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STATUS QUO

Written by Andrew John Bellingall

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Chapter 1: Maldina

There was a light mist on the moors, but visibility was still quite good. The gray cloud cover and dark green grass made the scene look almost black and white; more black than white. The group looked like a party of poorly dressed ramblers, with bits of plastic plating stuck to them, like wax dripped from an enormous black candle. Only a couple of the party appeared to have a complete set of the plating, others had to content themselves with a breast plate here, or a thigh plate there. A dozen or so had big backpacks which were connected by a belt of ammunition to their stubby thick guns. Others had guns with just a few dozen rounds in the belt, trailing from the breach of the gun. About half the number had no more than handguns, and generally looked the more nervous of the group.

There was a definite correlation between the amount of plating an individual had and the weapon he was carrying. Those with the belt fed guns and the backpacks had the most plating, and were mostly men. Most of the women were among the more nervous pistol and no plating types, although it must be said that all of them looked rather nervous and unfortunate. Dirty, disheveled, with old clothes and tired expressions.

"Coming into range on my mark." Whispered the voice on the radio headsets of those in wait.
"Eastern group still out of range, approximately 40 meters to confirmed target." An urgent female voice responded.
"Hold." The first voice replied, with a hint of exasperation.

The group of forty carried on edging forward, unknowingly, yet nervously. They knew that danger was all around them, but not that it had them in its sights.

"Coming into range on my mark." The first voice again. "Fire on my mark. Five, four, three, two, one, fire!"

From five groups of five, bullets rained down on the group of forty. A continuing stream of fire from twenty five machine guns spread out in a crescent around them, less than four hundred meters away. The bullets smashing into the plating, or ripping through clothing and cutting through the flesh of the less fortunate, less well protected. The fire was ceaseless, bodies spinning round and falling as the bullets continued like heavy rain on a window pane. Even some of those with body armor fell bleeding as the bullets found the weak points between the plates. All of the forty were lying low now, some crawling to try to find cover.

"Cease-fire!" With those words the rain stopped and the valley grew silent. There had been no return of fire during the few seconds of the attack. Now they waited and were greeted with silence. Among the ambushed, there was much twisting and moaning but little purposeful action. The tension drenched the air, the ambushed waited to see their fate, the ambushers in such total command.
"Squad B cover the withdrawal, squads A, C, D and E pull out.

"The weapons Captain, lets get the damned weapons." That female voice again.

"Negative." With that Captain Blake stood up and turned his back on those he had just ambushed. Along the crescent of his formation a further 19 stood and began to walk away. One of that number, Lieutenant Maldina sprinted towards the Captain. She pulled off her helmet and headset.

"There are at least two dozen weapons down there, you are neglecting your duty by not taking them while we have the chance." She implored.

"Lieutenant, the only way you will take those weapons is if you take them off corpses, I will not kill 40 people and turn this area into a whole f---ing blood bath just to pick up a handful of guns."

"For Christ's sake, this is tantamount to..."

"Silence lieutenant," Blake said as he covered her mouth with his fingers, "this is not the time nor the place. We'll discuss this in the de-brief and not before."

At this Lieutenant Maldina turned away with disgust and contempt in her eyes.

Those that had been ambushed lay in near silence and stillness. Only the severely injured moved slightly, as they convulsed and squirmed in pain. Three lay dead, and a further six would die of their wounds before they could reach safety. For the less injured was the sense of helplessness as they waited the customary half hour before they could move without triggering the rain of steel that had so decimated their number. The pain of waiting while their friends lay dying for the want of medical assistance was soul destroying, but there was no alternative. Now was the time for damage limitation, for survival. They knew they had been caught fairly and squarely where they should not have been. Their raiding party was two kilometers into Federal territory, and only a kilometer from the nearest farms. They knew enough to be grateful that those who would survive, would survive, and that the dead would be far fewer in number than their plight deserved. Mercy from an enemy you hated was still mercy.

Burrows had led the raid and was lucky to have survived it, so far. As the commander he had full body armor and a machine gun that was belt fed from his back pack. As such he had been targeted in the attack, and although he had sustained three hits in the chest, and two in the legs, his body armor had done its job and his wounds were superficial. There was quite a lot of blood, but no serious damage. He would be left with the scars of heroism, rather than martyrdom. But the pain afflicting him most severely at present were from the muffled groans and cries for help from the dying. He was staring at his watch, still three minutes until it would be safe to move.

Squads A, C, D and E took up covering positions while squad B withdrew slowly. They all watched from their new positions as those they had ambushed in the valley started to get up and attend to the severely wounded. Within an hour they had withdrawn from sight carrying the dead and dying. The People's Liberation Army of the North West Sector 126 had suffered a serious set back today. But as they got back to their main camp several hours later they received a heroes welcome. Every day there were more people at the camp, which led to an increasing demand and indeed desperation for food and supplies. Whilst most of what they needed they produced themselves within the commune and the communal farms, the PLA did not have access to advanced medical supplies or other advanced technology. A recent outbreak of cholera had led to the latest raid on the Federation as the PLA desperately needed medication for the sick and dying. They had failed this time, and nine had died, but at least they had tried. And that at least was worth a heroes welcome. Burrows knew he had to learn from today's lesson, but what, he simply did not know.

"What the hell happened?" Davies was distraught at the sight of so many dead and injured, she knew the raid had been a complete disaster.

"We were ambushed. They must have had satellite cover. It was a perfect intercept, perfect. They were well in place, just waiting for us." He looked around at the comrades he would now have to bury. "But it could have been much, much worse. They did this," he said pointing to the dead, "but could have killed us all."

"No more daylight raids, we just can't risk it." Davies said, but she knew for many this would be too late.

Davies was distraught not just at the carnage, but also at its implications. If the Federal troops did have satellite coverage then there could be no more raids in the whole section. And not just during the day. Infra red tracking by satellite would make even night raids extremely dangerous. This could make the whole area untenable. They simply did not have enough extra food or clothes to trade with the other communes for medicine, and PLA Central would only help with odd pieces of military equipment and ammunition. This morning's little disaster could lead to the disbanding of the whole commune. The way that the Federal troops had caught the raiders in a perfect ambush showed that they had a satellite covering the area. The way that they had let the raiders go with no more than a comparative bloody nose (just nine dead) showed that they were confident of their position, and of continued satellite cover. Untenable.

Lieutenant Maldina stormed into the briefing room where Captain Blake was already on the ComLink trying to raise the Divisional HQ.

"Blake, we had the perfect opportunity to wipe out the PLA from the whole sector. We could have killed 40 of their best fighters, reclaimed at least twenty of our weapons and scared the f---ing s--- out of the whole lot of them. The way you keep playing cat and mouse all the time just gets our people killed, and keeps this sector vulnerable." Maldina was still furious.

"Lieutenant, calm down, speak without such emotion and wait for the de-brief." With that Blake flicked a switch on the ComLink and spoke to Division.

"Colonel Rogers, this is Captain Blake of NW 126 reporting on an action at 08:35, today's date."

"Congratulations Captain, we saw the whole thing. Fantastic work. It's good to see that when we give you satellite coverage you do not waste it." The Colonel seemed relaxed, and happy with the morning's events.

"Colonel Rogers, this is Lieutenant Maldina, I regret to report that we left over thirty survivors and did not recover any weapons."
"Lieutenant Maldina, it is always best to leave enough survivors to drag the corpses off, otherwise you have to bury the bastards, and not just kill them." The Colonel laughed at his words, but no one else did. He went on, "killing them is just like digging in the sand, there are always others to take their place."

"And the weapons?" Maldina added defiantly.

"I am content with the way your superior handled this matter. Do not forget Maldina that you were put there to learn from Captain Blake, not to second guess him, or try to undermine him with his superiors."

This rebuke from Rogers was designed to shut her up.

"If you gave me command I could clear this whole section within a week. The whole section." Maldina was utterly confident in what she said.

"And how many troopers would you loose Lieutenant? How many raiders would you kill? How many PLA would you attract to this quiet little section?" These were rhetorical questions that Rogers hoped would end this discussion.

"Sir don't you see that in the long run we would be saving lives by ending this now, while we have the chance. Put a stop to it now once and for all instead of dying the death of a thousand cuts." Maldina was desperate to make them see.

"Lieutenant, you are fighting a holding action, you hold the perimeter, no more no less, and that's an end to it. You are discharged from the de-brief." Rogers was beginning to lose his temper.

"But sir, if we keep on fighting like this..."

"Lieutenant you may leave the de-brief." Blake spoke with firmness which totally masked the fact that he had long since lost his temper with her. Maldina turned to look at him as he spoke, then back at the image of Colonel Rogers on the screen, then she turned and rushed out of the room. Blake shut the door behind her.

"Blake, I really think you should reconsider a posting for her. She is simply too volatile for your section." Rogers was re-broaching an old subject.

"Don't worry this is a quiet theater where I can keep an eye on her." Blake responded.

"She was sent there to learn from you, yet she has learned nothing. I think we would all be better off if she was sent to the front line." Colonel Rogers was testing Blake's reaction. He knew she would be an even greater danger to her troops in the real warzone.
"How would you break the news of her death to General Maldina sir?" Blake asked.

"A kissogram, how do you think? She is very attractive Blake, there isn't more to this is there?" Again, this was an old subject.
Blake smiled but said nothing.

"Captain Blake are you involved with the Lieutenant?"

"In what sense Sir?" Blake asked.

"In the sense of playing hide the sausage with her, how do you think."

"Negative Sir, not with the lieutenant."

"Good Blake, I suggest you keep it that way. I think that Corporal Wilde is much better for you, less complicated. Mind you, Maldina is quite something." Rogers sighed and then continued: "Seriously Blake, you are too good an officer to put your dick before you duty. Her father could get us all into a lot of trouble"

"Thank you sir." Blake said with a certain sarcasm.

"That was not a compliment, it was a warning. Anyway, good work this morning and for God's sake Blake keep a firm grip. We'll talk about a posting for Maldina later, much later." Rogers had obviously been called away to more pressing business. With that the ComLink went dead.

Rogers had hit a raw nerve with Blake. His feelings for Maldina were exhaustingly complex and quite deep. He knew she was a constant danger to the delicate balance in his sector, and that she constantly undermined his authority. God knows what she told her father, General Maldina, about him. But however difficult life was like with her, it was far better than life without her. That she had nothing but contempt for him and his perceived weakness, made it slightly more bearable. Like this he was not tempted, for she would not have him.

Maldina was furious as she left the de-brief. She was upset that it had gone so badly. Why couldn't they see what had to be done? Why wouldn't they let her do it? She understood that Blake was too scared to gamble on wiping the PLA out in their sector and that he did not have the stomach to deal with the killings it would entail, but why wouldn't he delegate it to her. She could do it with six squads, that would leave four on defense. Not even risky. In one day it could all be over. Next time they have satellite cover, simply surround and destroy the enemy. The satellite cover lasted from 12 to 36 hours. Just 12 hours would be enough to locate and set up the attack. Then simply annihilate the PLA commune with full force. No more than a further 12 hours. That simple.

After that she would like promotion and a posting to a more challenging position. This was more like a police action than a war. She wanted to use what she had been taught at the academy. To fight with all the means at her disposal, instead of always fighting with one hand tied behind her back. No rockets, no mines, no f---ing fun at all. Every time she had the enemy in her sights she had to wing them instead of kill them. What f---ing bulls---. She complained to her father, but he refused to get involved, preferring to keep her wrapped up in the cotton wool of this phony little war. It was all just too frustrating.

She was now off duty and decided to get a drink, even though it was barely after noon. She headed towards her room to get changed. As she entered the officers' quarters Lieutenant Talbot was leaving it. They blocked each other in the doorway. She pushed Talbot back into the room and shut the door.

"Did you see that bulls--- this morning?"

"Maldina, I was asleep, but I've seen the replay a couple of times. I bet that stung the bastards. They won't be raiding around here for a few weeks." Talbot had been immensely impressed with the whole operation.

"Talbot you fool we could have wiped the f---ers out!"

"Maldina you won't be happy 'til everybody's dead. That's the thing about you, a death-wish, not just for yourself, but for others as well." Talbot could barely disguise his contempt for her.

"Spineless wanker." Maldina was not amused. With that she pushed past him and entered her tiny room.

She started to remove the black fiber armor plates and the webbing that covered her body like an exo-skeleton, undoing the clips on her shoulders which displayed her rank, freed the plates covering her chest and back. She hung the torso plates up against the wall and removed her left shoulder and arm plates, and then from the right. Sitting on her tiny bunk now, she removed her thigh plates, knee plates and shin plates, first from her left leg, then from the right. Lastly, she removed the ring of loose plates that hung from her waist covering her groin . It came off like a short pleated skirt. She stood up again, now wearing just the black tunic, stockings and underwear. It was a standing joke that female uniforms were designed by men; they were functional, yet left a bare strip of flesh at the top of the thighs, only covered in part by the armor plates. The men wore black trousers, the women thick, black stockings. This touch was erotic rather than PLAgmatic, and was pretty much the only thing that distinguished male and female Federal troops at distance. Its harder to kill someone who turns you on.

Blake approached Maldina's room slowly, and knocked purposefully on the door.

"Lieutenant Maldina, open up."

Maldina was pleased Blake had caught her barely dressed, and immediately opened the door. "As ordered sir."

Blake was not so pleased to catch her in such an alluring state and took a step towards her to help prevent his eyes from wandering.
"Lieutenant, yet again I have to remind you not to question my orders in front of the troops, and not to question my actions in front of my superiors. Your post here is to help me ensure the security of this sector, not to try to use your position to start your own private war. This is not the front-line Maldina, this is a half forgotten flank, of very little import to either party. We are here to defend the farmers and maintain the perimeter. Do you understand this?" Blake spoke calmly and slowly, staring at Maldina straight in the eyes.
"I just think we should be doing much more, that I am capable of much more." Maldina countered.

"I don't doubt that you are capable of much more Lieutenant, but you must have patience. Contrary to what you believe there is method in my actions." Blake thought that he was beginning to get through to her."

"Your just prolonging this phony stand off." Maldina's words showed that he was not.

"Status quo in this sector is in all our best interests, we hold the perimeter with a minimum of troops and casualties, it helps to keep us strong where we need strength more: on the real front line."

"That's bulls--- Sir, if you let me wipe them out now, you could police the whole sector with two squads after their gone. It would release the other squads for the front line." Maldina thought that what could make Blake see that what she was saying was obvious, but she only succeeded in annoying him.

" 'That's bulls--- Sir' very nice Maldina, your father would be proud of that one."

"Sir, in consideration of our continued differences I believe I must insist that my request for my transfer be expedited." Maldina was not bluffing, she badly wanted to get out of there.

"Lieutenant Maldina, why on earth are you so impatient to die? Is life really that bad that you must rush to waste it so cheaply? Blake genuinely did not understand his young charge.

"I do not want to die, but nor am I afraid of death. I just want to do the job I was trained for." Maldina remained calm as she spoke, staring directly ahead rather than at Blake.

"Lieutenant, you should be afraid of death. In fact, you should not be in a position of command unless you are afraid of death, both for yourself and for your troops." Blake continued to move his stance slightly trying to become the focus of Maldina's gaze. "They need serious officers at the front not hot blooded fools willing to waste the blood of young men and women like so much cheap wine Maldina. Unfortunately for me, they thought that I could turn you into such an officer. I am beginning to feel that they were wrong. But understand this, if you do leave this post before the satisfactory termination of your posting - you will leave as a sergeant." Blake was losing his temper, and stopped speaking abruptly.

Maldina stood motionless, staring into space, this was the first time she had been threatened with losing her rank, but for what? She had not done anything. Her contempt for Blake increased as the blood boiled within her veins. She stood there, every muscle in her body tense a she resisted striking him.

"Will that be all sir?" She choked on the words.

"Think about it Maldina." Blake was at a loss what to do or say without making it worse. "Listen why don't I buy you something to eat or we get a drink together while Talbot is on duty, so we can have a more informal chat. We really need to sort this thing out, one way or the other. You just need to take it easy, to understand what we are doing here." Blake suggested.

"Is that an order sir." Maldina would rather use a red hot poker as a suppository than go for a drink with Blake.

"No Lieutenant, at ease." With that Blake stepped back and turned and walked away. Maldina was defeating him in every sense. He could not make a good officer out of her, and f---ing her seemed completely out of the question.

Sergeant Hurst had been on the morning ambush and he too had been dissatisfied with the outcome. He sat in the Crofter's bar drinking straight scotch, bitching with a couple of the troops in his squad. He smiled when he saw Maldina enter the bar, and then approached the group.

"Vodka, rocks." Maldina had stood directly behind Hurst, forcing him to turn round to face her.

"Did you enjoy the little fire fight this morning?" Hurst asked, knowing how her response would go.

"We accomplished what the Captain wanted." Maldina's response was far more guarded than he had expected.

"I thought it was a complete waste of time. We got a dozen when we could have bagged the lot." Hurst knew he was on safe ground talking this way in front of Maldina. She finished her drink, which was immediately refreshed, and turned her head to look at Hurst.
"Blake is a complete dickless wonder. He sets it up, but can't get it up."

Hurst laughed at her remark, and was more than happy to play along.

"If I'd been in command I wouldn't of stopped shooting 'till the last f---er stopped twitching. We wouldn't even have lost one." Hurst professed.

Maldina knew Hurst's statement was not only simplistic, but wholly unrealistic, but it was along the right lines. She started her second drink and added to Hurst's sentiment.

"We should have had squads on either side and had intermittent firing." Maldina was referring to a technique which limited the enemies ability to pin point where the fire was coming from by constantly rotating which squad fired, rather than having all the squads fire at once, as Blake had done that morning.

"Whatever, so long as we didn't have to stop shooting the buggers." Hurst had not really followed what she had said.

Maldina smiled at Hurst's comment. She liked his approach, but just wished he was a little more intelligent. Hurst was 35 years old and still a sergeant. In the continued state of war where most died before they reached thirty, Hurst's rank was far from impressive. He was definitely a young head on wise shoulders.

"Blake should be sent to the interior, you know, policing operations. God knows he's more suited to that kind of thing." Maldina was quite sincere in her view. He should be sent to the interior, the exterior, or sent straight to hell for all she cared, but he shouldn't be there ruining her posting.

"Blakey's OK Mal, you've just got to get the action in while he's off duty. We're just bumming out now 'cos we pulled the same watch as him."

"That's OK for you Hurst, but I'm always on the same watch as him. He never let's me out of his sight." Maldina was scarcely exaggerating.

"Well we all know he's got a soft spot for you Mal, or should we say a hard one." Again Hurst was laughing at his owns jokes. This time the two troopers behind him laughed as well.

Maldina was not amused. What Hurst said was obviously true, there were few heterosexual men that weren't attracted to her. And in Blake's case, although he wanted her, she knew this wasn't the reason he kept an eye on her. It was obvious that he regarded her as dangerous.

"Blake wouldn't know what to do if I jumped him in the showers with a 'F--- me, F--- me' T-shirt on." Maldina spoke with a stern look on her face.

Hurst had never heard of a 'F--- me, F--- me' T-shirt, but it was appealing imagery.

"Mal, next time your wearing that T-shirt, call me."

"You'll be lucky." She said, still with a stern expression.

"I'd be grateful." Hurst thought that he was flirting with these words, but he was really just damaging his chances. Fortunately fate smiled on him.

Blake walked into the bar and surveyed the scene, half the customers were his troopers, the wrong half. The leery half, the drunk and getting drunker half. He was not surprised to see Maldina there, but was disappointed that she was sat with Hurst. At the bar he ordered a beer. Houghton and Smith Claire came over and joined him. They were both from his squad.

"Good morning sir." Smith Claire said to her Captain.

"It's afternoon Smith Claire." Blake knew what she was getting at.

"I mean it was a good morning. Gave them reason to keep in their bloody box." She added.

"They'll think twice next time they want to raid on our patch." Hanson added his thoughts, for the little they were worth.

"Well with a bit of luck it should keep them quiet for a while." Blake was beginning to regret that he had come to the bar, particularly as Hurst and Maldina were beginning to giggle at each other's words in their increasingly intimate conversation. Blake tried to stop himself looking over, but he could not. Nor could he make out what they were saying, but he doubted it was complimentary about him.

Hurst had seen his Commanding Officer enter the bar, and had noted its effect on Maldina. This was an opportunity he would not let slip.

"If you were CO I would follow you anywhere Mal." He said, trying to crawl into her affections.

"Particularly to the bedroom eh Hurst?" Maldina whispered this to him.

"Anywhere you want it Lieutenant, any time, any place, any how." Hurst said, moving closer to her with each syllable.

Maldina glanced over at Blake, and caught him looking at them. She instantly moved yet closer to Hurst. "Really Sergeant you don't sound very particular." Their heads were almost touching now, their knees locked like the steel teeth in interlocking gears.

Blake was becoming restless, but then Regan came into the bar, saw Blake and approached him. Regan was an old fried of Blake's from the bad times. He was in his late twenties and still a private, not just because he shirked responsibility at every turn, but also because he had been demoted twice for insubordination. Blake had pulled a few strings to get Regan on his command, and he was now part of Sergeant Hurst's B squad.

"What's wrong with you, you old f---er, you've got a face like a chicken laying a pineapple." Regan was not a particularly obsequious member of the section.

"Regan, everybody that sees you has a look of despair and despondency, almost by definition. You drain the joy out of people like a vampire draining the blood out of young buxom virgin." Blake was feeling better already.

"Speaking of buxom virgins, have you seen Mad Mal and Sergeant Worst, they'll be copulating on the bar in a minute." Regan had noticed Maldina and Hurst's antics.

"And I never thought Hurst was that brave." Blake responded.

"Brave? I'd call it a suicide mission. Ten minutes of heaven, then straight to hell with a bullet in the back of the head." Like most men, Regan found Maldina attractive, but purely in a physical sense.

"The way things are going, you'll be able to ask your sergeant about that tomorrow, won't you?" Blake hoped his words would not prove true.

"From talking to him I don't think I'd notice if someone put a bullet in the back of his head, though the exit wound might cheer up his dreary face." Only Regan could get away with talking about his superiors like this. "Listen, I'm going to get something to eat, you want something?"

"No it's OK, I think I'll head back to base." Blake had taken in the sights and decided enough was enough. On the other side of the bar Wilde, a private with whom Blake had been having an on-off affair, was sat with her friends. He was not in the mood for such complications and said good-bye to Regan before heading back to the base. Once there he looked in on the Ops room where all was quiet, then went to bed. He took two sleeping pills and was asleep by 1600 hours.

Blake woke up five hours later. The noise that had awoken him was the steady 'thump, thump, thump' and the low moans of sex in the next room. It was exactly what he had hoped to avoid hearing. He put on a head set and listened to some music. This drowned out the noise, but not the imagery. Blake decided to get showered, dressed and out of there. As he opened the officer's mess shower, still wearing the headphones, he realized that the noise had not been coming from Lieutenant Maldina's room, but from the officers' shower. Maldina was stood pressed up against the wall with Hurst behind. He had one hand on the shower-head and another on Maldina's hip as he continued to thrust her against the wall which was creating the slow thumping noise. They both looked at him before Blake could shut the shower door and exit the unhappy scene.

Once outside Blake now took off the headset, albeit a little late. He banged on the shower door loudly and shouted: "If you're going to copulate, kindly do it in your private areas not the communal ones - and certainly not in my bloody shower. Now get the f--- out of there!"

"Just a minute," came Maldina's breathless reply, for they had not finished.

"Now or I'll put the both of you on a f---ing charge." Blake was annoyed, embarrassed and deeply disappointed. He had a numb pain in his stomach.

As he opened the door to his room to get away from all this, the shower door opened behind him and Maldina walked out of the shower naked, with Hurst following wearing a towel round his waste, they were uncoupled by this time.
"Sorry sir." Hurst remarked lamely as he followed Maldina into her room. They both looked completely wasted.

Blake now had to re-enter the scene of the crime. He showered quickly and got dressed. He could hear Maldina and Hurst talking next-door and then the sounds of sex returned. The numb pain bit at him once more. It felt even worse now. He went quickly to the Ops room.

"Well Lieutenant, anything interesting?" Blake was trying to find a divergence to help him clear the recent events from his mind.
"Very little sir. We have squad J on the far north perimeter here, and squad G at the Baker farm. No enemy activity reported." Talbot was a little surprised that Captain Blake wanted to sit in on Ops, particularly as the quietest of evenings was expected.
"Exciting." Blake joked.

"Well I missed all the excitement. Seems like I get all the boring jobs these days." There was some truth in what Talbot said, and although he knew the reasons behind it, he did not appreciate them. It seemed like he was being punished for being a good, reliable officer, which he was.

"I regret the situation Lieutenant, but there is little I can do about it. Everyone has a duty to be where they are needed most." Blake said unconvincingly.

"And that includes having sex in the officer's showers?" The Ops room enjoyed surveillance over most of the sector and all of the base, apart from private areas such as the bedrooms and toilets. Talbot was trying to show Blake that he understood what was going on, and was ready to listen if need be.

"You saw all that did you?" Blake asked. Talbot had been primed to watch Hurst and Maldina by the troops that had followed the new couple back from the bar less than thirty minutes ago.

"Saw it, I was selling tickets. I had ten people in here five minutes ago." Talbot was only half joking. In fact there had been seven people watching the screen. The events had been fairly obvious since Hurst and Maldina left the bar. Maldina was virgin to the base, that is to say she had not had sex there yet since her posting, as far as anybody was aware. There had been considerable speculation as to her sexual inclination. That this matter had been resolved so publicly and enthusiastically had been a bonus. "It makes you wonder why they did it in full view of a camera." Talbot added.

"None of the showers are private Lieutenant, Maldina obviously has a penchant for water sports, so it was unavoidable." They both laughed a little at Blake's words and the pain did ease, a little at least.

In a way Blake was somewhat relieved, the day's escapades had dampened his desire for Maldina, and lessened his feelings towards her quite tangibly. An affair with her now would be even more unpalatable.

At 0600 hours it was shift changeover, Blake called everyone available together in the briefing room, 40 troopers in all, with one squad on base defense, and another on the perimeter. The additional ten troops were patched into Blake through the ComLink.
"As you know yesterday we conducted a controlled engagement with a PLA raiding party near the perimeter. Satellite recon shows that the operation was a complete success." Blake continued over the muffled grumblings from some, and cheers from others. "Nine PLA were killed and it appears that the whole commune is moving further north, closer to their supply lines and further away from us." This news was greeted by a more sporadic cheers and hand-clapping. "We will, however, remain on high alert while the progress of the commune is tracked and their perceived intentions are confirmed. Well done all involved" Blake glanced at Maldina and then continued. "On a housekeeping matter may I just remind all of you of General Order 12.15.32. All sexual activity on the base is confined to the private areas, not communal ones. That is to say if you are going to do it, do it, but not in my damned showers. If you feel the need to have sex in full view of an audience, then I would advise you to wait until you are relieved of your posting and you can apply yourselves to an apparently more suitable career in one of the city peepshows or whorehouses." Blake stopped, partly because he was getting carried away, and partly because the troopers had dissolved into laughter and he could hardly hear himself. Whilst Hurst wore a self satisfied grin, Maldina could not believe what she was hearing. She stared straight ahead, but her face was crimson, burning with embarrassment. Blake continued... "Hurst I do not know what you believe you have to grin about, from what I saw of the video you have very little to be pleased about at all. And as for you Casper, the order refers to all sexual activity, not just between couples. Your penis must be the dirtiest place on earth given the amount of time you spend washing it." The briefing rooms had dissolved into hoots of laughter.

Maldina had felt humiliated before the briefing, by the looks she was getting, but could not believe Blake's words. She felt naked and dirty in front of everybody, and had to just stand there and take it. Her hangover was killing her and now this. She had never known Blake to deliberately hurt her, or anyone, like that. He must have known how much that hurt. With this train of thought she turned the embarrassment and regret she felt about the incident into further fuel for her hatred of Blake. She had regretted what she had done when she woke this morning - and with Hurst of all people. She remembered the pained look on Blake's face, how spiteful, cruel and cheap she had been, but now she just wanted to hurt him more, much more. She spent a lot of time thinking about Blake. Ironically, when she first met him she had had a major crush on him. She had found him very attractive, but again and again he had disappointed her with his actions and his omissions. She found out that the hawk she had heard so much about, had become a dove. No more than a peacemaker and pacifier. He had got old. Old and tired. Blake was 37 and dead. She was twenty three and alive. It was clear who should be running the show.

At the end of the brief Maldina followed Blake into the Ops room.

"Hanson, Taylor, leave us." She instructed the corporal and private. They looked at Blake and then left the room when Blake nodded his agreement to her order.

"Was that little show entirely necessary, just because your jealous you did not get laid last night?" Maldina said fuming.

"And I suppose the little show of you getting laid was necessary." Blake did not want an argument over this, but he had to respond.
"I was drunk, I was hot, we did it in the shower. So what, blow me!" Maldina was not making matters any better.

Blake smiled at her. "Blow me? Is that how it started with Hurst, I must have missed that part of the video, I'll look for it later. You do know they're selling copies not just here, but in Division as well. I don't know what will happen first Lieutenant, you'll get an offer to become a porn queen, or your father will come up here and rip your head off. Quite what you......"

"Oh for f---s sake Blake. Don't talk s---..." Maldina interjected, unwisely.

"Enough!" Blake said holding up his hand, "Don't forget who you are talking to Lieutenant. I have nothing against you having sex with anybody you want, in fact if you became pregnant it would be a weight off my mind, because I could ship your insubordinate, dangerous arse out of here. Just try not to get pregnant in public." Blake growled at Maldine, barely containing his anger.

"...If you think you can get rid of me by getting me pregnant then..."

"Lieutenant, however much I would love to get you off my base, I would never stoop to impregnating you myself. That's what we have Non-Commissioned Officers for." Blake joked.

"F--- you." Maldina was not exactly calming down. "You could not get any girl pregnant you used up, burnt out..."

"Lieutenant, enough." Blake again with the raised hand. "You simply can not speak to a superior officer like that."

"Superior in what sense?" Maldina sneered at Blake.

"Lieutenant, enough." This time Blake shouted. "You do not answer me back. Yes sir, or no sir, will be sufficient from you until further notice. Understood?"

Maldina hesitated and then: "Yes sir."

"Take your squad out immediately and patrol the south west perimeter for a twenty four hour shift. Take full rations and make minimal contact with civilians."

"But, sir that borders our own....."

"Yes sir, or no sir, Lieutenant." Blake barked at her.

"Yes, sir." Maldina was furious. Patrolling the south west perimeter was a complete waste of time because it bordered the other Federal sectors. It was obvious punishment duty. Minimal civilian contact. And for twenty four hours, she had hardly slept in the last twenty four hours.

"No non-urgent ComLink chitchat, but don't worry lieutenant, you'll be monitored all the way." Blake was letting her know he would keep an eye on her for any slacking.

There was nothing Maldina could do but accept it. She could not disobey a direct order. She turned and began to walk out of the room.

"And Lieutenant, I should remind you of General Order 12.15.08 and 12.15.18: no sex on duty, and no sex with anyone in your squad. Any further violations of 12.15 will be officially punished." Blake was not just rubbing salt into the wounds, he was carving new ones. Maldina just glared at him, and then stalked out. She hated Blake more at this moment than she hated anybody else on the planet, and this girl was full of hate.

After Maldina had left with her squad, Blake called Hurst to the Ops room. By this time Hanson and Taylor had returned to their duties monitoring the array of screens and overseeing communications.

Hurst arrived, smiling his smile, grinning his grin. Blake had wanted to ensure there would be no problems with Hurst, one loose canon on deck was more than enough.

"I'll tell you what I told Maldina: no further breaches of 12:15 or you'll be on a charge. Understood?" Blake asked.

"Yes sir." Hurst was surprised at the somber mood, he had been expecting more of the party atmosphere of the morning's briefing.
"I know she is your superior officer Hurst, but at your age you that should know better. The officers' shower for Christ's sake?"
"We thought you were asleep, and Lieutenant Talbot was on duty sir."

"On duty watching the monitors you prick!" Blake momentarily lost his temper again.

"But the chances of anybody looking at the officers' shower while we were in...." Hurst was still trying to make excuses, but only for getting caught.

"Hurst, they followed you back from the Crofters and went straight to Ops to watch the show for Christ's sake." Blake paused and then went on more calmly. "Anyway, no excuses, but no repetitions. OK Sergeant?"

"So I am forbidden further contact with the Lieutenant?" Hurst was asking genuinely, he had not understood properly and thought that Blake was warning him off.

Blake breathed deeply before answering. "No Hurst, you may see anyone you want, outside of your squad, but you, nor anyone else, may copulate with them in communal areas. That is all." Blake dismissed Hurst before the Sergeant could ask him what copulate meant.

Burrows had moved the commune three kilometers north as a sign of submission. Nine dead was unpalatable, but the further nineteen injured was in some ways worse and they had to be cared for while they recovered. The out-break of cholera seemed to be under control. They had managed to obtain medicine after all by relying on charity rather than raiding or trading. Burrows was content to lick his wounds for a while. He knew how to pick his fights, when to lie low and when to strike. The last raid had been a disaster mainly because it had been born out of desperation. The worst mistake had been the size of the party. Small raiding parties had at time been turned back without even an exchange of fire, or at worst some wounded but no dead. This time he had forced their hand by taking such a big party that the only safe way for the Feds to turn them away was by using deadly force. Burrows understood all that, but it still pained him.

"Well I like this place. It's bigger than the old farm we were in." Davies was simply trying to animate her comrade.

"Better wallpaper too." Burrows said sarcastically, well aware of Davies' intention. "Davies, if you really want to cheer me up you could give me head."

"I don't want to cheer you up that much." Davies did not appreciate Burrows' turn of phrase at times. In this instance she guessed it was intentional.

"Don't let it get to you, you're doin' OK." Her reassuring comments were far from reassuring. Burrows wanted to be doing great, not just OK. He had yet to have a real victory in his new sector. A couple of good raids, but no meaty victories. "The problem is Blake, if we could take him out then we could work at the sector. Get more than a few supplies every now and then."

Burrows knew she was right. At first he had seen his opponent as a challenge to be overcome, now he saw him as an obstacle that had to be torn down. Perhaps Davies was right, they should take him out.

Where an army of forty people could not go, a small group, maybe two or three could go with immunity. Most of Burrows' number were unknown to the Federation, that left him with quite a few options.

"What if we did send someone to take him out. Who do we send?" Burrows asked.

"Well no one would do it as a suicide mission, so you would have to come up with a game plan first." Davies knew that killing Blake was an easy enough idea, but its execution would be quite a different matter. As an old colleague of Blake's she knew that he would rarely be alone outside of the base. Getting into the base would be almost impossible.

"As I see it we have two choices. One, we locate and wipe out him and his whole squad. Two, we get someone intimately close to him, get him alone, and kill him." Burrows knew the first option would be extremely difficult and dangerous, and would require a large raiding party. The second, to get someone intimate with Blake, would only be possible with the right person.

"We simply don't have anyone who could get that close to him." Davies had quickly run through all the women in the commune, none seemed up to the task in hand.

"There are only three women who would be able to move around in the Federal sector without too many problems. I wouldn't want to sleep with any one of them, I don't see why Blake would either." Burrows had obviously come to the same conclusion.
"What if we bring someone in from another sector?" Davies already had someone in mind. "Like Chantel for instance."
"No, Chantel would want to take over the whole operation." Burrows thought the price of her involvement would be too high.
"But for how long, surely you could take a back seat for a while." Davies was subtly attacking him for being egotistical, a ploy she knew would not fail.

"Well how would we know she would even do it, or that she has not been ID'd by the Feds?" Burrows asked.
"I'll contact her and find out." With that Davies began to undo Burrows pants and perform the act he had requested when she first came into the room.

Chapter 2: Chantel

A few days later Blake was on a medium patrol with his squad. He wanted to check in on a couple of farms, and check to see if he could pick up any information about what the PLA could be up to. There was no particular reason to think that they would make any moves in the near future, but he liked to keep ahead.

His first call was the Brompton Farm, it was away from the perimeter, but was such a big operation that the near constant turnover of staff led to it being a good source of information. The farm was run by the thirtysomething couple of Edwards/Brompton. Blake had known Brompton for two years and Edwards since he arrived there a year ago. He often relied on the information they provided. Edwards was out in the fields, but he found Brompton in one of the sheds at the back tending to a young calf.

"Brommie, its good to see you." He leant over to kiss her.

"Blake, how are you doing. I heard about the ambush - caught them in the showers did you." Despite her comment Brompton was smiling at him sympathetically. "Really Blake," she went on, "the girl's a psychopath, she's after your blood and you still dote on her." Brompton had heard all the gossip from the base, and had jumped to her own conclusions.

"She's cooled down since I sent her on a twenty four hour treck, and that certainly wasn't doting." Blake said.

"I can read you like a book Blake," she had put the calf down now and stood up next to Blake, her face close to his. "You could really do better than her you know, and often did if I remember rightly." Brompton was referring to an affair they had had two years ago when he was first posted to NW126. It was partly the reason he had gone there today, he wanted a little reassurance.
Blake smiled at her and touched her shoulder. "Edwards is a lucky man, I hope he knows it."

"He knows Blake, he knows." Brompton smiled and waited, it was long since over between them but there was still a bond. Blake seemed like a wounded animal to her, much more then of course when he was posted there after ten years at the front, but now too, at times. However together he appeared to others she had seen a vulnerability in him, and deep routed pain at what he had done in his life, and what he had become.

"You know one of these days you will have to couple up, babies and everything." Brompton was bringing up an old subject, but in the past it had been about them, now it was just about him. "Wilde's a nice girl you know, far too good for you of course."

"You think I should snap her up before I get too old and unappealing you mean?" Blake asked jokingly.

"Before you get too dead Blake. Your luck can't last forever you know. Settle down Blake, leave killing and dying to the young." Brompton's face had turned rather serious.

"You'd prefer someone else as the commander round here would you?" Blake knew the answer to his question.
"It's good to have you looking after us, you know that Blake. But it ain't good for you."

"When I'm forty I'll get booted upstairs anyhow, and no need for babies." Blake said, trying yet another vain smile.

"Invest in the future Blake, before its' too late." Brompton's intentions had been good, but the conversation had become morbid.

Blake decided to change the subject. "Listen Brommie, I don't suppose you've heard anything from out there in the last couple of days have you?" This was a subject he was much more comfortable with.

"Well they've moved away a little you know, but I don't think Burrows has given up at all. From what I can work out they seem to think you have constant satellite cover."

"Who says I don't?" Some things were secret beyond friendship.

"Yeah right, and you've got a thousand troopers at the base hidden in the cellars."

"Two thousand Brommie, two thousand. It's just that I only ever have use of the female ones, and that doesn't involve them leaving the base." They both laughed a little at his comment.

At that point Blake's ComLink burst into life, and he put his helmet back on.

"A1 receiving." - Blake

"This is E1 at base, we have three unauthorized entries to the sector." Hanson, back in the Ops room.
"Project it." At Blake's command an image of the sector was projected onto his visor which showed the position of the three breaches of the perimeter. "Mark the breaches X, Y and Z." Blake was annoyed that Hanson had not already done this.
"Yes Sir, sorry." Hanson said apologetically.

"OK, we'll take Y, Squad B take X and Squad D take Z, effective immediately. Approach with caution, but a wide spread, they could be anywhere by the time you get there."

"Confirmed." - Corporal. Hanson at Ops.

"Confirmed." - Sergeant Hurst, Squad B.

"Confirmed." - Corporal Bates, Squad D.

This was all standard procedure. People sometimes wandered over the perimeter without authorization. Anyone with a defective radio would not be able to obtain authorization to cross, and there were plenty of others who would refuse to get authorization simply because they were unsympathetic to the Feds. That there were three breaches at the same time, all some distance apart, this was much more unusual, but nothing beyond coincidence.

Blake was disappointed that duty called him away so soon. It was rare for him to spend time with Brompton like this.
"Always the same story Blake, running out on me again." Brompton said as she kissed him good-bye on the cheek.
"It's a hard habit to break." With that Blake left the shed and called the rest of his squad.

"Squad A moving out, fifty meters spacing." Blake's order was not met with approval as it meant that the troopers would be too far away from each other to talk. They could not use the ComLink to chat, it was for strictly official use only. Blake's squad moved quickly across the fields towards the perimeter, each one left to their own thoughts.

Within half an hour Blake was arriving at the perimeter with his squad, they had not encountered the unauthorized entrant.

"E1 to A1." Hanson at Ops.

"A1, E1, what is it?." Blake.

"We had an incomplete transmission from Baker farm. Will relay it to you now." All that could be heard from the transmission was low breathing and a female voice mumbling something incoherent.

"A1 to E1, could not make that out. You'd better send C squad to check it out.?" Blake was concerned by the transmission.

"OK, C squad moving out in five." Maldina said enthusiastically.

Straight check and return." Blake was not happy that he would now have four squads out of the base. This left only one squad on duty in defense. He thought of raising another squad to duty status then thought better of it. Instead he decided to hurry things along a little.

"Squad A, let's move it." With this he starting running, but not too fast.

Maldina and her squad were at Baker's Farm within thirty minutes, they had ran at full speed. As they approached the farm they saw nothing unusual, which was unusual in itself.

"C3 and C4 sweep round and then cover the exits from distance." With this she took her two remaining troopers right up to the main farm building. "C5 stay here." Only herself and C2 entered the old farm. As Cooper, C2, covered, Maldina tried the front door. It was open. She pushed it ajar and called out. "Baker, is your radio out again?"

There was no reply. Maldina kicked the door full open now and leapt through. All was quiet.

"C1 I have two bodies out here". Both shot close range."

"Who said that?" Maldina asked.

"Sorry, its Fogg, I mean C4 sir." Fogg was pretty shaken at what he had seen. The two dead men had been shot at close range in the back of the head.

"OK C4 continue, ComLink in the squad only." Maldina's instruction meant that messages were only transmitted to others in her squad. This was a normal procedure, but very unusual given her present circumstances.

Maldina continued to edge through the farm, room by room. She found nothing downstairs and started up the stairs. After six steps on the landing she could see legs hanging over the edge of a bed in one of the bedrooms. As Cooper covered her she slowly entered the room. Face down on the bed was the naked body of the Baker girl. She was fourteen years old, and like the others, had been shot in the back of the head. There was also blood from her groin area.

"C1 to A1, I have three corpses, including a suspected rape at the Baker farm." Maldina thought it was time to call this one in.
"A1 to C1, take up a defensive position in the farm and wait for me there." Blake did not know what to make of this. "Squad A, follow me we have a change of plan, double speed." Blake starting running at full tilt towards the Baker farm.

"Squad B return to base. Squad D to Baker farm." Blake shouted the commands as he ran.

Of course Maldina had not taken up a defensive position at the farm. She had continued to search the place, and found the body of the girls' mother. She was not naked, but had been shot in the back of the head, just like the others. One of the two bodies Fogg had found outside the farm, Maldina had identified as the girl's father. The whole Baker family had been executed, and the daughter raped.

By the time Blake arrived, some twenty minutes later, Squad D was also there, with both squads now formed in a defensive position.
"Blake, up here." Maldina called out from the top of the stairs.

The scene that greeted Blake was not all together unfamiliar. If a family on a border farm could not be turned to the PLA, this was often their fate. What concerned Blake was that there had only been three unauthorized entries within twenty four hours, all three were singles, and only one was close enough to have got to the Baker Farm. It appeared to him that one lone PLA raider had done all this.

"A1 to Ops. E1, off duty time is canceled. All troopers to remain in their squads from muster to bunking down."
Blake had not asked Maldina for her opinion so she gave it anyway.

"We've either got a sleeper group in the sector, or this was done by a lone psycho raider. All valuable rations have gone. And if it's a loner, at least we know it's a man."

Blake nodded at Maldina and continued talking on the ComLink. Notify everyone that there will be a muster at the school at 1400 hours Friday. No exceptions. Also inform Division HQ that we'll need the satellite on Friday. I will explain to Colonel Rogers when I get back to base."

Only now did Blake give Maldina his full attention.

"I expect you to file a full report back at the base. As for now, did you see anyone?" Blake asked.

"No, if I'd seen the person who did this I'd......" Maldina was indignant at the question.

"You've found no possible evidence to suggest whether this was done by a group or a loner, tracks, quantity of supplies taken? Blake doubted she would be able to give a considered response to this question.

"All valuable rations were taken, but there is no one left alive to estimate the quantity. No tracks have been found." Maldina was almost sounding like a Federal Officer.

Once back at the base, Blake called Maldina to join him and Talbot in the Ops room. He was disturbed by the day's events and desperately wanted to regain the initiative.

"1400 hours Friday we have a general muster at the school. I will be there with four squads. Talbot you and your squad will be here at Ops while Maldina will be responsible for picking up any body in the sector who did not muster. Given what happened at the Baker Farm I expect all our people to muster. It should therefore be fairly simple for Talbot to direct you to anybody the satellite picks up, who we can presume to be hostile."

"How many squads will I have?" Maldina asked.

"Five, but you'll have to split up if you have multiple targets." Blake instructed.

"Permission to speak freely sir?" Talbot was requesting permission to criticize Blake's plan.

"OK." Blake was always open to constructive criticism.

"If its a sleeper group they will go to the muster with everybody else and you'll never spot them. If its a lone raider they could be out of the sector by Friday."

"Quite right Lieutenant, but polygraphs will be carried out on everybody over 12 years old." Blake explained.
"But that will take too long." Talbot added.

"Just two questions, were you involved in the Baker killings, do you support the PLA?" It won't take more than five or six hours to do everybody, and will be worth it if we have a any sleepers here." Blake knew polygraphs were generally disliked, but the incident at the Baker Farm would give him a very sympathetic crowd. As for a lone raider returning across the perimeter I'm going to put four squads out there twenty four hours per day. Any unauthorized crossings will be intercepted."

Both Talbot and Maldina looked impressed.

"In fact Lieutenant Talbot, you are on first watch. There are three squads out there already, so take yours out as well and we'll relieve you in 12 hours."

"Yes, sir." With that Talbot left.

"Lieutenant Maldina, I want you to conduct background checks on all authorized entries to our sector in the last 4 days." Blake knew Maldina did not like this kind of office work, but given the plush job he had given her on Friday, she could not argue.
"Yes, sir." Maldina was obviously very grateful.

"If you need me I'll be in my quarters getting some sleep. You will be replaced in Ops by Corporal Black in fours hours, then you replace Talbot on the perimeter in 12." With that Blake left.

At 0400 the perimeter alarm was raised. Two contacts left the Federal Sector without authorization. Sergeant Woods' squad was nearest to them and was directed towards them by Corporal Black at Ops. Within five minutes of quick cross country running across the moors and into PLA territory, Sergeant Woods had them in her night sights. She could see the two targets struggling along in the dark, barely at jogging speed, but couldn't see any weapons nor body armor. She fired a warning shot above their heads and shouted to them to stop, and they responded by returning fire with pistols. They were firing vainly into the dark, whereas Woods had them clear as day in the IR nightsight goggles attached to her helmet.

"Open fire." She screamed to her squad, and five machine guns stared spitting out fragments of death at the two targets. With these words she had signaled the death of the two raiders. They were stung by bullets immediately from the five guns trained on them. By the time Woods ordered her troops to cease-fire, both men were dead. They had been ripped apart by hundreds of bullets each.
"H1 to J1 at Ops, we have two dead raiders. Both male, both armed and both over-burdened with supplies."

The interception was kept quiet by Blake, who did not want the investigation into the Baker Farm incident to come to such a premature conclusion. Friday's muster was carried out, and the polygraphs revealed 16 supporters of the PLA, although they seemed more sympathetic to the PLA cause, rather than active fighters. All were sent to Divisional HQ for interrogation. Unsurprisingly, the Baker massacre question brought no new revelations. Satellite cover revealed that 68 people had not gone to the muster, news of Sergeant Woods' good work having leaked to some people. Maldina had marshaled her forces well and covered a lot of territory, but she had only been able to tackle 23 of the 68 targets, ordering each to be taken to the muster at the school. There was simply not enough satellite time to locate the remaining 45.

Blake kept the tight perimeter security going with three squads posted there ready to intercept any unauthorized crossing. This meant that at any one time, nearly a third of his total manpower was on the perimeter, leaving just a couple of squads on duty for the rest of the sector. One squad would always be at the base, with its commander at Ops, which left only one squad to keep order in the town center. So far this had not presented any problems, but it remained essential that those on the perimeter intercepted any and all raiders. This added pressure, along with the tedium of perimeter patrol made the job doubly disliked, and so increased the need for diversion when they were off duty. Diversion normally meant the Crofters' Bar.

Sergeant Richards had challenged Blake's squad to a pool competition, losers pay for the drinks. Blake's squad was winning two games to one so far, but the fourth game was not going well.

"Smith Claire, if you don't pull your finger out, I'll send you on a 48 hour perimeter patrol on your own. Now come on." Blake was dishing out his own brand of motivation.

"Captain, I told you I was no good at pool." Smith Claire was playing Wilde, from Richards' squad. While neither women were pool sharks, Wilde was at least potting the odd ball. Wilde had originally been assigned to Blake's squad, but he had her transferred to Richards' squad so they could conduct their notoriously secret affair. Blake bent the rules rather than break them.

"You should never have got rid of Wilde sir, one of the best pool players on the base." Berry was stretching the truth just to bring up the 'Wilde' issue.

"Leaving Squad A was the best thing that happened to me in a long time, Berry, now I hardly ever see your ugly face around the base." Wilde said with a smile.

"Just in your dreams then Wilde." Berry replied.

"Just when I close my eyes and the demons come Berry." Wilde said as she potted another ball.

"Berry why don't you do us all the favor of keeping quiet and getting more drinks in." Blake did not appreciate the snide remarks his relationship with Wilde always created when they were together in public, but there was little he could do about it. Their relationship had cooled off these days, and he suspected that she had seen other men in protest of his increasing coolness to her, but they had still been together a few times recently.

Wilde smiled at Blake's comments: she loved the man, but at times hated the commander. It was something special sleeping with the Captain, at times great and at times horrendous. She had never talked of coupling with Blake, not that he had asked her. They slept together, but raising children together was not an immediate possibility. The complication of their official/personal relationship created too many problems. Sometimes they would spend the whole night together and hardly exchange a word as Blake brooded in his silent tortured world. It was a cold relationship at times, one that she feared was only alight in her heart. She had tried to get through to Blake, but he always turned officious on her; his problems were those of a war weary Captain, not a virgin soldier.

There was something rather erotic in the way Wilde played. She bent over the table, leaving her butt up in the air. The skirt of black protective plates lifted at the back, to reveal the very utmost top of her legs and the expanse of pale flesh which led to her stocking tops. She knew what she was doing when she played pool, not so much on the table, but in the minds of the men that were watching. Wilde was about 5'6" with a good, full figure. Her duties as a Fed Trooper kept her fit, but she put in extra time at the gym to keep everything where it should be. She had curly bleached blond shoulder length hair that was kept hidden in her helmet most of the time. The full red lips, blue eyes and small pointy noise combined to create a rather beautiful face, she was proud of the way she looked, and rightly so.

Her next shot left her right in front of Blake, perfect. She pushed her chest flat on the table, arching her spine up to her butt. The wry smiles from the men around the table.

"You should be banned from playing pool Wilde." Berry said to nervous laughter from around the table.

"Berry, did you get those drinks in?" Blake asked hoarsely.

"They're coming sir." said Berry.

"They're not the only ones." Casper, of Richards squad, stage whispered. Wilde smiled as she missed her shot with perfection.
At the other side of the bar Blake noticed a tall brunette who had just approached Maldina. The two were now talking. The woman was as tall as Maldina and just as beautiful, but in an even more refined and feminine way. Just then, Maldina pointed to Blake and they both looked over. Blake met the gaze of this woman. It was a real 'eyes met across a crowded room' moment. The woman appeared to thank Maldina and then started walking towards Blake. With each step she took Blake's heart pounded stronger. The continuing eye contact had been noticed by those around the table. All were now watching as she approached.

"Captain Blake?" She asked smiling broadly at him.

"At your service." Blake replied stiffly.

"My name is Chantel, I am a niece of the Bakers, my parents inherited their farm." She said calmly, her eyes shining at him.
"Oh I'm very sorry." Blake stuttered.

"Don't be on my account, I never met them." Chantel said disarmingly.

"My father sent me to work the farm, so I wanted to speak to you about where I could get some help, and about security." Chantel must have known, she could of got help just about anywhere. "As you can imagine, after what happened I am a little concerned."
"Well of course, come over here where we can talk." With that Blake left his comrades round the pool table and sat with Chantel on the far side of the bar, near Maldina. The look Wilde gave Maldina could have curdled milk. Chantel and Blake were the absolute center of attention in the bar, with everybody stealing glances at them and whispering. The hope that Blake would return was quite visible on Wilde's face. She watched them as they began to talk.

"What happened to the Bakers was horrific, and completely unheard of in my sector. Since then we have completely sealed the perimeter. All unauthorized crossings are challenged. All of them!" Blake was trying to reassure her, as he would anyone in her position, but he was particularly keen for her to continue in residence at the Baker Farm.

"What about the people already here in your sector, maybe someone here did it, and they could do it again." Chantel's voice was soft and low, her head leaned close to Blake's as she spoke. Blake in turn moving his head closer to hers, to catch what she said above the din of the bar.

"As I am sure you will know the verdict of the inquest was that one of two raiders attacked the Bakers, they were both caught going back across the perimeter."

"And where are they now?" Chantel asked.

"In hell Chantel, they're dead." As Blake spoke he could see Maldina on the table behind Chantel with Cooper and Fogg from her squad. Maldina kept glancing over at Blake's table. She now met his gaze for an instant. Maybe there was something there besides contempt. Blake was having a good evening.

"How many people do you command here Blake?" Chantel moved yet closer to Blake, her voice lower the nearer she got to him, her lips then brushing his ear as she spoke. Their shoulders were now touching.

"49 Chantel. And how many men do you command?" Blake asked, trying to make a joke.

They continued talking and drinking, each moment becoming more intimate. Chantel's hand was now on Blake's knee, his on her shoulder, as they huddled in the half light of the bar

"Sir can I speak to you one minute." Maldina interrupted.

"What is it Maldina." Blake was upset that they had been interrupted, but not that it was by Maldina.

"A word in private sir." Maldina said, as though she were back on duty.

"You can speak freely here." Blake said, he could not imagine what Maldina suddenly had to say that could be confidential.

"Sir, you should get her background checked before you take her back to the base, we don't know anything about her." Maldina at her mischievous best.

"Thank you Lieutenant, I will take your counsel under advisement." Blake tried not to look too embarrassed, but he was loving it.

"What's that? You can't take me back to the base and ravish me, how will I survive." Chantel spoke with great sarcasm and gave Maldina a look that made her ridiculous. Maldina was now the one to feel uncomfortable.

"I am responsible for your safety sir, and it is against the regulations." Maldina added weakly.

"I thought you were aware Lieutenant, that I, unlike yourself, am fully conversant with General Order, Section 12:15." Blake could not resist an oblique reference to the shower incident with Hurst.

"Your command decision, Captain." With that Maldina left them, she had done her best to embarrass Blake, to start to repay him in kind. She returned to her table to raucous laughter, which she seemed to share.

"Jealous type your lieutenant, she obviously has a thing for you." Chantel said as she tried to rekindle the intimacy.
"A thing called hatred you mean." Blake said as he smiled at her.

"Oh Captain you simply do not understand women do you?" Chantel had slowly brought her face close Blake's in no time at all.
"Obviously not. So anyway, you intend to work this farm do you? You don't look like a farmer." Blake realized that in her way, Maldina was right, he knew absolutely nothing of Chantel.

"My step-father was left it by his brother, Baker. He suggested I tried my hand at running the farm. If it doesn't work out then we'll sell up."

"Had any experience with farms?" Blake asked.

"No, but I've already advertised for a farm manager. Do you know anybody?" Through all her words remained Chantel's smile. Blake was finding it truly intoxicating. This was different! Something about her; the eyes, the smile. It really was different.
"Let me have a think about it, and I'll get back to you." Blake couldn't think of anyone suitable.

Blake and Chantel continued their cozy little chat for more than an hour, though they stopped short of devouring each other in the bar, it was obvious what was on their minds.

"Listen Blake I'd better get back to my new home, before I forget where it is." Chantel half whispered in his ear.
"Let me escort you back." Offered Blake.

"Of course, kind sir. As if I would leave without you." Chantel said as she stood up, holding out a hand to Blake. He stood up and then led her out of the bar, still holding her hand. Blake avoided all eye contact as his left, especially with Wilde.

As Blake walked Chantel back to the Baker Farm they talked about her life. Her quiet upbringing in the safe, South Eastern District. To her this must seem real bandit country thought Blake, no wonder she was worried about security. Blake learnt that she was 22 years old, had two younger half sisters, but no brothers, half or otherwise. She had kept her birth father's name, against the wishes of her step father. One of the reasons she had come to take care of the farm was to appease him, to show that she was his daughter as well.

They had been walking with just their arms linked, but as they reached the gate of Baker's Farm, Chantel turned and threw her arms around Blake's neck. Her mouth millimeters from his as she whispered: "Stay with me tonight Blake." They kissed a lingering kiss as Blake put his arms around her and caressed her back and hips . As their tongues jousted for position, Blake cupped her butt in his hands. He held her buttocks and pulled her tight against him.

"Awh." Chantel shrieked in pain as one of Blake's armor plates dug into her soft flesh.. "Let's go inside." She said as she led him to the door. "Can you stay?" Chantel asked as she opened the door.

"I can stay for a while Chantel, but I'm on duty in less than six hours."

"Six hours should be plenty." She said as she led him inside.

They continued kissing once in the kitchen of the farmhouse. Blake pulled the coat off Chantel's shoulders, and she moved her arms down to let it fall to the floor.

"Are you going to take this off?" Chantel asked him referring to the body armor, "or should I get the tin opener."

"You won't need a tin opener." Blake put his hands behind Chantel and picked her up, putting her down in a sitting position on the corner of the kitchen table. They had resumed kissing as he opened her blouse, she in turned fiddled with the armor plates at his crotch with little effect. Her blouse and bra now removed, Blake began to kiss and lick her breasts, first one and then the other. As he did this he tore the material of her flimsy knickers at the strap on the left side of her hips, ripping them apart with the fore finger and thumb of both hands and pulled them free, dropping them to the floor.

"Thanks........, I didn't want to wear......... them again." Chantel's breathing was heavy and labored. Only now did Blake lift her skirt completely to her waist revealing her nakedness. He moved his forefinger from her mouth, where she had been bathing it with her kisses and moved it down her body until it was between her legs. He gently pressed it against the swollen, wet, flesh, which sent her twitching slightly on the table. He licked the fingers of his hand and then continued to gently probe and caress her. As his right hand was moving rhythmically between her legs, his left hand was working her right breast, as he kissed her left nipple.
Chantel was becoming overcome with desire, she pulled his face from her breast, kissed him and whispered "f--- me now, I want you inside me now." With this Blake removed the armor plate around his crotch and lower his shorts. He gently pushed himself against her, pushing up on her own damp swollen flesh. She began to slowly accept him into her, millimeter by millimeter. Blake was still stood almost stationary, his body swayed slightly as she pushed and writhed against him, her hands greedily pulling his buttocks onto her. Blake held her keeping her almost still, one hand on her hip, the other around the nape of her neck. She continued to push and move against him as he now moved with and against her gently. Sweat began to collect on Blake's back, his body still almost completely clothed. He began to sway more pronouncedly into her now as she sighed and moaned.

She broke off from the kiss and lay back on the table, her hands thrown back behind her head and then searching through her hair. Blake's hand went from her neck to her breasts, massaging them firmly in time with the writhing of their bodies. Her eyes closed as she continued to moan incoherently. One hand pulling her hair, the other reaching for Blake's face. Chantel's legs were wrapped around Blake's back, holding him in place like the pincers of a crab. Her hand reached his face, forcing his lips open as he kissed her fingers. He continued to move with and against her with slowly increasing intensity.

Abruptly Blake freed her legs from behind his back, and raised them high above the table, resting her ankles against his shoulders. She pressed her left foot against his mouth and he began to suck her toes now, her hand lowered to her crotch. His tongue flicked and moved between her toes as he sucked one then the other, as though playing panpipes. His body slapped against hers, now so fully inside that she could yield no more. Blake kept her back pushed flat against the table, only her legs raised high above her. His hands leaning down on her hips, gently moving her towards and away from him. Her body moving so slightly against him, slipping lightly on the glistening surface of the table. He moved a hand on top of her lower abdomen, the thumb tugging at her swollen flesh, as she squirmed and wriggled.

"Harder Blake, harder." She implored, her voice much louder than before.

Blake began to pound into her, his body shuddering against hers as they collided. He continued like this for a little while.

Now he pulled her legs apart again, and they fell down his body, joining once more behind his back. His hands met at the top of her legs, his thumbs touching at the joining of their two bodies, as he held the crease where her legs met her body, stretching her skin at the inside of her thigh. He slid slowly in and almost out of her, in and almost out. Her hands were with his, now holding him against her, pulling him ever nearer to her. He continued his rocking motion against her, each stroke with slightly more force, each time deeper into her until his body was shuddering against her once again. His actions were gentle, yet forceful as he moved against her naked body, sprawled over the table in the half light.

After some minutes Blake withdrew from her, the tip resting against the open doors of her sexuality, briefly, then he pushed her legs up and then down and around in a clockwise direction, turning her body round. She now had her feet on the floor and was turned away from him. Her chest against the table, her face away from his. He spread her cheeks and entered her immediately, but slowly again. He pushed hard against her, filling her completely with his warmth. Chantel's body moved with and against him as his left hand, now at her hip, pushed and rolled her. Blake rushed to think of death, of football, of death in football, anything to extend the pleasure, to give Chantel more time to catch him up. His right hand was at now at the top of her leg, his thumb brushing against their joined flesh as he moved in and out of her. The thumb slid as it rested on the brief expanse of flesh between her two openings, teasing and cajoling her to new heights as she was catching up to him.

"Yes Blake yes, oh God yes." Chantel moaning as she put fingers from her left hand into her mouth where she sucked them. Her right arm stretched back towards Blake, rasping and clutching at his hip, and then her own buttock, pulling and pushing it against him as he moved in and almost out of her. She slapped herself hard against her hip, reaching as much of her ass as she could. Blake joined her in this exploit, but with far greater effect. His left hand pushing down on the small of her back, as his right hand swiped almost sideways against her ass. Her cheeks stinging as he repeated and repeated the act. She continued as well, catching him at times, as much as she caught herself.

"Yes , yes Blake ... I'm coming I'm f---ing coming." Chantel spoke in a whispered scream, greatly suppressed. He pounded her as he heard her last words, inside her as deep as could ever be. The waves of electricity rippling and crashing through their joined flesh. Blake came with the rhythmic spasms of her body, the convulsions squeezing and releasing him repeatedly. Chantel dug her fingernails hard into his exposed flesh, scraping the skin from his buttocks. His torso now falling onto her sweat covered body on the table.

"That was so good, but... but let's go to bed now Blake." Chantel was hurrying to compose and re-focus herself.

"I really can't Chantel, I need to get some sleep before I go on duty." Blake's head rested against hers on the table.
"You can sleep here, can't you." Chantel implored.

Blake smiled at her and stood straight again. "I truly doubt that." Only now did his deflating penis leave her body.

"Ooh that was good, it really was."

"You're telling me. You're quite a girl Chantel. I mean it, you're really something special."

"Then stay Blake, for a while at least."

"I'm sorry I can't. I really have to go." With this Blake pulled his shorts back on and replaced the fiber armor plates. "I'll come round tomorrow, about 1800?" Blake said as he kissed her before moving to the door.

"Wait Blake, stay please. I need to talk to you. Don't leave ,e alone here." Chantel said as she stood up, she moved to stop Blake at the door.

"Tomorrow Chantel." Blake said as he closed the door behind him and started to walk back to the base.

"You bastard," Chantel said to herself. Her face then filled with rage. "You stupid bitch." Chantel slammed her fist down hard on the kitchen table. "You stupid f---ing whore," Chantel screamed with absolute rage in her eyes. She was truly disgusted at herself. Things had gone perfectly up to a point, and then she'd let everything go to hell. Now it would have to wait until tomorrow. She had exposed herself to ever increasing danger. She went upstairs, showered and went to bed. She too, would have to get her rest.

Blake awoke at 0540, his alarm reminding him he had to be on duty in twenty minutes. He had slept well, the sleep of a fairly content man. As he returned from the shower Wilde was waiting for him outside his quarters.

"Blake can I speak to you." That she had not called him Captain showed this was unsurprisingly a personal matter.

"Just wait one minute while I put some clothes on." With this Blake pushed past her and opened the door.

"OK." Wilde whispered lamely, why she had to wait, she did not know for she had seen him naked dozens of times, the last time not more than two weeks ago.

After five minutes Blake, now fully dressed opened the door to let Wilde in, as he did so he exchanged glances with Maldina who was just returning to her quarters after exchanging a few words with Wilde.

"Blake I need to speak to you about last night." Wilde spoke very softly. "I felt sick last night when you left with that girl, I could not sleep for thinking about what you were doing with her, that you used to do with me." Blake let her go on. "It really made me think about how I feel about you, seeing you with her like that."

"Like what Wilde? We were just talking in the bar." Blake's words were far from convincing, or comforting.

"I think you had sex with that girl last night, tell me you didn't and I'll believe you." Wilde implored him.

"Does it matter if I did, we're no exactly an exclusive couple are we?" Blake was referring to her extra curricula activities.

"Blake, I only wanted you. It was you that turned me away almost all the time. We were together only when you wanted, never when I needed you." Wilde had tears in her eyes as she spoke.

The siren indicating the changing of duty sounded briefly.

"We'll have to speak later Wilde, I'm sorry."

"Promise me you won't see her again." Wilde implored.

"How can I promise that Wilde." Blake was taken aback by what she said.

"At least until we have a chance to speak properly." She said touching his arm with her hand.

"OK, come to my quarter's when you finish your shift." With that Blake walked past her.

Blake was very surprised at Wild's reaction. He had thought badly of Wilde for sleeping with Hanson and then Curtis, her old flame from training camp. Their off on relationship suited Blake and his moods, but Wilde had reacted to this by trying to make him jealous. Because of this he had relegated the relationship, and her, to a casual status. He was now trying to rationalize it in his head. Did their affair mean more than he had thought? Was there a future with Wilde, or perhaps Chantel? More likely neither of them. Anyway this was not the time to think of the future.

He walked into Ops, where Talbot and Maldina were both sat waiting for him.

"Lieutenant Talbot, anything interesting to report?" Blake asked.

"No sir. Squads D, and J are waiting to be relieved on the perimeter, but there has been nothing unusual to report."

"OK Lieutenant, you can go off duty." Blake then turned to Maldina, "Squads B and G to the perimeter, and you can take C to stalk around town if you want."

"Pleasant watch officers," Talbot said as he left the room.

"Blake, do you mind if I stay in Ops and do a background check on Chantel first?" Maldina's request was more than reasonable. " She did tell me last night that she would be taking over Baker's Farm."

"Lieutenant, there is no need for any special treatment. Log her arrival in the events book. When it is posted to Division they will do a standard check." Blake was feeling more than a little defensive, and was beginning to regret the way this was shaping up.

"Frankly Captain, if you are to indulge in sexual relations with this girl, as your second in command it is my duty to ensure we have her background checked as soon as possible." Maldina was correct.

"Leave it to the Log, Lieutenant." Blake knew that technically this was a breach of the regulations, but he did not want Division to be informed of another liaison he was having with a farmer, there had been a lot of questions asked when he was seeing Brompton, and she had been subject to a most unpleasant interview. "Rest assured that Chantel will not be stopping over at the base Lieutenant, or using the facilities, showers et cetera," he added with a smile.

"I think it only right that you know Wilde is very upset about this." Maldina was enjoying her intrusion into Blake's private life. "If you had been able to look at anyone, but Chantel last night, you would have seen her crying in the bar. There is a lot of sympathy for her sir."

Blake did not know what to make of Maldina's last comment. If she had said it just to hurt him, it had worked, but there did seem to be a little genuine concern there as well. Blake pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Maldina, my private life is beyond the scope of your duties. This discussion is over and the subject shall not be brought up again."
"Understood, sir." With that Maldina fell silent.

As Maldina left Ops to take her squad into the town she was replaced by Hanson as Ops officer. He too had decided to speak up on Wilde's behalf.

"Sir, permission to speak directly to you Sir, unofficially?" Hanson said nervously.

"Go ahead Corporal." Blake replied wearily.

"Its about Wilde sir."

"I thought it might be, Hanson."

"She asked me to tell you that nothing happened between us. There was a rumor that we were together, and we were together one evening in the Crofters, but nothing happened, not really, if you know what I mean, sir." Blake knew what he meant. He was now firmly being painted as the villain. Blake held up his hand to silence Hanson.

"Enough Corporal, I will hear no more about this." Many Fed officers made it a personal policy not to get involved with someone under their command, although the regulations only discouraged affairs within the same squad. Blake was beginning to see why this policy had some appeal. This day was getting worse by the minute. Blake went into the briefing room in order to be alone. He needed to think. It was a complicated matter of the heart really, he had misjudged and had been mistreating Wilde, as he was beginning to see, yet there was Chantel who he could not let be a one night stand. It was also a command decision. Obviously his relationship with Wilde had in fact been accepted by his troops. She was popular with them. Maybe what he had seen as a casual attitude to their relationship by Wilde had really been a low key approach, a considered attempt to give him room and time.
What did he feel for Wilde? He was very attracted to her, but although they had slept together repeatedly, they had never really talked honestly and openly to each other. Blake was beginning to see that this might be more his fault than hers. Was he punishing her for his own shortcomings? Would a relationship with Chantel lead to the same pitfalls. Much of Blake's past, much of himself, he could just not show to another human being. The things he had done, that he had had to do. It was impossible. Would it be better with Chantel? A difficult question as he hardly knew her. It would certainly be a lot less complicated alone. All this was getting him nowhere. He would take his squad to the perimeter, but away from G squad, and Wilde, and away from the Baker Farm, and Chantel. He had more than his fare share of thinking to do, and for once it wasn't related to duty, well not as far as he knew.

When he returned that afternoon he called Wilde, now off duty, into the briefing room. He sat waiting for her, going over what he must say until there was a knock on the door.

"Enter." He said.

"You wanted to see me sir." It was Wilde.

"Come over here please Wilde." Blake was apprehensive, but Wilde was more so. She had a terrible feeling she knew what he was going to say and she tried to head him off.

"Blake I'm sorry about this morning, it was just that I was upset and was not thinking straight. I understand that you can see whomever you want, and that I have no right to interfere. It's just that I was very upset and didn't get any sleep and the thought of you being with someone else. I mean I have no right to complain, it was just the way I felt, I'm sorry." Wilde too had been rehearsing what she was going to say, although this had changed greatly during the course of the day.
Blake was thrown slightly, he had not expected her to apologize, strangely it made him feel even worse. Wilde stood before him, remorseful, yet it was he that had wronged her. He looked at her beautiful, contrite features and felt more for her than he had ever done. Blake stood and approached her slowly.

"Wilde, let's put this behind us. I am very sorry about what happened, I did not believe either one of us had the right to expect anything from the other, I can see now that that was rather a harsh view." It always felt strange talking to Wilde in the cold, sober light of day, rather than the heat and passion of the night.

"Will you see that bitch again?" Wilde asked, a smile now lighting her features.

"Which bitch." Blake stalled for time.

"The Baker's Farm bitch?" Wilde said as she edged slightly nearer to him.

"No." Blake said as they began to kiss. Their first daylight, sober kiss. Wilde held him to her tightly, then Blake broke from the kiss. "Now get out of here Wilde, I have some work to do."

"The Crofters later?" She asked.

"OK." He said.

It was 1830 before Blake put a call in to the Baker Farm. He had been avoiding it for hours, trying to think of the right thing to say. He feared that whatever he said would sound phony, poor excuses for the way he had used her. Most of all he feared that his resolve would weaken. His heart was already divided, and so could easily be conquered. He had toyed with the idea of talking to Chantel in person, but had decided that a visit to the Baker Farm would not be prudent.

Chantel's face filled the Com screen in front of him as she attended Blake's call. She dazzled the room with her beauty, her features appearing even more alluring when twice their real size, her eyes even more enormous than in real life.

"Oh, Blake I'm so glad you called, I thought you were going to stand me up. I was hating myself for last night. I've never done anything like that before, you know, let a man do that within hours of meeting him, what must you think of me....." Chantel spoke without pausing for breath.

"Chantel , listen." Blake tried in vain to interrupt the flow of information from Chantel.

"....after you left last night, I didn't know what to think, whether to think good or bad of you either, but I couldn't help but think of you, constantly."

"Chantel listen, last night was a mistake." Blake's words stopped Chantel in her tracks.

"What?' What do you mean?" Chantel looked stunned.

"We really have to take things much slower than we did." Blake had already began to backtrack.
"I agree." Chantel responded nervously.

"Chantel, I'm involved with someone here at the base." Blake's words hung in the air between them.
"With that Lieutenant, Maldina?" Chantel asked.

"No, someone else, but it means I can't see you again, not now anyhow." Blake suddenly thought of how Wilde would react if she knew what he was saying.

"But I need to see you, please come here, I, we...., we need to talk properly, not on the Com, its not the same." Chantel's huge eyes began to fill with huge tears.

"Chantel I can't, really." Blake closed his eyes, and moved restlessly in his chair.

"Blake please come here now, so we can say good-bye at least, I beg you."

"I'll come and see you in a few days, I promise. Good-bye" Blake's finger had rested on the ComLink button throughout, but only now did he press it, and so terminate the transmission.

After the Com link died Chantel's fury bubbled to the surface immediately.

"Jesus f---ing Christ!" She could not believe it. It was not just professional frustration, nor fear, which was mounting with each minute that passed, she was also insulted that Blake had resisted her. The way she had let him f--- her, it had all been weakness and failure - totally uncharacteristic. She had let him get to her, he had touched something within her. Another place another time, who knows what could have happened, but here and now there was a job to be done, and he was it. To wait any longer would have been suicide, and she was not the suicidal type. She went to the third bedroom of the farm house, and removed a long thin case containing a high powered rifle, complete with night sights. Reluctantly Chantel would have to fall back to the riskier plan B.

Blake walked into the Crofters to find Maldina, Wilde, Berry and Couples all sat at the same table, on the left hand side of the bar. Their mood looked rather somber until they saw him, and then smiles broke out, even on Maldina's intransigent face. Blake walked past them to the bar, where he bought a drink, before joining them at the table.

"Well isn't this cozy," Blake said as he sat down, squeezing in between Maldina and Wilde.

"It was before you sat down." Joked Berry.

"Very funny son, keep it up and you'll be in the NE50's by Christmas." Blake was referring to the North East conflict zones of 53, 54, 55, 56 and 57. It was a real warzone there with 20% casualties per month. The PLA were well equipped and had allocated substantial human and supply resources. Only the importance of a number of key industrial areas and two large cities had kept the Federal forces defending the area at all costs. So far that year there had been six thousand Fed troops killed, and over twenty thousand PLA fighters killed. The injured were easily ten times these numbers. Many Fed troops having been injured an average of more than once every couple of months.

"Send the Lieutenant Sir, she'd love it there." Berry added cheekily.

"Blake wouldn't send me anywhere that interesting, he enjoys punishing me too much." Maldina said smiling at Blake, goading him to send her.

"You'll get your chance one of these days Lieutenant." Blake then put a hand on Wild's thigh, "let me give you an important piece of advice Private Wilde, never follow the Lieutenant on a posting." Blake returned Maldina's smile as he spoke. "This mad young thing will get you killed as soon as look at you.

"He's got a point Maldina, you're dangerous enough here." Couples' comment was met with more nervous laughter from the group.

"The problem with you lot is that you think you're the police, where as I'm a soldier." Maldina stated more solemnly now.

"You can say many things about Blake, Maldina, but not that he's a policeman." As Wilde spoke she moved her finger between some of the eight silver marks on his chest plate, each one the reminder of a bullet from Blake's previous campaigns. When a soldier was hit by gunfire, and survived, the mark left by the bullet on his body armor was ceremoniously capped. Silver for officers, bronze for the ranks. Blake had a total of thirteen silver hits. Maldina, of course, had none - yet.

"But Blake retired, Wilde, can't you see. Why do you think he's here?" Maldina asked.

"Now girls, let's not get catty. I don't see this as a policing operation and neither should any of you. I don't think you realize how quickly this sector could blow up into a warzone." Blake was back on his old subject with Maldina.

"Ah Blake do we have to keep talking shop all the time. It's bad enough that we're in full uniform. We might as well be on duty." Berry had grown tired of the conversation.

"You could hardly be mistaken for being on duty, your half cut for a start." Blake had noticed that Berry had apparently been drinking for some time.

"If it wasn't for the booze I don't think I could cope with this place." Berry responded.

"Maybe that's my problem, I'm sober too much of the time." Added Maldina.

"No Maldina, I don't think that, is your problem." Wilde was getting defensive, criticism of life in the sector was criticism of Blake.

"Come on Wilde, I thought we agreed to be friends." Maldina flashed back at her.

"Drunks, psychopaths and hopeless romantics I can see, but friends........." Joked Blake.

"Drunks, psychopaths and lovers." Wilde corrected him, to Blake's embarrassment.

It was at times like this that Maldina envied Wilde. Away from duty she liked Blake, if he hadn't been such a burnt out wimp, too scared of his own shadow to be of any use to anyone, she could have quite fancied him. There was a definite sexual tension between them, the mutual physical attraction of two people who couldn't stand each other. It was a fantasy, but one she never wanted to realize. Yet there was another side to it. Maldina had talked to Wilde last night. She had encouraged her to talk to Blake, to fight for him. In a way she was pleased to see Blake and Wilde together. If they coupled, upon Wilde becoming pregnant, then they would both leave the sector for good. Then she would be in with a shot at promotion in the field, or they'd be another Commanding Officer with more balls than Blake. Either way would suit her, she would at last get some real action.

They stayed there chatting for a few hours until it got quite late.

"Aah I love this song, its so se-xy." Wilde said in an exaggerated voice as a new song came on the jukebox.

"Sexy for you, its a bloke singing. Doesn't exactly light my fire." said Blake

"No, but I know what does." With that Wilde whispered to Blake at some length, her lips touching his earlobes.

"Oh go on then Wilde, you've talked me into it." With this Blake stood up, and then helped Wilde to her feet. "See you girls later."
"Tchau all." Added Wilde.

Blake and Wilde stepped out of the Crofters into the cold night air. They closed the door behind them and kissed in the doorway. Yet one more reconciliation kiss. She put her arm around his waist, and he put his around her shoulder and they started to walk back to the base.

"Blake, do you really think this place could turn into a warzone?" As Wilde spoke there was a loud crack. Blake stumbled backwards, and they both fell over. Another crack followed as a second high velocity bullet crashed into Blake's torso.
This one hit the side of his body as opposed to the first that had hit him in the chest. Wilde now reacted, she pulled the machine pistol from her back pack, and aimed towards where she thought the shots had been coming from. She stepped over Blake's body, so that she was between him and whoever was firing. Now putting on the night vision sight across her right eye she scoured the scene ahead. There were a row of houses no more than a hundred meters in front of the Crofters, the shots had come from there, but she didn't know where. She could see two windows open in two separate houses. Now she saw the flash of light as a third shot was heard and immediately opened fire with a burst of machine gun fire that lasted over thirty seconds. The rounds running from her back pack to the breach of the machine gun with fluidity, as the belt spun over her shoulder. The third shot had again hit Blake in the side.

Wilde only stopped firing as other Fed troopers came running out of the Crofters to see what was going on. They took up covering positions while Couples, a trained medic attended Blake. She checked his pulse at the temple, which was still quite strong and reached for the gum gun. This was a device that pumped warm specially prepared gum onto bullet wounds to stop the bleeding and reduce hemorrhaging. She quickly applied it to all three wounds. Blake was barely conscious, so she gave him codeine to subdue the pain racking his body. Wilde now looked at Blake as Couples attended him. His body armor was pierced where the high velocity rounds had hit him, she could see the dark liquid oozing out of the three puncture holes. This stopped as Couples applied the gum.
"Blake you're going to be OK, don't worry I'll stay with you." Wilde whispered to him as she stroked his cheek.

"Wilde, tell Maldina... you must tell Maldina." With that Blake fell unconscious.

"Is he going to be all right?" Wilde asked.

"We need to get him back to the MedLab double quick and get a surgeon up there." Couples replied.

"Oh my God Blake, don't leave me." Only now did Wilde begin to weep.

"He'll be OK Wilde, he has to be." Couples called the 4x4 and took Blake back to the MedLab at the base, only a few hundred meters away.

Maldina had led the attack against the house from which the shots had been fired. She had encouraged the troops to pump as much ammunition as they could through the windows. They had obliged by sPLAying thousands of rounds into the house. Maldina now took a squad into the target house, searching from room to room. What she found inside was the Maurice family. They had been tied up and placed against the wall directly behind the window that had been used for the attack. All three, including the twelve year old child, were now dead. Each had been hit by hundreds of bullets from the Fed troops. From the freshness of the blood, still flowing from the warm bodies, it was apparent that they had been alive only a few minutes ago. The sniper had fled from the back door and no weapons or PLA raiders were to be found.

Talbot organized a coordinated sweep to track down the gunman, with squads coming in from the perimeter, and out from both the base and the Crofters. They found nothing. And when the perimeter alarm was set off by an unauthorized exit from the sector, there was no one within striking distance. Maldina took squads C, I and J deep into PLA territory that night, but found nothing and came back empty handed.

Chapter 3: The Many Shades Of Death

There were inconsistencies in the nothingness. That's what struck him first. In parts the infinite blackness was blacker than in other parts. What the f--- was that!?! A giant fuzzy balloon of nothing passed right before his eyes. It was black, but he could still make it out, it being less black than the black background. There were a thousand of these fuzzy black balloons and yet there were none. It was difficult to work out where the black background ended and the black foreground began, such was the blackness.

The major question concerned his eyes. Were they open or closed? He decided to open them to see what would happen. Nothing. OK, they must already be open. He would close them to see the results. Nothing. His eyelids must be either opened or closed, but paralyzed. Obviously. Along with his eyelids, he could not feel his legs or arms, nor even the beating of his heart. Dead. He must surely be dead. If he couldn't feel the air filling his lungs or the blood coursing through his heart then he was obviously dead. This had been dawning on him, but he didn't like to face it. But then again he was thinking. He was thinking that he was thinking and so must therefore be alive.

A dream perhaps? If this was a dream it was one that he had conscious control over. This was obvious from the way he was able to think. Blake tried to imagine someone's face; Chantel's face. There was something there, it was kind of working. But he couldn't make the shape out really. In a way he could see her, but it wasn't like TV - nor was it as clear as a dream. The last thing he remembered was the Crofters. He had been in there with Maldina and Wilde. Maybe he was just in a drunken stupor, God knows it wouldn't be the first time. He was probably lying in a pool of his own vomit somewhere, and should be quite thankful that he couldn't see, smell or feel anything. It was the first time in his life that this thought had cheered him up.

Blake quickly realized that he should have been awake by now. He could not move closer to consciousness, nor further away from it. In any dream he had ever had, if he had realized it was a dream he had woke up. But not now. Then this is death. Not so bad really. Seems to be pure thought, Blake thought. Is that what the human spirit is? Pure thought? It seemed logical in a way, but then a horrible thought occurred to him. Would it be like this for eternity? Just thinking and nothing else? It was like waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep. Just lying there awake, thinking. Would it be like this for eternity? Maybe this was hell then. No flames or horny headed demons just endless night. Christ, what s---!

Blake tried to get a grip of himself, calm himself down a little. He would think of something positive. His best experience. For a minute he had trouble recollecting good experiences, never mind, his best. He decided to plump for sexual experiences, nothing too deep at first. What was the best sex he had ever had? Well the most recent was Chantel. Not bad at all, but far too brief to be in contention for a serious prize. Then, going back, next there was Wilde. Consistently good, he thought. In fact there were some occasions when she woke him up in a particularly interesting way, that were real contenders. She had not done this many times, but when she had done it, it had been fantastic. Which was better, her straddling him, or blowing him. That's a tough one. Blake was feeling better already.

Going back a little further and Blake was with Brompton. Different again, but better? A little less willing to please, perhaps, but Brompton too had her charm. She was certainly more demanding, and quite imaginative with food. Then there was her big double bed in the farmhouse. Blake had spent some unforgettable nights there, none of which really came to mind. He remembered her face, her body, some of the acts, but not really specific times. Aaah yes, there was that Sunday morning in front of the open fire. They had talked and f---ed for hours on end. Nothing exceptional when taken in isolation, but pretty good stuff all in all. It gave him a warm feeling against the blackness, the emptiness, the cold.

Thinking back further was a mistake. As soon as he thought of Thompson, he thought of her bloodied face, her lifeless body. Again he tried to go past this to the good times they shared. He thought of her naked in his bunk, but then came gunfire outside, and again her body was ripped open flesh, her face a bloody unrecognizable mess. He picked up the machine gun at his side and starting shooting. He strode though the darkness naked, the machine gum spitting out and endless stream of death. One by one he saw the faces of everyone he had ever killed. The women, the men, the teenagers, the kids.... He kept shooting them, but they kept coming. Clawing at him with their bloody fingers. It was a mass of bodies now, all bleeding with lumps and chunks missing. He switched on the rocket attachment under the barrel of the gun, and let fire with that. Now they came at him with eyes dangling from the sockets, stumps of arms and legs sPLAying blood at him, fingers missing from severed hands, all still twitching and moving.

Blake spun his mind to get to somewhere else, anywhere else. Now he was a child with his mother, he had never known his father, killed when he was just a few months old. His mother was as he had last seen her, crippled and bleeding, dying before his eyes. He tried and tried to remember her before this, but the blood always returned. He thought of his Auntie, she was still alive, never even been shot. Blake had next of kin, he wasn't a faceless, nameless number like so many these days. He could see Maldina on the ComLink, telling her the news... "Blake, only dead now, he lasted well, he had a good innings, all things considered." Considering all the lives he took, perhaps his Auntie was right. He thought of Maldina, happy at his death, now the commander, a field promotion to Captain, hastily arranged by her father. He never did get her in bed, he always thought he would one day. He thought she would mellow with time, she hadn't, well not in the time they'd shared anyway. Not even to shed a tear for him. Wilde would cry, he could rely on that. And Brompton, maybe, a quick tear when no one was looking. Chantel? No that one had been cut too short, and by him. At least he had done the right thing, albeit after doing the wrong one earlier.

Sure he had killed, and he had loved, but had he really lived. Was that life, a full life. Surely it couldn't just be that? He had done so little, still only learning, still trying to get things right. No children, he had never coupled, not even talked about it seriously, and it had not happened by accident. He had wasted it all really, sad to say, but true. Great chances, and even greater mistakes. For all the lives he had taken, he had never created one. He could have coupled with Brompton or Wilde, got out while he was still ahead. One more great mistake to cap them all.

He would never make a mistake again, not if he really was dead. Had he really ate, drank and f---ed for the last time? Was it really all over? It seemed impossible, but increasingly inevitable. Blake would now have to settle himself down for eternity, and that's a long time without even a good book for company.

Talbot called Maldina into the briefing room as soon as she arrived back from her nocturnal patrol in the PLA sector. He had been monitoring things from the Ops room, when he should have been running them. Maldina having countered most of the orders he had given.
"Maldina, I understand that you are upset at what happened to Blake, and that we all want to get the raiders, but you have no right to interfere with my orders when I am the Duty Officer." Talbot was furious at how Maldina had taken over on his watch.
"Lieutenant, I have three months seniority on you, and am therefore the senior officer in this section. That gives me the right to command." Maldina stated, technically correct.
"Maldina, Blake is still alive and so he is still the commanding officer. We are still equals while there is breath in his body."
"Incorrect Talbot, he is unconscious, he is therefore not fit for duty. I am the senior acting officer on this base."
"I'm going to call Divisional HQ, Col. Rogers can decide this."
"Lieutenant Talbot, I order you not to contact Col. Rogers. We informed them of the attack on Blake, that's enough." Maldina was sure she would win this test of will. Talbot stood in silence. He was being ordered by Maldina not to ask HQ if Maldina had the right to give him orders. "If you want to consult the regulations Talbot be my guest, but do not consult HQ. Is that clear Lieutenant?" Maldina needed his assurance.
"F