The Feeding of Sorrows
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The Feeding of Sorrows
Book Eleven of the Four Horsemen Tales
By
Rob Howell
PUBLISHED BY: Seventh Seal Press
Copyright © 2019 Rob Howell
All Rights Reserved
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Do you have what it takes to be a Merc?
Take your VOWs and join the Merc Guild on Facebook!
Meet us at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/536506813392912/
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License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
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Dedication
To my grandfather, Edward Roosevelt Gay,
who enlisted at the age of fourteen
to fight in World War One.
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Foreword and Acknowledgments
A couple of years ago, Mark Wandrey asked me if I wanted to write a short story for an anthology in the Four Horsemen Universe. I was nervous. I had only written novels up to that point, and I wasn’t sure I could write something good and short.
I am not known for being terse, after all.
But I needed the challenge, so I said yes. I looked to Randall Garrett for the pacing of short stories, David Drake for the energy of military science fiction, and my grandfather’s service in World War One for direction. And thus, “Where Enemies Sit” was created, and I became part of something that’s growing like mad.
It is an incredible honor to be a part of the Four Horsemen Universe. Many thanks to Mark and Chris Kennedy for creating the universe and to both of them for believing in me enough to let me join in. Few writers avoid imposter syndrome. I am not one of those lucky few, and to have people like Mark and Chris give me not only one, but now three opportunities to write in the Galactic Union has been wonderful.
I’d also like to thank the incredible group of fans that have begun coalescing around this world. I say ‘begun coalescing’ as in the last few months the 4HU Facebook group has almost doubled, and the fan group, the Mercenary Guild, has gone from birth to hundreds of members across the world. Thanks to all of you.
I’d say Mark and Chris have done well, as have so many others. Kacey Ezell, Christopher Woods, Kevin Ikenberry, Marisa Wolf and Jon Osborne come to mind, and that’s just a few of the sixty plus authors involved.
And now to The Feeding of Sorrows. It started when I kept banging my head on my story for Luck is Not a Factor. I tried to keep it within the constraints of the word limit, but the story kept demanding to be a novel. My draft short story that couldn’t stop growing? It’s Chapter 3 here. You can see why it had to be part of something greater. Too much going on. Too many questions. Too much fun. But that’s what the 4HU is like, and The Feeding of Sorrows is just one example.
I need to give some specific thanks. Thanks to Mark for taking the time to brainstorm story ideas. To Mark and Marisa who had to pull me back when I ran way too far ahead with a bunch of ideas about the Zuul. To Kevin who patiently answered every question I had about the Peacemakers. To Ken Ferguson who answered a specific tech question. To Jonny Minion and Christopher Woods who gave me feedback on the basic idea. To the Lion for FantaSci, but also for giving us a fun venue, even if fictional, to tell “no shit, there we were” stories. To Beth for going above and beyond editing this. And to Chris who has waited patiently for me a few times and did it again. Thanks to all of you.
Also, I’d better thank Nic Deplazes for putting up with me. I’m a lucky man. Thanks to my mom, Susan Howell, who has been the big mover behind my writing career. Finally, I want to take a moment to remember her dad, Edward R. Gay, who made sure I got his copy of Arthur Empey’s Over the Top when he died. Grandpa may not have been in the front lines because he enlisted at fourteen, which they knew, but he saw the Great War from close up. At fourteen, I was just trying to survive junior high. He went to Europe, not wanting to die, but knowing, as the oldest living male in his family, that if he did, the death benefit would help his brothers and sisters.
Fortunately, he survived, so I get to be here, and I get to write in this universe and in my own settings. Thanks to all of you who have read my stuff. I’ll keep doing my best.
Again, thank you for reading The Feeding of Sorrows and all the other great stuff in the Four Horsemen Universe.
Rob Howell
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Cover Design by Brenda Mihalko
Original Art by Ricky Ryan
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Contents
Foreword and Acknowledgments
Prologue – Col. Irene Edmonds
Part I
Chapter 1 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Chapter 2 – Rhan’kiial’tala
Chapter 3 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 4 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Chapter 5 – Col. Roosevelt Edmonds
Chapter 6 – Rick Blaine
Part II
Chapter 7 – Recruit Pvt. Rhan’kiial’tala
Chapter 8 – Kal’shin Tahzhent
Chapter 9 – Recruit Pvt. Rhan’kiial’tala
Chapter 10 – Binnig Corporation
Chapter 11 – Recruit Pvt. Rhan’kiial’tala
Part III
Chapter 12 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 13 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 14 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 15 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 16 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 17 – Rick Blaine
Part IV
Chapter 18 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Chapter 19 – Lt (J.G.) Maxwell Jackson
Chapter 20 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Chapter 21 – Lt (J.G.) Maxwell Jackson
Chapter 22 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 23 – Capt. Eric Gonzalez
Chapter 24 – Capt. Mark Pedersen
Chapter 25 – Pvt. Rhan’kiial’tala
Chapter 26 – Capt. Eric Gonzalez
Part V
Chapter 27 – Col. Roosevelt Edmonds
Chapter 28 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Chapter 29 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 30 – Capt. Eric Gonzalez
Chapter 31 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 32 – Capt. Eric Gonzalez
Chapter 33 – Col. Roosevelt Edmonds
Part VI
Chapter 34 – Kal’shin Tahzhent
Chapter 35 – Capt. Eric Gonzalez
Chapter 36 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 37 – Kal’shin Tahzhent
Chapter 38 – Capt. Eric Gonzalez
Chapter 39 – Kal’shin Tahzhent
Chapter 40 – Capt. Eric Gonzalez
Chapter 41 – Kal’shin Tahzhent
Chapter 42 – Rick Blaine
Part VII
Chapter 43 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Chapter 44 – Pvt. Rhan’kiial’tala
Chapter 45 – Lt (J.G.) Maxwell Jackson
Chapter 46 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Chapter 47 – Col. Roosevelt Edmonds
Chapter 48 – Pvt. Rhan’kiial’tala
Chapter 49 – Col. Roosevelt Edmonds
Chapter 50 – Lt (J.G.) Maxwell Jackson
Chapter 51 – Capt. Jim Helman
Cha
pter 52 – Pvt. Rhan’kiial’tala
Chapter 53 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Chapter 54 – Lt (J.G.) Maxwell Jackson
Chapter 55 – Capt. Jim Helman
Chapter 56 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Chapter 57 – Pvt. Rhan’kiial’tala
Chapter 58 – Col. Roosevelt Edmonds
Chapter 59 – Kal’shin Tahnerif
Epilogue
Chapter 60 – Rick Blaine
Chapter 61 – Pvt. Rhan’kiial’tala
About Rob Howell
Works By Rob Howell
Excerpt From Book One Of The The Frontiers
Excerpt From Book One Of The Salvage Title Trilogy
Excerpt From Book One Of The Psyche Of War
Excerpt From Book One Of The Fallen World
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Prologue – Col. Irene Edmonds
Druant IV, Druant System
“Alfa Third to Alfa 43. Contact right!”
“Alfa 43 to Alfa Third. We see—” A burst of static filled the channel.
“Alfa 43 to Alfa Third,” yelled a new voice. “Jivool everywhere! Lasers everywhere! One hit the sarge, and now he’s everywhere too!” An explosion sounded in the background. “And they got mortars or some shit!”
“Alfa Third to Alfa 23. Get to Hill 384 and give 43 some cover. Alfa 33, go around the hill and hit the Jivool in the ass.”
Two clicks answered Lieutenant Hedstrom, commander of Third Platoon, Alfa Company, Queen Elizabeth’s Own Foresters.
Colonel Irene Edmonds, commander and owner of the Foresters, glared at the battle display. Black outlined another icon from Alfa 43. Then another.
Alfa 23 reached the top of Hill 384. Bursts of 12.7mm fire could be heard on the command channel. Their fire had apparently given Alfa 43 a chance to evacuate, as her display showed the icons retreating up Hill 384. Another black outline surrounded an icon, but the last four members of Alfa 43 made it to safety.
A moment later, she shifted to Alfa 33’s channel, just in time to hear its sergeant command, “Open fire!”
More black outlines appeared on the screen, but this time they encircled Jivool icons.
Many more icons. Alfa 33 rolled through almost forty of the hunchbacked bears. For a moment, Edmonds worried they had gone too fast, and they had overextended on that flank. She opened her mouth to say something, but while she was paying attention to Alfa 33, Lieutenant Hedstrom had pushed Alfa 13’s CASPer Mk 4s around the other side. Alfa 13 completely surprised the Jivool and ripped through their ranks with K-bombs and full-metal-jacketed 12.7mm rounds.
The charge devastated the bear-like aliens. Although they still heavily outnumbered the Foresters, they started to flee.
Edmonds opened her command channel. “Sunray Actual to Alfa Third. Give the Jivool a lane to retreat. Keep hammering the edges as they go.”
“Alfa Third to Sunray Actual. Wilco.”
“Had to give an order, didn’t you?”
Edmonds glanced back at Major Hamish MacKenzie, her chief-of- staff. “Hedstrom probably would’ve done it, but there’s still a bunch of Jivool out there.”
“You’re still being a busybody.”
“I suppose.” She turned back to the screen. The estimates of Jivool dead and wounded were growing swiftly, but she barely noticed. She directed her focus to the Forester casualties scrolling down her display. These were her people, and somebody had ambushed them.
“Alfa Third sure kicked the hell out of the Jivool. The bears won’t want to face us again anytime soon.”
Years of training in proper behavior from the nuns at St. Joe’s Wellesley prevented her from snapping at him.
It’s not his fault that she’d sent their troops out at three-to-one odds. Thank goodness the Jivool relied on lasers.
“I suppose you’re right, Hamish.”
“I’m your chief of staff, sir. I’m always right.” He smiled. “You should look at the sitrep now.”
Edmonds looked up from the casualty lists. “You’re right, the battle’s done.” She took a moment to assess. “Alfa First, you’ve got the watch. Other platoon leaders, get your troops out of their CASPers and make sure they get food and rest. Engineers not involved in repairing fortifications, return and assist the techs replacing the fuel cells. Alfa Second has priority. As soon as Second’s CASPers have new cells and full magazines, they’ll take watch, and First will stand down. Questions?”
None came.
“Pass on to your troopers that defeating three times their number is the definition of ‘Tenacious and Versatile.’”
Her comm filled with subordinates snapping in return, “Tenacious and Versatile!”
MacKenzie organized the resupply. With little else to do, Edmonds brooded about the Jivool trapping her soldiers until a lieutenant approached her.
“Yes, Lieutenant Richards?” she asked, barely taking her eyes off the display.
“Sir, I have the shipping data.”
“Excellent.” She took the pad and glanced at the data. “Interesting, very interesting. This is confirmed?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.” She tapped the pad a few times and handed it back to the lieutenant. “Please forward this to all officers and the Master Warrant Officer.”
“Yes, sir.” Richards tapped the instruction into his pad.
The colonel clicked her communicator. “Command staff not involved in active ops to the meeting room immediately.” She started toward the door with MacKenzie behind her. “Mr. Richards, please join us.”
“Yes, sir.” The lieutenant followed them out.
The officers seated around the meeting room table stood when the colonel entered, but Edmonds waved them down. “We don’t have time for that.”
She settled in. “Did you all receive the update sent by Lieutenant Richards?”
The others nodded.
“Thoughts?” She turned her attention first to the regimental S-2, Lieutenant Okafor. “Winona, let’s start with you.”
Despite the bags under her eyes, the lieutenant replied promptly. “Yes, sir. If the data from our employers is correct, it’s likely the extra Jivool came on Zuparti freighters.”
“Reasoning?”
“The Zuparti come through this system as much as any other race. Their manifests tend to include cargo that is fairly high-priced but not bulky. They pay a sizable percentage of all the tolls in the system, and it’s not a stretch to guess that the customs agents don’t check them thoroughly.”
“Any counter thoughts?” Edmonds looked at the rest of her staff.
MacKenzie leaned forward. “I don’t disagree with the S-2’s assessment. However, we shouldn’t assume it’s conclusive based solely on the shipping data.”
“Sir,” interjected Okafor. “I have something else.”
“What is it?” asked Edmonds.
“We know the cost of the Jivool unit we thought we were facing, plus or minus five percent.”
“And?”
“It’s not unreasonable to assume the cost of the extra Jivool units was something similar per merc, even if we factor in a bulk discount.”
Major MacKenzie shook his head. “It’s a reasonable assumption, Okafor, but hardly conclusive.”
“Agreed, Major. But they had to cost something. Whether it was Galactic currency or payment in kind, they had to get paid.”
“There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch,” he agreed.
“Exactly, sir. TANSTAAFL. And it’s been bothering me.”
“That’s why you haven’t slept, right?” asked the colonel.
“Yes, sir.”
“Show us what you learned, lieutenant.”
Okafor manipulated her pad to show a Tri-V display. “Look at the reported profit and loss of the Sidar company that hired the Jivool.” Her voice turned bitter. “I believed they couldn’t afford another large unit based on these numbers. That’s why my initial estimate of the opfor was so damn wrong.”
“Not
your fault, Winona. I read your report before signing the contract, and I agreed with your reasoning. They shouldn’t have been able to afford the extra troopers.”
“If I had done my research properly, I might have anticipated it.”
“Oh?”
“Take a look at the company’s committee. I found out all I could about their directors.”
“Standard operating practice, S-2.” Major MacKenzie frowned. “What’s the problem?”
“Director Anathoro is seen as a secondary member of the committee. A director, to be sure, but not a mover and shaker. Or so we thought. Now, look at this company.”
She displayed data for a completely different firm on the screen, showing its directors and controlled assets. “This shipping company has seen its position in the Sidar economy grow lately. It works primarily with Zuparti traders and has extensive warehousing space here on Druant IV.”
She indicated the list of directors. “No connection to Anathoro, right?”
“I don’t see one, but you obviously do,” replied MacKenzie.
She highlighted a director. “This director, Davasolo, has a son who got married about six months ago, after we signed our contract. The son’s wife is Anathoro’s niece.”
“Interesting.”
“Yes, sir. That shipping company is ostensibly neutral in the current conflict. They have even sold supplies to our employers. However…” Okafor highlighted a section on the Tri-V display. “They spun off a new tech company at about the same time as Davasolo’s son got married. Nothing abnormal about this, as Sidar companies often diversify. However, the timing bothered me, even though I didn’t see any connection to the current conflict.”
“No obvious connection, right, S-2?” asked Edmonds.
“Exactly, sir. However, I discovered that Anathoro’s second son is Davosolo’s primary assistant.” She displayed the company’s financials. “So, I looked into its financial situation. It’s booming, according to civilian economic reports, so it has the money to hire other Jivool and its stock prices stopped climbing a few months ago because of a big ‘capitalization’ expense.”