A Hero

by Stephen Arseneault

  When the door opened, Estelle was standing with her hands on her hips and a guard by either side. "What do you want, Ray?"

  "Thomas wanted me to check on you."

  "Thomas needs to mind his own business. I do not work for Thomas."

  "Sounded to me like he was concerned because he hadn't heard anything other than you were alive."

  "Concerned? No. He's snooping. Thomas is a gamer. He's always looking to gain that slight advantage."

  "Are the two of you in competition somehow?"

  Estelle returned a glare. "Uh, we're both hoping to one day run this organization. Instead of snooping on me he needs to be concerned with Echelon. Our father will choose his successor based on our successes. I plan for that to be me."

  "How are your operations here? You lose any people?"

  Estelle crossed her arms. "I'm not answering any questions here, Ray. I've given a full report to my father. If Thomas is so concerned, he can request the report from him."

  I returned an easy nod. "Sorry to intrude. I'll relay that information. Anything else you would like to pass along to him?"

  "Has he told you about his operations at Echelon?"

  "We've spoken."

  "And?"

  "He seems to be happy with the results. As far as specifics there's not much I can tell you. Doesn't his ore come through here?"

  "It does but I don't know how profitable he is. How many employees does he have?"

  "I couldn't say. I'm not there anymore. Look, I know we've had our disagreements in the past but I'm hoping we can move beyond those. I don't want to be your enemy, Estelle. And you don't have to keep sending my regiment to the front of each battle. I'm already willing to go."

  Her face turned red with anger. "Me sending you? Uh, no. That would be Thomas. I don't want you dead. I did want you, Ray, but all that has passed. You blew it. When you see Thomas you can ask him about your assignments. He'll deny it of course. He's the user here, Ray. Not me. Now get out of my office. You've wasted enough of my time."

  The guards were quick to escort me back into the elevator with a shove. I turned with a defiant move which drew a flinch and a scowl. I let out a smirk as the door closed.

  Our regiment had orders to remain on Merchain for another six months while the main fleet reorganized. I wasn't concerned with having to see Estelle again during that time. I made my way back to our barracks. Hayden and Sheila were waiting with questions.

  Sheila broke first. "So? Did you draw sparks or a plasma round?"

  "Definitely not sparks. She was not happy to see me, mainly because she believes TC was using me to snoop."

  "Was he?"

  I nodded. "Given her response I would have to say yes. I think their father has them pitted against each other as a way to get the most out of them. Neither one is telling the other about how their operations are running. And she did tell me something of interest. She believes TC is the one forcing our regiment into these front-line battles."

  Hayden asked, "And you think that's true?"

  "I don't know what to think about either of them. I think they're both manipulators. So is their father. They both learned from the best. Some of the things TC has done and the excuses he's used don't add up. Same with Estelle. The one good thing I can say is I think neither trusts me because of the other, so I'm hoping they both just leave me alone."

  The deployment on Merchain went by without incident. As I expected, I heard nothing more from Estelle. A visit from TC was short-lived when he heard I had nothing new to tell him. He attempted to leave several of his employees behind as spies, but they were quickly found out, captured, and immediately deported. I was actually relieved when our new assignment came in. I would be moving away from family politics and would once again have the opportunity to kill Togmal.

  — Chapter 27 —

  * * *

  Our next mission took us to Richland. Our fleet was successful in the heavens. We made landfall. As fate would have it, the Togmal had built a structure atop the remains of Bigguns.

  Command ordered us to recon the Togmal complex. This time, however, we would not be destroying it. We were ordered to hold it secure. Initial estimates placed close to a million Togmal fighters on the planet. Our sixteen hundred Marines would go up against an estimated five thousand warriors at the Bigguns complex alone. We had few details about the Togmal’s defenses. Our transport landed four kilometers from the target site.

  Hayden walked down the ramp beside me. "Can't say I'm happy about coming back to this sweat-hole."

  Art was walking behind us. "Everyone I knew in the Marines died here. Feels surreal; coming back to this spot."

  Sheila said, "We all lost a lot of friends here. Which will make taking it back all the sweeter. Hey Gunny? We have any more info on their defenses?"

  "Giving it a once-over now. All we have is video footage from our gunships. From the looks of it, they churned up any external fortifications, so whatever it is we'll be dealing with will come from inside that complex."

  Our lieutenant, Benjamin Hogg, was talking with several of our captains. I made my way close, standing with a handful of other gunnery sergeants, listening in on their conversations.

  One of the captains said, "The major wants a full-on frontal assault."

  Another captain replied, "That would be suicide."

  "Not necessarily. The external defenses are down. When we attack, there will be three exits they will be forced to come from. That's a huge bottleneck on their end."

  Another captain scowled. "Bottleneck? That bottleneck goes both ways. If we want to take that building from outside, there are three entrances we will have to go through."

  Two majors walked up with a lieutenant colonel.

  The colonel spoke first as he pointed. "Companies Alpha through Delta will come in along this west ridge. Echo through Hotel along the base of the east. India company will have the west hill and Juliett Company the east hill. We expect another gunship raid from our fleet in the minutes before we reach that structure. That should throw their defense into chaos. We'll be taking advantage of that chaos."

  Lieutenant Hogg glanced my way. "What do you think, Gunny?"

  "I'm thinking disaster. We could make better use of the hills on either side. They offer cover in the form of rocks, trees, and terrain. If we come up through those flat expanses, we are wide open for abuse. And we'll potentially be facing a force of five thousand—I agree with the other captain. Suicide."

  Hogg turned away. "Just a moment."

  Hayden said, "Sounds like another day in the meat-grinder."

  Sheila nodded. "We should push for one of the hill slots."

  Hogg returned seconds later. "I've secured the east hill for Company Bravo. That's where you did your fighting when last here, right?"

  Sheila smiled. "Great minds. And yes, sir, we fought on the east hill."

  "Good. I want you three with me during the Company briefing. Major Thacker showed interest in following us in."

  Sheila pulled back her head. "Following us, sir? You mean leading us?"

  "No, Sergeant. I mean following. He will pull a platoon from Charlie Company to go with him. They will observe and coordinate with the colonel and the captains."

  "And where will they be—command that is?"

  "There's a rise about three-quarters of a kilometer down that field coming this way. They'll be working their command from there."

  "Huh. Must be nice just to sit back and watch."

  The lieutenant gave a concerned look. "I'll forget you made that comment, Sergeant. You'd do well not to make such in the future. The regimental commander, Colonel Ditton, has been cracking down on insubordination."

  Sheila was silent for several seconds. "Thank you, sir. I'll refrain from any public discussions on such."

  While near the transport, each lieutenant had access to an electronic tablet. The tablet allowed the distribution and viewing of orders, in addition to providing area maps.

  Lieu
tenant Hogg offered the tablet. "Gunny, I have surface maps if you're interested in assisting with a strategy."

  I held up a hand. "No need, Lieutenant. I have the terrain layout etched into my memory. In my mind, I've re-fought our battles up there a hundred times."

  Sheila nodded. "You and me both."

  As we prepped for the assault, deep down I was angry. There were four individuals who knew the area. Other than our lieutenant, none of our commanders attempted to ask us about what we knew or what to expect. It was just another indicator of the unqualified leadership who directed us.

  Supply issued our company a dozen skink missiles. My platoons received three. We were next ordered into formations where the lieutenant colonel gave a short speech, emphasizing the importance of our victory. I had heard a more encouraging selection of words from every product sales pitch on the news feeds. We were going to war, good luck to us all—was an accurate summation.

  As our company of one hundred forty-eight began a short jog to the east, Arthur Mayhew ran alongside me, shaking his head. "That was about the worst pep-talk I've ever heard."

  "I doubt they make it within a hundred meters of those entryways," I replied. "This whole effort just seems wrong in every way. What do we need that building for? Use the gunships and level the place. Wouldn't risk a single Marine. Instead, we're going up against a force at least three times our size."

  Just before reaching the rise that took us up the east hill, our gunships popped over the horizon. They caught hundreds of Togmal outside, scrambling to rebuild their defenses from the prior attack. The gunships delivered a barrage of blue streaks and orange flashes that sent clouds of dirt and debris into the air. We hurried forward.

  As we reached the high ground, I could see over my shoulder the first eight companies were charging across the open field. Down at the base of the structure, hundreds of Togmal warriors scurried about. The place looked like a disturbed anthill. Seconds later, the exchange of plasma fire began.

  The progress of our units in the flats came to a virtual stop.

  Up ahead of us were several dozen Togmal warriors attempting to recover from the gunship's wrath. We were lucky. Their attention was on their injured, allowing us to take the first shots. We reduced thirty-plus fighters to twenty and then ten. The top of the east hill was ours before they could muster a respectable defense.

  The Togmal had built the massive structure up next to the hill on each side of the former town. There was a causeway and a fourth-story entrance that had taken a direct hit from the gunship. Workers scrambled, removing the injured and clearing debris. Their attempt to defend the entrance failed before they could put it in place.

  As the forward platoons took firing positions, I commanded our two to go past. I raced through the entryway with Hayden, Sheila, and Art at my side, our weapons spewing mayhem and death. We reached a cross-hall before taking a defensive stance of our own.

  I glanced back to see the other platoons had not followed us in. "Lieutenant?" I shouted back to him, "What are you doing?"

  "Order just came in, Gunny. We are to hold."

  "Hold? For what?"

  "For the other companies to reach the lower entries. The Togmal have them bogged down in the field at the moment."

  "This is our opportunity to assist, Lieutenant. We hit this floor and work our way down. At worst, we'll be drawing the Togmal's attention away from that field."

  "We have our orders, Gunny. Pull back."

  "I pull back and we lose this entryway. We're in a strong position here, sir. If we give it up and we lose that advantage, we'll lose Marines taking it a second time."

  "Give me a moment to consult with command."

  Hayden growled. "We should ram plasma down their throats, Gunny."

  Art agreed. "Nothing like pulling back when you're winning."

  The lieutenant returned from his consult. "The colonel says to hold your position and for us to remain here. If things change, I'll let you know."

  "Thank you, sir." It was not the response I was hoping to hear. We had penetration and command was too weak to take advantage.

  Sheila huffed. "So we just sit here?"

  "We have our orders."

  Art said, "Let's hope they attack then."

  Sheila asked, "Why?"

  Art grinned. "When in a firefight, we have control. We make the decisions and we make our own moves. If command comes in and overrides our decisions, fine, but we have the first right to defend ourselves."

  Hayden nodded. "Are we talking defending ourselves all the way down to the first floor? If so, I like it!"

  I shook my head. "Let's be clear about this. We aren't starting a conflict just so that scenario applies. And you might want to think twice about us charging ahead with no backup. We are two platoons. The others won't be coming."

  I continuously checked the data on my comm display. The companies out in the field were not making progress. Juliett Company, on the west hill, was stopped outside that entry, trading the occasional plasma round with the Togmal. I was certain the Togmal were reinforcing that entryway as we waited. I was also sure the hallways before us were filling up with fighters. The entire assault was turning out to be a farce.

  Two of our platoon members came forward. "Gunny, we have power cells that are failing."

  "What?"

  "Four now. We swapped out spares. Thought you should know."

  "Have everyone put their cells through test mode. Do it now."

  I held up my hand to Hayden, Sheila, and Art. "Not you three. Hold until everyone is done."

  Seconds later, plasma fire erupted in the hall in front of us. I fired off two rounds before taking a step back. Sheila came up to do the same. Her rifle fizzled, its power switched off.

  Sheila scowled. "Was working two minutes ago. What the crap?"

  Art took a step up, firing off several rounds. "I'm okay."

  Hayden followed with the same. "Good, here."

  The corporal who had given the initial information came forward. "Gunny, we had six more failures. We've consumed our eight spares."

  "Eight spares? What happened to my request for thirty?"

  "Supply only gave us eight, Gunny. Only found out just now."

  "Corporal, always, always check supply. If we are being shorted, we need to know so we can do something about it before we are in a battle."

  "Yes, Gunny. Won't happen again."

  Sheila asked, "So what am I supposed to do?"

  I turned to the corporal. "You been in combat before, Corporal?"

  "No, Gunny. First time out."

  "Swap out your power cell with her. Anyone who still has a bad cell, send them out to see the lieutenant."

  I opened a comm. "Lieutenant. We have a problem. Plasma cells are failing and supply shorted us spares. I would suggest you have the rest of the company run the test mode on their rifles. Make any swaps necessary. And send any unarmed Marines back to the transport for new supplies. We've had more than a dozen cells just failed."

  "Thank you, Gunny. Will do."

  I gave a hand wave to the corporal. He hustled away.

  — Chapter 28 —

  * * *

  Sheila slapped the new power cell into her rifle. The lights came on. "Now we're talking."

  For the next several minutes, the Togmal tested our defense. Then the push came. The halls facing either direction flooded with warriors. We fired our weapons around the corners continuously for most of three minutes as blue streaks passed by our location.

  The Togmal warriors released grunts and screeches as they came. Those sounds soon gave way to cries of pain and terror as our blind-fired rounds found their marks. The first surge by our enemy was unsuccessful.

  Art stuck his head out for only an instant, getting the status of the south facing hall. "Piles of bodies out there. Two Togmal are out dragging them back."

  Sheila did the same for the north hall. "Same situation this way. They're dragging bodies away."

  I
nodded. "Another assault is coming."

  Hayden grinned. "Then we'll pile them up again."

  I took a moment in thought. "Corporal Mayhew. We're gonna make your move."

  "An assault?"

  "Let's call it defending all the way down as Sergeant Roth put it."

  I opened a comm to our other platoon. "We drove back their assault. If another comes, we'll be pushing forward as a defense. Prepare to move. You will come across injured Togmal as we go. I want them silenced. Permanently. Some of you have been eager to use your knife on a Togmal. This will be your chance. But don't let it be a distraction. This building is full of Togmal who want us dead. Don't give them the opportunity."

  I commed the lieutenant. "Sir. The Togmal are pushing. We just turned back an attack. More will be coming."

  "We performed a check, Gunny. One in ten power cells show as defective. I've sent back an entire platoon for resupply and I've notified command of the issue. Also, I just received an update about the other companies. Losses are well above expectations and progress has come to a halt. The colonel is trying to bring in another gunship strike."

  "Make certain they note your position, Lieutenant. We own the east hill. Any hits there will kill our people. And don't assume command will automatically refrain from striking the east ridge. Make certain they know to pass that intel to the gunships if they come."

  Sheila said, "Gunny, looks like round two is about to get underway."

  The Togmal fighters stormed out from both directions. Our plasma rounds wreaked havoc, stopping the assault almost before it had begun.

  When the attackers turned back, I gave the command. "Go! Go! Go!"

  Two platoons of Marines, minus the squad I had left to protect the corner, raced down the northern hall. A pair of Togmal soldiers, sent out to clear bodies, exploded, sending guts and blood flying backward. As we reached the corner and turned, the Togmal were in disarray, still recovering from their failed assault.