Though the Stars Fall (United Humanity Marine Corps Book 1)

by Bill Roberts

  Cait turns to us and says: “Right. My office is about a hundred meters ahead of us. This time of day we are lucky to get a parking spot so close. Still, a lot can happen to a human walking here so stay alert.” With that she opens the door and walks around the front of the truck to the sidewalk. Bennie and I exit the truck as well and join her. She looks us over quickly and gives us a quick nod. Then she assumes an arrogant and confident expression, turns on her heel and starts heading towards her office.

  Bennie and I follow, doing our best to stand tall and swagger. I notice that I am as keyed up and focused as I can get. We pass a few Deeken and get nothing more than what I assume are curious looks. So far so good. A few more Deeken approach, I have just enough time to notice one of them has pale bands of fur on his snout when he bumps into me.

  In Deeken society this is considered a direct challenge. There are two ways you can handle this. The first way is to pretend it did not happen. However, if you do that the challenger will most likely assume you are afraid and attack you viciously, seeking to score influence points. The second way is to strike the challenger as hard as you can. If you display enough strength the challenger will let you pass, with neither side gaining influence points. If you do not display enough strength, the challenger will attack you for all of his worth, again seeking influence points. Cait has told us to go for the second option and hope for the best.

  I got into Judo when I was in college many years ago. I had enjoyed that experience very much so I have continued to pursue it as a hobby ever since. In fact I am the sensei for all of the judoka on the Stern. After over fifty years I have managed to work myself up to the red and white striped belt of a roku-dan. Everyone thinks that Judo is only about throws and grappling. While in competition this is the case, the art does have its striking katas. I uncoil and strike the Deeken with as much force and speed as fifty years of practice and nanite strong muscles can provide. I aim for what I estimate is his version of the solar plexus. It is like hitting a brick wall.

  I do my best to hide the pain and recover into a combat stance, feet well apart and hands up and ready to go. The Deeken winces and then barks at me and my translator says: “Next time you die.” I feel a wave of relief crash through me. Apparently I hit hard enough. I almost make the mistake of relaxing, but catch myself in time to sneer at the Deeken and nonchalantly turn away. Jesus, my hand hurts. I am now really, really ready to leave this planet.

  We resume our swagger down the sidewalk. We are close now. Maybe another twenty meters. A group of Deeken exit a vehicle in front of us and head towards us. They move in a compact group. I notice that the rest of the sidewalk ahead of us has become empty. I am not sure why, but this does not feel quite right. The hairs have started to stand up on the back of my neck when one of these Deeken bumps into Bennie. I think the last time Bennie did hand to hand training he was a Royal Marine Commando. That is a long time ago now. Still after the briefest of pauses he lashes out at the Deeken who bumped him. I tense up, and surreptitiously rest my hand on the pistol on my chest. The Deeken does not say a word. He simply smashes Bennie in the face. Bennie drops like a polled ox. I start to pull my pistol out. If it came to a real fight the plan was to abandon all pretenses and gun our way to our objective. None of us stand a real chance in hand to hand against Deeken. Before I get my pistol all the way out of my holster the Deeken’s head explodes. Mother of God, Cait is fast. She quickly shifts targets to the next nearest Deeken and guns him down. By this time I have my pistol out, but watching Cait shift to a third target and fire, I realize she more than has things under control. I bend down and pick up Bennie and throw him over my shoulder.

  Cait is moving at a fast walk shooting any Deeken not smart enough to get out of her line of sight. I run a few steps forward then quickly turn to check behind us. I see a Deeken with a weapon drawn step out from in between a couple of parked vehicles. My pistol comes up and I fire. The Deeken goes down. I may not have Cait’s speed, but I do know how to shoot my pistol. It looks clear behind us so I turn and run a few more steps toward Cait. The street has grown eerily silent. Finally Cait speaks: “Run. Third door. Right.”

  I run for all I am worth. The door pops open as I reach it and I run inside. Cait follows me in and slams the door. She shouts: “Lockdown, now!” Blast shutters roll down the windows and over the door as I set Bennie gently on the ground. A human, who I assume is one of Cait’s Invisibles, comes up with a med kit. Cait looks at me and says with glacial calm: “Shawn, I need you to call the quick reaction force.”

  I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I do know who is in charge here. I hit a button on my communicator and start talking into my boom mike: “Ahmed, this is Shawn. We are under attack. I need you here now.”

  Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Hacham, the commander of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines answers: “Roger Shawn, we’re on our way. ETA five minutes.”

  I look over at Cait and say: “Done. If the Deeken want to play rough, I am more than happy to oblige them, but what exactly is going on around here?”

  Cait responds: “That was a preplanned ambush out there. The Tangul probably paid the Deeken extra to make wiping us out look like a simple influence game. As soon as the Deeken mercenary unit out there figures out what happened they are going to tear this building apart to get to us.”

  “Roger,” I reply. I look over at Bennie’s prone form. Anger fills my voice as I continue: “I’m going to show these bastards what happens to people who fuck with my Marines.” I turn and kneel to check on Bennie and say quietly: “I will get you out of here Bennie, I swear it.”

  I watch the Invisible render first aid to Bennie. His nose has been broken and he has bled horribly. He is still unconscious, but I can hear him breathing. While I do this I hear a voice I do not recognize say: “What is going on Cait?”

  Cait does not waste any time with long explanations. She replies: “We are leaving right now. Set the charges and stand by for pickup. Is anyone not here?”

  The voice replies: “We’re all here. I’ll get on the charges.” I hear a door open and look up to see an Invisible leave the small entrance room we are in and close the door behind him.

  There is nothing I can do for Bennie that is not already being done so I stand up. When I reach my feet Cait says: “The monitoring station is over here,” she points at a desk in the corner, “you feed the intelligence to the Marines. I will get my people ready.” She takes two quick steps towards me, lowers her voice, and says: “You need to get your emotions under control.”

  I reply with a little heat: “Nobody fucks with my people.” I force myself to calm down and add quickly: “I know my business Cait, I promise you everything is under control. These Deeken are about to learn they made a huge mistake.” Cait examines me calmly for a brief moment, then spins on her heal and heads for the door. She leaves without a word.

  I head over to the monitoring station. Before I get there Ahmed’s voice comes through my ear bud: “Third Squad just destroyed the space port’s anti-ship missile battery. We caught them napping. No casualties. They are setting a perimeter around the Hind now. The rest of us are two minutes out.”

  I sit down at the station and reply: “Roger Ahmed. Stand by.” I look at the monitors and see that there is no traffic outside. I can see that the Deeken have set up barricades that have blocked the intersections at either end of the street. I can see a few dozen Deeken fanning out in front of the compound. I see no heavy weapons or anything that looks like an armed vehicle. I guess they think they will only have to deal with a bunch of unarmored humans armed with just small arms. Finally, a break. “I got over thirty Deeken in the open in the street in front of the objective. They have barricaded the streets. I see no friendlies you are weapons free. I will update if I spot anything else. Also, Bennie is down, pass word to the Hind to prep the medical bay.”

  I can feel the heat from Ahmed through my ear bud as he says: �
��Understood.” His opinion on what to do to people that fuck with Marines matches my own. Those Deeken are screwed.

  The Deeken all take cover behind the vehicles parked out front. I start checking the building across the way. It looks empty. This does not seem like enough Deeken. I feel like there have to be more of them out there.

  The Invisible working on Bennie says the first words I hear her say: “He is stable. I am going to take him to the extraction point.” She speaks with absolute calm.

  I look up from the monitor and see her pick Bennie up and put him over her shoulder. Her gaze meets mine as she walks by and I say: “Thank you.”

  She replies calmly: “I will take care of your friend, do not worry.” She continues by, opens the door and leaves me alone in the room.

  Whoever these Invisibles are they all seem as unflappable as a sheet of granite. Five minutes ago everything was business as usual. Now they are surrounded by a horde of hostiles, have no idea what is going on, and are preparing to leave this place forever. Yet they go about their business as if they are heading out to lunch at the most boring restaurant in the world. I would take every one of them in my battalion without a moment’s hesitation.

  I look back down at the monitor and see that a couple of Deeken are attaching something to the door. That cannot be good. I hit a button on my communicator and say: “Cait, they are applying breaching charges to the door. What are your blast shutters rated for?”

  My heart beats twice before she replies coolly: “There is a red button on the left side of the station with a cover. Press it now.”

  I quickly find the switch and lift the cover and smash it. I hear a loud whump and the door shakes in front of me. I look at the monitor and see that I some sort of charge has gone off. There is dust and debris obscuring the door, but I can see a couple of Deeken bodies that have been tossed into the street by the explosion. My ear bud comes alive with Cait’s chilly voice: “There is only one defensive charge. If another team approaches the door, leave.” She cuts the connection. Pleasure talking to you too.

  I see a team of four Deeken exit the building across the street and rush across. I thought so. They rush right to the door and break out another breaching charge. “Ahmed, hostiles in the building across the street. Unknown how many. You better hurry”

  “Roger,” he replies. “ETA … now.”

  Through the monitors I see the street erupt with the impacts of hyper-velocity fire. Each MCS is armed in a similar fashion to the Kodiak. The left arm is a heavy electro-magnetic rapid-fire gun that spits out ten millimeter projectiles at about fifteen thousand meters per second. The right arm is armed with a three fingered ‘hand’ and a smaller electro-magnetic rapid-fire gun that shoots three millimeter projectiles. I can tell by the impacts that a couple of squads worth of Marines are firing the heavy guns as they descend from a jump. They sweep the street clear of Deeken in a matter of seconds. I see the twenty-six MCS’s of First and Second squad land. They all turn towards the building across the street. Each MCS carries two missiles, one on each shoulder. They are the anti-armor weapon of modern Marine infantry. They also work extremely well against buildings. Each MCS fires one missile and the missiles tear the building apart in a string of explosions.

  One squad begins to fan out, taking up defensive positions in front of the building. The other squad hits their jump jets. According to the plan, they will secure the roof for our extraction. Ahmed reports in my ear: “Area secure. The Colt will be here in two minutes.”

  I get up and head for the door leading further into the building. I reply to Ahmed as I move: “You made it just in time, Ahmed. Next time try and be early please.”

  He laughs in my ear and says: “More dramatic this way.” His voice grows serious. “Any idea how many other threats are out there? And how is Bennie.”

  “None,” I shoot back as I rush down the hall on the other side of the door. The stairs should be at the far end. “Bennie is unconscious; I have no idea how bad it is yet.”

  “Roger. What about the authorities?” Ahmed responds.

  I check my watch. “As to the authorities,” I reply. “The fighting started seven minutes ago. Call it eight to play it safe. According to the briefing from Cait if something went down the cops would probably be bribed to avoid this place for at least ten minutes. Add normal confusion and travel time, we got at least five minutes, probably ten before they show up.”

  Ahmed acknowledges this transmission as I reach the door to the stairs. I open it and find Cait waiting for me on the landing. She is doing another fine impression of a glacier. I stop, smile at her, and say: “The Deeken have been taught their lesson.” I extend my hand towards the stairs and say: “Your chariot awaits, my lady.” I probably should not be so flip, but her ice queen routine is seriously getting on my nerves. I am also more than a little relieved to have two squads of Marines in MCS’s around me. After the crazy tension of the rest of the day, this has been the first moment I did not feel like I was in imminent peril of death.

  Cait surveys me coldly. “You would make a terrible field agent Mr. Morris,” she says.

  I laugh heartily and reply with gusto: “Guilty as charged.” I smile and continue calmly: “It’s time to go Cait. Let’s get your people out of here.” Without a word she turns on her heel and charges up the stairs.

  As I follow her my ear bud comes to life: “Colonel Morris, this is Lieutenant Kitt, we have the roof in sight. We will be there in two zero seconds.”

  “Roger. Ahmed has this place locked down. You are clear to pick us up,” I reply. Kitt is the pilot for the Colt on the way to pick us up. I pound up the last flight of stairs and exit on the roof in time to see the Colt come into a hover a couple of feet above the roof. I see the squad of Marines in their MCS’s oriented outwards around the perimeter of the roof. A quick count shows that there are ten other Invisibles on the roof. That matches Cait’s briefing. I see that one of them is carrying Bennie.

  The Colt lowers its personnel ramp and we all run up it. Once on board I turn and wait at the hatch to make sure everyone boards. Cait is the last one up the ramp. After she is aboard I give a thumbs up to the Colt’s crew chief. He speaks into a mike on his helmet and the Colt takes off like a scared cat for the Hind. I hit a button on my communication system: “Ahmed we are clear. Pull out now.”

  “Already on the way out Shawn,” he replies.

  “Be advised Ahmed, I am blind in here,” I shoot back.

  “Roger Shawn,” he replies and I shut down my communicator.

  I look for Cait. She is standing holding onto a troop strap in the ceiling and looking out one of the windows along the side of the Colt. I make my way over to her carefully. I reach her and look outside the window. Her former office building is now about five kilometers away and I can see several MCS’s on jump jets arcing through the sky a kilometer or so behind us. Cait calmly takes a device off her belt and hits a button. I see a flash and watch as the better part of a block around Cait’s office building disintegrates in a massive explosion. Jesus Mary and Joseph, Cait probably just killed hundreds of innocent civilians. I look at Cait’s face and see … nothing. I feel a chill settle upon my soul. The shockwave jostles the Colt and Cait says in her icy voice: “I will leave nothing behind that the Tangul or Deeken could use against us.” She sees the shock on my face and leans closer and says: “Only one rule Mr. Morris. Whatever it takes.”

  The Colt starts to slow down. We must have reached the Hind. As the Colt comes to a stop and descends into the landing bay of the Hind I ask: “Any reason to delay takeoff Cait?”

  She looks at me with absolutely no expression on her face and simply says: “No.” She hits a button on her communicator and says: “Commander Nguyen take off as soon as the last Marine boards. If any Deeken attempts communication, ignore it. Their missile battery is down; by the time they find a mercenary ship willing to fight us we will b
e gone.”

  The Colt lands and opens its personnel hatch. Two corpsmen toting a stretcher and a ship’s surgeon come charging up the ramp. They rush over to Bennie. Cait simply stands and watches. I think Cait has definitely been living on the edge of the abyss for far too long. We are safe now. The Marines will be aboard soon and the Navy crew will have us safely away from this planet in less than ten minutes. I decide Cait needs to start backing up from the edge: “Cait, you will follow Bennie to medical. You will stay there until he wakes up. And you will not worry about anything but him.” I punch my communication device and say: “Nguyen, Agent Green is now unavailable, you have any questions run them through me.” Nguyen quickly gives me an aye aye.

  Cait draws her pistol and points it in my face with astonishing speed. She says icily: “I give the orders around here you arrogant ass.”

  Everyone freezes. Shit, she really has been doing this too long. I ignore the pistol and look at Cait and see a glacier grinding forward mercilessly. Outside I hear MCS’s coming in on jump jets. I wonder if it will be the last thing I will ever hear. I hear a quiet voice croak behind me. “Please don’t shoot my commander Cait. I really am quite fond of him, even though he is a massively arrogant ass.” Cait’s head snaps over to Bennie lying prone on the stretcher. Bennie continues: “Come to medical with me Cait. Everything really is going to be fine.” Cait stares at Bennie while she slowly lowers and holsters her pistol.

  I look around the Colt to see that everyone is still frozen. I need to take charge here. I turn around the cabin of the Colt and say: “We got things to do.” I turn to the corpsmen and surgeon and say: “Is he ready to move.” The surgeon nods his head mutely. I point at the corpsmen and say: “Do you need help carrying the stretcher?” They shake their heads then pick up the stretcher with Bennie on it and head for the door. Cait follows it out mutely. I look at the Invisible that helped Bennie and say: “I will follow Cait to medical and make sure she’s okay.” More MCS’s come in on jump jets and the ship starts moving. “I will send a Sailor to take you all to your berthing.” The Invisible nods her assent.