Forged in Battle (Jack Forge, Fleet Marine Book 5) Read online

  Navidi looked at Jack for orders. Jack patted him on the shoulder. “Get to your Tac boat, Joe.”

  Navidi didn’t need a second instruction. He turned on his heel and ran, calling his squad to him as he went.

  “Commander Forge,” Griff’s voice came over the communicator again, harsher and more angry.

  “Withdrawing now, sir,” Jack said and he turned his back on the mining facility and ran to the landing craft.

  Jack ran using his meat suit power assist to help him cover the distance. The light of a plasma spear flashing past his helmet spurred him on. Squad leaders reported in that they were aboard their boats and returning to the Scorpio. Only 4th was still fighting their way over the asteroid.

  Another plasma spear flashed past Jack and then another. One slammed into the ground at his feet. Then another and another. Jack realized he was being targeted. He dare not turn around all he could do was run.

  The landing craft pulse laser sent out a rapid pulse fire that held back the Chits that were on Jack’s tail. Jack grabbed a grenade and pulled the pin. He tossed it over his shoulder, and in the low gravity it traveled a hundred meters before coming down to the ground where it detonated.

  The flash lit up the landing craft and the Marines of 6th squad lined up, pulse rifles raised, waiting to lay down a covering fire for their commander.

  “Get on board,” Jack shouted as he came close.

  “Sorry sir,” Torent said, “but I’m going to have to refuse that order.”

  Jack looked over his shoulder and saw the ground behind him filled with Chits.

  The moment Jack came to the line of 6th squad the Marine’s pulse rifles burst into action. The pulse laser on the landing craft blasted away. The dull crust of the asteroid lit by a sustained and rapid flashing. Jack turned and added his own rifle fire to the barrage. The Chits were closing in.

  A Tac boat leaving the surface called in. “5th squad away.”

  Jack watched as the Tac boat blasted upwards and then came around on a sweeping arc that took it over the heads of the Chitin soldiers advancing on Jack’s landing craft. The Tac boat’s hail cannon blasted a swathe through the Chits.

  “Get on board, 6th squad,” Jack ordered as he marched up the ramp to the passenger deck.

  The ramp came up with Torent and Osho firing through the closing gap.

  The acceleration hit hard as the craft powered away from the asteroid. The surface of the asteroid lit up with ground fire from the Chits. The return fire from the Scorpio soon put an end to the spits cannons and the plasma spears.

  The miners were strapped in to the seats that lined the passenger deck. The Marines held on to whatever straps and hand holds they could find. And there, strapped into a seat, Jack saw the meat suit that contained Bubble.

  It was always going to be a dangerous rescue. Cobra Company was never going to come out of it unscathed. Jack looked at the faces of the miners. Tired, scared, relieved, grateful, and everyone that looked at Jack had a look of gratitude and respect.

  “This is Pretorius,” the captain’s voice came over Jack’s communicator. “Incoming Chitin craft. All craft, combat landing procedures. Strap yourselves in. This one is going to be close.”

  2

  Jack sat at the desk in his quarters and prepared the action report. Cobra had smashed their way through the Chitin lines and created a safe corridor for the miners to escape. There had been fatalities, but well below projections, and the mission was a success, my all measures. But Jack was not happy.

  He had sent his men into battle and sat at the rear, safe from the worst of the Chitin activity. All he had been doing was guarding the landing craft. And he’d lost a man.

  Jack needed to blow off some aggression. He had watched his company fight like the well trained professionals that everyone expected them to be, but their commander sat and watched.

  Jack finished the report and filed it. He stood up and checked his uniform. He was wearing his formal jacket. There was a gathering in the officer’s lounge and he was required to attend.

  The salutes from the crewmen and Marine guards who walked the corridors of the Scorpio were becoming routine. Jack hardly returned them anymore with anything other than a cursory salute. He entered the officer’s lounge. This was not feeling at all routine, he still felt like an outsider here. The officers were gathered to congratulate Griff and Matavesi. Both had been promoted. Both greeted Jack as he entered.

  Griff had been promoted to Major and given command of the Scorpio battalion. He was a competent leader and a fierce Marine. Jack was happy to serve under him. Jack saluted him as he came over.

  “As you were, Jack,” Griff said. “You are late. Do I need to set up a court marshal? ”

  “Sorry sir,” Jack said. “I needed to get that action report filed.” Jack was sure Griff was going to chew him out over his tardiness but knew Griff was joking about a court marshal. Jack relaxed.

  “Priorities, Jack. Command is all about priorities isn’t it.” Griff said nodding. “At least you are not too late to congratulate Major Matavesi.

  “Well done, sir,” Jack said. “The Taurus Battalion is lucky to have you.”

  Matavesi grinned. “Sorry to leave you with all the work, Jack.”

  Jack was now the only company commander of the Scorpio battalion. With Matavesi’s promotion to major and transfer to the Taurus, and with Griff promoted to major the Scorpio battalion had lost its two best commanders. Jack was the least experienced company commander in the fleet. Now he was the only commander in a battalion short of two commanders.

  “Jack,” Griff said, “I’m going to need you to suggest Marines you think are suitable to take over the roles of company commanders. I can’t see Fleet Command sending us any replacement officers. We are going to have to use the people we have. I’ll give you a week to make the assessments and send me a list of names. I will make the final choice.”

  Jack could see he was getting even deeper into administrative work with every moment. First he was guarding a landing craft for an evacuation, next he was reviewing performance files and making staff performance reviews.

  “Yes, sir,” Jack replied.

  Matavesi slapped him on the back. “I think Jack is missing the heat of battle already.” She laughed. “Don’t make it too hard for him, Harry,” she said to Major Griff with a laugh.

  “He is a Marine,” Griff said. “He will take whatever is thrown at him.”

  Jack nodded. “I will, sir. And I’ll find the best people for the commander roles, sir,” Jack said.

  “I know you will.” Griff put an arm over Jack’s shoulder and walked him to the drinks cabinet. “But no need to think about it now. Have a drink and relax. You can find me the best of the bunch starting tomorrow. Copy?”

  “Copy that, sir,” Jack said and took the tumbler of the sharp liquor the officers were drinking. He swirled the drink in the tumbler. He already knew who the best people in Cobra Company were. Jack had fought with them many times and he knew that every one of them was brave and fierce. True Marines every one.

  But who would make company commander? Jack didn’t know if he wanted to inflict that on any of them. It was the hardest thing for a Marine, to sit at the back, or behind a desk and write up lists; lists of equipment, lists of training schedules, lists of battles…and lists of the dead.

  After an hour and another stiff drink the party was ready to see Matavesi off. The frigate that would take Major Matavesi to the Taurus had arrived and was flying in formation with the Scorpio. The officers formed a line with Captain Pretorius and Major Griff at the exit from the officer’s lounge. Matavesi walked along the line and received a pat on the back from her fellow officers and finally a hand shake from Captain Pretorius and Major Griff.

  “Give my regards to Captain Brent,” Pretorius said. “And good luck, Major.”

  As Major Trace Matavesi left the officers deck Jack finished his drink. It was time to head to his bunk. He had work in the morning
, officer’s work.

  The way from the officer’s lounge to Jack’s quarters was familiar. Jack hadn’t gotten lost; he had walked here on auto pilot. He stood outside the doors to the maintenance hangar. It was time to see some old friends.

  “She’s out on a job,” Slim said, a coffee mug in his hands. “A job in the water treatment and recycling plant. She’ll be at it all night I guess.”

  Jack couldn’t even hang out with his girl now. “Maybe I’ll join you for a coffee.” Jack stepped toward the coffee machine, the strong familiar smell drifting over the dirt and grease of the maintenance hangar. “I could do with a strong drink.”

  Slim put his mug down next to the other dirty mugs. “Help yourself, Jack,” Slim pulled a large pair of gloves on. “I’ve got to get this beam synchronizer installed by start of first watch or the Captain will keel haul my ass.”

  Slim picked up a heavy piece of equipment and placed it carefully on a drone cart.

  “You need a hand?” Jack asked.

  “No, Jack, I do not.” Slim powered up the drone cart. “I need you out of my way. This is a one man job and I’ll bet you have never even seen inside a beam synchronizer.” Slim walked toward the maintenance hangar doors, the drone cart followed. “And don’t bother Sarah either. See needs to get the work done and the last thing she needs is you getting in her way.” Slim paused and looked at Jack, suddenly looking unsure. “Sorry, I meant to say, sir.” Slim hesitated. “It’s always good to see you, but we really need to get this work done.”

  Slim was used to speaking plainly to Jack, and Jack liked that. He let Slim go on with his work. The maintenance department was the most over worked department on the Scorpio. The last thing they needed was Jack getting in the way.

  The Marine bunk houses were always lively. Jack passed the Adder Company bunks and the Boa Company bunks. He walked along the Cobra Company bunks and along to the bunk house for 6th squad. It was as familiar as any part of the ship. Jack walked in.

  “Commander on deck,” Torent said the moment Jack walked in. He jumped up from his card game and stood to attention. The rest of 6th jumped up and stood ridged.

  “At ease,” Jack said. He felt so distant from the squad now. He used to be one of them, now he was the company commander, their boss. The squad stood at ease. They relaxed their stance but Jack knew as long as he was there they would be able to relax. This was their down time. He was intruding. “is there anything you need?” Jack asked. He saw the squad exchange glances.

  “No thank you, sir,” Torent said.

  Jack stepped back to the door. “As you were, 6th squad,” he said.

  The Marines went back to their activities in an uncertain manner. Jack knew they could not relax with the commander in their muster area.

  Torent stepped over to Jack. “Is there anything I can do for you, sir?”

  Jack walked to the exit and with a sideways nod of his head he bid Torent to follow him.

  Standing outside to bunk house in the corridor Jack walked slowly along, Torent at his side.

  “I didn’t do anything on that rescue mission, Sam.”

  Torent stopped and turned to Jack. “You led the mission, Jack.”

  Jack leaned against the wall. “I just wish I could have done more.”

  “You rescued the miners. They say we need skilled people like that if we are going to beat those Chitin scum. You did your job.”

  “But I was so far from the action. I don’t want to send Marines anywhere that I’m not prepared to go.”

  “I know you will fight when you must, Jack.” Torent leaned on the wall opposite Jack. “But I for one was happy to be at the rear for a change. I could quite happily go my whole life without having to face down a screaming hoard of Chitin soldiers again. But you know something, Jack?”

  “What’s that, Sam?”

  “We are unlikely to go to the end of this war without facing those Chitin scum again. And when we do I hope I’m standing next to the baddest most fierce kravin Marine in the entire fleet Marine service.”

  Jack nodded.

  “You don’t know who I mean do you?”

  Jack shook his head. There were dozens of good Marines. As far as Jack was concerned Torent was one of the best he had ever known.

  Torent pushed himself off the wall. “I mean you, Jack. Now if you don’t mind getting the krav out of my squad area, sir,” Torent gave Jack a cheeky smile. “A commander in the area tends to make the guys nervous.”

  Jack left the area and wandered the Scorpio. He had been on board the destroyer for just over a year and he knew every square meter of it. The only place he didn’t feel comfortable was his own quarters. It was small and isolated. Jack felt the biggest battle he had to face was dealing with the isolation and the burden of command. The hardest battle he would face would be to send good Marines like Sam Torent into battle and watch them do the work of shredding Chitin soldiers, putting their lives on the line every moment, never knowing if they would survive the next moment.

  Jack dropped on to his bunk. He couldn’t call it sleep, it was little more than a fitful, semi consciousness, but the night watch hours passed and before he knew it he was being roused by a message on his communicator. He was required on the command deck. Jack rolled out of his bunk, ready for another round of commander duty.

  3

  The command deck of the Scorpio was buzzing with activity when Jack joined the captain and Major Griff at the holostage.

  “Fleet Command has located a Chitin flotilla.” Pretorius tapped the holostage and showed a blurry holoimage. “This is real time data. Fleet intelligence thinks it is a Leviathan with around fifty other ships, mostly Hydras. They expect that some of these signals,” Pretorius pointed at the fuzzy Hydra sized objects, “are actually small squadrons of Krakens. It’s a large force but we are going to intercept and engage.”

  “Sir,” Jack raised his hand. “One carrier group against all that?”

  “We are synchronizing our approach with the Overlord Carrier group. We will attack together. Fleet believes that two carrier groups should be a match for the Leviathan. The Monarch carrier group destroyers, that’s us the Aries and the Pisces, are to sweep around the port flank of the Chitin flotilla. Overlord carrier group destroyers will take the starboard flank and the two carriers will engage the Leviathan head on with support from all frigates and corvettes.”

  Griff turned to Jack. “Looks like you’ll be preparing the battalion for internal defense again, Jack.”

  Jack nodded. “Yes sir.”

  Pretorius switched the holoimage to show the two carrier groups in their attack formation. “Both carriers will launch their full fighter force to cover the destroyers from Chitin craft that will attempt to board. We expect to catch the Chitins by surprise, and with superior numbers so they shouldn’t be able to get any boarding operations underway.”

  “I want the ship prepared in any case, Captain,” the major said. And then he turned to Jack, “and I want those recommendations about the potential company commanders from you as soon as possible. I don’t want to be managing a battalion with only one commander reporting to me. Clear?”

  “Yes sir,” Jack nodded.

  Jack deployed the battalion through the Scorpio. If the Chits were going to get on board they would head for critical areas and quickly try to disable the ship. Life support, engine rooms, command deck and life support were heavily guarded. The barrier system devised by Jack was reinstalled to slow Chit movement through the ship.

  A ship wide announcement informed Jack that the Scorpio and the rest of the Monarch carrier group would be in combat position in a few minutes. Jack watched through a porthole in one of the outer doors of the hangar deck.

  The Chitin Leviathan appeared in the distance as it fired its primary weapon toward the incoming Fleet ships. The fire from the fleet craft lit up space. The batteries on the Scorpio poured fire at the Chitin Hydra craft that raced forward to meet the attack.

  Jack sa
w the Leviathan light up as high energy lasers from both carriers slammed into its black hull. Then the ordnance from both carriers came pouring in. High ex rounds slammed into the Leviathan. The explosions lighting up space and the massive Chitin craft. The Leviathan returned fire. Jack pressed his face to the porthole to see the plasma blast burn its way toward the Carriers.

  The fighter craft from the carriers flew alongside the Scorpio startling Jack. They turned and flew toward the Leviathan and its support craft, their engine flares blocking out everything else from view. As they powered away Jack saw their pulse lasers pouring fire into a group of Hydras.

  The Leviathan took another pulse of the high energy laser and another salvo of high explosive and kinetic shot. Then the combat drones came within detonation range. The antimatter explosions grew like soft billowing clouds, almost perfectly symmetrical. Their energy slammed into the Leviathan.

  The Scorpio began to smell of battle as the exhaust from the gun batteries burned back into the ship. Another salvo lit up space and the top mounted high energy laser incinerated a nearby Chitin hydra. The fighter craft swooped across the advancing Hydras and Krakens that tried to battle their way toward the Scorpio.

  Then the call came over Jack’s communicator, the call he both dreaded and longed for. A Chitin Hydra had attached itself to the hull and was cutting through. The Hydra had broken through the fighter defense and had attached itself to the Scorpio near the engine room. Jack ran. He was not going to leave this to the Marines stationed there. He was a leader, and he was going to personally lead this fight.

  As Jack ran along the Marine deck to the aft exit he saw the Leviathan give off another massive blast from its primary weapon. The huge plasma gout was as big as a Fleet carrier. A carrier could only take a few direct hits from the Leviathan weapon. This battle was a question of time and damage ratio. If the carriers could inflict more damage on the Leviathan than it could deliver to either carrier, then the Chits would lose. If one carrier went down then the Leviathan would have a chance.