The Tenth Awakens (Maraukian War Book 1)

by Michael Chatfield

  “What technology?” Pullo said harshly.

  “That.” He pointed to Mark’s mass.

  “Well, the Roma’s legions has such a technology. This will let the Ninth’s legionnaires hunt down and destroy Maraukians.”

  “I was told the Ninth will pay for military products that we could produce.”

  “Yes, if you have the clearances to make such things and buy the designs,” Pullo added.

  “Understood. How much would you pay for a Pluto-powered armor suit?” Hael asked.

  “Mark?” Pullo deflected it, Mark recognizing a look of interest in his eyes.

  “Charles and I ran the numbers. About four billion per suit. Plans—seven hundred and fifty million.”

  High King Hael’s eyes went wide with the numbers.

  General Orbel grunted. “I told you they wouldn’t let us make them.”

  “We can’t reach the seven hundred and fifty million credit mark, especially with all of the reconstruction we need to do,” Hael said unhappily, sitting back.

  Mark unsealed his helmet, making sure his nanites made him appear normal as he attached it to his chest. “I will give you the plans you’d need as my beneficiary, but you have to promise to get me the suits I need.” Mark punctuated his point with finger jabs in the air.

  Pullo turned to Mark. “What?” His face screwed up in confusion.

  “If you give them and Gtrul clearance, then I can make them my beneficiaries and thus supply them with the plans to the Pluto-powered armor, plus some start-up funds. I don’t want them running a debt to Roma.”

  “We do not need your charity, thank you,” Hael said.

  Mark locked eyes with the man. “Ava, did you check your account?”

  “Uh...” She pulled up her interface and opened it. Her face paled. “I’ve never seen so many numbers. I didn’t do anything!”

  “You looked after us. It’s fair.” He held up a hand, forestalling any argument. “This should be enough.”

  Ava sent a message as Hael opened something on his interface; he went pale too. “A billion credits?”

  “Well, use the extra for the city. I’m giving Gtrul the same. I won’t be giving either of you an advantage and I’m giving them the same deal.”

  “Fair enough and our people will use them,” Hael said with pride.

  “People who are willing to lose everything will.” Mark’s eyes flashed as he rose to his full height, his eyes boring into the man.

  “What do you mean?” Anger crept into the kings voice, thinking that he was being talked down to and that his people weren’t being placed in Mark’s eyes.

  “The people who wish to use these suits will change irrevocably.”

  “Training does that,” Orbel, a grizzled general of forty-five years, said to the apparent twenty-something Mark.

  “May I demonstrate?” Mark turned to Pullo.

  “Go ahead, Mark,” Pullo said.

  Mark’s suit unsealed. Nanites swarming across his body turned into legionnaire’s fatigues as even out of his suit he towered over everyone.

  “This is the body modification someone needs; otherwise, they’ll rip their own body apart.” The fatigues drained away, leaving him in shorts as his skin changed from pink to dark gray and his veins from blue to silver. Orbel hissed as Hael and Ava looked on with shock. The others in the room stared openly. Pullo nodded at his friend, accepting what he’d done to himself; Dodger didn’t even flinch, still watching his arcs.

  “I am no longer human.” Mark’s voice came out sounding just like him but infused with subsonics which commanded attention. “My brain has become a massive semi organic computer. My nerves and eyes are organic and inorganic synthetics, made to mimic my original eyes.” They changed from deep brown to blue and blood red before shifting back to brown.

  “My bones are carbon hendral. My skin is armorite weaved. You don’t see a NIAI band on my arm as it’s now a part of my brain; I can’t remove it or turn it off. I will have this body for the rest of my life—there’s no going back. I’m too much inorganic to ever return to my human form. I’m more machine than human at this point.” Mark looked directly into Hael’s eyes.

  “I have been fighting every day of my fifty-four years of life. It’s only now, though, I’ve changed my body to match my actions. I feel more comfortable in my suit because when I merge, I leave this body behind and my armor is my skin; my nervous system is wired directly into the suit. I feel more natural to be in that three-and-a-half ton suit than in this.” He gestured to himself. “Will your people be willing to do what I’ve done? To lose their physical humanity in order to save the human race? This isn’t something which can be reversed. If you give me the suits, I’ll be grateful. I’ll train the crap out of anyone who’s going to wear them, that you can be sure of. Well before they ever see the modifications I have, and then I’ll work them till their original bodies would’ve died before letting them near a suit.” Mark looked around the room as his nanites returned to his skin, changing to take on a human tinge as well as his veins.

  “I want people who know the risks, and are willing to sacrifice everything for this. At the end of the day, we’ll be charging Maraukians. There won’t be many of us dying in our beds. Fancy blood, bones, skin, and brains that I will give them will only make it a level playing field.”

  “It’s a heavy price to pay and I won’t force anyone into it but I would like you to allow members of the Crisidium army to be able to try,” Hael said firmly. Orbel nodded in agreement.

  “No one would be denied,” Pullo said as Mark walked backward into his suit, which enveloped him as the seams disappeared. His helmet floated on anti-grav before settling back on his head.

  “That’s all I ask. I won’t make all of Crisidium make the suits as we need to rebuild the city still.”

  “I thought as much but this training schedule won’t be short,” Mark said.

  “Who would be the others you were talking about to train these new recruits?” Hael asked.

  “If they choose to accept, Dodger, Jarek, Chyna, and Ava.”

  “I accept,” Ava said instantly.

  “As do I.” Chyna bowed his head slightly to Mark.

  “Tell me where to sign,” Dodger said through his speakers.

  “I’m in!” Jarek said through Dodger’s suit a second later.

  “Good to hear it.” A weight lifted from Mark’s shoulders, but only partially. Now he had to see how much they really wanted it and he wasn’t going to be easy on them.

  “Why Ava and Chyna? So you can have some collateral?” Hael said, anger and pain in his voice.

  “No, because Chyna has extensive training and operational experience with close combat warfare. Ava because, frankly, did you see her scores? She’s nearly as deadly as Chyna, which refined by further training being a legionnaire instead of a medico, will do her well. Dodger because, hell, the guy’s a fountain of knowledge and he’s been fighting longer than I was even a gleam in some great-great-granddaddy’s eye. Jarek’s willing to try new things, has the recommendation of Dodger, and he hates being behind walls. Collateral? Fuck, no. Dodger, if I used Ava and Chyna as collateral, would you follow my orders?”

  “Probably not, sir. I’d get a transfer.”

  “Effectively cutting off my own limbs.” Mark made it clear how stupid he thought the statement.

  “My daughter is a princess of Crisidium. How can she do that and be a warrior unable to bear a man’s child?”

  “Easy. I give it up,” Ava said from her seat.

  “WHAT!?!” Hael, Chyna, and the Crisidium delegation demanded.

  “You still don’t understand how small Crisidium really is.” Ava sighed. “Mark, projector.”

  Mark nodded, obeying. Unseen lasers created a holographic projection in the room. As Sarah dimmed the lights, a map of the known universe filled the room.

  Ava zoomed in on Crisidium on Tricticus. “This is us. This is the system Emarl, and this is sector nineteen
we’re located in. This is the discovered systems by the Ninth and this is every system humans have gone to or live on. This is our galaxy.” Ava zoomed out, highlighting what she said until the galaxy map showed a bare smattering of blue against the multicolored lights of the Milky Way galaxy.

  “This is still your home and it’s your duty.” Hael slammed his fist into the table.

  “I owe him a life debt; I’m to follow him and to keep him alive to understand his ways that I might be a better ruler. My path is to become an merger. It’s going to be shit, I have no doubt, getting there and being one. Hell, I don’t know if I’m going to make it through his tests. If I do, we won’t be fighting on Tricticus. We’ll be fighting star systems far away, fighting Maraukians and keeping the human race alive. That’s our duty. To let our children not have to worry about a Maraukian invasion coming from the sky. If I have to give up being queen, I’ll be happy to do that.” She shrugged.

  Hael took a few seconds to compose himself, clearly he hadn’t come to terms with it, but he lived in politics and talking about this subject out in the open with everyone else was only going to make him look weak.

  A sad smile still hung on his face. “Stupid, isn’t it, of me, trying to fight for my daughter to stay home while I fight for my soldiers to become Elves? I won’t deny you what you want, Ava. You’re way too old for that. Plus, don’t make me think of the lecture I’m going to get from your mother if I didn’t let you do what you wanted to do. Very well. We will talk of it later. In the meantime, General, do you have something to say?”

  “Thank you, my king. Legatus, all of those who are interested will be informed to submit their application in three weeks. We believe with enough time to let Gtrul get back on their feet and submit their applications as well. Though I have no doubt our people will do better,” he said with no little pride.

  “Thank you, General. High King. Now we have to get back to the camp. It seems there’s a lot we have to prepare for,” Pullo said.

  “Certainly. This day will be remembered by Crisidium—the day the siege ended and the day we were given hope to strike back at those who attacked us.”

  Chapter 20

  Crisidium

  Tricticus, Emarl system

  6/3351

  “He said this was going to be hard, but this is sheer hell.” Jarek moved forward, commanding his men at the same time and calling in support. It was end of week one in the simulation tanks on the outside; inside, it’d been two weeks of grueling training.

  “Stop talking and get those damn anti-matter grenades onto that position! Chyna, I want you to dig in along that ridge with charges. Ava, Dodger, keep up that fire. Jarek, why do they still not have trenches to fall into?”

  Mark had thrown them into the deep end on the first day. Currently they were staying afloat, barely.

  He’d taken the concept of hold and survive into hold and die, charge and maybe kill more of them than you. On the second day, they’d gotten the idea, constantly trying to move forward—in some cases, too much too fast and getting themselves cut off and killing their line. Every minute they were awake, they were running through battles, learning quickly how to be on the offensive and use the suit as a sword instead of a shield. Mark had given them the basics and was slowly bringing them from half Jupiter abilities to full Pluto-powered armor. But it was a long way off.

  “They’re doing better than you thought,” Sarah said as Mark was issuing orders, watching the battle and fighting. It was still easy for him to do that at this stage.

  “True but we’re still months from them being ready to train others. What is the status of the satellites?”

  “They’ve reached orbit of the fourth planet. Alpha is moving to an asteroid that will hit the planet in a week.”

  “Good. File it away again.”

  “Done.” Sarah’s voice sounded robotic before it returned to normal.

  “Gtrul and Crisidium have each completed their first suit using the funds to help their cities. Their trade agreements are becoming stronger as they’re relying heavily on each other.”

  “Have they got forges yet?”

  “No. Pullo said the legion has to control the forges as by order of the senate. He’s still cleaning up the leftovers of the battle.”

  “Send him the plans for the refinement drone. Also, send the plans to the admiralty. The more people we can get behind this technology, the better.”

  “Done. I hadn’t thought of the navy.”

  “With the refinement drone, they can pull apart an asteroid or comet to gain the needed materials. If they have forges, they could turn it into parts.”

  “Making them another supporter of forges and by effect, the new technology from the suit,” Sarah finished.

  “Exactly. Queue two medium forges from the supply closet.”

  “Done. Be finished in four days.”

  “Good. And do you have the program for the steps started?”

  “Yes, it’s completed. Are you really going to use it?”

  “Yes. During breaks between battles, they need to be used to running constantly from one fight to the other.”

  “Ouch, but I agree with your the-more-they-sweat, the-less-they-bleed thought process.”

  “Me too.”

  “Come on, you slaggards,” Mark said, practically gleeful as the battle ended. He led them to a building that appeared and seemed to disappear into the sky.

  Ava and the others had lost count of the floors they’d gone up. The steps were the gauntlet for every EMF soldier. The main training camp was simply named Camp Redoubt; to the trainees it was nicknamed Hell. The stairs went across one side of the tower a kilometer across, up a floor, turned the corner and did the same. They weren’t actually stairs but one continuous ramp going from the base to the top. No one actually knew how long the ramp was but it was believed to be over thirty kilometers. It was all mental. After the first five kilometers, the trainees couldn’t feel their legs; after that, it was just one foot in front of the other—never knowing how far you’d gone, or had left to go. It wasn’t uncommon for people to be meters from the end and give up because they simply didn’t know the end was so close.

  Mark was happily marching on his modifications, dialed down to match theirs.

  “What’re you so happy about?” Jarek wheezed out.

  “I missed training—turning weakness into strength. Turning people into soldiers is the best part of the job. I suggest you conserve your energy. Listening to music helps.”

  “Are you listening to music?”

  “Of course!”

  “What?” Ava asked.

  Mark shot them his playlist. “You might not like it.”

  We wait till dawn before the big attack.

  “What is this?”

  “‘March of the Immortals’ by Iron Fire,” Mark said.

  The playlist went from metal to epic orchestral and everything in between, even containing chants from militaries long dead.

  As they listened, they realized a door appeared and beyond it a new battle.

  “Ava, trench line. Chyna, up front. Jarek, Dodger—link up and flank the main body from this area!” Mark yelled as his HUD updated. The battlefields were randomly generated, so he didn’t know any more than the others what he was going to face and when. They still had another three and a half weeks simulated time to go. Mark wished they had a year but he knew that would be impossible.

  Chapter 21

  Crisidium

  Tricticus, Emarl system

  10/3351

  “It’s finally time.”

  “Agreed.” Mark nodded, his face grim.

  For four months, Chyna, Jarek, Ava, and Dodger had been training and fighting. Not one had backed down, culminating in a fully pitched battle against Mark controlling the Maraukian forces.

  They were still fighting with Jupiter armor but they’d taken the fight to the Maraukians. They’d lost against the overwhelming force but they’d taken down twenty for ever
y man they’d lost. They’d exploited every opening, using their troops as warriors and knowing when to pull them back as soldiers.

  He grinned to himself as he looked at the four checking their soldiers and then their own weapons, cleaning their mono-blades to be prepared for whatever came next. They no longer thought about it; it was a reaction, ingrained instinct as they completed an After Action Report, pulling up problems Mark hadn’t seen. They were finally ready.

  For the first time in what seemed like ages but had only been a few weeks, Mark talked with his actual voice instead of over the communication net. The others had—consciously or not—done the same thing, finding they could communicate faster and better.

  “So now let’s go have some real showers and food and talk about the next step.” He looked at each of them as it dawned on them. With thoughtful looks, they exited the simulation after him.

  They talked, lightly joking and making small talk and chin wagging as they showered and stopped by the mess. Their motions where always pre-planned, knowing what was going where, what it would do. They didn’t look at their surroundings, assuming or accepting the safety of them anymore.

  Mark had turned them from the patient defenders into calculating predators.

  “Not one of them are unarmed.”

  “Not at all. I was surprised Dodger fit his shotgun in his tunic.”

  “A real shotgun?”

  “Double barrel, anti-matter backed, sawn-off shotgun.”

  “Sheesh.” Clearly, they’d changed; they were no longer comfortable, relaxed and safe people. These people knew they were killers and everything they did was to make sure they were ready for any threat which appeared, whatever or whoever it was.

  “Ava!”

  The group reacted; their smiles dropped, as did their hands to their weapons or the cutlery, as Ava turned to the threat and the others faced outward for any others.

  “Ah, Danielle,” Ava said in a lilting tone. The others relaxed and began talking to one another. Ava tensed as Danielle came closer.