Jack walked toward Torent’s compartment. He looked along the bay toward Reyes’s compartment. She was sitting up in bed. Jack’s heart leapt at the sight of her up and out of the coma. Standing next to Reyes, Jack noticed the black jacket of the Fleet Intelligence agent, Visser.
Reyes ignored Jack.
“Help me get this arm in here, Jacky,” Torent said as Jack stepped into his compartment. He couldn’t take his eyes off Reyes.
“Jack,” Torent said more loudly. “Don’t stare, Jack.”
Jack turned toward Torent. His friend was right. If he was going to hide the truth about Commander Finch, it was better if he showed as little interest in Reyes as possible. If he seemed interested in her, it might be because he was interested in what she knew about Finch’s disappearance. He had told Reyes not to say anything about it. As far as the fleet knew, she had not seen him on Kratos at all.
Jack took hold of Torent’s jacket and helped him put his arm in the sleeve.
“How’s the arm?” Jack asked, desperate to look at Reyes.
“Strong. I’ve got it under control, sort of.”
Jack pulled the jacket up onto Torent’s shoulders.
“You free to come back to sixth squad?” Jack asked.
“Worried I’ll take your job?” Torent replied.
“No.” Jack risked a glace toward Reyes. His eyes met those of Agent Visser. He turned his head casually back toward Torent. “There is an operation coming up. If you can stay in med bay, you might be able to sit this one out.”
“Sit it out?” Torent said. “Not a chance. I overheard the doctors talking.” Torent climbed off his bunk. “They had medical supplies sent over from the Monarch.” Torent gave Jack an excited look. “A carrier, Jack. A kravin carrier. Come on.” Torent walked out of his compartment. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?” Jack asked, following Torent.
“The hangar deck. There’s a porthole in the launch doors.”
“And what about it?” Jack asked.
“We can get a look at her.”
Jack looked back toward Reyes one last time. “Her?” Jack asked
“The Monarch. We can get a look. You ever seen a carrier before? No, didn’t think so. Come on.” Torent marched out of the med bay.
Jack hurried to catch up. A carrier would be something to see, but there was only one thing Jack wanted to see. And she was being questioned by Agent Visser.
14
The hangar deck was a hive of activity. Crewmen and tech drones were prepping the Scorpio’s compliment of tactical drop ships. There were thirty-six TAC boats, one for every squad of a full battalion. Jack felt the pre-operation jitters grow in him.
The presence of a carrier and the preparation of the TAC boats meant only one thing: joint operations. The carrier’s primary role was to support the destroyers, provide fighter cover and fire support. The TAC boats were designed for Marine landing and ground operations. This was not going to be some raid on an asteroid. This was going to involve ground assault, space assault, fighter defense and attack. This was joint operations.
Torent seemed untouched by the activity around him and unfazed by the possibility of an imminent attack on a Chitin stronghold. He dashed along the line of TAC boats, moving from one hangar door to another, looking through one porthole after another.
“There she is,” he called excitedly. “What a ship. Look at the size of it.” Torent stopped at a small porthole. He pressed his face against it and looked out, condensation from his eager breath misting up the small window. “Look at her, Jacky. Just look.”
Jack stepped up to the small porthole in front of him and looked out.
The Monarch dominated the view, set against the distant gas giant. The Pisces and the Aries, each a kilometer long, were dwarfed by the massive carrier. A dozen points of light flitted about the Monarch from the engine flare of the patrol fighters.
Jack pulled back, startled, as a corvette came past. The corvettes were lightly armed and extremely fast with the range of a destroyer. The six corvettes in line formation held position between the Scorpio and the Monarch
“Can you make out the names on those destroyers?” Torent asked.
Jack could see the letters painted on the nose section of the destroyers, but they were too far out for him to read. He could make out the batteries of cannons along the side of the destroyers, massive snub-nosed barrels capable of pouring out a deadly hail of shot.
The Monarch’s side was dominated by the massive fighter decks. Between each deck was a battery of cannon and combat drone launch tubes. The upper and lower sides of the Monarch each supported four sets of high-energy laser cannon.
The flotilla of craft was an immense show of fleet power, and Jack knew there was one more weapon in this arsenal. Hidden within the composite hulls of these craft was the fleet’s most deadly and versatile weapon. The Fleet Marines.
“Those Chits are going to get an absolute battering,” Torent said, moving to the next porthole.
“We’ll see,” Jack said. The flotilla was powerful. He hoped the enemy they were going to fight wasn’t even more powerful. A single Leviathan was more than a match for a carrier. The Crown had been lost to a Leviathan in the first months of the war. Since then, the fleet had avoided contact with those Chitin craft.
“Where do you think we’re going?” Torent stepped back. “I heard some crewmen say we are heading to Zelos.”
“The Chit home world?” Jack took one last look at the Monarch. “I hope not. We wouldn’t last two minutes, and we’d need ten times the ships.”
Torent walked over to Jack. “Can we beat them, Jack?”
Jack sensed the anxiety in Torent’s voice. Placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder, Jack looked him in the eye. “I don’t know, Sam. I know they won’t beat us.”
Torent looked out of the porthole again. “The carrier, destroyers, corvettes, Marines… Wherever we are going, it’s going to be a kravin big fight.”
“We’ll do our job, Sam.” Jack pulled Torent away from the porthole. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll get our fight soon enough. No need to think about it now.”
15
The mess hall was full, with every seat taken by members of Scorpio Battalion and the ship’s crewmen and women. Jack and Torent picked their way through the crowd toward the familiar faces of Cobra Company and 6th squad.
The room was filled with the smells of fresh cooked meat and fried roots. The tables were covered in food and jugs of juices.
“No ration blocks today?” Jack said. He spoke to a Marine from one of the other companies. “Fresh food? Where were they hiding that?”
The Marine turned. Smiling. “They sent it over from the Monarch. Giving us a good sendoff. Can’t go into battle on a ration block.”
“Must be close to zero hour,” Torent said, grabbing a meat-filled bread roll from a stack on one table.
The food tasted good. The noise in the mess hall sounded good. Most of the battalion knew what lay in store. Most had seen action. The few new recruits who hadn’t been in combat were nervous and eager for it. There wasn’t a single new recruit who wouldn’t be a seasoned veteran after one second of actual combat against the Chits. Simulations were useful, but knowing that the fight was for real sharpened the senses. It made some bold, and others afraid. Some ran into their first action with such enthusiasm that they put themselves needlessly in danger. Those who shrank from the fight and hoped the fighting would die away put their squads in danger. A steady and level-headed approach was the only way to succeed. Victory lay in a determined, intelligent approach to the chaos of battle.
Jack sat down at a table with 6th squad. Torent was greeted warmly, his prosthetic arm a point of interest. Torent showed it off. “I’m still getting used to it,” he said.
Bubble turned to Jack. “Boss. Tell Terry. He owes me credits.”
Terry poured a cup of juice and laughed. “I’ll give them to you when we get back from the operation.”
>
“Great.” Bubble slumped back in his chair and rolled his eyes. “What if we don’t get back?”
Terry placed the freshly poured cup in front of Bubble. “If we both get back, I’ll give you double.”
Bubble crossed his arms over his chest and looked darkly at Terry. The two laughed. “You better come back,” Bubble said, “so I can kick your ass for being a kravin scroat.”
Terry stood up and leered darkly at Bubble. 6th squad cheered at the insult. Terry finally let his smile spread over his face and held out his arm to Bubble. Bubble took Terry’s hand and stood up. The two shook hands, smiling.
“Toast,” Torent said. He raised a cup. “To the best squad in Cobra Company.”
“Best in Scorpio Battalion,” Terry said.
“In the fleet,” Osho said.
“I’ll toast that,” Jack said. The squad knocked their cups together and drank as one.
The mess hall speaker suddenly crackled and Commander Griff’s voice spoke out. “Scorpio Battalion. Form up on the Marine deck. Parade in five minutes. That is all.”
Jack was on his feet. “Move, Sixth Squad, you heard the commander. Parade. We don’t want to be the last squad in formation.”
Jack saw the other squad leaders motivate their squads. Across the hall, Jack caught Navidi’s eye and they looked at each other for a moment. They knew they were getting ready for battle. They were getting closer by the moment. They gave each other a brief nod in acknowledgement.
“Move, move, move,” Jack shouted.
“You heard the boss, Sixth Squad,” Torent added. “Move.”
6th squad moved as a group toward the exit. Jack knew his squad. They had trained together, fought together, lived together. Now they were going into battle together. They all knew what was in store for them, noise and fury and fear and courage. Jack couldn’t pick a better squad. Whatever happened, he knew he’d be with people he trusted and respected. They were just like Jack. They were true Marines. The best in the fleet.
16
Major Cruz stood at the front of Scorpio Battalion in conversation with the three company commanders. Jack had never seen Major Cruz on the Marine deck in person before. Jack could feel the tension build inside him. The signs were there that the coming operation was going to be no minor skirmish.
Commander Griff called the battalion to attention. Major Cruz stepped up and spoke.
“For some of you, this will be your first encounter with the Chitin. Others among you have fought them before. By the time this operation is over, we will all be seasoned veterans.
“The carrier group is assembled for an operation to deny the Chitins free movement about the system. We will attack and destroy a drydock on the moon Proxis. The facility is used by Chitin Hydra craft and is also capable of servicing their Leviathan-class craft. When we have destroyed the drydock, the Chitins’ largest craft will only be able to operate from their home world.
“The fleet has assembled three destroyers for this operation. Our objective is a ground-based orbital defense battery. We will destroy this facility ahead of the main assault on the drydock itself.”
As Jack listened, he heard the determination and professionalism in the major’s voice.
“The drydock is defended by two ground-based orbital defense batteries, situated approximately three kilometers to the east and the west of the main facility. Cobra Company will assault the western battery. Boa Company will assault the eastern battery. I will lead Adder Company in the main assault on the drydock itself. The main assault will be assisted by two companies from the Pisces and Aries battalions, but this is a Scorpio Battalion operation.
“Your orders, Scorpio Battalion. First watch, you will study the battle plan. VR maps are available to you now. You will walk through your objectives and study the terrain. Second watch. You will rest. In your bunks. No drinking. No fighting. Third watch. Final battle prep, full battle readiness parade. Zero hour is at the end of third watch.
“We will deal the Chitin a debilitating blow with this assault. We will fight them. We will beat them. They will remember Scorpio Battalion. They will fear Scorpio Battalion. Do you get me?”
Jack shouted out with the entire Scorpio Battalion. He had encountered the Chitins on several occasions. He’d been in close quarters combat. He’d stood against them, full of fear and courage, yet he’d never had any reason to think the Chitins felt anything at all. But the major’s words were inspiring. Jack almost believed it.
“Sir, yes, sir,” they shouted.
Major Cruz handed the battalion over to the company commanders and left the Marine deck.
The commanders stood before their companies and reiterated the major’s orders for the next twenty-four hours and then dismissed them.
Commander Griff walked over to 6th squad as they fell out of parade formation.
“Torent,” he called as he approached. “You are supposed to be in med bay.”
Jack and Torent saluted the commander. Jack noticed Torent had complete control over his prosthetic arm.
“Sir,” Torent said, “I feel great. I don’t want to miss out on the operation, sir.”
“I wish I had a dozen like you, Torent,” Griff said. “What do you think, Forge? Have you got room for another Marine in sixth squad?”
“Sir, Sam’s one of the best Marines I’ve ever fought with.”
“So that’s a yes, is it?”
“Yes, sir.”
Griff clasped his hands behind his back. “Okay. I’ll inform medical that you are fit. Report to your squad leader at the top of first watch.”
Jack and Torent walked off the Marine deck.
“I knew we were getting ready for a big operation,” Torent said. “Let’s get down to the mess hall. I bet there’s some beer going around.”
“Beer? I don’t think so, Sam. Have you fired a pulse rifle with your new arm yet?”
Torent held out his arm, the black composite sinews twisting and stretching over each other. “It’ll be fine.”
“Fine isn’t good enough, Marine. You can have beer when we get back. Right now, you need a session on the firing range.”
“I’ll practice when we start on the VR training later,” Torent said.
“You will start right now, Marine.” Jack laid a hand on Torent’s shoulder. “I’m not taking a rusty Marine on this operation.”
Torent grumbled and gave in. “I guess you really are the boss now.”
“You got it, Sam. Rifle range, now. And I’m not dismissing you until you can out-score me. You get me?”
17
The hours before battle were quiet. Jack checked every part of his equipment. His pulse rifle was dismantled and cleaned. His meat suit checked and readied. He checked on his Marines. Osho was withdrawn. Terry was edgy. Bubble was nervous. Torent was quietly cheerful.
6th squad practiced the landing. The VR maps of the western battery on Proxis were studied, and Jack took 6th squad on a walk covering every centimeter of the planned route for their tactical advance.
The battery was surrounded by a trench. The trench would be filled with Chitin soldiers, but now it appeared empty. Jack jumped down into the trench and walked the perimeter. The battery was a series of four-barrel plasma accelerator cannons. They towered above the Marines, their deadly mouths open to the sky, ready to spit their devastating firepower at any ships in orbit. The site where the demolition charges were to be planted was marked on the simulation.
“Sixth squad will be carrying the explosives, high yield. Should take out these guns and make a crater big enough to land a frigate. Make sure you get clear before setting them off.”
The squad rested in their bunks after the detailed training run. Jack ordered lights out and silence. The squad didn’t complain or resist. They slept. Jack had worked them hard, and they deserved the rest. It would be the last they had until the operation was over.
With the start of third watch, the nerves began to show. Jack kept 6th squad focused on th
eir tasks. They prepped their kits and pulled on their meat suits. They assembled with the rest of the battalion on the Marine deck. There was a buzz of excitement, and a quiet resolve. There was an eager eye on the time and the moments that passed by with a sluggishness bordering on the interminable. Soon the moment would arrive when the chatter throughout the battalion would have to stop. Soon the officers would be marching onto the Marine deck. Soon the battalion would be going into action.
18
The Carrier Group took up position in high orbit above Proxis. The gas giant, Penthus, loomed in the distance, dominating the view.
The Monarch launched it compliment of fighter craft. Dozens of highly maneuverable and deadly craft engaged the patrolling Chitin Krakens that raced to intercept. The Hydras appeared from beyond the moon’s horizon. The flotilla launched a salvo of combat drones, a dozen from each destroyer and another dozen from the Monarch. The drones raced toward the incoming Hydras, spreading out to form a curtain of devastating ordnance.
The fighters destroyed the first wave of Krakens and then moved to fill any gaps left by the combat drones. The drones took fire from the Hydras, the plasma arcs flashing across space, slicing through the drones’ light armor. Each drone lit up the dark void in a brilliant white and orange flash.
The lead Hydra was struck by a group of combat drones. The drones released their antimatter payload within a nanosecond of each other. The Hydra was crushed and tumbled out of the explosion barely in control, lurching this way and that. A squadron of fighters chased it down and finished it with a hail of kinetic rounds.
The second Hydra twisted away from the drones that picked it out as a target, desperately maneuvering to avoid destruction. The drones annihilated themselves and the Hydra. As the battle continued, another pair of drones and another Hydra destroyed. The flanking Hydra craft maneuvered around the remaining drones and powered toward the nearest destroyer, closely followed by fighters that closed in and poured kinetic rounds into the Chitin machines.
Jack Forge, Fleet Marine Boxed Set (Books 1 - 9) Page 23