Morgan sensed the approach. She had been anticipating it since she had freed herself from the neuro-cuffs. She also sensed it was not a solo visit she was about to receive. No matter. She could handle whatever came through those metal hold doors. She counted down in her head, hoping to squelch her need to do some serious damage. She wouldn’t be foolish. She merely wanted them to feel her sting. Her mind quickly scanned her visitors and much to her chagrin, she would be denied her call for vengeance after all. The undeserving traveled in groups. With a sigh, she maintained her Zen like meditation in the corner.
The hold doors slid open and a half dozen troops filed in with weapons trained on the empty space above. To their surprise, Morgan sat in the corner of the hold, cross legged, arms resting on her knees, and quiet. They had fully expected her to be chained to the ceiling as they had left her, but there she sat – waiting.
Cenzo stepped into the hold. He paused only for a moment to assess her new location then strode over to the general as if nothing seemed amiss. He stood before her contemplating how he would deliver the news; unsure how to gage her reaction. Her lieutenant’s words echoed in his head: …it would be wise to bring back up. There he stood now with half a dozen soldiers at his back, but a serene prisoner before him. He took a deep breath and exhaled the sigh.
“General Morgan-” he began.
“I take it you have news that won’t go over well with me?” she interrupted. “Hence the back up?”
Struck by the fact she had read his thoughts, Cenzo did not like the implication in her voice that said he could not handle her without help. He squared his broad shoulders and squinted down at the hellion. “Experience has taught us that you don’t respond well to any visitors in your cell,” he threw back. “It has been deemed necessary to keep you penned in.”
“Whatever,” Morgan returned, opening her eyes to glare at the Spryten general.
A sharp chill ran through him as her eyes bore into his. Despite the fire that shone in her umber eyes, it was filled with a freezing ire that could only be described as infernal rage. She wanted to do damage and was hard pressed to hold herself back. Now, Vollo’s words resounded even more prominently in his head. She couldn’t know what was happening. Could she?
“It seems there was an incident with one of your soldiers,” he began to explain. “We’ve defused the situation, but your trooper is currently under the care of my personal physician-“
“And the parties involved?” Morgan demanded.
“An investigation has been launched and I will personally reprimand the soldiers involved,” he assured her.
Morgan’s eyes glinted in rage. The solution was not to her liking. Without preamble, she rose from the corner, prompting the soldiers to cock their weapons in readiness. “Why an investigation?” she demanded with a quiet reserve. “Don’t you have the culprits in hand?”
“Spryten military law demands that we investigate each incident,” he informed her. “These men are innocent until proven guilty.”
“So, they’ll walk about as if they’d done nothing wrong,” she said stepping closer, feeling the laser scopes trail her every move.
“I’ve ordered them locked in their quarters,” he assured her not backing down from her approach.
A sneer crossed her lips as if that had not satisfied her. She stepped back to take in Cenzo. She immediately noted the bruised knuckles. Her eyes met his, curiously amused. “Those weren’t there earlier,” she noted. “I take it you had your own judgment handed down.”
Cenzo tucked his hands behind his back, hiding the evidence of his disapproval of his men. “Don’t concern yourself with it,” he threw back.
He noticed to the second when the freezing fire ebbed out of her eyes. Her anger was far more controlled. He turned to his soldiers to order, “Stand down, men. Two will remain, four outside the hold. Tell the rest to maintain a perimeter on the hold floor in teams of two.”
“Yes, sir!” the uttered immediately dispersing.
Once the hold had cleared up, Cenzo indicated to the two remaining soldiers to back far away from them to insure a semblance of privacy. The guards quickly stationed themselves at the doors at the ready. Cenzo stepped forward, towering over the Messian general.
“Why did you not declare that you had other women in your troop?” he asked sternly. “Universal law of war requires you or your lieutenant to reveal their gender to avoid such incidents.”
“It wasn’t like we had a chance,” Morgan threw back. “Hell, you still were trying to get your head around my being a woman.”
“Still, this could have been avoided,” Cenzo began with an edge of annoyance.
“No! Your men should’ve been better trained,” she shot back with more fire. “If they were more like soldiers than wolves, my man-“
“—Woman—”
“Would not have been attacked,” she finished. “But then again, they are a product of your empire’s teachings. Women are no more than a hole, an incubation chamber for your seeds. I wonder, do you pen them up like cows or let them roam around like chickens?”
Cenzo simmered with sheer annoyance. How dare this little imp insult his people? Women were sheltered from the horrors of war and treated like treasures in his land. There were a few men who took them for granted, but he was sure that even Messians had their like offenders. “I guess we all can’t be gender confused militants like your Messians,” he cut coldly. “Do your women even know what a dick is used for?”
At his quip, Morgan actually laughed heartily, replying, “Oh, trust me. You would give your right nut to find out.” Then with a wicked sneer, “Or better yet, ask one of those wolves you called a soldier.”
By reflex, Cenzo’s hand rose to strike at her comment, but to his credit he immediately backed down. “You’re lucky I feel merciful.”
“Should I?” she snipped. “I was looking forward to exerting some of this rage.”
Cenzo squared off again in a defensive stance. “I’ve assured you that your soldier has been taken care of and that an investigation has been started. I would suggest you try to be a good prisoner and leave it at that.”
Morgan met him stance for stance, her fists resting firmly on her hips. “For now, Spryten,” she assured. “Just make sure none of those men make their way to this hold or they may not make their ‘trial’.”
Cenzo had no doubt that Morgan meant what she said. He knew the men were safely tucked away in their bunks, but he had a feeling he needed to keep this ferocious feline firmly in her place before she unleashed her claws. He turned on his heels to leave the hold, noting to himself to keep the extra guards in place. Then he remembered her restraints.
“How did you get out of your bonds?” he demanded swinging back around.
Morgan smiled and shrugged. “Electrical malfunction? One minute I’m hanging from the ceiling, the next, I’m on the floor. You should really have the wiring on this barge checked.”
Cenzo glanced up at the neuro-cuffs suspiciously then shook his head. “I will have one my mechanics come check it in the morning,” he assured her before making his final turn to leave, thinking to himself, I’ll also have Aries pull the surveillance tapes.
Hope you like what you see.
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