Chapter III: Going to War
Jim grabbed his satchel and began tossing his personal items in it. A few photos from home, some letters, a couple of notebooks that served as a journal and a place to write his thoughts.
He finished quickly, not having as much as
many of the other soldiers in the bunks did. So he sat on his bed, tossing his satchel over beside his gear pack and his rifle.
He got up and decided to take a casual walk around the room, watch the others as they pack.
He was somewhat surprised to see quite a few of the soldiers already finished and leaning back in their bunks, sitting comfortable, or talking to each other. Not many had much stuff to connect them to home, which may or may not have been just as well, since they'd be out on the fringes of space as far from their homes as they'd ever been,
farther for so many really, and ties to home would only cause them a lot of worry over time. Worry about what's going on at home, worry they may never get back, worry that they left their parents without good care. Not that is was such a bad thing to
think of home sometimes, but a distraction like that could be fatal in a hostile area.
Jim found himself at the end of the room. The officers were packing their gear too, ready to head off into the great unknown.
Becker saw Jim and motioned for him to come over. So he did.
"Something on your mind?" Becker asked, tossing some pictures into a satchel.
Jim shook his head. "No, sir, not really. Just kind of nervous, I guess."
Becker smiled. "The wait'll do that to you."
Jim leaned over, saw a photo of Becker with a woman and a young child. "Family?"
"Hmm?" Becker asked, distracted from some thought.
"The photo," Jim said, pointing at it.
"Oh. Yeah. That's my wife and daughter. Just took before I graduated the academy and became lieutenant of this outfit."
"You'll miss
'em," Jim said.
"A lot. But
she'll be writing, and I'll be writing. And no
matter of distance can ever come between two people that care for each other." Becker looked up at Jim. "Don't ever forget that, Jim."
"No, sir, I won't."
Jim began to walk away, then a question struck him and he turned back to the lieutenant.
"Lieutenant?" he asked.
"Yes, Young?"
"Eh, how old are you, sir?"
Becker smiled at him. "Twenty-four. I'm not so far gone you can put me out to pasture yet."
"That wasn't what I was thinking. It's just... well, some of us thought you looked pretty young..."
"To be an officer?" Jim laughed. "The Captains' only
thirty-one. We have generals who are under forty. In war, the young have to do the work. Get too old, and you can't go out into the field. So they have to get us fresh out of the academy to be lieutenants, captains, and heck, sometimes even colonels."
"Thanks," Jim said.
He glanced toward the locked room. A shower wasn't a good idea with departure coming
soon. So what drew his attention to the...?
Lockers. He hadn't cleaned out his locker!
Jim lunged for the locker room door and threw it open, dashing to his locker. He yanked it open, retrieving his spare clothing, personal towels, and other items.
Mack walked by, carrying an armload of similar items. "Almost forget to take it?" he asked, nodding toward Jim's stuff.
"Yeah."
"Well, wouldn't want to be on the edge of civilization without your skivvies and your towels." Mack smiled, then exited the locker room.
Jim turned and, with both arms holding stuff from a locker he'd never realized was big enough to hold all the stuff he was now carrying, walked toward the door himself.
* * *
Sara stood in line with her personal satchel on one shoulder, her gear pack on the other, and her rifle held in her left hand.
She waited to board the shuttles that would take the troopers up to the troop ships waiting above, ready to carry them to some remote planet where they'd fight some alien foe and either win or die.
"Depressed?"
She turned to find the source of the question just put to her, saw Teresa behind her. "No, Terry, just a bit anxious."
"Aren't we all?"
Sara stepped forward with the line, finally moving. "Guess so."
Terry squeezed Sara's shoulder. "Don't worry. We're all going to be there for each other. No one's going to get past any of us."
Sara laughed, but it didn't sound very mirthful even to herself. "I hope so, Terry. I really do."
* * *
Sara leaned back and closed her eyes, hoping it would help with her current situation.
As the shuttle moved up through the atmosphere, rocketing into the sky at hundreds of miles per hour, it was bounced around by atmospheric turbulence and heavy winds. Her stomach moved violently from side to side with the shuttle's movement, along with most of the rest of her organs.
She heard someone whooping behind her, and got annoyed. Here she was trying to hold her breakfast in, and someone else is enjoying the ride.
And suddenly, the shuttle stopped bouncing around.
Sara opened her eyes and looked out the window to her side. They were in space, free from the planet's atmosphere.
And now
Medis, her home for so long, was a shrinking orb behind her. It was so beautiful and peaceful from this far into space, and Sara felt herself longing for a return to her home for a moment.
She shook it off. She was home. This was her new family, and they'd do their best to protect her, just like her father would have done.
* * *
The shuttle landed on the troopship, and the soldiers filed out onto the landing deck. Hundreds of troopers were there, four companies, belonging to the 1st Battalion. An impressive gathering.
Sara leaned against a rack, one loaded with tools that were presumably for working on the shuttles. She tried to stifle a yawn, but it still came out, a bit muffled.
"Ah, you're so beautiful when you do that."
She jumped forward and turned around. Jim was standing on the other side of the rack, leaning across it. He'd been less than half a foot from the back of her head when he'd said that.
"Jumpy, too? What a wonderful combination, beautiful and on edge..." Jim smiled.
"Don't do that!" Sara snapped, a little louder than she'd meant to. She looked around for a moment, and was relieved to see no one heard her.
"What's wrong?" Jim asked. "Worried about something?" He began to walk out from behind the tool rack.
"No," Sara said, rushing the word out. "What would I be afraid of?"
Jim walked toward her, and she began backing up. He smiled at her, a cross between what was probably meant to be a
heart-melting smile and a predator's smile. "Your feelings for me, of course."
Sara backed up further, then ran into another rack. Jim stopped just over a foot from her. "What do you mean, feelings? Why would I have any feelings for you?"
"I'm such a great kisser." Again with the smile.
"How would I know that?" Sara asked.
"You don't... yet."
"What do you mean, 'yet'?" As soon as Sara asked the question, she knew the answer. "Oh, no, you don't..."
Jim grabbed her face and planted a kiss right on her mouth.
She began to fight back, then decided it was no use. She just let herself fall into the romance of the moment, even if it was fake.
Jim let go a moment later and looked at her. "There, you see? You couldn't resist."
Sara glared at him. "Of course not. You were holding my head so tight I thought you might break it."
"Heh. Deny it all you like, Sara. You know you've always wanted a guy like me."
She pushed Jim away, saying,
"Get out of here, James. I couldn't ever go for such an obvious loser as you."
She leaned back and sighed with relief as Jim walked away, laughing. She was glad to be rid of him.
She closed her eyes to help steady her sudden rapid breathing.
She saw Jim's lips planted on hers. Her eyes snapped open.
She did not have feelings for him. Or did she? His little tricks were, certainly, fun to watch. And he had a certain charm...
Sara buried her face in her hand and cursed. This was not what she'd signed up for.
* * *
"We're going to be on this ship long enough to need a place to sleep?" Bob griped, looking at his fellow soldiers.
"Apparently so," Mel replied.
Bob looked around. "Well, seems no less cozy than camp was."
Bill sat down on a bed, slapping his hand against it.
"Mmm, nice and soft."
"So what's with the thud?" Bob asked, grinning.
"Springs, my dear boy!" Bill said, dropping his packs and lying back on the bed.
"Springs don't thump."
Bill smiled up at Bob. "They do when you and some fine girl are..."
A pillow in his face stopped Bill from saying any more. Bob looked up at
Jessy and smiled. "Thank you."
"Are all your friends like this?" she asked.
"No, I'm afraid only Bill is."
Mel walked by Bob. "I'm getting a bed, man. You all can talk about springs all you want."
"Oh, Mel, how far you have yet to go to lose your virtual virginity."
Mel snapped back, "Sixteen! I think I've been past that mark."
Bob shouted back, "Doesn't count when you're still so innocent in matters of the heart!"
Jessy let out a loud noise of exasperation, yanked her pillow off Bill's face, and threw herself onto a bunk.
All Bob could do was laugh.
* * *
Sara
lay in her bunk, watching the other soldiers getting their own beds. The good humour among them was nice, but sometimes it
was unbearable to take. Or, at least, the jokes were.
A shadow fell across her and she looked up to see Jim. "Don't
you ever give up?"
"Can I sit down?"
"Sure, I guess." Sara scooted over on the bed to give Jim room to sit. He sat down and turned so he could look at her.
"You still steamed about the bay?" he asked.
Sara laughed. "What, a little fun? I know what you were doing, I'm okay with it."
Jim arched an eyebrow. "Really? What was I doing?"
"Trying to let off stress. You just have your own unique way of doing it."
Jim smiled. "Mind if I let off some more stress?"
"Wha-?" Before she could say any more, Jim was kissing her again.
She pushed him off.
"What? I thought you weren't bothered by it," Jim said, grinning.
Sara leaned back and smiled. "I'm not. But next time, give me a little warning."
"Oh," Jim said.
Sara sat up and put her arms around Jim, then put her head on his shoulder. "You're scared, aren't you?"
Jim's cheerfulness faded quickly. "Truthfully? Yeah. I'm scared. Aren't you?"
"Sort of. But I know I have people watching out for me, who'll be there when I need them. Friends who'll lay down their own lives to save mine. When I think of them, I'm not so scared." She looked up at Jim's face. "You know your friends are there for you, right?"
"Yeah," Jim said quietly. "But what if I'm not there for them?"
"You will be, Jim. I know you will."
Jim looked at her. His eyes held a look she couldn't figure out, but she knew it had a lot to do with worrying. "Why do you have such faith in me?"
"Because earlier, in the bay, you were right."
"About?"
"Certainly not the kissing part," Sara said, laughing. "But the rest, really."
Jim's eyes widened as he realized what she was saying. "You being honest with me?"
"Yes. Give me one good reason to lie about something like that."
Jim looked lost in thought for a moment, then replied, "I can't."
Sara let go of him and lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Of course not. There is no reason to lie. Especially at a time like this."
"Oh, Sara... Dammit, I wish I hadn't gone and made you fall for me."
"Why not? Isn't the feeling kind of mutual?"
"Yes," Jim said, "but now I'm worried I might not be able to help the person I love, and who loves me."
"You'll be there for me, Jim." Sara pulled Jim toward her. "But for now, let's discuss something more appropriate."
"Such as?"
"Working on your kissing technique."
"You know I'm not going to be able to change my pranking ways," Jim said.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
* * *
Bill looked around at the other guys and the
lone girl sitting on the side of the two bunks, participating in the card game.
"Anyone beat full house?"
A round of curses and cards tossed down meant a negative. Bill smiled. Second round, and already he was well in the lead.
He looked over at Mel. "Hey, Mel, remember the rules of the game."
Mel grumbled as he yanked off his tank top. "This is why I stopped playing strip poker."
"Quit whining," Jessy said. "It's not like I haven't exactly lost my shirt in this game either."
Bill smiled. "I'd rather se you lose than Mel, though."
John reached for the cards, pulling them all to his area of the small table. "My deal."
Bob leaned forward so John could see him. "Don't forget, I cut the cards."
Becker stretched. "I hope my luck changes soon. I don't think anyone's ever heard of a Luey stripping because of a lost card game. How the hell did you talk me into this, Bill?"
Bill smiled. "Come on, Dennis, you love it."
Becker smiled back. "I guess so. It beats what most
Lueys are doing right now."
John tossed cards around to the assembled players, then called, "No wilds."
Becker chuckled. "Except in the players."
Bill looked at his cards. He tried not to frown, but he had gotten a horrible hand of cards. He might actually lose this round.
Surreptitiously, he glanced at the other players. Becker looked extremely
uncomfortable, Jessy looked cheerful, and the others wore masks of no expression. They caught on quick.
John looked around. "Card or two, anyone?" A round of requests went around the table.
Bill looked at his new hand. Not so bad, but still not so great.
John was the first to say, "I fold." He was soon followed by Mel, Bob, and Jessy.
Bill laid his cards down and said, "Anyone beat three jacks?"
Becker looked over and smiled. "You have got a ways to go in the world of poker, Bill." He laid his cards down. "Royal flush."
Bill shrugged. "Have to lose sometime, Dennis." He pulled his camo shirt off and tossed it to the side, leaving his tank top underneath.
Jessy cheerfully slid out of her pants while Bob and John did so grudgingly.
Bill looked at Mel. "I think someone's afraid to go with the game."
Mel sneered at Bill, then pulled his trousers off and tossed them to the side.
Becker looked around. "My deal next?" He pulled the cards over and began to shuffle them. "I have to admit, I'm not without a bit of worry myself. But not about this game."
John looked down the table at Jessy. "Hey, is it fair for you to still have two items of clothing remaining while we only have one?"
"I'll be fair and remove both if I lose the next round." She smiled at John.
"Thanks."
Bill looked over at Becker, then took the deck, split it in two, and put the top stack on the bottom. "Worried?"
"Yes, I'll admit it," Becker said. "I'm worried about the fight we're going into. Just out of training camp, and best I've heard we're going into a hot zone with a force of Tau."
Bill slid the deck back to Becker, who began dealing cards. "Well, hey, if you admit it, I don't feel so bad about saying so myself."
John looked up from his growing hand of cards. "I'm not exactly eager to go into battle myself, but I know you guys are there for me."
Mel's eyes looked over the top of his cards. "We're a family, remember? We'll look out for each other."
Becker pulled two cards from the deck and discarded two in his hand. "If you guys have so much faith, I won't be able to disagree." He looked across the table. "What about you, Jessy?"
She smiled at the lieutenant. "You think I'm worried about these guys letting me down? I trust them. I have no reason not to - oh!" She nearly jumped off the bed.
Bob smiled at her.
Jessy slapped at his shoulder, then turned her attention back to Becker. "Except things like that." She leaned over and whispered to Bob, "Keep your damn hands off my ass."
Bob looked at his hand and sighed. "Fold."
One by one, the others folded as well, mumbling about their luck. Except Becker, who smiled broadly as he put his cards on the table for all to see, aces and kings.
Jessy stood up, pulling off the last of her clothing. "Is that a smile for your victory, Dennis, or my loss?"
Becker laughed. "Both, I think." He turned to the other players. "Come on, gentlemen, ante up. You chose to play, now you have to pay."
"Sir?" John began.
"Dennis, John, not sir. And yes, you have to do it."
Mel groaned. "Come on, Dennis..."
"Don't make me pull rank." Becker smiled.
With a chorus of groans and a giggle from Jessy, the three boys pulled off their briefs, and sat down, totally naked, on the bunk.
Becker looked over at Bill, who'd removed his tank top. "Looks like it's down to you and me, Bill."
"Wouldn't have it any other way, Dennis."
* * *
Mel ran through the long corridor, ducking into a side hall. He pressed himself against the wall, not daring to look out.
Footsteps approached quickly. As he heard them get so close they could only be a dozen or so feet away, Mel leapt out into the hall, putting up his pistol and firing.
Water sprayed the hall and his two stalkers.
Jessy and Bill both returned fire, soaking Mel.
"Gah!" Mel shook himself to get some of the water out of his hair and uniform. "You're not supposed to return fire when you've been hit."
Bill slapped Mel on the shoulder. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
"You make such a tempting target, Mel," Jessy said, smiling.
"Come on, let's get back to the bunks. Before someone sees us with the water pistols and the soaked hall and puts two and two together." Mel nodded his head in the direction of the on-ship barracks.
"Good idea," Bill said.
The three ran for the barracks, leaving behind a very wet floor.
* * *
Mel laid back on the shower room bench, a towel covering much of the lower half of his body. "Hey, Bill, has Dennis been bugging you about beating him in the game?"
Bill leaned out of a shower stall. Nah, he's been good about it. I actually think he wanted to lose."
Mel laughed. "Yeah, but word gets around, he's in trouble."
Jessy stepped out a shower stall, drying herself with a towel. "Why's that?"
"Lueys never lose," Mel said.
"Why not? They're only human."
"Ha! That's not what the troops are s'posed to think." Mel sat up, making sure the towel stayed on. "They're supposed to be superhuman leaders or something."
Jessy sat down beside him. "Somehow I doubt Dennis could pull that off."
"Being superhuman? Probably not."
"Speaking of pulling off..." Jessy said, reaching toward Mel
Mel slid down the bench. "Oh, no."
Jessy smiled. "Don't worry, if I'd wanted it off you wouldn't have been warned." She stood up and walked to her locker.
Bill walked over to Mel, who was watching Jessy as she walked away. "Enjoy the view?"
Mel's head snapped up. "Huh? Oh. Uh, no. I mean, what view?"
Bill smiled. "Uh-huh. Trying to fool me. Come on, we've been friends for six months, you think I don't know you?"
Mel looked away, trying not to answer.
"Besides," Bill said, "I think she's trying to get your attention."
Jessy turned and looked at the two boys. "I can hear you, y'know."
"I know," Bill said. "So, am I right?"
Jessy smiled, buttoning her camo shirt. "If your were, do you think I'd tell you?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure."
"Okay. Then I will. Yes, I'm doing everything I can to get Mel's attention. Because I love torturing such a cute guy." She picked up her boots and walked out of the shower room, pinching Mel's cheek as she walked by.
Mel glared up at Bill.
"What?" Bill said, dropping his towel and grabbing his clothes.
Mel shook his head in disgust. "You're setting me up."
Bill laughed. "If you mean to take a fall or be
embarrassed, not really."
Mel walked over to his own locker and began getting dressed. "But...?"
Bill slid on his tank top and smiled. "If you mean setting you up with Jessy, I'm guilty as charged."
Mel looked up after fastening his trousers. "Now why the hell would you be doing that?"
"You've never been good at hiding your feelings, if Bob's to be believed. And you seem to catch more of Jessy's flirting than anyone else."
"Flirting?" Mel asked.
"Sure," Bill said, sitting down to put on his socks and boots. "You know, the little things she does. Makes sure she sits next to you in a game of strip poker she knows she'll lose. The constant little things she does to get near you with as little clothes as possible."
"That's just her, Bill," Mel said, getting annoyed. "She does that to everyone."
Bill stood up, turning for the door. "I'm telling you, Mel, she likes you. And you can't deny you like her."
"Just because I laugh at the silly little things she does?"
Bill turned back around before opening the door. "That, and the fact that you can't go a day without looking at her with a glassy look in your eye."
As the door closed behind Bill, Mel slammed his fist against the lockers.
Bill was right. But Mel didn't want to admit it.
There was no getting around it, though. He might as well face the facts.
*
* *
Mack sat beside Terry, showing her photos of his family, finding out interesting
things about hers, when Becker walked in.
"Right, folks, we've learned what we're going to be doing. I feel now's as good a time as any to tell you.
"We're heading to Kolmar II to help in a bit of a clean-up action there. Tau forces have ground down the troops already there, but they're not doing so well either. The Median IV is going to be deployed across a wide area to tackle the Tau. The 1st Battalion has gained the prestigious award of fighting the Tau where they seem to be most concentrated.
"The companies are going to split up and move across the Ghist Valley, searching for any Tau still holed up there. That means we'll be separated, so Charlie Company's on its own except for any fire support we can get that isn't being directed elsewhere. Depending on what the others run into, that can be a little or a lot.
"I'm not going to say this is going to be easy, because that'll be a lie. I've talked to a number of sources I have, and all indications are that this 'clean up job' is going to be a nasty cat and mouse affair with far more mice than we're being let know about. So I want everyone to make sure they're brushed up on their
procedures, and that everyone in my platoon at least makes sure they know their fellow soldier is looking out for them. Remember, you're family now.
"That's all."
Becker left the room again, rushing to get somewhere. Mack looked over at Terry.
"Looks like we're finally going to be fighting," he said.
"Yeah," Terry said. "Guess so."
"You okay?" Mack looked at Terry's face closer, saw tears beginning to form. "Something wrong?"
Terry gave no answer. She just buried her face in
Mack's chest and began crying.
He began to speak, but decided against it. Best not to say anything until he knew what to say.
* * *
Bob leaned against the lockers, closing his eyes. He tried
to stop his shaking. He couldn't. He just wished his body would listen to him. But it didn't. It just kept shaking.
Bob's mind flashed through a dozen images. All of them showed him being shot and killed. He opened his eyes.
But the fear didn't leave. It never did.
* * *
Jim looked around, and figured he'd get a head start on everyone else with packing his gear. He began to sling things into his pack.
He was distracted from his ritual of "quick packing" as he saw something reflected in his mirror. He thought he saw someone in the locker room. They seemed to be vibrating, like the mirror was shaking in his hand, but it wasn't.
He put down the mirror and decided to check it out.
* * *
Jim walked into the locker room and saw Bob, eyes closed, leaning against the lockers. He was shaking, barely visibly. And he seemed to be sobbing.
Jim walked over to Bob and put his hand on Bob's shoulder, gently shaking him. Bob's eyes snapped open, and for a moment they were wide open with a look of sheer terror as his hands started to come up toward Jim.
"Whoa, Bob! It's me," Jim said. "Jim, third squad, you know?"
Bob seemed to calm, a little.
"What's wrong, man? Why are you in here acting like you just saw Death chasing you?"
Bob moved to sit down on a bench, still shaking. "I know I'm going to die out there, Jim. I'm going to panic, and die, and someone else is going to die because I panicked."
"What are you talking about? You're not making any sense. You're one of the bravest guys I know."
Bob looked up, his eyes red. "It's a lie, Jim. It's all a lie. I'm not brave. I'm a coward. I'm afraid of what's going to happen to me, I'm afraid of what I'll do, I'm afraid of what will happen because of me."
Jim sat down. "You're just a little bugged by this right now, that's all. You're not going to fail us, Bob."
Bob looked at him and frowned. "Why do you say that? To make me feel better?"
"No," Jim said. "I have faith in you, Bob."
"Yeah, well, that's your mistake to make."
Jim stood up. "It seems you need some time alone to sort this out yourself. I'm going to get back to the platoon, okay?"
Bob nodded, and Jim began to walk for the door.
"Jim?"
He turned around.
"Please don't tell anyone about this."
"Alright," Jim said.
It was probably better that it was kept a secret anyway.
* * *
Sara fastened her
seat belt, then glanced over at Jim. "I'm never going to get used to this."
Jim smiled back. "You don't have to. We're ground-pounders, remember? Only the flyboys have to get used to lurching about."
Sara laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."
The whine of the engines powering up cut off any reply. The shuttle lifted from the bay floor, then rotated toward the doors. Other shuttles did the same.
Two massive durasteel bay doors crept open, allowing a view of a green and blue planet below, framed by stars.
Slowly the shuttle began drifting out of the bay. Once it was safely away from the ship, its main thrusters cut in with a heavy roar and it began to rocket toward the planet.
"Fun, isn't it?" Jim said.
Sara gave him a mock glare. "Oh, yeah, the best."
"Turbulence is great. Makes you feel like you're in a blender or something."
"And you like that?"
Jim smiled. "Only sweet things are stuck in my blender."
"And ice?" Sara asked.
"And ice... hey, now wait a minute. You trying to suggest...?"
"Are you cold, Jim? Or are you sweet?"
"I decline to answer on the grounds that doing so may incriminate me."
Sara laughed. "Good answer."
"You?"
"Oh, you know what I am."
"Right I do," Jim said. "Sweet as anything that ever was stuck in a blender, and with a hint of ice."
"Keep that up and I'll get Jessy to exact my revenge."
"Ouch. I retract my former statement and plead not guilty for reasons of insanity."
"Good idea."
* * *
A half-hour later, the entirety of Charlie Company was standing on a concrete landing stretch on Kolmar II. They had all their gear with them, and were ready to hit the sack before marching off to battle.
Sara walked alongside Jim as they located the barracks
designated for use by One Platoon. They walked in together, joining the mass of troopers already unpacking in the building.
Sara tossed her gear down beside a bunk, and Jim quickly grabbed the one beside it. Two more members of third squad practically bounded up the beds' ladders to grab the top bunks.
"Ah, the excitement of getting a new home," Jim said, twirling about with his arms outstretched.
"The third 'new home' in the past half year," Sara said.
"Come now, my dear, you mustn't complain. We are in a condition of war, you know," Jim said, faking a Praetorian accent.
"Well, war or not, I'd like to at least break in a bed before moving to another."
"I could help with that..."
Sara smiled. "Against regs, and you know it."
Jim sighed. "I hate regs. Well, best get some sleep.
Tomorrow's gonna' be a busy day, methinks."
Sara kicked off her boots and pulled her sheet over herself, not bothering to
undress. She had a feeling Jim was right.
END CHAPTER III
CONTINUED IN CHAPTER IV: "A TASTE OF COMBAT"
|
