Hero of the Confederacy

This was it after so long out in the wilderness I was back in action. I leaned back and tried to gather my thoughts and relax but I was feeling too keyed up to relax.

“Lieutenant Ross.” I called to the pilot of the shuttle leaning forward my eyes meeting Lieutenant Tutor’s.

“Yes major?” Ross called back.

“What’s our ETA?”

“Fifty-two minutes.”

“Good,” I leaned back aware of Vorra’s intense gaze, “Vorra?”

The Ezaran’s hands were fiddling with her helmet. “Major Locke, ma’am can I ask you some questions?”

“Watch out major!” Kriaeusus chortled, “she’s got the hots for you. Now that she knows you’re part robot.”

“Kriaeusus you’re a jerk!” Vorra responded. I could see from the twitch of her lips that she wanted to say something cruder.

“That’s ok Vorra and I’m not going to pull you up on venting your spleen at Kriaeusus I’ve heard it all before.”

“Thank you ma’am. Kriaeusus you’re a…” Promptly proving me wrong I hadn’t heard all the words she used before.

“Did you understand any of that?” I whispered to Shawna.

“Most of it but nothing I like to repeat,” she whispered back.

“Finished Vorra?” I asked mildly.

“Yes ma’am. Could you answer my questions?”

“It ain’t like we’re going anywhere yet,” I sighed knowing that she was going to pester me until she was satisfied.

“Vorra stop harassing Major Locke!” Shawna spoke in my defence.

“That’s alright sergeant,” reminding me that I’d have to have a talk with Shawna once the mission was over. “Ask your questions Vorra I know you won’t be satisfied until you do.”

“Does it hurt, the implant I mean?”

“Hurt no. But it can be blessed annoying at times,” I sat forward leaning across to Vorra seated opposite, “It can be bit of a passion killer when you’re trying to get intimate. To have that thing buzzing in your head is a pain but not in the physical sense and you can’t turn it off or shove it a drawer and forget about it, it’s constantly there.”

“I see major I’d never thought about that. But did it hurt putting it in I’ve heard of people suffering massive headaches in the days after the fitting,” Vorra remarked thoughtfully.

“Exactly how do they fit it major if you don’t mind, medical curiosity?” Sarah interrupted.

“They shave the side of your head,” I touched my hair not wanting to be reminded of the indignity I had suffered, “then you are wheeled into the operating theatre and put under. The surgeon slices your skin open and folds it apart. They cut a chunk of your skull out. A tech replaces it with the implant and they close it up and let you recover. When you are significantly recovered they get the tech to initialise the implant and it’s ready to go. The worse bit is waiting weeks for your hair to grow back.”

“Ugh sounds too ghoulish for my tastes,” Sarah remarked with her face screwed up.

“But how is it powered?” Vorra seemed puzzled.

“Electrical impulses in the brain the recharge the power cell. Well that’s how a tech explained it to me.”

The Ezaran looked thoughtful. “Interesting. What does it actually do?”

“Almost as much as a datapad.”

“A datapad can link into the Comms Net.”

“So can my implant.”

“That sounds a little complicated for a 227,” Vorra said thoughtfully

“That’s what I paid for,” it was the truth as far as I was concerned.

“You called it Lottie?” Vorra seemed puzzled by that.

Now that I come to think about it she called herself Lottie not me. If that weren’t an indicator of self-awareness then nothing else would satisfy the criteria.

“It’s just a name,” I lied, “better than calling it computer or comms unit.”

“And that’s why I’ll never understand you humans,” Vorra sighed shaking her head, “thank you major it’s given me much to dwell on.”

“You ok?” Shawna asked, “I saw how tense you got.” She glanced around looking at the other members of her squad Bacare sitting on her other side seeming to be asleep. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I could massage some of that tension out of you if you like Sandra? I’m very good at that.”

“We’ll talk about this later,” definitely later, things between us could wait we had a mission to complete and I didn’t want to compromise that.

We sat in contemplative silence for the rest of the journey to the planet although I did wonder why Lottie was so silent.

The shuttle trembled. “Lieutenant Ross?” I called out, “there a problem?”

“We hit a little turbulence as we entered the atmosphere compensating for it now ma’am.”

“ETA Ross?”

“Ten minutes ma’am.”

“Helmets on, weapons ready.”

Shawna handed me my helmet I strapped it on while she donned hers. I felt the shuttle slow. I put a hand on the grip of my weapon and glanced around seeing the others do the same. My other hand gripped the quick release button on my seat restraints.

“By the numbers LT.”

“Yes ma’am,” gone was the causal camaraderie of the ship replaced with a cool professionalism, “Vorra, Bacare fireteam Alpha, Kriaeusus, Harms fireteam Beta. Vanwasshova you’re with me in fireteam Delta.”

Sarah grinned broadly at that.

“And me LT?”

“Fireteam Gamma with Lieutenant Ross.”

“’K LT.”

“Standard spread. Major Locke and Lieutenant Ross hold the shuttle pad,” he paused at my nod and continued, “consider it a hot LZ until we declare it clear.”

“Yes sir!” the squad shouted.

“Got a lock on the shuttle pad,” Ross called out calmly, “adjusting flight angle.”

“ETA?”

“Two minutes ma’am. Do you want a fly over before we land?”

“Do so Ross.”

“Aye ma’am.”

The shuttle turned and circled around the landing pad.

“No one home,” Ross said, “still want to land ma’am?”

“Take us down Ross.”

I jerked hard on my restraint release. The buckle clicked and I was free of my seat. I loosened the strap on my weapon and swung it into position. The shuttle vibrated as Ross throttled down the engines as the shuttle came into land. The door slid open as cloud of dust obscured the view.

“Out!” Tutor yelled. “Go! Go! Go!”

Following the squad I scrambled out on to the surface of an alien world. I took a quick bead on my surroundings the sound of the shuttle’s engines shutting down echoing in my head. A wash of heat from the shuttle washed over me as we exited. Quickly I glanced around confirming the location of the rest of my squad. Ross’ shuttle was parked close to another shuttle. The stark blackness of the Havok’s shuttle a contrast to the white and grey of the civilian shuttle next to it. Painted on the side of the shuttle was a large orange circle with a slash through it. I recognised the symbol. The Onegin Corporation often sponsored survey and archaeology missions like the one on this planet. I closed my mind on the thought and concentrated on the task in hand.

Racing across the space between the two shuttles I leaned against the side of the civilian one weapon at the ready. The shuttle was cool only retaining ambient temperature of its surroundings. Whatever they used the shuttle for it hadn’t been used recently. Lieutenant Tutor and the rest of the squad fanned out either side of me taking up firing positions.

“No welcoming party?” Ross remarked

I glanced back seeing him leaning against the door of the shuttle. “Would you if a pitch black shuttle with no markings parked itself on the landing pad?”

“I see you point,” he replied his eyes scanning the horizon.

I noticed Tutor looking in my direction he seemed to be waiting for me to act. I flicked my free hand three times. Belatedly I realised the Marines might not use the same signals was the GF did. I had just given him the signal to move out with caution. He nodded and moved forward. The other two fireteams moved behind slowly heading away from the shuttle pad. I gave my surroundings a careful surveillance. We appeared to be at the centre of a large circular clearing. In the distance behind the shuttle I could see the green foliage of tall liana festooned trees shimmering in a heat haze. I shaded my eyes and glanced at the sky there wasn’t any clouds. I could feel sun beating down unrelentingly on my location. I ignored the feeling of heat for the moment and concentrated on the task in hand.

Slowly I panned around seeing the vista in front of me. The squad was headed for a series of metal buildings. The largest of which was an angular structure with sloped sides and streaked with rust. The building itself was taller than the other two buildings at two stories high. I could see the windows on the top floor and the shine of the solar collectors on top of that. From my position I noted there were no windows on the first floor although I could see three doors all facing towards the shuttle pad. There was another lower building close by smaller but of the same construction as the larger. A third building was off set from the other two and looked newer shiny against the rusty look other the other two. The three buildings were close to the jungle. A large Comms tower jutted out behind the tallest building. A path led from the shuttle pad to the buildings. Suddenly I stiffened the squad had reached the buildings. I saw them spread out. I watched as they spent time by the door before entering.

“Major?” Tutor’s voice crackled over the comms unit on my helmet.

I pressed the button to turn it on. “Go ahead LT?”

“No one’s here.”

“’K LT I’m heading over.” I turned to Ross. “Back in the shuttle and button up. Get ready to take off.”

“Aye ma’am,” he ducked back into the shuttle and shut the door.

I trotted across the open ground noting that surface I was walking on was made up of cracked and broken slabs with grass poking up through the gaps. As I got closer I observed a number of crates scattered outside the buildings. A set of tracked vehicle marks headed away from the buildings and into the dim recesses of the jungle. Tutor was waiting outside the largest building as I approached.

“Sit rep LT.”

“This place is empty no one here. I’ve got Alpha and Beta out scouting the other buildings?”

“Any sign they high tailed it out in a hurry?”

“Negative. I doubt they would have locked the door if they evacuated the place?”

“Locked?”

“Electronic lock not a cheap one. Vorra managed to hack the system and get it open.”

“Ok LT we’ve got a legit reason to do so. What have you found?” Although I winced at the complications as the same symbol that marked the shuttle was painted on the wall of the building I was standing outside of. The Onegin Corporation was Confederacy owned.

“Not much we were waiting for you,” he gestured to the door, “come take a look?”

I followed Tutor in. I was pleasantly surprised at the interior, which certainly didn’t match the shabby exterior. It was well lighted and cooler than the outside. I was glad of the change. The sun’s heat and humidity was making me sweat. A set of metal steps at the back of the room led to the upper floor. In one corner was a kitchenette between it and the door I had entered were several tables the largest of these had eight chairs around it. A number of tables were littered with what I assumed were items from the ruins. Sarah was standing next to what seemed to be a data terminal a datapad in her hands.

“LT?” I queried Tutor.

“Major we’ve checked the rooms above there are three sleeping quarters, other rooms on that level are provision storage. Looks like they are here for the long stay.”

“And these other doors?” I said indicating two doors at the back of the room and the two on either side wall.

“Bathrooms and equipment storage.”

“Any sign of where they’ve gone?”

“From what I guess they’ve gone to the ruined city, the one we saw on the holo.”

“Sir?” Sarah called to Tutor.

“What is it Vanwasshova?”

“I’m looking at this datapad either it’s encrypted or its corrupted nothing on it makes sense.”

“Hand it here Vanwasshova?” Tutor said holding out his hand for the datapad. Sarah handed it to him. He looked at it for several minutes before handing it to me. “Perhaps that computer in your head can make out what it says?”

“The implant doesn’t work that way, it can only hear what I let it.”

“Damned inconvenient if I do say so?” Tutor muttered.

I glanced down at the datapad and immediately recognised what the problem was. The information on the screen was in Terran English not the standard Galactic that was taught in every school in the Confederacy even the Orsini spoke and wrote in Galactic. Only the Terran Empire had refused to convert sticking to standardised English. Little wonder that either Tutor or Sarah understood the words.

“Terran English LT,” I said to Tutor.

“You can read it?”

“Certainly, my father was from Earth he insisted I learn both languages.”

“Good to know.” Tutor remarked thoughtfully, “it could have made things interesting. I now see why Com Ops picked you.” He looked rueful. “I must apologise major. I thought you being here was a waste of time? Truthfully I was resentful of you taking over my squad. I tried to make things difficult for you but it kept backfiring in my face.”

“We are on the same side LT let’s concentrate on the mission in hand.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Could you tell us what’s on the pad?” Sarah asked.

“I’ll just check,” I tapped a few of the symbols.

A clear pleasant sounding voice speaking English rose from the depths of the datapad. “July twelfth, Dr Walters wants more samples from the lower pre-Rhosani level. Alphonso and Abe agreed with him since they are his assistants. Jeanne naturally sided with me insisting that we continue cataloguing the pottery finds and those interesting botanical specimens she has discovered. Unfortunately I was over ruled by the rest of the team and it looks like we’ll be excavating the level.” The message ended there.

I translated for Tutor and Sarah.

“Did we miss anything?” Shawna asked as the rest of the squad entered.

“The major was showing us her knowledge of the Terran language.” Tutor announced.

“Terran?” Kriaeusus asked looking at the others.

“English actually,” I said feeling a little put out.

“You were born on Earth weren’t you?” Shawna remarked taking off her helmet and placing it on a table.

“Any one else want to comment on my birth?” I was annoyed, “I came to the Confederacy when I was little. I’ve swore my oath to the Confederacy and that is where my loyalties lie.”

Shawna had the decency to blush. “Sorry major.”

“Accepted sergeant,” I nodded in her direction.”

“That pad say anything else,” Tutor motioned to the others to be silent.

I tapped another symbol.

The voice spoke again. “August fourteen, packing the ground car we have to hurry I can’t but think we may forget an item or two in our haste. Walters and Neilson reckon we should stay overnight perhaps and get an earlier start. I’m a bit wary of that since Jeanne told us about her finds. Trouble is Jeanne is keen to go as our resident bio. I suppose it makes sense since we’ve only got two more weeks left before Onegin supply ship arrives and takes us off. Walters wants to come back next season if he can get the funds and Jeanne wants to come back with him. I’ll miss her companionship she’s been a good friend and it is nice to have someone of my age to talk to. As for me I’m going home and try to write my thesis on the fall of the Rhosani Empire.”

I dutifully translated the words. “Vanwasshova, Kriaeusus and Vorra. Get the gear off the shuttle. You have five minutes,” I said with a look to Tutor. “Thoughts LT?”

“Guess we’re got a walk ahead of us. When was that last entry?”

I looked at the time stamp on the pad’s chronometer they were using Earth times. “This morning by my guess.”

“When does it get dark?”

“Not for several hours. We should have time to reach their dig site.”

“Can we contact them over the comms unit?” Sarah asked not relishing a walk in the humid heat.

“Possible” I replied. My hand flicked to a comms unit on a chair. “Looks like they left one behind perhaps we can patch into their frequency with that?” I looked at Vorra.

“I could but your implant could have just as easily?”

I pressed my finger to my ear and my throat and asked.

“Well?” I asked Lottie quietly unsure if the implant could do it.

“I could,” Lottie replied, “but let the Ezaran do it. It will keep her from trying to hack my system.”

“Ok I’ll tell her,” I turned to Vorra, “no dice.”

“Why don’t we just turn it on,” Shawna suggested.

I felt such an idiot. “I see sense prevails where there was none.” I said and grinned sheepishly.

Tutor walked across to the comms unit and turned it on after a moment’s thought he handed it to me. “I guess if they speak Terran they’ll more likely to respond to you rather than me.”

The comms unit wasn’t large and easily fitted into the palm of my hand. I turned it on and spoke. “Elspeth Broaden can you hear me?” I deliberately made my broadcast sound more civilian than military.” I repeated the request finally putting the comms unit down after several more requests. “Either we’re out of range, unlikely, or this was their only unit and they’ve left it behind?”

“They can’t have been that careless,” Shawna stated incredulously.

“We’re dealing with civ’s here not military,” I replied.

“Ok that doesn’t help us. Do you know where they could be? Tutor enquired.

“The co-ordinates are on this datapad,” I said handing it to Tutor, “get the rest of the gear off the shuttle we move out in fifteen minutes.

I checked my harness and settled the image intensifiers on my chest and stepped out in the humid Anwa Padak sunshine. The squad was waiting for me outside.

“Everyone has had a bite to eat and taken five,” Tutor remarked, “we’re ready to move out on your orders?”

“Head out in fireteams LT.” I spoke louder. “Stay sharp we don’t know what the situation is. No one fire unless fired upon and then only on my say so. Are we clear!”

“Crystal major!” the squad replied.

“Move out!” I pressed the button on my helmet comms unit. “Ross we’re heading into the jungle, launch and stay on station.”

“Aye ma’am.”

I heard the engines roar on the shuttle I glanced back to see the shuttle take off. “Shuttle’s airborne,” I remarked.

“Alpha take point!” Tutor barked.

We followed the ruts made by a tracked vehicle. Behind the building the tracks headed down a slope and onto a raised causeway. Huge vine infested trees lined either side of the causeway making a dim green tinged tunnel.

“I can see why we couldn’t see this on the holo,” Tutor said with a wave of his hand to the foliage spreading out above the causeway, “you could hide an entire army down here.

Reaching the bottom of the slope I stepped out on to the surface of the causeway. Like the slope and the clearing above this was made of slabs of something that reminded me of concrete except it was cracked with grass growing through it.

“This is ancient?” Kriaeusus remarked, “just think our ancestors may have toiled on this very street?”

I understood his thinking the T’Arni were once the slaves of the Rhosani. “Any proof the T’Arni were here?”

“I did see some T’Arni pottery on one of the tables,” Bacare remarked.

“Ok we have a mission to complete.”

“Move out,” Tutor flicked his hand and we moved on.

The harsh sunlight faded as we moved deeper into the gloom. Here and there a shaft of light penetrated the semi darkness. The sides of the causeway sloped downwards and I could glimpse greyish-green water around the roots of the trees.

“I’d hate to fall into that?” Shawna muttered as she passed beside me.

“And I hate to have to drink this even with the purifiers,” Sarah responded. “is it actually water?”

“Button up you two,” Tutor barked, “no talking from now on. Now move out!”

We walked on silent our eyes scanning the surrounding jungle, hands on the grips of our weapons. I took comfort in the familiarity of the situation.

Ross’s voice crackled over the helmet comms unit. I raised my hand to halt the squad we hunkered down taking up defensive positions. “Go ahead Ross?”

“Comms from the Havok. An unidentified ship has entered the system and is rapidly closing in on the planet.”

“Ok Ross.” I signalled Tutor to close in. “We’ve got company.”

“The supply ship?”

“Doubt it they’re not expecting it for another two weeks.”

Ross voice came back over the comms. “Ma’am?”

I spoke to Ross again. “Ross?”

“Ma’am new intel from the Havok.”

“Hit me with it Ross?”

“Havok ID’d the ship as a Terran heavy cruiser. I’m going to have to bug out. Havok’s already taken cover. Captain Yanik says continue mission and maintain comms silence.”

“Get you butt out of here Ross. Major Locke out.”

Tutor stared at me. “You reckon the Broaden broad knew they were coming?”

“I seriously doubt that LT otherwise she would have been waiting at base. More than likely they’ve come for the same info we have.”

“Then it’s vital we get to her before they do.”

I didn’t like the implication of his words. “Double time then people.” I issued my orders. “This has become a rescue mission.”

I signalled the squad to move out over the causeway at a cautious pace. We trotted along the causeway our senses on alert. Nearly a quarter of a hour later the sound of engines had us halting and taking up defensive positions on either side of the causeway.

“Where’s that coming from?” Shawna whispered her body almost touching mine as we couched down on the steep slope on the side of the causeway.

Shawna reached out and grabbed me her armour encased foot scrabbling to find a purchase on the sloping sides of the causeway. I flailed wildly as I felt myself slip beside her, her weight pulling at mine. Suddenly a hand gripped mine as another gripped Shawna’s and slowly we were pulled back over the edge. Tutor had my hand while Vorra’s gripped Shawna’s. The Ezaran nodded to me. Although I couldn’t see her face because of her helmet I imagined that she was grinning.

“Thanks LT,” I gasped, “I didn’t want to end up in that slime.”

“No problem major.” He turned to Shawna. “Ah, ok sergeant?”

“All square LT.”

“Kriaeusus wasn’t so lucky he slid all the way down. Bacare and Vanwasshova are hauling him out,” Tutor told me.

Giving Shawna a reproachful glare I hurried over to help retrieve Kriaeusus from the mire. We hauled hard pulling Kriaeusus up out of the swamp the bottom half of his armour covered in green slime.

“Hey Vanwasshova is this stuff toxic?” he asked anxiously as we hauled him up the slope. The slime on his boots making it near impossible to get a decent grip on the surface.

Sarah pulled a hand scanner from her harness and passed it close to slime on Kriaeusus’ armour. “I wouldn’t recommend you drink it unless you wanted to have the squits for a week or two. There are traces of chemicals and a lot of bacteriological samples, most alien to human and T’Arni physiology. I can’t do a more in depth analysis without the right equipment. Which we don’t have?”

“They have this stuff on the Havok?” Kriaeusus sounded on the edge of panic.

“Pull yourself together!” I growled.

An echoing boom from the direction of the base camp had me looking around. “Hold positions!” I said spotting a trailing liana close to the edge of the causeway, “I’m going topside” Indicating the wrist thick vine. I remembered from the briefing data that these vines where strong enough to bear the weight of a human and perhaps more.

“Is that wise major?” Shawna asked anxiously.

“I’m the lightest here,” I replied dropping my harness. Placing my hands around the vine I gave it a vigorous shake. Something thudded beside me. “Hells!” I swore on seeing a greenish coloured eight-legged hairball by my ankle.

Tutor stepped on it crushing it beneath the heel of his boot.

“Anyone want to tell me what that was?” I asked. Suddenly the thought of climbing up through the canopy had lost its appeal.

“Mendosa Vegitaris. Called so after the first explorers to rediscover this world,” Sarah said, “I looked it up in the briefing they’re vegetarian closely related to insects on T’Arni, nasty bite but not toxic.”

I slung my weapon and shimmed up the vine in record time not wanting to encounter anything else like that up there. I reached the top of the tree and pushed out above the uppermost branches. A plume of smoke rose out above the tree line from the direction of the camp. I wrapped my legs around the trunk of the tree and pulled out my intensifiers. The intensifiers standard issue to Marines or GF was a hand held boxlike item with two eyepieces and a single monocular lens. Before I had time to use them I saw four shuttles the sun and star symbol emblazoned on their sides rise out of the smoke hovering for a moment before making a bee line straight towards me. I ducked as they passed over me the roar of the engines deafening and I felt the heat of the under jets as they flew over my position. The wake of their passage almost shaking me out of my tree. The shuttles never slowed flying directly towards the ruins.

Putting the intensifiers to my eyes I watched their passage my face a deep frown. “Damn stupid!” I muttered.

The four shuttles were flying in line formation the lead shuttle flying perilously close to one of the tall spires. Though the image I could see the spire tremble in the wake of the shuttle, a second shuttle passed close following behind the first shuttle, the spire started to lean over by the time the third reached it the spire was starting to collapse. It barely made it through. I had to look away the forth shuttle didn’t have a chance to react. The spire came down directly on the forth shuttle taking it and its contents to the ground. Even without the intensifiers I saw the flash of an explosion moments before I heard the boom. Abruptly the other three shuttles turned and hovered over the stricken shuttle. I knew it was no good there was no way anyone was walking away from that crash. The shuttles began circling before heading away slowly I guessed they were trying to find a place to land we still had time. I rappelled down the vine my hands and legs working furiously.

“What the hell just happened?” Tutor asked.

“Looks like they torched the camp or at least the shuttle docked there.”

“We heard a second explosion?”

“They lost a shuttle,” quickly I explained what I had seen, “they weren’t even bothering to fly in a diamond formation.”

“What were they thinking?” Tutor grunted, “I think we’re dealing with idiots.”

“Idiots with guns,” I reminded him.

“Yeah I hope they’re as incompetent on ground as they are in the air.”

“Come on we still have a mission to complete.”

With that we hurried out along the causeway our weapons off their safety catches.