Lieutenant Colonel Richard Wiseman stood in front of his men in front of the Rossville concentration camp and could see their nervousness. He could hear his weapon floaters broadcasting to the civilian population to return to the camp so they could be protected. Most of them had left as soon as the Alliance ground troops evacuated, but fortunately they had not had time to go very far before Wiseman landed. His battalion was assigned to liberate the largest camp, which was just outside Rossville. There were over thirty thousand unarmed civilians that had been staying there in terrible conditions. Fortunately, most of them listened to the broadcast and were returning. His engineers had set up the small black hole reactor and the Coronado screen was already in place over the camp. The camp was located in the middle of a flat floodplain surrounded by high hills. The green valley was lush with plant life and farms that the colonists had been farming before the Cainth occupation. He saw that the Cainth would have to come down the middle of that plain to retake the concentration camp. “Now if our navy is successful up there, we might get out of this alive,” he thought. “We have to hold out until they can support us.” He looked at his troops in their shiny new armor and understood their fears.
“Sir, all men present and accounted for, sir,” his sergeant major reported.
“At ease, men.” He stood in front of them and said through his armored suit’s radio so every one of them could hear, “You all know why we’re here. That much of our mission is obvious. What I want to make sure of is that you know why we are here. How much do any of you know about ancient Earth marine traditions? A young man that rescued me from myself taught me some of the valuable lessons of our past. Before mankind laid down their weapons and embraced peace, it was the marines that were called on to handle the toughest combat roles. They lived by a code that made them stronger together than they were individually. Our history books tell us about their victories, defeats, and bravery. It all derived from their simple code, semper fidelis.” Wiseman could see a number of his men looking at each other. “It comes from a truly ancient language called Latin that was used by the earliest world power on Earth called Rome. It simply means ‘always faithful.’ The marines would not leave their wounded on a battlefield. They would endanger themselves to protect their brothers in arms, often causing their own death. The marines were a brotherhood that meant much more to them than simple words could explain. They knew to their core that their well-being was being watched over by all of their comrades. They also knew the importance of their mission and the importance of being faithful to the ones that sent them. Now we stand here today about to face an enemy that outnumbers us and probably outguns us as well. We are the new marines of mankind. We as a people have not engaged in combat for more than four hundred years, and yet here we are. Our ancient brothers established their reputation, their traditions, and their memories in blood on hundreds of battlefields. Today, you will have the rare honor of making our new traditions. Your future brothers in arms will look back at today and see the example you give them. We face an enemy that wants to exterminate our species. If we don’t send them a message here of what the cost will be to accomplish that, then we should be deeply ashamed of ourselves. Some of you wonder about why a criminal was made your commanding officer, and I must humbly respond to you, so do I. But this much I can promise you: I will always be faithful to you. I will not leave you cut off to die or leave you behind. If there is power in my armor, I will be at your back. I pledge to every one of you semper fidelis. Semper fi,” he yelled into his mike and heard all his men answer together, “Semper fi.”
“Dismissed,” he said.
“Attention!” Richard’s adjutant said. The marines came to attention and saluted their commander. They then turned to each other, and all of them could see in each other’s eyes that something was born here today that each of them would never forget. “Move to your positions, men. Fleet reports the Alliance transports are entering atmosphere.”
The Alliance ground commander was frustrated and frightened. The fleet was being chewed up by ships one-third their size. He ordered his troop ships ground-side as soon as the dreadnought covering his transports was destroyed by three of the Earth cruisers. If things went bad up there, he had to capture the human colonists on the planet to negotiate for his safety, or to hold until the main fleet arrived. He ordered two regiments to retake the camp at Rossville since it was the largest.
Richard had taken the fortifications of the Cainth invaders and added small Coronado screens to cover them. The screens had not been tested in battle but looked good during their earlier tests. Even the marines’ armor used a smaller version. The new power cell technology extended the time they could fight before having to recharge. The civilians were inside the main screen and his battalion was in place around its perimeter. “Sir, regiment reports that massive Alliance forces are heading our way, probably two regiments. We will be supported as soon as possible, but you must hold out until relief arrives.”
“And so it begins,” he thought. “Perhaps now I can atone for my sins.”
“Sir, the humans have landed ground forces and they have set up a defensive perimeter at the camps,” General Dorg’s communications leader said.
“How strong are they at Rossville?” Dorg asked.
“It looks like they have a full mechanized heavy weapon battalion dug in there,” the communications leader responded.
“Only a battalion; two regiments should be plenty. Land our forces, then ask for their surrender. These humans haven’t fought a war. They’re basically pacifists and they should roll over without a fight.”
“You should tell that to those ships of theirs up there, sir. It may not be as easy as you think.”
“Sir, we have two regiments of Alliance assault troops landing twenty miles to the west. They’re forming up and moving this way. We’ve just received a message from the Alliance ground commander and he requests a meeting with you to discuss surrender,” Richard’s communication officer said.
“Have him drop by, Lieutenant. I’d like to get a feel for him. Tell our men to dig in deep and make sure they have vertical as well as forward coverage of their screens. Have our heavy floaters been hidden?”
“Yes sir. They are dug in underground on each side of the valley. Only their visual port is above ground. I’ll make sure they are well camouflaged.”
“Here comes the Alliance representative.”
The Alliance floater settled just outside the town, flashing a blue and green strobe indicating its purpose of peaceful meeting. No one would ever consider violating a truce strobe. The last commander to do that had been summarily executed on the spot when they returned from the meeting, and all his family members were later executed. Richard Wiseman walked out to the Alliance floater and said, “Lieutenant Colonel Wiseman, Fifth Battalion Naval Marines. How can I be of service?”
The Alliance Colonel looked at the human and said in a voice that was almost a sneer, “I’m going to give you and your men the opportunity to surrender and live. We will destroy you and all your civilians if you resist. We will allow you to live until our fleet arrives and removes the problem overhead.”
“I do humbly appreciate your offer, sir,” Richard said. “I know it was given with the best of intentions, seeing as how you and your troops have taken such good care of our people while you incarcerated them. And that bit with the hostages, using lasers to kill unarmed civilians. I can see how brave you and you troops are. One of the things my men truly look forward to is seeing how good you are when the hostages are capable of fighting back.”
“You are surrounded by twenty-four companies to your six. We have heavier weapons and we control the air. You have no chance. You’ll be responsible for the death of all those you think you’re protecting,” the captain replied.
Richard had made sure the conversation was being relayed to all his men and to the civilians inside the screen. “We have learned from experience, sir, that the Alliance only deals death. Your assurances are meaningless, and I speak for all those I protect; if you choose to attack with two regiments, you will not have more than one company survive. You will learn this day what price we place on our lives. It will be a day your race will never forget.”
The Alliance colonel looked into the human’s eyes and could see the barely restrained anger and the steel resolve. He was going to teach the humans some respect, but the look of this soldier chilled him. He turned without a word and left.
As Richard walked back to his headquarters, he could hear a chat start on the general com frequency, “Wise-man, Wise-man, Wise-man.” It grew louder and louder until all thirty thousand civilians were yelling with the troops.
“Now we’re ready,” Richard thought. “Let’s see how good our weapons are. Our ships are clearly superior. The Alliance fools have not seen what real fighting armor can do. Our ships can handle four-to-one odds. Four to one should be easy. I hope.”
The colonel landed and informed General Dorg of the meeting. General Dorg sneered and ordered, “Begin the bombardment immediately.” Fifty heavy floaters roared out toward the human positions.
Richard heard on the general com frequency, “Beam floaters coming in from the west, estimate fifty-plus.”
Richard said, “Company commanders, launch hornets one through fifty.” Each marine had four of the small missiles on their back loader. They had been numbered one through four thousand. Each man knew what their missiles were numbered and launched when their number was called. The small missiles were amazingly fast and carried a fully charged and sealed Coronado power cell. When the missile struck it would shatter the seal on the power cell and it would instantly release its entire energy charge. Each of those cells had absorbed the energy from three primary lasers for one hour. They carried quite a punch, as these floaters were about to discover. The command was heard over the communications net and fifty hornets zipped into the air and headed west. Once they cleared the troop’s positions, they shed the armor protector from the warhead and began looking for a target. The small missile’s sensor used the Coronado cell’s field leakage to sense its target. Once it detected a target, it shrunk the field to a straight line and directed it on the target. Every hornet was programmed to ignore targets that were illuminated by the shrunk fields of other hornets.
The Alliance commander was watching the floaters roar toward the human positions on his view screen and was looking forward to seeing the humans have the groad blown out of them. Suddenly, all fifty Alliance floaters exploded within ten seconds of each other. They didn’t even have time to evade whatever it was that hit them, and there was no wreckage. Whatever struck the floaters vaporized them. “Launch one hundred and have them come in low from different directions. Spread them out,” he ordered. One hundred floaters lifted and, staying close to the ground, moved toward the humans’ lines.
“Sir, we have multiple readings on floaters,” Lieutenant Dunn said. “They’re staying low to avoid detection.”
“It won’t help them,” Richard said. “We have a satellite overhead with passive sensors. They’ll never see it, but it sees everything they do. Launch fifty-one through 150 hornets, Commander. Send them vertical to read their locations.” The hornets launched straight up to three thousand feet, and then started picking out their targets. Not one floater got through.
The Alliance headquarters was in a state of disarray. The little missiles were so small and flew so fast that the Alliance sensors had not even picked one up. They had received a brief blip when they went vertical, but it had disappeared immediately. General Dorg said, “I have lost 40 percent of our air units and have not hit anything. Floaters stand no chance against their defenses. Start an artillery barrage and prepare the assault troops for attack.” The general was hoping that his brother would arrive with the fleet soon. He didn’t like what he was seeing.
“Artillery coming in, sir.”
“Expand the field,” Richard commanded. The portable screen covering the camp expanded until it covered the troop positions. He felt safe that no amount of artillery was going to get through the screen. When they moved heavy particle beams into position, that would be another story and he would have to shrink the screen to increase its strength. He was right so far. The artillery was exploding harmlessly four hundred yards from their positions. “I wonder if they can see this,” he thought.
General Dorg was pounding his four arms against the display. “Nothing is getting through,” he realized. ”Floaters, artillery, nothing.”
“Sir, our heavy particle weapons might get through that screen if our readings are right,” Dorg’s sensor officer said.
“You mean a frontal assault is the only way to get at these humans,” the general screamed.
“Unless you can get one of our ships overhead to hit them with a primary laser, yes sir, it is.”
“We can’t even communicate with them. The humans have somehow disrupted our long-range communications. Order the first regiment to begin their ground assault.”
“Alright boys, this is where we earn our keep. Contract the screen; pull the civilians in as tight as possible. It should hold up to heavy particle weapons if we can contract it to seven hundred yards. Pass on to the company commanders that the Alliance heavy weapons will probably target the screen covering the civilians first. Release all troops to use their hornets against any target of opportunity that shows itself, particularly heavy weapons. Stay low and behind your screens. Make sure your rifles are energized and use your suit sensors to pick your targets. Good hunting, men. We have to hold until help arrives. Make me proud.”
Jeremy Watson and Alonso Singh waited in their spider trap. They were members of Alpha company’s first squad, which was camouflaged four hundred yards in front of the defensive positions. They had dug a hole and crawled in, and then used their screen as a roof. Other marines then covered their lair with dirt, shrubbery, and grass to camouflage it. Each company had placed one squad out from their perimeter. Their job was to wait for the Alliance infantry to pass, and then go after their heavy weapons. They would then turn on the infantry and fight their way back to their lines. “Al, are they sure this screen will hold the weight of a heavy weapons platform?” Jeremy asked.
“The old man says it will,” Alonso replied. “That’s good enough for me. It’s the fighting-our-way-back that has me concerned.”
“I’ve got your back, Al.”
“Jer, I have a wife and three children waiting for me. If I don’t make it, will you deliver the letter in my back harness?”
“You’re going to make it, Al.”
“But if I don’t and you do, will you make sure they get it?”
“Semper fi, brother.”
“Here they come,” Alonso said. The two marines watched their display as the Alliance regiment moved forward. There were hundreds of drop troops moving across the landscape, kicking up dust as they changed direction to avoid the humans’ energy weapons. It was easy to see that these were well-disciplined troops. Jeremy turned up his magnification and saw the heavy weapon platforms moving about four hundred yards behind the troops. The members of first squad turned off their armor and waited for the ground forces to pass. They would receive a signal from company HQ when the heavy weapons were spotted by satellite.
“Al, there must be seven hundred troops that passed us.”
“At least seven hundred. Remember, we fire all eight of our hornets and program them for heavy weapons. Then you take the right, I’ll take the left, and let’s clear us a hole in their lines and haul it back to A company.” A loud tone came through their coms and Alonso said, “Time to go. Power your armor and fire hornets on three: one, two, three, go.”
The twelve marines of A company sprung from their lairs and launched all their hornets. Forty-eight of the small missiles went ninety feet vertical and then targeted the Alliance heavy weapon platforms. They then turned and leveled their blast rifles and began sprinting at forty-five miles per hour in their powered armor back toward their lines. The defensive lines in front of them were firing at the soldiers on the left and right of the marines, sprinting back to their lines. The trap door squads were firing into the back of the Alliance soldiers in front of them, and they were falling in big numbers. The Alliance foot soldiers expected the human line to be pinned down by their heavy weapons, but the hornets had done their part. Fifty of the seventy platforms were totally destroyed, and the remaining twenty had turned around to avoid destruction.
“What are they doing turning from the battle?” General Dorg yelled. “Turn them around immediately and commence firing.”
Jeremy and Alonso were approaching their lines when one of the Alliance weapon platforms fired a barrage of heavy slugs at the marines’ lines. One of the slugs went through Jeremy’s armor and out his shoulder. He fell and rolled. Alonso stopped and grabbed Jeremy’s back harness and ran, pulling him toward safety while firing his rifle single-handed. Alonso dropped eight Alliance soldiers before the weapons platform fired eight rounds through his armor. He died on the spot. Jeremy began crawling and pulled Alonso with him. The weapons platform that had hit them was killed by three high-speed rocket power cells that Alpha company artillery targeted on it. Three of Alpha company’s troops ran out and pulled the two to safety behind their built-up positions.
“Al, Al, answer me,” Jeremy pleaded.
The medic looked at Jeremy and said, “He won’t hear you, son. He’s gone.” Jeremy pulled himself up to Alonso’s body and pulled the letter out of his harness. He placed it in his armored glove and passed out from the pain.
“Colonel, there’s just too many,” Lieutenant Dunn said. “We’re close to losing Charlie company. There are only twenty effectives left, and the Alliance is sending troops there to breech our lines.”
“Gentlemen, we’re into the thick of it,” Richard said. “Everyone grab a rifle and let’s go join Charlie company.” The ten members of Richard’s staff grabbed weapons, and they sprinted through the screen and then dove behind Charlie company’s burned-out weapon platforms. Richard noticed a wounded marine, Jeremy, running with them. Jeremy said on the com, “It’s only a scratch, Colonel. Can’t let you have all the fun, sir.” The twelve marines joined the survivors of Charlie Company and started delivering devastating blaster fire into the Alliance’s advance. The whole perimeter around the Rossville camp looked like a scene from hell. The marines were being hit with constant missile and blaster fire. The entire front looked on fire. Yet they still continued to fire at the Alliance advance. Richard was hit by a rocket that hit close to where he was laying, and it broke his leg and threw him thirty feet off the line. He crawled back and continued firing. Then, slowly at first, then faster, the remaining Alliance ground troops began withdrawing. They disappeared down the valley and Richard commanded, “Cease fire.” Then there was silence.
A medic turned Richard over and said, “Sir, we’ve stopped the bleeding, but we need to move you out to set that leg.”
Richard said, “I will not leave my men. Go help someone who’s really hurt, I’m not moving.” All of Richard’s command heard the exchange. His radio was damaged and stuck on transmit on the general frequency. They heard the medic say, “Sir, your leg is broken in four places, you have shrapnel in your left arm, and your armor has lost its screen.”
“Medic, I’m not accustomed to repeating myself,” Richard replied. “Help my men that really need it. Now leave.” The medic left with a heavy heart, and Richard’s remaining marines felt something in them grow into hardened resolve; they vowed vengeance on the Alliance for what they had done to their commander. “Company commanders report,” Richard ordered.
“Sir, five of our six commanders are either dead or too wounded to fight,” Lieutenant Dunn said.
“How many men are still combat effective?” Richard asked.
“Three hundred seventy-five, sir.”
“We’ve lost 625 men,” Richard thought with a heavy heart. Then he asked, “Have we heard anything from surveillance?”
“Yes sir. The first regiment the Alliance sent against us was pretty much destroyed. They are massing the second regiment to attack in force through the valley. I think they feel that attacking the whole perimeter stretches them too thin. It appears that the entire regiment is approaching en masse down the valley.”
“Are our weapon platforms still hidden?”
“Yes sir, but they won’t be enough to stop them all.”
“Then we’ll just take as many of them as we can. Have all units move to the front, and then please inform the men I’m proud of them. They held up to the finest tradition.” Richard’s com was still set on transmit, and his men could hear his pride of their actions. They looked at each other and reached out and shook armored gloves. The Alliance was going to pay a high price, and they were going to sell their lives at a high premium.
Tag was watching as the final Alliance ships were being chased. Then he heard communications say, “Sir, the marines at Rossville are taking a beating. They’ve lost two-thirds of their troops and the Alliance is massing another regiment against them. All of the other marine units are tied down and are unable to relieve them.”
Kosiev said, “All our forces are chasing Alliance ships that are trying to escape. We’re the only ship here, and we have to be ready to go after any ship that drives toward the sun to escape. They’ll have to hold out another forty minutes.”
The communications officer looked at Tag and shook his head.
Tag left the bridge and went to the hold that was housing the escape pods. He closed his eyes and saw where Rossville was located and entered the coordinates into the pod’s computer. He closed the door and pressed the activate button on his console. The pod shot through Washington’s screen and headed toward the planet.
“What was that?” Kosiev asked.
“Sir, an escape pod has been activated and is heading toward the planet,” Lieutenant Kelley said.
“Who was it?”
“Sir, it was Thomas Gardner.”
“Get that pod on the speaker now!”
“Go ahead, Admiral,” Tag said.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m going to help a friend.”
“Tag, you’re more important to this war than all of us combined. You can’t risk yourself.”
“Admiral, make sure no one escapes. I’m going to help down there. Do not come for me until all Alliance ships are eliminated. That’s a direct order.” Then Tag turned off his radio.
The Alliance regiment was advancing through the valley. It was heavily massed and was moving fast. The regiment could sense the end for the human defenders was near, and they wanted this to be over. Suddenly, both sides of the valley erupted into flame and blasts as the naval marine heavy weapon platforms finally opened fire together. Fully half of the advancing forces were wiped out immediately. The survivors returned fire and slowly eliminated the weapon platforms. Then the Alliance survivors continued on an eight-hundred-yard front toward the remaining human defenders.
Richard looked at his remaining soldiers and waited until the Alliance force was seven hundred yards from them and opened fire. The Alliance troops were falling, but so were the marines. Richard could see that there were just too many. They were 150 yards from his troop’s position when an escape pod dropped from the sky between his lines and the Alliance advance and landed with a blue-green strobe flashing. The Alliance and human forces stopped firing and a human stepped out of the escape pod and waited for the Alliance representative to approach. A regimental command officer approached the human and began talking. “What’s going on sir?”
“I don’t know,” Richard said.
Tag waited for the Cainth officer to approach him and then said, “Sir, I’m going to request that you withdraw your men and return to your positions at the head of this valley. Your fleet has been destroyed and we are currently finishing with the last ten Alliance ships. If you withdraw, I’ll guarantee the safety of your men and ensure they are treated fairly as prisoners of war.”
The Alliance officer said, “Look around you, human. We are going to finish your ground troops, then take those civilians hostage, and make sure you behave yourself or we’ll execute every one of them. We may kill some just for fun, to let you know we mean business. You may have won the space battle, but we will win on the ground.”
“Sir, I ask you to please consider the lives of your men. You have lost three thousand troops today. I don’t want the rest of them killed needlessly.”
“And just how are you going to do that?” The Alliance officer sneered.
“I’m going to do it, alone. You will not harm another one of our troops. If you choose not to listen and continue this attack, then fire a blue and green flare when you’ve had enough and I’ll stop killing your men.”
The Alliance officer looked at Tag and said, “You will be the first to die.” He then went back to his lines and ordered every soldier on the front line to fire at the human on his command. Tag turned off the strobe and hoped that Atlas had given him adequate protection. The whole Alliance front line fired on him.
Tag stood in the middle of that hellish fire and felt nothing. Even the sound was muted. Heavy weapons fired at him: primary laser platforms and heavy slug throwers emptied their magazines into his force field, and he was untouched. The marines watched the firepower being directed at the single human and knew he should have been dead. He didn’t even have on battle armor, but there he stood, unmoving, at the center of what should have been instant death. Then Richard heard, “You’ve done well here, Rich. I’m sorry I couldn’t get here earlier, but perhaps I can take part now. Please have your men ready to take some prisoners.”
“Tag, get out of there. You’re too important. Men, prepare to charge. We have to rescue him.”
“Richard, it’s a little late to charge; besides, if I were in danger, I’d already be dead. Get down behind your screens and prepare for mop-up operations.”
The Alliance forces began to advance, and Richard saw Tag raise his arm and point it toward the advancing forces. Suddenly, an incredibly bright blue beam was fired and run across the front of the advancing Alliance formation. Twelve rows of Alliance troops and all their equipment disintegrated. Then that hellish beam crossed the formation again and one-third of the remaining Alliance forces were blown away. There was a pause while Tag held the blue beam slightly over the heads of the remaining alliance forces; immediately a blue and white flare was launched from the rear of the Alliance formation and they began laying down their arms.
“Tag, you never cease to amaze me. Round up the prisoners and put them in the camp. Assign some of the civilians to guard them, and then please get my wounded and me to a hospital.” With that Richard passed out, his job complete.