Page 9 of Subchief Flander

Hel was disappointed when they arrived to see that chaos still ruled. At least a tent was set up to serve meals to all the residents. Those residents had been housed in a large tent and were sleeping in sleeping bags. Since the weather was comfortable, things became easier. The building had begun, but it was impossible to tell what it would look like. They needed many things like an armory, housing, offices, and a permanent cafeteria.

Once things were proven safe, civilian builders would be brought in to complete the base. Knowing how many people would end up living there was hard, but she suspected the number would be significant. How would they deal with more people arriving tomorrow, possibly in larger numbers? She needed to find a way to get the necessary supplies and personnel to do the job. The situation of the refugees wasn't much better than it had been on the planet. The only difference was that they were fed and didn't have to fight for their meals.

The two new recruits watched with wide eyes, unsure of what was going to happen to them. Hel wanted to reassure them, but she didn't know how.

“Do either of you know how to cook?” She asked.

They both nodded, and it was no surprise they had been taught by the time they reached their age. She led them to the cafeteria tent, where an overworked and frustrated lady looked at them with concern.

“Did I need to do something else?” She asked.

"No, I've brought you two helpers. Take good care of them, and don't overwork them."

“I will.” The lady smiled and rushed the two kids away.

Hel assumed they would be doing some boring but easy kitchen jobs. It was time to hurry to find those organizing the base. She was surprised that she was among the few officers around. Hadn't they put an officer in charge? It didn't look like they had. She immediately gathered some warriors and put them to work. Things were beginning to happen, and it was a relief because more people would arrive tomorrow. If things didn't change here, they couldn't handle the extra people. She wasn't even sure what resources they would have available for the base.

Her plan was to order needed things until she was told no. She began her list, and when she completed all the things needed immediately, she passed it to one of the sergeants that was currently working on supplies.

“Wow. You think they're going to send us all this?”

“We'll see. If they don't, we'll just start with what is sent," Hel observed.

“I'm not sure if you're an optimist or just ordering a lot and hoping they'll send at least half of it," he said.

“Why can't I be both?”

The old warrior laughed and began to input the requests. It would be a while before a reply came, and then they would know what to work with. The good thing was that they had at least a small number of supplies in hand that they could work with. Hel went in search of her squad. They were in the building zone, working on the first building.

“What is this going to be?” She asked.

“Because of the large number of refugees, we are going to build an apartment house. I've also ordered some prefab buildings that can be easily put together, so we will need a foundation to set them up. We will use that for offices and the cafeteria," Flander explained. “Are you ready to go because we've been called back to the ship.”

“What about our two new recruits?”

“The cook thanked me and said she would be training them. She'll also take them somewhere to settle them in. Time to go.”

It wasn't like she had a choice. She had to follow orders, and it was time to go. She would check on them the next time they came to base, which should be tomorrow. They all headed back to the shuttle and then back to the ship. It was lunchtime; they ate their meal, and then she went to the office to do more work.

“Are you ready for supper?” Flander asked.

“What?” She hadn’t realized it was anywhere near that late. “I didn’t know it was this late. Let’s go.”

He was trying to look after her, and that was sweet. It still made her feel like a little sister. Would he never see her as a grown woman? It did look like it. Three months after she'd turned eighteen, he still didn't treat her as anything but a little sister. She thought about moving on, but no one else appealed to her.

"You look disappointed," Flander said.

"No, I'm fine," Hel replied.

Flander grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall. His lips covered hers, and he kissed her hungrily. Oh, dear. She couldn't resist him. Her lips opened slightly, and his tongue sunkinto her mouth. Her tongue moved to dance with his, and her nipples hardened. She felt the dampness between her legs and knew he could scent it. It didn't matter because he was making her feel so good. Loud laughter was headed their way, and he stepped back. A group of warriors were heading their way, and she moved in the direction they had been headed, with Flander following her. Hel hurried, hoping to outrun the warriors so they wouldn't pick up on the smell of her need.

She was embarrassed and confused because of that kiss. It was the first time she’d seen any sign of desire from Flander. Hel had no idea how to deal with it, and now she would have to adjust her feelings about him. Why had he waited so long to show her any sign that he might desire her? It was hard to understand, so she pushed it aside to join the others for supper. Everyone looked at her as she sat down. It could be embarrassing to work with guys that could smell so much. Hel ignored them and started eating. What else could she do? Tonight, she would have sweet dreams about Flander.

It was the next morning, and they had their next mission on the planet. Everyone was eating breakfast. When finished, they would head to the shuttle. Hel was the last to be done. She finished up quickly, and they all headed out. This ship wasn't a shuttle, but a small ship docked under the large ship. It would hold at least five hundred people and supplies. The pilot was one of those that usually flew this ship. They all found a seat in the front, sat down, and put on their harness. The ship took off as soon as they were loaded.

This ship was faster than the shuttle but sized to land on a planet. The landing was fast and attracted the attention of everyone for miles. They were on the opposite side of the planet. The small facility looked more like a warehouse. It was metal and locked down and had managed to avoid being infiltrated.Hel moved to the front and put in a code that opened the door immediately. Their robots took a protective position in the rear, but no one had tried to shoot yet.

Everything was on one level, making it easy to find. This was the simplest of the facilities so far. It took no time to get the tubs flashed up to the ship and they were leaving the small warehouse. They were mobbed with people trying to get on the airplane when somehow, she was separated from her squad and the robots. She was knocked out, and she assumed she was dragged away.

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