The last of his units reported in. He called out over the com, “Remember, hold your fire until I give the order. Pass it along to all your people, acknowledge.”
“Sir, they seem to be headed for our tents at incredible speeds.”
“It’s like everyone wants to be first to get in on the action,” Smith observed.
Then the bombardment started, but not on their positions. The Reptilians were attacking the abandoned tents. Suddenly it became clear to Argie why Smith left them standing. Not that he had a plan; it was just a feeling he went with.
He called on his helmet com, “Hold your fire; do not fire. Pass this to all your men.”
The Legion sat in silence as the empty camp was set ablaze. Denver went up to the ridge where he could see what was going on. Soon troop landers were on the ground, and he could see them through his binoculars. A mass of Reptilian fighters swarmed out and surrounded the camp.
Smith thought they were waiting for survivors to come running out. He almost wished he could see their surprise, but he knew it would not be long until they figured out what happened. Then they would come looking for the abandoned Legion.
Argie came up beside him. “Shouldn’t you be with your medical unit?” he asked.
“And let you have all the fun? We’re as ready as we can be. How’s it look?”
Denver passed the binocs over to her. “See for yourself.”
“I really didn’t like those tents anyway,” she admitted as she looked at the flaming encampment.
Then she added, “So they desert us on a planet that cannot support human life, a planet close to the enemy, and predictably the enemy is on us. Convenient, no?” She lowered the binoculars and handed them back to Smith.
“Yeah, mighty damn convenient.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m getting just pissed off enough to survive this,” she said.
“Me too, just so I can put my fist in some Separatist’s face.”
“Don’t want to shoot them?”
“Waste of ammo. Besides, I want to feel their arrogant faces crack.”
“Note to self, don’t piss the old man off,” she said. Then added, “What do you intend to do?”
“I intend to stay hidden for as long as we can, then fight like demons and survive.”
“At least we’ll die together,” she said. He looked down at her and without warning, she pulled his face down, and standing on tiptoes, kissed him.
He seemed startled for a moment. Then she said, “For luck.”
Without effort or intent, he said, “I love you.”
He was embarrassed.
“I know,” she said. “I’ve known for a long time.” She smiled and headed back to her unit.
* * * *
Deceiver! The message scrolled across Schiller’s screen. He almost could feel the rage. They are not here!
Schiller felt a spot of perspiration on his forehead. Then he frantically typed, They must be. They were dropped off as we discussed. They must be there.
The return message scrolled across his private secure screen. Their tents were empty. Where are they, deceiver?
How should I know, Schiller thought to himself. His mind was frozen. Had someone gotten them off the rock? In that case, they will be coming back, and they must know by now that they were betrayed.
He typed, They must be hiding, dug in somewhere. He waited long minutes for a reply. It had been going so well, the Legion disposed of, his name bandied about as the next PM, the Me 147 in full production. To sweeten things, he was a part owner of a company that supplied some of the parts to the spacecraft. It was all going so beautifully, now this.
Finally, a response scrolled across his screen. We will search for them. If they are found, we will destroy them. If not, I will personally dip my blade in your blood.
The message blinked off. Contact had been broken. Schiller was no fool. He knew the Reptilians would eventually have to be destroyed, but he wanted to do it in such a way that allowed him to get his hands on the secret of the Grey’s star jump technology. That was the ticket; all the golden rings would be in his clenched fist.
They have to find them, Schiller thought. That was the only way he could restore his Reptilian contact’s confidence in him.
Later when I am Prime Minister, and we have our own star jump spacecraft, we will destroy them. Permanent access to New Earth will be assured, and the silly little bubbleheads will no longer matter. Mankind, our people, will be supreme and no longer confined to the bottom of the sea or living like troglodytes on the Moon.
* * * *
“Sir, there seems to be a problem with supply,” said Blackstone into the com.
“Very well, I’ll look into it,” responded La Force.
That was the signal. Blackstone and Appleton needed him to come at once; they had found something. He left by the back way, closing his office door, and telling no one he was leaving. He despised what had become of the navy and his command, but he knew what he had to do.
He walked with no appearance of a man in a hurry, cut through other buildings, entering by one door, leaving by another. He knew he was probably going overboard, but it did not matter. Better safe than sorry.
After assuring himself that no one was following, he let himself into the offices of his coconspirators. That’s what it felt like, a conspiracy. How did it come to this, that honest men have to skulk about like criminals?
As soon as the question formed in his mind, he had the answer. Because the criminals are in high places.
“Gentlemen, you have something for me?” he asked.
“Yes sir, we do,” replied Blackstone. “Here sir, this is the only planet that fits our description perfectly.”
“But, isn’t that near enemy controlled space?”
“Yes sir, it is.” He spoke to Appleton, “Tell him your hypothesis.”
La Force turned to Appleton who straightened. “Sir, I suspect they dropped the Legion on this planet because they wanted the Reptilians to destroy them.”
“What, that’s insane!”
“Yes sir, it is insane,” said Blackstone. “But think about it, just dropping them somewhere and leaving them assumes that no one will find them. It’s obvious there was no intention for the Legion to survive, but if whoever is behind this just left them there, they might be rescued.”
Appleton added, “And sir, Commander Fitzpatrick told us about some unauthorized contact between Smith and the Greys. They may be making sure, that there is no time to make contact.”
“They are deliberately delivering human beings into the hands of our enemies! Gentlemen, this is fantastic,” said La Force in disbelief.
“If these are the same people who murdered the Prime Minister, they will stop at nothing. No crime is too fantastical for them,” said Blackstone.
La Force had to sit down. His men watched as the color drained from his face. He just sat there looking at the floor. When he looked up again, his eyes were cold as space and hard as chromium steel. He stood and the color returned to his features.
“Commander,” he said looking at Appleton, “how are you coming on supplies?”
“I’ve scrounged, begged, lied, and borrowed. I’ve got almost a ton of supplies ready to load on a pallet.”
“Add stealing to that list.”
“Yes sir.”
He turned to Blackstone, “Find me a ship, any ship, anything that will fly.”
“Yes sir. Sir, what about a jump ship?”
“I’ll need to find Commander Fitzpatrick and soon.” And I need to speak with our operatives.
* * * *
The house had been left dark with all the curtains drawn. The only change was the guard vehicle outside. Commander Fitzpatrick’s military vehicle passed easily. If the sailor noticed the two attractive young women in
the back, he showed no sign but waved the vehicle through.
The Admiral met them at the door and quickly led them to an interior room before turning on any lights. “Thank you for coming; please sit down.”
“Thank you, Admiral,” said Mei Ling.
“Yes, thank you,” added Juliette.
“Commander, could I impose on you to grab some glasses?” said La Force as the reached for the bottle. After they were seated, he poured everyone a drink. This was more a habit than anything else. He drank and set his glass down.
“How was your trip back to New Earth?” he asked.
“Uneventful, mostly,” replied Mei Ling with a slight grin.
“Mostly?” asked La Force raising an eyebrow.
“Perhaps I should let Fitz explain,” she said.
“Yes Commander, do explain,” added the Admiral.
“Well sir, it’s a bit embarrassing, but I got myself put on report for attempting unauthorized contact with the Grey’s ship crew.”
“Sloppy of you.”
“Yes sir, but I’m getting desperate. My attempts at finding the Grey who helped with the rescue have been fruitless. I was beginning to despair. So on a hunch, I put on my headband and attempted contact. Don’t know how they caught me. I’ll try to do better next time, sir.”
“Yes, see that you do, but don’t let this dissuade you. Our situation is worse than we supposed.”
The guests tensed.
“You see, the Legion has been deserted on a planet which cannot possibly support them, not enough oxygen, and too much carbon dioxide. Not to mention, there is nothing to eat. That in itself is bad enough, but to make matters worse, they have been dropped off in a part of space close to enemy-held territory.”
“What!” cried Juliette.
The Admiral closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at her with tenderness. “My guess is, they are being left to the Reptilians. Whoever is behind this will not rest until the Legion is completely destroyed.”
“We have to do something,” insisted Mei Ling.
“My people are trying to find a ship for a relief mission. We have scrounged supplies, but we need an in-system ship and a jump ship. We need them now.” He looked over at Fitz.
Fitz said, “Sir, I’m doing everything imaginable to get us a jump ship.”
“I know you are, and I’ll have to put a note in your record concerning your latest attempt. However, if we are successful, all that will be purged. Now ladies, what have you found?”
“Not much, I’m afraid,” began Mei Ling. “The Member of Parliament I work for is no friend of the Legion, but if he knows anything about the plot, I’ve not been able to detect it.”
“Have you heard the names Schiller or von Karlstad passed around?”
“Not that I recall,” answered Mei Ling.
“I have,” said Juliette.
Everyone turned to her.
“What have you heard?” asked La Force.
“Schiller’s name is being bandied about in MP Poindexter’s office. He too is no friend of the Legion. They all assume the Legion was behind the assassination, and it is part of a larger plot.”
“So, they’ve bought the complete line,” observed La Force.
“That’s insane,” said Fitz angrily. “I doubt if the vast majority of the Legion know or even care how we govern ourselves.”
“True, but the big lie has been planted in the public mind,” said La Force. “The damage has been done.”
“Now they wish to destroy them,” said Juliette, her face growing red.
“Please calm yourself, my dear,” soothed La Force. “We must not tip our hand. If any of us are discovered, we will be destroyed as well. These people will stop at nothing.”
“Do we have any idea who is behind this?” asked Mei Ling.
“I have come to suspect the Schiller-von Karlstad faction. They have the most to gain. Indeed, if the joint mission had not ended in failure, Schiller would be Prime Minister right now in all likelihood,” answered La Force.
“Let me guess, he was opposed to forming the Legion,” said Mei Ling.
“Yes, vehemently,” said La Force.
“Any chance of penetrating Schiller’s office?” asked Fitz.
“I could ask for a transfer. Poindexter has made advances,” said Juliette. “I could threaten to expose the old lecher.”
“Just try it first without going to that extreme. You must understand fully the danger you are putting yourself in,” insisted La Force. “These people will kill you. They will kill all of us.”
“Admiral, is it any worse than the danger Farouk, Denver, Argie, and the others are in?” asked Juliette. “I’m not a delicate little flower. I can take care of myself.”
Fitz spoke up. “Sir, I have an idea.”
“Yes?”
“Perhaps, I should try to get assigned to von Karlstad’s command. I might turn up something.”
“Yes, you might,” mused La Force. “However, let’s stand down on that for now. There might be someone else though if need be.”
“Are you referring to the two officers who were until recently, assigned to the Legion?” asked Fitz.
“Yes, I am,” answered La Force.
“Sir, I’ve been with you longer, and you know you can trust me. Probably the others are trustworthy as well, but we don’t know that.”
“I see your point, but I need you right here trying to locate a jump ship we can use without stirring up too much controversy. These officers were with the Legion by choice and have taken its destruction very personally. I’m sure they can be trusted.”
“Would you bet your life on it, Sir?”
“It appears I already have,” said La Force looking around to each of them in turn. “We all have.”
Chapter 21 - Hither Comes the Horde
“What do you have?” asked Smith.
The leader of the radar section looked like he had missed sleep for some time. “I’ve been watching them overnight. They’ve been flying ships all over the planet.”
He looked up at Smith, “I assume it’s a search pattern.”
Smith had been in close contact with his commanders. Some units were at the ready while others ate or slept. All personnel, all units had been assigned battle stations, even cooks, clerks, and medical personnel. Medical was armed but would fight only if the fighting got way too close. Otherwise, stretcher teams would bring in the wounded to be patched up, as well as Lieutenant de la Fuentes’ unit could manage.
“I’m going to check on 2nd Battalion. As usual, send a runner if you need me. Only break radio silence if an attack appears imminent.”
“Yes sir.”
It was not really necessary to repeat those orders. He had done it several times, but the radar team leader did not mention this. It is hard to believe how quickly a man can change when confronted with the responsibility of keeping other men alive, in this case almost four thousand men and women.
As he neared 2nd Battalion, two legionnaires stopped him. They were in his path, a man and a woman. They saluted, and the man said, “Sir, request permission to speak on an uh …”
The woman finished, “On a personal matter, sir.”
“Yes, stand at ease. What is it?”
“Sir, we want you to marry us,” he said.
“Marry?”
“Yes sir,” she added. She dropped normal military protocol, looked over at her companion, and took his hand.
“I’m not a priest or anything, nor a ship’s captain.”
“Sir, I want to marry the man I love before, before the fight. This might be our only chance.”
“Sir, you are the only one to do it here; your word concerning our vows is good enough for us,” he said.
“I see. Well, we’ll need some witnesses. You are with 2n
d Battalion. Let’s go find your CO, your battalion clerk, and a couple of witnesses.”
* * * *
“Your first wedding, sir?” asked First Lieutenant Medina who was now the battalion commander.
Smith watched the happy couple walk away in search of a private place. “Yes, we may have started a new Legion custom today.”
Then he thought about it and added, “One that will live on, if we’re lucky.”
“Yes sir. “Don’t worry about 2nd Battalion; we’ll give them hell.”
“I’m not worried. I know you will.”
“What’s going on, sir?” asked Medina.
“They’ve burned down our original encampment. After wandering around a bit, they set out to survey the planet. I presume they’re looking for us.”
“That’s the reason for the strict light discipline and radio silence?”
“Yes, yes it is. They will eventually find us, unless they are sloppy or impatient.”
“Sir, I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“Well sir, some of the men are grumbling. They think we might have been sold out, you know, somebody let the enemy know we were here, and …”
“And?”
“And abandoned us to them, sir.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing myself,” Smith turned to look at the battalion CO. “In fact, I’m pissed off about it, just pissed off enough to survive and go looking for our Separatists friends.”
“Yes sir, some of the men are pretty upset about it as well.”
“Good, I want them mad, not afraid. Now, let your people know what’s going on. Make sure word gets down to each private. Do you understand? It’s important everyone knows what’s going on.”
“Yes sir, I’ll personally ensure the word gets out to all the men.”
“Good,” answered Smith. “If an attack appears forthcoming, I’ll break radio silence and send everyone to his fighting position. You got it?”
“Oh yes sir, you, and only you, will break radio silence in the event of an attack.”
“That is correct. Now unless there is something else, I’d better get back to the radar station.”
“Sir?”
“Yes?”
Hell Fighters From Earth Book 2 Page 18