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5

Hrist looked up at Esther and marveled at how gentle some one of her size could be. Only Axel and her father had ever shown such gentleness to her. Sophie was close by as well, which made Hrist feel better. They had grown close over the last few years, during the few times that she could visit or get away from her job. And now that they were going to be sisters, they were even closer. Sophie had even said to visit them if her grandfather got too oppressive. Of course, Hrist had not taken that too seriously. Her mom or dad had always been close by when 'The Colonel' had gotten a little out of hand. But not this time, and she had really had no were else to turn. Besides, she had not seen either of them for several months, and she missed them.

The three of them walked into the Medical Center and moved to a bed near the back of the room. As Esther lowered the girl to the bed, she felt Hrist wince as her hand moved across the girl's back. Esther glanced at her, and then at Sophie, but did not say anything. A male human corpsman came over, and drew a curtain out of the wall slot. He then hit a button on the wall and activated the scanning equipment, and opening the equipment cabinet at the same time. As the scanners powered up, he turned to the women.

"Now Miss, go ahead and remove your hoodie," he said.

Both Hrist and Sophie stared at him, and Esther rolled her eyes. With a sigh, Esther said, "We would like to see Lt-Commander Evans, please."

"She is currently sleeping," he said, a little testily. "And you don't have to worry, I have no interest in girls."

Sophie put a hand over her eyes, while Hrist continued to stare, and clutched her hoodie closer to herself. Esther gave out a small growl. She was tired, had received little sleep, and her patience was hitting its limit.

"The Doctor, now."

The corpsman looked at her for a moment, and then walked out, a look of disgust on his face. Esther made sure the curtain was fully drawn after he was gone.

"Hrist," she said without turning around, "take off your shirt and pants."

Hrist hesitated and Esther turned to look at the girl. Hrist's blue eyes met Esther's green eyes, and the girl slowly pulled off the hoodie. She wore nothing but a green bra underneath, and the bruises of something long and thin could be clearly seen from under her white fur. Sophie stepped forward and helped Hrist take off the Capri, careful to slide it down her right leg without yanking too hard on the leg itself. Hrist winced once or twice, but made no comment otherwise. She wore a matching pair of green panties underneath. When Sophie had her pants completely off, everyone could see the large bruise across the lower part of the girl's leg, and the slightly different angle it was hanging at. The thirteen year old looked ashamedly away.

"He beat you," Sophie exclaimed, her outrage clearly showing on her face.

"Why did he hit you," Esther asked, her voice surprisingly calm, and her face completely devoid of emotions. Esther's tone snapped Sophie out of the mounting rage, making her remember that they had a scared little girl in front of them. Sophie reached over to the localized thermometer and turned up the temperature a little. As the air around the bed began to warm up a little, Sophie leaned over and looked at Hrist's leg, being very careful when touching it.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of," Esther continued. "Please, tell us what happened."

"It...it was a school holiday, so I was home. Dad was away at work, and since I had just finished what little homework I had, Mom was letting me watch the national rugby championship. Mom had just stepped out to do some last minute shopping for dinner, when he showed up. The 'Colonel', I mean. He walked right in without even knocking, as he always does and began calling for Mom. When I told him Mom wasn't home, he just glared at me and then began to search the house, as if I was lying to him. When he couldn't find her, he came into the living room, and began to rant, standing right in front of the TV. A lot of it I had heard before, and I want to watch the match anyway, so I asked him if I could watch it. He simply turned around, turned off the TV, and then continued as if he had never stopped. And the more he ranted, the more agitated he became. He began to pace, walking back and forth just in front of the TV. Now he started with some new insults. He started by calling Dad worthless, and then called Mom a bi...a bitch." A small trace of tears appeared in Hrist's eyes as she remembered. "Lets see. He then called Axel a traitor to his race, and called even you a few names, Sophie."

Sophie stood up and then sat down on the bed next to the teenager, wrapping a comforting arm gently around her shoulders.

"He kept going on and on. I was starting to wonder if he ever was going to stop to breath. About twenty minutes or so went by with out him stopping, and I was forced to sit there and listen to it. I just wanted him to shut up and go. But he never stopped. He just kept going on and on and on. That's when I noticed he was pacing on top of that throw rug that Mom likes so much," Hrist looked up at Sophie. "The one Dad bought her last Christmas?"

Sophie nodded. "I remember. Go on."

Hrist looked back at Esther. "Well, he was tracking dirt all over it, and I was really sick of listening to him by then. I knew I couldn't do anything to him, physically I mean, but I began to get this picture in my head of how he would look if that rug went flying out from under him. And then...then it happened."

"What happened," Esther asked, her voice still even. "Did he slip on the rug?"

Hrist shook her head. "One moment he was standing there, and the next, he was flat on his back. The rug was on the other side of the room, crumpled up against the wall. It happened so fast, I don't know happened. He was just lying there, staring up at the ceiling. The look on his face was so comical that I started to laugh." Hrist grinned and gave a small giggle. Then the grin fell, and she looked at the floor, clutching herself, hunching her shoulders. "Then he got really angry."

Esther and Sophie exchanged looks. "Go on," Esther calmly said. "What happened next?"

Hrist gave a small shudder. "He came at me, and I ran around the room trying to avoid him. He was shouting now. Yelling. Calling me all sorts of names. Like 'mind witch' and 'demon of The Abyss.' There were others, but I didn't catch them all. I was too busy running. He caught me when I made a break for the front door."

"What did he use," Esther asked. Sophie looked up at the young Guarden and wondered if the Marine Captain was always this calm.

"That decorative cane Aunt Pyrrha got Dad to commemorate Axel's graduation from the Marine Academy. Grandpa always hated it, said that neither Dad nor Axel deserved it. Oh, sorry; 'The Colonel'," Hrist corrected herself with venom. "It was hanging up in the hall that led to the front door. Not sure when he grabbed it, but it was in his hands when he caught me. That's all I know. I don't remember what happened after that too much. The cane came down a lot. I curled up into a ball, with my arms over my head to protect it, just like you taught me, Sophie. It was when he broke my leg that things got weird. Though I didn't realize it was broken at the time. I felt this really sharp pain, and screamed. I don't know what I was trying to do; push him off, catch the cane. All I know was that I wanted him off, and I threw up my arms. And when I did so, he...he went flying. Straight down the hall, like someone that had been shot with a cannon ball in those cartoons I use to watch."

"Was he alright," Sophie asked.

"I don't know," Hrist said, looking away from her with a look on her face that was a mixture of shame, and disgust. "I didn't wait to see. I just got up and ran. Right out the door without looking back. It didn't take long to realize my leg wasn't working, but I wasn't going to wait around for him to recover and come after me. Which I was sure he would. All I wanted to do was find someone to help me. I didn't know where Mom was, and I couldn't remember if Dad was in his office or out giving lessons. I did think of Aunt Pyrrha, but she would 'never go against the head of the family,' and Mom's parents were on the other side of the planet. So I thought of Axel. I knew he would protect me, but I didn't know where he was. And then, I knew. It was like someone had whispered it into my ear. So I headed to the Space Port." Hrist frowned. "I can't remember how I got there, especially on me leg, which was really hurt. I remember seeing the ship in its berth, and the ramp retracting, and the door closing. I was afraid I wouldn't make it, and then suddenly, I was inside. It was like someone had scooped me up and placed me in the hall."

Sophie looked at her in astonishment. "That was almost three days ago. Why didn't you try and find Axel, or myself, before now?"

Hrist played with her fingers in embarrassment. "I got lost. And I was trying to avoid the guards. Do you know how hard it is to stop yourself from screaming in pain with some one is on the other side of a door? They finally caught me when I tried to steal some bread. The cook stepped out of the kitchen for just a moment, and he was back before I was halfway out of it with the bread. They let me keep it, but that human officer in charge of the guards didn't look very happy about it." Hrist looked up at Sophie. "And I didn't know you were here, anyway."

The three of them heard the door open and a moment later a female Ratin came around the curtain. At four foot ten, Lt-Commander Elizabeth Evans did not look very intimidating to anyone. In fact, her large chest looked a little ridiculous on her slender body frame. The oversized work shirt that Evans was forced to wear because of her chest made her appearance even worse. Her golden brown fur contrasted greatly against the dark blue of the scrubs she wore. Evans' long, slender tail had just enough of the same fur on it to cover the pink skin, preventing it from standing out too much. Her mouse like head looked homely, with large pink oval ears, brown colored eyes, and specially made gold glasses. Evans' hair was cut in such a fashion that it could not be distinguished from the rest of her fur.

"Now what is all this ruck- Good God, child! What happened to you?!" Evans moved over to the bed with surprising swiftness, grabbing some instruments as she passed the open cabinet at the same time, and began to examine Hrist. When it came to her job, no one was better on the ship, and she had been listed in the top ten best Medical Officers for the entire Clan Wolf fleet.

"Long story, Doc," Esther said. "Do what you can."

Esther looked at Hrist. "Hrist, this is Lt-Commander Evans, the Chief Medical Officer for this ship. She'll fix you up, so don't worry, you're in good hands. Now I need to talk to Sophie for a moment. Now, don't worry, we'll be just on the other side of the curtain. If you need us, just call out."

"OK," Hrist said, a little skeptical as she looked down at the Doctor.

Esther motioned for Sophie to follow her, then walked around the curtain. Sophie stood up, patted Hrist on her head, and followed Esther. They moved over to a medical scanner in a corner not far from the curtain. A part of the wall jutted out here, obscuring them from view if the curtain was opened.

"What do you think," Esther asked in a whisper.

"Definitely sounds like she's a telekinetic, doesn't it," Sophie whispered back. "A powerful one, too, if she's able to teleport. Not many kinetics are able to do that. There is a possibility that she has some psychovoyance abilities as well. We should run some tests when we get back to port. I don't have the necessary training to do the testing myself. My abilities are bio-kinetic anyway. I can't project like she does. She could be a good candidate for the Free Knights, with the proper training and when she gets a little older."

Esther nodded. "If her parents allow it. One thing is clear, she can't go home. At least not till this mess is cleared up. Do you have any problem with her staying with you at your place? Or were you planing on returning to Asgard?"

"There's no problem. I had arranged to stay on Neo-Mars for a while anyway." Sophie blushed a little, two areas on her blue cheeks growing significantly lighter. "The Prince said I should take the chance to raise a few kids before I return home. And given the situation at her home, I don't think Hrist's parents will object overly much. It's close enough for them to visit every day if they want. My house mate is a nurse as well, so she can keep an eye on her when I'm not there. Eliza would love that too; her specialty is child medicine. Why she hasn't settled down with her boyfriend and raised a family of her own is beyond me."

"What about you and Axel?"

"Well, our place won't be ready for at least another year, and it will have more than enough room for us, Hrist, and any children we have. As for the honeymoon, we don't have any definite plans. With our careers, we thought it better to not lock anything down. And if it comes down to it, I don't think I'll have any trouble convincing Axel to take Hrist with us."

"Good," Esther said. Her left ear suddenly twitched and rotated toward the door. Her head, however, turned toward the curtain as Evans came out from behind it.

"How bad is her leg, Doctor," Sophie asked.

Evans sighed. "Bad. And it's not just her leg. Both her right humerus and radius are cracked. I'll need to put a hard cast on both the arm and the leg, and I'm not talking about a bio-metal one either. No, it's going to have to be a traditional plascrete cast. She's going to be confined to the bed for a while." Evans shook her head. "While she doesn't have the bone density of a full blooded Bympyr, it still should have been hard to break those bones. We may need to knock her out when we reset them, or she'll pass out from the pain alone. What happened to that girl?"

"I'll tell you later," Sophie said. "Was there anything else, Doctor?"

"Not really, no. The bruises are already a few days old, and look like they're healing well. They look ugly, but not much more than that. I'm going to keep her here until the casts have cured. I don't want her moved until those breaks are protected. Then, Lady Deepwater, I suggest you take her down to the showers and get her cleaned up. Sponge bath only for the next three days. I want those casts completely cured before she takes a shower or bath." Evans sniffed at Sophie. "And I suggest you take one while your down there as well. You stink of sex."

Sophie blushed significantly. Her entire cheeks changed to a pale blue.

"I'll make sure the area under the casts are clean," Evans continued, "so you don't need to worry about that. I'll get her some fish chowder from the mess while we wait. Looks like it would do her some good."

"Very good," Esther said. "If you two will excuse me, I have some things I need to take care of, and then I need to get some sleep."

"Of course," Evans said. "Take care, Captain."

"Thanks, Esther." Sophie waved goodbye and then followed Evans back around the curtain.

Esther walked out of the infirmary and headed down the hall towards her quarters. At the first junction, she paused.

"What have you found, Roy," she asked with out turning.

Roy Zachary seemed to melt from the shadows. The head scout and sniper for M-Thirteen, the black Guarden had honed his skills to such a level that even his instructors had to use powerful scanners to find him. Short for a Marine, at six foot eleven, he also was far more slender than any of the other Marines, have no need of the bulk the other had to get his job done. Blue eyed with short black hair, his youthful face made him look more like a teenager than his actual age. At twenty eight years of age, the fact that his face was usually covered in a smile made the age impression even worse. As mischievous as the twins, he had a habit of getting away with a lot of his practical jokes simply due to his skill of not being seen. Only two people had ever found him with little effort. One of them was Esther.

"Damn, girl. I forgot how good those ears of yours are," Roy said with a grin. Esther turned her green eyes on him, and the smile disappeared. He straightened his posture, and handed her the data slate in his hand. "Sorry, Captain. It's as you suspected. Doctor Sigismund should never have been brought to the field. Some one had altered the orders before it had left HQ. And Wulf said it was some one outside the usual chain of command. Wulf verified that the scouting team was supposed to be platoon strength, with two qualified field scientists. From what he could piece together, we also discovered that the orders were not to land if 'any' presence of an enemy was detected on the planet."

Esther had been thumbing through the data, and looked up at the last part. "They weren't supposed to land?"

"No, Mum. Whoever altered the orders made sure that part was omitted. The Doctor's team was sent there to die. Both Wulf and I are certain of that. Also, the ship that dropped them off was under strict orders to wait a set number of hours before picking them up, ignoring any radio call, even requests for help, unless HQ called. Of course, we won't be able to verify that with the ship's crew being dead."

Esther nodded and thumbed through some more of the data. Finally she looked up. "Thank you, Private. Go get some rest. Good job."

"Mum." Roy turned to go.

"Roy."

Roy turned back to find Esther with a big grin on her face.

"Tell Marshal I'm sorry for taking you from her tonight. I know you're still working on the wedding details."

Roy gave her a large smile. "She had night watch anyway. She already threatened to kick me off the Command Deck if I did anything to distract her while she was on duty. I'll just be glad to get home and see the girls."

"Their with Marshal's mom, right?"

"Yeah. Unfortunately, they take after me, so they must be driving her crazy. Thankfully, she's very patient. And she gets even in the pool." Roy chuckled. "I can't believe my luck at times. First I meet a Sharlin of all things, fall head over heels for her, and have her doing the same thing for me. Then she gives birth to twins, and then I'll be home in time for their sixth birthday."

"Congrats, Roy," Esther said with a smile on her face.

"Thanks," Roy said. Then his smile fell, and he pointed at the data slate. "Be careful with that. Don't go on a witch hunt without the proper ammo, and backup. Whoever is behind this did a good job of covering their tracks." Esther nodded. "A word of advise," Roy continued. "I would bring General Gage into this. I don't think he would be too happy that someone circumvented his authority, as these types of missions fall under his purview."

"That's a good idea. Didn't think of that. Thanks again, Roy. Goodnight."

"Night, Captain." Roy took a few steps, and seemed to meld with the shadows, as if he was part of them.

Esther chuckled, shook her head, and headed for her quarters.