“Ahh!” He ran at them furiously. He wasn’t well versed with the blade, but he had the will to fight and survive, and nothing was going to stand in his way. He cut furiously back and forth, putting his opponents on the defensive. Finally, as they both tried to parry his blows, he feinted at one, quickly slashing down at the knee of the other, dropping them instantly. But the blade of the other slashed across his lead arm as he backed away. He winced in pain but had to recover enough that he didn’t lose the arm from the brutal swing. His opponent kept coming, closing to a grapple, and smashing him back up against a boulder. He landed hand, but his armour saved his spine. The Prian was growling at him as he pushed his blade forward while holding his own sword arm.
His attacker was stronger than he was as the blade drew near to his eye. He lashed out with punches from his left, but even one that caught the enemy on the cheek did little. He couldn’t get any leverage into his strikes, but he had to do something. He put his left hand onto his own blade, using the leverage he now had to draw it across the wrist of the Prian’s sword hand. A deep wound opened as he lost grip of the blade, and his grip weakened on his sword. That was just enough for him to push forward and draw his blade across the throat. The gurgling sound was abhorrent, even if it was from an enemy. Blood poured out over King’s hands as the dying Prian went down. But out of the corner of his eye he noticed the last of them had retrieved his Aquilla from the vehicle and was pointing it right at him.
King was in the open and in plain sight. It wouldn’t take a marksman to hit him from that range. There was nothing he could do. It seemed like the end, and he couldn’t believe it. This was an end he never could have imagined. He’d barely just arrived. He knew he’d underestimated Rhamprox, but there was no point regretting it now. He stood upright, accepting his fate.
A shot rang out, but to his amazement it was not he who was shot, but the last of the Prians. A second shot hit him, and he went down, the Aquilla falling from his hands. He was saved. He turned sharply to find who his saviour was, and there on a rock a few metres away was Sergeant Stone, Aquilla in hand. King didn’t know what to say, but he didn’t have to. Stone said it for him.
“You’re a fool, but a brave fool. I haven’t seen anyone fight like that since Quatraz.”
“You were there, watching the whole time?”
“Most of it,” he said, pacing up to the young Lieutenant.
“And only now you stepped in? I could have been killed.”
“Yeah, and that’s the risk I take if I have to come out here with an incompetent platoon leader. You made a bad call coming out here alone, but we all make bad calls. I needed to know you could dig yourself back out of it.”
“So, this was a test?”
“I didn’t force you to come out here, Sir. You did that all on your own,” he smiled.
For the first time the Sergeant looked like he had a little respect for King, and he could tell.
“Did you follow me out here to help me, or see me put to the test?”
“Both.”
“And how did I do?”
“I won’t be asking the Colonel to have you reassigned.”
King smiled, as that was the best praise he could get. He wondered if Stone had that kind of pull, although the way the Colonel spoke of him, he believed it.
“Come on, follow me back. That’s quite enough excitement for your first day.”
He left to head for whatever vehicle he’d travelled in. King grabbed his rifle, locked it back into the rack, and climbed back into the driver’s seat. He froze for a moment. Dozens more Prians were silhouetted against the star-filled sky. It made his heart pound in his chest as he realised how close he’d come to death. He fired up the vehicle and pulled out of there quickly. As he passed over the ridge, he spotted the lights of another vehicle just like his own. The Sergeant tore off into the night, and he floored the accelerator to keep up. He was bleeding and hurt, but he couldn’t help but smile. Now he knew he’d made it out alive, he reflected over the most exhilarating experience of his life.
Chapter 4
Six days later
“Up, get up!”
King could hear Sergeant Stone as he passed through the platoon barracks. The Lieutenant awaited them to form up, as they had bright and early every morning since they arrived. Finally, they began to materialise, but many were missing equipment and looked sloppy. They didn’t want to be there, that much was certain. They looked weary and tired, but he didn’t understand why.
“In two lines, form up, form up!” Stone roared.
He drew near to the Lieutenant as the lines began to assemble, but not at a particularly quick or orderly rate.
“Sergeant, these men are not fit for service. Look at them,” whispered King.
Stone grit his teeth. He knew it to be the case, and also the limits they were reaching.
“I fear for what will happen if we press these men further,” he replied.
King was surprised to hear it and pulled him further aside to assure privacy.
“What the hell is going on here? Give it to me straight.”
Stone sighed.
“These are Prians, at a time of increased restlessness across Rhamprox. Many of them don’t want us here. The attacks we have both seen, those are not isolated or unique. The people of this world will pick off Empire troops at any opportunity.”
“But why?”
Stone looked surprised he even had to explain it.
“This is their world, but we’ve come here to rule them. Would you accept that if the roles were reversed?”
“Well, no, but we’re…”
“Superior?”
King was ashamed to say it, but it is what he was thinking.
“We cannot have this sort of insubordination. How can we rely on these men to have our backs in a fight, if they will not even submit to training exercises?”
“We can’t, not fully.”
“What?”
“When you first arrived, I was out with a squad.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“We came under attack, and aside from Sandu, not one of them wanted to fight. They did nothing until they had no choice.”
“What? Does the Colonel know of this?”
“He knows exactly the problems we face out here. But he also knows we can’t expect these locals to act like regulars. We take them for what they are.”
“Cheap labour, you mean?”
“Exactly.”
King rubbed his chin with worry as he tried to work out what to do.
“Giving them some leeway is one thing, but we can’t allow insubordination. I want them worked today, worked hard, and get them in order. Remind them who is in charge.”
“Yes, Sir,” he replied as they both took up position in front of the platoon. He went to the nearest one who was missing his tunic.
“Rosca, where is your tunic?” There was no response, “Go and retrieve your tunic now, and that goes for all of you!”
Nobody moved.
“No,” Rosca replied quietly.
“What! What did you say?” Stone demanded angrily.
“No.”
Stone’s angry face turned even more furious as he looked to the others who were missing equipment. They weren’t moving, and so he went to Baclu.
“Kavildar, get your people in line, or I will.”
But Baclu looked dismissive.
“We do not train today.”
“I don’t give a damn what you want. You’ll do as commanded.”
“Not today.”
“Why the hell not?”
“My people, we mourn the loss of friends. Friends who were killed by your Empire.”
“My Empire? You serve it, too.”
Baclu yelled something in their native tongue, and the platoon began to dismiss.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going!”
None of them listened, and he grabbed Baclu’s arm to stop him, and forced him to turn back.<
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“Be careful what happens next,” he warned.
Stone could see several others had turned back to support their NCO. Their hands were edging ever closer to their rifles. King was starting to get a sense of how dangerous the situation was becoming. So far it had not escalated to violence, but it was like a tinderbox.
“Sergeant, leave them be!”
Stone looked furious and looked back to be sure that was what he’d heard. The Lieutenant stepped up beside them with a smile, and in a friendly tone addressed Baclu.
“I am sorry for the loss of your friends. Death can be a hard time on all of us. We will resume training tomorrow,” he said politely.
Rosca grunted in approval before simply responding, “Yes.”
The whole platoon was gone in no time.
“Sir, what are you doing? How can you let them get away with this sort of behaviour?”
“Because the alternative was far worse. You saw how they were. They were ready to fight you over this.”
“They wouldn’t dare.”
King wasn’t so sure about that. He’d never seen such a lack if discipline, except perhaps from his very own cousin.
“Sergeant, I know I’m new here, and I have a lot to learn, but I think we’re treading a dangerous path. The Prians, they’re a proud and strong people. They have but to realise their own strength, and how few we are, and…”
“And what? We have the might of the Empire behind us.”
“Do we? Are you sure about that? The Colonel tells me nobody wants to take positions here. Funding is poor. Seems to me you get by here off the backs of the locals. The moment they understand that, we’re in deep trouble.”
“Listen to what you’re saying. You’re talking about mutiny.”
“Yes, yes I am.”
“Lieutenant, I understand your fears, but you do not know this world.” He put a hand on King’s shoulder in a friendly way, showing he meant it with the best of intentions.
“I hope you’re right. I pray that you are right.”
“Trust me, the Rhepoys are a touchy bunch. They can’t be ordered around like you’ve been taught to command. They are the way they are. Let them get over whatever this is, and tomorrow we’ll start afresh.”
“It is a strange world this one, filled with strange people,” replied King with a smile.
He took comfort in the Sergeant’s confidence that there was no danger.
“Yes, one of many. The outer worlds are where life thrives, not in the perfect confines of a perfect world. A bubble. That’s not what you and I were made for. Not what we were trained for.”
“I’m not such a fool after all, then?”
“I didn’t say that. You took on six savage Prians with nothing more than a blade. That won’t be forgotten anytime soon.”
“Really? Who would remember it out here?”
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“The Colonel has already submitted you for a medal for your heroism.”
“What?” He was shocked.
“You are what this world needs. Not old angry Marines. A fresh face who’s done gallant things.”
“Not by choice I did. I was fighting for my life because I went out there foolishly by myself.”
“Yes, but I’m sure the Colonel will skip that in his commendation. He means to make a poster boy of you, and why not?”
“Because I haven’t earned it?”
Stone laughed.
“There are many ways to earn and accomplish things in this Empire of ours. Some may surprise you.”
King shook his head. He thought he had it all figured out, and yet things were far more complex than he understood.
“I thought this was a frontier posting to protect trade routes. Expand and develop industry, and protect the settlers here.”
Once again, the Sergeant laughed.
“That and a lot more.”
They walked together towards the mess. For the regular NCOs messed with the officers, or at least that’s how Rossman operated his command.
“Where are we going?”
“For a drink, where else?”
“We’re on duty, are we not?”
“Without a platoon to command, no. You dismissed the troops for the day, and so we’re free to do as we please.”
“And what is it you do with your free time?”
He’d done little but train with the platoon since he arrived. Every day was exhausting, and he’d managed little time in the mess and early nights each day.
“Drink, gamble, hunt, whatever takes your fancy. And you?”
“I sure don’t hunt, but everything else in moderation,” he smiled, “What could you even hunt in this place?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
They stepped into the mess to find several officers drinking and playing cards, despite the fact it was early in the morning.
“I can’t imagine things ever being this way at home, at the Academy,” King said as they were passed a drink from the bar and took a seat.
“Don’t worry about it too much. The stuff is so weak you can drink it all day and still walk in a straight line.” A Captain stepped up to them, the same obtuse Captain he encountered when he first arrived. Now he lifted a glass with them.
“So you’re the man who fought twenty Prians with a sword?”
“Not quite that many.”
“Still bloody impressive. Most officers who turn up here avoid any trouble and get the hell back out as quickly as they arrived.”
“I didn’t come here because I had to.”
The Captain looked impressed.
“It’s about time we had new blood willing to kick some ass. Nice work.” He strolled off to join his comrades.
“That’s Captain Getz. It’s not easy to gain his respect.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t have if he knew the real story.”
“Of course he knows. You made a mistake going out there like you did. But we all make mistakes. It’s how you handle them that really matters. That’s what it is to be a Marine. Adapt and improvise. Overcome any situation, no matter the reason you got into it.”
“So it’s just the Alliance we lie to?”
“Spin not lie. This world needs to get attention back home, and you’re the perfect candidate.”
He smiled, seeing how hard the Sergeant was working to be a mentor.
“Tell me, do you help out all the new officers like this?”
“Only if they show they’re capable of learning from it. I wrote you off as another glory-seeking fool trying to use this posting as a springboard to greatness. But that’s not what you’re about, is it?”
He shook his head, took a sip of his drink, and looked about the room.
“So, this is what life is going to be like? Commanding an undisciplined militia and fooling around at the mess?”
“There is action to be had, but not too much. The Empire is fighting numerous small wars across many outer planets, insurgents and all sorts. Rhamprox is the perfect place to be. Enough action and danger to keep you sharp, but not so much you get your head blown off for the privilege.”
“Is that why you’re here?”
“No. I’m here because it’s all I’ve ever known. If I couldn’t be a Marine, I don’t know what I’d be. I do and go wherever I am needed.”
“Even if that means getting your head blown off for the privilege?”
“Yes,” he replied with a smile, “That’s what I signed up for.”
Time passed quickly as they drank and talked, and before they knew it the sun was going down.
“Come on, watching a sunset is quite a thing out here. One of the few perks of living on the very edge of civilisation,” said Stone.
They headed for the front gates and were surprised to pass the Colonel on the way. They exchanged a casual salute before approaching the gates where King had passed through almost to his death a few days before. He was surprised to see they were open
, and several Rhepoys were ambling through. A waft of thick smoke followed them.
“Bhanza. You can get it in town easily. The Prians smoke it, snort it, and all manner of other things.”
“What does it do?”
“To a Human? It’ll hit you like a sledgehammer. Those who tried it never were quite the same again. The Colonel strictly prohibits us from going near it, and it’s wise to do so.”
“Then why let them do it?”
“They’ve been doing it for generations. You can’t stop that now, unless you want a war on your hands. Rossman’s predecessor tried to put a stop to it, and the fallout was not pretty. The Prians, sometimes you have to let them be. They aren’t machines that can just do what you want, when you want them to.”
He recognized one. It was Rosca, the one who’d refused Stone’s orders earlier that day. He was staggering as though completely intoxicated and rambling in his own tongue.
“This can’t be a good thing,” said King.
“It is what it is.”
They climbed some steps to the top of a small tower to look out at the last of the light as the town fell into darkness. It was actually quite beautiful.
“It’s an odd place, isn’t it?” King asked.
“Yes, but most of the outer worlds are to anyone who doesn’t know them. Nature is savage and cruel, and also surprising. But we rarely let it takes it course on our worlds anymore.
King rested over the outer wall and sighed with relief, as it was quite tranquil.
“It’s nothing like I expected. This place I mean, nothing at all. I read the briefings and did my research, but none of that could have prepared me. But I like it. I wanted to see life in all its forms, and it sure is different out here.”
“It is indeed.”
A shout rang out from below, and they looked down. A Rhepoy threw a punch against another as a fight broke out before the gates.
“Stop there! Break it up!” The guards rushed out to clear it up. Stone was smiling as he watched the brawl. The Prians swung heavy shots, and a third joined in. But a single gunshot rang out at their backs, and his expression of joy turned to shock as they spun around to look for some sign of it.
“That came from within the walls,” said Stone in horror.
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