Chapter 1
Date: August 24th, 2448 Time: 2300, Eastern Standard Time Location: Battleship "Davinus", outer edge of the Asteroid Belt
Trooper Andrew Greer slowly walked down the main corridor of the crew compartment, heading for his company's quarters. After being on board the Davinus for 3 weeks, he and many of the other pilots were beginning to get restless. He stopped at a porthole for a moment and brushed a strand of dark brown hair out of his eyes.
If only the fleet could move faster! he thought to himself as he continued on, we'd probably be at Jupiter by now if the transport barges weren't so damn slow!
This wasn't the first time the thought had crossed his mind. For most of the trip he'd been over eager to face the enemy in combat. Captain Folshe had already told him many times to take it easy, and spend less time in the sims and more time resting, but how was he supposed to "take it easy" when he was going to actually fight for the first time in his life?
Up until company 1-5-C, better known as the Crusaders, had been assigned to the Europa invasion, he had only gotten guard postings. Andrew felt his pulse quicken at the thought of combat, it was only another week to Europa, assuming that none of the transports broke down. And if one did fail, that could only add another week, tops.
Greer was so preoccupied, that he almost ran straight into another trooper. He was about to apologize, when he recognized who it was.
"Jared! Where've you been? I was looking for you," the lie came easily to Andrew.
"Squad simulations, the ones you were supposed to be at," Jared smirked at his friend, "but I guess the Captain gave you some forced R&R."
"Yeah, I don't quite get why she doesn't want me in the sims. We're going off to fight a campaign, shouldn't we get as much practice as possible before the real thing?"
Jared's smirk grew wider. "Yeah, but you've been overkilling on your time in them. Come on, let's head back to the Crusaders' quarters and get some sleep"
"You go ahead, I'm not tired"
Jared shrugged. "Fine, suit yourself."
Once Jared left, Andrew turned around. He really wasn't that tired, and some time in the sims couldn't hurt.
____________________
Andrew could feel the suit gaining momentum. He hurtled around an asteroid, expecting to see the fighter he'd been chasing, and got a nasty surprise when an Imperium Guardsman was pointing a las-rifle straight at his cockpit. He was just about to thrust away and fire, when the simulation cut out. Still strapped into the sim, he tried to figure out what had happened.
"Andrew! If that's you in there, you're in deep shit this time!"
Andrew groaned. That was a voice he knew all to well.
Sergeant Schoen came around to the front of the sim, and he was pissed. Once again, Trooper Greer had snuck in and activated the sims without clearance. He honestly didn't know what to do with the kid. After all, he was a damned good pilot, and must've been a proficient hacker to get into the system so many times. Schoen had already caught him on at least twelve different occasions, but he was sure Greer had been in there without permission many more times than that.
"Trooper! Get your ass out of that sim right now! Don't dig yourself in deeper than you already are!" Schoen was pleased with himself, his voice held a convincing amount of malice this time.
Cursing, Andrew opened the simulator's hatch and stepped out. "Sorry sarge, it won't happen again."
"Like hell it won't! Come on, the Captain told me to bring you straight in if I caught you again."
Muttering many comments on the genealogy of the Sergeant, Andrew followed him down the stairs and out to the corridor.
____________________
Captain Andrea Folshe was looking over intelligence reports when the intercom beeped.
"Sergeant Schoen, requesting permission to enter, ma'am."
"Granted. Come in."
The Sergeant walked in, followed by Trooper Greer.
Andrea sighed, "You caught him sneaking into the sims again, correct?"
"That is correct, ma'am," replied Schoen.
She looked straight at Andrew, "Were the orders not clear enough, Trooper?"
"They were clear, ma'am," stated Andrew. He knew he was in for it this time.
"Then why did you disobey a direct order?"
"With all due respect, I completely disagree with the order, ma'am." Damn it, why did I say that, Greer thought, I am so screwed this time.
Andrea simply stared at him, he felt as though he was shrinking before her steel gray eyes.
"Trooper, whether or not you agree with my orders doesn't matter. I made the order for a reason. Now, for disobeying it, you have earned yourself three days in the brig. And you're only getting off easy because you were doing something productive." She looked at the Sergeant, "Please escort the Trooper to his cell."
Greer was absolutely stunned. He was sure he was going to get a discharge for violating orders again. He was so shocked, that he didn't even complain until he was already in the cell.
Date: August 24th, 2448 Time: 2300, Eastern Standard Time Location: Battleship "Davinus", outer edge of the Asteroid Belt
Trooper Andrew Greer slowly walked down the main corridor of the crew compartment, heading for his company's quarters. After being on board the Davinus for 3 weeks, he and many of the other pilots were beginning to get restless. He stopped at a porthole for a moment and brushed a strand of dark brown hair out of his eyes.
If only the fleet could move faster! he thought to himself as he continued on, we'd probably be at Jupiter by now if the transport barges weren't so damn slow!
This wasn't the first time the thought had crossed his mind. For most of the trip he'd been over eager to face the enemy in combat. Captain Folshe had already told him many times to take it easy, and spend less time in the sims and more time resting, but how was he supposed to "take it easy" when he was going to actually fight for the first time in his life?
Up until company 1-5-C, better known as the Crusaders, had been assigned to the Europa invasion, he had only gotten guard postings. Andrew felt his pulse quicken at the thought of combat, it was only another week to Europa, assuming that none of the transports broke down. And if one did fail, that could only add another week, tops.
Greer was so preoccupied, that he almost ran straight into another trooper. He was about to apologize, when he recognized who it was.
"Jared! Where've you been? I was looking for you," the lie came easily to Andrew.
"Squad simulations, the ones you were supposed to be at," Jared smirked at his friend, "but I guess the Captain gave you some forced R&R."
"Yeah, I don't quite get why she doesn't want me in the sims. We're going off to fight a campaign, shouldn't we get as much practice as possible before the real thing?"
Jared's smirk grew wider. "Yeah, but you've been overkilling on your time in them. Come on, let's head back to the Crusaders' quarters and get some sleep"
"You go ahead, I'm not tired"
Jared shrugged. "Fine, suit yourself."
Once Jared left, Andrew turned around. He really wasn't that tired, and some time in the sims couldn't hurt.
____________________
Andrew could feel the suit gaining momentum. He hurtled around an asteroid, expecting to see the fighter he'd been chasing, and got a nasty surprise when an Imperium Guardsman was pointing a las-rifle straight at his cockpit. He was just about to thrust away and fire, when the simulation cut out. Still strapped into the sim, he tried to figure out what had happened.
"Andrew! If that's you in there, you're in deep shit this time!"
Andrew groaned. That was a voice he knew all to well.
Sergeant Schoen came around to the front of the sim, and he was pissed. Once again, Trooper Greer had snuck in and activated the sims without clearance. He honestly didn't know what to do with the kid. After all, he was a damned good pilot, and must've been a proficient hacker to get into the system so many times. Schoen had already caught him on at least twelve different occasions, but he was sure Greer had been in there without permission many more times than that.
"Trooper! Get your ass out of that sim right now! Don't dig yourself in deeper than you already are!" Schoen was pleased with himself, his voice held a convincing amount of malice this time.
Cursing, Andrew opened the simulator's hatch and stepped out. "Sorry sarge, it won't happen again."
"Like hell it won't! Come on, the Captain told me to bring you straight in if I caught you again."
Muttering many comments on the genealogy of the Sergeant, Andrew followed him down the stairs and out to the corridor.
____________________
Captain Andrea Folshe was looking over intelligence reports when the intercom beeped.
"Sergeant Schoen, requesting permission to enter, ma'am."
"Granted. Come in."
The Sergeant walked in, followed by Trooper Greer.
Andrea sighed, "You caught him sneaking into the sims again, correct?"
"That is correct, ma'am," replied Schoen.
She looked straight at Andrew, "Were the orders not clear enough, Trooper?"
"They were clear, ma'am," stated Andrew. He knew he was in for it this time.
"Then why did you disobey a direct order?"
"With all due respect, I completely disagree with the order, ma'am." Damn it, why did I say that, Greer thought, I am so screwed this time.
Andrea simply stared at him, he felt as though he was shrinking before her steel gray eyes.
"Trooper, whether or not you agree with my orders doesn't matter. I made the order for a reason. Now, for disobeying it, you have earned yourself three days in the brig. And you're only getting off easy because you were doing something productive." She looked at the Sergeant, "Please escort the Trooper to his cell."
Greer was absolutely stunned. He was sure he was going to get a discharge for violating orders again. He was so shocked, that he didn't even complain until he was already in the cell.
