by Chris Hechtl
His other gear was checked into the secure cargo hold of the ship. He knew Bast was a bit anxious about it; he'd noted her checking on it every few minutes right up until he unjacked from the ship. She would be a pain in the ass until he personally laid eyes on it too he thought eying the A.I.
As if following his train of thought, the A.I. flicked her long virtual ears at him on his HUD impudently. He flicked his own ears. He knew the armor wouldn't be needed, but it was a part of him. Of them, he reminded himself as a familiar Neowolf slowed her pace and allowed others to pass her.
He flicked his ears to her again once he caught her looking at him. She sniffed delicately and then turned to continue through the debarking onto the station. He had traveled with Major White Wolf and the recruits from Kathy's World and Protodon. Those that were destined for the Marines or Army would ride the shuttle down with them the following evening he knew. They'd just missed the last shuttle down for the day.
Fortunately, the recruits, including the few Navy recruits among their number, were no longer his concern. He wished them all well. They'd do better in boot camp in some ways. Worse in others since they had already tasted combat. In some ways, that robbed them of the true Marine boot experience. So be it. Things like that happened sometimes, he mused as the line moved forward incrementally.
He caught sight of the white wolf once more. She was only a few people ahead of him he noted. From what she'd said on the trip out, she wasn't going to be on the planet any longer than he was. She was supposed to help set up or overhaul the MAWTS facilities and faculty while getting a medical checkup and debrief. After that, she would have to ship back to Kathy's World on the next available flight he knew.
“So, this is where we part ways, Sergeant. At least for the foreseeable future,” Major White Wolf said as they passed through security on the station.
“We may see each other on the ground, ma'am,” Jethro said with a nod to her as others passed them in their haste to get through the station to their own destinations.
“True. Do you have anything for Shanti and the kids? I'm going to be here a couple of weeks and then I'm headed to back to Kathy's World,” the white Neowolf said with one handpaw out.
Jethro looked at it and then grimaced ruefully. “I do but it's in here,” he said, tapping his head with one finger.
“Upload it to me or have Bast do it. The mail sometimes runs slow. I promise I won't read it,” she said.
“Thank you, ma'am,” Jethro said. He touched her hand and felt Bast open a port in her firewall and then send the files through.
“Oh, it's not just a favor for you. Shanti is one of my best deputies. I can do her and your kits this service,” the wolf said as they broke the touch upon completion of the transmission. “Keep kicking ass, McClintock. Consider that an order.”
“Aye aye, ma'am,” Jethro said as he came to attention. He saluted her but she snorted.
“You need to brush up on your etiquette, McClintock. You won the medal; people like me are supposed to salute you,” she said and did so.
Jethro blinked, then flicked his ears as she struck the salute and then picked up her bag and left for the officer's quarters on the station.
“Well! That was fun. Any ideas …,” Jethro stopped himself when Bast flicked her own long ears and then pointed to the left. He turned and noted the sign, “Noncom temporary billet this way.” He snorted and followed the directions.
<)>^<)>/
As the shuttle came into its final approach to the island landing field, Jethro looked out the porthole. He could access the shuttle's cameras and sensors if he wished. He knew Bast was doing so, but he wasn't interested, at least, not initially. She was naturally curious but also a bit paranoid. He knew she was going to get a bit worse since his armor was going to be housed in the armor morgue while he was on groundside duty.
Outside he saw the clouds part and then the island chain spread out among the glittering waters in all their majesty. From what he'd heard, they had expanded to the second and third island. His eyes caught the straight lines and glitter of metal on the most distant island, as well as some of the lights, but then the shuttle banked slightly and his view was obstructed.
From what he'd heard, the second island was one designated for the advanced training areas, while the distant third had been deeded over to the growing Army group. The Army group relied on the Marine base for its spaceport needs of course. There was no point building two spaceports a few kilometers apart.
He'd also heard that up until recently the set-up of the Army had been something of a half-hearted affair. The brass wasn't interested in setting up what would be a bunch of garrison soldiers in his opinion, and he agreed with them … in theory. However, after his recent adventure on Protodon, he now saw the need to have troops on the ground holding it.
Which probably explained why the Army, under the nominal command of Captain SG Yee, had started to rise in importance. He wondered if the recently promoted Brigadier General Jersey Forth and the other Marine brass resented the growing competition the Army would have with the Marines. Would they be forced to give up some of their personnel? He hoped not. Some he knew might volunteer, more out of a chance at rapid promotion and some semblance of pride in an ancestor who'd served in the Army.
Best luck to them he thought as the shuttle lowered itself to the long stretch of runway.
<)>^<)>/
After he went through groundside security, he ignored the personnel bus with the recruits milling around it and hopped onto the truck with his armor. He saw Bast's nod of approval and flicked his ears in humor.
He felt her reach out with his LAN implants to link electronically to the armor's computer systems. It was his turn to flick his ears in humor, but she ignored him. Something strangely like a sigh of contentment ran through the A.I. Her eyes went half lidded. He could feel information flowing through them.
“Don't overdo it you know,” he scolded softly. She opened her eyes to stare into his briefly before she turned and went back to whatever meditation or other thing she was doing.
Most likely she was updating the memory in the armor, accessing it to see how it had been handled, and then using the on-board processors to do any processing she had time for before they arrived at the morgue he noted.
He felt a series of bumps as they passed through the outer layer of security around the morgue, then they were stopped for another security check. The guard on duty checked the driver and him and then checked the contents carefully.
“Master Sergeant? You, um, aren't on the list.”
“I know. I wanted to make certain my armor was put to bed before I went to the billet.”
“Um, understood, Master Sergeant,” the private said with a nod. He pressed the button and then waved them through with his tablet.
Jethro flicked his ears in humor and continued to watch the road as they drove around the armory, stopped, and then backed up to the loading docks.
Once the black armor and the crates of parts and equipment were signed into the armor morgue, he caught a ride to the barracks. The sun had almost set by the time he arrived in the temporary noncom barracks. Bast accessed the barracks Wi-Fi and logged him in to the log book. He paused at the door.
“You, um …”
“I'm logged in, I know,” Jethro said to the startled guard. “I did it remotely,” he said. Bast glowered at him on the HUD, but he ignored it. He didn't want or need to explain her to the private.
“Yes, um, Sergeant um …”
Bast put a map up on his HUD. “I've got the location of my quarters. Have a good evening, Private,” Jethro said as he picked up his duffel again and strode along the path Bast had indicated for him to follow.
<)>^<)>/
The following morning, he formally reported in, but the duty officer told him he wasn't needed for the day. “It's Sunday, Master Sergeant. Get some rest, check in tomorrow with me then. General Forth didn't tell me you were coming, so I don't have specific
orders for you,” the Naga lieutenant said. “He's off on a fishing trip, so I'll email him when he returns tonight.”
“Understood,” Jethro replied with a nod.
“Dismissed then,” the lieutenant said. Jethro came to attention, but the Naga had already turned and slithered away to attend to another problem. He about-faced and walked out of the room and then out of the admin building.
It seemed he was given time to familiarize himself with the changes to the base. So, he decided a quick tour, sometime at the Commissary and BX, and then a more in-depth tour of the SPECOPS community was in order.
He didn't know what General Forth had in mind for him; though he had a general idea whatever it would be, it would be temporary.
He checked out the facilities, but they were only lightly used at the moment, given it was the weekend. Apparently someone had set up a regular schedule with time off. It was almost quaint he thought, though the enemy didn't follow any sort of schedule like that he thought. Combat came when you least expected it sometimes, usually when your guard was at its lowest, he reminded himself.
Then he shook himself. He didn't need or want to get himself too edgy he thought. He had time to decompress on Kathy's World and on the flight to Agnosta he thought. No need to borrow trouble.
Orders from General Forth came in just before he was going to go to bed at 2200. They were brief he noted as he stood by the window. He noted people straggling back to the barracks along the winding paths below. Solar powered lights lit up the path nicely, and the light was directed down at the path itself so there was little light pollution.
More than a few of the people who were straggling in weren't very steady on their feet, and one or two had to be propped up by a buddy. He scanned the orders, but they were minimal. A welcome to Agnosta, and a note that he would be on detached duty to observe and counsel the SPECOPS community. He had a small office in admin overflow, and that was it.
So, until the powers that be knew what to do with him, he decided to make the most of it and check in with a few familiar faces.
<)>^<)>/
On the second day in the base, Jethro ran into an old friend, Gunny Schultz, just as he exited the restaurant he'd stopped in to have lunch at. His former DI and sergeant was still an E-11, a master gunnery sergeant, though there had been talk about moving him up higher. “Good to see you, Gunny,” he said with a nod to Schultz as he walked up to the NeoDoberman. “Damn good to see a familiar face.”
The Neodog's pointed ears flicked. “I heard you did well in Kathy's World and Protodon. Though I think your mama dropped you one too many times on the head to try that fool jump in Kathy's World,” the NeoDoberman said with a shake of his head. Jethro flicked his ears in humor. “You know that's becoming something of a legend in the corps already?” Jethro suddenly grimaced in embarrassment. “Yeah, you are a character, the whole boarding a ship all on your own,” the Neodog said, shaking his head in mock amusement.
“I didn't have much time to think about it. And an order is an order, Gunny. At least I had my armor. For a minute there, I thought they were going to send me over with a butter knife in my teeth and without a suit,” Jethro joked. Bast flicked her ears on his HUD.
The NeoDoberman chuckled. “Sounds about right,” he drawled as he shook his head. “Keeping with tradition and all that, they probably should have.”
Jethro flicked his ears, good humor restored.
“So, what are you up to?” the NeoDoberman finally asked.
“You mean you with all your connections don't know?” Jethro asked, staring at Schultz in mock surprise.
The NeoDoberman rolled his eyes. “Give me a break. I knew you were coming, but there is a lid on your file, remember?” Jethro nodded. “Yeah, so, you're here. Now what?”
“I'm only here for a short time. My orders are to go elsewhere, but they don't specify doing what or where I'll end up,” Jethro said carefully. What they said was he was going to Antigua. But since the Gunny didn't know and his orders specified to tell no one, he left that part out.
The NeoDoberman stared at him for a long moment then snorted. “Typical, they won't tell even you,” he said.
Jethro flicked his ears and then spread his hands. “You can't tell what you don't know I suppose. Besides, we're soldiers, we go and do what we're told,” he said.
“That's true,” the NeoDoberman said in a slightly aggrieved tone of voice. Jethro's ears perked up. The NeoDoberman eyed him and then looked away. “Don't give me that look,” he growled.
“What look?” Jethro asked innocently. He saw the severe look his former boss had and knew something was eating at him. “What's up, Gunny?” he asked in a cooler tone of voice.
“It's …”
“Come on, you can tell me,” the Neocat wheedled. The Doberman eyed him for another long moment, as if sizing him up before he snorted again, softer that time and then decided to unload a bit.
“This really should be over beers, but …,” the Doberman inhaled then exhaled slowly. Jethro cocked his head as the gunny unloaded.
He had everything under control, it was smooth sailing … and that seemed to be the problem. It boiled down to the simple fact that the gunny was bored and needed a new challenge. “I hate whining but …”
“You aren't whining, Gunny. You've sucked it up, but you taught us that everyone needs to vent sometime,” Jethro corrected.
“I know. But asking for a combat posting …,” Schultz shook his head. “It's like they need me here, that usual crap. I know I can do more than be an administrator …,” he said.
Jethro grimaced and flicked his ears. The needs of the marines had pushed them both up through the ranks like a meteor. And the higher you went usually the more administrative duties you had and the less actual hands-on with the troops.
“They finally cycled Brenet and Jefferson out of training to infantry, though I heard Jefferson was thinking about going mustang. That might be a part of my problem; they might think since I'm here, they are safe. Everything's covered, smooth sailing, leave him where he is. I'm … wuff,” the Neodog said heaving a sigh.
“Something to think about,” Jethro said slowly, eying him. It was the most he'd ever heard from his mentor. This was really bothering him he knew.
The Neodog snorted. “I'm a noncom thank you very much. I'd rather execute the orders than have to come up with them. Besides, I've got a bit less paperwork where I'm at. I still have some, and I have to put up with enough meetings to make me want to shoot myself, but I know I'm lucking out in not having to go through all the hoops an officer does. And I don't like playing dress-up for the cameras and the party crowd. Thanks but NO thanks,” he said with finality in his voice. “The idea is to get away from the hoopla and do what I've been trained to do.”
Jethro snorted. He cocked his head again, then nodded slowly. “I think you should put in for a transfer. Do your homework, and put in for something new. New horizons, a place where you can still be a positive influence.”
He knew they'd most likely transfer the Neodog to Antigua to help set up the Marine training centers there, but he was wise enough not to point it out.
The Neodog shook his head. “They won't allow it. I'm too much of an asset here,” he said with a grimace.
“By hook or by crook, Gunny. Put in for a transfer. You of all people know how to game the system to make it clear it's time for you to move on. Let them know you are feeling stale and want a change in scenery. If they don't bite, well, find a way to lean on them if you have to.”
The NeoDoberman nodded slowly. “I'll think about it.”
“Good. You don't want to get stale here,” Jethro said firmly.
That simple statement of agreement seemed to help ease something in his former boss's spine a bit. “They'll need someone to replace me,” the NeoDoberman said as he eyed the Neocat. “Want the job?”
“Me? I wouldn't mind it, at least for a while,” Jethro said slowly. In all honesty, his wife would love that
he was in a training post rather than in combat. Especially after what happened to her younger brother on Protodon he thought.
But it wasn't up to him he knew. Others had plans for him. “I'm slated for something else. The brass wants me in Antigua for my sins. I'm probably going to be paraded before the cameras so they can reenact that ceremony and who knows what afterward,” he said with a shake of his head. “Either off to recruiting or Protodon or …,” he shrugged.
The NeoDoberman nodded slowly. As much as he'd like to hand the job over to Jethro, the Neocat was definitely qualified given his DI background, he knew he couldn't. Jethro had a target on his back. The assassin's Guild hadn't let the matter drop he knew. Anyone near the cat unknowingly were on the same bulls-eye. Therefore, Jethro had to be a moving target. One that was kept away from those he loved in case what came after him spilled over on innocent bystanders as well.
It sucked, but such was life he thought as they returned to their separate duties.
<)>^<)>/
When he got back to his temporary office, Jethro checked in with the sniper classes to see how things were going. Sergeant Major Jefferson was no longer in charge of the advanced training, and he didn't recognize the new guy. Obviously, there had been some teething issues as the new administration got settled in it seemed. A bit of slack here and there or just Murphy's intervention had caught up with them. He'd heard the scuttlebutt; he just didn't want any of it happening on his watch, even though he was only going to be on planet another month or so.
Each incident had been investigated by NCIS and JAG, but Jethro knew it was a bit more than ass covering involved. The current leadership might have tried to shift the blame, but that had failed utterly. Fortunately for them, most of the problems were indeed found to be the fault of other factors … or as he had noted a moment ago, Murphy putting in an appearance.
Not even Admiral Irons could count on Lady Luck's blessing forever he knew.