OVER THE SILVER SKY TO THE WORLD OF NEVER : Part 256 - We Will Stand With Our Shield Sisters.

Last Saturday night, after a few drinks, I was about to get in my car when a fellow customer of the bar, I'd just exited, advised me I shouldn't drive home as drunk as I was. I told him, I could barely walk. I had just had to crawl the last ten feet to my car. How could he expect me to walk half a mile home? He said he could barely walk either but he was going to walk home anyway. That drunk walk home killed him. When I ran him over a few minutes later. Don't drink and walk. Use your car. It could save your life.

(The copyright to this image is the property of Geckoandfly.)

The party hadn't yet reached the half way point when the sky lit up, as several craft descended from above. Clan T'nanga had arrived. The airborne squadron landing on the opposite side of the house to Ugo's palace. They were too far away to see much. Except for Jake that was. His Ustraski enhanced senses showed him the soldiers debarking from the dozen or so airships. One of which, though less than half the size of the Grand Patriarch's behemoth, was far more impressive. It had an armored hull and an impressive array of weaponry. Chaska and her companion, Kaisha, stared wide eyed at the display of strength. Exchanging wary glances. Pip tapped away at her firewave. Jake didn't bother to look, he didn't need to. A loudspeaker system blared forth a welcome to the Patriarch of the Shucha.

"Wanderer?" Kaisha addressed him. "What is it like to kill someone?"
She cast a nervous glance at her superior, who nodded. It was a question that needed asking. Jake wanted to be as honest as possible.
"The first time is life changing. Killing someone is a terrible thing, even when your own life is on the line. In the heat of battle you don't have time to think about it until it's all over. If you stop to think, you're dead. You will feel it afterwards though. As the relief washes over you, the full impact hits. You might cry or be sick."
The two shield sisters looked at one another anxiously.
"I do not know that I can do this." Chaska murmured. "My will may fail me when faced with the prospect. I am not sure I will have the courage. I haven't even killed a wild animal."
"It's not courage you need to kill. So don't worry about that."
Pip looked up from her glowing icons.
"Those aren't people. Not real people. They were once, but not anymore." Now she looked at him and he knew she was considering the next part very carefully. Asking him if she should tell them. He nodded turning away to stare into the dark. "The thing is... You would be best staying out of this. Your weapons will be useless against theirs. You might as well spit at them."
"We know this." The officer responded. "We will stand with our shield sisters."
He swung back angry at what he'd brought to them.
"Oh for fuck sake. No you won't."
"It is our duty Wanderer. We will not shirk it. No matter the cost. We volunteered for this task. We will stand with you."
Jake growled setting off towards the ship. Looking back when they didn't instantly follow him.
"We'll be out gunned and outnumbered. The thing we won't do is stand together. If we do that we're fucked. Follow me. Hurry up." He set off again the others speeding up to catch him. "Keep moving. Situational awareness is vital. The only thing in our favor is that anything we shoot will be them. There's going to be no shortage of targets for us. Now if we were fighting people that would be an even better advantage. I'm pretty sure that what's left of the humans in those cyborgs won't give a shit about who they fire on. You shoot, you move. Their targeting systems will be after you constantly." He paused, turning to Pip. "You head up to the control room. I'll take Chaska and Kaisha to the replicators. There's no fucking way I'm letting you go up against that lot with nothing but a long stick and tissue for armor."
He continued muttering and swearing to himself all the way back. Still furious as he entered the ship.
"Have we done something to anger him?" Kaisha asked Pip.
"No. He's mad with himself. This is a good thing. You don't have to do this you know. You can walk away. Everybody else has."
"We are prepared to die." Chaska replied. "We only wish to die with honor."
Jake's head appeared through the small gap.
"No you fucking won't. Before I let you set foot in here, there's one thing I need to get straight. If I tell you to do something, you do it without question. If I tell you to leave me or send you away you must obey. If you can accept that, welcome aboard. If you can't, bugger off." His head disappeared, but the muttering continued. "Damn stupid bravery and honor and duty."
Pip gave them a shrug.
"In a lot of ways this is good. If you agree to his terms follow me."

As soon as they were all inside the young woman headed to the control room while Jake took the others to the docking bay replicators. They were still set for producing armor and weapons. Even he could get the systems to measure the shield sisters. As soon as he'd set them going he took Chaska and Kaisha to the hologramatic suite. He was going to give them a crash course in combat. He hailed Pip to ask her to set up a simulation using every shred of information they had on the forces arrayed against them. The chances of this ending peacefully were rapidly receding. He could see and hear what was going on out there. Another of the clans had arrived. Clan Sawabo was currently welcoming the visit of Ugo and Fareeba were only minutes away. They'd probably behave the same as the Sawabo clan and land equidistant from Ugo and Dareba. Now if the worst happened, and they all ganged up, he could at least send his two shield sisters to face opposition they'd be more than a match for. As soon as they arrived at the hologram suite he had Pip set up some target practice. Well at least they could shoot.

By 4 in the morning he was actually satisfied. For all their inexperience in genuine combat situations the two women were more than capable. They were also quick to learn and attentive. Imminent death could do that to you. Of course they didn't have their actual weapons yet. Having to rely on the holograms to generate the various firearms and blades he wanted them to try. All that time he'd spent training Poppy came in handy here. Neither of them shot him. Either accidentally or on purpose. The odds were they'd be entering the conflict zone at night. Making image intensifiers a necessity. The cyborgs would have enhanced visual systems as well as radar so there was no edge there. Not unless he and Pip could come up with something. He had an idea he'd need to run past her. As if she was reading his mind Pip contacted him at that moment precisely.

"I think you should come up here Jake. Things are going down out there that we need to be aware of and go over."
He checked on his students. Telling them to join him in an hour or so. There was no point wearing them out or overloading them although neither showed signs of any obvious wear. Jake headed up to his friend. As soon as he entered the room she threw a couple of displays up onto the walls.
"Bring me up to speed. I've been too busy to pay any attention to what's happening out there." He noticed one of those screens going blank. "Have you been spying on Ugo and Daisy?"
"I may have. What does it matter? It's nothing I haven't seen before."
"Then why were you watching it?"
Pip cleared her throat, ignoring his question, as she turned back to her briefing.
"Debara didn't waste any time. His forces have moved out to form a security cordon. The bulk of his assets are aimed at Ugo's floating house. He's also got a few individual units roaming around the surrounding area. Damn those cyborgs actually look like real people. I suppose they were once." She mused before getting back to her point. "His first action was to sequester the house. Taini and Ydrie have been allowed to remain. Pengelly and the bitch whore have been escorted back to the camp. Where they've been ordered to remain under guard. All of them are receiving the third degree right now. She, who shall remain nameless, was not happy about how things are going. Not happy at all."She sniggered before controlling herself.
"When you say the third degree what do you mean?"
"Taini and Ydrie are being pumped for every piece of information on us that they have. Debara is pretty angry they didn't inform anyone of the Matriarch's arrival. It's not going to be long before they work out there's been some interference. We're in the clear I think. So far there's been no mention of you, me or Fetu. Pengelly and... you know who, have been pretty close mouthed about us as well. Possibly because they've not seen us for so long they've forgotten we exist."
That was strange.
"Scarlet hasn't mentioned me at all? That's interesting in a funny way. The way she was shouting and screaming I thought she'd bust a gut."
"Not as much as you'd think. It's the interrogator doing a piss poor job more than anything. He keeps insisting she sticks only to answering his questions. Every time she tries to drop you in it he stops her. He's got a list and he's sticking to it."
"Yeah cyborg mentality and programming. If it's not in the orders or software then it doesn't exist. It doesn't mean they won't get onto all of us eventually."
"They'll be fine I imagine. Not so Taini and Ydrie. Debara is taking care of them himself. Along with a nasty piece of work who's working their neural analyser or lie detector. Bad cop, psychotic cop if you like. Debara is very xenophobic. I don't mean merely against anyone not from Fafindi. I mean anyone not in his clan. Although for some reason he seems to be going quite easy on the foreigners as he sees them. It's a contradiction I know. True nonetheless. The only thing I can think of to explain it is that the control systems he's had installed to moderate his madness are aimed at keeping the mayhem in house so his insanity doesn't become public knowledge."
"That seems like the best theory. I'm pretty sure Pengelly and Scarlet will be safe for now at least."
"So now that we've got new recruits are we still sticking to the same plan? Exfiltrating Daisy the second she leaves the palace and bringing her back here."
"If all goes well."
"How are they doing? Chaska and Kaisha?"
"Really well. You can't fault their training. It's excellent. They've both got great tactical brains and they're willing to listen." He gave her a knowing look.
"Hey I listen. Only not to you, if I can help it."