Jethro: First to Fight (50 page)

The little girl in pigtails nodded
dutifully. She knew it was about as helpful as talking to a rock, the kids were
hard headed like their folks. They'd learn eventually, but it took time.

“Mary, don't go yet, Rob sent over that
package for you. I think it's the clothing material you wanted for the kids.”
The mother smiled. Normally she would pick such things up at the general store
except the proprietor Rob had closed up shop and gone to Timber lake to pick up
more supplies.

“Now...”

 ...*...*...*...*...

Marines swung into action, doing their
final prep, studying plans and maps they had in their implants or memorized.
Some murmured the plan in their sleep, those that could sleep, tension and
excitement permeated the air, turning it into a fine wine.

Any last minute hiccups or requests were
hammered by no-nonsense logistics people or officers. They should have thought
of it, asked for it, or gotten the paperwork done for it ages ago. There would
be no last minute delays, if you didn't have what you wanted you went anyway.
Everyone wanted out of the tight quarters and down to the ground. Excitement
filled the air, frustration for those who were fed up with waiting.

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

Valenko's squad prepped for the landing.
Everything had to be checked, each of their rucks had to be inventoried,
carefully packed, then checked to make sure nothing made a sound. A few jumps
and moves in each either worked something loose or showed them they were good.
As Recon they were tasked to secure the beachhead first, they were in the spot
light and didn't want to screw up. Jethro was very aware that everything and
everyone was riding on his shoulders now.

Of course jokers like Harley and Fonz
had
to have some fun. They posed for pictures outside the shuttle, making hand
signs and arguing over which picture was best and then trying something
different. They tried to get Clive involved but he just kept checking and
rechecking his gear. Sergei took a moment to pose, even picking Harley up for
an image. The horseplay got on Jethro's nerves. He let them have their fun,
knowing to bide his time until the boss said to move. There was no sense
picking a fight, this was their way of burning off excess energy and
nervousness. Keeping their minds occupied kept them from worrying about what
could go wrong. When the bear came on the deck he called a halt. “Officer on
deck!” he snarled, looking around pointedly.

The squad jumped to attention. Hastily
Fonz dropped the camera, then used his foot to kick it behind him.

“You aren't even on the bird yet?”
Valenko rumbled, not breaking his stride as he headed to the open hatch. “Guess
I get to do this on my own and the rest of you get KP up here?” he asked,
ducking his head as he climbed on board.

Jethro looked at the bird, he could hear
and feel the engines starting up. “What are you waiting for? An engraved
invitation? Get your asses onboard!” Jethro snarled, waving the squad in.

Once the cargo master secured the hatch
he gave a quick recital on safety and then took his seat and strapped in. When
all was secure he sent a signal through his helmet and implants to the flight
compartment.

Jethro watched the shuttle drift off the
deck when the boat bay opened. Harley ooed and ahed as they drifted out of the
boat bay and into the outer dark. All the Marines were watching the feed.
Harley squealed at the dark. “It's wow.”

“You're kidding me, you've been in a
suit before, you've been outside,” Sergei said.

“Yeah, I'm not talking about that. It's
the planet. It's... pretty.”

Jethro picked up the camera feed she was
looking at and looked. She was right, the bright blue, green, and white marble
was quite a sight. He hit record, then sent the link to the others in the
squad.

“We're first!” Fonz said and then
reached over Clive to high five Harley. “Yeah!” he grunted. “Hooyah! Recon
rocks!”

They rode in, buffeted by reentry
turbulence.  Clive kept playing with his ammo pack, taking it out,
checking it, then slamming it back in. It was the only sign of nervousness in
the human.

Fonz took images with a portable camera.
Jethro wasn't sure about the logic, after all, the Marine could record
everything through his implants if he had wanted to do so. He kept saying it
was for posterity.

Asazi sat back, rested her head and
pretended to sleep. Sergei tried to do so as well but couldn't get comfortable,
the small seats in the Prejudice class drop shuttle just weren't made for
someone his size to sit comfortably. He tried to prop his feet up on Harley but
she pushed his boots off. When he tried a second time she started to mess with
his velcro laces, making him hastily think twice about leaving them there.

Kovu and Panache watched the bow camera
feed, enjoying the view. From the nervous expression on the lion's face he
wasn't at all happy about the height but liked the rush of adrenaline that the
fear evoked. Jethro made a mental note to be careful introducing both of them
to a full on hell jump.

Panache had done well, after the Gunny
had left he'd found out the Veraxin was still in weekly therapy, but she did
her job well so he didn't mention it.

Ox was checking the shuttle's
engineering feed, keeping an eye on things with the flight engineer and
computer.

Gusterson was surprisingly unphased by
the drop. It was his second after all, and they had experienced plenty of drop
sims. He seemed to be in a text conversation with Harley. She seemed to smile a
few times, something was amusing her.

Their commanding officer seemed bored,
lounging back, eyes half closed, his arms crossed over the rifle in his lap.
One brown black eye turned lazily to the Sergeant. “Something on your mind?”
Valenko rumbled.

“Just taking it all in sir,” Jethro
replied.

“Checked over the to do list?”

“Yes sir. It's a doozy. I'm sure we'll
get our end covered. Everyone else's part though...” Jethro shrugged. They had
simmed this drop once a week for a month now, they had it down cold.

“I think someone's going to screw up
somewhere. They either got to ambitious with the timetable, didn't take weather
into account, or something. There's always something,” Valenko rumbled.

“Going all Russian melancholy on us
sir?”

“Bite me,” Valenko rumbled with a laugh.

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

Jethro watched the light, the cargo
master looked up at it. It was yellow. “Ten seconds to drop. We're going to
touch and go so get your fat lazy asses off my bird as soon as the ramp goes
down. And don't let the door hit your ass on the way out Marines!” the pilot
said over the radio.

Harley looked up, smirked and flipped
the bird to the speaker. Valenko growled. She shrugged it off and checked her
gear. The Marines got up, holding onto the overhead safety rail as the bird
rocked slightly.

The ramp dropped, they could see the
grasses and sand being kicked up by the shuttle's exhaust outside. The light
went to green and the cargo master waved them out.

Each took a run at the ramp and jumped,
then moved out to their assigned zone silently. They fanned out, secured LZ,
then moved to the perimeter and dropped to their stomachs, weapons pointed
outward in a circle. Valenko waited for the drop shuttle to lift off before he
waved for his people to get busy securing the area.

They turned to see a trio of shuttles
take off a half minute after theirs did. “Still first,” Kovu said proudly.
“Recon rules!”

“Zip it. Get to work,” Jethro said over
the link.

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

The Marines followed the recon squads
down in a full mock hot LZ landing to Parris island. It was a full Marine
assault drop, the first performed in centuries. It was the first time the drop
shuttles and assault craft had been used in atmosphere. A new test for both
pilots and craft. They had simulated it for over two years, now they had the
chance to experience the real thing. The Aurelie craft did the best in flight,
coming down with only a minor wobble.

LAV's and armored transports were
dropped by Prejudice shuttles, they roared about the beaches and inland drop
zones, moving out to secure the perimeter. A few fishtailed in the loose sand
and dirt before their drivers corrected.

Marines were waved off the boarding
ramps by screaming noncoms and cargo masters. The aerospace craft lingered just
long enough to drop their loads before they buttoned back up and then rose out
of the drop zone and then accelerated before climbing to orbit and the
impatiently waiting troops and ships in space.

Four Prejudice class shuttles moved
along the coastline, one hundred meters off shore, one shuttle per coast,
North, South, East, West. They moved slow, about ten kilometers an hour as
their boarding ramps dropped and Marine divers like Deja jumped from their rear
ramp three meters above the surf below. Each popped up as their life vests
kicked on, then they paddled to the surface. Then they made their way ashore.

Noncoms on the shore waved the dripping
Marines forward. Each checked their kit and weapon, then went to their assigned
position. Deja shook like a terrier and then took a look around. They had been
lucky, it was a clear crisp day, no storm chop in the water to make it
hazardous. The water was clear, the shore only slightly rocky. Not bad for a
first drop. He checked his people, only two had swallowed sea water. The rest
were good.

Navy and Marine Warhawk shuttles dropped
Marines in different ways. Some rappelled from their craft into the forests in
the interior of the island. Others rappelled down onto mountain cliffs. Three
squads did a parachute drop into a glade with a shallow slope. The slope and
dew wet grass had been overlooked, several Marines botched their landings and
tumbled down the slope before they caught themselves. Most were razzed for not
sticking the landing. One Marine twisted his ankle.

Some of the first Prejudice craft
dropped construction equipment that had been slung under their fuselage and
held by their clamps. They touched down just long enough for the equipment to
be removed, then roared off.

Motors roared to life and giant green
machinery began to move, tearing at the earth and knocking down trees in a
pre-planned ballet of destruction. The Spacebees used the dozers to create a
landing strip then moved on to clear areas for roads and the firebase. They
joked about doing it under fire, or at least under deadline.

Recon had a ring side seat to the
landings. They would have cheered or at least sat back with a beer and enjoyed
it had they not been busy securing the area as well as doing other tasks.

Trees were stripped and used as poles.
Wireless speakers, security cameras, and lighting were rigged to them. Each was
powered by a small solar panel. Batteries and controls were clustered in
utility boxes at ground level. It was all temporary, eventually it would be
formalized, but for now it worked.

Major Forth looked at the results and
the schedule in approval. Despite his misgivings they'd made the drop, even did
it on time with minimal slippage. Oh there were a few minor hiccups, vehicles
that wouldn't start, a couple minor injuries, but overall a good start for a
new beginning. He looked out at the sea of tents and bonfires and nodded. His
men weren't tired, they were elated, relating stories of how they landed. Good,
that experience would be passed on to future generations. He'd made certain it
had all been recorded too. He cleared his throat. Men around him stiffened to
attention. He sent a signal through his implants to the intercom system. After
a moment there was a squelch of static and then his voice echoed from above.

“Good work everyone, I couldn't be more
proud. As of now the initial phase has terminated. Welcome to Parris island
ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to your new home.” the Major informed them when
the exercise terminated near midnight. Every combat Marine was on the ground.
Those around him cheered.

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

The aerospace craft were stood down for
half a shift to catch up on maintenance before they were put back into service
ferrying down the millions of tons of equipment, cargo, and other gear. Bets
were exchanged on the crews that could haul the most down in a flight cycle, as
well as bets on who could save the most fuel.

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

The Spacebees set up the initial Main
Operational Base, bringing down gear from the ship. The MOB would have the
spaceport within it, and would have Firebases all around it. Some of the
Firebases would be FOB, or FSB, Forward Operating Bases or Fire Support Bases.
Two each would be a temporary affair, designed to be stripped, bulldozed into
the ground, then rebuilt as a training exercise for engineers.

There were some teething issues with the
base layout but fortunately the canned plans were designed to be adaptable.
Marines learned to use construction equipment, many had simmed the equipment in
virtual reality, but there was of course a big difference from playing a
glorified video game and doing the real thing. Ox had a ball driving a
multipurpose dozer.