Alliance Hunter
Chapter 4

I woke to the sound of a door opening and voices, familiar voices. I opened my eyes and looked at the door surprised by the lack of pain in my body.

“Sorry we took so long…” Kelli stuttered into silence staring at me shocked a box clutched to her chest.

Miri peered out from behind her, her eyes wide. “Gwen?”

“Ancients!” Kelli uttered quickly entering. “What happened?”

I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed no pain followed my movements. I opened my mouth to tell her about Mouse no words came out. I sat there flapping my gums not able to say anything. Kelli strode over to me throwing her box on the bed and drawing on her glove. She held me like a mother with a child as my frustrations boiled into tears.

“It will be ok,” she soothed me. She stepped out of the embrace and waved her glove over me. “Truly remarkable like it never happened.”

I saw her glance at the holo on her glove her face impassive.

“You ok?” Miri asked concerned.

I managed to replace my voice knowing that if I tried to talk about Mouse it would close up again. “I feel fine if a little depressed.”

“Physically you’re fine I’m worried about you mental state your endorphin levels are all over the place. I’m worried,” she said sounding unsure of herself.

“I…!” Again I was shut down more tears leaked from my eyes. I tried to pantomime the cavern but it seemed that Mouse had seen to that as well.

Miri’s comms bleeped before anymore could be said.

“Dinner time,” Miri sounded relieved. “The only time I get to see Al thanks to that bitch. I think that starving him would be a step too far even for her!”

Kelli pulled off her glove. “We deal with things later Gwen best we go eat?”

Kelli was right I’d deal with the shit Mouse had put me into later. I should focus on the now I had a feeling I’d have to deal with the fallout of my actions outside Jervic’s quarters if sooner rather than later. “Let’s go.” I said feeling relieved to be up and moving.

Miri bounced down the corridor like some excited schoolgirl. “This is the highlight of my day and the only chance of being with Al.”

I pulled myself out the mess that was in my mind. I had to focus on the here and now. I had a team to reunite with and no one better get in my way.

The mess hall when we arrived was busy I reckon it had to be a watch change. I doubted the Valkyrie would be any different having three watches the prime watch commanded by the captain. The mess hall was a rectangular room with a servitor’s counters on one side serving fresh food. At the back were the dispensers dispensing packaged ration packs and where the trash compactors were situated. The rest of the room contained benches and tables all bolted to the floor. There was a queue at the counter and I spotted Jervic and the others ahead of us. I noticed the Valkyrie giving my team a wide berth. I felt my anger surge but I held it in unsure why I was angry I never used to have flare ups like this.

A Valkyrie serving spoke out loud. “It’s was bad enough serving one male now I have to serve three. They can live on ration packs. I will not be a servant to any male!”

I burst into fury that trigger Xenai had warned me about flared up. I took action going into auto mode. I vaulted the counter and punched the Valkyrie hard. She hadn’t been expecting my attack and staggered back hitting the shelving behind her with a clatter of utensils. She went down and as she tried to get up I punched her again, blood sprayed from her nose. Even as angry with her as I was I was aware of my surroundings. I noted no one came to her aid.

“Do not insult my people again!” I snarled at her. “They might not be Valkyrie but they deserve better!”

I glanced up aware of the sudden silence everyone was staring at me including Jervic. I saw the worried look in his eyes and that hurt me the most.

“Anyone else want to insult those I consider my clan?” I winced at that it sounded too Valkyrie. “They may be human, T’Arni and Ezaran but they are my clan. Any of you have a problem with that issue me with a formal challenge!”

“Gwen of Clan Hunter,” a voice said one I hadn’t wanted to hear.

I turned to see Hrutdottir standing at the door two Valkyrie in combat armour flanking her.

“Why when there is any trouble you are at the centre of it?” she said with a sigh.

“I protect what is mine!” I winced at that it sounded all too possessive.”

Hrutdottir ignored my comment and pointed to a Valkyrie. “You take over the counter and make sure you deal with the TCA properly. If I hear otherwise you and me will be having more than just words. They are our allies so treat them as such and show them courtesy,” she said adding. “Then there are those that need to learn.”

I wasn’t sure if she meant me or the Valkyrie I’d punched out. I had to speak out I was responsible for my team. “I do what I need to do to protect my team.” I wasn’t sure why I’d had come to be so possessive. It was so unlike me I saw Kelli’s extremely worried face.

Hrutdottir spoke again before I could say anything to Kelli. “You take her to medbay,” she said to another Valkyrie. She turned to me her expression blank. “You initiate will come with me.” Adding. “Either on your own two feet or I’ll drag you there!”

Hrutdottir led me to a small room. I expected being dragged to the gym but the room I entered tailing behind her was an office with a desk, terminal and two chairs one in front of the desk and one behind it. Hrutdottir sat behind the desk and turned on the holographic terminal in front of her.

“Sit down initiate!”

I took a stand knowing how futile it would be. “I’m no initiate.” I shook the bangle she’d slapped on my wrist at her. “You put this on me. The one the Elder’s gave me was to pursue Vanessa!”

“Which you failed to do.”

“I could have but I was dealing with the Black Stripes.”

“Black Stripes ah yes them.”

“I nearly had her!” I had to have my say.

“She nearly had you and badly injured one you care for. If I say you failed them you have failed initiate!”

Hrutdottir’s words cut through to my soul and I sat in the chair without even thinking.

I shook myself and carried on. “Which I could have done if I’d not been confirmed to ship having to wait for you!” I clenched and unclenched my hand as I remembered the fight in the ruins and my failure to save Jervic from injury. I stared at Hrutdottir defiantly. “I’m not going anywhere near Alfheimir while Solstrid’s death goes unavenged!”

I was sure I saw sympathy in her eyes but her voice said something else. “You will, you have no choice in this matter!”

“Then I will not co-operate with you?” I know it sounded childish but I was sick of all this interference in my life. “Not now not ever are we clear?”

“Yes you’ve made your position very clear. Like it or not initiate I have my orders it’s the way things are.”

“Those include tormenting me?”

Hrutdottir shook her head. “You don’t really understand…”

“I am not your slave!” I interrupted what she was about to say. “Do not tell me what I can and cannot do!” I rose from the seat. “I’m leaving do not stop me!”

Hrutdottir regarded me no expression showing on her face. “I’ve no intention of.”

Her sudden cave in floored me I was looking for a fight and she had pulled that rug from under me. “One last thing leave my team alone!” I stated determined to provoke a fight with her. The logical part of my mind warned me against it I just wasn’t hearing the warning.

“You must then be responsible for their training?”

Again I felt outmanoeuvred. “I will?”

“Like you said one last thing. I expect to see you in two hours for your punishment.”

“Yeah like I’d do that!” I shot back going on the defensive. I knew my actions in the mess hall would have consequences.

“The punishment is for an unprovoked attack on one of my crew. That is what everyone will see it as.”

I noted that with a heavy heart she had said her crew but the rest of her statement had me confused. “Oh yeah and I don’t tolerate intolerance towards my team by a bigot!”

“Be as it may you will need to be disciplined initiate. There are times and places. Next time issue a formal challenge.”

“Is that all?”

“For now, you can go!”

I stepped out of the office my emotions mixed as much I as tried to focus on the present my mind kept wandering. Which was why I wasn’t prepared for the presence of two guards and a third Valkyrie with a medic glove. Nor did I expect Hrutdottir to follow me out. Before I had a chance to react the two guards slammed me against the wall while the medic ran her glove over me. She stepped back and regarded Hrutdottir.

“Well?” Hrutdottir asked her.

“As you expected ma’am she has a chemical imbalance causing her mood swings.”

I didn’t have mood swings but I was aware I’d become more aggressive, more possessive.

“Can it be fixed?” Hrutdottir asked sounding more than a little concerned. I wasn’t sure if she was faking it or she was being genuine.

“Certainly,” the medic replied.

And before I could protest I felt something prick my neck and blackness took me.

I woke in the familiar environs of a medbay. I lay fully clothed on a bed Kelli sat opposite a glum expression on her face.

“You ok Gwen?” she asked me.

“I’ve had better days,” I replied sitting up. I still felt a little shaky with whatever they had injected me with. “What did they do to me.” I felt kind of numb.

Kelli looked guilty. “They told me your blood chemistry was off the charts.” She shuddered. “Sorry I should have seen it earlier.” She waved her glove. “I didn’t know it was malfunctioning it was giving me the wrong readings. What I’d thought an endorphin problem turned out to something else. Denassi fixed it for me.” She looked at the floor. “I got a right earful from the Valkyrie medic for not keeping my equipment maintained.

“You didn’t know how could you,” I consoled her.

“Damn it I’m a medic. I should have, I should have seen the signs. I was relying on the glove too much.”

I changed subjects. “Is everyone ok.” I guess I worried what Hrutdottir would do to them she seemed to have issues with me. I had to admit the first incident hadn’t been my fault the second was definitely mine.

“Seems that your flying off the handle did some good.”

I remembered she was from the Empire as was I as she’d picked up the same Imperial phrases I had.

“We’ve been allowed to train together.” Her face flushed a little a blush crept across her face. “Miri and Al are ‘training’.” Her blush turned brighter. “I can only hope they don’t have a ‘training’ accident. I’m really not prepared to deal with that type of accident I’m a field medic.”

It took a moment or two for me to realise what she was hinting at. So Miri and Al where making up for lost time. I wished I could do that have sex on a more regular basis. “So I could ‘train’ with Jervic?” I asked my mind on the type of training not in an official training manual.

The door opened before she could say anything more and Hrutdottir strode through.

“Good you are awake initiate.” She crooked her finger totally ignoring Kelli. “Come along initiate do not tarry.”

“Later!” I said to Kelli as I reluctantly followed Hrutdottir like I had a choice in the matter.

We arrived in a gym not the one we’d used before. I noted a number of weapons on the walls. My heat sank I suddenly wished I hadn’t followed her so glibly.

“Undress and we’ll start.”

I undressed as she walked over to the wall containing an assortment of weapons. She pulled out two wooden staffs their ends capped in steel. She tossed one to me I caught it my heart beating like a drum my fears to the fore. It was over two metres long and felt heavy in my hands. I sucked at staff fighting like I was bad at it, well beyond bad at it. Gudbjorga and Thirika had tried to teach me but I never got the hang of it. Frankly I was more a danger to myself rather than an enemy. The only thing my opponent would have would be an aneurysm from laughing too much.

I regarded the staff as some vicious wild animal. “Why don’t we skip to the part where you beat me half to death and be done with it?”

“You are here to learn,” Hrutdottir said whirling her staff like it was part of her.

“To be punished you mean?”

“This isn’t punishment we are here to train.”

I looked at her and the scars on her body and the muscles and sincerely doubted that was true. “It doesn’t feel like it.” I hesitated and continued. “Look can’t we try something else I really suck at this?”

Hrutdottir gave me an odd look. “Suck? One of those Terran expressions that have more than one meaning. You are here to learn and that is what we’ll do! No take a stand.”

I did as I was told the staff wobbled as I held it in the guard position.

“Left foot slightly back.”

I moved my foot.

“Good now defend yourself.”

In my defence I really tried. My fingers were covered in bruises and on my stomach were a number of round welts were the butt of her staff had connected. On the side of my neck was a another bruise where I hadn’t ducked in time. I limped over to my clothes. “You see,” I muttered under my breath. I dressed in pain regretting everything I’d done.

Hrutdottir just sauntered over to hers and pulled something from the pile. I a few strides she was at my side pressing a hypospray to my neck before I’d had a chance to react.

“Here!” she said. “For the pain.”

“Thanks,” I replied begrudgingly if it hadn’t been for her I wouldn’t have been in this state.

“You can call me Moi.”

I glared at her ‘Moi’ meant mother/teacher. “There is only one Moi and she isn’t you.” I said that without the normal flash of anger I had to deal with lately. Either it was the contents of the hypo or what her medic had done to me.

She smiled. “Call me Runa then.”

“Only if you stop calling me initiate I’m no Valkyrie.”

“Valkyrie or not an Old One wants to see you.” She gritted her teeth an annoyed expression on her face clearly she had told me something she hadn’t wanted to tell me.

“Old one? You mean some Elder I’ve insulted.”

Runa gave a sigh and a shake of her head. “No I said Old One?”

That admission surprised me I’d never heard of an Old One, then Thirika had been frank in what she could or couldn’t tell me. Another of the damn Valkyrie secrets they kept from outsider’s even outsider’s like me. “Who are the Old One’s?” I asked not expecting an answer.

“Someone an Elder aspires to be.”

Ok that was quite a revelation. “So why does this Old One want to see me. Surely they have comms.” It would have saved me a lot of angst if they had just commed me.

“Comms yes,” I could see from the tight line of mouth she hadn’t wanted to tell me any of this. “But this is something even ‘our’ own people know little about.” I noted bleakly that she included me in her definition of ‘our’. “I’m only telling you because you have a right to know. It will help you to see things from my point of view.”

“Why I’m just a human?” Although I wasn’t sure if I was anymore.

“You are Valkyrie you were from the moment you accepted the Elders token.”

I felt a chill thinking on what ifs. “Is that why they altered my DNA?” It couldn’t be that simple.

“They only did to release your warrior soul.”

“I really don’t understand why?”

Runa waved away my question. “It’s too complicated to go into now some other time perhaps. I’m afraid the marks on you will remain for a while but I eased the pain. You must be seen to be punished even if isn’t the truth.”

I shook my head and grimaced as I finished dressing. “Wouldn’t it have been a lot easier for you to throw me in the brig and be done with it?”

“That would have accomplished nothing. I’m here to continue your training.”

“Why?”

“Because you will need it in the months to come.”

Like all Valkyrie Runa was being annoyingly vague. “But why?”

“Ask questions that have a meaning unless you want me to call you initiate!”

“You didn’t answer my question?” I countered.

“I cannot say it only because the Old One asked for me to train you. If you want an answer you will have to ask her when you see her.”

I didn’t want to I wasn’t going to let Runa know that otherwise things could get very difficult.

Runa waved at the door. “Go get some rest.”

I headed back to my quarters and walked into a full-blown argument between Kelli and Miri. Obviously they had clamed up as soon as they heard the door but I could see from their stance and their red faces they had been arguing.

“Ancients!” Kelli said seeing my neck and hands. “I’ll get my kit. I’m surprised the bitch hadn’t killed you.”

Whatever she had been arguing with Miri about she turned her concern to me.

“You ok,” Miri said sounding as concerned as Kelli.

“I’ll be ok Runa…” It felt odd calling her that, often I’d referred to her as Hrutdottir. “Gave me a hypo for the pain.”

“Runa?” Kelli asked.

“Hrutdottir.” I explained my conversation with Runa at least I wasn’t locked out of saying anything like what Mouse had inflicted on me. I turned my attention to Miri.

“You ever heard of the Old Ones?”

“Why do you think I’m here.” The bitterness plain in her voice. “I mean my birth was deliberate.”

“How so?” Kelli asked Miri before I could stop her. It was clearly a touchy subject for Miri. I shot Kelli an annoyed glance.

“Mother was told to seek out a red headed green eyed man and seduce him. Hence me.”

I remembered Xenai saying that Miri was spying on the Empire. Not military secrets but to look for certain families. Families I was sure had some connection to the Valkyrie. As much as I hated the thought I needed to know more. “Yes Xenai said you were spying on a number of families something to do with bloodlines.”

Miri nodded sadly avoiding my face. “Yes that was all I was created for.”

I winced at that it wasn’t fair on her little wonder she had fallen for Al like that. Valkyrie didn’t make good parents. “Valkyrie never big on parenting.”

“Yeah but that’s what I was born for. Really great isn’t it?” She clasped her hands together and continued her voice wistful. “My dad loves me. I’d rather be on his ship than here and my mother, my mother was and is distant. But the Elders made me do it.” Finally she looked at me. “I had to do what they told me I’m sorry.”

I felt a chill fill me slowly, I had to ask. “Do you know whose families they were interested in?” Adding. “I’m not interrogating you I ’m just curious?”

She shrugged sadly. “It’s no big secret Locke, Broaden, Davis to name just a few.”

My blood went colder Davis was my mother’s maiden name. As far as I knew the Empress and her mother had no connection to the Valkyrie. Even the hint of alien blood would have disqualified them from the throne. That was the old days who knows now with many nobles dead or missing in Augustus’ purge. “Hunter?”

Miri stared at me her face going pale. “Yes aren’t you a Hunter?”

“Yes and my mother’s maiden name was Davis.”

“Elizabeth Davis and Malcolm Hunter?”

I stared back at Miri and visibly shivered feeling colder than I could have imagined. “My parents.” So that was why the Valkyrie were so quick to take me in. I had Valkyrie connections from two sources.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know.”

“Ancients Gwen the Valkyrie had you pegged from the start.”

“Gee thanks Kelli.”

“Sorry Gwen,” she apologised.

I turned my attention back to Miri regretting the anxiety I was causing her. “Do you know which clans we are talking about?”

“No all I was told was to watch and pass on any data for those families?”

“Just that and nothing more?”

“On thing I noted I don’t know if it is relevant what one of the Elders said in passing and I don’t know who they were on about?”

“And that was?” I hadn’t wanted to press her but I needed to know why Valkyrie held so much interest in a mere former human. As much as I hated the label that’s what I am.

“All she said was that two lines were now one?”

That meant nothing to me and it wasn’t something I was going to ask about. I didn’t want to cause Miri anymore trouble. A sudden thought came and went. What if the two lines meant me it would explain a heck of a lot? I dismissed it mother would have said if there was. But she hadn’t known of my tenuous connection to Martin. “Ok.”

“I’m sorry I don’t know more. This was all before the Resistance picked me up.”

I heard about the Resistance, they were a thorn in Augustus’ side and his downfall. The Resistance got the Empress into the palace where with the help of her mother and cousin ended his reign and killed the Rhosani agent there. My thoughts whirled as a revelation revealed itself. That Sandra Locke was the same Sandra Locke of the Confederacy. It all made sense when you put it with Miri’s words. Of course they’d be interested she was half Confederacy human and some Confederacy humans had Valkyrie blood. But Broaden, where did the Empress fit in to this conundrum? Another of those Valkyrie secrets I suspected. Blood tests proved she was Constantine’s heir and that had been enough for the people. I realised that Miri hadn’t finished speaking.

“If they hadn’t I’d be dead. Several of my friends in the DP, data pool died in mysterious circumstances. In a way I’m glad they did I would have never have met Al otherwise.”

“Sorry Miri I hadn’t meant to pressure you like I did. I think we should get some rest.”

She nodded warily her eyes on Kelli.

“That means you too Kelli. Whatever you and Miri were fighting about ends here and now. “I rubbed my forehead the beginnings of a massive headache started to form that even Runa’s painkillers wouldn’t touch.

“You ok Gwen?” Kelli asked concerned.

“A headache nothing more.”

She reached for her glove and a box on the end of her bed. “I can help with that?”

I waved her way. “I’ll sleep it off.”

With that I headed for the showers. Miri and Kelli were already in bed when I returned. I saw Kelli watch me as I slipped into bed.

“Night Kelli,” I said as I closed my eyes.

“Night you two,” Kelli replied.

“Lights!” I called out the room plunged into darkness. I drifted into a dreamless sleep.