Spartan Valor

by Toby Neighbors

  “Money, what’s going on? Are we leaving?”

  “Negative, Porter. We’ve been ordered to stay and assist Captain Rigel.”

  He said the CO’s name with such disdain it sounded like an insult. I wanted to ask why, but I knew the answer. Rigel had been given command, and we were to be punished. The conniving officer had never shown anything but contempt for the enlisted Marines he led. And as long as he had the opportunity to make us suffer for questioning him, he would take advantage of it.

  “Assist him with what?” I asked instead.

  “The Fleet has given orders that a road is to be cut through the jungle to the volcano,” Money said. “Captain Rigel has ordered that we’re to lead the platoon of engineers.”

  “So we aren’t going back?” It wasn’t a question. I already knew that Rigel would keep us on the planet and send us on the most dangerous missions possible. I was one of the few people would could testify to his cowardice and failure on the mission. There was no doubt in my mind that Rigel wanted me dead.

  “I’m sorry, Porter. But orders are orders.”

  “Roger that, Master Sergeant.”

  Chapter 16

  I watched the transport lift off. I had seen ships taking off all my life, but on Apex Venandi, surrounded by the dense, primordial forest, it seemed strangely obscene. There was movement all around me, which only made me nervous. Armed Marines, capable men and women, seemed unprepared. I had seen my own platoon massacred. Something inside told me the Marines around me weren’t ready.

  Time dragged on. I was tired, but it seemed clear that standing outside the Command Post, regardless of what we had done before the transport arrived, was what Captain Rigel expected. At dawn, another transport came drifting down. The ship seemed to defy gravity. It didn’t fly — it floated. The boxy ship slowed as it approached the Base Camp clearing, until it seemed to hover just a meter off the ground. Landing struts were extended, and the ship settled into a level position. The ramp opened, and several armored vehicles were driven off the ship.

  Soon, the officers of the first three platoons were shouting orders. Marines traded their assault rifles for wood-cutting tools. When Captain Rigel emerged from the Command Post, he looked around in the light of day. I couldn’t see his face because of his helmet, but the posture was clear. Rigel like being in charge, but he wasn’t happy about being back on Apex Venandi.

  Two new officers approached. One wore the castle patch of the combat engineers. The other, a thickly built man with grease stains on his cammies, and light armor, was in charge of the armored division. They both saluted.

  “We’re all here,” Rigel said. “Excellent. The first order of business is to enlarge this camp. Damn, it’s already as hot as a sauna.”

  The lack of shade from the sunlight made the Base Camp hotter than the jungle itself. Clearing more trees was a necessary evil.

  “We can get started on the defensive measures, Captain,” the engineer said. “I’ve got a squad of Demo Specialists who can assist in moving the trip wires.”

  “Master Sergeant Eubanks will assist. I want this area behind these preliminary structures expanded,” Rigel said, pointing to the jungle behind the Command Post. “Let’s set up the solar energy array east of here. I want those armored troop transports guarded at all times, Lieutenant.”

  “Roger that,” said the thickly built officer.

  “I’ll be forming an advance team to scout the location for our highway,” Rigel went on. “And a new Command Post will be set up ASAP. Let’s get our people busy.”

  Both officers saluted, and Rigel disappeared back inside the Command Post. Money left with the engineering lieutenant. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I was left standing all alone outside of the Command Post, staring off into the jungle and wondering what might happen next.

  “Oh - my - god,” said a familiar, female voice. I turned and saw Gloria Keyes walking toward me. Unlike most of the Marines, the armored platoon didn’t wear battle helmets, or heavy armor. I had no idea how she recognized me with my Command Helmet on.

  “Gloria?” I said.

  “Orry Porter, is that really you?” she said, punching me in the shoulder. “I heard you were the big man on this mud ball. God, it’s hotter than Mexico in August.”

  “What are you doing here?” I asked stupidly.

  “I’m on assignment you dope. What else would I be doing? My platoon was assigned to the Attila. I’m a driver on one of the armored ground vehicles.”

  “It’s good to see you,” I said, pulling off my helmet and giving my old platoon mate a hug. “What have you been doing since Basic.”

  “Learning to drive in all terrains,” she said. “You?”

  “Recon Training, then this assignment.”

  “I heard your platoon won the Recon Challenge. You know anything about that?”

  “I know we got lucky,” I said.

  “I’ve got to help assemble the solar array so we can charge the chariots. That’s what we call the armored ground vehicles. I guess we’ll be on the same mission again.”

  “Yeah, sounds great.”

  “By the way, Abe is with the demo team.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. They send him in to cut the red wire because they know if he blows himself up, they haven’t lost much. See you around.”

  I watched her walk away and felt a tremor of fear. I didn’t want to see Gloria get killed, or Abe, or anyone else I cared about. What I really wanted was to gather everyone up and get them off Apex Venandi as quickly as possible, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

  Soon, the camp became a noisy place. People were shouting to each other; cutting down trees, which fell with a crash; assembling temporary structures; and firing up machinery. Not that our Base Camp was a secret to the natives — the Fae and the Prog had already attacked. The Vena were probably watching us and making plans to invade. I couldn’t believe the commotion, but I had no way to stop it. Humanity had arrived, and the consequences be damned.

  Money soon returned, and we settled into what little shade could be found. The Master Sergeant agreed that our newly promoted Captain was anxious to be rid of us. He spoke with grim determination after removing his helmet so we couldn’t be overheard.

  “All I know is that he ordered us to stay on station.”

  “Just a two man platoon?” I asked.

  “He still considers himself part of Spartan Company. He’s called for Polaski, Hope, and Von’Heim to join us as soon as they’re fit.”

  “To what end? If he’s in charge, he doesn’t need us.”

  “Don’t waste your time trying to understand a narcissist, Porter. They don’t do things according to logic. My guess is, he sees us as a threat.”

  “Any word on O’Hara?”

  “No. The rest of the platoon is still marked as incapacitated.”

  “Willow wasn’t injured,” I said. “Why would she show up as incapacitated?”

  “Could be mental trauma,” Money said. “Who knows. She was smart enough not to get called back with Rigel. He’s doing what he was ordered, expanding and securing the Base Camp and laying in a road to the volcano. But we both know the natives consider the volcano and the IX gas sacred. They won’t let us roll in there and take it without a fight.”

  “We’ve held them off so far,” I said, trying to sound hopeful.

  “And we will again,” Money said. “But people will die. The locals don’t seem to fear death. It’s almost like they welcome it. I would have liked more time with Krup. He was willing to talk, and there’s still an awful lot we don’t know about the natives here.”

  “What will they do with him on the Attila?”

  “Isolate him and send him back to be studied. In the meantime, if we can secure the mountain, the fleet will mine every bit of the IX gas they can get.”

  I leaned my head back and rubbed my eyes, trying not to think of how disappointing it was not to get a shuttle off the planet — nor di
d I try to rationalize our presence on the planet. The IX gas wasn’t divine, or even alive. It was an Actinide element, rare and valuable, but not a god, or even the gift of a god. If the natives worshiped the glowing crystals, that was their business, but I didn’t see their misplaced faith as an obstacle to our need for the gas. It wasn’t any different than cutting down trees that were worshiped by druids or using solar energy despite some people thinking the sun was a god.

  My focus was on staying alive. If I got the chance, I would help the people I knew, like Gloria and Master Sergeant Eubanks. But ultimately, my goal was to stay alive at all costs. That’s not to say I would shirk my duty or avoid conflict when it was called for, but as far as I was concerned, that was the bottom line. If experience had taught me anything, staying alive on Apex Venandi was no easy task.

  Chapter 17

  By the end of the day, the Base Camp looked completely different. The clearing had been significantly expanded. In the center was a cluster of prefab buildings, some even had climate controls. Captain Rigel had moved in as soon as the largest structure was complete, making sure that building’s interior remained cool, even if the climate controls ate up a significant amount of the solar energy. On either side of the structures were simple, two-person tents. Beyond the living space was a large arrangement of solar panels that collected energy from the bright light of Tabit. They fed that power into a bank of batteries which were used to charge the Chariots, as well as power the electronics in the structures. On either side of the personnel section was a large landing area for more ships. The large, boxy transport craft that had carried down the armored platoon and engineers remained as part of the camp. It offered the most shade during the day, and became the unofficial gathering space for the enlisted Marines.

  Just before sundown, Money and I were summoned to the newly improved Command Post, which was actually a two-story structure with lookouts stationed on the roof to watch for hostiles. In lieu of explosives around the camp, an electrified, temporary fence was being set up. The fence came in rolls of woven metal strands and was quickly assembled. I didn’t expect the flimsy fence to keep the natives at bay for long, but it would be a new obstacle for them to overcome.

  We walked into the Command Post together, shocked at how cool the interior was. A large air cooler was running, and other enlisted personnel were there as well. I saw Gloria and Abe standing together. I moved to join them. Most of the people present were combat engineers, but there were two armored personnel, including Gloria, and several regular infantry Marines. Rigel came in from a separate room, and waved the engineering lieutenant over to where he stood. The group fell quiet as Rigel gestured for attention.

  “This mixed platoon,” Rigel said, sounding like a carnival barker, “is hereby designated Venom Company. It will be your responsibility to build a road from our current position to the volcano designated, Mt. Zuko. First Lieutenant Duffer will be in charge. Master Sergeant Eubanks will be the lead scout. You will begin your work at first light and return here, to the Base Camp, every evening. Are there any questions?”

  I had plenty of questions, but kept my mouth shut. Gloria raised her hand, along with a few others around the room.

  “Sergeant Gaines?” Rigel said.

  “Should we expect resistance from the natives?” Gaines asked.

  “Master Sergeant?” Rigel said. “I’ll let you answer that.”

  Money cleared his throat. “Private Porter and I have been on planet for almost two weeks now. In that time we have been attacked numerous times, fallen into traps — and been captured, tortured, and then escaped from two different species. I think we will encounter heavy resistance.”

  “But the natives are primitives, correct?” Lieutenant Duffer asked. “What I mean is, only one species, the Vena, have any kind of technology. The rest are fighting with spears and arrows, right?”

  “The natives are technologically inferior, but don’t let that lull anyone into a sense of complacency,” Money said. “Not only do they out number us, they have a warrior culture that celebrates death in battle. They are fearless and aggressive.”

  “Yes, the natives are hostile. That fact was never in doubt,” Rigel said dismissively. “Other questions?”

  Gloria once again raised her hand.

  “Private Keyes?”

  “If we’re taking an armored transport, why do we need to come back each night?” she asked.

  “Our night vision capabilities are limited on this world,” Rigel said. “I’ve been told it is due to a release of ultraviolet light at the far end of the spectrum, but nevertheless it behooves us to employ caution. Returning each evening will allow us to reassess the progress made and deal with any problems that may crop up. Keep in mind people, we are on an unexplored world. We are just beginning to learn about this place, and caution is the rule of the day.”

  There were more questions, most of a technical nature, asked by the engineers. I stayed quiet, leaning against the wall, hoping that I didn’t stink too much. I had been on the sweltering planet far longer than the new arrivals, and water seemed to be a rare commodity on Apex Venandi. I knew we would all be bathed in sweat soon.

  “Get some rest,” Rigel said. “You are all excused from watch duty. Lieutenant Duffer, I leave this task in your capable hands. Dismissed.”

  We all came to attention and saluted. Rigel returned the gesture and everyone started to leave. Gloria grabbed my arm.

  “So, the rumors are true,” she said. “You stayed behind to rescue your sergeant?”

  “After being attacked, and most of your platoon was killed?” Abe said. “Oh, man, that is so bad ass.”

  “Private Porter,” Rigel said. “A word.”

  “I’ll tell you everything over dinner,” I said. “Be sure and save me some.”

  “No promises,” Abe said.

  “See you at the mess tent,” Gloria added.

  I left my friends and walked over to where Captain Rigel stood. He looked down his long nose at me.

  “Don’t get too friendly with the help, Porter,” he said.

  “I know Private Keyes and Private First Class Ben Judah from Basic Training, sir.”

  “Not surprising. We all have a past. Are you and I going to have a problem, Porter. I saw the way you were glaring at me. The last thing I need on this mission is insubordination from an enlisted Private, fresh out of Basic.”

  I was much more than that, and Rigel knew it. Of course, I knew he used insults to goad people. Manipulation was his forte, and I refused to play along.

  “I’ll do my duty, sir,” I said stiffly.

  “I would expect nothing less. It seems you have a knack for survival on this wretched planet. I don’t know if that springs from pure instinct, or if you’re the type that runs at the first sign of danger. But I want this road completed. You and I both know the locals will try to stop you. I don’t care if we lose a hundred Marines in the process, but we need those engineers. You make sure they survive, and I’ll recommend you for a promotion.”

  “I’ll do my best, sir,” I said.

  “Of course you will. And you will also keep an eye on Master Sergeant Eubanks. If he goes down on this mission, getting everyone else back to the Base Camp is your responsibility. No more heroics, Porter. You get the engineers back safe or don’t come back at all. Is that clear?”

  “Absolutely, Captain.”

  “Good, you’re dismissed.”

  I left the Command Post and tried not to sag as the heat hit me like a physical blow. Better, I thought, to have never gone into the cool structure, than to pass in and out. It made the heat seem so much more oppressive.

  Making my way to the Mess Tent, I found my friends and got the first hot meal I’d had since deploying on Apex Venandi. Dinner was a poor man’s jambalaya, mostly beans and rice with some poorly flavored protein nuggets. Still, it was a feast compared to an MRE. I ate several mouthfuls while Gloria and Abe stared at me impatiently.

  “Well?”
Abe finally said.

  “Aren’t you going to eat?” I said.

  “This bland muck?” Gloria protested.

  “Tell us what happened,” Abe insisted.

  “Fine,” I said, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “We dropped at night after our shuttle was hit by some type of large animal. We lost two people on the way down. I found a third with his leg bitten off. He died before I could carry him to the Base Camp.”

  “No way,” Abe said, suddenly looking pale.

  “We lost another man before we could all assemble. And when I got back to the Base Camp, we were attacked by the Fae.”

  “The little people?” Gloria asked.

  “Yes, simians. Very aggressive. They’ve attacked the Base Camp several times. When the fighting was over, only three of us were unharmed, and Master Sergeant Eubanks was away from camp searching for Staff Sergeant Barnes. It was a complete failure. The lieutenant called for evac. I stayed behind to find the missing members of the platoon. We managed to complete the mission, but our ship left orbit without us.”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Abe said. “That’s nothing like the stories I’ve heard.”

  “It’s the truth,” I said.

  “Orry, you are the most self-deprecating person I’ve ever met,” Gloria said. “You rescued your NCOs? From aliens no less, and you’re just going to gloss right over it.”

  “What’s to tell? We got lucky. The natives here are vicious.”

  “The way I heard it, Captain Rigel ordered you to stay and secure the Base Camp after he completed the mission,” Abe said. “Lieutenant Duffer says Rigel’s a hero.”

  “You’ll be able to judge Captain Rigel for yourself soon enough,” I said.

  “You saved people, Orry. That’s a big deal,” Gloria insisted.

  “I did what I was trained to do,” I replied calmly. “You’ll be in the transport tomorrow so you should be fine, but the rest of us will be exposed. Keep your head and do what you were trained to do, and we’ll make it.”

  “That bad, huh?” Abe said.