“Everyone but Chancy meet at the transport. Corporal, keep moving. We’ll pick you up when we get the road cleared.”
There was an audible sigh, then Chancy said “Fine,” in a frustrated tone.
“Corporal, you will address me as Captain, and respond to every order with a yes sir, is that clear?”
“Yes sir,” Chancy said sarcastically.
“I’m gonna kick his ass,” Adkins said as he and the rest of the platoon made their way to the transport.
“Can that chatter, Corporal,” Dean said. “HAS, move these soldiers. We don’t want to run anyone over after we worked so hard to keep from killing them.”
“Yes sir,” Sergeant Bear D’Vris said.
“Tallgrass, can you do something about the tree?” Dean went on. “Something that won’t make too much noise or draw more unwanted attention.”
“I can blow it up with grenades. They shouldn’t make too much noise,” she replied.
“See to it. Collect your ordinance. We might need those smoke poppers somewhere else. You too, Sergeant Harper. Recall your MSVs.”
“Yes sir,” the Fast Attack Specialist said.
“Chavez,” Dean said after switching on his external speakers again, “introduce me to your friend.”
Chapter 18
“What’s your name?” Dean asked, trying to sound friendly.
“Go spit, space ape!” the man snarled.
“Not too friendly,” Dean said to Chavez.
“Bastard tried to shoot me,” he said in a jovial tone. “That wasn’t a good idea.”
“Look,” Dean said, addressing the man again. “I’m Captain Dean Blaze, EsDef Recon. We haven’t hurt any of your men. They’re just unconscious.”
Dean bent down and picked up one the tranquilizer flechettes and held it up front of the burly looking man’s face. The man's eyes narrowed. The hypodermic needle at the end of the flechette had broken off, but it was still obvious that the bullet wasn't intended to cause harm.
“You think we’re you’re enemy, but we aren’t. Our job is to stop this war.”
“You should bloody well butt out,” the man demanded.
“Perhaps we would if there wasn’t a bigger threat out there.”
“Bullshit,” the man growled. “You think we’re idiots, just back world colonists, but we recognize EsDef propaganda when we see it.”
“So you know about the Kroll?”
“We know EsDef wants to control every colonized world. Why else would you be here?”
“Perhaps,” Chavez said, leaning down close to the captured man’s face, “because you’re acting like a bunch of-“
Dean cut his second in command off with a wave of his hand.
“You can stand leaving us to live the way we want.”
“War is what you want?” Dean asked. “You wouldn’t rather find a peaceful resolution to this conflict? I’m no fool either. Most of the soldiers that jumped out of your transport were just boys.”
“They’re old enough to know what’s right and wrong,” the man said. “And just like every colonist who comes to Nova Roma knows that his Eminence, the Holy Father, speaks for God. Our devotion is to the church.”
“Not every citizen came here,” Dean pointed out. “Many were born here.”
“If they don’t like they can leave. There’s plenty of other colonies to choose from.”
“We didn’t come here to play politics,” Dean said. “I don’t care what side you’re on or what you believe in. I have a mission to complete. Tell me about Vatican City. How many troops do you have there?”
The man cleared his throat and spit at Dean’s feet. Chavez grabbed the man by his hair and pulled his head up. He might have beaten the man senseless if Dean hadn’t stopped him in time.
“It’s okay, Staff Sergeant. Let the man speak.”
There was a long pause as Chavez restrained himself by a sheer act of disciplined will.
“Every man on Nova Roma is given land when he comes of age or arrives from off world and pledges his devotion to the Holy Father,” the Colonist said. “It’s good land, rich soil, clean water, a king’s ransom on earth. They can farm, raise animals, even sell the land to others and use the money any way they want. All that is required is their allegiance to the church.”
“And ten percent of all they earn,” Chavez said.
“The tithe is a fraction of what is required on earth, or Neo Terra, or a dozen other worlds. This isn’t a war, it is a holy fire, purging God’s world, purifying it.”
“I told you I don’t care what you believe,” Dean said. “How many guards?”
“Blessed are ye,” the colonist said in a lofty tone, “when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad: for great is is your reward in heaven.”
“What the hell?” Chavez said.
“The Sermon on the Mount,” Dean replied. “In the book of Matthew, isn’t it? I believe it also says blessed are the peacemakers.”
“You are speaking out of ignorance,” the man snarled. “Twisting scripture to fit your needs.”
“This is a waste of time,” Chavez said, drawing a wicked looking curved blade from a hidden sheath at the small of his back. “I know we aren’t supposed to kill anyone, but I could get him talking. Find out everything we need to know.”
Dean was tempted, but he was already taking a big chance by acting on his own without orders. He didn’t want to get himself or anyone in his platoon into trouble.
“No,” Dean said. “Tranq him and leave him with the others. I’m assuming,” he said to the colonist, “that there are no animals that might come along and see you as a snack before the drugs wear off.”
“I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed,” the colonist said, his voice rising with passion as if he were a stage actor delivering a great speech. “I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou has subdued under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. They cried,” he spat the words into Chavez’s face, “but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not. Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I cast them out as the dirt in the streets.”
Dean drew his side arm and fired a round into the man’s chest. From point blank range the flechette hit with the force of a hard punch and drove the colonist backward, knocking the breath from his lungs. He arched his back, gasping for breath, which he slowly recovered while at the same time losing consciousness.
“You can’t argue with a fanatic, eh?” Bear D’Vris said.
“My thoughts exactly,” Cat Valosky added.
“Grenades are ready Captain,” Tallgrass said.
Dean walked over to the cab of the transport. It was indeed a gas burning vehicle, with a standard transmission. Dean knew he couldn’t drive it.
“Who can drive a stick?” he asked.
Most of the Specialists looked at the ground, but Ghost raised his hand.
“My daddy made me learn,” he said. “I may be bit rusty though.”
“You can practice as we get out of this forest.”
“What’s our plan, Captain?” Chavez asked.
“The way I see it, we have one card to play,” Dean said. “We’re close to the capital, and from what the locals just displayed, it doesn’t seem like we’re welcome there.”
“So we go in shooting,” Adkins said.
“Perhaps,” Dean said, pulling up the map that Vice Admiral Duncan had provided him with. There were only a half dozen cities of any size on the entire continent, and none were as large as Vatican City.
“Let’s load up,” Dean instructed his platoon. “And don’t let your guard down. We don’t know how many enemy troopers there might be all a
round us. I doubt that things will be as easy as this fight was if we have to resort to that again.”
The HA Specialists were the first into the transport, happy to be riding instead of walking. Dean approached Sergeant Brodus, his sniper and their driver.
“You’ll need to remove your battle helmet,” Dean said. “It’s a dead give away.”
“Yes sir,” Ghost replied, popping the seals that connected his battle helmet to his armor.
“We get into trouble, you take cover until it’s over. Don’t take any chances. No heroics, is that understood?”
“Affirmative, Captain. If the shit hits the fan, I’ll duck and cover.”
“Good. Cat!” Dean called to the Russian Corporal. “Set up you MSVs inside the cab. I want eyes forward, starboard, and port.”
“Yes, Captain,” she replied.
Unlike Sergeant D’Vris, whose accent was thick, Catherine Valosky’s speech was refined and her accent barely noticeable. She was a serious person, obviously committed to her speciality who rarely engaged in the playful banter carried on by most of the platoon.
Dean nodded to Demolitions Specialist Eleanor Tallgrass, who then set off the grenades around the tree that blocked the road. The report of four concussion grenades going off simultaneously shook the ground, and set dirt and shattered bits of wood flying into the air. But there was no smoke from the blast and the road was passible again.
“Here we go people,” Dean said, handing Ghost a tiny earpiece that would allow the sniper to hear Dean’s orders even with his helmet off. “We stay inside the transport, and out of sight. Let’s move.”
Chapter 19
They picked up Corporal Chancy a few miles down the winding dirt path. The transport was loud and rough, but it made decent time through the forest which ended a mile from where the obstinate Corporal had been waiting for them. Dean sat quietly, studying the four displays on his TCU. Three were from the MSV’s which Cat had planted at the base of the transport’s windshield. They gave clear, high definition views of the countryside in three directions. They were over forty miles from the city of Rome Three’s capital, but the road they were on improved the closer they got to their destination.
If they stayed on the road that led into the forest, they would approach the city from the south, but Dean’s target of choice was on the western edge of the vast city. On Dean’s fourth display was the overhead map images of the planet that he had acquired from the Charlemagne. What he hoped was that they could make their way to the western side of the capital without anyone noticing the troop transport had been intercepted by his platoon. Vatican City was a sprawling metropolis, with the largest, and most lavish buildings, palaces really, surrounded at the center by a towering wall. Rome Three was rich in resources, and the church leaders had spared no expense in making their capital a domain worthy of a king.
Dean wasn’t concerned about the Pope, or the Swiss Guard who protected him. The highly trained fighters might be a problem at some point, but Dean’s focus was on a small, nondescript building on the edge of town. The Vatican City power plant drew electricity from the turbines inside the nearby Tiber dam and distributed the energy throughout the metropolis, including the broadcast stations which were being used to jam the EsDef communications.
“Ghost, we need to turn west as soon as possible,” Dean said.
“What’s our goal, Captain, if I may ask?” Chevez said over the platoon channel.
“Powerplant,” Dean replied. “On the western side of the city.”
“What good will that do?” Harper asked.
“Yeah,” Adkins chimed in. “Why hit their power supply?”
“We cut the power,” Dean explained, “we kill their transmission capability. We should be able to make contact with the Charlemagne and Major McDowell.”
“Will it be guarded?” Bear D’Vris asked.
“Won’t know until we get there,” Dean said. “Once we’re close, we’ll send a few drones out to see what our best way in is and if there are guards.”
“It’ll be dark soon,” Chavez said. “Taking out the power plant should be simple enough unless they have a strong defensive force guarding it.”
“Chances are,” Dean replied, “the Pope is keeping a majority of his forces close to the city center. We may encounter more militia fighters though.”
“Nothing we can’t handle,” Chavez said.
“You think we have enough explosives to get the job done?” Dean asked Tallgrass.
“I thought we weren’t supposed to bring regular ordinance,” Chancy said. “Wasn’t that our orders? Non-lethal ammunition only?”
“Corporal, what the hell is your problem,” Chavez demanded. “Are you really fool enough to question every order your commander gives you?”
“I’m not the one who’s going to be facing a court martial for disobeying orders,” Chancy said defiantly.
“Captain, please let me hurt him,” Adkins said.
“Everyone calm down,” Dean said. “Corporal Chancy, my job is to ensure that our platoon has every possible resource to successfully carry out our mission. You are carrying non-lethal ammo, but I felt it prudent to have some regular ordinance just in case we ran into problems. Unfortunately, your attitude kept me from including you in that decision.”
“Fine by me,” Chancy said. “You all heard him. I’m the only one following orders.”
“You are sick in the head, my friend,” D’Vris said. “You need special help, I fear.”
“Corporal,” Dean went on. “You can either join us on this mission or sit it out in the transport, but please stop interrupting me. Sergeant Tallgrass, do we have what we need?”
“Not enough to bring down the building,” she said. “We’ll need to get inside and take out their controls. I’ve got plenty of explosives for that.”
“Good, we’ll take out their power, then make contact with our superiors. HA, you’ll be sitting this one out. FAS will be our eyes and ears. Staff Sergeant Chavez will escort the Demo team inside so they can take out the power plant. Everyone understand?”
They all replied that they did and Dean’s only concern was Corporal Chancy. He could wreck everything Dean was trying to do, but it would probably get the stubborn Demolition Specialist killed in the process. Still, Dean didn’t put it past the narcissistic Corporal to find a way to sabotage their plan.
“Chavez,” Dean said, once he had opened a private channel between himself and his Staff Sergeant.
“Captain?”
“If Chancy doesn’t do his part,” Dean began
“Oh, he will sir,” Chavez said.
“If he doesn’t, tranq him and bring him back to the transport. Don’t let him endanger the mission or your lives.”
“Yes sir,” Chavez said. “Don’t know how a scum bag like Chancy makes Corporal, much less get assigned to our platoon.”
“He was recommended,” Dean said. “Probably because of his father’s connections. We can’t worry about that now. He’s our problem to deal with.”
“Too bad we can’t deal with it permanently.”
“I don’t want you talk like that Chavez. He’s a pain in the ass, but we all are at one time or another. Being a pain isn’t a capital crime. We’ll get through this mission and then find a way to get him off our squad. Until then, keep your eye on him. He’s a trained demo geek, if he’s willing he can help Sergeant Tallgrass.”
“We’ll make it work sir,” Chavez said.
“I know you will, Staff Sergeant. It’s good to know you’ve got my back.”
“Always Captain.”
The road they were on transitioned from a rough path, to a gravel road, and eventually a paved street wide enough for two lanes of traffic. Night fell and Vatican City was lit with lights. The transport had not been stopped as they made their way to the western side of the city, and there was very little traffic.
“Launch the drones,” Dean told his Fast Attack Specialists.
Harper and
Cat launched the Aerial Attack Vehicles right out of the back of the moving transport. Dean soon had an overhead view of the surrounding area. The AAV’s found the power plant easily enough, and to Dean’s relief there were only half a dozen guards.
“Alright, Ghost, park this transport at the next available spot,” Dean ordered.
Sergeant Grady Bradus pulled the large vehicle to a stop at a wide spot beside the road. They were in an industrial section of the town that seemed deserted.
“You’re show, Staff Sergeant,” Dean said, highlighting the power plant on Chavez’s own battle helmet display. “Target is half a klick to the north of our location.”
“Time for some fun,” Chavez said. “Tallgrass, Chancy, with me.”
“Leave your gear, Chancy,” Dean ordered.
The obstinate Corporal huffed as he unfastened his pack and dropped it with a thud on the bed of the transport, then followed the others out into the night. Dean sat nervously on the edge of the metal bench that was bolted into the transport as he monitored several vid feeds on his TCU. If his plan worked, they would finally have a clue as to what was expected of them on Rome Three. If it failed, it might just bring an entire army right down on their heads.
“Harper, see if you can get a peek inside the building,” Dean said.
“Yes sir, give me a moment.”
Dean watched the live feed from the AAV as it dropped down slowly across the street from the power plant. The building had a glass front and there were lights on inside.
“Looks like two guards inside,” Dean radioed to Chavez.
“Military?” the Staff Sergeant asked.
“Negative, they’re private security. I don’t see firearms.”
“Rent-a-cops,” Chavez said. “This is going to be easy.”
Dean could see everything Chavez and the Demo team saw via the vid feeds their battle helmets transmitted to his.
“We can go in guns blazing,” Chavez said, “or I can pop my helmet off and do it a little more quietly.”
Dean checked the other feeds and saw that no one else was in the area. “Do it quiet, Staff Sergeant, but don’t take any chances.”
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