Frozen Fire

by C H Gideon

  Twenty minutes ago, Xi had received a priority summons to Colonel Jenkins’ office, only to arrive and discover he was not yet back aboard the assault carrier. Whatever he wanted to discuss with her was important, but the lack of company awaiting his arrival filled her with more than a little trepidation.

  The outer door slid open, and Xi reflexively stood as Chief Styles entered the office’s cramped waiting room, holding a stack of data slates. “Captain.”

  “Chief,” she replied, and together, they sat on the short bench outside Jenkins’ inner office door.

  “What’s this about?” she asked.

  “I don’t have a clue,” Styles replied. “But I do know he wanted our full personnel roster, vehicle status report, list of incoming transferees, and just about everything else he’d need for a full review of the battalion’s status.”

  Xi felt her guts tighten at hearing the suggestion they might be undergoing a formal review. Such a review could take months to complete, and it would effectively ground the entire unit. They had fought so hard to navigate the perils of Shiva’s Wrath, but despite their efforts and the bit of unexpected good fortune with Ms. Samuels’ report, the early indications were that they had failed.

  Fleet had won the political war, and now the Metal Legion would know what it was like to be defeated without firing a single shot.

  Her mood darkened with each passing second while she and Styles sat in silence for several long, frustrating minutes.

  Then the door suddenly swished open, and through it passed Lieutenant Colonel Lee Jenkins, whose purposeful strides never faltered as he made for the office’s inner door. “Captain, Chief,” he acknowledged without making eye contact. The door automatically opened before he reached it. “In my office.”

  Xi and Styles shared a worried look before following their CO. When the door slid shut behind them, she couldn’t help but vent her frustration. “I can’t believe Fleet would do this to us, Colonel. A week ago, nobody even knew Armor Corps existed, but now? It’s got a popularity rating nearly as high as the Marines! We’ve received thirty thousand unsolicited enlistment submissions since the report went public, and it’s only a matter of time before the Senate has to authorize a budget that expands the Legion...”

  “I hate to cut short a good tirade, Captain,” Jenkins interrupted with a bemused grin she only noticed after he had spoken. “But I’m on the clock here. My shuttle departs in eighty minutes, and we need to use that time as effectively as possible.”

  “Shuttle, sir?” Styles pressed, proffering the data slates. Unexpectedly, Colonel Jenkins not only declined to accept them, but he gestured for Styles to hand them to Xi.

  Xi recoiled in alarm. “They took your command?”

  In spite of his serious expression, the colonel let out a short laugh. “No, Captain. But time isn’t on our side, and the quicker we get off the blocks, the better our chances will be.” He gestured again for Styles to hand Xi the stack of slates. “Captain Xi, I’m temporarily placing you in command of the newly-formed Dragon Brigade.”

  “Brigade, sir?” Xi asked in confusion as Styles thrust the stack of slates against her chest. “We barely have enough combat-ready mechs to redeploy the battalion.”

  “And a battalion is all you’ll be breaking orbit with in twenty-six hours,” Jenkins replied heavily. “But General Akinouye personally approved this restructuring of the Armor Corps to buy us the maneuvering room we need to make our next move.”

  “Which is, Colonel?” Styles asked while Xi looked down at the stack of data slates in a mixture of confusion, pride, and despair. Xi Bao didn’t mind fighting and bleeding on the battlefield, and she didn’t even mind dealing with insubordinates and rival officers…

  But she absolutely hated paperwork.

  “Our next objective—” Jenkins produced a slate of his own. “—is an inhospitable, desert world in Finjou space. We are to convey, deploy, and protect excavation equipment on that world until the excavation effort produces evidence of the Jemmin conspiracy,” he said, causing Xi to unexpectedly flush with excitement, “along with some sort of artifact which might prove useful in exposing the Jemmin.”

  “Terran interests aren’t permitted to enter Finjou space,” Styles said warily.

  “That’s correct.” Jenkins nodded. “Which is why Armor Corps is sending a full brigade there to bring a band of dissident Terran colonists into compliance.”

  “That’s our cover op?” Xi asked, silently thinking it was awfully thin as cover stories went.

  “The colonists are real, Captain,” Jenkins assured her, “and they won’t pack up without a fight. But we can expect to encounter a presumably hostile Finjou contingent, and we also need to prepare for Jemmin interference should they discover what we’re doing there.”

  “Firing on our own colonists, sir?” Styles said, sounding every bit as squeamish at the idea as Xi felt.

  “They broke the law, Chief, and their rebellion against Terran and League authority might kick off an interstellar war,” Jenkins said heavily. “But let me be clear. I don’t like this any more than you do. Unfortunately…” He gestured for them to sit across from him, which they did as he continued. “We’ve got a much bigger problem to solve than a few errant colonists. The fate of humanity is at stake, and right now, the Legion is the only outfit that can make a difference.” He looked back and forth between Xi and Styles with stony determination. “Are we up to the task?”

  “Yes, sir,” Xi and Styles replied in perfect unison.

  “Good.” Jenkins nodded. “Because what I’m about to tell you next will make your head spin.”

  Right on schedule, Colonel Jenkins’ shuttle departed the Dietrich Bonhoeffer en route to a rendezvous with the corporate luxury liner, Endless Oceans. Owned by a Terra Han-based virtual appliance manufacturer, it held offices for a dozen of the Republic’s wealthiest individuals with whom Colonel Jenkins was about to negotiate for material support of the Metal Legion’s efforts.

  Xi didn’t know if she should envy or pity her CO for undertaking his latest assignment. Being surrounded by the rich and shameless, who were only ever exposed to the finer things in life, seemed like a dream job in comparison to running a battalion—no, make that a brigade—of the Terran Armor Corps in preparation for a fast-turnaround redeployment.

  “I’ll give you a couple hours to go over the reports,” Styles explained. “Meanwhile, I’ll go sift through those thirty thousand enlistment applications. There might be a few gems worthy of plucking fresh off the vine.”

  “Agreed.” Xi nodded, gesturing to the stack of slates. “But I’m going to need Podsy’s help with at least the material requisitions and inventories.”

  “He’s the right man for the job,” Styles agreed before snapping a salute. “Captain.”

  “Chief.” She returned the salute before making her way to the drop-deck, where Podsy and the rest of the battalion were working on a seemingly endless list of work orders.

  “Captain Xi,” Podsy greeted, walking over on his shiny new pair of prosthetic legs. The proportions were picture-perfect for his physique, and beneath his jumpsuit, it was almost impossible to recognize they weren’t his original legs. His gait was still jerky and slow, but he was well ahead of the standard rehab schedule, which filled Xi with pride at her former Wrench working to overcome his physical trials.

  “Lieutenant Podsednik,” Xi acknowledged, causing him to cock his head in surprise.

  “Awfully formal, Captain,” he chided.

  She gave a wan smile by way of apology before proffering a pair of data slates. “Which means you know that a total bone job is coming. Here’s the deal. I’ve been placed in temporary command of the battalion, and I need a dedicated quartermaster. Do you want the job?”

  Heads turned in alarm at hearing Xi was now in command, and she felt extraordinarily self-conscious at that moment as all eyes quickly fixed on her.

  “I heard the word ‘deal,’ but there was a distinct lack
of anything deal-like.” He shook his head at her smirk. “Of course, Captain.” Podsy nodded, accepting the data slates and scanning their contents. He was doing the best of anyone present at hiding his surprise at her revealing the temporary change in command structure, but even he was unable to keep it entirely from his voice and visage as he asked, “When are we shipping back out?”

  “Twenty-four hours and change,” she replied, turning to the nearby teams working at the deck’s various machining stations and workbenches. “Which means we need to re-prioritize this repair schedule to get as many vehicles back in the green as quickly as possible.”

  “Understood, Captain.” Podsy nodded with professional conviction, and for some reason, Xi felt as though a wall had just sprung up between herself and the man she considered her closest friend in the entire Legion…and probably the entire universe. “We’ll shuffle the board and get mechs back in their cans ASAP.”

  Chief Rimmer came over from one of the benches, wiping grease from his hands and nodding in agreement. “We’ll get the deck stowed and ready for departure on schedule, Captain.”

  “Good.” Xi nodded. “Chief—” She caught herself too late before setting her jaw and starting over. “Lieutenant Podsednik, I’ll need a full report on those requisitions and inventories in three hours. Chief Rimmer.” She turned to the Bonhoeffer’s deck chief. “How close is the other drop-deck to getting back in rotation?”

  Rimmer cocked his head dubiously. “If I pulled everyone currently off-shift, along with a few of the mech crews, and worked round-the-clock…we can get the hull patched up and the deck re-pressurized in time for departure. But I can’t do anything about the armor damage without a week in a proper shipyard,” he added with finality.

  “Understood. Forget the armor and make your top priority getting both decks functional,” Xi commanded. “We can catch up on lost sleep after we break orbit.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Rimmer said, displeased but equal to the task.

  “Good. As you were,” she said with a nod, causing both men to spring into action and begin barking orders.

  She allowed herself a moment to linger, savoring the energy of the deck as nearly two hundred men and women went about the task of preparing for battle. Colonel Jenkins had done an outstanding job assembling this team of passionate, dedicated warriors. Some of them fought as Xi did, aiming ordnance and holding positions inside the most fearsome armored vehicles humanity had ever developed. Others fought with rifles, grenades, unbreakable spirit, and unshakable ferocity like the Trappers and their infantry. Still others fought like Podsy and Rimmer, with wrenches and welders to keep the war machine relentless pressing into the heart of the enemy.

  Only a fool could look at the lot of them and see anything but a united band of hard-edged fighters. And as Xi basked in their unity of purpose and intensity of spirit, she knew then more than ever that it was her duty—no, her honor—to lead them into battle. They would follow her orders, and those orders would lead some of them to victory and others to their deaths. It was a sobering thought, and one which made her doubt her worthiness to lead.

  Podsy turned, catching her eye as he gave her an approving nod. And at that moment, her doubt melted away and two words crystallized in the fore of her mind. She pointed to him and nodded back.

  “We’re ready,” she said with satisfaction, turning and leaving the men and women of Dragon Brigade to prepare for their next battle. Their enemies were numerous and would stop at nothing once they learned of the Legion’s latest mission. Speed and surprise were of the essence, and Xi knew she would need to maximize both if she hoped to achieve victory in Colonel Jenkins’ absence.

  “Ready or not…” She allowed herself to smile as she entered the lift and punched in the bridge code, where she and the ship’s CO would prepare for the most important game in the Metal Legion’s history. “Here we come.”

  The End

  If you like this book, please leave a review. This is a new series, so the only way I can decide whether to commit more time to it is by getting feedback from you, the readers. Your opinion matters to me. Continue or not? I have only so much time to craft new stories. Help me invest that time wisely. Plus, reviews buoy my spirits and stoke the fires of creativity.

  Don’t stop now! Keep turning the pages as Craig talks about his thoughts on this book and the overall project called Metal Legion.

  Author Notes - Craig Martelle

  Written November 20, 2018

  You are still reading! Thank you so much. It doesn’t get much better than that.

  I love this series! I can’t thank Caleb Wachter enough for doing the heavy lifting. I met him through Matthew Thrush and ours was a writing match made in heaven! Caleb brings the characters and the flow, an innate understanding of the characters, and how to keep the reader riveted. I bring the military experience and lingo to punch up the realism. I am blessed to have found someone with Caleb’s talent to bring these stories to life.

  I just returned from Las Vegas, where I ran the 20Books Vegas 2018 convention with my good friend, Michael Anderle. He came up with the 20Booksto50k® premise and it is this.

  “I've talked in the past about how I wanted to create an income of $50k a year by having a backlist of 20 books. I came up with this number because I noticed after the first few days of selling my first book, I was averaging about $7.50 a day in income. At that number ($7.50 a day for each of the 20 books) I'd make $54k. You only need $36k to enjoy a very nice retirement in Cabo San Lucas. That was my goal.” Michael Anderle

  A little group called 20Booksto50k® was born on Facebook and it now boasts over 26,000 members. We decided that it would be great for the authors to meet face to face, so we took the show to Vegas, where they are professionals at running conferences. I planned for 150 for the first show in 2017. We had 420 sign up. In 2018, we had 720 sign up. Because of space, we have to limit 2019 to 850. It is the single largest gathering of self-published authors in the world. It takes a bit of my time over the course of the year, especially since I also have self-published author conferences in London, Edinburgh, and Bali, too. We travel a fair bit, but the stories still get written.

  And Michael Anderle is a total party. He doesn’t eat vegetables, which is okay and if you order family style, then be prepared to eat the entirety of the green bean casserole yourself. We went to what is touted as the best Chinese restaurant in Vegas. Hidden in Gold Coast is Ping, Pang, Pong. Don’t judge it by that. It was incredible. I had no heartburn from the orange chicken which had the lightest breading and sauce that wasn’t overly sweet. The chicken was tender inside. I wish I had a monster order of it sitting in front of me right now, but alas, I’m back in Fairbanks and Winter has arrived. Only five months left until Spring!

  It’s dark eighteen hours out of the day, soon to be twenty. That means more writing time.

  Because first and foremost, I write science fiction. I’m branching out into cozy mysteries and some fantasy, but that keeps the science fiction juices flowing. I hope it does anyway. Maybe it’s that I love telling stories, regardless of the genre.

  I hope everyone enjoyed Metal Legion. It was fun to write in a way that I found most relaxing. James Caplan, Micky Cocker, and Kelly O’Donnell keep me on the straight and narrow with in-process reads and ideas, language smoothing, continuity, and overall readability. They are an amazing bunch who help make me and my stories better.

  No one goes on this journey alone. If it weren’t for being surrounded by great people and the incredible readers who keep picking up my books, none of these stories would be possible.

  Peace, fellow humans.

  Please join my Newsletter (www.craigmartelle.com – please, please, please sign up!), or you can follow me on Facebook since you’ll get the same opportunity to pick up the books for only 99 cents on the first Saturday after they get published.

  If you liked this story, you might like some of my other books. You can join my mailing list by dropping by my website www.
craigmartelle.com or if you have any comments, shoot me a note at craig@craigmartelle.com. I am always happy to hear from people who’ve read my work. I try to answer every email I receive.

  If you liked the story, please write a short review for me on Amazon. I greatly appreciate any kind words, even one or two sentences go a long way. The number of reviews an ebook receives greatly improves how well an ebook does on Amazon.

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  That’s it—break’s over, back to writing the next book.

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  Books by Craig Martelle

  Craig Martelle’s other books (listed by series)

  For a complete list of books from Craig, please see www.craigmartelle.com

  Terry Henry Walton Chronicles (co-written with Michael Anderle) – a post-apocalyptic paranormal adventure

  Gateway to the Universe (co-written with Justin Sloan & Michael Anderle) – this book transitions the characters from the Terry Henry Walton Chronicles to The Bad Company

  The Bad Company (co-written with Michael Anderle) – a military science fiction space opera

  End Times Alaska (also available in audio) – a Permuted Press publication – a post-apocalyptic survivalist adventure

  The Free Trader – a Young Adult Science Fiction Action Adventure