Page 6 of Subchief Flander

“My father has learned old earth terms and would call you a bleeding heart," Ranni admitted.

“Is that what you have to say as well?”

“No, come up with a plan, and we will see if we can implement it. I hate to see anyone die, especially for a doomed cause.”

"Hel can help me," Flander suggested.

“I concur. You two get to work.”

Flander was glad for an excuse to spend time with his mate. He wondered if she would be angry that she was forced to work with him. Hopefully, he will make it up to her in time. Hel could be anywhere, and he needed to find her. It was lunchtime, so maybe the cafeteria. Was he lucky he found her?

"After lunch, I need to talk to you," Flander whispered.

“Why can’t you just tell me now?” Hel asked.

“These are orders from Ranni.”

Hel went back to eating and ignored him. Flander decided to eat his food, and when they were both done, he motioned for her to follow him. He led the way to his small office, and after she sat down, he closed the door. Moving to his seat, he sat down and looked at her momentarily.

“Ranni has instructed me to work with you to devise a plan to prevent so many enemy deaths. We need to find a way to convert them so that being with a gang doesn't sound so good. Offering them a better life among us is what I want to do. We will work on this project on the side, which will take time and effort.I hope you understand the importance of this plan," Flander explained.

“Why me? I know nothing about this. I’ve never been around people much. This isn’t something I’ve ever done.”

“That's probably why he assigned you this job. Awarriormust be able to do many tasks and be willing to learn new things. Don't you understand how important this is? It could save lives. Many of those in the gangs are young, some even younger than you.”

“I understand its importance. That is why I question why I was selected when I am no good at this kind of thing," Hel explained.

“If you try and give it your best shot and find it impossible, then we will find someone else. We ask that you give it a good try.

“Fine. I’ll give it a shot. When do we start?”

"We won't be going to the planet tomorrow. The rest of the squad will be assigned other duties while we work on this project," Flander admitted.

"Fair enough," Hel agreed, then she left.

Flander watched her as she left and wondered if this would help him advance in his cause. He knew she should be his, but he didn't know how to make her understand that. In the morning, they would begin, and he hoped they would learn a little more about each other, and maybe she would admit that she needed him too. Breakfast was like usual, and everyone in his squad was there.

“Where did you get stuck at Tomsin?” Ronner asked.

“The cargo bay. What about you?”

“The trash chute. Ain't I the lucky one?”

"Hey, I'm in the garden," Jaird said. "What about you, Hel?"

“I got office work.”

“You poor thing.” Ronner grinned.

He was probably glad he wasn't stuck in an office, but did he prefer the trash chute? No one asked Flander where he was going, and he didn't volunteer. Flander couldn't wait to spend some time with Hel alone. His priority was his relationship with his mate, but saving lives was an excellent side benefit. Most people would look at him and never believe he cared about helping people. They would be wrong, and the only reason that helping people wasn't his top priority was because he needed his mate.

Everyone finished eating and scattered, going toward their assigned work. Hel followed him to his office, where they would devise a plan to save some of the young gang members from certain death. Many had no hope. They needed Flander and his squad to give them hope for a better future. How would they spread the word? Somehow, they needed to let them know there was a future if they just reached out and grabbed it.

There was a planet next to Purgatory that was livable but barely populated. It would be a good place to resettle gang members who wanted out of that life. They could farm, or Mercury could open a business there. He saw options there and hope.

“What do we need to do?” Hel asked.

“We need to find a place to send gang members that want out. Where can we send them?”