Rebel's Revenge Chapter 14

Chapter 14



Aileea was up at the crack of dawn anxious to get her squadron ready for the visit by Admiral Laleea. Although she had no hopes of becoming a member of the Imperial Guard it wasn't every day that such a high ranking officer visited such a distant and insignificant garrison. She took her time with her shower laying out her old uniform tunic to work in, glancing nervously at her dress uniform to see if it needed pressing. Unlike the other officers, she had no personal slave to do her laundry or to clean her quarters. Although her mother, the Councilor, could well afford several slaves for her, she had told Aileea that to do things for herself built character.

"Ensign Aileea," she heard behind her as she was pulling her tunic over her head. She turned to see Lieutenant Deleea, the Commander of the Military Police unit standing in the doorway to her small room.

"Yes Lieutenant?" she answered, "what can I do for you?"

"One of your captives is missing," the Lieutenant stated. "When they were released into the training compound this morning there were only twenty five of them. You did capture twenty six didn't you?"

"Yes, there were twenty six."

"None were taken from the cell last evening?"

"None to my knowledge," Aileea replied.

"Then one of them must have escaped. Please come to the training compound and help to identify the missing captive."

Aileea threw on her sandals and followed the Lieutenant. Although Lieutenant Deleea was a friend this was official business so no small talk was held as they walked across the square to the compound. A few officers were already standing outside the compound, including Commander Betaas and Captain Hodeea. The captives were being served a hearty breakfast of gruel, bread, and meat.

"I assume you know nothing of this Ensign?" asked Commander Betaas as she walked up.

"No Mam."

"Well, help us to identify which one is missing."

Aileea looked studiously into the compound. The three cat men were there, the six warriors in black, the red bearded giant, the Tyberian, and the four in the unusual colored uniforms, including the handsome one with the startling gray eyes. She counted the Vikings. "One of the Sea People is missing," she stated, one of the younger ones I think. There were eleven of them yesterday and only ten this morning."

"Lieutenant Deleea, were they all secured in the prison cell last night and properly guarded?

"Yes Mam," she replied. "All except two who were turned over to Captain Hodeea for questioning."

"And?" Commander Betaas asked Captain Hodeea.

"They were returned to their cell after half an hour of useless questioning," Hodeea replied very calmly, glancing at Aileea. "They were both in good health."

Aileea was still watching the tall one with the steel gray eyes. As his eyes shifted from her to Captain Hodeea a look of pure hatred suddenly clouded his features. She glanced sideways at Hodeea who was smiling at the captive with a sadistic grin on her face. The Commander had not noticed this exchange.

"Lieutenant Deleea call out your guards and search the compound thoroughly," Commander Betaas ordered, "and I want every single inch searched. We can't afford to have a captive free with the Admiral visiting us. If he's not found by two hours before noon I will dispatch a courier to inform the Admiral to cancel her visit. And this, my young ladies, I sincerely do not want to do. The remainder of you get your asses busy preparing for the inspection." They all saluted and hurried off to do the Commanders bidding, all except Captain Hodeea who continued to stare at the captives.

Aileea found her Senior Sergeant, Tobeia, waiting for her in front of the barracks area. Sergeant Tobeia had been in the Cavalry for sixteen years and had proven herself time and time again as a highly professional and competent Non Commissioned Officer. She saluted as Aileea walked up. "Shall I call out the squadron for inspection," Tobeia asked?

"Yes Senior Sergeant."

The Sergeant turned and bellowed a loud command which could be heard as far as the village beyond the compound. Immediately, one hundred warriors and four Junior Sergeants ran from the barracks and fell into a square formation consisting of four rows of twenty one. Sergeant Tobeia gave another command and the ranks opened up at double space for inspection then came back to the position of attention.

"Squadron is formed Mam," the Sergeant stated, saluting Aileea with a salute similar to that of the Nazi salute. Aileea returned the salute and ordered Sergeant Tobeia to follow her to take notes of any discrepancies she found with any of the warriors. Her squadron was all well-bred, tall and slim warriors, most of whom had been on the frontier for several years. They were the product of Captain Kaileea who had been promoted to Section Leader, and they were the best cavalry squadron in the entire Wing.

There were four Sections in the Garrison with three Squadrons to each Section; therefore, the entire Wing consisted of over twelve hundred warriors and support personnel. This was necessary because there were only six full Wings spread in a circle around the Empire with one Wing located in the Capitol. Eight thousand cavalry warriors to defend the entire Empire was a small number when you considered there were only four infantry brigades totaling a mere six thousand warriors to act as shock troops. The Tyberians could field at least eight Legions totaling about ninety thousand men, or so the people in Intelligence said. It was rumored that three or more Tyberian Legions had been destroyed by a strange race of new people, but it was just rumor, and the location of these new people was unknown.

"Have them prepare their mounts and be ready for mounted inspection one hour after mess," Aileea said to Senior Sergeant Tobeia, who saluted and turned to the warriors to await Aileea's departure.

Thank the Gods for Sergeants, Aileea thought to herself as she headed for the officers mess. She knew she'd be thoroughly lost without the occasional comments from Senior Sergeant Tobeia to put her back on the right track. All enlisted and Noncommissioned ratings came from the Plebe class, one step above the merchant class which in turn was one step above the slave class, but many of them had made a good life for themselves as Sergeants or simple warriors in the Cavalry and Infantry. They were highly respected even by most of the Patricians or the upper class just below the nobility.

Aileea's mother came from the Patrician class and her father was one of the prized Sea People which legally allowed Aileea to claim the nobility class if she wanted to. In fact, her birth was the only thing which had gotten her into the Naval Academy.

Unlike the evening before, the officer's mess was quiet as it normally was. Once again she joined her two best friends, Janeea and Taileea for breakfast.

"Two of the Enlisted Military Police said Captain Hodeea returned only one of the captives to the prison cell," Janeea whispered, as she joined them. "Lieutenant Deleea can't report it because the girls are too afraid of Hodeea to stand up to her."

"I believe it," Aileea replied. "I saw the look of anger and hatred that the tall handsome one gave Captain Hodeea out by the training pen and the sinister look she gave back to him. Plus, you've all heard the whispered rumors of her odd background."

"I don't like her," Taleea said, hunching up her shoulders, "she gives me the creeps."

Once again several officers came marching into the mess hall and to the dais at the end of the room and called for attention. They stopped eating and sat at ease to listen to the Senior Captain.

"The body of the captive has been found," she stated. "His remains were found in the rookery nest. The only identification we had was his torn clothing which the Gahn chicks did not eat. The four Military Police guards on duty last night will stripped of their rank, flogged and sold into slavery by the order of Commander Betaas as an example to all to do their duty as the Empire and Empress demands."

Her speech was delivered in a crisp military tone of voice then she quickly left the mess hall with the other officers.

"Slavery," Aileea whispered. "They don't warrant slavery. We all know they had nothing to do with the captive’s death."

"It could have been worse," Janeea whispered back. "Don't forget a combat Commander or above can call for the death of the officer, all noncommissioned officers, and one out of every five warriors in any unit up to company size, for any infraction of duty for which she deems the punishment necessary. Lieutenant Deleea, her sergeants and twenty of her girls could have lost their lives. The Commander was lenient." The rest of the meal was eaten in somber silence.

One hour before noon the entire Wing was called into parade formation. It was an awesome spectacle. Twelve hundred Cavalry warriors sat astride their perfectly groomed war Gahns; their leather harnesses, personal body armor, weapons, and mount lashings shined to a brilliant shining luster. Each wore their parade dress uniforms, from the lowly warrior, to the garrison commander. Battle talons had been shined and placed on the claws of the war Ghans. The support troops stood in perfect formation, their ranks aligned and dressed to the right, their officers standing boldly out front.

The Gahns were an awesome weapon of war. They were the size of small horses with sleek feathered bodies, their average wing span was thirty feet, and their deadly sharp talons were fifteen inches or more long. Each Gahn also had a razor sharp beak which it used to attack the enemy with in close combat. It took many years to train a Gahn, from the birth of the chick to the obedient mount.

It also took a brave warrior to blend her thoughts with those of the Gahn to make the Gahn obey. Not everyone could become a cavalry warrior even though they wanted to. It was up to the Gahns to select their masters. Many would be warriors had died at the claws or beaks of a Gahn which did not accept them. The Gahn warriors were the elite of the Empire and justifiably so.

No one truly understands the process by which the birds selected their masters. Many warriors would pass before a single Gahn before that Gahn finally indicated a partnership with one. It was a mysterious union which only the Gahns fully understood. However, in all the history of the Empire, no Gahn had turned on her master once the bond was made and no Gahn had ever accepted a male as a master.

A few minutes before noon Commander Betaas gave a shrill blow on her whistle which meant the eminent arrival of the Admiral. A few minutes later a full squadron of Gahn warriors flew over and circled the entire compound then flew to a higher altitude. One huge Tercel, or male Gahn, slowly circled the compound. Strapped beneath him in a gondola like affair the Admiral sat surveying the assembled warriors. At a signal the squadron commander guided the Tercel into a perfect landing; the gondola sitting on short wicker legs, then released the Tercel.

The Admiral slowly stepped down from the small gondola and walked over to Commander Betaas who stood in the center of the grand formation.

"A great sight Commander," she said, as Commander Betaas saluted her. "A great sight indeed. Your Wing is perhaps the best I've seen so far. Shall we retire to more comfortable quarters?"

"As you order Admiral," Commander Betaas replied. "Senior Captain Tealaas, take command and have the Wing Stand-To," she ordered as they left the field.

Commander Betaas escorted the Admiral into the comfort of her personal quarters where support troops stood by with food and refreshments. The Admiral immediately took a seat and ordered spiced wine.

"This frontier is so dreary," Admiral Laleea stated, accepting the wine and a small sweet biscuit. "How do you stand it Commander?"

"For the sake of the Empire and Empress," Commander Betaas replied, giving her the stock reply.

The Admiral was a petite very thin woman in her mid-fifties and she wore an elaborate hair style of off color red which clashed with her light green skin. She had a small but very wicked looking mouth and a long pointy nose. Her eyes were small and shifty and over painted in the new style of the court. She had never been a combat officer, her commission bought by her family as a member of the royal nobility.

She gave the Commander a look of dislike. She didn't care for these officers who had fought their way up the ranks; they were of very low class material, necessary, but very low class.

"I've heard that you captured twenty six prime males for the Empress?" stated the Admiral. "We will of course want to review them. Have they been cleaned?"

"No Admiral. They were caught just yesterday and have not received their baths and grooming yet, and there are only twenty-five. One escaped last night and was killed by the Gahn chicks."

"Very sloppy Commander, very sloppy. I assume the guards were appropriately punished?"

"Yes Admiral."

"Who was responsible for this capture? I do believe it is the largest in close to thirty years?"

A young Ensign by the name of Aileea," Commander Betaas replied, "the daughter of one of our esteemed Councilors, Alasteea of the Patrician class. It was her first combat assignment."

"Ah!" the Admiral said, "it took one of our noble class to accomplish the task. I know Councilor Alasteea well; she is sharp and well born. Her daughter could be no less. Please have this officer report to me before I make my inspection of the captives."

"As you command Admiral," Commander Betaas replied sharply, secretly disgusted with this poor example of female hood, and even less an example of officer material. She ordered a young Ensign to locate and bring Aileea to the Commander's quarters.

"Ensign Aileea," she heard as she and Senior Sergeant Tobeia were dismissing the warriors. Turning, she saw a young Support Ensign running towards her. "The Commander wants you in her office immediately."

Aileea looked at Sergeant Tobeia then back at the young Ensign, suddenly worried about what she had done or failed to do.

"On my way," she said, turning to Sergeant Tobeia. "What do you think Tobe?" she asked her Senior Sergeant, and secret friend.

"Can't think of anything bad Mam," she replied, "best you hurry. I think the Admiral has something to do with this."

"Thanks Tobe," she stated, turning and heading for the headquarters area.

"Ensign Aileea reporting as ordered Mam," she said, saluting Commander Betaas with her sharpest salute.

"Relax Ensign," Commander Betaas replied. "The Admiral would like to talk with you," she pointed to a seat across from the very relaxed woman.

Aileea sat down in the soft seat facing the Admiral, trying her best of sit in a military posture, stiff upright, hands in her lap, eyes straight ahead.

"Relax Ensign, "the Admiral said with a syrupy voice. "I understand you are responsible for the capture of the prime males?" Aileea shook her head yes. "I know your mother well. She is a fine Councilor and member of my gaming club. I didn't know she had such a lovely daughter serving on this absurd frontier."

"I asked for a Cavalry command Mam," Aileea replied. "My mother says it builds character."

"Well, you've built enough character," replied the Admiral. "Tomorrow you will accompany me back to the capitol as an officer in the Imperial Guard."

Aileea looked at her in shock. It would take three times the fortune her mother had to get her a commission in the Imperial Guard. She was awe stricken.

"Say something child," the Admiral said, "Are you ill?"

"No Mam," Aileea stuttered. "I just didn't think. I just didn't believe I could go into the Imperial Guard. I didn't plan on anything so grand."

"You're of the nobility, you are a hero of the frontier, you are from a great family, what else is there to consider my dear," the Admiral stated.

Aileea looked at her with a loss for words.

"I understand," the Admiral said, reaching for another sweet cake, "you've made friends here, you want to share your good fortune. "Bring along two officers of your choosing, or, if your taste has gone to the lower classes, any Non Commissioned Officers or warriors you care for."

Aileea could tell that the Admiral was a member of the Society of the Goddess Shaleea, or the lesbians. She did not adhere to their sexual, religious, or social concepts, yet, they were well respected in the empire. She was being offered a golden opportunity here, and she damn well better take advantage of it.

"As you say," she replied, watching as the Admiral asked an orderly to pour her another cup of wine.

"We'll discuss the details later," the Admiral stated, "Let's go see these prime males you captured."