Rise of a Legion

by Trey Deibel

“Whoa, you really have a knack for friendly fire. Let me remind you that we aren’t your enemy.”

  Not listening, he aimed another punch straight for my groin. To counter, I whipped his body around using the arm I already had a hold of. I now had him locked in a position to keep him from doing any more harm. He, of course, struggled to his heart’s content as he tried to free himself from my unshaking grip, cursing me to hell.

  “What kind of a shameful man do you have to be to go for a man’s jewels like that? Now, listen to me closely. I’m going to let you go, but first I want you to hear something. This man is off limits to you and your buddies. If you bother him, you bother me. And trust me, buddy, that… whew… that is the last thing you want to do. So, spread the word throughout camp that James Stone says he’s off limits. Do you understand every fine syllable coming off my tongue?”

  Still in my grasp, he struggled and gasped, “Yes.”

  “Damn right. Now get your ass out of my sight.”

  I tossed him forward. He needed no more motivation to leave us. With him gone, I reached out my hand to help up the tiny man.

  Accepting my hand, he asked, “Why would you do that for me?”

  “Because some people are worth the trouble,” I said with a smirk.

  Grateful, he smiled. “Thanks, bro. And you can call me Ben, short for Benjamin Cross.”

  “It’s finally nice to get a name. I’m James Stone.”

  “Oh bro, I know your name. You’ve seemed to draw a lot of attention to yourself lately.”

  “Attention I’m no longer in need of.”

  “If that’s the case, would you care if I showed you something tomorrow night… a secret place… and all without that attention you want to get rid of? What do you say?”

  “Sounds like a damn fine bet to me.”

  “I’ll take it. Can’t wait ‘til you see what I’ve got planned.”

  With that, we both walked into our barracks and got ready for a dose of nighttime dreaming.

  ⁕⁕⁕⁕⁕

  After another day of going through the motions of an underwhelming training routine, night finally came. Benjamin led me past the officers’ barracks to a fence. Most of the wires had broken off the pole, creating a large enough hole through the fence for a full person to ease through. On the other side, past a few trees and bushes, was a broken down shed, only about six times the size of an outhouse. At one of the corners, Benjamin pulled out a few loose wooden boards, revealing the inside. He led the way, crawling through the hole. Old wooden army crates and some unused equipment decorated the interior. From the corner, Benjamin pulled out a candle and lighter from one of the crates and lit the candle.

  “This shed contains mostly emergency equipment. Since there never is a real emergency here, this shed is never used. So, I come here some nights after training to relax and get away from everyone.” He sat down on one of the crates. “Would you like a beer? I stole it from the sergeant’s secret stash this morning. He should notice right… about… now.” Ben tossed me a beer, and we both listened in on the distance, waiting for an outburst.

  “I want someone’s ass… and I want it NOW!” the sergeant began screaming around the camp. “I want every goddamn, clown-dicked person outside, now!”

  He sounded off a horn. Both Ben and I cracked up laughing. It was the first time in a long time I’d laughed that hard. We geared up, ready for a comedy.

  From the distance, I heard the sergeant go down the line. “Did you take my Woodstones?”

  “No, sir.”

  “If you’re going to be two-faced, at least make one of them convincing!”

  “Sorry… sir.”

  “I’m jealous of all the people who haven’t met you, you worthless bag of meat.” He asked the next guy, “Did you take my Woodstones?”

  “Sir, why would I do that?”

  “Why do you bring everyone joy when you leave the room? Why didn’t your father pull out on your fateful first day of creation?!”

  “What, sir?”

  “Tell me, is your family tree a cactus?”

  “Sir?”

  “Because everyone on it is a prick!”

  “Sir, nobody took your Woodstones!” a soldier blurted out.

  “And why is that, maggot?”

  “Because… uh. We… umm.”

  “Go ahead, spit it out,” the sergeant growled.

  “We weren’t… in your… quarters, sir.” The soldier wasn’t sure how to phrase it.

  “I could gulp down a bowl of alphabet stew and shivf out a sentence smarter than that! Until one of you confesses, I want everyone to drop and give me infinity!”

  At this point, both of us were on the ground in tears. With each remark made by the drill sergeant, we grasped our guts in laughter. Finally, we heard someone admit a false confession. The voice belonged to Backpack Jimmy, known for having hidden stashes around camp. With that over, Benjamin and I relaxed.

  “Ya’know, I heard a rumor about you. They say you’re an artificially intelligent cyborg,” Benjamin joked.

  I nearly spit out my drink. “Hah, are you pulling my ear?”

  “Bro, don’t look at me. I didn’t create the rumor. But can you blame people for it? I mean, what you can do isn’t something anybody has ever seen before! It’s a crazy thing to see much less get over.”

  “And you? Is it something you can get over?”

  Ben tilted his head to the side. “Why? What do you mean?”

  “Oh, it’s just… it’s just...let me put it this way: would you want to be defined by a flaw? Say you lost an arm and had to get it replaced with prosthetics. Would you want to be known as the guy who lost his arm?”

  “Of course not, James. But what you have… the gift you were given is not a flaw.”

  “Says you.”

  “Says me?” Ben repeated in confusion.

  “Ben, if what you say is true, people wouldn’t shoot me a glance full of discontent… glances with signs over them calling me a freak. Because to them, that’s all they see. If my abilities were such a damn gift, why am I paying such a heavy cost for them?”

  “The answer is simple, really, James. People have yet to accept aces as people. It’s just like a few decades ago, when alien species first arrived, people took time to get used to them… to see those aliens as people, too. But… the moment people do come around to the idea of aces, they, too, will see your abilities as gifts.”

  “Life has kicked into overdrive since I got my abilities, and maybe ‘cause of that I never saw that perspective.”

  “It’s what I’m here for. That… and my dad.”

  “Your dad?”

  “Hah… the man is so important, his name is in the history books. He was the commander who led the winning battle in World War III to defeat the SOCP… which united Earth. And he’s the reason I was even allowed to join the military. Kind of hard to live up to that.”

  “You seem like the type of man who can take his legacy a step further.”

  “Maybe… or at least I hope so. I do, however, plan to be a great commander, just as he was. But I gotta get past boot camp first… which is not easy for a scrawny guy like myself. That’s why I train at night by myself… at least when I’m not here. It’s the only way I’ll be able to pass this hellish place.”

  I chuckled. “You and me aren’t so different, you know? Both of us have had more than our fill of challenges, and yet here we are, drinking a beer together. We’re outsiders forcing our way over our naysayers and proving them wrong about us.”

  “Cheers to that.” He held up his beer, and we clinked the glasses together.

  “Did they assign you to a program yet?” I asked.

  “Are you joking? I was told they’re doing that next month. Wait… did you already get assigned to a program?”

  “In a week, I’ll be headed out for training in the legionnaire program.”

  “The legionnaire!” he shouted, overjoyed. “That’s extraordinary. I heard it was only f
or the toughest, bravest, most seasoned soldiers. How the hell did you get in?”

  “The manager of the program herself handed me the ticket at some meeting last night.”

  He couldn’t contain his excitement. “Seriously, man, you are going to be a legend that recruiters tell stories about. You might be the youngest person to be given such an honor. Wow… wow. Only a few days in boot camp, and you’re already leaving for better things.”

  “What can I say? I guess they liked me,” I joked.

  “Hah… no kidding.”

  “You gonna be alright without me?”

  He flicked his hand. “Ahhh… I’ve had to deal before. It’ll be nothing new to me. Luckily, it hasn’t been all bad for me. I’m blessed enough to have a great family. Anytime you need a place to stay, you’re welcome to crash at our place.” He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote an address. “Just tell my father Ben gave trust. He’ll know what you mean. Sometime, I have to let you meet my older brothers, Samuel and Isaac. They’re both already living their dreams, and I think they’d really enjoy meeting someone like you.”

  “Appreciate the fruitful invitation more than you can realize.” I was baffled at his generosity.

  “Anytime.”

  We cheered one last time before making our way back to the barracks.

  Chapter 7: Reunion

  September 25, 2111

  James Stone

  After the ARW’s victory in the battle for the Tegun Trade City, Commander Sizar’s star cruiser, the Tempest of Titans, needed to undergo a few rounds at a repair station. That fact granted many soldiers some much need stretching-of-the-legs on solid ground. With the Tempest of Titans under repair, all the soldiers who were involved in the battle had been dropped off at a temporary outpost outside the boundaries of the Tegun Trade City. Supply ships have been dropping off goodies all day. I’d already finished my share of duties in setting up the outpost by pitching a few tents and carrying some supply crates. When some of my fellow soldiers finished their contributions, they set up a makeshift basketball court using some spray paint cans and two recently dropped goals. One of those men was my good-old pal, Benjamin Cross. He’d only transferred to the Tempest of Titans two weeks ago, and since then we’d made time to catch up and hang out on and off the ship. It was a jolly good old time, and together we talked life over a few games of hoops. So, when some other soldiers challenged us to a game on the makeshift court, we couldn’t find it in us to refuse.

  The score was a lot to a little, with me and Ben up. “Pass the ball,” the towering man I was guarding called. “I have him in the post.”

  He dug into the dirt and pushed against me with all his weight. I held myself sturdy as a brick wall. His teammate passed him the ball, and the man I guarded turned to face me, dribbling, sweat dripping down his face, and his hot breath against my neck. Looking for an opening, he tried to fake the ball right and pass left to his teammate, who was driving toward the rim. Capitalizing on his misjudgment of my skills, I intercepted his pass and dashed for the opposite rim, dribbling the ball past everyone. I leapt off the dirt from behind the stained three-point line. While in midair, I twisted my body around, not once, but twice, for the seven-twenty spin. To finish off, I dunked the ball, making sure not to break the rim. That was the game.

  “Ohh! Oh shivf! That was awesome!” Ben praised.

  Playing ball against me really wasn’t fair. Although I can’t shoot to save my life, my defense is impenetrable, and my interior game is unbeatable. Hell, I even market the fact that I’d give anyone a thousand jemns if they manage to score on me; I have yet to pay anyone. Benjamin...he keeps me on my toes with his fluent passing. It was our thing, and we made a good team.

  “Let’s go take a break,” I suggested to Ben.

  Benjamin picked up a towel from the sideline and wiped the sweat from his face. “I could sure use the rest.”

  The both of us took our leave from the court and plopped our asses on some old camping chairs near the grilling area. Only a second had gone by when Valiic spotted me and trotted over, carrying a bag of ground beef. “James, I brought some fresh ground beef from the Magic Meal. Do you and your friend want some?” Nobody from my squad had met Ben yet.

  “Sure thing, man,” Ben said. “I’ll take one.” He held up a finger.

  “Four,” I added.

  “Four?” Benjamin looked at me with a blinking expression.

  “I’m a large man, and I need a lot of calories to make up for that,” I chuckled.

  “I don’t doubt it, bro,” Ben shrugged. He gazed back and studied Valiic. “Man, you are one scary brotha. What do they call you?”

  Valiic tossed ground beef patties on the grill. The air was filled with the smell of sizzling meat. “Valiic Bessile. And you?” He extended his hand in greeting.

  Ben accepted, and Valiic’s bulky hand concealed Benjamin’s entirely. “I’m Ben, short for Benjamin.”

  Just as he finished those words, Narrisa walked over with Shadow-Walker wrapped over her shoulders like a child. She stopped in front of us with a look of annoyance all over her face.

  Valiic gazed over to them. “Narrisa. You got ah… ah little… something on shoulder.” He pointed at Shadow-Walker.

  “I noticed.” Her words of irritation came fast.

  Shadow-Walker jumped in, “I bet a few guys that I could stay on Narrisa’s shoulders all day… no touching the ground.”

  “And he just jumped on without permission,” Narrisa added.

  “Hey! I told you I’d split the profits between the two of us. All you gotta do is be a good sport,” Shadow-Walker said with a laugh.

  Ben chuckled. “Is this an everyday thing for you guys?”

  I rolled my eyes. “You have no idea.”

  Shadow-Walker smiled. “We have fun on this squad.”

  “Sounds like it,” he said, somewhat sarcastically. “Speaking of which, I heard you guys were at the core of the city, in the brunt of the action.”

  “Legionnaires thrive in the center of the action. Hell, we almost got trampled by a boultha there,” I responded.

  “And a boultha, what is that like? I’ve never seen one.”

  Valiic tossed up one of the patties. “A beast tamed by the dytircs from their home system. It’s tall, borderline impenetrable, and tries to trample over its prey with its momentum.”

  “A nightmare on two legs,” I added. “You’ll see one someday.”

  “Hopefully not. If everything works out, I’ll be in the commander program before I’m placed on another mission,” Ben said.

  “What about you, Ben? What’s your unit like?” Valiic flipped over another burger.

  “Nothing special. I’m a just a watchman… a sniper on a support squad.” Support squads are squads that are without captains and are tagged onto independent units such as legionnaire squads or they can be used in other strategic ways by a commander. “Man, I wish my program was like yours. Command rotates us around so often, it’s hard to get to know anyone. I didn’t even get to know my last two squad mates before they passed.”

  “Passed?” I asked.

  “Bro, just last mission, too. We had a couple dytircs take us by surprise, and they took the hits.”

  “I apologize for your loss,” Valiic voiced with concern.

  “Don’t be. Like I said, I really didn’t get to know them.”

  “Alright, enough with the sad stuff,” Shadow-Walker interjected. “Let’s get to something interesting.”

  “Like what?”

  “What’s your love life like, Ben?” Shadow-Walker grinned.

  “W-what? Me? Oh… there isn’t much of a story there. Man, I’ll probably die a freven virgin knowing my lackluster female-talking skills.”

  “Well, you must have a type,” Valiic jumped in. Talk of relationships always sparked his curiosity. It was how he gained a sense of people.

  Ben put on his thinking cap. “That… that’s a good question. For me… a brunette definitel
y. One no bigger than myself who is smart but not afraid to try something new… someone who will keep the spark alive and make every day a surprise. Yeah, that’ll be it.”

  “That’s weak,” Shadow-Walker teased, “and cheesy. Me… I’d want a lady I can just come home to and take my day out on. Like, I’d love to come home after a long day and download my frustrations onto my girl. See, those angels… they’re a luxury. You don’t find them that way anymore.” His comments gave us all a long laugh.

  “Shadow, did I ever tell you that you have a one-in-a-million perspective on things?” I laughed.

  “It’s all about seeing life as it is. It’s a gift. What can I say?” Shadow-Walker teased.

  As Shadow-Walker finished his sentence, Captain Landis walked over. “James. Kalvin wants to see you in his quarters on the north end of the outpost.”

  “I’ll be there in a hare’s race,” I said with a nod.

  “Wow, you are one beautiful lady,” Ben blurted out. His words hit me like a brick, and I wasn’t the only one. The expressions from everyone showed that Ben just screwed up.

  Landis stopped in place, and you could almost see anger rising up her neck. “Excuse me!” She gave Ben a hard, bilious stare.

  “I’ve heard of you. Captain Landis, the Angel of Death, right? I’m just complimenting you ma’am,” Ben, not sure of what he said, tried to mend the situation.

  “Do yourself a favor, and keep them to yourself.” She walked off, squeezing her fists over and over again.

  When she was out of sight, I explained, “She hates it when people spill any mention of her looks. You’re lucky she didn’t chew your face off and spit it into the dirt.”

  “I don’t get it. If I were a girl with spotless, smooth, light-chocolate skin and sparkling brown eyes like her, I would be nowhere near a war… not to mention not ever wanting a compliment. What’s her deal?”

  “Don’t blink twice about it. You’re not the only one who can’t catch what she’s throwing. She complicated. I’ll just leave it at that.”

  “Complicated? I heard a rumor that she was, at one point, with somebody.”

  “Landis? Hah, that’s one of the funniest jokes I’ve ever heard. And that’s coming from me.” Shadow-Walker laughed.