Fortress Frontier (Shadow Ops 2)

by Cole, Myke

  ‘That’s right. I said, “That’s not how I run things.” From that statement you have likely deduced that I am now in command of this Forward Operating Base. Which brings me to the first piece of information I have to disseminate. Colonel Taylor was murdered by rogue goblin contractors.’

  The buzz swelled and broke into a stream of near shouting. Faces turned away from Bookbinder as the officers began to confer with one another, asking if it could possibly be true, if anyone heard differently, if there were more assassins among them. Bookbinder raised his voice to shout over them, then reeled it back as he realized that he didn’t have to. The Aeromancer adjusted the magic, ensuring that his most timid whisper carried to the farthest reaches of the plaza despite the din.

  ‘Taylor will be buried with full military honors at the parade ground at sunrise this coming Wednesday. Of course, I won’t require any of you to attend, but field-grade officers would set a good example for their troops by being present.

  ‘And let me be clear on something else. This was the action of a couple of goblins obviously loyal to the Defender clans. The vast majority of Entertech contractors on this post are Embracers and our friends and allies. You will not seek retribution. You will not refuse to work with goblins on this post or in any way undermine the work they are currently doing. I assure you that my force protection staff will be hard at work discovering and rooting out any threat to the security of this base. But we have enough on our plate and cannot begin to address the problems at hand if we’re turning on one another. I am instructing my Provost Marshal General to be enthusiastic in the investigation and prosecution of attacks on goblins on this installation that he believes may be motivated by paranoia or a desire for revenge. Is everybody tracking?’

  The buzz receded into silence.

  ‘I just asked you a question,’ Bookbinder said, cocking an eyebrow.

  A ripple of ‘yes, sir’, and, ‘aye aye, sir’, swept through the throng. Heads bobbed.

  ‘Good. I’m not playing around here. I will have order on this FOB. We’ve got some tough times ahead, and I’m going to need each and every one of you to pull together in helping to get us through them.’

  He stared out over the audience, making eye contact with hardened veterans of multiple campaigns, men and women who’d soldiered in this hostile dimension since the FOB had first been stood up. The gazes returned to him looked serious, respectful. My God. Am I actually pulling this off? His next thought was of his wife. His fingers instinctively brushed against his wedding band. Oh, bunny. I wish you could see this.

  ‘So, what are we up against? Well, let me get to that in a roundabout fashion. I’m appointing Lieutenant Colonel Allen, Crucible, as my XO and Deputy Camp Commandant. That should tell you that he is being relieved of command of SAOLCC. Why is that? Because I’m shutting SAOLCC down. In fact, I’m shutting down every activity not specifically related to the protection and sustenance of this base. Nothing of a non-defensive nature gets built, and nothing that isn’t feeding, caring for, or protecting the people here gets done. Now, I’m sure you’ve noticed there’s been a dwindling of sundry items over the last few days, ever since the attacks started stepping up. Range days have been canceled. The DFAC is running out of milk and fruit. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve picked up on this. Am I right?’

  Silence. The feeling of faintness passed utterly. Bookbinder stepped to the edge of the platform. ‘Jesus, people. A little help here. Am I right?’

  ‘Yes, sir!’ the crowd responded in almost one voice, crowding forward. They’re hungry for answers. They want someone to lead them. And you’re standing up here making them believe you’re it.

  ‘Well, it’s time you were let in on why that’s happening. This FOB is entirely dependent on Portamantic magic for access to the Home Plane. Every single one of you gained access to the LZ at LSA Portcullis via a magical gate.

  ‘A few days ago, those gates stopped opening. Worse, our backup plan took off with the aid of what looks like an organized conspiracy hatched in the SASS with the help of another rogue goblin. What does this mean? It means we’re cut off. It means there is no resupply and no way home.’

  He paused to let that sink in. A chorus of whispers, half fearful, half angry, swept over the crowd. I will not lie to these people. They are adults and officers. If we’re going to beat this, we need to do it together. All of us, with eyes wide open.

  You idiot, another part of him screamed, a part of him steeped in military tradition, trained to release as little information as possible. You’re killing their morale!

  He ignored that voice and pressed on. ‘That’s the bad news, and I won’t sugarcoat it. We’re in deep kimchee here, and things are going to get worse before they get better.

  ‘But here’s the good news, they can and will get better. In the short time I’ve served with you, I’ve come to know you as the most locked-on, squared-away, high-speed, low-drag, wind-tunnel-tested group of men and women I’ve ever met. The enemy we face are numerous and magically powerful, but they are factious, tribal, and functioning at a medieval level of technology. We’re Americans – disciplined, smart, experienced, and well equipped even without constant resupply. We’re trained and specialized. We’re tight. We’re competent. If we can hold on to those things, if we can keep cohesion as these attacks come on, and, rest assured, they will keep coming on, then we can hold this FOB until we can find a way home.

  ‘And remember, the enemy aren’t the only ones with magic. FOB Frontier is the heart of the SOC, the best of what it has to offer. If we harness that, we can’t fail to find our way through this.

  ‘I know the level of leadership you deserve, that you’d come to expect from Colonel Taylor. I want to assure you that I’m going to do the same. I will not fail you. The primary focus of my command is to secure this base, keep us sustained, and get us resupplied and relieved. It is my one purpose, and I will carry it out with everything I have.

  ‘I’m proud to serve with each and every one of you. Thank you for the chance to show you just how much.’

  Bookbinder realized he had edged slowly forward as he spoke, and now stood directly at the platform’s edge, bent forward at the waist, his eyes sweeping over the assembled officers and senior enlisted.

  Silence. A sea of faces looked back at him, expressions blank. He had blown it. Honesty was not always the best policy. They were standing in stark horror, stunned into silence by the gravity of what faced them. Sometimes it paid to sugarcoat it, and he had just run headlong into one of those times. You can’t get it right every time. But this time, this time, you really needed to.

  Trying not to let the defeat show, Bookbinder turned and made his way toward the back of the platform. The pressure of their eyes and their silence fell away, leaving him exhausted. Having single-handedly drained the morale of an entire division’s worth of officers, he could now safely crawl into his rack and sleep. Maybe he’d let Crucible run things. The man could hardly do a worse job than he was.

  A sound stopped him, a sweeping brush, a thudding smack. It was faint, light at first. Then it was joined by others, light pats that became a rhythmic chorus. Bookbinder stood still as his brain registered that he was hearing hands clapping.

  Applause.

  He turned back to the audience as the trickle of claps became a flood. The faces stayed serious. There were no catcalls of praise, no hoots. But the steady thunder of palms on palms told Bookbinder all he needed to know.

  The approval made him feel faint all over again. ‘Thanks . . .’ he managed. ‘Thanks, everyone. Okay. Okay. I’ll need all quartermasters and supply officers to get on my calendar. Please see Crucible about that. I’d like to have the first meetings today. I’ll send word about who I want to see next.’ The Aeromancy notched up again in an effort to carry his voice over the thunder of clapping.

  ‘Okay,’ he said, feeling his heart swell along with his throat. I have to get off this platform before I choke up in front of everyone. �
�Thank you again. Dismissed.’

  The applause followed him all the way back to his office, though whether it was a lingering trick of the Aeromancy or the sheer volume of it, he could not tell.

  Crucible brought the first of the supply officers twenty minutes later. Bookbinder sat behind his desk, still too stunned to wrap his head around what had just happened. He munched on an MRE that Carmela prepared for him. He’d ordered her not to bring him any fresh food. If he was going to force his men to ration, he’d have to lead by example.

  Crucible entered without knocking, a soft smile on his face. Behind him, three supply officers, two navy and one air force, trailed along, helmets under their arms. Bookbinder could feel a current off the female air force officer. Her school pin was hidden by her body armor, but Bookbinder’s ability told him she was a Terramancer, though he reminded himself not to let her know that he knew. He didn’t need the uniqueness of his magic adding to the complications here. She stared at him, her broad face weathered and lined. Her eyes were sunken and shadowed. She looked tired but confident. The big woman’s glossy black hair was streaked with gray, tied into a braid that was further tucked into a bun. All business.

  ‘Alan,’ Crucible said. ‘Sorry to bug you while you’re eating.’

  ‘Not at all,’ Bookbinder said, wiping his chin. ‘Come in and sit down.’

  There was a moment of awkward silence as he realized that he had two chairs for four people, but one of the supply officers, a fresh-faced navy lieutenant commander, threw him a bone. ‘We’re fine standing, sir.’

  ‘These are our three section heads,’ Crucible said. ‘Lieutenant Commanders Pierre and Roche’ – he indicated the male sailors – ‘and Major Woon’ – he gestured to the air force officer.

  ‘Thanks for coming,’ Bookbinder said. ‘I’ll try to keep this short. I’m afraid a lot of the burden of the coming days is going to fall heavily on you. Supply is the most critical element to our holding out here, and we’re going to have to be awfully creative about how we make do.’

  ‘We’re with you, sir,’ Pierre said with a hint of a Caribbean accent. Bookbinder missed a beat while he absorbed those words and the look on the young man’s face. My God, he really means it.

  Bookbinder mastered himself more quickly this time. You’re going to have to get used to the good as well as the bad. You can’t be going to pieces every time somebody expresses confidence in you.

  ‘Very well,’ he said. ‘The first thing we’ve got to do is implement austerity measures. I have no idea how long it’s going to be before we’re resupplied. No doubt they’re scrambling to find a way to reach us on the Home Plane,’ he said with a confidence he didn’t feel. ‘And we’re going to come up with a plan on this end. Until then, I want all perishable food strictly rationed. If you think it’s going to go bad, get it eaten right away. Work from the bottom up; fresh vegetables, milk, and stuff like that goes to the lowest ranked first, with priority given to those in perimeter security and medical roles.’

  The supply officers produced notepads and began to scribble furiously. ‘Roger that, sir,’ Woon said.

  ‘Ammunition rationing continues as per Taylor’s instructions. Strict fire discipline. Nobody puts their weapon on full auto or burst mode unless specifically authorized. Only shoot at what you can hit. Get Pyromancers on regular patrols. If we’re going to need suppressing fire, I want it to be of the magical variety. No range days, no practices. I want negligent discharges rigorously prosecuted. You catch someone hoarding ammo, you make them pay and pay publicly.’

  ‘Aye aye, sir.’

  ‘Next, we need to get used to the idea of supplying ourselves via magic. We might not like it as much as cold cereal and whole-wheat toast, but it’ll do in a pinch. I want Hydromancers detailed to set up a freshwater pond in the plaza. Get it walled off and guarded twenty-four/seven. Feed it with summoned rainfall or an underground spring. Just make sure it’s full and fresh.’

  ‘Respectfully, sir?’ Roche said.

  ‘Speak freely.’

  ‘One pond isn’t going to cover everyone. You’re going to need at least ten.’

  ‘Outstanding. Make it happen. Just make sure of this: that there’s enough magically produced freshwater under guard at all times. Make damn sure that the cash and the DFAC are adequately supplied. Since you’re the idea man on this one, Roche, if you can figure out a way to get it piped or transported to where it needs to be, I’ll write you up for a commendation. Ditto if you can get it bottled and distributed.’

  Roche smiled. ‘I’ve got some ideas, sir.’

  ‘Outstanding. The bottom line is that nobody on this post should want for clean, potable water at any time. Run a river through here if you have to, just make sure it’s clean and safe. How can we handle heating it? Is that a Hydromancy or Pyromancy issue?’

  ‘Both, sir. But fortunately, it’s fairly easy. Same thing for climate control. We’ve got Aeromancers who can make sure nobody freezes or overheats if the AC goes out.’

  ‘Great. Sanitation is another issue. I’m assuming Terramancers can have the latrine pits mulch the waste we put in them?’

  Woon nodded. ‘I’m a Terramancer, sir. We can do that.’

  Bookbinder smiled. I already knew that, young lady. ‘Okay. That’s on you, then. Make it happen. No sanitation issues and no odors. Quality of life is a concern if we’re going to keep morale up. You can also handle chow. I need Terramancers detailed to gardening. I need space cleared for that immediately. Make sure it keeps everyone here in fresh fruits and vegetables.’

  Woon pursed her lips as she wrote. ‘Seed stock might be a problem.’

  ‘Requisition whatever you need from the DFAC. I assume a Terramancer can turn one rotten cucumber into a field of them?’

  Woon nodded. ‘Got it, sir. There are some native species I know are safe to consume, too. We’ll take care of it.’

  Bookbinder leaned back in his chair. ‘Okay, now here’s the part you’re not going to like. I need you to pick out a handful of promising Terramancers and order them to learn to Whisper.’

  Crucible alone showed no reaction. The supply officers sucked in their breath as one. Woon frowned. ‘Sir, I’m not sure . . .’

  ‘I wasn’t asking for your opinion, Major. I was giving you an order.’

  ‘Sir, respectfully, that’s an illegal order. Whispering is prohibited under the . . .’

  Okay. Time to play the part.

  Bookbinder tried to project some of Taylor’s angry authority into his own voice. He stood, putting his knuckles on the desk and raised his voice. Easy, don’t overdo it. Nobody liked Taylor very much.

  ‘Don’t presume to lecture me on the law, Major. I’m well familiar with what I’m asking. This is my call, and I’ll take whatever flak comes when we finally make it back to the Home Plane. For now, we’re cut off and under fire, and we need every advantage we can take to stay alive. Our troops are going to need meat, and we’re going to need animal scouts to reconnoiter enemy positions without risking valuable fuel, equipment, and personnel.

  ‘If it makes you feel any better, I’ll write a damned memo saying it was my idea, and you can give it to the Office of Special Investigations when you get home. But, for now, I need you with me on this. Are we clear?’

  Woon straightened. ‘Crystal, sir.’

  ‘And you’re going to carry out this order? I can’t have you fucking around on this, Woon. I need you with me.’

  ‘I’m with you, sir. I’ll see to it, and I’ll make sure my people understand the gravity of the situation.’

  Bookbinder relaxed, letting some of this relief show. ‘Thanks. I appreciate that.’

  ‘Respectfully, sir. I don’t know that my people can figure out how to Whisper.’

  Bookbinder rolled his eyes. ‘That’s horseshit, Major. Plenty of Terramancers learn how to Whisper on their own. We wouldn’t have had to outlaw it if it was difficult to do.’

  Woon looked chastened, but not humiliated
. ‘Sir.’

  ‘Okay. That’s a start. Any bright ideas, you run them to Crucible. We’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of us, but I have total confidence that we can sustain ourselves here indefinitely if we’re smart about conserving resources and using magic efficiently. You all have the premier role in making that happen. It’s an important job, maybe the most important job on this FOB. Can you handle this?’

  They smiled at him, young, eager, inspired. ‘No sweat, sir.’

  ‘All right. Get out of here and make me proud.’

  Once they were gone, Bookbinder slumped in his chair, rubbing his temples. He felt weak from the tension of having to act the boss he just couldn’t bring himself to feel like. ‘How’d I do, Rick?’

  ‘Convinced the hell out of me,’ Crucible said. ‘They’ll follow you into hell if you ask them.’

  ‘I only hope that’s not what I’m asking them.’

  ‘Time will tell. You’re off to a good start.’ Crucible looked uncomfortable.

  ‘What?’ Bookbinder asked. ‘What did I fuck up?’

  ‘Nothing, sir. It’s just . . . I just thought of something.’

  ‘Well? Out with it.’

  ‘Our foreign partners, sir. You didn’t invite them to the address. The FOB’s a combined op.’

  Bookbinder sighed. ‘Don’t we have a protocol officer, or someone who handles that crap?’

  Crucible slapped his forehead. ‘Yes, we do. Damn it. It’s Major Constance, and she’s something of a prima donna. Damn it. I’m sorry, sir. I could have anticipated that. I should have been covering your six.’

  ‘Don’t beat yourself up. We’ve both been under a ton of pressure since this whole thing . . . went south.’