Jethro: First to Fight (40 page)

“I see.”

The bear got up and dusted himself off
briefly. “Panic fire is an issue. Pulling the trigger and hosing an area might
tag Jethro, but it's useless. Double tap. You should never let your people hold
the trigger down unless they are firing suppressive fire or have a hard target
in front of them.”

“Suppressive fire doesn't.”

“To a point. If your enemy charges you
at a run it can. If they crawl?” the bear shrugged.

“Good points.”

“Get your people into looking for and
using cover. Use the three dimensional view of their maps.”

“You can do that?” Silverman asked,
sitting up.

“Of course,” the bear said. He pulled a
map up then dumped it on the holo on the table. At first there was a flat image
of the map. The image rotated to level with the table, then the terrain
indicators moved up or down, filling in to form a three dimensional image of
the terrain. Then that smoothed out. A red icon blinked at the objective,
another green icon indicated the start point. It had an arrow which indicated
direction.

“The arrow is linked to your internal
compass.”

“Fascinating,” the Captain said.

“If you have time you can check an area
for possible problem area. Locations of possible ambushes that you overlook in
a 2D map. Oversight areas, areas that you can use for mortars, all sorts of
information.”

“Cool,” Silverman said, studying the
map. The bear snorted. Just to twist the Lieutenant's tail he threw in trees
and water. That got the Lieutenant blinking. Then he tossed in his own script,
locations for possible ambushes. Icons popped up, with arrows and fields of
fire.  The lieutenant looked up at him in confusion.

“I know, a bit confusing. That's my map,
I generate a script with potential ambush sites, fields of fire, fall back
routes, sight lines, the works. It can get confusing to the uninitiated.”

“I see.”

“Sir, among other things, no GOTH plan,
no bounding over watch... you should never rush unless it is in
your
favor. Many times that happened and I expected it. Sometimes it was just
stupid, throwing good money after bad.”

“Why didn't you say this all earlier?”
The Captain asked mildly. He was drumming his fingers on the table. Valenko
wasn't certain if he was irritated or not.

“Sir, no one likes being wrong. No one
likes being shown up. I usually try to get people to learn in the field. Having
their faces rubbed into their mistakes can be demeaning if not properly
worded.”

“That's why you've been quiet? Or you've
only mentioned your own squad's mistakes?”

“Yes sir.”

“And here I thought you did it to make
me feel better,” the Captain said. The bear shook his head no.

“No, they were genuine mistakes. There
is always room for improvement.”

“Agreed. Not just in the sims, or in
combat exercises, but in this, the hot washes as well. From now on, don't hold
back. Be deferential to rank, but I want the facts, don't sugar coat it. We
need to learn here. That's what this is all about. It's not an ego thing, it's
not a pat on the back. It's about seeing what works, what doesn't and fixing
what doesn't.”

“Yes sir.”

The Captain nodded, straightening up.
“Good. Moving on then gentlemen...”

...*...*...*...*...

Four days after Kovu arrived, Hurranna
was re-assigned to flight ops. The move was so sudden she had only a brief hour
to pack, hug Jethro and Sergei, and then rush off to her ride. Her slot was
left open for a short time, no one else who was Recon fitted their chemistry.

Gunny tried to stick with the squad but
the needs of the Marine corps forced him to be absent more and more. He hated
being chained to a desk and took some of his resentment out on any who offered
sympathy. Jethro filled in as senior noncom in his absence. Eventually the
change was made official when the Gunny was assigned to training duties once
more. Jethro got the e-mail and then silently passed it to the squad. Schultz
hadn't even been allowed a good bye from the squad. That sucked.

“Well, it wasn't like we didn't know it
was coming,” Sergei said dispirited.

“Trite but true,” Panache chittered.
“All of them will be missed.”

Panache had settled down into the squad,
becoming one with the family. She was still quiet and reserved, but she did her
job in real life and in sims. The old hands still thought of her as a noob or
meat, but she had a tinge of a veteran in her as well.

“He left some mighty big shoes to fill,”
Asazi said looking at the newly promoted Jethro.

“I'll do my best,” Jethro replied.

...*...*...*...*...

Ox did double duty in the armory,
further cutting his time with the squad. Together with the armorer he had worked
out new designs for  the other team members, including additional special
weapons and equipment. He also had to consult with the teams making the
equipment for other squads, and even filled in on fitting and building suits
for other squads. The powered combat armor teams were starting to take on more
specialized designs for special missions.

One human female rifleman was added as
well, replacing Hurranna. Private Mirilax Terilack didn't last a week, she put
in for a transfer on the third day.

“Sir, it's not just the workload, which
is insane. It's, well, to put it honestly, I'm not a good fit,” she said,
standing at attention.

“Anything we can do to change the
situation,” Valenko asked, sitting down in the wardroom. He'd borrowed it when
the Private had put in for the transfer.

“Not a blessed thing sir, I'm just...
apples and oranges. Most of the troops are great, but Fonz and Kovu...” She
shook her head.

Valenko nodded. What she didn't know was
that the two other noobs had been hazing her. They thought that since she was
the new kid on the block they were off the hook. He'd have to come down on them
a bit for that, they had started to coast and get slack. He didn't like that.

“Harassment?” he asked softly.

“Nothing sexual sir, or I'd have their
balls,” the Private muttered. “Sir...”

Valenko raised a hand. “Far be it from
me to make someone stay who doesn't want to be here or can't shoulder the
weight. You're right Private, it's hard. Recon is supposed to be. Fine. I'll
approve the transfer. It'll be a day or two before it's processed and approved.
Until then stick to your normal duties and act as if it hasn't.”

“Aye sir. I'll... do my best,” she
choked out.

“Dismissed,” he rumbled. She saluted
smartly. He took the salute and returned his own. She struck the salute, about
faced, and then left the compartment. He sighed, crossing his arms.

“So much for that,” he murmured. He
didn't understand the woman, she had put in for OCS training but had so far
been denied. She had the skills, she wouldn't have gotten to recon if she
hadn't had some brass in her, but she lacked something. She also had little
patience and didn't play well with others. She didn't suffer fools, he thought,
and then nodded. Yes, that fit. He'd have to remember that when he wrote up her
file and passed it on.

...*...*...*...*...

“Mirilax gone?” Fonz asked looking at
the empty ruck. Sergei nodded.

“Where too?” Kovu asked. He was smiling,
the tip of his tail dancing.

“Transferred.”

“Laxative lady couldn't take the heat?”
Kovu asked excitedly.

“Shut it,” Sergei rumbled, not looking
up from his tablet. “Don't go saying shit you'll regret. I don't see why you
two are so happy, we're a man down again. That means guess who gets to take up
the slack?”

“Right, couldn't take the heat, stay out
of the kitchen,” Fonz said, making a sizzling sound as he pressed a finger to
first himself and then Kovu.

“You know, I know the shit about if you
can't take a joke and all, and being an ass, but we do have to live with each
other. I don't recall giving you an ass whopping when you two signed on. Kovu
yes, but he damn well deserved it,” Valenko rumbled, coming up behind them.
“And I didn't even get to do it,” he said as the two straightened to attention.
“Maybe I should change that huh?”

“Sir, I think they need to learn that
they haven't earned what they've got yet. Both are still on probation,” Sergei
said mildly.

“True,” the bear rumbled. “So why don't
we have a little run. Let's see who drops first,” he said.

Both Privates made a face. “Move out!”
he growled. They dropped into a trot.

“That showed them,” the liger said,
lounging in his rack.

The bear turned on the liger. “What are
you waiting for? Move it mister!”

Sergei grimaced and rolled out of his
rack and onto all fours. He didn't even straighten as he took off like a
sprinter. Valenko watched them and then crossed his arms once more. He had a
date with his daughters. He'd let them run for a bit though.

...*...*...*...*...

The new squad members were all outfitted
with armor and trained together whenever possible. They also had other duties
which made juggling their schedules for constant training a pain. Frequently
they were forced to doing sims and brainstorms through chats or e-mail. Valenko
equated it to chess by mail. The squad focus on new tactics and methods kept
them elite. Twice a week they had sim combat against another squad or sometimes
an entire platoon if they had enough net capacity.

...*...*...*...*...

Other squads hated going up against them
in sim combat. The noobs Fonz and Kovu became so cocky that Valenko
deliberately took himself out and threw a couple of matches to rub them the
wrong way.

“You're doing this on purpose. I see it
now. Every time they act up you find a way to get out of the match or take me
out.” Jethro called him on it. “I don't appreciate getting shot in the back by
my own commanding officer. There's something in the book against that,” he
said. He tried to keep his tone light but he was annoyed by the betrayal. “What
I want to know is why. It's not just the attitude. Or is it the attitude?” he
asked.

Valenko shrugged it off. “Sometimes
loosing is the best teacher. I want to see how they do. I want to build
teamwork and get them to stop patting themselves on the back for shit they
didn't
earn
.” Jethro nodded at that. “I guarantee they won't crow so
much. It will at least put things into perspective. Fuck up and you die.”

“And it also undermines their trust in
you and your authority if they find out,” Jethro cautioned quietly. He wasn't
at all happy about losing. Oh he didn't like getting his ass kicked, but
loosing on purpose was an insult. It also was bad, they had been taught to
never give a gimme. There was something to be said about the martial arts
standard of giving your all and treating a sim like real combat.

“Then they better not right?” Valenko
said at a near subsonic growl. Jethro nodded.

...*...*...*...*...

Major Forth tweaked Valenko about the
losses. Valenko shrugged it off. “Off week sir.”

The Major eyed him. The bear wasn't
making excuses. He had a good one, integrating greenhorns into his squad. But
he didn't point it out. “It happens. But I'm pretty sure not that clumsily. You
bucking for time off?” The Major asked.

“No sir. We'll get squared away.”

“Then what?”

“I'm... training them sir. Sometimes
failure is the best teacher.”

“Is that why you're playing lemming?”

The bear raised an eyebrow. “You noticed
sir?”

The Major snorted. “It was hard not to,
with that one time you shot yourself. Care to explain?”

“Simple training tactic sir. Break up
the chain of command and force them to rise to the occasion. Jethro can do it,
but he hadn't anticipated it the first few times I did it. Now he's gotten wise
and adapted, so I'm forced to take him out sometimes too.”

“Why? Are you doing this to force them
to grow up? Trust me Lieutenant, it's not as easy as you think.”

Valenko shook his head. “No sir. Just...
trying to get my squad to put it into perspective sir. Loose the arrogance and
assumption that they are going to win easily. I don't like my people getting
overconfident and sailing into something all fat dumb and happy.”

The Major studied him for a long moment
then nodded. Both reasons were plausible. Shooting his squad up to get them to
keep from getting complacent was also good. It kept them on their toes, but it
undermined their trust in him. Hopefully the bear was aware of that. “We're
putting a lot of faith in you as an elite unit. The showcase to hold everyone
up to as a standard. Are you telling me that's misplaced?”

“No sir. Just that my squad has a bit of
an ego problem that needed a little deflating sir. Since the other op
commanders couldn't handle it...” He shrugged.

“You took the initiative. All right. It's
a black mark on your record but if you're willing to accept it then who am I to
argue?” He mused amused.