Life Changing pt.1
Life Changes.... No One Can Stop It
Author - Kavanne.
Feedback - Kavanne@aol.com
Summary - Dramatic events change this Peacekeeper’s life. (This is not a Peacekeeper we know from anywhere on the TV series) And soon she will meet her match. (Next part)
Another day. Oh, and guess what? Another new exercise. What will it be? Pistols? Rifles? Hand to hand? Oh, it’s all the same to me. I was born into this, I have to do it. It’s what I’m made for.
Here, I will never get used to these standard issue bunks, oh well, there’s one incentive to rise through the ranks. Nicer beds, less chance of being slain in combat. For crying out loud, can’t they turn these lights on with a dimmer switch! Now wait, think, are you on the top or the bottom bunk? Bottom, good, I can swing out.
*Sigh* I am not tired, *No you aren’t* I offer myself. I vainly attempt to focus my eyes. My stomach feels heavy, more space sickness. I haven’t been up here for long, only half a cycle. Some of these guys haven’t even seen Sebacea. They were born here, raised here and will probably die here.
“Get up! Get up! Get up!” Oh great! That’s Captain Ruther, She’s hard. We never get to see her, but she is our commanding officer. We obey her and the commanders. They train us, educate us for our lives, so we don’t die. But there is a small chance we’ll live to thirty cycles, so we do not get our hopes up.... at all.
“We’re coming, we’re coming.” I mumble and I can hear several of my roommate’s cuss and swear under their breaths. I’m kind of the loner in this room, actually I’m a loner full stop. I keep myself to myself and concentrate, I want to become a tech. Space always fascinated me. Maybe I’ll do something about that today? “Shower, where is it?”
* * * * * *
Shower. Hair up. Tie back. Leathers on. That is my routine every morning. Others just do it as they remember, but I’m one of those people who has to have a routine. This is me, Ranes Hacre, just the organised person you don’t want in an inter-galactic army.
I can’t spontaneously decide what manoeuvre to do in my Prowler. I need information, what’s my goal? What are my tools? What will their next move be? Will I be counter attacked? These are the things I fear. Being a tech would change that, I’d repair things, monitor the scanners, investigate spacial phenomena and design prototype drives and engines.
“Get here cadet!” *Sigh* Again. I roll my neck , just to show how bored I feel today. “Quickly.” Yes, I specialise in that thank you. And that is what I hate. You know it! You know I hate it when you use my speed as a taunting tool, because I’m fast, athletic! Just because someday you know I will be better than you!
“Yes commander.” I mumble and sigh.... yet again.
“You are late.” state the obvious.
“Sorry commander.” I mumble insults under my breath, hoping he will hear. He does.
“Right that is it cadet! I have had it up to my neck with you. Go to Captain Ruther for reassignment!” He blurts out in my ear. I am doing a lot of sighing today. “Move! Move! Move!”
“OK, OK.” I whisper as I move away down the corridor. I’ve been past the captain quarters many times, but never in them, never for punishment. Oh well, nothing big, people go in and come out all the time. I clench my fist, I realise that I do not have my pistol in the holster.
No, that is stupid, I do not need my pistol, but I feel like I do right now. No, I will resist the urge to go back and get it. If anything bad happens, I can just about protect myself in hand-to-hand.
Door. Look, it’s there in front of me. I have to go in. No wait, press the button first and wait. I let out a breath that I have been unconsciously holding. My finger defiantly pushes the button, I am shocked when her reply is almost immediate.
The door slides open, fast, silently, devilishly inviting.
“Hello Cadet, Hendins has told me about you. Quite a tech I hear, but he says you are ignorant towards your superiors.”
“Sorry Captain.” she gets up and walks towards me.
“Watch out Cadet.” she states simply. As soon as she has finished there’s a blast from behind me, and I can hear glass and wall fragments flying towards us. I don’t know what it is, but something is making me reach for the wall panel beside me. I tug at the panel once, and I stand back up to protect myself and the Captain. The glass stops in front of me, the noises cease to exist, my face cringes as I battle to keep the panel there. Then, we were left, alone, in the huge room. Destruction around us. I begin to quiver as the adrenalin rush fades away. And what a rush it was, my heart thumps, I start to tremble and feel as if I am going to drop to my knees, how, what? How did I do it? I question myself.
“What the....?!” I stop as I realise the company I am in. I slowly turn to my superior. I realise then that I wasn't fast enough and that there are several pieces if glass and wall embedded in my face. I set about pulling them out while I turn to face Ruther.
“Good work.” she comments dryly, by the tone of her voice I come to some realisations.
“It... It was a set-up?!” I interrogate, anger crawling slowly into my voice. I want to hit her. Why didn't I just dive out the way? Why didn’t I just save myself and let her get hurt?
I couldn’t, that is why. Some instinct reaction made me protect my comrade from something she herself had set-up.
“Senior Hacre.” she waves her hand in front of my face.
“No, no, I’m a cadet.” I retort, not able to control the remaining anger and adrenalin.
“Not anymore. Your training is complete and...” I cut her off. And continue my barrage of annoyance towards her.
“No, I have 3 years before I get ranked and regimented.” I state.
“We bend the rules once in a while.” she smiles, not a wry, nasty smile, but a proud one. She pulls out a data pad and 2 rank colours from behind her desk.
“Senior Renn.” she began to speak formally, “You are being reassigned to Special Operations in light of your recent achievement..”
“If I hadn’t ‘recently achieved’ what I just did, we’d both be dead.” I spite at her.
“Well, you did it. Your mission brief is here, you will be leaving at first shipping tomorrow.” Captain Ruther finished defiantly. She leans forwards and fit the rank colours onto my upper-arm sleeve, just below my shoulder. I still want to hit her.
“Now go and pack.” No, I want to cry.
TBC....
Feed me!!!!!! This is just a Peacekeeper, not anyone we know from Farscape.