“It is too easy, Gunny.”

  "Scorpion Four reporting," added Lance Corporal Malik Johnson. “We tried the scenic route to the comms array, but ran into a railgun and a football team of bad guys. We could use additional support.”

  Alex glanced at his tactical display, noting the locations of his team. "Copy that, Four. On my way." He broke cover and headed toward them. High-powered machine gun fire suddenly set off alarms in his helmet, the rounds stitching the ground in a direct line toward him. Without panic, he triggered his jump jets and bounded laterally toward the nearest cover, the biggest of the six buildings and the only permanent one in the compound.

  The machine gun fire followed him, bullets chewing into the corner of the building as he ducked behind it. Bits and pieces of stone rained down on him, pinging off his helmet. "Scorpion Six! I don’t have eyes on target. Need overwatch!"

  “Copy that, One," Lieutenant Weathers replied. “Overwatch has eyes on the prize. Sending targeting data to your HUD."

  Alex checked the incoming target ID and positioning data. It showed him where the heavy railgun was hidden in overgrowth on a slight rise just beyond the cluster of small corrugated steel huts directly in front of him. Now that he could see a representation of it, he was sure he could get to it.

  “Copy that, Six. Taking care of it now."

  He ran along the back of the building, punching his jump jets just as he broke from behind it. The jets gave him an extra speed boost as he sprinted toward the huts. The machine gun opened up again, rounds sending gouts of dirt flying up around him. Warning indicators flashed across his HUD, but he ignored them, focusing instead on completing his objective.

  Nearing the huts, he launched skyward, arcing to land perfectly on the narrow ridge vent running along the peak of the nearest roof. He sprinted across it in the direction of the railgun. Hidden from view in ground-level foliage, he finally caught sight of the machine gun tracking him and could tell the gunners had lost sight of him.

  But not for long.

  They spotted him again as he jumped from the rooftop, their bullets following the shallow arc of his powered leap toward the railgun. In mid-flight, he leveled his rifle and opened fire, dropping the terrorist on the machine gun before he knew what hit him. Then he was tearing through the leaves and limbs to land in the middle of the railgun emplacement, his armor's shock absorbers barely managing to cushion the impact.

  Stunned, the three terrorists manning the big gun were slow to react. Alex hit terrorist one with an augmented right hook that flowed effortlessly into a kick, his armored boot crushing terrorist two’s chest. A rifle shot to the chest took out terrorist three as he ran toward Alex. Within seconds of his landing, all three terrorists were laid out on the ground, two dead, the third one struggling just to breathe.

  "Scorpion One to all units," he said over the comms, his attention now on the larger battle. "Heavy weapon neutralized. What's your status?”

  “Planting charges on the fuel depot now, Gunny,” Sarah reported.

  “We’re still encountering heavy resistance,” Malik replied.

  Following his path back down the hillside, Alex moved swiftly, his eyes continually scanning his HUD for any new threats. Finding none, he broke into a run, his armored boots thudding heavily against the ground as he headed directly toward where Scorpion Four was taking heavy fire.

  He could see Malik and his partner, Private First Class Jackson Holt, fighting back a veritable swarm of terrorists as they pushed toward the objective. The small arms fire wasn’t a problem for their armor, but the RPGs spewing up dirt around them could punch through it with a lucky shot.

  Alex raised his rifle and sighted down on the advancing hostiles. He fired in controlled bursts, each precise, taking down enemies with methodical efficiency. The opposing force hesitated, giving Malik and Jackson the window they needed to close in on the array.

  “Gunny,” Lieutenant Weathers said, “Overwatch reports a second railgun going up on the ridge over the array.”

  Alex’s HUD flared with the new threat indicator, and he cursed under his breath. If that gun went operational on that high ground, it could rip his team to shreds. “On it,” he replied.

  Changing direction, he charged toward the ridge. Bullets whizzed past him from above, pinging off his armor, but he pushed forward, focused on the railgun. His armor sent fresh warnings as a pair of rockets streaked away from the ridge, winding toward him. He adjusted his jump jets, countering their corkscrewing motion with a twist of his own before triggering them at full blast. He arced higher and faster than expected, the rockets detonating below. The blast wave threatened to throw off his balance and send him crashing headlong into the side of the ridge, but he rotated mid-air, keeping his balance with the grace of a ballet dancer as he rose above the edge of the terrain.

  The railgun crew had almost finished the gun’s installation, but they froze in sudden panic when he appeared directly in front of them, a dark-armored avenging angel. He opened fire, dropping two of the terrorists instantly while the remaining crew members scrambled for cover. Alex was already moving, his augmented speed and reflexes giving him a decided edge over his last two adversaries.

  He lunged at the nearest insurgent, his suit’s enhanced strength enabling him to knock him off his feet with a quick, brutal strike to the head. The last crew member raised his weapon, but Alex was faster, a burst of fire from his rifle ending the threat.

  “Scorpion One to all units. Second railgun neutralized,” he reported. “Scorpion Four and Five, you’re clear to advance.”

  “Copy that, Scorpion One. Moving to set charges,” Jackson’s voice came through, panting slightly, his heavy footsteps thudding over the comm. “See you at exfil point, Gunny.”

  “Copy that, One. Good work, everyone,” Alex said, watching as the green indicators on his HUD shifted to blue signifying their connection to the detonator. “Scorpion Six, we’re ready for extraction.”

  “Roger that, Scorpion One,” Weathers replied. “Extraction inbound. ETA two minutes.”

  Five minutes later, Alex and his team regrouped on a rise overlooking the compound. Below, they could see a handful of surviving terrorists fleeing into the jungle."Well done, Scorpion One," Weathers’ voice came over the comm, a note of pride evident even through the static. "That was some impressive work out there. Your old man would be proud."

  "Thank you, sir," he replied. "Just doing my job. Permission to complete the mission and get the hell out of here?"

  "Granted, Scorpion One. Light 'em up and let's go home."

  Alex grinned as he flipped up the safety cage covering the red detonator button, and then handed the detonator box to Sarah. She drew a deep breath, and with a single press of the button, the fuel depot and comms array erupted in twin fireballs. Shock waves rolled across the compound as the terrorists' cache of highly volatile fuel ignited, blossoming into a massive fireball that dwarfed the actual explosions. It was a total victory, just the way he and the bean counters liked it.

  "Scorpions, move out!" Alex ordered, leading his team towards the extraction point.

  Minutes later, they reached the clearing where their dropship waited, its engines spooling up. The team piled in, and Alex was the last to board, ready to provide covering fire if needed until they were ready for liftoff.

  As the dropship accelerated away from the planet's surface, he finally allowed himself to relax. Removing his helmet, he wiped the sweat from his brow and took in his team's tired but triumphant faces.

  Already onboard, Weathers approached him, a datapad in his hand and a broad smile on his college boy face. "Outstanding work, Scorpion team," he said on his way past them, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "That operation couldn't have gone better. The brass is going to be very pleased with the results."

  Alex jumped up, snapping to attention. "Thank you, sir. To be honest, it was almost too easy.”

  The Lieutenant chuckled, shaking his head. "At ease, Gunny. Always so modest. It’s getting harder to find realistic scenarios that aren’t too easy for the FUP Marines’ finest.”

  “How about some unrealistic scenarios, then?” Alex suggested, relaxing. “Maybe putting the terrorists in armor and giving them a mech or two, just to make it interesting.”

  “Or maybe we can tie one hand behind our backs or something,” Malik added. “We didn’t even need our augments for this one.”

  “You know I’d love to enhance your objectives, but it’s outside regulations,” Weathers replied.

  “How do we even know we’re the best of the best,” Private First Class Zoe Andersson wondered aloud. “We’re bringing guns to a knife fight.”

  “Believe me, I’ve complained to Major Rodriquez on more than one occasion. I’m told that such a massive change to Marine training programs will make the outer planets nervous.”

  “They wouldn’t be nervous if they weren’t up to no good,” Sarah said.

  “Now, now,” Malik chided. “You have no proof of that.”

  “And you have no proof against that.”

  “Alright, children,” Alex said. “Settle down. It’s out of all our hands. Complaining about it won’t help.”

  “Thank you, Gunny,” the Lieutenant said when the rest of the unit quieted. “What do you say we end this simulation and hit the rack?”

  The universe faded to black before anyone could answer. Alex reached up, took hold of his virtual reality helmet, and lifted it off. Instead of the interior of a dropship, he stood in the middle of a large room, on an omnidirectional treadmill and wearing a bodysuit that simulated powered armor. The rest of his unit stood on similar setups around him.

  He and the others handed the fake rifles that had the same feel and heft as the real thing to a tech gathering them up and then unplugged the wires connected to their suits. The cables, having provided the lift to replicate jumping, automatically coiled up and disappeared into their mobile housings in the ceiling. Alex knew there were more advanced training setups around, with neural links to make a Marine think they were walking, jumping, and the like when they were, in reality, sitting down, but they wouldn’t help keep any of them in fighting shape.

  Clad in his brown and green Marine utilities, Weathers stepped off his virtual reality platform. “Scorpions, you’re dismissed. Get some rest. You’ve earned it. Gunny, a word before you go.”

  Alex remained behind while the rest of the unit headed out of the training room, already chattering about the mission.

  “Lieutenant?” Alex questioned, frowning. “Is something wrong?”

  “Major Rodriguez wants to see you, Alex. You’re to report immediately to his office.”

  Alex stared at him. “Do you have any idea what it’s about?”

  “It’s not for me to say, Gunny. Just go see him, okay?”

  A knot formed in Alex’s stomach, and he nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  The Major’s office was the last door on the right. He stood outside it, gathering himself for several moments before he knocked.

  “Come,” the Major responded immediately from the other side.

  Alex drew a deep breath and blew it out before he opened the door and marched in, shutting it behind him before stepping up to the Major’s desk and coming to attention. “Gunnery Sergeant Alexander Strickland reporting as ordered, sir.”

  Pressing his thick lips together, the Major closed the file he’d been perusing and placed it aside before folding his hands on the desk in front of him. “At ease, Gunny, and have a seat.” He motioned for Alex to sit in the chair in front of his desk.

  “Is this about a replacement team member, sir?” Alex asked as he sat, placing his helmet beside him on the floor before resting his hands on his thighs. He couldn’t remember when he’d been invited to his CO’s office for a chat. It wasn’t like the man liked to chew the fat with his underlings. Alex thought him a rather stiff, by-the-book officer who preferred to communicate with his men through their lieutenants, but if he were here to get chewed out, he probably wouldn’t have been invited to sit down.

  “No, unfortunately. Word is that we’ll have to live with the hole left by Theo’s unexpected medical retirement for the short term. Force Recon Marines aren’t exactly in surplus these days.”

  “Understood. Am I in trouble then, sir?”

  “No, you aren’t in trouble, Alex.”

  He immediately noticed the man’s change in posture, not to mention that he’d called him by his first name, something he’d never done before. The few times they’d had contact, Rodriguez had always called him Gunny or Sergeant Strickland. His familiarity now made him nervous. “What’s going on, sir?”

  “New orders came in while you were completing your training session.”

  “Does that mean we’re being shipped out? For real?” Alex asked, hoping they would finally get away from the training facility and into real action. Not that he wanted trouble for the FUP, but spending so much time like a hamster on a high-tech wheel wasn’t great for the psyche. At the same time he said it, he knew something was wrong. Rodriguez had never announced new orders to him in private before.

  “Yes, for real,” Rodriguez replied. “All of First Company is being sent to join Recon Three in the Wolf system. You’ll be under Captain Karlov’s command.”

  “The Wolf system?” Alex replied. “Did an expeditionary ship run into something they couldn’t handle? Alien life forms, maybe?” It was a running joke among First Company that they would only see real action if aliens invaded the galaxy.

  “Nothing so exotic,” Rodriguez replied. He paused, and Alex could tell that whatever he wanted to say, it wasn’t easy for him. “Alex…I…” He hesitated again, breathing deeply. “Your orders are to join Recon Three in the Wolf system. You’ll provide combat support while they search for the expeditionary ship Galileo, in the event that an adversarial force is involved in its disappearance.”

  Alex stared at his CO, heart catching in his throat, a chill running down his spine as all the air seemed to drain from the room. “Galileo?” he muttered breathlessly.

  Rodriguez nodded. “That’s why I wanted to speak to you in private. I’m sorry, Alex. Your sister’s ship is missing in action, and right now, we don’t know who or what is responsible.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Alex left the Major’s office in a daze, his mind reeling from the news. Dana's ship was missing in action. The words echoed in his head, each repetition driving the spike of worry and fear deeper into his heart. He walked the base's corridors on autopilot, barely registering his surroundings until he stood in front of the door to his unit's barracks.

  He stepped inside, pausing at the familiar sight and sounds of his team. They were out of the showers, in various states of dress, their easy banter filling the room.

  "I'm telling you, Holt, you need to work on your core strength," Malik said, toweling off his close-cropped black hair. "I saw you out there. You looked like you were having trouble holding up your rifle.”

  Jackson’s shoulders bounced with his laughter as he towel-dried his neatly trimmed beard. "My core is just fine, Malik. Maybe you should worry more about your aim. You’re supposed to shoot the terrorists, not the vegetation.”

  "Hah! My aim is perfect. You're just jealous of my style."

  "Style? Is that what you call it?" Sarah chimed in, her eyes sparkling with mirth as she pulled back her dark hair and tied it off. “I didn’t realize wasting ammunition was a strategy now.”

  Malik shrugged. “They aren’t real bullets. And pixels don’t cost anything.”

  “Technically not true,” Zoe said, pushing a lock of blonde hair away from her eye. “Extra shots fired equals more work for the GPUs to calculate the physics, which uses more energy, which⁠—”

  “Technically is right,” Malik interrupted. “You’ve given this way too much thought. Besides, none of us understands all that tech crap you spew all the time. We just let it go over our heads, then smile and nod so you’ll stop talking.”

  “Alex understands my tech talk.”

  “Yeah, well, he’s one of a kind,” Jackson offered. “The guy’s got enough smarts to be an officer. He just doesn’t want to go there.”

  “Look,” Zoe argued, “considering misses are part of your overall competency rating and tied to your bonus package⁠—”

  “Wait, we get bonuses for accuracy?” Malik asked, looking like he was considering the ramifications of the revelation.

  “I don’t know which contract you signed, but mine does,” Zoe answered with a wink.

  “Damn, I’ll work harder next time,” Malik said. “In all honesty, I’ve just been trying to make things a little more interesting. These simulated missions are borrr…ing.”

  “Yeah, sure you have,” Sarah teased. “But I hear you. It gets tedious after a while.”

  “And too easy,” Jackson agreed. “I have to say, and I mean this in the best possible way…peace sucks for an elite combat Marine.”

  “And it sucks for you, too,” Malik quipped.

  “The best way to win a war is to not fight one,” Zoe said, ignoring Malik.

  “You got that one from Gunny’s old man, didn’t you?”

  Zoe shrugged. “From Gunny, but I’m sure his father said it to him first.”

  Malik got to his feet. “I’m hitting the gym. Any takers?”

  “I’ll tag along,” Sarah said. “Jackson?”

  “Naw, I’m thinking about heading over to Miyaki’s to shoot some pool and knock back a few."

  “Ooh, that’s tempting,” Sarah said.

  "It'll be fun,” Zoe agreed. “If Hornet squad is there, they still owe us a rematch.”

  “I am not losing to those smug bastards again,” Jackson said.

  “Damn,” Malik added. “Okay, I’m in on hitting the bar. I can get my workout done in the morning. Assuming I’m not hung over. Or rather, even when I’m hung over.” He laughed in a staccato beat that sounded like gunfire.

  At that moment, Jackson noticed Alex standing quietly inside the door, observing their interaction. "Hey, Gunny," he said, suddenly frowning when he saw the shaken look on his face and the pale cast to his skin. “Is everything okay? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."