They walked fast, heading along the track past the two graves and then deep into the native vegetation. Rex felt uneasy having to follow, being the Captain; he was used to walking in front, leading rather than following. He let out an exasperated breath.
"Going too slow for you Captain?" Gem turned and looked at him as she spoke.
"Not at all Ma'am, just not used to bringing up the rear."
"And that's such a bad thing because?" her eyebrows raised and a smirk fell across her face.
He had noticed her rear, especially in the tight tan coloured pants she was wearing. Same black boots but a white short sleeved shirt instead of the black she wore the day before. Her hair had been tied at the nape of her neck with an elastic device, he noticed.
It swished like a tail when she walked.
"It's going to be a long six hours if we have to persist on formalities. We didn't get off to a good start Captain, and for that I'm sorry. You boys were the first contact we had in over five months. Reed and Mav were the first soldiers my father and I had ever seen."
"We're just glad we could oblige, Gem." He intonated her name, and it sounded pleasant.
"Thank you, Rex," she said with a slight bend of her head.
Very diplomatic, he mused to himself.
With the ice somewhat thawed they headed down further until she stopped and announced they were at the opening to the 20 klick tunnel.
"Mark this point and send the co-ordinates back to the ship, this is where we'll need to be picked up in exactly 5.5 hours."
Rex sent through the coordinates and made sure the waist band on the back pack was pulled tight. He moved to tighten Gemma's, but she had watched him and had done the same to hers.
"Race you," she said and jumped into a fast pace.
He just smiled, a 20 klick run was a warm up for a soldier, but he let her have a few seconds advantage until he silently broke into a rhythm beside her.
###
She was setting a cracking pace.
If only the boys could be so energetic during training, he thought to himself.
Sweat was beginning to trickle down his back, absorbed by the unfamiliar material of the tunic he was wearing. He noticed a trail of wetness down the back of her shirt and after 10 klicks at the same pace, he pulled her up, noticing they were making terrific time.
"Stop for a drink," he breathed out. It wasn't a question.
She bent over and put her hands on her thighs, breathing a little harder than normal.
"This bag is heavier than I thought," she admitted as he handed her the water container. She drank from it thirstily. She ran her right hand under her ribcage.
"You have a stitch?" The Captain tilted his head in question. She nodded. Rex closed his water container and placed it on the ground in front of him.
"Here," he said, "press your hand just below the pain, like this," his large brown hand seemed as big as her entire torso as he angled it just under her right breast. She watched it as he continued.
"This should raise your liver up, relieving the strain on the ligaments. Now, breathe in and out slowly."
He pressed down gently but firmly as she inhaled and exhaled and slowly she nodded, the pain was abating.
