Uprising (Gateway Series Book 3)

by Brian Dorsey

  “Yes, Sir,” replied the officers in unison.

  “Thank you, gentlemen,” replied Stone. “Now I must ask you to return to your units while I discuss staff and logistical issues with Colonel Vae.”

  Again the officers replied and slowly filtered out of the room.

  “What is it that you need, General?” asked Colonel Vae as the last of the others left.

  “How do you think General Maxa will respond to what just happened?”

  “He knows not to challenge you openly again, Sir…but he will work against you whenever he can.”

  “Will his men follow another commander?”

  “Most will, if only for the money. But a few are loyal to him.”

  “That is a price we may have to pay, Colonel,” replied Stone. “Who are suitable replacements?”

  “Colonel Waverly is one of Maxa’s regimental commanders and seems to be the most level-headed of the group. There is also Colonel Centius. I must admit, I know little of General Winterbird’s regimental commanders.”

  “And what about you, Colonel?”

  “I serve as you wish, General.”

  “Bring the general back in, Colonel.”

  “He is not going to take this very well, Sir,” warned Vae.

  “I don’t care how he takes it, Colonel. I will not have a man like that under my command.”

  “Yes, Sir,” replied Vae.

  Colonel Vae walked over the door, opening it slowly and leaning outside. “General Maxa!” he shouted, “General Stone will see you now.”

  Maxa strode back into the room, his face still red with embarrassment and anger. “General Stone, I must protest the—”

  “General Maxa, as of now you are removed from command of 2nd Brigade.”

  “You can’t do that!” shouted Maxa. “Under what authority?”

  “My own authority, General,” replied Stone. “You will transfer command to Colonel Vae and you and your staff will depart to Admiral Valley’s command ship tomorrow. Any officers feeling they can’t serve under anyone other than you will be allowed to join you. In two days, you will depart the fleet and return to Akota territory for reassignment.”

  “You arrogant son of a bitch,” spat Maxa. “Akota territory? What the hell am I going to do with the Ters? I raised this brigade. They are my men and I will command them.”

  “No, General,” replied Stone. “They are mine now.”

  “Fuck you, Humani,” cursed Maxa, stepping close to Stone. “This is just another plot to place more of your robots in command. You and your damn toy soldiers can—”

  “You are being replaced because I need someone who can follow commands and is interested in more than killing and plundering.”

  “I’m thinking only one person needs killin’ right now,” grumbled Maxa.

  Stone saw Maxa reach for his sidearm.

  Maxa’s pistol had just cleared its holster when Stone grabbed Maxa’s wrist, wrenching it backwards and slamming his other fist into the warlord’s throat. Maxa’s hand contracted, firing a round into the wall as Stone slid his leg behind Maxa’s and drove him onto the ground. The warlord let out a groan as his back impacted the floor.

  Keeping his grip on Maxa’s wrist, Stone grabbed the pistol with his other hand and threw it across the room as he drove his boot into Maxa’s chest. With his foot planted on Maxa’s chest, Stone drew his sword and swung it downward toward his opponent’s neck, stopping just as the blade was about to slice into Maxa’s skin.

  “Now you see the warrior, you power-hungry bastard,” growled Stone. “I was going to just let you disappear, but now you will die.”

  Stone raised his sword.

  Two guards suddenly burst into the room, responding to the gunshot.

  “Stand down!” shouted Colonel Vae to the guards.

  “Do it!” grunted Maxa, challenging Stone.

  Stone gripped the handle of his sword tightly, tightening his body for the downward thrust. But his paused. “No,” he said, stepping away from Maxa but keeping his sword leveled at the warlord. “Guards, take the General into custody for assault against a superior officer.”

  The guards moved forward, restraining Maxa.

  “Keep him in the divisional stockade,” ordered Vae. “I will call for a courts-martial tomorrow.”

  “There will be no time, nor enough flag officers,” replied Stone. “Transfer him to Valley’s flagship tomorrow. Once he’s there, General Winterbird can join Admirals Valley and Crow for the hearing. I don’t want the Admirals to have to come down here to deal with our trash.”

  “Trash,” laughed Maxa. “You Humani and Ters are all the same. You both claim to be honorable and only concerned with doing your duty, but you’re no better than the worst Dark Zone tyrant.”

  “Take him away,” ordered Stone.

  “You better kill me, Stone,” said Maxa. “Because I promise I will make you pay for this.”

  Stone waived his hand to the guards and they began to drag Maxa out of the room.

  “You’ll pay! I swear it!” shouted Maxa as he was pulled from the room.

  “You should have killed him, Sir,” said Vae.

  “That’s the difference between an officer and a barbarian, Colonel,” replied Stone, sheathing his sword. “I will let him face military justice.”

  “Yes, Sir,” replied Vae.

  “But if I see him again, he’ll face my blade.”

  “I fear that you will see him again, Sir.”

  “Maybe so, Colonel. But tonight, it has been a long day and we should all get some sleep.”

  ***

  “General…General.”

  Stone awoke to Colonel Vae shaking his shoulder.

  “W-What is it, Colonel?”

  “Maxa. He has escaped.”

  “What happened? How?” asked Stone, rising from his bed.

  “Some of his senior officers must have gotten word he had been detained. A group of twenty or so attacked the Divisional stockade and took him.”

  “Any casualties?” Stone began to wonder if he should have taken Maxa’s life.

  “Three guards were injured and one killed,” replied Vae.

  “Damn it,” cursed Stone. “Alert all commanders and fleet captains. We’ll need to be prepared for revolts from within his brigade.”

  “He’s already gone, Sir. Admiral Crow reported one of his ships picking up a neutrino burst not associated with any authorized jumps at the same time of the escape. I have sent 3rd Battalion from 1st Brigade to the 2nd Brigade’s headquarters, but there have been no further disturbances.”

  “So the hardcore followers left with Maxa,” posited Stone. “Keep 1-3 there until you are confident the unit will be stable.”

  “Yes, Sir,” replied Vae.

  “And what about Maxa? What do you think he will do next?”

  “He could be anywhere,” said Vae, his brow furrowed. “He’s probably headed for some remote planet where he can start to rebuild an army and plan his revenge against you.”

  “Pass a priority message to Akota command, but I doubt he will return to Akota territory.” Stone let out a heavy breath. “I’ll see him again…just one more person that wants me dead.”

  “That is a very long list, General,” replied Vae with a small laugh.

  “And growing, Colonel,” said Stone, returning the laugh to hide his concern.

  Chapter 6

  Martin scanned the smoke-filled officer’s lounge. As the rumble of conversations and laughter blanketed the room, she looked for an old friend. A smile came to her face as she saw a lone officer sitting at the far corner of the bar.

  “Good to see you, Captain Desro,” said Martin, slapping the man on the back.

  Desro looked up toward Martin. Her smiled faded when she saw the stern look on Desro’s face.

  “Good evening…what do I call you, Emily…Major…Paladin?”

  “You can call me whatever you like, Venny,” she said cautiously.

  “I’m gue
ssing you wanted to meet to talk about me joining your team.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “I already helped you capture him once…and I didn’t feel right about it then, so—”

  “Just shut up, Captain,” interrupted Martin. “There’s more to it than that, but I don’t want to talk about it here.”

  “Then where?” asked Desro, turning to face Martin.

  “Just follow me…please.”

  “Please,” laughed Desro. “That’s not a word I think I’ve ever heard you say.”

  “Then you know it must be important…just come with me.”

  “Fine,” huffed Desro, tossing a credit chip onto the bar. “But I’m not going after Stone again.”

  “Then just hear me out for old times’ sake.”

  “I guess you’ve earned that at least,” conceded Desro. “Let’s go.”

  Martin and Desro exited the officer’s club and began to make their way across the base. In a few moments they stopped a large building.

  “Where are we going?” asked Desro as the two stepped into an elevator.

  “My quarters.”

  Desro pressed the hold button. “Why do we need to go to your quarters?”

  “What about earning this one?” asked Martin.

  “I’m willing to listen, even though you know my answer is no, but this doesn’t make sense. What can’t we discuss this at the battalion or—”

  “Like I said, it’s complicated,” replied Martin. “And we needed to find a secure place where everyone could meet,” she added, reaching past Desro and pressing the button for her floor.

  “Everyone?”

  “Well, it’s still a pretty exclusive club,” answered Martin. “But once we get—”

  The elevator door slid open and an Elite Guard First Sergeant snapped to attention.

  “Sergeant Shara,” said Martin. “Glad you could make it.”

  “Well, Ma’am, it was an order…wasn’t it?”

  “Just follow me,” replied Martin, “and I’ll explain all of it.”

  Martin, with Desro and Shara in tow, walked the short distance to her quarters. “Come in,” she said, activating the door.

  “So what the hell is all of this—”

  Martin raised her hand to silence Desro. “Just a minute…I need to tidy up a bit.” As she talked, Martin pulled an electronic device from her pocket and slowly walked around the room, while Shara and Desro started at each other blankly. “Good. All set,” concluded Martin, having checked the room for hearing devices. “Now we can talk.”

  “Have you lost your mind, Emily?” asked Desro. “What is all this about?”

  “No, I just need to make sure your ears were the only ones hearing what I am about to say.”

  “Damn, Ma’am,” said Shara, looking around Martin’s room. “Is this your quarters or a museum? You do realize nobody inspects officer’s quarters, right?”

  “I like it this way,” huffed Martin. “And besides, that’s not why you’re here.” She paused as a wave of doubt passed over her. If she was wrong about either of them, it would be the end of the mission, and maybe her life.

  “So what is it, Emily?” asked Desro.

  Martin sucked in a deep breath and exhaled heavily. “I’m not going to kill Stone. I’m working with him.”

  “What?” gasped Desro. “But Port Royal…” He paused. “The escape…it was staged.”

  “Why?” asked Shara, allowing himself to fall into a chair at a nearby desk. “Why would you—”

  “Stone’s no traitor…he’s…when I was hunting him I found out…” She took another breath. It was time to put all the cards on the table. “I found out that it’s all a lie.”

  “All of what? What are you talking about?” asked Desro. “You’re not making any sense.”

  “Our entire history…it’s a lie. The Xen, they were never our allies. They conquered our people generations ago and rewrote our history. They instigated the First Terillian War. And they did it again with the help of the First Families.”

  “I know you hate the First Families,” replied Desro, “but this—”

  “It’s true!” shouted Martin. “Stone found out and then joined the Akota because—”

  “Akota?” asked Shara.

  “The Terillians, damn it. He joined the Terillians because he found out the First Families have been working with the Xen to keep our people in the dark…and fighting the Xen’s wars for them.”

  “You can’t be serious?” said Desro. “You can’t be—”

  “Damn it, Venny,” interrupted Martin. “Do you really think Stone is a traitor?”

  “No. That’s why I didn’t want to go on another mission. But this…”

  “If you believe him…and me then I—we—need your help.”

  “I do. But help? What help are you talking about?”

  Martin’s heart pounded. “I need to know you trust me.”

  “I said I did,” replied Desro.

  “Sergeant?” asked Martin, turning toward Shara.

  “You earned my trust a long time ago on that frozen piece-of-shit planet.”

  “We need to meet with Stone in a few weeks to confirm the final plans, which will include an assault on the Gateway Station, a secret base Astra Varus has built on Dolus…and an invasion of Alpha Humana to overthrow the First Families.”

  Desro stepped back. “You’re going to help the Ters invade our planet?”

  “Venny…wait,” pleaded Martin. “You have to believe me…the Ters—Terillians don’t want our planet…they’re helping us regain it from the First Families. It was Nero’s plan.”

  “Nero!” huffed Desro. “Are you trying to get us sent to Capro Prison?”

  “I’m trying to free our people from a prison they don’t even know they’re in,” replied Martin. “A few First Families will support the revolt. It’s a lot to take in. I know—”

  “A lot to take in,” laughed Desro. “And who are these First Families?”

  “No one can know everything,” replied Martin. “It’s better if it stays compartmentalized.”

  “So you call us here for some kind of cloak-and-dagger meeting and then ask us to join in a revolution…because you said so.”

  “Pretty much,” replied Martin.

  Shara rose from the chair, one hand on his belt and the other resting on his sidearm.

  Martin felt her chest beating and felt her breathing increase. Had she made a mistake?

  She looked toward Desro, his gaze locked onto her. “If you’re gonna—”

  “Fuck it. I’m in,” said Shara. “If you and Stone are in, I’m in.”

  “Why not?” said Desro with an exasperated laugh. “I’ve got no love for the First Families.” He paused. “But you better be right.”

  “I am.”

  “Then what do we do?” asked Shara.

  “We’ll start preparations for going after Stone again over the next few weeks while my hand gets back to normal. I also need to pick a few more for the teams to keep suspicions down. One of them should be another Guardsman that we can trust.”

  “Sergeant Graves,” replied Shara. “She doesn’t give a shit about the First Families and is a good warrior.”

  Martin had heard of Sergeant Graves. She was the third female to earn entrance into the Elite Guard after Martin and now-First Sergeant Anna Banks. Her reputation was solid. “How will she react to the truth?” asked Martin.

  “I think we’ll need to ease her into it, but she’s my friend and knows your reputation in the Guard.”

  “Then have her assigned to the team as well.”

  Desro stepped close to Martin, gripping her arm.

  “If you are wrong, or if this fails…” he said firmly.

  “I’m right,” she replied. “And it won’t fail…it can’t. This could mean everything for our planet.” She paused, emotion flowing through her body. “And I am honored that you will be by my side.”

  “For the Republic,” declared
Shara. “And this time I mean it.”

  “For the Republic,” replied Martin, with a smile. “Now you guys get out of here. I’ve got more work to do.”

  ***

  “Move your ass, recruit!” shouted Master Gunnery Sergeant Stephen Mack. “That obstacle isn’t going to climb itself!”

  Martin let out a small chuckle as she watched the Marine Drill Instructor run a platoon through the obstacle course. It was that same voice she had heard so many years ago when Staff Sergeant Mack ran Cadet Martin through her first combat course. She watched as Mack trained his recruits but she already knew he was the right man. Not only had he provided the best combat course training she had received from anyone other than Jackson, but his own combat record was impressive. Offered the opportunity to try out for both the Elite Guard and the Praetorians, he turned it down “because he was a Marine,” just like he refused three offers for a commission. He was a no-nonsense, in-your-face, ground-pounding grunt…and most importantly, he had absolutely no desire other than to do what was right by his people.

  She watched as the last recruit reached the bottom of “Republic Hill”—the 45-degree, 1000 meter hill at the end of the course. Breathing heavily, the young recruit was obviously laboring with his weapon and gear. He slowed, staggering at the base of the hill.

  “Are you waiting for a fucking invitation to attack that obstacle, recruit?!” shouted the sergeant behind him.

  The recruit, clearly exhausted, took another step and stumbled, falling to one knee.

  “If you aren’t going to attack this obstacle then get off my fucking course and out of my Corps,” shouted the sergeant, his face centimeters from the recruit’s.

  As Martin watched, Master Gunnery Sergeant Mack walked toward the recruit and the sergeant. “Sergeant Patterson, at ease,” said Mack.

  The sergeant stepped away from the recruit as Mack placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder.

  “Recruit,” said Mack. “Do you want to be a Marine?”

  “Yes, Master Gunnery Sergeant,” panted the exhausted recruit.

  “Well, recruit…Marines rest at the top of the mountain, not the bottom.”