Renegade Legion (The Human Legion Book 3) Read online

  Renegade Legion

  Book3 of The Human Legion

  Copyright © Tim C. Taylor 2015

  Cover image © Algol / shutterstock.com

  Published by Human Legion Publications

  Also available in paperback (ISBN: 978-1512006711)

  All Rights Reserved

  Edited by Ian Whates

  HumanLegion.com

  * * *

  The author wishes to thank all those who work-shopped, proof read, or otherwise supported the making of this book. In particular, Paul Melhuish for allowing me to raid his vault of filthy Skyfirean vernacular, the Northampton Science Fiction Writers Group, Cristina Macía for generously loaning her linguistic skills, Midland Road Costa Coffee, The Bromham Swan, Bedford Central Library, my wonderful supporters on humanlegion.com, and Ian Watson for persuading me to turn a short story into a bestselling book series.

  * * *

  — Recon Team —

  I wish to thank my Recon Team for this book, who bravely scouted out my first draft, searching for hazards. This book is much better for their generous assistance.

  — Tim C. Taylor

  Bob Atkinson

  Bryan Andrews

  Robin Barayuga

  Gints Baumanis

  Simon Beale

  Connor Benson

  Dave Boxmeyer

  Chris Browne

  Melissa Bryan

  Bernard Chia

  Matt Dungan

  Kim Golden

  Cliff Gray

  Karume T. Hickman

  Paul Jape

  David Lambert

  Gareth Leadbetter

  Andrew MacElhinney

  Mr. Michael McPherson (Sergeant, USA)

  Larry Payton

  Maribeth Pragid

  Rob Robertson

  Edward Rydbeck

  Mike Stanfield

  Ray Steele

  Gordon Taylor

  Jonathan Tuck

  Extract from the NEW ENGLISH DICTIONARY, Patriot Publishing, Human Autonomous Region, 2671CE

  human.

  n. 1. An individual of the species Homo sapiens, possibly also of derivative species. See also: augmented-human.

  adj. 2. Characterizing mankind, as opposed to aliens, animals, and machines (including AIs).

  adj. 3. [meaning derived from common alien usage] oppressed, the ultimate underclass, the hopeless ones, unwashed : as in The Human Legion.

  — Preface —

  This, the third book in the Annals of the Human Legion begins with the legion’s First Tranquility Campaign, and captures the legion’s difficult transition from a handful of stragglers to being on the cusp of creating an interstellar power.

  The account has been written in such a way that readers do not require detailed knowledge of events preceding the First Tranquility Campaign. For those unfamiliar with earlier events, or wishing a refresher, a brief summary has been provided here.

  — Order of Battle —

  HUMAN LEGION EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

  Initial order of battle on the eve of the First Tranquility Campaign 2568AD

  FORCE PATAGONIA (Maj. Arun McEwan, Snr. Sgt. Suresh Gupta)

  COMMAND SECTION:

  Major Arun McEwan

  Senior Sergeant Suresh Gupta

  Cpl. Puja Narciso [Senior Scout]

  HEAVY WEAPONS SECTION

  LCpl. Stok Laskosk (Stopcock) [missile launcher specialist]

  Marine Jerry Chung [GX-cannon specialist]

  Marine Christanne Cusato [GX Assistant]

  1st SECTION: (LSgt. Hecht)

  ~~ Alpha Fire Team ~~

  LSgt. Menes Hecht

  Marine Laban Caccamo

  Marine Marcus Ballantyne

  Marine Kamaria Monroe

  ~~ Beta Fire Team ~~

  LCpl. Rozalia Naron

  Marine Rahul Bojin (Bodger)

  Marine Alex Stafford

  Marine Norah Lewark

  2nd SECTION: (Cpl. Kalis)

  ~~ Alpha Fire Team ~~

  Cpl. Ferrant Kalis

  Marine Serge Rhenolotte (Zug)

  Marine Umarov

  Marine Phaedra Tremayne (Springer)

  ~~ Beta Fire Team ~~

  LCpl. Mikella Yoshioka

  Marine Cheikh Okoro

  Marine Xalvadora Schimschak

  Marine Johannes Binning

  FORCE KENYA (Lt. Tirunesh Nhlappo, Sgt. Estella Majanita)

  3rd SECTION: (LSgt. Shirazi)

  ~~ Alpha Fire Team ~~

  LSgt. Bahadur Shirazi

  Marine Vilok Altstein [Fermi Cannon specialist]

  Marine Azinza Sadri [Fermi Cannon assistant]

  Marine David Ho [missile launcher specialist]

  Marine Kolenja Abramovski [sniper]

  ~~ Beta Fire Team~~

  LCpl. Martin Sandhu (Sandy)

  Marine Angelynn McCoy

  Marine Erline Starn

  Marine Swami Okafor (Pud)

  4th SECTION: (Cpl. Sesay)

  ~~ Alpha Fire Team ~~

  Cpl. Mbizi Sesay (Bizzy)

  Marine Alandra Bettencourt

  Marine Agelaus Dada

  Marine Xihuitl Norbert

  ~~ Beta Fire Team ~~

  LCpl. Del-Marie Sandure

  Marine Shehariah Conteh

  Marine Najah Jeretzki

  Marine Jaidyn Hopper

  FORCE MEXICO (2Lt. Edward Brandt, Sgt. Bernard Exelmans)

  5th SECTION: (Cpl. Khurana)

  ~~ Alpha Fire Team ~~

  Cpl. Uma Khurana

  Marine Adeline Feria

  Marine Halici

  Marine Mark Forbes

  ~~ Beta Fire Team ~~

  LCpl. Bilal Owusu

  Marine Zakiya Dia

  Marine Kuan-Yin Chou

  Marine Slayman Feg

  6th SECTION: (Cpl. DeBenedetto)

  ~~ Alpha Fire Team ~~

  Cpl. Serefina DeBenedetto

  Marine Kantrowicz (Three Blades)

  Marine Zane

  Marine Tedman Ottaviani (Teddy)

  ~~ Beta Fire Team ~~

  LCpl. Adebayo Toure

  Marine Calina Atwal

  Marine Lele Congo

  Marine Sabir Eisele (Slingshot)

  Beowulf Marine Reserve- (2Lt. Lee, Cpl. Zack Cockburn)

  ZERO SECTION

  2nd Lieutenant Xin Lee + 10 effectives + 2 not fit for duty, recovering from injuries.

  — PART I —

  Fifty-nine to Take a Planet

  — Chapter 01 —

  From his position on the steep slopes of the Gjende Mountains, a concealed figure trained his visor’s real-sight display onto the murky valley floor far below. The low-light enhanced image gave 2nd Lieutenant Brandt a view of innumerable craters filled with the rubble and fused ceramalloy that had once been Detroit’s topside.

  A little more than a year earlier, this Marine Corps base had been the lieutenant’s home.

  He didn’t care about that right now. The wreckage made for good cover. That’s what concerned him.

  But of the enemy, he saw nothing.

  “It’s time,” said Brandt over the Force Mexico BattleNet. “Sergeant, pull five Marines from flank and rearguard to reinforce the team covering Gates 3 and 5.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Sergeant Bernard Exelmans in what the NCO insisted was an authentic French accent.

  Brandt had to fight to keep his mouth clamped shut. He felt a powerful need to explain to Exelmans his decision to weaken his flank and rear guards. Out of a total of only 59 Marines to retake the entire planet, Brandt commanded the 18 of Force Mexico. With so few they had to take big risks. That’s why he’d denuded
his guards, but this was no time to be explaining himself. That would be weakness.

  “Force Mexico, report!” demanded the CO over Wide BattleNet.

  “In position, Major,” replied Brandt. “Awaiting your go order.”

  ——

  From the opposite mountainside, Lieutenant Tirunesh Nhlappo zoomed her display onto the major who was taking cover in one of the few remaining walkways still standing in Jotunville.

  Before the civil war had erupted over Tranquility’s surface, the transparent walkway had provided a vertigo-inducing connection between two Jotun palaces. Those palaces were now fused slag, yet the walkway remained defiantly aloof of the destruction all around.

  Unlike the kids who were running this show, the lieutenant had seen many settlements after a bombardment, and had grown used to the vista of a few isolated structures still upright amid a sea of destruction. Inexperienced dreamers might see that last walkway as symbolic of hope, but she saw it for what it truly was: a dangerously exposed position. You’d have to be dumb to use it as an observation post, and doubly stupid for the CO to do so. She creased her brow. The idiot boy was trying to lead from the front because he hadn’t the balls to tell someone else to take risks for him.

  But the major possessed luck, and Nhlappo had seen enough action to believe in lucky officers, even ones as ignorant as Major Arun McEwan.

  A single enhanced squad to take a planet? The numbers said they hadn’t a hope in hell. In the entire galaxy, Nhlappo couldn’t think of anyone other than McEwan who could prove that calculation wrong.

  The major’s voice came over WBNet. “Force Kenya, status?”

  Nhlappo looked across to her senior NCO, who was stationed in the cover of a rocky outcropping.

  Sergeant Majanita was alert enough to notice the scrutiny. She gave a nod before scanning her position. The gossamer thin screen of Marines covering flanks and rear was in place and reporting all approaches clear. Nhlappo had high hopes for Majanita.

  Majanita gave a thumbs-up.

  “We’re ready, Major,” said Nhlappo.

  ——

  Major McEwan caught the disapproval in Lieutenant Nhlappo’s voice. He knew why. The former chief instructor wanted Arun to keep back, but Arun justified being in such a forward position by virtue of needing to respond to events as they unfurled.

  Every time he told himself that, he believed it a little less.

  “Send in the recon, Sergeant,” he told Gupta.

  Arun’s former squad commander relayed his instructions to Hecht and Caccamo, the drone operators, before acknowledging: “Drones away.”

  Inside the major’s stomach it felt as if an army of miniature Trogs was on the march. His nerves weren’t deserved, he told himself, because his first command was going surprisingly well.

  Beowulf was safely hidden in the Kuiper Belt. They’d scouted the system without revealing themselves (as far as they could tell), and today they’d secured a position near Detroit unopposed.

  Frankly, it had gone too well. He couldn’t believe this luck would hold.

  No one spoke. Probably the other 58 souls in the expeditionary force felt the same way.

  He was an officer now, he told himself. The Marines looked to him for leadership. Which meant their motivation and morale were now part of his role description.

  “Today we begin to retake what was ours,” he broadcast. “We do so not in the name of the Human Marine Corps but of the Human Legion. Today some of us will likely die. For the first time in centuries, we fight and die in the name of humanity.”

  Arun’s speech was greeted by silence.

  But only for a few heartbeats before a response came loud and clear.

  “Oorah!” yelled many.

  “For the Legion!” was one of the other cries.

  A smile came to Arun’s lips. Guess we’ll have to work on our battle cries.

  The words varied but the spirit behind them came in unison, injecting Arun with an intoxicating jolt of confidence, but only for a few seconds. Soon he was wincing as he listened to the faint whirr of the recon drones skimming along the cratered ruins of Jotunville. If he weren’t inside his suit, with his AI, Barney, selectively amplifying the sound of the drones, he doubted he would be able to hear them.

  But he could. And if he could, so too might the enemy.

  Barney split the incoming feed from the two drones stacking one above the other on Arun’s visor. Jotunville and the entrance to Detroit were deeply shadowed, being on the valley floor between the towering Gjende Mountains. Barney used infrared and false-color to make sense of the gloomy scene witnessed by the drone sensors.

  In the years he’d spent here before boarding Beowulf, Arun experienced only brief moments when the sun penetrated to the valley floor, illuminating the transparent building material of Jotunville like brilliant jewels. But even in the semi-darkness of the day, Jotunville had possessed a functional charm, an efficiency, which had appealed to what he supposed was the Marine aesthetic: a sense of order and precision.

  Now the crystal walkways were shattered, taking on the color of burned sugar as the transparent material had fused. Rubble spilled into craters part-filled with liquid that Barney had false-colored a poisonous yellow.

  As the drones crossed the ambiguous boundary between Jotunville, where the officers had lived, and on into Detroit, the craters grew in number and depth, the wreckage looked more scorched, poly-ceramalloy melted and contorted into new shapes.

  Even from here, Barney was relaying the noise of the drone motors.

  Arun silently cursed the White Knights. He’d been told many times that the Human Marine Corps was a joke, given third-rate equipment. Navy vessels such as Beowulf were described as ‘cardboard ships’, designed to register a sensor blip on enemy sensors but not seriously to fight.

  Never having worked with better equipment, most of the time it was easy to dismiss such talk as a manifestation of a human inferiority complex. But every now and then the stark truth of their lousy equipment quality would smack you in the face. In his Marine battlesuit, Arun could activate stealth mode, though not for long in the strong gravity field of a planet. The technology was so effective that sophisticated enemy targeting systems wouldn’t know he was there.

  So why were the recon drones so noisy that he could hear them half a klick away?

  Stealth-capable recon drones had to exist somewhere in the White Knight Equipment inventory. It was as if the Tactical-Marine regiments on Tranquility had been equipped with unwanted leftovers discovered at the back of a dusty store cupboard.

  If the Human Legion was to survive and prosper, Arun would make sourcing better equipment a priority.

  The augmented freaks amongst the ship crew were geniuses. Maybe they could develop the tech that would give them an edge?

  “Approaching Gate 3 in twenty seconds,” reported Hecht. “No sign of opposition.”

  Hecht’s drone slowed before dropping down into a crater for cover. Caccamo’s started sweeping around Gate 3, finding no opposition. The images didn’t show much of Gate 3 either. It wasn’t just blasted, scorched, and melted: there wasn’t enough debris, as if the great redoubt of Gate 3 had been vaporized.

  Arun tried not to imagine what kind of weapon was capable of such destruction.

  Caccamo’s sweep completed without more surprises.

  “Take the drones inside,” Arun ordered. “Let’s see who’s home.”

  — Chapter 02 —

  Lance Sergeant Hecht lifted his drone out of the crater and pushed it on through the dark hole of the Gate 3 entrance, and down into the underground city of Detroit. Caccamo’s drone followed twenty meters behind.

  In the almost complete absence of light, the images flickered as Barney and the drone AIs struggled to interpolate the scene from the limited sensor readings mixed with their records of Detroit’s layout.

  Detroit’s upper levels housed its main static defenses: confusing zigzags studded with heavy weapon hardpoints
, hidden embrasures, sally ports, and a dozen hidden conduits of death. Jagged holes ripped through the defenses told a tale of heavy fighting here.

  But that was history. For the sake of his command, Arun reminded himself that he could only afford to think of the future.

  “Movement ahead,” said Caccamo. Arun could see the drone AI mark an embrasure ahead in warning orange.

  The embrasure was an armored bastion with two triangular protrusions pushed out into the passageway. Barney couldn’t locate the hidden weapons ports, but they would be there, giving perfect arcs of fire through narrow gaps – a technology essentially unchanged since the arrow slits of ancient Earth castles.

  The embrasure was just one outlet of death in a larger structure: a redoubt. “Circling around,” reported Hecht who released his drone to AI control, racing past the embrasure to seek the rear entrance to the redoubt.

  Caccamo withdrew his drone back up the corridor, away from the defensive position.

  Maybe Arun consulted Barney about the embrasure, or the AI informed the human inside his suit — the link between them was so intimate it was difficult to tell. Either way, Arun’s head took in the knowledge that there was a reinforced security hatch at the rear of the embrasure. Locking yourself in also cut off your escape. There were protocols for when to shut the hatch but either option could suit Arun. If shut, then it would be easier to listen in on whoever was inside.

  The feed from Caccamo’s drone suddenly went wild, showing a confused blur that defeated Barney’s attempts to interpret.

  “Enemy missile lock,” said Caccamo.

  An instant later, the feed from his drone disappeared.