Liberation_Age of Expansion_A Kurtherian Gambit Series

by Craig Martelle

  “If you insist,” K’Thrall replied, disappointment clear in his voice. He struggled to tip his head back so his mandibles didn’t get caught on the deck while he started to do his pushups.

  “It’s part of the process of tearing people down, removing their individuality, and turning them into a team, where they each get to blossom according to the strengths that they bring back to the team. You helped calculate the maneuver to throw us through space toward Ten’s fleet. That wasn’t a lie. Here? We can’t train under live conditions because the noobs would get killed. Even experienced people can get killed in combat. Sometimes, the bullet has your name on it and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  K’Thrall stopped and held his position. “I understand. Sometimes there’s a claw coming for you. All we can hope is that one of your teammates stops it before it gets to you.”

  “Exactly that, K’Thrall. That’s what we’re trying to do here. Everyone needs to watch everyone else’s back, while stepping up their own game. When we go out there—” Auburn pointed toward the cargo bay door that opened to space. “—we risk all that we are. Every. Single. Time.”

  “I understand. I hope that I can make the grade, as it may be.”

  “Help us to bring this bunch around. God knows we need the people. There are too few of us and too many bad guys out there. We need this mob to turn into decent warriors, and then we need ten times more.”

  Auburn signaled for K’Thrall to stand.

  “I will help you, Major Auburn, you and Major Kimber both.”

  “Thank you, K’Thrall,” Auburn said softly before stepping aside and bellowing, “And don’t do it again! Get your lame ass back in formation.”

  K’Thrall ran back, spun into his spot in the ranks, and stood at attention.

  “As he is. Lock your nasty bodies at the position of attention. Arms locked to your sides, hands are fists, heels together, and toes at a thirty-degree angle, and cut the shit! I see you squirming. I don’t care if you have hooves, stand at attention!”

  Christina strolled from the shadows. As Terry’s deputy, she was now in charge of on-boarding and new recruit development. Kimber, Kaeden, and Marcie had the most experience, but two out of those three were on their way elsewhere. Christina didn’t envy their task. Christina looked at twenty-five new recruits. Marcie and Kaeden were going to have to work with thousands, maybe even tens of thousands.

  Kim and Auburn walked up and down the line, adjusting the recruits until they were in a marginally acceptable facsimile of the position of attention.

  Kim marched smartly to the front of the new unit. “Platoon is formed for inspection,” Kimber reported. She saluted and Christina returned it, smirking after Kimber wiggled her eyebrows.

  Christina marched past her and headed for the left end of the formation, which consisted of a single row with twenty-five recruits, with half of them human and the rest from a variety of alien species.

  “You’re going to be working overtime putting together skin suits for this zoo,” Kim said indelicately.

  “Not at all,” Auburn replied. “They’re all spacefaring races so we’ll modify whatever they use for suits. I think only one of them is incompatible as it’s a ball. A globe that they sit inside. Can you see your dad if some goofy-assed recruit rolls up inside his clear ball?”

  “No. We’d be responsible for giving him an aneurism, and I won’t do that. I expect you’re already working on that one?”

  “Dionysus is. I’m sure it’ll be great.”

  Kimber motioned for Auburn to join Christina, who was already on the third person. She wasn’t bothering to ask their names.

  “Where are you from, Recruit?” she asked.

  “Home World, ma’am,” the man replied. Christina turned to Kim and Auburn.

  “You were on one of the ships blockading Alchon Prime?”

  “That’s what I’m told, ma’am,” the recruit replied.

  “You didn’t know you were on a ship?” Christina asked incredulously.

  “I knew I was on a ship. I didn’t know where we were or what we were doing.”

  “Are you okay answering to a woman?”

  “Seems like that’s all we’ve been doing since we were liberated, so yes, ma’am. You’re not going to turn into a werewolf on me, are you?”

  “Are you going to piss me off?”

  “Most likely, ma’am,” the recruit answered honestly.

  Christina stepped back to better take in the entire group. “Listen up, you pack of meatheads. We have a month to train and a year’s worth of information to cram into your pea-brains. How do you think we’re going to accomplish that if all you’re good at doing is pissing me off?”

  One recruit raised his hand. Kim stormed up to him and with a few choice words, informed him not to answer questions that weren’t questions.

  “I’ll tell you how we’re going to do it. PT! Physical training. We’re going to start each day with two hours of calisthenics, weights, cardio. You are going to be begging your mothers for breastmilk, but that’s only the start of the day. Then the real work begins. Class, practical application, class, and more practical application. We have a section of the station reserved for your quarters, but you know what? We’re not going to need them. You will sleep, eat, and work right here. This is your base of operations. You will keep it clean and orderly.”

  Christina nodded to Auburn, who stepped before the group. “Everything you need to turn this into a functioning barracks is against the back wall. Twenty-five of you means twenty-five different ideas in how to get it done. That would lead to one massive clusterfuck. We can’t have that. Every military needs a chain of command. It makes things run more smoothly. Word goes down. Word comes back up. We live and die by the word!”

  Kim and Christina wondered where Auburn was going with his speech.

  “You first eight. Stop right there! You’re number nine, dumbass, can’t you count? You go over there. And then you last nine, you stand next to them. See how easy that was? Three squads. You, Yollin, stand up front.”

  K’Thrall pointed to himself. Auburn glared at him until there was no doubt. “You’ll be the recruit platoon sergeant. You three at the front of the squads. You’ll be the recruit squad leaders, just until we shove you out an airlock and put someone else in your place. He tells you what to do and then you tell them what to do. Everything you learn from this point forward is rooted in a single truth—logistics is king!” Auburn thrust his arms into the air, but no one cheered. They watched because they were ordered to watch.

  “You four knuckleheads. Figure out how to arrange the barracks over there, out of the way of where we’ll do most of our training. You have one hour to get everything set up. It should take less than ten minutes, but you’re new and don’t know anything. Heaven help you if you aren’t done by then!” Kimber shouted.

  “We don’t have heaven in my culture,” one of the aliens said softly.

  “Shut up, hoof boy! Do what your squad leader tells you to do.” Christina shook her head. K’Thrall walked quickly past the materials that had been staged in the corner of the cargo bay before bringing the three squad leaders together. Less than a minute later, they were issuing orders to their squads.

  Ten minutes later, the cargo bay was set up with neat rows of sleeping bags, arranged by squad with small footlockers staggered head to foot to head.

  The platoon formed up when they were finished.

  Christina and Kimber weren’t sure what to do. When they put the schedule together, they had planned on the activity to take a full hour.

  “PT?” Kim asked.

  “How about they get to know each other? They’re going to be in tight quarters for the next month of their lives,” Auburn suggested.

  “Make it so, number one,” Christina said in a gruff voice.

  “You and your television,” Kim said accusingly.

  “Your brother turned me onto it. Blame him.”

  “I wish I could, bu
t he’s heading to a different part of the galaxy.”

  “Are they already on the War Axe?” Christina wondered aloud.

  Kim shrugged. The two women watched Auburn talk in a normal voice to the recruits, treating them like sentient beings.

  “He’s going to ruin them. They need to have a certain level of fear if we’re going to train them,” Kim said.

  “If I have to, I’ll go Pricolici on their asses. That’ll make them beg for their mothers.”

  “Their first significant emotional event will happen after they’ve been asleep for what, two hours?”

  “Sounds about right,” Christina replied with a wicked grin.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Keeg Station, Hangar Bay

  Kaeden and Marcie turned away from the shuttle pod. “I’m going to miss this place.” Marcie gritted her teeth, but Kae looked unperturbed.

  “We haven’t been here long enough for anything. I don’t feel like it’s home. I’m more comfortable on the Axe.” Kae shrugged and turned toward the ramp of the shuttle pod.

  Marcie held out an arm to block his way. “Do you think we’ll ever be back?”

  “Ever? That’s a pretty long time. We’re going to Onyx Station and then who knows where. I think we’ve increased our long-term survivability by doing this. Mom and Dad stay right in the middle of everything. I’m afraid for them.”

  “And that’s why they need to know that we’ll be coming back, regularly. I don’t want them to think that we’ve abandoned them.” Marcie cupped Kaeden’s face in her hand. He turned toward her, his expression troubled.

  “They don’t think that, do they?”

  “They will if we don’t give them a reason not to.”

  “Christmas is for family, right? We’ll tell them that we’re all getting together for Christmas each year. Give gifts, do the stuff that we haven’t done before. Maybe start a new tradition.” Kae smiled at his wife. “How do I deserve you?”

  “Isn’t that the universe’s greatest question? I don’t know, but you better keep working at it.” Marcie looked into the pod where a few members of the Bad Company waited for their ride back to the War Axe, not to go to war but to go on liberty.

  “We’ll see them as soon as we get aboard and pick a date. Come hell or high water, we’ll make it to wherever they are on that day. On a completely different subject, I heard that Clodagh built a snowman in engineering.”

  Kae let Marcie board first, picking two seats from the numerous empties. “I guess it snowed and was the ultimate winter wonderland.”

  “Is there any left?” Kae asked.

  “No. I think your parents put a quick stop to that. Your mom likes it cold, but not that cold, and I think your dad likes it tropical.”

  “The Wastelands,” Kae offered. “And Mom’s a werewolf. Those two things changed him for life.”

  “For the better, undoubtedly.” Marcie twirled her finger in the air. “Take us home, Smedley!”

  “How about the War Axe, Colonel? Will that do? Ted has not yet worked through the installation of the power supplies and gate engines in the shuttles.”

  “What?” Kae exclaimed before clarifying. “Take us to the War Axe.”

  “Now that is something I can do!” the AI declared. The others in the pod chuckled to themselves. “I know, Kaeden, sometimes I take things too literally. As a new AI, I have my certificate, you know, proudly framed and hanging on my virtual wall. I have the burden of having to understand all things at all times. When I was just an EI, no such expectation existed. I miss the good old days.”

  “You were never just an EI, Smedley. You were and are my friend.”

  “Mine, too,” Marcie stated. The others agreed with the sentiment.

  “You are far too kind,” Smedley replied as he sealed the shuttle, executed the pre-flight, and took off, flying quickly through the hangar bay’s atmospheric shield. “We’ll be landing in approximately forty seconds. There is no time for a beverage service, so please hang on for any final and erratic maneuvers.”

  Kae and Marcie looked at each other before gripping their jump seats with both hands. Without a single bump or jerk, the pod slowed as it entered through the massive doors leading to the War Axe’s hangar deck. The pod aligned with the launch chute and assumed its position within, locking down on contact. The rear hatch dropped and they were free to go.

  “Very funny, Smedley,” Marcie said.

  “I didn’t say there were going to be any, but just in case. Welcome back to the War Axe. You’ll find Terry Henry and Charumati on the mess deck.”

  Kae and Marcie steeled themselves as they headed out, stopping when they saw the Harborian Frigate taking a fair amount of space within the hangar.

  A maintenance bot was working on inscribing the ship’s name on the side.

  ***

  “I would have never taken Micky for a cat guy.” Terry leaned back, looking at his empty tray. Dark stains remained from where a finely cooked steak had once been. Dokken was flopped on his side, tongue hanging out of his mouth and laying on the table. Terry wondered how the dog had eaten it all. Jenelope had been exceptionally generous with the last of the beef.

  Jenelope glared at the German Shepherd. For once, she’d joined them for an intimate meal among friends and family. She was never more than an arm’s length from Cordelia, which allowed her to say the right thing and ask the right question, keep Cory looking forward and not back.

  The door opened and Kae stormed in, looking around as if an enemy were near. “I smell steak!” he declared.

  Marcie bumped him from behind. “You’re blocking the door, Mister Steak Man, but I have to admit, they smell good.”

  “There are a couple that can be ready in a few minutes,” Jenelope offered.

  “Yes, please! And two beers.”

  “Take your beers and shove them …” Jenelope stopped mid-sentence. “You know where, you cretin. Befoul my steak with beer. Maybe you’ll get a microwaved bistok burger instead.”

  “Speak for yourself. I didn’t order a beer and let me say that you look marvelous!” Marcie grinned from ear to ear as she elbowed her husband out of the way.

  “Flattery will get you everywhere, dear,” Jenelope replied. The enhanced took advantage of their youthful looks when dealing with others. Marcie was one hundred and ten years older than the chef.

  “And have mercy on the cretin. He’ll be impossible to live with if he has to watch me eat steak while pulling a bistok burger from a microwave pouch.”

  “You could give him yours,” Jenelope casually suggested while she got up and headed for the kitchen.

  “Where did that nonsense come from? You usually have such common sense things to say, Jenelope. That there was crazy talk.”

  “I want him to know where he stands. Thanks for confirming that. Take your seats. I’ll bring the plates to you.”

  Kaeden surrendered, raising his eyebrows when he caught his father’s watchful eye.

  “Don’t look at me. I get that all the time, even though it is mostly undeserved.” He turned to Char. She smirked back at him. “Welcome to my world.”

  “You can save the world, hell, save the universe, but when it comes down to it, we’re all in line behind Dokken to get a steak.”

  I resemble that remark, the dog told them without opening his eyes or lifting his head.

  “I still can’t believe Clyde wouldn’t drink beer,” Terry said to no one in particular, eyes misting as he thought of his first dog after the world’s worst day ever.

  “I can’t believe you called it beer,” Char retorted, grimacing.

  Cory’s eyes darted back and forth at the banter. She cracked a smile. No one was safe from the sharp wits of her family and friends. She dug back into the remains of her steak, chewing slowly as Kaeden watched, smacking his lips as he waited impatiently for his own.

  “Just one small bite?” he asked.

  Cory looked at him and then to the medium rare bit on her fork. She swung it
toward him before putting it in her own mouth.

  “My wife and my sister are conspiring to starve me.” Kae shook his head, but when he sat next to Cordelia, he put a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled.

  Terry leaned back to massage his stomach. “What are you two doing here?” he asked.

  Kae and Marcie looked to each other, signaling with their eyes to speak. Neither would commit.

  “You think I don’t know that you are going to turn the FDG into a space army?” Terry pondered.

  “Well…yeah,” Kae muttered.

  Ted burst through the door, his hair wild and unkempt. “Well?” he demanded, gesticulating like a crazy man.

  No one answered.

  Exasperated, he rolled his head and his eyes as if in agony. “We’re ready to go. We can be back at Earth in a matter of hours. You may be talking with your grandkids and stepsiblings shortly after that.” Ted looked at the group. No one moved. He threw his hands down in frustration and stormed off.

  “I guess it’s time to go,” Cory said softly. “Sarah and Sylvia. I could see them today.”

  Her words carried the disbelief she felt. They hadn’t parted on the best of terms, and she had never been sure why. She hadn’t wanted to return and find her children angry with her. She preferred ignorance, but that was when she wasn’t alone. Now, she wanted to be with them and learn why they felt the way they did.

  Dokken stirred. Terry pushed the German Shepherd until he almost slid off the table. I’m up. I’m up, the dog grumbled. He rolled upright and promptly fell off the table.

  “Serves you right for messing up my table!” Jenelope called from the kitchen. After bouncing off the chair, hitting his dog face, and flopping onto his back, he scrambled to his feet and shook his whole body. His tail started to wag as Cory smiled at him.

  After you, he told her.

  “Don’t mind if I do. Smedley? Is my stuff in the frigate?”

  “Your personal items have been delivered to Ramses’ Chariot and stored in your quarters,” Smedley answered.

  “Ramses’ Chariot,” she whispered.