Forged in Battle (Jack Forge, Fleet Marine Book 5)

by James David Victor

Laidlaw was moving amongst a group of Marines. One was sitting up and clumsily getting to his feet. He used the pulse rifle Laidlaw gave him for support before he fell again and vomited.

  “On your feet, Marine,” Laidlaw said, shoving a pulse rifle into the hands of the next Marine.

  The Marines were all rousing themselves. They staggered and fell as they tried to regain their feet. Most could just about manage to climb up onto their hands and knees. That was good enough for now, and every semi-conscious Marine was given a weapon.

  “Jack,” Torent called out in a weak voice.

  Jack looked over to Torent. He was standing against the tunnel wall. The Marines at his feet were pulling weapons away from their prisoner guards. And then Jack saw.

  The tunnel was alive, a writhing mass of Chitin soldiers advancing.

  “Give fire, Sam,” Jack called out to Torent.

  Torent turned and fired. It was a clumsy shot, a shot that Torent would normally be ashamed of but Jack was proud of Torent, he was on his feet and fighting, even though he had just been blasted by a massive feedback pulse that had temporarily scrambled his nervous system.

  “To arms, Marines. To arms.” Jack urged the Marines toward the tunnel. “Fire on the Chits. Hold them back.”

  The Marines were all moving, some standing, but many were crawling, but all were moving toward the tunnel opening. Jack opened a communication channel to the pilot in the landing craft. He hoped he was conscious.

  “The landing craft is ready to go,” Jack said as he walked toward the tunnel. “Get it started.” Jack opened fire, the pulse rounds tearing into the mass of Chitins rushing along the tunnel.

  Laidlaw joined Jack at the tunnel mouth. He stood next to Jack and poured pulse rifle fire in to the dark tunnel.

  “Torent. Laidlaw. Hold the tunnel.” Jack stepped back from the firing line. “Jarett,” Jack called out to the squad leader from Adder Company. Jarret was on one knee, a splatter of vomit at his side, but his trigger finger was under control and the bursts from his pulse rifle were well aimed and controlled. “With me, Jarett.” Jack said.

  Jack grabbed hold of a Marine who was crawling toward the firing line. “You with me. On your feet.”

  Jack grabbed a few Marines who hadn’t quite recovered. They were regaining their capacities rapidly. The fight at the tunnel entrance was being managed by Torent and Laidlaw. Jack needed help with the prisoners.

  The first prisoner to his feet was Butcher, the murdering gangster. He had only moments ago had a pulse rifle pointed at Jack’s face. Now he was helpless and weak. Jack pushed him firmly back to the ground.

  Jack barked orders at his Marines. They were still unstable on their feet but could follow orders. He had all the loose weapons collected. The Marines all had their pulse rifles back but the pulse pistols were still lying amongst the prisoners.

  Jack told Jarett to watch Butcher and his gang of cronies while Jack went and kicked the rest of the prisoners, urging them to rise and shake off the blast that had scrambled their minds.

  Then the plasma spears slammed into the landing craft at the nose section.

  “They are returning fire,” Torent shouted out. “There are too many of them.”

  The engine nodes at the rear of the landing craft began to glow with a bright white light. Jack knew there were still a few minutes to go before the craft could leave.

  Jack looked at the tunnel. He could see the writhing mass of soldiers in the dark tunnel. There was only one reason why they weren’t firing more of their plasma spears. That was because the Chitins were capturing humans at every opportunity. For as long as his Marines stood their ground they could hold the Chitin’s attack back, but once the Marines began to retreat the Chits would swarm out of the tunnel and over the landing craft. And if that landing craft hull was breached then no prisoners would make it, they would either suffocate in the vacuum of space and get captured and converted by the Chitins into the brainwashed, human agents.

  “We need to collapse that tunnel.” Jack said.

  “What I wouldn’t give for a small antimatter charge right now,” Laidlaw said.

  “We can use one of the power cells from a pulse rifle.” Jack began to dismantle his pulse rifle. “I just need to rig a detonator.” Jack shook his head. “But we haven’t got time.” Jack tossed the Power cell in his hand. It had the power to collapse the tunnel and stop the Chitin’s advance. The landing craft would be able to get away with all prisoners and Marines safely aboard. Jack knew he was going to be able to complete his mission. He needed to bring down that tunnel.

  “Sam,” Jack called out to Torent, “Hold them off for as long as you can.” Jack turned to Jarett. “Start loading the prisoners.”

  Jarett nodded and called two Marines to him. He began shifting the unsteady prisoners to the landing craft and the seats that would hold them for the journey back to Eros.

  “Strap them in good, and keep a guard on them.” Jack said. He walked back over to the fire fight at the tunnel entrance.

  The flashes of the pulse rifles lit up the tunnel. The strobe effect was dizzying. Every flash showed a new view as the Chitins advanced. The climbed the walls and clung to the ceiling. Moving forward. The pulse rifles did their bloody work and smashed the Chits, their hard outer shells fracturing and sending splatters of the thick Chitin slime flying in huge spattering globules. And every flash showed the Chits getting closer and closer.

  “Hold them for as long as you can,” Jack shouted out to the Marines. “When we have the prisoners aboard I will order a retreat. Fall back in a fighting retreat.”

  The Marines shouted out that they understood.

  “The prisoners do not look so keen to use a pulse rifle now, do they sir?” Laidlaw shouted over the noise of the pulse rifle fire.

  “No they do not.” Jack looked over the prisoners sitting on the ground and the Marines that were taking them in small groups to be strapped into the seats in the landing craft.

  Jack knew it was taking too long.

  Walking back to the landing craft Jack played with the power cell from his pulse rifle. Someone needed to collapse that tunnel. He was not going to ask for volunteers for a suicide mission and he sure as krav wasn’t going to order anyone to do it.

  Former secretary Canton was on his feet and being taken to the landing craft boarding ramp. He caught Jack’s eye. He shouted over the sounds of pulse rifle fire.

  “I served before I went into politics, Commander,” Canton shrugged off the Marine who was moving him to the landing craft. “I can see what you are thinking.”

  The Marine grabbed Canton and walked him to the ramp.

  “Let him speak,” Jack said.

  The Marine let Canton approach Jack.

  “Keep boarding those prisoners.” Jack said.

  “I know what you are thinking, Commander, because it’s the same thing that I would have thought.”

  Jack looked suspiciously as Canton. “What am I thinking?”

  “You are going to detonate that power unit in the tunnel.” Canton held out his hand. “Let me do it.”

  Jack held the power unit out of Canton’s reach. “It’s my duty to get you back to Eros, sir.”

  “Hurry up back there,” Torent shouted from the firing line at the tunnel’s mouth. “They are getting close.”

  “If you take me back they are going to hang me for a crime I didn’t commit because they said I was a traitor and a coward for opposing this kravin war. If I collapse that tunnel then maybe I can restore some honor to my name. Maybe the name secretary Canton will mean hero not traitor.”

  Canton held out his hand.

  Jack thought what it would mean to Canton to restore his name back on Eros. Jack thought how many of his Marines would be able to return to active duty if they survived the landing bay battle and returned to the fleet.

  The plasma spear that came blasting out of the tunnel hit the landing craft on the nose. Jack ducked for cover as the landing craft’s composi
te hull fizzed under the energy from the plasma spear. Another spear sliced through the air and hit the far wall of the landing bay.

  “They are coming, and they’ve had enough of taking damage.” Torent was shouting back to Jack. “They are returning fire. I don’t think they are looking for captives anymore.”

  Another plasma spear slammed into the ground next to Jack’s right leg. The ground exploded in a shower of dust and rocky fragments. The fragments hit Jack’s ankle like a shotgun blast and knocked him to the ground. He went down on all fours. The power cell fell from his hand.

  Jack reached out for it but it snatched from his reach and scooped up. Jack looked up at Canton.

  “Looks like fate will give me a chance to prove myself. Good luck, Commander.”

  Jack watched as Canton ran toward the firing line. Jack saw Laidlaw move into position to stop Canton.

  “Let him go,” Jack called out.

  Laidlaw stepped aside and Canton ran into the darkness.

  “Covering fire,” Laidlaw shouted. The Marines gave a burst of sustained fire.

  “Fall back,” Jack shouted.

  The blast in the tunnel sent dust billowing into the landing bay. Jack coughed on the thick dust. The sound of falling rubble was deafening and Jack knew that the tunnel was sealed.

  “Get these last few prisoners aboard and let’s get out of here,” Jack said, coughing.”

  Jack felt the arm around his neck. A strong arm grabbed him from behind, the forearm on his wind pipe and a pulse pistol at the side of Jack’s head.

  “Thank you for getting us ready to go, soldier boy,” Butcher said. He walked backward up the landing ramp, dragging Jack with him. “Looks like I’m still the one in control.”

  “Sorry to tell you this, Butcher,” Jack said, “but you were never in control of this situation.”

  “I had the guns, and I’ve got one again. I think you know who is in control here.”

  Jack saw Laidlaw slowly raise his rifle. Jack shook his head.

  Butcher snarled. “Tell your Marines to back off or I’ll blow your brains out.” He walked further up the ramp.

  “They will do what I order them too, Butcher,” Jack said. “But my orders are to get you back to Eros, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

  Jack saw Torent raise his rifle. The mussel flash from Torent’s pulse rifle seemed to happen in slow motion. The pulse round struck Butcher in the eye and he fell like a puppet with its strings cut.

  Jack stepped away from the fallen prisoner. He took the pulse pistol out of his dead hand and clipped it to his hip holster.

  “I told you not to fire,” Jack said angrily.

  Torent and Laidlaw came toward the landing craft. The Marines ran up past Jack and took their positions in the passenger hold.

  “He was going to kill you,” Torent said.

  “He was enjoying humiliating me too much to want to kill me.” Jack pushed Torent past him up the boarding ramp. Jack slammed the hatch controls and the ramp began to close. He pressed the communication panel and spoke to the pilot. “We’re all clear, pilot. Let’s go.”

  The landing craft lifted off the deck and up toward the landing bay upper door. The upper door slid aside and the landing craft blasted off toward the dark of space.

  21

  The Jack stood in front of Griff’s desk. Major Griff was reviewing a holofile I front of him.

  “Sit down Jack,” he said offering Jack the seat opposite him. “Excellent mission, Jack. You only lost two prisoners. If it was down to me I might have been tempted to let the bastards rot where they were.”

  “I was under orders t bring them back, sir.” Jack said settling in to the seat. His ankle was in a therapeutic boot as his bones healed from the near miss with the Chitin plasma spear.

  “You were lucky not to lose more Marines than you did. And you were lucky not to lose your foot.” Griff pulled a bottle from a draw in his desk and two large tumblers. He poured two drinks.

  “Guess I’m lucky to have good people around me.”

  “Speaking of that, have you made any decision about who you would recommend for company commander?”

  Jack took a sip of his drink. It was harsh and dried his mouth. He didn’t like the flavor of the amber liquor but he drank it anyway. Jack had made a decision.

  “Stuart Laidlaw.” Jack drank the rest of the liquor and put the tumbler back on Griff’s desk.

  Griff nodded. “Laidlaw. Good. Why?” Griff took a sip of his drink and looked at Jack over the rim of the tumbler.

  “He’s intelligent. He’s determined. He has the respect of the men. And he’s brave. A good leader needs to be able to fight at the front, sir.”

  Griff nodded. “But a good company commander needs to be able to assess a situation in all its complexity and make a decision based on a lot of information. It can be easier to rush to the front. It’s harder to step back and make a cool assessment.”

  Jack nodded.

  “And that is exactly what you did, Jack,” Griff said pouring another slug of amber liquor into Jack’s tumbler. “You did exceptionally well, Jack. I might think you were after my job.”

  Jack picked up his drink and took a sip.

  “I heard Trace Matavesi was lost.” Jack said turning the tumbler in his hand.

  Griff nodded. “The Taurus went down. All hands lost. A real blow to the Marine service.” Griff raised his glass. “To Trace. She was Marine.”

  Jack tapped his tumbler against Griff’s and joined his toast to a fallen colleague and friend.

  “Sometimes it’s not so good to have friends in the service, Jack.” Griff said. He sat back in his chair. “Is that why you didn’t suggest your friend Sam Torent for company commander?”

  Jack took a drink. “Sam’s good,” Jack said. “He’s brave. He’s strong. He’s a good combat leader.”

  “Would you trust him to command a company?”

  Jack thought. He rolled the idea around in his head. Did he trust Sam Torent to command a company? Jack didn’t know. And even after all they had been through together Jack wasn’t sure if he trusted Torent at all.

  “But Stuart Laidlaw is an excellent suggestion, Jack,” Griff said. “And you ran an excellent mission. A real success. You are a good leader. We are lucky to have you here.”

  Jack knew he had made mistakes. Jack wondered if he’d made the right decisions. Jack wondered if he could have saved the two prisoners who had died. But through it all Jack knew he could lead a company of Marines. He had been an officer for sometime but now he was a leader, a leader whose skills had been forged in battle.

  THANK YOU

  Thank you so much for reading Forged in Battle, the fifth book in the Jack Forge, Fleet Marine series. I hope you enjoyed all the battle scenes and rescues. I plan to have the next story ready for you in May or June.

  If you enjoyed the story, it would be awesome if you left a review for me. That really helps me reach more readers because Amazon features books with lots of good reviews.

  At the end of the book, I have included a preview of Discovery which is the first book in the Niakrim War series which is published under my primary pen name (and real name) David J. VanBergen Jr. It’s right after the information about our newsletter. After you read the preview, you can download the book on Amazon.

  Get Discovery here: amazon.com/dp/B071NJBNH4

  Lastly, if you would like to be notified when the next book is released plus learn about all kinds of new books and special offers, you should consider signing up for our Science Fiction Newsletter. The details are on the next page. You will get a free story that is only available to newsletter subscribers when you sign up.

  Thanks again. Now check out the Science Fiction Newsletter and the free preview that follows!

  Sign up for our Science Fiction Newsletter

  and get a FREE short story

  fairfieldpublishing.com/sci-fi-newsletter/

  Sign up today!

  And don’t forge
t to check out the free preview on the next page.

  Preview: Discovery

  Space is so boring!

  This was certainly not what Violet had expected space travel to be like. She had dreamed of this since the first time she looked up at the stars in the sky, but none of those dreams had included endless days of nothingness. The only excitement she had experienced during the first days of the journey was when an occasional piece of space debris penetrated the warp field forcing the pilot to take evasive action. Even those potentially deadly encounters were brushed aside, as if they were no more bothersome than a fly buzzing around the room, by the Krim Sprinter's legendary pilot, Cyrus Jones, who was as much machine as man.

  The captain had assured her that the Krim Sprinter was the fastest ship in the fleet, which made it the fastest ship in the known universe, when he reluctantly brought her on board the week before. The problem with space travel was the incomprehensible distances between planets. Even at three hundred times the speed of light, the travel time to Proxima was listed as seven days. The captain had assured her that they would be there in five. When she asked what they would do on the Proxima outpost for two days while they waited for the rest of the crew to arrive, Captain Mitch Cooper had just smiled and walked away.

  After four days of watching countless specks of light stream past in a blur, Violet wished her childhood dream had involved something less monotonous...like being an accountant. She was wondering if it was possible to actually die of boredom when the ship violently lurched, throwing her from her chair. She froze in the air momentarily as the warp drive was forcibly shut down, dropping the ship back into real time, before being slammed into the navigation console. Everything went black.

  When she came to, the ship’s bridge was in total chaos. Warning sirens were going off. Red lights were flashing. Captain Cooper was rushing from station to station, assessing damage and muttering to himself. She had a pretty good idea of what he was saying.