Valkyrie

by Lucas Marcum

  He leaned towards Deucy, made the ‘cease fire’ gesture, and pointed up. Deucy nodded, reached over and tapped a control, and the rain of fire from the sky stopped. The sudden silence that followed was almost deafening.

  Cautiously poking his head up and looking at the tree line, he watched for a moment. There was no fire coming from the darkness, and nothing appeared to be moving. He keyed his radio.

  “Seven, Six. Get me a casualty report, then get ready to move. We have our people.” Sergeant Matthews acknowledged dispassionately, then Tulp turned and moved in a crouch to the three soldiers who had joined his line.

  Nodding to the lieutenant, he said, “Glad you made it, Gabe. Where the hell are your pants?”

  Lieutenant Alvarez shook his head. “Sir, you don’t even want to know. Lost two of my people in there, Robinson and Hull, and Christianson is on a breathing machine. It was those fucking bugs, Sir.” The young man paused, then continued, “I’m gonna have a talk with that shit heel Major Smith when we get back.”

  Captain Tulp scowled and replied, “You let me worry about him. I’m glad we got you out.” He turned to Brian and Elizabeth. “You two sure know how to cut it close.” He gestured at the jungle. “That was a probe. We need to get the hell out of here before they get back.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “No argument here. I hate getting shot at almost as much as I hate being in tunnels with death bugs and earthquakes.”

  Brian nodded and asked, “What’s the plan, Sir?”

  Captain Tulp eyed the tree line once more, then said, “We’re going to withdraw on foot to a pre-planned exfil point. We’ve left a bunch of surprises here for our friends out there to keep them occupied while we get moving.” He checked his watch, then placed a fresh magazine into his rifle. “We need to go now. We don’t have long before they reorganize.”

  Two figures approached out of the darkness and materialized into the familiar shape of Sergeant Lopez and Master Sergeant Matthews.

  They crouched down with the others. Matthews spoke brusquely, “Sir, no seriously wounded. Everyone can move. We’ll be ready to go in five.” She looked at the power-armored Valkyrie crewman. “You two ok carrying Christianson? That armor will let you move a hell of a lot faster with her, and that means we can all move faster.” Brian nodded. The senior noncommissioned officer continued, “Good. Let’s get the fuck moving. Sir, anything else?”

  She looked at Captain Tulp, who nodded and said simply, “Let’s go.”

  -19-

  “Leapfrog”

  LANDING ZONE X-RAY, APPROXIMATELY FIFTY KILOMETERS WEST OF FORWARD SUPPORT BASE OLYMPIC.

  0415 hours, NOVEMBER 22, 2247

  Standing just inside the tree line next to a small clearing, Elizabeth could hear the throaty roar of the Valkyrie approaching over the treetops. There was a rare break in the rain, and there were stars visible above. She turned to Captain Tulp and Corporal Deucy, who stood next to them. Weary Special Forces troops had taken position around the clearing, providing security, but there hadn’t been any sign of pursuit from the Elai forces.

  The Special Forces captain stuck out a hand and smiled wearily. “Ma’am, I’d like to say it was a pleasure, but it wasn’t. Thank you for everything, and thank you for finding my people. Next time we run into each other, let’s make it in a more civilized location, ok?”

  Elizabeth grinned in return and shook the offered hand, “Deal. When is your ride getting here?”

  The young officer checked his watch and replied, “They’re fifteen out, so just after you clear the LZ. You be safe out there, Ma’am. I’ll see you around.” He looked at Brian, held out his hand, and spoke again, “Sergeant.”

  Brian nodded respectfully and shook the offered hand. “Sir.”

  Over the clearing, the stars were momentarily blacked out. The sound of the engines grew to a deafening roar as the large aircraft lowered itself down and the rear ramp opened. The helmeted and masked crew chief motioned to them. With a final nod at Captain Tulp and a smile at Corporal Deucy, Elizabeth closed her helmet, moved towards the big aircraft, and stepped onto the ramp, noting as she approached that it wasn’t Valkyrie One. With Brian right behind her, she clambered up and moved into the rear cabin. Inside, two armored figures sat in the right and left seats. Elizabeth recognized Lieutenant Wilkowsky and the flight medic, Sergeant Johannes, from Valkyrie Two. She grinned and made her way to the jump seat, glad to be off the ground. The rear hatch sealed, and she linked into the comms of the aircraft. From the cockpit, she could hear the crew chief speaking to the pilots.

  “Got ‘em, Rocco. Ramp sealed and good to lift.” The crew chief made her way up from the tail, paused, and looked at Elizabeth and Brian. “Lot’s happened since you two went out this morning. The cherry will get you up to speed.” She disappeared into the cockpit and closed the bulkhead hatch.

  Elizabeth blew out a breath, feeling the exhaustion of having been on her feet and in her armor for nearly twenty hours wash over her like a wave.

  Lieutenant Wilkowsky was speaking, “So, you guys probably felt the earthquakes, right?”

  Brian muttered, “Christ, did we ever.” Lieutenant Wilkowsky looked at him curiously, and Brian shook his head. “Long story. Go on.”

  The lieutenant continued, “Right. So after the first little one or two, things were a mess. Tents knocked over, supplies fallen off shelves, mostly just a mess. Then after the big one, things really went to crap. Something happened to the dirt, and the containerized buildings started to sink. Operating Room two lost a leg, and is tilted and unusable. The command cell collapsed and buried a bunch of the commo gear in mud. The ‘Hawk mechanical shop caught fire, and both that and the ready room burned down. It’s a mess.”

  The flight medic, Sergeant Johannes, chimed in, “Yeah. Mess is right. Valkyrie Four is fucked solid, too. Four had the avionics and engine bays open for cyclic maintenance and was shaken off the maintenance stand. It’s buried up to the cockpit in mud. Might be a total loss. Sure as hell won’t be flying anytime soon.”

  Considering this, Brian said grimly, “Shit. Anybody hurt?”

  Lieutenant Wilkowsky nodded. “Yeah, a few. We didn’t lose anyone, but a lot of bruises, and a more than a few people with broken bones. Major Androvich got the worst of it. She’s definitely got a broken pelvis, and probably some internal injuries, but we can’t tell since the medical imaging modules don’t have power. She was in the ops center when it collapsed. She’s out of the fight for now, so you’re probably the acting exec.”

  Leaning forward to look at the young officer, Elizabeth asked in a worried tone, “Is Major Harris ok?”

  Lieutenant Wilkowsky shrugged. “He seemed fine. Last I saw him, he was leading a team of people trying to dig out the commo equipment from the ops center.” The young officer paused, then continued somberly, “I don’t think we’re operational. The hospital is torn to shit, and so is the flight line. We were lucky we’d just gotten a load of patients and the Elai prisoner out on a shuttle right before it hit. The colonel and the sergeant major were considering options when we left. They said to get you back in a hurry, Ma’am.”

  Elizabeth sighed and said, “I have a feeling there’s not a lot of rest in my future. I’m going to close my eyes.” She leaned her head back against the headrest, deactivated her connection to the intercom, and promptly fell asleep.

  Thirty minutes later, Elizabeth woke up to feel someone tapping her knee. Blinking rapidly, she looked up to see Brian in front of her, looking at her. She had apparently slept through the approach and landing. Looking past him, she could see both side doors and the rear ramp open, with a flat, grassy area outside the doors. The early morning sun was shining, and it looked peaceful, in a stark contrast to the chaos of the previous night.

  In a concerned tone, he asked, “You ok, Ma’am?”

  Nodding, she leaned forward and reached for her restraints as she replied, “I’m good. Man, I must have been out. I can’t remember the last time I slept th
rough a landing. Where are we?”

  Reaching over to help her out of the tiny jump seat, he replied, “In a clearing about fifty meters west of the main landing pads. We were going to use it as an emergency landing zone, but never needed it. They have us here because the pads inside the perimeter are fractured and unusable, apparently. We’ll walk in from here.” He paused, then continued. “How’s your armor looking for juice?”

  Activating her suit diagnostics, Elizabeth considered the display and responded, “I’m at 45% on power, but I have four backup cells, so I’m good. Could probably use a through maintenance check, but I’m ok for now.” Grasping his outstretched hand, she stood in the awkward crouch the low ceiling in the rear of the aircraft forced them into. Moving to the side door, she hopped down, finally feeling her muscles protesting.

  Outside in the clearing, she stopped and removed her helmet from her armor, tucking it under her arm. Brian did the same, and they fell into an easy stride, heading towards the small rise about a hundred yards away that concealed the outpost containing the field hospital.

  Enjoying the sunlight and the breeze, she remarked, “You know, this place really isn’t too bad, if you stay out of that damn jungle. Maybe the colonists are onto something.”

  Brian shrugged. “Too humid for me, personally. Plus, all that rain… It’s just…unnatural.”

  With a weary laugh, Elizabeth replied, “You know, you’ll never be happy anywhere that isn’t Mars!”

  Brian just looked at her with a slightly amused expression. “What’s wrong with that? I like Mars. Lotta great things about Mars.”

  Still laughing, she replied, “Nothing it’s just that…” Her voice trailed off into silence.

  Cresting the small rise in the field, they could see the remains of the Medical Operating Base in front of them. Tents were toppled, containerized buildings were sunk into the ground and skewed at all different angles, and there were crates broken open and supplies everywhere. Nearer to them, they could see the plas-crete Valkyrie landing pads broken and buckled. The ready room and maintenance bay were a charred pile of plywood, tent scraps, and burnt machine shop equipment. The heap of wreckage was still slightly smoldering.

  On the pad, they could see Valkyrie Four toppled forward and onto its side, the nose gear smashed through the cracked landing pad. The big aircraft was buried up to its nose in the soft mud. Throughout the wreckage, soldiers in dark green uniforms were picking their way through the wreckage, formed into human chains to salvage equipment and items from the ruins.

  After a moment of stunned silence, Elizabeth said, “Lieutenant Wilkowsky was right. We aren’t operational. No way. Let’s get down there.”

  Making their way down the small hill, the two headed for the closest part of the operating base they could see that was still standing—the open-sided tent that had made up the entrance to the Emergency Treatment Unit. As they got closer, they saw soldiers rushing in and out. Coming to the edge of the tent, they recognized the hospital commander, Colonel Assad, and Command Sergeant Major Cortez.

  The colonel and his senior noncom had their back to them, leaning over something spread out on the crates forming an improvised table underneath the olive drab canopy. A young soldier with a backpack radio set up on a crate stood nearby, waiting. They were speaking with the staff sergeant who’d previously been the senior noncommissioned officer in charge of the Emergency Triage Unit, Staff Sergeant Green. Green caught sight of them and said something to the two men. They straightened and turned, and Colonel Assad motioned them over.

  The colonel looked at them closely for a moment, then spoke in his soft but firm tone.

  “Major, Sergeant. First off, I’m glad you two are safe. Colonel Moreno kept me abreast of what you did down there in that jungle, and I’m damn proud. Those Special Forces boys appreciated it, too. Their battalion commander already called me to let me know how much his company commander appreciated you two.” He paused, eyeing them for a moment, then continued, “I know you’re tired and probably sick as hell of that armor, but I need you for another job.” He turned back to the crates and motioned for Elizabeth and Brian step up to the crates. Doing so, they saw a large paper map of the island with markings, red lines and circles scattered across the paper.

  Colonel Assad was speaking again, “The Elai attacked the First and Third Battalions of the Fifth Marines up here in the north last night, in force, then fell back into a series of deep, prepared fortifications on this ridgeline.” He stabbed a finger at a hundred-kilometer-long rocky ridge that stuck out of the jungle lowlands, about thirty kilometers from the northern coast of the island. He continued speaking, “Now, Marines doing what they do, they chased them, followed them back to the ridge, and ran smack into those bunker complexes. So, again, doing what Marines do, they tried to take them, and got chewed up, then fell back and called for orbital fires.” Tapping a finger on the ridgeline, he grimaced. “They saturated this entire area with heavy kinetic rounds. The Navy hammered ‘em hard. Ten or fifteen big orbital rounds.”

  Turning to face them, he said in a serious tone, “It turns out that ridgeline isn’t just a ridgeline, it’s also a continental fault line, and a damn shallow one at that. The Navy’s kinetic rounds hit it hard enough to make it shift, causing, quote unquote ‘relatively minor’ earthquakes.” The senior officer scowled. “At least, minor according to the Navy.” He waved a hand at the wreckage of the hospital. “It might have seemed small from orbit, but it sure did a number on us here.” Contemptuously, he continued, “Just like the goddamn Navy to say something like that, I might add.”

  Turning back to the map, he poked a finger at a feature. “So we’re going to salvage what we can and reorganize here. It’s in the Fifth Marine Division administrative area, and its firmly on bedrock, in this series of hills here. They’re calling it ‘The Box’. They got shook up some, but at least the damn ground won’t give away again.”

  He turned to Elizabeth and Brian. “Get up there, and get their aid station organized. We’re going to augment it to handle casualties as best as we can until we can get the hospital re-established, using whatever we can beg, borrow, salvage, or steal. I sent Colonel Moreno ahead to get the first load of people and supplies moving.” He turned back to the ruins of the hospital complex. “I’ll stay here and send whatever we can pull out of this mess on the Valkyries to you.”

  Turning to Elizabeth, he transfixed her with a hard stare. “You will go to the Box and serve as the interim commander on the ground until I’ve finished ensuring we have everything we can get out of here. Get up there, get the aid station beefed up as much as possible, and take care of those injured Marines. Understood?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, Sir.” She thought for a moment, then spoke again, “If it’s ok with you, Sergeant Major, I’d like to have Sergeant Agawa as my noncommissioned officer in charge. We’ve worked together a long time, and we’re a good team.”

  The hard-faced sergeant major nodded somberly and spoke in a gravelly tone, “Colonel, one suggestion. Since we’re sending Sergeant First Class Agawa as our advance party NCOIC, and he’s going to be on a base full of Marines, we ought to bump him to master sergeant. It’ll give him the rank he’s going to need to get things done.”

  The colonel nodded and replied, ”Agreed.” He turned to Brian and spoke in a business-like voice, “Sergeant Agawa, you are hereby advanced in rank to master sergeant, with the responsibilities and duties accompanying the rank.” He paused, then continued, “I apologize for not making this more formal, but we don’t have the time. I promise when we settle things down, we’ll make sure everyone knows about it, and we’ll do it the right way.”

  Brian nodded and responded simply, “Yes, Sir. I understand. Thank you.”

  Sergeant Major Cortez nodded and added, “This was going to happen eventually, Master Sergeant. Might as well be now. You’ve earned it.”

  Colonel Assad nodded in agreement. Turning back to Elizabeth, he regarded her closely
for a moment. He asked in a gentler tone, “When was the last time you slept, Major?”

  She glanced at Brian and replied, “We got about thirty minutes in the bird on the way back, Sir. Before that…day before yesterday sometime.”

  Colonel Assad nodded and turned to Staff Sergeant Green. “Sergeant, get someone to rummage up a couple of cots and set up a tarp for shade. These two are to sleep until Valkyrie Two is fueled, loaded, and ready to lift.” The noncommissioned officer nodded wordlessly and pointed at a nearby specialist, then jerked his thumb over his shoulder. The specialist leapt up and took off out of the tent.

  In a gentle tone, the older officer continued, “Elizabeth, I need you clear-headed and thinking. Major Androvich is out of the game. Her pelvis is probably broken; so are both her legs. Probably internal injuries, too. We’re getting her up to the Shiva. You’re in her seat now.”

  Nodding, Elizabeth responded simply, “Yes, Sir.”

  Colonel Assad regarded them for a moment, then said abruptly, “Let me know if you need anything. Master Sergeant, we’ll scrape up some rank for your uniforms. Now, you two go get some sleep. Dismissed.”

  Brian and Elizabeth nodded, turned, and started to leave the tent. As they stepped outside, Sergeant Major Cortez’s voice came from behind them, “Sergeant Agawa, one more thing.” They turned and saw the senior noncommissioned officer coming towards them. He held a long, slender shape wrapped in a green blanket. He held it out to Brian. Taking the bundle, Brian pulled one end off, revealing the hilt of a sword that matched the one on his belt.

  Looking up, he nodded and spoke with heartfelt gratitude, “Thank you, Sergeant Major. This has been in my family a very long time. I’m glad you found it.”

  The older man nodded. “I know. That’s why we dug it out of your tent. You be safe, Sergeant. We’ll be right behind you. Now get back to your Valk. Those cots ought to be there soon.” Brian nodded and turned, indicating to Elizabeth with a toss of his head that they should go. Turning, they headed towards the Valkyrie and some much-needed sleep.