Marine Raiders: Strike Back (Blood War Book 2)

by Rod Carstens

  Monnetal looked up from his hands and smiled ruefully. "They’re the ones who will have to live with the sight of those children and what they did for the rest of their lives. The real thing must have been profoundly more disturbing than the video," he said.

  "They're not the only ones," Carter Wong said.

  Usiche looked over at him. He was a handsome Sol with the expensive suit and demeanor of a media type. Usiche thought he now looked older than when she’d walked in. It was as if the video was so real that it had aged him in seconds. She knew how he felt. There were things in this universe that no one should have to see.

  "Do we have any idea why they were experimenting on the children?" Fohlnm asked

  "No, but we have some guesses. We think they’re looking for a quick way to replace the hybrids. My people have run it through our logic and war game programs, and we’ve determined with eighty-percent accuracy that that is the correct analysis of their actions. We know that they fundamentally change the hybrids’ physiology. The best and easiest time to do that is when they’re in vitro. They seem to have enzymes and chemicals that trigger physical and mental changes during gestation. If that’s true, then they cannot grow new hybrids quickly. They must let them mature as normal humans do. They may be able to speed that process up, but we don't think they can do it in any significant way. A new hybrid will need socialization and training before it’s useful to them as a soldier."

  "So while our losses on Rift, Ceti, and now 703 were horrendous, the hybrid losses may have been just as costly and bought us some time?" the secretary general said.

  "Yes. That is my analysis. Others disagree, but to me, it is the only reason that makes sense. Given their ability to create wormholes at will, it is the only reason they haven’t moved on to more of our planets. It also explains why they fortified and fought so hard for 703. It controls one of our wormhole paths to the occupied territories. It isn’t one of our main routes, so for them to fortify it so strongly could only mean they intend try to bottle us up until they’re ready to move against us again."

  "Why don’t they just attack using Xotoli troops, not depend on human hybrids?" Folhnm asked.

  "We can only guess, but I think it’s simply that they don't feel we're worthy of losing their own species when they can use hybrid humans against us. Their timeframe may have slowed when they captured Ceti. Von Fleet had just added the largest crystal find to their inventory on Ceti only a week before the attack. That would make it the largest stockpile of raw crystals in the Confederation. So the Xotoli have what they need for the time being. Intelligence tells me they have Von Fleet’s crystal refining facilities working twenty-four hours a day. We're not sure, but we feel refining the crystals must have something to do with the ability to create wormholes."

  "This raid, how much damage did we do?" Secretary General Monnetal asked.

  "The raid on 703 may turn out to be the best source of intelligence on the Xotoli of the war. First, our scientists are going nuts over the Xotoli and human drugs recovered in the infirmary. They feel they will offer insights into the hybrids and help in the long run to find better ways to fight them. In addition, the crystal server General Sand recovered is a gold mine of information that the IT types have only begun to understand. They think that it contains the secret to how they’re able to create enough energy to form their own wormholes. It has something to do with the way they cut the crystals. They’re working around the clock on that server. Finally, we have video of the Xotoli from General Sand’s attack on the server room and Koy's fight. While they’re only videos, they were able to get samples of Xotoli "blood" from the Marines’ weapons. They’re in the process of analyzing it right now. So while not much militarily was gained, the intelligence we recovered has proven better than we could’ve possibly hoped for. We also learned a great deal about the intricacies of a planetary landing that we can apply to other landings in the future. So despite our losses, it was successful beyond our wildest expectation."

  "So to sum up, we've mined ourselves some gold, but it doesn’t change our current military situation. Meir, where are we with mobilization?"

  The Secretary for Military Affairs took a deep breath before he began.

  "Well, Mr. Secretary, we’re all over the place. Getting this group of systems together is like herding kittens. Rift and Wolf have both stood up well-trained and well-equipped divisions. With their long history of military service as part of their culture, both had no problems finding good recruits. They insist on keeping their divisions separate and will not integrate them with the marines or other system troops, but they’re more than willing to be part of a unified Confederation command. They will not let their troops be put under the command of any of the corporations. They do not trust their competence."

  "They’re not the only ones," Secretary General Monnetal interjected.

  "Rigel Kent, Sol, and Sirius are forming divisions, but they’re using the corporations to train and equip those divisions. Rigel Kent and Sirius have also instituted a draft, but they have a huge loophole: Anyone with enough money can opt out of their service and pay for someone to take his or her place. Those recruits are mostly indebted poor. They’ve changed the debt laws so anyone owing above a certain amount is breaking the law. Those individuals are then arrested and put into penal battalions," Fohlnm explained.

  "Great. That makes a lot of sense. With the Confederation's very existence in jeopardy, they’re fielding penal battalions as their contribution to the war effort," the secretary general said. He couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Admiral, have you had a chance for any joint training with these new penal battalions and the Marines?"

  "Negative, sir. They’re still standing them up, and they aren’t ready for joint exercises."

  "Since I changed the subject, where are we with the Marine Corps?"

  "Sir, Commandant Buchman and General Sand have the 1st Marine Division up and training. The 2nd Marine Division exists on paper now. It has a command structure of experienced officers and some senior enlisted from the legion’s Light Infantry and Armored Infantry. But that’s about as far as we can stretch the experienced personnel. The rest of the divisions will have to come from the 1st and 2nd divisions after they’re blooded in combat."

  "Will we have enough to go forward with Operation Wayfinder?"

  "Yes, sir. We’re still on track for Wayfinder. I’ll have all of the naval units needed for the invasion and the 1st Marine Division will be ready. Combined with the divisions from Wolf and Rift, we have enough troops. So we’ll be ready. Our timeline will not need to be altered."

  "Your recommendation is for General Sand to the unified commander for Wayfinder?"

  "Yes, sir. Sand has become something of a legend after Rift and now 703. His exploits have become part of the new Marine Corps history already. The ranks love him and would do anything for him. He is the only ground commander who has faced and defeated the Xotoli twice. On Rift it was a surprise attack that he beat off and on 703 the mission was compromised yet he still pulled it off. No sir, there is no one else capable or as experienced."

  The Secretary General stared at Usiche for a long moment.

  "You know we can't win this war with one good general."

  "Yes, sir. Sand has fostered an organizational culture of teaching and developing leaders at all levels. From the lowest private to the officers. Given time we will have a professional and experienced military."

  "Admiral, you know I won’t be able to stop the pressure from Rigel Kent and Sirius to use their units."

  Admiral Raurk looked at the others in the small circle of advisors before she answered.

  "Sir, those troops will not be on a par with our Marines, the Wolfs, or the Rifts. If we’re forced to use them, Sand won’t place them in a position that could jeopardize the landing or our troops."

  The secretary general looked Usiche directly in the eye.

  "In other words, they’ll be used as cannon fodder or support troo
ps at best."

  "Yes, sir."

  "Thank you, gentlemen, that will be all. Admiral, if you’ll stay a moment."

  Monnetal sat silently, waiting until the other men had left the room before he said to Admiral Raurk, "Finally, are we any closer to finding our leak on the 703 raid?"

  "No. It was only after we went back over the original Intel and combined it with what we found on the ground did it become clear that there is a leak. I’ve spoken directly to the Anjin Mother about forming a unit capable of detecting hybrids and traitors who are helping them. We’re in the process of standing up that unit."

  "I want direct control over that unit. Only you and I are to be aware of this unit’s existence. Not only that, but only we will be the only ones to receive the information they’re able to uncover. We will determine the missions for this unit. The quicker we can root out the hybrids and traitors in our midst, the quicker we can turn our entire focus on winning this damned war." Monnetal said.

  "Yes, sir."

  "One last question Admiral and need your frankest answer. Is Sand as good as you say he is? Because if he is not we are in real trouble."

  Usiche leaned forward and said.

  "Yes, he is as good as I say he is and maybe better."

  "Good then we need to make sure our young General stays alive long enough to win this damn war. So I would appreciate if you would take him to task over that little excursion on 703. We don't need our general killed because they are taking risks they should leave to subordinates."

  "I already have Mr. Secretary."

  "Good." Monnetal said and sat back in his chair.

  "Admiral, I don't know about you, but today has been a real bitch. I intend to get drunk and have a big dinner. I don't suppose I could talk you into joining me?"

  "Sir, I couldn’t agree more. Shall we start with that wonderful bourbon you keep in your desk?"

  "You read my mind, Admiral."

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Landing Ship Dock

  Tarawa

  Lieutenant Mai Netis’s Quarters

  Mai sat straight up in her rack. She was covered in sweat and her heart was pounding as if it would come out of her chest. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat there, trying to slow her breathing. The nightmares were back. They had started when she received the message.

  She was back in Xotoli training. It was a test day. If she failed the test, she would be killed. It had been as simple as that: fail and the fathers and mothers would use you to train the warriors. It was the selection test, the biggest test of her life up to that point. It would tell the trainers where she would be placed or if she would be placed. She had grown up in that test-after-test environment from the moment she had been taken out of the birth tank. In the beginning, when she was little, the Originals took care of her. The Originals were the children who had been taken so many years before. Hybrid children were raised in groups, with a man and woman from the Originals as their "parents." Mai's had been Father Indy and Mother Nivea. They had been loving and gentle with her. She loved them and the other boys and girls in her pod. When she had reached the age of seven, Father Indy had taken her by the hand and led her away from their pod. Mother Nivea had cried when she left. They had prepared her for this time, but it was still very different when it actually happened. Two Xotoli met her. They would be her new father and mother throughout her training.

  Female Xotoli were close to eight feet tall on average with long thin arms and legs roped with muscle. Her head was a black skull with eyes and a lipless mouth that clacked out her words. Like all the children, Mai had learned that even Xotoli mothers loved their human children. She was the one who had taught Mai that she was a Xotec, or a child with five fingers. The Xotoli had six fingers. That was what Xotoli meant: people with six fingers. The fathers had frightened her from the very first day. They were taller with a ridge of bone down the center of their skulls, fierce warriors with no kindness in them. The other children weren’t frightened of their fathers. Instead, they seemed to feel just as at ease as they did with the mothers. Somewhere, she began to understand that she was different from the other Xotecs.

  Mai was as strong and quick as the other Xotecs, but there was something missing. She didn’t enjoy the torture and killing of those who hadn’t passed the tests the way the other Xotecs did. It was as if she was missing something that the others had. She did well in her classes and her training, but she was different. Her emotions were not like the others. She identified more with her human side than she did with her Xotoli side. She hid this from the other children and the Xotoli. She knew if they found out just how different she was, that they would kill her. Mai learned to let her Xotoli side dominate during the training, using her strength to pass the endless tests, while at the same time, learning to protect what was human deep inside of her. She was never one of the best during the trainings. She was always toward the bottom and constantly in fear of not passing the next test. Then different classes had been added to their physical training. Their instructors were some of the oldest of the Originals: men and women who still remembered how humans behaved. They had classes on language, behavior, culture, and history of the human breeds. Mai was one of the few who had excelled at these classes. It came easy for her. She simply let the human part of her come out, the part that seemed most natural to her. She was no longer at the bottom of the class, and now others struggled to behave as a human while it came easy to Mai. She was so good she was chosen for special classes that went into greater depth. Her classes continued until she and a few others were moved to live with the Originals.

  It was here that Mai felt at home. The others chosen for this training were constantly being punished because of their Xotoli-like behaviors. Some were pulled from the program, but they were not punished. They were simply sent back to warrior training with no punishment. Mai was at the top of her class. It was there that she met Harpa Ezhno. They were paired together, and from that day forward, they trained together. They were never told what they were being trained for, but they were both trained in the practices of the Confederation's naval officers. They were never told how such detailed information about the Confederation's Navy had been obtained, only that they must learn it. They both learned their lessons well, but Mai never trusted Ezhno enough to let her see her human side. Ezhno, when not in class, was just like the other hybrids. Mai kept quiet and did as she was told.

  They finally reached graduation after long years of training. Ezhno and Mai were taken before a high-ranking Xotoli, who quizzed them on their naval knowledge and human behaviors. Satisfied, they were given their mission. They were to kill Admiral Raurk at a prearranged signal. They would know what that signal was. There would be no mistaking it. The two were transported to the Autonomous Zone, where they had been dropped off with enough money to buy transportation to Sol. Other Xotecs, already embedded in the Confederation’s navy, would make sure they were properly placed for their mission. Ezhno and Mai’s backgrounds had been inserted into the Confederation’s files. Finding transportation in the Autonomous Zone was easy; people would do anything for money. Mai felt as if she had come home once she was among the humans, but Ezhno was always complaining when they were alone. In fact, she would sneak out at night to kill humans to relieve her "tensions." Mai only worried about her mission. She convinced Ezhno that she found no need to go hunting for humans, and that she felt it jeopardized their mission. Ezhno would only snort and call her human, the worst insult a hybrid could be called.

  Ezhno was the primary in their team, and she was the individual who was supposed to kill Admiral Raurk. Mai was only a backup in case something happened to Ezhno before their mission was complete. Years passed and Mai almost forgot who she was and why she had been inserted. She enjoyed her assignments in the Navy and excelled in them. She had begun to wonder if their mission was still active. Eventually, they received their signal and the date to complete their mission. Mai had been unable to sleep for days before
the attack was supposed to occur. She found herself hoping against hope that it would be called off, but it wasn't. She had no idea how she would react to the mission. Then the day of the attack on Rift came. Mai reported for her shift and waited. When the attack began, Mai did her job as instructed. She watched as Ezhno quietly and carefully prepared herself for the right moment. The Xotoli had assured them that they would be able to kill all the humans in the Emergency Combat Information Center with ease. They were, after all, Xotecs and the other personnel were mere humans. Then Ezhno made her move. Neither of them had expected an Anjin. She had considered helping, but Ezhno and signaled her not to, to stay out of it. Mai had lived in fear throughout the battle in the days and weeks following, waiting for a hybrid assassin to come for her. Instead, she found a message in her inbox that said only, "Good decision. Remain where you are. You will be contacted." That was how things had remained.

  Then she had met Zula Temesgen, and her humanness had finally taken over her completely. She knew, buried under her human feeling, was all that she had been bred to do. Yet what she felt for Zula seemed to be stronger than her Xotoli side. But now a simple image of a Xotoli had thrown everything up in the air. All the images, fears, and dread returned. She sat there on her bunk alone, shaking with fear as to what it all meant. She didn’t know. She was caught between the genes of an alien race and the millions of years of human breeding that also resided within her being. She was beginning to worry that she didn’t know who or what she was. Would she act if ordered? If she didn’t, what would happen to her? If she did, what would happen to her? Either way, she would be killed. A Xotec was bred to believe there was nothing better than a death in service to the Xotoli, but she did not feel that way. She wanted to live. She wanted to be human. She had never felt anything before like what she felt for Zula, and she wanted to continue to explore these new feelings. Nothing was settled; all was still unknown. All she could do was wait and trust that she would choose the right course. If nothing else, being raised as a Xotec had taught her that she was capable of things she had never thought herself capable of. She would have to put those lessons to use if she was going to survive.