by JR Handley
— Chapter 23 —
Main Assault Force, Whiskey Company
They’d been pushing hard, and after three hours of a forced march, the main assaulting element reached the point where they had to start splitting up into smaller groups before they converged in a clearing, just behind Akoni City’s defensive lines. Like with most forced marches, Lance let his mind wander through whatever hills and valleys struck its fancy. Wonder if these trails were part of why the city ultimately fell, or were abandoned? What was here before the planet became a White Knight training depot, and mining colony?
After Lance was left as the senior Marine in his merry raiding party, he stopped and checked in on his Cadets. He realized that, given the prolonged nature of his battle plan, they’d need to recoat themselves in their protective gel to protect themselves from the deadly high-energy rays from the sun. Quickly rectifying his error, he went up and down the row of his detachment and made sure they re-applied their gel and checking on their feet. A few of the Cadets had blisters so, he doctored them, made them change socks, before releasing them to clean their carbines and rest.
A quick glance at his Aimee told Lance they were 13 hours into their forced hike over these mountains. Knowing the next push would be rough, he decided to give his Cadets thirty minutes to rest up and eat. They were on the reverse side of the mountain overlooking Lake Sarpedona, a place unlikely to have enemy troops, so Lance decided not to post a guard. By allowing everyone to rest, they would be better able to finish strong and successfully complete the mission.
While resting, Lance did what his instructors had trained him to do: shut off his brain and relax. Mental compartmentalization was a necessary skill for Marines trained to operate for weeks at a time in the empty voids of space. The technique worked just as well planetside, preventing him from overthinking his battle strategy. They’d already crossed the point of no return, any change to the plan risked imminent defeat. After he was comfortable, he began to tense up and release each of his muscles, one at a time, until he’d released the stress from his entire body.
Rested and relaxed after his twenty-minute break, Lance decided to walk around their stop point and enjoy the view. From this height, the air seemed to shimmer as sunlight hit the foggy air, lending an ethereal quality to the visible part of Scrofa Island where Beta City nestled beneath the floating edifice of Jotun-Kijiji. Without the aid of his AI-enhanced eyes, he couldn’t make out any of the finer details, but the sheer majesty of it was enough. I do wish I had Xena here to save these visual images. Maybe we’ll come back here to take some digi-pics for posterity’s sake. They deserve to have a few nice memories preserved to sustain them through whatever was around the corner.
Upon getting the ping that told him the rest stop was over, he began to rouse his Cadets, having happily seen that Basil was already set to leave the scenic overlook where Lance had chosen to stop. I really hate not knowing how the rest of the element is doing. Are they making good time? Has anyone been hurt? I never contemplated the biggest enemy we’d fight along the route to the battle ahead, the unknown. Guess we better just get back at it, only way we’ll get answers, because managing these multiple little groups without reliable communications is hard!
— Chapter 24 —
Sergeant Mayer, 1st Section, 4th Squad, Whiskey Company
They’d been marching for 15 hours when Isabella Mayer called a rest break so she could check everyone’s equipment, especially their feet. While they were in excellent shape, thanks to the training regime created by Sergeant Scipio, their feet were used to the protection of their combat armor or running shoes. I think this is the longest I’ve walked in my boots, she thought.
As she made the rounds checking the six Cadets from her assaulting element, she regretted not having thought to request two replacements to her section. With her Mini gunners with Sergeant Okeke, she was short staffed, making her task of raising havoc that much more difficult. After her Cadets had changed their socks and grabbed a quick ration bar, by her command, she ordered them to gear up and head out.
Even after hundreds of years, humanity hadn’t fully acclimated to the 30-hour day that was a part of life on Tranquility-4. Normally the Cadets compensated with a longer sleeping pattern, but this forced march was killing that venue of compensation. Isabella knew she’d have to motivate her Cadets to help them push through the point of their exhaustion. She said a silent prayer that nobody got hurt. “We’re on a deadline, people! We’ve made good time, really good time, but we have the final two thirds of the march left. We have a day and a half to reach our target, that’s only 45 hours, Cadets. If we keep the pace we will make it in 43. I’ll buy the squad a barrel of grok for every hour early we are!”
Like every Marine Cadet since they’d bothered recording, the promise of grok urged them on and they even managed to increase the pace. If this is what they’ll do for beer, I wonder what they’ll do when they’re Marines and can drink whiskey or vodka? I had to do something, we were passed by Conteh in 3rd Squad a while ago. Now I’ll be hearing about this long after the principle players are all dead.
–– Ten Hours Later ––
As the Cadets continued pushing, knowing that the Cull and grok were on the line, Cadet Kristanna Abbott tripped when one of the Tarngrip roots that crawled around throughout the forest tried to grab ahold of her leg. The Tarngrip was a carnivorous plant with a green root system that snaked throughout the undergrowth. Although it was far too slow to capture a Human Marine, it was dangerous, attempting to capture slow-moving limbs and crush the life out of them using hydraulic pressure. This plant, however, seemed unnaturally active. Could the 828th have salted the trail with nutrients to create this issue? As a precaution, she ordered the Cadet leading her element to use his entrenching shovel to kill any of the crawling roots that crossed their path.
Once she saw that Abbott would live, she had her section divide up her gear so she could march and keep up. Pausing for a moment, as the column resumed its march, Isabella told Abbott to see the medic at the conclusion of this exercise. “Alright, people, we’ve five hours before our next break and we just used it up here, so we have to step it up a notch until we reach the ford we will assault from. Forward to Victory!”
— Chapter 25 —
Sergeant Conteh, 1st Section, 3rd Squad, Whiskey Company
Sergeant Tendaji Conteh was having the time of his life as he sprinted along the river bank with his Cadets. He could almost forget this was a combat training mission and lose himself in the joy of running. When he ran, it was one the few times he could let his mind wander and think of everything or nothing, all without the fear of upsetting the tightrope Human Marines walked in the greater White Knight Empire. The Cadet section he was leading on this combat operation chewed up the distance they were supposed to cover, having passed the more cautious 4th Squad hours ago.
Maybe I’ll have tea waiting for Bella, since we’ll beat them to our target by large margins. Rub it in a little. She always did get feisty when she got mad. I bet it’s the red hair, he mused as he focused on his breathing and his heartrate. I’m glad that I insisted on a strong running regime for my squad, he thought as he continually scanned the tree line for any hostile target. Those other lug heads like Sergeant Okeke went for the muscles, but I knew being agile was the key. The muscle-bound crew can’t keep up when time is of the essence.
Tendaji found it gratifying that his Cadets hadn’t encountered any obstacles in their mission, and he silently prayed that their luck held. When they were halfway to the ford they were to base their operations from, he called for a halt and let his Cadets take an hour’s break. While they were stretching, eating and hydrating, he reminded them of their mission parameters and the need for their best shooting. If they could all shoot like marksmen today, then their role in making this feint believable was that much easier.
As he drifted in and out of sleep, having let the section leader set a watch rotation, Tendaji heard snippets of th
eir hushed conversations. He wasn’t surprised to hear their concerns about the new tension on base, and of the possible implications of the increased Hardit belligerence, especially after the fiasco on the Antilles Moon. According to what he was hearing, they’d even begun to get mouthy with Human Marines. Normally they stuck to the Aux, so this change could be significant. I’ll have to address that with the squad later. Soothe their fears, calm things down and reassure them that Antilles was an isolated incident.
— Chapter 26 —
Front Lines, Whiskey Company
Knowing that he needed to keep the front line busy chasing their tails, Mosi Okeke decided to have some fun. He would randomly have their AuxTechs turned grenadiers fire off rounds to form the craters he’d leap frog across later, while intermittently letting the Minis open up their ammunition carousels to keep the heads of the 828th down.
When the Minis started getting bored, Mosi ordered them to the 1/3rd watch rotation to maintain the heighten state of readiness, lest an unlikely assault from Chaos Company catch them unaware. The watch rotation he preferred had one third of the unit on guard, one third asleep, and the remaining third either improving their fortifications or doing other manual labor tasks needed for the mission. He was pleased to see that the Auxies had already prepped the craters, so he could leap frog the assaults as needed.
Before he could get carried away with his lust for action, Mosi was interrupted by Cadet Rebecca Platte from 1st Squad. She wanted permission to switch weapons with him so she could use the SA-71 to snipe targets from the various craters. Apparently she wanted to bag some sergeants and officers for the grok he’d promised them. Those Cadets in the other three elements have been double timing it all day, least I can do is keep those pricks in the 828th up too. Besides, I owe it to my Cadets to give them the chance to earn that grok. That’s why I love Marines, no sailor would risk life and limb just for a free barrel of grok. Figures it’d be one of Lance’s Cadets, though. Ugh, why couldn’t it have been one of mine?
After thinking about it, he decided he wouldn’t mind getting more into the fight so he agreed. He quickly ordered all those Cadets not asleep to open up on the enemy so Platte had the covering fire to get in position, and wished her well. He thought she might reconsider when he told her she’d be on her own when she went forward, that if caught her experience as a prisoner would be realistic and unpleasant. When she didn’t flinch, he gave the word and added her Mini to the fray as he helped cover her while she went into the open field between the two armies.
— Chapter 27 —
Sniping Duties
Under the cover of fire from her brother and sister Minis, Rebecca crawled forward with an SA-71 rifle that seemed so light after a year carrying the Mini Cannon. She just reached the first crater when the firing stopped. After looking through the sights of her carbine, she realized she’d have to move for a better angle. She quickly popped up, fired three smoke rounds from her grenade launcher located underneath the main barrel of her rifle, and ran towards a hole to her right, one which looked like she could catch a good angle and rest between shots.
After what felt like days, though was likely only a few hours, Rebecca was able to get a clear sight on two Jotuns talking with a single human figure. I bet this is the CO, XO and senior sergeant! And they’d made a crècheling error, letting themselves be silhouetted by the cooking fires the Cadets and Marines in Chaos Company were using. Knowing that Jotuns meant officers, she decided to take her time and line up her shot, targeting the officer first. When she finally took the shot, Rebecca had the satisfying feeling of watching one of the targets go down. Before they could react, she quickly aimed and hit the human kneeling next to the downed officer. That’s three barrels of grok for 1st Squad! Maybe I can catch some more?
When the second Jotun hit the deck, obviously trying to get away from her marksmanship, she looked around and saw that the troops not in their firing line were scurrying around looking for cover. With a barely contained glee she took out two more, though whether or not they were sergeants or Cadets she couldn’t tell. Wonder how bad they’re going to feel in the morning? I hear that these neurotoxic gel rounds leave you passed out for a day, and feeling like you’d over-imbibed for another day. As she lined up more targets, trying to keep them busy, a smoke round from one of their grenade launchers landed in the crater where she was positioned.
As Rebecca tried to figure out what the smoke round meant, a Marine Sergeant in his full combat armor squatted down next to her. The coloring of the Marine’s uniform indicated he was from the staff of General Skorix Toma, Beta City’s commander. He has to be one of the judges, why else would he walk up to me and squat down.
“Well done, Cadet, well done. You took out their XO and Senior Sergeant, but that smoke simulated a high explosive round, and you are declared dead for the duration of the exercise. Come with me, General Toma would like to chat with you.”
Before Rebecca could stand up and follow her orders, the Marine shot her with a neurotoxin gel round from his flenser pistol and carried off her inert body to the rear command center where the commanders from the 828th and 6907th regiments observed with the base commander.
— Chapter 28 —
Akoni City Front Lines
Chaos Co., 16th BN, 828th TAC RGT
One moment Captain Arahi was talking to his executive officer, planning a counter-offensive against those weaklings in the 6907th, and in the next, two shots went off, and his XO and senior sergeant were ‘dead’ to him for the duration of the exercise. Realizing they were sniping his line, like the cowards they were, he quickly fell prostrate on the ground. As two of his Cadets also dropped, hit by neurotoxic rounds, he screamed for his front line to find the shooter and eliminate the threat. One lucky Cadet found the general area the coward was shooting from, shouted it to those standing near him, and several Cadets fired rounds into and around the crater they had to be using. After a smoke grenade, simulating a high explosive round, hit the crater, the shooting stopped and the Cadets of Chaos Company cheered. When he turned to look, he saw an armored Marine wearing Beta City colors, and knew their sniper was out of action.
Realizing his top sergeant wasn’t there to assist in his planned assault, Arahi called over his 1st Squad leader. Sergeant Zachary Tapka was a Marine known for his willingness to follow any order, no matter how stupid, making him an ideal candidate for a frontal assault against the entrenched and cowardly 6907th. Immediately upon Tapka’s arrival, Arahi set about discussing with him the best strategic options while simultaneously allowing his squads to unleash their Fermi Cannons and missile launchers at the enemy Cadets.
— Chapter 29 —
Conteh Assault Force
1st Section, 3rd Squad, Whiskey Company
Tendaji took advantage of the conditioning he stubbornly put his troops through, and the fact that he had all of his strongest runners already placed in 1st Section, by making a strong initial push towards their target. When they arrived at their destination, the first ford point, five and a half hours early he stopped and caught his breath. Looking around, he realized that he could best help his company by securing the second ford, giving Isabella some breathing room.
After looking around the clearing parallel to the river, Tendaji saw a stick lying on the ground and snatched it with one hand while grabbing his field knife off his belt with his other. He’d made the decision to stow their rifles behind their backs for more efficient running since he wasn’t expecting contact until they were in position. After sharping the tip of the stick, he wrote in the dirt in big bold letters: ‘Conteh, took 2 position, secure 1 and rest’.
Once everyone had rested for ten minutes, enough to catch their second wind, but not enough to crash, Tendaji ordered his Cadets to continue on to the second ford point so they could set up their perimeter. They ran for another thirty minutes, before they reached their new assault point, and quickly set about making the position more defensible. He was in his element, drawing p
laces for deep firing holes, hasty firing holes, and tagging the trees he wanted climbed to facilitate sniping at their enemy.
I truly hope we don’t have to fall back to our hasty firing holes, but we might as well be thorough. If we finish in time, I will send the section leader out to mark and prepare Mayer’s positions for her. Maybe she will finally ignore the bugger on Toma’s staff and see what’s right in front of her. Heck, my last girl said the reason I was black as the night was because that’s how long I could last in the rack. Isabella should appreciate my interest.
When Tendaji was satisfied with how each firing hole was dug, he began to consider the best way to use the height provided by the large sagaria trees all around them. The sagaria was one of the many tree species on Tranquility-4, and tended to produce copious sprays of purple foliage. These trees were also titans, and provided a good vantage point for a marksman, but getting up without the aid of combat armor would prove a challenge. With its standard trunk sizing being so wide, you could hollow it out and house an infantry squad. There was no way they could climb those trees by wrapping their arms around the trunk.
Another obstacle these trees presented to Tendaji’s efforts was that the lowest branches on these trees were approximately 20 meters off the ground. This is problematic, since getting up there will be risky and falling from that height deadly. I could tie them in, though that limits their ability to adapt as the battle flows around them. But how to get up?
While Tendaji contemplated the best way to get up, one of his Cadets suggested cutting steps into the tree to serve as a ladder. That’s frakking genius, though I’m sure I would’ve thought of it too… eventually. So the next problem is securing them a perch from the top… Tendaji saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and realized it was one of those annoying crawly tarngrip roots. That’s it! We cut those, use the roots as a rough rope and make a safety belt which they can undo if needed, but will save them if they’re shot with one of those gel rounds.
