"Wow, this place is awesome!" Ariel burst out. The decurion just grinned and looked around until he found what he was looking for. A stocky figure wearing a leather apron and a set of magnifying glasses on top of his head waved for them to come over. Decurion Trudeau gave him a quick wave and motioned for the others to get moving.
"Legionnaires, this is Optio Cervaille. He is one of the original legionnaires, and the one responsible for inventing the exoskeletons we use today. He will suit you up and make sure each one wears an exoskeleton that is perfectly adapted for you. He will provide invaluable advice and you´d do well listening to whatever he has to say."
Optio Cervaille led them into a workshop where five exoskeletons were lined up against the wall.
"I prepared these for you based on your measurements and what specifics the decurion told me." He pointed toward Daniel. "For instance, this young man here is rumored to have a short temper, no offense, so I adapted the fire controls to have a slight delay, less than a second, unless you have already activated it beforehand. Gives you time to think, you know." He winked at Daniel, who didn´t reply. Then he turned toward Ariel. "Your exoskeleton, young lady, is fitted to give you an extra warning when power is low. You have a tendency to push it a little too close from time to time." He chuckled.
It took close to two hours just to have the final adjustments made to the exoskeletons, and another hour before the legionnaires knew how to walk.
"Well done, you´re walking," Optio Cervaille exclaimed. You remind me of little toddlers, cute toddlers."
They spent the rest of the day and much of the night to gain control of their exoskeletons; walking, running, jumping, climbing, turning, crouching and every movement they could think of. At some point, Decurion Trudeau told them to go get some sleep and they walked back to the barracks, exhausted.
The next week was more of the same, and soon they were becoming intimately familiar with their exoskeletons, mastering every little detail in operating them, testing their potential and learning their limits.
"Legionnaires," Optio Cervaille said one day as they were about to return to barracks.
"Tomorrow, we shall mount weapons on your exoskeletons." He paused and nodded to himself. "That´s right, legionnaires. You´re ready to rock and roll!"
41.
Ethan looked around as they walked into the square in front of the barracks making up the main part of Camp Piteaa. He was wearing his parade uniform, received just earlier that day, with badges on his chest marking his accomplishments so far. The marksmanship badge in iron with two stars, the physical agility badge, the light infantry badge, the heavy infantry badge, the exoskeleton mastery badge, a ringed X depicting two crossed arrows and a ring made from titanium. On his lapel, he wore the black O of an optio, the specialist rank that made him equal to several of his former instructors, and Optio Blake recognized him with a polite nod as their eyes met. Behind him, Ariel also wore the O, as did Will Salazar and Daniel Hirsh. The last of the heavy troopers, Caroline Dyer, on the other hand, wore the eagle of a Centurion.
It wasn´t until the night before that Caroline had revealed her secret. She was actually a tech officer, who had opted in to receive heavy infantry training in order to lead troops in combat. In order to receive the same treatment as everyone else, her background had to remain a secret, even for the officers and NCOs training her. It wasn´t unusual for officers to cross-train like that, but with heavy infantry, it was more usually the other way around. Heavy infantry troopers were known to be good leadership material, but few from other branches voluntarily submitted to heavy infantry training. Ethan had thought she was tough before, but hearing her tell this made him respect her even more.
When they passed the ranks of light infantry, Ethan saw Malika and blushed. They hadn´t seen each other since that night during the exercise, and he wondered if she still felt the same. He couldn´t tell from her look though, as she was staring straight ahead. He noticed the O on her lapels as well and the medic badge on her chest. He wondered if he would have a chance to see her before they were sent to their next postings.
The centurion in charge of Camp Piteaa made a short speech and congratulated them all on completing their training on Earth.
"I have a list of postings here, but I guess it´s no surprise that most of you will be posted at our Mars detachment for now," he said. Then he continued by listing almost every name, including Malika, Jamila, John, Caroline and Daniel. Even Decurion Schwartz was to be sent to Mars, while Optio Blake and a couple of others were going to the Asteroid belt.
"That means combat," Ariel whispered. The Lumins had been expelled from Earth and the inner Solar System, but there were constant skirmishes in the Belt.
"Decurion Trudeau, Optio Wang, Optio Chambers, Optio Salazar. You are to immediately board a LEO plane that will take you to an undisclosed location, from which you will board a shuttle that will take you to one of our Low Orbit Space Stations. From there, you will join an expeditionary force that is being put together as we speak. That´s all I can say for now." He looked at them, and Ethan wondered why he had never heard his name. In fact, he didn´t know the name of the camp´s commander, even now.
"The LEO plane leaves in half an hour," he said. "Better say your goodbyes and get going."
42.
Decurion Schwartz was the first to come and he shook Ethan’s hand.
"Optio Wang, I knew you had it in you."
"Thank you, sir, Decurion."
"So, I guess we´re not allowed to know what the expeditionary force is for," the decurion said, "but I can tell you this much — if they are including heavy troopers as green as you guys, they really need the firepower."
"But why the hurry?" Ariel said as she tore loose from John´s love-grip.
"Something´s definitely up," Ethan said, but his mind was already elsewhere. He walked over to where Malika stood and stopped in front of her.
"So, Optio Ishmael, congratulations," he said and immediately regretted it. She didn´t want to be congratulated on the new rank, not now anyhow. But she just smiled. Then she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his mouth, before she quickly withdrew and looked around.
"You´re blushing," he said, and felt his own cheeks were warm. "And so am I…"
"Ethan, do you know anything? No of course not. I just hoped... I hoped we´d be stationed together."
He nodded. He had hoped for it too, especially now.
"I´ll wait for you, Ethan," Malika said, looking deep into his eyes. Then she kissed him again, and this time she didn´t seem to care if anyone saw.
"Get a room!" someone said, followed by laughter. They didn´t care.
"I mean it, Ethan. I´ll wait for you."
They parted as Decurion Trudeau tapped his shoulder and told him to come. A single tear on Malika´s cheek was the last thing Ethan saw, before he followed the decurion to a waiting truck. Ethan, Ariel and Will jumped into the back, while Trudeau sat up front with the driver. Fifteen minutes of hare-brained driving later, they jumped out and ran for the LEO plane. They only had time to strap in before the engines roared and the plane took off.
For the third time in his life, Ethan found himself aboard this craft that had taken him around the globe to such different locations as the jungle of basic training to the cold northern wastes of Camp Piteaa. This time, he knew it was only the first leg of a longer journey. Soon enough, he would land somewhere, at an undisclosed location, where he would board the shuttle that would take him into space.
Part Four
43.
They landed somewhere close to the equator. At least, that was Ethan´s best guess. Nobody told him where they were, but he guessed as much from the heat and humidity, and he remembered learning that the Space Elevator, which was currently under construction, had to be located near the equator for some reason. Still, in their finest parade uniforms, some of the other soldiers eyed them curiously and a couple even snickered. Ethan tried to ignore them.
A
woman in a work uniform and the bold letters “SD” on her shoulder, indicating her rank as senior decurion, guided them to a changing area, where they changed out of the parade uniforms and into blue coveralls. Their names were already sewn on the chest, while the rank was marked on the shoulders. They were given black berets with the Ghost Legion ball and chain in silver and each were handed a small bag.
"Your personal kit," the senior decurion said. "Don´t worry, you´ll get a lot more once you´re up in space. Like weapons and whatever else you need."
Then it was time to board the shuttle. All the while they were hurried along and Ethan got the impression the expeditionary force really was on a time table. Time seemed to be everything.
"What the hell is going on?" Ariel whispered once they got a chance to speak. Decurion Trudeau shook his head and whispered while he looked around.
"No idea. But it´s bad, I´ll tell you that much. Somewhere, something has gone really bad. It all seems a little too desperate. Especially with fresh legionnaires such as yourselves. Its… Unusual.”
"That´s what I though," Ethan replied, "and I agree. It´s like they can´t send us out there quick enough."
"Decurion!" a familiar voice called. Ethan turned and saw Adjunct Lyons walking toward them. There was no mistaking that walk. Nobody would be able to see just from his walk that the adjunct was walking on two prosthetics, but once you knew, you´d recognize it anywhere.
"Adjunct," Decurion Trudeau said as they all stood to attention.
"At ease legionnaires," Adjunct Lyons said.
"Sir, are you coming with us?" Ariel asked. The adjunct shook his head.
"I wish..." he sighed. Ethan felt sorry for the old soldier, whose injuries prevented him from ever joining an active combat unit again. The adjunct continued.
"I´m being sent on a different assignment, and this is where most shuttles leave for space. I just saw you come in from that LEO plane in your parade uniforms. Naturally, I thought I´d see how my former recruits are doing. No longer recruits I see." He indicated their new rank. Ethan and Ariel stood just a bit taller.
"Thank you, sir," Ethan said.
"Well, I´d better get moving or my shuttle leaves without me. It seems everyone´s in a hurry around here. Take care of yourselves." With that, the adjunct left, and soon after they were herded on board a shuttle that would take them to the low orbit space station where they would join the expeditionary force.
"Is it okay to say that I´m just a little bit scared now?" Will asked, smiling, as they strapped in.
"We all are," Ariel said. There was nothing else to add, Ethan thought. Of course they were scared. This might just be the last time they ever set foot on Earth.
The rockets kicked in and they were pushed back into their seats. Ethan thought of the times he´d flown LEO planes, and this time wasn´t very much different at all. But this time he wasn´t going around the Earth to some unknown location. This time he was leaving Earth altogether. This time he was going to space.
44.
Docking went smoothly and soon Ethan, Ariel, Will and Decurion Trudeau were ushered along the long hallways of the space station. Being of an older model, the station had no artificial gravity, so they had to push themselves along railings covering the walls in order to control their movement. With no experience with weightlessness, other than a few brief moments strapped into their seats in LEO planes, they looked and felt clumsy. More than once, they bumped into walls, each other and other people who seemed to be floating with more purpose and control than any of them. The only exception was Trudeau, who had been to space before and now tried to help guide them along as best he could.
"As soon as we set foot on the starship, gravity will kick in, so make sure you´re ready for it once we get there," he said. The starship was docked on the opposite end of the station and it took them a few minutes to reach the station´s airlock. Once through, they were entering the starship itself. The outer doors of the ship´s airlock opened and they entered the small chamber with matte gray walls. As soon as the doors closed behind them, a low hum began and after a moment, the legionnaires fell into a heap on the floor.
"Ouch! Let go of my foot," Ariel said, and Ethan scrambled to his feet.
"What was that? How does it work?" Will asked, and the decurion hunched his shoulders.
"Hell if I know. It´s alien tech, either stolen from the Lumins during the war or granted by the Blue Sector Confederacy."
"I thought the ships would rotate or something," Ethan said. He´d read enough books to have picked up on a few ideas. This was different though.
"We´ve got that too on some of our ships. That´s man-made artificial gravity. It seems the brass paid for an alien gravity engine though. That shit´s gotta be expensive." The decurion looked out the porthole and whistled.
"This is bigger than most ships I´ve seen. Looks prettier too. Yup, definitely expensive," he said.
The inner doors slid aside and they walked into a large hallway where a decurion was studying an infopad.
"Decurion Trudeau, Optios Wang, Chambers, Salazar... Right, come with me." The decurion led them to a four man room where he told them to grab a bunk, put their personal bags aside and follow him to briefing. They did what they were told and soon they were entering a large area where people stood crammed together, waiting for the briefing. There had to be at least two hundred legionnaires standing there, more than Ethan had ever seen in one spot. Ethan noticed that everyone, including themselves, was wearing the numbers 2-2 or 2-3 beneath their rank insignia. He hadn´t given it much though before, but now he put two and two together and realized these were unit markers.
"Second Cohort, Second and Third Century," he murmured.
"Seems right," Decurion Trudeau said. "Some three hundred legionnaires then, if the centuries are at full capacity." Ethan nodded. A full century consisted of 142 legionnaires. How many more ships comprised the expeditionary force though? Then Ethan was interrupted by a familiar voice from behind.
"So you guys decided to join us too."
He turned around and saw Julian and Thomas.
"Julian!" Ariel exclaimed. "I mean, Optio Brooke!" she corrected herself. Julian was wearing the same insignia, the large O, on his shoulder, just like they did. Beneath it, he wore a small “t”, signifying his Tech specialty. Ethan nodded at Thomas, the California surfer who´d washed out from heavy infantry training a while ago. He still wore the L of a regular legionnaire.
"Thomas, good to see you," he said. Thomas told them he´d gone back to his former unit, a light infantry unit, since he was still a legionnaire, just not very keen on struggling to become a heavy trooper. Ethan noticed Decurion Trudeau giving Thomas a measured nod and a sideways look that didn´t seem too friendly. He realized the decurion didn´t approve of the surfer. Well, no time to mend that one, since a senior officer, a tribune in fact, entered and everyone jumped to attention. It was time to learn what this was all about.
45.
The tribune stood on a dais so everyone could see him. He looked like he was about forty or fifty — Ethan couldn´t tell. A square face with a clean shaven strong jaw and narrow eyes — too narrow to see the color of his eyes — close cropped dark hair and a uniform that looked professionally pressed. A tribune didn´t likely have to mend his uniform by himself. The single triangle indicating his rank was silver, instead of black, and the number beneath it only said “2”. Second Cohort Commander.
"Legionnaires!" he said, voice amplified for everyone to hear.
"Welcome on board the “New Beginnings”. For those of you who don´t know me, I am Tribune Wenger, Commander of Second Cohort. So, here´s the situation: as we speak, the Second and Third Cohort are massing to form this expeditionary force you are all going to be part of. The First Century of the Second Cohort is on board the “Hellfire”, with a century from the Third, while the main part of the Third have boarded the “Stormbringer”. Tribune Jones, Commander of the Third, will be in charge of the joint
ground operation." He paused and Ethan realized he and all those around him were Third Century. He wondered if there were many other newbies around and if they were all placed in the same cohort, or if they were spread thin. The tribune continued, so he put it out of his mind and paid attention.
"Six weeks ago, the Lumins landed on Saturn´s moon, Titan. This is outside what we call the Inner Control Zone, which stretches from the Sun and all the way out to the Asteroid Belt. Nevertheless, as you all know, we do have settlements, colonies and bases further out in this and a few other systems. The Titan settlement, originally a scientific research station, now a commercial mining operation, has grown to more than two thousand civilian inhabitants since its initiation. The regular defense forces have had a garrison there for nearly seven years, near the Huygens settlement, and no one expected the Lumins to try to attack this stronghold. The garrison is... was more than 500 man strong, heavily armored and even toted three rocketeer platoons carrying nuclear weapons. But they did. The rocketeers were all taken out before they managed to fire a single missile. The garrison was overrun within thirty minutes. All we got was a distress call, and since then we´ve heard nothing. The powers that be decided this was a Legion type mission, and the Legate agreed to it. Problem is, most of the Legion is deployed elsewhere, so we´ve been scrambling to put an expeditionary force together. That means we´ve got a number of green legionnaires with us, in addition to the more experienced ones. Now, as for the Second Cohort, most of them will be part of the Third Century. You guys will, if everything goes as planned, be dropped further from the enemy and used as support for the main assault, which will be carried out by, I expect, the best from every man and woman of the Cohort. But for you experienced legionnaires, I expect you to get the fresh ones up to speed quickly and to protect them from themselves. Green legionnaires tend to do stupid things, as we all know..." That last bit was said quietly, as if to himself, but the amplifier made it audible to everyone in the room. The Tribune didn´t even blink. He looked slowly across the room and, for a second, Ethan thought he met his eye. That´s a hard man, he thought.
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