“How’d it go with the captain?” Kal asked.
“He reprimanded me for coming back without my karambit,” Nick said.
The others seemed unconcerned by the news, but Kal gave Nick a worried look.
“Where’d you lose it?” Ty asked casually.
“Fighting that animal with the wide bone on top of its head,” Nick replied.
Kal gave a tiny nod of approval.
“How can they reprimand you for saving our lives?” Jules asked. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Nick saved us?” Ember asked.
“He killed the animal that attacked Sarge,” Ty explained.
“And me,” Jules said. “It was a nasty beast.”
“Nick gutted it,” Kal said with a wink. “It’s no wonder he lost his knife.”
“The captain ordered me to remind you all that sloppiness will not be tolerated. We are to return from all stealth missions with all our gear,” Nick warned them.
“That’s hard to do when we’re under attack,” Ty said.
“Did you know you lost it killing that creature?” Ember asked.
“I told him,” Nick replied. “But he was more concerned about the consequences of the Issip finding the weapon. He said it could give them leverage in their negotiations.”
“That’s absurd,” Jules said.
“Unbelievable,” Kal added. “All they care about is their bottom line.”
“We’re just the hired help, dude,” Ty said. “They don’t care if we live or die.”
“That’s why we have to look out for each other,” Nick said. “No one else is.”
They all knew what he meant. It wasn’t just about surviving dangerous missions. Nick was referring to the data chips he and Kal had stolen from the Issip. The Proxy had rescued the group of friends from a long life of hard labor with very few rewards, but they couldn’t forget that the aliens didn’t care about them. What they provided in service pay and food seemed like riches, but in truth, it was all a business transaction to the Proxy. Money was their first love, followed closely by striking one-sided deals in their favor. The PMC was just one of many ways in which they kept a stranglehold on the galactic economy.
“So, we’re home,” Ember said. “What’s next?”
“We have to find Gunny Tveit and make sure she knows she is still part of this team,” Nick said.
“I’ll talk to her,” Ember said.
“Good,” Jules said. “Let’s get out of here.”
“I wonder if they’ll let us finish our thirty-six-hour liberty?” Kal said.
“Don’t count on it,” Nick replied.
They returned to their quarters and found Gunny Tveit in her tiny room. Everyone but Ember quickly found something else to do.
“Have you got a minute?” Ember asked.
“Of course,” Beth Tveit said, waving to the small stool in front of the little desk in her quarters. Other than the bed and a locker, there were no other furnishings in the tiny space and no room for more.
“The guys told me you would leave the team if that’s what we wanted,” Ember said.
Gunny Tveit looked down at the floor. Her hands were trembling. “That’s right,” she managed to say.
“Well, you can forget it,” Ember said. “No one blames you for what happened.”
“It was my fault. I know better than to discharge a weapon in those circumstances,” Tveit said. “I feel so ashamed.”
“Why? It was an accident.”
“It was an accident born from fear. I panicked. I didn’t know what to do, and I was afraid that creature was going to kill me. So, I fired my weapon before I was ready. And you almost died because of it.”
“And who’s to say anyone else wouldn’t have done the same thing,” Ember said softly. “Yes, your bullet wounded me, but your actions afterward not only ensured that I got the medical help I needed as quickly as possible but also made sure we finished the mission. Those are the actions of a brave and smart commander. We want you on our team.”
“How can you trust me?” Tveit asked. It was the only time Ember had ever seen the steely gunnery sergeant show doubt. Even when she’d been injured on the Green planet during their survival training, she had been confident.
“The same way we trust each other,” Ember said. “It’s not about our failures, it’s about the resolve we have to see each other through whatever circumstances we get thrown into. You did that, Gunny. And we won’t accept any other NCO.”
“You won’t have a choice if I resign my post,” Tveit said. “But I won’t let you down if this is really what you all want.”
“It is,” Ember said. “The team voted and it was unanimous. You are our NCO, and we are a team. Nothing comes between us.”
“I’m honored to be on your team, Ember. Thank you.”
They stood, and Ember saluted the tall gunnery sergeant. Tveit returned the salute, and there was no more talk about her not serving as their NCO. An hour later, she informed them all their orbital training would continue in the morning.
“I want watches in shifts, from midnight until we roll out at 0600,” Gunny Tveit said.
“Yes, Sergeant,” the team replied.
“You better get some rest. Tomorrow, things will get dicey,” the NCO said. “And I want you all at your best.”
Chapter 18
The next day, they began making long, coordinated flights through space in only their armor. Using the propulsion drives strapped around their waists. In many ways, it was easier than navigating through an obstacle course, but according to Master Sergeant Cane, it was the most dangerous of zero-gravity missions.
They flew in patterns for different objectives. Sometimes single file to reduce their visibility, sometimes clustered together to hide their numbers. Eventually, they practiced rescue tactics. For Nick, catching and slowing a person who was out of control was the hardest part of the training. Not just because the tactics were physically and mentally exhausting but also because they tapped into his fear of getting lost in space.
Over and over they practiced matching a person’s velocity and then latching onto them. There was always the possibility of being knocked away if the rescuer wasn’t careful, or the person being rescued was flailing too much. There were times when both parties went careening off in different directions, but eventually, the group got the knack of one-on-one rescues.
They completed the orbital training by being launched out of the airlock with no tethers. To make matters worse, the safety equipment near the airlock was empty.
“What do we do now?” Kal asked angrily. “Some pinhead didn’t do their job.”
“There are other safety bins,” Nick said.
“And how do we know they aren’t empty too?” Kal grumbled.
“Because we don’t have enough air to complete the test in our armor alone,” Jules said. “Now stop complaining and help.”
Gunny Tveit was with them, as was Master Sergeant Cane, but neither spoke or offered help in any way. They were silent observers.
“We should split up,” Nick said. “Use the magnets in our armor to stay connected to the ship and search in both directions.”
One group went left, the other right. They walked along the outside of the ship as if it were the ground. Nick’s group found a safety locker with four air tanks, which was enough for his party, but not both.
“Man, I knew this was going to be a crap shoot,” Ty said.
“So what do we do?” Kal asked. “You’ve got air and we don’t.”
“Keep looking,” Ember said.
“Easy for you to say,” Kal grumbled.
“You’re testy when you don’t get enough air to breathe,” Ty teased.
“Oh, can it, Ty. You’re wasting your air,” Kal retorted. Nick and his group, which included Ember, Jules, and Gunny Tveit, were making their way toward the others when Kal whooped for joy.
“Man, I was down to twenty percent O2,” Kal said.
“Yeah, it
’s hard to pace a mouth breather like you, dude,” Ty said.
They loaded the air tanks onto their armor and discovered that the tanks were nearly empty. Kal was furious, but they salvaged enough air to refill their armor’s meager supply before shelving the empty tanks back in the safety compartment.
“So, what now?” Ty asked.
“There’s probably air on that wing of the station,” Nick said, point across a big gap.
“We’ll never make it around to that side,” Kal said.
“Not walking,” Jules said. “But if we fly over, you could.”
“If we have to use our armor’s atmo to navigate, we’ll run out of air,” Kal said. “Maybe there’s a way back in the airlock.”
“You think giving up is an option?” Ty asked.
“It’s not giving up,” Kal said. “It’s fulling the parameters of the mission: getting everyone safely into the space station.”
“Which we can only do on the far side,” Nick said. “That’s the approved airlock.”
“Nick, we could die if you’re wrong and there’s no air over there.”
“We won’t let that happen,” Ember said.
“She’s right,” Jules added. “We’ll share air if we have to.”
“Fine,” Kal said. “Just don’t drop me along the way.”
“That’d be a shame,” Ty said with a chuckle. “A real shame.”
Nick took hold of Kal, while Jules and Ember locked arms with Ty. They used their legs to propel across the empty space, like divers pushing off the floor of a pool. It was difficult to make adjustments since Kal and Ty didn’t have air to spare, but they managed the feat and quickly found a safety compartment with enough air for all of them.
“What now?” Jules asked once everyone was suited up.
“Stealth mode,” Nick said. “Straight to the other side of the station.”
“We going over or under?” Ty asked.
“Over,” Ember said. “There are view ports on the bottom side.”
“How does she know that?” Kal asked.
“Because the planets are down there,” Ember replied, pointing down at Delphi Blue and Brown. The two worlds were drifting by below the Foundry space station.
“Oh,” Kal said.
“So we go over,” Nick said. “Single file, and tethered.”
They used the safety lines they had found with the air tanks and started moving up and over the Foundry. They were all just about in line when Master Sergeant Cane went spinning out of control away from the space station.
“Oh man, there goes Master Sergeant,” Ty said.
“Why the hell wasn’t he tethered?” Kal said.
“He obviously doesn’t practice what he preaches,” Jules said.
“I’ll go after him,” Nick said. “You all stay here.”
“Shouldn’t we all go?” Kal asked.
“No, it would compromise our presence,” Ember said.
“I can do it,” Ty offered.
“Nick’s the best flyer,” Kal replied.
“Just don’t go floating off anywhere,” Ember said. “We’d hate to lose you.”
Nick unfastened his tether and jumped toward the master sergeant. He had to use the individual propulsion drive around his waist to catch their training officer. Half of his air supply was gone by the time he matched Cane’s speed and got close enough to grab hold of him. Once they were together, Nick tried to use his armor’s automatic controls to stop their tumble, only to discover the feature had been disabled.
“You’ll have to do it manually, Private,” Master Sergeant Cane said. “And try not to puke.”
Nick was the best at using the tiny puffs of air on his armor’s wrists and boots to control himself in zero gravity, but tumbling out of control through space made him nervous, and knowing that he was being tested doubled that intensity. It took him a little longer than he wanted, but he got them under control and reversed course. By the time they got back to the space station, he only had twenty percent left in his oxygen tanks.
“Alright, let’s finish this,” he said as he snapped back into the tether.
Fortunately, nothing amiss happened as they drifted across the Foundry in a single file. They got into the airlock and removed their air tanks.
“I never doubted it,” Kal said. “I knew we would pass with flying colors.”
“I’m deducting points for bad attitude, Phillips,” Master Sergeant Cane declared. “Any more lip from you and I’ll make you retake the entire two-week training.”
Kal had just pulled his helmet off and looked shocked.
“Zip it, pal,” Jules said.
“How’d they do, Master Sergeant?” Gunny Tveit asked.
“They passed,” he said sourly, as if he was disappointed. “I’ll see you all in a few weeks for orbital insertion training. Good luck down on Brown.”
“Roger that, Master Sergeant,” Gunny Tveit said. “Good work, Team. Let’s get out of this armor and find out when our shuttle down for atmo flight training begins.”
“Man, I love this job,” Ty said.
“Will we have time off between?” Ember asked.
“Normally,” Gunny Tveit said. “But we’re behind schedule.”
“Because we keep getting shipped off on special missions,” Kal said. When Jules shot him a dirty look, he threw up his hands. “Hey, I’m not complaining. Just stating the facts, that’s all.”
“He’s right,” Gunny Tveit said. “But that’s life in Recon. You have to be ready to ship out at any time.”
“I can live with that,” Ty said. “Nothing like a little excitement to make life worth living.”
“I like excitement,” Nick said. “But I wouldn’t mind a night off. We never got to check out the dance club in the entertainment wing.”
“I could dance,” Jules said.
“Give me a few shots of Codnam and cranberry juice and I’ll be shaking all over,” Ty said with a chuckle.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing that,” Ember said.
“Let’s hope we get the chance,” Gunny Tveit said.
Chapter 19
The next shuttle to Delphi Brown didn’t leave for over twelve hours after the team had turned in their armor. They were free to do whatever they wanted for six of those hours, although Gunny Tveit warned them that they would need at least six hours of sleep in order to hit the ground running when their shuttle touched down in Redstone, which was the training center on the Brown planet.
Nick and his friends immediately headed to the entertainment wing of the station and assembled at a pub called the Hole in the Wall. There was a portal on that side of the station that looked out opposite from Delphi’s bright sun. Thousands of stars were visible through the thick, transparent steel of the portal, and the tables in the pub were set up so that everyone had a view.
“So, four hours isn’t much,” Jules said. “What do we do?”
“A movie?” Kal offered.
“I thought we were going dancing,” Ember replied.
“I’m kind of wiped out,” Ty said. “I think a few drinks, some good food, and we call it a day.”
“Seriously?” Jules said, staring at her big friend with incredulity. “You want to just sit around on the only leave we’ll have for at least two weeks.”
“I’m with Ty,” Nick said. “I want to just chill out after that test.”
“We should be celebrating,” Ember said. “We passed with flying colors.”
“So let’s order some drinks!” Ty said. “We can celebrate right here!”
They ordered a variety of beverages. Kal ordered beer, which was brewed on the station. Nick and Ember both opted for hard cider, while Ty and Jules had Codnam. The strong, tasteless liquor was mixed with fruit juice. Ty chose cranberry, while Jules opted for orange. Soon, their other plans were forgotten in favor of simply hanging out.
They ordered platters of appetizers and were having a good time when members of Dragon Team Thirteen came into the p
ub. At first, Nick and his friends didn’t notice the newcomers, but when they moved to a nearby table with drinks, it was impossible not to.
“Is that?” Ember asked, leaning close to Nick and speaking low.
“Donny Calloway,” Nick said.
Donny was with Robert Gorman and Ariel Summers. Seeing them made Nick nervous, especially since Donny’s other friend Chancy Hicks wasn’t with them. Nick tried to turn and look around the small pub casually, but he felt obvious as he searched for the missing member of Donny’s regular trio.
“Hey, we could leave,” Kal said.
“No way,” Ty exclaimed. “We ain’t letting those punks run us out.”
“Gunny Tveit warned us not to get into trouble,” Jules said.
“Let’s just relax,” Nick said, feeling like a hypocrite. “There’s no reason to believe that Calloway is even still holding a grudge.”
A minute later, the short, grizzled Recon specialist approached their table. When Nick looked over, Gorman was grinning stupidly, but Ariel looked down at the floor. She was with her teammates, but she didn’t seem happy about it.
“Look at this, they let you children out for recess,” Donny Calloway said in a mocking tone.
“Hey, man, we’re just having a meal,” Kal said. “You had your fun with Nick. It’s over.”
Donny grabbed Kal’s shoulder and leaned over him. Kal didn’t move, and Nick could see Donny’s knuckles turning white as he squeezed the younger man’s shoulder.
“Nothing’s over,” Donny snarled. “Not until I say it is.”
“You’re going to want to take your hand off his shoulder,” Ty said.
He was starting to get up, but Nick put his hand on his friend’s arm. They weren’t drunk, but they all had been drinking. If a fight broke out, they would be blamed. The last thing Nick wanted was for his problem to taint the others.
“What’s it going to take to finish this?” Nick said.
“Oh, I think you,” Donny said with a wicked grin.
“He kicked your ass once,” Jules said. “You really want another beating?”
Uncommon Loyalty Page 12