Chapter 8

We stayed in orbit. The other Battalions were in the drop rotation. We got some rest, at least for a while. It seemed that the lizards had pissed somebody off with their trap. Word was we were taking the rock back. REMFs wanted to know why it was so important to the Lizards. They had done some new stuff and the eggheads did not like it when the lizards surprised them.

The trap was new and hiding the forces and defenses was new. I was thoroughly debriefed along with the other members of our tunnel and hanger busting team. The only interesting thing that was worth mentioning was that I met Amy's old man.

Of course he did not know about his little girl's and my not relationship. All I was to him was a lifer private. He was civil enough though. Most generals are. They don't have much to prove to enlisted.

He seemed smart enough and was only mildly surprised at my unusual lack of awe to be standing in front of so much Brass.

The old man and Firsk did end up debriefing me after the Brass was done with me the next day.

"Pvt. Sweeney reporting as ordered," I said to the new 2nd Lieutenant sitting behind Amy's old desk. She was not as cute as Amy, but she gave that same eager puppy vibe all younger officers do. I wondered if Santiago picked them by hand or just got lucky with cute assistants.

"Have a seat Private," she said.

I noticed her tag said Bashir.

I sat there and thought of when I first saw Amy sitting there. Looking back on it was obvious I was in trouble from the start.

"You may go in now Private," she said not paying any attention to me as only a new officer can.

"Pvt. Sweeney reporting as ordered Sir," I said at attention.

"Sit down Sweeney. I swear you do that just to get a rise out of me," he said waving at a chair.

I didn't answer because he was right. The officers were as bound by the crazy military formalities as we were.

"So I've seen the action reports and reviewed the battle comps replay and logs. Tell me what you think happened?"

"Lizards set a trap. Not sure what their ultimate purpose is (was) but they saw us coming and fucked us without so much as a reach around Sir."

"That much is obvious. Any other ideas?"

"They are testing us. I think that before, they never really considered us a threat, really. They do now."

"Not a threat before? I'm not sure I agree with you."

I shrugged.

"Tell me why you think that," he said clearly interested.

"Little things, but mostly the dragons."

"The dragons mean we are winning."

"Not really Sir. The dragons mean that we have gotten the Lizard command structure's interest. It was almost like the Lizards were going through the motions before and letting the young and eager, with something to prove, clans or whatever the eggheads think they are, try. Recently somehow we have managed to change that. Probably happened at Ridal 5."

"Go on," he said.

"I'm thinking that the ones invading until recently are the less powerful ones looking to expand their influence and power. So things are going well for them, meaning they are kicking our asses, until they start to get their asses kicked. Now instead of an opportunity for expansion we represent a threat. We have been slowly getting better at fighting them. The survival rate when I was a boot was pretty bad. That new orbital defense has to have them scratching their scales as well.

"At Ridal five I think it was a more powerful faction of the lizards, and when they got their asses kicked the word spread. What we saw at Doe is a preview of the future."

"Have you told anybody else this?" he asked.

"Lt. Swanson," I said.

"What does she think?"

"She thinks I'm right. What she has seen with the drops when she was with Whisky was nothing like what she learned in OCS."

"Bashir, get Swanson in here please," Santiago said then got up to get a drink.

"Want something?" he asked.

"No thanks," I said.

"Tell me, what do you think of Lt. Swanson's performance in the last drop?"

"She did as well as any officer could. She earned Whisky's respect," I said.

"I see," he said. To get the respect of a Force Recon platoon meant a great deal. Force Recon did not suffer fools lightly. Those officers tended to get killed in action fairly quickly.

"This won't go on any official record or reflect negatively on you or her in any way, but how much of it was her and how much of it was you, Sweeney? You could teach at the war college and actually have the experience and ability to back it up."

"A blend Sir. She is breaking out of the mold they fit her into at OCS. The more unorthodox actions were my influence, but she saw the wisdom in them right away. That she was taught that most of it was not possible is her limit. The one she is shedding."

"That was what I thought. Keep this to yourself, but Hauge is being bumped up to company XO. Whisky has been running without an executive officer for too long and the cluster fuck down there made it apparent that needs to be rectified. Swanson is getting his job. In a perfect world you would be the platoon sergeant or even sitting in my chair, but this sure as fuck not a perfect world. Swanson does not know this yet. The reason I'm telling you is obvious. If I needed to spell it out to you I wouldn't have told you."

Amy showed up right after that. She did not look nervous or anything but I caught a brief look at me that was more than friendly. I stood when she came in of course. It had nothing to do with gallantry but with the fact she was an officer and I a mere private.

"You wanted to see me Sir," she asked?

"Yes. Sweeney told me of his theory about the lizards and the trap we tripped. Do you agree?"

"Yes I do. It makes sense. The amount of dragons, the brood mother on Ridal 5, our first time kicking them out of a system they meant to colonize, and the trap and change of tactics. I've kind of felt out the other officers and while none of them have noticed a shift in the pattern they have remarked about the dragons and the traps.

"I would not have spotted it either to be honest Sir. You can't see stuff this big unless you have been through it all and experienced it day to day. It's a fucking shame Sweeney isn't sitting in your chair Sir."

"I agree. I think I agree with you and him about the lizards. Write up a report to the effect and I'll look it over. I'll submit my thoughts on the matter with it and send it up the chain.

"Sweeney, you're dismissed," Santiago finished looking at me.

"Aye Aye Sir," I said and left.

A few days later I found myself in a classroom with Amy. We were watching the feed from operations on the surface. Second Battalion was down there with Third. As I sat across from her she got up and sat next to me. The holo would have been in between us. She reached down and took my hand and brought it up to the table top and held it.

"I'd like to call you Thad," Amy said shyly.

For some reason that surprised me. It was my name of course, Thaddeus Holton Sweeney, but I had not been called by my first name in over twenty years. When I got over my surprise I said, "okay,"

"And you call me Amy?"

"Amy," I said and brought her hand to my mouth and kissed it.

"Tomorrow I'm your new platoon leader," she said blushing.

"Good," I said.

"I know I shouldn't but I can't help it," she said.

She took her other hand and slid it up my arm to my cheek then to the back of my head. She pulled me down and I went willingly.

Her lips brushed mine softly and sweetly almost like a school girl's first kiss. But then it got deeper and wetter. It turned into a hot wet open mouthed kiss with her tongue and mine exploring each other. My other hand let go of hers and pulled her to me and into my lap. Her legs and arms wrapped around me with my arms around her pulling her tightly to me.

She ground herself against me. I could feel the heat and dampness coming from her. One of my hands went down to fondle her ass and pull her to me tighter while the other held a round tit and squeezed it and its nipple as she rubbed herself on me.