Yet instant to fore-shadowed need
The eternal balance swings;
That winged men, the Fates may breed
So soon as Fate hath wings.
These shall possess
Our littleness,
And in the imperial task (as worthy) lay
Up our lives' all to piece one giant Day.
Before a Midnight Breaks in storm.
Rudyard Kipling
*******************************************
Three weeks have gone by so quickly! I'm sitting at my work station, in my quarters studying the grav system of the Helios, since it's still a very new technology. The only thing I noticed immediately, is that there is no back up system. To me this is a bad situation. So, as Captain I gave the order to shut the whole thing down once a day, for a few hours, to give everyone solid practice in a zero G environment. This of course to the displeasure of the entire crew, including Mandy! At least at first for her.
Once I explained the problem I've noticed, she gave into the idea of having to float around the inside of the ship. The first time of course was a total surprise and what a mess it was. I thought it was funny; Mandy on the other hand thought it was a mean and down right nasty thing to do! I suppose it's bad form, but I think the crew now understands the importance, of being able to function under those conditions.
I'm sure not everyone likes me. I'm not here to be liked. I'm here to take this ship, her crew, into harms way and I don't intend to die far from home because you cannot operate under difficulty, stress and near death situations. Every combatant knows and fears that there is a bullet with your name on it. The thing is most of the men and women on this ship have little to no combat experience, so I have to do something to prepare them.
I've had battle drills, with hull breach scenarios, which has some of the crew spooked. Again, I have to do it. Mandy completely agrees with that training; if the hull is damaged we will know how to respond. Fire suppression is another important one! We are all fire men here! No matter rank or MOS, it's a Must!
I sit back rubbing my forehead and closing my eyes; I have a bit of headache, from all the reading I been doing lately. I've been going over the personnel files and well... most of the junior officers are top of their class or have some experience in the field. Still only a hand full have seen combat. At least my interviews with the crew have been informative, which now gives me a clear and detailed understanding of our situation. I look at my watch and it's thirteen fifty five; I pop up a file on my comp screen. Second lieutenant Frank Graham. He will be here fourteen hundred, for our interview. He's part of the med bay team, and he's Twenty four. He did one tour in Africa. Well what do you know! He was there the same time Mandy and I both were.
My door chime rings and I look at my watch; right on time. "Come in!"
The door opens and in enters a tall, thin, gangly looking young man with a narrow triangular shaped face; dark hair, dark eyes. A cold almost emotionless expression that would shoo most people away. I look back at the screen and the expression there, of ID picture is very different. There's a smiling young man with what seems a view to the future. "Have a seat lieutenant." I say pointing to a chair that is opposite mine.
"Thank you Sir." He sits down noticeably uncomfortable.
"Lieutenant, you can relax." I'm trying to ease the atmosphere here. "This isn't an inquiry, I'm just getting to know my crew."
He lets out a short breath and his shoulders relax a little. "Yes Sir."
"It says here that you served in the Africa campaign with distinction, as a combat medic." I read on. "You received the silver star and a field promotion to second lieutenant." I glance through some more. "You were reprimanded for insubordination and shipped out of the campaign. What happened?"
He leans forward resting her s elbows on his legs interlacing his fingers. "I called the battalion commander a bloodthirsty ass, who just wanted to gain glory on the blood of his men."
I sit for a moment, remembering all the of the officers who I met that would fit that description. "Major Albert Artemis." The lieutenants expression has a look of relief, that he is not the only one with that opinion. "I met the the major and I was struck by the coldness with which he viewed his men." Bloodthirsty!He was a mass murderer if you looked at it from a different angle. No loss was to great, as long as his objectives were met.
"Well, Lieutenant that is not the case with me. I will protect this ship and its crew with all I have." The lieutenant leans back and nods. "Lieutenant, we will have more opportunities in the future to speak. Thank you and you're dismissed." Lieutenant Graham stands, saluting making a smart turn and walks out.
Artemis. He's a general now; imagine that. A man, who for all intent and purpose put his personal gain above the safety of his men. How do you follow someone like that? I couldn't, can't! It goes against my morals to do what he does, and still be able to sleep at night. I'd have to surrender myself, but I won't! No, I think that victory can be achieved without such a high body count, for either side.
************************
I step into the Captains office and find Mandy sitting there waiting, obviously for me. The door shuts behind me. "What's going on Mandy?" The look on her face says a few things to me. Her eyebrows are furrowed, which always makes her look angry even when she's not. It took me a while to learn the difference.
Mandy gazed up at me and her face relaxes a bit, but something is still bothering her. "Ant," She says. "We have received orders to get underway with all haste to Mars."
"Wait, Mars?" Even though Mandy said it I still feel uneasy here. "The ship still has to have its shake down cruise and weapons test etcetera, before we go galloping across the solar system!" She looks away. "What's happened, that can't wait a few weeks?"
Mandy stands up and walks over to view port looking at the surface of the Moon. "There has been an uprising on Mars." She stares out of the view port, not really focused on any particular thing on the Moon. "While the Helios was being completed, two military transports ferried approximately two thousand troops to Mars."
It struck me a bit, since there are only about nine hundred to one thousand civilian personnel on Mars. A small construction colony that has started to build there. "Now. Permit me to think this through to its logical conclusion." I say sarcastically. "The Helios is to be used as a tool to threaten the colonist into cow towing, to UEA demands." Mandy crosses her arms still not turning to look me in the eye. "Mandy," I say almost pleadingly, "this is not the purpose of the ISV Helios." I add emphatically. "Our mission..."
"Don't tell me what our mission is!" She shouts turning to face me. "I know it all to well, but we are still military personnel on a military vessel!" Mandy lets out a shaky breath, and her expression turns soft almost tender. "We May not always like or agree with the orders, however it is our duty to follow them." She walks up to me and puts her hands on my face; looking directly into my eyes. "I'm not supposed to be like this you know. To treat you differently than anyone else." She puts her forehead together with mine. "Please don't defy the order to go to Mars. Once there remember that you are in command of this ship." I couldn't help myself I felt pulled in with her so close to me that put my arms around her. Her breath so close to my face, the smell of her... I kiss her. It's soft at first just a light brush of our lips then it becomes more intense, deeper. As if all the time we had missed was, in that one kiss, being made up for.
Blood is rushing to my head and was starting to make my head spin, so I slowly pull back and I look at her. I know that deep down I still love Mandy, but this... I can't let my feelings interfere with our job. "Mandy." My voice is horse and full of emotion.
She put her finger to my lips. "I still love you Ant, and I won't give you up, not to them not to anyone." She steps back. "Come with me." It was almost a plea; I can't say no so I follow her. We wind up in her quarters wrapped in each other's arms under the sheets.
"You know this could be bad, if the rest of the crew found out that we're having a romantic relationship." I whisper into her ear. I have a friend that serves in a naval ship, and I remember one of the things he said to me; 'there are no secrets on a battleship.'
"I think... let's worry about it when the time comes." I wonder if she has already thought this through, she's very calculating. But, she has always been like that, it's part of what I love about Mandy. She doesn't hide it either. Having a romance between officers is not prohibited, so long as you maintain your professionalism in front of your subordinates. That means no holding hands or making out in public while in uniform. "When do we have to leave for Mars?" I ask.
She trace her finger lightly along my the right side of my face then along my lips, which is ticklish. I move my face slightly and rub my lips together. "Tomorrow at 09:30 we need to be underway."
I nod. I'm not liking this OP, but like Mandy said we have our duty. "I suppose we've got to get pre launch prep completed today."
Mandy giggles. Man I've missed that little giggle of hers; I smile wondering what's so funny. "I kind of started the process yesterday."
So, that means the engines are probably primed to go.
I get up on my elbow and look at her raising an eyebrow. "You knew I wouldn't say no to you, didn't you?" I question, though I know the answer.
She put her hand on my face with a loving look on her face. "I know you well enough to understand what you think. I also know your sense of right and wrong, so I have no doubt of what you will do on this operation."
Like I said, she's calculating and taking a chance on me. "Alright." I pause for a minute since this is a delicate moment I don't want to come off wrong. "I'll trust your judgment, since its been right so far. We'll do exactly that and follow the order." She visibly relaxed at my remark. "However, if the commander on the ground gives an order I cannot follow you know I won't do it."
"I know. That's what I love about you; your uncompromising sense of justice." She pulls me in and kisses me. You know I might be getting moved around here, but Mandy is a blind spot for me and they are aware of it. I look at her wondering if they're using her. I have no doubt that she meant it when she said she "loves me," but I been involved long enough in the game, not to suspect why Mandy was chosen for this mission. In all honesty I do love her, which is why I'm letting this happen.