Chapter 9

DAY 17 – RESISTANCE BASE – RUZA

“We never heard back from Benson’s team,” Omar said, his face lit from below by the glow of the hologram that was projected above the conference table. “We lost contact with Shakir’s group in the tunnels, too. They never checked in, and we’ve had no communication from them since they left the garrison. It’s safe to conclude that they were either killed or captured.”

“That’s ... what, about two dozen people missing?” Reed asked with a grimace.

“How did they know about the tunnels?” Bergmann asked. “Do we have a leak?”

“We knew that there would be a risk of them following us,” Reed replied. “My bet is that they were observing the situation from the carrier. If you see dozens of people vanish into a storehouse like it’s a clown car, there are only a few conclusions you can reach. We believe that the Borgs were only active in the mines – they weren’t encountered in the smuggling tunnels as far as we can tell. It also looks like they had to collapse one of the old mine shafts to gain access, so they’re not aware of the entrances.”

“According to my people on the ground, they saw a missile or maybe a railgun impact the site,” Astrid confirmed. “It created a giant sinkhole, and that’s where they entered the mines.”

“The carrier has some limited radar scanning capabilities, but I doubt they’d have the resolution to make a perfect map of the smaller tunnels,” Rivera explained. “They’d usually do that from the ground using scout vehicles, but there were none aboard the carrier. We didn’t deploy alongside an armored battalion.”

“The smuggling routes are likely still safe, then,” Omar added.

“For a time, at least,” Bergmann replied. “You can bet that they’ll be using whatever means they have to map the old mines, and they’re sure to come across some smuggling routes eventually. The sheer scale of the network is on our side, however. Even if they tasked every trooper they have to go down there and explore the tunnels, they extend for miles, and we’re in possession of the only accurate maps.”

“Can they pull any of those maps from our helmets or tablets?” Omar asked with a worried expression.

“Even if they used the carrier’s central computer to brute force the encryption, it would take them years,” Rivera replied with a shake of his head. “If they took anyone alive, I’d be a lot more worried about them getting access that way. We know that they’re not above torture.”

“They opened fire on sight,” Ruza said. “There was no attempt to capture us – their intent was only to kill. Perhaps they felt emboldened in the mines, where evidence of their crimes would not be seen by the public. I have never seen anything like that suit. It seemed impervious to damage...”

“What do you know about them, Staff Sergeant?” Bergmann asked as he turned to Rivera.

“They call them PCEs,” Rivera began, glancing around the table. “As far as we know, there are only around six of them, but they’re heavily armored and extremely mobile. With six PCEs and we estimate less than two hundred men, they were able to commandeer the Tirad.”

“That’s impossible,” Reed scoffed. “There would be thousands of crew aboard a Jump Carrier.”

“I was there – I watched it happen,” Rivera shot back. “These special forces guys are nothing to trifle with on a bad day, never mind when they have access to walking tanks.”

“They must have weaknesses,” Ruza pressed. “Vulnerabilities that we can exploit.”

“They’re not invincible,” Rivera continued. “Before they removed us from the carrier, there were a lot of rumors circulating about people seeing damaged units. One of them took a pretty bad hit from an AMR, and another had its arm torn off by a Krell. Old Leatherhead went out swinging, poor bastard...”

“We have reason to believe that they may be trying to build more,” Bergmann said, swiping through the hologram. He pulled up images that looked like they had been taken from people’s phones, showing unidentifiable machinery in varying stages of construction. There were armor plates, servos, and winding electronics strewn across cluttered workstations. “Reports from some of the mechanics and metalworkers associated with the FMU say they’re being tasked with working on these components, and nobody will tell them what they’re for. They get an order for a random part, they build it to spec, and it gets shipped out to be assembled elsewhere.”

“The factories on Hades might be able to produce some of the less advanced parts,” Rivera said as he scanned the images. “Those suits are cutting edge, though. They’re either brand new or so secret that nobody outside of SWAR has ever seen one and lived to tell of it. I can guarantee that they’ll be bottlenecked by components that they can only manufacture in the carrier’s foundry. Advanced electronics, lithography, optics, power sources – there’s no way some colonial car mechanic could build those in his shop.”

“That may be why they’ve been diverting shipments of rare earth metals,” Bergmann added. “Our contacts at the Trade Association have reported as much. Those were supposed to be earmarked for export, and it remains to be seen how that will impact the local economy.”

“We must sabotage these efforts,” Ruza insisted. “The only advantage that we have is our numbers. We cannot allow the occupiers to recruit more members or construct more suits.”

“I’ve been talking with the leaders of the FMU,” Bergmann replied. “After what happened at the garrison, they’ve formally agreed to align themselves with the Mining League. Together, we control the bulk of Hades’ workforce. If there comes a time when we need to shut down all production, we can do it. It sounds like the Trade Association is rapidly losing patience with the Governor, too. It may not be long before we can approach them and freeze the enemy’s shipments.”

“You guys are a rag-tag outfit, but you pick your targets well,” Rivera said as he lifted his hands from the table and crossed his arms. “Most of the crew you rescued from the garrison are seasoned Marines, and they’re looking to even the score. You have eighty experienced, loyal men, and they’ll obey my orders as the ranking officer. If you need heads cracked, we can crack ‘em.”

Ruza didn’t want to burst his bubble by revealing that their choice of target had mostly come down to luck, as their primary goal had been rescuing Amy.

“We extracted just as many PDF who are still loyal to the people,” Omar added. “While we suffered some terrible losses, we’ve come away with a lot of skilled fighters.”

“We’ll make sure they have all the resources that we can provide,” Bergmann continued. “Staff Sergeant Rivera – I appreciate your support. With you on our side, our military experience is bolstered, and our movement gains a lot of legitimacy that it lacked before. It’ll be a lot harder to call us terrorists with Marines on our side.”

“I’m not surprised that these bastards tried to masquerade as the UNN,” Rivera replied with a scowl. “I can tell you right now that they have no affiliation with the Navy.”

“That was our conclusion, but hearing it from you may sway more people,” Bergmann said.

“So, who the hell are they?” Reed asked. “What can you tell us about them?”

“Their leader’s name is Barbosa,” Rivera began, leaning over the table again. “He’s an older guy with the rank of commander, and his people are completely loyal to him, so I figure he was pretty high up in the organization before he turned traitor. This guy is dangerous, and not just because he’s violent. He wears a mask of approachability and reason, he’s charismatic, and he’ll try to convince you that what he’s doing is right. Maybe he really believes it. He tried to turn the captured crew to his cause, and I’m proud to say that nobody took the bait while I was there.”

“What cause?” Bergmann asked, narrowing his eyes. “One thing that we haven’t been able to figure out is just what the hell they want on Hades. We know what they’re doing but not why.”

“Barbosa believes that the Coalition has betrayed humanity,” the Marine replied, glancing over at Ruza pointedly. “The Borealans, the Brokers, the Jarilans – he thinks the aliens are planning to stab us in the back. It’s all conspiracy theories and nonsense, but his men are all-in on the idea. He captured my carrier and invaded Hades because he wants to turn it into his base of operations, either to wage a war against the rest of the UN, or to hole up and create some kind of haven where humans can wait out the war he thinks is coming. I didn’t ask for too many details.”

“Then he’s some kind of ideologue,” Bergmann muttered. “The Syndicate was bad enough, but at least money is a motivation that we can understand.”

“He’s at least convinced his men of it,” Rivera said. “I’m sure some of you are wondering if there’s any truth to his claims – if his security clearance and connections let him know things that we don’t. I can tell you that he provided no evidence of this during his speeches – it was all conjecture. If he had incontrovertible proof, I believe he would have shown it to us.”

“Where is he?” Reed asked.

“He never left the carrier while I was onboard,” Rivera replied. “It’s the safest place for him to be, and I’m sorry to say that it’s untouchable. Along with Barbosa, there are five Lieutenants. These are the guys with the suits. They’re his right-hand men, and they carry out his orders.”

“We know about Hoff already,” Reed sneered. “He’s the meathead responsible for security on the colony, and he’s styled himself as the sheriff. He’s managed to make himself very conspicuous.”

“There’s also Petrova,” Omar added. “She’s responsible for scouting and training new SWAR recruits in the garrisons. A lot of my contacts have been interacting with her.”

“Song should be your priority target after Barbosa,” Rivera continued. “He seems to be the brains of the operation, but like his boss, he’s probably staying on the carrier where nobody can touch him. I only know the other two by their code names – Roach and Crow. I never saw their faces, and nobody knows anything about them save that Barbosa trusts them.”

“We need to show everyone that these people aren’t untouchable,” Bergmann said. “Reed, Ruza – I want you to draft a plan to take down Hoff. He’s the most visible figurehead for the occupation and the easiest target. Omar, Astrid – focus on information gathering. I want to know what the enemy is planning and when they’re moving. Patrols, shipments, VIPs – anything you can find. Staff Sergeant – your military experience will be useful in all manner of ways, but what we need right now are drill instructors. I’m putting you in charge of organizing and training our fighters. We have civilians with no experience and PDF with some, and they can all learn a lot from your Marines.”

“Happy to help,” Rivera replied. “My men will whip these miners into fighting shape.”

“I’m worried about the supply situation,” Astrid added, reaching up to brush her long hair out of her eyes. “With the Borgs intercepting all of the offworld shipments and redirecting our trade goods, we’re already seeing shortages of some key items, and it’s barely been two weeks. If the Borgs are allowed to control the food supply, they control the colony. We’re going to need stockpiles both for our people and for the civilian population, and those stockpiles need to be managed very carefully.”

“Who do we have who could be put in charge of that?” Bergmann asked. “We have shift managers and armorers, but nobody I’m aware of who has experience managing large amounts of inventory like that. Maybe a warehouse worker?”

“My secretary Amy is very reliable,” Ruza suggested. “I will suggest it to her.”

“If you think that’s best,” Bergmann said with a nod. “Right, meeting adjourned,” he added with a clap of his hands. “I have to go grease some wheels with the FMU.”

As they filed out of the cavern that had been converted into the base’s nerve center, Reed paused to speak to Ruza in the tunnel.

“I have some ideas for how we might take the fight to Hoff,” he began, crossing his arms and leaning against the dirt wall. “Rivera mentioned that one of the suits had been damaged by an AMR. I’m thinking Omar might be able to find out whether there are any of those stashed away in the garrisons.”

“A sound suggestion,” Ruza replied. “For now, I am stopping by the armory, then I am heading out into the desert. One of my snipers was separated from his team and has not reported in. I intend to find him.”

“Alright, I’ll catch you later,” Reed replied. “Try not to get captured, alright? I’ve had my fill of daring rescues for the day.”

“I thought Bergmann gave you different orders?” Rivera said as he stepped into the armory. It was mostly deserted following the operation, and the workbenches were strewn with XMRs in varying states of assembly. “You’re supposed to be planning the attack against Hoff.”

“I do not take orders from Bergmann,” Ruza replied as he pulled a couple of fresh magazines from a storage container and filled the pockets of his jacket.

“I don’t want people raiding the armory until a proper inventory has been taken,” Rivera added with a hint of annoyance in his voice. “We might need every slug in the weeks ahead.”

“Nor do I take orders from you, ” Ruza added as he turned his yellow eyes on the scarred human.

“Judging by your gear and your tactics, you were an auxiliary, right?” Rivera pressed as he approached. “Surely you understand the chain of command and why it’s important? Have you considered that you might be captured if you go out there while there’s still so much heat? You could put the whole operation in jeopardy.”

“One of my men is missing,” Ruza muttered as he loaded his rifle.

“Plenty of my men are missing, too,” Rivera continued. “That doesn’t mean I should go running around in the tunnels looking for them on my own.”

“You are new here, so I will overlook your presumptuousness,” Ruza replied as he turned to give the human his full attention. “Understand that I am not beholden to the UNN or anyone else. I follow Bergmann, and I heed Reed, Omar, and Astrid because I have decided to do so. You are no longer on your carrier, so do not presume to give me orders. When our goals align and I deem your decisions wise, I will follow you, but know that I have no Alphas or commanders here. The only power that anyone on Hades has over me is that which I choose to give them.”

“You know, I’ve served with Rask before,” the human continued. “It can be hard to win their trust, but once you have it, they’re some of the most loyal people I’ve ever met. That girl you carried all the way back here – who was she?”