by JR Handley
The anger which covered Lance like a shroud surprised them both, especially him. “Cadet, do you take me for an idiot?” He paused, though his question was rhetorical in nature, taking a calming breath. Remain professional, my discipline must be above reproach in order to instill it within these urchins. “Charlotte, I know you are the little wire monkey who has been waging digital warfare. Your hacking has kept your squad alive, and caring for your brothers and sisters is a great and noble thing. Caring for your peers is an especially worthy trait in a fire team leader. If you exhibit that level of soldier care throughout your career you will go far. However, you have broken so many regulations and laws that you could get the entire base Culled. You hacked the White Knight master code, only way you could’ve accomplished the things you have. Bravo, now it ends or I will be honor bound to report you to the proper authorities. I don’t want to do that; you don’t want me to do that, and so the only hacking you do going forward is under my direct orders. From now on you only use your technical prowess for the betterment of the unit and the mission. Do you copy, Cadet?”
Lance was grimly satisfied with the progress he’d made with Cadet Rochambeau. Her face showed her comprehension, it was getting even paler, if such a thing was possible. She finally gets how dire her situation is, how precarious 1st Squad’s very existence in the Human Marine Corps is. Why couldn’t her other instructors accomplish this? Where have things gone so wrong since I was iced? I need to find this cancer and excise it, real quick, fast and in a hurry like.
Cadet Charlotte Rochambeau seemed to finally lose her formidable military bearing, and tears trickled down her face as she nodded. “Roger, Sergeant, I understand. I won’t hack anything unless under your direct orders. I just… I just… They’re all family, sir, how could I let some of them fail out and get sent to toil as slaves under the Hardits? Do you know how badly the Aux are treated in Beta City, Sergeant?”
With a gentle nod, Lance accepted her decision and made one of his own. He tried to convey his understanding of her motives, and spoke in a soothing tone like you might when coaxing a wounded animal. “Right, wipe away those tears and buck up. I have some good news for you, Wires – that’s what I am gonna call you from here on out. I have a new AI for you. Her name is Alexa, she is a Cyber Scout Model AI who has been…. Enhanced… and now has the full digital packet of AI subtypes. Treat her well, she once belonged to a friend of mine. Your old AI, pull it out of your Aimee and turn it in to me now. I will ensure that the records reflect your new AI.”
After the exchange, Lance gave her a parting order to resume cleaning the barracks so they would be ready for inspection.
You will handle updating the records will you? Little ole you, all by your lonesome?
As Wires stood, saluted and then left the room Xena treated Lance to a barrage of her finest snark.
— Chapter 14 —
1 Week Later; Whiskey Company Ready Room, Beta City
After setting the time for his second attempt at a formal introduction to his new squad, Lance dressed in the duty uniform for the 6907th TAC Regiment. After pulling on his smartfabric trousers and throwing on an undershirt, he pulled on his top before lacing up his black spit-shined leather boots. He quickly donned his black beret, before stopping to glance at himself in the mirror. His uniform was exactly as regulation prescribed for the 6907th TAC Regiment: maroon-colored trousers with a solid black stripe down the side, a black belt and cargo pockets set at just above the knee. His blouse was maroon with black piping and accents, with the inverted ‘v’ of his three stripes denoting that he was a sergeant prominently displayed on the sleeve. Just above the vee of the rank insignia sat the “8 BN/6907 RGT”, his regimental assignment. Sewn onto the right collar of his blouse was a black “W Co” to represent his assigned company in the battalion, while the left collar had the “1” to represent his squad assignment, and his beret bore the regimental crest. Never imagined I would ever leave the 941st TAC Regiment. I thought I would live and die there with my brothers and sisters. This will take some getting used to.
This time Lance reported to the ready room with Basil in tow, in a similar uniform. Where Lance had rank insignia on his sleeve, Basil simply had the “8 BN/6907 RGT” over an “A” to denote his auxiliary status. On Basil’s right collar there was also the “W Co,” telling the world he was assigned to Whiskey Company, and the “1” sewn onto his left indicated that he too was assigned to 1st Squad. But the flashing on his beret was bare, for Auxies, even on Kalino, weren’t entitled to wear the regimental crest.
Lance had planned on being 30 minutes early so he could gather his thoughts, but the Cadets were waiting for him. It appeared that after having spent time under the loving care of SAS Selassie, 1st Squad decided that they wanted to become Marines after all. They must have skipped breakfast to arrive so early. This bodes well.
As soon as he opened the door, the entire squad jumped to attention, and, though the military maneuver was rusty and lacking in precision, it was more than made up with their enthusiasm. He nodded to Cadet Sergeant Mason, who was standing in front of the assistant squad leader’s desk, when he passed her. He glanced over at Basil, who seemed to remember more of his military bearing than 1st Squad ever had, and indicated he take the desk on the podium with him.
After scanning the room, pleased with the effort to act like Marines, Lance broke the tension in the room with the order to be seated. Once the Cadets were sitting at a rigid attention, he began his introduction and their daily lesson. “I’m Senior Veteran Sergeant Lance Scipio, you can call me Sergeant Scipio or simply Sergeant but never Sarge. I have been brought to Beta City to revive tactical methods that the Marine Corps, in all its infinite wisdom, has lost to the ravages of time. As part of this change, I have moved into the sergeant’s room in the command sections habdisk. Before you start snickering, breaking your bearing, I am aware that you used these rooms as storage and as a shaggin’ shack. You wouldn’t believe the amount of sanitizer I had to use to make that room livable. Gentleman, even female Marines would prefer a little cleanliness and dignity when they choose to let you fill their voids. Cleanliness is next to Godliness my young crèchelings. Auxiliary Technician Basil Terloar, who is assigned to help get all of 1st Squad’s equipment up to par, will live in the sergeant’s room in the 1st Section leader’s habdisk. If he is in any way mistreated by members of 1st Squad they will be dealt with by me, and harshly. Now, Aux Tech Basil, please stand up so they can see who they will report to with any equipment issues.”
There was only a brief hesitation, clearly Basil was surprised at being called out like this, before he jumped to attention. His bearing is everything the 1st Squad Cadets should’ve been able to duplicate, though they made visible efforts today. As Basil stood rigidly at attention, Lance paced around the room randomly inspecting the uniforms of his squad. They were clean and crisp, though this was more of a consequence of the nanites running through the fabric than anything the Cadets did. Their boots, however, were great indicators of the Cadet’s self-discipline, because their presentation came wholly from the individual Marine Cadet. In that arena, the Cadets barely scored in the acceptable range for mid-level Novice School Cadets. This hacking and cheating, it has been going on for a while, I see. I’m glad I found the computer whiz before the Regimental Folks did.
After he was done letting the Cadets sweat his next move, he promptly marched to the front of the room and resumed his lesson. “You must be curious as to what has changed, so I will tell you. We will teach you the use of combined arms for ground warfare, and its real world applications. We will cover the practical applications of void warfare in general, since it involves fighting from a sphere with the required complete 360 degrees of awareness, rather than on a plane such as you would from within a gravitational well. I will teach you the proper use of the grenadier attachment on your SA-71s and assign a specific Cadet to that role. Also, I will revive the SA-75(h) GX Mobile Mini Cannon, which you’ll refer to as
simply “The Mini.” It is an automatic rifle, which will be assigned to every fire team, and allows our base combat unit to provide its own fire support. Think of it as a portable GX Cannon, or as an SA-71 on combat drugs! After reviewing your records, which were underwhelming, I have assigned Cadets to various positions within the fire team. The ranks and positions assigned in this revised TO&E are not permanent. It’s only yours until you die or I fire you, but that can happen at any time. Take a minute to familiarize yourselves with it, so you pay special attention to the correct instructions. Check your Aimee now, you have a few minutes to read the new rank structure.”
* * *
HUMAN MARINE CORPS
1st SQUAD, WHISKEY COMPANY, 8th BATTALION, 6907th TAC REGIMENT
Current strength: 1 Marine, 37 cadets
[AR—Automatic Rifleman. GR—Grenadier]
COMMAND SECTION: (SrSGT Scipio)
Sergeant Lance Scipio
Cadet SGT Hayley Mason [Asst Sqd Ldr]
Cadet LCPL Winnifred Pinza [chief medic]
Cadet Cornell Woodbury
Cadet Seamus O’Reilly [specialist: missile launcher]
Cadet Devin Couch [specialist: Fermi cannon]
1st SECTION: (c/LSGT Thorn)
~~ Alpha Fire Team ~~
Cadet LSGT Cristal Thorn
Cadet Jay Neville [AR]
Cadet Fréderic Batie [GR]
Cadet Alexandra Harper
~ ~ Beta Fire Team ~ ~
Cadet CPL Emily Carmen
Cadet Rebecca Platte [AR]
Cadet Thomas Starr [GR]
Cadet Stacy Urbana
2nd SECTION: (c/CPL Mayer)
~~ Charlie Fire Team ~~
Cadet CPL Lachlan Mayer
Cadet Alexander Strudwick [AR]
Cadet Michael White [GR]
Cadet David Yoles
~~ Delta Fire Team ~~
Cadet LCPL Amanda Grigori
Cadet Rudolf Brankovic [AR]
Cadet Ester Kovac [GR]
Cadet Lucy Hode
3rd SECTION: (c/CPL. Darrow)
~~ Echo Fire Team ~~
Cadet CPL Hugo Darrow
Cadet Peter Foster [AR]
Cadet Yakov Paszek [GR]
Cadet Valeri Bogomolov
~~ Foxtrot Fire Team ~~
Cadet LCPL Gloria Danzar
Cadet Maria Aalto [AR]
Cadet Vincent Meadows [GR]
Cadet Erica Dorsey
4th SECTION: (c/CPL Tramonte)
~~ Golf Fire Team ~~
Cadet CPL Penelope Tramonte
Cadet Brittney Vacker [AR]
Cadet Derek Stanbock [GR]
Cadet Vlad Chernovol
~~ Hotel Fire Team ~~
Cadet LCPL Charlotte ‘Wires’ Rochambeau
Cadet Winston Gregorius [AR]
Cadet Redmund Blakeley [GR]
Cadet Fitzgerald Wyckoff
* * *
Lance paced up and down the ready room, taking in the Cadets’ reactions as their new duties were assigned to them. None of the newly minted Minis or Grenadiers seem to realize the honor I’ve bestowed upon them, but they soon will if I do my job right. In the following weeks, months and years of training, he would mold them into a well-oiled machine capable of reviving tactics long ago abandoned by his Marine Corps. Once he judged enough time had elapsed he marched back to his podium and began addressing his Cadets. Some look bewildered, unsure what these new changes will mean and that’s good, they’ve gotten too proficient at manipulation.
As Lance was returning to the podium at the front of the room, Xena pinged his individual comms to tell him that command was again watching his performance. Great, if I’d known I had an audience I would’ve sold tickets. Once he was back in front of the podium he resumed his instruction. “I am sure many of you are now questioning the need for the tactical changes I am going to teach you. It is simple, you can’t be all things to all situations. By specializing and then organizing in the fire team like I have, each fire team can handle a diverse range of combat scenarios. This integration makes you a more effective combat unit. Your diverse capabilities serve as a unique combat multiplier, one that is difficult to counteract. Or, as my momma used to say, ‘You don’t wanna be a Jack of All Trades, Yet a Master of None’!”
Again, after utilizing another pregnant pause, Lance concluded his lesson. “Finally, if you successfully complete the prescribed course of training you will be awarded your very own unit tattoo. By the confusion on all of your faces I realize that you are clueless on the privilege that said tattoo entails. It’s something that you earn which links you to every Marine in the regiment that has come before you, and everyone who will come after you. I’m aware that this tradition died here, but we will revive it. The tattooing machine has been rebuilt by Basil and simply waits the opportunity to mark you as its own. Afterwards, every significant event, battle or honor earned is added to your tattoo telling the very universe that you are the 6907th TAC Regiment! Where are we going?”
Not quite sure how to reply, the squad gave an underwhelming reply of ‘Hurrahs’ mixed in with shouts of ‘Marine Corps’.
With absolute clarity, Lance realized they didn’t know what he was asking of them. “We’re the 6907th TAC Regiment, and when someone shouts your unit designation, you sharply reply with our regimental motto!”
Lance resumed shouting his call and response encouragement until the shout of ‘6907th’ was uniformly and enthusiastically met with a chorus of ‘Forward to Victory!’.
— Chapter 15 —
Scrofa Island Outdoor Track, Tranquility-4
As the regimental Cadets ramped up their training, and the time to prove the worth of him and his squad drew near, Lance began to find sleep a futile nightly torture. He would toss and turn most of the night before waking up with a start, drenched in sweat, with hours to go before the new day dawned. Today he’d had enough, so he got dressed in his full-body athletic kit, and slipped on his running shoes.
Realizing that he didn’t want to run alone, Lance had Xena ping all of the leadership and ordered them to meet him at the sally port to the planet above. His Cadet NCOs had learned to expect these odd hours, so had proactively programed their AIs to wake them up the minute his orders came through. He’d even heard that Cadet Corporal Lachlan Mayer had his AI send minor electrical currents into him to ensure that he never slept through one of his sergeant’s off-hours training sessions. Confident that his Cadets would be waiting, he stretched out and jogged to the sally port.
After forming up the Cadets into a modified formation, Mason stood at attention in front of her unit and crisply saluted Lance. “Sergeant, 1st Squad Detachment formed and ready, all present, Sergeant!”
Lance returned her salute, acknowledging her report, before he addressed the 1st Squad’s NCO Detachment. “Cadets, I’m glad you chose to join in this impromptu leadership run. We will keep it relatively–”
Just as Lance was about to finish his sentence, massive bright flashes lit the night sky. The squad stood in shock, as several flashes followed the first. Before he could make out what was happening, several balls of fire broke through the atmosphere, trailing a glowing smoke in their wake. They were what appeared to be asteroids, but there were several of them entering the atmosphere of Tranquility-4 in a tight formation. The noise, my God those are loud! By Horden’s Hairy Fanny, they’re kinetic strikes! That means those flashes were the orbital platforms being destroyed! Lance snapped an order at Mason to hurry her Cadets back to barracks, and then tried to raise Company HQ to report in. Before he got through, however, he received a message from the captain updating him on the situation in the skies above. A minor Hardit revolt was underway, centered on the mining facility on the largest moon, Antilles. Unfortunately, the mutineers were able to use the moon base’s mass driver to shoot containers full of ore down at the planet, using them like kinetic weapons. The note from Captain Grigonna simply read: “The revolt will be put down, timing is on
our side, so stand down.”
Not entirely satisfied with the message from his CO, Lance made a mental note to step up the training of 1st Squad. Never know when those crèchelings might need to fight, with turmoil like that brewing.
— Chapter 16 —
2566AD, Whiskey Company Weapons Range
Even after several months under Lance’s command, 1st Squad had yet to fully grasp the uniquely abrasive style of his training. Rather than wait for the normal business day, or to officially schedule any off-hours training, he preferred to keep them on their toes with unscheduled evolutions. When he had late night or early morning training, he preferred to wake them up in as many cruelly creative ways as possible to keep them on their toes. Sometimes that involved fireworks placed in metal trashcans, but today he chose to simply go from room to room while banging on the lid to a 55-gallon metal drum with a metal hammer. It was crude, but effective and sometimes he got the privilege of embarrassing various couples who were interrupted in states of disarray. Their mad scramble for clothing, an oddity as Marines were an immodest lot, was highly entertaining. While he was making as much noise as possible, he would scream inane things to rouse them from their slumber. “Drop your cock and grab your socks” was one of the squad’s favorites. It never failed to illicit giggles from the Cadets, and today was no different.
Immediately upon 1st Squad’s arrival in formation after waking up and getting dressed, Lance began to lecture them, mirroring his own Cadethood instructors. “Alright, 1st Squad, today we will be marching out to the company rifle range, and begin your formal training on the SA-75 GX Mobile Mini Cannon. While you were sleeping, you should’ve received the total instruction packet through your neural learning program. Your individual AIs were also updated and given all the relevant information on the new equipment and its tactical implications. To date, all you have had to do is learn the basics of moving and communicating as a unit in your new fire teams. Even so you complain when you don’t think I can hear. That’s okay, that’s what riflemen do, but make no mistake – you’ve had it easy since I wanted you to have time to gel as a unit. All you have had to do is eat, sleep, shit and use up all my God damned toilet paper!”