Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale)

by Hechtl, Chris

  That was too bad. His people may have taken three days instead of one to get through the suiting up period, but they were all settling down into experienced vets now.

  “Your job is to take out the enemy base. Period. You can do that with maneuver, with direct conflict, or however you think you can. You'll be on a hard time limit, limited by your O2 supply so don't get cute about it,” the gunny glared at the group. “Think and plan now, there are no time outs, no stress cards available folks, you screw up and you're most likely dead before we can get there to bail your asses out. IF I'd want to.” He looked at one hand and extended his short blunt claws as if to buff them.

  “I've got a round of drinks between DI's and a GI cleaning of every head on Firefly for the loser on the line. Gunny Thompskins sweet talked me into the deal. You’re not going to disappoint me are you?” Schultz growled. The troop hastily shook their heads no.

  “Good. Questions?” he asked. Valenko's hand paw immediately went up. “Yes?”

  “Sir do we have to go in the suits we've got?” After completing their EVA course they were issued orange and white skin suits for exterior exercises. The suits for F troop had had to be custom tailored to each individual since they weren't Terran norms. The entire rotation had been taken up by their platoon. Beta and Delta had skipped EVA training. Some blamed F for that.

  “Got a problem with them recruit?”

  “They aren't practical sir. Not in a combat situation. We wouldn't go into combat in orange, white, and reflective tape sir.” A few of the other recruits nodded agreement.

  Jethro grimaced and then nodded. “Are we going to get new issue?”

  “No,” the gunny said crossing his arms. “Any ideas to fix it?”

  “Sir, can we? I'd like to take some riggers tape or something to my suit. All the suits actually. Paint if possible.”

  “Not possible. Paint is out.”

  “But we can replicate riggers tape in the color of the terrain.” Jethro said sitting back. He nodded. “Food replicators can replicate it.”

  “As long as you don't cover your sensors,” the gunny said nodding.

  “Yes sir. Are we going to be issued weapons?” Hurranna asked. “What about vehicles sir?”

  “Your TOE is in your files. No vehicles however. You’re on foot for this one.” The gunny shrugged. “You haven't had training on vehicles anyway. You've got an hour to get sorted out.”

  Jethro grimaced and then nodded. The idea of tooling around in a vehicle sounded nice, but it would force them to the flat level terrain. Which would make them predictable. Also the dust cloud vehicles would kick up would have given them away. On foot was a better option. “Rear guard and sneak or all in?” he turned, asking Valenko.

  The bear rumbled a laugh. “Do we know who we're up against sir?”

  “One of the other troop squads. Alpha actually. Sixty in the unit.”

  “All Terran norm?”

  “Yes.”

  “I think we're going to do all three,” Valenko said turning to Jethro with a grin.

  “Three?” the gunny asked.

  “You want a preliminary op plan now sir?” the bear asked, turning back to the gunny.

  “If you don't mind...” the gunny said sitting back, clearly amused.

  “Well then...”

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “Interesting,” the Major said watching the feed.

  “That's one way of putting it,” Firefly responded. “They do think and fight like recon. Adapt, and overcome.” The AI avatar shook it's head.

  “You are just snippy because they caught onto the rigging tape idea right off,” captain Mayweather teased with a smile. “It's not in their op orders or out for that matter. Even getting the rigging tape as digicam, that's a bonus. Fair game I'd say.”

  “I am not questioning that. I am a bit disappointed that the opposition team leader, recruit Rigatoni is doing a straight forward frontal attack.”

  “Which will make things interesting for F platoon. But I think Valenko's plan will pin them down. Rigatoni isn't an out of the box thinker. I'm a bit surprised the bear is though, I would have thought he'd be a frontal assault type,” the Major said smiling.

  “Stereotypical prejudice that is,” Mayweather snorted. “Just because he's built like a tank you think he'd go brawn over brain. Glad he's using his,” she smiled. “Does he have a team name yet?” she asked.

  “No. Although recruit Jethro has teasingly called him Yogi a few times.”

  “Yogi?” Mayweather asked.

  “Child cartoon bear.”

  “And here I thought he'd earn Grizzly or Teddy,” Mayweather snorted.

  “Apparently not. The team has yet to choose team names. I am not sure if it is because they have been too busy to think of it or that they know that things will change once they are out of boot.”

  “Probably a bit of both,” the Major replied. “Or the gunny hasn't encouraged it. Which is possibly true now that I think of it.” He grimaced.

  “Well, Valenko is shaping up as officer material. Going to fast track him soon?” Mayweather asked giving the Major a look.

  “Already in play captain. He's slated for OCS as soon as he passes the crucible.”

  “Which is soon. If he doesn't get too much egg on his face here.”

  ...*...*...*...*...

  The shuttle landed and Jethro was out like a shot. Hurranna took off after him. The two foxes hesitated and then followed at a trot.

  Valenko nodded, not even watching as they went. “You all know your jobs. Remember, this isn't a sim, no time outs, no do overs. Get it right the first time. Déjà, Ris'ha you've got rear guard,” he nodded to the selkie and the Naga.

  The naga wasn't too happy. He'd been forced to have his antlers cut even more than before to get into a special suit. He hissed and then bobbed what passed for a nod in his species. His eyes wandered around, taking in the battlefield.

  Valenko hefted his plasma rifle and then pointed. “Sniper team on the wall. Find a good spot and hunker down. Keep e-com silent until it goes down.”

  “Roger,” the leopard nodded. He hefted his sniper rifle and then moved off at a trot. His Veraxin spotter followed.

  Sergei adjusted his pack straps and then smoothed a bit of tape over his left forearm. “Tape is going to get gummy when the sun hits it.”

  “Should have thought of that earlier. We're planning on sticking to the shade anyway. They've got the advantage though, the sun will be to the left behind them. Keep your heads down, e-com silent once we get set. Let's move people,” Valenko waved broadly. The team moved out.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Jethro leapt over a rock, moving as fast as possible. “Shouldn't we be in the shadows?” one of the foxes complained. He hissed. At least the fool had complained on a laser link instead of broadband.

  “Quiet. E-com silent remember? Keep moving. We'll go to the shadows in a bit. Just be glad that bend in the ravine is blocking them from hearing us.” He moved faster. They needed to get past the half way point to a location he had picked out fast. It was off a side trail, but the entire side trail was exposed to the enemy view. They had to get to the hide, and go to ground fast.

  The exercise was in a kilometer wide ravine. The ravine walls snaked back and forth, and varied from sheer vertical cliffs to lazy slopes. It was over forty kilometers long. They had a long way to go and a short time to get there. He felt his pulse quicken as he checked the time. He picked up the pace.

  By their best estimate he and his team had a short window to get to the hide. It all depended upon Rigatoni. If he was short on brains they could still be at their drop off base scratching their asses and getting organized. But they couldn't count on an enemy's short comings. His HUD blinked and the bouncing ball led him to the narrow side trail off to his left.

  He made it to the hide and checked it out. It was a shallow cave, half way up the side of the bluff. Rocks screened it from the trail below. He pulled his ruck
off and tossed it to the back of the cave. Quickly he pulled his field shovel and started to expand the floor of the cave, digging a makeshift foxhole.

  He looked up after a moment. The others were still moving along the trail. He shook his head. Damn slow pokes. He dug in with a will. Hurranna jumped in and tossed her ruck off. She sipped at her water straw and then fumbled with her shovel.

  “What the hell are we doing?" she asked "we could keep going...” Jethro snarled but then caught himself before his claws came out. He turned but paused when he noted she had plugged into his auxiliary port. He grimaced.

  “Dig. Fast.” He motioned. “It's better to be dug in and hidden than to get caught out on the trail.”

  “Ah.” She dug in. The foxes got to the ledge and practically fell in. They shouldered their rucks off and then started digging. Jethro paused and plugged a line into the nearest, the arctic fox.

  “Could you see us from the trail?”

  “Not until we were within spitting distance. The shoveling gave it away,” the male said panting. “We need to get this done soon.”

  “Right,” Jethro said. In a few minutes they were done. He hunkered down, turning everything off. Hopefully the rocks and thermal blankets they were under would absorb any thermal energy they were emitting. He took a sip of water from the straw and tried to calm his nerves.

  They lay there, waiting. He had snaked an ODN line through the dirt but was leery of using it. The energy of his suit might give him away. He laid his helmet against the rock and tried to think about how much leakage he could get away with.

  He felt a vibration in his mouth. He paused trying to place it. He lifted his head up, moving away from the rock and it stopped. He looked around and then put a hand on the rock. He felt it again, weaker. Frowning he moved his shoulder down and rested the side of his helmet against the stone. He could feel vibration, like a pulse.

  He looked at Hurranna and she grinned. She held a thumb up listening as well. She counted down with her hand.

  When she got to zero she started to move. The vibrations had faded, but he wasn't taking any chances. He grabbed her hand and shook his head when she looked at him. She cocked an eyebrow at him. He turned to the foxes who twitched their whiskers at him. He held up a finger.

  He grimaced and then opened a window on his HUD. He accessed the optical feed and looked. Carefully he maneuvered the tip of the cable around, getting a good look around. If Rigatoni was smart he would have placed his rear guard further back. But no, he'd kept it tight. There was a dust trail leading off the way they had come. He nodded. He grabbed his ruck and motioned for the others. They helped each other back into their rucks and then pulled the tarp down.

  Hurranna caught his eye and he turned. She grinned and raised her eyebrows up and down a few times. He snorted softly and then pointed. He waved with the blade of his hand in the move out command.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “Well, this is fun. Remind me to plan a party like this every year,” Valenko snorted, watching Sergei writhe in the dust. “Oh get up you big baby,” he growled.

  “Can't. Suit is locked,” Sergei gasped, and then his com shut off. His harness was blinking.

  “So why are we the blocking force again?” Zebo asked, ducking behind a rock. He hefted his needler. His eyestalks moved, trying to see up and behind his head. He grimaced and then pulled an optical cable out of his bag and fished it through the cracks between him and Sergei's fallen body.

  “We're too damn big to manage that trail,” Valenko replied, shooting. “We're pinned,” he grimaced. Right now only the snipers were getting shots off.

  They had gotten some good licks in, the ambush had worked well. He hadn't intended to crush them, just pin them down. It was working. That was the problem.

  “No fair, they've got heavy weapons,” Zebo whined, shaking a hand. “We don't.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that. But they make dandy targets in orange,” Valenko growled.

  “Quit whining. It's just something to work on,” Chirby growled. “I wonder if the others got through though. If they got caught this is all moot.”

  “Count on it. Cause I am,” Valenko growled.

  “Oh goody. Then cover me,” Chirby chirped then rolled.

  “Bloody hell,” Zebo growled. “He's insane,” he said, raising his rifle and firing. He was using the attached camera to try to pick exposed targets out. After a moment there was a flash and he cursed, dropping his rifle.

  “What? Pick it up!” Valenko said as Zebo shook his hands.

  “Can't. Fried. Or at least simulated,” Zebo said. He pulled his side arm and looked at it.

  “Here,” Valenko grabbed Sergei's weapon and passed it to Zebo. “It's not like he's using it. Lazy. Bet you got shot so you can catch a nap,” he nudged the big Liger with a knee.

  Sergei snorted, eyes closed. He purred a chuckle. Thanks for the idea. He thought and let himself fall asleep. It wasn't like he could do anything else.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “There it is!” Hurranna said grinning ten minutes later. “And not a guard in sight! Come on!” she ran ahead of Jethro. He paused looking around the terrain. He felt a boding unease and slowed, trying to place why. Gunny had taught them to listen to their hunches.

  “Something doesn't feel right.” He caught sight of orange and snorted. “Dumb.” He threw himself to the ground. “Down!” he ordered at the same time as he dropped. He twisted firing at the orange.

  Hurranna jerked startled and then paused, puzzled as a buzzer went off. She looked at her harness which was all lit up and blinking. She looked around. “What the hell?” A voice on her HUD ordered her to lay down. Grimacing she did as she was told before it locked up and shocked her for noncompliance.

  The foxes dropped flat and then one rolled behind a rock for additional cover. Jethro peppered the area where the sniper was until he saw lights flash. Got him. He carefully looked around.

  “Check the area for more. Be on guard.” He carefully scanned the area, both around the neck of the ravine and then out, onto the plains beyond and behind the pennant flag.

  “Nope, nothing,” Shiku, the arctic fox replied. “Sector clean.”

  “No threats,” Pamplona growled softly. “Think they just left the one.”

  “Go ahead and stand up and find out,” Shiku said dryly.

  “All right I will,” Pamplona did and then looked around. “Clear,” she said and started to move to the flag. She reached for it and her harness went off. “Blast!” she snarled and then dropped defeated to her knees and then laid down.

  “This one's good,” Jethro snarled softly. His eyes scanned the surrounding terrain. “Where...”

  “Sniper obviously. Smart one,” Shiku breathed. “Can't get a bead on us so he's out there.”

  “That gives me an idea.” Jethro pulled up a map of the area and then plotted where the other sniper was, and each of his team members. He fumbled with the program trying to sketch out firing angles.

  “What are you doing?” Shiku asked. “Jethro?”

  “Trying to back track this SOB's position from his actions. He can't hit us so that gives us something to go off of.”

  “Ah. Shoot me the file,” Shiku asked.

  “Right.” Exasperated with his terrible geometry skills Jethro sent the file. After a few moments a file returned. He opened it to see the map had changed. Probable locations of the sniper were in red. Yellow was where he may be. Green paths were possible safe passages. He grunted. None were around Shiku.

  “We need a birds eye,” Jethro sighed. He wished they were allowed to use remotes. Unfortunately the powers that be, or at least the gunny didn't want them to become reliant on the things.

  “Weren't we the ones who weren't supposed to be pinned?” Shiku laughed, taking his ruck off and then rolling onto his back. He wiggled a little so the ruck was on top of him.

  “Something like that. If we were on a planet I'd use smoke.”

  “N
o air. It'd just sit there on the ground,” Shiku replied.

  “Yeah, but that gave me another idea,” Jethro grinned. “Remember what you dropped in that hostage sim?”

  Shiku laughed. “Sure. Up?”

  “Yup. Time it right. I'll make the run.”

  “Your funeral. On three.” Shiku pulled a grenade from his pack and then pulled the pin. “Once you pull Mr. pin Mr. grenade is no longer your friend. One potato two potato...”

  Jethro readied himself, rising slightly so he would be able to run.

  “Three potato...” Shiku's arm went up and behind him. The grenade went up into the sky. Jethro's eyes went for it and then he closed and looked down. He pulled his sun visor down.

  Shiku pulled his visor down just as the grenade got to the top of its arch and started to fall. He smiled. “Fire in the hole!” He sent the signal.

  The grenade exploded in a bright flash. Jethro was off like a sprinter, he ran through the terrain, trusting his instincts and sensors. He leapt Hurranna's body then tackled the flag pole. He went down into a cloud of dust and rolled.

  A horn blared over his speakers. “Exercise terminated. F platoon is the winner,” a voice said over his radio. He looked up to see Hurranna and Pamplona sitting up with big grins. Pamplona was trying to rub her eyes. “Damn that was bright,” she said. Her fox eyes were fully dilated and watering.

  “Sorry,” Shiku said, coming up beside her. He pulled her to her feet. “But you’re supposed to be dead.” He shook his head as she leaned against him.

  “Damn.” They turned to see another soldier come out from behind a hedge of rocks off to one side behind the flag. “I thought I had you till that thing went off,” he grumbled, shaking his helmeted head. He fell to the ground. “Fuck me, can't see for shit.”

  “Use your sensors,” Jethro replied.

  “That's what I'm doing. Tried to shoot with them but I missed,” he growled. “Nice job anyway,” he sighed sitting on a rock. “I didn't know you could use rigging tape like that. Digicam. God. I wish we'd thought of it. Rigatoni's going to have my ass anyway though. Hell the gunny will.” He shook his head. “Might as well open my suit and make it a clean death,” he joked.