Stormcrow, page 17
“I don't have to,” he said simply.
Faulks lay there looking at death incarnate, wondering how well she'd truly known Tom Kineer. Had he been that kind of man? That kind of Marine? Faulks had never been so proud of anything in her life as she was of being a Commonwealth Marine. It was everything to her. If not for Meredith Trenton being the owner of a ship she would still be a Marine. Still be serving. Still thinking of Tom Kineer as an honorable man.
Thinking of him, of any Marine, being guilty of the actions Sean Galen had just described. . .it turned her stomach. She felt nauseous but fought it down. Gagging with a razor at your throat was bad.
“Galen, I'm sorry,” she said suddenly, her voice flat. “I…if I had known I would have killed him myself. All of them. Maybe not like you did, but still dead. No true Marine would do otherwise.”
“That's why you're still alive,” he told her plainly. “That and I know for a fact that you weren't there.”
“How do you know that?” she asked. “I was one of them, once,” she admitted.
“They're all dead,” he told her. Suddenly the pressure from her neck was gone and he was on his feet. She hadn't even seen him move he was so fast. He looked down at her for a handful of seconds before extending a hand to her, his face devoid of any emotion. She looked at him for several seconds before accepting it, and he hauled her to her feet.
“I didn't know,” she told him softly. “No one I know knew it either,” she added. “Or if they did, they never spoke of it,” she added, thinking that she had known at least some of the men who had done this deed.
“Like I said, that's why you're still alive,” he told her, sheathing that terrible knife. “Now if you'll excuse me?” He turned and continued on his way, disappearing down the passageway toward his own cabin.
Meredith watched him go, not even realizing she was still holding the pistol in her hand.
“Cap'n, let me take that for you,” Faulks said easily, laying a careful hand on Meredith's and slowly lowering the drawn hammer down. She engaged the weapon's safety and returned it before picking up the gun she'd been carrying before.
“Well, I was on my way to put this away,” she said with a sharp exhale. “Reckon I'll just carry on.” With that she followed Galen down the passageway and disappeared into her own quarters.
“Ho-lee shit,” Tony Giannini finally breathed for what seemed like the first time that day. “Did that really just happen?”
“Did you know all that?” Meredith demanded. “Any of it?”
“Not a clue,” Tony shook his head slowly. “And I mean not a hint, either. Hell, if I had known it I'd have been helping him hunt them down.”
“My God,” Jessica whispered. “I'd heard stories, but . . . I never thought they were true.”
“What stories?” Meredith demanded, wincing as she moved too quickly.
“Stories about Bloodings,” Jessica said softly. “I thought it was campfire tales. Stuff that people made up to scare you. Especially Rim Folk. Frontier worlds. You tried to stand up for yourself, make things better for your people, and you get Blooded. That's what they called it.” She looked up, eyes wet.
“They say a man's not a soldier till he's had a woman and shed blood,” she quoted something she had heard once as a girl. “You can always do both on a Rim world. That was the saying.”
“I've never heard that!” Meredith snapped.
“No reason you would,” Jessica shrugged. “You're a woman. And an officer. You'd never be involved in something like that. It was used as an initiation of sorts we heard. No idea what for,” she admitted. “I always thought it was bull.”
“Apparently not,” Tony Giannini said gently. “Man, I can't imagine,” he shook his head. Of course, he'd never have to, but that was another story. He stood up, looking at Meredith.
“Let's go and check on your husband and get you something for that back,” he ordered. “Supper is almost ready and I actually think it might be safe for Sean and Faulks to sit at the same table. Not next to each other of course,” he added wryly. “But in the same room might be okay.”
Meredith was surprised to find that she agreed.
“What's wrong with you?” Linc asked as Meredith limped back into the infirmary followed by Tony Giannini. “You okay?”
“Fine,” she lied. “Just hurting. I'm taking your advice and letting Tony doctor me,” she admitted. “I'm expecting the next few days to be pretty rough considering how badly we were banged around and I want to be here when you need me.”
“Don't worry about me,” Linc told her. “I'll be fine once my eye opens and my head closes,” he smiled crookedly. He didn't tell her that his left eye was still cloudy. He didn't have to tell Tony.
“You let me worry about you if I want to,” Meredith told him. “You're my number one worry, mister.”
“Okay I'm going to gag in a minute here,” Tony rolled his eyes as he prepped a syringe. Meredith once more lowered her waistband and felt the swab and sting as Tony gave her another shot.
“Supper will be on in a half-hour or so,” he told them as he checked Linc's monitor. “I'll ask Jess to bring yours down here if you'd like. I think you can be okay not riding herd on Faulks and Sean after that.”
“Okay,” Meredith nodded.
“After what?” Linc asked. “What happened now?”
“I'll tell you all about it if Tony will get me a more comfortable chair to sit in,” Meredith promised.
“Your wish is my command, Captain,” he bowed, and went to get the desired furniture.
“So what happened?” Linc asked.
“There has been a reckoning of sorts,” Meredith sighed, nodding her thanks as Tony dropped off a chair from one of the passenger rooms before bowing out to finish supper. Meredith settled gratefully into the stuffed chair, sighing in contentment as she did so.
“We know a lot more about Sean Galen than we did this morning,” she began.
“That was a horrible story he told,” Jessica said softly as she helped Tony with setting the table.
“And I doubt we got more than the highlights,” Tony nodded.
“I have to wonder how he kept from killing Faulks all these years,” she almost whispered.
“A great deal of discipline and knowledge that she wasn't one of the people he was hunting,” Tony shrugged. “That and knowing that she just wasn't a threat to him. That man is dangerous like nobody's business.”
“I…he scares me,” Jessica admitted. “I don't mean I'm afraid he'll hurt me,” she shook her head as Tony frowned. “I can't imagine, even knowing. . .even after seeing him like that, today, I can't imagine him hurting me. Hurting anyone that hasn't done something worthy of it. For all the things he did, he had good and great justification. Greater than anything I could ever imagine.”
“Agreed,” Tony nodded, letting out a long breath. “If I had been in his shoes I'd have done the same thing. Only I wouldn't have stopped with just the guys that did it. I'd want whoever was in charge, too.”
The two worked in silence as they finished up. Tony dished up two healthy servings of food and Jessica carried them to the infirmary where she helped Meredith with the tray table before departing with a promise from Meredith that she would call if they needed anything. When she returned she stopped short seeing Sean Galen seated at the table. He saw it and while he didn't react she could see in his eyes that it hurt.
“Sorry,” she said, continuing into the galley. “I didn't expect to see you,” she admitted.
“I get that a lot,” he shrugged. “If you're uncomfortable I can eat somewhere else,” he offered.
“No!” she almost shouted. “It's not that,” she went on normally. “I really didn't expect to see you after earlier. I was afraid you would just stay off by yourself the rest of the way.”
A tilting nod told her politely that he didn't believe her but he appreciated it anyway. Frustrated because she had been telling the truth, she turned away to help finish putting the meal on the table. Tony crossed to the I/C.
“Faulks, get your dumb ass up here, supper's on the table,” he growled into the pickup and then crossed to his seat. As he sat down they could hear Faulks coming down the passageway. She stopped short seeing Galen but then continued inside and took her normal seat.
“Captain?” she asked, looking at Tony.
“Eating with her husband,” Tony told her. Everyone observed a moment of silence and then started eating.
To say it was strained would be an understatement, but everyone got through the meal without bloodshed. Once it was finished Faulks thanked Tony for supper and returned to her quarters. Sean Galen sat still for a few minutes, idly picking at the remains of his food.
“If you want more all ya gotta do is ask,” Tony said finally and Galen looked up at him.
“Seriously dude, there's plenty,” the medic nodded. Suddenly Galen burst into laughter and Tony grinned.
“What's so funny?” Jessica asked, assuming she had missed something.
“He is,” Galen jabbed a thumb at his friend. “Sitting here trying to pretend nothing happened. Like it's all okay.”
“It is okay, far as I'm concerned,” Tony nodded. “You ain't done nothing to me, bro,” he smiled. “I mean, you're hard to feed and all but. . .well, and you're always complaining about my medical practice, but it's not like that's my main job or anything. Seriously, why wouldn't everything be okay?”
“Because now you know it's all true,” Galen shrugged.
“Don't care,” Tony shrugged. “I'd have done the same thing,” he said easily. “Maybe not with your style of course, but in my own debonair way.”
“Fair enough,” Galen mused, looking back down at his plate. “You're a good cook, man. I'll miss food this good,” he said more to himself than anyone else.
“You ain't got to go, man,” Tony reminded him. “Captain said it, Linc said it, I said it, Jessica said it-”
“Faulks didn't,” Galen shrugged. “Not that I care.”
“Made my point for me,” Tony nodded. “No one else does either, including the Captain. She can get with the program or get off. I vote for 'off' but I'm a reactionary. Always acting without thinking.”
“You don't go to the head without thinking it over,” Galen snorted and Tony laughed.
“I might not plan that well,” he replied. “But point. Seriously dude. Stop talking about this shit and admit that you want to stay.”
“I've never denied that,” Galen replied as Jessica got to her feet.
“I'll be back to help with the cleanup in a bit,” she promised as she headed into the lounge. The two men sat there quietly for a minute.
“It's my real name,” Galen said softly.
“What?” Tony asked, startled.
“Crow,” Galen reminded him. “Crow is my real name. Galen Crow. Sean Galen Crow to be exact. My father called me Stormcrow when I was born.”
“What's that mean?” Tony asked.
“Harbinger of Storms,” Sean shrugged. “Herald of bad tidings and ill weather. Stormcrows ride the gust fronts ahead of large thunder storms. You can see 'em riding the winds long before the storm shows on the horizon, you know what you're looking at. My father called me Stormcrow. My mother called me Galen.”
“Don't seem like a proper handle to hang on a kid,” Tony mused.
“I was born just in front of the worst storm on record where I'm from,” Galen chuckled darkly. “Guess it seemed fitting at the time. It was my truename,” he shrugged.
“Your real name, you mean?” Tony asked, placing his elbows on the table.
“No, not really,” Galen shook his head. “My people have a truename. A name known only to their family members. Clan members. It's how you're addressed during tr-clan business.”
“You shouldn't be tellin' me that then, right?” Tony asked.
“Doesn't matter now,” Galen shrugged. “I got no family anymore. Killed the last one I know of today.” He got to his feet.
“I will miss the food,” he said again. “And the conversation,” he added as he turned to go.
“Wait a minute!” Tony exclaimed, though quietly. “You can't just drop a bomb like that and then walk away. What do you mean about killing the last one?”
“Hawkins,” Galen didn't turn around. “Cousin on my father's side. Me and him were all that was left. Now, it's just me.” With that he was gone, disappearing down the passageway.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Tony swore bitterly.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“You wanted to see me?”
Lincoln looked up from where he was still reclining on the med bay bed. Sean took in the swollen features of the pilot and hid a grimace. Hawk and his bunch had done a real number on Linc. Even now, nearly two days out of Hartley station, Linc looked bad.
“Yeah, Sean, come on in,” Linc smiled slightly, wincing at the effort. “Take a seat.”
“How's the eye?” the engineer asked.
“Still a mess,” Linc admitted. “Tony is keeping me easy, but the swelling is still a problem I guess. Can't really see all that well at the moment.”
“You gonna be able to fly?” Sean asked, taking the seat that Tony had provided for Meredith to sit with her husband.
“Don't know yet,” Linc answered calmly. “Have to wait and see if my vision clears up. At this point, there's just no way to guess.”
“I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner,” Sean told him. “If we had, maybe it wouldn't be like that.”
“And if Meredith hadn't started all that shit with you, we wouldn't have been there at all,” Linc shrugged. “And you came for us even though you weren't under any obligation to do so, especially after all she put you through. Thanks for that.”
“Welcome,” Sean nodded.
“I understand you had quite a tale to tell up in the galley earlier,” Linc decided to get to the point.
“Shouldn't have said all that,” Sean shrugged. “I don't normally talk about it.”
“That's not healthy,” Linc said evenly. “Mentally or emotionally. You can't carry that kind of baggage around like that and not pay a price for it, Sean.”
“I paid the price years ago,” Sean replied flatly. “So did the others. It's long done.”
“You can't tell me it doesn't stick with you, Sean,” Linc said mildly.
“If it had, Faulks would be long dead,” came the flat reply. “Like I said, it's done. Over with.”
“Something like that's never over,” Linc shook his head.
“Is this an analysis, Doctor?” Sean's voice went hard suddenly. “Because it's a few years too late for you Commonwealth people to take an interest in the lives you ruined, you know? And, not to be rude or anything, but this really ain't none of your concern, Lincoln.”
“Not even trying to make it mine,” Linc replied calmly. Sean Galen was not the first violent, angry veteran he'd spoken with. “You helped me. Save me and my wife from being murdered, and her from no telling what before that. If I can help you I want to.”
“How you gonna help me, Linc?” Sean asked just short of derisively. “You gonna make it not happen? Fix it so you people never declared war on mine? So that your marine killers never visited my world and killed my family? How are you gonna manage that one?”
“I can't undo something like that, Sean,” Lincoln's voice was gentle. “Can't undo anything once it's done, whether good or bad. But you have to be able to process things, deal with them on an emotional level. If you don't they can eat you up inside.”
“Little too late for that,” Sean shrugged. “There's nothing left to eat on. And there's no one left to punish, either,” he added flatly.
“You feel any guilt over that, Sean?” Linc asked calmly. “Over all those people you killed so horribly?”
“I feel guilt that I wasn't there to defend my mother and sisters,” the reply was chilling and cold. “I feel regret that I couldn't make the pain last longer for the animals I tracked down and exterminated for murdering my people. I feel hate for everything Commonwealth that allowed Kineer and people like him to do what he did to people who weren't even a part of your war. What did you do during the war, Lincoln? Did you try to stop things like what happened to my people from happening?” His eyes were almost glowing now.
“Or were you cheering your troops on for standing up to those rebellious Freeborn bastards who so blatantly didn't want to be like you?”
Lincoln almost answered automatically but paused at the last second, considering more carefully what to say. This was dangerous ground he was treading. He had seriously misjudged, completely underestimated the depth of Galen's bitter hatred of the Commonwealth.
“No, I was a counselor, Sean,” he finally replied, keeping his voice neutral. “I helped veterans adjust to civilian life after their enlistment was up.”
“Oh,” Sean nodded slightly. “Helping them get over the trauma of murdering helpless women and children, I guess. I can see where that might leave an emotional scar for some people.” His eyes were hard as he spoke. “I really don't think this is a road you want to go down with me, Lincoln,” he added finally. “I don't want or need your help. There's nothing you can do to change what is. I had put it behind me as much as I could and had a pretty good thing going here until your wife decided that my being able to defend her passenger from slavery somehow made me untrustworthy.” He stood abruptly.
“I can almost appreciate you offering to help, but it's far too little, too late. And I don't want to have this discussion again. You need anything else?”
That rejection was as firm as any Lincoln had ever come across.
“We can always talk whenever you feel like it,” he offered in return. “It's not like I'm going to be very busy the next few days,” he added with a wry grin.
“I'll be off and gone once we hit Weytan,” Sean told him. “Until then I'm pretty much staying to myself. I can't always resist temptation, and the temptation to gut Faulks is a strong one.”
“I can understand that,” Linc sighed. “I've had the same dre. . .thought myself,” he caught himself but not before Sean made a short derisive bark of laughter.
