March of the Legion

'This is hopeless! There's nothing going there!' I was at the comdesk in my room, scanning for a fast route back to Veda 6. It was another hazy golden summer day outside the window for Mica 3.

'There has to be something!' Priestess said. 'We've got to get back to Beta.'

'There's a lot of activity out there, but nothing seems to be going near Veda 6. There's a routine supply run, but that's not for another two weeks—we can't wait that long!'

'That's a ten,' Priestess said.

'Alert, Gang,' Dragon said, popping into the doorway. 'Check out the local infonet on Fourteen. Ask for the news.'

I hit the tab and the wall screen flashed and revealed a female news announcer, the background showing a pale, icy green planet girdled with a series of sparkling silvery rings. It was so utterly lovely and captivating that the words she was saying did not at first make any sense.

'First in the news, the Confederation has announced a major new military offensive against the Omni horde. According to a Starcom information bulletin released today, strong Legion units have dropped onto Uldo 4, a System world under Omni attack, to counter the Omni advance into Systie vac. The ConFree announcement stated that the Legion offensive was a joint operation in cooperation with Systie DefCorps units. This is the first joint Legion- DefCorps operation against the Omni threat, and may mark a significant new chapter in humanity's response to the alien challenge.'

'Deadman!' I was transfixed before the screen.

'That's it,' Dragon said from the doorway. 'That's the offensive Snow Leopard was waiting for.'

'We've got to get out of here—now!' Priestess stood up.

'Uldo,' I said. 'You can bet we're bound for Uldo.'

'Maybe or maybe not,' Dragon said, 'but Beta's on Veda 6, and we'd better get our asses back there on antimat drive, or Snow Leopard's going to feed us to the bloodcats.'

'What are we going to do, Thinker?' Priestess asked.

###

I found Tara that evening outside in the flowerhouse. It was almost midnight, and I hadn't found a ride to Veda 6. The night was soft and warm and the sky was full of stars. The flowerhouse was a wooden pavilion, heavy with exotic blooms, a rich musk saturating the air. Tara was a shadow, alone with the flowers, looking into the dark.

'Hello, Wester.' She didn't even look at me, but she knew it was me. She always knew.

'Tara—what are you doing?'

'I'm thinking, Wester.'

'You obviously work for a different Legion than I do. We're not encouraged to think. How's Whit doing?'

'She's fine. She'll be all right.'

'We're having a little trouble getting transportation back to the Veda System,' I said. 'You know, our status limits what we can do on our own. I was wondering if you had any Legion contacts who could get us a non-sked to Veda, or anywhere nearby.'

Tara didn't answer at first. She just continued gazing out into the night. Finally she spoke. 'You know what I was thinking?'

'No—what were you thinking?'

'I was thinking that I have absolutely no control over my own destiny. Do you remember when I was your girl?'

Memories from another world, another time, light-years in the past. I had tried hard to forget her but had never succeeded. 'Yes,' I said. 'I remember.'

'We were so innocent, weren't we? We were children, playing at life. None of it was real, was it?'

'Maybe not to you—it seemed pretty real to me.'

'Do you love Priestess?'

'Is this some kind of trick question?'

'No, I was just wondering.'

'How about you, Tara? Don't you have a lover? You're certainly not alone in this world—I can't imagine that.'

She smiled. Still not looking at me. 'Sure—I've got Gildron. He's my live-in.'

'Gildron! You're not serious. You can't be serious!'

'He's a real man,' Tara said dreamily, 'and he knows how to treat a woman. I feel so helpless when I'm in his arms.'

'You must be insane! You mean you let that ape…'

A little-girl laugh, a squeal of pure delight, and it was the Tara I had known all those years ago. 'He fell for it! I always could rattle your cage, couldn't I, Wester? You still believe everything I say!'

'All right, you got me again.' I was positively relieved. Gildron! Idiocy.

'My work keeps me very busy, Wester. I have no time for nonsense. But even if it were true about Gildron, who are you to object? You have an alien lover, don't you?'

Tara always took my breath away. I knew she was psychic, but I was always surprised when she demonstrated it. 'She's not an alien,' I replied quietly. 'Moontouch is as human as we are.' I was always on the defensive with Tara. Moontouch was an ache in my heart. You can't have lovers in the Legion—they are torn right from your arms.

'And she's had your baby—hasn't she?'

'That's right.' I looked around nervously.

'That's a big responsibility, Wester. I'd be disappointed in you if you didn't do what was right.'

'It's not always clear what's right.'

'On the contrary, I've found that the most important issues are rarely that complicated.'

'I'm glad everything is so clear to you. It must be a great comfort when you're delivering a cargo of slaves to some Systie rat-hole.'

At first she did not respond. Then she sighed. 'We all serve the same master, Wester, according to our abilities. My doubts are long gone. I'm on a mission from God.' She sounded deadly serious, but with Tara I never knew.

'Well, could you ask God to get us to Veda 6?'

She turned to look at me, soft liquid eyes and a cascade of silky hair. 'Sure.' She picked up a starlink and activated it. Only Tara would be contemplating flowers in the night with a starlink by her side. The d-screen flickered and a face appeared. It was her Cyrillian security chief, jet black skin, cold slit eyes and sharpened white teeth.

'Pandaros, how's it going up there?' Tara asked.

'Fine, Commander. All quiet.'

'Well, get the Maiden warmed up. Recall the crew—now. We're going on a little trip.'

'Right away, Commander! When do we leave?'

'Can it get the crew back in four hours?'

'Whatever it says, Commander! We are all anxious to leave!' The Maiden's crew was on the Legion death list, I recalled. A visit to a Legion planet was probably not their idea of a good time.

'All right, do it. We leave in four hours.'

'Done!' Tara broke the connection, and the screen faded. A soft, warm breeze washed over us. It was a spectacular night.

'I can't ask you to do that, Tara.'

'You didn't ask.'

'It's not your ship, Tara—I know that much. You can't just take off on a joy-ride to Veda 6 because we want to go there.'

'You just watch me.'

'But what about your responsibilities? What about that mission from God?'

'Pack your bags. I'm taking you to Veda 6.' She stood up, looking past me, somewhere off in space.

'The Legion will have your head.'

'They can burn in hell!' Her eyes were blazing.