“Alpha Leader to any active unit,” she said over her comm and watched as every viper she could see paused to listen. “Has anyone seen the General?”
No one spoke up.
“Okay. Rendezvous with me at the CP. We need to organise ourselves and figure out who we have left. I’m going to call Grafton and evac the wounded.”
She ignored the acknowledgements to contact Grafton. With the Wolfcubs on the way, she was about to join the others when a familiar voice startled her.
“Gina?”
She spun back toward the trees in disbelief. “Shima?” she whispered in shock as her friend wandered out from among the trees. She was on all fours and in a pitiful state. “Shima!”
Gina ran to her friend and threw herself to her knees before her. Blood and dirt was matted in Shima’s fur and her visor was missing. She still had one of her beamers in its holster but the other was gone.
Shima hung her head wearily. “I wasn’t sure it was you, Gina. Your scent among so many Merkiaari… I wasn’t sure I could find my way back. I… I’m blind. Ancestors help me, I’m blind!”
“Shush, it’s okay, Shima. We’ll find you another visor. Hell, we’ll make you one.”
“It’s not that. I threw the cursed thing away after it happened.”
“After what happened? I don’t understand.”
“When you left, I had to hide until I could get away without being seen. I jumped off the transporter as soon as I could and went to ground. I didn’t dare climb the ridge to follow you… not while the Murderers remained so near.”
“I understand. You did the right thing.”
“It was all I could do,” Shima said bitterly. “I waited in hiding until your people attacked the Murderers from the air like we planned. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Her jaw dropped in amusement at that. “I’ll certainly never see such again. The explosion was like the end of the world. The ground leapt beneath me it was so big. There was a really bright light. It was so bright… and that’s the last thing I saw. There was a wind and I heard trees crashing all around me. One knocked me down, but only the branches caught me. When I crawled out, I started to climb up the hillside and into the next valley. I was lucky “I found your scent and followed you here.”
Gina knew what had happened. Shima had been flash blinded by the blast unleashed upon the Merki reinforcements by Admiral Meyers. Her heart went out to her friend. She knew how much Shima had feared her encroaching blindness.
“Well, you’re among friends again now, Shima. My people can grow you a new pair of eyes as good as your old ones… no, better than your old ones.”
Shima’s ears struggled fully erect. “Truly? Your people can do that?”
“They can do it for Humans. I can’t see why they can’t do it for you. Even if they can’t, you can have a pair like mine. I promise, Shima. I promise.”
Shima reached out to clutch Gina desperately. “Thank you, oh by the harmonies, thank you.”
* * *
30 ~ Aftermath
Aboard Grafton, in orbit of Child of Harmony
Gina stepped tiredly off the ramp of the shuttle into Grafton’s boat bay. She snapped to attention and saluted when she recognised the General approaching her.
“At ease, Captain.”
She relaxed slightly.
“I just wanted to say you did a hell of a job at Masaru.”
“Thank you, sir, but Cragg deserves a lot of credit.”
Burgton smiled. “Yes, he’s performing well.”
Gina nodded. Cragg had temporarily taken her place as LT for Alpha Company’s First Platoon, just as she had taken Hames’ slot from Richmond. “Have you new orders for me, sir?”
“They can wait, Gina. I know you want to see how Katherine is getting along. I won’t keep you. There’s a briefing at twenty-two hundred at the port.”
“I’ll be there, sir,” she said and saluted.
Burgton returned her salute then mounted the ramp to board the shuttle.
Gina found her friend in the infirmary chatting with Zack Gordon. Richmond was sitting up in bed when she came in. Gordon was sitting nearby with his leg propped up gesturing at the wall screen. Gina glanced at it and found a live feed of Masaru. She paused to assure herself that her people had everything under control.
Red icons still outnumbered blue by a significant amount, but the green of Shan forces outnumbered both by far. Blue icons were leapfrogging forward in a planned manoeuvre intended to take out the enemy as quickly as possible while also giving the units involved maximum cover and support. Green icons ringed the area slowly closing in and compacting the enemy into a smaller and smaller area where they could be taken down en masse.
Gina clenched a fist as the leading viper units suddenly stopped, and their icons flashed the yellow of light to moderate damage. She waited with baited breath, but released it in a whoosh as each unit’s processor reported in. She read the light codes flashing beside each icon and relaxed.
The damage was not too bad.
“…some company up here,” Gordon was saying.
“I could wish for less of that kind,” Richmond said slurring the words. She turned to Gina. “Good to see you, Captain.”
“Likewise, Captain. How are you feeling?”
Richmond shrugged. “Decidedly unenhanced.”
She snorted. Richmond’s processor was too badly damaged for a quick fix. She had taken a lot of punishment at Zuleika and it had been touch and go whether she would live. The left side of her face was paralysed, and it often caused her to slur her words. Her left eye was gone as well. The empty socket stared at Gina amidst the wreckage of a once handsome face. Richmond was no longer pretty. The thick heavy scarring pulled her wry smile off centre almost turning it into a sneer. She wouldn’t be her old self for quite a while. The equipment necessary to replace her damaged processor was only to be found on Snakeholme. Richmond needed major reconstructive surgery.
Gina glanced at Gordon. “How’s it going, Zack?”
He patted his new leg. “I’m outa here tomorrow. Have you left me some?”
“That’s the last big concentration on Child of Harmony,” she said nodding at the screen. “We have a few mopping-up operations to do; the Marines are taking care of that mostly, but the General did promise Papandreou we would back him up on the tricky ones.”
Major Papandreou had what amounted to an under strength battalion of Marines on planet. His command had been created by culling the detachments assigned to each of the ships in the task force, and consolidating them. He was the senior Marine officer in-system, officially attached to Victorious, and was leading the mopping-up operations on Child of Harmony with a great deal of help from the Shan. From reports she had read, the Marines were doing well. That hadn’t surprised her of course.
Gina sat on the edge of Richmond’s rack. “The General is briefing us tonight on the next round.”
“Damn,” Gordon said. “Wouldn’t you know it, I missed the ending.”
Richmond laughed at Gordon’s put upon sigh. “Don’t pout, Zack. Now that Fifth Fleet is here, you can go down to Harmony. If I know the General, that’s what the briefing will be about.”
Gordon brightened. “Hey yeah, you’re right.”
Gina nodded. It was the next logical step. Months of fighting had taken its toll, but everyone was hoping that the Keeps were full to bursting point. They certainly had been on Child of Harmony before they came out to join the fight, but no one knew for sure what they would find on Harmony. Communications with the surface were fragmentary and sporadic; the Merki jamming was complicating things no end. They knew that some of the Keeps had been penetrated. Satellite surveillance showed those gaping and radioactive craters clearly, but it was assumed that most of the Keeps were still intact. Harmony had fewer Merkiaari to kill than Child of Harmony used to have, but the General wouldn’t stop until the entire system was clear. That was certain.
“I’ve a present for you,” Gina sai
d, remembering the reason for her visit.
“A pressy?” Richmond said eagerly. “A pressy for me? What is it? A new grenade launcher… no, I know, a rocket launcher with extended range capacity. You shouldn’t have.”
“I didn’t,” she said laughing and passing her friend the gift-wrapped box.
Richmond grinned and destroyed the wrapping in milliseconds. “It’s a… it’s a…” she frowned. “What is it?” She dangled the thing between thumb and forefinger.
Gordon looked puzzled as well.
“It’s an eye patch. James told me about it.”
“An eye patch?”
“Yeah, you wear it over… you know,” Gina flicked a hand at Richmond’s damage. “James said people wore them before cybernetics and prosthetics were available.”
“I like the decoration,” Richmond said with a lopsided grin.
“That was Cragg’s idea.”
Cragg had wanted to liven it up a little. The result was a black eye patch with the viper emblem worked into it in silver thread. It was quite fetching.
“Here, gimme,” Gina said and took the patch. A minute later it was in place
Richmond viewed herself in Gordon’s hastily found mirror.
“Hey, hey, hey! Looking good,” Gordon crowed.
“Cool… that means I like it,” Richmond said quickly explaining her brief foray into retro.
“If you don’t quit that, I’m going to need a download to understand you,” Gina said with a snort of laughter. “I thought only Stone talked that way.”
Richmond had that ‘I have a secret’ look in her eye. “Stone talks retro ‘coz he grew up surrounded by it. I use it ‘coz I like it.”
“It’s different anyway. Talking of Stone, where is he?”
“Back dirtside,” Gordon said. “He keeps getting banged up but he’s always ready for more.”
“Yeah,” Richmond said nodding in approval. “His bots fixed him up in a in a jiffy this time. He said he wanted to add a few more Merkiaari to his score.”
“Gotcha. So then, your war is over.”
“Yeah, worse luck. At least I’m alive. Others aren’t so lucky.”
Gina nodded sadly, remembering their fallen friends. Chrissie Roberts was only the first of many to fall. The regiment had lost three hundred and sixteen units so far. Not quite half the force they had brought here was dead, and the war wasn’t yet won.
“There’s nothing they can do about your processor?”
Richmond shook her head. “Not here, but other than that and my eye, I’m fine. Major Faggini said I can help out on the bridge. I can still use the satellite feeds the old fashioned way. How are you getting along with Wilder and his resistance people?”
“Surprisingly well. He does what I tell him when I tell him to do it. For a civ he has discipline. He knows stuff.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
Gina shrugged. “Like all about the Merki War.”
Richmond snorted. “Everyone knows about that.”
“Not like James. He knows everything about it—and I do mean everything. He teaches history at Oxford you know. He’s no slouch as a leader either. The Shan resistance insist he’s their Tei, and they do whatever he says.”
“You like him. Jumped his bones yet?”
She didn’t need a translation; she got the message. “He has someone aboard Victorious.”
“Shame.”
Gina did like James, but not in that way. She was a soldier and he a civ. The two didn’t mix easily in her experience. Besides, she was a viper. She seriously doubted that any viper would find a relationship outside of the regiment. They were too different now, and what about the longevity issue? No one spoke of it, but they were all very aware that they would outlive their friends and family. The regiment and their squadmates were all their family now.
She chatted with her friends for another half hour or so, but then the infirmary started filling up. Casualties from Masaru were arriving—nothing life threatening this time thank God, but all the hustle and bustle did cut short her visit.
“I better get down there,” she said.
Richmond nodded.
She patted her friend’s knee as she stood. “Take care of yourself.”
“Make sure you do the same. I like your visits, but I don’t want you up here as a patient.”
“I don’t want me as a patient either,” Gina said with a laugh and hurried away.
* * *
31 ~ Epilogue
Aboard ASN Victorious, in orbit of Harmony
James glanced at his silent companion and then back at the view. Thousands of lights winked at him from the inky blackness of space—running lights pinpointing the locations of hundreds of warships. The ships themselves seemed like toys at this distance, but that was very far from the reality. TF19 was a mere sideshow compared with the firepower Fifth Fleet had brought here.
Behind him, the quiet murmur of Victorious’ officers and crew continued with ship’s operations as if unaware of the momentous events about to take place. They weren’t of course. He could feel the surging emotions just below the surface. The Alliance had taken an irrevocable step in welcoming the Shan as an allied power. No one knew where it would all lead, but everyone was agreed that this moment was pivotal in the Alliance’s future dealings with other races.
“There,” Tei’Varyk said pointing. “It has begun.”
They watched as wave after wave of transports erupted into space escorted by hundreds of fighters. Their targets? The Merkiaari sniffed out and hunted by Burgton’s vipers. Tei’Varyk lingered a moment longer and then turned to leave.
“A storm has come,” James whispered. “A storm to cleanse the world.”
He turned away and silently followed his friend.
* * *
Operation Oracle: Merkiaari Wars 3
1 ~ Miles to go
Ruins of Shoshon, Harmony, Shan System
Acting Captain Gina Fuentez, 501st Infantry Regiment, crouched behind the rubble to check the take available to her via TacNet. The regiment’s tactical network was a wonder to someone with a Marine Corps background. She had been a viper for only a couple of years, though it seemed even less than that due to time being weird in foldspace. TacNet was still a wonderful novelty to her. General Burgton’s regiment did things a little differently to other Alliance forces, they did them his way or no way, and he was a strong believer in the axiom: bigger is better. Whether applied to firepower, manpower, or information didn’t matter. To him, bigger was better and always had been. It was hard to argue when Gina was one of the beneficiaries. TacNet meant that no matter where she was, or doing what, she had access to the big picture. It wasn’t her rank either. Every viper had access to the same information. It was so very different to her Marine Corps days.
As a Marine, she had followed her orders and often didn’t know why those orders were given. Information was compartmentalised behind rank and parcelled out on a need to know basis. Her mission goals had therefore been simplified. Simplified did not mean simple. She had followed orders that sometimes didn’t seem to make sense, and had to go on faith that all would become clear in time. It usually did, but that methodology did nothing to alleviate anxiety levels.
General Burgton preferred to run his regiment otherwise, especially so in combat. It meant everyone knew what was expected of them and their comrades, and also meant any viper could immediately take up the slack should one of them fall. They all knew the plan, they all had the ability to evaluate its progress, and they all could take steps to ensure it succeeded without fearing their actions might screw up other parts of the mission. TacNet was real time; information flow fully automated by a viper’s internal computer system, and was linked via satellites with the General and his staff aboard Grafton in orbit.
Gina quickly evaluated what TacNet was displaying. It was especially important these days, as she wasn’t fighting exclusively with other vipers and Shan warriors under viper command. Fifth Fleet had
brought a large ground force to join the fight. Reinforcements were of course welcomed by the Shan, but the many different forces each had their own command structures subordinate only to Admiral Kuzov. Admiral Meyers commanding TF19 was no longer the biggest show in town, and had placed herself at his disposal as per her orders delivered to her when Fifth Fleet arrived. All of which meant that Gina and the other vipers were no longer officially in charge of the ground war, but the Shan warriors who had fought beside them did not see it that way. They continued to look to the vipers first for orders, a fact the other Human ground commanders found irritating in the extreme. Not that they could do much about it. They were guests of the Shan after all.
With so many different forces involved in the battle, Gina could no longer rely upon all combatants doing the right thing. Only vipers had TacNet; an integral system built into all vipers. Everyone else, except the warriors under direct viper supervision, had to use satellite feeds and ground observation to fight their battles.
That reminded Gina to check the feed overhead. She dismissed TacNet and accessed the satellite network seeded in orbit by Admiral Meyers when they first arrived.
Computer: Access satellite zebra-one-niner-niner. Centre grid delta-six, sub-grid fox-two.
Gina studied the battlefield displayed on her HUD (head up display). The display was suddenly populated by heat sources that she began to decipher. It was night and the devastation was softened, but she wasn’t interested in the broken architecture of Shoshon. She was looking for any units out of position, or any enemy movements. Everything seemed fine, and she quickly reported in.
“Gold-three, Alpha-leader. All secure, no movement, no concerns,” Gina said using her internal comms. And that was another thing. Now she was working as part of the forward scouting element and not the main offensive force, she had to report twice. Once on viper comm to Grafton, and once using helmet comm to the ground commander in charge of Shoshon. “On schedule.”
Merkiaari Wars Series: Books 1-3 Page 80
