IMP38

==Chapter 38 - Important People==
Grounds of the Royal Palace
Tharkad System
Lyran Commonwealth
November, 3097
[In battle of the Royal Palace...0500]
Irena had heard stories and rumors.  Everyone had, the 'Coast Guard Academy' was a six-year training program, everyone knew that.  The sheer range of environments the Kowloon Coast Guard was responsible for, and the number of tasks, meant most instructors considered the establishment to be 'very broad but very shallow' educationally.
But Kowloonese units during the Jihad or 'Blake War' had generated some rumors. Especially the Marines, which... well, it's really what the Coasties were, rightoh?
Amanda, her friend with the quick technical mind and the whole, endearing, 'lead by example' and by-the-books-but-not-how-you'd-expect had turned out to be an absolutely remorseless killer right in front of her eyes.
It was turning her into a killer.
Not a 'warrior' or even what her sister Koren would think of as a proper Soldier.  Amanda was teaching her how to create unfair fights and kill.
The group of soldiers in the stairwell had been a fine example, because after Amanda's ambush of their rear guard, and toppling the dead suit-trooper onto his mates, she'd taken a piece of electrical conduit, grounded it to the hand-rail, then turned on the lights.
Irena could still half an hour later and three floors up from ground level, smell the frying bacon and shit of the men they'd killed.
"We're in the royal apartments now," Irena said.  "I've seen pictures from the guidebook."
"Well, you know most lethal accidents occur in the home." Amanda's voice had a cold, unemotional quality.  "Let's see if we can't cause a few, ayeh?"
-----
Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter
Category:Works by CannonShop
Category:Important People Chapters