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  “We could have slowed down for you,” the Marine on the machine-gun said as he straightened.

  I craned my neck up and around to look at him. “It was a last second decision,” I explained.

  “I noticed, Lieutenant,” he replied.

  ***

  We sped across the deck, swerved to line up with the cut, and hit the lip. The mule went airborne for a second, touched down, and made a sharp turn. I bounced into the air. The only thing keeping me from flying off was my white knuckled grip on the side rails.

  “Now we’re in it,” the gunner shouted in delight. He slammed a magazine into his weapon and rotated the charging arm to seat the long ammo carrier. He’d stuffed another magazine between his belt and his back.

  Before the mule stopped, I heard heavy firing from the gun mule assigned to this storage area. Mine screeched to a halt and I jumped off.

  “Suppression fire from this side of the doors,” Nahia ordered the gunner. “Interlock yours with the other gun. Don’t expose yourself more than necessary. Clear? Good! Go, go, go!”

  The mule jerked forward then pulled away leaving me standing on the empty deck. Corporal Nahia gave me a tight grin of surprise. As would any good Marine Corps’ NCO, upon having a naval officer suddenly appear in the middle of a firefight, she resisted the urge to chew me out for wasting her time.

  “Orders, Sir?” she asked out of tradition.

  I didn’t have a clue as to the situation and the Corporal had more pressing issues than standing around jawing with me.

  “Carry on Corporal. Let me know if I can help,” I said.

  “Yes, Sir,” she replied before spinning on her heels and racing away.

  ***

  The huge container deck was mostly empty. Its only occupants were Marines stationed on either side of partially opened cargo doors. On the far side of the doors, two Marines were down and being given first aid. A few more crouched at the edge of the door firing around it at targets in the adjoining storage deck. They were bent over because the machine-gun was firing over their heads. The mule was backed up so the cargo door gave the gunner some cover from enemy fire.

  On my side of the opening, the bulk of Nahia’s Marines were stacked up as only a few could reach the door’s edge. The ones in position to shoot, fired into the adjacent area.

  The mule I’d ridden on arrived and backed up along the other cargo door. Riflemen gave way and, in seconds, Nahia had two machine-guns pouring kinetic rounds at the unseen enemy.

  I couldn’t envision the sequence of actions that took placed and put us in this situation. Then, I glanced up. The motors for moving the doors were full of holes, had fibers optics dangling, and pieces of alloy torn away. It seemed the Marines had shot out the motors to keep the doors from opening further.

  Based on the state of the motors and the wide gap between the doors, I surmised the Constabulary had attempted to open the doors and attack. They ran into a Marine gunner on a mobile platform and two riflemen. Three Marines doesn’t sound too impressive unless you were the one facing that deadly trio.

  I chanced slipping deeper into the storage deck to get a look into the neighboring storage area. Sure enough, there were four dead Troops not far beyond the doors. I had no way of knowing how many were in the Constabulary party. I did know, they had fled after an engagement with the three Marines.

  Four kinetic rounds pinged off the deck plates, telling me it was time to get out of the line of fire. A final look showed me the Constabulary were clustered behind small crates spread around their storage deck. Another round slapped the deck, I ducked and ran.

  ***

  As I sprinted back to safety, Chief Freeport and the other Navy tech appeared in the cutout passageway. They began placing the sled ramps on either side of the lip. This was both good and bad news. Good because the supplies were moving. Bad because the assault truck and the sled of supplies needed to make a wide arc after entering this storage deck. And during the entire slow turn, they would be exposed to the Constabulary’s incoming rounds.

  The assault vehicle could withstand a lot of punishment. My worry was what the kinetic rounds would do to Captain Djamila’s supplies. It could make a mess of the load.

  I shifted my attention from the disaster of ruined supplies and studied the Marines and their firing positions. After surveying the field of engagement, I decided to intervene in Corporal Nahia’s management of the firefight.

  ***

  “You want me to do what, with my heavy weapons, Lieutenant?” she demanded.

  In most cases with Corporal Nahia, her use of Sir, or my rank, was out of respect. Right now, she used it to remind me that I was Navy and she was a Marine NCO.

  “I know it sounds wrong. But, your machine-guns can’t get rounds on the center of the Constabulary positions,” I explained. “When our supplies cross in front of the doors, we’ll lose too much gear.”

  “And how will pulling my big guns help protect the supply sled?” she asked.

  When I walked up to her, Nahia turned around in response to my call. Before we actually started the conversation, she took my shoulders and pivoted us so she could keep an eye on her Marines while we talked.

  “It wouldn’t until your Marines are on line and suppressing the fire of the Constabulary,” I responded.

  Now her eyes popped off of her Marines and locked onto mine.

  “Easy Corporal. I’m not suggesting a frontal attack on a fixed position,” I assured her. “I want to build a barrier across the cargo doors. Your Marines will have cover while they engage the Constabulary.”

  Nahia glanced quickly around the empty storage container deck.

  “Not a lot of choices for barricade material,” she reminded me.

  “Oh, but there is Corporal,” I said while swinging my arm around and pointing at the closest machine-gun. “Two mules on their sides, laying end to end, will more than span the opening.”

  “And, give my Marines cover and better shooting positions,” she added. The Corporal stared at her Marines as they leaned around the door, fired a few shots and pulled back. “I do hate losing the rapid fire of the guns,” Nahia admitted. “But, our mission is to bring in the supplies. So, it’s no guns and a barrier. Yes Sir, I’m on it.”

  I watched as Nahia hand signaled the Marines across the opening. At first, they didn’t understand. But her initial gestures weren’t supposed to be clear. When she ordered the mule on our side to pull away from the door and three Marines began unloading the machine-gun, those across the opening got the message.

  Most of the weight of the small vehicles were from the beefy suspension and the motors on the four wheels. Once five Marines had it tilted beyond the tipping point the mules rolled over on their sides. With Marines on each wheel, and hunkered down below the upper edge and enemy rounds, the mules were pushed along the deck. When they met in the middle, Corporal Nahia directed their placement so the front of the vehicles overlapped.

  Where her squads had been separated by enemy fire, they could now move back and forth behind the barrier. Nahia stopped a Marine, spoke to him briefly before he went back to the first Marine behind the barrier. There he collected two sonic grenades, dropped them into a bag on his hip, and moved to the next Marine in line. He collected two more and moved to the next Marine.

  Behind me, I heard the whine of the assault vehicle as it began pulling the supply sled over the low ramps. With seconds to spare, Nahia’s Marines rose up from behind the barrier and unleashed rounds directly at the Constabulary.

  ***

  Although a few rounds reached the sled, the Marines kept the Constabulary pinned until the sled moved out of range. Chief Freeport pulled the ramps, tossed them into his mule and, smartly, drove on the other side of the sled to avoid any stray rounds.

  Once the sled was clear, I ducked and moved behind the barrier to Corporal Nahia’s position.

  “The supplies are clear,” I told her. “Once it’s through the next cutout, you’ll disengage
. Not sure how you’ll do that.”

  “I’ll make you a deal, Lieutenant,” Nahia offered. “I’ll send one of my squads to the next storage deck. You send me the mounted machine-gun you have stationed there.”

  “You’ve got a deal, Corporal,” I replied.

  As soon as I cleared the barrier, I stood up right and began jogging across the storage deck. Before I had gone far, eight Marines eased up beside me.

  “Nice day for a run, Sir,” a Lance Corporal shouted.

  We made the cutout passageway as the mule on the tail of the sled started up the ramp.

  “Secure both cargo doors,” I ordered the Lance Corporal while pointing through the cut and into the next cargo deck. “We’ll leave its two escorts with you but, Corporal Nahia needs the machine-gun.”

  “Good deal, Sir,” she replied as the Marines followed the sled over the low ramps.

  I turned to look at Nahia’s Marines and the barrier. It was a long way and they had to cross the distance to reach cover. The Constabulary, on the other hand, needed only advance to the storage deck and chase the Marines with kinetic rounds. Breaking off from a face-to-face firefight was nasty enough. This disengagement was going to be downright ugly.

  One bright spot, I thought, was the mounted machine-gun racing by me on the way to Corporal Nahia at the barrier.

  ***

  Nahia waved the mounted gun to the side and spoke with the driver. I expected she would position it to give her Marines covering fire. Instead, the two machine-guns on the deck were loaded on the mule along with their ammo boxes. Moments later, the mule with the guns and an extra Marine headed towards me.

  It was hard to see details at this distance but one of Nahia’s Marines, the one with the pouch who collected the sonic grenades, sat on the deck. He pulled the grenades out of the pouch and placed them to the side. Then he picked up one, did something to it with his hands before carefully placing the grenade back in the bag. He had finished and bagged five by the time the armed mule arrived.

  “What are Corporal Nahia’s orders?” I asked as the mule pulled up in front of the cut.

  “One gun on that side. One on the other and this one in the center,” the driver explained while stopping so the nose of his mule pointed at the passageway. “By your leave, Sir?”

  While we spoke, the mule’s gunner jumped down and help move one machine-gun. I stepped back and waved the driver off freeing him to help with the third heavy gun. Nahia had ordered an impressive array of fire power. My concern was she and her Marines were downrange of the three heavy weapons. In a no man’s land between their rounds and the Constabulary.

  I studied the barrier and at first couldn’t locate the Marine with the pouch full of grenades. After scanning from end to end, I realized why. He was bent over where the noses of the two barricade mules overlapped. He raised both arms and, while still crouched down, backed away as if any sudden movement would upset his work.

  Corporal Nahia ran to the far end of her line and tapped a Marine. The Marine stayed low while scurrying behind the barrier towards me. Nahia tapped out another Marine who took off staying close behind the first runner. Obviously, the Corporal was disengaging her squads.

  The Marines peeled away from the barrier forming a long line of running bodies. As Nahia reached the end of the line, the lead Marine angled towards the bulkhead. They ran, not at the cut and me but, off to the side and along the wall.

  A movement off to my right drew my attention. The gunner on that side casually walked in front of his gun and attached a bright yellow flag to the deck. I recognized the aiming stake. Its placement restricted the field of fire for the three machine-guns. Now, even in the heat of battle, they wouldn’t swing their weapons past the flag and at the running Marines.

  So far, the Constabulary hadn’t noticed the lack of incoming rounds. When they did, they responded quickly and so did the three machine-guns. The barrier worked in reverse and the first enemy troops to reach it ducked down for protection.

  I watched, expecting the barrier to catch a lot of rounds, as the three heavy weapons put out streams of kinetic bullets. It was puzzling when I realized all of the firing was directed over the barrier. High enough so the Constabulary immediately behind the barricade were safe under the arching munitions. Some raised up, exposed themselves, and fired at the running Marines.

  From what I could tell, the enemy unit had shorter and leaner Realm citizens mixed in with the taller and wider Troops. Captain Djamila’s assertion of more traitors then I thought proved to be right. More of them reached the barrier. Additional rifles raised up and fired at the Marines sprinting alone the wall.

  I grew frustrated at the inaccuracy of our machine-guns. Before I could issue orders to put fire directly on the barricade, Constabulary Troops raised up behind the two barrier mules and began pushing them. With the upended mules at new angles, the Constabulary would have protection from the machine-guns while targeting Nahia and her Marines.

  ***

  The first sonic grenade popped and a Troop, near the overlap of the mules, spun away. As the big body tumbled to the deck, the bag full of grenades flew into the air and split apart. Grenades spilled out and began exploding among the Constabulary. Those pushing the mules were blown apart, their body parts scattered around the deck. Both mules flipped over and lay flat exposing the uninjured.

  “Now!” cried out the gunner on the mule.

  All three of the machine-guns lowered their barrels and began sweeping the deck. Kinetic rounds chewed up the Constabulary while a few more grenades from the bag exploded.

  Seconds before, it appeared as if the Constabulary would kill Marines at will. Now, the remainder of their unit retreated back to the adjacent storage deck.

  The first Marine to reach me, looked back along the line of running Marines, flipped up his face shields and announced, “It was a good fight. Nobody died.”

  Then he passed me leading the squads through the cut. Bringing up the rear, Nahia ran directly to me and stopped.

  “What did you use on the grenades?” I asked.

  She reached into a pocket on her battle vest and produced a roll of medical tape.

  “This stuff has holes to allow easy removal and airflow to a wound,” Nahia explained. “Structurally, it sucks for holding grenade spoons after the pins are pulled. The slightest jarring, or explosion, and the tape rips in half.”

  Nahia had the mule ferry two guns across the deck to the next pass-through. As the guns was moved, the one in place used suppressive fire to keep the Constabulary in their cargo deck. Once the guns were set up along with the gun mule from that deck, she loaded the other on a mule. The mule and remaining Marines moved rapidly out of the line of fire. The three guns on the far side took over the suppression creating a dead zone in the cut and beyond it.

  ***

  The supply sled vanished beyond the final bulkhead. Nahia pulled her Marines and the heavy weapons back as we approached the cut. I walked with her figuring there was nothing for me to do concerning the supplies.

  A mule appeared framed in the pass-through. Chief Freeport sitting in the passenger’s seat waved and flashed a huge smile.

  “Lieutenant. Give me some security and muscle and we’ll seal the hole,” he said as he stepped to the decking.

  “Can’t the Constabulary just recut an opening?” I asked as I approached the pass-through.

  “Let them get their own laser cutter,” he suggested. “and do their own work.”

  “Corporal Nahia. Muscle?” I asked was we entered the cargo deck where the operation had started hours ago.

  Nahia pointed to four of her biggest Marines.

  “Help the Chief,” she ordered. “The rest of you take up positions and watch the cargo deck.”

  Freeport used the cutter to slice holes in the bulkhead piece laying on the deck. After attaching cables, he hooked them to the mule. With four Marines pulling and the wheels of the mule slipping, the wall section rose from the deck. When it
was even on the sides, Freeport tack welded it in place.

  “There’s a gap at the top,” I noted.

  “Sorry Sir. This is a rush job,” Freeport replied as he handed the other Navy tech a welding rod. “Just think of it as an extra air vent.”

  Once a strong bead held the section in place, Freeport and the tech packed up their gear and drove away towards the other end of the cargo deck.

  “It’s been a long watch,” I said once Nahia had the Marines moving.

  “Yes Sir,” she replied. “But we are resupplied, so all in all, it was a good day.”

  Chapter 7

  “This is sensitive information,” Captain Djamila stated as he hesitated. “If the Constabulary discovers our real situation, we’ll be overrun in a day.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Captain,” I replied. “You’ve got a bunch of tough Marines and some fine NCOs under your command. My part of the mission with you is complete. Now, I really need to get reports from the Druids.”

  “You’re correct,” he said as he waved his PID over mine. “Protect that with your life. And, Senior Lieutenant Piran, the Marines Corps thanks you.”

  “I’d say it was a join services operation,” I said with a bow of my head. “By your leave, Captain.”

  “Dismissed, Lieutenant,” Djamila replied.

  Technically, the Captain and I were of equal rank. But it was his command so I’d requested permission to leave. It’s a curtesy and a tradition. Besides, the injured officer needed a little boost to his ego.

  ***

  Sergeant Bima and I climbed into a cart. It was midday light on the blue street but after a short drive through a tunnel, we emerged onto a darkened yellow street. According to the Sergeant, it was best to move around during dark periods if you wanted to sneak and peek.

  Another few corners and a bump over a curb found us zooming down the tram maintenance path. As the path rose to allow for the curvature over the ion wall, he slowed and jerked the mule to a stop.

  “Thank you, Lieutenant Piran,” the Sergeant said as we stepped from the mule.