The Better Part of Valor (By Cass & Gage)

[Gage Silver 0]

The Better Part of Valor

A Granger-Silver Log

 

 

Cass stood on the periphery of the discussion between Silver and the skipper. Questions cut to the core; answers were hard to swallow. The hardest part for her was to listen, to keep her mouth shut. There were decisions to be made and the consequences of those decisions would have repercussions across time and space. Generations would be affected, whether for good or evil. Actions would have to be accounted for on both sides.

 

Was it personal? Damn right.

War is always personal.

Personal for everyone.

Who pays the price?

Everyone.

 

Holding her peace was the hardest thing she’d ever have to do.

Action’s easy; peace is hard.

* * * * *

 

“Feel like I’m stuck in the middle of a damn fairy tale,” Cass muttered as she continued to search through her tactical vest, then pat down the pockets of her fatigues.

 

Not soon after the crew briefing the protection detail had returned to the ship, Gage had ordered their presence in the Captain’s military offensive and they’d geared up. A few days into the mission found Cass and Silver moving in the general direction of Luca’s lair to recon the local layout and gauge the general mindset of the population: talking to people re: Luca & Co., getting to know who they were protecting and what they were dealing with.

 

But put a full tactical kit and a couple days of recon together with only a few energy bars and, trained or not, you have one hungry Marine.

 

“Damn. Know it’s here somewhere....”

 

Gage briefly glanced over his shoulder at her. “What’re you looking for?” he asked soberly.

 

A disgusted expression accompanied her sudden stop. “Sorry for the delay, Sir. Left it on the ship. Transporter chief prob’ly finished it by now... if he was hungry enough.” Something caught her attention and she squinted into the field, then raised her high-power binoculars to check it thoroughly.

 

Gage didn’t immediately reply, offering neither rebuke nor humor, giving the distant object a glance as he continued down the cobblestone road in an unbroken stride before he stopped and looked at her. “You coming?”

 

Without a word, she turned to double-time toward him, glancing from side to side, continuing to check the roadside ditches and the fields beyond. A few hundred meters ahead the road bridged a wide, slow-moving stream dividing the countryside and the fields gave way to a quaint village that looked like it fell out of Shrek. Activity had steadily picked up as they left the quiet and concealment of the forest far behind them, passing farmsteads and stray travelers; and the village, intersected by several highways in the region, teemed with people.

 

As they reached the stone bridge, wide enough to accommodate foot-traffic in both directions, a man in his late twenties, wearing brown tweed and shouldering a satchel, crossed in their direction and halted midway.

 

Gage glanced at him and, apparently discerning minimal threat, kept at arm’s length and passed him without breaking stride. The younger man didn’t move, his gaze fixing on Cass once Gage had moved out of the way. Cass stepped to the side to let him pass.

 

“You’re from the outside,” the man abruptly observed, stepping in front of her.

 

“Indeed I am, Sir,” she replied with a courteous nod, her accent a passable match for the planet’s population.

 

“You’re the so-called army that will defeat,” his voice dropped and his gaze briefly shifted toward Luca’s distant black castle; “he-who-shall-not-be-named?”

 

Feigning ignorance, Cass replied, “Should we defeat him, Sir?”

 

He sneered. “Don’t pretend you don’t know. Everyone knows of your Captain and her pact with Phalen the Defender.”

 

“And how did you learn of this pact our ‘captain’ supposedly has with this ‘Phalen the Defender?’” she ventured, maintaining a casual stance but meeting his eyes straight-on. “Is this ‘Phalen’ someone to be reckoned with?”

 

The question seemed to irritate the stranger. “What do I care of Phalen and his militia? They’ve done nothing but stir up trouble when we wanted peace,” he growled. “Did you expect your pact to remain secret when your Captain gallivants around the protectorates like a high senator and Phalen boasts of your great army joining him to defeat...him? No doubt he knows of you and your plans. Because of you, he’s blockaded my road home with his vile beasts and I’m stuck here, in the middle of your psychotic little crusade.”

 

“He’s blockaded your way home, has he? You must be worried for your family, your land, your livestock.” She flicked a glance at Silver, who seemed impatient. She stood her ground, determined to gather as much intel as possible.

 

“Tell us of this Luca, other than that he cannot be defeated? He has an army and vile beasts, ‘tis true, but what else? Has he a vulnerability?”

 

“You need me to tell you that?” he laughed scornfully. “You’re no ‘great army’ and you, woman, are no soldier. Go back to your scullery and take your insane Captain with you.”

 

“My scullery?” she straightened up, pasted a smile on her face to hold back the few choice words that came to mind, and shifted her hold on the rifle. He had become more agitated; she was ready with the rifle butt. A mild blow to the midsection would probably back him off. If not, she had a few other maneuvers.

 

But the stranger’s sneer devolved to a panicked yelp as Gage silently grabbed him from behind, helped him over the low stone wall and head first into the stream below.

 

Cass eyed the empty space, then glanced over the wall at arms flailing in the gentle stream. After a second or two she shifted back to Silver, dumbfounded.

 

“Guy was a pain,” Gage remarked dryly, evidently amused as he glanced the stranger floating downstream. “Now you’re done flirting, can we go?”

 

Cass glanced over the edge once more, then jerked back, livid. “Flirting? Gathering intel is flirting?”

 

“No, just flirting.” Gage tauntingly repeated, then simply turned and started for the village.

 

“Hey,” she called, coming alongside, not a little annoyed. “You think I was flirting with that jackass?”

 

“Looked like fireworks to me,” Gage replied.

 

“Fireworks?” She grabbed his arm to swing him around. “You want fireworks, I’ll show you fireworks.”

 

Gage stared at her for a second, then grinned and laughed at her expense, returning his gaze to their surroundings. “This is why I like you, Cass. Easy to mess with.”

 

“Not exactly the time to be messin, Sir.” Her jaw clenched repeatedly, face flushed.

 

“Relax,” he replied and turned, still chuckling a bit.

 

One swift round kick from behind and he landed, flat-out, on the ground, Cass standing over him. Gage groaned from the impact and didn’t look all that amused, but his laughter persisted. “Damn, Cass,” he managed in spite of the air he’d lost.

 

“Want to get this straight, Sir,” she whispered, leaning down, “gathering intel is no joking matter. I don’t like bein’ here and I sure as hell don’t like workin’ with someone who’s sabotaging the mission.” She paused, letting the s-word sink in.

 

“You’re supposed to be Alpha leader?” she continued. “You call yourself a Starfleet officer? Suggest you start actin’ like one or none of us is going to make it back.”

 

With that, she grabbed her rifle, adjusted her kit, and started off for the village, determined to do her job - alone if need be. Luca was the enemy; he was the focus of the mission. Lose that focus, start second-guessing or questioning your teammate, and the battle was already lost.

 

The grin on his face had evaporated and Gage sat on the ground watching her indignantly march away, then brushed the dust from his head. “Lucky it’s you. Blew my situational awareness with that stunt,” he muttered to himself and climbed to his feet.

 

They entered the village in silence and unmolested; it seemed no one had noticed the incident near the bridge. The village consisted of Tudor-style buildings spread over the hilly landscape in a star-shape, centered on a busy, open market square at the intersection of five highways.

 

“Still hungry?” Gage asked, eyeing several carts of local, fresh produce as they entered the square. From the easygoing tone of his voice, he’d already let the incident go and dropped back into that ‘big brother’ mode Cass disliked.

 

“Could use something,” she replied, half-heartedly checking out the great variety on one cart. Had to admit it was tempting. Creek’s menu occasionally included fresh fruit, but not this caliber and definitely not this quantity.

 

“Here,” he said and tossed her something shiny red.

 

Her hand shot up for the catch and she gave it a once-over. “Sure it’s not poisoned?”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he smiled a bit and slipped the merchant an apologetic look as he paid.

 

Her anger put aside in favor of food and the fruit was half gone in a few seconds.

 

“You’re gonna frighten the locals,” Gage remarked.

 

“They’ll deal,” she replied before devouring the rest of it and reaching for another. She tossed the vendor a few local coins and pointed to the pile. “You game?”

 

“No, thanks,” Gage replied with a shake of his head. “But go ahead; just, uh, leave a little for the village.”

 

“Roger that,” she replied, checking the assortment before picking a few and paying the vendor. A quick turn and, with a heftier toss than intended, she sent one in Silver’s direction. “Heads up.”

 

Not expecting fruit zooming at his melon, Gage cursed and barely ducked as the apple sailed over and broke a window. Gage blinked. Cass blinked, staring at the window, her mouth ajar.

 

Gage bemusedly rubbed the back of his neck and then dropped and shook his head. “Stay here,” he said and strolled toward the door, intercepting the mildly distressed owner as they exited. Gage returned, one short conversation, some coinage and one satisfied victim later, still wearing the same bemused look.

 

Not a little embarrassed by the situation, Cass stood there, ready for the axe to fall.

 

Gage pressed his lips together and nodded to no one. “Okay, guess you can add that to your resume: dangerous with fruit.”

 

“Along with dangerous to Everlast, Sir?” she said on an exhale, still flushed and only a little relieved.

 

“No comment.”

Edited August 27, 2012 by Gage Silver