Casserine (28 page)

“Sadly, the chances of that are pretty slim,” Johnson replied. “The third world has been butchering each other for centuries, and it never seems to dawn on them to try throwing off the causes of all their anguish. Maybe you’re right though. This common enemy may at least convince them this is no game.”

“We all thought Earth Command functioned on this all-knowing plane of existence, and it acted with our best interests at all times,” Jake admitted. “Imagine how we felt finding out the reality of the situation. If not for the actions of the United States now, there may have been civil war between Earth and the colonies. No one out there wants to think of themselves as cannon fodder for the acquisition of fuel cells and bartered goods. In any case, I think we better get busy. If any problems arise after Akiz gets down there and sets the record straight, I’ll be in sickbay with Adrian.”

Adrian opened her eyes sleepily to see Jake sitting next to her bed, watching her sleep. She wondered if he looked older because of the light, or if he were aging faster, the further he traveled from Casserine. Jason Peters, who had visited her in an emotional meeting, looked sixty instead of thirty-five. She had not recognized Peters until he sat closer to her bed, grasping her hand, and asking for her forgiveness. Adrian had patted his hand, and told him it looked like he had been punished a thousand fold for anything he had ever done.

They talked as old friends, instead of former enemies, for hours, as Peters had explained all that had happened. He had filled in much of what had gone on around what she had seen as video images from the battle zone. Now she looked into the eyes of the man she loved, transformed by circumstance, into the field leader of the most powerful force ever assembled in the history of mankind. Jake reached over, seeing she was awake, and grasped her hand gently.

“You sure look better than the last time I saw you,” Adrian whispered. “You looked like a bloody ghoul.”

Jake laughed self-consciously at Adrian’s reference to the Earth Command Headquarters’ operation. “I told you not to look. Jas told me he spoke to you. He.”

“I know,” Adrian interrupted. “The Jason Peters I knew, died when the Bugs attacked the first time on Bougainville.”

“Luckily for us,” Jake replied, “the Jason Peters who could fly a Command Wing Fighter stuck around. He will make a great starship commander. Sara, I think, may be in love with him. It may not have been a good idea to recommend he take her on as his executive officer, because I’ve seen the way he looks at her. They may be stretching regulations concerning relationships between command grade officers.”

“It works for us, General,” Adrian quipped.

“Excuse me, Lieutenant,” Jake grinned, “but last time I checked, you ain’t a command grade officer.”

“Why you. “ Adrian started to sit up, and then remembered the last time she had moved too fast. Although her injuries were healing far faster than if she had been on Casserine, she still was a long way from complete recovery.

“Easy there, partner,” Jake said softly, kneeling down next to her bed, and leaning in close. He kissed her mouth gently. “I will be making you a captain as soon as you’re up on your feet. The Doc said your skin treatments have worked exceptionally well. Your banged up bones will take a bit longer. I thought it might be a good idea for you to stay on Earth for.”

“Forget it, Jake,” Adrian said firmly. “You will not be pulling out of here without me. I want to be assigned to the ship you designate as your command ship.”

“It would be bad for morale, and a bad example to the crew,” Jake pointed out.

“Let me get this straight,” Adrian commented sarcastically. “You can dive into vats of poisonous Bug juice, and walk into deathtraps with a survival chance of zero, but you are afraid to be stationed on the same ship as your wife. Did I get it right?”

“It does seem silly when you lay it out like that,” Jake admitted, “but the rules must be obeyed by all, no matter their rank. If I.”

“Blah, blah, blah,” Adrian intoned comically. “Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Make it happen General, or Aliens will be the least of your worries.”

Jake laughed long and hard, as he had all but forgotten his verbal jousts with Adrian. “Alright Honey, you’ll be assigned to the same ship as I am, and damn the consequences.”

“What a weenie,” Adrian stabbed again. “Don’t make this into some kind of grandiose concession.”

“I just can’t please you, can I?” Jake replied, smiling.

“You can, but it will have to wait until I can move more than mymouth.”

“Oh boy, I’ll tell my Chief of Staff to get the sound system ready,” Jake retorted.

This time Adrian laughed, until she had to grab herself with her bandaged arms. “Okay, okay, no more of this. Back to business, who are you torturing today?”

“You have been getting too much information in here,” Jake observed. “Actually, my Chief of Staff Charlie Mercer and Major Johnson went down with a regiment of our Marines, with big time Drop Ship backup. If the meeting between the US envoys, and the former Earth Command representatives does not go well, it will get ugly for them.”

“How soon do we have to get back out to the area of Omaha?”

“The moment we have these Earth Command countries in line,” Jake answered. “We’re giving them a sweet deal. They will still be able to trade for goods and services with the colonies. If anything, we’ll have more buying power out there to get a lot of the luxuries we’ve been doing without. The colonists need everything, and with Omaha and Bougainville back in full production, the trade should be getting hot and heavy. The poor people in these Earth Command countries will get a heck of a lot more out of it than the way it’s set up now. Their leaders would just steal everything from the colonies for themselves in the past, and none of the profit ever reached the populace.”

Adrian nodded. She grasped Jake’s hand again with both of hers. “We ain’t ever getting back to Casserine, are we?”

Jake started to answer with a lighthearted, hopeful lie, and then he fell silent. He looked up at Adrian again after a moment. “I don’t know,

Hon. It’s best not to look ahead too far right now. Even our starships may be in danger, depending on what the Aliens have for technology. We’re taking another dozen Command Wing Fighters with us to cover the starship fleet. Jas will be busy teaching new pilots. Luckily, he has a few trained out on Omaha now. They’re getting first hand practice while we’re screwing around here, flying cover missions.”

“I was afraid you’d be saying that,” Adrian sighed. “Hell, I even miss the damn gravity. I never thought I’d say that.”

“It does get in your blood, huh?”

“Yea, and I really never even missed not being around people like I thought I would,” Adrian added. “I liked having the Tennyson fly in once in a while, and we get together with their crew. I guess the plan General Risling had about colonizing Casserine really will be forgotten.”

“For now maybe,” Jake admitted, “but who knows? The President made me a Major General on a permanent basis. With Risling as military governor of the colonies, he and I can probably get things going again after the Alien threat. We still have nothing other than those clumsy grav suits. It still won’t be a walk in the park getting volunteers, even with those mobile torture chambers and atmospheric shelters.”

“It’s fun being the only two capable of putting up with the ‘Rock’,

huh?”

“Tep,” Jake laughed. “She sure could strain the juice out of just about anybody. I never thought you’d be able to stay there. You are one special woman.”

“I sure can take pain a lot better,” Adrian joked, and then saw Jake’s face cloud over. She leaned into him, as he knelt close to her bed, and kissed him gently. “Get that look off your face, General. You sliced up everyone who had anything to do with that. I knew you’d come for me, and Casserine helped me survive until you did.”

“We better stop talking about that,” Jake agreed angrily. “It makes me want to go back down and fool around on the surface for a while with a MAG50”

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen.”

“Forget it,” Jake interrupted. “You saved a lot of Marines on the way back to Earth, and they didn’t forget it either. If we ever get past this Alien menace stuff, we’ll make Casserine our first stop. I’ll.” “Jake?” Sara Corey’s voice called over the intercom. Jake sighed, as he straightened up, still holding onto Adrian’s hand. “I heard that sigh,” Corey admonished. “If you want to remain incommunicado, then don’t leave word where you are.” “Sorry, Sara,” Jake laughed. “What’s up?” “Charlie wants to speak to you.”

“What about? Just tell him to blow up everything and everyonewho.”

“Jake,” Corey cut in. “I think you better hear him out. Come on up to the Bridge. You can play house later. Hi Byers.”

“Hi Sara,” Adrian laughed. “I’m glad to see someone’s keeping this monster in check.”

“His diplomatic skills do need honing, now how about it, General?” “On my way, you disrespectful harpy.” “Harpy out,” Corey signed off.

Jake bent down again and kissed Adrian on her forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I get done vaporizing this section of the planet.”

“Don’t even joke like that,” Adrian gasped. “That’s not funny. You go and get everyone to play nice.”

“Oh, I’ll make them play nice,” Jake agreed, as he released her hand and walked to the hatch. “The secret to diplomacy is how many are left around to play nice.”

“Jake!”

He paused at the hatch, and grinned back at Adrian. “Get some rest. I love you Mrs. Matthews. I’ll come back and let you know how the master negotiator did.”

“I love you,” she called out softly, as the hatch shut behind him.

Chapter 27 

With Victory, Peace

Jake sat at the terminal in the command room off of the Bridge, where Colonel Peters and Major Corey had brought him. “Hi Charlie, I hear you haven’t killed enough people to make them behave down there.”

Mercer, who appeared to be in a small room, laughed appreciatively. Jake could hear Jack Johnson’s distinctive bass laugh too. “Sorry to bother you, Jake. Our envoys have met with the old EC countries’ leaders. Although most are suitably impressed with the generosity of our offers, they tell me there’s one glaring holdout. They feel if you could come on down, and hear what the holdout’s rep has to say, negotiations would get moving again.”

“You already explained that I am the complaint department, and the last person they want to have come down there, didn’t you?”

“Oh boy, Jake,” Mercer replied earnestly. “Jack and I have explained it in as many ways as we could think of. This royal family that runs this sandpit they call…ah.. Jack, what did you say the name of it was?”

Major Johnson sat down next to Mercer, where Jake could see him. “It’s the area they used to call Saudi Arabia, Sir. The Saudi royal family still controls the entire area, and parts of other nations within the United Arab Emirate. They had a rather large voice in what went on at Earth Command, and the profits from most of the fuel cell mining funneled through them. Their representative wishes to speak to you directly. They want to retain some voice in what goes on in the colonies.”

“With all the goofy little dictators we already creamed,” Mercer added, “the rest of these folks are really excited with the new arrangements.”

“Why are so many of these Saudi guys still alive to screw with us?” Jake asked.

“They were in hiding during the EC demolition party we threw,” Mercer explained. “It sort of left them on top of everyone. These Royals live in opulent palaces, while the rest of their people live like paupers. Supposedly, the people love them so much, they don’t want to change anything about their circumstances.”

“What a load of crap,” Jake stated angrily. “I don’t have time for this. We need…oh hell, never mind. Sorry guys, I’ll leave right now. Thanks for acting with restraint down there. Jas told me you haven’t had to wipe out anyone.”

“Believe it or not, Jake,” Mercer replied, “we’ve been treated like celebrities here. We’ve been on our guard, and the Drop Ships have been on round the clock patrol, but it hasn’t been necessary to chastise anyone yet. This Saudi guy is the only one giving us any trouble, and the rest of the people at the table are so afraid of the royal family, they defer to him at every step.”

“I guess Mr. Snappy would not be a diplomatic way to handle this, huh Charlie?” Jake asked with a grin.

“I’m trying to put my ruffian reputation behind me on this mission,” Mercer replied disdainfully. “Haven’t I, Jack?”

After Johnson howled in laughter for almost a minute, he managed to gasp out a reply. “Oh yes, Sir, Major Mercer here has been the very picture of diplomacy. He had a couple of minor setbacks, where he broke the jaw of one Saudi delegate, who questioned our right to sit in with the US envoys at the meeting. Then there was the.”

“Heyyyyyyyy,” Mercer cut Johnson off. “That will be quite enough, Major Johnson.”

“Well,” Jake laughed. “I guess you guys did do all you could. I’ll see you soon. Matthews out.”

“Leave it to you to send Charlie down there as a peacemaker,” Corey kidded him.

Colonel Peters, who stood close behind Corey, put his hand on her shoulder as he laughed at her reference. Jake looked up in time to see her lean into him, and then move away.

“Charlie was not sent there to make friends, and I told him that before he left,” Jake explained, standing up. “He and Jack were sent down as part of my two pronged attack. The envoys were the carrot. Charlie and Jack were the stick. If not for those idiots from that royal family, we’d already be on our way to Omaha.”

“We are leaving then, as soon as we finish here?” Peters asked.

“Tep,” Jake replied. “We aren’t even stopping back in the US first. The Yorktown will hang around here for a while until America gets Nick’s shielding technology figured out, and then the President said he’ll just keep a couple of Command Wing Fighters around for defense. I better get going. I want to talk to Tim before I leave. Remember you two, no hanky panky on duty.”

Jake headed for the door, with a blushing Major Corey stammering denials behind him, as Peters had simply started laughing. “Jake, you know…I…ah, oh hell, that was a cheap shot.”

Jake turned at the hatch, with a stern look on his face. “Get over yourself, Major, and get back to work.” He looked over at Peters and gave him a little salute, which Peters returned, as Corey realized she had just been on the receiving end of Jake’s humor.

“You know of course, this means war,” Corey called out as Jake disappeared. She turned angrily to Peters, who was muffling his laughter, as they were in full view of the Bridge crew. Corey walked closer to him so as not to be overheard.

“What are you laughing at?”

Peters shook his head, as he looked towards the hatch Jake had exited. “He always seems to know everything. The General never misses anything.”

“You didn’t answer my question, mister,” Corey hissed solemnly.

Peters looked down at her with amusement. “You know, Major, I’m beginning to realize why they have those no fraternization rules between command officers on the same ship. Carry on.”

Corey’s hands went to her hips as she jutted her head forward to retort, but Peters had already turned and walked away. At first, she started to follow him; and then she let her arms drop back to her sides, as she grinned at his retreating back. It had been the first time Peters had made any kind of humorous banter with her. She walked back over to the monitor, viewing what took place on the surface through Marine company leaders’ helmet cams.

Jake found Dougherty in the fire control room, where every weapon on the ship was run through diagnostic checks at one hour intervals. Shielding fluctuations were also monitored there. He watched the Lieutenant flick back and forth between monitored scans. Dougherty sensed someone else in the room and turned. When he saw who it was, he waved and turned back to his screen.

“Pull up a seat, General, what can I get for you?”

Jake sat down next to him. “I have a nasty little plan I need carried out. It ain’t pretty, and there will probably be some innocent life lost.”

Dougherty glanced sideways at Jake. “You mean like when Earth Command fed a few hundred Marines into the Bug threshing machine on Bougainville to get some headlines?”

Jake started to reply, and then he just nodded. “I see your point, Tim. I have to go down there to talk to some representative of this royal family, which seems to run things, and were in hiding when we visited. They play behind the scenes, and collect the money.”

“So, we wiped out a bunch of these losers, but not the right ones, huh?” Dougherty asked as he turned back to his monitors.

“I’m afraid so. What I was wondering is if I can get this clown, fronting for them, to contact this royal family while I’m standing there, can you trace it in progress?”

“Sure, I can let you know when I lock on,” Dougherty confirmed.

“Good,” Jake replied. “We could just hunt them down, but this way will carry a little more drama to it. I just wanted to know if you had a problem with carrying it out.”

“If you’re worried about my mental health, Jake, I’ll wire the trigger to go through you,” Dougherty chuckled.

“You can do that?”

“Oh, hell yea,” Dougherty answered smugly. “I’ll let you know when I am locked, and you hit the switch.”

“I like it,” Jake mused. “Fix me up, my good man. I’m going down to make them an offer they can’t refuse.”

Jake stood by the hatch with a squad of Marines standing near him in full battle gear, led by now Gunnery Sergeant Vic McClure. As the hatch hissed open, they could see Marines lined up from the Drop Ship to the entrance of the building, where Jake was to meet with the Saudi royal family representative.

“You know, Sir,” McClure whispered. “This still could be a trap.”

Jake smiled at the new Marine Sergeant. “It’s possible, Vic, but I don’t think they want to pay that kind of price. Even if they did, they would have to live through Lieutenant Dougherty’s scan guided fire.”

“Yes Sir, I’m just worried about the openness of this meeting,” McClure continued. “It would seem everyone on the planet knows when and where you’re coming in. Not a good thing in the middle of an enemy camp, Sir.”

“Noted, Gunny,” Jake replied. “Shall we just open up, waste everyone, and let God sort them out later?”

The rest of the squad heard Jake’s offer, and on top of the laughter, there were a few offers to get it started. McClure grinned. “I see what you mean, General. I guess it would not be conducive to continued trade relations.”

“Don’t worry, Vic,” Jake said, stepping out onto the ramp, as hundreds of Marines outside snapped to attention, and a dull roar from the thousands in attendance increased in volume. “I have a little surprise for them I think you’ll like.” He shouted back over his shoulder.

Majors Mercer and Johnson met Jake at the bottom of the ramp. They saluted, and as Jake returned it, McClure motioned the platoon to surround the group. Five of the Marines in the platoon had been with Mercer when they went into Earth Command Headquarters. They were killers, and their only job in reference to General Matthews was to kill anything threatening his life.

“You have any good ideas, Jake?” Mercer asked. “Jack and I are tired of this diplomacy crap.”

“I think I have a solution worked out, which should get us past this impasse very nicely,” Jake replied.

“The back of my neck tingles when you start using words like impasse, brother,” Mercer observed, as Johnson controlled his urge to laugh.

“I think I resent that, Charlie,” Jake said, pretending to be hurt. “When have I acted hastily on this mission?”

“Ah, what about the handle of your Gear knife protruding from General Hassan’s forehead, Sir?” Johnson offered, coming back to attention, as Jake glared over at him.

“Jack, that was.”

“Another impasse?” Mercer finished innocently, also standing at attention again.

Jake lost it first, and then the two Majors, followed by the platoon around them, who had been listening to the exchange intently. As Jake struggled for control, he could hear Dougherty at his Fire Control station, and the Bridge of the Intrepid, laughing in his ear.

“Lead the way, will you?” Jake said, pushing Mercer ahead of him. “Let’s get the entertainment started.”

A group of men in civilian garb met them inside the small auditorium sized building. They preceded Jake and his group into a conference center, where a plain, rectangular table had been placed in the center of the room. Enough utility type chairs to seat twenty people were arranged around it. Marines surrounded the perimeter of the room in full battle dress.

Mercer indicated the medium height, lean, hawkish looking man in front of the group meeting them. “General, let me introduce you to Mr. Akim Bottani. He replaced Teacupi Atton as a representative of the Sudan region.”

Jake shook the man’s hand. “I’m glad to meet you, Sir. How areyou?”

“Very well, my General,” Bottani answered, as he smiled warmly, his dark face crinkled genuinely in a welcoming manner. “My people, and my fellow delegates, are most happy with trade terms presented to us.”

“My Chief of Staff has told me of a problem concerning the delegate from the Saudi Royal Family. Is he here?”

Bottani’s face darkened at the reference to the Royal Family. “He will be here soon, my General. He gave orders for us to send word to him when you arrived, and were in the room.”

Jake laughed, which confused everyone. “No offense, Mr. Bottani, but does this man think we are playing games?”

Bottani smiled, realizing how the situation must appear to Jake. “Nothing of reality exists outside the Royal Family, Sir, at least to them.”

Jake nodded. “Why are the other members of this group even listening to the Royal Family? You would be better off cutting ties to them.”

“Would that we could,” Bottani replied, the sadness in his voice obvious. “They are very powerful. After you leave, we will still be here, and so will the Royal Family. Their Wahabbi sect employs many mercenaries.”

Jake looked at Mercer and Johnson, a dawning realization flowing between the men. “Now we’re getting somewhere.” Jake observed.

“Let’s be seated, gentlemen,” Mercer gestured. “We’ll talk over a few things before Mr. Bin Ali decides to join us.”

Jake sat at the head of the table with Mercer and Johnson on either side of him. “I also understand one of the most loyal friends of the United States has never been allowed to sit in on the Council of the former Earth Command. The President instructed me to make sure the region of Israel be represented from now on.”

This caused an undercurrent of excited whispers. Bottani motioned his comrades to silence. “Hatreds, centuries old, caused the Israeli’s exclusion. If not for the United States, Israel would have been destroyed by now. We, at the table now, are weary of the regional wars. Your President’s request will be honored, if some arrangements can be made with the Saudi’s. Their hold over Earth Command prevented Israel from joining us. We here have never understood the United States reluctance to be a more forceful presence. Your change of direction is most welcome.”