Soul at War (17 page)

"Do any
of you have anything to add?" said the Investigating officer, a
high-ranking official whose collar was so high it looked as though
the blood wasn't getting to his brain. Tired, weary and ready for
the grave, the surviving eight members of an elite unit shook their
heads. "Your performance has been nothing short of heroic. There
will be commendations for this." He turned to leave and we began to
get up out of the hard plastic seats. "But first, the Avalon will
be circumnavigating the enemy fleet on a course for Fortress 12 on
Gilead where you will be re-deployed."

"Excuse
me, sir. Re-deployed?" Burns said. "Surely..."

"The
trip will take at least three weeks. Use this time to rest and
recuperate. You've earned it." Before another word could be said,
the Officer turned and left the room.

"We're
being re-deployed?" Phillips spat, slamming his fist onto the
table. "After all that!" Brand slumped into her seat, Green began
to laugh and Walker crossed his arms angrily, throwing his legs up
onto the table.

"You'd
think we'd been on holiday down there," said Tekoa. "The way he
said 'you've earned it' he sounded like we'd mowed his lawn for
him!"

"Don't
lose perspective, people. There's still a war on, regardless of how
fatigued we are and while we're sunning it up on the UV deck,
innocent people are still dying out there. There are six more
planets in the Zion group - only one of which is garrisoned and
that's where we're heading. I've no doubt that Command wants the
other five equally fortified before we figure out what ARC plan on
doing next."

"What
did they say about the DNA evidence we discovered?" I asked. It
hadn't been covered in the briefing.

"Nothing
yet. Their lab boys back on Earth will be working on that
one."

"Three
weeks," Green sighed. "What about the Dothon troops we evacuated?
Some wanted to sign up."

"They'll
receive basic training on Gilead, but I doubt we'll see them again.
They'll be divided up where they’re needed most."

"Some of
them fought like they didn't need training," Walker
added.

"What
about the rest of the civilians?" I asked.

"Any
that don't want to fight will be shipped out from Gilead, probably
back to the safest planet in range. Some have opted to join the
medical corps, others the Chaplaincy." Brand gave a whistle in my
direction. "Now this bit doesn't leave the room." Everybody nodded
in agreement. "What transpired regarding the POW, you will have
noticed, was omitted from the briefing."

"I was
wondering," said Tekoa.

"Well,
the good people of Sidon deserve not to have their name tarnished
by the acts of one crazed zealot. What happened down there died
down there. Are we clear?"

"Yes
sir," said Phillips.

"Sir,"
Green.

"Crystal," Walker.

"No
problem," Brand. A nod from Wulfgar and Tekoa.

"War is
ugly. War is the most basic form of conflict in the human race and
it has more than death as its casualties. These people came here to
have a peaceful, god-fearing life and ARC destroyed that. But that
still doesn't justify what we saw down there. We just can't afford
to lower ourselves to their level of cruelty or the crux of this
war will be undermined.

We all
got up to leave. "Three weeks and I want you ready to get back out
there. Dismissed."

*

I saw
Rebecca Frakes as she was heading towards the Medical bay, but I
held back. One of the orderlies told me that she was one of thirty
from Dothon who had signed up for the Medical Corps, under the name
'Rebecca Walters'. The disgrace of her Father's actions must have
been too hard to carry round. I never saw her again.

*

In the
small but inviting bar on board the Avalon, a slender bottle of
clear fluid was the only thing on the bar between me and Burns and
he reached over to charge his glass.

"Did you
get anywhere with that name I gave you?" I asked, taking a sip from
my own. It was a strong, bitter spirit from one of the outer
colonies, made from a native vegetable.

"Yes.
He's using the name 'David Silverman'. He was evacuated from Micah
just before the invasion on Sidon."

"Evacuated where?"

"Take
your pick. Absalom is the nearest, then Salem and finally Benjamin.
All three are home to refugees who refuse the ride back to
Earth."

"He
wanted to stay?"

"Apparently. Felt his mission was more important than his own
life. Perhaps Gilead will have more info' for you." He drained his
glass and then filled both. I took a mouthful and winced. At least
it wasn't as painful as the leg.

I
thought about Titus. I'd not seen his name on the evac
list.

"What
happened to Titus?" I asked, emptying my glass and pouring
another.

"Staring
down an ARC tank with a pistol and a grenade. He insisted that we
escape while he drew the enemy away from our position. Hell, we
wouldn't be talking now if it hadn't been for Eric
Titus."

"A
hero's death then."

"He knew
what he'd face when he returned. A court marshal. A firing
squad."

"You
know,” I said. "I didn't have a clue. I knew about the Iliad, every
foot slogger did. But I didn't know whole story."

"I was a
Sergeant back then. I was on board the Iliad on that day when the
order came through. I've never seen a man so scared in all my life.
He knew what would happen if he shot it down. He knew that even
though Command would cover it up, he'd have to live with the guilt.
But I guess at the time his career meant more than the lives of a
few survivors."

"So he'd
been ordered to shoot it down?"

"Certainly. It was Command's way of weeding out the soft
element of its Navy elite. He knew that, but I guess his youth went
against him. All career and proud parents. Then one day, a few
years later he finds the man who gave the order and puts a slug
between his eyes. Escapes on a cargo vessel bound for Zion." I held
up my glass and we clinked them together, sharing a silence for the
dead.

“What's
next then?” I asked. “I'm still under the M.O so my remit allows me
to attach and detach myself to any unit I choose.”

“John,
I'm touched. You want to hang around a bit longer and see how it's
done eh?” laughed Dan.

“Well I
figure my best chances of carrying out my mission, official and
unofficial, is to stick around. Might even get a few more medals
for my trouble.”

“You're
all heart.” He stared into his glass and lost himself in thought.
“Back on Sidon, in that farm house...”

“It's
ok. Forget it.”

“I
won't. That's all I'm saying.”

“Good.
That's all I'm hearing.”

*

The drop
ship touched down on the busy flight pad of Fortress Serenity at
06:00 hours just as the sun crested the horizon. The winter planet
of Gilead was none the warmer for it.

We
stepped off the ramp onto the heavily compacted snow and was met by
the Fortress Commander dressed in full battle gear and wearing a
thick fur lined camo cloak. One eye was missing and half his scalp
was battle scarred.

“Welcome
to the freezer boys and girls. Grab your gear and get to positions
– reports are fresh in saying we've got an invasion fleet on its
way. Wouldn't want our friends to be kept waiting now would
we?