{"id":352,"date":"2020-01-24T21:35:58","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T21:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/?page_id=352"},"modified":"2020-01-24T21:35:58","modified_gmt":"2020-01-24T21:35:58","slug":"damnation-excerpt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/damnation-excerpt\/","title":{"rendered":"Damnation Excerpt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/a>Book 5 of Theirs Not to Reason Why<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CHAPTER ONE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did it feel like to step for the first time onto the Damnation, back in August of \u201998? That\u2019s an unfair question\u2014unfair to you, I mean. I \u2018first stepped\u2019 onto the Damnation when I was fifteen. I knew every pipeline, every cabin, every cannon and every corridor on her before I was old enough to legally drive. And I knew the Hellfire just as well, and just as early on, long before my military career began. I have known every single ship I ever boarded long before I touched foot to deck plate, just as I have known nearly every single person I have ever worked with in advance of that first day, Harper excepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I will admit I did enjoy that new-ship smell. You don\u2019t get that many smells in the timestreams, oddly enough, unless it\u2019s temporally important somehow. It almost never is, though. As for the Damnation itself\u2026it was longer, better laid-out, and equipped with certain amenities which some would call luxuries, but which have kept my crew sane. It\u2019s hard to relax when you fly from one battle to the next with rarely a pause for anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeyond that\u2026it\u2019s just like being back on board the Hellfire. This ship is our home. In a way, it always has been. In a way, it always will be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~Ia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 14, 2498 T.S.
\nTUPSF Leo Major
\nScadia, AQAT-15 System<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Leo Major did not smell like the Damnation. Where Ia\u2019s ship still smelled of fresh paint, carpeting, newly installed aquaponics and various kinds of plexi, this larger but heavily battered starship smelled of internal fires, sweat, and dried blood. It also bore the odd odor of hard vacuum, not quite metallic and not quite like dust, the smell of cold frost mingled with the scents of chilled solder and other sealants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the swirled bits of debris on the deckplates, they may have gotten the hangar bay functionally airtight, but it was clear there had been far more important repairs on their mind than merely sweeping up. The Leo Major wasn\u2019t ready even for insystem maneuvers, or those bits of metal and plexi would have been vacuumed up by now, for fear of them being turned into lethal projectiles during a sudden vector change. The civilian spacedock orbiting the third planet from the local sun wasn\u2019t quite prepared to service a ship of the Leo\u2019s size, but they were doing their best. With the bay sealed and capable of accepting larger deliveries, the work could go a lot faster now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saluting the bandaged ensign who had granted her permission to board, Ia waved off the young man\u2019s offer to guide her with a murmured, \u201cNo need to bother, Ensign; I already know the way. Please fetch a three-ton hoversled for Private Runde, and prepare to board live cargo for the lifesupport bays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUhh\u2026aye aye, sir,\u201d the ensign stammered, eyeing Ia as she headed into the damaged ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She did know the way, though she had never stepped foot aboard a battlecruiser of the Talon Class before. Three levels up to Deck 25, five cross-corridors aft to Lima, and one side-trip toward the port brought her to the boardroom for the Marines Company stationed aboard. Here, the visible damage to the ship was considerably less, though the damage to the brown-clad men and women inside was quite evident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the women, sporting a blue regen pack strapped over one ear, caught the movement of Ia\u2019s approach out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see who had entered, caught sight of Ia\u2019s Dress Blacks with its two-tone stripes of green and grey, the four stars pinned to her collar points and shoulder boards, and stiffened. \u201c\u2014General on Deck!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt Ease, meioas,\u201d Ia quickly ordered, since there was more than one soldier with an injured arm in the room. \u201cI\u2019m not here for your salutes. You earned my respect when you donned the Brown of the Marines, and earned it again with how well you fought today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of them relaxed at her words. Others stood a little taller with the pride her words invoked. Most of them parted to either side a little, opening up an aisle between her and their current commander. Standing in front of the officer\u2019s desk, on the dais in front of the sloped tiers of seats, was a man she had not seen in over eight years. He stared at her, squinted\u2026and then sagged back against the table, resting his hips against the edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, double-dip me,\u201d Brad Arstoll muttered slowly, staring at Ia as she closed the distance between them. \u201cIt is you! I\u2019d heard some wild-asteroid tales about someone with your name pulling all sorts of shova out there, but\u2026it really is you, isn\u2019t it? And a shakking general\u2014look at you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ia gave him a half-smile and spread her hands slightly. \u201cIn the four-starred flesh. I\u2019m here on the Leo for two reasons. Three, if you count the shake-down flight out here to help you and the Scadian Army fight off the Salik invaders earlier today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, we appreciated that,\u201d he agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo thanks are needed. First off,\u201d she stated, digging a hand into her Dress Black jacket, pulling out a small black box. \u201cI am authorized by the DoI to confirm your field promotion, Captain Brad Arstoll. Effective immediately, you are now officially in charge of D Company, 3rd Legion, and not just the Acting Captain for D Company, 3rd Legion, 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 4th Division, 2nd Cordon Marine Corps. This box holds a data file with the pertinent DoI paperwork\u2026plus your silver tracks, of course. You\u2019ve earned them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you, sir,\u201d Arstoll murmured, accepting the package. \u201cI wish I hadn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Ia murmured back, knowing he meant he wished he hadn\u2019t earned it at the expense of the loss of his CO. \u201cCaptain Ling-Bradley was a good leader. But so are you.\u201d She tapped the box now in his hand. \u201cThere\u2019s a second data chip in here with a few precognitive directives you might find useful. Beyond that, I know the Corps trained you well. You have my confidence, and that of the Command Staff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHuh,\u201d he grunted, a humorless laugh. \u201cOf course they\u2019d be confident. The Prophet of a Thousand Years told them so. If this is just a favor to an old Basic Squadmate\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve earned it, so step up to the job and suffer, soldier,\u201d Ia corrected him firmly, pushing the box against his chest. He winced a little; his ribs were taped, waiting for the bone-set serum to finish healing the fractures earned in combat. She didn\u2019t push hard, though, and removed her hand once he got the point. \u201cSecond\u2026I lost five good men and women on Dabin. Lives I shouldn\u2019t have had to lose,\u201d Ia admitted, jaw tightening for a moment. \u201cI may be a massive precog, but I can\u2019t control everything. Because of it, I need replacements. I have two already in transit to meet up with my ship in the Tilfa system, but I\u2019m here for the other three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t mind, I\u2019d like to take one of your Marines,\u201d she added, glancing over her shoulder at the men and women listening with various levels of interest and boredom as the two of them had caught up with old news. Her words piqued interest even in the most bored of the soldiers. \u201cThe last two I need are serving in the Scadian Army in the Orbital Fleet. I convinced the Admiral-General to help with some pre-maneuverings on getting them transferred, so I have a writ from the Scadian military leadership allowing me to recruit whoever I like. I\u2019ll still have to do a little diplomatic dancing once I get down to the surface, but it\u2019ll be worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShakk\u2026I wonder what strings you had to pull to get that done,\u201d Arstoll muttered, eyeing her. \u201cThese colonists are proud as hell about serving their planet. They wouldn\u2019t even have accepted our help if they\u2019d had enough ships to cover all vectors. They don\u2019t lack the fighting skill or the tactical smarts, and they don\u2019t lack any bravery; they just lack the equipment to get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know. That\u2019s why I need two of them. They\u2019re the best shot I have at filling the gaping holes the Salik blew in the best crew of the Space Force. As for the Marine\u2026I\u2019ll need your Private Second Class Julia Garcia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGarcia?\u201d Arstoll exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief. Other voices joined him in their confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWrong-Way Garcia?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat piece of skut?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSir, if you think Garcia is going to\u2026er\u2026\u201d The speaker, the woman with the missing ear, trailed off as Ia turned to face Arstoll\u2019s soldiers. Her hard stare silenced all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrivate Garcia,\u201d Ia enunciated carefully, with just enough volume to fill the boardroom as she shifted her gaze from face to face, \u201cis a far better soldier, and a far better Marine, than all of you combined. In my hands, within one year she will be the hero of a hundred fights and the savior of more than a million lives\u2026and that is not hyperbole, meioas. I have foreseen it\u2014speaking of which,\u201d she added, lightening her tone as she shifted her gaze to one of the taller, redheaded men. \u201cPrivate McCraery, remember to hit the deck flat-out instead of just duck on the sixteenth of September, at about two o\u2019clock local. You\u2019ll know when. I\u2019d rather you didn\u2019t get your head blown off because you overestimated the height of the incoming attack. Captain Arstoll will still need you afterward, so keep yourself alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUh\u2026yes sir,\u201d he agreed hesitantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrivate Sangwan, since you were trying to be so generous with praise for Private Garcia,\u201d Ia added, turning back to the woman with the regenerating ear, \u201cyou can go help her pack her things. We leave in thirty-three minutes from Docking Bay B. Dismissed. Corporal Vance, you were about to ask your CO for a priority list of mechsuit repairs, on behalf of the Leo Major\u2019s manufactory bays. You will need A through C Squad functional in the 1st Platoon, followed by B through E in the 2nd. The rest in those two Platoons have minor repairs they can manage on their own. The 3rd and the 4th Platoons will just have to wait their turn on the things they cannot fix themselves\u2014Private Sangwan, you have been dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeg pardon, sir?\u201d she asked, glancing between Ia and Arstoll, then at Ia\u2019s green and gray stripes\u2026which were on the sleeves and pant legs of an otherwise all-black uniform. \u201cAren\u2019t you like Special Forces, or Army, or something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ia pointed at the stars on her shoulder board, speaking slowly and clearly. \u201cI am Command Staff, soldier. Everybody in the Space Force is under my chain-of-command, save only for my peers on the Staff, the Admiral-General, Secondaire, and Premiere of the Council. You have your orders. Dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSir, yes sir,\u201d she muttered, face flushed with embarrassment. Turning crisply, Sangwan headed for the doors out of the Company boardroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCaptain Arstoll, when you have a few minutes later on today, please remind your troops how the Space Force chain-of-command works,\u201d Ia stated dryly, watching the other woman retreat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSir, yes sir,\u201d he agreed, giving the departing, flinching Sangwan a hard look. \u201cI\u2019ll have her checked for a lingering concussion, too. I thought my Marines could count four stars on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few of the others carefully looked anywhere but at their CO and the visiting, white-haired brass in front of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nodding, Ia closed her eyes for a moment, focusing, then opened them. \u201cSergeant Yangley, the Navy order forms for what you need to requisition materials for the lifesupport bays are now appearing on your workstation screens back in the clerk\u2019s office. I\u2019ve already filled in the authorization codes for everything but the fish stock. Scadia doesn\u2019t have enough of the right kind of fish just yet for your shipboard aquaculture needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing aware of that, I have brought over a tank of tilapia from the Damnation, along with enough feed to last them until you get the cycle balanced in the second bay and it becomes self-sufficient. Private Runde will already be loading them onto the hoversled fetched for her from the ensign on duty. Make sure to sign for them. Get to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGeneral, yes sir,\u201d the sergeant replied crisply, turning to leave on his appointed task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood meioa. The rest of you already know what you need to do. Since I am aware of those needs, and that when you put your minds to it, you are a competent crew, you don\u2019t have to ask your Captain anything right now; you have my permission for the tasks at hand. Go do them,\u201d Ia directed the men and women before her. \u201cThat means dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They scattered. When the last of them had left the room, Ia moved over to lean back against the table next to her old Basic Training squadmate. It felt good to slouch a little, good to rest for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRank hath its privileges,\u201d she murmured, glancing at him. \u201cI hope you don\u2019t mind me sending them off like that, but they honestly can handle everything, and this is literally the only time off I\u2019ll have from my duties for months to come, waiting for Garcia to pack. It\u2019s not much of a Leave, but I\u2019ll take whatever I can get. So\u2026. How are you doing, Brad? I mean, really doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brad shook his head. \u201cBetween you, me, and the bulkheads?\u201d he asked in a bare murmur, not nearly as sure as she was that there weren\u2019t any listeners still nearby. \u201cLike fresh, steaming shit. I had the Captain on the commscreen when the hull breach hit our docking bay. I saw him get sucked outside. He was not in a pressure-suit. This is not how I wanted my next command.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ia clasped his shoulder, giving him a brief moment of comfort. \u201cI know. I wish I could\u2019ve helped prevent it\u2026and I know you\u2019ll hate me for saying this, but\u2026you\u2019re going to be the right person in the right place at the right time, because of this. Not just today, but multiple times in the next few years. The universe needs Captain Brad Arstoll to take full command of D Company. Do good things with it. Save lots of lives. Make as good a career for yourself and the meioas under you as you can.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow do you live with yourself?\u201d Arstoll asked her, frowning at his former Squad mate. \u201cSeeing what you do. Knowing what you do. Doing what you do, and not doing. If even half the rumors running around the Space Force in the last few weeks are true\u2026how is it that you\u2019ve stayed sane?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have too much work to do to go mad, and not enough time to dwell on my mistakes. Or to keep track of old comrades, other than snatches here and there. You ever heard what happened to Sung, and Crosp, and the others from Basic?\u201d Ia asked. \u201cSpyder\u2019s with me, and Sergeant Tae\u2019s the uncle of my first officer, of all things, but I\u2019ve been too busy with other concerns to check on the rest.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUhh\u2026Crosp got called back home to take up the reins of the family business. That was before the war started,\u201d Brad dredged up out of his memory. \u201cSung\u2026hell if I know. The one thing I knew, she was being shipped off from Basic to stand guard at some embassy among the Gatsugi. She\u2019s probably still doing that. Sergeant Linley always praised her hand-to-hand and her observational skills, said she\u2019d be great for guard work. Oh, and ZeeZee made it to Sergeant First Class last year. Wait, you said Spyder\u2019s with you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ia nodded. \u201cLieutenant Second Class\u2014Field Honor, like you and me\u2014and he\u2019s in charge of my 2nd Platoon, plus serves as the tactical coordinator for all mass troop movements. That got put to the test on Dabin just recently, which is why I need replacements. He does say \u2018hi,\u2019 by the way. Sorry, I almost forgot to mention that. I\u2019ve had a lot on my mind lately.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can only imagine what you have to keep track of. Can you, ah\u2026you know, see them right now?\u201d Brad asked her. \u201cI mean, see the others in our old Squad, since you say you\u2019ve got a few minutes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ia lifted her brows at the suggestion, then shrugged. \u201cI suppose I can check.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closing her eyes, she flipped herself onto the timeplains and searched. It didn\u2019t take long to find the old threads from her Basic days, nor to follow them down through to the current day. Sobered, she opened her eyes again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to report that Sung died during the initial invasion of the Gatsugi homeworld. She was taken out while defending the Terran Embassy from a clutch of Salik robots,\u201d Ia stated quietly. \u201cShe took more than a few with her, but they still took her out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamn,\u201d Arstoll whispered, hanging his head. \u201cI liked her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another brief glimpse\u2014since she had the time to spare for it\u2014gave Ia another view on their old squadmates. \u201cI can see ZeeZee\u2019s still a Sergeant First Class. He\u2019ll live for at least three more years, but I cannot guarantee beyond that point. The second warfront will evoke too many shifting possibilities for his sector of space. Crosp\u2026has two kids, twins, and looks like he acquired a thriving munitions business with military contracts, so he\u2019s still supporting the war effort in his own way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe rest are\u2026still enlisted in the Corps in various duty posts around the warfront, except for Kumanei. She opted for pilot training in the Navy, and is flying drop-ships as a Chief Yeoman out of\u2026Battle Platform Anna Yesarova,\u201d Ia concluded, double-checking the name. \u201cI can\u2019t tell you where, though; that\u2019s Classified above your pay grade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this second warfront you mentioned?\u201d Arstoll asked, distracting himself from the grim news of Sung\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Greys are coming back. Don\u2019t share it with your troops just yet,\u201d Ia added, ignoring his sharp, worried look. \u201cThey don\u2019t need to fret themselves to death over it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShakk\u2026 Ia, can anything be done against them?\u201d he asked. \u201cI don\u2019t think our tech\u2019s progressed nearly enough to even sneeze on them, but\u2026well, we beat them back with psis last time, so we do have enough of \u2018em this time, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She shook her head. \u201cThey\u2019re a dying race, and they\u2019re growing more and more desperate. It\u2019s even odds they\u2019ll get their hands on the Salik anti-psi machinery, and if they do, it\u2019ll be a very hard-fought war. But we will stop them. I have foreseen it,\u201d she murmured, staring across the boardroom without actually seeing its rows of padded seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He gave her a wary look. Ia patted him lightly on the shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRelax, and don\u2019t worry about it. It\u2019s all well above your pay grade, either way. Concentrate on your own troops,\u201d she advised him, nodding at the half-wrecked boardroom around them. \u201cThis corner of the galaxy is just as important as any other out there. Tell me what you think of these Scadians. I may be able to see them in the waters of time, and I know what I\u2019ll need to do with them, but that doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019ve ever dealt with them before. Knowing and doing are two different things. We learned that in Basic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe did. As for the Scadians\u2026 They\u2019re\u2026insane. In the most benign ways imaginable,\u201d Arstoll explained, or at least tried, gesturing vaguely as he spoke. \u201cThe most honorable people I have ever met. And the most stubborn in many ways. Peculiar, too. Friendly, polite, and cheerful, but odd beyond measure. Some of the best close-quarters fighting I have ever seen. Do not let them goad you into a swordfight. I thought we learned swordfighting back in Basic, but these meioas\u2014both genders\u2014will make minced garlic out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMinced garlic?\u201d Ia asked, skeptical at his word-choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMinced garlic, minced onions, minced whatever. They\u2019ll slice you to shreds that thoroughly, and leave you crying while they do so. The Marines have nothing on \u2018em with a blade in their hands,\u201d he added, tucking his arms across his chest once more. \u201cIn fact, they could probably give the Afaso a run for their money, too. But only with a blade, or some other melee weapon. They don\u2019t do nearly as much of the weaponless stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take that under advisement, but it\u2019s a fifty-fifty chance I\u2019ll be challenged anyway,\u201d Ia admitted. At his sharp look, she explained. \u201cI told you, have to go down to the capital city of Regnum to appropriate two of their soldiers. To do so, I have to get permission from the colonial leader, their \u2018Emperor\u2019\u2026who just might demand that I show myself \u2018worthy of being their warleader,\u2019 to put it in Scadian terms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhich means a swordfight,\u201d Arstoll muttered, not without sympathy. \u201cYou\u2019re shakked. I remember you being good with a blade back in Basic, thanks to all that fancy Afaso training you\u2019d had, but these meioas are beyond good, like a General is beyond a mere Captain\u2026begging pardon, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about me, Arstoll. Worry about continuing to help Commander Eosod get the Leo Major back into fighting form. Put all of C and D under the engineering department, so they have the extra hands they\u2019ll need,\u201d she told him, meaning the latter two of his four Platoon groups. \u201cYou won\u2019t need them in fighting trim for the next week, when A and B will do. Hold the fort around here until late November. By that point, the Salik will have a lot more to worry about than a backwater colonyworld of historical re-creationists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf the locals give you or the commander trouble, remind them that every single person on this ship has given their word of honor\u2014that phrasing exactly\u2014to defend the lives of every single person on or around Scadia. Tell them that each one of you will die before you break your vows. That\u2019ll impress them. Just make sure to follow through on it,\u201d Ia warned him. \u201cYou\u2019re representing the entire honor of the Space Force in this command, between you and Captain Eosod. Your ability to hold true to your word of honor will have repercussions on Terran-Scadian military relations for the next four hundred years, and that\u2019s not hyperbole. That\u2019s another reason why I wanted to keep you here. I know you can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll try to remember all that,\u201d he promised. They sat in silence for a few moments, then Arstoll cursed under his breath. \u201cDammit\u2026you can\u2019t give me any winning lottery numbers, can you? Fatality Forty-Nine gets in the way, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ia gave him a wry smile. \u201cYes, it does. I would if I could, but I can\u2019t. Even if the regs weren\u2019t in the way, you winning a lot of money at this point in your life would change that life for the worse.\u201d At her words, he only chuckled. She eyed him warily. \u201cWhy does that thought amuse you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaning back on his palms, her former training mate shrugged. \u201cI was just thinking for a moment you must have the most wonderful powers in the universe, to be able to see anything, know anything\u2026but it\u2019s not really all that wonderful because you can\u2019t do anything you want, can you?\u201d At the shake of her head, he tipped his own. \u201cThat thought amuses me. I don\u2019t know why.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ia thought about it, and decided she wasn\u2019t offended by his laugh. \u201cMaybe because it makes me Human?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d he agreed. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d laugh at a God, but then I\u2019ve never met one. Stay Human, Ia. Remember that you\u2019re fallible. That your power comes with a price, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2014And a responsibility. Yes, I know,\u201d she admitted, completing the sentence with him. \u201cI won\u2019t ever be able to forget my failures. The best I can do is strive to make sure they don\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, they let a companionable silence fall between them. Or rather, quiet. Sounds of repairs could be heard reverberating through the decking from somewhere in the distance. It reminded Ia of when she had first claimed command of the Hellfire. Finally, she drew in a deep breath and straightened, though she didn\u2019t yet stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo. While you have a member of the Command Staff a captive listener, so to speak\u2014since I have another fourteen minutes before I\u2019m due to meet Garcia in the docking bay\u2014is there anything you\u2019d like to discuss, or request?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Folding his arms, he gave it some thought, then spoke decisively. \u201cSpace mines. Insystem, not orbital. If you cannot get us another ship, get us some repositionable mines. I\u2019d also take a couple squadrons of fighter craft if I could, make \u2018em a gift to the Emperor. The Scadian Army lost too many in the last few fights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ia thought about his requests for a moment\u2014checking them in the timestreams\u2014then nodded. \u201cYou\u2019ll have the fighters in three days, but while I can get you the mines, it\u2019ll take a little longer. I already foresaw the need for the fighters, so they\u2019re on their way. Older craft, which would\u2019ve been decommissioned and recycled for the private sector, but they\u2019re still good enough in a fight. The Scadians will make good use of \u2018em. Didn\u2019t think about the mines, though. It\u2019ll work, but it\u2019ll take at least seven, eight days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll do. Anything I can do for you?\u201d Arstoll asked her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reaching behind him, she tapped the box containing his new rank insignia and the data chip she had promised, which he had set down on the table top at some point. \u201cPay attention to my suggestions. Live as long and happily as you care to. Stay Human yourself, admit when you\u2019re wrong, and keep going. Be honest when talking to others about me; let \u2018em know what you thought of me in Basic, however flattering and unflattering those thoughts may be, as well as what you think of me now. I need to be a legend in order to lead everyone on the right paths to win all these wars, but I need to be a Human legend, with failings as well as successes, foes as well as friends. Otherwise people won\u2019t always believe in me, even if they might believe me. Anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Got any medals for my people?\u201d he asked her next. \u201cOr the crew of this ship?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ia shook her head. \u201cThose have to be reviewed by the right departments, based on all your post-battle reports. I can\u2019t hand them out arbitrarily. Not without risking my own hide. But there will be medals awarded. You really did fight hard and well here,\u201d she promised him. \u201cI\u2019ll be putting down everything in my own post-battle report.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow much damage did your own ship take?\u201d Arstoll asked, curious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She grinned. \u201cWe scratched the hull in a few places, enough to need swapping out the panels so the repair teams can buff them smooth, plus three FTL panels and a shield array. But it\u2019s nothing they can\u2019t fix by the time I\u2019m back on board. Of course, it\u2019s a brand-new ship,\u201d she added in explanation. \u201cCommander Harper\u2014he\u2019s my first officer, my logistics officer, and my chief engineer all in one, as well as Sergeant Tae\u2019s nephew\u2014he was swearing up a storm at me for having to organize fifteen different replacement parts for the hull. You should hear him when I\u2019ve really dinged our hide. If I took any of his insults and threats seriously, he\u2019d be court-martialed three ways from Sunday on a monthly basis, if not weekly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arstoll smiled at that, then frowned. \u201cHe\u2019s covering all three of those jobs?\u201d he asked her. \u201cI didn\u2019t see much of it, but isn\u2019t that odd-looking ship of yours big enough to have all the officers you need?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a new Class, sized to crew at least five hundred, but I\u2019m running it with less than 160 at the moment. 161 once I get all my replacements. I keep forgetting to count myself,\u201d she confessed. \u201cEveryone runs at least three, four positions on board. Even the chaplain and me\u2014the chaplain, the doctor, even our Company clerks are all combat-ready, and combat-proved, from tactical training to hand-to-hand combat skills. There\u2019s a reason why my crew is now the best of the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you want Garcia?\u201d he muttered dubiously, thinking about it. \u201cIa\u2026she\u2019s no good here. She\u2019s easily confused. She lags behind in a lot of things\u2026 I don\u2019t know how she made it through Basic, to be honest. Are you sure you want her on your ship?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe thing most people don\u2019t realize, Brad, is that I don\u2019t dare pull anyone away from any other position in the known galaxy who is needed in that position,\u201d Ia told him. \u201cI can only take the throwaways, those whose lives or deaths wouldn\u2019t make a damned bit of difference spent anywhere else. But on my ship, as one of all the men and women I\u2019ve selected? Those lives spent there will finally count for something. Garcia passed Basic in the Marine Corps because she was in the right environment, with the right people around her, supporting and encouraging her. She\u2019s failing here because she doesn\u2019t fit in here. It\u2019s not right for her. She will fit in again on my ship, and do great things under my care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll be glad you\u2019re caring for her,\u201d Arstoll said. He offered her his hand. When she lifted hers, he clasped it wrist to wrist, meeting her gaze steadily. \u201cMake sure you take care of her. You promise me that, one officer to another, as well as one squadmate to another. I\u2019ve lost too many lives today as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI promise I\u2019ll take care of Garcia, Brad, to the best of my ability, and to the best of hers once I get her to believe in herself again. I\u2019ve lost too many as well,\u201d Ia agreed. Releasing his forearm, she clapped him on the back, then straightened, pushing away from the table. \u201cTime for me to head to the docking bay. We still have to make planetfall, get the other two on board, and get back to the ship by the time Harper finishes our repairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd then what?\u201d Arstoll asked her, following her toward the doors. \u201cOr is that Classified?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of it is, and well beyond your pay grade\u2026but once I have these three on board, we race for the Gatsugi homeworld. The various heads of state will be holding a meeting, where I\u2019ll be begging for certain cross-government military powers. I\u2019m still not entirely sure why the Admiral-General made me a four-star,\u201d she confessed, \u201cbut she did, and it\u2019s made my job unbelievably easier, so I\u2019m going to run with it as far and fast as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHauling bus all the way?\u201d Arstoll offered. \u201cLike you did at the end of Hell Week?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFarther and faster, if I can,\u201d Ia quipped back. \u201cTae says they\u2019ve now made it an end-of-Hell-Week challenge for teams of recruits to pull a ground bus a hundred meters. And yes, they have to remember to release the parking brake, first.\u201d She flashed him a brief, wry smile, and then offered her hand. \u201cTime to go. Good luck, Arstoll.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood luck, Ia. Eyah?\u201d he asked her as he clasped it one last time, using the sign and countersign of the Marines and their V\u2019Dan counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHoo-rah,\u201d she agreed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to the top.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Book 5 of Theirs Not to Reason Why CHAPTER ONE \u2026 \u201cWhat did it feel like to step for the first time onto the Damnation,Read More<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-352","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":353,"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/352\/revisions\/353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeanjohnson.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}