Children of Steel (70 page)

"Uh excuse me Raj," said the drop ship's
navigator, he was the same Wolf WSO that had welcomed me when I had
first signed aboard. "But the freed prisoners are going back on one
of the transports."

I looked at him real carefully and he started
to get real nervous, "Excuse me Toumey," I said slowly, "allow me
to introduce my mate Cassandra."

He looked even more nervous then, "I don't
think the Captain's going to like this!"

"Let
me
worry about that!" I purred,
and dragged a surprised Cassandra past him and into the ship. I
found us a section of shock webbing that was unoccupied.

"Did I miss something?" she asked looking at
me, "Just when did we become mated?"

"When I saw you were still alive," I smiled
putting my head in her lap. The ship was almost empty, so I took
advantage of the extra room and stretched out. "Do you think I
could possibly stand the thought of losing you again? Once nearly
killed me."

"Don't I get a say in this?" she asked, "How
do you know there isn't someone else?"

"Of course you do, and I sorry if I hurt your
feelings by assuming that it was a yes. As for somebody else, just
tell me who and I'll see that he gets a proper burial when I'm
finished with him." I peeked then to she if she was smiling, she
was.

"I bet you would too!"

"Of course, so do I get an answer to my
proposal?" I looked up at her then.

"Yes and yes!" she leaned over and kissed me
again. "If you're willing to take me when I look like this, I'd be
a fool to pass it up!"

"Ah, a few pounds and you'll look fine."

"What about the Captain? What'll he say?" she
asked worried as we lifted for the Falcon.

"He'll say yes or else!" I growled.

When we got to the ship the Captain actually
met the shuttle, I was totally surprised, but I tightened my grip
around Cassandra. He saw that and smiled at me, "Congratulations,
I'm glad to see things worked out so well for you. Now grab your
gear, I want you off this ship in six hours."

"Excuse me," I asked shocked, "Sir?" I added
hurriedly.

He laughed at my expression, "Mated couples
aren't allowed in special ops Raj, not that I expect this unit to
be onboard after our next stop. I also have a feeling that several
members of the crew aren't going to be happy to see you suddenly
pulled from circulation, one especially."

I thought about that, I guess that Aruba
pretty much had considered me hers.

"Anyway," he continued, "I don't want the
crew to see the 'Terror of Falcon Block' walking around besotted,
they'd be laughing too hard to do anything. So I got you a berth on
one of the transports, the Captain was more than willing to
cooperate. Good luck Raj, we'll all miss you!"

I saluted, and went to collect my things with
Cassandra in tow.

I quickly packed my belongings, most of which
was my combat gear of course, I handed Cassandra my extra rifle and
tossed the stereo on top of everything in the duffel bag.

"Just one second soldier!" I heard a growl as
I started for the door. I looked up and saw Aruba in the
passageway.

"Hi Aruba, I guess you've heard the news by
now right?" I asked nervously.

"Yes I did, and you better not be planning to
leave without saying goodbye!" I thought I heard a note of pleading
there.

"No of course not," I dropped the bags and
gave her a big hug; it took me a minute to separate myself. She
didn't want to let go. I then turned sideways in the door, "Aruba,
let me introduce Cassandra, my mate." I looked at her while she
examined Cassandra.

"I see they didn't treat you too well down
there huh?" she replied in a neutral voice.

"No, it'll be awhile before I'm totally fit
again," she said quietly. "Thank you for taking care of him for me,
I'm sorry you didn't get what you want, but as long as I'm still
alive
he's mine!
" She suddenly didn't look so weak anymore
and Aruba backed off surprised, even I was a little shocked at how
fiercely she’d said those last two words.

Aruba looked at the both of us then and
smiled, "Well good luck, and take care of each other," she ducked
into the room then as we cleared the doorway closing the door
behind her.

"I really didn't want to hurt her," I said
quietly as we headed down to the shuttle access way.

"Don't worry, she'll get over it I'm sure,"
said Cassandra as she followed me down the hall.

I was surprised to see both my squad and
John's there as we got to the access. Even Captain Johnson was
there. They all wished me and Cassandra good luck; I think
everybody knew the story about us by now. Then they told her a few
of the more outrageous stories about me while I prayed for the
shuttle to show up noticing some of the glances that Cassandra was
giving me as they listed my various insanities. It did eventually
and we waved goodbye and I dragged my gear aboard.

"They really liked you Raj," she smiled, "I
see you have developed a good knack for making friends."

"Well, I try, believe me. They're the second
most important thing I have!" and I smiled at her.

"How
much
of those stories were true
anyway?" she asked looking very dangerous all of the sudden.

"Ummm," I said quietly, "More than I want to
admit, take a look at my list of commendations sometime. Aruba used
to get on my case about it all the time."

"Well," she smiled sweetly again. "That's all
going to stop now, or
I'll
break your kneecaps!
Understand?"

"I promise to behave," I said putting my hand
over my heart and laughing.

"I've heard that one before!" she sighed.

At that moment the intercom came on and told
us to make ourselves secure. The ride took only about twenty
minutes; I had hoped it would be longer however, we were both
enjoying the privacy.

The shuttle docked then, and they brought the
air pressure up on the outside. When the door opened I picked up my
gear and followed Cassandra out the rear hatch. I stopped and
dropped my bags when I saw who was there.

"Terease, Banner, Balizar, Sharazad!" I
started; I was back on the Astra! And surprisingly quite a few of
my old friend's were still there, I saw Mist and Lyle, Ron the
shuttle op's Chief, and some of the older flight crews, even
Marcus! I introduced Cassandra to everybody of course, and Sharazad
took her under her wing immediately.

Everybody wanted to hear the story about what
had happened, and where I had been.

"The Captain told us only an hour ago that he
had got you back on the crew, and that you had a mate now as well!"
smiled Balizar, "So of course we all had our hopes up Raj."

"Well, I'm glad to be back, that's for sure!"
I smiled at everybody, "Does anybody know where our room is by
chance?"

"Sure Raj, you're in five forward, E deck.
Why?"

"Unfinished business," I smiled at Balizar,
then recovering Cassandra from Sharazad, I picked her up left for
our room. I could hear everybody laughing as we left the flight
deck.

"What's the rush Raj?" asked Cassandra, eyes
sparkling mischievously.

"Now that we've finally got some privacy, I
want to consummate our lifemating," I growled.

We got to the room without further incident
then, and both growled at anyone who knocked on the door for a long
time after that.

The Astra's next stop was going to be
Hobson's Choice of course, the regular troops were all being left
behind as an occupation force with the other transport and the
cruisers providing support. We loaded up all of the freed prisoners
that belonged to Tri-Star, and some of the ones whose companies
weren't present. The trip back took about a month, the Astra was
riding pretty light, and so the trip was a quick one. By the time
we made port Cassandra had recovered most of her weight and was
working on her strength.

Dave also wrangled his way back on the Astra
before we left, I’d need a WSO when I went back to my old duties
obviously, and with the war over he saw no need to stick with the
Falcon.

There was a lot of celebrating that took
place once we were given leave. I saw Gabe and Karen, who were both
very happy and still planned to marry. Kathy was very happy for me
as well, Cassandra was a little growly at first. She was still
being pretty possessive, but I know that if I had run into any of
her old lovers right now, I'd have acted worse. She and Kathy had a
little talk then, and I was surprised to see Cassandra's whole
attitude change afterwards.

I found out later that Kathy was involved
very seriously with Sunil of all people! Cassandra laughed when I
complained about being beat out by my brother.

I later learned that when Falcon block
returned to Tau Delta thirty eight they were given an award's
banquet, during which everybody was heavily decorated. They then
passed out the bonuses and dissolved the Block, striking the unit
until such time as the company needed it again, and putting the
ship back into mothballs. I received quite a few awards myself. The
nicest was the company's distinguished service award, with
clusters.

Everybody in my old squad got that one for
rescuing the prison camp. It turned out that extermination orders
had gone out to all the camps during the battle. One camp hadn't
been so lucky, and nearly half the prisoners were dead by the time
our forces showed up.

As for the money situation, I had gotten
eighteen bonuses over the last two years, but what I got for saving
that camp was more than all of that combined. It turned out to be a
percentage of the value of everyone we had saved; I heard that even
the companies that weren't involved in the battle kicked in!

Cassandra was fairly well off too. She had
almost three year's back pay, with a severe hazard bonus added in,
that last came from a raid on the movement's cash holdings, so it
was a nice chunk too.

I eventually had to tell her about Herza and
my offspring of course. I waited till she was recovered; I didn't
want her to hurt herself. Her reaction was about what I expected;
you can still see the scar on my nose if the light's right. But she
forgave me of course, and then sent a letter to Herza threatening
murder if she sold my children to the company. She was happy to
find out the Herza had no intention to. I secretly feared the day
those two met, in many ways they were both too much alike and if
they didn’t kill each other, they’d surely kill me.

As for the future, I used all of the ‘brownie
points’ my commendations had gotten me, plus the Captain's
recommendation, to get into helmsman training. I would be able to
do that onboard the Astra, and I know it made Cassandra happy. The
thought that I was moving farther away from combat made her purr
for a week. I was still flying shuttles of course; I would be for a
long time I was sure, but a career path that led away from all
things combat related really made her happy. I still did the bar
fights and competed in the ship matches of course, Cassandra even
came along to watch. I think she liked seeing me kick butt; she
definitely wasn’t the passive type obviously.

Cassandra was able to find a berth in the
ship's intelligence group, and was actively trying for a bridge
position herself. So all things considered, the future was bright
indeed.

If you liked this book, please check out my
other stories:

Jotun was born and bred to
be a corporate assassin, back in the days of the Corporate Wars.
Confined these days to life in a gilded cage, Jotun welcomes any
opportunity to get out and lately he's been getting out a lot. But
as a genetically designed and Laboratory bred animorph by a company
that isn't quite sure if it trusts him anymore his choices are few:
do the jobs that eventually will kill him, or refuse, which will
also kill him.
Of course it isn't like he doesn't enjoy the work, but when
everybody wants you dead you start to wonder if there isn't more to
life.
When an unexpected betrayal kills the few friends he has and nearly
him as well, Jotun realizes he has bigger problems than his
lifestyle, namely finding out who betrayed him and paying them
back, no matter what the cost.
Danger Money is a Science Fiction story that takes place in my
Children of Steel universe, a future where genetically created
animorphs serve as second class citizens and handle all of the
dirty and dangerous jobs that are part of humanity's extension to
the stars.

Dialene's Captain decided
to play pirate, and one well placed nuclear torpedo later she finds
herself prisoner of the Corporation whose ship they were attempting
to raid; her friends and lover all dead. With no corporation to
ransom her back she finds herself in the unenviable position of
having to work off the debt assigned to her for her part in her
Captain's actions. With concerns as to where her loyalties lie she
has but two choices: Work in the mines on an airless rock where a
small fem like her would not last long, or work in the company bar
entertaining those very same miners.
At least working in the bar beats the alternatives, until one day
an interesting character inserts himself into her life.
A Novella from my Children of Steel universe, Dialene is a foxmorph
who until her capture was a highly rated shuttle pilot working a
deep space trader for one of the more notorious corporations. Like
most of her kind she had no choices in her employer who considered
her nothing more than a disposable asset.

Available in eBook format wherever eBooks
are sold, available in print from CreateSpace.

-
John Van Stry