"By all that's ...Boss we got in." Candlen says in disgust filled tones. Jayse motions for him to continue. "It's a test, a bloody, stinking elaborate test of our loyalty."
Kadance is furious. She starts throwing the knives. "You are willing to lose Alpha Company, the Camp graduating class, and your lives to test us?" She's shaking she's so furious.
"Leave those toys where they are. Rackem, get on the line. Call in transport from Dunworthy Holdings. Tell them the coordinates, we're done. Any man willing to waste that many lives on a mere test I refuse to work for."
Kadance rakes all three with a scathing look. "You're free to go, without your toys. We won't deactivate ours either, you are of course welcome to try." The six reenter the room. "What about my nephews?" Kadance asks.
"No orders have been cut as yet. They are still free to choose and apply for jobs," Rackem answers.
"Well Jade, Jax? What is your desire?" Kadance asks. They see the knives sticking through the chair backs.
"We still want them," Alpha Command says nervously. Fourteen sets of cold angry eyes turn to him.
Jax speaks, "We don't want to go with a Commander that's willing to kill his company for a bloody test!"
The Commander bravely tries again. He has to swallow few times before he can speak. "I had no choice, I still have to follow orders. General Rueton is in charge of the Warrior defense and he gave a direct order. I had to follow it."
"Knowing that we would likely defend against any perceived threat with whatever means were necessary? Tell me another story Commander. If your entire Company is at risk for a test you call a competency hearing. You don't comply with the order. Not for a bloody TEST!" Jayse yells losing control.
"And you, you are willing to allow the graduating class to die for a test!" Jayse continues his rant and the Compound Commander bows his head in shame. "As far as we're concerned, you're all bloody traitors to the warrior class. This has all been recorded and we'll make sure it's sent to every Warrior Society outpost on every planet. HQ should start the treason court once we get back to Gaia."
That more than anything else breaks the general. "No, Jayse, these two were just following orders. Compound was ordered to evac. So there would be no chance of their dying. Alpha has orders to not set off or attempt to disarm any explosive devises. They're actually ordered to not come onto or above the stairs."
"That's a load of shit, your ghosts are out and about Commander, and I guarantee they will attempt those perimeters and when they do they and all of Alpha will be dead. It will take two to disarm those devices and a knowledge of how to do so. Right now the only two that do know are standing right here and no one else, including me, can." Tommy laughs. He stops and thinks about it. "Well maybe I might be able to if I was up to full speed. They've modified my modifications and nobody could deactivate mine without help. And that was given only once, that's it."
Tommy pulls the knives out of the chairs and separates his and Kadances, and Jayses. He throws Jayse his and Jayse catches each one and puts them away. Tommy wheels back to Kadance and hands her hers. "You need to clean the blood off love. It's not good to leave it on." Kadance nods and begins cleaning her knives.
"I can make it so you don't leave here at all." The general says. Jayse and Tommy both close in on Kadance. Tommy blocks her from throwing her knife. Jayse takes them away. At the same time all the other team members raise their weapons.
After Jayse disarms Kadance he turns to the general, "You don't get it do you general? You aren't in a position to make threats. You're free to go. We aren't holding you here. To make threats against us is folly. We're still recording. Do you want us to take it live? Candlen and Rackem can do that you know. So even if you manage to kill us you'll still be disgraced. Kadance has tried repeatedly to be friends with you. She's figured out a way to increase birth rate triple, even quadruple what it currently is. She found out about the attack here, and our team took out 90% of the ground troops. Half her team was injured, Tommy almost died and you threaten our lives? Why? You push us and test us, pushing us by calling our team rogue, then pushing some more with this test why?"
Borden, "Why don't we test the general's DNA? And that of his Aide and see who is and who isn't a shifter."
Jayse hands one of Kadances knives to Kelan. She takes a swabbing and scans it. She takes a sample from the Aide and scans it. She frowns at the result and shows it to Jays. "Check everyone here. I want all checked out, see if the scan is off." She takes swabs from them all and she shows Jayse the results. "Cut them loose." Jayse says finally scowling.
"Candlen run a systems check on the bio scanners, I want to know why they went off this morning, if it was all a part of this test or something more."
Alpha and Compound Commanders get away from Rueton. "You said they went rogue?" Alpha Commander says. "You put at threat thousands based on slander of the best team ever created. I call into question the sanity and leadership abilities of General Rueton. As such all test's and training by his orders that are questionable are to stop and desist immediately. My com set please?" Alpha Commander says, "Patch me through on general comm Candlen."
Candlen looks to Jayse who nods his permission. "The test is over. Radio Silence is over. However there is live ordinance, do not I repeat do not go on the stairs for any reason. Not if any in that building wish to live."
"Is he a suicider?" Alpha Commander demands.
"No," Kadance says sadly. "He's just plain insane. For some reason he just doesn't like me."
"Not just you love, it's the whole team." Tommy says softly as he pulls Kadance down for a hug. "He's afraid of us and what we can do and what we are. His fear took over and controlled him rather than him controlling his fears. He broke the first rule and now he'll have a price to pay." Tommy says taking Kadance in his arms.
"Amgle get Captain Landon online." Jayse barks out his orders, his voice cold and controlled. "Rackem, put together the footage of the fight, insult and this test and send it to all the ship captains as well as Alpha relieving Rueton of command. Send it to every Warrior compound in this sector." By now Jayse's voice is arctic cold making everyone listening to it shiver in fear and glad it's not aimed at them.
Tommy steps in, "Boys, go diffuse the toys. Dest, Marks go with them, there is always someone that is too stupid to stay away." They all hear the disgust in Tommy's voice.
Jayse look back down at the general's aide. "Kelan get something to wake him up. He'll want something for pain too. I wasn't very nice when I knocked him out." Kelan doesn't speak she just nods and gets her scanner out.
"You broke his jaw, excuse me fractured it." She says as she immobilizes the jaw and spreads the heal all on. "Nice Jayse, three days of a liquid diet." She then wakes the aide up.
"Don't try to speak, Jayse here punches pretty hard and if you move your jaw it could permanently damage it. Easy now, slow and careful." Kelan helps ease the aide into a sitting position.
After a few minutes of sitting up he signs for something to write with. He's given a virtual board for the com unit.
"What happened?" He writes, not remembering anything.
"Rueton set up one of his 'tests' for us. He used you as bait, target or whatever you want to call it. He set the alarms to show you as having shifter DNA," Jayse explains.
"Then how am I still alive?" The aide is incredulous that he survived the ambush Rueton had for him with only a fractured jaw.
"Because I told him to not kill you." Kadance replies, tired of sitting on the sidelines and letting everyone else talk for her.
The aide closes his eyes in gratitude before responding to Kadance. "Thank you. You and Jayse came in and he came for me I thought I was a dead man."
"Why does Rueton want you dead?" Kadance asks confused. People settle down to wait his reply.
The aide calms down a bit as he writes. "He found out I am investigating him, I'm from MI. He's become erratic overall. He'd do something right like hiring you, then do something very foolish, like pushing your team and calling them rogue." He sighs, or would if his jaw wasn't immobilized. "Something has happened, please tell me?" He writes the last quickly.
"I'll do better, we'll show you. Rackem start at our little office visit please." Jayse requests, but his tone still hasn't gone back to normal and Rackem is quick to comply. The Aide's words are soon replaced with the vid of the days events.
"I see." The aide writes thoughtfully when the clip ends. "Please reconsider Kadance. The suiciders and redliners need you, we need you. Rueton is relieved of duties. What he did was wrong there's no denying that, but he did it on his own. The government is aware of what you've done and appreciate everything. We are aware of the sacrifices you have made, you and your team, on behalf of not just the warriors, but the civilians as well. I can't order you to stay, Rueton has totally voided the contract he made with you. You are free to go and do as you wish, but we'd rather have you on board helping us." The aide did his best to plead his case in writing.
Kadance sighs. "Thank you, but I just don't know. There has been a great deal of deceit Colonel and that's something I have a very hard time dealing with." Kadance says hesitantly, "I'll have to think about it."
"I understand. By the way, were all those knife throws truly inaccurate?" The Colonel asks in morbid fascination.
Kadance takes a knife turns around and throws. It lands right where Rueton's right eye would have been. "No, I always hit what I aim for. The blood came from them moving."
The colonel looks at her thoughtfully and more than a little frightened of the woman before him as he writes, "No wonder Rueton is terrified of you."
"He needn't have been. He set himself up as my enemy, we could have been friends and none of this would have happened. I didn't make him my enemy," Kadance says sadly.
"Kadance takes this personally, Colonel. She truly like the general and it hurts her badly that this happened." Jayse explains to the mystified Aide.
Meran comes out bringing food and Kadance pushes it away. Tommy speaks to her and she reluctantly pulls the food back and takes a few bites, before pushing the food away again. She moves to go and Tommy stops her. He says a few words to her and she nods.
Tommy pushes himself out of his wheelchair and Jayse excuses himself to the colonel. He walks over to Tommy and Kadance.
"I'm sorry Jayse, but I need to lie down and so does Tommy. He shouldn't have been up for the last two hours. We're just going to sleep that's all," Kadance says wearily.
"I figured as much. Tommy looks about done in. I'm here to keep him from falling." Jayse says walking at their side. They enter the bedroom, Kadance pulls the covers back and lays down. Jayse helps Tommy lie down on the other side.
"Rest as long as you like," Jayse makes a face and rubs his hands over his face in irritation. "This mess is going to take hours to straighten out. When you wake up I'll expect you both to eat."
"Yes, sir," Tommy says weakly, already closing his eyes.
"Yes, love, I just need to rest a bit first," Kadance is asleep by the time Jayse leaves the room.
The Colonel watched the little scenario with a great deal of interest. "They all three are devoted to each other." Borden says coming up to him. "They make us feel like a family, our team. But, when they are together it's something special, something the rest of us just don't have." And there is a longing quality to his voice that tells the colonel that at least Borden wishes he had it. Borden would be aghast at knowing he'd let something like that show.
To distract Borden, the colonel asks, "But doesn't that bond create problems?"
Borden smiles sadly, "Sometimes, like after battles it's really hard on them. It's the reason why Tommy was outside when he collapsed. He had to get away while Jayse was with Kadance. Jayse and Kadance felt guilty about that as silly as that is." Borden shrugs not understanding why they would feel guilt over something no one had control over. "Jayse would give his life to save Tommy just as quickly as he would Kadance. It's the same with Tommy. He's given Kadance a few scares, but he's settled down quite a bit since the team started.
"Tommy is dangerous, he's a master with explosions, but if it came down to it Jayse could wipe the floor with him. Kadance calms him like nothing else could. She does that to all of us. Don't ever get between them. Kadance is just as dangerous, perhaps even more so. If she were to ever go over, let herself go over, she'd take us all with her. And she'd easily be able to take everyone else over that she's helped. I think that's what terrifies Rueton the most, what about you Colonel? Does it terrify you?" Borden asks conversationally but the colonel has no doubt that if he answers incorrectly that he won't live for much longer.
The colonel can't help the reflex action of swallowing hard. "Perhaps, the idea of her being able to destroy all those planets is terrifying. I'd be a liar if I said it wasn't. But not having her help and the suiciders going off-that's far more likely especially if there is someone pushing their buttons."
Borden smiles as he looks at the colonel in approval, "Very good colonel. Very good. Maybe there is some intelligence in Military Intelligence after all." Borden leaves the colonel as Jayse comes back out.
"Well Lt. I was going to offer you the chance to come back into the military, but I was told that it would be foolish beyond belief to even ask. So I won't, but I will ask you to convince your wife to stay on with us," the colonel writes.
Jayse looks at him consideringly and the colonel finds himself relieved that he hadn't just started laughing at him or tried to kill him for the suggestion. He's a bit startled when Jayse talks to him, "I don't know, colonel. She and us, her team, have been pushed a great deal by Rueton. She really hates it when people lie to her. Rueton did, but that wouldn't be so bad except she equates Rueton with the warrior leadership, so in essence she feels the warrior leadership lied to her.
"She may feel better after she sleeps. But what I do know is she won't make any decision until she talks to the new person in charge. I'll tell you right now, colonel, if she is lied to again after she comes back, if she comes back, all bets are off. Maybe you should discuss this with your HQ, to see if her coming back is the best option for all of us?
"Now I have a mess to sort out here. One thing Colonel, will you get online and get Sandlee's orders cut? We need her. Please don't antagonize Kadance by trying to play Sandlee to get my wife back on board. That is the worst possible thing you could do." Jayse nods his goodbye and goes to talk to the twins.
Jayse talks quietly but emphatically. The colonel watches from where Jayse left him. The twins remain defiant and even answer him angrily. Jayse talks some more and the defiance slowly drains out of the twins.
"He's very good, isn't he?" Borden asks coming up to him again. "He's the best leader I've ever served under. He'd never ask more of us than he's willing to give. Alpha Command really screwed up today. Jayse is trying to straighten it out.
"I hope he can. Those boys deserve to be in Alpha. They'll go far, we need them in Alpha, yet after what happened I think they want to stay with us. Not just until Tommy gets done with extra training." At Borden's words the Colonel goes white, "Yeah, they need to be in Alpha."
Jayse leads the twins over to Alpha Commander. Jayse talks to the Alpha Commander who listens. Then Alpha talks to the boys. The boys remain unconvinced.
Borden speaks again. "Smart of Jayse to only try this after Kadance is out of the picture. She's not totally convinced that they should stay in the military. Jayse will deal with that later. They'll end up signing with Alpha." Even as Borden says that the Alpha Commander shakes hands with each boy. "Keep Jayse on your side, he'll work on Kadance," Borden says then leaves.
Meran brings him some food. "You know you've got your work cut out for you? Kadance has no reason to trust you and every reason to distrust you. She has no real reason to continue with the government. She has her family holdings she should be dealing with. Kadance has really strong ties to family and if she felt those are in danger by her association with the government, she'll cut all connections to the government.
"Best way to deal with Kadance is straight up. She'll always be straight with you, so be straight with her, that's something Rueton never understood with her. Kadance reads people really well, that's how she disarms the suiciders. She'll know if you are playing her straight or not and so will most of the team. We've all been hurt by Rueton, the government will have to gain back our trust as well as Kadance's. We don't trust you," Maren says and leaves.
It's strange, Maren's statement of lack of trust hurt more than Borden's statement or Jayse's implied words.
The Colonel muses over what he's seen and heard as he eats. When he finally comes back to himself he notices that the team is giving him distrustful looks. He feels like he has a target painted on him and they were going to start using him for target practice. Then Jayse makes a sign and the tension levels drop as the team turns their attention elsewhere.
The silence is near deafening when Candlen breaks it by saying, "Colonel, call for you from HQ on Gaia."