Coda: A United Federation Marine Corps Short Story

by Jonathan Brazee

  A UNITED FEDERATION MARINE CORPS STORY

  CODA

  Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee

  USMC (Ret)

  Copyright © 2017 Jonathan Brazee

  A Semper Fi Press Book

  Copyright © 2017 Jonathan Brazee

  ISBN-10: 1-945743-14-X

  ISBN-13: 978-1-945743-14-6 (Semper Fi Press)

  Printed in the United States of America

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Acknowledgements:

  I want to thank all those who took the time to pre-read this book, catching my mistakes in both content and typing. A special thanks goes to Cat Rambo, my excellent editor. When I first joined the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, I decided to attend Worldcon in Spokane. Walking nervously for the first time into the SFWA suite, Cat, our president, welcomed me with a big hug. I’ve been a huge fan ever since, and I am honored to have her edit this work.

  Cover art by Steven Novak

  TARAWA

  Noah

  Noah Lysander, Sergeant Major, United Federation Marines Corps, (Retired), looked over the formation of soon-to-be-commissioned second lieutenants, his heart about to burst with pride. Shiloh Lysander, his youngest, stood tall in the front of the formation, the NOTC class honor graduate.

  There’d never been any doubt in his military mind that little Shiloh would make it in the Corps. Chance, his oldest, had never enlisted and instead worked for the school system on Cerebus Station as a teacher. Hannah had enlisted in the Navy, serving one tour before getting out and trying to develop her career as a singer. Shiloh, with the strength of will that defined her, had made it to sergeant, earned a Silver Star in combat, and had been selected for NOTC and officer training.

  “She looks good out there, Noah.” His sister, Esther, a retired Marine Lieutenant General, nudged his arm. “She’s keeping the family tradition alive.”

  Three generations of Marines. I wish father was alive to see the tradition continuing. He’d be so proud of her.

  “Yours will, too, when they get old enough,” Noah said, never taking his eyes off his daughter.

  “Bryce, maybe, but I don’t know about Jimmy.”

  “Grubbing hell, Ess. He’s only eight months old,” he said. “Give him a little time.”

  Esther and Jim had waited before having children until she had left the Marine Corps three years prior, having not been selected for her fourth star. Noah knew that had been a blow to her at the time. She’d always wanted—no, assumed—she’d pick up her fourth star and make commandant, and when that hadn’t happened, she’d been crushed. But looking at her now, he thought she was happy with her life. And when Jim, who was the commanding general for the Outer Forces and was slotted as the next Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, eventually retired, they planned on taking another shot at having a little girl.

  Vice First Minister Fedderer, who’d never been accused of being at a loss for words, finally ended his speech. The commandant, taking his cue, stood up as the narrator called first the midshipmen to attention, then asked the audience to stand.

  The commandant’s voice boomed out over the gathered midshipmen and guests, “I, state your name . . .”

  Each Marine midshipman in the class repeated after the commandant, right hand raised:

  . . .do solemnly swear, to support and defend the Articles of Council of the Federation of United Nations, against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and above all others; and that I will obey the orders of the Chairman of the Federation of the United Nations and the orders of those appointed over me, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

  “Congratulations, second lieutenants of Marines,” the commandant said as he lowered his right arm. “You are the future leaders of the Corps, and I think we have placed it in good hands. You are dismissed.”

  “Ooh-rah!” burst out of 83 throats of some very happy second lieutenants.

  “You’d better get moving,” Esther told him. “I see the sharks circling.”

  “As if any of those pipsqueaks would dare,” he growled.

  Noah was a well-known figure, and his relationship with the new Second Lieutenant Shiloh Lysander was no secret. No one should have the balls to interfere with him, but then again, Marines were not known to fear authority. Some ornery sergeant might be willing to try and shoulder him out.

  He stood from his seat, nodded to Miriam and Hannah, and ignoring the commandant who was heading towards him, strode off, working his way around the mass of lieutenants and family who started to gather. He saw a few hopeful faces among the new butter bars, but he kept his eyes locked forward. As a local, he attended most of the commissioning ceremonies, and he normally had time for the new lieutenants, but not today.

  Behind the parade deck, in front of the main entrance to the headquarters, was the statue of General Salizar, and there, just arriving in front of it, was Shiloh. Noah pulled down at the bottom of his dress blues blouse, straightened the Federation Nova at his neck, and slowly marched up to her.

  She looks . . . she looks beautiful!

  That might not be an appropriate attribute for a Marine, but he couldn’t help it. She was his daughter, and that gave him special disposition.

  Her face lit up as she saw him, and he could tell she was trying to keep her emotions in check. She came to attention as he approached.

  “Congratulations, ma’am!” Noah said, his prosthetic right arm snapping up to render her first salute.

  “Thank you, Sergeant Major,” she said, her face beaming as she returned the salute.

  The two stood there for a moment, just looking at each other before she lowered her hand and reached into her breast pocket. Noah cut away as she retrieved a silver coin, handing it to him. He barely glanced at it, but he recognized the 2123 O.R. Australian Kookaburra Dollar, the same type of coin that his father had given Gunny Meader upon his commissioning, and the same coin Esther had given him at her commissioning. Another tradition had been upheld.

  Before he knew it, he had enveloped Shiloh in a hug, squeezing for all he was worth—and receiving her embrace as well. It wasn’t quite reg, but this didn’t happen every day, and besides, he was retired. What could they do to him?

  They finally broke, and he could see the tears in her eyes. He reached up to wipe them away, and almost by instinct, they both straightened the medals on each other’s chest.

  “Your mother will want to see you,” Noah said, not wanting the moment to end. “We should get over there.”

  “Yeah, maybe so,” Shiloh said with a sniffle as she wiped her nose with her hand.

  They turned back to the rest. Most of the lieutenants were milling about, pounding each other on their backs, talking to family, and posing for holos. About seven lieutenants were respectfully standing by, their eyes hopeful as the two of them approached. In the background half-a-dozen enlisted Marines waited like vultures to see if the lion was going to take his share or leave the remains for them.

  Noah was about to let the enlisted Marines have at it when Shiloh said, “Go ahead, Dad. It would mean so much to them. I
’ll meet you back at the bleachers.”

  As a former Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, a “talking head” for various news agencies, and especially as a holder of the Federation Nova, it was considered good luck for him to be the one to render a new lieutenant his or her first salute, receiving a real or commemorative coin in return. He had gathered quite a collection of the coins over the last few years. He’d intended on only saluting Shiloh today, but he could see their eager expressions, and he couldn’t say no.

  Much to the disgust of the other enlisted Marines, he strode forward and began saluting, giving each lieutenant a piece of sage advice he’d compiled from a book of famous quotes. Five minutes later, after saluting and speaking with the seven lieutenants, Noah joined the group standing around Shiloh, which included the Esther, Miriam, Hannah, Colonel Howard, and two very familiar faces.

  “Sergeant Major, General Simone, I’m so happy you two were able to come,” he said, grabbing each man and shaking his hand. “I thought you were off-planet, sir.”

  “I couldn’t miss this,” General Simone said. “The third generation of Lysanders to get commissioned?”

  “And you, Hans, thanks for coming,” he said.

  Major General Jorge Simone and Sergeant Major Hans Çağlar had both been as close to his and Esther’s father as anyone, and that included the two children. General Simone had taken the two orphans under his wing upon their parents’ assassination, and while not as close, Hans Çağlar had been a permanent fixture in their lives growing up. Hans had also served at the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, but he’d largely faded away from view since he retired, showing up for major ceremonies, but spending more time with the VFW and hanging out at the Globe and Laurel.

  “Well, this is quite an august group,” the commandant said, looking over the group. “And all to welcome our newest officers.”

  He nodded to the civilian holocorderman hovering nearby, and the group had to pose for holos that would be out on the undernet within minutes. The commandant was the senior Marine in the Corps, but still, it was good PR to be seen not only with a Nova holder and a three-time Navy Cross awardee, but two generations of Lysanders. Noah didn’t resent that; it was all part of the process.

  After the holos, General Simone reached up and, with his hand behind Noah’s neck, pulled his head down, and quietly asked, “Can you and your sister meet us after your dinner tonight? Say at the Globe and Laurel?”

  “You’re coming to dinner with us, aren’t you?”

  “No, I think that’s for family. Sergeant Major Çağlar and I’ll just meet you there.”

  “Tonight? I don’t know. How about tomorrow?” he asked.

  He didn’t want to put off the general, but he also didn’t know how long they’d be with out Shiloh tonight.

  “It’s kind of important. Please, just show up when you’re done. It doesn’t matter how late.”

  Noah didn’t know what the general wanted, and he was getting to be somewhat of a wimp about staying out late, but with a sigh, he nodded.

  “I’ll tell Ess, and we’ll be there.”

  “Thanks,” he said, releasing Noah’s head before he turned back to whatever the commandant was now saying.

  What the heck is that all about?

  He was about to pull Ess aside, but there was Shiloh was standing next to her mother, beaming as she listened in to the others. Her next duty station was with Third Battalion, Ninth Marines, and that was a long way from Tarawa.

  Noah stepped up beside her. She had two weeks of commissioning leave, and he didn’t want to miss any time that she might want to spend with him.

  Esther

  “So, what do you think they want with us?” Esther asked Noah as they entered the Globe and Laurel.

  “I don’t have a clue, Ess. He wasn’t very forthcoming about it.”

  Esther scanned the tavern, but she didn’t see either of them. Noah had messaged the two that they were almost there, and General Simone asked the two of them to wait.

  “Let’s take a seat in one of the back booths,” Noah said, nodding to the darker corner of the tavern.

  As they made their way through the tables, the collection of holos on the bulkhead, as usual, drew Esther’s eyes. Second from the top on the eighth column was their father, the 81st Commandant of the Federation Marine Corps. Opposite of it, third from the top in the ninth column, was that of General Rex Jordache, the Corps’ previous commandant. Esther had long thought that her holo would have been in that place. When she’d failed to be appointed, she’d been crushed.

  It had taken her a year or so, but she was over that. Rex was a good man, and he’d done a fine job in the position. And surprisingly, Esther had taken to civilian life, particularly in her new role as mommy. Jim was probably about to report in for his last assignment as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, and once he retired, Esther was looking forward to finally having a “normal” family life, whatever that was supposed to be.

  The first three booths were occupied, so they slid into the fourth, which was under the sergeants major section. Noah didn’t even glance at his holo, which was so him, she thought. He never seemed to realize just how important a figure he was to the Corps. She looked up at his holo, over the adjoining booth, and felt the rush of pride that always hit her when she saw it. She smiled. There were now the holos of 97 sergeants major (four more than commandants), and 96 were either frowning or with stern expressions on their faces. Only one had a smile.

  Esther had asked Noah about that when she first saw it. He’d said, “I’m Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. It’s a great job so why wouldn’t I smile?”

  The Globe and Laurel was one of the few establishments outside the main gate that had real waiters. One approached, greeting them both by name, asking Noah if he wanted a Coke and Esther a beer.

  “No, Lars, I think I’ll just take a Coke,” she said, surprising herself.

  Noah gave her a sideways glance and asked, “No beer?”

  Noah had quit drinking shortly after Miriam had filed for divorce, and like all converted, had been trying for years to get Esther to quit drinking as well. She wasn’t about to take him up on that, but she’d had a couple of glasses of champagne at Shiloh’s dinner, and she wanted to keep a clear head.

  “Let’s see what Simone and Çağlar have that’s so vital for us first. And speak of the devil,” she added as the two men entered the tavern.

  She waved. The two spotted her and they made their way back to them. Esther and Noah had sat together, and the two slid into the opposite seat. After greetings, Noah started to ask what was up when Lars came back and General Simone cut him off. Lars took the two’s drink orders, and then it was pleasantries while Esther fidgeted in her seat, wondering what was going on.

  Finally, they were served. After taking a deep breath, General Simone looked them right in the eyes asked, “Do you trust us?”

  What?

  Esther and Noah exchanged puzzled looks before looking back at them. Esther said, “Yes, I suppose we do.”

  The general looked over at the sergeant major, who gave the slightest nod, then turned back to say, “I don’t want you to ask any questions now, but I want you to leave with us tomorrow evening for Kukson.”

  “Kukson?” Esther asked.

  Whatever she had expected him to say, this wasn’t it.

  “Yes, Kukson.”

  “Uh, I know you said not to ask you why, but why?”

  “You just have to trust us. We wouldn’t ask you this unless it was important.”

  Esther sat there, not moving, as she tried to collate what he was saying. It didn’t make sense. Kukson was a tourist hot-spot which, along with Vegas and Pattaya, was well-known for its nightlife. Esther had pulled into the planet several times as a Marine—in fact, both she and Noah had pulled in together when she was 1/8’s CO and Noah was the sergeant major. She couldn’t fathom why General Simone wanted them to go there now.

  And Esther didn’t
want to go.

  “I can’t just pick up and leave, General. I’ve got two young ones, and Jim’s not here.”

  “I think you need to tell us why this is so important, General,” Noah added.

  “We would if we could, but we can assure you that it’s necessary.”

  “General, you can take the children with you. We can figure something out there,” Sergeant Major Çağlar said, the first words he’d spoke other than to order his cider.

  It took a moment for Esther to realize he was addressing her. Both men were part of her past, both when she was a child and a young Marine. To her, the “general” at the table was Major General Simone, not her.

  “I . . . I don’t know,” she said.

  “We’ve got plans with Shiloh,” Noah said.

  “That’s why we picked Kukson. You can bring her, a commissioning gift, so-to-speak. We’ve already got the tickets in all your names.”

  “That’s very generous, but really, I’m not inclined to go along with this. No disrespect, but I don’t know what’s going on,” Esther said.

  There was a moment of silence, then General Simone, in a quiet and controlled voice, said, “We wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t necessary. It is, believe me, it is. And it has to be tomorrow. Time is running out. If you’ve ever trusted me, if you’ve ever trusted Hans here, please, please come with us. It’s vital.”

  Suddenly, a memory came back to her. A bar on Mars, after the Marine Corps birthday ceremony. The old gentleman, Titus Pohlmeyer, approaching her. The offer of his card. The request that she keep lines of communications open.

  Esther still had that card, so many years later. The old man, a representative from the Confederation, had supposedly done the same thing when her father was a major, and he’d hinted that her father had in fact cooperated with the Confederation at one point in his career. According to the rumors, the Confederation had a hand in helping her father during the Evolution, and Esther had always thought they’d been part and parcel of her father’s escape after he’d traded his life for that of their mother and both of his kids. If any of this were true, then she wouldn’t be surprised that the general and sergeant major might be dialed in as well.