Major (The United Federation Marine Corps Book 5)
Page 22
“The hell he isn’t! Come on, Bert! How can you say that? What the hell’s wrong with you?” he shouted, standing up.
“Ryck, listen to me—” Bert started.
“No, you listen to me! If you won’t stand up for your men, I sure the grubbing hell will. I’ll take this up the chain and make this right!” he screamed, wheeling and leaving the office.
He knew he was not being fair to Bert, who was just passing the information. He was sure Bert had fought it, too, but he’d just blown up. He wasn’t actually angry at Bert as he was at the system. The system that sent them in without the proper weapons, the system that gave them no air or space support, that discharged them from the Corps, that now said they had not been Marines. If Portis could not be awarded a Nova, what about all those who fell? Did they fall as Marines or not?
He rushed to his office and got on his PA, calling General Ukiah, first, then every other flag he knew. All gently told him the same thing. No medals could be awarded. The legal basis of the mission had to be maintained.
Ryck finally threw his PA against the wall and gave up. It just wasn’t right. The next morning at the CO’s meeting, he acted like nothing had happened between the two friends. Bert never mentioned it, for which Ryck was grateful.
“So, congratulations, sir,” Sandy said, breaking his reverie.
“Huh?” he asked stupidly.
“The battalion, sir, the command.”
That morning, the formal debriefs over, Bert had gone into regen. He’d be in an induced coma for two weeks, then he’d have six months to re-grow the foot that had been amputated. Initially, another lieutenant colonel had been slated to take over, but that had suddenly changed, and Ryck was given the battalion. He knew it was only a temporary command, but there was a lot to do to bring the Raiders back to full operational status.
“Oh, yeah. Thanks, but this isn’t how I wanted to get a command. I feel like I’m just holding it for Lieutenant Colonel Nidischii’.”
“Well, if it wasn’t him, it had to be you. That’s why everyone signed the petition.”
“Petition?”
“Geeze, Skipper. Oh, I guess it’s CO now,” Sams said. “You are so naïve sometimes. How do you think you got to keep the battalion?”
“I don’t know.”
“Because every swinging dick signed the petition saying that iffen you didn’t get it, we were all going to resign, this time for real.”
Ryck looked at the two Marines, stunned and speechless.
“Look at him, Captain. He really didn’t have a clue,” Sams said to Sandy.
“You would have resigned?” he asked.
“No, ‘cause there was no way they could say no. We know too much, right? Things that shouldn’t be made public.”
“The crazies running the asylum, sir,” Sandy said with a laugh.
“I, uh, I don’t know what to say. I am bombasted.”
“Nothing to say. We just didn’t want anyone else. So forget it. Anyways, don’t you have a wife and family to get to?” Sams asked. “I don’t want your wife after me for keeping you.”
“And I’m guessing your ex is waiting for you back in your room?” Ryck asked.
“I’d be lying if I’d be denying, sir, and so, if you’ll excuse me, I’m growing one heck of a woody here, and it needs attending to.”
He gave a drill field salute, and Ryck came to attention and gave just as sharp of a salute back.
“Fucking Sams,” Ryck said.
Sandy didn’t say anything. Ryck had pretty much summed it up with that short statement.
“Well, you too, Sandy. I guess you’ve got things to do?”
“I’m going to head back to the Q, sir.”
“Nothing special?”
“Not really, sir. You know, my family’s all back on St. Gaudens.”
Ryck knew that Sandy’s family was not really supportive of his service as a Marine. He felt a moment of concern for his young protégé.
“Hey, how about you coming over for dinner tomorrow night. I’ll fire up the grill, and I’ll see if I can’t get Hannah to make some of the watermelon salad that you like.”
Sandy seemed to brighten up. “Really, sir? You don’t want to be just family?”
“I insist. In fact, I’m making it an order, and you can’t be the first one to disobey me as a battalion commander, right?”
“OK, sir. I’ll be there.”
The two Marines exchanged salutes, and Ryck watched Sandy walk off, a bounce to his step. He smiled and made his way off the parade deck and to parking. His Hyundai was still there where he’d parked it, was it only three weeks ago? It seemed like a year.
Twenty minutes later, he was pulling into his driveway. He sat in the hover for a few moments, gathering himself. He didn’t know why he was nervous. Taking a deep breath, he got out and started for the door. He’s only made it half-way before the door burst open, and a rocket burst out, hitting him in the chest.
“Daddy!” Esther screamed as Ryck pulled her in tight.
Tears started rolling down his face and onto her hair.
“Daddy!” Ben said, his three-year-old legs pumping to get him down the walk.
Behind him, Noah was walking more sedately, trying not to look excited before breaking into a run. Within a moment, he was enveloped by his three children. Esther was crying now, too, and Ben was chattering excitedly, trying to tell him something about the neighbor’s dog, while Noah just clung to him.
Standing on the porch, Hannah stood watching them. She looked horrible. And wonderful.
She was haggard, and her eyes were sunken. One arm was crossed under her breasts, the other was at her side, the hand clenching and unclenching.
With big exaggerated strides, Ryck moved his ball of children up the step until he was in front of Hannah. With one arm, he reached out, and Hannah hesitantly leaned into his embrace.
“Was it bad? I, no, I’m not going to ask,” she said quietly.
“It doesn’t matter now. I’m home.”
Thank you for reading Major. I hope you enjoyed it, and I welcome a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other outlet.
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Other Books by Jonathan Brazee
The Return of the Marines Trilogy
The Few
The Proud
The Marines
The Al Anbar Chronicles: First Marine Expeditionary Force--Iraq
Prisoner of Fallujah
Combat Corpsman
Sniper
The United Federation Marine Corps
Recruit
Sergeant
Lieutenant
Captain
Major
(Coming soon: Colonel)
Rebel
(Set in the UFMC universe)
Werewolf of Marines
Werewolf of Marines: Semper Lycanus
Werewolf of Marines: Patria Lycanus
To The Shores of Tripoli
Wererat
Darwin’s Quest: The Search for the Ultimate Survivor
Venus: A Paleolithic Short Story
Non-Fiction
Exercise for a Longer Life
Author Website
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[1] Godfather: slang for someone in the higher levels of rank who looks out for someone junior to him.
[2] CIC: Combat Information Center, where the battles of a naval engagement are coordinated.
[3] Deca: the Confederation term for a team or squad, from 8 to 12 men.
[4] DCO: Data Control Officer
[5] RSO: Regional Security Officer, in charge of security for all the embassies and consulates to a specific foreign government.
[6] Third Secretary: the Federation government official in charge of
foreign affairs, similar to a secretary of state or foreign affairs minister
[7] Tungsicle. A large, inert column of metal that is shot into a gravity well to impact on planetary targets.
[8] LtCol (Sel); the “Sel” stands for “select.” The individual has been selected for the attached rank, but has not actually been promoted yet.
[9] G-LOC: G-Induced Loss of Consciousness
[10] RTC: Reconnaissance Training Course
[11] Gopher: Sometimes written as go-fer, someone who runs basic errands or does what is required, as in “go for this” or “go for that.”
[12] AO: Area of Operations
[13] Tarnkappe: an “invisibility cloak,” a cloak that has micro paths in the fabric that “bend” light waves around an object, effectively making it invisible.”
[14] NCO: Non-commissioned Officer. In the Marines, the ranks of corporal and sergeant.
[15] DIS: Department of Internal Security. The Federation agency responsible for rooting out both external intelligence gathering operations and internal traitors.
[16] SOP: Standard Operating Procedures
[17] RCET: Realistic Combat Environment Trainer
[18] FCL: Final Coordination Line
[19] 96: Four days, or 96 hours, of liberty.