Angels of Andromeda

Chapter Two: The Evacuation

After a long day of shiftwork Tawny and Kelly slept peacefully with their bodies embracing one another. With uniforms on the floor and egos and ranks put aside, they were now solely husband and wife; two foolish creatures that fell in love at a time of war and great despair. Despite her attempts to warn her husband of his often unnecessary chivalry, Tawny knew deep down she would never get through to him. She also knew with all certainty that the child she was carrying and others to follow would possess the same traits and thirst for heroics as her husband. The fear of her children taking up arms into the next generation of Ortega's turned her dreams into nightmares. The war had already claimed the lives of her entire family. She did not want the conflict to take her new one as well, or her marriage for that matter. It was not uncommon for her and Kelly to have arguments, but these days they were getting worse due to the confinements of Titan Base 10. It didn't offer the same freedoms of space travel, where one could fly from system to system indulging in warmer weather and tropical paradises. It was cold and cramped and with the unkind climate of Titan III, inhabitants could only venture outside in full gear for short periods throughout the day. A night time excursion was suicidal, but the undesirable atmosphere kept the enemy away, for no one in their right mind would want to colonize the frozen planet. As the Draxis Army grew stronger across the universe, humankind and indeed all species that did not view them as monarchy, found their colonies pillaged and destroyed. Many from the Human race betrayed one another out of fear. They joined the Draxis on an empty promise of glory, honor and protection. The number of descendants from Earth was dwindling with only ten colonies left. Any child born now would be welcomed as a gift of hope for man's survival. Tawny knew her child would be recruited the moment they turned eighteen, just as she had been when war first broke out. If there was one positive experience from her forced recruitment to recall, it was meeting Kelly. During a routine scouting mission of the Kevlar Stockyards, she encountered a group of bounty hunters scavenging for supplies and any mines that could be recycled for their personal use. It was not uncommon for the stockyards to be protected by the deadly devices since many facilities were left deserted in the war, with all able bodied men in service, it was easy pickings if you could survive the minefield. Two years into training at age twenty; Tawny was full of confidence and courage, often too much for her own good. Moxie and inexperience found her at impossible odds in dangerous situations. This day was no different. After a pitiful negotiation attempt, the men made short work of her as they held her down with such brute force she could hear both her right ankle and wrist snap and break. She cried out in agony, still reaching desperately for her radio to call for help. A large boot crushed the device instantly as she was dragged to her feet. A monstrous hand clenched around her neck and squeezed. She could feel all the life slipping away from her body as she kicked and gasped for air. 

 As the men moved in to seal her fate, the stockyard lit up with blaster fire from above. Startled, the large man released her from his death grip and she collapsed to the ground below like a paper doll. High above them, standing on a large crate of shipments was Ortega. He moved with such deadly precision that the hunters never knew what hit them. He dived down from the crate and struck the first man in the back of the head for an instant death. Then he grabbed the second man, snapping his neck with a loud pop. The last two aimed their blasters. Ortega gazed down at the red light blinking at their feet as dirt and rubble exploded underneath them, sending body parts in all directions. Now six bloody corpses littered the ground surrounding Tawny. She felt cold and weak and slipped in and out of consciousness as he approached. "What are you doing out here alone?" he asked. Tawny looked up in confusion; still dazed from the brawl she gave no answer. Her vision was blurry and she began to tremble at his intimidating appearance. For this was no ordinary man, this was a living, breathing weapon with no indication of where his allegiance lie. If he was a Draxis spy, then torture awaited her, followed by a slow and painful death. If he was with the cartel, she would be robbed of all currency or worse, raped and gutted. Expecting the horror to continue, she prepared herself mentally to die right there in the stockyards. "Don't be afraid, he assured her, kneeling to her side. You're a cadet from the resistance aren't you? I recognize that uniform. You know you're never gonna graduate if you keep picking fights with the big dogs." Tawny cowered from the strangers reach, still unable to see clearly, she unhooked a dagger from her belt and took a swing, nearly cutting her rescuer. "I think I'm in love" Ortega teased. The two wrestled and rolled across the stockyard until she pinned him down with all her weight, placing the weapon under his chin and cutting ever so gently. The pressure of holding the large man down, was too much to bare with her injuries. She cried out in pain, for the previous fall had bruised a rib. While she was distracted by her suffering, he took hold of her arm and with a firm twist, she was unarmed and on her backside looking up at the passing clouds. Exhaustion set in and she accepted the defeat, closing her eyes to help stop her head from spinning. "Who are you?" she questioned. "I'm Kelly Ortega. It's all right; I'm not going to hurt you, just be still." He pulled a first aid kit from his pack and wiped her swollen and bloody lips. "You're quite the pistol. For a second I thought you were really going to kill me back there. I'll just clean you up a bit" he said, gently washing dirt and blood from the lacerations on both arms. Her body trembled each time the disinfectant swabs touched her damaged flesh. It was clear to him the young girl was embarrassed and scared for her life. She avoided making eye contact with the champion as she attempted to sit up. "Don't feel bad, you lasted longer than most people who walk into a bounty hunter's hideout" he said reassuringly, pulling a roll of bandage from his pocket. "I got drafted into this damn war too. They've got me delivering cargo to the colonies, even though I have my fighter. It can't carry the heavy loads and that's too bad cause' the tin can they got me piloting is slow as hell and an easy target. My freighter is just over the ridge to the north." Kelly wrapped her wrist into a temporary splint; then with no effort he scooped her frail frame in his arms. Her eyes opened wide at the jolt of his powerful movement, revealing her bright jewel eyes. The two stared at one another. "My god, you're eyes...they're brilliant... like starfire." he exclaimed. Tawny blushed and a smile appeared on her face as she wrapped her arms around him for balance. "What's your name?" he asked looking curious and captivated by her beauty. "Tawny Tucana." she replied. Kelly smiled right back. "Well, come on sweets, I'll take you back to your base." From that day forward Kelly came to visit her while she recovered in the infirmary. He was in his early forties, fit, with dark brown eyes and a five o'clock shadow which appeared at all times of the day. A streak of grey hair was also visible in his front bangs. When Tawny was well enough to travel, he would take her on small trips to Delta 6; a lush forested planet with salt water pools. As their love grew, the pair became inseparable and immediately after graduating from the academy, the two married. Tawny dreamed of her first encounter with Kelly often, but as the night progressed, she tossed and turned until she was awakened by the sound of raid sirens. Kelly put a pillow over his head and moaned. "It's too early for a drill...Come back to bed, I was having a great dream about Atozian prostitutes and booster cables." Tawny rolled her eyes and leapt from the bed, immediately dressing herself in full uniform. Pretty pins and all.