Spartan Valor

by Toby Neighbors

  The captive looked distressed. The long, equine face seemed exceptionally sad as he barked and yipped. He spoke so fast my helmet had trouble keeping up, and he used words or expressions that made no sense to me. All I could do was hope we were doing the right thing, and that the village would relent.

  WHY DO YOU THREATEN OUR VILLAGE? The chieftain asked. WHY DO YOU WISH TO KILL THE VENA?

  “I don’t want to kill anyone,” I said. “I want to save my friend and help your people.”

  I could tell the elders didn’t believe the threat. I couldn’t convince them without showing them, but that was the only leverage I had. I muted the translation on my helmet.

  “Gloria, do you think we can trust them?” I asked.

  “I have no idea,” she said.

  “I think we have to if we’re going to get Aurora back.”

  “Do what you think is best, Orry. We’re already committed.”

  “I agree,” I said. The translation app was un-muted, and I spoke to the chief. “Bring my friend to me, and we will stay here while your hunter shows you the threat. If I’m lying, we will become your prisoners. If I’m telling the truth, you will let us go and not pursue us. What do you have to lose?”

  The elders whispered together for a bit, then returned to their spots, each one looking calm as if the negotiation was boring to them. The chief waited until his people were calm and quiet before speaking again.

  MY WARRIORS WILL GUARD YOU. LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS.

  “Bring us our friend,” I countered.

  The chief made an expression I can only guess was a frown, but he gave a signal and Aurora was brought to the edge of the crowd of warriors. Her armor and cammies were gone. Her compression shirt and pants had several cuts and tears, but for the most part she seemed okay. I could see the guarded look in her eyes that I had come to know so well in Basic Training. I wanted to jump to my feet and run to her, but I knew I couldn’t do that.

  YOU HAVE THE GRAL QUILL. HOW DID YOU GET IT?

  “I saw one being attacked,” I said. “I used my weapon and intervened. It left the quill.”

  The chief nodded.

  LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS, said another of the elders, speaking for the first time.

  My heart was thundering in my chest. The last thing I wanted, was to put my rifle down, but I didn’t see any alternative. I muted the translation app.

  “Gloria, put your rifle down.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “It’s the only play we’ve got. It’s a show of good faith.”

  “Or stupidity of the highest order.”

  “We’re operating on a code of honor here. It’s what I’ve agreed to.”

  “Alright Orry,” she said.

  We both pulled the straps of our rifles over our heads and gently laid our weapons down. The chief nodded, and two of the elders got to their feet. They took the wounded hunter away, and he led them to the laser designator. When the elders returned, the wounded hunter was no longer with them. There was barking and yipping, but the consensus seemed to be that we had been truthful. The Vena found themselves honor bound to release us.

  A warrior led Aurora to us. It was clear she was exhausted and weak. Gloria took her and they knelt down. I could hear Aurora drinking water from my canteen.

  “Thank you,” I said the elders. “The Vena are honorable people.”

  THERE ARE MORE OF THESE WEAPONS YOU REVEALED TO US?

  “Yes,” I admitted.

  YOUR KIND WOULD WIPE OUT THE VENA?

  “My kind would wipe out the Vena, and the Fae, the Prog, the Grex, even the Gral. My kind is very dangerous. You should stay far away.”

  I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU, ORRY.

  I could tell the chief stumbled over my name. But I didn’t mind. I felt like I had just won the lottery.

  “That is your right,” I said. “I’m going to pick up my weapon now. We will leave your village and not come back.”

  I WILL REMEMBER YOUR NAME. I AM OLD NOW, BUT IT WAS NOT ALWAYS SO. WHEN I AM REMADE, I WILL SEEK YOU OUT.

  I had no idea what that meant, so I slowly got to my feet. I slid the Gral quill back into it’s place, and slung my assault rifle over my head.

  “Good luck,” I said.

  SUCCESSFUL HUNTING, ORRY.

  We backed out of the village. There was just enough light to see by as we jogged away from the village. We hadn’t gone far when Aurora collapsed.

  “She can’t keep going,” Gloria said.

  We can’t stay here,” I replied. “Help me get her up.”

  “Orry,” Aurora said in a soft voice, her words slurring together. “Why did you come back for me?”

  “You know we don’t leave people behind,” I said. “This won’t be comfortable, but we need to get away from the village.”

  I folded her over my shoulder. The pain in my neck and back returned with a vengeance, but was able to walk.

  “You won’t make it long carrying her,” Gloria said.

  “Maybe, but we’ve pushed our luck far enough for one day.”

  “I hate this planet,” Gloria went on. “I haven been afraid of the dark since I was a kid.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” I replied. “This planet is definitely an acquired taste.”

  “I wonder what kind of hellhole they’ll drop us in next.”

  “I don’t know, but I hope I live long enough to find out.”

  Chapter 31

  Gloria was right. We didn’t make it far before I had to stop. We settled beside a tree and ate MREs. I scanned the jungle around us, fearing the Vena would break their word and hunt us down. But the night passed uneventfully. When dawn broke I was exhausted, but thankful to see Aurora awake, her eyes clearer than they had been. She spoke softly while Gloria continued to sleep.

  “You came,” she said.

  “Of course we did,” I replied.

  “The first thing we learned in MI Training was that no one is coming for us,” she said with a frown. “I thought you were dead.”

  “If I ever meet the person who designed our armor, I’m going to give them a big sloppy kiss. I’m not a hundred percent, but I’m alive.”

  “So what’s the plan now?”

  “Now we get back to the Base Camp as soon as possible. I think we’ve all done enough on this mission.”

  “I need to tell you something,” Aurora said, “just in case we don’t all make it back.”

  I felt my cheeks flush with excitement. I felt pretty good for having saved Aurora, and despite the awkwardness of having two women I was attracted to with me at the same time, I still wanted to hear Aurora profess that she felt something for me, too.

  “Okay,” I said, grinning stupidly inside my helmet.

  “If we don’t all make it back to the Base Camp, you have to tell the CO that the Vena know about the road. I can’t be sure, but I think they’re planning an attack.”

  “What?” I said, unable to keep the surprise from my voice.

  “I saw what you did, Orry,” Aurora said in that same soft voice that felt like a scalpel cutting my heart from my chest. “You know that revealing the presence of the laser designator to the enemy is treason. I’ll have to tell the truth about how you rescued me, and you’ll be tried for crimes agains the Fleet.”

  “Are you kidding me right now?” I said, hardly able to breathe. “You’re saying I’m a traitor for saving your life?”

  “You disobeyed your orders and stepped into the middle of something you don’t understand.”

  “I what?” I said so loudly that Gloria woke up.

  “What’s going on?” she said.

  “I’m not happy about it, Orry,” Aurora said. “I didn’t want to die. I thought I was dreaming when I saw you walk into that village, but it doesn’t change the fact that you revealed military secrets to the enemy. You compromised our entire mission.”

  “I don’t know what they did to you, Aurora,” I said. “But you’re out of your mind.”

&
nbsp; “I was prepared to die for the mission. Can you say that?”

  “My mission was to rescue you, and yes, Gloria and I were both willing to die.”

  “You shouldn’t have done it. That’s all I’m saying.”

  “Well, the Vena village is that way,” I said pointing back the way we had come. “You’re free to return if you want.”

  “Why are you fighting?” Gloria asked.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Let’s get moving.”

  We walked all day, only speaking when absolutely necessary. By the time night fell, we were just fifteen kilometers from the Base Camp. Our rations were running low, and weather was moving in. Thunder could be heard in the distance, but we hadn’t seen any of the natives who might have threatened us. Despite my fatigue, I wanted to keep moving.

  “We’re still fifteen klicks from BC,” I said. “What do you want to do?”

  “Sleep for a week,” Gloria said as she shrugged of the pack. “I’m beat.”

  “There’s rain coming,” Aurora said. “Should we find shelter?”

  “Or keep going,” I suggested. “The rain will give us cover in the dark.”

  “I hate night hikes in the dark,” Gloria complained. “But I’ll do it.”

  “We might lose track of one another,” Aurora said.

  “Not if we stay close,” I said. “I’ll lead the way. Gloria can hang onto my jacket. You can hold on to her pack.”

  “Fine,” Aurora said.

  “Okay, I guess we’re pushing on,” Gloria added.

  I let Gloria take hold of the tail of my cammie jacket. Then I started forward, being careful to avoid rocks, tree roots, or low hanging branches and vines. We moved slower in the darkness, my murky green night vision really only giving me a few meters of clear visibility. Half an hour after darkness fell, the rain came down in a massive storm. Wind shook the trees, and even though the canopy softened the falling rain, it still fell in a great deluge. At one spot, we had to wade through a swift-flowing river that had formed from the falling rain.

  The night march took most of the night, but eventually I began to pick up radio traffic on my Command Helmet. I waited until we were only a kilometer from the Base Camp to announce our return.

  “Base Camp, this is PFC Orion Porter from Spartan Company. Do you read?” I said on the command channel. “I repeat, this PFC Orion Porter from Spartan Company. Do you read? Over.”

  “PFC Porter, this is Base Camp. We read you. Over.”

  “Base Camp, I am one klick from your position, returning with two Marines rescued from the natives. Over.”

  “Two, Porter? I thought you were just sent after one. Over.”

  “I rescued Private Keyes from the Prog,” I reported. “And Private Wilkes from the Vena. We’ve been on the move for nearly twenty-four hours, Base Camp. Request that you have medical personnel meet us on the western edge of camp. Over.”

  “Roger that, Porter. Base Camp, out.”

  I muted the com-link and turned the speakers on my Command Helmet back on.

  “We’re almost home,” I said.

  “Thank God,” Gloria said. “I’m soaked and exhausted.”

  “I’ll need to radio in to the Attila as soon as we’re in camp,” Aurora said.

  She wasn’t smug, but her sense of self-importance angered me. There was no doubt that she needed to report to her own superiors, but she hadn’t uncovered a secret plot or stumbled onto the enemy’s battle plans. She was in a hurry to report that I was some sort of traitor for doing what was necessary to rescue her from the Vena. The knowledge that she cared more about pleasing her Military Intelligence superiors than even acknowledging that Gloria and I had saved her life infuriated me.

  “I’m not in control of that,” I said. “I’m sure Captain Rigel will be more than accommodating.”

  I heard Gloria giggle, but Aurora remained silent. We saw lights before we reached the Base Camp. An armored transport was parked at the western edge of the camp and had it’s headlights beaming into the trees. The rain was still falling. We had been soaked for hours. I was shivering. My feet felt raw from blisters, and I was so tired that every step was difficult. Still, seeing the lights revived me. I sped up without really thinking about it. When we reached the transport, a team of medics was waiting. They stripped us out of our wet clothes, used towels to dry us, then provided fresh clothing. They wrapped us in warm blankets and gave us hot food and coffee as we huddled in the back of the transport. Eventually, it backed away from the tree line and took us straight to the group of buildings at the center of the encampment.

  Aurora had repeated her desire to contact her MI superiors on the Attila to everyone she came in contact with. When the transport stopped, we were escorted into the Command Post where Captain Rigel waited. My CO didn’t look pleased to see me.

  “Private First Class Porter,” Rigel said, trying to sound civil but failing. “Dare I say you’re like a bad penny.”

  “Always turning up?” I replied.

  “You have successfully completed another mission,” Rigel said. “I’ll note that in my report.”

  “Thank you, sir,” I said, trying not to sound sarcastic.

  “Captain Rigel, I’m Private Wilkes, Military Intelligence. I need to open a private channel to the Attila on the BC communication network.”

  “A private channel?”

  “Yes sir. I have to report in to Major Westmore.”

  “And what exactly is so important, Private Wilkes?” Rigel asked.

  “Our mission is top secret, sir. I’m sure Lieutenant Parks gave you the approved briefing when we arrived on station.”

  “Private Porter, what exactly happened out there?”

  “Sir, I fulfilled my mission to rescue Private Keyes. Afterward we encountered two squads of MI in the jungle, and shortly thereafter we were attacked by the Vena. Private Wilkes was captured. Private Keyes and myself were injured. The MI squad left us behind. Private Keyes and I decided to try and rescue Private Wilkes. We were successful.”

  “That’s not the entire story,” Aurora insisted. “Private Porter traded military secrets in exchange for my freedom.”

  The look on Captain Rigel’s face was indecipherable. I thought I saw glee at the mention of my supposedly traitorous actions. There was likely also fear at the thought that someone under his command might have done something that would reflect poorly on him.

  “Let’s not be hasty,” Rigel said. “I want a full debrief of each of you.”

  Gloria and I were escorted out of the Command Post and held in separate buildings. I ignored the fact that my CO was treating me like a prisoner. In fact, even Aurora’s threat that I had committed treason didn’t bother me. I was warm, dry, and in far less danger than I had been in for many days. I was exhausted and with nothing better to do I could sleep in peace until Rigel decided what to do with me.

  I was delighted to find an unoccupied bed in the structure I was being held in. I immediately stretched out. The moment I closed my eyes, a smile broke out on my face. The moment after that, the door opened, and Master Sergeant Eubanks entered my makeshift detention cell.

  “My God, Orry Porter,” Money said. “Back from the wilds with not one, but two captives in tow.”

  “News travels fast,” I said, trying not to groan as I sat up on the bed. “I’m surprised Rigel let you in here.”

  “Why wouldn’t he?”

  “Oh, you haven’t heard yet? I’m a traitor.”

  “What?”

  I relayed the story with a little more detail than what I had shared with Captain Rigel.

  “So the Military Intelligence platoon was planting laser guidance systems?” Money said. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “But it seems over the top, doesn’t it?” I said, rubbing my tired eyes as light began to filter into the building’s open door.

  “There’s no guarantee that they’ll bombard the natives,” Money said. “But there’s an argument to be mad
e for such an action.”

  “How’s the road coming?”

  “One more day, and they’ll be finished. We have had a few skirmishes since you left, but nothing like the attack you were in. I’ve seen groups of natives higher up the mountainside.”

  “So the plan has to be to move troops along the road and take control of the mountain, right?”

  “I think so,” Money said. “The only question is, are we the primary or the secondary plan?”

  “Secondary, meaning the air strikes are the primary?”

  “It might be safer,” Money said. “If we neutralize the natives in this area, there will be a lot less fighting for the IX gas. It would probably save lives.”

  “But we can’t know that,” I argued. “I have no love for the natives, but killing the innocent along with their fighters seems wrong. Not to mention the possibility that if we strike from the air, the entire planet might rise up against us.”

  “You make good points,” Money said.

  “So what do you think will happen when Aurora reports me for telling the Vena about the laser designator?”

  Money thought for a minute before answering.

  “It’s all about perception, Porter. You know our esteemed commander likes to portray himself in a certain light. The only thing you can do is wait and see how things shake out. Whatever happens though, I’ll be on your side.”

  “Thank you, Master Sergeant. I’d be confident taking on the world with your support.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. Rigel and I have been butting heads for days. He’s got no idea what this road is costing the engineers working on it. I’ve never seen a crew so exhausted. With only one road to the mountain, we’re vulnerable to an ambush anytime we move along that path. Yet all he cares about is getting the road finished. He doesn’t care who dies building it, as long as he can report that he completed his mission.”

  “Why is everyone in such a hurry down here?” I asked.

  “Desperation. The Fleet is terrified of losing their importance if the IX gas reserves are used up, and every officer in the Corps sees solving the problem as their golden ticket to fast advancement. It’s a recipe for disaster.”