by JR Handley
They were on their third pass through the city when they finally found several cryo-pods that had been abandoned in a scuttled Stork shuttle. The old transport tilted on its side and had been shoved off to the corner in the hangar bay. Not waiting to hear more, Marchewka took off at a loping run and made it to the Stork before they’d managed to pry open the door.
“Field Marshal, we’ve reached the cryo-, but their power cores were damaged. Sabotaged. They’re operating on emergency backups,” said the technician.
“Leave the tech jargon. What does that mean?” demanded Marchewka.
“Field Marshal, these are your mother and another Marine, who was already listed as dead. Senior Sergeant Fontaine of Dog Company, 941st TAC. They can be saved, but I need to slave the battery units that I sent the technician to fetch into the emergency backup’s battery. That buys us a little bit of time, but we need to get them over to Akoni City’s med bay quickly.”
There was stunned silence as the shock of the discovery rolled over the assembled Marines. Colonel Basil Terloar, who was brought over to the city once it was deemed safe, rushed to where the clustered personnel were standing. Basil pushed the technician aside and began messing around inside the wiring. He seemed to grow even more frantic as he hooked his worm into the access point. Turning to the technician, he ordered them to bring him several power cores from the empty cryo-pods.
“You’re a second-rate fool. Move out of the way,” said Basil.
Turning to Marchewka, Basil spoke again. “Sir, I can revive her. The longer they’re in there, the worse their viability is. The pod was damaged in the older battle we’ve seen evidence of. When we set off an EMP blast that went off in here to take out the auto-turrets, we destroyed the main power conduits. I can revive her, but we don’t have a lot of time. If we use external batteries so we can wait to get her to Akoni, there’ll be irreparable damage.”
“Revive them, but start with the human sergeant,” growled Marchewka in his natural voice, without bothering to use his voice box.
Standing still, Marchewka crossed both sets of his arms over his armored torso as he watched Basil work. Time seemed to slow down, and he felt like it was taking forever for the human to revive the long-frozen NCO. After a few minutes, he had enough and demanded an update. There was no answer, and time dragged on. Just when Marchewka felt his professional demeanor and control slipping, Basil stood and turned to face him.
“Sir, this sergeant will be thawed in five minutes. After the medics give me a reading, we can tweak my process and then revive your mother.”
Not bothering to speak, he waved an appendage to indicate that Basil should resume his work. While he waited, he caught sight of movement in his peripheral and turned to see Lance pacing, his helmet tucked under his arm. The agitated expression on his face gave Marchewka something to do to distract himself, and he latched onto it with all four appendages.
“She was once your commander, but she was my mother. What has you so much more excitable than I?”
“Sir, I hope we save your mother. I pray to the gods that we do, but Sergeant Fontaine should be dead. She and the rest of Dog Company were ordered to be killed by General Korenje. A member of my squad cowardly ran from a fight, and the rest of the unit was executed. By the General’s order, only your mother and I were spared. If Fontaine lives, might others in my old company be alive, too?”
Marchewka’s brows elongated in contemplation as he considered the implications of that. If such Marines lived, he knew they could have answers he desperately sought. The captured city of Kalino held many mysteries, and he strongly suspected that the answers here would pay huge dividends later. Their conversation abruptly ended when a shout from Basil caught their attention.
“Sirs, Fontaine is going to live. She’ll lose her foot, but she’ll live to fight again. We’ve compensated for it, and have started reviving your mother. She’ll be fully cognizant in a few minutes.”
“Very good, Basil,” Marchewka replied, before turning to Lance.
“Lance, I want you to pull this Fontaine aside and debrief her. If she’ll join us, great. If not, put her down. We don’t have time to waste when the insurgents and their Aux commander are out there.”
Saluting, Lance turned to his XO.
“Wires, call Akoni City and get a bird over here yesterday. I want it fully staffed for medevacs. Horden’s hairy bullocks, I swear I’ll shoot the pilots if they dawdle. Sergeant Major, organize a team to clear a path. This hangar bay needs to be operational yesterday. Now, people! Overwatch shuttle will land the moment we have room.”
While the Legion Marines scurried to follow their orders, Basil and the other technicians finished de-icing Captain Grimgerde. When they had the cryo-pods prepped for movement, Lance turned back to Marchewka.
“Field Marshal, your mother is waking up. We’re moving her to Kalino’s medical bay. They might need you there. Why don’t you ride with your mother? You’ve a lot of catching up to do.”
— Chapter 42 —
Mid Evening, Post-Revival Day 212
Kalino City, Cardamine Island
Commander, TF Vengeance, Human Legion
After he was given his orders, Colonel Lance Scipio pulled the grav-cryo-bed off to the side and waited for Sergeant Fontaine to become fully aware of her surroundings. She’d once been his senior sergeant, but Lance felt removed from those days of his youth. She’d taken him from the crèche and trained him in warfare. When Lance had graduated and been sent out on his first mission, she’d joined his regular line company and been his NCO. He could still remember her speech to Dog Company before the assault on the QEP, and how he’d felt when he heard the general order her execution.
“I thought we were dead for sure. Glad to see I made it. Where am I, technician? Wait, that face. I know you, but how?” Fontaine asked.
“I imagine I’ve aged some since last we met. Lance Scipio,” he said.
“That’s it. Well, don’t just stand there, Marine. Get me the Aux so I can get my orders.”
“Sergeant, much has changed. And that’s Colonel Scipio. I’m pleased that–”
Her laughter interrupted his attempt to update her on current events, but Lance didn’t take her slight personally. He’d changed since his time under her command, grown up and found his place in the universe. With so much going on around him, he debated just sending Fontaine her orders via her digi-sheet, but instead waited for the laughter to subside so he could continue.
“Much has changed, Sergeant. The White Knights are at war with themselves, and now humanity is fighting for its very survival. We fight under the banner of the Human Legion. You’re now a part of that Legion, if you wish to join. But with so much at stake, it’s an offer you probably shouldn’t refuse. After General Korenje ordered Dog Company’s death, I never thought to see you again.”
“I’m remarkably hard to kill, especially when Captain Grimgerde owed me a life debt. She had them transfer me out of the company before the order came down and then iced with you two. I was in the cryo-pod next to you. Had to stomach you and that Spacer getting all soft. If you’re a colonel, then the universe really did go to shit.”
Fontaine paused, and Lance began to worry that he’d have to kill his former sergeant. When she seemed to tire of staring him down, she continued.
“I go where my commander goes. If Captain Grimgerde joins your insanity, then that’s good enough for me. Give my AI the timeline. I’ll read it while I recover from losing my left foot. Meanwhile, what came of the mutiny here in Kalino?” she asked.
“I didn’t know there was a mutiny, but since you asked, I’ll assume you were revived here and haven’t been sleeping since Rakasa. I was revived in Beta City by Captain Grimgerde’s son. Tell me what you remember about the mutiny. I need to piece it together.”
“We were revived, and before we’d been given our new assignments, we heard the mutiny distress alarm blaring. We grabbed our kit and went to report in. But the Human Marin
e Corps had sent outside forces to quell it, and they were shooting anyone not in their blood-red combat suits. We knew we were frakked, so we rushed to get back into our pods. I iced the captain, and then myself. I’ve no idea why you found us in the hangar bay.”
Lance continued peppering her with questions, but it became clear that she didn’t know anything more about the mutiny. He surmised that when the Human Marine Corps put down the rebellion, they’d decided that the culture in Kalino City was the issue. It explained why they’d shut it down, and why the corpses were never buried. The Corps didn’t treat mutineers very well, even in death. When he was satisfied, Lance asked her to hold her own questions, and promised to update her when he was done.
“What do you know about the fleet in the Rakasa System the Legion hopes to claim?” Lance asked.
Again, she laughed so hard that she seemed to have hurt herself. At Lance’s confusion, she laughed some more. Wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes, she answered his question.
“Thanks. I needed that. Takes my mind off the missing foot. If you’re at war with the White Knights, then that fleet is at war with you. If you had a quick enough fleet and could broadcast the current imperial codes, you might get in alive. Then you’d have to capture the fleet before everyone was awake. But they might not even be there anymore. Who knows what the status is? Why not just ask them directly? Base Ops has the chbits to talk with the fleet commander.”
There was a moment of stunned silence before Lance sent a priority update to Marchewka. While he waited for the reply, he turned back to Fontaine.
“Your medevac is here. Once you’re cleared by the medics, record everything you remember about Rakasa. We’ll need you back in the fight soon, so no shirking your rehab. And read the damn summary on the events since you took your ice nap.”
— Chapter 43 —
Mid Evening, Post-Revival Day 212
Kalino City, Cardamine Island
Commander, TF Vengeance, Human Legion
His former commanders, Marchewka and his mother Grimgerde, reacquainted quickly after she was revived. It was as if they’d spent their entire lives serving together, and it surprised him. Lance had little experience with family, having been separated from his mother at a young age. When he’d tried to arrange for Grimgerde to be transported to Akoni City for follow-up treatment, both parties refused to be whisked off to Akoni City.
“I will rest when my sacred duty has been honored. I taught you this, crèchelings,” Captain Grimgerde replied in her unadulterated gravelly voice.
Lance wasn’t surprised that Grimgerde was relatively unharmed, despite the ordeal she’d been through. And she was driven by a sense of duty that still made him feel inadequate, even all these years later. When he’d suggested she check into the Kalino infirmary, she refused that as well, insisting that she be put to work immediately.
“If you insist, ma’am,” Lance stuttered out.
Despite his efforts to present a confident appearance, he felt like a crècheling again. After thinking for a moment, Lance turned to Marchewka.
“Field Marshal, we need your mother to research the chbit comms link to the Rakasa System fleet. Fontaine mentioned there was one inside Kalino. We need to find out if it’s still here. It’s sensitive enough, I suggest the two of you supervise the project. It’ll give you time to catch up on old times, as well.”
“Family time can wait, now that I know she’s alive and safe,” Marchewka replied in a neutral voice through his voice box. “What did you get from Fontaine?”
“Sir, she lost a lot of blood, so not as much as I would like. She’ll join the Legion if her commander does, so I got what I could out of her. I recorded it all, sent it to your AI. When she comes out of surgery, she’ll record everything she remembers about the Rakasa System. As a senior NCO, she had access to more information than I did. Maybe there’s stuff I missed. If we’re going to fly there to grab that fleet for the Legion, intel would be beneficial.”
“There is much you missed if you think you’ll waltz into a White Knight System and take what’s theirs,” Captain Grimgerde said. “They’re not an unbeatable foe, but planning will be necessary. First, we find out if the quantum link to the system remains. Then we get updates from the fleet. The gods shine ever in our favor, the system’s guarded by a Jotun fleet from our home world. But again, we can make no plans before we determine that the fleet remains.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Lance replied. “And the coordinates? We have several best guesses, based on the makeup of the solar system. Fontaine debriefed Dog Company on it, but the vague nature of those facts hasn’t allowed us to narrow it down enough to send out our ships.”
“If this Tizer can even build them,” Marchewka added with skepticism laden in his words.
Stepping forward, clamping one of his furry appendages onto Lance’s shoulder, Marchewka continued.
“You’re right. This is important to all of us. I will stay. Gaarjar will assume command of Task Force Retribution. Nhlappo will assume command of the conquest of Baylshore. Continue planning the defeat of Spartika, and I will prepare for what must come later. If we are to try to gain our Legion more warships, we must contact the fleet you left.”
After making his pronouncement, Marchewka followed his mother deeper into the city, security entourage closing ranks around him. Lance turned to Nhlappo, who’d been standing respectfully aside while Marchewka talked to his mother and Lance. She quickly assumed command of the situation, and Lance snapped to attention as he waited for orders.
“Scipio, continue searching the city for usable assets. I’ll coordinate with Akoni to get Gaarjar over here, and I’ll organize the defense of the island. When we continue on to conquer the insurgents, we want to hold what we’ve got. Keep me posted. Soon we’ll start planning the victory over the insurgents.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Lance said as he snapped a quick salute.
After receiving his orders, Lance headed over to where his command staff waited. He promptly set to work expanding their efforts to search the captured city. Wanting to make the city usable and sanitary, he tasked Wires with organizing burial details for all the dead Marines. His efforts to bring order to his childhood home were interrupted when a shuttle arrived bearing the Human Legion technical gurus, Lieutenant Commander Chase Arbor, Master Chief Teon Roca-Bonga, and Colonel Gashi Gaarjar. Their arrival would provide a commander for Task Force Retribution and give Basil some assistance in digging through the old tech for anything which could be viably re-purposed.
Once the city was deemed safe, Basil had been allowed off the overwatch shuttle and had quickly sought to make himself useful. Lance knew that with Basil’s technical expertise, they had to treat him like the valuable tool that he was. If he were to fall into enemy hands, he could help them win the war for Tranquility. With Basil’s help, however, he was confident that the Legion would be able to ferret out all the secrets of his old home. With those, this planet and more could be theirs.
Looking back at his evening, it still felt surreal. He’d never expected to see his former company commander again, and had made peace with the fact that his company had died. To find out that his CO and senior sergeant had survived was earth-shattering. Are more of my friends alive? he wondered. Deep in thought, he didn’t notice that everyone in his command staff was staring at him. Lance rarely took breaks from the manual labor and had always worked by their side. When he stopped and leaned against one of the scuttled Storks, deep in thought, it stood out.
“Are you okay?” Sashala asked him quietly.
“Yeah, just not sure how to feel. Fontaine should’ve been dead, but Captain Grimgerde found a way to save her. Had others from my company also found ways to avoid their executions? Do any of them yet live?”
“Lance, we can’t know that. The only way to find out involves capturing the planet and heading back to where your strange story starts: Rakasa. So put your game face on. We need you. We can’t beat the insurgents with our comm
ander playing what if in his frakking head.”
Sashala finished talking, and Lance’s reply was interrupted by the roaring sound of a Stork’s landing approach. The bird dropped its rear exit ramp, and Lance looked over just in time to see Gaarjar bounding out. Waving her over, Lance waited for her to join him.
“Be smart. I hear they’re going to brevet Gaarjar a field marshal,” Sashala told him quietly, the helmet clipped to her thigh clacking into the one on his.
“Aren’t I always?” Lance asked.
There was no chance to reply as Gaarjar finally joined him.
“Why aren’t we looking for a cache of troops like Beta City had?” asked Gaarjar.
“We are,” Lance assured her, “but you’re right that it’s time to get back to work. I’ve had Xena send you an update. You should report to Nhlappo. She’s in the command center.”
Nodding, she asked a few questions about the capture of the city. Happy with Lance’s answers, Gaarjar headed off in search of Nhlappo. When the tall Jotun officer was out of earshot, he turned to his XO.
“Wires, the map of Kalino is on the LBNet. Compare it to what we found when we explored the city, starting from the bottom up. We’re missing something, so analyze it for any hidden levels or unexplained voids. While you do that, I’m going to see if my barracks room still stands before I try some of the places we hid in as novices.”
While Lance was wandering around his childhood home, looking for any of the secret passages that he once played in, he received a call from his XO.