Chapter III
I believe you do, sir.
You do, sir.
The phrase, and realization, hit Reyes like a tsunami. Retribution, and everyone on board, were now his responsibility. The moment only lasted a second before Boats announced that the captain of the Tigris was trying to hail them.
"Roger that." Reyes finally said, snapping out of his shock, his head snapping from one officer to the other as he locked eyes with Gator once more, "You spinning radar?"
"Still turning, sir." Gator replied tiredly.
"Get Raven transports set for evac and rescue, I want our casualties outbound right away and those birds to help with search and rescue. Drop Officer, coordinate with engineering and get us mobile."
"Roger." Lieutenant Yetide answered, "Engineer MaCallum's on her way."
"Staff Sergeant." Reyes added, turning back towards the Marine, "Can we count on your help?"
"You'll have what you need from me, lieutenant." Omar replied.
"Roger… Salt, you with me?" Reyes finally asked with a glance to his wingman.
"Always." Salter told him without a hint of hesitation, though he could tell she was just as worn as he was. Still, it was enough to get a hint of a smile out of Nick before he got back to business.
"Gator, get the Admiral on the line with our connection to Tigris."
"Copy. Comm Officer, STRATCOM, Top Cat Sovereign."
Within moments, the communications screen lit up to show the commanding officer of the Tigris, Captain Maureen Ferran. Mother of two, and mother to her crew, Ferran was a fierce fighter and a tough captain who might as well have been the textbook definition of no-nonsense. Despite her aging features and greying hair, she still looked like she was willing and capable of ripping a C6's arms off.
"Lieutenant, who's in command of the Retribution." Ferran demanded.
"Lieutenant Reyes, SCAR Team Leader." Gator answered.
"Captain, your ship and crew?" Reyes inquired.
"Intact, which considering the circumstances, I'm grateful for." Ferran told them, her frame shrinking as the connection to Admiral Raines finally managed to patch into the Retribution's straining systems.
"Captain Ferran, Ladies, Gentlemen, it's good to see all of you." Raines stated, getting affirmative responses from all present before continuing, "Let me make our situation absolutely clear. We are now at war with the Settlement Defense Front. Due to Captain Alder's use of force, the enemy was driven into retreat. At this time, Tigris and Retribution are the only operable ships we have. Our course of action moving forward is to buy Earth time while we rebuild our fleet."
"Understood Admiral, Tigris is prepared for tasking." Ferran said.
"We've been roughed up, but we're ready as well, sir." Nick added, to which Raines simply nodded before his portion of the screen transitioned into a tactical briefing display.
"Today's attack was not limited to Geneva. SetDef launched a concurrent strike on the Moon Gateway Port. Those cargo terminals receive freight critical to rebuilding our fleet, so your mission is to retake that port." Raines explained, though his serious tone somehow managed to get even more serious as his face reappeared on the screen, "Lieutenant Reyes, I am promoting you to the rank of Commander. You are now the acting Captain of the Retribution."
I believe you are, sir.
"Roger that, Admiral." Nick replied after a moment's pause, the reality of the situation still taking all too long to feel real.
"Keep the enemy away from home…. Godspeed Captains, Top Cat out."
The tension was palpable as Raines' feed faded out, leaving Ferran with her hands on her hips as the gathered staff of the Retribution looked at each other. It wasn't until Salter broke the silence that things started to get moving again.
"We've got no air wing."
"We'll go without it. That's how we do things in the infantry, lieutenant." Omar quipped, gesturing towards the path towards the armory while Reyes looked back over to Ferran.
"We'll insert the Marines from the Ret."
"And I'll provide overwatch from Tigris." Ferran replied. "Let's go to work, Captain Reyes. Stay sharp out there, all of you."
"You too, Captain." Nick said as her feed cut as well, leaving him to address the Marine at his back.
"You've got some shoes to fill now, Captain." Omar deadpanned.
"We've got limited boots and guns." Reyes answered, "Lieutenant Salter and I will deploy with you."
"Sir, this is a ground assault." Omar balked, "Captain's place is on the bridge."
"Not this captain, not today." Reyes stated, to which Omar simply shook his head before heading towards the lift.
"Marines take point. You ride in with us, see how the view changes, sir."
"Muster on the Well Deck in five, Staff Sergeant."
"Aye, sir."
You are, sir
""Get us going, Gator. Lunar Gateway." Reyes ordered.
"Aye sir, plotting a course."
"We'll notify you when we're ready, Captain." Yetide added, "Engineer MaCallum's ETA on having us mobile is another three minutes."
"Understood." Reyes said, though before he could do much else, Sotomura interjected.
"Commander Reyes, Captain Alder's Operations Office is now yours. Be advised… his effects are still in place."
"Thanks, Boats." Nick murmured, his gaze moving towards the door at the back of the bridge for a moment before he started slowly towards it. Once at the door, he hesitated. It was unlocked, his hand was already on the latch, and it wasn't like the door was heavy, but what was behind the door was much heavier than any metal could be.
"Slick…?" Nora finally whispered, causing him to flinch slightly and let out a deep breath.
With one more exhale, he finally pushed the door open.
What was once a pristine and organized office was total chaos. Papers, manuals, personal belongings, and just about anything that wasn't bolted to the bulkheads had been tossed around during the collision. Prominently, a trophy that Reyes had seen so many times before was now laying on the floor instead of sitting neatly on its shelf. With a sigh, he strode over and picked it up while Salter closed the door behind them.
Nick looked it over for a moment before carefully handing it to his wingman and looking out of the window to see the rest of his battered ship.
"For the indomitable Captain John Alder." Nora read off the trophy's placard.
"The Captain is dead…" Reyes muttered.
"Long live the captain." Nora finished as she placed the trophy on Alder's coffee table, only for silence to once again take hold for an uncomfortable amount of time, "Hey, Nick…"
"Yeah?"
"You can do this. You're the best we've got."
"High praise coming from you, Nora." he answered.
"You earned it, Raider." she told him before turning back around and starting out of the office, "I'll give you a moment while I check on things with Gator."
I believe you do, sir.
The moment kept replaying in his head even as he looked around at the ravaged office. Retribution was his. The crew was his. Half of the war effort was now sitting squarely on his shoulders. Hundreds of lives looking to him for leadership in order to protect billions of lives. He kept staring out of the window, debris obscuring his view of Earth even as the Ravens he had sent out just minutes earlier grew smaller and smaller as they flew towards home.
"I guess the Captain's chair is genetic…" Nick mused quietly, letting the silence answer him before finally making his way back towards the bridge and his newfound responsibilities.
Gator was the first to announce his arrival, going through the usual protocols for use of the Drop Drive and spurring the rest of the bridge crew to return to their stations. Doors audibly sealed and Reyes could hear the rapid successive 'thunk' of everyone's boots magnetizing to the deck plating mixing with the low jump alarm that began sounding throughout the ship. Outside, the Charge Panels began rising up from their places on the deck and glowing in preparation for their imminent jump to Luna.
"We're prime to drop on your go, sir." Gator said once Reyes was in position, "Your ID Key now has clearance for the Drop Drive, sir."
"Understood." Nick replied, pulling said card from his uniform and inserting it into the CO's station at the central map table. Once inserted, he disengaged the safety and inserted his thumb into the ignition scanner. A quick scan of his uniform quickly identified him to the system as the commander of the ship and once confirmed, he nodded back to his navigator, before he could say much more, the Comm Officer spoke up.
"I have Captain Ferran for the Commander." she stated.
"Patch her in." Reyes answered, and soon enough the familiar visage of Ferran graced his HUD, if only for a few seconds.
"Captain, Tigris will drop in outside the Area of Operation. Once Ret joins, we'll hold position until your Marines are ready. Good flight. Out."
"On you, Captain." Gator told him.
"Go for Drop." Reyes answered.
"Collision alarms up." Yetide announced as blue-tinted energy began swirling around the battered carrier.
"Away in 3…" Salter's voice echoed throughout the ship, a last warning for anyone who ignored the jump alarm, "2…. 1."
For a fraction of a millisecond, Nick felt the universe simply stop, but once that feeling was gone, intense acceleration tugged at his body. It felt more like he was on an ancient naval vessel than a top-of-the-line aerospace vehicle with how the Retribution heaved and rocked, and within seconds, a fire broke out on one of the consoles near the front viewport.
"Status?" Nick asked, doing his best to keep his tone level.
"Location accuracy is .97, hull integrity is below normal." Yetide answered.
"Can we make it, Gator?" Salter asked.
"I'll get us in." Gator replied.
"Steady as she goes…" Reyes added.
"Exiting the Slip." Yetide announced, and shortly after, Gator counted down to their return to real space.
17 seconds. The transit that had once taken months for humanity centuries ago now took less than half a minute, and even if this was standard fare for SATO for a century now, Nick couldn't help but marvel at the technology that made this possible. His awe was short-lived as life once again took center stage. The sound of fire extinguishers working on the still burning forward bridge station caught his attention right before Ferran contacted him directly through his HUD.
"Commander, Tigris is set for close air support. Notify when your Marines are staged for insert."
"Tigris is standing by, let's bug out." Reyes said before looking back over to his navigator "You have the Conn, Gator."
"Aye, sir." Gator replied, nodding back at his commander.
"Lieutenant, Captain, I'll see you to the Armory." Boats offered, gesturing to the bridge elevator.
Salter gave an affirmative before following after the bridge officer, with Reyes close behind. As they stepped onto the lift, he couldn't help but look back at the bridge one more time before the glass doors slid shut and the lift began its descent.
"Staff Sergeant Omar's squad is on the Well Deck, sir." Boats added, her stance stiff and looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Why is Sergeant Omar taking lead on this?" Salter asked.
"It's a joint operation, Salt. He's the senior Marine on board."
"He disrespected you." Salter spat back, and Reyes couldn't help but notice how Boats was trying to look at anything but the two officers next to her.
"Don't let him under your skin, that's just what jarheads are like. It's why they fight so damn well." Reyes replied with a grin, a grin that Nora replied to with a scowl. However, before she could offer more criticism of the highest ranking ground pounder they had left, Sotomura intervened.
"Warrant Officer Griff is expecting you both in the armory, Captain." she told the two pilots as the elevator screeched to a halt. The starboard door opened up to a narrow hallway packed with maintenance personnel trying to fix everything and anything they could reach.
"How's she looking?" Reyes asked as he walked past.
"Retribution's seen better days, sir, but we'll keep her together." Engineer Hamilton answered from behind a makeshift console, a wrench in one hand while his other worked on the datapad in front of him.
"Keep up the good work, gentlemen." Reyes told them, giving a respectful nod before going through the door to the armory and Warrant Officer Griff's perpetually chipper face.
"Griff." Salter called.
"Lieutenant! I cleaned up around here best I could considering we'd be getting a visit from the Captain." the Tennessee native and former army trooper teased, his drawl coming through thick as ever.
"Nothing's changed, Griff." Reyes replied.
"Speaking of changes, let's get you both kitted out." Griff told the duo, his back to them as he gingerly pulled a fresh weapon off the armory's printer.
"That a Volk, Griff?" Salter asked, an eyebrow raised and arms crossed.
"Indeed it is, ma'am. Just got the surface data in from your suits, couldn't wait to print off a fresh one for our stock." Griff said, practically caressing the rifle in his hands as he made his way back towards the tempered glass separating him and Reyes, "So, what's the Op, sir?"
"Reinforcing the Lunar Gateway, SetDef's there in force." Nick answered.
"Understood, make sure you have an energy weapon, even if it's just a sidearm. C6s tend to not agree with them."
"Sidearm it is, I'll stick to my NV4." Reyes told the armorer, "We have any Shock Grenades in stock?"
"Plenty, I'll make sure they're on the tray for both of you, hacking modules are fresh off the printer too if you want, Ethan stopped by earlier and said you made good use of them back at Geneva."
"Good man." Reyes said, nodding back at Griff before stepping to the tray and placing his hand on the scanner.
Once firmly on the palm scanner, his flight suit's colors began shifting. Another redundancy to ensure only authorized personnel were given weapons, the scanner not only changed his uniform's camouflage pattern, but positively identified Reyes as who he was. Once the scanner and his armor finally cycled through identification and changing his camo state, the weapon rack next to it popped up to reveal his rifle as well as an energy pistol similar to one of the ones he was forced to use during the fighting on Earth.
"That should get the job done. Never say die, Captain." Griff called after the departing SCARs.
"Not on your life." Reyes answered.
"Give'em hell sir, we're all behind you!" came a final call as Nick and Nora made their way through the armory door and onto the nearby hangar elevator.
"None of this is standard operating procedure." Salter grumbled.
"Outgunned, but not outmatched, lieutenant." Reyes replied as the elevator started moving to the deck below.
"When did we become the underdogs?"
You do, sir.
"About an hour ago." Reyes deadpanned right as the lift came to a halt. Once stationary, Gibson and Ethan stepped on and the lift quickly resumed its journey into the bowels of the Retribution.
"Commander." Ethan stated plainly.
"Not how we aim for promotion, Ethan." Nick answered, his tone slipping for a moment and letting on just how worn the SCAR was.
"No, sir." the bot replied, shaking his head.
"You're the right man for the job, Reyes." Gibson added, "May Alder rest in peace."
"Is the hangar shaping up?" Salter asked after a short silent moment.
"Affirmative. Top men on it."
"Good." Reyes said before turning his attention back to Ethan, "Ethan, I want you on this one with us."
"Roger that, sir. I got ready just in case."
"Corporal Brooks will check you all in." Gibson added once the elevator finally stopped, "Good luck down there."
"Captain Reyes!" a distinctive Irish voice called, "Lieutenant. You'll need boost-rigs for this one."
The owner's voice was Corporal Sean Brooks, Omar's usual right-hand despite the myriad of Marine sergeants on board. It was either a testament to both his dependability and at how decimated the Ret's complement was after the attack on Earth.
Reyes, Salter, and Ethan all stepped into the harness racks nearby, placing their rifles aside and while Ethan didn't require one, Reyes had to grab the helmet hanging above the rig and slipped it on. Once secure, all three of them brought the thin metal bar down and locked the Enhanced Mobility Rigs to their backs.
"What are these packs for, ma'am?" Ethan inquired.
"Enhanced jumps, wall-running, control in Zero-G, that sort of thing." she answered calmly.
"Don't you know all this, Ethan?" Reyes asked.
"I do, Captain. I just find the lieutenant's voice… soothing."
"All aboard, sir, lieutenant." Brooks interrupted, opening the door to the well deck and making his way inside. The navy personnel followed close after and despite the limited number of Marines milling around in preparation, Reyes couldn't help but appreciate the sight of his Marines at work.
"That's eighteen, sergeant, plus our officers… and this guy." Brooks told Omar.
"What's your assignment, drone?" Omar demanded.
"Captain's orders, Staff Sergeant. And it's bot, not drone, but deserving attempt at humor, sir."
"Don't call me sir, I work for a living." Omar snarked, "Check your bot, Captain, before I throw him out of the airlock. I've seen what those things can do."
"That won't be necessary, Staff Sergeant. Ethan, park it." Reyes ordered.
"Rovers are at capacity, sir." another marine cut in. Nick recognized him, Private Todd Kashima, native Canadian and nicknamed "Brooks' Shadow" with how often the pair worked together in the field.
"Not a problem, private." Nora quipped, "He doesn't need a seat. Step up Ethan. Hang on tight."
Ethan let out a cheery affirmation and made his way onto the closest rover, literally clamping on as the hand on the frame audibly locked down. Nora made her way forward, riding shotgun as Omar barked to his Marines to lock and load. Reyes stepped up onto the back of the rover, holding tight even as Omar pushed past Ethan to get into the driver's seat and stand on it.
"Eyes up on your HUDs! Be briefed or be sorry!" Omar shouted even as the tactical layout appeared before Reyes' eyes, "Earth's Lunar Gateway Port is currently under siege. To defend it, Retribution will insert two teams. Alphas and Bravos, 1s and 2s. Primary objective is to retake that port. Oorah?!"
A resounding "OORAH" came back from every Marine on the Well Deck, getting a genuine smile from Omar and Reyes alike.
"Masks on!" Omar called out as he finally took his seat.
"Tigris-Actual, how copy?" Reyes asked once his helmet was sealed.
"Solid. You set?" Ferran asked in turn.
"Affirmative. Gator?"
"We're taking heavy fire, sir! We need to insert now!" Gator replied.
"Copy. Open the Well Deck!" Reyes called, and as soon as the ramp lowered, all hell broke loose.