He walked along the recruits, looking at each of them in turn with a look of satisfaction on his face.
“Every one of you has passed basic training and you are already three-quarters though the commando course. You have done well, damned well and I would be proud to take any of you into action with me.”
The group were obviously surprised, this being the first praise they’d ever heard from him.
“We have changed course and will be meeting with the Fleet assembling on the Rim. We will arrive in less than a week. After that we head for the Titan stations and the war. I can’t tell you how long this fight will go on for or how difficult it will be. What I can tell you is that in one week, whether you like it or not, you will be marines and you will be baptised in fire and finally earn your title of marines!”
A cheer rang out through the room as the Sergeant paced back and forth. It went on for almost a minute before he ordered them to stop.
“I don’t know the exact details yet but I do know that Confed will aim to stop this revolt and fast. The Titan stations control all access to Prime and if we lose Prime we lose the most important planet in the entire System. I need you to work hard and get yourselves ready. Whatever you’ve been doing, do more. Only some of you will have completed the full commando training but that isn’t going to keep you from combat. I will be assigning those of you that pass the course specific duties when the time comes but for now remember, every marine is a rifleman and you will perform your duty the same as every other marine.
“You will all assemble in the aft training hall in thirty minutes, it is time for your zero-g squad exercise and based on the news you have all just heard you are going to want to get lots of zero-g time in. This will be the up-scaled version of last week’s exercise. There is already a full company of recruits from Bravo Company getting dug in. It will be your job to clear the training course of all hostiles with minimal casualties. Full briefing in thirty minutes.”
He walked to the door and turned back.
“Hoorah!” he shouted, instantly followed by an enthusiastic response from the recruits.
Lieutenant Erdeniz sat in his quarters reading the reports that were still coming in about the attacks on Proxima. He had family in the capital but after four hours of nearly continuous effort, he couldn’t make contact through any of the regular channels. Less news was getting out from the main communication satellites, whether that was due to weather, technical or hostile actions he couldn’t tell. The last message from the centre of the capital said the city was under martial law and the Army were clearing the streets. The briefing with the command staff had confirmed that the CCS Crusader was heading to the Rim to meet with as many ships as could be mobilised. Reports indicated that the Titan Naval Station was now under insurgent control and protected by over twenty vessels, though this was not confirmed. It also said that the smaller orbiting transit stations had been attacked but it wasn’t clear if all or some were now under insurgent control. Either way Prime was being blockaded and it would be hard, if not impossible, to get to the planet’s surface or to escape without facing attack by vessels waiting at the stations. Confed had been seriously caught with their pants down this time, and as usual, it would fall to people like him to pick up the pieces.
The rumble of the engines was much more prominent than normal and he could feel it through the deck. He had only thirty minutes break before he was to return to the gun decks for additional testing and practice. The Captain had already informed them that action was imminent and that this would be the first time the Fleet had been used in anger in over thirty years. Although his room was deep inside the vessel, he did have a virtual window that gave the illusion of facing the hull of the ship. He could make out the infinite number of stars and he thought to himself how wondrous it would be to be able to travel fast enough to visit them. So far, no vessels had been able to travel faster than light. There were still plenty of books and movies being made based upon the assumption it would happen but after many generations nothing had changed. The journey from Earth to Alpha Centauri still took just under ten years and though the transports still plied their way between the old and the new world, it wasn’t fast enough for them to expand into the real recesses of deep space.
The sound of his door alarm buzzed and he pressed the intercom button without even taking his eyes off the screen.
“Ensign Harris here, Sir, I have the firing results for you.”
Erdeniz hit the button and the door slid open neatly. In walked the Ensign with his computer tablet in his hands. His uniform was a little scruffy and Erdeniz was already feeling irritable when he saw the man enter.
“You could have sent it to my account you know!”
“Yes, Sir, I needed to bring you something else though.”
“Really?” he replied sarcastically.
There was something strange about Harris he thought, his face looked clammy and there was something else, yes, the real difference was in his demeanour. He always appeared subservient to authority but for some reason he looked as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Erdeniz put it down to the stress or concern of the upcoming action with the insurgents. He made to reach forward to take the tablet when he noticed something on the Ensign’s foot. He looked closer, noticing the dark red stain. It looked like fortified wine or maybe blood. He smiled to himself as he though of claret and its double meaning before it dawned on him.
“What happened to your foot?” he asked though his pulse was already telling him something very bad was about to happen.
The Ensign looked directly at Erdeniz, his expression changing to anger or more likely contempt. He remembered the look from his micro expression classes during his psychology modules. It was the look of a man who was suddenly showing his true feelings and they were like nothing he had ever experienced face to face before. He recoiled slightly at the man’s expression.
“Shit!” he muttered as he reached for the alarm on the wall.
The Ensign rushed forward, drawing a roughly made blade from inside his tunic. The blade was narrow, almost like a stiletto. It had the look of a weapon that had been fabricated from something on the ship. It certainly wasn’t military issue. It had no discernable edges but did have a vicious point that could probably penetrate even the thickest clothing. It was like a cross between a stiletto and a prison made shiv.
With the weapon held high he jumped forward, covering the distance in no time at all and stabbed hard. As he moved he cried out, shrieking in some unintelligible language. Erdeniz reacted quickly but it wasn’t quick enough and as he turned the blade struck him in the shoulder. The pain was excruciating and he screamed out at the same time as hitting the button. The alarm triggered immediately as he slumped to the floor. The blade had penetrated its entire length and blood was already pouring profusely from the wound. He tried to move but something heavy smashed into the side of his head and he found himself lying on the floor. The room started to blur and he was convinced he was dying.
“Get up you idiot!” he shouted in his mind, desperately trying to keep his eyes open, not wanting to give the man the opportunity to finish him off.
The pain was agonising but he kept at it, finally able to roll onto his front and reached around to the blade. As he turned, he half expected the next final blow but the Ensign was busy rummaging through his personal terminal, scrolling through his classified data. Erdeniz reached to his thigh and clicked open the holster, withdrew his sidearm and pointed it at the Ensign.
“Get back from the terminal, Ensign!”
He tried to stand but the pain ripped though his body, the knife still jammed into his body. The Ensign ignored him and continued to work on the computer. Erdeniz flipped the button on his pistol that automatically loaded in a ship safe round. The rubber tipped round could easily kill an unarmoured man at this range and there was no possibility it could penetrate the skin of any part of the ship or damage the major circuits or equipment inside. Hearing the noise from the gun Harris turned and looked directly at him. He snarled and then ran at Erdeniz, taking him by surprise.