John Ringo - Against the Tide

And he couldn’t even remember doing anything!

In fact, even given his full bladder, he suspected from signs that he hadn’t done anything. Not that it would matter.

Shit. Time to find out if he’d have a pissed-off boss or a very pissed-off boss.

“Hi, lover,” Bast said as he rolled over.

“Bast, not that I’m not glad to see you…” Herzer said as he came out of the bathroom. He clutched his head and groaned, before going on. “But… how did you get in here? This place is supposed to be surrounded by guards.”

“Am I not Bast?” the wood elf said, sliding out of the bed. The elf was barely a meter and a quarter tall and perfectly formed with long, curly, raven-black hair, high, firm breasts and a body that was toned but not, apparently, muscular. She was naked, her standard garment, winter and summer, of a leather bikini on the floor by the bed. She had the body of a fourteen-year-old, and often the personality, but Herzer knew she was over a thousand years old.

“Am I not the greatest sneak in the world? Do you think your simpleton marines can stop me ?”

Elves had been created at the dawn of the age of the Net as super-soldiers by the North American Union. Although they looked mostly human, they were not Changed humans but an entirely different species. At the time of the Fall the majority of them lived in a separated dimension called Elfheim. The sundering from humans had occurred around the time of the AI wars, when it became obvious that two sentient species were not going to be able to coexist on earth. The wood elves had been created at about the same time as soldiers for the Nissei Corporation. At least, Bast was. If there were any other wood elves in existence, Herzer hadn’t heard of them. He and Bast had been on and off lovers since shortly after the Fall.

“No,” Herzer said, sitting down on the bed and clutching his head. “I don’t suppose you have any aspirin?”

“Have I not told you to take aspirin before you go to bed?” she asked, bringing him a glass of water and a pill. “And a big drink of water. Of course, when I got here Rachel was being sick in your bathroom, you were passed out on a floor and a half-naked ensign was passed out on top of you. So this once, I forgive you.”

“Where’s Van Krief?” Herzer asked, draining the cup and taking the pill.

“The pretty blonde?” the elf asked. “I managed to get her conscious enough for directions to her room and carried her there. She didn’t seem to be in any condition to help. Not that you were, either.” She laid her hand on his head and murmured for a moment and Herzer felt the effects of the hangover miraculously disappear.

“God, Bast, you’re a drunkard’s dream,” Herzer said, taking her in his arms.

“Good thing for you.” She smiled. “Now, go take shower, you smell like goat. Then come back here and I make you smell like one again. And if the pretty little blonde turns up, tell her you’re busy. It’s been a long time and I’m not sharing.”

“My my, look what the cat drug in,” Daneh said as Herzer and Bast entered the room.

It was past noon but it was clear that everyone in the room was on their first meal of the day. And all of them were nursing hangovers.

“Daneh, my friend, your daughter very well brought up is. Is even polite when being sick.”

“Oh, gods, was that you?” Rachel groaned. “I thought it was Van Krief.”

“Wasn’t me,” the ensign muttered, looking from the elf to Herzer and back. “You must be Bast.”

“Indeedy.” Bast grinned, pulling out a chair and flopping down. She snagged a plate and pulled over a tureen filled with scrambled eggs. “We’ve met.”

“I don’t recall when,” Van Krief said, thinly.

“Last night, carried back to your room did I,” Bast said, grinning again.

“I don’t remember most of last night,” the ensign said after a moment.

“I do,” Bast replied. “Humans shouldn’t drink, can’t handle their liquor.”

Herzer was mentally cringing. Bast was usually blunt about sex to the point of pornography. But he noticed that she was carefully avoiding the subject of where Van Krief had been when the elf carried her back to her room. That was, for Bast, unbelievably circumspect and tactful.

“Of course, if another try at Herzer want, wait until this afternoon; sure he’ll be up to it by then.”

So much for circumspect.

“Bast,” Edmund said, carefully. “We were all pretty drunk last night. I think that it’s best if we just avoid the whole subject. Okay?”

“Okay,” Bast said, taking a bite of egg. “How about the subject of Chansa putting out contract?”

“Even that is preferable,” Daneh replied.

“Is all around the town,” Bast continued. “Open contract is. Was to stop I was coming. Late. Sorry.”

“Funny that I didn’t get any word,” Edmund replied. “T’s usually better about that. Where did you hear about it?”

“Was approached,” Bast shrugged. “Killed the man who asked, did I. Very stupid man. Thought jealous would I be of young ensign.”

“What?” Van Krief said.

“What?” Herzer shouted.

“Keep it down, Herzer,” Edmund sighed. “I was afraid this was going to happen. The fact that you two… like each other is pretty obvious. It has been brought up to me. Not officially, but it has been brought up.”

“But we have never…” Herzer said then paused. “Well… except for… Oh, damn!”

“Damn indeed,” Edmund nodded. “How’s the school -running?”

“Well enough,” Herzer said. “If you’re asking if Captain Silver can handle it, yes he can.”

“The fleet sails for work-ups in two days,” Edmund said with another nod. “I’d already made it plain that you were going to be going out with it. I was going to send you as a supernumerary, one of my eyes and ears. But they’re so short of dragon-riders I’m going to appoint you as the CO of the Hazhir dragon wing.”

“There are far more experienced riders in the fleet than me,” Herzer pointed out.

“None on the Hazhir ,” Edmund replied. “New captain, new crew, dragons gathered from all over and half of them have only done one or two landings. Very few of them are trained in bombing.”

“And me,” Bast said. “Joanna will go, I will ride.”

“Joanna is slated for the Bonhomme Richard ,” Edmund said.

“Was,” Bast replied. “Joanna will go on Hazhir . As will I. Trust me on this, Edmund Talbot. Joanna, myself and Herzer to the Hazhir .”

“What do you know?” Edmund asked.

“Know that is who will go,” Bast said with a shrug. “Something is coming. More than battle. Timelines twist.” She stopped and grinned. “ Gaslan . Elf thing is. Warriors are. Future of war can feel, see. Schwerpunkt is Hazhir . Joanna, Herzer, I go. Battle you will fight. Battle you may win. Win or lose, Hazhir is the key. To more. Much more.”

They all looked at her for a moment and then Edmund shook his head.

“I hate it when you get all elf on me. Destrang, make a note. Commander Joanna Gramlich transferred to Hazhir , commander dragon contingent. Same for Major Herzer Herrick, XO dragon contingent. Bast L’sol Tamel d’San, allied wood elf, assigned Hazhir as supernumerary dragon-rider.”

“And me, sir?” Van Krief asked.

“You’re coming back as one of my aides,” Edmund replied. “We’ll be on the Bonhomme Richard . I’ve got a lot of writing for someone to do. And it has to be someone I trust. Same with Destrang. Tao.”

“Sir?” the ensign said.