Valkyrie- Rebellion

by Lucas Marcum

  In a dry tone, Ferguson replied, “I saw the trucks. Those rebs gave you a spot of trouble, eh?”

  Staring at the map, Elizabeth replied, “Yeah. I sent a ten-man team to get the air scrubber station back online, and they killed six of them.” She pointed at the scrubber and declared, “This one is ours. I can’t speak for the others. They seemed to be functional, but I don’t know who controls them.” She poked her finger into the box and traced a line. “This is 38th Street. We haven’t scouted much past here. We know there’s heavy rebel presence up here though, since that’s the direction all their patrols have come from.”

  “I see.” The man stared at the map intently, then asked, “The police station?”

  “Unknown. Probably gone. We have a detective here who said there was heavy fighting there, and now that area’s quiet.”

  Ferguson pulled out a datalink and plugged it into the holo display. As he did, he asked, “City Hall?”

  Shaking her head, Elizabeth replied, “Burned. Nothing left but a red flag flying over it.”

  Unplugging the datalink, the man shook his head and remarked, “Bloody savages. They wanted independence so badly, they destroyed their own damned city to get it.” He stared at the map for another moment, then remarked, “We need to get you and your people out of here, Colonel Suarez.” Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond when a nearby a console started chirping.

  The sailor sitting at the radios reported, “Colonel, there’s more wounded at the gate. The guards are saying there’s twenty plus.”

  Elizabeth nodded and replied firmly, “Ok. Activate Valkyrie Black.” The sailor nodded, turned, picked up a handset, and said, “This is ops. Valkyrie Black, Valkyrie Black, Valkyrie Black. Time now, estimate two-zero plus.” The sailor turned to another radio and started speaking rapidly. Outside the thick walls of the building, they could hear the indistinct tone of the loudspeaker alerting the hospital staff.

  The infantry commander raised an eyebrow at Elizabeth. Seeing this, she explained, “Valkyrie is what we’re using as the hospital call sign. Black is a mass casualty level. It means twenty plus casualties.” With an apologetic look at the infantryman, Elizabeth said, “Like I told you before, we can’t leave. Come with me.”

  She walked to the door of the command center and stepped outside. There were teams of people rushing toward the gate, several of them carrying litters. Another team was lying colored blankets on the ground. Most were wearing surgical masks and gloves, and various pieces of uniforms and hospital garb, mixed with body armor. In the middle of the chaos, Sergeant Bailey stood on a crate with his hands on his hips, a nexus of calm in the chaos of the yard. He wore a bright red Hawaiian shirt and an armband with sergeant’s stripes on it. His orders could be heard clearly, cutting like a knife through the confusion of the yard.

  “Ok, people. Triage teams Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, to your stations. Litter teams on me.” He paused and then boomed, “Triage, Ready?”

  Three distinct teams shot thumbs into the air. The stocky medic turned to the litter teams. “Litter teams. Ready?” The young sailors kneeling next to the litters nodded grimly. Bailey turned to the gate guard. “Ok, let’s go.” He waved at the gate guard. The guard hit the switch, the gates opened, and lead by armed guards, the small teams moved quickly outside the gate and out of sight beyond the wall.

  Elizabeth said quietly to the silent infantry officer, “This is what we do. Until you get someone else here to do this, we remain in place.”

  Major Ferguson nodded quietly. “I understand.” He watched the first litter team hurry past with the small form of a child on it, a bloody bandage wrapped around the girl’s midsection. The child lay very still, and her face was pale. After a moment the Scotsman said somberly, “I’ll call for more medical assets. I didn’t realize there were so many civilian casualties.”

  Elizabeth nodded, and then felt her hip vibrating as her phone went off. Startled, she pulled it out and saw that the link was back online. The icon for ‘new messages’ was lit up. A sailor ran up to her and said rapidly, “Colonel. Major Carson wants me to tell you we’re getting critically low on synthetic blood. We might need to activate the emergency blood bank.”

  Another sailor came running from the command center and reported breathlessly, “Ma’am, Chief Yamashita wants to tell you we have uplink established with Phobos. He says he’ll have Admiral Saunderson momentarily.”

  Elizabeth nodded at the man and said, “I’ll be right there.” She turned to the second sailor and said quickly, “See if the SF guys or the infantry medics have any to spare. If not, activate the blood bank.” She turned to Major Ferguson and said, “I’m sorry, Major. I have to go. I’ll be in the command center if you need me.”

  Elizabeth turned and pulled out her phone to check her messages and saw that her favorite contacts had multiple notifications in it. Tapping the icon, she saw they were from her dad, Tony, and Brian Agawa, her former medic partner.

  She opened the first one, from her father. It was typed, as opposed to a video message, in his usual fashion.

  Elizabeth. I’ve just heard on the news that Mars was hit. I know in my heart that you’re ok, but you need to call and let me know for sure as soon as you can. I love you.

  —Dad.

  With a smile she saw he’d sent a dozen follow up emails. She paused and tapped the ‘Reply’ button.

  Dad. I’m fine. It’s been busy up here, but things are slowing down now. I’ll tell you all about it when I have more time. I love you.

  —Liz

  She hit send on the message. She then clicked on the one from Tony. The video began to play. She stopped and stepped aside next to the door of the command center to watch. Tony’s face was haggard, and he had bags under his eyes, but his voice was the same warm, comfortable baritone she’d become so familiar with.

  “Hey, Liz. I know I haven’t written in a while, but we’ve been busy out here. I don’t know what they’re telling people, but it’s been tough. These Elai…these guys can fight. I guess I don’t need to tell you that.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “They surrendered. It was weird. One minute they were shooting and fighting like hell, and the next they weren’t, and they’re acting like they’re part of us. It’s the strangest thing. I think there’s so much more to them than we know. All we know of them is war, but there are complexities here we aren’t seeing.” He paused again and tilted his head back. “I wish you could see this in person. It’s beautiful. There’s an orange and red gas giant over this moon, and it looks like the world’s largest Chinese lantern. It flashes, and swirls, and might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen out here.”

  He flipped his helmet camera to a forward view, showing the deep black of space, and the red-orange gas giant occasionally lighting up with lightening from storms deep beneath the surface. There was a dark spot silhouetted against the gas giant that rapidly grew to the shape of a transport shuttle. Tony sighed and turned the camera back to face him. “I have to go; my ride is here. Before I do, I want you to know there’s not a day that goes by that I haven’t thought about you. It’s sucked out here, but the thought of seeing you when I get home has made the long, crappy days less long and crappy.” He paused, watching something she couldn’t see, then looked at the camera and said, “In fact, I believe I owe you dinner.” He looked at the camera and smiled, then said simply, “I love you, Elizabeth Suarez, and I’ll see you soon.” The message ended.

  She smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. She clicked the last message from Brian. Her old friend’s face appeared. His face was dirty and exhausted, and he wore a grim expression.

  ”Hey, Liz. There’s no easy way to tell you this, so I’m just going to say it.” He looked down, then back at the camera. “Tony’s missing. His shuttle went down behind Elai lines.” He hesitated, then sighed and said gently, “This far out, it’s almost certain he’s dead. I’m sorry.” Watching, Elizabeth covered her mouth with her hand as the video continue
d. He looked off to the side of the camera, then back. “Almost a thousand Marines looked for him for the better part of a week, but they called off the search earlier today.” Elizabeth’s heart was pounding, and her mouth felt dry. Brian continued, “I know nothing will help the pain you’re feeling, but you should know, every day he thought of you.” Brian looked down again. “We’ll be coming home in a couple of weeks. I’ll see you then.” He hesitated, then said, “You take care of yourself, Liz.” The message ended, and the screen went black.

  Elizabeth stared at the screen, her mind blank. Suddenly, as if someone had turned up the volume on the world, she could hear a cacophony of noise. She looked up. There was a high-pitched screaming as the litter teams grimly carried a badly burned man by. There was the crackling of gunfire in the distance, and the smell of smoke drifting around the compound. There were people shouting and running back and forth, some carrying supplies, others various pieces of equipment.

  A young soldier came running up and said rapidly, “Colonel, Major Carson is activating the blood bank. She’s also asking for extra hands in the trauma bay.”

  Elizabeth replied numbly, “Tell operations to activate the blood bank. Tell Major Carson to request extra hands from the Black Watch and see if their commander will loan us a couple of line medics.”

  The sailor responded, “Yes, ma’am!”, and took off at a sprint. Another sailor stepped out the door of the command center, and seeing her, said, “Colonel, Chief Yamashita says anytime you’re ready, we can call upstairs.”

  Elizabeth nodded and replied in the same calm, detached tone, “Tell the Chief I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She entered the command center, went to the cramped office she’d appropriated for herself, and closed the door. Moving to the desk, she sat down, took out her phone, and set a timer for seven minutes. She then lay her head down on the desk and began to weep.

  -32-

  “Endure the Unendurable”

  Private Offices of the Admiral of the First Fleet

  Tharsis Province, Mars

  October 11, 2248

  Two weeks later, Elizabeth stood at attention in front of Admiral Ozawa’s desk and said, “Admiral, Lieutenant Colonel Suarez reporting as ordered.”

  The admiral motioned for her to sit down and laid his pen down. He looked at her intently, then said, “Thank you for getting here so swiftly. The situation is changing rapidly. I understand you just returned from Earth. How’s your father?”

  Elizabeth replied, “As well as can be expected. We weren’t expecting me to get orders again so fast, with everything that happened here.”

  “Indeed.” The admiral regarded her for a moment, then sighed and said, “Truth be told, we weren’t planning on recalling you so soon, but things have been moving very quickly.” He leaned back in his chair and added, “I’ll assume you know nothing of what’s been going on, so let me fill you in.” In a precise tone, he began to speak, “Three weeks ago, near Alpha Epsilon, an Elai heavy cruiser jumped into the system and approached Task Force 25.5.” With a slight smile, he continued, “They promptly engaged and destroyed it, but not before noticing that it made no attempt to fight back, maneuver, or defend itself in any way. It merely broadcast an unknown series of Elai symbols and an accompanying string of dialect until it was destroyed.”

  He picked up a datapad and regarded it for a moment, then slid it across the desk to Elizabeth, who picked it up wordlessly. On it were two sets of four Elai symbols with their meanings underneath. The naval officer continued, “This was what was transmitted by that ship. The second set was received by a second cruiser, again not firing or maneuvering, this time near Draconis 327.”

  Elizabeth looked down at the pad and examined the symbols closely. Underneath the words read ‘sing’ ‘clan’ ‘bond/join’ and ‘help/assistance’. She examined them for a moment, then set the pad on the edge of the desk and asked, “What does it mean?”

  Steepling his hands in front of him and regarding her calmly, he answered, “We had no idea until last week.”

  “What happened last week, and what does it have to do with me?” Elizabeth answered, her tone brittle.

  Ozawa sighed and replied, “Everything, I’m afraid.” He rose and walked out from behind the desk to the big picture window, his hands clasped behind him. He stared out at the looming bulk of Pavonis Mons for a moment, then turned and said, “It’s a general surrender. The cruisers were emissaries of the ruling clan on the Elai home world and wish to capitulate. They’re asking for aid to maintain order on their world, if our translations are correct.”

  Elizabeth’s lips twisted, and she answered, “That’s great. The war’s over. Congratulations.”

  The admiral sighed, turned back to the window, and said, “If only that were so.”

  Elizabeth stood and said, “What do you mean? If they surrendered, it’s over. I can go home.”

  Ozawa turned away from the window and looked at her for a moment, then sighed and said, “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.” He paused, then continued, “Today at noon, Admiral Burrill will resign over his failure in the defense of Sol. His departure will be followed by a wave of resignations throughout the government. All these men and women are guilty of nothing more than losing a fight to a better prepared, numerically superior enemy.” He fell silent for a moment, then continued, “They’re likely to be replaced by UEA hardliners. Even the prime minister will feel the results of the failures on Mars. Her forced resignation is but a matter of time.”

  “I don’t care about any of that.” Elizabeth regarded the older officer defiantly, and added, “I’m done. I want to go home. I’m planning on resigning my commission. I’ve had enough of this war. Let someone else fight it for a change.”

  Gently, the admiral replied, “You should care. The party that will come to power will inevitably demand vengeance. Eventually a fleet will set sail, and the Elai home world will burn.”

  Turning away, Elizabeth replied bitterly, “Maybe it should.”

  With a gentle, reproachful note in his voice, Ozawa responded, “You don’t mean that.” His eyes flickered meaningfully to the chunk of half melted metal on his desk.

  Elizabeth looked down and answered quietly, “No. I guess I don’t.” After a pause, she looked back up. “So why am I here?” She sat back down in the chair in front of the desk.

  The admiral regarded her for a moment, then turned and moved to his desk, picked up a piece of paper, and said, “The prime minister will resist resigning as long as she can. She’s directed the fleet to gather all available vessels and execute Task Force Mercy’s mission immediately. If we enter the system, make contact, and are engaging peacefully with the Elai, the hardliners who wish their world bombed will have much less cause to destroy them.” He looked down at the paper and continued, “To this end, we’re sending a relief and civil support force, which will depart within the month. It will be met and escorted by the elements of the Second and Third Fleets, and their associated ground forces. This will form the newly stood up Sixth Fleet, tasked with carrying out the occupation of the Elai home system. We’re calling it Operation Avalon.”

  He held out the paper to Elizabeth, who reached out for it. She hesitated, then asked, “What is it?”

  Calmly, the admiral replied, “Your orders appointing you the deputy commander of operations for Task Force Mercy, and the temporary commander of the newly standing up Elai Security Assistance Force medical element.” He hesitated, then added, “It also promotes you to full colonel, and contains a recommendation for an Alliance Distinguished Service Cross.”

  Elizabeth set her jaw stubbornly and said, “I don’t want this. I want to go home.”

  The admiral nodded, set the paper down, and then sat at his desk, suddenly seeming weary. “I know, but you’re our best option. You’re already established and know the personnel. You have combat experience, and a calm, competent leadership style under fire.” He paused, regarding the slim woman sitting in the chair in front
of him. After a moment, he added, “Let me be frank. You’re one of our finest officers. What you did in Hellas City…You saved a lot of lives.”

  Her eyes flashing, Elizabeth replied, “I did my job, Admiral. I did the best I could, and yeah, I saved some lives. I also got some people killed, too.” She folded her arms and added, “I’ve also got a headful of bad dreams, and a list of names longer than my arm of people I know who’ve died.” Her voice quavered slightly as she said, “Some were friends. Some I didn’t know at all, except to order them to their deaths. Some of them…” Her voice trailed off and she looked down. The room was quiet, except for the gentle whirring of the ventilation system.

  Admiral Ozawa gazed at her silently. After a moment, he said gently, “Someone once told me something profound during a very dark time in my life. He said, ‘You did the best you could, and that’s all you can do. You try your hardest and do your best. Most importantly, you keep the faith with those who have died. It’s our obligation to go on living the life they can’t.”

  Elizabeth looked up and met the older man’s inscrutable gaze. After a moment she asked bitterly, “Who gave you that line of crap?”

  With a tight smile, Ozawa replied, “Your father.” Seeing Elizabeth’s eyes widen, he continued, “We’d been cut off and were running for our lives behind the insurrectionist lines for about a week after he and his special forces team had made the dash in to get to us. Two of the pilots rescued with me had been killed in the firefights; so had several of his men.” His voice was quiet and even. “They kept coming after dark.” The naval officer paused for a long moment, then continued softly, “With the attacks and the insurgents trying to infiltrate our position, the nights were so very long.” His gaze moved back to hers, and he added softly, “I was in a bad place, and had spent the last several hours holding Ensign Sakura as she slowly and painfully died.” He fell silent, and then added, “He got us all out. Not all of us were alive, but we all came home.”