by JR Handley
Having heard another expression from Lance that they’d never heard before, what they’d begun calling ‘Lanceisms’, the Cadets completely lost their bearing and began laughing out loud. Lance, though not truly offended, marched over to the closest Cadet and punched him in the gut. The rest of the squad, not wanting to be next, quickly shut up.
“Now, where was I? Ah, I remember! Boys and girls, today you begin the process to earn your tattoos. Today you will proceed to the Whiskey Company Weapons Range and begin practicing with your new weapon. You will assemble and disassemble it until you can do so in under 240 seconds, to standard. Only after you can do this will you be able to fire the weapon, under supervision. The first time you fire this weapon, you will do so without your AI assistance. Once you can do that to standard, we will let you and your AI tear up some targets, sending some sabots down range. Keep in mind, you will be doing this with an audience. The rest of the veteran squad sergeants will be watching and potentially asking questions, so that they can train their teams. At the end of weapons training, when we have all learned the capabilities of these new technical marvels, we will have combat maneuvers against 3rd Squad. You will win, or you will have one very angry sergeant kicking your drenting bums to Antilles and back. After the little party they had up there last year, that wee revolt, I hear they need new Auxies to clean and such. Any takers? No? OK, then back to Marine work, crèchelings! Now, are there any questions before we double time it to the armory for weapons draw?”
Unsurprisingly, Cadet Grenadier Fréderic Batie had a question. If only others were as studious and dedicated to learning their craft. Might have to have him on the short list for potential promotions, should a vacancy present itself. Lance merely nodded and gave Batie the chance to ask his question. “Sergeant, when will the new Grenadiers get the same opportunity to become familiar with our new role? I realize that we’ve all fired our grenade launchers before, but do we get training time on new tactics?”
Once the new Cadet grenadier asked his question, with the other grenadiers nodding excitedly, Lance decided to answer the question. If I don’t address this, they won’t pay attention in training. It is more than clear that this was an organized attempt by all the grenadiers, and that Batie was merely the most confident of the group. Good, I was right to consider him for promotion. Besides, next week is our training exercise and I want to slaughter 3rd Squad.
“Okay, I can see that you are all motivated and eager to know, so let me break your hearts gently. Don’t worry, Batie, I know a certain Cadet medic who can ease your fears and stroke your fragile ego. In an effort to expedite the training process, given that you are already intimately familiar with the grenade launching system attached to your SA-71, our commander has determined that neural learning will suffice. I have also seen to it that your AIs have been upgraded to facilitate this. That means your team will be relying on your innovation, ingenuity, and strategic thinking when we crush 3rd Squad next week. And, team leaders, that means you too should study the materials provided. You’re going to have to think on your feet for this. Just remember, why throw a stick when a tree will do? Go big and you get to come home. If we wanted to under explode a target, we’d call in the Spacers or some terrestrial army!”
After the chorus of ‘hurrah’s” quieted down, Lance gave the Cadets one last chance to ask questions before they went to the range and got to training. Unsurprisingly, Cadet Batie had another question. Man, I don’t know whether to be pissed or proud at the unity from the grenadiers. “Okay, Cadet Batie, ask your question and make it a good one because it’s the last one before we go shoot things!”
Without even breaking his bearing at the obvious signs of his sergeant’s frustration, Batie asked his last question. “Sergeant, that covers our gravitational portion of weapons training, but what about its practical application in the void?”
Lance tried, unsuccessfully, to keep his pride in them from showing. “Another good question! Watch it, team leaders, it looks like Batie is bucking for your jobs! To answer your question, we should be on track to begin void training with these new tactics next month. Given the Hardit revolt on Antilles last year, command wants us ready to deploy as soon as possible. Who knows? You crèchelings might just graduate early and get to play Marine if things escalate!” While his words implied a serious threat, his laughter told them that he thought the chances of that were slim. If he thought Antilles was an isolated incident, then who were they to disagree?
— Chapter 17 —
1 Week Later; 6907th TAC Regimental Hall
The cavernous regimental hall was full of excitement and abuzz with nervous energy. Though only Whiskey Company would be participating in the first Cadet Combat Training exercise using the new equipment and small unit tactics, the entire regiment had turned out. Further, it was rumored that the mock battle would be broadcast to the entire base, possibly to all of Tranquility. While this wasn’t quite as big of a deal as the semi-annual Scendence Tournament, the White Knight Marine Corps version of the Olympics, it was close because everyone was anxious to see what all of the to-do with the new equipment and tactics was about.
As the regiment relaxed in their seats, which was as close to lounging as they’d get outside of their habdisk rooms, the door gong sounded, alerting them that an officer was present. In a flash of movement, the entire regiment jumped to attention and a stillness settled over the hall. Colonel Marchewka strode into the room with a commanding presence, exuding confidence that inspired awe and loyalty, followed by his staff. Upon reaching the front podium, Colonel Marchewka nodded to his senior veteran sergeant, Sergeant Bashiri Sane.
With a voice firm enough to make his fellow training sergeants proud, Sergeant Sane sounded off with a hearty: “Be seated!” After briefly checking the regimental status report provided to him by his AI, he executed a smart about face and saluted Colonel Marchewka. “Sir, the 6907th TAC Regiment is all present and accounted for, sir.”
Colonel Marchewka, ever the performer, paused for a moment and scanned the room before he returned the salute. Once Sergeant Sane had taken his seat, the colonel began to address his troops. “Marines, today is a momentous day for our regiment. Today we discover whether our skills as Marines, our years of training and selective breeding, stack up against the more barbaric and diabolical nature of our ancestors. Sergeant Scipio, a throw-back to an earlier era, has been called forth from antiquity to train our Cadets in his ancient methods. We will let him lead us in this Night Hummer orchestrated symphony of carnage, one that they claim will lead to our salvation in some great battle ahead. A battle they foretell will be decided by the skills of the Marines in this regiment!”
It took a full minute for the thunderous roar of approval to die down, allowing the colonel to continue his speech. “Now that the Cadets have finished the terrestrial phase of their training, we will test it in combat against the Cadets of Chaos Company, 16th Battalion, 828th TAC Regiment. For the honor of the 6907th, the Marines in Whiskey Company will sally forth and lead us into victory. Colonel Zabic from the 828th and I have talked with the base commander, and he assures us that the winning regiment automatically gets exempted from the Cull. This is serious, we will win, it is what we do… it is who we are. I have a staff meeting with General Skorix Toma, but Sergeant Scipio will come up and outline the Rules of Engagement. So, Cadets, listen to your sergeants, pay attention and do us proud! Forward to Victory!”
At the conclusion of his speech, Colonel Marchewka snapped to attention, saluted the regiment, and prepared to march out of the regimental hall. Once he made the first gesture of forward momentum, Sergeant Sane jumped to attention and shouted out a hardy “attention on deck” to the regiment, though this was unnecessary since they were already in motion. Once the colonel had marched out, and his absence from the room was confirmed, Sergeant Sane called out for the regiment to be seated and nodded to Lance, letting him know it was time.
Lance knew that this was his moment in the sun, his c
hance to prove his value and give worth to the lives of his lost friends, so he stood straighter and mustered every ounce of military bearing that he had. When he marched to the front of the regimental hall, he looked every bit the young warrior, someone his former senior squad NCO, Sergeant Fontaine, would be proud to call her Marine. Channeling the Marines from his past whom he respected the most, Lance took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts, letting the pregnant pause build the suspense for those waiting on him.
After audibly clearing his throat, signaling for the regiment to quiet down the murmuring, Lance began. “Marines of the 6907th, this is when we officially exempt our senior Cadets from the Cull. We will beat those crèchelings in the 828th and send them home to mommy crying for their mother’s milk. Not only will we win, we will win decisively. All we need from the boys and girls of Whiskey Company is to remember your training and follow the orders of the sergeants appointed over you.”
Again, there was an outburst of spontaneous cheering that took a few moments to calm down before Lance could continue his pre-combat instructions. “Right, settle down, Marines, settle down!” he shouted, desperately hoping they would let him finish this so he could get the company ready for what lay ahead. “This battle will be a difficult one. We will be assaulting the 828th TAC Regiment in the ancient city just over the Akoni Mountains that surround Lake Sarpedona. We will be engaging the Cadets of Chaos Company, 16th Battalion, 828th TAC Regiment. They will be utilizing the tactics which existed prior to my revival to defend the old city, and we will assault the position with the new fire team tactics. The combat games will be judged by a joint team of officers and NCOs from both regiments, so anyone wishing to volunteer should query Sergeant Sane at the conclusion of this meeting. The rules are simple. Chaos Company wins by holding the position for two days. We win by taking the city.”
Lance squared his jaw to hide his doubts. We win by taking the city. The words were easy to say, but delivering them would be formidably difficult.
He carried on before the Cadets saw him hesitate. “Both companies will be issued the standard smartfabric field uniforms and our basic kit. Neither will have access to AIs nor combat armor, and we will fire a mix of non-lethal munitions to be decided by the senior NCO in each company. The judges will determine who lived and who died. We will have a brief moment to salvage any of the gear from the deceased, before we continue the mission while the newly deceased await us in an isolated holding area. Each unit will have access to four Aux Techs to assist, though Captain Bolverk Arahi of Chaos Company sneered at the idea and at the 6907th, and that just won’t do.”
Lance set his face into a snarl. “The 6907th is a dedicated training regiment. Once our battalions graduate, they are sent to reinforce units of the line as needed. Unlike the part-time amateurs of the 828th, our trainers and officers are the best in the business at turning crèchelings into Marines. That’s why we’re superior to the 828th. However, for some reason, Captain Arahi has expressed the opinion that because we are not a unit of the line, the 6907th is not a proper regiment.”
The fury on the faces paraded before him was enough to scare even Lance. He tended to side with Arahi on this matter. The Corps hadn’t needed training regiments in his day. From what he could work out, the boys and girls had been so busy keeping each other warm at night while Lance had been on ice, that swollen Cadet numbers had overwhelmed the original regimental establishment. He decided to keep his opinion about the 6907th very quiet.
“We know we’re the best,” Lance said quietly, before punching the air and shouting, “So let’s prove it!”
He let the cheers sweep across the regimental hall before adding a little extra boost to the regiment’s motivation, courtesy of the generous Captain Grigonna. “Not that we would ever take Captain Arahi’s insult personally,” Lance said with a grin, “but I note in passing that he will oversee the battle in person for his company. I also have it on good authority that there will be a bounty paid to the Cadet who fires the shot taking him out of the games.”
Lance had to wave down the cheering that his words drew out of the 6907th. “DO NOT let that bounty or our regiment’s honor make you reckless. Stay focused and disciplined. Finally, I have been given tactical command of the situation so I can better demonstrate the capabilities of the tactics I was taught. It is my privilege, however, to inform you that Captain Grigonna will personally lead the final assault that crushes those frakkers in the 828th, so she can personally claim the sidearms from their officers, and hang their unit flag from this very hall! Forward to Victory!”
— Chapter 18 —
The Next Day; Whiskey Company Staging Area
It was four hours before sunrise and the cool night air lent a sense of somber foreboding that permeated the formation. Failure wasn’t an option, and could mean expulsion from the Marine Corps, into the drudgery of Aux status. The entire company stood at attention, weapons at ‘present arms’ so Captain Grigonna could inspect each rifleman, though how familiar she was with the new technology remained unknown. Each Cadet in that formation knew that in the ruins of Akoni City, a location that pre-dated the White Knight conquest of the planet, their nemeses in the 828th were also hard at work. Winning the war game was now more than a matter of pride, it was life or death in the Cull. While Cadets rarely died as a direct result of combat training exercises, this one would have very definite real world implications for their parent regiments. It wouldn’t be the rubberized bullets, the knock out gas or the neurotoxic gel rounds that killed the Cadets, but the Cull that came afterwards.
Unlike most formations, this one had an Aux-Tech standing at the end of each squad, carrying the tool kit which was now a part of their standard equipment. More than anyone they stood out, for each of them carried themselves with a pride that was rare for a Cadet and unheard of from an Auxie. Their uniforms were identical to that of their Cadet comrades, a change that was hated by the officers of Beta City, but worshiped in the city’s bowels where the Auxies toiled and suffered.
In an effort to ensure everyone was ready, making the captain’s inspection a formality, Lance and the other three squad leaders had performed their pre-combat inspections before they boarded the Stork Shuttle that brought them to the staging area. Once they arrived, the NCOs from Whiskey Company quickly ensured that all of the gear and equipment remained secured, preventing anything from interfering with their ability to move stealthily. Nothing could be allowed to clink, clatter or reflect light. While this was easier for Marines in the standard fatigues, having fewer reflective surfaces, the formality of the inspection remained.
After the commander was satisfied with the status of her command, she turned to Lance and nodded for him to continue. He knew it must gall her to have a human sergeant leading the show, so Lance vowed to make every effort to not pour salt on the wound. Never too late to learn to play the game, I guess, but I really hate that we have to. Why can’t everyone just stow their egos and let us worry about beating our enemies? If only I could be an officer, or Sergeant Fontaine, things might be different.
Clearing his throat, Lance marched purposefully to the front of the formation, and saluted Captain Grigonna before reporting in. “Ma’am, Sergeant Scipio reporting in to the captain as ordered, Ma’am!” After she casually returned his salute, he quietly addressed his intentions to her, so she could give the orders. Lance could only hope that this would be what was needed to salve her pride, though he knew that only through victory would the illusion he was attempting to create be enough. He quietly asked her if they could have a conference of all the squad leaders so he could present his plan to the commander. I really should make a mistake so she can correct me and save even more face, but will it be too obvious and instead insult her?
When all of Whiskey Company’s command element were there, Lance handed Sergeant Isabella Mayer a hand torch, then squatted down and drew a quick sketch of the battlefield in the dirt. He didn’t bother to pause to ensure that the rest of the sergeants
and his commander were familiar with the field, since he knew they used this same field every year. Normally this field exercise was used to see how the Cadets fought when the battle was unwinnable, though whether or not they realized it was unwinnable was up for debate.
Deciding that he had better get on with it if he was going to have time to get his audacious plan into place, he jumped right into the meat of his plan. “All right, I won’t sugar coat this. You use this field to create an unwinnable battle space. Those crèchelings in the 828th TAC know that, so they’ll be over confident. I’m gonna have to drop a bomb on you, though, because this naturally fortified city is in fact very beatable.” As Lance took a breath, he could see the disbelief on the faces of his peers, and worse on his commander’s. I guess I’m gonna have to really sell this.
When Lance resumed speaking, he tried to be as blunt as possible to break through their preconceived notions. “When I learned of this exercise I began to study the terrain, not the maps available in the database – though I studied those too, but the actual physical terrain. I have been conditioning our regiment to run in those altitudes as well, since we didn’t know which company would get assigned to this combat training exercise. The river is fordable in two places, each one in range of the flanks of the abandoned city. The rear forest can be breached, but we’ll have to trust our land navigation skills to get us through in time to assault the rear. They’ll expect us to assault from the front, so that will be the largest feint, but the main assault will be through the mountains.”