But he appreciated Donte’s concern. He’d known Donte ever since they were both midshipmen at NOTC, but they hadn’t been close until they’d served together in 3/1. Now, Donte was one of his closest friends. There were officers who were stand-offish with their peers or even worse. It was more difficult to get promoted the higher a Marine rose within the ranks, and the bottom line was that with seven captains in the battalion, their evaluations with respect to each other would be a factor considered in future promotion boards. Some officers could never forget that, could never overlook that, in some ways, it was a competition with each other.
Not Donte, though. There wasn’t a jealous bone in his body, and Ryck knew Donte wished him only the best. He was a good Marine and a good friend.
“It’s bullshit, that’s all, my man. But you done good. Stopping the slaughter was the right move. We were all monitoring the fight back at the CP, and there were some high-fives when you countermanded that chicken-shit fuckdick.”
“Well, like you said, it was time to stop. The dissidents were broken.”
“Keep fighting the good fight, Ryck. I gotta fly now, though. The big boss looks like he’s done, and I’ve got to catch a ride back with him to the CP. I don’t want to have to catch a hover back,” Donte said.
“Welcome to my world. I was riding back and forth every day for awhile,” Ryck said, taking Donte’s hand in a firm shake.
“Keep your head down,” Donte shouted over his shoulder after shaking Ryck’s hand and then sprinted to catch up to the command party as it started to load the Stork.
Ryck turned to go back to his company CP. With the Three leaving, he was back in charge. And he was feeling better. Donte’s short talk had done that for him. He may not have liked the mission, he may have regretted the loss of life, but he had performed it to the best of his abilities. Charlie Company had broken the attack without a Marine or sailor getting hurt, and once the attack was broken, the company had ceased using lethal force. Ryck had done what had to be done. That was a victory.
Chapter 21
“OK, here we have General Loski Sonutta-Lyon, one of the two operational commanders of their assault,” First Sergeant Hecs, said, reading from his PA.
“Really? This is the genius who came up with that plan. We should have put him on the payroll for how easy he made it for us,” Ryck said.
“Come on, sir, be nice. We did have pretty much their entire plan before they launched.”
“So you’re telling me that if we didn’t have the plan, they could have succeeded?” Ryck asked in surprise.
“No, not succeeded. But they could have made it hairier for us. The river assault force wasn’t a bad idea, and we didn’t really have the area adequately sensored,” Hecs went on.
“Something that has been rectified now,” Ryck muttered. “Oh, well, let’s get this done.”
Despite his tone of voice, Ryck had requested the duty from the CO. The Marines considered the 813 prisoners as POWs. They had been in uniform and had openly attacked them. It was cut and dry as far as the Marines—backed up by the Navy—were concerned. Both the FCDC and the PI security, however, considered them criminals and not subject to the same rights and protections that were afforded POWs.
The CO could not keep the FCDC nor the jimmylegs from accessing the prisoners, but he could send in Marines on command visits to ensure the prisoners were being treated according to law. Ryck felt a degree of responsibility for the prisoners as it was his men who’d captured them, so he’d volunteered to come into town to do the visit. Even the FCDC major thought it was a good idea when he’d heard about it, although Ryck thought that had more to do with rubbing into the dissidents’ faces the fact that Ryck was still alive.
The jimmlylegs jailor put his eye to the scanner and the cell door opened. Ryck, Hecs, and Sgt Singh stepped into the cell. On a bare metal rack, a broken man stared up at them. He’d pretty obviously been subject of some rough treatment, treatment that Ryck was sure didn’t come until after he’d been captured.
“General Sonutta-Lyon,” Ryck said, stumbling slightly over the name, “I am Captain Lysander. I trust you know who I am?”
The battered face, only partially visible in the low lighting of the cell, nodded.
“You are now a Prisoner of War, and as such, I am here to ascertain your treatment. Have you been treated humanely as a prisoner?”
The man said nothing.
Come on, Ryck implored in his mind. Give me something to nail the bastards!
Instead, he merely repeated the question.
Ryck thought the general was going to remain silent, but he croaked out, “I’ve been treated well enough, given the circumstances.”
Then he turned in his bed to lie facing the wall. They’d been dismissed.
Ryck stared at the back of the man for a moment, then shrugged and led his team back out to the corridor.
“He’s scared,” Hecs said, stating the obvious. “He thinks we can’t protect him after we’re gone, and whoever did this to him will take it out on him if he speaks up.”
Ryck was about to respond when he saw the jimmylegs trying hard to look like he was not listening. He’d take this up later with the CO, out of PI security or FCDC hearing.
The jimmylegs unlocked the next door, and the three Marines walked in. A woman was on the metal table, a FCDC warrant officer standing over her, and another FCDC PFC was standing back near a table.
Hecs looked at his PA, then said, “Michiko MacCailín. She’s a general in the NIP.”
“I’m aware of who she is, First Sergeant” Ryck said. “I saw the camcordings.”
Ryck had recognized the woman despite her being naked and rather worse for wear. The fuckdick warrant officer was a surprise, and Ryck’s distant response to Hecs was more for the warrant officer’s benefit than for either of his two Marines.
“Can I ask you what you are doing here, sir?” the chief warrant officer asked.
“Merely checking on our prisoners, Chief,” Hecs said.
“Well, as you can see, I’m in the middle of an interrogation, so if you could come back later, I would appreciate it.”
“I can see what you are doing, and no, we’ll check now. The captain is a little busy to arrange his schedule around yours.”
Ryck moved forwards and looked at Miss MacCailín. She’d pretty obviously been wounded, probably in the attack, although Ryck hadn’t been aware she had been part of the assault as anything more than a figurehead. The wound had not been treated, which was against the Universal Charter for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. More than that, she had also been pretty badly treated after her capture. Ryck was disgusted, but he swallowed that down.
He looked over her, then turned to the chief warrant officer and asked, “Why has she been abused?”
“Wasn’t me. The jimmylegs got a little too enthusiastic. Besides, that arm wound was your boys’ doing,” he said, pulling out his PA and handing it to Hecs.
The first sergeant looked it over, then nodded and handed it to the captain and simply said, “He’s right.”
Ryck looked it over, then handed it back before asking, “So you didn’t do that, but why hasn’t she been given medical treatment?”
“There’s no requirement for me to do that, sir, as you know. She’s an insurgent, and a free citizen. If she was a Class Four, the company here would be required to provide the treatment, but as a Free Citizen, she needs to provide her own.”
“And did you offer it? Did you contact her family? It doesn’t matter. As a prisoner of war,” Ryck said, emphasizing the words, “we are required to provide full medical treatment.”
“She’s an insurgent, a common criminal, sir, not a prisoner of war,” the FCDC chief warrant officer protested.
Ryck turned toward the chief warrant officer and snarled, “She was wearing a uniform, right? She headed an army, right? She’s a grubbing POW, and I really don’t think you want to fight me on that, Chief!
“First
Sergeant Phantawisangtong, get Doc Botivic over here to check her out. I want the letter of the law followed here.”
“Aye-aye, sir,” the first sergeant said before speaking into a throat mic.
HM1 Botivic was from the battalion aide station, and he’d joined the XO and Private Çağlar while they assisted Ryck by checking other prisoners being held.
“With all due respect, sir, this is an FCDC matter, not a Marine concern. I’m in charge of interrogation, and you can’t be interfering in that. If you have a complaint, you can register it with my major,” the chief warrant officer said.
“Do you know who I am, Chief?” Ryck asked.
“Yes, of course, sir. But—”
“But nothing. I’ll have your ass if you fight me on this. I’m going to get her treated, then you can interrogate her to your heart’s content.”
“Why the hell do you care? She jumped two of your Marines, brought a whole cliff down on them. She attacked your company?”
“I don’t care about her, Chief. I care about us. We’re on a dirty mission here, and I intend to keep us as clean as possible despite that. And it didn’t do her a lot of good, did it? Not one Marine killed.”
“I killed one of your Marines,” Miss MacCailín stammered out, the first words she’d uttered since the Marines had entered the cell.
All five men in the room turned to look at her, the Marines with bemused smiles on their faces.
“I killed one of you bastards. Me!” she asserted.
“I think she means Ling,” the first sergeant said.
“Oh, so you killed Sergeant Ling?” Ryck asked, stepping up to stand over her.
“If that was his name,” she tried to say with a snarl. “I crushed him in the Ledges.”
“Yes, Sergeant Joab Ling. He’s been with me quite awhile. Well, after he gets out of regen, I’m sure he would like to meet you,” Ryck said with a condescending laugh. “Not everyone gets to meet his killer.”
“Oh, you messed him up but good, girl,” the first sergeant said. “And he’s going to have to live that down. I think half of the Corps sent him stills of that camcording you made with your foot on him like some big-game trophy. But no, he’s gonna be fine. All you got was his pride.”
Her face fell as that registered.
Not so easy there, missy, is it, taking on Marines? Ryck thought with a tiny bit of vindictiveness. Payback for Joab and for LCPL Regent, huh?
“Um, Captain? Take a look at this,” Sgt Singh said, speaking for the first time.
He had picked up the doser, and now he held it out for the Ryck who looked at it, anger taking over as he saw what the next dose was.
“Propoxinal, Chief? You know that is proscribed!” he shouted at the fuckdick.
“Not for her, sir! I can use whatever means I deem necessary. Look the frigging regulations up, if you want,” the chief said.
“For insurgents or terrorists in the course of an operation, yes. For listed groups like the SOG. But not for prisoners of war! POWs can only voluntarily offer information, not be coerced, and certainly not by proscribed drugs! You are breaking about a thousand treaties on this!” Ryck yelled, spittle flying from his mouth.
“I’m going right to my major on this!” the chief screamed, not backing down.
“Tell your fucking major whatever you want! I’m telling you now, Chief Warrant Officer, if you value your career and if you don’t want to spend time in the brig, you will cease and desist. You will not attempt to interrogate her. I will be checking back, and if you fight me on this, your pathetic life, as you know it, is over. Do you understand?”
Ryck could see the anger warring on the chief warrant officer’s face, but the man bit it back down and said, “I understand.”
“Len, I want you to stand here until Doc arrives,” he told Sgt Singh. “Get her treated. Then I want someone in here every day to check up on her. First Sergeant, come with me. Let’s see who else in this hellhole thinks he’s above the law.”
“Grubbing son-of-a-bitch,” Ryck said to Hecs, oblivious to their jimmylegs escort. “I want that chief’s name. He was about to use propoxinal on a POW! The Brotherhood or the Confederation would have a field day with this if it leaked out. We’re checking every single prisoner, then we’re going to the CO with this. We’re Marines, and by God, we’re going to make sure the law in this shithole is followed!
Chapter 22
“Did the prisoners all get transferred?” Ryck asked Sams as the gunny came into the battalion CP.
“Got them all, Skipper. There were some pretty pissed off fuckdicks, but what could they do?”
“You cut it pretty close, but we had to do something,” Ryck said.
When the new orders came for the battalion to leave Kakurega for a mission to PPL-7, Ryck had gone straight to the CO. He argued that without the Marines, the FCDC would revert to treating the POWs, men and women captured by Marines, however they wanted. And that would not be within the guidelines set up by the treaty.
The CO told him that was out of the Marines’ jurisdiction, but when Ryck told him his plan, the CO relented and scheduled Charlie to be the last lifted off the planet.
What Ryck had done was to make liaison with the city government, a government that seemed to be chaffing somewhat under the heel of the all-mighty Piss Interstellar. The mayor welcomed the opportunity to accept all the POWs into the city jail both to uphold Federation law, which he was sworn to do, and to do a favor for the famous Captain Lysander. Ryck also knew that while the mayor wouldn’t admit it, he probably wanted to tweak the nose of the company CEO.
When the CO gave the OK, Ryck swung into action. First Platoon, along with Sams and Sgt Contradari, went to the prison and forcibly took the prisoners to the city jail. And now, with the last shuttles arriving in less than 15 minutes, the Marines had returned to the stadium in time to make their pick-up.
Ryck knew that moving the prisoners to city control might not be a long-term solution, but the mayor seemed willing to fight, and Ryck had every intention to contact a few higher-ups in the chain of command to make sure there was pressure from the Corps, and hopefully the Navy, to keep the POWs protected up to the level afforded them by intergovernmental treaties.
“Skipper, the first shuttle is landing. You’re manifested for it,” the XO said, poking his head in what had been the CO’s office.
“No, put me on the last one,” he replied.
The XO scurried off to run the retrograde. Ryck had dumped the movement in his lap, and Sandy had done well.
“He’s a good lieutenant, Skipper. Reminds me of you,” Sams said.
“Him? He’s organized, I’ll give you that, but he reminds you of me?”
If any of the lieutenants reminded people of him, Ryck had thought it would have been the personable and dynamic Jeff de Madre, not the XO.
“Yes, him. I know you don’t think much of him, but he’s the best of the bunch, and you should give him a little encouragement, you know?”
That took him aback. He respected Sams’ opinions, but this time, Ryck thought his gunny was mistaken.
He quickly put the thought out of his mind as the second shuttle landed outside. The company and gear would be lifted on three shuttles, and he was about to get off this nasty little planet and its nasty little games.
“Let’s diddiho, Gunnery Sergeant of Marines. I never thought that the close quarters of the Inchon would be such a welcome place.”
“Damned straight, Skipper. Damned straight,” Sams said as the two Marines took one last look at the CO’s old office and went out into the early morning darkness to board the shuttles.
SUNSHINE
Chapter 23
Ryck spotted Donte ahead of him. He hurried to catch up and then clapped his friend on the shoulder.
“Hey, congrats, Major-Select Ward!” he said with enthusiasm.
Donte turned around, a huge grin threatening to split his face in two. “You, too, Major-Select Lysander. You, too!”
Both Ryck and Donte had the same date of rank for captain, so they had been up for major on the same board. Making major was a huge milestone in an officer’s career. Unless they screwed up somehow, they now had job security until retirement. Neither Ryck nor Donte was a Marine for the pay, but as both had families, mundane matters such as job security became more relevant.
There had been little doubt that either officer would make it. This year’s selection rate was over 55%, and both Marines had made names for themselves. Still, having that message when they reported in for work today had been most welcome news.
Not everyone made it, however. Virag Ganesh, the battalion’s S-3A had also been in the zone, but he was not selected. Ryck hadn’t seen Virag since they’d gotten back to Sunshine, and now he wasn’t sure how he should act when they did meet up. Virag had one more promotion board next year. If he were not selected for promotion then, he’d be forced out of the Corps.
It would still be some time before Ryck and Donte actually pinned on their oak leaves, but the thought of having to leave Charlie Company made his promotion something of a two-way sword. Majors typically had the worst jobs in the Corps. They were too junior to get command of a battalion but too senior to remain a company commander.
“Do you think the CO’ll give Virag a company to try and make him better for the next board?” Ryck asked Donte, giving voice to his concerns.
“Don’t know, but if he does, then I hope Virag does a good job. All I know is that by this time next year, I’ll be back at Camp Charles. I’m getting Range Company,” Donte said, if anything, his grin getting impossibly wider.
“What? How the hell do you know that?” Ryck asked. “We just saw the board results today!”
Range Company ran the training ranges for the recruits, and it was one of the very few commands in the Corps for a major. Getting that billet was a plum position, and Ryck felt a pang of jealousy. He was happy for Donte, but that was a billet he’d have done almost anything for. A command, and good steady hours. He’d be home every night for three years, watching the twins grow and spending time with his wife.
Captain (The United Federation Marine Corps Book 4) Page 13
