When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (48 page)

             
“My platoon ended up walking the long road in, hiking through jungle so thick you could
n’
t see more than a few feet in any direction. I had a battle buddy back then, short little grunt named Mosley. He could
n’
t have been more than five three. He always had the other joes ragging on him. Called hi
m‘
short shit
.
’
”
He smiled, remembering the tiny ma
n’
s beady eyes and sharp grin
.“
Mosley was fearless. He once went off to take a piss, came back with five prisoners. Said the
y’
d tried to jump him, but h
e’
d beaten their leader to death with his dick and wrestled the others down
.”
Cameron and Josh busted out laughing at that
.“I’
m serious, he was fucking crazy
.
”

             
“What really happened
?”
Cameron asked.

             
Casey shrugged
.“
We found another insurgent back where he said. But he was
n’
t beaten to death. Gunshot through the eye. Mosley was
n’
t the best fighter, but he was scary with his pistol. Must have put away one piece and pulled out another. In any case, no one made fun of him for a while after
.”
His voice softened
.“
So there we were, crossing that bush and trying to be as quiet as we could. And then we heard it. A click
.”
His green eyes burned and watered
.“
The
y’
d set up minefields all over that area. Hell, the ground was fat with explosives. We always joked that if anyone would set off something it would be tiny little Mosley
.”
He wiped his mouth
.“
He did
n’
t make a scene. Just told us to keep going, that he was gonna work it out. He gave me his pistol, said
I’
d need it more than him. Then he started whistling. We left him there, walked away while he smiled and waved at us, as though we were just headed out for a smoke and would be back soon. I can still remember hearing the soft whump as he lifted his foot
.
”

             
Josh did
n’
t speak for a few minutes. He sat there, silently drinking his beer and staring at the wall. Cameron could barely move. It was an entirely different world of fighting, going from the sky to the ground. Cameron never had to look his enemies in the eye as he killed them. Or watch his friends bleed and cry for their mothers. The horror of it all affected him in a way he had
n’
t expected. His stomach was still in knots, but the genera
l’
s story had done the trick. He realized he was
n’
t the first to feel this way.

             
“
I’
m sorry
,”
he said softly
.“
And thank you
.
”

             
Casey looked up, eyes red
.“
Yo
u’
re welcome. I
t’
s a hard business w
e’
re in, Lieutenant. But
I’
ve met the best people in the universe while in uniform
.”
He punched the pilo
t’
s arm
.“
And more women than I can remember
.”
He stood up, stretching
.“
Oh, to be thirty years younger. You boys stay safe. The war may need you now, but the galaxy will need you later
.”
He lumbered out into the hall, yawning wide. His heavy footsteps followed him down the corridor to the elevator.

             
Cameron looked at Josh quizzically
.“
I thought you said Army women were
n’
t cute
?
”             

             
Josh raised an eyebrow
.“
The
y’
re not, but Fleet gals
?”
He whistled
.“
Hot damn. Ca
n’
t get enough of that
.
”

             
“Playing in my backyard are we
?
”

             
The soldier lifted his hands in surrender
.“
Show me a woman as fine as a naval pilot on this base and
I’
ll amend my ways
.
”

             
“Corporal Haines was pretty cute
.”
Cameron downed the rest of his beer.

             
Josh finished his drink, setting it aside
.“
And practically like my sister. Nope, not gonna happen
.
”

             
“I dunno
,”
Cameron started
.“
What part of Earth did you say you were from?
I’
m sure they do
n’
t mind familial relations, if you know what
I’
m saying
.”
He stopped suddenly
.“
Wher
e’
s your rank
?
”

             
Josh looked down at his shoulders, brushing them as if for dirt
.“
Oh yeah. I was honorably discharged tonight
.
”

             
“What
!
”

             
He laughed
.“
Part of the bargain.
I’
m moving to a new unit, and
I’
m earning a gold bar along the way
.
”

             
“Lieutenant Josh Rantz
,”
Cameron said
.“
I think that works
.
”

             
“And, now I do
n’
t have to feel so weird hanging around with an officer all night
.
”

             
Cameron swung out a fist, but Josh dodged with a laugh
.“
Do you have any cards, smart ass
?
”

             
Josh shook his head
.“
But, I do have these
.”
He pulled two more beers from his jacket pockets and they drank. It felt good, having something to be happy about. They stayed up late, talking about sports and women and booze. They left politics and the war behind. Ther
e’
d be plenty of time for that in the morning.

Chapter five

Finding Paradise

“
Where is the prince who can afford so to cover his country with troops for its defense as that 10,000 men descending from the clouds might not in many places do an infinite deal of mischief before a force could be brought together to repel them
?
”

                                                       
Benjamin Franklin

             
                                          Founder of Old America

             
                                          1776

-
                           
I                            -

December 10, 2236

              “Rise and shine, candidates
.”
Sasha walked the space between the bunks, his shiny black boots clicking with each step. He enjoyed wearing a military uniform again. It reminded him of who he used to be. Granted, the last time h
e’
d dressed like this his belt had
n’
t seemed so tight, and the cloth had been decidedly more of a red color. Alas, age had taken his beauty and his figure all in one swoop. Not that he complained. In fact, his wound had already earned him the delightful monike
r“
Sergeant Sca
r”
among the troops. He ran his tongue over his teeth, tasting the remnants of his morning coffee. It was a bad habit h
e’
d picked up from the doctor during their long voyage out of Martian space, though one he had no intention of kicking.

             
The ride from Kronos to the Colorum Belt had been dull, aside from the momentary excitement when the soldiers realized they
were
n’
t
just going to another boring base planetside. That pilot, th
e“
fallen angel
,”
had kept interest with his war stories the entire trip. The brief stopover at Irwin Cove provided the soldiers a last chance to talk to friends and loved ones before going into blackout. It had been this particular detail that General Casey had opposed, taking the men and women so far away from their units for th
e“
training
.”
Markov had explained the plan for the next few months, leaving out crucial steps of course. Until the soldiers had been trained and prepared, the final phases of the project needed to be known by a favored few.

             
Markov was especially thrilled by the facility. H
e’
d only seen vids; never had a chance to visit before taking on the position. Blackstar represented the best training location for the project. Known only to a handful of scientists and top military officials, the site incorporated state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories with a staff of well paid, brilliant minds. The team had been hard at work for almost a year, working on some of the new designs Markov had sent along. All in all, it was the perfect base of operations.

             
Unlike many asteroid belts, Colorum was tightly packed. Early in the systems development, a rogue planet had smashed through a large gas giant, breaking up into a cluster of Earth-sized chunks. One such piece of rock collected enough material to become a terraformable moon. Circling very close to the brown dwarf Hathor, and hidden by the remains of its parent, this planetoid was a lucky find for humanity. Designate
d“
Omeg
a”
by the founders from the UEC, it had become a legend for conspiracy theorists around the galaxy. Common knowledge placed most covert operations at the Top Secret labs on nearby Irwin Cove, but an elite few knew the truth. Blackstar, built only seventy years before, was the primary research and development station for humanity.

             
Discovered over a hundred fifty years before, Colorum was the richest reserve of metals in the known universe. Mining operations ran day and night, based out of the funnel-shaped Green River Station, the sister to the military post Irwin Cove. Given the immense size of the asteroid chai
n—
over nine hundred million kilometer
s—
detection of Omega was statistically impossible. The various dampening equipment staged on and around the moon prevented any electronic surveillance, and the orbiting chunks of rock and metal prevented unwanted neighbors from sneaking a peek. It was as though nature had designed the perfect hiding spot.

             
The facility was built near one of the many lakes on Omega. Terraforming had created enough atmosphere to allow humans to breathe on the surface without the need of a respirator, and the lake was often used as a running path for those training at the complex. Laid out like a giant cross, the building and surrounding housing units marked the only major structures on the entire surface. Large science facilities were buried underground around the moon, barely staffed for most of the year.

             
Inside the barracks at the far end of one of the facilit
y’
s four arms, Sasha waited impatiently for his soldiers to muster. Josh, as usual, was the first one dressed and ready. H
e’
d taken quickly to his role as officer, though he flinched whenever any of the soldiers referred to him a
s“
sir
.”
His time as an NCO had done him well, making him quick to lead the soldiers into every test chamber without hesitation. Markov was proud of his choice, indeed of all his selections. Not one candidate stood as anything other than exceptional.

             
The test chambers were a marvel in their own rights. Designed by the team of lab rats Markov had hand-picked for the project, each room contained a puzzle that needed complete cooperation to solve. Some were combat environments, others merely mind games that bordered on the ridiculous. Even with the soldiers coming from different Companies in the Battalion, they had thus far been able to navigate each challenge. The lectures were another story. In the two short weeks since arriving at Blackstar, Josh and the candidates had gone through a crash course on xenobiology, alien tactics and a complete background on the ranks of the Red Hammer. It made for an exhausting course load.

             
Josh stood in front of Sasha as the rest of the soldiers took positions in front of their bunks
.“
Sergeant, the squad is ready
.
”

             
Sasha looked at his watch and frowned. H
e’
d been hoping they would be late. Oh well. To be burdened with good troops
.“
Lieutenant, Mr. Draper is leading physical fitness in the training area. Afterward, breakfast will be served in the mess hall. We have classes and a physical today, but no chambers. Overall, a pretty light load. Do you have any questions
?
”

             
“No, sergeant
.”
Josh turned to his soldiers, smiling. He dreaded the workout Draper had planned; the man had inhuman stamina and expected the same from them. Still, a leader always put on a brave face
.“
Another day in paradise, folks
.
”

-                           
II                            -

              Aboard Irwin Cove, Cameron had quickly become restless. It was
n’
t that there was nothing fun to do, it was that there was a plethora of boring tasks to be done. Repairing and refitting the Fleet was a painstaking process, and as a veteran pilot he was needed on the front lines. Until his paperwork cleared, however, he was still assigned to the
Berlin
. And since the carrier was destined to become a permanent resident of the station, he was stuck. H
e’
d spent his first week tracking down each and every airman from the carrier to see who had survived. Most nights h
e’
d had at least two beers bought for him, which he humbly accepted. During the days he made himself useful in the dry docks and hangars helping with repairs, and at the same time learning the basics of aerospacial engineering. At night, he would message different Wing Commanders operating in Eros in search up updates and, he hoped, an opening on the line he could take. Each time he was surprised that no sighting of the Boxti had been made.

             
There were perks, of course. After teaching a few classes to new fighter pilots and getting in his daily workout, he had more than enough time to himself. The physical therapy was more fun than h
e’
d expected, mainly because of his classmate. H
e’
d recognized Kaileen as soon as sh
e’
d been dragged into the recreation room. Two male nurses had to monitor her, lest she try a daring escape. The pilots had become kindred spirits, both longing to flee the droll existence the
y’
d lucked into. It made the time pass more quickly, and more enjoyably. Sh
e’
d often accompany him to the flight deck to chip in on repairing the dozens of shattered fighters and bombers. Other times the
y’
d steal pudding from the nurses station and hand it out in the childre
n’
s ward.

             
Today they walked the hall together, heading toward the dining area. The food had been surprisingly good for the military, and it was one of the few places they could interact without being monitored by doctors, so long as they sent in their meal receipts. The recovery diet was, in Camero
n’
s opinion, the worst form of torture. Cameron picked up two trays as they entered the room, handing Kaileen one and letting her step ahead in the line. He eyed the menu, the aroma of spiced eggs, hash browns and crisp bacon filling his nostrils. With a sigh he scooped a tray of oatmeal and dried fruit. Once the
y’
d filled their plates, they took a seat by one of the expansive windows. The view was impressive, with nebulae lighting up the horizon billions of kilometers away, and the endless expanse of shimmering rocks.

             
“Any word from Fleet yet
?”
Kaileen asked. She shoveled a forkful of vegetable mush into her mouth. She avoided the greasy foods as much as possible after a nasty bout of food poisoning a month before.

             
Cameron prodded his watery oats
.“
Still no sightings. On the plus side, the
y’
re sending me orders to see a shrink
.”
He took a tentative bite. No matter how often the cooks got it right, he was always wary around mess halls
.“
Maybe I should just play along until they ship me out.
I’
d be surprised if I did
n’
t head right back to New Eden
.
”

             
“Wh
y’
s that
?
”

             
“
Midway
was out there. My standing orders are for Sector, but my Squadro
n’
s been rolled up into Seventh Fleet
.”
He bit into a bread roll, savoring the taste of processed wheat.

             
“Might as well enjoy your time here while you can, then
.
”

             
“I guess
,”
Cameron said. He looked at her, smiling
.“
I
t’
s either that or the
y’
ll send me back to Luna to train more pilots, at least until a ship opens up with an Ace slot
.
”

             
Kaileen rolled her eyes
.“
Oh yeah, I keep forgetting yo
u’
re a big bad ace
.
”

             
“Tha
t’
s why I keep reminding you. I
t’
s important you know. What if a groupie comes up to me
?”
He pointed his fork at her
.“
I
t’
d be up to you to have my back, be my wingman
.
”