Shattered Freedom, Chapter Three
#18 of Decision & Sacrifice
Biker Mice From Mars** In **** Shattered Freedom**** by: Whipblade ** ** Part 3**
Stoker's mouth fell open as the blast erupted not eighty feet in front of him. Spinning around, he could clearly see the silhouettes of a reckless youth, and her partner in crime. Kicking his engine into over drive, Stoker spun his back tire in the dirt as he turned around.
Crash smiled as the older brown mouse hauled tail towards them. "See, we have his attention now."
"For some reason, he doesn't look impressed." Sidewinder replied as Stoker skidded to a stop not a foot from her headlight.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Stoker roared as he jumped off his sleek bike. Pounding Crash on the helmet he turned to Sidewinder.
Crash held his head trying to stop the ringing.
"and you!" he jabbed his finger at her. "I should have expected something like this from you!" He grabbed her badge on her army vest. "You're out of this for good Sidewinder!" He ripped the material logo off her vest, leaving a tattered hole.
"You can't do this!" Sidewinder screamed back at him.
"I failed you eight times because of Idiotic behavior! If you haven't learned by now you never will!" Stoker shouted back. "If this was a real battle, you'd blown our position! Fighters wouldn't be ready or secured when the enemy attacked! I wasn't even in position! I Gave you NO ORDER! NONE! What-so-ever to fire! You could have KILLED one of our OWN! Take your bike to the garage!" Stoker growled turning his back to the tall gray female. "AND YOU!" He jabbed his finger into the white and brown mouses chest. "You've been on routine scout missions! You're reckless side hasn't so far been THIS hazardous!" He snapped. "Report to General Carbine for you New field position!"
Crash backed up. "Yes sir." He muttered gunning his engine, he reversed spun his bike in the sand kicking up dust, then headed towards base.
Sidewinder, still seething in the red hate that filled her vision, sat there.
"Take it up with the General." Stoker growled at her before remounting his bike. He headed away to the rest of the group he was field training.
*******************************
Rimfire looked towards the explosion. "What was that?"
"Stoker's field training today." Kickstart replied skipping a rock along the sand.
Speed bump followed suit, his rock skipping further.
"Darn." Kickstart muttered.
The three sat bored out of their helmets upon a bluff.
"You know. I'm starting to think those rats are right." Rimfire sighed watching yet another small space ship land. He raised his binoculars.
Kickstart zoomed in with his helmets controls.
Speed bump kept a look out as the two focused on the Ikkywara cargo.
"More water coming in." Rimfire said.
"Only two creates leaving." Kickstart said. "Too small for a motorbike, looks more like weapons or such."
"Telescope equipment." Rimfire adjusted his focus. "Lens case is marked Fragile."
"That round base being dollied isn't going to fit in no box either."
"Must be surplus from their renovations." Rimfire reasoned as he watched the tenth gallon of water be hauled into the Star Gazer.
"There isn't water going out, there's too much water going in. These clowns can't be tapped into our tanks." Kickstart grumped pulling off his helmet.
**
Lance looked up at the bluff that held this time, three biker mice. "We really should just go up there and offer them a tour."
"The last pair didn't accept. I doubt this bunch will." Ma'ze said checking off the order on a clipboard.
"I wonder what they're watching for." Lance mused aloud.
"Probably water." Ma'ze replied shifting from one foot to the other. His rat tail twirled around anxiously.
"Water, water everywhere." Lance started reciting the old rhythm he recalled.
"Don't finish that statement Lance. I have to pee, you're not helping." Ma'ze warned.
With a smirk, the Doberman wandered away from the loading docks.
Paige whirled around as soon as the lab doors opened. "Are they here?" she asked eagerly as Lance walked through the doors.
"No, just a water shipment." Lance said.
Her hopes dashed, the small female rat turned her back on her commander.
"Paige, new x-ray equipment isn't something to express such emotions over." Tweak said from his reclined position.
"Easy for you to say." Paige snapped as she passed by the elder rats' office. "You didn't order it."
In the office
Lance sat down beside Tweak. "What's with her?" He asked once the medic wandered off.
"I think the mice are." Tweak replied. "It's been six months, as soon as the X-ray equipment is set up here, we'll be departing."
"She's upset she isn't going to say goodbye?" Lance questioned.
"I think she's upset over the fact that those antenna-for-brains aren't sharing information on our two."
"Not sharing information? She'd contracted them?" Lance asked.
"Numerous times." Tweak replied retrieving a tea for his friend and Commander. "The replies have all been the same. Same and Same, no change, no you can not talk to them."
"Poor girl." Lance frowned thinking. He took a sip from his cup. "If we haven't heard from them before we leave, we'll take a trip over there and land on something."
Tweak chuckled slightly.
***************
Turbo wanted nothing more than to stuff cotton into his ears. The screeching coming from General Carbine's office had been going on for more than an hour. The high pitched shouting wasn't the General's but whoever was arguing about whatever in there.
Finally the door swung open banging against the wall. The tall female Sidewinder stormed out.
Turbo watched as his niece pounded the walls, shoving anyone unlucky enough to be near her.
Standing, Turbo headed towards Carbine's office.
Sitting back in her chair, hair frazzled and nerves looking shot. "You all right?" he asked.
Carbine sighed heavily not looking to him. "I don't know what just happened. I've faced battles that left very few mice alive. I saw death and yet, that girl scared the hell out of me."
Eyebrows raised, Turbo walked over to her. Wrapping his arms around her he nuzzled his loves neck.
"There is a reason why you never wanted children, they eventually turn into temperamental teenagers."
"They all do." Carbine sighed before looking up into the dark brown almost black eyes of the male she dare call mate. "There's something else........ something I did when Throttle and I started sharing a bed..." She swallowed hard trying not to remember that day. She looked away. "It was during the war.... we both witnessed the Massacre at Aries slope, and Hard Rock's attack on the civilian refugees. I swore I would never have children till Mars was free......"
Turbo ran his thumb over her cheek, he smiled lovingly.
"I used the medical surgeons for an elective surgery. I have my tubes tied." she stated.
Turbo kissed her lips. "I see, and this is the reason you don't want to talk about having children?"
"I can't, now."
"They can be untied." Turbo said with a small smile.
"No Grentee that it will ever..... work again." Carbine looked up at him.
"There is never a guarantee in life." He smiled, she smiled back.
**********************
Stoker and his students were gathered on a small bluff about fifty miles from the Eden. The remaining ten hopeful soldiers talked among themselves as they ate their form of rations for lunch.
A mist the bikes and teenagers, Stoker relaxed on his bike. His feet resting on his handlebars, he munched on some meat with a look of disdain on his face.
"Hey teach." A youthful sandy blond female walked up to Stoker. "You look like something is bothering you."
Stoker turned his head and smiled at her. "Just the rations Freefall."
She leaned her hip on his rear fender. "Grew up on them myself." she shrugged casually.
Stoker chuckled he knew when a young girl fancied him. He was just too old to take it up on. Heck, he was only old in age. But still, Harley was waiting for him back at the base.
"Figured I'd be able to eat real food after the war was over darlin'." he confessed.
Freefall smiled, batting her red eyes, she brushed a lock of pink hair out of her eyes. "I know something that'd be real nice to eat." she winked.
Stoker chuckled sitting up. "Not till you've graduated at least."
"You know where I am if you change your mind before then." She winked sauntering away.
Stoker shook his head in amusement. 'Strange kid.' he thought. "Okay group, let's break it up."
The students started to pack up their things and saddle up without complaint.
Three Sandraiders watched the group of mice warily.
****************************
Reclined in his seat, Crash rested his feet on the radio desk. He idly listened to the soft chirps of the squirrel bats and low frequency rumble of a Sabresquid hunting for a meal. "Reassigned to 'radio jock' for a month. This blows." he complained to no one.
"This is Star Gazer, contacting Freedom Fighters, anyone there?" Paige's light voice crackled over the radio, breaking the night silence.
Crash sighed as he flicked the radio button. "Crash here, Freedom Fighters out post four- something or other." he replied in a less then enthusiastic voice.
"Hello Crash, this is Paige of the Ikkywara."
"Howdy Paige, what can I do for you tonight?" Crash asked sitting up hopeful there was some Sand raiders attacking the aliens base, or a Sabresquid prowling around.
"Just want to know about my two favorite mice."
Scrunching his face up in confusion, Crash wasn't sure what two mice she was talking about. "Who?"
"Vinnie and Throttle."
"OH! The Biker Mice!" Crash laughed 'I shoulda figured' "They're not here anymore. General Carbine sent them to Earth."
Paige smiled as she sat in the communications room. "I love when they put new mice on the radio."
"Earth?" Twitch questioned looking over from the radar screen. "Why Earth?"
"Let's find out." Paige said to the teenage Martian rat. "Why Earth?" she sent over the radio.
Crash came back with. "Something about them not wanted to be around mice, I'm not sure. Rimfire hasn't said much about them."
"Where on Earth?" Paige asked.
"Chicago. It's where Rimfire's uncle lives with his alien wife. Really F-ed up marriage there." Crash grumbled.
"Thank you Crash. Enjoy the night." Paige signed off, clicking the radio back to 'listen' mode.
Paige turned to the rusty furred boy. "You never saw me in here." she winked.
"I never saw who?" Twitch winked sliding his chair over closer to the radio. "Ain't enough room for two in here."
"good boy." Paige smiled kissing him on the head.
Twitch blushed crimson as he watched her walk out.
Ma'ze watched Paige pause in the hallway. Her dust rose and blue flowered Pj's Barely coming to her knees.
"Isn't that against Ikkywara regulations?"
"hu?" Paige looked up, her room card in hand. "Magazine, personal attire has no limitations." she smiled. "What are you doing still up?"
"I was going to ask you the same." The brindle rat said walking to the off duty medic.
Paige smiled as the Star Gazer commander leaned against her door jam. "I asked first."
"Last minute inventory, schedules, that type of stuff. Duo leaves tomorrow after all." Ma'ze shrugged.
"The X-ray equipment came?"
"On back order. By the time Duo returns, it should be here already set up. Their sending someone over to show the other medics how to use it."
"Oh." Paige replied dishearten.
"Your turn." Ma'ze smiled tilting his head. "What's with the late night stroll?"
"Just looking around." Paige lied.
"Mmmhmmm." Ma'ze raise a brow. "You called the mice again didn't you?" he teased good naturally.
Paige blushed.
"I knew it." He grinned. "I won't tell Lance."
"Promise?"
"Cadet honor."
"Our mice are on Earth someplace named Chicago." Paige replied.
"I lied." Ma'ze said, a smile on his face. "I'm telling Lance."
"WHAT!" Paige gasped.
"Duo has to head there before a trip into space. Everyone is wondering how them sick mice are fairing. At least you got through to someone." Ma'ze said.
Rolling her eyes she turned around, her tail flicking Ma'ze hard in the leg. "You're a prick sometimes."
He grabbed her shoulders pulling her against him. "Yeah but you'll miss me."
"I know I will." Smiling she tilted her head up. "But you have Lee."
Ma'ze frowned letting the smaller rat go. "Yeah, guess I do." with a sigh not expressing much happiness. "G'night Paige."
Paige could tell something was a miss. "Night Magazine." sliding her card into the slot, her door opened. She vanished from the hall.
************************** TBC**
whipblade
November 2005