for the King and Princess to arrive. He looked at the sea of faces beyond the line of officials and dignitaries facing them, the somber gray and blue dress of the males and the vibrant colors of the females' long dresses. It reminded him of films he had seen as a child of a fourteenth century ball on earth. He had become used...
They ate from the supplies left in the shack to save their own. They were both ravenous after their lovemaking. They hid the bandit's bodies in the trees. Fresh mounts were corralled in a small pen behind the trees out of sight of anyone moving along the road in any direction. Arron noticed Minara wince with pain as she settled sat in the saddle. He allowed her to set the pace and noticed her tendency to press forward had abated somewhat. "I assume that was your marvark I saw dead a few...
The next morning Arron woke early, bathed and dressed in his light leather armor. He walked down to the common room for breakfast and was saluted by the desk sergeant. "Good morning, sir." "Good morning, Jerros." There was a noise outside so Arron walked to the main entrance and opened the doors. He was greeted by a loud cheer. A crowd was quickly gathering; people pushed forward, patted him on the back and shook his hands. He was about to step back through the door when Jerina rushed...
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Chaos and Order: The War Eternal "Small Wars" An Urban Fantasy Tale (Set in the Consultant Universe) Magic has always existed and is now openly acknowledged. 10% of the population is magically sensitive and 5% can actually be taught to cast spells. Only about 1% has the ability to earn a Magic-User 3rd Class license. In a country of 300 million that means there are potentially 3 million professional practitioners. ...
Katherine felt attracted to him the very first time she saw him. He was different than the other men she knew, not that she knew that many, but there was something altogether safe and yet demanding about him. He looked her straight in the eyes, unlike boys her own age, and he showed his interest in her, in an open and pleasant manner. They met at a party of the better circles. She had come there with her two sisters, both older, and both married. The youngest in the family, she was used to...
while looking around Hogwarts a character finds a special book. The book allows rules and descriptions of students/teachers to be written and will make it seem natural to all but the owner of the book. uses it to make his stay at Hogwarts more enjoyable for any of the characters in any year that the rule book is found in . the rule book is found in the room of requirement on the seventh floor of hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. in any year of hogwarts school of witchcraft and...
Federation Fleet The Washington led her fleet towards the captured Space Docks where they circled the Earth, at five hundred thousand miles. Ken stood on the flag bridge with his wives and watched the American ships maneuvering in front of them. "Admiral, the American fleet is joining up. They have fifteen destroyers and four light cruisers," Lieutenant Jinnah Chin reported. "Thank you lieutenant, we will stick with the plan," Admiral Tammy Thompson said. "Yes, Ma'am. I am sending...
“No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.” - Ronald Reagan Jason left the meeting with Ixal, Lisirra and Corvus. He was joined by Julia, Perdita and Razza along with Kalalal and his team. They met with the excited Gromelix and went for a flight together for half an hour before they climbed into an assault frigate to fly to the updated Battleship waiting outside the asteroid. “Your ship looks huge next to...
Despite understanding Trip's explanation for his banishment from Buran Malcolm did the (in his opinion) logical thing the next day and ignored the request to stay away. Fighting his way through the crowded corridors of his ship he began to understand though, why Trip wasn't so keen on letting him see the carnage. Just about any panel that could be opened was actually open with either a human or Vulcan head stuck in it, surrounded by cables, pipes and engineering tools. It didn't really...