Orbit Guard Attached Read online

  Rumor also said that the assailant had mentioned aliens, not Arachnians, mind you! But more aliens. As if giant spider aliens weren’t enough! What were they going to get now? The grey little moon-faced beggars from old Earth science fiction? It didn’t bear thinking about. They were Guardsmen, they’d take it as it came!

  Major Donji had been huddled in a long session with Colonel Reinegaard and now Razorback Guard was on their way to the platform to aid the Guardsmen already there. Rumor had it that Major Donji, would be relieving Major Bergstrom of the mission’s command. Bergstrom was new, he’d learn, they all knew. This was going to be a hard lesson though.

  Colonel Reinegaard’s fiancé had been on the platform, and well, Major Donji’s affections for Lieutenant Rustalov seemed to be evident to everyone but themselves. Though rumor also had it, that it had been Rustalov that requested the Major. So maybe it was more of an ‘on thing’ than an ‘off thing’ now.

  Since there was no need to be covert, the jump ship followed the coordinates they’d received through the now intact and operational mine field and entered a pressurized landing zone on the dark side of the platform. No sooner had they touched down, then the Major was on his comms barking orders.

  As the drop gates opened, Hiro Donji scanned the landing zone for a familiar face. There she was. Their eyes met. Both started forward, halted momentarily and looked around the bay. Katyia whirled and broke into a run towards the nearest exit. The Major had seen her face. She was close to cracking, her emotions for the first time, visible on her face. She’d escaped their audience in order to compose herself. Ordering his men to disembark and unload supplies, he turned to Captain Sedgewick, who had appeared at his side. “Where are her quarters?” he asked.

  Chloe returned and gestured towards a lift, “Down 3 levels, left turn, left turn, 2nd corridor on the right, 3rd door on the right. Number 23.” The Captain barely had the words out her mouth before the Major hustled out of the landing bay.

  Breathing hard on the approach to Lieutenant Rustalov’s quarters, Hiro tried to slow his breathing. It was important that he not add to her stress. On the other hand, seeing Haruto on the video and realizing that the Yakuza were involved in trying to poach the supply depot, had unsettled him. Top that off with the mention of a whole new race of alien species, and they were all liable to be a little off kilter.

  He’d talked extensively with Colonel Reinegaard before communicating to the platform that he was on his way. The presence of a new species could mean help against the Arachnians, or it could be another enemy. The fact that they’d engaged against the Arachnians, seemed hopeful. On the other hand, if they were peaceful, why were they trying to seize the platform illegally? None of it made any sense. The Colonel had been as puzzled as he was, after learning that Major Donji’s Yakuza-embroiled cousin was also in the mix.

  It had been a long day, and he now needed to try to speak further with Lieutenant Rustalov. He felt honored that she’d contacted him, and also, uncertain. Did her contacting him mean what he thought it meant? That she was personally invested in him? There was only one way to find out. Ringing the door pad for entrance permission, he waited nervously.

  Katyia jerked the door open clumsily, and for a split second couldn’t move. Thank Pete, he was here. With another first, she flung herself into the Major’s solid chunk of a body, and burst into wracking sobs.

  They sat now in her quarters, where she was still a little red-eyed. He’d held her while she cried for a bit and now that it seemed to have come to an end, he pushed away from her slightly and looked in to her face.

  “Tell me,” he demanded.

  An hour later she’d spilled everything about the bladesman, the fight, the lack of support from the bridge, and the assailant’s words. “He seemed to know you! Do you know who it was?” Katyia asked quietly.

  “Yes, I believe I do,” Hiro answered with a sigh. “I believe it’s my cousin, Haruto,” he murmured. “He is a general in the Yakuza, a secret criminal faction with roots back to early twentieth century Japan on Earth. They are a very dangerous group and would only be here if there were extreme profits or power to be made.

  “In Japan, they are called by a name meaning, ‘violent group’. In their own ranks, they think of themselves by a word meaning, ‘chivalrous organization’. I guess it is all in how you perceive them, and whether or not, their intent is different than your own,” he explained. “They are a business, and will only be here if great gain is to be made.”

  It’s a conundrum of different points of view,” Hiro said with a shake of his head. “They do have very strict codes of conduct. Yet, violence is their signature. It is how we were raised, Haruto and I. The Donji have always been fighters. Either in Orbit Guard, the armies, or in this instance, in the Yakuza. He took to the discipline and violence well. For me, the honor of the Orbit Guard called. I feel more comfortable killing aliens than I do killing other humans. It is the difference between us,” Hiro said tiredly.

  Katyia twisted from his arms and then clambered from bunk. Sliding into the tiny cubicle that served as a washroom, she blotted her eyes with a cool, damp rag. “Is the platform enough, then, for them to be here?” she asked from behind the washcloth.

  “I don’t think so,” he said, meeting her eyes over the lowered rag. “I fear there has to be more to it. The Colonel has asked me to try and contact Haruto. I am uncertain if he will share anything more with us. But it is worth a try. I’m glad he didn’t harm you,” the Major said huskily. “He and I are close. His harm of you would have been…life changing. For both of us.”

  Katyia stepped towards him and gracefully sunk onto the bed beside him. “Lay here with me, please,” she whispered, gesturing along the now rumpled bunk. “I need you to hold me, please.”

  Hiro turned, pulled her against him, and then closer again still. “I have longed to hold you since the moment we met,” he said softly against the skin of her neck, burying his face in her soft platinum hair.

  Katyia cupped his face and looked into his eyes, “I’ve got no idea what I’m doing. What we’re doing,” she said tremulously. “I hope you do. Men are not nice where I come from. No trust has ever entered my heart for a man before.”

  Hiro quirked a smile at her, brushed his lips gently over hers, and whispered, “Tonight, we just rest, sleep and take comfort. No woman has ever needed me for the ‘nice’ part of me in a personal way before either. We have all the time in the world to figure this out,” it wasn’t long before both were fast asleep. It had been a long and exhausting day. It was good to have someone to share that with.

  Chapter 15

  Reunion

  Three days later, Major Donji and Lieutenant Rustalov sat quietly in a darkened shuttle, several hundred astronomical units from the supply platform. They’d sent out a hail on a frequency that only the cousins, Hiro and Haruto Donji, knew. The cousins had used it infrequently over the years to stay in contact, without the family or either of the organizations they were employed by, knowing.

  That had been two days ago. Hiro and Katyia had spent much of the time waiting, to get to know each other better. They’d also begun to explore a physical side to their relationship. Both were reserved and inexperienced, so there had been some embarrassing incidents of clinked-together teeth, smashed noses, and lots of fumbling about. In the end, they’d usually ended up laughing and rolling about. Though the learning curve was definitely over, as neither had felt the slightest desire to giggle when touching in the last few hours.

  They’d talked a lot about their shared fears and hardships in the past, and how they’d learned to overcome them. Katyia knew that Hiro had a lasting and permanent bond with his cousin and she acknowledged that. Having suffered from fear and persecution herself, she had the utmost respect for those things that allowed one to rise up and overcome pain.

  Hiro had learned of the wolf-pelt coat’s psychological meaning to Katyia and why she’d finally learned to protect herself with martial arts
training. His layer of fat had served much the same purpose. He also had learned what adult diapers were, and that they came in a variety of styles and qualities. If anyone had ever mentioned to him that he would know more about incontinence gear, than he would about soccer, he would never have believed them. Hiro wasn’t interested in soccer, or football as it was called everywhere but in the United States, though it seemed to be an obsession for those aboard the Frontier Station. Endless betting, dream teams, players and strategies were always being discussed.

  They’d settled now, into a comfortable silence broken with bouts of heavy breathing. Hiro had never felt so happy, or apprehensive. He was on the cusp of two of the most important relationships of his life. One representing his past, and the other all about his future. He hoped that Haruto would not be breaking his heart with this newest venture in Orbit Guard space.

  Just then, a soft ping, announced a low-volume alert incoming on the frequency they were monitoring. They were being hailed. Tapping the sender, Hiro entered a code word. A few seconds later the comm spit out the words, “cloud-soul” into the deepening tension aboard the shuttle. Looking at Katyia, Hiro nodded, “It’s him.”

  Pulling forward to a set of coordinates on the far side of one of the larger asteroids in the system before them, they found a small, armored-fighter floating in space. No lights were visible. If they hadn’t known it was there, they wouldn’t have seen it. They gently came in beneath it, and engaged the small tube that would allow the upper party to board their shuttle. A few minutes later, Hiro and Katyia could hear the faint hiss of a vacuum seal being engaged and a hatch grinding open.

  In one lithe swing, the dark figure Katyia had fought on the platform, dropped into the opening and landed in a crouch at their feet. Cold eyes surveyed the two of them, and then swept the interior of the ship looking for danger. Then, finding none, turned back to Hiro. “Cousin,” drawled the voice Katyia recognized from her encounter. “You look well.”

  “As do you, Haruto,” replied Major Donji. “I am happy to see you,” he said, accompanying the words with a slight bow. “I extend my thanks for leaving my woman unharmed.” Another bow followed this statement. “Though, I am gravely upset about the damage to the supply platform, the death of Ensign Collins, and the danger you put Katyia and the other troops in,” he continued grimly.

  Katyia felt a little thrill at the phrase, “my woman,” then internally rolled her eyes. Geez, don’t be so pathetic, she chided herself. I’m going ‘all dotty’, as Chloe would say, on a guy. Get a grip.

  “I apologize for introducing harm to your loved ones or those under your command. And for the death of Ensign Collins,” Haruto Donji stated sincerely. “It was not my intent to cause bodily harm, only to gain an opportunity to inventory the platform.”

  Before she could even finish the thought, the cousins stepped forward and embraced. If she hadn’t known better, Katyia might have suspected a sheen of tears were reflected in the dark assailant’s eyes.

  Abruptly stepping back, both cousins clasped their hands behind their backs in identical gestures. Katyia burst out laughing. “Oh, you two are certainly a pair!” she exclaimed. Both turned to scowl at her. “Well you might as well sit down and tell us what the heck is going on, and what the hell a Soclaued is,” she said tartly, gesturing towards the benches along the edge of the jump ship. “Sit! Talk!”

  Hiro and Haruto took seats on opposite sides of the aisle and Katyia sank gracefully down beside Hiro. “Well, come on!” she exclaimed. “What’s a Soclaued look like? Where are they from? What do they want? Come on, come on!” Katyia urged impatiently. “Spit it out, for Pete’s sake!” she snapped. “The suspense is killing me!”

  Hiro quirked a grim smile at his cousin, with a raise of one eyebrow. “You heard the woman. Tell us everything,” he sighed.

  Haruto began, “The Soclaued are named as they are because they have only two digits, both shaped like highly curved claws. They are a poorly-sighted biped, with shaggy fur, and are mostly unsophisticated darkness dwellers. Perhaps eight feet in height, they have extremely long arms ending in the vice-like claws I described. Their mouths are lined with a double row of teeth, much like the shark on Earth. The best comparison I can give you is a cross between a sloth and a common garden mole. Though, when one throws the teeth in the mix, and they are far more intimidating.”

  Katyia and Hiro exchanged an astonished glance, then turned disbelieving eyes back on Haruto.

  “I know what you’re thinking!” he said vehemently. “That I’m lying. Making this all up. That’s it’s too strange to ever be true. I wish that were the case,” he said with a long sigh, as his body seemed to shrink in on itself. “But, it’s all true. Oh, dear Buddha, it’s all true,” he whispered to himself.

  Hiro slid across the aisle and next to his cousin. “Tell us the rest,” he murmured quietly, placing a hand on Haruto’s shoulder. “Just get the rest of it out. Then we’ll eat and rest.”

  “They’re hideous, they stink, and they live mostly underground,” Haruto continued with a moan, dropping his head into his hands. “Unlike the Arachnians, they do not care for human flesh. Thank Buddha! The Arachnia also eat their kind. And that’s why they joined our assault on the Arachnian vessel earlier this month.”

  Haruto continued, “Their existence hinges solely upon uncovering large deposits of mineral, and eating it. The resulting waste product they produce is what they build their equipment out of. As you can see, it is not pretty, but is somewhat effective.”

  Katyia gasped, “You’re saying they build their equipment out of …dung?” Dung, was a new word that Johanna had taught her. A more lady-like way of saying poop, shit, guano, etc. According to Johanna, lots of people in the poorer parts of the African continent, burned dung in fires for fuel. “I don’t believe you!”

  Hiro sat unmoving. Staring at his cousin. His face impassive.

  “Oh, I know, I know!” the grim faced Haruto gritted out. “I didn’t believe it either, until I saw it for myself.”

  “So, what do they want with the platform?” Hiro asked. “A landing zone?”

  “Yes, exactly. They want to drop troops, ships and miners here to gather the minerals of this asteroid field. I don’t believe they’re after Earth. Yet!” He stated with emphasis on the “yet” part.

  “I was sent to investigate the stores and supplies aboard the station. It appears they found the station earlier than we had expected, and thought it a good base of operations,” rasped Haruto. “Which it is, of course. They’re not highly intelligent, but enough so to have drive engines. They need the fuel, of course. But, they’re really more interested in asteroid mining. Many of the asteroids in the outer belts of the galaxy have untold caches of minerals of all types.”

  “What is the Yakuza’s involvement in all of this?” Hiro asked, staring his cousin down.

  “Simple. Competition for precious metals. Some of those asteroids have tested high in platinum, uranium, and many other metals. A few even have caverns of untapped gaseous elements, that have shown in trials, to be highly effective explosives and fuels,” Haruto stated.

  “Money and resources,” Hiro said evenly.

  “Yes, precisely,” Haruto returned wearily. “It’s always about power, money and resources. That’s the life.”

  They all just sat in silence for a long while.

  “There is another thing,” Haruto added not meeting their eyes. “In the vid of the engagement between my ship and the Soclaued, did you notice anything unusual?” he asked, pausing. “Did you notice how well their ship withstood the initial heavy weaponry assault?”

  “Yes, it was lasers, intensely focused on the seams of the vessel, coupled with your ships agility, that won the day,” Hiro stated matter-of-factly. “Their ship’s armor was extraordinarily resistant to damage.”

  “Exactly, can you imagine what my organization could do with the alloy they produce, if used with more our more sophisticated tech and production method
s?” Haruto asked them intently.

  “Your organization wants to harness the Soclaued as producers of a weapons grade armoring component. Is that what you’re saying?” questioned the Major.

  “We have, or had, an agreement with the Soclaued. I will have to see if it can be salvaged. They did not tell us they were approaching this platform. It was against the articles of our agreement.” Haruto Donji said grimly. “They are not highly intelligent, so communication with them is…a strain,” he added gravely. “We will have to negotiate again. If that is even possible.”

  “If they have decided to invade the asteroid belt on their own, with no agreement, then that presents a problem. We knew we could not hope to contain them for long, but we had hoped to have patented the armor tech before their numbers were greater than our force could control,’ Haruto continued.

  “There are vast numbers of them. Though unintelligent, they have little regard for life, and would be a formidable foe simply because of that. Great numbers of lumbering, hard to kill, asteroid-eating tanks. It is all just happening at a much-accelerated pace then we anticipated. Our entire plan may need to be scrapped, as their numbers and actions are possibly out of our control already,” he added.

  Katyia finally rose, produced food and water packs, and handed them out quietly.

  “I think you need to come back to the platform with us,” she said, raising a questioning brow at the Major. “Perhaps, even the Yakuza cannot handle this threat alone.”

  “We would guarantee your safety as an official representative of your chivalrous organization,” Hiro stated gravely. “Will you accept?”

  “I think it best,” Haruto returned almost inaudibly. “Let me communicate with my people. They may have been able to re-negotiate the terms of our agreement. If not, then we shall proceed.”