Chapter 10: Dirty little war

I walked out of the shuttle tube and onto Fifth Regiments station with a smile. I ignored the bosan’s pipes as I pulled the float behind me and crossed to the senior sergeant next to the hatch. I returned his salute and handed him my orders chit. He looked at my medals but kept quiet as he checked me in.

I walked into Recon company headquarters and crossed to sergeant Golden. She was bent over a screen and looked like she wanted to hit it. I chuckled, “Patients sergeant.”

She glanced up, “yes sir ... PENDRAGON!”

She stood grinning, “We heard you were coming back to finish training.”

I laughed and gestured to the company commander’s hatch, “I need to report.”

She nodded and gestured to the float, “Leave it and I will make sure it gets to your quarters.”

I crossed and knocked on the hatch and heard the, “Come!”

I walked in and crossed to salute a young looking junior captain, “Lieutenant JG England reporting in sir.”

He sat back and looked at his top sergeant, “We were expecting you.”

He looked over my uniform carefully, “At first I thought you were a glory hound but after talking to the top sergeant and a couple of others I was not sure. I am prepared to give you the benefit of doubt. You will be taking the Scout Recon platoon since I understand you have trained with them.”

I nodded, “I have sir.”

He nodded, “Get with your platoon sergeant. There will be an officers meeting at seventeen hundred.”

He gestured and I turned and left. Golden was waiting with a corporal and grinned as she led me out, “I am in the sniper recon platoon now.”

I glanced at her and smiled, “what is the gossip?”

She snorted, “We are heading out on the Granger for regimental sweeps.”

I nodded since I had heard a rumor, “It is routine.”
Golden grinned, “Routine can kill you ... sir.”

I grinned and stopped with her as she nodded to a small platoon office. She looked into my eyes, “See you tonight?”

I looked around and bent to kiss her softly, “Since you are not one of mine.”

She grinned and caressed my face before walking back towards the company HQ. The senior sergeant grinned when I walked in and stripped my jacket off before hanging it up, “What do you want me to do sergeant?”

He slid half the paperwork on his desk across, “You can start here sir.”

I nodded as I crossed to pick it up and move to the next desk, “I would like to meet the squad and team leaders after lunch.”

A month later we were several systems away getting ready to board a stealth shuttle. My platoon was doing a training mission on Adam and would be there living off the planet for a few weeks. Everything seemed normal all the way through the drop. It was only an hour after the drop that second squad, bravo team reported the rogue world regiment.

It was surrounding the only city on the planet and had both atmosphere plasma generators and heavy weapons. I sent out the platoon recall and then sent a burst encrypted report to the stealth shuttle. I had second squad, bravo team maintain surveillance on the regiment while I briefed my platoon.

We were just going to set up observation points when bravo team reported in. The regiment was preparing to move into the city. I looked into the distance and sighed before turning to my people, “Third squad split into two man teams and destroy the plasma generators. Each one has a power coil and a plasma reactor. Take those out and they are just a piece of junk.”

The squad leader nodded and I looked at the first squad leader, “First squad will go after the heavy weapons.”

She nodded and I smiled at my last squad leader, “We are going after the regiment C and C.”

Sergeant Melrose grinned, “sounds like fun.”

I glanced at my platoon sergeant, “You take the team here and hit their communication center and I will link up with bravo to take the command center.”