by JR Handley
“Meritoriously done, crèche-major. Now we need to report in to our respective habdisks so we can prepare for the final step in the big drain. Refrain from updating the Field Marshal until I’ve had an opportunity to report in as well. Time is of the utmost importance as we Jotuns are on a limited oxygen supply. To conserve oxygen, I suspect we will go into hibernation and turn temporary command over to you and Captain Scipio. Pure speculation of course, but it’s what I’d do.”
With that, GG dismounted, gathered her Marines, and headed off to the NTU where the Field Marshal awaited.
Deciding to speed up his return and salvage the Micro-FCB for further study, Basil ordered his Marine escort to mount up and drove the machine to Habdisk 612, City Phase Unit 1.
— Chapter 23 —
Early Afternoon, Post-Revival Day 2
Command & Control Bunker, New Detroit City, Baylshore
Headquarters, New Detroit Regional Army
After spending the morning inspecting the lines and showing command presence, Field Marshal Nhlappo decided to hit the make-shift gym to clear her head. Finishing her workout, she returned to her quarters for a shower. While many of the universe’s most senior military personnel had historically let themselves go, that wasn’t an option in the Human Marine Corps. Consequently, old Marines fought even harder to stay fit and took longer showers to recover. Once she was back in an impeccable uniform, she went into her office to begin reviewing plans for her upcoming trip to Beta City.
In her office, she called for her Aide-de-Camp, Major Manuel Casillas, to join her. Together they began planning their strategy for ferreting out the true allegiance of the Jotun colonel, Marchewka. She’d seen he had promoted himself to field marshal, in one of those grand gestures that the Jotuns were known for. To her, this shift in rank designation was a sign these Beta City Marines were beginning to shift toward the Human Legion’s rank and TO&E structure. Regardless, she needed to know more before she turned over any of her Marines to them.
Prior to arriving on Tranquility-4, Nhlappo had discussed her plan to find and retrieve iced Marines hidden from the White Knights with the head of the Human Legion, General Arun McEwan. They’d speculated that the paranoid behavior of the White Knight Client States would lead to an icer cache under Beta City. Countless fruitless searches proved them wrong.
If only the Night Hummer conspiracists had planted those extra icers, Nhlappo lamented.
Despite her failure to find millions of Marines to transfer, she hoped the multitude that were de-iced during the emergency thaw would be enough to garner her a needed ally and the tech they claimed to have.
Upon the successful formulation of a plan, complete with a multitude of security contingencies, Nhlappo had Casillas call in her entire staff. Accustomed to working for the mercurial field marshal, they assembled in just under five minutes. Never one to stand on ceremony when there was work to get done, Nhlappo jumped right into outlining her plan for the upcoming visit to Beta City.
“I’m taking my entire staff with me to Beta City. That means every department head will depart with us tomorrow morning. We leave before dawn, so we can arrive with some daylight left to assess our situation. General Spartika will remain behind to oversee the strengthening of our position while we are away. She will have the assistant department heads as her temporary staff and secure our position to the greatest degree possible.”
“Roger that, Field Marshal. I’ll take good care of the place while you are gone,” said Spartika. Nhlappo shot her a hard glare before continuing.
“When we come back, we’ll hopefully be able to cut our forces in half after we send reinforcements to the Marines in Beta City. The lighter load will mean we can stretch our meager resources until supply solves our food shortage. It goes without saying, we’ll be sending them our less desirable Marine brethren. We’ll keep the cream of the crop for ourselves. Until then, half rations will temporarily solve the food issue. We shouldn’t be gone longer than a week, two at most. Captain Voleikov, please take your corporal, Sokolov. He seems knowledgeable on the tech they’ve already hit us with. As a corporal, he can go places officers won’t and maybe learn some of their tricks.”
Nhlappo paused, hoping to convey the severity of their situation, before she spoke again.
“With rations and supply so tight, we take nothing more than we would for a basic combat patrol. The Storks will drop us off, then return to support operations here while we are away. If things go south, we will call for a ride at a pre-designated rally point away from Beta City. Questions?”
Captain Taylor, the supply officer, half-raised his hand. His expression appeared nervous as Nhlappo pointed to him.
“Field Marshal, it’s no secret the food shortage is affecting morale. I mentioned before the issue of rumors. We’ve found out someone is spreading rumors there is food and we’re hoarding it for the officers. I can’t find the source, but it’s upsetting the rank and file.”
Nhlappo turned towards the captain, nostrils flaring in rage. “Unacceptable! The next person spreading such nonsense will be executed for gross stupidity. In the meantime, I want NCOs to go Marine by Marine and verify they’re eating. If you find any officer hoarding food and depriving their troops, I’ll personally execute them. Now then, we’ve got important shite to worry about.”
Only Major Manuel Casillas, Nhlappo’s aide, spoke up after the outburst.
“Field Marshal, during the initial assault by the Hardits, we lost Echo Company, 6th Battalion, 2nd Regiment. When we reorganized, they were wiped from the rolls and the three surviving Marines have yet to be reassigned. These Marines: Senior Sergeant Vicker, Lance Sergeant Gillen, and Corporal Puterman fought with distinction. When they were relieved, they were surrounded by dead Hardits. They never stopped fighting to avenge their fallen brothers. That sort of gumption, that is what the Human Legion needs to flourish. I’d like to add them to my staff, and bring them with us. Is that acceptable, ma’am?”
Without even pausing to consider the question, Nhlappo approved his request. Sergeant Major Ortiz, likely seeing the change in demeanor, began speaking.
“Field Marshal, I’m obligated to point out that we don’t know what the situation will be in Beta City when we get there. We should take the security company along, just in case. I’ve added them to the manifests twice, but some executive function of the system keeps bumping them from the lists. I don’t know what’s going on with that, but I do suggest we bring them with us. Is that agreeable, Field Marshal?”
Looking every bit as fierce as she had when she had been dressing down her young cadets, Field Marshal Nhlappo scowled and glared at each member of her staff in turn.
“Before everyone gets too comfortable with these new ranks, know I will replace you if you can’t handle your new responsibilities. When we get back, I will find out why my security company was booted from the list twice. It better be a small coding error that’s been fixed because I won’t tolerate incompetence. Now, we’ve got a lot to do today – dismissed.”
— Chapter 24 —
Mid Afternoon, Post-Revival Day 2
Level 4 & 5 Connecting Passageways, Beta City, Serendine
Whiskey Co., 8th BN, 6907th TAC RGT
Corporal Meadow Trevino was tinier than her fellow Marines, having come from an earlier, pre-augmentation era. At a curvaceous 5 feet 7 inches, she appeared waifish and frail standing among her Marines in 3rd Section, 4th Squad of Whiskey Company. What she lacked in pure power and brawn, she made up for with grit and sheer determination.
When her section was assigned to secure all the passageways in the Multi-Use Facility that connected Level 4 and Level 5, Meadow merely shrugged. That should’ve been the work of a full squad. She didn’t protest because she was the new NCO, having joined the company to replace a cadet lost in a training exercise.
All she knew is before she could earn her place among the full Marines in her new cadet company, things got out of control with the Free Corps mutin
y. She was iced, thawed back out, and a day later she was sitting in a chair having odd things tattooed onto her skin. Even the entire rank structure had just changed.
The only thing she knew for sure was how to be a Marine. So, after every one of her Marines had suited up and been inspected, she prepared them for the cautionary controlled flood of the habdisk. All the individual rooms and passageways were sealed to limit the flooding to the main corridors of Habdisk 612. When they were done, should the project fail, they could simply reseal themselves and find an alternative solution to the flooding in Beta City.
When her first sergeant was satisfied that all rooms were sealed and everyone was suited up, he opened the main exit and the water quickly rushed into the space. Meadow watched as several Marines were knocked down by the incoming wall of water.
That’s what happens when you frakkers don’t pay attention to the briefing and forget to turn on your magnetized boots, she thought.
While waiting for her squad’s place in the debarkation order, Meadow quizzed each of her Marines on their knowledge of the DM 5.10.2. She knew this Basic Rifleman Tactical Manual by heart. After she’d given each Marine a question, trying to stump them, and was preparing to do another round, her section’s turn came up.
Her Marines got into two columns, activated their magnetic boots, put their shoulders into each other’s backs, and pushed through the open door. Meadow smiled as her Marines moved in an efficient and expeditious manner.
That’s what happens when a Marine NCO knows what they’re doing and ensures her Marines are squared away, she mused.
Taking point, she led her Marines down the main passageway connecting their City Phase Unit to the Multi-Use Facility.
“Unlock and blow,” said Meadow.
Upon hearing the order, each Marine in her section de-magnetized their boots and used their combat suit thruster packs to speed through the tunnel toward their objective. She doubted the other NCOs had thought to do this, but she would take advantage of all her training to bolster their mission effectiveness.
It felt like they were flying as they torpedoed through the water toward Level 5. When they arrived at their objective, a lounge intended for senior NCOs, they found the partially decayed husks of several Marines floating in front of the door they needed to seal. Deciding that the floating dead would damage morale, Meadow ordered her Marines to stow them out of sight.
The instant that the waxy and skeletal bodies had been removed, Meadow set a tactical perimeter around the two grenadiers who would serve as her welders. Rather than a traditional arc welder, they were using a plastic epoxy spray designed for emergency seals and could be undone with the right compound. As a further measure of security, it would also decay if the right signal were sent to the nanites, which moved freely among the epoxy chemicals.
“Slow down and do it right!” Meadow shouted through the LBNet.
She watched the two grenadiers jump in their combat armor, look at each other, then steady their shaking hands.
“Fast is slow and slow is smooth,” said Meadow.
Once the door was sealed, they moved toward their next objective. Though other units opted for pure speed when they sealed up their sectors, Meadow knew that her barely-Marines needed the opportunity to bolster their void training, tactical maneuvering, and other basic combat techniques. The groans from her section weren’t missed on her. Having two combat engagements under her belt before she was iced, Meadow knew stupid mistakes could kill good Marines.
Moments after they sealed their last connecting passageway indicated on her schematics, Meadow called a halt so her Marines could rest while she called in her final report to Sergeant Brockoye. Because the sergeant was so green, having been just a cadet yesterday, she resented having to report in to her. She bit her tongue in the hopes that her new Skipper would recognize the value of someone trained like she was.
After the assistant squad leader acknowledged her report, relaying that they were en route to inspect the passageways her section had sealed, First Sergeant Thorn jumped onto the comms line and began addressing Meadow.
“Corporal, if you plan on keeping those stripes, then you’d better step up your game for frakk’s sake. Your section is the last one to finish. Even Yankee Company beat you, and that isn’t something that will happen in my unit! Get your head out of your arse, or I’ll shoot you and find your replacement before your corpse is cold. Verstaan?”
Seething with pent-up anger, Meadow snapped at her first sergeant without thinking through the consequences.
“Listen, First Sergeant, the city was never confirmed cleared so we moved tactically the entire time. Besides, these untrained half-Marines could use the training beca–”
Thorn’s voice blasted through her earpiece, cutting her off.
“Are you out of your frakking mind? Was your brain addled by your excessive time as an icer? We’re on a tight timeline here and are running out of air. When I tell you that we need to move fast, you damn well move like a rocket just shoved itself up your arse.”
Blood boiling, Meadow didn’t let the matter defuse and responded with equal hostility.
“A lack of supplies can kill you, we all know that, but so can half-Marines with no void training. Do you think our enemies will indulge us and revert to purely terrestrial combat?”
Meadow heard a crashing noise through the helmet speaker before Thorn re-engaged.
“Stand the frakk by to stand by, Corporal! I’m gonna–”
The rest of Thorn’s communication was garbled as he screamed through the comms line.
Meadow’s rage seethed as bile crept up her throat.
How could someone as experienced as Thorn be so ignorant? she thought to herself. Seeing her Marines all looking at one another, she ordered them back into formation. I might as well conduct some void training while I wait to get my arse chewed.
After twenty minutes of doing combat suit assisted wall thrusts, her Marines were ready to pass out. A breather came in the form of a furious First Sergeant Thorn. He blasted down the flooded passageway toward them using his combat suit thruster and stopped just a few inches from Meadow. The force of the water he brought with him would have sent her flying, if she hadn’t activated her magnetic boots.
As he towered above her, looking down, she stood at attention. The rest of the senior NCOs arrived shortly after Thorn. Meadow could see her Marines attempting to get to the position of attention. Their buoyancy in the water affected their ability to accomplish this simple task.
Turn your magnetic boots on you frakking half-Marines. You’re making me look incompetent, Meadow fumed.
The two squad leaders, and the assistant squad leader from Whiskey Company, split off to inspect that each passageway was sealed properly. Thorn continued staring down at Meadow. Sergeant Brockoye grabbed Meadow’s Marines and took them out of sight. Though the city was flooded, the cavernous Multi-Use Facility practically crackled with the tension between the two NCOs. As soon as her Marines were gone, Thorn tore into her.
“You little shite, you were a cadet yesterday and think that–”
Meadow cut him off again. Closing the tiny gap between them her helmet barely reached his chin plate as she responded.
“Negative, Boss Sarge, I was a Marine yesterday and have been since before you were born. I was thawed out because I was from the same era as the Skipper. I was iced after my second battle and woken up to fill in for the cadets who died during the CCTE. That’s right, a cadet training exercise, where you fake what I’ve done for real. Lott and I joined these cadets in time to get written on and iced again. What I do know is that piss-poor training gets Marines killed. No disrespect, Sarge, but things seemed to have turned to fecal compost while I was a popsicle. As for those jo–”
Before the conversation could go any further, the comms for the two NCOs were cut and Captain Scipio came over the LBNet.
“That will be all, Marine. I’ve seen your impressive records but you will not talk to
your senior NCOs like that again and live, verstaan?”
“Skipper, I–” she protested, but the captain cut her off without letting her finish her apology or offer any explanations.
“No, this conversation doesn’t happen over the net. We will have it in-person, later. Till then, lock it up and let First Sergeant Thorn do his job. We’re on a timeline here, and I can’t have you or my senior NCO being tied up by this frakking nonsense. Be respectful, be apologetic, or I’ll bloody well flog your arse like some flea-ridden Auxie. Verstaan?”
“Roger that, Captain.”
“Both of you, back on target!” Captain Scipio half-shouted through the comms line.
A fire burned in her chest, but she wouldn’t disrespect her Skipper’s orders. Thorn turned and activated his thrusters as he sped away, purposefully blasting her with water as final insult.
Looks like me and my Marines, if they don’t demote me, are the winners of all the crappiest jobs now, she thought.
As she thought about how ridiculous the situation was, her Marines rejoined her. None spoke or looked around. When Senior Sergeant Conteh and Senior Sergeant Okeke cleared the seals, they all prepared to move out together. Instead of taking point, Meadow was instructed to move with the senior NCOs behind her Marines, as if under arrest.
— Chapter 25 —
Mid Afternoon, Post-Revival Day 2
Whiskey Co. Commander’s Quarters, Beta City, Serendine
Whiskey Co., 8th BN, 6907th TAC RGT
Lance had made about 100 circles around the holo-display floating above his desk. As Marines sealed doors, hatches, and passageways on Levels 4 and 5, the projection would update the information. Despite him being at the helm, he couldn’t help but feel trapped and a little useless as everyone else worked. With the last hatches sealed, and the Marines back in Habdisk 612, Lance gave the order to his senior NCOs to start draining protocols.