Fall of Terra Nova Read online

  “Lieutenant Spartan, 1st Platoon, Vanguard Company,” he said smartly.

  Admiral Jarvis said nothing and continued reading information on her datapad in front of her. Spartan waited, knowing full well that this was all part of a show. He glanced to his left and spotted two officers. One looked familiar from behind. He strained his eyes, but it was a wasted effort, the officer turned to look at him. It was Captain Hobbs, leader of Charlie Company in the 5th Reconnaissance Battalion. She gave him a cold stare.

  “Lieutenant. I have read your report as well as the after action reports on all units involved in the assault on Euryale. As I am sure you are aware, Euryale is now under complete Confed control, and we are already reinforcing this area to prevent it being retaken.”

  “Yes, Admiral,” he replied, but unsure as to what her point was. He noticed the flicker of movement on Captain Hobbs’ lip. It was almost as if she was excited by something.

  “The assault and subsequent defence of Oenopion was a major military victory. Major Howard indicates that forces under the command of Captains Daniels and Hobbs fought a tough action and are to be commended. A number of Army units, as well as one pathfinder force, are also to be credited with the victory.”

  The Admiral leaned back in her chair and Spartan, sensing something was up took a deep breath.

  “This leads me on to a much more uncomfortable issue.”

  She waited and looked directly at him. Spartan had no idea what to say, even when she raised an eyebrow expecting him to speak.

  “Perhaps you might explain to us your neglect of your own platoon and your withdrawal from the combat area? According to Captain Daniels, your orders did not include a provision for leaving the combat zone.”

  Spartan wasn’t surprised, but it had been two weeks since the action aboard the Vengeance, and he had assumed that any issues had been resolved. He spotted more movement from Captain Hobbs as she turned to look at him, waiting for an answer. Sat next to her was Captain Daniels, the commanding officer of the Vanguards and his immediate superior.

  “Spartan! I have read your reports,” she moved her hand and indicated to all the assembled officers. “ I have read all of your reports. It appears to be quite simple. You and Sergeant Morato abandoned your unit on Oenopion for the sake of rescuing your friend. You must understand that the chain of command, the very essence of the military, is that we follow orders. If each of us runs about conducting our own personal missions, the entire system will fall apart.”

  Spartan stood straight, sensing what he said would make little difference to the proceedings. The Admiral nodded to Captain Hobbs who stood up and approached Spartan. He could see the sneer on her face and had to force himself not to strike her.

  “Lieutenant Spartan. During the battle for the city, my company arrived into action to rescue the civilian population and reinforce your own weakened forces. As explained in my detailed report, you and your lover Sergeant Morato ignored my direct orders and abandoned our forces in the critical stage of the battle. Because of you we…”

  “Bullshit!” retorted Spartan firmly.

  “Lieutenant!” called out General Rivers, who until now had sat silently.

  “Sorry, Sir, but the Captain is not correct, Sir. I do not see the relevance of my personal relationship with my military responsibilities.”

  Admiral Jarvis looked over to the commander of the Confederate ground forces and second only to herself. She nodded to him. General Rivers stood up and walked in front of Spartan. He looked uncomfortable, probably because he and Spartan had spent considerable time together on Prometheus as prisoners. It was only through guile, cunning and a little help from people like Gun that they had managed to escape.

  “I know your unit smashed the defensive lines at Oenopion, and I also know your forces broke through to the civilians underground. What I do not know, and neither does Admiral Jarvis, is why you disregarded orders and took it upon yourself to return to orbit. In doing so, you abandoned your troops to their fate on the surface.”

  “Sir, that is not what happened,” replied a nervous sounding Spartan. He looked over to his left and towards Captain Daniels.

  “We had already done the hard work, and Captain Daniels had sent me and a small unit to help with the arrival of reinforcements. These troops were what was required to hold the city and because of the actions of my forces and the Army Pathfinders the fresh troops, including those of Charlie Company, were able to land.”

  “Undoubtedly,” replied the General, and Spartan couldn’t help notice how his comment seemed to hit Captain Hobbs like a well timed barb. He almost smiled before remembering that he was still the one being questioned, and the one inevitably on trial.

  “With fresh forces on the ground the city was well supplied and ready for a defence, which I understand the Captain played her part in,” explained Spartan with a nod to Captain Hobbs.

  “I also received word that the captured War Barge, with a large number of Jötnar aboard, was about to be fired upon by our own ships. These are our allies and it was their first time in battle fighting for the Confederacy. Firing on them could have caused a full scale Jötnar revolt in the fleet.”

  “That is true, and with hindsight you are of course correct. A difficult decision for all involved, but one that can never excuse the facts that you disobeyed the commands of your superior officer.”

  “But, Sir! All they needed was a little more time.”

  “Hindsight is a wonderful thing, Lieutenant, in that it is never wrong. The reality was that the ship was hurtling towards lightly armoured transports and also in position to directly threaten the colony below. There were tens of thousands of lives at stake. Not that any of this mattered to you because you are not a General. Your job was to secure the city, no more.”

  Spartan shook his head, disagreeing vehemently with the General.

  “I wanted to contact you directly, but Captain Hobbs refused any contact up through the chain of command. My actions put none of my platoon at risk, and by landing on the Vengeance we were able to find the Jötnar and regain control of the ship.”

  “That is also correct, Lieutenant. Your actions, and those of Commander Gun and his Jötnar, certainly saved many lives including Captain Severus who was found by subsequent boarding parties. This isn’t the issue though, Lieutenant. You broke the chain of command and have brought the Vanguards into disrepute.”

  Spartan looked anguished at the suggestion. Before he could speak, General Rivers joined in.

  “Lieutenant Spartan. You were an excellent Sergeant, and there is not one person in the Confederate military who would doubt your loyalty or resolve. Captain Hobbs has repeatedly brought up the manner of your enlistment, and the fact that you have skipped many official stages on your fast track to promotion. Nonetheless, we cannot have officers who will leave their units on a whim. Captain Hobbs has lodged a formal complaint with your battalion’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Blake and demanded that you lose your commission.”

  Spartan spotted the grin on Captain Hobbs’ face. It reminded him of some of the bullies he had faced in his early years at school. It was an adult version of the same emotion, the pleasure of experiencing another’s misfortune. He felt anger welling up inside him. It was the kind of anger that made him want to clench his fist and slam it into the Captain’s face. Before he could act, he noticed something in General Rivers’ face. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it certainly caught his attention.

  “The Colonel has decided that the Vanguards will be transferred away from the Santa Cruz and from the 5th Reconnaissance Battalion. The marine company will effectively be disbanded and removed from the battalion. This will also mean that you and your marines will also be removed from the unit.”

  Spartan took half a step forward to protest, but the General lifted his hand and Spartan could see he had no space to manoeuvre. Captain Hobbs’ face looked as though she had just won a substantial prize in some kind of lottery. Gene
ral Rivers turned to Captain Hobbs.

  “I understand this will allay the Captain’s concerns?” he asked.

  Captain Hobbs moved to the two and looked at Spartan for a brief moment before turning to the General.

  “Yes, Sir. If Lieutenant Spartan and his entourage are removed from the battalion and the unit is disbanded, I will be more than happy to withdraw my formal complaint.”

  General Rivers nodded, but Spartan could tell from his body language that this meeting was far from over. He stood patiently, waiting for the next blow. The Captain continued her tirade.

  “The Vanguards were a mistake. They are undisciplined and take resources and space from the battalion. People like the Lieutenant have no place there. Units that rush about on their own personal missions cause more problems than they solve. The 5th is the best battalion in the entire Corps.”

  “Indeed it is,” replied General Rivers, “Very well then. You are dismissed, Captain.”

  She appeared disappointed for a moment, perhaps she wanted to gloat at the removal of Spartan from the battalion or maybe she wanted an even harsher punishment. Either way, the door opened to reveal two marine guards. She saluted and left the room. As the door shut, there was a palpable sense of relief from the General. Admiral Jarvis stood up and moved to Spartan. She called out to her guards.

  “Bring in Commander Gun.”

  The door opened and in walked the giant. He was forced to stoop as he pushed his three-metre bulk into the room.

  “Commander.”

  Gun nodded at the Admiral and examined the room, checking for those personnel he knew. He already knew Captain Daniels, General Rivers and the Admiral. The rest he wasn’t sure about. He wore light armour rather than clothes or a uniform. It was a throwback to the rough armour worn by the Biomechs that fought for the Union. Those foul and violent creatures fought for no apparent reason other than a forced loyalty to the enemy regime. They were little more than well-trained and bloodthirsty animals. The Admiral looked at them both and then extended her arm as if to shake their hands.

  “I owe both of you an apology,” she started.

  Spartan was stunned. He had been expecting a substantial reprimand, but instead he was receiving an apology from the supreme commander of Confed forces in Proxima Centauri. Spartan shook her hand and then Gun followed. His massive paws made her hands look like those of a small girl.

  “Technically your decisions have put me in a difficult place with regards to the chain of command. This hasn’t been helped by the number of toes both of you have trodden on in the last few months.”

  General Rivers nodded in agreement at this point. The Admiral paced in front of them and continued.

  “I should have made more effort to help you and your comrades on the Vengeance. Your forces, and the Vanguards that assisted, managed to save the War Barge. Not only did you protect a massive military ship, but you also rescued over three hundred surviving crew.”

  Spartan lifted a hand to speak, but General Rivers shook his head, discouraging him for continuing.

  “As if this wasn’t enough, you then assisted my additional boarding parties in tracking down and extricating Captain Severus from those Zealot fighters still remaining aboard. He has already commended the Jötnar and requested to meet Commander Gun to thank him personally for his intervention.”

  Gun looked to Spartan and back to the Admiral, but he said nothing.

  “Your Jötnar suffered heavy casualties trying to retake the Vengeance, yet you kept on fighting. I, and the Confederacy, owe you a great debt. It is with this in mind that my command staff, and the civilian government under Dr Hamis, have come to a decision.”

  Gun looked to Spartan and shrugged in confusion before looking back to the Admiral.

  “Until the war is over, and we are able to offer a suitable settlement for your use, we have a suggestion. The Yorkdale has proven to be a tough and dependable ship, but she has sustained heavy damage during this opening battle and needs major repairs. The War Barge Vengeance is the single largest warship in the fleet, but is in a poor state of operation. By stripping some of the weapons and armour, we can reinforce and improve the Yorkdale into a fortified and heavily armed home for the Jötnar. My engineers estimate two weeks to transfer the weapons, additional armour and power systems. The Vengeance will be left with a small crew in orbit around Euryale as a defensive platform. Her days as a warship are over, but she will still serve as a powerful orbital defence system. What do you think?”

  Gun looked to Spartan and then over to General Rivers.

  “We have Yorkdale as Jötnar base?”

  “Yes, Commander. You will have a powerful ship to train your people and prepare them for the struggle. When we reach Titan Naval Station, we can then complete the repairs and make substantial modifications to the hull to turn the ship into a mobile colony for the Jötnar.”

  Gun nodded, evidently liking what he heard.

  “Yes, do it,” he said firmly.

  “Excellent. I will have engineers from the fleet and also from Euryale colony sent to the ships immediately to start work. If you want to rename your new home, it would be more than acceptable.”

  Gun smiled to the Admiral but said nothing. Admiral Jarvis then turned to Spartan.

  “Lieutenant Spartan. I have no choice with you and the 5th Battalion. Captain Hobbs isn’t the only officer that has made official complaints against you. Some are still bitter about your rapid promotion. You only joined the Marine Corps sixteen months ago and have seen rapid promotion as well as a transfer to the elite 5th Battalion. Your brief time with the commandos is now over.”

  General Rivers approached. Spartan looked both disheartened and angry at the news. He hadn’t been with the commandos for long, but they had been through some tough fights, and it was never easy being pulled from your home and comrades.

  “We have a suggestion that will retain the operational capability of the Vanguards, but at the same time remove them from the 5th.”

  Spartan scratched his temple in confusion.

  “I don’t understand, Sir. The Vanguards are to be disbanded.”

  “Yes, that is true. The 1st Company of the 5th Battalion no longer exist. Now, as you know, the battalion is designed for rapid insertion and high mobility operations. The Vanguards are more a heavy assault force, much like the Jötnar but with additional combat options.”

  “Yes, Sir, we are definitely the hammer when it comes to the 5th Battalion.”

  General Rivers smiled, albeit briefly.

  “My proposal is for the Vanguards to join the Jötnar into a combined assault unit battalion. You will be based upon the Yorkdale and under the joint command of the Commander Gun and the newly promoted Major Daniels. We will have a combination of the marine equipment and expertise under the Major and the power of the Jötnar in one force. I want you to operate as the Confed advisor to the 1st Company under the command of a Jötnar called Khan. We will supply you with additional staff, engineers and crew for your equipment. You will assist him in running the platoon. See it as being an acting Captain, but you will retain your existing rank.”

  Spartan turned to Gun who had a grin across his face. The rest of the officers in the room remained dispassionate as Spartan tried hard to avoid the look on Gun. He turned his attention back to General Rivers.

  “I..I don’t quite understand, Sir. Both Vanguard platoons are to be transferred to the Yorkdale?”

  General Rivers looked over to Major Daniels who still sat in the room.

  “Yes, all those in the existing platoons will be sent to the Yorkdale. Those that expressly wish to stay with the commandos may be allowed to stay. As you know, Major Daniels is still recovering from wounds sustained on Euryale. When he is fit for duty, he will return to the Yorkdale as Major and will work alongside Commander Gun to manage the battalion. You will have a lot of responsibility Spartan. The 1st Company will contain your Vanguards as well as a large number of Jötnar. Captain Khan is a tough but
experienced commander of the Jötnar, and you will have to work with him to ensure the smooth running of the force. Ideally, you would be promoted for this responsibility, but that is no longer an option. I can transfer you, but promotion this fast will cause trouble in the Corps. If the assault unit proves effective and reliable, we will revisit the situation in six months time.”

  “What about my team?”

  “Both platoons, including their support staff, will be transferred to the Yorkdale. Due to casualties and loss of equipment, it is going to be tough filling two platoons, let alone the third that I am also activating. I’ll leave the organisation to you and Khan. You are welcome to recruit from the fleet, including units on the Santa Maria and Santa Cruz. Any questions?”

  Spartan shook his head. He was still surprised at the news. Admiral Jarvis nodded to the marine guards who opened the door smartly. Spartan knew when he was being relieved and saluted quickly before leaving the room. Gun lifted his arm in a rough imitation of a salute and followed him out. As they moved past the door, it closed with a short but firm clunk. Spartan stopped and turned to Gun.

  “Were you expecting that?”

  “No.”

  “We’d better go and get the rest of my marines. We have work to do.”

  “Yeah,” answered Gun in a monotone and almost disinterested tone.

  “Come on.”

  The two moved off along the corridor and through one of the many internal airlock seals that would separate the ship’s sections in an emergency. The floors, walls and ceilings looked much alike. It was hardly surprising as the gravity was often not available, or it might push them to the rear or forward of the sections depending on the acceleration or angle of the ship. At the moment the vessel was making slow progress around Euryale, so all gravity was provided by the artificial rotation. They passed into the next area that looked far less neat, and over a dozen marines in fatigues working on a partially ruptured bulkhead populated it. As they arrived, a groan from the metal structure reverberated and two large cracks appeared in the largest section. One of the marines cried out as a section of debris hit his face and knocked him to the floor.