Chapter 4: Graduation

Graduation day had come upon them. They were aboard the Federation Troop Ship Comanche. One of the graduation traditions was to show how much you have learned by making a combat drop back to earth and taking control of the parade grounds.

"Target area approaching. 30 seconds to drop. Depressurizing drop tubes. Good luck soldiers" a voice said on the command channel.

Mark herd this through the speakers mounted in his helmet. He was incased in a drop capsule. The controls were all automatic. All he had to do was wait out the drop sequence and then he would be in free fall for 10 minutes. Once he entered the atmosphere small stabilizer wings would deploy. They would give him a small about of control so he would not miss the drop zone. He checked his controls once again just to make sure that the onboard systems were operating correctly. The last thing that he wanted was to have a retrorocket fail and send him and his drop capsule skipping off the earth's atmosphere

Just as the Drop Officer had promised The air was let out of the drop tubes. Mark could feel the subtle change in is combat suit as it seemed to expand. He then felt his tube move as he was being positioned in the chamber of the launch system. He was being loaded in to a very large gun that propelled the drop tube out of the ship at high speed.

The Ship was at its most vulnerable Wile making a troop drop so it was always done at high speed as if the ship its self was going to burst through the outer atmosphere and in to the planet below. By using the law 'for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction' the great ship slowed its self as it expelled the drop tubes. This let the crew turn the ship back in to deep space with out tearing its self apart and back to were it could best defend its self.

Mark felt the acceleration pressure through out his body. If it were not for the combat suit that he was wearing the pressure created from it would have killed him by turning him in to a large puddle of red paste at the bottom of the tube. A half a second later he felt the weightlessness of space his tube was traveling at its maximum speed. He took a look at the combat data that was playing out in his head via the uplink. He could tell that every one was off the ship and it had started to make its turn back to the high ground.

"Third Platoon report in. By the Numbers" the platoon leader said over the intercom.

Mark listened as one by one each soldier reported in.

"Gunner 3-6 alpha this is Gunner 3-3-9. Got com 5 by 5" Mark said in to his mic.

Each soldier reported in meaning that none were left behind or killed during the launch. Mark liked doing drops from space. He was almost sorry that he was not going to be an infantryman. Dropping in to a combat zone like this had to scare the opposing forces to death; if not make them stop to change their shorts.

The ride in the vacuum of space was smooth and silent except for the bursts of chatter over the com channel. Mark thought back over the last few weeks and saw how much he had grown and the others around him had changed. He was amazed at the things he had learned from Fred.

Fred had helped him learn to master and control them. They spent nearly every waking hour practicing on each other. It got to the point that Mark was showing Fred new things.

They were on the target range learning to fire their basic weapon and Mark found that he could steer the direction of the projectile So that no matter where he was aiming at he could hit the target at any range. They had fun with this ability. Seeing that they could hit a target that they could not see with there eyes but instead hunt them out using their special abilities and guide the round to the target.

Ima had grown during her training as well. She found that she truly loved Mark and did her best to make him happy with her. She learned what was to be expected of a non person wile her owner served in the FAS. Although her status would never be one of a federation citizen she could enjoy that she would always be taken care of wile Mark was away. She was allowed to eat and sleep and bathe as long as she followed orders. She worked hard and was rewarded for it by getting the easier jobs and sometimes getting to oversee the other non persons.

The only time that she felt like a complete person was when she was in the presence of her owner. She decided that she would happily do any thing for him, and not because of the NCU around her neck, but because she truly wanted to please him in any way that she could. She made sure that he was taken care of any time that she could be around him. She did his laundry and cleaned his boots. She cleaned him after sex with another person not because he wanted to but she wanted to make him feel like what he was, her lord and master.

Ima wanted to be useful and she wanted to make amends for her past life. But Most of all she just wanted to be around Mark.

Mark knew all of this from reading Ima's mind and listening to her thoughts. Nothing that she did surprised him any more. He had gotten used to having her do things for him. Any order that he gave her was done with out complaint and in the manner that he told her to do it in.

He was also becoming attached to Ima. He knew it was not love like he would have for a member of the opposite sex but it was the kind of love one has for a relative. As time went on he was no longer angry at her. The person that she was before the rape was no longer there. Mark had come to the realization that Ima was mentally ill and that he had infected some sort of change in her on the first day of basic training.

Mark went through his mental playback of experiences from his training. He would definitely miss the companionship of Michelle. Sleeping with her during his nights off made the unbearable seem better. She was a great friend. They shared many things about the others lives.

"10 seconds to atmosphere. Link maneuvering thrusters to command and deploy wings" Mark herd over the command link.

He thumbed the controls and saw the menu come up in his head he selected the proper commands. He immediately felt the breaking thrusters kick in.

40 meters to his right, a jump mate linked in to the command net and felt the same thing. Then all hell broke lose. A breaking thruster failed before the others could compensate and sent the drop tube to the left strait at Marks tube.

Mark had no time to react to the proximity warning that sounded in his head before he felt the impact. He was hit in the rear panel were all the communication gear was stored. The Impact sent his little ship careening off to the right. Almost immediately the thrusters fired and corrected for the impact. Then mark heard the damage report from the on board computer.

"Primary and secondary communications down. Flight controls at 50% optimum. Repairs to communications commencing. Repair time is 50 seconds. Flight controls irreparable. Shielding intact." The computer told him.

Mark wanted to panic and fire all the breaking thrusters and abort the drop but it was to late to do that. The earths atmosphere was 3 seconds away and all that he would do is give him self a one way ticket to deep space by bouncing off and speeding in to the void.

Mark dropped his mental shield and called out for Fred.

"Help me I got hit by a drop tube. My main com is damaged and will not be repaired. The computer only got one entry correction" Mark called out.

"On my way bro. I will hook up with you and get the com linked with me" Fred called back.

Fred told command what he was going to do and maneuvered over to Marks tube. He sent the command to dock and hook up with the stricken tube. The com to the command computer was reestablished the moment that Fred's tube docked with Mark's.

The drop tubes worked in tandem with each other taking the directions from the command computer for reentry.

They hit the atmosphere together. The combined mass of the 2 drop tubes were a strain on the emergency docking gear. Mark and Fred could hear the docking links groan under the stress. The linkage held on but just barely. As they fell down toward their target and into thicker air the ionization of the outer hulls and shielding eased off.

"How are you hanging in there Mark?" asked Fred over a private com channel.

"I totally crapped in my shorts bro. I Thought I was a goner thanks for saving my butt" He replied.

"We are not through yet. The docking clamps are fused and we still have to eject from these falling coffins" Fred said with a little concern in his voice.

Mark opened a little hole in his metal shield and thought to Fred, "How are we going to separate the tubes?"

"Just before it is time to eject I am going to try to focus energy on the docking clamps and blow them. You do the same and we might just have a chance. All you need to do is think about them getting really hot, and then getting hotter, until they melt away or blow apart. Your com system should be back up by now and even though your guidance system is almost fried you are on target now and then when we eject you will be able to maneuver back in to formation with ease. Now let's just work on getting the clamps loose" Fred explained.

Mark dropped his shield completely and focused on one of the front docking clamps. He felt it in his mental grip. He tried to move it by tugging and pulling. He decided to do what Fred told him to do and he imagined it getting hot. He closed his eyes and focused all of his energy in the unyielding clamp. He felt it starting to warm and then get hot. Rewarded by this feeling he tried to disengage that clamp again. The computer confirmed that the clamp was now free.

Fred watched what Mark had done and repeated the same thing on the clamp that he was working on and after a few seconds of trying the clamp broke free.

The two drop tubes separated and drifted apart using the air currents to force them further apart.

"Gunner 3 - 6 Alpha, this is Gunner 3-3-9. Com back online proceeding to target on course" Mark Said in to his mic.

"Rodger 3-3-9 command out" He heard.

Mark did not have time to reflect on how badly this drop could have gone if he did not use his mental powers to call for Fred's help. He could have been half way to the moon if Fred's quick thinking did not save him.

"10 Seconds to ejection. Engaging air brakes" The Computer told him.

Mark braced for the air brakes to engage. At the speeds that they were traveling they needed to be slowed down before he could safely exit the drop tube. Small panels rose out of the hull of the tube and created more drag, slowing him down to well below the speed of sound.

"Eject, Eject, Eject" came across his com unit.

Mark triggered the command to eject him from the tube.

The tube split in to three sections and was forced apart by explosive bolts in the hull, peeling Mark out of the tube like a banana. As the peaces of his tube blew outward Mark looked around to see that he was clear of the wreckage.

From the ground it looked as if the sky was full of debris. It served to confuse weapons tracking systems, making it impossible to detect individual soldiers from the junk.

Mark went in a spread eagle position for the ride down. This served to slow him a bit and put him behind the falling peaces. They were still 3 kilometers from the ground and be a head of the debris would be deadly once on the ground. But For now it was a shield and concealment.

Mark keyed up the terrain map and had his on board computer plot were he would be coming down. The display in his head showed him the place where he would be in 40 seconds. His first chute would deploy in 20 seconds according to the computer, and then be released 5 seconds later.

"Get ready for parachute deployment. Command out" he heard.

The Internal clock counted down the seconds. Then he felt it release. A slight tug at first wile the canopy and lanyards strung out behind him. Then he felt a hard sharp pull pressing him in to his combat suit jarring him.

Mark counted the seconds away. The first chute had to be cut away with in the five seconds or he would be a sitting duck for any enemy soldier with a high powered rail gun.

The parachute cut away on its own at the right time.

Mark saw the read out it was counting down his altitude. His main chute was set to deploy at 500 meters from the ground. He was at 1500 meters now and it would deploy in 5 seconds.

Mark watched as the ground was becoming more detailed He could make out detailed objects on the ground now with unaided eyes. Bunkers and Firing Positions started to be targeted by the computer and cross referenced with the command computer. Updates being displayed in his mind from the uplink to the on board combat computer.

Mark was jolted out of his day dream by the sharp tug of his main chute deploying.

The ground was still coming up fast but his momentum was starting to slow to the point that when he did hit the ground it would be hard but not fatal. The Combat suit would absorb the shock of the hit.

Five meters above the ground the main chute was cut away and at the same time his equipment bag fell away from where it was attached. He fell straight down like a rock.

He hit with a thump and rolled to the ground and to a stop. He scrambled to the equipment bag and pulled out his weapon.

He slapped a fresh power clip and charged the M-9 Light rail gun. It had training rounds in it so it would not kill. It was their job to route the opponents from their stronghold.

"Gunner 3 Form up in assembly area by squad and be ready to move out towards the objectives in 2 minutes" Mark heard in his helmet.

He took a moment to scan around for any hostels in the area. Then getting an idea he openly scanned with his mind trying to pick up the thoughts of any one trying to do him harm.

No one was in line of sight or with in range to try to take a shot at him so he checked his map and it showed him that he needed to move 300 meters to the south west to pick up the assigned area to meet up with the rest of his squad.

He got up attaching the equipment to the rack attachment on his back and taking off for the rendezvous area.

He kept up the scanning for hostiles letting his mind multitask.

"Incoming! Air defense mode now!" yelled the Commander. "All platoons report in!"

Mark looked at the combat display for the incoming rounds. The computer tracked their trajectory and plotted impact points. Mark dropped to the ground and razed his weapon skyward thumbing the controls of the grip, a set of cross hairs appeared in his view. He tracked the incoming round that was assigned to his area and adjusted the weapon until the crosshairs and the round lined up. The rail gun fired as soon as the target had been acquired. A blue green beam of supercharged plasma left his weapon and hit the mortar in midair causing a brief explosion. Mark tracked all of the incoming rounds and fired at them as soon as he could until there were no more rounds coming at them.

He got back to his feet and started running. He reached his assigned point and dropped back to the ground pointing his weapon out ward looking for a target to kill.

Other squad members arrived and took up positions in a small circle facing outward.

"Gunner 3! Listen up and listen up good because I am only going to run through this once. We have dropped in to hostile territory. Our objective is just over that rise 3 clicks to the north. The enemy is dug in and has well prepared defenses. As you can see by your threat map it is not going to be a cakewalk. But we can do this if we work as a team. First and second platoons are on our left flank. We will move out from here bound by squad using bounding over watch. For those of you that have been asleep your entire time in basic training that means each squad will leap frog the last. Move up drop and then cover the next squads advance.

"Your only true objective is to make it to the other side of the target and Kill all resistance that you meet. If you are hit you go down. If you are injured you go down. Your computers AI will tell you if you have become a casualty. The targets will be firing training rounds at you. How ever you will be firing full lethal rounds if you had not noticed by now the incoming exercise used live rounds with out the detfuses. Every thing here is real boys and girls so don't shoot your teammates in the back because they will be dead for real if you do.

"Do you understand me?" the Drill instructor said.

A roar of "Yes Sergeant" went out across the com channel.

"Good then move up to the line of departure and let's Rock N Roll!" He shouted.

Mark got up and moved to the point that the computer said was his line of departure and dropped back to the ground.

The crest of the ridge was just above them. The others in the squad settled down about 2 meters from each other, rail guns pointed outward.

"All elements move forward to the ridge line. Keep low! Do not silhouette your selves up there. Command Out" Mark heard in his helmet.

Mark cradled his weapon in the crook of his elbow and crawled as fast as he could go up the hill. He stopped just short of the top.

Bringing his weapon back to bear he rose it above the hill and used its forward looking sensors to scout the terrain below. Immediately targets began to populate his vision.

The AI computer at command was working over time assigning targets to platoons and then squads and then individual soldiers.

Mark knew his targets because after the computer was done collecting targeting data it blanked out the targets that were not his. Then his Computer went and prioritized targets that were the most threat to him. Then blanked out the targets that were the least threat moving them off the list for now.

"Targets acquired Fire at will! Fire at will! Fire at will!" came the command over the command channel.

Mark selected the first target Lined the cross hairs up and sent the fire command. The weapon jerked in his grip sending a blue green bolt of supercharged plasma down range at the closest target. The Computer registered a hit. He watched as the target fell. And then got back up again and fired three quick bolts at his position. Mark Pulled his weapon back down and rolled to the right. Lifting it back up, he aligned the sights with the target and set his weapon to fire a 3 round burst.

Three quick shots burst from his weapon hitting the target in the chest and head. Its armor cracked and blew apart sending pieces of it everywhere.

He dispatched the next two targets the same way.

"All Gunner units prepare to move out towards the objective. Squads 1 and 3 Move forward ten meters drop and return fire. Squads 2 and 4 provide Suppressing and cover fire for the advancing squads. We are going to leap frog all the way there. Ready move!"

Mark Got Up and moved with third squad. Running as fast as he could go he held out his weapon and fired in the general direction of the targets as he ran Walking rounds in to the target bodies.

Blue green fire erupted all around Mark and his squad. Plasma bolts sizzling there way across the battle field in both directions. Rounds striking the ground and passing with in millimeters of him leaving scorch marks on his ceramic armor. Dirt and rocks blowing up and hitting everywhere. Targets were falling as rounds hit them.

Mark Dropped to the ground and slapped a fresh power clip in his rail gun. He set his weapon for full automatic fire as he acquired new targets and dispatched them as soon as he let loose a constant stream of fire. He saw soldiers running a head of him and dropping in to position to return incoming fire. He knew that it was time to get moving him self and got up and ran with his squad to the next position.

He repeated that several times over the next hour. The barrel of his weapon glowed white hot because of the thousands of rounds that he had fired during this drop.

"All units cease fire! Objective cleared! Safe and Clear weapons and form up for retrieval"

Mark cleared his weapon and put it on safe. Bringing a loaded weapon back was a big mistake. One recruit lost his life by forgetting to clear his weapon.

He ran to the assembly area and formed up with his platoon. He looked around and saw scorch marks and hits on battle armor. Then it struck him, if the targets were using any thing but training rounds there would be big holes in the ranks. There were a few that had scorch marks in the middle of the chest plate.

Mark all of a sudden did not want to be in the Infantry. Even though every one made the drop judging by the amount of damage to the troops after the battle, only half of them would be going home after that action.

The transport landed in front of them. The crew hatch opened and they broke ranks and filed in it.

Mark found a seat and strapped him self in.

"Excellent job troopers. You are now soldiers! From here we go to the parade grounds were the Base general will tell you that you have graduated basic training. From there you will return to the barracks and change in to a dress uniform and then be dismissed for a few hours to spend time with family and friends. Once recall is sounded you will return to pack your things and leave for your next phase of training. You have survived the hardest training on the planet. You should be proud of your selves. But remember the people that are not with us today, the ones that died in training. Remember their mistakes and you will survive in combat." Mark herd Sergeant Monday in his head set.

The transport took off at break neck speed if it were not for the pressure suits that they were all wearing most of not all would have blacked out during the take off. Mark thought back on the day. He sat there and realized right then he had come very close to death. The drop had not gone smooth and Fred had to come to his rescue. If the damage had been any worse he would have burned up in the atmosphere and that would have been the end of him, or he could have lost all control of the retros and bounced him self in to deep space with no com and no way home. For the first time mark realized that his ability saved him. If he had not been able to call out to Fred he would be lost.

"Fred" Mark called out with his mind.

"Yea bro. what do you need?" Fred returned.

"I just wanted to say thank you for saving my ass back there. I owe you one. No scratch that, I owe you a big one. I have just been thinking about if I had not been able to talk to you then I would be dead or dieing right now. So here it is bro. Thank you" Mark thought to him.

"No need to thank me Mark. That is what friends do for each other. But I will tell you that we are going to have to explain how I knew that you were in trouble" Fred replied.

Mark thought about that for a Minute and said, "Why don't we just tell them that we try to keep tabs on each other during the drops. And you saw that I was in trouble and then came to the rescue. We all have access to the position of each drop tube. They should by that" Mark said.

"That should work besides I do kind of keep track of you" Fred laughed.

"Hamrick and Lamb! Private command channel now" came and order over the communication gear.

Mark told the AI to go to the command channel and was there in an instant.

"Recruit Hamrick reporting on Private command channel sir!" Mark exclaimed.

"Recruit Lamb reporting on private command channel Sir!" Fred Also exclaimed.

"Hamrick this is Captain Reeves I am being joined by every ranking officer from your company commander to the commanding general. We would like to know just what the fuck you two idiots were thinking up there during the drop. Hamrick why don't you start by telling us what happened up there." Captain Reeves said.

"Sir, Half way to entering the atmosphere I was struck by a tube. It knocked out my flight controls and communications. I was off course and heading on a trajectory that would have bounced me in to deep space. I began repairs at that time. Estimated time of repair was out side the window for making a safe reentry. The next thing I knew was recruit Lamb docking with me. With his help we were able to bring my tube back on course and reestablish communication with the command net. Once we were in the atmosphere and out of the Ionization we undocked and completed the drop." Mark explained.

"Ok so you mean to tell me that your drop tube was disabled and Lamb came to the rescue. Is that right soldier?"

"Yes sir." Mark said.

"Lamb, how the hell did you know that his tube was damaged and he was in trouble? He just stated that his com was out and there was no way that I know of that he could have told you." The captain said in an accusing tone.

"Sir," Fred began, "Recruit Hamrick and I watch out for each other during drops sir. I noticed that he dropped off the communications net and went dark. I used my sensors to locate him and then move my tube in to see if I could do something to help. It was not until I docked with him that I learned that his flight controls were damaged and his com was out. Once we were docked I programmed the flight computer to navigate the tubes. That set us up on course for reentry. It was not until after we reentered that his com was repaired and could navigate on his own that I tried to undock" Fred explained his side of the story.

"Ok that explains that part of it. Now why did you feel that you needed to rescue him? If he had bounced off the atmosphere then he would have been picked up later and long before he ran out of air."

"Sir, the first reason is that Recruit Hamrick is my friend. I would like to think that if it were me in trouble that he would be there for me. The second reason is that we were dropping in to a combat zone. There was no intelligence on how large the force was going to be down there. So every man that could get to the ground was needed. As it turned out once we hit the ground we encountered a mortar attack. If Recruit Hamrick was not there one could have gotten through and then cut a large hole in our defenses thus allowing more shells to get through until we were all wiped out. As it turned out we managed to defend our selves from a sustained attack with no causalities and were able to attack the enemy positions at full force. So as I see it sir, by helping Recruit Hamrick hit the ground he returned the favor by saving every man and woman in the company by shooting down every mortar in his sector of fire" Fred explained.

"That Private was the correct fucking answer!!! Some times the battle is one or lost by the actions of one individual. You took a gamble by trying to get your buddy to the ground and it paid off. It could have gone very badly if you had made a mistake up there. But you did every thing right as far as we can tell. The both of you are to be congratulated on your bravery and quick thinking. Command out" The Captain said.

Mark herd the channel go dead. He just sat there in shock. He tossed around in his head the conversation and realized that Fred was right. It could have gone very badly if they had made a mistake up there. They could have been short two people on the ground instead of just one. But it turned out ok. Mark saved his own life by calling out to Fred for help in the first place. That could never be told to any one but Mark was really grateful to Fred for coming to the rescue.

Mark felt the transport start to descend. He knew that in a few seconds he would have to get off the transport and go and stand in formation for graduation ceremonies.

"Two seconds to landing get ready to depart on the double!" Mark herd in his head.

The Transport came down hard as it touched down. As soon as mark felt the thump he released his restraints and stood up to exit the transport. The huge door opened and everyone moved out of the craft running.

Getting into formation was no problem Mark had been doing that a hundred times a day since he arrived here.

He took a look around and saw the drill instructors in full dress uniforms standing at attention in front of the company. There was a grand stand full of people and looking down at them and a podium.

A Person in a dress uniform stepped up to the podium and started to speak.

"Recruits of Charley company forth battalion forth regiment. First let me congratulate you on a job well done. You are a credit to the skill and abilities of your Drill Instructors. You have survived this planets toughest training regiment. You did it by staying focused and paying attention to the job at hand. Most of all you did it with teamwork. And speaking of teamwork, two of you have shown themselves to be able to rise above the odds and work as a team to overcome the danger of a combat drop to insure that every one made it to the ground. And for that reason I am going to award the medal of achievement to Private Hamrick and Private Lamb. Sergeant Major call them forward would you please and read the orders" The General said.

"Private Hamrick, Private Lamb, Front and center, POST!" yelled the sergeant major.

Mark and Fred broke ranks and ran to the front and center of the formation. Standing side by side they came to attention and raised their weapons in salute to the general that was standing there. The general returned the salute and they brought their weapons down to their sides.