Black Guard, The (8 page)

"Lieutenant Ceder, you have two,
ten-man teams attempting to circle you to the left and right," I said.
"The front is clear." Five minutes later, he replied.

"Thanks to your warning, Captain,
we were in position and killed several. After that they took off running."

"Well done, Lieutenant. Collect
everyone and come to us. We will have verified the area is clear by then."
I switched to an open channel. "Make sure everyone on the ground is dead."
I walked, surveying each body as I went, shooting anyone who moved, moaned, or
had a hand on a weapon. Before too long everyone but Lipkin had assembled.

"Anyone seen Lipkin?"

"She’s dead. A shard through the
eye." Glick said softly. A half hour later Ceder and his party came into
sight. They had taken a beating. I counted eight dead including Sergeant Rosin
and most were wounded. My first command, and I had lost almost half. Brave men
and women of the Black Guard who had given everything in the name of duty. Men
and women who will live in my mind forever.

"Captain," Ceder said, bowing
low. The others also bowed. Then he straightened, smiling through the dirt and
blood. "I think we owe you and the women a round… or three when we get
back."

"You did your part, Ceder. You
entertained a hundred while we partied." I couldn’t help a grin.

"Where the hell have you
been?" Li Ho Lew shouted. "We were almost killed."

My laser beam hit the ground between
his feet, spraying dirt and debris. "Governor, the next one will be
higher, although I doubt you have any balls to hit." I stared at him until
he lowered his eyes. Li Ming was standing off to the side, watching her son
with undisguised shame.

"Li Ming, who is Po Tong?" I
asked as I neared her.

"Thank you, Captain Sapir. You and
your Guard are very brave." She bowed low. "Po Tong is one of the
ministers who is on the Lanzhou governing council."

"He’s a dead man," I said to
no one in particular.

* * *

After treating the wounded, we returned
to the estate in order to give Colonel Ou Yang time to reorganize the Yuan
military sufficiently to provide the governor reasonable protection. When we
arrived, I was notified that Colonel Wolfson was sending a shuttle for me to
return to the War Horse. I left Lieutenant Ceder in charge and worked out a
schedule to rotate the Guard to the War Horse for examination and medical treatment
based on their current condition. Everyone had been injured but some were more
serious than others. I had no sooner finished than a combat shuttle landed. I entered
with the four we considered needed immediate attention. Lost in my thoughts
over those who had died under my command—following my decisions—the
trip seemed to take only minutes. I rose as the shuttle door opened, feeling
the weight of those deaths, renewed pain from the multiple shard hits, and bone
tired.

"Captain Sapir." Captain
Drezner stood a few meters to the side. "Thank you."

"It’s good to see you, Captain
Drezner. Thanks for what?" I didn’t know what he meant, but just seeing
him lightened my mood.

"For reminding me, we are Jax and
they piffling rabble, and there was no reason to die fighting when we could
kick ass." He laughed although his eyes were sad like mine must be. "The
survivors and I stand tall today because of the many who died in the finest Jax
tradition. Many faces I’ll never forget."

We walked in silence to the commando
area where we found Colonel Wolfson in his office waiting for us.

"Come in, Captains," he said,
acknowledging Drezner’s salute and waving to the chairs. "Have a seat.
Normally, I would wait for your action report, but I need your report
immediately. The contract with the ruling party on Lanzhou was a disaster. I
need to understand the extent to which they were negligent. That will determine
the penalty due the Jax."

"They weren’t negligent; they lied
to us—" I started to say, but he interrupted me before I could
continue.

"How do you know that,
Sapir?"

"The rebel colonel’s last words
when he saw me were, ’Po Tong did warn me that the Black Guard.’ The governor’s
mother, Li Ming, said he was one of Lanzhou’s ministers."

"So… they play games with the
Jax." He nodded almost imperceptibly, his eyes space cold.

* * *

The next morning, Drezner and I were
asked to accompany Colonel Wolfson and a squad of twenty commandos to Lanzhou
to meet with the ruling committee.

"I heard three Jax cruisers had
joined us in orbit around Lanzhou. This should be an interesting meeting,"
Drezner said as our shuttle descended into the capital, Jinhai.

"I agree. Colonel Wolfson doesn’t
look in a mood to negotiate."

We were met at the landing pad by a
General Li Quin and an honor guard of ten soldiers dressed in white. He paled
when the two combat shuttles accompanying us disgorged its twenty commandos and
their armed, two-man jet-cycles. It was a short, quiet ride to the three-story
marble building were the Lanzhou council conducted business. When we arrived,
the commandos accompanied us into the building, taking up positions in the
foyer and along the hallway as we proceeded to the meeting room, ensuring we
would have free access to our vehicles should the need arise. Four commandos
accompanied us into the meeting chamber.

* * *

"Greeting, Colonel Wolfson,"
said an elderly man with thinning hair. He sat in the middle, behind a long
marble table. Five men sat to his right and left, each elaborately dressed in
silks with a colored sash running from shoulder to waist and an open robe with
colored markings on the sleeves. "I’m senior Minister Sato. We, the
Lanzhou council, were sorry to hear of your heavy losses against the rebels."
The others were all nodding in agreement. "We understand you feel an
adjustment to your contract is necessary. We are divided in our opinion. Most
feel that is the risks of war. You did win—"

"I’m not here to negotiate. Who is
Minister Po Tong?" Wolfson asked. A rotund man with heavy Jowls, sitting
at the far right end of the table, paled when the speaker pointed to him.
"Captain Sapir."

As I moved in Po Tong’s direction, he
rose, casting his gaze right and left, searching for a place to run. I released
the catch on my whip, and it stretched behind me as I neared the table. It felt
alive as I circled it over my head and lashed out and around Po Tong’s neck. I
jerked it back and like the cork on a champagne bottle, his head separated from
his neck and blood sprayed skyward. With a practiced twist, the whip coiled
around my waist, and I locked it in place. I hoped Rosin, Kott, Jaffe, and the
others were watching. It wouldn’t bring them back, but it just maybe might
prevent a repeat and save lives.

"That is the penalty for treachery
against the Jax. Po Tong knew the size of the rebel force was double the size
negotiated, that they were not rabble but well organized by someone he was in
league with, and that they had military grade weapons. Had we been aware of
these factors, the contract would have been written for three hundred army and
one hundred commandos as a reserve. You therefore owe the Jax for two hundred
army, one hundred commandos, and a twenty-five percent penalty for the deception,"
Wolfson said.

"But we weren’t involved in Po
Tong’s scheme," the elderly man whined, looking at the other for support.

"You initiated the contract, so
you are responsible. If we thought you were involved in the scheme… You would
be talking to Captain Sapir of the Black Guard." He smiled, if I could
call that twitch of his lip a smile. "You have twenty-four hours to transfer
the required funds to our account. Our fleet will leave as soon as the transfer
is complete." He turned, and Drezner and I followed him back to our
transportation.

"I always wondered if the rumors
about those whips were true," Wolfson said as he entered the shuttle.
"Now I know."

Commander Wexler was a thin, tall man with silver-gray hair which
contrasted with his black uniform. His only decoration was a red dragon with
three stars above it on his right sleeve. His strong base voice cut through the
chilly morning air to the assembled Guard, who stood listening in the open area
behind the headquarters building. This was not the typical mission critique and
everyone knew it—tradition had been tampered with and an accounting
required.

"The information we were given for
the Lanzhou contract was intentionally under stated. We were told approximately
five hundred poorly armed and organized rebels. In fact, there were over a
thousand, and they were well armed and organized. As a consequence of those
fabricated numbers, we sent one hundred army to quell the revolt and
twenty-four Guard to protect the governor. The army performed well, killing
over two-to-one but the combat shuttles lost effectiveness when the rebels
overran the Yuan military and entered the city of Ebao. The commander on board
the War Horse reinforced the ground forces with fifty commandos, which was
insufficient to fight the seven hundred remaining rebels. Seeing the disparity
in numbers, the rebels split into two groups: four hundred to hold the army in
place and three hundred to attack the governor’s estate the Guard protected.
The best the army could do was position its forces between the rebels in the
city and those attacking the estate to prevent more of the city forces aiding
those at the estate. The force sent to capture the governor overran the Yuan
military defending the estate and arrived with two hundred operational and
forty wounded." He paused for a drink of water.

"The Jax Guard has always had a
reputation as the premiere bodyguards in the civilized worlds and having no
equals. We have always considered tradition and duty one and the same, and that
has always meant fighting to the last Guard." Wexler paused and stared at
me before continuing. "Captain Sapir, who commanded the Guard at the
governor’s estate, believes tradition and duty are not the same, and that duty
comes before tradition. Choosing duty over tradition, she chose not to defend
the estate and split her force. We must consider, therefore, whether she should
have stayed with the governor and defended the estate rather than take him and
his family into open country. Could she have stopped the two hundred forty
rebels from entering the estate and killing everyone? Tradition clearly
demanded she try." He stopped for another sip of water as he surveyed the
assembled Guard, stopping at me.

"Reason says her unit may have
inflicted great damage on the rebels, but in the end, the Guard would have been
defeated and the governor either killed or captured. The worlds would have understood
our failure and applauded the valiant effort. Instead, she split her force, sending
the men off with the governor, his family, and servants. Captain Sapir and
seven women remained, pretending to be servants. The commander of the rebels
split his force, sending half his able bodied men after the governor. With the
rebels relaxing at the estate, the women were able to kill all except for a few
who deserted. Two Guards died during that action. Captain Sapir and the
remaining women were subsequently able to approach from behind the rebels who
were confronting the force protecting the governor and destroy their remaining
force. The results were excellent, and I believe the occasional linking of the
word ’black’ with ’Guard,’ referring to our uniforms, will now forever be one
word—Black Guard. Black as in the color associated with death, and the
outcome of fighting the Guard. However, I fear the consequences of other team
leaders choosing to separate tradition and duty when facing an attacking force.
Tradition will guaranty you have done your duty. If you choose to separate the
two, and you are wrong, you will have violated our code and will suffer the
consequences." He paused seeming to look at each person present.

"Enough, the Captain and her team
defeated over two hundred rebels and saved her client and his family. A feat
that reflects favorably on the… Black Guard. In recognition of their courage
and achievement, the committee has awarded the double dragons to their rank
insignia and each enlisted has been promoted to the next higher rank." He
snorted. "The officers get our congratulations on a job well done.
Dismissed."

* * *

"Well, Captain Sapir, the double
dragons look very attractive. I’m envious. That honor has been given to few
individuals over the years. I’ve never heard of an entire team earning
it," Tzadok said as I joined him for breakfast. I had to admit, I did like
the look of it. Normally, a single red dragon on the bottom of the right sleeve
designated Guard rank of a private, one stripe on top of the dragon a corporal,
two a sergeant, and three a senior sergeant. For officers, one star a
lieutenant, two a captain, and three the Guard commander. The recipient of a
double dragon award had two red dragons facing each other rather than the
standard one. I loved it, but I’d give it up in a heartbeat to have my team
whole again. Not one of the ten lives was worth it. "Dragon Dobrin will be
joining us tomorrow. Until you are given a new assignment, we will be your instructors.
You and Hada Attali, who will be arriving within a week, will be given the opportunity
to train for dragon rank." He said before popping a small pigeon-egg in
his mouth. I smiled.

"Hada’s dream," I said,
hoping with all my heart she would realize it.

"What about you?"

"I don’t know. It’s Hada’s dream.
She’s just pulled me into it." I laughed. "A beautiful dream."

Tzadok nodded. "Yes, I suspect it
was her father’s dream, and he pulled Hada into it. Dragon rank has little to
do with the Guard, other than recognition of achievement."

"What achievement?"

"Conquering yourself. The ability
to quiet the mind, to be at peace with yourself, to see what is rather than
what you or others want to see," he said, looking thoughtful. Now that he
voiced it, I realized that was what I felt from him when we fought.

"That would be a worthwhile dream,
Dragon Tzadok."

* * *

I stood waiting at the landing pad as
Hada’s shuttle approached. When she stepped out, I couldn’t help but notice she
looked older. A smile lit her face when she saw me, and she flew across the pad
into my arms.

"Oh, it’s good to be home
again," Hada said, hugging me tightly.

"Yes, home." This was my
home. As we walked hand-in-hand down the trail to the main compound, I realized
I had found what I had lost all those years ago—family. The Guard had
become my family and Hada a dear sister.

Hada took hold of my sleeve and
giggled. "I wonder if they have a double dragon for the collar."

"You’re incorrigible, Hada. How
was your assignment in Wuhan?" I asked, and was surprised to see the sadness
in her eyes.

"By the Guard’s standards, it was
successful. There were three attempts on the Prince’s life. The first two were solo,
and we stopped each of them with only minor injuries. The last attempt was by a
group of six. They were armed with military-grade, multi-functional guns. I
lost two. Two died to protect a worthless specimen of a man. He treated
everyone like they were stupid and beneath him. It was my fault."

"Why?" I asked.

"I didn’t like him, so I tended to
stay out of his sight. I let him intimidate me. I should have had more guards
on him because everyone had a good reason to hate him, and I should have been
there when the attack came!" She made no attempt to wipe away the tears
that ran down her cheeks. I took hold of her by the shoulders so she was facing
me.

"Look at me, Hada." When she
did, I continued. "Who are the elite of the Jax military?"

"The Guard," she sobbed.

"And what are you?"

"A Guard captain."

Who is your superior?"

"Commander Wexler."

"Do our clients outrank Commander
Wexler?"

"No, but…"

"The Black Guard is hired to
protect their lives. We are not hired to be their servants. We do not fetch or
carry or do tricks. They adhere to our rules or we leave."

"Yes, Captain Sapir," Hada
said. "I was weak, and my people paid the price."

"We cannot stop our people from
getting killed. I lost ten." I felt a lump in my throat and my chest felt
empty. "It’s the nature of the business we are in, but we should not let
our contracts stop us from doing our duty," I said. Hada gave me a questioning
look. "To protect them in a manner which maximizes our people’s chances of
surviving."

Slowly a smile appeared on her face.
"I’ve heard my sister has declared duty is the highest priority. I agree
with you. A duty to our contract and to those we command." She laughed.
"I’ll wager you gave that governor ulcers."

"I almost made him a eunuch…"
Her mood lightened as we sat at our favorite spot, and I recounted several of
my incidents with the governor.