“So you’re the Mosh Commander?”
“I am Chief of my Clan. Release me now, bring me food and drink and women for entertainment and you will be treated well. I can make you a servant in my own lodge, a good life indeed.”
Galen stifled his urge to laugh. “Indeed. But seriously, you command that whole fleet out there and you fly around by yourself in a little scout ship. I find that hard to believe.”
“I lead, I fight. My own brother, who was in the other scout ship, was rescued and is now in charge of the fleet. My people will come to rescue me. There is no stopping them. Do you think your skinny, short men can stop us?”
“Why are you here?”
The Mosh tilted his head back and laughed. “We are here for plunder. We will take everything of value back to our homes and there will be great celebration. Many brave warriors will have their share of plunder to buy farms and build lodges and take wives. Others will squander their wealth on amusements and entertainment and then go again on another conquest when their gold runs out. I offer you this chance to submit now. You will be treated well. You and your warriors, you can teach us your ways. The builders, they can build on our home world. We will take them and all their construction equipment and let them build for us. They will be treated well. It is a good life, to serve the Mosh.”
Galen looked at the guards. “Can I shoot him?”
“No. The Major wants to let the Colonel talk to him first.”
“I understand.” Galen turned to leave.
“I demand you release me now! Give me food, and drink, and entertainment!”
Galen spun on his heel and thrust his face into the Mosh’s face. “Shut up!”
The Mosh opened his mouth wide and lunged to bite Galen’s nose. Galen pulled back just in time to avoid the attack. The Mosh’s teeth clacked loudly as he bit hard against the air. Galen went to the Major’s desk and pulled a tranq pistol from the top drawer and shot the Mosh in the thigh.
The prisoner slumped over and Galen said, “I told you to shut up.”
The guards shrugged. Galen went back out to the main room and sat in the chair to the left of the Major. “Sir, he’s crazy.”
The Major smiled. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”
“No, the guards wouldn’t let me. I did shoot him with your tranq pistol. Sorry about that, but he really pissed me off. Offered me a job as his house servant.”
“I figured you wouldn’t like him.”
Galen rolled his shoulders. “Is he really their commander?”
“He’s their War Chief, their primary battle leader. The brain of the operation is some low-ranking smart guy but he doesn’t get any credit. The ability to strut and flex and run your mouth is what gets you promoted in the Mosh military but there is always some selfless bastard in the background who provides the tactical leadership.”
“Kind of like my counterpart.”
“No, more like mine. But in the Mosh military I’d be a Corporal and Master Sergeant Sevin would be the Colonel.”
“I see.” Galen looked at the main screen. The Mosh fleet was past the edge of the ring and was slowly rotating to go around it.
“Get some rest; I’ll need you and Tad both in here when this mess kicks off.”
“But Tad is in my bunk.”
Major Ross handed Galen an access card. “Use my bunk. I’ll come get you.”
Chapter Twenty Five
Galen stayed in uniform, boots and all, as he slept on top of the blanket of the Major’s bunk. He sat up suddenly when the Major entered the room.
“Wake up, high-speed. Colonel’s landing.”
Galen noticed that the Mosh pilot was still chained up in the office. Tad was already seated to the left of the command chair, so Galen sat in the chair to its right. Galen heard the Mosh bellow, “Food, Drink, I demand this!”
Major Ross glared back at the Mosh and slammed the door. Then he sat in the command chair. “I sure hope he’s a lot more polite with the Colonel, for his sake.”
The assembled group of commanders and their immediate subordinates laughed. The commanders were seated around the conference table with their second-in-commands seated at the command terminals behind them with their chairs swiveled to face the center of the room. Two troops flanked the entrance door and stood at ease with the butts of their rifles on the floor and the muzzles in their right hands. Major Ross leaned over to Galen and said, “When the Colonel comes in, you move to the seat to the left of Tad Miller and I’ll move into your seat.”
Galen nodded and said, “Got ya, sir.”
The main screen showed Colonel Theil’s command ship as it eased itself down to land on the tarmac of the air strip. It was a small ship that resembled a regular drop boat, but was capable of jump travel and atmospheric flight as well. After it rolled to a stop the rear cargo door dropped to become a ramp. The command tank, a Hercules outfitted with additional command and control electronics, rolled out. Colonel Norbert Theil stood high in the commander’s cupola and returned the salute of the platoon of thirty infantry troops formed up at the exit gate of the air strip to greet him. After the tank rolled by, the troops wasted no time getting back to their assigned defensive positions around the air strip.
The command tank continued on towards the TOC and came to a stop in front of its entrance. The Colonel removed his commo helmet and replaced it with a peaked commander’s cap and climbed down from the vehicle. He paused for a moment to straighten his waist-length black leather coat and made sure its pockets were zipped and brushed imaginary dust from his grey wool pants. Satisfied, he entered the TOC.
Major Ross stood and announced, “Gentlemen, the Panzer Brigade Commander!”
All the mercenaries in the conference room stood at attention and faced toward the entrance, presenting proper hand salutes. Colonel Theil gazed around the room and made brief eye contact with them all, one by one, in turn. Finally he returned the salute and said, “Carry on!”
Galen moved to the chair to Tad’s left and sat down. The Colonel approached Major Ross, who offered a handshake and gestured toward the command chair. “I’ve been keeping it warm for you, sir.”
“From what I can tell, you’ve made it pretty damned hot.” Laughs all around amongst the troops. The Colonel sat in the command chair and said, “Okay, resume normal operations. I’ll dig through the reports and let you know if I have any questions.”
The two troops by the entrance door went into the office to resume guarding the Mosh prisoner and the seconds-in-command left the TOC and the subordinate commanders took their paces at the terminals. The Major dismissed Tad and Galen and they went outside. They walked around the Hercules tank.
Galen spoke first. “This is an incredible piece of war machinery. I’d really like to take it for a ride and engage some targets.”
Tad stopped in front of the glacis plate and looked at the tank. “Awesome. If you can only have one tank, this is the one to have.”
Galen looked toward the air field and noticed an Interceptor taking off. It was followed by three more. “Hey Tad, how close was the Mosh fleet?”
“Oh, they’re close. They’re approaching from just below the horizon, hiding from our guns. They could have troops on the ground here in a couple more hours.”
Galen stared at the tank, then back at the TOC. “What, exactly, is our job now?”