Gods of War (Jethro goes to war Book 5)

by Chris Hechtl

  That was certainly a possibility, she judged. But, based on Letanga's blood connection to Jethro, a potential third possibility, however remote, also presented itself.

  She was curious to see which of the three would turn out to be the correct prediction.

  <)>^<)>/

  Jethro talked to the trio as they each took turns on the range. The rifle they were using wasn't as tuned as Jethro would like, but it was the agreed-upon weapon. With his advanced implants, he still managed to top the trio's performance, despite their lengthy time on the range in comparison to his own rusty skills.

  “You've obviously used this a bit more than we have,” Tikaani said dryly.

  “Believe it or not, not as much as I'd like to. I went through RECON training, and I've got the sniper's badge, and yeah, I was DI of a couple courses. But in each of the combat theaters I've been in, I didn't get to use the skills much,” Jethro said thoughtfully.

  The gray wolf blinked at him in surprise. “Seriously? I knew you didn't get a chance on Antigua Prime or that ship but not even Protodon?” Tikaani asked, eying him.

  Jethro shook his head. “That was urban combat. I did a couple spots as a spotter but not much. Most of it was door knocking,” he explained. Tikaani nodded. “Right up to the last bit when we assaulted the caverns the pirates were using as a main base.”

  “And there?”

  “They sent me in my armor in behind enemy lines,” Jethro said with a shrug. “Sneak and peek,” he said with a brief feral smile. “I did RECON after a militia airship blew the front door in,” he said.

  “Cool,” the Neowolf said. “Still sucks that you haven't gotten a chance to use the role you trained for,” he said with a shake of his head.

  “Well, I also trained in armor and sneak,” Jethro replied with a feral smile.

  “True,” the Neowolf replied with a chuff and tail wag.

  “Any problems with the classes?” Jethro asked. “I'm getting buried in paperwork. I heard there have been some headaches with Jefferson moving on,” he said.

  The wolves froze, then looked up with a matching grimace and flattened ears. “That bad?” Jethro asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Yeah. We've had a series of training accidents. I mean, we've got a high washout ratio, you know that,” Tungulria said. Jethro nodded. “The accidents have been basic shit. Some of it batshit crazy though. Most of it in the field, but we also lost some people on that damn ferry,” he said.

  “Damn,” Jethro said with a shake of his head.

  “Yeah, that purely sucked. We lost some good people and some good students too. They all knew how to swim and had implants, but when the ferry capsized, they went down with the ship. Between exposure to the cold water and slow response time from the rescuers, they didn't stand a chance,” Tikaani said. He glanced over to Letanga who was busy cleaning the gun. He picked up the stock and looked it over with a critical eye before he dug out a bit of fur out of a groove on the side and then set it back down again.

  “Thanks,” Letanga said as he began to reassemble the weapon.

  “The powers that be want us to ease up on the washouts. They are expensive. But if someone doesn't have the mindset, if they can't hack it …,” Tikaani said shaking his head as he fished out a brush and rag and handed it over to the Neoleopard.

  “Yeah, I know. You can't turn them into what we need if they are too dense to get it,” Jethro said. “They are supposed to make mistakes in training; that's how they learn. But if they can't get it right, they'll never get it right in the field. And if they screw up there, not only do they get dead but also their team mates and the mission,” he said.

  “Exactly,” Letanga said as he used an Allen wrench to lock the barrel back into place. Tungulria finished examining the scope with a critical eye and then turned it over to the cat to add to the ladder bar on top.

  “I think the sights are off on this thing,” Tungulria said. “The optics … I was shooting a bar off the first few times before I compensated,” he said.

  “Was that the problem?” Tikaani asked.

  “Yeah, I picked up on it too,” Letanga said. Jethro nodded in agreement. “Something's up with the optics. I should bring it back to logistics, but they'll just issue a whole new weapon and I'd be back to trying to dialing it in all over again. At least I know this one has an issue now and what it is,” he said.

  “True,” Jethro said. The wolves nodded in agreement.

  “We've got to check in with the DIs. I'm done with my class for the day, but I'm supposed to cover a class tomorrow and Saturday,” Tikaani said.

  Jethro heaved a sigh. “Okay.”

  “And I've got to get going too. I've got guard duty of all things,” Letanga said.

  “We all get to serve,” Tungulria said. “At least you can stand a post and not have to shine your ass doing paperwork,” he said eying Jethro.

  “Yeah, the higher up you go the more you do that,” Jethro said with a shake of his head. The trio snorted.

  “Catch you later?” Jethro asked. The group nodded as they went their separate ways with a wave and tail flick.

  <)>^<)>/

  Later that day Jethro managed to get a hold of one of his old friends, and to his surprise she was even agreeable to meet him that same day.

  He met Asazi in a Marine bar just outside Valenko's division. She surprised him by hugging him when she came up to him. “How the hell have you been? I haven't seen you in … wow,” she said shaking her head.

  Jethro gasped a bit, feeling a bit bruised after that hug. She hadn't lost her heavy-worlder strength that was for certain. “It has been a while,” he gasped out.

  “Oh, you,” she said, poking his arm. “It's getting harder and harder for us to see each other it seems. We're all off doing hero shit. Like you, off playing hero in Kathy's World, then Protodon?”

  “Yeah, both were … interesting,” Jethro said, noting she hadn't taken a seat yet.

  “Pull up a stool, have a beer,” Jethro said, indicating the seat next to him.

  “I can't, I'm on duty shortly,” Asazi replied regretfully as she leaned against the bar with one elbow. She waved off the Veraxin bartender then turned to Jethro. “You know the job, always on your toes and busy day and night.”

  “I hear you,” he replied with a nod.

  “We should still try to get together. Plan a barbeque on a weekend or something. Catch up all at once. I don't know how long I'll be here, and I know some of us are getting scattered even further with new postings …”

  “Beer and brauts, I love it,” Asazi said with a grin. “Throw in the bullshit for free and you've got yourself a date,” she said maliciously.

  “Cool,” Jethro replied with an ear flick, tail flick, and smile.

  “Let me know when and where, and I'll be there with bells on. And I'll make sure Pinash is too.”

  “Thanks, Asazi,” Jethro said. “Sorry you didn't get the Destria assignment,” he added, eying her.

  “Ah, it's just as well,” Asazi replied in an odd tone of voice. Jethro did a bit of a double take at it and then his eyes narrowed in speculation.

  “Don't look at me like that,” she said warily. She looked around the room. No one was technically in earshot but with enhanced hearing you never knew.

  “Right,” he drawled, still eying her. “What are you up to? Or should I say, what is that bear up to?”

  “Well …,” Asazi drawled. “Strategy is what I see. He didn't say anything in so many words, but I know a bit about how that bog of his mind works. He's thinking long term. Colonel Harley wanted her troops blooded.”

  “Yes,” Jethro said with a nod.

  “But Destria isn't exactly on the path to the ultimate objective,” Asazi said, dropping her voice into a conspiratorial level. “So, the boss wanted it also, to get the troops blooded, but …”

  “But he wants something bigger. And the next target on the list will be up for grabs,” Jethro said as he caught on. “Colonel Pendec
kle will be returning and his troops will be standing down to rest and refit, so they are out of the running. The general can't go with his division, so that leaves the bear's. Smart,” he said with a nod of approval. “If that is, you don't get tapped to relieve Second Division,” he said.

  “Yeah, I hope so. I'm hoping we don't bite off more than we can chew though. I know the boss thinks we can hang since we're the best, but I'd rather not go in cocky and get my ass shot up in the process or worse, my boys and girls,” Asazi said seriously. “A run on Protodon will settle them down but won't be too expensive. And we'd be primed to go further if need be, which we will eventually.”

  Jethro nodded. Asazi had certainly matured from the straight shooter she'd been during their first deployment. “Good to hear,” he said. “Everyone thought Protodon would be a walk in the park and look how that turned out,” he said.

  “Yeah, it was a bit nastier than anyone thought it would be. And it's going to get nastier the closer we get to Horath. That's why despite the boss's eye on Dead Drop or Garth, I'm hoping we get tapped to hit Nuevo Madrid.”

  Jethro nodded just as she stiffened. His implants caught a flicker of data being directed at Asazi. A fleeting look of annoyance flashed across her face quickly followed by apology. She turned her eyes to him, but he flicked his ears. “No need. Duty calls. Go to it, Sergeant,” he said.

  “Thanks,” she said with a small smile. “You too, Sergeant,” she said as she took off.

  <)>^<)>/

  Jethro thought his absence would wake a few people up to do their own work. But when he checked in the following morning, he found his inbox full. Most of it was addressed to other noncoms though. He did a quick review of each. By that time, he'd figured out the players and intercepted any more shenanigans before they came his way. A simple glower was enough to get someone scurrying away, chips in hand.

  In order to get out of the office before he was buried with more of someone else's make-work that he couldn't avoid, like say an officer's, Jethro decided to check in with Moira White Wolf. He received clearance from General Forth's office as well as a day pass. The MAWTS-1 facility was on the other side of the island and had its own airstrip separate from the spaceport so it took a couple hours to get there.

  It was an impressive facility centered around the landing strip and the hangar bays. He knew they had a massive SIM complex as well as areas on the island to perform field exercises as well as space out to sea and inland as well.

  He'd heard the familiar drone of rotors or turbines when he'd visited the sniper students in the field. According to the DI he'd talked with, they'd initially taught the students to take cover each time they heard an aircraft, whether it was a drone, civilian craft, or one of the growing armed Marine craft.

  But it had gotten old after a while. It was also disruptive to the schedule, especially when the flight pukes had gotten wind of the exercise and had turned it into something of a game of gotcha or a continuous buzz every hour or so.

  He flashed his IFF and pass to the gate guards. The duo nodded and eyed him for a moment before allowing him to pass through. He technically didn't have a good reason to be there, and he was in some ways AWOL, but it would be brief and he was fairly confident no one would say anything.

  Besides, Colonel Pendeckle was no longer running RECON or SPECOPS. Both had been handed off to Captain Lyon, who was supposedly on Protodon or en route to Agnosta he reasoned. He was glad the general had humored him with the visit.

  He checked in the classrooms, walking down the hallway and peeking in the rooms. Some were vacant, others had students and an instructor, but the instructor wasn't the Neowolf so he moved on. He was amused to occasionally catch a glimpse of the pilots playing with model craft, pantomiming movements in the air around them.

  “Toys,” he murmured softly.

  “Can I help you, Sergeant?” an officer asked. He turned to see a human standing before him. Since he was indoors and not reporting to the officer … and he had the medal, he wasn't certain if he should salute or not. He did so anyway. Better safe than sorry he thought. “I'm looking for Major White Wolf,” he said.

  “Colonel White Wolf is in the SIM complex,” Lieutenant Rivers said as he returned the salute.

  Jethro blinked at the correction. “Colonel, Sir?” he asked eyes wide.

  “She was promoted yesterday,” the lieutenant replied with a sniff and moderate glower.

  “I see, sir. I'm sorry I missed the ceremony,” Jethro said, working his jaw. No one had told him. That bothered him a bit. His eyes cut to a certain A.I. avatar but went back to the officer for the moment.

  “I was there. It was brief,” the lieutenant said. He seemed to size the Neocat up before his eyes narrowed. “I remember you. You were on Protodon, right?”

  Jethro nodded. “Yes, sir. I served with the colonel there.”

  “Ah, I see. I saw you on the base there a few times. I shipped in here a day or so before you and the colonel arrived I believe,” the lieutenant said. “Mike Rivers,” he said, holding out his hand.

  Jethro took the hand and shook it. “You are a pilot, sir?”

  “Yes. I didn't get a chance to fly the cave op. I heard you went in after String and Dom though,” Mike said.

  Jethro nodded slowly. “Yes, sir. I never caught their names,” he said. “Thanks.”

  “No problem. String caught your IFF as you passed him, but you were in fast. Like a ghost,” he said with a shake of his head. “Spooky ass shit,” he said with an infectious grin.

  “That's the way it's supposed to work in RECON, sir,” Jethro replied with a nod.

  “Cool, very cool.” He glanced up and grimaced. “I've got a class in fifteen minutes so I better scoot. The colonel should be finishing up her class in five so if you hurry you might catch her between classes.” The lieutenant frowned. “No, wait, I think she's off after this one …,” he frowned and used his implants to check the schedule. After a moment, he nodded. “Yeah, she's on half duty since she's got the squid doctors giving her a tune-up. You might get some time to chat,” he said.

  “Thank you, sir,” Jethro said with a nod.

  “No problem. Carry on, Sergeant,” Mike said.

  “Thank you, sir. Have a good day,” Jethro said. Mike snorted softly and then went about his duties as Jethro headed to the simulator complex.

  He found the newly-minted colonel as she leaned against a console and used a stick to point out mistakes of a pilot on a holotable. The students were sitting in pairs, each pair in a simulator cockpit pod. The pods looked like the outside of a Bell Ichim attack craft. Their canopies were up so they could look at the holotable and the colonel as she critiqued their performance. The colonel had her back to Jethro. She seemed to be standing taller, straighter he noted. She seemed … younger almost—closer to her prime. He wasn't certain if it was the environment or something else. The lieutenant had mentioned something about the doctors giving the colonel a tune-up he thought. He watched silently from the background until the assembly of students and instructor looked up collectively.

  “That's the bell. Get to your next class. We'll work on things again later,” the colonel said as she set her pointer down. The students climbed out of their simulator pods and took off at a trot, passing the Neocat along the way. Jethro stood to one side and flat against the wall to give them room to pass.

  The colonel stood for a moment, then turned to eye him. “Something on your mind, Sergeant?”

  “I'm sorry I missed out on the promotion, ma'am,” Jethro said as he came over to her. He came to attention, but she waved off his salute.

  “I sent an invite, I thought you were busy or in the field,” she said.

  “I didn't get it. I'll look into why later,” Jethro vowed, eying Bast on his HUD. Her ears went back, and she looked away.

  “I see. So, what's up? Come by to congratulate me?”

  “I honestly didn't know you'd been promoted. I thought I'd come by and check in to see how y
ou were doing. Also, to get away from the lazy people dumping their work on me and stretch my legs a bit,” Jethro said with a tail flick.

  Moira snorted softly. “I know the feeling, like you are drowning in paperwork. And when other people do it maliciously, it can really burn,” she said. She picked up a tablet, made some notes on it, then set it down, and waved for him to follow her out.

  “You seem better, ma'am, more … closer to your prime,” Jethro ventured.

  “I am,” Moira admitted. “I am enjoying not being a geriatric,” she said. “No more joint pain, no more odd aches and pains, and I've gotten most of my wind back. The medics have scraped a couple decades off my life and flushed out a couple tumors I didn't know I had along the way,” she said.

  He blinked and then stared at her. She flicked her ears. “It's all good. They are gone like I said,” she said in good humor.

  “Yes, ma'am. Very good,” he said.

  “They want me to go to Pyrax for a full work but I declined. I've been here for a while. I'm trying to manage the presidency in Kathy's World too, but even with the tune-up, it's a bit much,” she said with a shake of her head. “Some things have to be done in person to give you the hands-on,” she said.

  He nodded in understanding.

  “Besides, it's all part of the circle of life. We all owe the god of death a life after all,” she said.

  Jethro smiled a bit and flicked his tail. “If it is all the same to you ma'am, I'll feed him someone else's whenever he or they try to reap mine,” he said, eyes glittering.

  Moira chuckled. “You do that. You're good at it,” she said with her own ear flick and wag. “Damn good.”

  “I try to be.”

  “So, settling in here?”

  “No, ma'am. That's part of my problem, I'm transitory. On to other things,” Jethro said with a shake of his head.

  “Me too. I've already warned the general that I need to get back. I'm shipping back to Kathy's World on the next convoy through to Protodon. I've got a couple weeks before it finishes assembling here I heard.”