Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale) (20 page)

“
Sir, no sir.
I'm well, kill in general, but only in a mission op and under
orders,” he looked helplessly to Firefly and then to the gunny,
and then went back to staring at the bulkhead. “Sir I've always
wanted to be a marine. From the first time I ever heard of it.”

“
Truth,”
Firefly shrugged.

...*...*...*...*...

He paused as he
exited the room a few minutes later. Hurranna was there in the
hallway. She looked at him but he cocked his head to the MP's in the
corridor and then followed his guide without a word.

She found him in his
rack later that evening. She kicked it. He opened one eye and then
closed it again. “You heard?”

“
Yeah,”
she sighed shaking her head. Her ears were flat, whiskers drooping.
“I'm sorry.”

“
I'm not. He
got what he deserved. Damn fool. He clung to the old ways. Couldn't
adapt. Wouldn't.” It was hard saying that, he practically spat
it out, hoping he wouldn't choke on it. He knew deep down... he knew
he needed to say it. To admit it. Both to her and to himself.

“
It's not as
easy as all that you know,” Hurranna grimaced. “Did
you...” she started to ask.

“
Hell if I'd
known I would have torn his throat out myself,” Sergei growled.

Jethro grimaced and
then grunted. “He'd have killed you Sergei,” he sighed.

“
You mean he
would have tried. One swipe is all I'd need.”

“
Same for him.
He's an assassin. Or at least he was,” Hurranna said grimacing.
“One strike one kill. You would have had to have seen him to
hit him.”

“
And don't
play around with an opponent bigger, stronger, faster, or more
cunning than you are,” Jethro said. He sat up.

“
Who...”

“
gunny. But my
sire said it first. He got it from the family traditions. It's a pity
he didn't learn more from them. Learn that they were based on what
Tobias taught us, but corrupted. Now he never will,” he shook
his head, ears flat. “I've got to do something or I'll go stir
crazy here.”

“
The gunny
wants us to keep working on our implants.”

“
I will. But I
think I want to give them a shot on the course.”

“
On the
obstacle course? Are you insane?” Hurranna asked, shaking her
head.

“
Yes, no...
wait,” Sergei raised a hand paw then laughed. “What was
the question again?”

Hurranna laughed.

...*...*...*...*...

“
He's in a
funk,” Jefferson reported to the gunny.  The gunny
grimaced as he racked his gear.

“
So?”

“
So he's a
junior squad leader of the platoon. What affects him affects them,
it's affecting unit morale. They aren't focusing. And you know that's
bringing them down. It could hurt them if they don't pay attention to
business.”

“
Which may be
what they need if it will break the funk. But Jethro is a keystone.
He's knit the unit together. Him and Valenko. I'm not sure Valenko
can pull it together if something goes wrong though.”

“
He's having
trust issues with Jethro?” the gunny asked. He grimaced. This
side training was digging into time better spent watching and
interacting with the unit. He knew he needed to do both, but he could
only be in so many places at the same time.

“
No gunny. He,
Sergei, and Hurranna know he wasn't involved and is actually happy or
at least at peace with the fact that his father is dead. It is the
rest of the squad. Some no longer trust him and we've had a few
spats. Nothing major or we would have reported it, but some definite
ill feelings. Some aren't lending support in training exercises like
before. The camaraderie is gone as well,” Jefferson said.

“
Which is a
problem,” Brenet replied. “It's driving a wedge into the
group. Us against them mentality. People are taking sides, or think
they have to take a side or are trying to keep their distance. We
need to get this sorted out soon. It'll tear the unit apart if we
don't.”

“
Agreed. I'll
see if I can break through the funk,” the gunny sighed.

“
Counseling
session or additional training?” Brenet asked.

“
As in an
extra exercise as a disciplinary action? The schedule's pretty tight
now gunny,” Jefferson shook his head.

“
No. We'll try
counseling. The Major had something in mind. He and Firefly were
setting it up earlier. A part of their phase 4 crucible training
actually. One of the moral challenges.”

“
Oh.”

“
As for the
rest, land with both feet on problems the moment they crop up. Force
them to work through it together. Team building exercises if
necessary. If that screws the schedule up, so be it. So they'll lose
a little sleep. It won’t be the first time,” the gunny
smiled.

“
And it'll
teach them to keep it in the family,” Jefferson nodded. “They
are starting EVA training day next week gunny. Not a good time to be
tired and punchy.”

“
Precisely why
we need this sorted out now. Pugil sticks for conflicts. Or a fun run
maybe. Let me think about it,” he said and then walked out.

“
Shit,”
Jefferson said, shaking his head and leaning against the rack of
suits. “Me and my big mouth.” Now they were in for long
nights with the platoon. Just when he thought they were done with
that. He had been looking forward to handing them off for a bit of a
break.

“
I'd agree but
it was my idea too. And it had to be brought up one way or another.
If we'd kept ignoring it he'd bite us for sure,” Brenet said
grimacing.

“
True. Too
true. Let’s go see if we can get this mess sorted.”

 ...*...*...*...*...

“
Why are we
here?” Sergei growled, looking around. Most of his unit was
racked out. It was in the middle of the night. For some reason they
had been paged here. To a darkened corridor. He looked over first to
Hurranna, then to Jethro and  Letanga. They all shrugged.

“
No idea,”
another cat said behind them.

“
If you find
out let me know,” a young male lion said sitting in the dark.
His eyes and teeth flashed in the dark.

“
Let us all
know you mean,” a lioness growled. In all there were twenty
cats there. All that were left in the class. They turned at the sound
of footsteps approaching.

Sergei scented the
air grimacing and then smiled. “Matriarch I smell you,”
he said.

“
Disappointed?”
the Matriarch said coming out of the darkness and into the light.
“Each of you are here for the same reason. To undergo a
spiritual journey. One I have put off for far too long,” she
said softly. She turned.

“
Come. We've
got to get back in three hours. That was all the time I could arrange
for this,” she ordered. She led them off to the lifts.

She took Jethro and
the other marine pride members to their old grounds. Wary they
sniffed around, but the place had changed. “Ah here it is.”
She touched an old gym locker. “Or is it here,” she said
touching another. “No I think... yes, here.” She reached
for a third and then turned to Sergei. “Will you do the
honors?”

“
Okay, if you
say so,” he said. He gave Jethro a look and then shrugged as he
reached out with one meaty paw and yanked the lock off. The door
groaned as it was ripped from its hinges as well.

“
Thank you,”
the Matriarch said reaching in. Hurranna tried to peek in but the
Matriarch started tossing the contents out. “God it stinks in
here more than the last time,” the Matriarch muttered. She
cleared the bottom and then pulled up a false bottom.

Inside she pulled
out a lock box. She opened it with a key then took another key out.
“Almost done,” she said by way of explanation. She lead
them out and into the industrial part of the gym complex. She rooted
around until she found the water treatment plant.

“
Please tell
me we're not too late...” She banged on the side of one
container. “No, it sounds all right.”

“
It sounds
hollow.”

“
Yes, but it's
not. At least not completely,” she replied. She had Sergei pull
the top bolts out then lift the lid. Covering her nose she reached
in. She pulled out a plastic wrapped package. From what he could see
of the package it looked like a small locked strong box or foot
locker. “Good thing we did this now, I hear it is up for repair
later this month, we'll take them with us when we are through here,”
she said. She brought the things out and set them down. She opened
the locker with the key.

“
Here,”
she said. She pulled out items from the locker. Dog tags. “Pass
them around.” She pulled out old photos and a pistol. Jethro
was startled to note they were of neo marines, one was his ancestor
Tobias. She set that down on the floor. “Ah here we go.”
She pulled out an old holo recording of the recon marines.

“
Get
comfortable. This will take time,” she said softly. Sergei went
out and brought back a bench. A few found stools. Others like
Hurranna sat Indian style on the floor. “Most of you have
accessed the journal of Tobias. What you didn't know was that there
was a great deal more to be seen. I have waited until now to show it
to you.”

She set the
holographic projector onto the floor and then touched the control. It
began to glow purple then a force field was projected straight up as
a flat plane. Lasers swept over it. In moments a three dimensional
picture was formed of a panther marine in full dress uniform. He
stood there for a moment and then saluted. They each instinctively
stiffened.

“
My name is
warrant officer Chester Tobias Mclintock of the panther clan marine
Identification Echo, Charlie, four five seven dash nine nine five of
the Federation Marine corps recon cadre division, Black Devil brigade
and this is my story to you.”

They sat back in
surprise at the sight of the battered and heavily scarred recon
marine. “I asked that this be played for each generation if
there is a chance of restoring the Federation as it once was. Each
should pass it on to the next. We should all remember. All remember
where we came from so we know where we are going,” he growled.

“
Many, many
people sacrificed their lives for you to be here today. Without their
efforts there would be no tomorrow for any of us. Or for that matter,
any of you. This is their story,” he said.

His holo changed to
other marine and army neo cats who introduced themselves briefly.
Then the last faded out and the story began to unfold.

The narrator showed
them shots of various battlefields. Jethro recognized a few from his
studies. He was awed by the shots of marines fighting tooth and nail
against incredible odds. The thrill of battle made his veins pulse in
envy.

And then it changed
from a distant shot to one of close ups. A marine on an unnamed
beachhead fighting to secure a hot LZ. One screaming for an evac as
they are shelled. He covered a battered body with his own as dirt and
shrapnel rain around them. Then a KEW round found them and tore them
apart. They sobered as they saw world after world devastated by the
Xenos. The image faded after a moment.

“
But in the
end we held onto our beliefs. Duty, honor, courage. Freedom.
Liberty,” he seemed to pause, stumbling over the words. It
sounded like he had a catch in his voice. They could hear the pride,
the unchecked tears there. It sobered them even more.

“
Protect your
unit. Protect your ship. Protect the innocent. That is what it meant
to be a marine. But now... now we have nothing left. Nothing but our
pride.” Jethro's ancestor said as his image faded back into
being. Before him a bassinet appeared. He reached down and picked up
a cub and then held the sleeping cub up in the air over his head. He
snarled softly and then turned to the camera, cradling the child.
“And you. You are our legacy. Do what you must but don't forget
your heritage. Try to rebuild what was lost. Restore your heritage.
It's your birthright. It is the birthright of every sentient being.
Never forget. Someday, our ghosts will return.” He came to
attention and saluted. Instinctively they did as well.

“
Semper fi.
Carry on.”

Subdued but touched,
the group stood at attention, returned the salute and then watched it
fade out. As one they looked at each other and then filed out. They
returned to the marine barracks not speaking a word.