Jack Forge, Fleet Marine Boxed Set (Books 1 - 9)

by James David Victor

  Squads one through five were at full strength, but six was undermanned. Jack stood at the side of his squad. They were a pitiful sight, three Marines and a squad leader. It was the smallest squad in the entire Scorpio Battalion, possibly the smallest squad in the entire Fleet Marine Corps.

  They were small in number, but they were highly experienced, battle-hardened, and skilled. They had experienced the most brutal training of any squad in the fleet, having fought off a Chitin attack during their initial training. They had fought together and brought down one of the enemy’s most powerful vessels. They may have only been in a few skirmishes and never in a full-blown battle, but they were able and they were tough. Jack was proud to be their squad leader.

  The five squad leaders walked over to Jack. They had not had much time to get to know 6th squad and now they were on their second squad leader. The tall leader of 1st squad, Joe Navidi, led the way.

  Navidi had transferred to the Fleet Marines from the Eros Police Service. He had at first been refused the transfer because the police service was so understaffed. Navidi had finally won his transfer on his seventh appeal. He had his arms behind his back and walked confidently.

  Navidi was flanked by Ben Horan of 2nd squad and Corry Allen of 3rd squad. Horan and Allen had come through training together, and they had been a formidable team. They had been through the same training camp as Jack and the rest of 6th squad. Their time in training had become legend on the training moon, and throughout the fleet. It was rumored they had been tested out for squad leader by the training commander, Lieutenant Crippin, with a bare-knuckle fight. The fight had gone on for over an hour, with both Horan and Allen losing liters of blood, sweat, and snot before Crippin called a draw and named them joint squad leaders, the first and only time the fleet had ever allowed it. Jack had heard that the two had met secretly to finish the fight and fought a full night before one finally triumphed. Neither Marine ever said who had won.

  Behind Navidi came Taku Folau of 4th squad and the leader of 5th squad, Stuart Laidlaw. Folau was newly appointed, becoming squad leader after the previous leader had been discharged for allowed a barbecue in the 4th squad muster area. The entire squad had been poisoned by undercooked meat. The former squad leader was awaiting sentencing, and everyone expected a flogging and a return to a training camp would be likely. Folau was a veteran of a few skirmishes and had killed a Chitin singlehanded in the corridors of the Scorpio when they had boarded the ship for the first time.

  Laidlaw had never seen combat. He was a university graduate with a degree in psychology and had volunteered for service the day after graduating. He was clever, fit, and funny. Jack was worried that a taste of combat would either knock the humor out of him or make him so darkly funny that he’d be reassigned to fleet entertainments. He held his pulse rifle lightly. Jack hoped he would be able to use it when the time came.

  Navidi offered his hand. “Well done on your promotion, Jack.” Navidi’s voice was deep and Jack felt it resonate in his chest.

  Jack shook hands and went to the next. Horan and Allen both gave Jack a surprisingly light handshake, given their reputation as bareknuckle boxers. Folau’s handshake was firm, his voice and demeanor serious.

  Lastly came Laidlaw. “You are kraved now,” he said, smiling broadly. He spoke in such a way that he could read a pulse rifle specification sheet and make it sound funny. He shook Jack’s hand warmly.

  Jack felt himself take a fraction of a step back toward his squad, his small three-man squad. He stopped himself and joined in with the squad leaders’ banter. They were a group to themselves. Not able to spend time together regularly but bound by the same responsibility. They chatted lightly about anything except the Fleet Marines.

  “We play poker,” Laidlaw said to Jack. “Thursday nights in the main mess hall, under the Scorpio emblem. If you are not on an operation, come and take all Allen’s credits.”

  “Just watch out for the king in his lap,” Allen added, shoving Laidlaw hard.

  “Knock it off, guys,” Laidlaw said. “You’ll make Jacky here think we’re all as bad at cards as Folau is at having fun.”

  “I can have fun,” Folau said humorlessly.

  Commander Griff walked onto the Marine deck. Navidi called the company to attention. The six squad leaders snapped to attention in their huddle.

  “At ease, Marines. Positions, Squad Leaders.”

  Jack stepped back and took his position beside 6th squad. The others marched to their positions beside their squads.

  The deck fell silent, with only the sound of Griff’s boots echoing off the deck plates. Jack could sense the unease rippling through the squads. Why were they being held here? What were they waiting for? There was only one reason the entire company was being assembled. Orders. Action. Jack felt himself grow nervous for a moment. He had only just survived one deployment. How soon before he would have to face those Chitins again?

  “Attention,” Commander Griff said, clear and cold. Cobra Company came to attention as a single Marine. Then the holoimage of Major Cruz appeared on the holostage embedded. The battalion major was seated behind a desk. He leaned back in his chair and casually returned Griff’s salute. When Cruz spoke, it was so quiet that Jack had to strain to hear.

  “Cobra Company. Starting today, you are to begin a series of training simulations of attacks on a fixed Chitin position, including landing, rapid deployment, and assault.”

  Major Cruz’s image stared out at Cobra Company with Commander Griff standing alongside him. “Sorry we haven’t got a full company for you, Commander,” Cruz said to Griff. “A bit short on numbers. Still, I’m sure you’ll get the best out of them.”

  The holoimage of Cruz was distracted. He turned his gaze back to the assembled company. “You have your orders, Commander. Carry on.”

  Cruz’s image flickered away without another word. As soon as his image was gone, Griff turned to face Cobra Company.

  “At ease, Marines. Training begins now. Squad Leaders, I want you in the simulations. Don’t let your squads do all the work, but don’t go trying to take all the glory for yourself either. Report to me at the end of each watch with stats on your performance. That’s three times a day, and I want improved stats every time. Do you get me, Squad Leaders?”

  Jack called out instinctively and he heard the others shouting out too. “Sir, yes, sir.”

  “Marines, there will be a scoreboard. Best squad at the end of day gets an evening in VR on an entertainment program of your choice. Worst squad gets a simulation rerun on the day’s training. Do you get me, Marines?”

  Cobra Company shouted out, five squads of a dozen each, and 6th squad with its three Marines and squad leader. The reply was bold and ear-crushing.

  “Sir, yes, sir.”

  “Good. Get it done. Over to you, Squad Leaders.” Griff turned and walked toward the exit.

  “Commander departing,” Navidi called out. “Company, attention.”

  Cobra Company stamped in unison as they came to attention. Jack hoped they could work this well together when the plasma spears were fizzing around their ears. Time would tell, and if they were training and preparing for an assault on a fixed Chitin position, that time was coming soon.

  7

  The environment was unfamiliar to Jack. It was a rocky desert with low jagged hills. The Chit fixed position was situated only five hundred meters away and five meters below the surface. Access to the underground position was through a natural cave mouth. Jack called in all data from the simulated orbital craft and other ground units.

  Chit sentries had been positioned between the many hills, while an unknown number of Chit soldiers were in the underground bunker. With only one entry point, there was only one option: a difficult and deadly frontal assault. It would be murder for a company, and Jack had only a three-man squad. Jack guessed he would do well not to bring in the lowest score of the session.

  “If we sit here the whole time,” Terry said, “maybe they will die of bored
om.”

  “Keep your voice down,” Jack hissed. He swiped his hands across the ground and opened a holomap, the locations of the Chit sentries appearing as small pink dots on the flickering green map.

  “Call in an orbital strike on that hole,” Terry said, “and let’s get out of here.”

  “Orbital support is not responding to fire mission requests. The simulation stated that all orbital guns are defending the carrier group from a sustained Kraken assault. We are to neutralize the surface Chitins and then request evac.”

  Osho pointed at two of the sentries. “We can take these two out and then lay some charges at the cave mouth.”

  “Sounds good. Who’s laying the demolition?” Bubble’s voice quivered. Every Marine knew it was only a training simulation and no one was going to get hurt, but the simulation was so real that it was making Bubble nervous.

  “No one is bombing that cave entrance until we find out what is in that cave.” Jack cancelled the holomap.

  Terry grabbed Jack by the shoulder and twisted him around. “Bomb the bastards and let’s get out of here.”

  Jack spoke slowly. “I’ll listen to all suggestions, Terry, but countermand me again and I’ll shoot you.”

  Terry removed his hand.

  “They gave us the demolition charges for a reason, boss,” Osho said. “Maybe we should lay the charges quickly. I bet the other squads are already taking down the sentries and getting the charges in position.”

  “Yes,” Jack said. “I hope they are.”

  Jack had met too many Chits to underestimate them. They were not as stupid as some Marines thought. Just because they came on in huge numbers, it didn’t mean they were mindless. They were always focused on their task. The Chitins had plans and they worked to achieve them.

  Digging out the small antimatter charges from the field supply cache, Jack scanned the horizon for any movement. He checked the yield on the explosives and then handed one to each of his squad.

  Terry turned his over in his hands. “We can increase the yield on these. Let me boost them up, boss.”

  “No,” Jack said. He clipped one of the demo charges to his meat suit and reopened the holomap. “We are going to get in that Chit facility. They are covering the entrance, but look at this terrain—it’s jagged and broken. There must be more to that cave system. We can find another way in.”

  “Why bother?” Terry said. “Seal the kravin Chits inside and the job’s done. All we have to do is kill the Chits, right?”

  “No,” Jack said. He put a hand on Terry’s shoulder. “All we have to do is beat the other squads. And that’s even harder.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Osho asked.

  Jack signaled his squad to come closer.

  “Here’s what we do.”

  Jack reached his position on the south side of the Chits’ sentry perimeter. Osho had reached the west side and reported in. Bubble was moving slow, but Jack could see he was nearing position. Terry had held the first position to the north of the perimeter and directly in front of the Chit cave entrance.

  Bubble reached his position and reported ready.

  “Sixth Squad, stand by,” Jack said quietly into his communicator. “Lay demo and fall back.”

  The squad each laid their charges five hundred meters out from the Chit cave entrance and then fell back a hundred meters. Jack checked the locations of his team on his map and then detonated the explosives.

  Jack studied the holomap. The Chit sentries were moving toward their nearest detonation site. Jack saw the greatest number closing in on Bubble’s position. Terry was moving toward Bubble.

  “Krav it, Terry. Hold.”

  “Bubble won’t be able to hold that many back. He’ll be killed.”

  Jack bit his lip. It didn’t matter if Bubble got killed. All that mattered was infiltrating that Chit position and killing whatever lay inside.

  “Boss,” Osho messaged Jack. “These Chits are getting close.”

  “Data coming in now. Just processing it.”

  The detonation had rippled through the loose rock of the simulated environment and was reflecting back off subsurface density changes at different speeds and angles, all revealing the subsurface structure to the sensors in 6th squad’s meat suits. All data was relayed back to Jack and he quickly created a three-dimensional map of the area. The cave structure was revealed and Jack spotted what he was looking for. A small entrance a kilometer away from the main entrance. He relayed the surface coordinates to Osho.

  “Osho, move. Terry, Bubble. Attack.”

  Jack was up on his feet and running as the sound of distant pulse rifle fire filed the air. The crackle of plasma spears joined the din of battle, a hundred flashing lights flickering across the jagged hills of the simulated environment.

  “There are too many of them,” Bubble wailed.

  “Advance on the cave mouth,” Jack said. “Light up your EBs and advance. Cut through them and attack that entrance.”

  Jack ran. He checked Osho’s location on his helmet data overlay. She was moving fast but had a Chit on her tail.

  “Osho, you’ve got a Chit on your six. Draw the thing away from our rendezvous point. I’ll have to do it alone.”

  “Copy, boss,” Osho replied. Jack heard a burst of fire from Osho’s position. He saw that she was backing away slowly.

  Jack was on his own. He ran even faster than before. The firefight with Bubble and Terry was not going well. Jack had wanted a cross-fire from two positions. Terry’s decision to move gave the Chits one target. If only Terry had listened. Jack pushed the thought from his mind. All he had to do was get to that small rear cave entrance.

  “They got Terry,” Bubble wailed. “He’s down. They are all over him.”

  “Keep fighting, Bubs,” Jack panted. “Give me a minute of hard fighting. You hear me, Bubs?”

  Bubble’s reply was replaced by his screams of terror as he was overcome by Chits.

  “Osho,” Jack said, “can you get to the main entrance? I need someone to attack it.”

  “Moving now, boss,” Osho replied.

  Jack saw on his overlay that she was moving at an impressive speed, given she had already run a kilometer and was fighting a Chit pursuer.

  Jack’s data overlay showed him the location of the rear cave entrance. It glowed on his helmet’s enhanced view, but on the ground, he could see nothing but jagged rocks. He fired up his electron bayonet and began cutting away at the ground. A small cavity appeared. Jack fell to his knees and began digging his way into the small tunnel. He got his shoulders in and was crawling furiously forward. Ahead, through the twisting, jagged little tunnel, was the central cave where Jack was sure the Chits were holding some vital piece of equipment. If he could get a demo charge in there, it wouldn’t matter if Bubble died, if Terry died, if Osho died, or even if he died. If he could destroy the reason the Chits had created this fixed, defensible position.

  Then, Jack felt a firm grip on his ankle. He was suddenly pulled back out of the tunnel. He was held upside-down by a thick Chitin tentacle, his helmet before the black shiny head with the ring of white rasping teeth. The antennae on the head twitched and the teeth clamped down on his helmet.

  The simulation ended and Jack was in the small VR pod, his vest soaked in sweat.

  “Yeah, nice plan, boss,” Terry said, clambering down from his pod. “Split us up so we are easy pickings.”

  Climbing down, Jack had an urge to punch Terry on the nose. He guessed it wouldn’t show good leadership qualities to beat on his subordinates, even if they were disobedient and thickheaded like Terry.

  “I told you to hold position.” Jack walked out of the VR pod stack.

  “Cobra Company, make your way to the Marine deck,” Commander Griff’s voice came over the muster area communicator.

  “Next time I tell you to hold, you hold.” Jack looked up into Terry’s mean eyes.

  “If there is a next time,” Terry said. “They’ll probably demote the whole
squad to the laundry after that disaster.”

  Osho came alongside Jack. “I think I know what you were doing. It was a good plan, I think.”

  6th squad walked into the Marine deck. The holoimage on the holostage flickered on and drew a sudden round of applause and laughter from Cobra Company. Jack looked at the image. It was him, suspended upside-down, with a Chitin biting his faceplate.

  “Nice plan.” Allen came forward and slapped a firm hand on Jack’s shoulder.

  “We should call you digger from now on,” said Laidlaw as he stepped forward.

  “That was my idea,” Folau added dourly.

  “Break it up, you guys,” Navidi shouted. And then as Commander Griff marched on to the Marine deck, Navidi called for attention.

  “How many of you got their ordnance at the Chit cave entrance?” Griff stood in front of the company, at ease with command.

  Five hands went up; Navidi, Horan, Folau, and Laidlaw.

  Griff turned to the holoimage of Jack. “And who is this, being used as Chit dental floss?”

  Jack put up his hand to an outburst of laughter from Cobra Company. But Jack was unabashed. He had devised and had almost executed a plan that would have discovered what the Chits were doing at that position.

  “And what did you think you were going to find down that rabbit hole, Mister Forge?”

  “Sir, I don’t know, sir, but I thought it best to see what I was attacking so I could be sure to kill it, sir.”

  The laughter died away.

  “And you nearly got it. If only you’d had a full squad. Maybe if the Marines under your command had actually followed your orders.” Griff fixed Terry with a cold stare. “But you—” Griff waved his arm in a wide arc. “—the rest of Cobra, you went knocking on the front door. You could have put the entire orbital carrier group in jeopardy because you lashed out at the first thing that looked like a target. To a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. When you are on the ground, you need to think. Just because you got a pulse rifle in your hands doesn’t mean you can stop using your brain.” Griff tapped the side of his head. “The top two inches, Marines. That is your most deadly weapon. That is how we are going to beat the Chitins.”