by Bill Roberts
The minutes pass and as soon as Fischer reports splash I open up the all hands channel on TACNET and take a deep breath. “Assault. Assault. Assault.” As one we push up the hill and open fire. We have rotated our arms at the shoulder giving our weapons a few meters of extra height. This will minimize the amount of our vehicles that are exposed as we fire. Bright flashes blossom forth from the side of the hideous enemy ship as our hyper-velocity rounds smash into it. They mix with the fiery explosions of 11th Marines’ rockets. Almost instantly the ship returns fire at the Kodiaks of 2nd Heavy Armored. Massive beams of light impact the ridge in front of us. They hit with such force that the ground shakes beneath our feet and earth and concrete go flying everywhere. God, what power. A couple more Kodiaks turn red in my display. I quickly back down and shift to my right. As I pop up again I quickly fire my main gun at the ship. In the valley before us I see a horde of red icons begin rushing towards me as the Synti ground troops charge the people firing at their ship. I nail a couple with my medium gun while I continue to pound the ship with my main gun as fast as I can. A sun bright flash erupts in front of me and a wave of pressure and heat roll over my Kodiak. The heavy armor of the Kodiak shrugs it off but I quickly back down again. That was too close.
This time I pause for a moment after I back down. Another Kodiak dies to the ships massive guns as I check my tactical display. I contemplate ordering my Kodiaks to use their missiles. We just have so few of them. I had really hoped the main guns and rockets would be enough. I push back forward to assess the condition of the enemy ship. I do not fire this time, that is what my companies are for. I just poke my sensors over. The ship looks battered but whole. I see one of the rounds fired from a Kodiak shoot through one of the ships large hatches. A big explosion comes rolling out. That is it. All hands: “Marines, Six. Aim for the hatches.” I cut the channel and push further forward and take my own crack at one of the hatches and am rewarded with another explosion from the ship. There are explosions roiling out of every one of the ship’s hatches as my Marines pour their hyper-velocity rounds into them. I quickly back down to change positions. I do not want to take any chances with that ship’s heavy guns.
As I reach the military crestline a huge flash of light fills the sky to my southeast. A new fear fills me. What now? What new weapon has the enemy unleashed? I push my Kodiak back forward just in time for a shockwave to roll over the top of the ridgeline. It causes my Kodiak to stagger, but the computer balancing system compensates by moving my Kodiaks feet in response to lightning fast computations. I barely notice my Kodiak stumbling about. In front of me a massive crater now lies where the ship used to be. Suddenly everyone is calling me on TACNET. Everyone talks over each other. Fischer silences them all and reports: “Six, this is Three. The enemy ship has been destroyed.”
Another report from Alpha: “Iron Six, this is Alpha Six. First Platoon is reporting that the Synti they were fighting behind us all just stopped and collapsed.”
I start pushing my Kodiak north. I have to see this. “Roger, Alpha. Stand by.” As I head for First Platoon’s location the Charlie Company commander sends a similar report. Sure enough as I join Alpha’s First Platoon I see several Synti lying on the ground.
“Six, Three.” Fischer has the strangest look on his face as he reports to me. “Inchon Three just reported that the Synti they were fighting behind us have all just collapsed. They are currently clear, and moving to join us at top speed.”
Before I can acknowledge his transmission the XO chimes in: “Six, Five. I think the Synti we’ve been fighting are just machines, just drones. I think that once we killed their ship whatever was controlling them died, and with nobody to control them they just collapsed.”
I glance at my tactical display. Nothing. No red icons anywhere. Exultation crashes through me. By God I think Barnes is right. I open up the all hands channel. “Marines, this is Six. It looks like the enemy ground forces are controlled by their ships. We have just defeated one third of the enemy forces attacking San Diego. It’s time to go finish off the rest.” I pause for a moment to compose my thoughts. After a short moment I continue: “Here is what we are going to do …”
As I give the orders to my Marines I know that we still have a long hard day ahead of us. I know that there is no guarantee we will survive long enough to win. I have already lost twelve of my forty-five Kodiaks. But I do know that we will not quit till the last Kodiak is destroyed. We are America’s Marines. We will win or die in the trying.
CHAPTER 21
Sowing Wind
My freshly emptied beer bottle clicks gently against its fellows as I set it upon the table in front of me. I sigh with contentment. Around the table sit the normal crew, well the new normal crew. Where else would we be on a night like this? I look out one of the windows of the 2nd Marine Division Officer’s Club. It is dark already, summer has given way to autumn, but in the lights I can see a late autumn storm tossing the trees and pattering the window with water droplets. After the long dry summer here in the Eastern Karoo the rain is a welcome sight.
We sit at a round, hardwood table large enough for the six of us to fit around comfortably. The table is covered with beer bottles and empty whiskey glasses. As we do on the Stern we have chosen a table that sits in a quiet corner. In the three months since our return it has become so synonymous with the six of us that nobody else even bothers to try and claim it anymore. The first night we came here after returning from Tortuga we had a delightful evening demonstrating to a couple of full Colonels on the Division Staff the difference between real and perceived power. Since then the table lies empty every night until we arrive. Nobody wants to cross the Marines who survived Tortuga.
On my left Mbiraru is having a pleasant argument about the A.F.C. Leopards (Nairobi’s team) chances in this years’ African Premier League season with Bennie. Across from me Svetlana and Gloria talk quietly but intensely, leaning close into one another. I suspect it pertains to physics, but their voices are low enough that I cannot make it out against the background noise in the bar. Not that, if they are talking about physics, I would understand a word they are saying if they are loud enough for me to hear. To my right sits our newest member, Lieutenant Colonel Navah Stavi, Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion 12th Marines. She is quietly sipping a glass of wine and watching the conversations around us.
After the Deeken had been defeated on Tortuga the remnants of 2nd Battalion 12th Marines had been brought aboard the Stern. Their ship, the Barnum, was lost with all hands. With its loss plus the savaging they took planetside there had not been much left of the battalion. Add the losses that 2nd Heavy Armored suffered and 2nd Battalion 12th Marines had fit on board the Stern with depressing ease.
We spent a few days in orbit around Tortuga, while we salvaged what equipment we could from the planet’s surface, before we began the long trip home. In the days and weeks that followed we came to grips with the missing faces and empty seats. I spent that time writing letters to the families of the many pilots and backseaters of 2nd Heavy Armored that perished. They had not been the first pile of such letters that I had written. In times past I had dealt with losses like this, but it is never an easy thing to do. However, my daily visits to Svetlana as she healed in the medical bay, and the evenings spent in the officer’s pub helped me slowly put the losses behind me.
Despite the pain I felt it was nothing compared to what Lieutenant Colonel Stavi wenr through. Her unit suffered almost eighty percent casualties, most of them deaths. Not only that, but she had the added burden of losing all of her friends among the ship’s crew of the Barnum. The first few days Navah barely left her stateroom. The two times I ran into her she looked exhausted and frayed. There is so little you can say that helps. So I had simply told her that I was sorry for her losses. The second time I ran into her, foolishly, I had started to apologize for not doing more to save her troops. She had shown fire then as she interrupted: “I will hear none o
f that Shawn Morris. You and your Marines did everything you could.” The fire disappeared, replaced with a deep sadness. “We all did the best we could. Sometimes, though, your best is not good enough.” She had turned and left before I could say anything else.
The way she said the last sentence and the amount of time she was spending alone in her room had worried me. So that evening, as I was heading for the pub, I stopped by her room and knocked on her stateroom hatch. When she opened the hatch in response she looked even more of a wreck than she had when I ran into her earlier. Despite this she summoned some courtesy and asked as evenly as she could: “What can I help you with, Shawn?”
“Could I come in for a moment?” I replied.
She hesitated for a moment before replying: “I don’t think …” Seeing the look of determination on my face she had sighed and then continued: “Fine, come in.” Navah had moved out of the way and gestured for me to enter.
When I entered her room I saw that her computer was on, with what looked like a personal message on the screen, and that the place was a disheveled wreck. Clothes were strewn about everywhere and her bedding was messily bunched at one end of her bed. It also stank slightly despite the Watcher powered ventilation. Exactly as I had feared. She closed the door behind me and crossed her arms staring at me with something close to defiance. She spoke: “Go ahead. I know why you are here, so just get it over with.”
I had two courses of action open to me before those words. The soft way and the hard way. It looked like I was going to have to go with the hard way. So I said: “You need to suck it up.”
The statement surprised her. A quick look of shock flashed across her face before she said: “What?”
“This self-pity bit. You think you’re the first commander to ever lose a bunch of Marines?” I worked a bit of heat in to my voice. I needed to start to get her to focus on something besides the pain. “I had a rough day on Tortuga too. You don’t see me hiding in my room embracing self-loathing. You know why? Because, in this business, shit happens. Might as well get used to it Navah.”
Her eyes flashed angrily as she replied: “You arrogant bastard. I’ve lost Marines before too. Many times. But this? Nobody loses three quarters of their Marines in one battle.” The anger left her quickly and she finished tiredly: “What kind of commander does that?”
“I have,” I replied seriously. “Twice.”
She had looked at me cautiously after that comment and asked: “When?”
I shrugged as I returned: “Both times were against the Synti. The first time was on Earth. The second time was on Lada. Like I said before, shit happens. Sometimes things just don’t go your way.” I cocked my head and changed angles a bit by asking: “Did you panic?” She shook her head. “Did you freeze? Did you just watch your Marines die?”
“No,” she said. “I fought as hard as I could. I tried everything I could think of to fend those Deeken off. But, I could have done it so much better.”
“The important thing is you never stopped commanding,” I replied. “You never stopped doing whatever you could to save your Marines. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty, Navah. There is always more that you could do.” I sighed deeply. “Always. You just have to accept that and move on.” I headed for the hatch. “C’mon we’re leaving.”
“Where are we going?” She had asked. Good. She had not given me an outright refusal.
“The pub,” I replied. “You need to get out of this room. A couple of drinks and some conversation wouldn’t hurt either.”
I reveled in her answer. “But, I look terrible.”
I laughed as I returned: “So what? My friends won’t care and neither should you.” I leaned a little closer and added seriously: “You’re on the Stern now. We’ve seen a lot more of this than most. Everybody is just going to be happy you’re leaving your stateroom.” I clapped her on the back as I opened the door. “Let’s go.”
She has been joining us ever since. Oh, it had not been some sort of miracle cure. Things do not work that way. She had to work it out herself. But in the evenings that followed she spent time with people that had all gone through what she had. Nothing better for the grieving process really. None of us had been surprised when, after our return to Camp Nicholas in South Africa, she continued to join us. Some things just cement people together in bonds that cannot be broken.
I look over at Navah again. There is another upside to all of this. As she mastered her demons and became more like her old self, we had all learned that she is a fascinating person. And really, really, good at the banter that we all thrived on. She interrupts Gloria and Svetlana: “I hope you two aren’t going to do that all night.”
Gloria looks over at her with a quizzical expression. “What?” She asks.
“Talk about silly things the rest of us don’t understand,” Navah continues. “Honestly, how you two take so much pleasure in discussing esoteric mathematics is a bit … disturbing.” Navah assumes an exaggerated air of unease as she says the last word.
Gloria assumes a mock serious expression and replies: “And I find your inability to grasp the subtle beauty of Watcher Physics disappointing. But, for your information, we’re talking about something else anyway, and you’re interrupting. So I will thank you to keep your unenlightened comments to yourself.”
Navah, showing genuine interest, leans towards them and says quietly: “Oh, really? I want in. What’s going on?”
Gloria and Svetlana share a look. I have no clue what they are up to, but I am probably going to find out eventually. Gloria turns back to Navah and ropes her into their little huddle. The third conspirator quickly joins their quiet conversation. I watch them all warmly. Today Gloria had been awarded her second Navy Cross, the second highest award for bravery in the United Humanity Navy. She had been given the award for her actions above Tortuga. I can remember the citation clearly:
For extraordinary heroism while serving as the Commanding Officer of the UHNS Andrew K. Stern as part of Task Group 62.1, in action against pirates operating on the planet A-ST-S 78, 10 February 2051. While conducting a routine amphibious assault against A-ST-S 78 Commander Johansen found her ship suddenly under attack by a vastly superior force of pirate ships. Despite being outgunned and outmassed by the enemy force, Commander Johansen instantly went on the offensive. Under her direction the Stern constantly outmaneuvered and outshot her larger, more powerful opponents. During the course of the battle the Stern suffered severe damage to its targeting systems. Undaunted Commander Johansen coolly closed with the remaining enemy ships and pressed home an attack into the teeth of the enemy’s fire. Her courage and skill under heavy enemy fire directly lead to the destruction of the entire enemy force. Commander Johansen’s actions reflect the highest credit upon herself and the United Humanity Naval Service.
During the trip home I had managed to get Gloria drunk enough to talk about the naval battle in the space above Tortuga. None of us really liked to talk about such things, but we always try and force these things out of each other. We do so, not out of curiosity, but to keep the horror and terror of the fight from burrowing into our soul. Once discussed in the open these things always become less fearsome and we can go about living the rest of our lives. Her description bore little resemblance to the citation read aloud today. Oh the fight happened the way the citation read, but those things never capture the fear and desperation you feel as you struggle to somehow save those under your care. Her description had been one of frantic effort and bitter doubt as she tried to stay one step ahead of her powerful enemy. Watching her happily conspire with Svetlana and Navah I am thankful that the terrible fighting above Tortuga has left no lasting mark.
Others had received awards today as well. Before a formation of Marines from 2nd Division and Sailors from 6th Fleet a whole host of people from the Task Group were recognized for actions on Tortuga. It had been the biggest fight the Navy and Marines had faced in many, man
y years. Of those sitting at the table with me everyone had received an award today but me. Mbiraru and Bennie had been presented with Gold Stars, the third highest decoration for valor. Svetlana and Navah were awarded Navy Crosses along with Gloria. I have no problem with this. All of them had been brave beyond measure. Of course all of us do not really care about such things. Our reward is the fact that we were all still alive and together.
The fact that I did not receive anything worries me. Not because I did not get anything. Honestly, I could care less. I already have too many damn medals anyway. But, based on some of the comments Colonel Rainer and Commodore Duquesne had made, and the fact that I was not part of the ceremony today, I have a deep suspicion that I am in for a higher award. I fervently hope I am not. There is only one award higher than a Navy Cross and I feel, in no uncertain terms, that I have done nothing to deserve it.
Mbiraru snaps me out of me reverie by putting his hand on my shoulder. He asks: “My friend, would you like another beer?” He smiles broadly at me and continues: “I fear that my bottle has just run out, a very sad state of affairs. So I am off to rectify this most unwelcome situation.”
I smile back. “Sure Mbiraru. Thanks.”
He stands up and responds with: “No thanks are necessary, my friend.” He heads for the bar greeting people along the way.
Bennie stands up as well. “Well mates I’m away.” He has a flight to catch for Italy early tomorrow morning. Those of us still at the table wish him a pleasant trip and he heads for the door.
None of us have taken the post deployment leave that Marines and Sailors are offered after returning from a tour on the Elowynn border. Instead we have all busily set about rebuilding our units. Gloria inducted her ship into drydock in the Navy’s massive construction station in orbit around Earth. While the yard dogs repaired the damage to her ship she set about addressing losses suffered by her crew. She has worked very hard over the last three months and the Stern will be ready to sail by the middle of next week. Mbiraru had lost a pair of Oxes on Tortuga along with their crews. He also lost some of his Marines aboard the Stern as she had taken damage. That being said, compared to the rest of us he had the least amount of work to do and his squadron had been fully reconstituted after less than a month. Navah is still working to complete the almost total reconstruction and reconstitution of her battalion. She had replaced almost all of the equipment immediately, the Marine Corps retained large stocks of equipment for this purpose. Personnel has been a different matter.