Defiance Chapter Two

Chapter 2

Charlotte had been on board Valkerie for four hours and already it was becoming a nightmare. Lieutenant Commander Harkins' had irritated her within three minutes of meeting her. He had lined up the new navigational officers and inspected them, he had assigned the two attractive women the glamorous bridge position, the two men were sent to rest break and she had been lumbered with recalibrating the navigational array. It had taken her two hours to locate the damn thing and a further hour to clear out all the faulty readings.

She had now been detailed to report to stellar cartography to aid the ship's helm officer to familiarise themselves with the area of space in the Oberon sector. That had been an hour ago and she was still wandering the ship, rage had overtaken her and coursed through her as she balled her fists at her side.

The corridors were large and spacious, bigger than the box like cabin she had been assigned, and practically empty. She stormed around the corner straight through two officers. She noticed they were wearing the blue-grey uniforms of the fleet air arm with yellow patches denoting them as fighter pilots.

"Wow... Sorry miss." The first pilot said defensively taking a step back and raising his hands. He was a bit taller than her with short read hair, a playful smile spread across his lips. Was he mocking her?

"Excuse me." She said quickly in an acidic tone, she turned her gaze to the floor and started to power off down the corridor.

"Wonder where the fire is?" The blonde female pilot half laughed.

The laugh tore through Charlotte like a razor blade, she could feel herself shaking with rage and it was all she could do to stop herself from exploding.

"Bite me." She muttered as she continued her journey to nowhere.

Why did all these corridors look the same? Why did the directions seem to lead in circles? Who did those two space jocks think they were?

She had already made up her mind to put in a transfer to the Hercules as soon as her shift had ended. She rounded a corner and there it was; stellar cartography. Exhilaration and relief washed over her calming the heat of her anger like a rain shower on a hot summer’s day. She almost skipped up to the door.

The room was spacious with a giant holosphere in the centre surrounded with shelves of maps and info cds around the walls. A tanned and athletic looking officer was reviewing a set of charts. "He must be the helmsman." She thought.

She hurried to his side and snapped to attention and saluted.

"First lieutenant Charlotte Bell reporting sir."

The man didn't look up. "You're late." His voice was soft and calming.

"Sorry sir. I'm new aboard and managed to get completely lost."

He looked up and smiled, white ivory teeth glinted in the spotlight, shrouded in a perfect smile, his hazel eyes seemed to generate light as they danced hypnotically.

Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat, and then begin to melt. He was one of the - No- the most beautiful men she had ever seen. She had read and dreamt about love at first sight but had rationally told herself that it wasn't possible. No man she had ever met before had generated such a spark within her. She had had crushes before and once a fellow cadet, Jack, had told her he loved her and that he wanted to give up everything for her and wanted to bring her nothing but happiness but he had lied to her. She remembered the day she discovered the truth, something that had destroyed her youth and naivety, the day she met his wife. The pain had been too great for her to take and she almost gave up everything she had worked so hard for and returned home to her mother in tears had it not been for Amy consoling her. Then one night she had an epiphany, a blinding light in the darkness of her hurt. She would never allow this to happen again, she had bared her soul and offered her heart willingly to someone and it had been torn apart before her eyes. From that day onwards she had thrown up a defensive barrier between herself and the rest of the world except for Amy, it often left her isolated and aloof from the other cadets but she no longer cared what they thought, she was there to do her job and to be the best and that was what she would do. Jack had promised to leave his wife for her but she could no longer face him feeling the way she did, torn between wanting to throw her arms around him and ripping him to shreds so she slowly cut him loose from her inner circle. The whole experience had left her cold and hostile to any future advances by potential suitors. But something deep inside her melted under the hazel eyes.

"Don't worry." he smiled "Now... let’s look at the charts shall we?"

*** 

Stacey replaced the rifle into the sergeant’s hands, noting that his jaw was on the floor as he surveyed the fallen targets, each with a smoking “Bull’s eye.”
“I can do it again if you’d like sir?” She offered genuinely.
When she had arrived at the recruitment centre the Sergeant had near enough laughed in her face, she could see in his eyes that he held her in contempt as if a woman could not serve the army in a combat role. He was a giant bull of a man with a neck the thickness of her leg and thick black sunglasses that hid his expression. His uniform was tight across a muscular frame and he towered over her trying to intimidate her with pure masculinity. She had seen this before, in the mines. I t hadn’t worked there and it wouldn’t work now.

“What can you offer us?” He had asked in a condescending way. He had almost laughed at her when she told him in deadpan that she could shoot a rifle better than any of his recruits and that she could carry a kit bag further and longer. The man had grinned at her and talked to her like she was a child, taking her out to an improvised shooting range at the back of the building and handed her the rifle.

“This is my rifle civilian. You will treat with respect and I will treat you with respect.”

She had dropped to one knee and taken careful aim, feeling the wood against her and her eyes quickly getting used to the sights, she felt the rifle become a natural extension of herself and her mind cleared, all there was was her and the target. She held her breath and pulled the trigger. Within moments she pulled herself back to the real world and saw the targets all struck.

"Sergeant?" She prompted. "Do I get in?"

The man mumbled something inaudible, his eyes still fixed on the targets.

"Sir?"

Something seemed to wash over the Sergeant and he snapped to attention as his military mode overtook his temporary speechlessness.

"Congratulations Recruit." He adopted his drill sergeant voice and thrust the rifle at her and pointed back at the grey concrete building. "This is your rifle now. Get inside and see Corperal Davis, he will kit you out and assign you to your unit. Understood?"

She took the rifle, holding it with reverance, she felt a glow deep inside her rising at the man's acceptance of her.

"Yes sir!"

She glanced over her shoulder as she entered the building and saw the Sergeant remove his hat and glasses to stare at the targets, he still looked shocked but a smile of approval was growing on his face.

*** 

Jonathon and Claire moved into the main docking bay amongst a sea of other pilots. The entire 51st fighter division had somehow squeezed into the space and were all talking at once. The loud din filled their ears as it roared and echoed all around them. Jonathon noticed that Claire had slipped her hand into his and gently squeezed. He told himself it was so they wouldn't get separated.

There were officers shouting from raised platforms and waving signs, their voices lost in the sea of noise. He turned to look at Claire and smiled, her eyes betrayed fear as she looked around.

"Don't worry." he mouthed, gently shaking his head.

She looked straight at him and smiled her usual enchanting smile and winked her left eye. "Ok."

An officer grabbed Jonathon's left shoulder and roughly turned him around. "Unit?" he barked.

"Fourteenth." Jonathon snapped reflexively.

A look of disgust briefly crossed his face, "Training? You want Campion...Over by the fuel barrels."

With a rough gesture the officer disappeared into the crowd. Jonathon threw Claire a quick glance and she shrugged.

Both began scanning the sea of Blue-grey uniforms and finally managed to see a glint of yellow that hopefully was a fuel barrel. Claire's grip tightened on his left hand as they advanced through the pressing crowd, gently barging other pilots and rebuffing their shoves. All the time trying to maintain a course for the barrels and all the time Claire's grip never faltered. Only once was their umbilical cord almost broken but Jonathon had turned around and pushed the offending pilot aside.

"Excuse us." he said, false anger rose in his eyes as the two men briefly stared each other down.

"Sorry lieutenant." the man eventually conceded before disappearing with the crowd. Claire gave his hand an appreciative squeeze and shot him a smile.

He began to push forward again and soon the fuel barrels were in clear sight. A tall blonde officer paced up and down, a board with the number 14 lay next to him. He had obviously become tired of shouting and had decided to wait instead.

Jonathon pulled Claire forward and pushed her up first, they both halted in front of their new commander.

"Lieutenants Doolan and Eldon reporting sir." Claire quickly saluted.

The officer looked up contemptuously, briefly noting they were still holding hands.

"You...Doolan. You're the first cadet here. You are now in charge of flight two. You Eldon, you are her second. Don't drop the ball." his voice was curt and no nonsense. Something told Jonathon this was going to be a tough assignment.

"Now stop holding hands like frightened children and sit over there."

They quickly released each other and went over to the corner Campion had indicated and perched on a barrel. Claire looked around nervously at the throng in the docking bay.

"So promotion already." Jonathon smiled, playfully punching her on the arm, her brow was furrowed and she looked far away, as if mulling over a great issue. "Doolz?"

"Hmmm?" She quickly turned back to reality and smiled at him. "We're what now?"

"What's up mate?" He was concerned. She was always bright and attentive; it wasn't like her to zone out.

"Nothing." She smiled, "I'm five by five. Just waiting for this to end. I don't like the crowds."

"I know." he smiled and patted her knee. "It'll be over soon."

Time seemed to trudge on slowly and still the crowds and noise didn't subside, one by one new people arrived, bright eyed and terrified. They all sat on the floor cross legged like frightened children. No one spoke. Campion continued to pace, his expression of anger still frozen onto his icy face. Jonathon tried to read into his new commander but got nothing. There was no betrayal of emotion, save for anger, nor outlook ore even general demeanour just a blank angry slate.

Claire sat motionless next to him, almost in a daze. He had seen her like this once before but that was a long time ago, back on the first day at the academy.

She had been frozen at the back of the sign up hall, overwhelmed by the throng of new sights and sounds. Seeing her alone, an island in a sea of pushing and shoving cadets he had gone over to introduce himself to her and see if she was alright. He had talked inanely to the petite pretty blonde woman for a while whilst she silently watched the crowd move around them. Presently she muttered an apology and disappeared into the mass leaving him alone again.

“Always had a way with the ladies.” he had thought to himself.

He had been surprised to find her back in his dorm room sat on the end of one of the bunks staring into her hands.

"How did you find me?" she looked up at him in shock. He had thought about it a lot afterwards, it may have seemed like he was a crazy stalker that had latched onto the pretty blonde girl and followed her back to her room.

"This is my room." he had said defensively moving over and flopping down on the bunk he had already picked out as his.

"Do you mind if I put some music on?"

"What do you have?" Her eyes had lit up and she had moved over to his collection.

That had been the opening of the flood gates and the start of something amazing. Wherever he was - Claire was. Wherever Claire was partying he was buying the drinks. If he was working late she made the coffee; if she was on disciplinary he would serve the punishment with her, whether he deserved it or not.

The Lecturers and officers always paired them up; they had given up trying to separate them and accepted them as a single entity. Major Braxham had assigned them to different flights once but to his surprise twenty four hours later, through a complicated system of favours and swaps they had got back together. The Major had forbidden them from working on the same courses but they both pulled double the work and Jonathon did the same course work as her and vice versa so they could help each other. Eventually Braxham just gave up and they just got on and did things they way they always had. At their graduation he had pulled them aside and gloated.

"Now you two... You're finally on your own; let’s see how well you can cope."

But he had underestimated Claire. She had managed to swap and transfer the same day so they could cling on one more time.

He reached out and slid his hand over hers. She looked up and smiled at him, her eyes regaining their sparkle.

People had often intimated that they were actually a couple and that sharing a dorm was a cover for sharing a bed. His friend Mark had been deeply surprised when he had fallen for Lucy.

"What about Claire?" he had asked.

Jonathon had just smiled and shook his head. They had been close but never more than that. There was no reason why he had never fallen for her and on more than one occasion he had thought that he would like to meet a woman like Claire or that something would develop between them but there had never been a spark or developed, she had never shown similar feelings and they had existed in a quasi brother-sister relationship.

"Right!" Campion's voice ripped through his reminiscence "Let's go training Squadron. You Doolan pick three pilots and fall in. Jackson, Flately do the same."

Claire leapt to her feet and looked around, settling on two faces at random, she pointed at them and said firmly. "You and you come with me."

One of the other officers touched Jonathon's shoulder. He looked at the dark-haired woman in front of him slightly quizzically.

"You like you can handle yourself." She observed with a  wink. "Why don't you come with me?"

Jonathon turned to face her and was about to apologise when Claire pushed in-between them and put a testing finger on the others shoulder. Her eyes glowered and her voice sounded different.

"Back off! He's spoken for." came an ice maiden's voice frozen tone from Claire.

"I don't see your name on him. He's free to choose." The other protested weakly.

"No he isn't and he's mine. His tag is under his uniform." Claire, despite her small stature had puffed herself up and spoke with such venom as to be as imposing as she could. It was a sight rarely seen by anyone; in fact Jonathon hadn't seen her like this since she had confronted Lucy in the academy cafeteria.

 Lucy had been making light of Jonathon's admission of love for her to her sister and Claire had heard. Her face had flushed red and her eyes seemed to glow with rage as she quietly got to her feet and strode towards the blonde twins. In a calm but venom laced voice she had told her in no uncertain terms that;

"If you pulled your head out of your arse for one minute you would see that Jonathon Eldon is a fantastic man and any woman would be lucky to have him."

Lucy had retorted successfully silencing Claire. Jonathon had never found out what was said but it had taken the wind out of Claire's sails and she had backed down and quietly walked out of the Cafeteria.

The other officer backed away from Claire's accusing finger, her hands up defensively. "Alright if you want him so bad.”

Claire shot him a smile and a wink before they moved off with the rest of the squadron as they filed off towards the briefing rooms.

***

The second salamander exploded. Jenkins looked over her shoulder and saw the remnants of Adeogan's craft burning and flash freezing.

"Damn it Holman keep closer or we've both had it/"

The target, a N'kell cruiser filled her cockpit glazing as she careened towards it. Her targeting computer had selected the main shield generator, she was waiting for the range meter to hit optimum but it was taking an eternity.

She was still confused as to where the N'kell had come from; this was supposed to be Oaten's fleet at the rendezvous.

Green light!

"Payload released." She squeezed the fire control and four medium rockets blazed away from her wings.

"Holman target their bridge.... Holman?"

There was no response, and as a reflexive glance she saw his fighter had gone to.

"Frick!"

Her hands tightened around the control stick and she pulled out of the attack dive and back into the swirling maelstrom of fighters.

"Black group report in?"

"Here sir." Gibson chimed in.

"Kinda busy Jinx but here." Sams sounded combat fatigued but Jenkins knew he operated best in those circumstances.

She was glad her new wingman had never reported for duty, a cadet would have been slaughtered no matter how good she was supposed to be.

"Ok Ace of spade wing... Numbers?"

The whole fighter group tried to report into her as they whirled and danced with the N'kell 901 fighters. To her horror and grudging respect she had seen a squadron of the heavier 904 "destroyer" fighters marked with black triangle markings of the N'kell 97th. She had fought them before aboard the Olympia. Their commander Mahltz was a cunning and ruthless individual who knew how to coordinate his group effectively. Jenkins had met him personally once - through the bars of the brig, there had been a meeting of minds and comradeship and eventually she had let him go when she had heard he was to be executed for crimes committed by his senior officer just because he was a N'kell. It was times like this though that she had wished she hadn't. Seeing those black triangles always filled her with dread and she knew she would be losing her men... her friends that day.

There was an explosion to her port and the Hercules began to break up. Jenkins locked her jaw as she thought of her captain, crew and friends suddenly perishing in the fiery instant. She could see the other great ships of the line trying to break formation and flee. Proud names like Ramillies, Plassey and Mongelheda tried to turn on their axis and escape the carnage like frightened children. With Admiral Stimson gone it was understandable, the captains didn't know what to do and with no voice to coordinate them chaos ensued as they tried to save the lives of their crew and their vessels.

She saw the trap as it sprang. Why had she not seen the signs before? The port flank had been far too quiet and her sensors had been clear. All signs pointed to a sensor shroud. Out of the manufactured blackness they came, like creatures spawning from a nightmare the N'kell fleet descended in vast numbers, their pulse cannons firing.

"53rd BREAK!" she screamed. "Stay away from their capital ships..," she was cut off by an explosion on her starboard wing. A 904 with a red tail fin cruised past her.

"Mahltz..." She whispered.

Accelerating her craft she moved to pursue. They had agreed all those years ago to settle their score, it had been at one a piece and now she world get the best of three.

"Everyone leave my target. He's mine." She would have no one else claim this scalp.

The N'kell weaved through the swirling maelstrom of dog fights, individual battles locked away in concentration from the big battles. Every time she got a lock on him and fractionally squeezed the trigger he would wave slightly and she would lose the lock. He was toying with her. She pictured his smug face taunting her and her blood ran like lava through her veins.

Then suddenly his fighter dived away and span off to port. Not expecting it Jenkins struggled to turn in time and locate him.

"Jinx... I've got one on my tail! I can’t shake him..." Sams’ voice echoed in her ears.

"Calm down black four." She bit back. She scanned space for her stricken friend finally seeing the burning fighter being pursued by... "Oh no." She cursed.

"I've lost starboard thrust... I can't evade... Jinx...JINX!"

Another star erupted in the darkness of the sky. For a brief moment her friend and colleague joined the eternal number of bright spots.

Mahltz broke from the combat and withdrew towards the safety of the N'kell flagship screened by a new wave of reinforcements.

She bit back a curse and a tear filled her eye. Regaining composure she toggled comms.

"All right guys... we... let’s get out of here. Withdrawal pattern alpha to the nearest cap ship..."

She gave a quick scan and saw the Messiah, Heretic and Valiance were on fire. The destroyer Phobos had nearly reached a safe distance, she was small enough to be missed by the N'kell ships.

"Flight controller Phobos we will cover and join you over?"

"Affirmative a fighter screen is more than welcome."

Jenkins looked at the great cloud of N'kell fighters swarming like angry locusts on the last human ship.

"We have to get to you first." She muttered.

***

Aboard the N'kell cruiser Bloodletter, Keister watched the single human vessel and the last of the human fighters trying to flee.

"We're in position now sir." Sperrle his aid croaked.

"Let them go commander." He waved a hand dismissively. "They can report what they have seen."

"But sir!" Sperrle hissed with rage.

"They are of no threat to us." Keister Mused "The fear they can carry will spread through their lines. We shall strike in 72 hours."

Sperrle nodded in eager agreement. "Yes Admiral."

Keister regarded his juniors’ enthusiasm fuelled with religious fervour.

"Have Mahltz sent to me and all three of us shall prepare for the invasion."