A life in the service – (Complete)

Chapter one

Basic Training

I was born Author Geoffrey England. My mother and father were both well know scientists. Even with a very high IQ I had dreams in another area. At the tender age of seventeen I enlisted in the space forces.

I was just over two meters tall with brown hair and blue eyes. I had finished secondary school a year before and spent my time finishing my testing in an ancient martial art. The shuttle up to the transport ship was packed with other recruits that boasted and bragged. As soon as we walked out of the shuttle it started.

A large angry sounding sergeant major was yelling and cursing at us. Several other sergeants were shoving us towards painted footprints on the deck. A few were even disciplining men or women that were to slow. Before I knew it we were all on our face doing push ups as they screamed and yelled at us. I knew what was going to happen and kept my mouth shut and just did the exercises.

Finally we were lined up and our civilian clothes were stripped off and thrown away. We shuffled forward beside a counter as men and women run scanners over us and tossed clothing and equipment at us. After that it was the medics turn and we walked through a gauntlet as they injected us with everything you could think of.

In a large room we set our new clothing and equipment down before walking into a set of showers that washed us and felt like it was removing layers of skin. A senior sergeant walked into the room and started calling names. Those he called grabbed their clothing and equipment and began moving out of the room.

Outside the room was a top sergeant with several senior sergeants. We were formed into ninety man platoons and marched out. Walking through a ship naked is both embarrassing and humiliating. It is also designed to weed soldiers that are not emotionally fit out.

My company started with four hundred and fifty men and women. The first week was spent doing paperwork and evaluations. It was also a week of hell for most of the company. If we were not filling out some paperwork or doing an evaluation, the sergeants were pushing us through physical exercises. By the end of the first week the company had less than four hundred.

It is hard to describe a carrier, they are over ten kilometers long, five wide and five tall. The crew for a carrier is over five thousand with up to another ten thousand in soldiers. The imperial carrier Duchess was designed for one thing, training new troops. We made several stops as she jumped from system to system. We never knew what the next stop was going to be; jungles, woodlands, deserts or even underwater or space operations.

From the very first day I was leading the company in fitness and weapons skills as well as classes. We were each issued an assault rifle that used 6mm rail bullets. The rifles were unique because they would only work for each soldier they were issued to. Week followed week and more people dropped out until we were down to just over two hundred. We were into our eighth week with another month before graduation.

We entered the Cerberus system and the sergeants called for a formation. The top sergeant looked at us and shook his head, “You are a sorry bunch. For the next week you are going to be detailed around the planet to give the twenty third Space Force a break. You will maintain your professional baring at all times. Those of you detailed for guard duty, take it seriously. There have been a few reports of dissidents so stay alert.”

He looked us over before looking at me, “Private England you will report to me after the formation.”

When I walked into his office it was to see the Duchess’s captain sitting on the edge of his desk. He smiled as he looked me up and down. I snapped to attention and the top sergeant nodded, “because you are at the top of the regiment, we are giving you the honor to stand guard outside Counselor’s Hall. Use you best set of class three utilities and draw a basic load for your rifle.”

I nodded and he waved towards the door. I spun and marched out smartly with both pride and fear in my heart. I knew the guard outside Counselor’s Hall was mostly for show, after all who would attack the system counselors? I was inspected three times before boarding the shuttle down and another two times by senior sergeants on the ground.

The Counselor’s Hall is a wedge shaped building. The open side is raised above the street and has a wide stone porch with huge stone pillars. There is the standard clear area out to the street and a wide central boulevard leading straight to the building. High in the outer wall is a line of narrow windows that let in light from the porch.

There is only one door into the building from the porch and I was posted beside it. Just inside the door was a wide hall that spanned the building with a central set of stairs up to the viewer’s galley and two doors on each end of the entrance hall. The hall itself was shaped like the building except there was a room beyond the speaker’s podium where the counselors argued and made decisions. There were rows of stone seats down to the central platform where all nine counselors sat.

I relieved a smart looking corporal and he glanced at the sergeant of the guard before following him down to the waiting vehicle. It seemed like a slow day with only a few people entering. I saluted each counselor when they arrived and then as their session started everything seemed to stop. My eye constantly flicked around the distant buildings, more to give me something to do than to look for threats.

The subtle movement caught my eye and I broke position. I brought my weapon up and side stepped in front of the doors. That saved my life as a large rail projectile hit the wall behind where I had been standing and static screamed from my radio. I flicked the safety off and advanced the sight holo as I aimed. The sniper jumped out at me and I squeezed the trigger.
I moved forward and behind the stone pillar to the right. I moved to the right and looked around it and down the wide boulevard. The sight I saw sent chills down my back as I realized I was probably going to die. There was easily a thousand men in body armor with assault rifles rushing the building. I did not hesitate and began aiming carefully and firing.

There was only a tiny spot in the hallow of the throat where my standard bullets would penetrate and that was where I was aiming. The pillar and the porch around me were shattered by projectiles and I spun to the other side of the pillar to continue firing. That was when I saw the two combat suits jumping over the other men and heading towards me.

I glanced back as my mind spun and then I dropped to the ground and crawled to the door. I slipped in and quickly yanked a light bench under one of the windows. Combat suits were only vulnerable in two places against light rounds like I was using, over the ear on each side of the head. I stood on the bench and peered out the shattered window. A moment later a suit landed beside the pillar and stepped forward as it turned.

I did not even think about what would happen if I missed. I aimed and fired in one motion before dropping to the floor. The head of the suit had sparked and flared so I thought I had hit the right spot. The whole window I had been at exploded and debris rained down. I was already moving and leaped for the window ledge above the door, leaving my rifle on the floor.

The window had been replaced long ago by a wall. I pulled my force knife and turned it on as the door exploded inward. A second later the combat suit stalked through the door. I dropped off the ledge and brought my left hand around with the force knife. As I slammed into the suit the knife screamed as it went through the left sensor panel in the helmet over the ear.

I rolled as we crashed to the floor and hastily grabbed the mini caltrop from the gloved hand of the suit. I stood and spun as I pulled the trigger. It was like a solid line of death as it swept out into the rushing men, shattering armor and flesh. I grunted as I swept the heavy weapon back and forth and then I was thrown back with a burning searing pain in my left shoulder.

The caltrop dropped to the floor as I rolled and grabbed my rifle. I came to my knees and fired as three men started rushing up the steps to the porch. I stood and ran for the right door down into the Hall. There were a few people peeking out from the doorway into the deliberating room but I ignored them as I spun and aimed back for the main door.

I tried to keep up as they began rushing through the door but finally one and then two broke through. I was halfway through my ammo as I ran towards the edge of the platform and changed magazines. I was hit in the right side as I started turning to face to doors. The burning stabbing pain slammed through me, spinning me more as I ignored everything and raised my rifle.

I walked backwards as I fired into the men coming through the door and finally knelt with a stone seat blocking their fire. I start going from one doorway to another and then up into the viewer’s galley. The counselors and the few people that had been here were back in the deliberating room. I knew I was the only thing between these fanatics and the counselors and the only way I was letting them past was over my body.

Every time I saw a soldier with a launcher I would concentrate on them. I missed one though and dove away as an implosive grenade landed in the center of the platform. I was still trying to get behind cover when the searing pain slammed through my right hip. I rolled and shot the sniper through his open face shield. I struggled and crawled to the hole in the platform before turning back to the other end of the room.

I knew I did not have much longer. My eyes were starting to blur and I felt light headed from blood loss. I continued to kill men that entered the room and changed to my last magazine. That was when I heard explosions from outside the building. The steady stream of men entering the room slowed and stopped. I had half a magazine as another soldier appeared in the doorway. I brought my rifle up but held my fire as I recognized the uniform, “Identify yourself!”

That brought instant response; he knelt as two more men knelt in the doorway behind him, “Sergeant Beckford. Red Wolves, twenty third Regiment!”

I hesitated, “Come forward to be recognized!”

He stood and gestured to the two men before walking forward. I saw other soldiers in the other doorway and even more moving into the viewer’s galley. The sergeant stopped at the edge of the platform and held out his ID tags. I knew I could not move out of the hole, “Toss them.”

He frowned but tossed them towards me. My hand was shaking as I picked them up and thumbed it. His holo appeared above the tags with his information beside the holo. I set them down, “The counselors are in the next room. I did not let anyone past me.”

He moved onto the platform as he gestured for the others to join him. He knelt beside me and started checking me as the others headed for the door. That was the last thing I saw before I finally passed out. I woke up in a cold room and opened my eyes to see a beautiful Lieutenant sitting beside me. She smiled, “Welcome back private.”

I had to swallow before I croaked, “The counselors?”

She touched my hand, “Safe thanks to you.”

She glanced at the nurse as she walked into the room and crossed to check me. Once she left the questions began. She was very good and drew everything out before I realized she was from Imperial Intelligence. She gave me a soft kiss that I will remember for a long time before she left. Because of my injuries I was given Regen Nanites which recruits do not normally get until they graduate.

I also had to stand before the gathered counselors and receive the Imperial Star which was the highest award a soldier could normally receive. Then I received the bad news, because of my injuries I was headed out to the carrier York, to start basic all over again.

Chapter two

Advanced training

I straightened my uniform before standing and heading to the shuttle’s hatch. Five new things had been added to my uniform, the small combat stripe on my left sleeve, the wound stripe on my right sleeve and Private First Class emblems on my collar. On the right side of my chest was a small colorful ribbon that identified me as having served in combat on Cerberus.

Last was the gold and silver mini ribbon for graduating at the top of the regiment and the Imperial Star seemed to glow in the hollow of my throat. I had wanted to leave it off but my sergeant had straightened it and looked into my grey eyes, “always wear it with honor.”

I had also earned an official nickname. One of the other recruits had started it as a joke but it had stuck. It officially went on my record when the regiment commander called me by it during an exercise. Now the other recruits just called me Pendragon.

I straightened when I stepped out of the shuttle and onto the deck of John Wayne. The bosan’s pipes called for the ship to come to attention and I shook myself and continued across to the senior sergeant standing at attention. He saluted and I returned it, “Private First Class England reporting Sergeant.”

He smiled and gestured to the foot prints on the deck, “Take your place private.”

It was a relief to get out of my dress uniform, even if the sergeants made sure to let me know I was not special. Advanced Training was like Basic but they mostly concentrated on weapons and martial skills. Since I was already an advanced student in a martial art, I was assigned as an assistant. We also began more extensive training in or with combat suits.

The weeks and months passed quickly. Twice we were used on a planet as reserves or working in the rear of a combat area. We were two weeks from graduating when we went into orbit around Glamour. The Second Armor regiment only needed a company for support and ours was chosen. As soon as the shuttle settled onto the ground the top sergeant was up and moving.

Our company commander led the way down the drop ramp and the platoon sergeants started splitting us up. My squad headed towards an armored carrier and the three tired looking soldiers. We were dropped in twos and threes until I was the only one left. The carrier finally settled to the ground and I followed a corporal out. He nodded to the half buried bunkers, “Welcome to the combat ammo supply bunkers.”

After a short briefing on what was where, the remote ammo transports started coming in. I slung my rifle and started loading, slowly the hours passed with only a few breaks. We received a huge supply dump from bases even further behind the lines and started unloading. The three soldiers actually relaxed as we worked, there was a sergeant, a corporal and a private first class like me.

We had a chain going with an old senior sergeant that had driven the ammo transport tossing crates of ammo to the sergeant. He let it turn him before tossing it to the corporal who did the same thing and tossed it to the other private. I was just inside the bunker sliding the crates into the bunker loader. The crack of a bullet moving through the air had me spinning as the crate dropped to the floor.

I quickly unslung the rifle from my back as the whole area was riddled with bullets. The old sergeant was down, the sergeant and corporal were hit and screaming on the ground and the other private was on his back staring straight up with half his head missing. I keyed my company radio, “This is Pendragon at the forward combat ammo supply bunker. We are under attack with four men down.”

I brought my rifle up and stepped out, I walked towards the corporal as I started shooting. This time I was more prepared then before, I had switched my basic ammo aboard ship to armor penetrators. Even through I walked slowly and calmly as I fired into the rushing soldiers I did not feel that way.

When I reached the corporal I squatted and finally reached down to grab him as he lurched up. On the walk back I helped him but continued to fire into the few soldiers that were brave enough to continue to rush towards us.

Inside the bunker I helped the corporal to the floor before spinning to pull a screamer from my harness. A screamer is an electronic device designed to fog holo sights. The thing about a screamer was it could filter its soldier’s sight so they could still see through the electronic fog. My radio was continuously calling for attention but I could not spare the time yet.

I tossed the screamer and moved back out into the open and started towards the sergeant as I fired at the enemy soldiers again. It seemed like a long way to him but I did not run or rush. I continued to shoot the closest soldiers to us as I knelt beside the sergeant and lowered the rifle before grabbing him.

I jerked him up and over my shoulder before standing and heading back towards the bunker. Like before I still fired at the men attacking us as I used my other hand to hold the sergeant on my shoulder. Once inside the bunker I knelt and slipped him off beside the corporal. He grabbed him and nodded to me and I stood to go back out.

I knew the screamer was not going to last much longer. This time they tried to fire blind through the electronic fog. I kept shooting them as I headed for the back of the transport. Several times I had bullets graze me but nothing hit me solidly. I reached the transport and turned to pull the old sergeant out and over my shoulder.

I turned to head back to the bunker when the screamer stopped working and a familiar burning stabbing pain ripped through my upper chest, high on the right side. I spun and staggered before turning back. I was barely holding the old sergeant and knew I could not lift my rifle. I flipped the switch to full automatic and started for the bunker.

Bullets whipped around me and sprang off the transport and the ground. I pointed my rifle and pulled the trigger. I sprayed bullets back and forth through the few men that did not drop to the ground in time. I staggered into the bunker and dropped to a knee to let the sergeant slip off. The corporal pulled himself closer holding a pressure bandage and I turned and moved back to the entry.

I switched my rifle to my other hand and changed the magazine. I took a deep breath before leaning out and firing into the five men almost to the door. My rifle was still on automatic and I spray back and forth through all five. I flipped the switch to semi auto as they were thrown back and started picking out targets. I moved back and dropped the magazine before changing to a new one.

The explosion outside shook the bunker and I looked at the others thinking we were dead. More explosions followed but none near us. I leaned out to see gun ships ripping the company of soldiers apart and keyed my radio, “This is Pendragon. We are still in the ammo bunker and clear of enemy fire.”

“Copy Pendragon. What is your status?”

I glanced at the corporal, “Four wounded and one dead.”

“How bad is the wounded?”

I looked at both the sergeants, “Two critical, one serious and I am still combat effective.”

“Copy, an assault retrieval bird will be there in one minute.”

I took a deep breath before moving to help the corporal to his feet. I squatted and pulled the sergeant up before positioning him on my left shoulder. I grabbed the old sergeant and lifted as my chest and shoulder screamed in agony. The corporal held him as I moved him up onto my right shoulder further. I stood and moved towards the entry as my radio crackled, “Pendragon your ride is inboard and will be on the ground in ten.”

I waited for the corporal to put his arm around me for support. We started out into the smoke as an assault ship dropped down beside the transport. Men spilled out as I staggered to the four medics moving towards us. They took the corporal and then the two sergeants before moving back to the ship as I looked around. One of the medics turned, “Get your ass in here private.”

I grinned and walked the few steps before climbing in and lying back, “Home James.”

The regen nanites had done a good job of stopping the bleeding and they were already beginning to repair the damage. The doctors pulled the bullet fragments out and let the nanites do their job. I woke up in the recover room and shivered before looking at another cute lieutenant sitting beside me. I smiled and she touched my hand, “You are making a habit of this.”

She was as good as the last debriefing officer and she even gave me a soft kiss like the other officer. I was back with my company the next morning, of course I was supposed to only have light duty but I ignored that to continue with my training and graduate at the top of the regiment.

The graduation ceremony was in one of the large shuttle bays. Out of the five thousand men that started basic only three thousand graduated. Out of the five thousand advanced soldiers that started only two thousand made it to graduation.

This time my uniform had another combat stripe and another wound stripe. I touched the brand new lance corporal emblems and smiled as I remembered the talk the top sergeant had given me when he put them on. Of the three thousand men that did not graduate two hundred were medically retired and twelve had been killed. Of the twelve killed two had been put up for post humorous decorations.

I also wore a new unit combat ribbon for Glamour and a second gold and silver mini ribbon for graduating at the top of the regiment. I finally put the new dark blue beret on and turned to head out. I had waited as the top sergeant asked and lined up with the ten other soldiers that were being giving awards.

I led the way when one of the platoon sergeants nodded and the regiment was called to attention. When I left, I had a new medal on my uniform, the Galactic Cluster, awarded for gallantry under fire.

I nodded to the ship’s sergeant major as I stepped into the Captain’s wardroom. I had time to change out of my dress uniform and wore standard fatigues. The officers stopped talking and the captain turned to see me. She grinned as she crossed the room, “Corporal England, I am glad you came.”

I smiled, “Like a mere lance corporal would tell a beautiful captain no?”

She laughed and several senior officers joined her. She looked at a young man, “Mister Jensen?”

The cadet was carrying a bag and a wooden box. He moved closer and held out the box. The captain took it and looked at the sergeant major who stepped up beside me, “Senior Sergeant Michaels, Sergeant Davis and Corporal Allen seemed to think you needed something besides a lousy medal.”

I started to shake my head and the captain laughed as she looked at the sergeant major, “I told you he would not want to accept.”

She looked at me, “In this case I think you should.”

She opened the box to show a sleek matte black rail pistol resting on a cushion inside, “This is a Swift Mark V 14mm with a built in suppressor. The magazine only carries twenty but what you hit goes down and does not get up.”

I looked up and grinned, “It is beautiful.”

She laughed as she looked at the sergeant major, “that is what I thought you would say.”

I hesitated and then reached out to lift the pistol out of the case, just the feel made me grin, Swift made the highest quality pistols in the galaxy. I bowed to the captain, “Thank you captain.”

She nodded and absently handed the empty case to the cadet, “They also sent you spare magazines and equipment.”

She nodded to the sergeant major before turning away. I hastily took the bag the cadet offered and the sergeant major led me out. He held out an orders chip, “This is from the captain.”

I looked at him and he grinned, “I believe you wanted to go to a recon company. These are orders for the fifth regiment recon company.”

I grinned, “What about my orders to the fifteenth?”

He shook his head, “I had them canceled.”

Chapter three

Scout Recon

I had two days before the transport left heading out to the station where fifth regiment was based. During transit I wore my class C dress uniform which was more comfort than the other two. It consisted of soft dark blue pants with a thin sleeved dark blue turtle neck. On the plus side I did not have to wear my awards so everyone and their sister did not go to attention and salute me when they saw me.

I walked off the shuttle with returning men and women. I was pulling my EQ and weapon’s bag on a float and carrying my kit bag. I stopped at the large desk beside the hatch and the senior sergeant that sat there, “Excuse me sergeant, I am looking for the recon company.”

He glanced at me and sat back, “You are a little young lance corporal.”

He looked towards the shuttle tube I had come through and nodded, “You would be from York which means you are lance corporal England.”

I looked at him in surprise and he grinned, “I had a cousin on Glamour.”

I nodded and he gestured to the hatch, “Take the instation tram across to the last stop. From there you will see the unit ID board.”

When I reached the wide corridor the company was located at I glanced at the image of a dragon beside the hatch with the motto, “Eyes of the Dragon.”

I walked into the large room and set my things beside the hatch before walking to the desk a sergeant sat behind. He looked up, “Can I help you lance corporal?”

I nodded, “I have orders to report.”

He looked me over before touching the intercom, “We have a newbie Top.”

“Send him in.”

The sergeant gestured to the inner hatch and I straightened before walking to the hatch. I stepped into the room and moved to the top sergeant’s desk ignoring the Junior Captain. I handed my order chip across and he slid it into his reader before frowning and looking up at me, “You just graduated from advanced training?”

I nodded and he looked at the captain as he came to the desk. The top sergeant looked at me and sat back, “recon only accepts soldiers that have been in combat in a line company. How did you manage to get orders to my company lance corporal?”

I smiled and pulled my ID tags and slid them across the desk. He thumbed the tags and then they both snapped to attention. I shook my head, “That really makes me uncomfortable Top.”

They looked at each other and the top sergeant grinned and held his hand out. They only had one slot open for me and that was in the scout platoon. For the next three months I more than proved myself. It was right after that when we were pulled off the range for a briefing. I sat beside corporal Golden with our two privates on my other side.

The commander that started to brief us was very through. The imperial council had received a warning from a planet called Andrew’s Fortune. Fleet was going in to settle the planet down in just over two weeks. We were going in first, just my company.

The stealth shuttle broke through the atmosphere slowly and composite capsules were kicked free. I watched the guide and rotated my capsule before slowing it with the micro anti gravs. We were the last to drop with the rest of the platoon already down. I followed corporal Golden as she headed towards our landing point. The two privates kept in position on us as they followed.

A thousand feet above ground the capsule cracked open. I popped my anti grav as the shattered capsule seemed to flake and turn to ash. I settled to the ground and pulled the anti grav off to put it in my pack. I checked the two privates as the corporal checked her headings. When she looked at me, I gestured and she nodded before turning to lead the way.

Unlike the three others, I also wore the Swift on my right thigh and carried extra magazines for it under my arms. It was twelve hours before the corporal stopped, she gestured and we moved into a diamond position. The corporal touched her holo map and touched a spot before pointing to the ground. She touched a spot for each of us and gave us a moment before shutting the holo down.

We split up and headed out into the night. My recon area was the farthest away and in an area with structures. I moved carefully and finally checked my own map before moving up onto a high parking structure. I was actually a little outside my area but this building gave me the perfect angle to look into a group of military warehouses.

What I saw was not good. The three I was able to see into through high windows held rank after rank of armored combat suits. I glanced at the team repeater tags and moved to my next area. I was moving carefully and silently when one of the team tags blinked yellow and then red. Another did the same thing and then corporal Golden’s tag went yellow.

I knew right then that something had gone terrible wrong. The three armored combat suits came out of the night headed towards me. I did not bother with my rifle and pulled my silenced Swift. I had loaded all the magazines with armor piercing ammo and with the power of the 14mm it would punch completely through a suit of combat armor.

I shot three times with the same accuracy I was used to. The three men in the armored suits never even knew they were dead. I headed straight for corporal Golden since she was closest. She was struggling in the grip of a combat suit while several soldiers laughed and teased her, they never knew I was there until it was to late.

I opened fired on the group before shooting the suit through the head with my Swift. I shot three more men before yanking Golden off the ground, “Time to go boss.”

She snarled, “Let me kill these bastards!”

I shook her, “Most are dead. We need to find privates Karn and Jacobs.”

She straightened and looked around before grabbing her pack and her weapon from a dead sergeant, “They broke my tracker so lead the way.”

I nodded and glanced at the two red repeater tags and started for Karn. We founded him or his body. They were carrying him and his equipment towards the base HQ buildings. I let Golden open the ball and took out the three suits before switching to my rifle. While I guarded us, she took his tags and destroyed his equipment. We caught the group that had killed Jacobs close to the HQ.

After I killed the suits and went on guard, Golden started destroying his equipment. That was when a strike force found us. The group wore normal body armor that my assault rifle punched holes through. Golden went down with a round through her upper chest after destroying Jacob’s equipment.

I swept the few remaining soldiers with auto fire before spinning and yanking her up and over my shoulder. My rifle hung from its sling as I headed away at a jog with my Swift in hand. I did not even slow down when the five man team appeared in front of me. They were in suits but five shots from the Swift dropped them as I moved through.

A couple of miles away I stopped and turned to put the corporal down before quickly checking her wound. I gave her a shot of pain killer before fishing out my long range radio. I switched to the emergency setting and started encrypting my message. When I finished I changed the settings just in case and put it away. Golden groaned when I squatted beside her, “Leave me.”

I smiled, “Sorry.”

I went through her pack and moved most of it to mine before destroying the rest. I lifted her in my arms and started walking, I glanced into her face and grinned, “I always thought I would do this with my wife first.”

She slapped my chest, “Get me out of here and I will pretend.”

I grinned and kept going, it took all night to get to the squad RP. No one was there and somehow I knew they were not coming. I carefully put corporal Golden’s anti grav on her and then my own. She was almost completely out of it as I switched our anti grav on and lifted her. My first jump took me almost a quarter mile and I adjusted for our weight before continuing.

Four hours and almost a thousand kilometers later they found us. I had crossed a wide river and a dozen suits appeared in front of me as I was coming down. I had already slung my rifle and dropped my hand to draw the Swift as I slung Golden over my other shoulder. I started shooting at the same time they did. For the most part my aim was better.

I was on the ground with only three suits left when I took a round through my shoulder. Lucky for me it was a through and through. I rapid fired into the three suits and changed magazines as my chest burned and screamed in pain. My uniform was design like the corporal’s and sealed the wound. I hesitated to take the pain killers and shifted Golden back into my arms as I started off again.

After that every so often more suits would appear and I would have to stop to deal with them. That night we holed up in a cave and I fed a delirious Golden a ration before relaxing. I waited until it was the middle of the night before starting off again and things went smoother with only one more group of suits. I dropped through a camouflaged site and into the middle of suits.

I emptied my Swift and in the confusion I jumped again. The tearing pain ripping through my left thigh told me more then I needed to know. Thankfully Golden was not hit again but it was slower going. When I landed at the company RP only a few men and women were there. I handed Golden over to the medic that rushed to me and went to the supplies the company had sent down when we dropped.

Out of ninety men and women there were only fifteen in the small perimeter. I replaced my spent magazines for the Swift and all the magazines for my riffle. I exchanged the rifle ammo for armor penetrators. Top found me as I moved to take my place in the perimeter, “Go see the medic Pendragon.”

I grinned, “You need me on the perimeter Top.”

He nodded, “If doc says you can still function.”

I nodded and ducked into the small tent. Four others were in there and Doc was bent over Golden, “How is she?”

He glanced back, “A little shocky but not to bad.”

I stripped quickly as I heard firing, “Top said to have you clear me.”

He glanced at my shoulder and then down to my thigh, “How long since you were shot?

I shrugged, “yesterday afternoon and the leg this morning.”

He turned to pull his bag closer and then applied a cream to my leg and then more to both sides of my shoulder. He poked and prodded and put dressings on as the firing started getting heavier. I quickly dressed and grabbed my rifle and ran out. I hit the perimeter as the armored suit came through the trees.

I dropped beside a boulder and started picking targets like I had a lifetime ago and worlds away. The penetrators punched straight through the suits and they started falling back. Top kicked my foot from behind the boulder, “We are pulling back to the secondary.”

I nodded but did not move, “I will cover.”

He growled but turned away to move to the next man. The suits rushed again as only augmented suits can. I stilled killed them and kept them from drawing closer. Senior sergeant Adams dropped a bag beside my hip, “Make them pay.”

I nodded and kept shooting, it was mostly quiet except for me and the suits. When the suits pulled back and the arty poppers came in, I rolled and slipped half under the front of the boulder. Explosions ripped everything apart, even the boulder cracked. When it stopped I moved back into position and waited. I did not have long to wait as they rush the position again.

All I was trying to do was buy time. If they had been using trained soldiers in those suits I would already have been dead. From the stupid way they ran into my fire I knew they were barely trained. The bag senior sergeant Adams had dropped was full of magazines for my rifle. The second time the suits pulled back I grabbed the bag and spun.

I used the anti grav to leap. I was barely in time as the whole perimeter imploded in plasma fire. I fired into suits and men as I fled south. I knew the company had gone north so I hoped to draw them after me. I dug in a few times to take out the suits that tried to follow and I kept changing course. I took a hit in my left calf a couple of hours after I started.

Moving after that was slower and more painful. The day turned into night and I started hitting suits with thermal vision. My uniform helped conceal me at least until I started firing. I was hundreds of kilometers to the south and still sucking them after me when the first assault teams struck.

I had collected another bullet high in my other shoulder and was almost ready to make my last stand since I was down to just my Swift and three magazines. The suits started moving away and I knew they were being jammed. I slowly started limping towards the nearest drop site which was only twenty kilometers away.

It was afternoon when I limped out of the brush to see several shuttles down. There was activity everywhere with armor suits spread across the ground. A tall private stepped in front of me, “Name and unit.”

I glanced at him and the other private next to him, “Pendragon, Scout Recon.”

The private jerked, “We thought you were all dead!”

I pushed past him on my way to the shuttles, “Not yet.”

The captain that stopped me the next time was a stocky man with a wide mustache, “Pendragon? Lance Corporal England?”

I nodded and tried to ignore my pain, “yes sir.”

He turned and gestured, “Your top sergeant thought you had been killed.”

I shook my head, “I just drew them after me sir. I had to distract them from the others, they had our wounded.”

A white uniformed medic trotted up and frowned, “Why is he still standing?”

I snorted, “Because if I sit I will not be getting up again.”

He shook his head and ignored the captain as he helped me to the ground, “Where are you hit?”

I laughed, “This time?”

He shook his head and pressed a hypo into my thigh. I woke in the recovery room with a warm blanket around me. I shivered and croaked, “This is getting old.”

A sweet woman’s voice laughed and I glanced at the foot of the bed to see a pretty junior captain. She was as sweet and seductive as the other two as she debriefed me. It turns out my initial report about all the combat suits had caused a stir and the fleet had jumped in with both feet. When I left the shuttle and walked aboard the station the pipes called the station to attention and I almost stopped.

Top had sent my dress uniform to the hospital ship which meant I was wearing the Imperial Star. He had already added another combat stripe and a wound stripe, not that I needed a reminder. There had also been the small blood red ribbon for Andrew’s Fortune. The huge shuttle bay was empty of ships but not people.

It looked like the whole station was formed up. I hesitated and the regiment sergeant major stepped to my side, “report to the Admiral.”

It was a quiet whisper but I heard and nodded. I took a breath before marching across the short distance and stopping in front of admiral Hickam and saluting, “Sir.”

He smiled and glanced at a captain who began reading orders as my regiment commander, Colonel Stone opened a decoration case and handed the admiral the red and silver Solar Cross. After it was placed on my uniform he removed my Lance Corporal emblems and replaced them with Corporal emblems.

Chapter four

Lone Scout

I dressed carefully in my class C dress uniform and glanced back at Golden lying in the bed, “I am going to miss this.”

She grinned, “You are the one that accept the admiral’s offer.”

I shrugged, “True, but that does not mean I will not miss you.”

Golden slid off the bed and walked to me with a sexy sway to her hips, “Corporal England, you have a mission and so do I.”

She caressed my chest, “If and when we meet again.”

I hugged her and then turned and bent to grab my kit bag, “Learn to duck.”

She laughed as I walked out and headed towards the tram and the waiting ship. She was right, I did accept the admiral’s offer, they were always short Scouts for fringe worlds. The station I was heading for was located in another quadrant and would take a few weeks. This time I was traveling on a civilian transport ship.

The first few days were spent setting a routine. The one thing I had not wanted to do was surrender my weapons but on a civilian ship that was not an option. There were a few smart mouthed fleet officers and arrogant business men but I stayed away from them. They could not understand the ship’s captain inviting me to dine at her table every night though.

On my last day I put my formal uniform on for the shuttle to Spectra Station. The captain met me at the boarding area as the officers snapped to attention. She smiled and kissed my cheek, “Give them hell son.”

I nodded and saluted before turning to board the shuttle and a steward set my EQ and weapon’s bags in a seat beside me. When I walked aboard Spectra a sergeant met me. She ignored the medals and grabbed my EQ bag, “I hope you are as good as they say.”

I grinned, “I try to be.”

She nodded as she slipped onto a moving tram and I joined her. She glanced at me and looked me over, “Why the flash?”

I smiled and glanced back towards the shuttle bay, “Some officers were irritating me and I could not shoot them.”

She stared at me and then started laughing. That was how I met Sergeant Tracy Talent. She was the one to work me through their train up course. She never said anything about my Swift either. Gecko was a seemly nice world, it only had a few small towns and one small starport. Scouts were different than scout recon, they dropped onto a fringe or colony world alone and reported on what they found.

My insertion had been quiet and easy and I moved to my first target. Everything looked normal for a small rural town on a fringe world. After a couple of days I moved to the next town. Two weeks later I hit trouble. The small sea side town was much more than that. I counted three small armed space ships and after one slow check knew I had found a pirate nest.

I pulled back and opened my pack for my radio. I still had over a week before the small fleet scout ship returned but it had left a repeater sat in orbit. I encrypted my report and sent it before waiting. Ten minutes later I had my reply, the second regiment was training in a system close by and would here in two days. I set up a small observation post and tried to relax.

I could see men moving around and some women but they all wore some type of collar and the men led them on leashes like dogs. It was early the next morning that a larger ship came down. I swiftly scanned and checked its ident number and sent an update to my report. It was after the ship had landed that I knew I would have to do something.

A line of men and women were led off the ship and some wore fleet uniforms. I updated my report again with a report that I had to act and packed up. I slipped into the edge of town and carefully moved towards where everyone was gathering. When a pirate laughed and kicked a fleet commander to the ground before pulling a pistol I lifted my rifle.

A rating dove in front of the commander and the pirate snarled and shot him. That pissed me off and I lowered my rifle and started walking as I drew my Swift. Two men glanced at me and the laughter faded right before I shot them. I shot two more before I reached the edge of the crowd, I shot any man that held a weapon or a leash.

When I stepped out in front of the group of new pirates they were facing me to see what was going on. I shot the man that had killed the rating through the face and then any of the others that stayed still. I yanked the commander up and spun him before pulling my force knife and cutting him loose.

I handed the knife to him as I changed the magazine and holstered my Swift. I gestured towards the way I had come, “Go that way.”

I lifted my rifle and shot three pirates running into the small landing area and trailed behind the men and women struggling after the commander. The crowd clustered when they reached the edge of town and I grabbed the tattered uniform of a female rating, “across to the brush and then around the ridge.”

She swallowed and pushed through the crowd. I grunted as a bullet hit my side and turned to pick off the dozen men rushing towards us. The ones that dove to the ground only lived a few seconds more. I followed the crowd across and into the brush. I cursed as I realized the commander had turned the wrong way and led them into a small box canyon.

I followed quickly and pushed through as they reached the end. I looked back and shook my head before looking into the commander’s face, “Put them down along the very edges where the shallow lip overhangs. If they can dig under further all the better. Help is coming but it is still a little ways away.”

He nodded and started talking and pushing men and women to the sides as I headed back to the mouth of the canyon. I knelt behind a thick outcropping and waited. It was not long before several men appeared, I held my fire as the bastards hid behind women they pushed in front of them. I waited as they drew closer and set my rifle down before drawing my Swift.

There were only five men and I stood at the last second and walked into the tangled group to shoot into each man’s head as he tried to duck or run. I pulled the women past me and pushed them towards the box canyon. I was surprised when the young female rating ran out and started pulling and pushing them. I holster my Swift and went to get my rifle before crossing to the other side of the canyon mouth.

The next ploy was a simple rush that ended with ten dead in front of my position, which I traded for a bullet through my upper left arm. The roar of firing and descending shuttles let me know the fleet regiment had arrived early. I touched my tracker on my belt and pulled my pack off to get at my radio.

Thirty minutes later a four man recon team carefully stepped into the small clear area in front of my position. I stepped out as their weapons came up to cover me. I shook my head, “I am Pendragon, Salamander Scouts.”

I turned and headed towards the back of the canyon and the people waiting. One of the men led them out as I followed beside the team leader. She kept glancing at me and I finally looked at her, “Yes?”

She grinned, “You really took on all the pirates by yourself?”

I smiled and shook my head, “It is not the first time. It just seems I can not stay out of trouble.”

She laughed as we reached one of the shuttles and pushed me towards a medic. It seems the second regiment sent their recon company ahead. When I said I was going in they had decided to recon in force.

After the hospital ship, I returned to Spectra and sergeant Talent met me again and grinned as we walked towards the company offices, “That commander you saved was swearing you were ten feet tall with twin rail pistols the size of cannons and breathing fire.”

I laughed and she hit my shoulder, “To bad you are not staying.”

I looked at her, “What do you mean I am not staying?”

She shrugged, “We do not have a junior sergeant slot and the Rangers wanted to borrow you.”

I frowned, “Rangers? I thought they only took two year veterans?”

Talent grinned, “They decided to make an exception.”

I looked at her suddenly, “Wait a minute, you said Junior Sergeant.”

She nodded, “The old lady will pin them on with the medal.”

Chapter five

Ranger

I had celebrated my eighteenth birthday in a mud pit they call Sweet Water. That was the providence of the Rangers and their training company. After the first night they never underestimated me again.

A Ranger instructor had attempted to attack me in my bed and had frozen as my Swift touched his temple. I swam the weightless tube from the shuttle into the small Corvette. The senior sergeant grinned as she took my kit bag, “My cousin said you were good looking.”

I looked at her and smiled, “Corporal Golden?”

She nodded, “Junior Sergeant now.”

I followed her to the tiny cabin that would be home until we reached our target world. There were four narrow bunks, three with thin mattresses rolled out and one with the mattress rolled up. She tossed my kit bag on the empty bunk and I set my EQ bag and weapons kit beside it. She held out her hand, “Patricia Golden.”

I took her firm hand, “Author England.”

She grinned, “Or Pendragon as the gossip goes.”

She led the way out and down to another cramped room where six more men and women were. She introduced them and looked at me, “Our newbie just graduated at the top of his class and beat several records.”

A large muscular man smiled, “Class is not the real thing.”

Golden nodded, “True but anyone that gets pinned with four of the top five and is still alive can get the job done.”

I shook my head as they laughed and she began a briefing. A tiny bright red haired woman shut the lights off. The holograph of our target world appeared in the center of the room. That was the first of many briefings, because of limited space our rehearsals were all computer generated. The mission was to land on the alien world of Trohas and rescue one hundred diplomats.

To do a silent movement through a thick jungle was not going to be easy. The Tro were known to be hostile and had captured an entire diplomatic mission and were demanding the Empire give them an entire carrier group. We were going in to kill the guards and secure the diplomats before a Marauder company dropped in to make a drop zone for evacuation. The Marauders and the pick up ship were following a half day behind us.

We approached behind the nearest planet and the Corvette went silent as it went ballistic. We passed Trohas in a low orbit and our composite capsules were kicked free. This time our descent was faster and we impacted a couple of miles out in an ocean. Our swim to the shore was marred when we lost Sergeant Ericson to an underwater creature that pulled him under and ripped him apart.

Once we reached the shore we used ragged rocks to cover our approach to the jungle where we put our equipment on. Junior Sergeant Golith took point and I moved to the starboard flank. Sergeant Samantha Morgan was the other flank and the only other person to carry a silenced Swift, she was barely five feet tall and hard as battle steel.

This time I had loaded my Swift with expanders since the Tro never wore armor. They were three meters tall with six arms and six legs, the top was straight above the bottom. They also had six eyes, four in the front and two in the back. The huge mouth almost split the head in half with rows of teeth like an earth shark.

We moved through the dense jungle carefully and froze ten kilometers after we started. Golith was choking and I could not see him but heard a silenced round from an assault rifle. Golden appeared a few moments later to whisper, “Golith is dead, one of those big spider lizards.”

I nodded as she drifted away and a minute later we were moving again. Our recon drone had shown us a large cave a kilometer from where the diplomats were being held. That was where we were going first, to secure it before bringing the diplomats. We had started with six men and two women and were down to a total of six.

Barely five minutes later I spun at the hint of sound and shot the two slime snakes dropping from above. Two kilometers from the cave Junior Sergeant Auto crashed around behind us as a slime snake struck him and began liquefying him as it ate. When we reached the cave I moved forward.

Caves on Trohas were known to be home to very large floating bats. They were not bats, more like balloons with wings that sucked in air and released it in a type of compressed jet of air. Morgan joined me and we carefully switched positions. The bright light Morgan flashed ahead of me, illuminating a large concentration of bats and I fired rapidly as she slowly turned the light.

I changed the magazine and she whispered, “Watch the hole to the right.”

I nodded as we moved deeper and finally we slowly backed out. Golden glanced at us and turned to toss a large tracker into the cave before setting her pack down. Sergeant Ellis took point after tossing his pack to the cave mouth with mine and Morgan’s. We began to slowly move apart as we headed for the clearing a kilometer away.

The huge Tro turned in front of me and I shot it through the head. As the edge of cleared space appeared I stopped and took a knee. Sergeant Ellis and Junior Sergeant Phillps moved apart to circle around the clearing. It was their job to kill any Tro inside the jungle. It seemed to take forever before I heard the human scream.

Orders were clear, I rose and rushed forward to kneel at the edge of the clearing and began shooting Tro. All the diplomats were in the center of the depression with dozens of Tro around them carrying crude large bore rifles.