by Rod Carstens
Sand surveyed the bodies on the plain. He saw Xotoli mixed with the hybrids. He had never seen them mixed in combat before—not on Rift or 703. It must mean they were short on hybrids. He stared at the formerly empty plain. It was now literally covered with bodies. You could walk for hundreds of yards without ever stepping on the sand. That was a hell of a lot of troops to lose, even for the Xotoli. He might have the break he had been waiting for and could never quite get.
“Give me a live fly around the spaceport,” Sand ordered.
The battle captain had a drone do a three-sixty over the port. It was quiet—a few shots here and there but no real firefights going on. There were more hybrid bodies than he could count. The attacks on the spaceport all night had hurt them badly, and that last rush had to have been the last big push on the spaceport. The Xotoli might have had more troops stationed on Chika than intel had predicted, but even the Xotoli would have to reorganize before they could attempt another push.
In addition all three of the LZs were pushing forward now, so the Xotoli were being pressured from two directions. If I was the Xotoli general, I would be scrambling to reorganize my forces, Sand thought. Okay, now or never.
“Battle captain, are the reserves still standing by their APCs?”
“Roger, sir, they have been on standby for hours. They are ready and anxious to get into the fight.”
“Good. Send 3rd Battalion of the 1st Marines to the spaceport as planned. Relieve the Raiders and get them back up here. I want those Raiders rearmed and refitted so they’ll be ready for their next assignment. Lieutenant Chuto, get your Mike boats back on board and do the same. Naval gunfire, I want you to pound the plains east and west of the spaceport, with special attention on the east side where the last attack came from. Do not stop until I tell you. I want it pulverized. Have every destroyer we’ve got fire on that plain every time they make a pass. Now get to it, ladies and gentlemen.”
Sand knew it was going to be close, but maybe, just maybe, he could get back on the battle timeline with just a little luck. He watched as the entire room came alive to handle all of the details his orders demanded. Come on, he thought.(italics) Let’s get this done.
1st Raider Battalion
Alpha Company
First Platoon
Nani was standing with Hu and Striker in what was left of the administration building, discussing how to reposition the platoon after the attack, when her comm squawked from the acting battalion commander.
“Flash traffic. Repeat, flash traffic. All Raiders, we are being relieved. The APCs are on the way. We are being taken back to the Tarawa to rearm and refit and prepare for our next mission. Get your people ready. We will load by company and platoon. We’ll use Hangar Two as our rally point. You have approximately ten. Repeat, ten minutes. Be advised the navy will begin firing on the east and west of the port to cover the incoming. Have your people keep their heads down. We don’t need any additional casualties. Ten minutes.”
Nani looked at Hu and Striker. She wished she could see faces. Sometimes this damn armor got in the way of understanding what someone was thinking. If they could see her face now, all they would see was relief and a big smile.
“You heard the man. Now get your people organized.”
“What about us?” Striker said.
“What do you mean?” Nani asked.
“We’re not Marines or Raiders,” Striker replied.
“Striker, after the way you and your people have performed, you're with us. I’ll make sure you’re treated that way. I can take care of the details later,” Nani said.
“But.…” Striker began.
“Staff Sergeant, you don’t have time to sit here and argue. Now get your ass moving and get your people ready. This is Alpha Company, and you’re part of the first platoon, so we will be first extracted. Move your ass.”
Striker turned and ran toward the platoon’s positions to organize his people.
“You know you can’t say that. Von Fleet is going to have a seizure,” Hu said.
“You know, for a newly promoted staff sergeant you don’t have much faith in your new lieutenant. I’ll worry about it, and if I know General Sand, he will approve anything we want. Now get your people ready.”
Hu laughed and said, “Aye, aye, Lieutenant.”
He turned and ran toward the platoon’s position. Nani switched frequencies.
“Snipers, did you hear the word? Pack up your shit and get down here.”
“Roger,” Fenes said.
“Check, but Nani, don’t you want us to stay for overwatch until the boats are down?” Basso asked.
“Negative. You'll understand why any second,” Nani replied.
Suddenly the plain was lit up by three streaks of red light as destroyers began their shelling. Nani loved to watch a kinetic bombardment. It was awe-inspiring—nothing could survive underneath that amount of power. When that depleted uranium struck the ground, a fountain of sand, rocks, and glowing debris flew skyward at an impossible speed. She could feel the ground under her shake with each round, and it continued until the destroyer was out of range. It was a comforting feeling. For the first time since she had landed on this damned planet, she felt like they had the upper hand.
“Oh, I got it. On our way,” Basso said.
Nani waited for the two sniper teams. First Basso and Mara appeared.
“Nice job, you two,” Nani said.
“Thanks, Nani.”
“Well?” Nani asked Basso.
“They were good. With a few tips I think they will make a damn good team,” Basso answered.
Nani had asked Basso to watch Fenes and Minga to make sure they knew what they were doing. If they had not, she would have had them replaced by her own people, but they had come through.
“You had them watching us?”
Nani turned and saw Fenes and Minga had just come down the ladder and were standing behind.
“You bet your ass. I don’t believe anything until I see it. You did a good job, but you can always learn something. When we get back on the Tarawa during our turnaround, get with Basso. She can give you a few tips. She’s been doing it a lot longer than you have.”
“Yes, Lieutenant,” Fenes said.
“You four get with Hu and get on the first boat. I want you guys to get as much rest as you can before our next mission. We also need to get the armorers to fit Fenes and Minga with some new armor and proper weapons. Get a move on.”
Nani watched as the four hurried down the hall. She followed them stepping over the hybrid bodies and being careful not to expose herself in front of any windows or openings in the building. The doors were so much bigger than human doors. Everything was too big—it made Nani feel small. Another planet and another battle. Taro and Elias were gone now, plus more than she wanted to count. Some were wounded, but a lot were dead.
This had been one more costly battle. She didn’t know how much longer she and the others would survive if this kept up. In the dark, alien building it seemed as if she had been at war forever. She was tired, but she needed to get her shit together. She was the platoon lieutenant now, and leadership meant you overcame your fatigue and doubts and led the men and women in your command. She didn’t have time for this shit. She hurried down the dark hall toward the hangar.
#
Fenes was standing next to Striker and Minga in a huge, dark hangar with other members of the first platoon who were still straggling in, greeting friends and seeing who had made it and who was missing, when Ardan came running up and said, “You made it. Goddamn, you two made it. Where’s the rest of the platoon?”
“Some are wounded, others dead, and some I don’t know,” Fenes replied.
“We’re going to have to do our own head count when we get back on the Tarawa,” Striker said, looking around for more from their platoon.
“What’s happening to us?” Ardan asked.
“Nani said we are now Marines and Raiders and will be treated as such,” Striker sa
id.
“Shit, what about Von Fleet and the penal battalion?”
“Nani said not to worry about that. After watching her the last few hours, I believe her,” Striker said.
“Fuck me. A Marine and a Raider. Hard to believe,” Ardan said.
Fenes knew how Ardan felt. A few short months ago he had been an out-of-work debtor. Now he was considered a Marine and a Raider by other Marines and Raiders. It was almost too much to take in, but after the last hours and what he had seen and done, anything seemed possible.
“Listen up, everyone,” Hu said. “I want first platoon to line up in three squads. We’ll treat it like it’s a drop, so line up behind your squad leaders. You newcomers fill in the empty spots. The boat is on its final.”
Three lines formed up, and it was obvious there were a lot of missing people. The lines were well short of comprising three squads. Fenes and the others fell in behind the last people in the squad lines that were short. They were still short, and Hu had to grab other Raiders so they would fill the boat. Fenes heard the roar of APCs and looked up to see four ships approach the runway in a line and land in front of the hangar. Their rear ramps dropped and Marines ran out spreading out as they did. They disappeared into the buildings, moving into the positions Fenes and the others had just occupied. He could see Nani talking to the lieutenant off the first APC, giving him an update. The APCs lifted off as soon as the Marines were off the ramp. Then four Mike boats came in, hovered for a moment, landed on the runway in front of the hangar.
“First platoon, first boat. Follow me,” Nani said.
Hu and his squad filed into the Mike boat. Fenes found his seat and sat down. The seats were formfitting and very comfortable. He sat along one of the bulkheads, facing inward toward a row of seats in the middle of the boat. He held his sniper rifle between his legs, the muzzle down, the way the other Raiders were doing. The seat’s straps came down and secured him, the ramp closed as the last Raider ran aboard.
The ship rose, tilted its nose down, then accelerated, and quickly gained altitude. Fenes was pressed into his seat by the power of their boat as it rapidly cut through the atmosphere, headed for the Tarawa. Just sitting in a seat, he could tell the Mike boat was obviously much more powerful than the Von Fleet APCs. He looked around at the other Raiders. Some had their heads on their chests, already asleep he guessed. He was exhausted, but the thought of being transported to a Confederation ship as a member of the Marine Raiders was too exciting for him to close his eyes. Besides, this was only his third time in space. He wasn’t sure what to feel.
As the ride continued, the exhaustion slowly caught up him, and he nodded off. A voice woke him.
“All Raiders, prepare to disembark. We are on our final to the Tarawa. Welcome home, boys and girls,” the pilot said over the ship’s intercom.
Fenes looked around at the others in the Mike boat. Some were squirming in their seats, trying to wake up or making sure their equipment was secured. The boat slowed, then came to a hover as it entered the Tarawa’s hangar bay. It moved across the deck to its position, then landed with a gentle bump. The engines were shut down and the ramp lowered. The seat straps automatically released him and he stood with the others.
Fenes filed out with the others but stepped aside to find Minga, Ardan, and Striker. They stood next to each other, drawing stares at their old armor from Raiders from other platoons. Striker hinged his helmet back. Fenes and the others did the same. Somehow Fenes expected everyone to look different after everything that had happened, but their faces were the same, only etched with fatigue. It was almost as if the past hours had been some sort of hallucination.
He glanced down at his boots and the sand was still falling off them. There was proof that it was not a hallucination. In fact, the four of them made a small sand pile as they stood together. A hangar vacuum robot was frantically cleaning up after the Raiders and vacuumed their boots as they stood there before it rushed off to deal with the crew compartment of the Mike boat.
Hu and Nani walked up and hinged their helmets back. They did not look like he had thought they would. Hu had a broad, tough face, scar down one side. His hair was cut in a short, blond crew cut. Nani had huge, dark eyes and a full mouth. She was downright sexy. She wore her hair in a long Mohawk with the sides of her head shaved close.
“Well, so this is what you three look like,” Nani said as she approached. “Follow me.”
Hu and Nani led them through a hatch down a passageway with red arrows that said Armory. Again, everything about the ship was more modern and well taken care of, the complete opposite of the quickly converted Von Fleet transport they had come to Chika on. Nani ducked into a hatch with Hu right behind her. They were met with armorers who immediately began to assist them with their weapons and armor.
“Nani, what did you bring us this time?” one of the armorers said as he looked Fenes and the others up and down. “I haven’t seen this armor since, well, I don’t remember when.”
“Assam, I want you to trash their armor and weapons. When we’ve had some rest and chow we’ll get them fitted with our armor and get them some weapons issued.”
“Right, will do, Nani.”
“You better call her ma’am. She's acting lieutenant,” Hu said.
The armorers stopped what they were doing and looked at Hu. His face was serious.
“That bad, Hu?”
“Taro, Elias, Juglar…fuck, I don’t know how many yet. We gotta do a head count,” Hu said quietly.
“Where did you find these lost souls? What do I do about the paperwork?”
Nani was out of her armor now, standing naked. She was quite a sight. With her muscular arms covered in tattoos, and long battle scars on her body, she looked like the warrior she was. She was intimidating.
“If anyone asks, you tell them come see me. Got it?” Nani snapped.
“Yes, ma’am,” the tech said, backing up.
Fenes had just gotten out of his armor when Nani came over and grabbed him by the arm. She pulled up his sweat-soaked T-shirt and saw the tattoo the drill instructors had given them.
“Well, I’ll be damned. You weren’t lying,” Nani said with a laugh.
Hu walked over and looked at it, then looked at Fenes and said, “Welcome.”
“They never said what the symbol was or what it stood for,” Fenes said.
“It's the symbol for an ancient unit called the French Foreign Legion. The Legion adopted many of its traditions from them, including the taking of a new name if you wanted when you joined, earning citizenship with your service, and not caring if you had a jail sentence. They were made up of nationalities from all over Earth. It did not matter—only your service and your respect for the Legion mattered. It was the same with us back in the Legion, and we try to hold to those values still. Will you?” Nani said.
Fenes noticed that all the other Raiders in hearing distance had turned and looked at them.
“Yes. Yes, I will.” Fenes said.
“And you two?” Nani said to Ardan and Minga.
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now get a shower. You all stink and we don’t know how long we will have before we get a new mission. When you’re finished with your showers, somebody will show you where the chow hall is. After you get something to eat, go to the armory and get fitted and checked out in our armor and get some weapons issued. Clear?”
“Yes, Lieutenant,” Fenes said.
Sol System
Earth
City State of New York
Von Fleet Building
Kat Von Fleet’s Apartment
Istas stood behind the admiral with Netis just behind her. A squad of Marines in combat gear was standing on both sides of the twin doors to the apartment and at each end of the hall. The two at the doors were waiting for the word from the admiral before they breached them. Istas watched Usiche carefully. She took a deep breath.
“Do it,” Usiche ordered.
The
Marine nearest to the doors slapped a breaching charge on them. It exploded with a bang, and the twin doors flew open. Two security guards standing just inside the doors turned to respond but were taken down by Marines before they could make a move. The rest of the Marines spread out around the room, their rails at the ready, aiming at Raina. Kat, Raina, and Senator Carroll had been sitting at a table having dinner. There was wine and candlelight. It was all very nice and cozy. They were dressed in evening formal wear. Neither Kat nor Raina wore anything revealing, so it must have been a business meeting. Istas was watching Raina very closely. Istas had a rail pistol in her hand behind her back. She had decided she was not going to depend on Netis alone.
“What in the fuck are you doing, Usiche? For God’s sake!” Kat said, standing.
“Kat Von Fleet, we are here to arrest you, Raina Carroll, and Senator Carroll on suspicion of treason,” Raurk said.
“What? Have you lost your mind?” Kat’s face was a mask of confusion and even fear. Istas had never thought she would see that on the face of the woman she had met such a short time ago. Senator Carroll was the first to regain his composure and stood as he assumed his political persona. Very self-important, he stepped forward, puffed up and posturing.
“Admiral, this is too much. I will have your stars for this outrage,” he said.
Istas was watching Raina carefully. She showed no surprise. Her eyes were sizing up the room and the threat. She was in a long, black evening dress. It would get in her way, and she would have to get out of it before she could act. Their eyes met and Raina smiled, unafraid.
“Usiche, really. What could you possibly be thinking?” Kat said. “You’ve known me since we were children. How in the world could you possibly think that I was a traitor? It would be laughable if I didn’t have weapons pointed at me.”
“Bring her in,” Usiche ordered.
Two Marines escorted Netis into the room. Raina’s face didn’t change when she saw Netis. In fact, her smile only grew.
