How a tank could be rendered powerless in as far as target acquisition and aiming but still have power for the meson cannon was something Noah couldn’t imagine, but it was part of the qualification.
“Crap, gotta get the blood flowing,” Chili said as he climbed out onto the Anvil’s deck and flexed his legs, one after the other. “Not much room in there.”
Noah looked downrange where the drone finally landed on the ground. Almost immediately, like a trap-door spider sensing prey, an RB, or Recovery Bot, darted out of its hangar to recover the drone. During quals with the railgun and the 90mm, inert rounds either hit the targets or simulated detonations, but with the Mad Mike, the cannon was powered down, and sensors on the drones relayed readings to the Range AI which determined if a kill had been achieved or not. The drone Noah had just “killed” would get recharged and be ready for another mission within half-an-hour.
“Well, I guess you passed, you lucky bastard. Shoot her straight, OK?” Chili said, slapping the cannon.
Noah looked at Staff Sergeant Cremineli for confirmation, but he just said, “Back into your driver’s seat. You’re not the gunner yet, and we’ve got to get back to the ramp.”
Noah was the only Marine to get qualified today, so there wasn’t another tank on the range at the moment. He didn’t know why the hurry, but he nodded and stepped over to his hatch, opened it, and did his regular contortion to get inside. Chili might have been scrunched up beside him, but with the gun turret, there were an extra six centimeters in the gunner’s seat that he in the driver’s seat didn’t have, and that would make it far more comfortable for him.
He smoothly backed the Anvil up, turned her, and started down the trail back to the ramp. He’d gotten used to the big girl, and he was comfortable driving her. Moving to be the gunner was the normal progression, but it was new territory, to a degree, one which he still had to get used to. For a moment, he wished he could just stay as the Anvil’s driver, but a tank was its gun. A driver simply taxied the gun, and a tank commander merely directed where the gun would be. It was the gunner who operated it.
It was time to step up.
TARAWA
Chapter 14
Noah stood well behind the formation of midshipmen, avoiding the stands where the bulk of the guests were sitting. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t sit with the rest of the spectators, just that he didn’t feel part of the ceremony. He also felt unaccountably nervous.
In front of the mids, the commandant of the Marine Corps had started the oath, his voice booming:
“I, state your name . . .”
Each midshipman repeated after the commandant, right hand raised.
. . .do solemnly swear, to support and defend the Articles of Council of the Federation of United Nations, against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and above all others; and that I will obey the orders of the Chairman of the Federation of the United Nations and the orders of those appointed over me, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
“Congratulations, lieutenants,” the commandant said as he lowered his right arm. “Now get out there and lead. The Federation is counting on you. With that, I know you have family here, so celebrate today, for tomorrow, duty calls. You are dismissed.”
The group of newly minted Marine lieutenants burst into a loud “Ooh-rah!”
Noah tried to spot his sister, but the milling boot looies were like a school of fish, hugging and pounding each other on the back, whirling around and making it hard to spot any one individual.
At the peripheries of the group, enlisted Marines and sailors were gathering, the sharks, swordfish, and sea lions looking to dart in and target the lieutenants.
Noah caught sight of Esther once, but he quickly lost it, and he wasn’t going to just wade into the group. There were unspoken rules for this sort of thing, and trying to be the first to salute the new lieutenants couldn’t interfere with their own celebration.
He looked around. There had to be thirty of them gathered, all watching the newly-minted lieutenants. Noah didn’t care about the bulk of the lieutenants—only Esther mattered, and he was not going to let any of the others give his sister her first salute.
His sister could be a real hard-ass, one who had very strong opinions on how things should go, and Noah intended to make that work to his advantage. Behind him was the statue of General Salizar. Their father had received his first salute in front of the statue. If he knew his twin, she’d want to receive her first salute at the same place. To paraphrase the old saying, in this case, if he couldn’t go to the mountain, he’d let the mountain come to him. Taking one more look at the lieutenants as they broke to meet family, or in several cases, allowed the enlisted Marines to come close enough to salute, he turned his back and took up a station just to the statue’s left. Now all he had to do was wait.
But Esther didn’t show. Noah stepped back to where he could look over the parade deck, and the school of lieutenants was getting smaller as more and more of them were leaving. With fewer lieutenants there, he should be able to spot her, but she wasn’t on the parade deck anymore.
Did I miss her?
He hadn’t told her he’d gotten leave to attend her commissioning because he was afraid she’d have told him not to come. Things had been a little tense between them over the last couple of years for reasons that Noah still didn’t understand. But he was her brother, her twin, and the only close family she had left. He had to be there for her. Blood was blood.
If she’d already left, he’d just have to call her up. It wouldn’t be the same as what he’d imagined, but he was not going to slink back to Quintero Crag without letting her know he’d come.
He was just about to give up when a familiar figure left the stands and started marching purposefully towards the courtyard with the general’s statue. A couple of fellow lieutenants grabbed her for hugs, but Noah knew she was heading his way.
I knew it, he told himself, a smile breaking out across his face.
She eventually broke free of her classmates, and a couple of Marines tried to intercept her, but she was walking quickly, head down. As she got close, Noah stepped forward, but a corpsman rushed up, arm ready to whip it up in a salute.
Not going to happen!
“As you were, Doc. She’s mine,” Noah barked out with all the authority he could muster into his voice.
The corpsman stopped, and it looked like he was going to argue with him, but with a smile, he nodded and turned back to what was left of the remaining second lieutenants.
Esther slowly turned around and caught sight of Noah, her eyes widening in surprise. He came to attention, and in his best drill field manner, slowly brought up his hand in a salute.
“Congratulations, ma’am!” he said, keeping his face as emotionless as he could despite the pride that threatened to well out.
Esther stood there, her mouth open, motionless. Noah froze, his hand still up in his salute. As if suddenly remembering where she was, she returned it.
“How . . . what . . . how did you get here?”
“By spaceship. That’s the usual way, ma’am, you know.”
“But you’re at Camp Ceasare!”
“And no ships ply the space lanes from there to here? And I’m not at Ceasare any longer. I’ve already been assigned. I sent you a whispergram to tell you that.”
“You did? Well, I’ve been . . . I mean, with NOTC and everything, I don’t check my personals often. I’m sorry. But why come all the way here? I mean, that had to cost a pretty credit.”
She was right. It had taken a good chunk of his salary, and unless Miriam had agreed to it, he wouldn’t have spent the funds.
“You have to ask? You’re my sister, Esther. We only have each other. You needed family here for this.”
“How did you know I’d come to the statue for my first salute? That someone wouldn’t grab me sooner?”
“As I said, Ess, you’re my sister.
You’re my twin. I know you. Of course, you’d come to where Dad got his, and no one was going to get in your way for that. I saw you marching over, a woman on a mission. I’m surprised that corpsman even got as close to you as he did.”
“Well, I guess you’re right. And I guess I owe you this,” she said, pulling the Kookaburra Dollar out of her pocket and handing it to him.
Noah gave it only a glance before a satisfied smile crept over his face.
“I was hoping that’s what it would be, but I looked online. A 2123 Kookaburra’s pretty hard to find.”
“I . . . well, you know.”
“Yeah, Ess, I know.”
Most new lieutenants bought one of the many commemorative coins to give to the Marine or sailor who first saluted them. But their father, in respect and gratitude to Gunny Meader who had helped him through NOTC, had bought a 2123 O.R. Australian Kookaburra Dollar to present to the gunny after that first salute. Both of them had heard the story more times than they could count, and while Noah figured Esther would want to give the same coin, it was pretty rare and cost a pretty credit to buy, probably as much if not more than the cost of his ticket to Tarawa. He smiled and slipped the coin into his pocket before looking back up to catch his sister’s eyes. But neither of them said anything, and the silence grew uncomfortably longer. But there was another reason Noah had made the trip, and he had to ask before she walked away.
“There’s one more thing. Miriam and I are getting married, and we’d love you to be there. It’s up to you, though. I know you’ll be busy snapping in with your platoon.”
He tried to make it sound casual, as if it was no big thing, but he could feel his body tense as he waited for her to respond.
Esther liked to think she could control her emotions, that she could hide her feelings. But they were twins. Noah might not know what had come between them, but he could still read her, and it wasn’t good. He could tell she was embarrassed, maybe even feeling guilty because she didn’t want to go. He’d hoped for a sign of joy, but it wasn’t coming.
He was about to tell her it didn’t matter when she asked, “When is it? And where?”
That took him by surprise, but he knew it was probably just so she could have a reason to say no.
“May 4. On Prophesy. So, you know, Grandmama can help.”
“Help, Noah? You mean take over,” she said, a smile cracking her features
“OK, she’ll take over the entire thing,” he said, laughing.
Esther might not be close with their extended family back on Prophesy, but she knew Grandmama would be fully in charge.
“And May 4? Aren’t we copying our parents a little much here? Me with General Salizar and the Kookaburra, you on Mom and Dad’s anniversary?”
“Just like where you had to enlist Ess? In the same recruiting station where Father enlisted? We’re just like each other, in so many ways.”
He could see that she didn’t agree with him, and that hurt.
“I tell you what, Noah. I don’t’ know my deployment schedule yet. I’ve been assigned to 2/14.”
“Ah, the Lagunari,” Noah said, more than willing to change the subject. “Good unit.”
“The what? ‘La-goon-ary?’” she asked.
It’s your unit. Didn’t you bother to look up your battalion’s patron corps? he wondered.
Esther wasn’t much for the tradition and esprit de corps, but he thought she’d surely have looked it up when she’d received her orders. Every rifle battalion had one of the extant Marine Corps or Naval Infantries as its patron unit, and that patron’s birthday celebration was almost as big as that for the Marine Corps birthday.
“The Lagunari Serenissima. One of old Italy’s two Marine units. Two-fourteen chose the Lagunari as their name, but adopted the San Marco Brigade’s motto, let me remember, something like ‘Per Mare, Per Terram.’ Do you know, the Lagunari were Army, not Marine or Naval Infantry? The San Marco Brigade was Navy, but not the Lagunari. It’s one of only two Army patrons in the Corps today.”
She looked at him like he was crazy for knowing it, like he was some sort of history geek. He did love history, something he’d probably gotten from their father, but if for no other reason than to follow her unbridled ambition, this was something she really had to know in the tradition-loving Corps.
“OK, um, good to know,” she told him. “But back to your question, I don’t know my schedule, but if we’re not deployed, and if I can get leave, I would be honored to attend your wedding.”
And there it is. A no.
“It’s OK. I under . . . oh, you’ll make it?” Noah asked as his brain processed what she’d just said.
“It’s not a promise, Noah. But I’ll try. You know the Corps, though. Remember how many times Dad missed birthdays and anniversaries?”
“Yeah, yeah, of course, I know,” Noah said, excitement taking over. “But thanks, Ess. It’ll make Grandmama happy . . . no, strike that. It’ll make me happy.”
“You’re my little brother, Noah,” she said, just like old times in using her being born nine minutes before him to claim the title of older sister. “Of course, I’ll be there.”
A Marine spotted Esther standing by the base of the statue and started over, arm cocked to salute before he saw Noah and dejectedly turned to find a yet un-saluted lieutenant.
“It’s a little late for that,” Noah said as they both laughed and watched the sergeant’s retreating back. “You’ve got to get an earlier jump on things.”
“I think you’re right. But, I need to get going. I’ve got a property pick-up in about an hour, and I’m not packed yet.”
“You know, they only allow you two seabags,” Noah said, referring to his sister’s habit of traveling with a wardrobe of clothes
“I don’t carry that much!” Esther protested. “And now that I’m an officer, I get a load-out box, too.”
“Lucky for you. I’m betting it’s still not enough,” he said, still teasing.
“You’d better watch it, Sergeant! I could always order you to pack my stuff for me and carry it to TMI.”
So, she’s going to hold her rank over me? Noah thought, despite knowing she had been joking.
Joking or not, it still revealed a frame of mind. If there had been some sort of wall between them before, her being an officer just made that wall all the taller.
“Well, Ess. Lieutenant Ess,” Noah said, forcing a smile on his face. “I need to get going. I’ll let you get your things ready. Congratulations. Really. Mother and father would be proud.”
He stepped forward, and the two awkwardly hugged. Their stiff dress blues were not the only reason for that.
“Thanks for coming, Noah. It was good to have family here. And I’m proud my first salute was from you.”
“I couldn’t miss this,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Kookaburra Dollar for another look.
He came to attention again and gave a snappy salute, which she returned.
“Well, OK. I guess I’ll see you in May?” Noah said as he turned to walk away.
“Hey, Noah!” Esther said after he’d taken several steps. “When are you leaving to go back?”
“My shuttle’s at 0530.”
“Unless you’ve got something else to do, why don’t you meet me for dinner? I’m going to eat at the Globe and Laurel with one of my classmates. His great-grandfather will be there. He was a Marine in the War of the Far Reaches, and his grandson—my friend’s father—fought with Dad.”
“I . . . I’d like that, Ess. But . . .” he said, as he pointed to the chevrons on his sleeve.
She’d just reminded him that she was an officer and he was a sergeant, after all.
“Screw that. We’re family. And Mr. Upshick was a corporal when he served. We’re all Marines, right?”
“Well, right. But—”
“But nothing. Twenty-hundred, OK?”
Noah only hesitated a moment before he shrugged and said, “Twenty-hundred it is. See you
then, Ess.”
He turned around and walked off, but with more spring in his step. He’d hang out on base, looking up old friends, but spending time with his sister was an added bonus, one he hadn’t expected.
Maybe they were becoming a family again.
QUINTERO CRAG
Chapter 15
“So, what the hell’s going on?” Chili said as he slid into the seat beside Noah.
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
The company had been scheduled for range driving, something it really needed, but while they were on the ramp, it had been canceled, and all hands were in the theater waiting to find out why.
“How’s the new first sergeant?” Noah asked, tilting his head where she sat in the back.
Tank crews tended to sit together, but Noah and Chili had been together for a while, and he’d just switched over to the newly re-named Night Witch two days prior.
First Sergeant St. Cloud had been one of the first women to enlist when Noah’s father had re-opened the Corps to all genders, and while there were female tank officers who out-ranked her, there were only a handful of female tankers who’d reached the rank of first sergeant so far. With the gender mix in tanks, that would change over time, but for now, a female tanker first sergeant, or any first sergeant, for that matter, was still somewhat rare.
What was pertinent to the Marines in the company, though, and why Noah was asking, was what kind of first sergeant she would be. She had a decent combat record, but so had her predecessor. He’d been somewhat laid back in garrison, and with the captain in the same mold, things had been pretty easy in the company. Noah hadn’t liked the fact that Charlie was obviously lower on the pecking order than Alpha, and he’d love to overtake the battalion CO’s favorite company, but the Marines in Alpha were pushed harder.
Noah's Story: Marine Tanker (The United Federation Marine Corps' Lysander Twins Book 3) Page 10