Knight�s Pride

Chapter 7: Questions and Answers Continued

"You what!!!!" Deida's voice filled the room.

KaLee looked around at all of them, the young ones were sitting there shocked and amazed, mouths agape.

Even Spike's eyes were wide as he spoke. "Well I didn't hear that one in the rumor mill."

"So it is true." Lillian's voice was low filled with anger. "You blew up the Argos. Fired on one of your own ships." Before KaLee could respond Lillian continued. "How could you even consider it? There were people still alive on that ship. People who could have gotten away."

KaLee sighed. "If you had been listening there was no way for anyone else to get off that ship. And it was my duty to make sure that it did not fall into enemy hands."

It was Derk's turn to speak. "Of course, the Argos had the tri-warp engine, just as high of energy out put as a meca-warp without the size or the waste. Revolutionary, only four are currently in use."

"So what!" Lillian about spat the words out. "What are lives compared to machinery?"

This is going to get ugly fast if something isn't said the right way. KaLee's mind was racing but she had to finish this.

It was Ryan who spoke next though, his voice resonating softly in the room. "Ruling C-7635b: when an enemy has the opportunity to gain advancement through technological/magical means and there is no way to save live with out capture, command personnel must remove the technology/magic from the battle field." His voice was even. "What this article basically states: is that when you can't save anymore lives and the enemy is about to take prisoners and technology. You are to destroy the technology, even at the cost of lives."

"How can you make that determination?" Cole's finally found his voice.

"That is what commanders do. The people who command others make those decisions as hard as they might be, they have to make them." Ryan continued.

"That is what we are trained for." KaLee spoke. Lillian had not shifted her gaze. It continued to rest steadily and heavily on KaLee even as she spoke. "Besides I did not fire on the Argos."

Lillian blinked but it was Droe who had remained silent the entire time who finally voiced the next question.

"What happened?"

* * * * * * * * * *

"Commander." A voice cried out. "Incoming message� from the Argos."

KaLee took a deep gulp of air. "On screen." She managed to say.

Next to the battle map flickered to life a screen shot of Captain Yonder. He was of a non-Tarran race, Forsum, if she remembered correctly. His dark obsidian skin could be seen in stark contrast to the white behind him with fully green eyes staring back at her.

"Commander Akira." His voice was deep and almost fluid. "We seem to have a slight problem. My ship is about to be boarded."

"I noticed sir." She gave a slight shake of her head. "Not much I can do for you right now. We are barely holding our own here."

"I am transferring some information along this line. Coded of course." He gave a twitch of a smile. "Don't think we will be able to get it out. Our engines are having some problems but we sent somebody in to resolve the situation."

KaLee felt her heart beating hard in her chest listening to what he was truly saying.

"Captain." A voice came off from the side, and Yonder turned to look at them. "Chief Riggs is in position, waiting your order."

"Thank you." He turned back to face KaLee. "I was wondering Commander Akira, if you would stay on the line as long as possible. This down load is very important."

She could tell in his eyes there was an amount of effort in what he was doing.

"Of course. How many are left on your ship?" She asked.

"Mainly command staff, a bit of medical, and most of the engineering crew. Total of 25 people." He said.

She nodded. "We are decoding some of the transmission now. I will�" She was interrupted by a commotion on his side of the communication.

"They are almost here sir." The voice cut in again and Yonder nodded.

"Chief Riggs." He spoke into another line but kept his eyes intently fixed upon KaLee.

"Yes sir." Came the crackled response.

"Anytime." Yonder's said, and then spoke to her. "Easten Dore."

The line went dead.

* * * * * * * * * *

The group around the table watched her in almost stunned silence. Derk and Deida were griping the table hard and Cole was almost visibly shaking.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I looked back to the screen to see where they were and they weren't there. The self-destruct had done its job. There were no salvageable parts left." She took a deep breath.

"What was in the transmission they were sending?" Spike asked.

KaLee shifted her gaze to him. He was fiddling with a toothpick, flipping it nervously in his hands.

"When it was finally decoded it was letters to family and some battle information they had gathered, Intel and stuff of that nature. Also the total lay out of how they blew up the Argos."

There was a noise off to the front of the library. All conversation stopped as three carts with food was brought in. The whole group watched the people bring in the carts and place them off to the side.

"There should be enough for you." One of them spoke, his voice slightly echoing in the room. "If you need anything more you can contact us and we will get something for you."

It was KaLee who spoke her voice that of a commander someone used to the awkward silences that come of secret talks. "Thank you, we will do that."

No one moved even after they left. The group was hungry, KaLee knew that but no one moved.

"What happened next?" Cole asked his eyes fixed on a spot on the table.

"Well," KaLee said. "I contacted the main raider ship and gave them an ultimatum." She chuckled at the thought of the event. "Told them to remove themselves from the area or I would blow up the Nemesis."

"You would have what?" Deida stared at her.

"I seem to keep shocking you Deida." KaLee said lightly, before continuing. "Yeah. I had a civilian transport not that far off that I needed to also protect so I gave them an ultimatum."

"But the Nemesis had a meca-warp engine." Derk's voice was soft, almost talking to himself. "Wouldn't that have�?� The question was left unfinished as he looked at her with the realization of what she had threatened sunk in.

She nodded. "Yep. It would have taken out everything in a million kilometer radius." She smiled again at the look on the pirate's face as she told him that. "If they were lucky they would have been able to get far enough away for it to only take out their engines and leave them floating in space. Most likely it would have disintegrated them."

KaLee looked at Lillian. Her posture was tense but she no longer had the look of absolute hate on her face. Her eyes started unseeing at the table in front of her, arms crossed over her chest.

"Does that help Corporal?" KaLee asked.

Lillian looked up; her eyes full of unshed pain. "It explains what happened and how their letters did make it out." She took in a deep breath. "I need a moment."

"Why don't we get something to eat and then we can start on one of you." KaLee said, standing up herself.

There was a gurgle behind her as she reached the cart.

"Sorry." It was Cole. "I guess I am a little hungry."

There was a shuffling and scraping of chairs as the recruits moved towards the food.

Ryan was up next to her when he spoke. "I am sorry you had to go through that." He piled some ham onto the bread he had laid out on his plate.

She gave an ironic smile as she talked to him. "Well, it is something I would rather have not gone through that is for sure but�" she sighed.�I guess I am glad it was me and not you or Archer."

There was a raised eyebrow at the last name given before he asked the next question. "Do you know where he is?"

"Archer?" KaLee double-checked. Ryan gave a slight nod. "No," she shook her head. "I wish I did but he works for Intel and I don't need to know where he is." She took some lighter food before turning back to the table.

KaLee noted Spike was gone and Lillian was still not back. "You know if we follow down the ranks for questions you are next."

Ryan smiled. "Ahh� yes Commander, I would be but I have one more question for you before we move on." He sat down in his chair and started to dig in. She sat next to him in an empty chair there.

"And what might that be?" She started to eat.

"Now that would spoil the surprise." He said, searching her face for any kind of reaction but found none but that of a relaxed person. "Don't worry it is only about the medical portion after the battle."

KaLee nodded. That was something she was going to have to face, but she could at least avoid certain things within that conversation.

Spike and Lillian walked back into the area. Lillian was pale but steady on her feet and Spike was walking closely by her. KaLee caught Spikes eye and he gave a slight acknowledgment.

Later. She thought. I will have to talk to him later.

They went and gathered some food for themselves.

After they sat down KaLee spoke. "So now that we are done with me�"

Ryan interrupted. "No we aren't." He made it a statement looking at her with a smile.

She turned to face him. "Really Ryan." She leaned back in her chair. "You have something to ask?" She raised an eyebrow as though she did not know the question.

"We know you defended the Nemesis and the other ships around but what happened after the raiders pulled back? What happened then?"

Facts, just stick to the facts. She took a little breath before speaking. "I had a structural beam fall on me, shattering my left hip and puncturing my lung. I was pretty much on deaths door when the emergency medical personnel arrived." She wrinkled her brow and shifted slightly in her seat. "I don't remember much of what was said at the time. I was in and out of it. When I fully came to I was in main medical at Garrison Command. They had taken the liberty to perform some major changes to my biological systems." Slight bitterness came into her voice. "I now have a bionic hip and cybernetic enhancements to my legs, meaning I can kick a hell of a lot harder than I used to. A mesh type shielding was put between my rips to add extra protection to what is in the rib cage, a bionic left shoulder and enhancements to the left and right arms. They also finished a process that was started before I came to the Academy. I can handle 2% oxygen, where normally it would be 5%."

She rattled off everything that had been done to her, but not how it was done. There are things I am not ready to face in a public forum. "Also because of the raider incident and the major medical overhaul that was done to me I see a Physiatrist once a week. They want to make sure I am still sane after everything that has happened."

There was a silence, as everyone seemed to take in what she had said.

"So that is where you go on Wednesdays." Deida stated.

KaLee nodded. "Yep." She looked around at the faces at the table. "So is there anything else I can answer?"

It took a moment but Spike was the one who finally spoke. "I don't think you would be willing to or allowed to answer some of the questions I know I have. So then I would say let's move on to the next victim."

The others slowly nodded in agreement. Except for Lillian.

"I just have one more question." Her voice was calculated, planning what she had to say. "What happened to Charade?" Her eyes focused on KaLee, half an accusation rested in them.

"He died." KaLee's voice was steady, even though the pain was readily there. "I did not find out until a month later in recovery." She kept her focus on Lillian. "He was pretty much overwhelmed by how many raiders he was fighting. But�" She smiled thinking of the picture she had created in her head. "� they found him surrounded by about 20 dead raider bodies, torn apart by bare claws."

"I know I have one more question." This time it was Cole. "You are one of the youngest Commanders in the Explorers. What were your assignments and how long were you on them?"

"Well," KaLee leaned back in her chair. "I spent two and a half years on the StarStryke mapping anomalies and planetary bodies along the boarders of Free Space and the Drule Empire. Started as a Lieutenant working in Navigation and Piloting. Rose pretty fast in rank and was transferred to be Second in Command of the Nemesis as a ranking Commander. I spent six months there before this incident. Three months in recovery and one month returning Charade home. That about covers it." She again looked around the table. "And I believe it is Ryan's turn."

"How do you know we are done with you?" Deida asked, half challenging her.

"Because." It was Droe's voice filling the room. "Anything we ask from here will elicit the response of 'I can't tell you that' or 'that is classified.'" He smiled tilting his head to KaLee. "Am I right Commander?"

She managed to stifle a laugh and respond. "That is pretty much correct."

Ryan shifted in his seat. "Then as she said� I guess it is my turn." He looked around the table. "So who has a question for me?"

KaLee noticed Cole shift slightly in his seat. Uh oh. She thought. He wants to ask about him. She chewed on the interior of her lip and noticed that Ryan was watching Cole.

Ryan took a deep breath before he brought his voice to the surface. "You will never find out if you don't ask Cole." His tone was steady but slightly tired.

KaLee felt a twinge of jealousy at him. Family Ryan. You don't know how lucky you are.

"What was your family life like?" Cole asked cautiously. "You grew up on Arus, right?"

Ryan nodded. "Some of the time was spent here, but a lot was actually spent with my dad doing shipping runs."

"So he runs a shipping company?" Derk said.

"Yeah. Works a lot on the out skirts of Alliance territories." He gave the McClain signature lopsided grin. "I had a very broad childhood."

"What about your mother?" Droe asked. "Did she go along with you?"

"My mother died when I was five years old. I don't have many memories of her." He kept it short.

Droe nodded. "I am sorry."

Ryan gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Just meant that on some of my father's more dangerous deliveries I stayed here, at the castle."

Cole raised an eyebrow. "Really. What was that like?"

"Pretty much like living with Uncle Keith and Aunt Alura and my cousin Katleina. I did not spend much time here when Andrew was around. He is seven years younger than me at a younger age did not have much interest in him." He said. "Though Katleina was slightly overprotective at times. She got that from her father."

"What was the age difference between you and the Princess?" Droe asked.

"I am about twelve hours younger than her." A broad smile planted itself on his face as he said the next line. "Ask Keith some time about having two VERY pregnant women in the same castle at the same time. He and Lance were in the dog house most of the time." Ryan could see the question forming on Droe's face so he answered it before it was asked. "The Princess and I were born before the Drule Peace Treaty was even drawn up. The Drule terrorist activity at the time was pretty common place and my mother's pregnancy was a hard one. So Lance asked if they could stay here until after the births, to make sure that mom and I would be okay." A sad look flittered across his face but managed to keep it in check. "He was very protective of mom."

He looked around the room at the group sitting at the table. They all watched him; some with more intensity than others but all eyes were on him. "My life was pretty boring. I left for the academy at age 16 and that was that."

Spike smiled. Oh Ryan, you have a story I want to hear. "So you and the Princess were obviously close."

Ryan looked at him. "Yeah."

"I wouldn't mind hearing more about your relationship with her." There was a taunting in his voice.

Ryan took a deep breath. He had defended himself in regards to her a lot. It was not anything new, but it usually was annoying. "If you are asking were we close� yes. If you are asking did we date� no. If you are asking did we have sex� no. If you are asking was she my best friend � yes. If you are asking were we family� not by blood but by heart, yes. Katleina was a big part of my world for a very long time. I keep her in high regard." He then shrugged relaxing, letting the tension roll away. "I grew up with her. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I found a record of the Naskosy Conclave." Spike said. "You wouldn't be able to tell me anything more about that would you?"

KaLee's eyebrows went up on that one and she looked to Ryan. He had a look of slight shock on his face.

"How did you find that?" He asked.

He was calm. The 'incident' that Spike was referring to was not that big of a deal but it had definite implications in his relationship with Princess Katleina.

"Well we have been doing research on the Princess." Spike said with a shrug. "I just stumbled across it. Found it fascinating that the Naskosy Conclave actually completed a treaty agreement with Arus. Most don't get through the first stages."

Ryan nodded. "Well there were some extenuating circumstances." He gave a smile remembering the look on his dad's face when Katleina walked in.

"What were the extenuating circumstances?" It was Cole who asked the question.

KaLee smiled. This is going to be interesting.

"What if I am sworn to secrecy about this?" He asked, knowing full well he was not.

"You aren't." Droe's voice rumbled. "But I could check to see if you are." He smiled a toothy smile.

There are times when you are kind is scary Droe. That could be very useful. KaLee thought.

Ryan sighed. "I should take offence at this. First you ask about my dad now you ask about the Princess. No real questions about me." There was lightness to his voice though and they knew he was not taking offence at them.

"What do you mean Ryan?" KaLee finally spoke. Ryan shifted his gaze to her. "From what I know, you were the one who saved her life. She even readily admitted it."

This statement perked Derk and Deida's interest. "You saved the Princess?" They actually asked in unison.

Ryan sighed again, but the smile was still on his face. "Thank you Commander. Now there is no way I can avoid telling this story."

"No." It was Lillian who spoke now, her tone dry but with a twitch of a smile. "You always had to tell us. Now you have to give details."

KaLee managed not to burst out laughing but could not stop the smile from lighting up her face. Humor from the Corporal. Good� she is relaxing.

Ryan gave a dramatic sigh and rolled his eyes. "Fine. I will tell you all about it." He leaned back trying to recall all the details. "It was a little over eight and a half years ago. Both the Princess and I were thirteen years old. I am one of her honor guards and usually when I was on Arus and a treaty like this one came up I would be there in official capacity but not this time." He shrugged. "I however being her best friend decided I would at least stay close to her. Now let me start by telling you that Kat had managed not to wear a dress once to any event. Somehow she had always managed to avoid it. This time because of the Naskosy Conclave�s Code she had to wear one." He shook his head thinking about the conversation he walked in on.

On to Chapter 8

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