Spartan Valor

by Toby Neighbors

  “What do you look forward to most?” she asked one evening after dinner, as we lay side by side in the darkness, staring up at the star strewn sky.

  “First and foremost, a shower,” I said. “You?”

  “Come on, Orry. You know what I mean. Do you think you’ll re-enlist when the time comes?”

  “If I live long enough, you mean?”

  “Sergeant Stein from Basic told me there are people who just know instinctively how to fight. They always seem to survive, battle after battle. You’re one of those, Orry. You’re a survivor.”

  “If that’s true,” I said. “I’ll probably re-enlist. I can’t imagine doing anything else now. What about you?”

  “Maybe... I don’t know. I like driving, but I could get a commercial license and haul freight on a colony world.”

  “Wouldn’t you get lonely? I mean, being all by yourself for long stretches of time?”

  “Are you kidding? I would love some solitude.”

  “Not me, too dangerous all on your own.”

  “Well, I mean, solitude in a peaceful place,” she added. “Besides, I’m surrounded by people here, Orry. And I still feel all alone.”

  “What? Why?” I asked.

  “Because, even though I know people, no one really knows me. I’m just Private Keyes, just another driver in the armored division. Our platoon isn’t really close. We’re just a bunch of Marines with the same job.”

  “But you work together,” I said.

  “In theory, but actually we’re apart, in separate cabs most of the time.”

  “What about your partner. What’s his name?”

  “Lance Corporal Isaiah Crosby. He’s a slug, Orry. He volunteered because he knew I would do all the work. He just sits in the cab, scratching himself and dozing.”

  “Well, you have me and Abe.”

  “Do I?” she asked.

  “Of course you do,” I replied. “What’s that even supposed to mean?”

  “I don’t know. You tell me,” she said as she rolled over and propped her head on one hand. “Where am I from, Orry?”

  “Earth?”

  “Of course I’m from Earth. We rode up to Basic in the shuttle together. But where on Earth? What’s my family like? Why did I enlist?”

  “Because you wanted to, I guess. I don’t know.”

  “See? That’s what I mean. You see me as a fellow Marine, and I respect that. But no one really knows me. It’s lonely, you know?”

  “Yeah, I get that,” I said. “So, tell me something I don’t know about you, Gloria.”

  “You’re just saying that because I pushed you into it.”

  “Of course I am, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to know. And you think I don’t know you, but I do. I know you’re smart, ambitious, and a good shot with a rifle.”

  “Bet your ass, I am,” she giggled.

  “And you’re dedicated. Enlisting wasn’t a desperation move on your part. You love the Corps. You’ll re-enlist because you can’t get the same sense of purpose driving freight across a colony world as you do in the Marines. And you won’t just be a lowly corporal either. I’m not the only one who sees your work ethic and your talent.”

  “Okay, but that doesn’t really make me feel any better, Orry.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, I don’t want you to see a fellow Marine when you look at me.”

  “What do you want me to see?”

  She didn’t get the chance to answer. From out of the star-filled sky a shuttle appeared. It dropped down quickly and landed close by. Gloria and I had to get to our feet and move back to make room for the shuttle. We liked being out in the open at night, and the landing zone was usually empty. Other than the fast-attack escort ships, no other flight traffic had come to the Base Camp since Rigel’s battle group had arrived.

  I pulled my Command Helmet on, and Gloria looked at me funny.

  “Expecting trouble?” she asked.

  “No,” I replied.

  “Why do you wear that thing so much?”

  “It’s a Command Helmet,” I explained. “It will sync with the shuttle’s computer and...”

  “And what?”

  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The manifest had come up on my HUD, and as I scrolled through the names, one stood out from the others.

  “She’s here,” I said.

  “Who?”

  “Aurora.”

  I felt Gloria tense beside me, but to her credit she didn’t say a word. We watched as the passengers disembarked. It was a single platoon, eighteen enlisted personnel and two officers. They walked past us without a word. I had my helmet on, and I could see Aurora. She carried her armored helmet under one arm, and never even glanced my way. It was dark, and without night vision we were nothing but shadows against a dark background. But it still hurt to see her ignore me completely.

  “What are they doing here?” Gloria asked.

  I knew what she meant. The platoon members were all wearing the distinctive armor and cammies of the Military Intelligence division. I didn’t know much about MI, only that most Marines had a serious distrust of the secretive operators.

  “Beats me,” I said. “But we’ll know soon enough.”

  “I doubt that. The MI don’t report through regular channels. They could be here, and never tell a soul what they’re up to. I still can’t believe Aurora joined them.”

  “What choice did she have?” I said. “She wasn’t offered an infantry slot.”

  “That should tell you everything you need to know about MI,” Gloria insisted. “Aurora was a good Marine. There’s no reason she shouldn’t have been offered a place.”

  “I agree.”

  “They saw something about her they could exploit, if you ask me — and forced her hand by removing any other choice of service.”

  “Maybe,” I said. The truth was, I hadn’t really given the idea of why Aurora joined the Military Intelligence Unit much thought. Maybe she didn’t have a choice because they wanted it that way.

  “You’re still hung up on her,” Gloria said. “That just figures.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing, I’ve got to check on the rig. See you tomorrow, Orry.”

  “What? You’re leaving?” I asked.

  “Might as well,” she said, glancing back at me over her shoulder. “You’re already gone.”

  Chapter 20

  I made my way to the Command Post. I had no intention of going inside, but I was hoping that I might pick up some chatter on the com-link through my Command Helmet — all it would take was one Marine inside who had failed to either mute their com-link or power down their helmet when they took it off. The Military Intelligence platoon had gone inside the small, two-story structure. In the week since he’d arrived, I hadn’t seen Rigel step foot out of the building with it’s climate controls and radio link to the warship in orbit above.

  I went to the back of the building, sat on an empty supply crate, and leaned back against the wall. Someone inside was picking up the conversation, and for that small miracle, I was grateful. Normally I wouldn’t have thought of trying to bypass the chain of command or snoop into matters above my pay grade, but Aurora was on Apex Venandi and I had to know why.

  “Captain Parks, good to see you,” Rigel said. His nasal voice was unmistakable. “What brings you here?”

  “The locals are consolidating their forces, Rigel,” the new officer said. “But I’m sure your patrols have informed you of the same thing.”

  “My patrols don’t venture into the forest without cause,” Rigel said. “And the locals have left us in peace. The mission is proceeding without delay. I hope nothing you’re here to do will change that.”

  “Never fear, Captain,” Parks said the rank as if it were distasteful. “We won’t blemish your spotless service record. My platoon will simply use this camp as our FOB.”

  “To what end?” Rigel insisted.

  “That’s nee
d to know, Captain.”

  “I’m in charge of the ground force operations on this planet, Captain Parks. I would say that means I need to know if Military Intelligence is carrying out operations here.”

  “You already know that,” Parks said. “If you want more answers, you’ll have to speak to Admiral Wong on the Attila. Until then, I’m afraid I can’t say more. We’ll operate on comms channel sixty-four. Do you care where we set up operations?”

  “Of course I care. I keep my thumb on the pulse of everything happening in this camp.”

  I wanted to laugh, but held my derision in check. Rigel was hiding. That was obvious. He didn’t know and didn’t care how things got done. Discipline among the platoons charged with securing the base had fallen off noticeably.

  “Fine. Give us a spot to set up our equipment, and we won’t bother you anymore,” Parks said. “We’ve got work to do, and we’ll see to it.”

  Rigel pointed out an area for the MI unit to work with. I watched from a distance as a canvas pavilion was set up. An hour later, the platoon disappeared into the forest with strange devices. When I turned around, intending to head back to the tent I had been assigned, I was surprised to see Money standing there.

  “MI,” he said. “Any idea what they’re up to?”

  “No, but they just went into the jungle.”

  “I saw that. Looked like they had laser designators.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “It’s a missile guidance device — shoots a laser at a target so that bombs can be dropped on a specific location. Can’t imagine how they would work with the canopy overhead though.”

  “I heard them say the natives are congregating,” I confessed.

  “You were eaves dropping?”

  “Aurora Wilkes is with the MI platoon.”

  “Ah, well, that’s an unfortunate wrinkle.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Well, it sounds to me like the Fleet is preparing to bombard the natives, and your girlfriend is going to be calling down the lightning, so to speak. I can’t image that would be a safe job. You know how dangerous the jungle is at night.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. Air strikes seemed unfair somehow, yet I didn’t feel sorry for the natives. They were deadly, and I would shoot to kill if I ran into one. But the larger the mission grew, the smaller I felt. Coming in, securing the Base Camp, and running a few tests to find the IX gas seemed simple enough. But like the legendary Hydra, every time we completed one task, two more cropped up in its place.

  “Screw it,” Money said. “They aren’t here looking over my shoulder. That’s all I care about it. Try to get some sleep, Porter. There’s nothing you can do about Aurora being here. Odds are your paths won’t cross.”

  “Yes, Master Sergeant,” I said, feeling numb and disappointed.

  I walked to my little tent and was surprised to see Gloria waiting there. She stood up as I approached. The tents were small, dome-shaped contraptions. We weren’t allowed to build fires or to have lights inside the tents. All I had was a sleeping bag inside mine, but it was too small to use with armor. And it was too hot to even consider covering up at night. I kept an empty crate outside my tent to sit on, and Gloria had been using it.

  “So... Did you talk to her?”

  “No,” I said, feeling self-conscious but not sure why.

  “Well, I need to say something to you, Orry. You don’t have to respond, but I’m going to say it, even if it makes me look foolish.”

  I felt my body tighten. I felt pretty sure I knew what she was going to say, but I had no idea how to respond.

  “You’re a good guy, Orion — a great Marine, and a good friend. Can you take your helmet off for just one minute?”

  I felt bad for wanting to say no, and I forced myself not to say it. Instead, I flipped the latches that sealed my helmet and pulled it from my head. The sultry air on my damp skin felt nice. Gloria stepped close and looked into my eyes. It was too dark to make out details, but I could see the lights from the Command Post and surrounding structures reflected in hers.

  “I know this is stupid,” she said. “We’re Marines, and strong feelings can only hurt us in the long run. But I can’t help it. I’ve tried to ignore you, Orry. I’ve tried to focus on my job, or even find someone more willing to care about me. But I can’t get you out of my head. I think I love you. Please, don’t say anything. I know how I sound. But I have to say it. You don’t have feel the same way. I’m not trying to tie you up, or keep you from someone else. I just needed you to know.

  She stepped back and turned to leave, but I caught her arm before she could get away. The truth was, I didn’t know how I felt, and I didn’t want to lead Gloria on. But I knew I didn’t want her to leave either.

  “Stay,” I urged her.

  “Why, Orry? Because you’re bored? Because you can’t be with Aurora? I don’t want to be your consolation prize.”

  “You’re not,” I said. “I don’t know how I feel, or what I’m supposed to feel. Gloria, if you only knew how close I came to dying before you got here. I’ve seen things that haunt my dreams. I’ve done things that I wish I could forget. All I know is, when you’re close to me I feel better, and I don’t want to lose that.”

  “I make you feel better?”

  “Yeah, you do,” I said. And there was more than friendship stirring inside of me. “Can you give me a little time? I need to sort some things out.”

  “Yeah, sure I can,” she said with a smile. Even in the dark, I could see her bright smile.

  “Thank you,” I said, taking her hand.

  We sat down side by side, neither of us speaking. It was enough just to have a peaceful moment in the midst of the alien world, where chaos seemed about to break out at any moment. I pulled off my glove and we held hands in the darkness, hoping the uncertainty of our mission wouldn’t sweep us away like leaves in a storm.

  Chapter 21

  It was day eight of the road construction. We were over twenty kilometers from the Base Camp. I had to make conscious effort not dwell on the fact that Aurora was somewhere out in the jungle. She might have been a million light-years away, and we wouldn’t have had any less contact. Yet she hovered in my mind like an itch I couldn’t reach.

  I had to shake my head to clear it as I stalked through the jungle. Behind me, I could hear the carnage of trees falling and wood being shaved into small chips that were blown out onto the road. I found the mulch road springy, yet surprisingly resilient. The armored transport rolled over the road easily and left no ruts on the spongy layer of wood. If we had to make a quick escape, the road would lead us out of the jungle and back to the Base Camp in record time.

  Perhaps my vigilance was slipping, or maybe my mind was just too consumed with Aurora and Gloria. But I didn’t see the Fae until they were almost on top of me. A pair of the small, simian creatures raced toward me on the backs of their flying mounts.

  “I have contact,” I said into the com-link as I raised my rifle. “Two mounted Fae.”

  “Vector?” Lieutenant Duffer demanded.

  “They’re headed straight for me,” I said.

  “Defensive positions,” Money said.

  “We don’t have time for this!” Duffer said.

  The lieutenant was smart. He listened to his NCOs and didn’t make foolish decisions, but he had grown agitated over the past week. I suspected Captain Rigel was making his life miserable, but it was just a guess. The engineers couldn’t cut a path through the jungle any faster, yet he was constantly mumbling about getting more done. Perhaps he just didn’t like serving under Rigel, which I understood perfectly. At any rate, I had no time to debate his comment. I fired at the Fae, hitting them both with single shots from my CR 2280. The depleted uranium rounds blew the diminutive aliens apart and frightened their mounts, which flew up into the canopy.

  “I’ve got incoming,” Money announced suddenly. “Several vectors converging on Alpha engineers’ position. Moving fast.
Sergeant Thatcher, provide cover fire and watch for friendlies.”

  “Roger that, Master Sergeant.”

  I heard gun shots behind me and ducked instinctively. There was shouting over the com-link as the Fae closed in on the Marines ordered to protect the engineers. I hurried back toward the transport.

  “Foxtrot is loaded,” Lieutenant Duffer said.

  “Private Keyes, retreat,” Master Sergeant Eubanks ordered. “This position is overrun.”

  “Shouldn’t we wait for you?” Gloria asked.

  “Negative. Get those engineers out of here, now,” Money said.

  I was still running from tree to tree, worried that a bullet might rip me apart the way it had the Fae I shot. The transport engine hummed at a high pitch as is it rolled backwards over the newly constructed road. I didn’t mind walking back the twenty-plus kilometers to Base Camp, but I was afraid we would be overrun.

  A group of Fae on their mounts flew past me. I ducked, but wasn’t quick enough. One turned and headed back toward me. I fired at the simian creature on it’s insectile mount, but the alien used the trees for cover. Running as fast as I could in full armor with a heavy pack, I made straight for the road. The Fae darted out of the trees and was only a few meters away when I fired my rifle at the alien purely on instinct. One bullet clipped the Fae rider and sent the little alien flipping off the back of it’s mount, but the huge creature that resembled a dragonfly crashed straight into me. I was knocked off my feet. The insectile creature careened into a tree. One wing was ripped off, and the creature hit the ground with a blood-curdling wail.

  I scrambled to my feet, waving my rifle toward the Fae. The little alien was staring at a bloody stump where it’s arm had been. It seemed clear the alien was in shock. I didn’t stick around to find out more. I heard a human scream just seconds before I came charging out of the trees onto the road. I was about twenty meters from the mulch-covered path. There were fallen trees littering the ground. Some had been de-limbed and chopped into segments, while others had just recently fallen. I saw Sergeant Thatcher and another Marine dashing toward me. A group of six Fae were charging at them on flying mounts. The little monkey-like Fae had long, wooden lances that were leveled at the Marines.