Old Chicago
Evening
Round 0
With the device deactivated and cleared out back to HQ, Cassandra moved with the rest of the squad to clear the area and help the others retrieve their target. Bouchard seemed to have gotten Killian Lee when Cassandra called out
“Heads up!” before they were ambushed by more brodkil and shadow mages, warned by her danger sense.
Cass unloaded her ion rifle, catching two of the demons in the blast before the battle moved to close quarters. She dropped her rifle and yanked out the vibro-sword from her back as she was separated out from the others by a large brodkil with cybernetics and a larger sword.
Cass took a moment to center herself. Reaching out with her mind, she tapped into the brodkil’s, absorbing his own fighting ability into her consciousness for a moment. She smiled as he charged, knowing he liked to do that, and then sidestepped, bringing her sword up to parry his blow as it descended. She danced out of the way.
But skill could only do so much against brute strength. The brodkil was just outright stronger than her, and Cass found herself tiring. It didn’t seem to matter how many blows she landed, he wasn’t going down. She, however, had cuts and bruises, nothing major, just taxing.
Cassandra’s guard went down for a moment and the brodkil backhanded her, sending her tumbling into a pile of rubble. She groaned and rolled to her feet, but the demon grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up with a gloating grin.
“Now I’ll gut you, puny human!” he snarled, his breath foul.
“You...first…” Cass managed to choke out. She yanked out the experimental ion pistol from her hip and fired it into the brodkil’s belly. The demon’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at the smoking hole in his belly. He coughed and dropped her. Cass gasped for air and swung her vibrosword, decapitating the brodkil even as it keeled over.
Coughing, Cassandra rejoined the others.
***
Back at base, Cassandra had just returned from the showers after her mandatory post-mission check up when there was a knock at the door.
“Maverick. Suit up. Dress uni. Half hour. Assembly Room Six. You’ve been requested to babysit some bigwigs.”
Cassandra blinked.
“Me?” she asked.
“Yes, you. Now get your ass in gear.”
Cassandra nodded and hurriedly dressed. She also put on a bit of makeup and did her hair before hurrying to the assembly room. It looked like some sort of party was going on. She could hear a band playing patriotic music. An aide of some kind intercepted her as she entered.
“Are you Private Maverick?”
“Yes. I was told to report here.” She looked at the young man curiously.
“Good. This way.” He led her through the room, and Cassandra glanced around. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, decorations.
“Major,” the aid said, pulling up and saluting.
Cassandra threw up a quick salute as well as the major turned around. And then her face split into a big grin.
“Uncle James!” She stepped forward to hug her uncle before thinking better of it.
“Nonsense!” James grabbed her and hugged her.
“How are you doing, Cass? No worse for wear, I see,” he said, looking her over.
“Dress uni looks good on you.”
Cassandra blushed.
“How is Aunt Julia?” she asked.
“And Nici? And you heard from Jude?”
“Julia is doing fine. She is back in Chi-Town, keeping busy,” James said.
“And we don’t talk about Jude,” another voice said, female this time, stepping around James.
Cassandra beamed.
“Nici! You’re here, too!” There was no hesitation as she hugged her beautiful, redheaded cousin who was wearing her own dress uniform.
“Is that a new medal?” Cass asked, studying the decorations on the ace SAMAS pilot’s uniform.
Nici shrugged.
“Had some trouble with the Black Market over by Whykin. So I’m here on leave before the wedding.” She glanced around before whispering,
“Saw Jude. Seems to be doing okay. Running with some Legion crew.”
Cassandra frowned.
“That D-Bee army? Whatever for?”
Nici shrugged.
“You know my brother. Probably some hot piece of D-Bee sucked him in.”
Cassandra laughed.
“Everyone up in Iron Heart is looking forward to the wedding.”
“Good.” NIcole Maverick frowned slightly, though.
“Haven’t heard from Jack in a while, though.”
James stepped in before thoughts could get overly morose.
“Cass, let me introduce you to your assignment. You’ve been detailed as a VIP escort and security. I am here on a logistics review of the base.” He led her over to where an old man was talking to some of the fort’s brass.
“Cass, this is an opportunity for you to make a good impression and hobnob with those who can help your career,” James whispered to her.
“I helped Nicole. Jude, unfortunately, I can’t help, but you are almost as a daughter to me, so I wanted to arrange this.”
“Thank you, Uncle James,” Cassandra whispered back before she was introduced.
“Governor-General Alphonse Beauregard, imperial naval advisor, this is Private Cassandra Maverick, my niece.”
The old man turned and stared at them. Cass didn’t need to be a psychic to sense the tension in the air. So this was Beauregard? Cass knew the story. This wasn’t only about Cassandra’s career. It was also about her uncle’s, patching things up for what Jude had done.
“Psi-Battalion?” Alphonse asked, noting the badge on Cassandra’s breast.
“Really, Major?” There was almost a sneer in his voice.
“Cassandra is just as loyal to the Coalition as you or I. This is my brother Jonathon’s little girl.”
Alphonse blinked, arching a white eyebrow.
“Commander Jonathan Maverick is your father?”
“Yes, sir,” Cassandra said.
“A good man. I served with him on the Lakes before I was assigned to Baton Rouge. Saved my life once, he did.”
Cassandra smiled.
“He speaks often of you, sir,” she said. Mostly about how much of a bastard the admiral was, but Cassandra wasn’t going to say that. It seemed to please the old buzzard, however, and he waved someone over.
“This is my wife, Michelle,” he introduced.
“You will be joining her ladies in waiting while we are here.”
The woman presented was fifty or more years the Governor-General’s junior, a striking redhead in her mid-twenties with green eyes and a stunning figure. Michelle smiled and presented her hand, which Cassandra shook.
“Bon jour,” Cassandra greeted the Quebecois woman. She knew the family stories. So this was the woman that had ruined Jude. Or whom Jude had ruined. It really depended on who was telling the story. But Cassandra found she couldn’t really blame either. Michelle was stunning, and married to a bastard old enough to be her grandfather.
“Merci,” Michelle said, and then said something else in French.
Cassandra smiled.
“I am sorry. I grew up in Iron Heart, but we moved there later. My French is barely functional.”
Michelle laughed. It was light, airy, beautiful.
“And my Eenglish, too!” she said with a beautiful smile. It was obvious why Jude had fallen for her.
“Come, mon ami. You tell me all about thees base.” She led Cassandra away, leaving Major Maverick and Governor-General Beauregard to glare at each other.
When they were clear of the men, Michelle stopped and turned to Cassandra earnestly.
“You know Jude? You ‘ave ‘eard from ‘im?”
Cassandra blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in topic.
“I...well, I sort of grew up with Jude and Nici, but no, I haven’t heard from him. Nici said she saw him.”
“Oh, oui. In Whykin. Alphonse very angry then. Send men. I ‘ope they no find ‘im.”
Cassandra gave Michelle’s hands a squeeze.
“Jude has always been able to talk his way out of trouble. I am sure he is fine.”
“I do ‘ope so,” Michelle said with a resigned sigh.
“Come. We be good friends!” she told Cassandra. She looked her over in her uniform.
“We get you nice dress tomorrow.”
Cassandra laughed and blushed.
“I am not sure I am allowed to wear a nice dress on base,” she said.
Michelle beamed.
“Being wife of governor-general, eet ‘as eets perks.”