Free The Guardians of Sol by Spencer Kettenring

They knew who I was and how I run a squad before they approached me, I know it sounds crazy, but… I don’t know. I guess we’ll see what happens once the armor is finished.”
    “I have the feeling I’m going to be saying this a lot to you,” She said with a smile. “But you should really think your ideas through before you try to explain them to people. You tend to ramble.”
    “You probably have a point, darlin. That kind of thinking just isn’t my strong suit though. How do you like the food?”
    “It’s delicious. A bit hot though. Do you have any milk? That’s supposed to help a lot. Where did you learn to cook?”
    “Well, my parents were off on business a lot, and that left me to take care of my sister most of the time. And it only got worse after they disappeared. Maybe they died; no one was sure what happened… accident with an earlier Archimedes drive they were doing tests on. But let’s leave the sad stories for some other time, okay? We have plenty of time to get to know each other. And hey, I got some real ice cream for dessert. None of that reconstituted, synthesized crap.”
    “What kind of money do they pay you? I haven’t had real ice cream in… well; since before I left my parents' ranch on Earth, actually.”
    “I’m single and my apartment is supplied by the Corps. I put most of my checks into savings, and I haven’t really had anything to spend money on because I’m usually out on assignment. I don’t have any real hobbies besides cooking, so let me treat you right every now and then and don’t complain about it. Alright?”
    “Alright" she agreed cheerfully. "I’ll give you that one. So what’s next?”
    What was next was the ice cream, cuddling during the movie we were streaming, and then sitting and talking for hours after that.
    “What are you doing tomorrow morning?” I asked her.
    “Sleeping in, why?”
    “I was just wondering if you were up for some exercise. I need to see if a hammer can really be practical in a fight anymore.”
    “I might be up for it, say ten?”
    “Sounds good. See you in the gym.” She finally got up and left me alone in my cramped apartment, which suddenly felt larger and colder than ever before.
    *****
    Her tonfa blasted towards my nose for what had to be the third time in as many minutes. I barely deflected it with the shaft of my hammer. The second tonfa swept at my neck, but I threw myself backwards, using one hand to steady my roll and end up facing Rachel again. The girl had a beautifully wicked grin.
    In the Guardian Corps, everyone, from the Castigars, to pilots, to engineers and doctors all have a basic level of combat ability. While technicians didn't usually require such capabilities, Rachel’s skills well exceeded that basic level. I hadn’t known that before today. She was equal to someone on the fourth or fifth Swordmaster tier, perhaps. Even with me beginning training for the second tier she was pressing me hard. And then she had another advantage on me. I have made no secret of my physical attraction for her, but the tight outfit she wore would have driven me to the highest levels of distraction at even the best of times. At this rate, I was just lucky she hadn’t broken anything.
    She came at me again, dancing from side to side and twirling her forearm long tonfas. She came at me from the bottom on my left, and straight in from my right. I managed to block the former blow with the head of my hammer, and deflect the latter with the haft. I pushed in and twirled my weapon, catching both her arms. While she was distracted I dropped down and swept her legs. Making use of my momentum, I rolled and caught her before she could hit the mat.
    “Smooth, right?”
    “Very smooth, Mister. You want to let me up so we can work out some more?”
    “Nah, I like you where I got you,” I leaned over and kissed her. “Besides, I found out what I needed to know.”
    “So how does the hammer feel in a fight?”
    I held the wooden weapon