Black Guard, The (24 page)

"I wouldn’t mind. My commandos are bored and could use
a diversion. I’ll let you know how our discussions go. Anything else?"

"Yes. I have several Guards in need of medical
treatment. Would you mind sending a shuttle for them?"

"You’ll have one within the next two hours with
medical support." Olmert cut the connection. I had Sergeant Catz replace
Sergeant Ganz, who had been guarding Gasparo and who had medical training. Then
we began an inspection of each Guard member on the second floor. Everyone,
including me, had multiple impact bruising. In addition, Corporal Toch had a
compound fracture in his left arm, and Sergeant Nadel had two fractured ribs.

"Sir, looks like Private Krebs has sustained critical
damage to his intestines. He appears to have caught three bullets in close
proximity which has resulted in one or more ruptures. I can’t do anything here.
He’ll need the medical facilities on the Lion Heart. Except for our body armor,
he’d be dead. I’ve given him medicine to slow down his overall metabolism. He
should make it if they get him up there within eight hours," Ganz said as
he stood. Just then, Justices Ulises, Maull, and Heflin appeared.

"Did you have to kill them all?" Maull asked,
more as an accusation than a question. Her face twisted in pain as she waved
her arm to include the dead bodies scattered around the waiting room floor.

"Yes," I said—the short
answer—understanding she and the others were in shock. Their faces were
pale and their eyes continuously darting around the room like they expected
more trouble. They were used to hearing about crimes and violence, not to being
there while it happened and not to seeing its ugly consequences.

"You’re murderers and should stand trial for
this—" Heflin began shouting, but Ulises silenced him with a hand.

"Innocent people could have been killed when you
engaged them, and that’s all you have to say, ’yes’? Did you think of
that?" Ulises asked like the others, wanting to assign blame as they tried
to come to grips with the carnage.

"No." I said, walking towards courtroom CR-3 with
the three following. "Ganz, wake up our prisoner." Ganz had sedated
him to keep from giving away his presence. Ganz knelt down and gave Gasparo an
injection and a few minutes later, I pulled him to his feet.

"What’s happened? Are you releasing me?" He
swayed, still groggy from the sedative. I grabbed him by the arm, half supporting
and half pulling him through the door. In the waiting room I walked him in and
out of the dead bodies and stopped at the stairs, littered with still more
dead. He had remained silent. The three justices had followed us in silence.

"Is your freedom worth this, Captain Gasparo?" I
asked. He didn’t answer for a long time.

"No. No, it’s not. Did you have to kill them
all?"

"Yes. What did you or they expect? They were trying to
kill us so we returned fire—" I stopped when Rickard came walking up
the stairs.

"They killed or seriously wounded all the security
guards they encountered. They didn’t take prisoners," he said with
disbelief.

I continued. "Your friends were wearing body armor, so
we had to shoot for non-protected areas like the head. Shooting them in the
legs wouldn’t have stopped them shooting. And you don’t wound people you shoot
in the head. They greatly outnumbered us, so we couldn’t afford Guards to watch
prisoners if they had surrendered. They would have had to surrender en masse,
which they didn’t."
In reality, the Guard’s response was too fast and
deadly for them to make that decision,
I mused. "This is not a game to
the Black Guard. We would die to the last man or woman before we surrendered
you. Your people chose to engage us; we did not seek them out."

"Justice Ulises, I will plead guilty, and make a
public statement to my friends not to make any attempt to free me."
Gasparo said, but continued to stare at me. "You would have let all those
attendees die to keep me."

"The Jax are not servants. We are hired for a specific
purpose defined by our contract. To meet that commitment, we will give our
lives. In this case, we were hired to keep you alive for trial, but failing
that, to keep you from escaping. We were not hired to protect the Justices, the
participants in your trial, or the occupants of this or any other building. Had
that been stipulated, the contract would have required participation of the Jax
army." I looked to the justices. "Having said that, when it does not
interfere with our contract commitment, we attempt to protect those around
us."

"You could have gotten hundreds killed—"
Heflin again.

"But we didn’t. In fact, I believe there were only a
few bystanders wounded. If we had let people run ’to safety,’ I submit many
would have been killed. And, if you want to assign blame, blame Captain Gasparo’s
friends. We didn’t shoot the bystanders." I left Nadel and Markov to guard
Gasparo and went down the steps to check with Lieutenant Elijah. I found her
with Corporal Reti, who had medical training.

"What’s the damage, Elijah?" I asked, hoping to
hear good news. One death was already a disaster as far as I was concerned.

"Moderate. Lots of black and blue bruising, some that
need to be x-rayed, and one torn artery in the wrist. We stopped the bleeding,
so she will be all right. They thought their comrades on the second floor had
the building secure." Elijah smiled. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I
was holding.

"Good work. Identify those that need medical treatment
or further evaluation. Captain Olmert is sending a shuttle for our wounded. It
should arrive within the hour."

* * *

The next week was a whirlwind of activity. Ulises was
anxious to get things wrapped up and the Black Guard gone. Captain Gasparo
pleaded guilty to piracy under a plea agreement to expedite the trial and went
on Halo television to ask his supporters not to make any attempt to free him.
Five days later, he was delivered to the Halo penal institution and our
contract terminated.

* * *

"Unlike the Justices, I couldn’t feel sorry for those
that attacked the Tribunal. They killed eight of my security guards. The two
that survived only did so because of your speedy resolution of the situation.
They would have died if they hadn’t gotten to the hospital when they did,"
Rickard said, giving me a small bow in gratitude. "I’m glad Justice Ulises
hired the Black Guard. Gasparo would have escaped otherwise. My security
personnel, by necessity, see protecting the Tribunal differently than the
Guard. They would prefer to capture the intruder and would worry about
protecting others in the area. That makes them slower and vulnerable."

"That’s true, Colonel. The Jax forces are not meant to
replace existing personnel. We are an emergency force available for unique
events that the government isn’t equipped or doesn’t want to handle," I
said, and smiled. "Besides, we leave, and any criticism can be directed at
us."

He nodded. "Yes, some will criticize you for not
taking prisoners and jeopardizing the people in the building because you wouldn’t
allow them to leave the courtrooms or offices. But, I think your actions saved
innocent lives." He bowed and left me to board the shuttle for the Lion
Heart.

* * *

On the trip back to Jax, Captain Olmert invited Lieutenant
Elijah and me to have dinner with him, his senior staff, and Colonel Vogel.
They had followed the shuttle that escaped the Tribunal building to the
backside of Halo where a light cruiser was in orbit. The commandos boarded the
cruiser and easily subdued the crew. It had been a great training exercise for
the ship’s crew and the commandos, and I got the credit for having relieved the
boredom.

When I arrived back to Sasser Mountain, I found Tzadok and
Hada were on assignments and Dubrin on leave. He was single and took every
opportunity to travel and meet new women. It was rumored he had at least one
sweetheart in each town on Jax with a population over a thousand.

The second day back, Commander Wexler invited me to lunch
in his office, a rare event. He wasn’t unfriendly, but tended to keep
relationships with his troops, even the captains, on a professional level. At
first, I thought it was because he outranked us and we were… beneath him. But
over time, I came to realize the military ran on tradition and one couldn’t
afford to blur the lines of command. Even more importantly, close relationships
with those you commanded could adversely influence your decisions. But every
commander needed to understand each person’s strengths and weaknesses if he was
to command effectively.

When I entered his building, Corporal Yaron led me to a
small conference room, where Wexler was already sitting with a glass of red
wine.

"Sapir, have a seat. What would you like to
drink?" he asked, waving me to an empty chair to the right of him.

"Juice, of any kind," I said.

"You don’t drink alcohol or is it because you’re with
your commander?" he asked.

"No, sir. Captain
Attali
never did, so I didn’t. She has been my mentor ever since
we entered the Jax military. Now, seeing how it affects some people, it was a
good decision." I said, being honest and open.

"Grape," Yaron said, smiling as he placed a glass
of purple juice in front of me, probably because of the irony—both drinks
were made from grapes.

"You are one of the most talked about officers in the
Guard, Sapir. In reports and in the telling, your actions seem cold and even
vicious, yet those that know you like you, and those who have served with you
admire you." Wexler sat looking at me while sipping his wine.
Cold and
vicious,
I mentally shuddered. Clearly the Justices on Halo saw it that
way, as did those I held in the rooms. "The Jax Contract Committee has invited
you and me to a meeting. I think you present them with a dilemma—whether
to sanction or censure your actions."

I sat trying to quiet my mind. The Guard was my life, my
family, and the reason I was, at long last, at peace. The thought that I could
lose that had my mind spinning. I don’t know if Wexler talked or how much time
had passed when I finally managed to quiet my mind and focus again. Wexler sat
in the same position, but his glass was now full. It had been near empty.

"Yes, a troubling thought. Whatever their conclusion,
it must apply to both of us, since I am your superior and responsible for your
assignments," he said as Yaron put platters of food on the table. "A
shuttle will be here to collect us tomorrow at six a.m."

* * *

After I left Wexler, I wandered blindly around, not sure
where to go. Sometime later I found myself at Hada’s and my favorite meditation
spot, and sat. I realized Wexler was a very shrewd man. He hadn’t invited me to
lunch and given me the potential consequences of tomorrow’s meeting to worry me,
but to give me time to prepare. Dragons may make him nervous, but he understood
us, and I realized, trusted us. What made him nervous was that we were each
unique and could not be expected to respond the same. On reflection, that would
give anyone a headache. I smiled at the thought and my mind quieted. When I
returned to consciousness, it was early morning and a hint of dawn approaching.
I rose, feeling relaxed, made my way back to my quarters, showered, dressed,
and just had time for breakfast. Commander Wexler was walking towards the trail
to the shuttle pad just as I exited the dining hall.

"Good morning, Commander Wexler," I said, bowing
deeply. "Thank you for inviting me to lunch."

He gave me an appraising look, then smiled. "Good
morning, Dragon Sapir. You look rested."

We walked to the shuttle pad in silence and arrived just as
a shuttle with a Jax Council Seal on its side approached. Inside, the seats
were wider, cushioned, and covered in a soft, leather-like cream colored
material. And an attendant served us tea while Wexler shared a little of his
life in the Guard. Like all of us, he had been born into a family of three, but
in his case, he was the last and born and after his two brothers were past the
eligible age. He had been showered with love. His father had been a captain in
the commandos and done his best to prepare him for what was to come. Young
Wexler had set his sights on the Guard and had succeeded in making sergeant.
Over the years, he had earned a commission as a lieutenant, then the rank of captain,
and had been eventually picked for commander. It explained much about Wexler
and his strong belief that tradition and duty should be the same. I was sorry
to see the flight end.

We landed on the top of the Jax military headquarters
building in the center of the Gilboa, the Jax capital. As we exited the
shuttle, a Lieutenant stood with two commandos, weapons in hand.

"Sir, please hold this devise to your eye." The
lieutenant handed Wexler a small eye reader. As he did, the lieutenant watched
his pad, nodded, retrieved the devise, and handed it to me. "Thank you,
Commander Wexler. Ma’am."

I took it and held it to my eye. He nodded and looked up.
Thank you, Captain Sapir. He tapped the tablet and two silver-looking cards
emerged. He placed one on each of our sleeves. They clung like magnets. "Sergeant
Falk will escort you to your meeting." He stepped back and saluted as a
stocky, middle-aged sergeant stepped forward.

"If you would follow me, sir, ma’am," he said,
turning towards an open elevator door. Once we were inside, he pressed the
button with 51 on it. When the doors opened, two commandos stood blocking the
exit. Another lieutenant ran a scanner over our badges, checked his pad,
stepped back, and saluted.

"Sergeant Falk, show Commander Wexler and Captain
Sapir to room 5112."

We followed Falk to the right down a long hallway with
floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city. It was a dizzying view,
giving me the feeling I was walking on air. At the end of the hallway, two more
commandos stood outside a door. When we arrived, one scanned our badges and
then announced us via his Mfi. After a short pause watching his Mfi, he opened
the door and Wexler and I entered, approached the two men and a woman, and
bowed low. From pictures, I recognized the woman on the left as Admiral Geller,
Naval Operations; the man in the center as General Lerman, Army Operations; and
the man on the right as General Noam, Special Forces Operations. These three
were responsible for negotiating the Jax contracts. They each sat at a small
steel table with a glass top, which appeared to be touch screen displays. General
Geller was first to speak.

"Relax, and have a seat at the tables in front of
you," she said, pointing to the two individual tables. I sat in the one to
the right and Wexler the left. "The three of us not only negotiate the Jax
contracts, but we also review the results for compliance, both from the client
and the responsible Jax unit. Written reports are adequate in evaluating most
straightforward contracts. For more complex ones, we usually set up a
teleconferencing call with the unit’s commander to fill in the gaps. On rare
occasions, when several contracts turn out to be not what we anticipated, it is
our responsibility to determine the cause and take appropriate action."

When Geller paused, Lerman spoke, "Normally that would
involve a face to face with the unit commander. In this case, Commander Wexler.
However, since the contracts in question all involve you, Captain Sapir, we
felt the need to have you present."

When Lerman paused, Noam spoke, "Specifically,
Lanzhou, Molova, New Keif, Faithful, and Halo. We need to determine whether we
the committee, the client, or the Black Guard was responsible for the
unpredictable consequences, and take appropriate action to avoid similar
problems in the future."

Geller continued. "The client lied to us at Lanzhou,
but you, Captain Sapir, kidnapped the client and abandoned the structure you
were supposed to guard. If he had been killed or captured, the Jax would have
looked like they had run from their responsibility." Her pause and slight
tilt of her head were a clear invitation for me to comment. I fought for a
quiet mind, knowing I was being judged and the consequences could mean the end
to my career in the guard. I sat quiet for several minutes, refusing to answer
until my mind settled. When Captain Sapir disappeared and Dragon Sapir finally
appeared, I nodded acknowledgement.

"The Jax military, through their representatives, gave
me command and a duty when you assigned me to guard the governor of Yuan
province, just as you gave Captain Drezner the responsibility to stop the
rebels attacking Ebao. He could have been judged a coward letting three hundred
rebels proceed to the governor’s estate before he moved to block the remaining
rebel force." I took a drink of water before proceeding. "Had he
chosen tradition and tried to block the entire rebel force, they would have overrun
him, killing all of his detail and permitting the entire remaining force to
proceed to the estate. In that event, the Guard and the governor would have
been killed, regardless of my actions. So I believe he chose duty, limiting the
number that could attack the estate and providing his detail a chance of
containing the remaining force in Ebao." I took another drink, not because
I was thirsty but to give them time to digest what I had said. "Knowing I
could not defend the estate against an organized and well equipped force of
over two hundred, I also chose duty, to save the lives covered by our contract.
If I had chosen to stay and die, how would the Jax have been perceived? As
heroes or as brave but fallible?"

Leman gave a short laugh. "The quip heard around the
known galaxy… ’I’m not going to let some want-a-be rebels demonstrate to the
universe that the Jax can be beaten by rabble with a piffling ten to one odds.’
Captain Drezner told his colonel he and his men had resigned themselves to
dying at Lanzhou until they heard that. That became the battle cry that broke
the rebel attack and resulted in their defeat."

"Yes, you have a point, Captain. Failing is failing no
matter how brave you are. What about Molova? It was not in our contract to
protect Prince Badal’s wife when she went shopping. The contract was from his
estate to the conference building and back," Noam asked. "She had her
own security to protect her while away from the meeting site."

"I admit I never considered the technicalities of the
contract, only my duty to protect our clients. And I would doubt Prince Badal
or future clients would accept that as an excuse, although valid in a court of
law."

"New Keif," Geller interrupted. "You were
sent to advise and assist, yet you took it on yourself to take independent
action. Some might consider your action wanton killing."

"Neither the army nor commandos are trained to fight
in buildings. Consequently, their losses were heavy. I did not believe telling
them ’how to’ would have changed their basic instincts, and it might have made
matters worse. And trying to integrate the Guard into their teams would have
been disastrous for both teams, as we have never trained together. I,
therefore, chose to help by cleaning out one building."

"Why did you let over a hundred rebels escape?"
Noam asked.

"Because I was asked to help clear the building, not
kill rebels." That got smiles all around.

"At Faithful, you renegotiated the contract. Do you
believe that is your prerogative, Captain?" Geller asked.

"When I found Imum Kelebek had underestimated the Jax
resources she needed, I contacted Captain Blatt of the Crouching Tiger who
agreed to provide them," I said, avoiding all the messy details. "The
contract remained the same—guard the prisoners."

"Your actions on Halo appear… heartless to many,"
Noam said. "And when added to the Guard’s actions on New Keif and
Faithful, sadistic. You endangered innocent lives and killed every person who
invaded the building. The ’black’ in Black Guard no longer applies to your
uniform but has taken on the meaning of ’death’."

Their faces seemed to collectively become tense and their
stares intense.
The moment of truth
, I realized. The whole point of this
meeting. The answer they sought would determine my future. I sat quietly,
letting my mind sort out my thoughts to find the truth of my actions. That
would have to be enough. I would not lie.

"The Jax contracts you write are very
specific—protect a given individual or individuals. That becomes my
duty—to protect the client. I feel I have a responsibility to achieve
that commitment with the least risk to my team, while ensuring I maintain the trustworthiness
of the Jax contract. These are not and have not been negotiable. Protecting
others, choosing not to kill, or allowing a client to jeopardize that commitment
is negotiable when it does not interfere with my duty," I said, and sat
back and closed my eyes. Sometime later, Geller spoke.

"We would like you both to stay in Gilboa city until
we have had an opportunity to consider your comments. Accommodations have been
arranged for you in guest quarters."