“Oh.” Karen looked at the electronic clipboard, scrolled to the last page.
“Anything else?” Galen paused a moment.
Karen shook her head side to side. Galen left.
Polar had left the lift at the bottom of the tower, so he’d have to wait a couple of minutes for it to come up, which meant Karen or Tad would have a chance to ask him something before he could get away. Galen decided to take the stairs down to the bottom of the forty meter high tower, grateful for the exercise. Once outside he looked both ways, checked the clearance lamps, removed his garrison cap and then strode across the tarmac and entered the marshalling yard.
As he walked past the line of Hercules tanks he heard a familiar voice.
“Hey Sergeant Major!” Master Sergeant Ross.
Galen slowed his pace so Ross could catch up and walk along side. “So how’s it going, garrison ops daddy?”
Ross smiled. “Not too bad. Recruiting is up, our school slots are filled. Even the officer courses, the Mandarin regulars and other mercenary units are sending their people here. I’m starting to turn some away, and put others on waiting lists.”
“Guess that battle on Alamo impressed a lot of people.” Galen put his garrison cap back on.
“Yes. Anyway, have you made your mind up about those transports and drop boats? I need to know if I should set up ship’s crew and boat pilot training.”
“We’ll sell the boats and ships. The crews are on loan from fleet anyway. Besides, the board wants their dividends. If we keep those assets we’ll be paying to keep them idle most of the time. Better to let fleet deal with that. As soon as we debark on Juventud, the drop boats and the transport ships become fleet property. But we’re keeping the command drop ship, of course.”
“Of course. We’re getting a lot of academy graduates as enlistees, but we’re also getting plenty of raw recruits. I’m going to emphasize skill training over leadership training, for the next two years. That does a better job of filling our projected vacancies.”
They walked past the mechanized infantry battalion’s vehicles. Galen admired the new Infantry Fighting Vehicles, built on the same chassis as the Brigade’s Hornet light tanks. The IFV had a smaller turret that mounted twin 20mm rail guns, and had an assault ramp on the back of a troop compartment that could hold six combat-laden soldiers.
“The officer slots have to be filled too, in about sixteen months.”
Ross chuckled then said, “Well I suspect we’ll promote from within. Although this Brigade has become a real magnet for enlisted personnel, officers are a little shy about taking a commission here. They’re afraid they’ll end up like me.”
Galen stopped at the back gate of the marshalling yard, turned to Ross and said, “Well I hope you get your rank back, or even, I’d think you’d be a good Colonel. But…”
“But what?”
“After this I’m done. All I wanted was one enlistment, and now I’m serving sixteen months past that.”
Ross stood with his hands on his hips. “You really need to give this some thought. It’s not as easy to quit as you think. I’ve met all my life goals and here I am, still serving. Something to think about.”
“I’ll give it some thought.” Galen stepped through the gate and walked toward his office, still four hundred meters away. Ross stayed inside the marshalling yard.
Chapter Three
As he approached his office, Galen noticed a corporate-suited man waiting on the sidewalk outside the commander’s entrance door. Not too tall, sloped shoulders, a skinny neck, the pads of his expensive jacket a necessity to make him look normal. An expensive hair treatment, shocking white spiked straight up about two centimeters, a flattop held in place with styling spray.
The waiting man spoke, “Hello, Sergeant Major.”
“Who the hell are you?”
“I’m the liaison from EugeneX.”
“Good for you.” Galen stopped and stood right in front of the man. He didn’t want him in the office and decided to talk outside. “You have a name?”
“Pedimore, John D.” He extended his hand.
Galen ignored the hand and folded his arms. “Okay. After we secure the area, and after the construction company puts in a class ‘C’ spaceport, and after the training and troop housing facilities are built, we’ll have something to talk about. That won’t be for another three months.”
“But I was sent to accompany you now.”
“Well there’s nothing in my unit contract about it. It clearly states that liaison starts after construction reaches the stage of completion I just described.”
Pedimore frowned and looked down. “What am I supposed to do until then?”
Galen shrugged. “I don’t care, as long as it doesn’t cost me money or interfere with my unit’s operations or missions.”
“I see. Then what would you suggest?”
Galen had a very vulgar, insulting suggestion for Pedimore on the tip of his tongue, but decided to use tact. “You can stay in our warrior hotel at Visitor discount rates, and you can coordinate with our public affairs office, they can give you official information for your reports back to your boss. But don’t abuse the privilege; don’t mistake my kindness for weakness.”
“Very well.” Pedimore turned and walked away.
Galen’s instinct made him want to put his boot square in Pedimore’s backside, incensed that the little geek had turned his back and walked away without being dismissed. But he knew civilians were like that, undisciplined little punks. Instead, Galen counted to ten inside his head and then entered his office.
He sat at his desk and turned on his flat screen and read a message from his mother. “I’m so proud of you, and I hope to see you soon. There is always a place in my heart and a room in my house for you. I’m looking forward to the day you can settle down and really enjoy the best things life has to offer.”
Galen stared at the message for a few minutes and then sent his reply, a reply that he knew would take a week at least to reach its destination. “I have extended my enlistment for an additional sixteen months. I can’t disclose details at this time, but rest assured I won’t be in any real danger. If I don’t send another message before then, Happy Birthday.”
With that, Galen stretched out on the left-side couch and took a nap.
Galen woke with only a few minutes to spare. He pulled his boots on, checked his personal communicator for messages, found none and then left his office. Entering the marshalling yard through the walk-through gate he saw that most of the vehicles were gone. The recon troop was moving toward the tarmac gate, and the mechanized infantry battalion’s vehicles bristled with troops standing on them, climbing around securing gear. Hundreds of troops also milled around the narrow spaces between the vehicles, awaiting the order to mount up.
As he neared the head of the far left column of IFVs, Galen heard Master Sergeant Sevin’s voice. “Hey Smaj!”
Galen saw him and walked over to where he stood in front of his command vehicle. “So Sevin, what’s up?”
“I just want to thank you for giving me command of the mechanized battalion.”
“Well, somebody has to do it.” Galen noticed that the last vehicle of the scout troop was nearing the edge of the tarmac. “I’ll let you get back to work.”
“First in, last out. That’s the way to do it!” Master Sergeant Sevin climbed into the commander’s hatch of his IFV and put on his commo helmet. Soon, all the other troops mounted their vehicles as well.
Galen checked his wrist chronometer and stepped off quickly and took up a light jog until he reached the control tower. He rode the lift to the top and entered the control room. Tad and Karen stood looking out the floor to ceiling windows at the vehicles and drop boats. A technician and a sergeant from the movement control team sat at the desk, studying the flat screen. Chief Polar stood behind them, making notes on the electronic clipboard.