by Taki Drake
Part way through the ensign’s explanation, the NCO came into the room. His face became very grim as he heard the clerk’s report. Ignoring her fury for the moment, Mara gave orders on what else needed to be set up. She trusted the NCO to carry those out.
There was a rumble of massive engines and the sound of an arriving shuttle. Taking off at a run, Mara knew that she had done everything that she could to prepare, but felt that she needed to be there to address any other shortfalls that might need attention. So off she went toward the landing area, pausing only to grab her gloves once more.
Chapter Three - Succor
The shuttle had landed, and the ground had not even cooled from the heat of the engines before the ramp was down and casualties were being carried off. Mara was directing the stream of stretchers when a large hand grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. It was a very large man in battle armor. A very large, angry-looking man.
“Where is the base commander?” rumbled a low-toned and dangerous voice.
Before Mara could respond, her timid clerk jumped into the conversation in a valiant attempt to protect her. Stumbling through his explanation while holding a handful snow against his broken nose, he explained what had happened. The Marine Major’s expression tightened with anger, and he opened his mouth to speak. However, before he could say anything, the commander and the XO rushed up to them. The Commander was babbling to the battle-scarred Marine officer incoherently. The XO had decided to take a different tact. He proceeded to dress down Mara for failing to report that they had an incoming ship or that there was any danger. After he had insulted her several times, he started to order her back to quarters before the Marine interrupted him.
Instead of allowing the XO to finish his orders, Major Saltz informed them that he was taking command of the base and that both the former commander and XO should consider themselves under arrest. When the XO went for his weapon, he was put under restraint and escorted back to the building.
Looking at Mara and sweeping in the NCO with a wave of his hand, Major Saltz huddled with Mara and the sergeant to see what resources were available at the base. He was pleasantly surprised to find that their supplies and repair capabilities were full. His questioning look was answered by the sergeant nodding toward Mara when she wasn’t looking.
Mara was kept quite busy, coordinating all of the different repair and resupply efforts. With the XO out of the way, and the strangers on base, the remaining troops stopped resisting Mars orders and started to take care of the damage to the shuttle and the effort of resupplying it. In a strange sense of humor, the largely absent base quartermaster chose that moment to wander into the supply area. He was incensed at the high-handed disposal of stock and proceeded to berate Mara. Summoned by the ever so helpful clerk, Major Saltz once again placed a base officer in confinement, pending charges. As he turned to leave the room, he quirked an eyebrow at Mara and asked, “Are there any other officers that need to be arrested at the moment? It would be more efficient if we could just do it all at one time.”
Before Mara could respond, the door closed behind him. For some reason, she found herself smiling.
When was apparent that not all of the plates could be replaced on the shuttle, Mara consulted with the others in the maintenance yard and decided to cannibalize one of their two flyers to help repair the shuttle. The effort was immense but ultimately successful. Less than three hours after it landed, the shuttle was back in the air and headed back toward the battlefield. The base personnel were exhausted, dropping to the ground or to nearby seats and holding their heads in their hands. They were even too tired to complain.
Mara and the sergeant herded them to the mess where they could get a hot meal before going off duty. Making sure that they were taken care of, Mara had no time to reflect on what it actually happened. The base somehow felt quieter and smaller now. The intrusion of so many armored fighters who had appeared briefly, then mostly left felt surreal. Only the evidence on the landing field, the torn apart flyer and the mess in the supply area provided easily visible evidence of their passage.
It was not to say that all of them had gone. There were 72 bodies in the medical area in various stages of being patched up. The base doctor and his assistants would be busy for many more hours. There also six bodies in the morgue. As far as Mara knew, these were the first battle casualties that the base had ever handled. She made sure that she stopped by with words of encouragement and thanks for the corpsman and the doctor that were working so valiantly.
There was another person that it remained on base. One of the senior officers from the Naval vessel, Capt. Jensen had been left in nominal control of the base. It had been explained to Mara that this was to both maintain a good command structure and to prevent any significant evidence from being destroyed or hidden. Mara had entered that officer into the base database and introduced him to the office AI.
Hobbling carefully around the room, Captain Jensen chose to sit next to Mara’s desk and asked her for a summary of what it happened. The young officer made sure to give an unemotional and professional report on all aspects of the previous evening. Her report was crisp and thorough, and the naval officer was obviously surprised and impressed.
Telling her that she had done well and that she should make sure to get some rest time. Mara was ordered off shift. Dragging her weary body to her feet, she saluted the naval officer, receiving a crisp salute in return. She grabbed her coat, shrugged it on, and slipping into her gloves as she headed for the door. Waiting for her at the doorway to the outside, were the NCO and the maintenance department ensign.
“We thought we would escort you home, ma’am,” offered the ensign. The sergeant just smiled slightly and nodded his head. Mara found tears coming to her eyes, blaming that on exhaustion.
Without saying a word, the three of them started on that cold trip to Mara’s quarters. The trip was made in silence. Or as silent as 1 km trip through a howling blizzard at night could be. Reaching the door to her room, Mara turned to the two men, saying, “Thank you both. I am proud of all of us and thankful that you were there with me. You both did an outstanding job, and if I have a chance to make a recommendation, I will do so for both of you.”
Murmurs of response came from both of them. The ensign turned to head back silently, but the sergeant paused briefly. “You did very well Lieut. Brown. You upheld the honor the service and performed above and beyond.” The man drew himself straight up and snapped her a salute, holding it until she returned his gesture through the tears in her eyes.
Chapter Four – Aftermath
The last two months had been very busy for the Svedik base. The service’s Judge Advocate General removed both the XO and commander for dereliction of duty. It was Mara’s understanding that they would be called before a court-martial board and that she would be required to testify. The quartermaster had also been removed. No one had explained what was happening to him, but Mara was content that he was no longer going to be screwing up their base any longer.
There was a new acting commander, one that was very different from the previous command group. He seemed to be a bit leery of Mara, both respectful and considerate. She actually quite liked him, thinking him thorough and responsible. Hopefully, he would get more comfortable with her as time went on.
The tenor of the outpost had changed. Finding out their job actually had a purpose had given the personnel in the base more pride in themselves and what they were doing. The new attitude and the increased level of performance could be felt in the air and seen in every aspect of the base.
The quartermaster had not yet been replaced, so Mara resumed her work covering that set of responsibilities also. It didn’t seem to be a real big problem since she had worked the processes and procedures out to the point where their supply mechanism ran smoothly and efficiently.
Mara was also more content. She felt that she had done a reasonable job and had supported her sworn duty. The young officer examined her actions, poking them wi
th her mind like a tongue on a sore tooth, looking for lapses or shortfalls. She didn’t find any major ones. The strange emotion that started to rise was foreign to her. It took her a while to figure out that it was pride, pride in what she had done and how she had acted. It felt good.
Mara was going over some planned modification to the maintenance areas organization with the ensign and another of her troopers when a familiar rumble of an approaching flight shuttle reverberated through the room. Surprised looks on all the faces around the table told Mara that none of them had known about a proposed landing today. Excusing everyone from the meeting, Mara proceeded to the landing field. She got there just in time to see the flight shuttle land.
It was definitely a déjà vu moment. Once again it was night, although no blowing snow. The shuttle that was landing showed repaired scars, some of them fixed with flyer plates that she recognized all too well. She felt a bubble in her stomach of anticipation, realizing that she would get to know how the battle had come out.
The NCO came and stood at Mara’s elbow. They both watched in silence as the landing ramp opened and the same armored visitors walked down. Making a beeline toward Mara, the armored Marines stopped to remove their helmets. Mara was unable to suppress a smile on her face when she saw Major Saltz.
Giving the major quick salute, Mara asked, “What brings you back our way, sir?”
“We were in the area and decided that maybe we should stop by and bring your present.”
Mara’s look of confusion drew chuckles from the three Marines standing in front of her. Major Saltz handed her and the NCO each an envelope. Mara stood frozen, staring at the envelope as if it was going to bite her.
“Aren’t you going to open your orders? You’re being pulled from the planet and sent on a new tasking.”
“But… This planet is where careers go to die. This is a dumping ground, no one leaves this duty station. This is a place for the dishonored,” Mara stammered.
Major Saltz grinned widely at her and said, “Well, you’ve got 30 minutes to pack and get on board before we take off, so I suggest you hurry. We are going to catch a bite to eat while you run around.”
When the two stunned people continued to stand there in disbelief, the officer continued, “Are you coming or not?”
Without a word, the sergeant turned and took off at a run. Starting to do the same, Mara turned one more time to look at the major and thank him.
His response rang in her ears the whole way back to her quarters. What he had said had the sound of something that she would remember to her dying day.
“Many have come here in dishonor, very few have left. But you, you are leaving because in the depths of despair you fought a great battle and found your own honor.”
Introduction to An Attitude Adjustment
Never underestimate those around you. This military science fiction tale explores the surprises that the universe holds when alien races, colonization, and society come together in a story of the relationship of command, the value of respect and building of teams.
It highlights the risk of letting preconceived ideas cloud one's judgment. And why new officers should always listen to their noncoms.
An Attitude Adjustment
By Taki Drake
Chapter 1 – Corvus II
It was a tranquil scene. Only a few clouds marred the deep blue of the sky. Double suns created a dappled shadow effect on the ground. Small sounds of the animals concealed in the surrounding woods created a peaceful and low-toned backdrop for the visual scene. In this pastoral setting, the small base camp, and the moving soldiers were the only jarring notes.
There were sentries on patrol around the small encampment, set on perimeter watch and soldiers going in and out of an entrenched sensor station. The Imperial Marine and Explorer Corps personnel were professional and thorough in their actions, reflecting the countless repetitions of training and deployed operations.
Two sergeants roved the area like wandering predators, stalking any lapse in professionalism. After all, the ImpMEC was an elite force. The sergeants were the practical enforcers for its standards, charged with making sure that no laxness marred any ImpMEC operation.
It was the third day of planetary occupation for the platoon. ImpMEC Central Command had assigned Bravo Company to protect and rescue duty, aimed at the relief of a small scientific group that had come under threat on the planet, Corvus II. The commander of Bravo had selected the 3rd Platoon, under the command of Lt. Marcos.
Although that young officer was not aware of it, his commanding officer was hoping that this assignment would let the Lieutenant demonstrate an improved judgment and field command ability that up to now had been severely lacking.
The assignment of a single platoon was all that seemed necessary. Corvus II had been peaceful and unchallenging since the initial exploration efforts had reported an uninhabited planet, years ago. Despite the concentrated action of ImpMEC, there still were few planets that were easily colonized. The discovery of a world that had no serious bar to colonization pushed Corvus II through for rapid approval. Waiting lists of colonists ensured that the initial wave of settlements was accomplished in record time.
In the three years since the planet had been cleared for settlement, four first colony sites had been established. There were no reported problems during that period with any geographic location, environment, or habitat. Even the outlying farms that had been settled experienced no more disruption than would be expected in an agricultural environment on a new planet.
The colonists were not idle when it came to further exploration of the world. They had extensively traveled the planet, surveying sites for new towns and villages. With a population that was smaller than 15,000, they had not expanded into those locations. Instead, plans had been created for when the population increased again during the second wave of colonization. That event was expected within the next six months after other significant milestones were reached.
The initial planetary charter was in the process of modification. Ratification in the Imperial Assembly was well advanced, and no significant hindrance had been identified. The planetary governor position was in the throes of candidate selection. Politically, the planet was well on its way to mature participation in the assembly.
A small group of scientists had traveled from the University of Petra to study an unusual plant that the colonists identified as a possible cash crop. The plant itself was innocuous, low-growing and dull-colored. However, it had specific medicinal properties that warranted study and evaluation.
The xenobiology department at Petra had one of the most extensive libraries of such plants and had a field team that could be assembled quickly. Since the University expected to benefit from their participation, the competition for positions on the field team was intense. Those selected were very much aware of the benefit to their careers and fully supported any initiative that would increase the colonists chance of success.
The 12 scientists and four support people had found a location that was ideally suited to their research, although it was somewhat remote from the other groups on the planet. With no large predators, no poisonous fauna and the extensive xenobiology experience of the study team, the security overwatch was minimal.
The researchers had settled in without a problem. Their weekly reports to the University included only glowing results on their main study area and no reports of issues with either the colonists or the environment on Corvus II. The study program seemed to be going exceptionally well, and it had quickly settled into a predictable pattern of work and reporting.
It was a major shock when the communications center in the central settlement city of Einsville received a “Mayday” call from the scientists. Reporting an attack by a group of large quadrupeds armed with some form of long-distance weapon, the panicked scientist on the radio was difficult to understand.
What was clear from his speech was that three of the research group were dead and that four were severely injured. T
he embattled civilians were retreating into the most protected of their buildings and would await rescue. They would attempt to take the radio with them, but both their communications people were among the fatalities.
Responding to the immediacy of danger, a shuttle from Einsville took off shortly after the call ended. Staffed with hunters and one peacekeeper, it was thought that whatever bizarre problem had panicked the scientists could be handled quickly. By the time the shuttle had traveled the 20-minute trip to the research base, the Einsville communications room was packed.
The shuttle pilot was talking, “Einsville Control, we are approaching the research site clearing. There is no sign of strange animals on the path leading up to the site.”
An excited voice could be heard in the background, indistinctly shouting. Apparently forgetting that his microphone was open, the pilot yelled, “What do you mean, centaurs? With rifles?!”
What followed next would haunt the listeners. Screams and anguished yells could be heard from the throats of friends and relatives. The sharp reports of projectiles and the shrill whine of damaged engines punctuated the higher-pitched human voices. It was evident from the cacophony that the shuttle was going down. Gasping breaths from the pilot continued to be broadcast as he fought the controls on his aircraft. Then a loud resounding smashing sound echoed through the room as the anguished listeners heard the shuttle hit the ground.
