It was a meaningless exercise, but it would incite the people to believe in the companies, and the Troopers to fight harder and return Nivad to his life of Company politics and maneuvering.
Chapter 5
EMFC Dauntless
Oort Cloud exiting Osdal System
12/3267
“Sir, I request that we get more training time with the powered armor,” Haas stated, staring at the wall behind Captain Yosef. It was filled with commendations, letters of reference, pictures, and an odd looking rifle that had been taken from some group of colonists. From the look of it, it had never been used in real combat, it was too clean.
Captain Yosef was a thin man with dark hair that added shadows to his pale face. It was a face that had spent too much time in cryo, or onboard a ship, and not enough time in the field, unlike Haas’ tanned face.
“Lieutenant, your request is denied for the last time,” Yosef said, a warning note in his voice. “If we are to engage in ship to ship hostilities, then we will be using Charlie Company with the powered armor, there is no need for you to train in it.”
“Captain,” Haas started.
“We are finished with this line of request lieutenant,” Yosef emphasized.
“Yes, sir,” Haas saluted.
“Get out of my sight.” He reclined in his custom seat and curled his lip at Haas, not bothering to return the salute.
Haas walked out of the room knowing very well why the captain was having Charlie Company use the powered armor. They were loyal to the captain, with their own officers attaining their positions because of the captain’s favors. They made him look good in the situations that looked hard, and that reflected well on their Regimental captain.
Alpha Company was filled with people that the captain didn’t trust, and Bravo consisted of gangs that worked well together. The Reclaimer crew were stuck in Bravo.
Fucking idiot, Haas thought as he made his way out of officer territory.
Bravo Company had been basically told as they left the system that they were on leave. Haas had turned that into training; they needed to work the kinks out. Most of the officers and non-Reclaimer people had turned it down, and had gone off to go do their own thing. A few had stayed.
The Reclaimer crew were reaching out to their old gang affiliations and quietly having people transferred out of Bravo and replacing them with others that were worth a damn and wanted to learn.
They had all been issued powered armor that was locked up in storage rooms across the Carrier. Bravo Company needed time to work in the armor, not only to maintain their skills, but to learn how to work with one another on a large scale.
Haas pulled up the textbook of tactics that Nerva had started and that Ortiz was now developing, with the help of the Reclaimer and Fearless Troopers.
He knew the situation going on in Dauntless, and there was little that he could do. It was infuriating.
A message jumped up over his reports, coming direct from General Jones.
Shit, Haas thought, opening the message. The sinking feeling in his gut was replaced with confusion.
Medals, really?
***
Mark saw the message pop up on his HUD, and he looked at it a few times to check that it was real, before grabbing his beret.
“Off for a beer, warrant?” Jane asked.
“Off to see the general,” Mark said, pulling his beret on. A small smile passed over his features at the confused look on her face.
He sent messages to the rest of the Triple-Two’s. It was a nickname that Haas and his Platoon had been given on Masoul and it had stuck. The people from Reclaimer still knew them as Triple-Two’s, the hard-nosed bastards that were willing to do anything to fuck up the Chosen’s day.
Tyler had already got the people gathered together, and they were moving through the halls amid an interested murmuring.
Mark caught up with the Reclaimer group, and they walked through the crowd, where a few people tried to make their life more annoying. They usually found a vicious kick or punch awaiting them, but the Reclaimer crew moved on like they hadn’t seen anything. These were slum rules; someone fucks with you, you throw it right back in their face or else they’ll do it again and again.
They moved out onto the flight deck which was clear of the coffins as it had been two weeks since they had said their last goodbyes to their fallen. Now, there was a grand stage with the command staff of the entire Carrier standing on it. People filed in, with officers organizing them into formations.
Floating cameras were moving around the flight deck, and a number of them were looking at the Reclaimer crew.
“Our fight against Harmony has been a long and hard one. Through it, many valued Troopers have died for the sake of the colonists’ protection. Let us not forget them,” General Jones said, sounding actually saddened as he bowed his head.
Good actor, Mark thought, wondering what the hell was going on.
“Through our challenges fighting Harmony, many of you have stepped up and gone well above your duty. Command has realized this, as have the people of Earth and Her Colonies. A bill has been passed by government, allowing me the privilege of bestowing medals to those who have served the EMF and the EHC proud.” General Jones looked out over the flight deck.
Troopers wearing a piece of white ribbon saying Osdal on it ran down, handing out identical ribbons. Mark got one for Sacremon and Masoul.
A ping registered on Mark’s implants, and from the way a number of people twitched, a good amount had also got the same message.
“Those of you who have received a message, please step forward and make a new formation,” General Jones said.
Aides who had been waiting to the sides moved in as a good half of the Troopers stepped forward. Small red ribbons with a bronze cross on them were slapped on people’s chests as the aides ran down the formations.
Mark looked at it in confusion.
“These medals are for your wounds that you received in the line of duty,” General Jones said.
Mark got another ping on his implants, and different people stepped forward and more moved back, leaving just the Triple-Two’s. They moved into a crisp formation, taking their old positions with Zukic and Haas in the front and the Section commanders standing in front of their people.
General Jones looked over the Troopers and back to his lectern. “This group infiltrated Masoul and Osdal, gathering vital intelligence, and causing chaos behind the enemy lines. It is due to their efforts that many of the people here are alive. If they hadn’t done their duty, then there would have been more coffins laying on this flight deck just a few weeks ago.” Aides came out with boxes. “For your service you have been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.” The aides pinned a blue ribbon with a white and red slash on its center to the Triple-Two’s chests.
“Warrant Mark Victor, front and center,” General Jones said once the ribbons were pinned and the boxes with the more ornate looking star medal were in the Troopers’ pockets.
Mark walked up to the stage. Jones was taller than him and well built. Mark had more muscle mass but his smart clothes were large to hide that fact. Jones’ clothes were tight, to show the well crafted physique below.
A new box came out, this one with an ornate looking star on it with a red ribbon meant to hold it around his neck.
“For your services to the EMF and EHC, I present to you the Medal of Valor,” General Jones said, turning from his podium and gathering up the medal.
Mark bowed, the medal going over his head, and General Jones held his hand. Mark took it and shook it.
Mark knew that all these medals and fanfare were just political maneuvering. He wanted to rip the medals off and throw them away, but they were like his scars, another way to remember the people he had lost.
Buck up son and get it done, Mark heard the voice of his first Section commander, Sergeant Pullo, in his head, and he touched the Sacremon ribbon in memory. It was almost too much.
“Smile fo
r the cameras, lieutenant,” General Jones said, turning and looking away from the stage, allowing the cameras dozens of angles.
Ah shit, Mark thought, knowing that the general hadn’t slipped up.
***
The medal ceremony passed and then promotions came down. Mark and the others had thought that they were only going to get the one, but it seemed that the powers that be wanted to use them as role models or some kind of shit.
Haas became a captain, Zukic was his second in command as Regimental sergeant major. Jerome was the lieutenant of Alpha Company, Mark got Bravo, and Tyler got Charlie.
Jerome looked at the new breakdown of the unit; on paper they were under strength. They’d begged, borrowed and stolen the people that they thought were worth a damn and thrown them into the Company. Few seemed to care what they were doing.
Haas was still trying to get time with powered armor, but nothing was working. It seemed all of Dauntless, except those that had stayed on the Carrier, were pissed at them for getting medals.
They were a target, and everyone was looking to make their lives difficult. The Troopers that the Company had pulled in seemed to understand this. A few weren’t happy being associated with the Reclaimer Regiment, but the majority understood that either they worked together or they were screwed.
Jerome had a room all to himself. It was an odd luxury, but most of the time he and the other officers of the Company hung out in Mark’s room, trying to get training sorted out and figuring out what the hell they were going to do with their new Company.
Right now, Jerome wasn’t working on anything that was related to the Troopers. Instead, he was looking at the reports coming from The Yard. Jane Costa had taken over running the place and she seemed to be doing well. Jerome had never talked to her, or seen her in person. Madeline seemed to have passed on The Yard’s secrets and Jane had sent him an update as soon as she was established.
He sent a message to her with the contact details of the Bandit Corporation, including information about all the contracts with the various processing crews and such. When the first Madeline-classed freighter made it to Osdal, then they wouldn’t just be working for the other companies. The Yard needed specialty materials and making them themselves was a big expense. The resources for the Madeline-classed freighter were astronomical, as it all came through companies.
With the Bandit Corporation, then The Yard would be able to get some processed materials a hell of a lot cheaper.
He created a new stipend for the Bandit Corporation, sent off paperwork for Jane to sort out, and then sent messages to the people in Bandit Corporation, from Felicia aboard Gold Runner to Carly who was running the fleet of ships and their mining equipment.
Jerome sighed, rubbing his eyes; they were tired from the surface’s light and from using his implants for so long.
Niemi, Dashtund, Ali, and Ko were all playing a game of Euchre on Mark’s desk. Mark was talking with Wes, the armorer that they’d stolen from the armories.
They had got together and started instituting the changes that were already happening on Fearless.
Every Section was an assault Section, but because none of them would be using the E-12 rifle, separating them into assault Sections and weapons detachments was useless.
Each Platoon was given a medic, and Haas was pushing for armorers. The powered armor was a complex machine, and a lot could go wrong with it. The Troopers were learning as much as possible, but the armorers lived and breathed the stuff. They could fix guns, exoskeletons or pretty much any of the tech that the Troopers had.
They each got an ammunition pack and a Repulsor like everyone else, but the lower half of their pack could be pulled off and opened up to show the tools inside.
Every Company got two techs who could make spray-ite barriers, carry around the heavy explosives to breach rooms, or blow up what was needed. They were also getting a Combat Shuttle on call at all times. It wasn’t official by any means, but Ortiz said that either they would have Dauntless’ shuttles, or the Fearless would supply them.
Haas wandered into the room. “Hey, boys and girls.” It had taken some time to get the other people from Reclaimer to get past their knee-jerk reaction to come to attention with a higher rank in the room.
The officers and warrants sitting around the living room waved and continued with their conversation.
“Ah fuck,” Dashtund said.
“What the hell did you go in with?” Ko asked as Niemie and Ali high fived, putting their cards on the table.
“Right, Bauer, a card of the same suit and two aces,” Dashtund said.
“Just let me put you on my back with no cards of suit,” Ko sighed, slumping back in his seat.
“The more things change the more they stay the same, friggin card rats,” Haas said with a smile as he grabbed a seat and sat facing the table, leaning back and moving his hands to open his implants.
“Any luck?” Jerome asked.
“Nope,” Haas said, flicking the air above his head and moving through screens only he could see.
Tyler walked into the room, and Alexis followed.
“We’re going into cold storage in a week,” Tyler said, cutting off any greetings.
It soured the mood immediately, but people kept going about their business. They needed time to integrate the units and people. It had been just days since they’d started working together, and it took longer than ten days to get a Company working as one.
“Looks like we’ll be hunting Harmony ships after all,” Mark said, him and Wes joining the circle forming around the main table.
The payout from capturing a freighter was nothing to sniff at, and they all had enough to retire on from what they had got from the freighter in Masoul.
Can’t spend credits if you’re dead though, Jerome thought.
“We know who is going to be used for the boarding operations?” Haas asked, looking to Tyler.
“No idea, I think we should be ready though; be an easy way to get rid of us,” Tyler said.
“Fucking Dauntless,” Jerome sighed.
“Let the medics know there’s some credits in it for them if they make sure to wake us up on time,” Haas said, looking to Medic Florence.
“I’ll pass it along,” Florence agreed.
“In the meantime, we continue with running our people through simulations wearing Repulsors and working as a powered armor Company. Second is fighting with the vibra-blades. Those Harmony bastards might get better armor, but hopefully they don’t get vibra-weaponry. It’s an advantage we need to press,” Haas said.
“Well, we might have another advantage,” Mark said, looking at Wes.
Everyone looked at the rotund man with pale skin, thick arms, and a severe expression.
“With the help of Mark, we were able to secure some materials that many people - other than the powerful corporations - don’t get.” Wes pulled out a round with a dark tip. “This is the Excalibur round. This puppy will penetrate the armor on the Chosen’s powered armor units. Once it penetrates, it twists and splits into lots of high powered fragmentation to churn up the poor bastard that went up against you.” He handed the round to Jerome, then took out more and put them on the desk. People grabbed them, looking at the odd striations down the rounds’ sides.
“Wouldn’t want to be getting hit by that,” Jerome said, putting the round down.
“Or a dozen of these,” Wes said, pulling out smaller rounds. They looked to be Repulsor rounds but they were made of a different material. “Repulsor rounds with a little know-how from the Ministry of Intelligence. These will take down someone in our modified powered armor with a decent enough burst,” Wes said proudly.
“Good. Hate it when they get up after I’ve put five rounds in their helmet, fucking freaky,” Dooks said.
There were sounds of agreement in the room.
“Well, this should even things out a little bit,” Tyler said, holding up the AMR round.
“I don’t think we’ll be as lu
cky as to go up against the metal storm and bolt action rifles from Osdal,” Mark said.
“No, but at least we’ll have something to put them down faster with, not just swords,” Jerome pointed out.
Mark nodded; none of them knew what the hell waited for them in Fernix. They needed every advantage they could pull out of their asses.
***
General Jones shook his head at Major Fernandez.
She was a loyal woman, one that was his firm supporter on Dauntless.
She was also now in charge of the Reclaimer Regiment that contained the most decorated Troopers in the entire EMF.
“Fernandez, I can’t allow you to have your people kill them. I know that they’re a pain in your ass and they’ve messed up the power balance, but without good cause we’re all going to be in the shit,” Jones said, looking her in the eye.
Her eyes thinned. She knew that he would have okayed having the Reclaimer Regiment have a few accidents when they got out of cryo to get rid of them and return balance to the Carrier, if he could.
She’s probably surprised that she had to come and ask me about it, instead of getting an order.
“Someone is watching them closely. Hell all of the CEOs are watching them closely. They have the greatest viewership of any group in the entire EMF. The CEOs love them, and some of our own Troopers have broken ranks and gone to fight with them! I’m hearing noises on other Carriers too. Those Fearless Troopers are some of the deadliest bastards I’ve ever seen. Their scores are well above the BM. The Reclaimer Troopers are careful to block all of the feeds while they’re training. I can only imagine that they are as bad as the Fearless bastards,” Jones took a breath, calming himself.
“All the more reason to kill them, and get the CEOs looking for other Carriers with the ability to put on a good show,” Fernandez said.
“The Ministry is watching them,” Jones said, watching as her posture changed from aggressive to thoughtful in an instant.
“Why?”
“Because someone has the ear of Nivad himself. I don’t know who it is, but it might be one of the Troopers, or it might be someone on Fearless. All I know is that they called in a strike on Mining City Twenty-One. I didn’t listen, and I got a message from Nivad Selvra himself.” A shiver ran down Jones’ back.
Fernix (Harmony War Book 4) Page 3