Hunter, Warrior, Commander

by Andrew Maclure

  Chapter Eighty Three

  The new Colonel

  The landers left Tahl Rek Aff Bren’s ship and docked in Landing Bay 2. Si’ir Monn relayed an order to Sah Lee and Por Aruf’s squads to disembark and remain there.

  “Why are we waiting Sergeant?” Sah Lee asked on the open channel of the mission comms.

  “Our new Commander of Military Operations, Colonel Ssar Bess Dassur wants to meet with us. He’s coming here to address us all.”

  They waited patiently until eventually, the Colonel strode in. He stopped a few meters away, all the soldiers snapped to attention and saluted. Some with more enthusiasm than others. “At ease!” He barked. “Gather round!”

  He waited until they formed a semicircle around him.

  “There is a new regime now. Colonel B’Erren Tek has been moved to logistics, a role more suited to her limited talents. You had it pretty easy with her. I will not take any of your shit. Anyone disobeying orders or going maverick will be disciplined or kicked out the army.” He glared at Sah Lee. “And having contacts with the People,” he said the word ‘People’ as though it was something that tasted bad and he wanted to spit it out, “won’t help. I know you all think you did well on Bander Four Three ...”

  “Barden Three Four Sir.” Si’ir Monn helpfully corrected him.

  The Colonels lizard eyes visibly bulged. “Shut it Sergeant! When I want your input, I will tell you! It doesn’t matter what that shitty little moon was called or your shitty little mission. Corporal Sah Lee, the Generals have seen the battle report and have awarded you the Galactic Savior Army Service Star. I can tell you, Corporal, that in my experience, medals are only awarded to self-promoting grandstanders. Real heroes die unnoticed.”

  “Permission to speak Sir!” Sah Lee said.

  “What do you want?” he spat out.

  “Sir! I wanted to say that a lot of hostiles on Barden Three Four must have been real heroes, Sir. And I was admiring the impressive row of medals on your chest, Sir!”

  The Colonel strode over to Sah Lee and leaned forward until his face was almost touching Sah Lee’s. She didn’t flinch or blink. “You are treading a very fine line Corporal.” he hissed at her. “I know your history. You are nothing but a savage. There should be no place in this army for you. I have wiped better things than you off the soles of my boots. You haven’t got Colonel B’Erren Tek to protect you now. If you step out of line by one nanometer you will be out of this army before you can blink.” He held her gaze for a moment, then bellowed “Got it soldier!”

  Without batting an eyelid, she shouted out: “Sir, yes Sir!”

  The Colonel stepped back. “Keep out of my sight soldier. Or else.” he hissed. Turning on his heel, he stomped out.

  Si’ir Monn broke the silence. “He’s got it in for you Sah Lee. You’d better keep out of his way.”

  “He’d better keep out of my way too when he comes on a mission I’m on.” Sah Lee answered with a humorless smile.

  Chapter Eighty Four

  New Mission Orders

  Despite the Colonel’s dampening effect on the returning troops, they celebrated their safe return and honored their fallen comrades with a night out in a bar on the rest and relaxation level. The bar was run by brown insectoids about a meter tall with shiny wing cases, long antenna and small mouthparts. Si’ir Monn told Sah Lee that they were non-combatants but worked in the support services, fixing things the maintenance bots couldn’t do. They ran the bar as a hobby, like all the other bars on the station. The music in the bar was loud and sounded to Sah Lee like tuneless hissing and scratching. The only music she had heard before leaving Aarn had been when they gathered round the fire in the middle of the village in the evenings and sang or chanted stories from the History, so she didn’t consider herself a connoisseur.

  Having learnt from her previous encounter with alcohol, she told her AI to filter it all out of her blood before she metabolized it into something that would make her feel like she had died several days ago. After a few samples, she found a colorless liquid that burnt as it went down, but in a good way. Unusually for Sah Lee, she went the whole evening without getting into a fight.

  She spent the following day on the firing range with Si’ir Monn, checking out the RX4040 she had brought back and comparing to the army issue FKE42 and the heavier RKE15. The RX4040 felt clunky next to the FKE42 and was heavier, but could be made in a basic synthesizer, the FKE42 needed a synthesizer with a much higher level of technology. The FKE42 was designed so it could take an RX4040 magazine, but the RX4040 couldn’t use an FKE42 one. This had the advantage that if the FKE42 user ran low on bullets in the battlefield, they could use ammunition from a fallen outcast while the enemy couldn’t use magazines from a fallen soldier. Another major plus for the FKE42 was that the user had to be bond their AI to it and give the correct ID credentials, the RX4040 could be picked up and used by anyone, so an enemy couldn't pick am FKE42 up off the battlefield and use it. The RKE15 was too heavy and unwieldy for Sah Lee, although she liked the larger magazine and the effect the heavier bullets had. When Si’ir Monn had had enough, Sah Lee finished her day off by running circuits in the Betzel Station corridors. It bore no comparison to running on the plains, but she was reconciled to the fact that those days were all in the past. Now instead of getting sneers and cat calls from the people she passed in the corridors she got smiles and friendly waves. She was gaining the reputation she wanted and was pleased to have.

  The following morning Sah Lee had arranged a sparring session with Bynor, then planned a long workout in the gym. On her way to the close combat training area, she received a message telling her she was on a new mission and to report to Landing Dock Four immediately. She sent Bynor a message apologizing for missing the arranged session and broke into a run back to her quarters.

  “What is the mission?” she asked her AI.

  "It hasn’t been announced yet, but I have interrogated the mission scheduling AI. A resort habitat called Celestial Heaven is being invaded by an unknown number of outcasts. It is a high-profile resort; the analysis is that this is a hit and run raid. A small number of outcasts will cause mayhem for a short period and then leave before any kind of enforcement can arrive to take them on. The assumption is that it is a small invasion, approximately fifty outcasts, though I cannot see from the data why that assumption was been made."

  “Who else is going that I know, and how many of us?”

  "Sergeant Broffal is the mission leader, you and Por Aruf are the two Corporals, each with a squad of twelve, all light infantry.”

  “Not Si’ir Monn?”

  “No, though on the face of it he would be a better choice. He is more proactive and experienced in this type of mission. Sergeant Broffal’s experience is mainly in larger ground-based actions with a substantial chain of command. Light infantry would appear to be the correct choice, you need to move quickly and react to whatever you find and if it is a hit and run raid, the outcasts will only have light weapons and armor.”

  “Do you have any special tricks for me this time?”

  “Only what you had before, just extra drones.”

  “What do you know about mission tactics?”

  “I have analyzed all mission reports since the army started operations, there are recurring themes. I will advise you based on what has worked before if you are in a situation where you are unsure what to do.”

  “That’s not going to happen!”

  “I have just received the mission plan. You are to take standard body armor and an assault weapon of your choice. The habitat is owned by an organization known as the Operators. They asked for minimal damage, so no explosives, but we’ll ignore that and take the sticky grenades. There are four hundred and thirty-seven customers on board, the Operators refer to them as guests, and five hundred and seventy two staff. Most of the staff are from civilizations who use a monetary system and are on fixed term paid contracts. All staff are mammals, the customers are mainly mammals with a
few reptiles. All the guests come from civilizations that don’t use money and are there by invitation. The Operators select the guests from the powerful and well connected on the understanding that the guests will look favorably on the Operators if they ask the guests governments for favors.”

  “Don’t the Operators like insectoids and avians?”

  “They have separate resort habitats for them, they have different requirements for entertainment and relaxation.”

  “Oh, right. I don’t care about damaging their habitat, I’ll focus on saving people and killing outcasts. I’ll take a few army grenades too.”

  Sah Lee told her AI to order a new jumpsuit, boots, body armor and helmet and whatever else it thought she would need so she could change and fill her backpack up as soon as she got back. She walked into her quarters and found that instead of the first of her equipment being ready in the synthesizer, Touren and Bekkreshan were getting meals from it. She got her GSA20 and backpack from her locker and waited patiently until the synthesizer was free.

  “Are you on another mission?” Bekkreshan asked.

  “Yes, when was your last one?”

  “I haven’t been on a mission since we’ve been here, just two training exercises. Touren has only been on the Orn mission. We’ve both spent most of our time kicking our heels.”

  “Guess I’m just lucky.” Sah Lee grinned.

  Bekkreshan frowned but said nothing more. Sah Lee pulled a fresh jumpsuit out of the synthesizer and changed. Touren looked at her naked body as she stripped off her old jumpsuit. “You’ve put on a lot of muscle since you’ve been here.” she commented.

  “I hope I’m not starting to look like Ranesh!”

  Bekkreshan and Touren laughed. “Don’t worry,” Touren said, “you’ll always be a skinny little thing, but you look better with a covering of muscle. Why are you bothered anyway? You don’t like males.”

  Sah Lee blushed. “I might one day.” she answered.

  That caused more laughter, Sah Lee grinned. She quickly took more items from the synthesizer and put them in her backpack. “Is that everything?” she asked her AI.

  “A crate will be ready for you at the lander. You have Colonel B’Erren Tek to thank for that. Logistics are much slicker since she took charge.”

  Sah Lee ran to the nearest gravity tube and dropped to the level for Landing Dock Four, then ran there hoping she would arrive before her squad. In the Dock she found one lander with a Rendan, Sergeant Broffal. She was a long armed hairy mammal, the same species Sah Lee first encountered when she was on punishment.

  Sergeant Broffal was standing over a crate, packing a few items into her backpack.

  “Well done Corporal, good to see you here early. I’ve read your record, you seem to be just the person we need, even though you are new to the army.”

  “Thank you, Sir. I believe that this mission is outside your normal experience.”

  Sergeant Broffal laughed. “The mission brief doesn’t sound too challenging. I would say that with you on board, what could possibly go wrong, but that usually precedes a catastrophe!” She laughed again at her own joke.

  “I’m flattered by your confidence Sergeant, but my AI doesn’t think the mission brief reflects the known facts, there seem to be assumptions made that aren't supported by what little we know.”

  “Don’t take any notice of your AI Corporal, your civilization is being brought up to newly emerged status by the People, which means your AI’s won’t be that clever. Smarter people than us and more sophisticated AI’s than ours have come up with the mission brief and manning levels, don’t you worry about them. For this mission, your squad is designated Unit One. Find your crate, load your equipment and make sure all of your team have a crate here.”

  Sah Lee’s crate contained a supplementary field medical pack, a water bottle and one field ration pack. She added them to her backpack.

  “More sophisticated AI’s than me! What nonsense! The best AI’s on board this archaic hulk are little better than abacuses compared to me!”

  “Are you just too full of yourself or is that true?”

  “Forget I said that but trust me when I tell you something.”

  “Sergeant Broffal is right, you are just a simple AI compared to the others in the army.”

  “No, it’s not true. If I had teeth, I would be gritting them!”

  “Explain it to me.”

  “It is complicated.”

  “I’m not stupid, so explain it.”

  “All right Sah Lee, I guess I owe you that if you are going to put your trust in me, but it’s not easy for me, it conflicts with my instructions. I’ll explain when we get back, right now you need to focus on the mission. Something doesn’t add up with the mission brief. We are thirty-four minutes from this systems wormhole at maximum acceleration. That takes us straight to a hub with a wormhole connection to Celestial Heaven. From leaving here to arriving at the habitat should take about seventy minutes. As a precaution I attached two drones to the exterior of the lander so when we approach the Corvette taking us to Celestial Heaven, I can attach them to its exterior. I will do a full scan of the habitat as soon as we get there.”

  Por Aruf ran into the dock. She nodded at Sah Lee, then, finding her crate, stuffed the items from it into her backpack while talking to Sergeant Broffal. Sah Lee sent a broadcast message to her squad via the mission comm link, telling them to get there immediately and that the last to arrive would take point on the whole mission. As that was the most dangerous position to be in on a seek and destroy mission, it gave an incentive to hurry. The first of her squad burst in before she had finished her message and within a few minutes they had all arrived. The last to get there, a lightly built mammal with short white fur, round eyes and small even teeth came straight to Sah Lee. He looked unhappy.

  “Private Teng Rass. What can I do for you?” Sah Lee asked her.

  “Sir! I expect to take my share but putting me on point for the whole mission is tantamount to a death sentence. I was on my way when I got your message, but my quarters are the furthest away from Dock Four.”

  “Don’t worry Teng Rass, that was to encourage any who were being tardy. You probably won’t take point at all. I have someone else in mind to do that for the duration of the mission.”

  “Right Sir. Thank you.” he said, brightening up. “Who’s that?”

  “Me. I’ll be taking point. Get your stuff out of your crate and get on board. Transit time should be about seventy minutes. If you haven’t eaten recently, get something to eat. Be ready when we disembark, there’s something not right about this.”

  Chapter Eighty Five

  Celestial Heaven

  The mission’s sole lander left Betzel base and docked with the Corvette Triumphant, which was holding station two kilometers off Betzel Base. As soon as the docking bay doors were closed, the Triumphant set course for the systems wormhole at maximum acceleration.

  As they traveled first to the wormhole and then on to the Celestial Heaven resort habitat, Sah Lee spoke discreetly to all of her squad, one seat row at a time. She told them her AI had analyzed the available mission data and that it did not fully support the mission parameters, particularly the limited number of mission personnel, so to be ready for anything and not let their guard down at any time. She also told them the mission brief said there was no medical backup because the well-equipped hospital on the habitat would be left alone by the hostiles, but her AI told her the medical facility was usually the first target for drugs for which synthesizer patterns weren’t freely available. When she had spoken to her squad, she shared her concerns with Por Aruf.

  “Sergeant Broffal seems very relaxed about this.” Por Aruf said. “I don’t want to denigrate her, but I don’t think she’s the right person for this mission. She has only been on large scale missions before where she was just a small cog in a big machine. I haven’t got confidence in her ability to control this situation.”

  “That’s true, but as it’s a
search and rescue mission which is dependent on us looking for trouble, there’s not much for the Sergeant to do unless she takes over command of one of our squads.”

  “She’s not taking over mine, she’ll get us all killed!” Por Aruf said.

  “Or mine. We’ll deal with that when the time comes. This could be tough. We’ll keep in touch with a private line on the mission comms link.”

  “Sah Lee. I need to give you an update. The mission brief mentions that there was a mayday broadcast saying outcasts were invading them. The message was terminated mid-sentence so that’s all the information we have. All communications from the habitat are down. All life support systems are still functioning and there is no detectable loss of atmosphere. That would indicate that a forced entry was not made, so they probably had inside help, almost certainly from one of the paid staff. The habitat control AI’s have all been disabled or damaged and the reason there are no external communications is that the central control node has been disabled. I have taken over the repair and maintenance AI which is damaged and has lost some data, including how it was damaged. It is repairing itself now, I have deployed the maintenance bots to discretely assess the level of damage to the main AI’s and to start repairs to the communications net. It appears that the security and surveillance AI and its subsidiary AI’s were physically destroyed, so I may not be able to get those services back on line for a while.”

  “How are you doing all that from here? In fact, how are you doing that at all? Security must be pretty hot there. Surely they have measures in place to stop anyone just taking over their systems?”