“The Jupiter Alliance Marine leaders I knew during the Mars invasion made it their business to know more than their pay grade required,” Sonya said. “It usually saved their lives.”
“You were there?” Sarah asked.
“I was a frigate pilot and supported Marine operations during the Caliphate invasion,” Sonya said. “I got to work with more than a few damned fine NCO’s and Officers.”
“How old are you?” Sarah asked despite herself.
“Eighty-nine,” Sonya said, trying not to wince. At one time that would have been old. Now?
Sarah remained silent, processing that.
“If you know nothing, does that mean you don’t care?” Sonya asked when the silence had gone on too long.
Sarah bit her lip. Who was this bitch? If she didn’t care she wouldn’t have moved that drone.
“Keep your head down,” Sonya said when Sarah didn’t answer. “They are bringing out more bodies.”
Sarah sunk down lower, wishing she could tap into the drone’s view.
“We are going offline until they depart,” Sonya said. “We will reconnect when they are gone. We don’t want them to detect our signal. Ninja One out.”
“Khukri out,” Sarah said, sinking down lower.
It seemed like hours, but only minutes passed before the Namo’s came back online.
“Khukri, this is Ninja One,” Sonya said. “They have gone, but you need to see who they brought.”
Her suit did not report any failures but Sarah felt cold and nauseous at the same time. Maybe it had been Ninja One’s tone of voice.
Sarah had to force herself to look over the berm at the bodies. The new ones were obvious since they weren’t yet covered in drifting snow like others. Her eyes were drawn to one in particular. He was still wearing his garrison jump suit. The same jump suit he had been wearing when the Guardsmen had taken him away. The First Sergeant’s rank insignia had been ripped from his uniform and the hole in the middle of his forehead was neat and precise.
Dropping back behind the berm Sarah tried to calm her breathing before she got sick. Her helmet could handle her vomiting, but it would be a difficult mess to clean up and could be hard to explain.
“You knew him?” Sonya asked.
“What can you see?” Sarah asked looking up.
“We have a bird's-eye view now,” Sonya said.
“You knew him?” Sonya asked again when the silence went on too long.
“Yes,” Sarah said. Looking up at the sky, knowing she wouldn’t see anything. “He was my company First Sergeant. He was arrested several days ago.”
“Your company commander allowed that?” Sonya asked.
“My Company Commander is now a Jupiter Guard Major,” Sarah said. “Has been since before this mission when our regular company commander was arrested.”
“Is that normal?” Sonya asked and Sarah could hear the disgust in the Captain’s voice.
“No,” Sarah said. “I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Really?” Sonya asked and Sarah bit her lip because she could hear the disapproval in the Captain’s voice.
“I’m a second fucking lieutenant,” Sarah said trying to stay calm and failing. “If they don’t come for me next, they will come for my platoon sergeant. I don’t want to end up a frozen corpse.”
Sarah got to her feet. She had spent too much time here. She doubted she was being tracked by her fellow Marines or the Guard because those kinds of systems could be hacked and compromised. The Jupiter Alliance had done that to the Caliphate troops during the Sadr raids so many years ago. It had been a massacre and a lesson for the front-line forces.
A message came in to Sarah’s link. It was Major Hansen.
“Lieutenant Gray,” the Major said. “What is your location and status?”
Sarah changed channels to talk with the Major.
“Doing rounds of the outposts sir,” Sarah said closing her eyes, hoping this was routine.
“Acknowledged,” the Major said. “When Staff Sergeant Berry is done with her shift and returns, notify me.”
“Do you want me to have her report to you?” Sarah asked, doing her best to sound calm and normal.
“Negative,” the Major said. “But I want you to make sure she turns in her weapons to the armory when she gets back. I just want to know when she is back and has returned to her room.”
Was the Major that clueless? The Marines did not turn in their weapons to the armory after they returned from duty. Their weapons were kept with them or locked in their rooms. Why was he concerned she be disarmed? She thought of the first sergeant.
“Aye, aye sir,” Sarah said, a calm settling throughout her body.
“Major Hansen out,” the Major said.
“Lieutenant Gray out,” Sarah said.
“Everything okay?” Sonya asked.
“No,” Sarah said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Marine Rescue
Goodwin was sitting next to Sonya at a station as the Captain spoke to the JAMC Lieutenant. Numerous screens and displays showed the area around the Lieutenant, other displays were showing the Guards soldiers who were tromping through the airlock, a small stealth drone attached to one of their legs, looking almost like a patch of snow. Actually, it was a small quantum communicator and a nano-swarm that was constantly updating, scanning the surrounding area and doing its best to remain undetected.
“What is wrong?” Sonya asked with a quick glance toward Goodwin’s displays. Fry stood nearby watching and advising a droid, half paying attention to Sonya’s conversation. A nano swarm was also attempting to compromise the JAMC lieutenant’s suit and communication system. It might be considered a breach of trust but Sonya needed more information. Even now a quantum communicator was imbedding itself underneath the Lieutenant’s air tank and there was a sizable nano-swarm collecting on the Lieutenant’s armor for later use.
“Can you evacuate someone?” the Lieutenant asked.
“Evacuate someone?” Sonya asked looking over at Fry. Major Porter looked up at the Captain and Sonya motioned the Major over.
“Yes,” Sarah said. “I just got a message from my CO. He wants to know when my platoon sergeant returns and he wants to know when she is disarmed.”
“Shit,” Sonya heard Major Porter mutter. He had been a Jupiter Alliance Marine before New Alamo had left and Sonya knew he still identified as their brother. The Marine Corps was in his blood and soul, and Porter was fully aware of what was going on in the CIC. He was also a Mars veteran.
“There could be no other explanation?” Sonya asked as the Major came over, ready to advise and assist.
“None,” Sarah said. “I helped you with the drone. Now you need to help me.”
Sonya stared at the screens. She would have to send people into harm’s way if she was to rescue anyone. Moving a drone compared to risking people’s lives? She felt bad for the Lieutenant and her platoon sergeant, but she couldn’t risk it.
The Guards tromped out of the airlock and the probe was in the main habitat. Fry pumped his fist in victory and smiled at Sonya.
“I’m sorry,” Sonya said. “That’s not enough.”
“Dammit,” Sarah said. “Please? Tell me what would be enough?”
Sonya glanced at Major Porter.
“Give me the word ma’am,” the Major said. “Those aren’t New Alamo Marines, but I used to wear that uniform too and they are sisters. Their lives are worth it to me.”
Sonya nodded, she felt similarly, but she knew her commanders back at New Alamo wouldn’t.
However, they were not here. The lieutenant sounded desperate.
“Standby,” Sonya said and put the Lieutenant on mute.
“What are the options?” she said turning to the Major.
Major Porter looked over the screens.
“We could have a stealth shuttle pick them up,” the Major said. “If we can get it to the surface, I think the best bet is to pick them up about five kilom
eters from the perimeter.”
The major pointed at a spot on the map.
“Should be easy enough. This is outside their auto-gun detection range by a good kilometer. We can use a squadron for air support. I will lead the team myself.”
Sonya looked at the Major.
“I’ve kept your presence a secret,” Sarah said. “I trusted you.”
“May I?” the Major asked motioning toward the displays.
“I’m putting you in contact with my Marine Commander,” Sonya said, after turning off mute. “He will coordinate.”
“Thank you,” the lieutenant said, sounding relieved.
“Listen up Marine,” Porter said. “I understand your platoon sergeant is on post. I recommend the two of you, and anyone else coming with you, proceed to the coordinates I am about to give you.”
“It will just be Staff Sergeant Berry,” Sarah said.
The Major scowled.
“Do you think for a minute they won’t drag you away when your platoon sergeant turns up missing?” the Major asked.
“I can’t leave the rest of my Valkyries here,” Sarah said.
“If they are purging officers,” Major Porter said. “You are likely next. The Staff Sergeant’s disappearance will leave you holding the bag.”
“I don’t care sir,” Sarah said. “I won’t leave my people and I don’t know for sure. I do know my platoon sergeant will die though.”
“Can you bring them all?” the Major asked and Sonya shook her head angrily, but the Major had to ask.
“Negative,” the Lieutenant said sounding calm. “Not willingly. I’m not even sure I can get the Staff Sergeant to leave.”
“You better Marine,” the Major said. “I once wore that uniform. I fought on Mars during the Caliphate invasion and afterward. If the Jupiter Alliance is purging any officers, they consider even remotely unreliable, then you better have a damned good excuse because they will continue to get more and more paranoid. We won’t be able to launch a rescue mission, but we can launch a covert extraction.”
“I understand sir,” Sarah said.
Even Sonya could hear the deathly calm in the Lieutenant’s voice. The young officer had decided and there would be no swaying her.
“Okay Marine,” Major Porter said. “You get her to the extraction point. We will be watching, but it will take us two hours to get a team there. You be careful. Semper Fi.”
“Semper Fi sir,” Sarah said. “Shift change is in three hours. I will tell her to head out at shift change. It will be the easiest method and attract the least attention.”
“Very good,” Major Porter said, getting a nod from the Captain. “Coordinates sent.”
“On the other side of ridge K39?” Sarah asked.
Major Porter nodded. The maps of Europa hadn’t changed in over forty years.
“Correct Kukri,” the Major said.
“Thank you,” Sarah said replied.
“Just be safe,” Major Porter said.
“Semper Fi sir, Kukri out.”
“Semper Fi Lieutenant, Ninja One out,” the Major said with a glance at Sonya.
“Good job Major,” she said and then turned to Harris.
“Get us to a position where we can launch the shuttle and a squadron of fighters,” Sonya said. “Also get me a list of what’s in the area and what we may have to fight. Time to test the fighters and see how stealthy they are.”
“Aye, aye Captain,” Harris said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
SSG's Flight
The auto-guns on the surface signaled she was not a target as she slid into the narrow tunnel, barely big enough to hold a fully equipped Marine.
Once inside, she looked around. Three Marines made it cramped, five Marines made it claustrophobic, even though it was a squad control point, it was not any bigger than the other positions. They knew she was coming because they had been watching through the auto-guns as she made her way across the surface.
“How’s everyone doing?” Sarah asked looking around as her system updated. Line of sight lasers linked up, creating a localized network, authenticating and downloading diagnostics to Sarah’s displays. Her InnerBuddy was linked with her suit and she saw everyone’s suit was doing fine and the eighteen auto-guns in this section of the perimeter were operational.
It was warmer in the subsurface cave but taking off her helmet would kill her within minutes, not seconds.
“Fine ma’am,” her Valkyries echoed.
“When was the last time you walked the perimeter,” Sarah asked Berry.
“About a half hour ago,” Staff Sergeant Berry said and Sarah nodded.
“Good,” Sarah said sitting back. “Then I trust things are in order.”
“Yes ma’am,” Berry said. “Gun eight was acting squirrelly though, reporting ghosts. It is more exposed than the others which I think has something to do with it.”
“Maybe it should be swapped out with another one to confirm?” Sarah asked.
“Yes ma’am,” Staff Sergeant Berry said, sounding less than happy.
“Not right now though,” Sarah said. “If you walked the line, I will chill here for a few minutes, we need to talk about admin stuff since you aren’t back in the hab. I’m not happy with some of the test scores that came back. I thought you would take care of it?”
“Yes ma’am,” Staff Sergeant Berry said, and Sarah could have sworn her platoon sergeant winced. JAMC required all Valkyries to pass several exams on motherhood, child care and youth education. Women in the commando platoons had little to no interest in children. They were more interested in combat skills but with the current push for women to have children, it was required. Stupid bureaucracies.
Sarah opened an encrypted direct link to the Staff Sergeant as she leaned back. The others would think the staff sergeant was getting an ass chewing.
“I have little time,” Sarah said when the link was open and secure. “The Major wants me to tell him when you get back and have turned in your weapons.”
“I don’t turn in my weapons,” Berry said confused and Sarah could hear the gears turning in Berry’s head even though she couldn’t see Berry’s face because of the metal visor. “And why didn’t he send me a request?”
“Another thing,” Sarah said trying to think of an easier way to say it. “I also found the First Sergeant. There is a mass grave within the inner perimeter where they are dumping bodies.”
“What?” Berry asked. “The First Sergeant wouldn’t supervise a detail like that.”
“No,” Sarah said. “He was one of the bodies. He was shot in the forehead, execution style.”
“Oh fuck,” Berry said. “Why are you telling me this? I’m fucking dead, aren’t I?”
“No,” Sarah said, glad that Berry trusted her enough to believe her. “I’m getting you out of here.”
“You have a magic wand? We are on the surface of Europa. The middle of nowhere. No,” Berry said. “I’m screwed. Shit.”
“No!” Sarah said. “I have a plan. You will not end up in a mass grave if I can help it. I have contacts that will get you out of here.”
Berry was silent.
“At shift change you tell the others you are going to go take care of Gun eight and then tell them to return to base, then you do what you need to and get to these coordinates. Someone will meet you there, here is a channel to talk with them on and the coordinates.”
Sarah sent Berry the data.
“Who are they?” Berry asked.
“Namo’s,” Sarah said, biting her lip.
“Namo’s?” Berry asked, surprised.
“They contacted me after I moved their drone so they could see the mass grave,” Sarah said wincing. That sounded bad.
“God damn Lieutenant,” Berry said. “I had you pegged as such a straight laced, Jupiter Youth, patsy who was just more interested in killing ragheads than being a good little socialist mommy.”
Sarah wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
“You trust the Namo’s?” Berry asked.
“I don’t see any choice,” Sarah said. “I’m sorry. I don’t know if I’m pushing the airlock button to let you into the ship or out of it, but I’m pretty sure if you stay you will end up with a new eye in the forehead and a shallow grave. I’m sorry.”
“You are either betraying me in a big way or giving me a chance,” Berry said. “Based on what I’ve seen lately I believe you. Will you be getting out too?”
“I have to stay and take care of the others,” Sarah said.
Berry nodded and Sarah knew she would understand.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Berry said.
“Take care of yourself,” Sarah said.
“Here is a quick rundown on those scores,” Berry said. “I’m guessing you will have to report on something when I turn up missing. Try not to be hard them okay?”
“I promise,” Sarah said.
“Take care of yourself,” Berry said, sounding like she might be ready to cry.
“You too,” Sarah said.
“Will I see you again?” Berry asked.
“You better,” Sarah said trying to keep her own tears in check.
“In Valhalla,” Berry said.
“In Valhalla,” Sarah said wanted to reach out and hug the staff sergeant, or pat her knee or something. But others were watching.
Sarah glanced at the scores and information Berry had sent her. Lance Corporal Jensen was one name on the list and she was here in the shelter. Sarah made a show of looking at her and could have sworn Jensen noticed and seemed to shrink smaller. She had outright failed one of the child rearing courses.
Switching back to the local net, Sarah spoke.
“Lance Corporal Jensen,” Sarah said. “I want you to see me when you are done with your shift.”
“Aye ma’am,” Jensen said.
“And your team leader,” Sarah said looking at Corporal Gill who sat nearby. The corporal winced. Jensen’s failure was also her team leaders.
Sarah pulled herself to her feet and looked toward Berry.
“I trust we won’t have this conversation again,” Sarah said, turning the grief into a sharp edge that made it into her voice.
“No ma’am,” Berry said, her sadness evident in her voice.
New Empires: Conglomerate Series Book 3 Page 10