by Daniel Gibbs
“Not only that, but we’ve disabled the orbital defense system. The TCMC will be here shortly.”
Pavlik glanced down, his eyes scrunching together. “Will you permit me to use the communication system?”
“And call your friends in here… I don’t think so,” Ruth spat.
“No. I want to order my soldiers to surrender. There’s no need for further bloodshed.”
Ruth stared, her jaw dropping open. “You want to surrender? Seriously?”
“We might be able to defeat your team, but once the Terran Coalition fleet arrives… there’s no point to continued resistance. Better to surrender now than lose another fifty of my troops fighting the CDF’s best.”
“What do you need?”
“The tablet on the desk.”
Ruth stood and quickly found the only electronic device on the ornate desk. She handed it down to Pavlik, who pressed his finger against reader’s screen, unlocking it. “Any deception and I will shoot you on the spot. Clear?”
“I understand.”
“Proceed.”
He tapped the screen a few times, then began to speak. “Attention, all soldiers of the League. This is Major Pavlik. Colonel Pan was killed in combat and I have taken his place as your commander.”
Ruth smirked at the blatant lie. I wonder how many others this guy tells regularly.
“You’ve all fought bravely, but our war is over for now. The Terran Coalition has deactivated the planetary defense network, and we can’t repair it in time to prevent an invasion. I am ordering everyone to surrender. If you’re in active combat, cease fire and retreat. Everyone else, exit the building or vehicle you’re in and discard your weapons. I repeat, I order all personnel to surrender immediately,” Pavlik stated before setting the tablet down.
“It doesn’t make up for what you people did here.”
“I wouldn’t expect it to… I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, knowing my name and rank.”
“Lieutenant Ruth Goldberg, Coalition Defense Force. You’d know me better by the ship I serve on…CSV Lion of Judah.”
“Ah, the ship that inspires fear in the hearts of all members of the League,” Pavlik said with a rueful laugh.
“Does it now?”
“That ship is a symbol of our inability to defeat you.”
Ruth smiled. “Good. I hope to be on the bridge when we finally take Earth.”
Pavlik was silent, and her commlink began to buzz. “One to Seven. What’s going on up there? League troops just started throwing their weapons down.”
“Master Chief, I captured the Leaguers’ second-in-command after he killed his CO.”
“Did I hear you right? A Leaguer officer fragged his commander?”
“Affirmative, Master Chief.”
“There really is a God,” MacDonald said with a snicker. “We’re coming to you. Third floor?”
“Third floor, last set of offices. Bring Mata. I shot him a few times.”
“Roger that, LT. See you in a few.”
“Been awhile since you’ve used a drop pod, Colonel?” a young Marine said with obvious amusement as Calvin adjusted his restraints.
“I was making combat drops before your parents were thinking about getting together, Private,” Calvin replied with a sarcastic grin.
“But you haven’t done one in a while,” Master Gunnery Sergeant Reuben Menahem interjected. “So the youngster has a point.”
“Really, Master Guns?”
Menahem smiled. “Fair is fair, sir.”
“This ship is filled with more and more smart-alecks daily,” Calvin groused.
“As said by grumpy old colonels the galaxy over,” Menahem zinged back.
“Stand by for hot insertion,” David said over an open commlink line. “Thirty seconds.”
“About time!” Calvin chuckled. “Who’s on board for capping these Leaguers and saving Freiderwelt in time for an evening beer?”
“Hoorah!” the squad of Marines on the pod shouted in return.
A digital readout showing the time to drop ticked down, its red light changing to green followed by freefall. At first, there was the feeling of weightlessness, quickly replaced by growing G-forces as the insertion thrusters engaged. In the three minutes it took to enter the atmosphere fully, Calvin thought his head was going to explode. There’s a reason why this is a young man’s game.
After they broke through the tropopause, exterior cameras snapped on, showing those inside the pod a view of their surroundings. They hurtled down, the altitude indicator dropping like a stone. At one kilometer above the surface of Freiderwelt, the retrorockets built into the pod fired. The Gs quickly subsided, leaving Calvin clear-headed as the pod touched down roughly, the restraints automatically releasing, and the doors to the exterior opening. Like a human wave, four fireteams of Marines swept out of the pod, battle rifles up and at the ready.
Expecting an active firefight, Calvin was shocked beyond belief to see a row of League soldiers marching out of a building, hands behind their heads, weapons discarded as they stepped out. “Cover formation! Secure those prisoners,” he ordered. “Anyone does anything stupid with a weapon, take them down.”
“Colonel!” Ruth shouted, taking Calvin by surprise as she walked out beside a group of Leaguers. “Belay that. These men have surrendered.”
“Seriously?” Calvin asked.
“Major Pavlik ordered it a few minutes ago.”
“Who the hell is Major Pavlik?”
“Second in command of the League garrison here. Do you have EOD support?”
“Yeah, at the company and brigade level. What do you need?”
“The League has seeded the countryside with several high-yield fusion warheads. We need to disarm them ASAP.”
Calvin blanched. Damn Leaguers, always have to spoil the well. “Wait one,” he said toward her, flipping his commlink to the brigade support channel. “I need EOD and an emergency radiologic response team at my coordinates. Confirmed fusion warheads in civilian areas.”
“We also need a causality evacuation shuttle. One of the commandos was KIA,” Ruth reported as she crossed the ground between them. Despite the steel she was trying to inject into her voice, Calvin could tell it was bothering her.
“Don’t tell me the Master Chief bought the farm?”
“No… Petty Officer First Class Meissner,” Ruth replied.
“I only knew him in passing. Alpha team is solid, though. I’m sure he was a good soldier.”
“They’re beyond good soldiers, Colonel.”
“You okay, Lieutenant?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Ruth responded with what seemed like forced pique. “Today’s a good day. League defeated, a planet liberated, and it only cost one of ours.”
“Yeah, just don’t lose sight of that one life being precious,” Calvin said.
“Surprised to hear you say that, Colonel.”
“Yeah, well. Things change, you know?”
“I guess.”
“Sometimes you look into the abyss and don’t like the reflection of yourself in it, Lieutenant.”
“As long as we keep killing Leaguers and eventually win this war, who cares, right?” Ruth said, her voice like a knife’s edge.
Before Calvin could respond to her, MacDonald and Harrell came through the exterior doors on the HQ building, shoving some prisoners before them in zip-tie handcuffs. “Well, lookie here,” MacDonald started in. “It’s the Terran Coalition’s misguided children. Always late to the party.”
Harrell laughed in response. “Nice of you guys to finally show up. Got a few hundred POWs in need of ferry service back to the ship.”
“You guys weren’t cracking jokes when we saved your rear ends back on Unity Station,” Calvin commented darkly.
“Guess we have to give him that, Master Chief,” Harrell replied.
“Where’s everyone else?” Ruth asked.
“Ahmad and Mata are bringing Meissner down. Did you call for evac?”
“Yes. The shuttle should arrive shortly.”
“I’m going oversee rounding up these prisoners,” Calvin stated. “I’ve got squads spreading out, and EOD is in route.”
“Sounds good, Colonel. Thanks for getting here as soon as you could,” MacDonald said, gratitude evident in his voice. “Jokes aside, it’s terrific to see you guys.”
“Same here, Master Chief. We were worried the Leaguers had eliminated the team.”
“They didn’t have enough men,” MacDonald responded, swagger and cockiness permeating his comments.
Calvin just snickered in reply before turning toward Ruth. “You okay?”
“I’ll be okay.”
“If you want to talk…”
“I’m fine, Colonel,” Ruth answered harshly. “I’m going to go help with Meissner.” She turned on her heel and marched off into the building, while League soldiers continued to walk out, hands over their heads.
“She okay?” Calvin asked.
“We gave her a lot of shit, Colonel. But not bad for a cake eater.”
“You better not be calling me that behind my back,” Calvin deadpanned. “I may be old, and an officer, but I will take you down with a pugil stick any day of the week.”
“Bring it, sir.”
Calvin laughed and shook his head. “I’ll see you gentlemen around.”
In a billowing cloud of dust, a gleaming white shuttle that bore the emblem of the CDF’s medical service—a cross, Star of David, crescent, and star all in a bright red color—touched down in the dirt and its rear ramp swung down quickly. Two armored corpsmen trotted out of the back, holding a portable stretcher.
“Over here,” Ruth called out. The commandos had brought Meissner out of the building and laid him on the ground, where Mata had tried in vain to revive his vitals. She watched as the two professionals went to work, taking readings and injecting drugs through the input ports on his armored suit.
“I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do. He’s gone,” one of them said, glancing up at Ruth after a few minutes. While confirmation of something she already knew, it still stung to the core.
MacDonald cursed under his breath.
“I’m sorry, Master Chief,” Ruth replied quietly.
“Sorry?” MacDonald said, like the word itself was disgusting. “Sorry?” he said again, his voice rising. “Don’t ever say that to me when I’m looking at the body of one of my brothers.”
“It was my fault,” Ruth said tightly. “I don’t know what else to say.”
“Spare me, Lieutenant. Welcome back to the real world where people die when we do battle. It’s not tidy and clean like the bridge of your all-powerful starship. Of all the people on our team, Meissner was probably the most innocent of us. He wanted this op to succeed and he convinced me it was a good idea!”
Ruth fought to keep her own emotions in check. “What do you want from me, Master Chief?”
“I don’t want anything from you. There’s nothing you can give. This is war, and it freaking sucks. Why don’t you run along back to the Lion of Judah and get your hero’s welcome?”
“That’s what you think I did this for?” Ruth said, her voice rising in volume and pitch. “To hell with you, Master Chief! I just wanted to help!”
“Hey!” Harrell interjected, stepping between the two of them. “Stow it, both of you.”
Ruth took a step back, her eyes blazing fire, while MacDonald just glared at her. “I’d like to stay with him until we get back to the Lion,” she finally said.
“Why?” MacDonald replied tightly.
“So he’s not alone.”
“Our brother won’t be alone until he’s taken off the Lion of Judah and returned to his family, back at Canaan,” Harrell explained. “One of us will always be there. You’re welcome if you’d like to take a watch. I think Meissner would appreciate it, wherever he is now.”
“Thank you, Senior Chief,” Ruth said. As they had talked, the two corpsmen had put Meissner’s body onto the stretcher and covered it with a Terran Coalition flag.
Mata, Rostami, and Ahmad walked out of the building together, single file, their moods turning somber as they took in the scene. “Everything’s secure, Master Chief,” Ahmad stated. “The Marines are taking custody of the prisoners now.”
“Good,” MacDonald said. The corpsmen picked up the stretcher and walked off with it, back to the shuttle. “Anyone who would care to join me for the causality evacuation flight may do so,” he continued quietly.
The team filed dutifully into the cargo area, following the medical team. Ruth turned to join them but was stopped by MacDonald’s outstretched arm. “Lieutenant, I’d like to apologize.”
She stood mutely as he continued.
“I said some things just now out of anger, and I shouldn’t have.”
Ruth nodded, “I understand, Master Chief. It all gets the better of us at times.”
“You have to understand the death of teammate is rare. These guys, they’re the best of the best. Impossible is what we do for lunch daily. Losing one is like ripping out your heart. We form bonds for life.”
“Yeah, I know. I quit making friends with people because of that. Here today, gone tomorrow.”
“I don’t regret the op. None of us do.”
“Let’s get back up there, Master Chief,” Ruth said, not willing to continue the discussion. All I feel is shame. Shame I pressed them to go on when the risk was so high.
“After you, Lieutenant.”
32
Ruth stood outside of the Nussbaum home, filled with a biting trepidation as she hesitated before knocking on the door. It was a beautiful day; the temperature pleasant, the local sun bright in the sky, and most of all, it felt peaceful. Almost like the entire planet is happy to be finally free of the League. Overcoming the knot in her stomach, she rapped on the door a couple of times. The patter of feet got closer and closer, then the door swung open, revealing Susanna, who was back in her plain dress. “Ruth,” she exclaimed. “I was worried I wouldn’t see you again.”
“Could we talk for a minute?” Ruth asked quietly.
“Of course. Would you like to come in?”
“I’d rather just walk around out here if it’s all the same.”
“Sure,” Susanna replied, adjusting her bonnet. She walked out of the house, past Ruth, and down the steps.
Ruth followed her slowly, parts of her body still aching. “I want to apologize for dragging you into this mess.”
“Why?”
“I put you in a pretty extreme situation.”
“No, I put myself into it. No one forced me. I did all of it of my own volition.”
“You almost had to kill someone,” Ruth began. “You’re too young for that. David…I mean, Colonel Cohen, says it shouldn’t be as easy as it is for us to kill. I used to think he was just an idealist, but now I wonder.”
“I didn’t kill him,” Susanna rejoined. “Only stunned him.”
“I came here and changed you. I should’ve left you here, with your family.”
“And if you had, maybe everyone would’ve died. Maybe it was God’s will I helped.”
“Not sure I believe God wanted a teenager to have to fight the League,” Ruth said somberly.
Susanna stopped and glanced toward Ruth. “Wasn’t David but a youth when he fought Goliath?”
“I suppose, but this isn’t six thousand years ago. We’re more civilized now.”
“I’m not sure I can agree with that statement,” Susanna said with a grin. “Especially not after being subjected to League occupation.”
“Trust me, the irony isn’t lost on me either,” Ruth answered. “What’s next with you? Is your period for running around over?”
“The rumspringa? I suppose it is, for now,” Susanna began. “Truthfully, I think I’m going to enlist in the CDF when I turn eighteen.”
“Why?” Ruth asked, her jaw dropping in shock.
“Because I want to help others, I w
ant to free others from the League. Senior Chief Mata said I was good at it and showed courage under fire.”
“He’s not wrong, Susanna… you showed incredible courage. But are you sure? You have a great life here. Quiet, peaceful existence, parents who love you. I’m sure more than a few young men that would like to court you.”
“There’s no denying this is my home, and it’s a wonderful place, especially with the League gone. Even with them, we kept it special. How can I sit here, knowing what’s going on out there, and do nothing?”
Ruth’s face crumpled into a frown. I don’t want this for her. “There’s a lot of people out there, fighting the good fight. Every day. I think we’ve got it covered.”
“I can always come back here, once I finish my enlistment.”
“Susanna, look… you’re kind of like the sister I never had. I realize that may sound weird since we’ve known each other a week,” Ruth said with a nervous laugh.
“I know, I feel the same way, though I have a bunch of brothers,” Susanna replied, grinning from ear to ear.
“Then hear me. If you go into the CDF, yes, you’ll do some great things. You’ll make a difference, and I know you’ll do your duty. But it will change you. It will change you in ways you can’t imagine. You’ll do things that will keep you up at night, and the mental image of those who you must kill or be killed by—will invade your thoughts and dreams.”
“If it’s so awful, then why do you do it?”
“It’s not awful,” Ruth said, a tear falling down her cheek. “It’s the only job I know how to do, and the pride I feel from wearing this uniform is beyond words. I serve with some of the finest men and women in the galaxy, and I know I make a difference. You have to understand the things I’ve done, the people I’ve killed, the darkness that exists in here…” She slapped her chest for effect. “It’s part of the package. If you truly want to join the CDF, for the right reasons and to be one of the many that stand on the line, then do it. Make sure it’s for the right reasons.”
“Did you join for the right reasons?”
“I joined because I wanted to kill as many Leaguers as I could before they killed me,” Ruth admitted, more tears falling. “I kept waiting for the time after I had won a battle—thinking I would finally feel fulfilled—my desire for revenge quenched.”
