I fired a single shot that took the Fae attacker in the chest and blew him apart in a bloody mist that hung in the air for a moment. Money pushed the crate back into place.
“Remind me that we need ballast in these creates if we’re going to use them as cover,” Money said.”
“Yes, Master Sergeant,” I replied.
“He almost got you in the gizzard,” Barnes hooted from inside the Command Post. “Here come the rest.”
“Same tactics, Porter,” Money said. “Don’t let them into the clearing. I doubt we have enough ointment to heal you if you get impaled by a spear.”
“Roger that,” I said letting my rifle hang from the strap around my neck while pulling the pin on another grenade.
I did my best to slow my breathing down. The moments before the fighting began were by far the worst. Terror ran rampant in my mind, with visions of gruesome death flashing before my eyes. I felt myself trembling, and hoped that Money didn’t notice. Then there was movement in the trees. I threw the grenade just as a straight line of Fae warriors raced into the clearing. The lead creature pointed to the grenade and jabbered just as Money fired on the creature. The lead Fae, and the alien just behind the first, were hit with gunfire. The rest dove to the side, rolling like acrobats and leaping back onto their feet.
The grenade went off without killing a single Fae. Fortunately, one dashed through the tree line and triggered a hidden explosive, which killed it and two others. Money’s clip was empty before I brought my weapon to bear, and six spears were thrown just as I sprayed the Fae with a hail of bullets. Several of the simian creatures dropped from my gun fire, but I was forced to duck for cover.
One spear went over my head, another fell short, but the third hit crates and knocked the box into me. I fell back, scrambled to my feet and ejected my empty magazine. There were four Fae left. One was sprinting toward me. I didn’t have time to load another magazine and charge the rifle before the creature would reach me. Instead I drew my sidearm. I saw a short, thick bladed knife in the hand of my attacker. I raised my pistol and fired several times, knocking the Fae off it’s feet and killing it.
Another Fae jumped over the crates to attack Money, who batted the creature aside with the butt of his assault rifle. I targeted a third and shot it as it tried to flank my position. The fourth fled, but ran into a tripwire and blew itself to bits.
“Staff Sergeant?” Money asked.
“We’re clear as far as the cameras can see,” Barnes said.
“Porter, you okay?”
“Fine, Master Sergeant.”
“Good. I’ve got another captive. Let’s get him tied up and in the Command Post.”
“Are we starting a zoo, Master Sergeant?” Barnes asked.
“No,” Money said, “but I want to know my enemy. This is the best way to do it. The sun will be down soon, and I want to get the defenses set back up before it gets dark.”
I walked over and looked down at the Fae. It really did look like a monkey, only with a thick woven belt and well groomed facial fur. There were markings on it’s body. Some were scars, others looked to be paint of some kind. I stepped into the Command Post and picked up some zip ties. I slung my assault rifle around to my back before kneeling down to secure the Fae’s hands. I was just starting to roll the alien onto it’s stomach, when the Fae’s eyes popped open, and it jumped onto me. I fell back as it came lunging toward my throat with strangely long fangs. The scream it made as it pulled itself toward me with ferocious strength echoed in my mind, burning itself into my memories.
Fear had never been so potent. I thought I was going to die, my throat ripped to shreds by the hostile creature. I threw my hands up, grasping its furry neck and pushing the Fae away from my throat. It grabbed my arms, pulling itself down. The hot breath from the desperate creature fogged the visor on my helmet, and I knew it was stronger than me. Strong enough to overcome my defenses. Strong enough to take my life.
Chapter 14
I didn’t hear Money running to my aid. I didn’t hear Barnes shouting to know what was happening, or even the captive Vena hunter who was barking frantically. The moment stretched out in my mind as fear set in. I could see every detail of the Fae’s mouth: the thick lips pulled back over long, jagged fangs; the white slobber foaming around it’s blood red gums; even it’s long tongue, rolled back in it’s dark throat.
I was trying desperately to hold the savage creature back, but I could feel my strength being overcome. I bucked and twisted my hips, but the Fae held me fast with it’s feet as it slowly pressed it’s diminutive body toward my throat.
Suddenly the Fae flew backward off of me. Tears welled in my eyes as I sat up. Money had grabbed the creature by the back of it’s shaggy head and flung it off of me. The Fae crashed into the Command Post, but immediately rolled to its feet.
“Shoot it!” Barnes shouted. “Kill it!”
Money had his assault rifle pointed at the creature. The Fae was fearless. It jumped straight for the Master Sergeant, who whipped his rifle around and struck the Fae with the butt of his weapon. The CR 2280 had a metal stock with an absorbent pad. The metal opened a gash on the Fae’s small head as Money batted the creature to the ground. It looked dazed for a moment. Money kicked the creature in the face hard enough to knock it unconscious, then dropped down onto it’s back.
“Get me those bindings, Porter,” Money said.
I had dropped the zip ties, but found them easy enough.
“Thank you,” I said, glad that Money couldn’t see the tears running down my face.
“Wicked little brutes, aren’t they?” he said. “Looked strong too.”
“It was.”
“Better bind it’s feet to it’s hands,” Money instructed. “Let’s put a gag on it too, and keep it outside. We can leash it to one of the structures, but I want a camera on it. I hope the wretched little beast is worth the effort.”
“Yes, Master Sergeant,” I replied, trying not to let my trembling hands show.
Money used a zip tie on each of the Fae’s hands, then a third to bind them together. I used the same technique on its ankles, then used another zip tie to link the creature’s hands to its feet. It lay on the ground, its hands bound behind its back, its legs bent at the knees and folded back over its hind quarters.
I used gauze to stuff into the Fae’s mouth, then all-purpose tape to hold the gag in place. I found rope and tied the Fae to one of the timber foundation posts. The sun was almost down when I got a security camera mounted on a tripod to keep an eye on the creature. My hands had nearly stopped shaking when I joined Barnes back in the Command Post.
“You okay, Porter?”
“I’m fine,” I lied.
I took a seat at the workbench and began field-striping my assault rifle. The familiarity of the activity helped calm me down. I didn’t have to think about what I was doing. My hands knew how to take the weapon apart without any conscious thought. I could do it in the dark with almost no sleep and a drill sergeant screaming in my face.
Money came in, and we settled in for the last few hours before reinforcements arrived. We ate MREs and drank flavored water with electrolytes and amino acids. The Base Camp was secured, and there was no sign of any of the militant natives close by. I should have been happy, but I was too shaken up to relax. I had come close to death more than once since joining the Space Marines, but the fight with the Fae had shaken my confidence.
“How long until the ships drop?” Money asked.
“The countdown is on,” Barnes said. “The Attila made orbit two hours ago. They’ll start dropping transports with fast-attack escorts soon.”
We ate our tasteless meal and watched the surveillance cameras while we listened to the communications that our parabolic radio dish picked up. The Attila was in a geo-synchronous orbit above our position. The Command Post was stuffy, so I went outside and looked up at the stars overhead. They looked the same. Stars are stars, even if I could see much more of them from Apex Venan
di than I had ever seen from Earth. It was good to be in the Base Camp where the trees had been cut back, and I could actually see the sky. It made me feel normal again, despite the fact that I was ten meters from an alien that wanted to kill me.
After a while, Money came out to check on me. He seemed tired, which was completely understandable given the hell we’d survived over the past week. There was a sense of relief, of letting down our mental and emotion walls. For the first time, we could admit that we had been terrified of being abandoned and forgotten on this hostile, alien world.
“You okay, Orry?”
“Fine,” I said, lying again, but not sure how I could admit anything else.
“You know, there’s a difference between battle terror and coming face to face with death. You can be scared in battle, but it doesn’t seem personal. Anonymous death is sometimes preferable to looking the Grim Reaper straight in the eyes.”
“I thought that little monster was going to rip my throat out,” I said, nodding my head toward the captive Fae.
“But it didn’t.”
“Another couple of seconds, and my strength would have given out,” I confessed.
“I could tell stories like that for hours,” Money admitted. “Hell, think of how many times you’ve saved my life on this mission. You saved Polaski and Barnes. You fought back attacks that would have wiped out the platoon. That’s what we do, Orry. We take care of each other in the dangerous places no one else is willing to go. You should be proud of what you’ve done.”
“I can’t get my hands to stop trembling.”
“That’s just the adrenaline. It will work itself out of your system. And the memory of the fight will fade. Barnes said you came in and striped your weapon down. That’s a textbook response to what you faced. Do the mundane chores whenever you feel your world spinning out of control, and it will center you.”
I looked down, trying to fight back my shame. Somehow, despite all I’d accomplished in my short career, I still felt like a failure. I knew that Money was telling me the truth, but I had a desire to live that was so strong it brought tears to my eyes. Even though I had faced dangerous, even life-threatening situations, I’d never really believed that I could die. But at that moment, it was all I could think about.
“Reinforcements will be launching soon,” Money said. “Our job here is over. We’ve done our part, Orry. You’re a damn fine Marine, and I’m honored to have served with you.”
“Master Sergeant?” I asked. “What will happen to Spartan Company?”
Money shrugged his shoulders. “My best guess is we’ll be reassigned. Over half the platoon was KIA or injured. We go where we’re ordered, Orry. Sometimes that’s into a dangerous mission, and sometimes it’s to a new platoon. The latter is harder in my opinion, but we carry the people we’ve served with in our hearts. I remember every face, every name. They’re part of me. It’s something I can be proud of no matter how stupid my superiors are or what asinine orders they dish out.”
“You ever have CO’s you trust?”
“Absolutely. Of course there’s always someone in the chain of command that’s bat-shit crazy. You have to be a little nuts to take the officer track.”
I smiled at the joke, and Money went back inside. My Command Helmet could pick up the communication from the ship in orbit, but I turned it off and laid back on the crate to look up at the stars. It was a vast galaxy. I knew that from experience. My entire life before enlisting in the Space Marines had been spent in one city on Earth, and I ended up on an alien planet, dozens of light years from everyone I knew. Even that seemed strange, as I looked up at the stars that seemed so familiar. Yet, all I had to do was turn my head to look at the pitiful creature, gagged and bound near the Command Post, to be reminded that I was on a hostile, alien world. At least my mission was over. I could return to a safer place, at least for a little while. Hopefully, I could find out what happened to my platoon mates, perhaps even run into Aurora again.
The thought of Aurora filled me with an intense longing. It felt good to want someone so badly again. I wanted to shrug off my fears and concentrate on regular things like life outside the Space Marines, good food, friends, even love. But the fear wouldn’t be shed so easily, and despite all my efforts, it made me feel as if I would never again have any of the things I treasured. In my mind, I couldn’t escape the feeling that I would never leave Apex Venandi alive.
Chapter 15
The first transport launched from orbit and descended to the surface of Apex Venandi without incident. Whatever creatures had attacked our shuttle were apparently either intimidated by the size of the transport craft, or had moved on to another part of the planet. The transport ship was a large, blocky craft. It took up nearly the entire clearing we had made in the jungle as it landed. Money joined me as the large ship settled to the ground.
We turned on lights that had been mounted above the entrance to the three shelters. Beside the Command Post, one had all the surplus weaponry we had come down with. The other was empty. As I watched, four officers approached. Money snapped to attention and saluted. I took his lead and saluted.
“At ease, Master Sergeant,” said a familiar voice. “Give us a report.”
“We’ve secured the perimeter and set up all the surveillance cameras. So far, the jungle is quiet, but we held off an attack earlier today. We have two captives. One Vena who is cooperating, and one Fae who is not.”
“Alright, let’s get those Marines and supplies unloaded. At daybreak we’ll expand the clearing, but for tonight let’s keep everyone on alert.”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Lieutenant Edward Rigel was back, only his single silver bar insignia had been replaced with a double bar which meant he was a Captain. Somehow, the craven, undisciplined officer had managed to get a promotion. And he was giving orders as if he were in charge of the mission.
“Roger that, sir,” said one of the other officers.
“Show me the prisoner, Master Sergeant,” Rigel said. “As soon as the transport is unloaded, we’ll have to send the captives back up with the wounded.”
“Yes sir,” Money said in a tight voice. “This way.”
He led the newly promoted Captain into the Command Post. I stood dumbfounded as I watched them go. The more I thought about the situation, the more absurd it seemed. Yet I knew that Rigel was an ambitious man. He had seen Recon as a way to move up the ranks, and even though I had no desire to do so, I had helped him. We had won the Recon challenge and completed the mission we were sent to Apexi Venandi to do. The fact that there were more Marines on the ground indicated that the Ultra had gotten my message before leaving the system. I did my best not to dwell on the fact that they hadn’t stuck around to lend us aid. Rigel had used that information to get himself promoted. I was aghast, but took comfort from the fact that I would soon be leaving Apex Venandi, and the contemptuous Captain Rigel, hopefully forever.
I watched as nearly a hundred Marines exited the transport. They worked in pairs, each team of two carried a single crate, which they stacked neatly according to their platoon commanders. Once the transport was unloaded, a team of medics approached me.
“Private, you have wounded on station?” a sergeant named Olson asked.
“Uh, yes, Sergeant. Just one, Staff Sergeant Barnes. His legs are broken.”
“Can you take us to him?”
“Of course. He’s in the Command Post.”
I walked the trio to the small structure and waited just outside as they went in and moved Barnes to a gurney on repulsers that floated gently over the rough terrain of Apex Venandi. They came out, and Barnes made them stop just outside the Command Post.
“Hang on a second,” he barked. “I need to speak to this Private.”
I moved a little closer. Barnes had his Command Helmet removed. There were dark circles around his eyes, and several days’ growth of beard was smashed from his helmet. I didn’t think he looked well, but there was a fire in his eyes that revealed an in
ner strength that I was certain would see him through his convalescence.
“Porter, it’s been an honor,” Barnes said.
“The honor has been all mine, Staff Sergeant.”
“That isn’t true. You saved my life, and I’ll never forget that. You watch your six and keep your head down.”
“Yes, Staff Sergeant.”
“When you have the time, look me up, Orry. So long.”
I was speechless as they carried him away. Part of me wanted to go after him, but I knew I had to stay until Master Sergeant Eubanks was done with Rigel. We would leave the planet together, and I was grateful for that. I felt a sense of sadness that my time with Spartan Company was ending, and I wanted to savor every moment I had left.
Watching as a group of Marines secured the wild Fae in what looked like a large pet carrier made my fears ease a little. The vicious creature couldn’t hurt anyone once the carrier’s latches were sealed. More Marines went into the Command Post and took Krup away. The long-faced hunter looked stunned as he was escorted onto the transport ship. All around me, Marines were taking up posts, their assault rifles held across their bodies, their faces covered by their armored helmets. I felt old and out of place. In my mind, I had already moved on. The Marines around me were the new warriors, ready to carry the fight to the natives of Apex Venandi. All I needed was one last order, a dismissal, before I could board the transport and be carried back up into orbit. I was looking forward to a shower and hopefully a long, uninterrupted sleep, when Money came out of the Command Post. He looked angry.
Rigel stepped out, glanced around, then closed the door. I wanted to ask questions, but first I had to open a private channel on my com-link to Master Sergeant Eubanks.
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