Chapter 16
Clipper Class Dropship Cutty Sark low orbit
Lisa and the Cutty Sark led the other nineteen Clipper class dropships in low and fast over the southern desert of New Texas. She knew that her small fleet of civilian cargo carriers were no match for military spec aerospace fighters or warships. Her twenty dropships are filled with two full regiments of Tatiana’s Children of the Stars. It was at Empress Maiha’s request that the Queen of High Winds, Dana Silver Leaf, sent two or her finest regiments in support of the Death Dealers on New Texas. Just as Lisa owed Maiha more than she could repay, Dana too owed the Empress for her own second chance.

“T-minus five to the outer marker for the drop-zone, Lady Lisa.” Stone called out.

“Thank you, Jake. Any response from the River Sluts yet?” Lisa asked. Only to have Jimmy chuckle from behind her. “Okay Jimmy, what have we missed?”

“The dark side of the moon, momma. We came in on the dark side of the moon. It gave us another fifteen maybe twenty minutes of cover before the Amazon Air Defense could identify and respond to our presence.” As Lisa’s son Jimmy explained what he and the C-n-C officer missed, the flight crew started to laugh.

Lisa looked over at Jimmy. “Well damn. I should have taken those odds and placed a bet. Now that we know, how long of a time frame before they can react?”

“At our current speed and altitude. Let’s see.” Jimmy had taken out his pad and stylist. After a few seconds Jimmy looked up at his mother. “We’ll drop all twenty payloads and clear the atmosphere before the first of their fighters can clear the runways. We’ll reach jump altitude ten minutes after that and be clear of the system by the time our passengers have formed up into their individual units.”

“How close are your calculations Jimmy?” Lisa asked with a smile knowing that she hadn’t been wrong in her own calculations earlier. She had considered the effect that coming in from the dark side of the moon would have on the operation. Now, she just wanted to know how close her son could get with all the facts.

“Now, that I have taken in the effect of the dark side. I should say that the fleet will be out of the system and clear by more than fifteen minutes.” Jimmy looked at his mother hoping he had gotten the figures correct.

“You’re close Jimmy. In fact, very close but you have to take into account the time it takes for the jump engines to come on line. That adds in another five minutes. You also need to add in the fact that we won’t be going out the way we came in. This is something else you need to consider. With your extra fifteen-minute window we’ll just barely be clearing the system. Remember, the first rule of smuggling my son. Never go back out the way you came in.” Lisa smiled as Jimmy face palmed at the reminder. He knew what his mother was talking about.

“Lady Lisa, T-minus one minute to the outer marker.” Jake Stone called out.

“Open the outer doors. All hands to combat stations. Prepare for drop.” Lisa ordered in a clear and commanding tone. Her voice conveyed none of the trepidation she felt or excitement that boiled just below she professional demeanor. Lisa never took her eyes off the drop clock. “Is the Baba Yaga alongside Jake?”

“All ships are running in two-by-two formation, Lady Lisa. Only the Witchcraft and Witch of the Sea are running in single file. As according to plan.” Jake Stone had to smile at the woman who was the true Captain of the Cutty Sark.

“Then sound the final warning, Jake.” Lisa ordered then waited as the heavy klaxon sounded throughout her ship. When the drop clock reached zero Lisa called out. “Drop! Drop! Drop!” then waited for the first thud of the drop capsules leaving their launch tubes. Over the next ten minutes a steady stream of drop capsules separated from the two lead ships blanketing the desert floor seventy miles from the White Sands Research and Development Center.

Once the lead ships had cleared the drop zone, the next two ships passed overhead dropping their cargos. Four troops worth of FAVs rained down from the cargo holds of the two ships. As they climbed to clear the drop zone the parachutes for the FAVs opened lowering the vehicles gently to the ground. With each pass more and more of the two regiments’ equipment was delivered to New Texas. When the last two Clippers made their runs dropping the twenty-four PzKpfw-V Panthers the drop zone was clear of the 8 troops of FAVs, 4 troops IFVs and 2 troops of self-propelled artillery pieces. As each dropship dropped its cargo it rushed towards the stars of the night skies and the freedom they offered.

Lisa Stills knew that they were not in the clear. The enemy fighters and warships were now rushing to catch them before they jumped out of the system. Away from their anger. Into the welcoming arms of the Empyreal Naval force that was gathering in the one system that only a fool would dare to attack. Not even with five times their current fleet would the Amazons dream of attacking this system. She held her breath until the jump gates formed in front of her small fleet of Clippers. Almost as one, the twenty fastest cargo dropships disappeared from the NCS and into history. No one would know of the part that Still Unlimited Shipping would have in the war for Independence of New Texas. Not even those who would be affected the most, the New Texans themselves. Not that Lisa cared. For her, getting out of the system with all of her people whole and healthy was worth more than recognition.

She may have stepped over the law every now and then, but she never really profited from her less than legal shipping runs. Nor did her captains and crews. To them smuggling was done to bring in needed medical supplies and at times Special Operations Teams to human planets still under the control of enemy nations. This was nothing more than an extension of those same shipping contracts.

Fighter Command and Control, Bella Rosh, New Texas
“Someone better start explaining how we could lose two full bomber squadrons to enemy fighters and antiaircraft fire. Where the Hell was our fracking fighter cover? What happened to the ground attack fighters for the triple-A? Why haven’t any of our pilots or bomber crews been recovered?” When no one answered Supreme Commander Von Bencher he also became enraged. “I am waiting for answers here people!”

“Sir, we’re still trying to analyze the data. If you’ll please give us a few more hours. I’m sure that we’ll have your answers.” One of the C-n-C techs pegged. She knew that as a lowly Technician the Supreme Commander could have her and the whole staff of the C-n-C recycled. After all they weren’t front line troops or members of the Educational Class. Off to one side Emily Calisto just shook her head.

Of all the officers, only she had been against the foolish plan to attack White Sands with the heavy bombers. She knew that they didn’t have the proper number of fighters to provide escort cover. That they were even able to get close to the base was a miracle. Not even she could have foreseen how heavy the triple-A fire would be. At first it was just that lance of Fire Support APSs, but they were quickly augmented by the bases own antiair missile defense system. It didn’t matter that she had tried to warn the Supreme Commander and his staff. She knew that the base would be heavily defended by the Imperials.

Then there were those damned fighters of the Imperial scum. One on one, they would win every time against her Flight’s KV-81s. The Strike Eagles were just a far superior fighter in every way. It was only by attacking in pairs that they were able to even the odds. In the long run though it didn’t matter. They were still able to hold them off while that twin tailed devil destroyed the B-36 Peacemakers. If not for that fighter and its pilot the plan might have worked. Yet, she and the High Command have constantly under estimated the pilot’s skills and the fighter’s firepower. What she couldn’t figure out was why that base was so important. Her plan for orbital bombardment had been rejected repeatedly.

“Supreme Commander Von Bencher, may I please submit my plan for orbital bombardment of the base at White Sands?” Emily knew that her plan would be shot down again. Yet this was her chance at getting a straight answer for why that base is so important to the High Command.

“Once again, Flight Leader Calisto, the answer is no. We need that base. Do not bring up that plan again. Understood?” Von Bencher snapped.

“Esteemed, Commander, I have only proposed the plan as a way of removing that base from the Imperialists’ war effort. Surely that base cannot be that critical to our own war effort. After all, our supply lines haven’t been interrupted in the same manner as theirs has. The Empyreal Naval threat has been limited. We own the system jump points. Only the jump gate itself is controlled by the Empyreal Fleet. Even now five more of our medium class Carriers are inbound with replacement fighters, bombers, and ground attack craft. By this time tomorrow we will outnumber the Empyreal forces twelve to one in the air. We do not need that base.”

Von Bencher sighed in frustration. He knew that Flight Leader Calisto would not back down unless he could give her a valid reason for not bombing that base from orbit. He also knew that by rights she could demand an answer from him as a fellow High Born. She could even Challenge him to a duel of Equals.

“A moment of your time outside Flight Leader.” Victor waved for her to join him outside of the Command Center. Emily knew that this was important and did as asked. Once outside Victor turned to her. “Calisto, I know that you believe we currently have the advantage here but we don’t.”

“I don’t understand sir. Those Carriers are coming, aren’t they?” Emily was truly at a loss for words and understanding.

“Yes, Flight Leader they are coming along with five more heavy armored divisions, but they are the only relief we will be receiving. As for why that base is so damned important. Our military needs the research data stored there. Along with that base’s manufacturing capabilities.” Von Bencher looked around their base. “What has been kept from you, and the rest of the Collective, is our society is dying. Do you remember a few years ago when the Killion seven Birthing Factories failed?”

“Everyone remembers that sir. It was reported as being little to nothing more than a minor malfunction. With a minimal lose of worker clones.” Like all High Borns, knew about the failure on Killion seven.

“It was more than what was reported, Flight Leader. The truth of the matter is, we lost over seven years of production. Seven full generations of workers, with no way of replacing them. All because of a shortage in Casper Crystals. Our failed takeover attempts on New Holland twenty-five years ago led to us being at the mercies of those greedy free birthing minor scum. Because of that shortage and the resulting loss of clones our society is now short tens of thousands of the worker class. A shortage that we cannot replace without outside genetic material. The people of New Texas have the right genetic mix to replace those lost clones.”

“Now that I understand the reason for wanting New Texas and its citizens, sir. I still don’t see why that base is so important. Surely with the eighteen divisions already planet side and the additional five divisions, plus those five medium class Carrier to augment the four Super Carriers. We should have more than enough to conquer this planet. Why are we even trying to capture that base? To do so is nothing more than a waste of life, sir.” Emily wanted more than a recent history lesson for why that base had to be captured.

“Because, once we have conquered this planet Flight Leader, we need the base to hold it. Those carriers and I mean all of them, plus twenty of those twenty-three divisions will be needed elsewhere. The High Council knows that the Empress will not let us just take this system or any other by force and walk away. She will send her Death Dealer divisions for the heads of our leaders. Until now, we have been able to use the laws and the courts to gain control over the planets that we have needed. Our banks and their lawyers have always had the credits to tie down any opposition. That is not the case here on New Texas. Somehow these free breeders have managed to build fortunes that rival any High Family in the inner Empire. To be blunt Flight Leader Calisto, New Texas has to be taken or our society will collapse. Not only is it important as a food planet but for the genetic stock and natural resources. Which we will need to fuel and build our military forces to fight those damned Death Dealer divisions. To do that we need that base. Now do you understand why that base is so important?” Von Bencher was getting irritated with Emily and her lack of foresight.

The more Emily heard the more she realized that this wasn’t just about securing another planet for the Collective. This war was about the very survival of her people and their way of life. Then a thought occurred to Emily that until now had only ever been wishful thinking at best. “Surely the High Council would not be so ignorant to go so far to challenge the Empress herself.”

“For the past thirty years the High Council has been working in secret to build our military using the threat of pirates. More than two thirds of the Parliament have been replaced with clones. Clones that are loyal only to Amazon.” As much as Von Bencher knew that he needed to keep certain information secret. He also knew that he needed the skills of the woman in front of him just as much. Her loyalty may be preprogramed, her sharing of Intelligence and her keen analytic mind wasn’t. She could very well keep a critical detail that he missed in a plan that could cost him his life. The High Council had already given more than one recycle order. “Of all the Sectors, High Families, and Coalitions within the Empire. Ours has the largest private military force, and the best trained of them all. Only the Empyreal Military is larger or better trained. Yet they are spread throughout the Empire and concentrated along the broader systems. So, yes the High Council believes they can challenge the Empress and the Empire.”

“So we either win here or face total annihilation. Is that what you’re saying sir?” Emily could not believe what the Supreme Commander had just told her. When he nodded his head yes Emily wanted to scream. “Then I shall double my endeavors to bring us victory Supreme Commander Von Bencher. Will the use of nukes be withheld?”

“Yes. We will not be using nuclear weapons again. The destructive power of those weapons does not outweigh their political fallout. Not even all of our puppets in Parliament can overlook the use of nukes again and still keep the full weight of the Empyreal Military out of this fight.” Von Bencher didn’t want to tell Emily that the real reason for not using nukes was so there would be more Texans for capture. Even now five cities had been completely evacuated.

Those populations were just clearing the outer jump points of New Texas’ largest moon. Within the month those people would no longer exist. In their place would be the first of the new worker drones, officer workers, and warriors to replace the ones lost in the battle for New Texas. They would never know of their origins or their true ties to this planet.

Before Emily could say more a Technician ran out the door to the TOC. “Supreme Commander, Emergency Message from the Forward Listening Post over the north pole. Twenty unknown and unregistered dropships just made a high-speed pass over the desert just south of White Sands, sir. We’re still trying to isolate the reasons behind this, sir. We should have more information once the Interceptor fighters bring one or two of them down sir. We scrambled two full squadrons in response sir.”

Emily just sighed then turned to the Technician. “Technician Gallows go back inside and recall those fighters. They’ll never reach those dropships in time before they jump back out. If they could make a highspeed pass over the southern desert of the White Sands area, they are already long gone.”

“How dare you presume to give that order?! Gallows send the order to our Fleet to intercept those dropships. Now!” Von Bencher snapped.

“Sir. That will be both a waste of our resources and time.” Emily held up her hand to forestall the on coming outburst. When Von Bencher nodded for her to continue. “For such a fleet of dropships to make a drop the way these have they have to be Clipper class. Sir, none of our dropships can even hope to match the speeds of a Clipper class dropship. By the time our dropships get off the ground those twenty ships will have reached their jump points and be long gone, sir.”

Von Bencher sighed as he realized that Emily was not so much giving orders to allow the enemy fleet to escape but to save much needed resources. She knew and understood the situation far better than he did. After all she was a pilot. Unlike in the rest of the Empire the Amazons trained their pilots to fly everything from fighters to dropships. If she said that it would be a waste to send their warships after the fleeing enemy dropships, then it was a waste.

“Tell me something Flight Leader Calisto. How would you increase our planetary defenses? IS there any way for that matter?”

Emily thought about what Von Bencher was asking. She began to put together a plan of action. It didn’t take her long to figure out what she would need. “Sir, the only way we can truly stop these types of smuggling runs is to ring the planet with a constant flight of heavy fighters. Which we do not have, nor would it be practical. Even if we had one of the super Carriers stationed in high orbit to refuel and rearm the fighters. The pilots still need food, water, and rest. The stress of nonstop flight operations will take its toll in the long run.”

“So there really isn’t a fix for the smuggling.” Von Bencher sighed. “Very well then, if there is no hope for stopping them completely how do we mitigate their impact? Can it even be done?”

Emily thought about what her Supreme Commander was asking. “That is a yes and no situation sir. Yes, we can mitigate their impact. No in that we don’t have the resources to do so. To take away the resources to handle the smugglers would weaken our abilities for combat operations, sir.”

“We have ourselves a true catch twenty-two then.” Von Bencher looked up at the clear night skies filled with stars. “When this is done, and if we survive I truly hope that the High Council will allow me to finally retire. What do you hope for, Flight Leader Emily Calisto?”

Emily thought about what Supreme Commander Von Bencher was suggesting and asking of her. She let the smile come to her face. “Out there somewhere, right now, is someone that can give me a true test of my skills. I have already crossed paths with them twice already. We have split our battles one for one so far. I truly feel that when we finally cross paths for the last time one of us shall die. Unlike you my esteemed Superior, I know that the High Council will not let me retire. They shall either have me put down outright or recycled for the next patch of warriors. Those are my only two options Supreme Commander.”

Von Bencher had never thought about what happened to those he commanded if they failed or became too old. He stood there watching as the deadliest pilot in his command walked away into the night. “I hope you get your wish, Emily. I really do.”

Outside Terresa’s tent, WSRDC.
Andria Cole silently watched as Chief Daily and Prince James helped a very drunk Terresa into her tent. She loved that the two men cared for her youngest daughter. A daughter that she never expected to have. When Jason had been born Andria was informed by her doctor that having more children could very well be deadly for her. She had always wanted another daughter but had come to terms with the harsh facts of reality. Not that it mattered. It was not long after Jason was born that her husband Jackson died in the line of duty during one of the border skirmishes.

When Sylvia first informed her of the transformation of Jason into Terresa she knew that something was wrong. Andria knew that Jason had been denied the Second-Generation process because of his H.H.S.S. For the Military to just suddenly revise this decision was totally out of context. Even then the idea of her child carrying the Claymore gene was a total shock. Unlike Sylvia, Andria was privy to information that was classified Eyes-only/burn upon reading. When the first Claymore appeared, the Empress ordered an investigation in what had happened. It had taken more than ten years of nonstop study before the answer had been found. An extremely rare genetic trait that was brought out during the Second-Gen process. Unfortunately, there was no test for the trait and couldn’t be spotted until after the process.

For Andria to be told that one of her children not only suffered from H.H.S.S. but was a Claymore on top of that was almost more than she could handle. Then there was the unexpected gender change. None of this mattered to Andria really. No, it was the unexpected way in which Terresa was adapting. Andria had her suspicions but no real way to prove them. Until this war was over she would just have to wait. Yet there was one thing that she needed to confront now. As James and Chief Daily exited Terresa’s tent, Andria coughed.

“May I have a moment of your time Colonel Nakatoma?”

James could tell right away that this was not a request. Just by the look in Andria Cole’s eye. The problem was he didn’t know if she was there as a medical professional of some renown, a Superior Officer, or as Terresa’s mother. Any one of which James was well practiced in dealing with on their own. Yet, here before him was all three in one person. If Andria Cole was like either one of his mothers James knew he was in for the proverbial fight of his life. With a slightly unsteady bow from the waist.

“For you Colonel Cole it would be my pleasure?” James smirked.

Andria had to give the prince points for attitude and style if not smarts. Waving for the young man to follow her Andria got straight to the point. “Tell me Colonel Nakatoma, do you normally make it a habit of getting my daughter drunk?”

“No ma’am I don’t. In fact, I hadn’t even planned on letting her drink as much as she did this evening.” James figured that the truth would be best right now. He knew that he was deep in the heart of enemy territory. Until he could figure out which enemy he had to confront first he would avoid all direct contact. “Me and my lance ran into her over at the APS hanger trying to score some of that shine ma’am.”

“I see.” Andria truly did understand. “Colonel, has my daughter taken to drinking excessively? Please be honest with me.”

“No, ma’am. I’ll be honest. If anything, I wish she would get drunk more often.” James told the older Cole woman.

“Why?”

“Colonel Cole what do you know of the missions that your daughter Terresa has been flying?” James could tell that Andria was talking with him as a medical officer.

“Not much really, Colonel Nakatoma. I know very little as most of her missions have been classified as Need to Know Only. Why?”

James sighed and wanted to pound the ever living dogshit out of the General Staff. “Ma’am, every time your daughter has gone up, and I mean every time, it has been against odds that most would consider fracking stupid. Yet she goes never asking the odds or the type of enemy. She just goes out there with one thing on her mind. To kill as many of them as she can. All while hoping that the Black Witch will be there. Your daughter wants that bitch in a bad way, ma’am.”

“I take it that it was her first encounter with the Black Witch that caused her Secondary-Configuration somehow?”

“From what I understand, yes ma’am. That and a highly illegal AI in the fighter she used during that fight. The individuals responsible for that mistake are no longer a factor though. I made sure of it.” James didn’t say how he insured the individuals responsible were taken care of. He didn’t have to.

Andria Cole smiled at hearing this. She could already tell that James was smitten with her youngest daughter. Now she just needed to get the young man to admit the truth to her. Even if he didn’t want to admit it to himself.

“Now that I have taken care of my duties as a Superior Officer and Medical Professional. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty of our little chat.” James could tell right away that he was no longer dealing with your everyday mother. Oh no, not by a long shoot. “What are your intentions towards my daughter Terresa?”

There was something about facing a woman who had access to military grade firepower that sent chills down James’ spine. Then there was the woman’s family to contend with. A son who is a highly trained Death Dealer that specialized in covert warfare. A daughter that is a just as deadly with a gun or knife as she is good with a scalpel at saving a life. And finally, the very daughter that he is interested in. A daughter that can take any aerospace fighter to its limits and beyond then still return that fighter racking up an unprecedented kill rate. It was not just the woman before him that James had to contended with, but the whole Cole family.

In his twelve-year military career going all the way back to his time at the Academy James had dated a few young women but truly only loved one in all that time. His first real love, Cathy Pike. James knew he had dated more women than should be acceptable for an Officer, but almost all of them had been political in nature. Therefore, his dalliances were overlooked by his Commanding Officers because of the very harsh fact that James was a political figure under their command. The downside of his ‘playboy’ reputation and being the Crown Prince was finding someone to truly share his life with. Someone that wasn’t looking for just a political connection to the current Royal Family.

“Ma’am, I can honestly say that I would enjoy getting to know your youngest daughter in a more social setting. I find her to be a charming, caring, unselfish, extremely brave, officer and young woman. Before you say it. Yes, I know that she has all the social graces at times of an Orion tundra bull on roller skates in a china shop. That just means she is a real person in my eyes.” James got a sheepish look on his face and took the bull by the horns. “Ma’am, you have no doubt heard about my many ‘conquests’ over the years. I’ll be brutally honest ma’am. Terresa makes me feel something I haven’t felt in six years.”

Andria Cole was many things but stupid or insensitive wasn’t one of them. The whole Empire knew about the death of the Lady Cathy Pike. The young woman that was set to be the first Crown Princess of the Empire. She remembered the betting pools setup by the bookies on New Vegas for when the happy couple would tie the knot. Hell, she had placed her own bet on that happy. Then there was the tragic news from the outer rim planet. Lady Cathy Pike had died in a pirate raid on the planet of Hyperion seven. She also remembered how the Empress, and War Princess, were the lead pallbearers for the young woman’s funeral.

“Colonel Nakatoma, may I call you James?” Andria asked politely. He just smiled at her and nodded. “Thank you, James. Please call me Andria. This is a personal matter. As such I see no reason for us to stand on formality. I will be just as honest as you have been. I am worried about Terresa. Not just as her mother but also as a Doctor. What I saw tonight could be seen in one of two ways. The first of which is Lieutenant Cole is using alcohol to blunt the edge. That she is self-medicating. The second is every time she goes up in that fighter of hers, she pushes the edge but pulls back just in time. Which is it?”

James thought about what Andria was asking of him. “It’s the second Andria. I’ve seen the gun-camera footage from her missions. I would agree that Terresa pushes herself each time she goes up. She faces odds that are at best stupid, but usually outrageous. But she is not the only pilot on this base that has been facing the same odds. She is just better at bring her fighter home in one piece.”

“Do you attribute this to her skills or her luck?”

“Both, Andria.” James could see where Andria was going and decided to get ahead of her. “Look Andria, I know that you think I might be taking advantage of her emotional state. I can assure you that is not the case. I have not made any advances towards your daughter beyond a few kisses here and there. Yes, I walked back to her tent the other night, but that was all. She wanted more, but I know that she isn’t ready for that yet. Until I feel that she is ready, or she tells that she is no longer fighting with herself will I seek to take things further.”

“Thank you, James. I find you to be a very honorable young man. Not the galivanting Casanova of the Social Circuit that the Entertainment Vids portray you.” Andria gave him a hard look then smiled. “I think I approve. Just don’t hurt my baby, James. You do, and Crown Price or not, I’ll skin your ass alive. Do we have an understanding young man?”

James had never been so bluntly treated with respect or threatened before in his life. To first have Terresa’s mother give her approval only to have her threaten him in the same breath was refreshing. Most of the parents in the past have tried to garner his favor. Andria Cole made James feel like he was the one trying to gain her favor and permission. This was something totally new to James. He found that he kind of liked it. For once he was the one needing to prove himself to the family. Not the other way around. The Coles were not Nobility, never had been.

For James meeting Andria Cole and her family was a real chance at finding acceptance as for himself. To them he was just some officer after the youngest member of their family. He thought about something his mother Alice said once. ‘A son is a son until he takes a wife. A daughter is a daughter all her life.’ His mother Maiha also once told him something about the people of the frontier planets. That sons don’t just marry a daughter. They marry the whole family. For the first time James truly understood what his mother was trying to tell him.

James then remembered something that Sylvester Cole told him back on the Super Carrier Lady Dai Etsu as the very blunt threat Andria Cole worked its way through his mind. ‘Wear a steal jockstrap with titanium cup. Both are dyed in the wool ballbusters.’ He could tell that piece of advice applied to more than just the sisters of Sylvester Cole, but to all of the Cole women.

‘I must say James. The Cole women are cut from a very brutal cloth. If I were you I would kiss the Colonel’s ass right now and promise to do all within your power to protect her youngest daughter.’

‘I agree with you, James. I believe that not even your mothers could stop that family. Especially once they get rolling.’

James swallowed and gave Andria his most charming smile. “Message received, loud and clear Colonel. I hurt your baby and the Hellhounds will spend the next fifty years looking for my body.”

“Oh no, James. They won’t have to waste time looking for your body. Because I’ll nail your ass to the APS hanger walls.” The smile that graced Andria Cole’s face was eerily similar to the one that her youngest daughter worn in combat. James had seen the same smile once before on Terresa’s face. He now knew where she got it from. That faint sly smile that predicted pain and death in the near future.

“I can tell that you, and your youngest daughter, share far more than just your beautiful looks Andria.” James gave Andria a small smirk. “You share the same temper as well. I think that I’m the one that needs to worry about getting hurt.”

Andria just let the smile reach her eyes as she turned away and walked into the night in search of her own tent. James stood there in total shock as Andria Cole seemed to fade away into the night as if made of smoke. He had seen his grandmother, mothers, and aunts pull that mystic walk shit. He had even seen his sisters pull it. But here was a woman that had no connection to his family and she just disappeared into nothingness the way the females of his family do.

“Why do I have a feeling that I just met the one woman that could happily slit my throat in my sleep?” James said into the night air.

“Did she pull her disappearing into the night act?” a voice caused James to jump in surprise. James spun around, ready to fight, only to find Sylvia Cole standing there smirking. “We’ve all had her pull that crap on us. I think she learned it from some Reverend Mother for the Knights of Ida-ten. Think about twenty years ago if not more. I know it was before she met our father.”

“About that, just why do you and your siblings try to avoid using the connects that come from your parents? I mean surely you all could have gotten better assignments than out here in the backend of the Empire.”

“We’re all here on the ass end of nowhere because of parents and their connections. Dad pissed off one too many politicians and mom, well let’s just say she never let her dislike for the High Families stand in the way of treating commoners first.” Sylvia said with a shrug. “Speaking of postings why are you stuck out here?”

“To clean out some of the deadwood in the upper officer ranks. The reports of certain officers being protected by High Families connections, or just straight out High Family names. My mothers felt that the best person to hunt down the deadwood was me. They both know that I’m slightly more politically charming than my baby brother. He has all the political savvy of a PPC.” James chuckled.

“Okay James that makes sense.” Sylvia turned and looked in Terresa’s tent at her sleeping sister. “Well, I just came by to check on Terresa. I suggest that you get some sleep as well Colonel Nakatoma. I have a feeling that tomorrow will bring us even more challenges. I fear that this war is far from over.”

James just watched as Sylvia Cole walked away. He had nothing to say in reply to her very ominous warning. “Major you have no idea of how true that was.”

Outside the town of Nowhere, New Texas frontier.
Samantha Price led her small band of rebels under the main road bridge crossing the Big Catfish River heading towards Nowhere. She had reluctantly agreed to lead the ten-man team on this raid. Her reasons were her own. Unlike the hardcore New Texas citizens, Samantha was trying to keep the number of civilian casualties down. She didn’t care for political gains. To her this was more about driving the Amazons from New Texas. Nothing more, nothing less. If she could keep just one of these young men and women with her alive to the end of the war she had won.

For the first-time since she retired, Samantha Price deployed her bio-armor and strapped on the two swords she had earned serving with Queen Tatiana’s Divisions. In the last ten years Samantha had taken great joy in not have to deploy her bio-armor. More than one of the rebels watched as she slowly painted her face with the colors of her old unit. Even old man Richards couldn’t believe that their small-town sheriff was a Wood Elf, let alone a Death Dealer. Then again nobody really knew a lot about the enigmatic woman. Just that she had come among them with not much but her pension and a desire to be left alone as she worked her small homestead. The fact that she even accepted the position as Sheriff was a surprise to most.

When Samantha showed up wearing only the bio-armor of a Second-Gen Death Dealer carrying the twin swords heads turned in surprise. Only the revelation that she was a Wood Elf was a bigger surprise. When Samantha told old man Richards that she was leading the attack on the road bridge no one argued with her. Using her training, experience, and magnetic personality Samantha took charge of the mission to stop the local mercs. Originally the plan had called for an all out frontal attack on Quinsbee Jayhawkers at their well-fortified base. This was the plan that Tom Richards and his ranch foreman Dale Cutter had come up with. Samantha had walked in on the gathered ranch hands and owners during their initial planning session.

When Samantha saw how they were going to attack a battalion sized unit of mercenaries, highly trained mercenaries, she blew her top. The gathered ranch hands would later say that you could hear her rants over the stupidity of the plan clear down to the mouths of the Big and Little Catfish Rivers. In ten minutes the original plan had been scrapped and Samantha Price was elected to be the ‘tactical leader’. Samantha didn’t care what old man Richard’s wanted to call her. All she wanted to do was keep as many of these young men and women alive long enough to see their thirties.

When she explained her plan for dealing with the Jayhawkers Richards began to give orders for who would be doing what. Samantha again put a stop to those orders. When Richards went to challenge Samantha over this her temper finally flared. Her PPL burned its way through the side of the Super barn’s metal walls in under a micro-second. That one demonstration put all thoughts of overruling Samantha Price’s orders in the rubbish pile. In a clear voice Samantha explained how things were going to work. She was the one in charge of all combat operations. Any attack plans were to be run by her first and foremost. That the only combat orders to be followed were those issued by herself and the five people with her. Jerry McGregor, Steve Watson, Kelly Watson, Marry Beth Holland, and Joe Miller.

It had taken the six of them less than twenty minutes to scrap every plan that Richards and the other ranch owners had come up with. Once they had established just how the pecking order was going to be Jerry McGregor let Samantha get down to business. The first order of business was how to handle the Jayhawkers. Sam knew of the one place that could be used as an ambush site that would ensure success. The main road bridge over the Big Catfish River was the only point at which the mercs can attack the town. It was also the one point that the mercs would be on their highest point of alert.

The bridge was four kilometers long and four lanes wide. It spans the Big Catfish River between two ninety-foot drops on each side of the massive river. Of all the bridges in the area it was the only arch bridge. The main arch sat between two massive columns. On each side of the river helping to support the first kilometer of the bridge were another six such columns. The target for Sam and her team were the first and last columns at each end of the bridge and the two center most columns. Each team member carried twenty pounds of Hand Axe. The newest lightest and most powerful plastic explosive to date. One once of Hand Axe has the explosive power of twenty pounds of C-4.

Over the next two hours the five two-man teams work silently through the night. Shortly after midnight Samantha and her team extract from the bridge area undetected. In their wake two-hundred pounds of high explosive waits to be triggered. Samantha had calculated the placement of every charge. She knew that they would have only one chance at bring down that bridge before the Jayhawkers flooded across to attack their positions on the ridge line.

Positions that she and Mac had planned down to the smallest detail. Fourteen rapid fire rocket launchers were just on the other side of the ridgeline. All ready to rain down flaming napalm and high explosive warheads. They had sighted in both ends of the bridge and two hundred meters on each side of the riverbank. Red route one as they had started calling the main road had just become a deadly trap. One that had but one target. A mercenary unit named Quinsbee Jayhawkers.

An hour before sunrise Samantha was awakened by the sounds of heavy track vehicles and the whine of powerful engines. With the skill born out of necessity and training Samantha eased up to the top of the ridge line. Using the Combat Control Suit that came with being a Second-Gen, Sam zoomed in on the lead tank. Opening a link to the rest of the rebel command. “Here they come people. Stand by to send the signal.”

Sam waited until the Type-3 Chi-Nu sixty-ton medium tank reached the near side of the kill zone. With more than three quarters of the Jayhawkers on the bridge and the rest spread out on both sides of the river. Sam gave the order. “Now!” that one-word order set in motion a chain of responses that would do almost any battalion commander proud. The first of which was the detonation of the Hand Axe.

Even as the first rockets were leaving their launch tubes the main support columns for the bridge were collapsing. Of the seventy-two medium tanks, and IFVs, fifty-four of them would plunge into the swift moving, and unforgiving currents of the Big Catfish River fifty-feet below the bridge deck. The other eighteen would soon join them in death as the first rockets slammed down on the tops of the Jayhawker armored vehicles. Over the next two minutes four-hundred and twenty, seven-point-five-inch rockets terminated their suicidal flights in or on top of the eighteen surviving members of the Jayhawkers. Within five minutes a second round of rockets fell on the kill zone. Between the two rounds of rockets nothing was lift alive.

Samantha ordered her spotters to pull back after the second round of rockets. Standing up slowly Samantha looked down on the carnage that she had helped to plan. Her AI gave her the death total. Seventy-two tank, and IFV crews, for a total of one-thousand-and-forty-four men and women dead. Dead before they had the chance to return one shot, fired in anger. Dead before they even knew they were under attack. Most, dead to the unrelenting currents of the Big Catfish River drowned without a chance to escape their armored coffins. Coffins that were once their proud chariots of war. Now, all that stood to mark their passing was the concrete stubs of the support columns that once supported a proud architectural achievement.

“What a waste of damned fine armored cavalry.”

-----tbc-----