Chapter 6: Imperial Sword

I straightened my uniform before standing and taking the leash to the float. It was brand new and held my Kit, EQ and weapon’s bags. I walked off the shuttle and entered one of the riches starports in the empire. I ignored officers and enlisted as they snapped to attention. In the main concourse was a sharply dressed colonel.

He stepped in front of me and saluted, “sergeant England.”

I looked at him carefully, “Yes sir.”

He smiled and turned to fall in beside me, “I decided to pick you up myself. I wanted to meet you in person.”

I glanced at him and let him stir me towards a side exit, “And you are?”

He grinned, “Colonel Nathen.”

I nodded, “my new commander.”

He smiled, “Your commander is the emperor. I am just the next in the chain of command.”

He gestured to a waiting vehicle, “Time is limited I am afraid.”

I put my bags in back as a sergeant stepped out and looked around ignoring me. As soon as we got in the colonel turned to face me, “You have two days to gear up before we move.”

I glanced at the sergeant, “Two days? I thought the Swords only...”

He held up a hand, “You came in barely under the wire. We need a striker and you are it. In two days the Swords are slipping away.”

I nodded, “environment?”

He raised an eyebrow and I grinned, “Just wondering what to load.”

He glanced at the sergeant, “Penetrators.”

The sergeant nodded and I sat back. The colonel looked around, “Tell me. On Gecko, why did you move in?”

I looked at him until he turned to see me, “They were acting in a way that told me the fleet prisoners would be killed. I could have waited but if I did their deaths would have been on my hands.”

He smiled, “Alone with support a day away?”

I shrugged, “it was not the first time I was outnumbered or faced the enemy alone. I was going to lead them into the forest but the commander turned in at the box canyon so I was stuck.”

He laughed, “You know officers, can not find their ass with both hands and a light.”

The colonel looked at the sergeant driving, “Get him to the armory and then over to supply. Tell Senior Sergeant ... Ginger, to put him on the range.”

The driver nodded and pulled over to let him out. I started to get out but he turned, “I will see you in two days sergeant.”

Ten minutes later the vehicle pulled into an underground garage. I got out and went back to get my bags as the sergeant waited. I glanced at him as we started walking, “So why did I have to wear all the flash?”

He grinned, “The colonel wanted to rub a few noses. They diverted your shuttle to a primary pad and half the former regent’s council were made to walk to a far gate.”

I looked at him, “Why?”

He snorted, “Because you were silly enough to do what a soldier is supposed to do.”

The lift took us up a dozen floors before letting us out. The sergeant led me down to a corner room and thumbed the lock. Inside he nodded to a wide bed which was not standard, “Drop your bags and show me your weapons.”

I grinned, “A please would be nice.”

I tossed my kit and EQ bag to one end and set the weapon bag down before opened it. He snorted and reached for the assault rifle, “This goes into storage, you can keep the Swift.”

I looked at him, “And just what is going to replace my rifle?”

He grinned, “A silenced MP14, bored out to take 12mm.”

I laughed, “Okay, that sounds like it has a punch.”

He held out his hand, “Sergeant Milford Getts. You can call me Blocker.”

I took his hand, “Pendragon.”

The next day and a half was filled with weapons and detailed briefings. The silenced MP14 was a dream that would punch through a tank. It was just over half the length of my assault rifle and weighted a quarter of the weight. Besides the MP14 and my Swift I had acquired a stubby twenty millimeter Thumper.

The barrel was thirty centimeters long and it only had a pistol grip. It almost looked like it had a second barrel underneath the regular barrel. That was the fixed magazine that held the twenty high explosive rounds used for breaching.

I also had a new fiber weave force screen under my uniform, hopefully to keep from getting shot again. I slipped out in civilian clothes with Senior Sergeant Ginger McCartney by my side. She was one of the few females in the company and one of the deadliest marksmen I knew. She hugged my arm as we walked the street and batted her eyes at me, “You know Sergeant Morgan sent me a private note.”

I glanced at her and smiled, “And what did Samantha say?”

Ginger laughed as her eyes swept around us, “She said you have balls of battle steel and a heart of butter.”

I grinned, “She was just trying to flatter me.”

She grinned as she turned to walk backwards as if to talk to me, “True, she did say if the shit hit the fan to grab your gear and tag along as you killed everything that came your way.”

I laughed and pulled her as I side stepped. We walked into the narrow opening and followed it to a door that opened as we approached. Ginger walking in ahead of me and the door closed behind us. We went down and she grabbed a bar and swung up onto a fast moving belt. I waited until it was clear and followed her.

It was a long ride in the dark before a red light flashed and I reached up to snatch a bar and swing off the belt. I looked around at the rest of the company and a moment later they knelt. I joined them as a young man stepped out in front of us, “My Swords! The Duke of Brennen has issued us an ultimatum. He has betrayed his oath to the Empire and to me. I give you the order, Seize him and bring him or his body before me.”

He looked out at us and his eyes locked on mine, “Fail not my trust.”