4. Rescuers and recruits
The SVG engaged the group of Atlases first, exploding two in short order before the escorting Vulture Mk III engaged. The SVG danced in and around the trade ships, avoiding hits with a deftness that was awe inspiring. However, there was not a chance that the pilot could hinder at least some of the traders escaping. That is, until several showers of Tau neutrino's betrayed incoming ships, four in all. Three Sky Command Prometheus's and a single Warthog Mk II. The Prometheus class ship was feared among the Itani Defence Force, and rightly so. With twin small ports and a single large port, clad in armour so thick that only capitol class ships had more and everything designed around the largest engine that had ever been designed for a fighter, the Prometheus was designed to take on odds of three to one and win. The three ships attacked the trade vessels and tore them to shreds in no time at all, only the Vulture Mk III surviving due to it engaging the SVG. After realising that he was now alone, he pilot of the Mk III tried to turn and flee but found himself in a sandwich between the SVG and the Warthog. With a set of well placed shots across the rear of the Mk III, the SVG pilot managed to kill the ship but not the pilot. The Warthog then started chasing after the mining moth that was accelerating outwards.
The commander of The Lurkers leaned back in his pilot seat of his Prometheus and opened a private channel to the SVG.
"Did you get the information he had for us?"
"Sir, I still lack around 10%. But I figured that I better kill this voy and call for help before getting the rest."
"You did good Cat. Now go get the rest, I have a set of moths inbound to clean up. Looks like we have a couple of survivors out there."
"Will do Sir. Cat out."
The SVG started turboing towards the mining moth. The Warthog had intercepted it and with a single shot across the nose had stopped it dead in space. The SVG moved up close to the moth and initiated a secure link. The computers immediately re-established the connection and moved data as if nothing had happened. Cat opened a personal link across to the trader inside the moth.
"I told you to stay put. You are lucky you didn't get away, or I would have free hands to kill you. Next time listen or die."
There was no response, but she didn't need one. She knew very well he had heard her. She stayed until the data had crossed over and disconnected with no waste of time, turning the SVG back towards the cleaning crew. Several new ships had entered the area, two Moths two Centaur Mk III's and a single heavily modified Atlas. The Prom's circled efficiently around checking for survivors and when finding any making sure that the Atlas picked them up. So far they had found six Itani alive of which four were expected to survive. The goods were distributed evenly among the ships and after the non-combat ships had left, the Prom's slaged the few remains and jumped to the relative safety of their secret hide-out. By that time one of the captives had died, but it looked like the rest would make it at least as far as to the Interrogator from the Thought Police. Naturally, none of hem were expected to survive for long after that.
###
The pickup had been easy enough. The two youngster had been subjected to what was affectionally named a System D by the special forces trooper. In the morning when the training sergeant had called them to attention, the recruits had been chewed on and spit out as usual, doing an extraordinary amount of physical training before standing to attention once more behind their footlocker. That was a normal morning for the recruits, they had been subjected to it every morning the last three weeks. This morning it was different, as the sergeant stayed in one end of the building and two immensely large military police sergeants entered the building with a grey beast with massive tusks in tow. The beast moved around the footlockers and slobbered on two of them. One of the MP's took the beast outside and the other walked over to the nearest footlocker. He looked up at the recruit behind it.
"Care to open that for me son?"
The recruit looked confused for a second and the drill sergeant took over.
"Recruit! I know for a fact that your hearing is enhanced to a level that a human norm cannot even begin to comprehend so I'll assume that you heard the sergeant and in reality is even dumber than the Grey Render that was just in here. Now let me translate it for you. Open the goddamned footlocker you worthless piece of Itani coughed slime."
The recruit hurried to do as ordered and moved back to stand to attention behind it. The MP bend over the locker and scrounged around. Eventually he found what he was looking for, a translucent plastic bag with seven bright purple pills. He grabbed them with two fingers and acquired a look of distaste on his face that had been practised for at least a year before dangling them in front of the recruit's nose.
"Care to explain?"
The recruit tried to keep looking straight ahead but failed.
"That is not mine, I have never seen it before."
"That is what they all say."
The MP softened his voice and smiled at the recruit.
"But that hardly matters now, does it? I found it in your locker, and that is all that counts. Report to the MP outside. Dismissed."
The MP walked over to the next footlocker with drool all over. He looked down at the locker and up at the recruit, then knelt down while shaking his head disapprovingly.
"Let's see, what do we have here, not in here, this is not is. Hmm, what is this?"
The MP had found a small bag with more violet pills. He stood and pointed to the exit watching the recruit walk all the way out before turning to the Gunny.
"Sir, I have what I came for. Do you want to perform the customary punishment for desertion?"
The Gunny was about to pop a fuse in rage and anger, but merely nodded.
"Attention, everyone outside NOW. Form up in two rows facing each other, three metres distance. Move out."
With that the recruits ran outside and did as instructed. The Gunny grabbed a row of long wooden sticks and handed them to the recruits.
"Maggots, those two pieces of slime have betrayed you, the Lady Serco, themselves and me. They have by their actions deserted the righteous path of a Serco warrior. And the punishment for desertion Fustuarium twice with subsequent repatriation to a punishment unit. Any recruits that do not do their duty will be punished by Fustuarium as well. Begin."
That had been now five hours ago. The two young men were seated on the floor, a hood over their heads. A strong mulitband jamming device was placed inside the room, making their implants useless. For the first time since they had been able to formulate words, they were truly alone and very afraid. Their backs hurt immensely from the punishment they had endured so far, but nothing a Serco couldn't ignore. Or at least tolerate. What felt so much worse was that they had been kicked out of the regular Serco military and dumped in a penal unit. Asteroth looked at them and frowned, he just hoped that they would be as good as their papers showed them to be. They were going to need it if they were going to succeed. He motioned for the hoods to be removed and waited for some seconds until they had regained their full senses. They showed some surprise through their pained expressions at seeing the dark clad Captain in front of them.
"I have an offer for you. Before you ask me anything I am required to inform you that you have been stripped of your citizenship and as of now you have no rights at all. You will be entering a penal legion where you will serve for a period of ten years or until dead. Have no doubts, very few actually survive past one years duty and I have only heard of one person that survived all ten and regained citizenship. Now, I may have an offer for you that is equally full of danger but is much shorter in duration. I need to know your answer before I tell you what it is. So, penal legion or my thing?"
The recruits turned and faced each other before looking back at Asteroth. The left recruit answered for both of them.
"I think we'll take your offer Sir."
Asteroth smiled at the recruits and nodded to the soldiers behind them to open their chains.
"Welcome to the Diplomatic Service boys, I can guarantee you that it will never be boring."
