On Arrakiss, the main city owned by House Ardeen of Titan had expanded a bit while also allowing the Freemen locals to come and go to do business. This had the positive effect of creating better relations between the Titan colonizers and the native Freemen, but it also had challenges as well. Freemen freedom fighters fighting for freedom would cause all sorts of trouble. The Titans also expanded their operations on Arrakiss giving them several outposts in the middle of nowhere for diplomatic and intelligence gathering. The second largest settlement on the planet, Zaghi, was a hotbed of Freemen militias. The Titans established a diplomatic outpost in the city defended by a small Space Marine garrison.
The Space Marine garrison was supported by Sergeant Rone, Vanguard Oz, Vanguard Tig, Vanguard Tanto, Vanguard Boon, and Neophyte Olsen. Their operator was Lieutenant Bub, and the Chief of Station was a Brainiac 5 drone. The Titan outpost was under the command of Ambassador Sydne Ardeen and was lightly defended.
Alex arrived on Arrakkis by shuttle and was picked up by Sergeant Rone for her next assignment which was pretty much a security detail. Sergeant Rone was neither starstruck nor disappointed with Alex. As far as he was concerned, she was just another grunt. He immediately handed her a laser pistol as he picked her up at the spaceport.
"How's the wife and kid?" Rone asked conversationally.
"They send their love," Alex said vaguely.
"I thank God I have three boys. You know what they say: If you have a boy, you only have to worry about one dick. If you have a girl, you have to worry about a hundred," Rone said.
"Wow, that's very inappropriate," Alex noted.
"You're in for a rough ride, Olsen. Payback's a bitch and her stripper-name is Karma," Rone said as they passed by the pissed off locals.
"You come up with that on your own?" Alex asked unimpressed.
"Hey, check this shit out," Rone said of all the wrecked Titan tanks and vehicles spread around the city. "Is your wife still mad at me for encouraging you to take this assignment."
"She's mad at me, not you," Alex assured him.
"You need to get out of the Space Marine Corps, trade that rifle for diapers," Rone mocked.
"Is this coming from the guy that used to be a dental nurse?" Alex shot back.
"Welcome to Zaghi where you can't tell the good guys from the bad guys. It's also hot as balls," Rone said as they drove around the city. The city had been crudely constructed from the endless sand. The Freemen went about their business walking around and also driving primitive vehicles. They were slowly being civilized by the Titan colonizers. With that came challenges as the Freemen began to lose important life skills like how to utilize their piss and shit to hydrate themselves.
Suddenly, Rone and Alex got boxed in with a car jam in front of them. There was apparently a shooting with a driver dead in the street. Both sides of the street had militias with weapons pointing at them. "Well...shit, we're boxed in," Rone noticed.
"Are we bailing?" Alex asked urgently.
"Base, this is Rone, we have eight rifles, and a machine gun pointed at our ass," Rone radioed.
"Copy, quick reaction force headed your way," Tanto radioed back. "Oh...wait...Dox says no."
"Piece of shit," Rone said peeved.
The Freeman militia leader approached Rone and Alex's vehicle. "We're from the government, and we're here to help," Rone said showing his military ID to him.
"Pull over, get out, and prepare for an inspection," the militia leader ordered.
"Yeah, fuck that," Rone refused.
It quickly became a Mexican standoff as Rone and Alex pointed pistols at the militiamen who were pointing rifles at them. "Look up, see the drone? No? Well, it's up there. It sees your face. It knows who you are. You kill us, that drone kills all of you," Rone threatened. "Give the order to let us go."
"I decide the fate of my world," the militia leader said stubbornly.
"I don't give a fuck. I'm ready to go, right here, right now. Let's do this," Rone said inanely.
"Leave while you still can," the militia leader allowed.
Rone and Alex then drove through the car jam. "Do we really have air support?" Alex wondered.
"We don't got dick," Rone replied.
Rone and Alex entered the Space Marine compound and met up with Brainiac 5. "You nearly created a galactic incident. If anything happens to Neophyte Olsen, the Supreme Leader will turn Arrakkis into a mirror," Brainiac 5 chewed Rone out.
"How was I supposed to know we would get ambushed?" Rone asked incredulously. "No air support, no GPS, and no QRF. What the fuck?"
"If you had the same knowledge as the locals, you would know the better routes," Brainiac 5 said condescendingly. "You, Space Marines, are good at working out, eating five hot meals a day. What you're not good at is doing what you're told."
"The Freemen are getting uppity. A storm is coming," Rone warned.
"Put it in a memo," Brainiac 5 said dismissively. "You may bunk here but you're not telepaths, you're not AI. You're a liability," he said and then went into his office.
Rone and Alex rolled their eyes and went into their own Space Marine section. "Everybody, this is Neophyte Alex Olsen. She's been on three deployments already, so she knows the drill. "Trig is our local intel guy, Boon is our sniper, and Tanto likes to rub his dick on everything," Rone introduced. "Everyone double bunks except me because I'm in charge. The gym sucks, the food is actually good."
"Let's deal with the big white elephant in the room. Yes, she's a woman which is unheard of in the Space Marines, but she earned her way in, no white royal privilege required. And like every good Space Marine, she fucks women," Rone told them all.
"Hurrah!" the others said agreeably.
"So, give her the respect her rank deserves," Rone ordered.
"Which is dick," Tanto said immaturely.
Alex was given an orientation meeting with Brainiac 5. "We go long back, so I'll be frank with you, Alex. The Space Marine Corps thinks you should be here. I do not. Truth is, it's too dangerous. The more organics with guns here, the more likely there is to be a misunderstanding. I don't care for misunderstandings," Brainiac 5 said bluntly.
"Yes, Sir," Alex humored him.
"The most intelligent minds in the universe are doing important work here. The best you can do is stay out of our way," Brainiac 5 told her.
Alex nodded condescendingly and went back to her section.
As it happened, the Space Marines did not follow instructions and did everything they could to provoke a fight with the local militias resulting in crazy firefights and car chases throughout the city. Not long afterward, Lieutenant Bub contacted his men via video screen on some important news. "Ambassador Sydne Ardeen is coming in Monday morning. She's the real deal. She's here to win hearts and minds," Bub began.
"If this is a state detail, what does it have to do with us?" Tanto asked.
"You're going to drive her around and provide protection. The ambassador deserves the best and who is the best: Space Marines," Bub said.
"Hurrah," the Space Marines agreed.
"If you get her killed, you're all fucked," Bub added.
"Well...shit," Rone sighed.
The next morning, the Space Marines arrived at the Titan outpost. There, they met with three Titan security personnel: Scott, Dave, and Alec. The Titans also hired disgruntled Freemen as additional security paying them dirt-low wages. Unlike the desert environment, the Titan outpost had a nice lawn and some trees. The Space Marines took a tour of the elite-looking outpost residence.
"What's your set-up here?" Rone asked.
"Our ambassador's residence in this half of the villa is the safe haven. Forced-entry, blast-resistant door. Security bars on the windows. Inside that is our safe room," Dave pointed out.
"What kind of firepower do you have aside from plasma rifles?" Rone asked.
"That's all we got," Dave said flatly.
"I hate to piss on your party, but a couple of dudes with plasma rifles is not enough. Your hired gun are useless, your perimeter is soft, and this entire outpost is a sniper's paradise. If a large group of Freemen attacks, you're all going to fucking die," Tanto said pessimistically.
"That isn't going to happen. The ambassador is a nice lady," Dave doubted.
"We're just a click away in case you need anything," Rone said politely as they prepared to leave in their car.
"I can't believe the Titans are this incompetent. They, using the ambassador as bait for an attack?" Alex wondered.
"If the ambassador dies, it's going to be a shitstorm here," Rone figured.
Sydne Ardeen eventually arrived and gave a lecture on Titan's intentions for Arrakkis. The Space Marines were present, albeit half-asleep. "So, yes, it's easy to imagine any number of scenarios playing out here. However, in my mind, our biggest mistake would be to not view this moment as an opportunity. Relationships between governments are important, yes, but relationships between people are the real foundation of diplomacy. And I believe that it is our mission as Titans to help Freemen form a free, democratic, and prosperous Arrakiss," Sydne said to her staff.
Henceforth, the Space Marines provided security for Sydne wherever she went. When Sydne met the mayor, a flood of locals wanted to see her. "Titan is here for you, all of you," she said warmly.
The crowd ate it up and then Sydne went back to her outpost without incident.
The day of the attack, Freemen militia groups surveyed the outpost and were noticed. The Space Marines spent most of the day working out and lifting heavy things. That evening, they talked with their families back on Earth, played chess, read books, and had beers. Alex couldn't help but smile as she had a video call with Kelly and Kelex.
"I'll be home in two weeks. I'll be home soon," Alex promised her.
Finally, as it became evening, the Freemen attacked in mass. They fired plasma rifles at the gate and fired rockets into the outpost. The hired guns were easily overrun. The Freemen burst through the gate and flooded the outpost. Sydne entered the safe room while her security forces locked doors and tried to fend the Freeman off the best they could. The Titans were outnumbered, at least, ten to one.
At the Space Marine compound, Brainiac 5 was monitoring the situation. "What we got?" Rune asked.
"Thirty to forty attackers at the outpost," Brainiac 5 detected.
"My Space Marines are ready to kick ass," Rone assured him.
"You will stand down," Brainiac 5 ordered.
"What the fuck? That is a Titan ambassador," Rone reminded him.
"I'm well aware. I'm coordinating with the Arrakkis colonial government. They are the first responders," Brainiac 5 said calmly.
"Absolutely not, fuck no. They can't be trusted to do shit," Rone objected.
"You are a last resort. I'll remind you that Imperial Princess is with you. I will not sacrifice a princess for an ambassador," Brainiac 5 said simply.
The Freemen burst into the outpost and searched around. The Freemen attempted to get through to the safe room with their plasma rifles without success. Unable to get through, the Freemen poured fuel on the floor to smoke them out. Smoke immediately poured into the safe room and the walls were now on fire.
Again, Rone protested Brainiac 5. "Okay, we go without Olsen. How about that?" he asked.
"Stand down," Brainiac 5 said dismissively.
"But why?" Rone demanded.
"If you go there and you're ambushed, who rescues you? And if you're dead, the compound loses valuable assets to keep the princess safe here," Brainiac 5 said simply.
Alex then confronted Brainiac 5. "After they've taken the outpost, where do you think they will go next?"
"Here, obviously," Brainiac 5 said obviously.
"So, let us go," Alex beseeched him.
"If you die, there will be no mercy on this world. All the good done here will be for naught. The Freemen will perish as a people forever," Brainiac 5 said bluntly.
"I don't even think Kara is capable of mass genocide," Alex doubted.
"No...she will send Mon to do it," Brainiac 5 frowned.
"If you don't fucking get here, we're all going to die!" the Titans radioed the Space Marines.
"Fuck this, we're all going," Rone ordered his men.
"Do not leave this compound. You do not have clearance to go," Brainiac 5 said to them.
The Space Marines ignored him and moved toward the outpost. Facing a roadblock, the Space Marines got out and moved on foot engaging against Freemen militia as they did. With their helmets, they could see around with night vision and target with extreme accuracy. The mech-suits inside their armor allowed them to leap over walls. Freemen on both sides engaged each other in the firefights creating a bloodbath. As the Space Marines got closer to the outpost's gate, they encountered rockets and automatic fire. Trig fired a grenade that destroyed the Freemen's tactical machine gunner.
"I join you. I fight for my planet," a random Freeman said to Alex.
"Good for you, stay down," Alex said to him as they were getting shot at.
Entering the outpost, the Space Marines encountered a befuddled Scott. "Where's the ambassador?" Rone asked.
"We got separated. She's still inside with two others," Scott replied.
The Space Marines went inside and activated their life-support systems inside their helmets. They were now immune from the fire and smoke. "Follow my voice," Rone said to Alex as they moved inside.
At this point, armed Freemen of ambiguous sides showed up at the outpost making it impossible to know friend and foe. They were also acting retarded, jumping out of the bushes and flagging the Space Marines and each other. Dave and Alec were then recovered inside the outpost but there was no sign of the ambassador. Freemen hostiles then arrived in force to engage the Space Marines. The outpost quickly became a warzone with plasma fire and grenades exploding. In the firefight, the Titan security forces and staff evacuated the outpost. With their telepathic abilities, the Titans avoided hostile Freemen as they were stopped repeatedly on the streets. The Titans went on a tear running fools over left and right as they made their escape. The Freemen's plasma fire bounced off a telekinetic shield surrounding the vehicle. A rocket was fired at their vehicle only to be telekinetically deviated at the last second into a wall causing an explosion of debris around them.
At the compound, the Titans and Space Marines eventually arrived. "The ambassador?" Brainiac 5 asked.
"No one could survive that," Rone assessed.
"We are evacuating the compound to the airport," Brainiac 5 ordered.
"How about we get some gunships over here instead?" Rone asked.
"Not within range," Brainiac 5 replied.
"We make our stand here," Rone determined.
"Those are not your orders," Brainiac 5 rejected.
"You're done giving orders, now you're taking them. You're in my world now," Rone told him off and left the room.
Brainiac 5 ignored Rone and ordered his compound staff to prepare for evacuation.
Rone quickly appointed everyone to the three rooftops and towers within the compound area. The Space Marines, Titans, and some of Brainiac 5's staff armed themselves got ready for battle. As if knowing something was up, Freemen evacuated the area.
"I don't think we're getting any gunships," Boon figured.
"Air support? That would be too easy," Tanto rolled his eyes.
"Dox, are we expecting any friendlies?" Rone asked.
"No, you may fire at will with prejudice," Brainiac 5 permitted.
"Draw them in, don't shoot any kids," Rone instructed his men.
Rockets suddenly fired into the compound and the Freemen opened fired. The Space Marines fired back with accurate fire. The entire night sky was filled with plasma fire. The Freemen hostiles were hit with automatic and sniper fire. Trig got shot to the chest but otherwise no one was seriously injured in the first wave.
After the wave, the Space Marines hung out together on the roof while a drone was overhead eyeballing the general area. "We have to be prepared to be here for a while. Dox says our escort is held up at the airport," Rone reported. "Supposedly, all of this was triggered by street protests over a film where water was wasted. It pissed them off."
"As opposed to this being the anniversary of Titan domination of the planet?" Dave asked skeptically.
"The news wouldn't lie, would it?" Rone rolled his eyes.
"We have company," Alex said as armed Freemen gathered in one spot.
"Could be a second front forming," Oz considered.
"Are we expecting friendlies?" Tanto radioed from his rooftop.
"No, stop asking," Rone said annoyed. "Let's move," he said to Oz as they took up positions on the other side of the rooftop. Alex moved to meet up with Trig on another rooftop. Boon and Tanto were together on another.
A vehicle bomber attempted to get close to the gate only to get blasted to scrap by the Space Marines. The Freemen opened fire with rockets and plasma rifles. This time, the combat was far more intense. The Space Marines struggled to keep cover on the rooftops as they were being shot at. Boon fired into a Freemen's head just before he fired a rocket. The rocket was shot into the ground taking out several more guys in the explosion. Boon kept at it, taking out numerous Freemen with headshots. Oz blasted the entire area with automatic weapon fire.
The Freemen attempted to take cover with nearby buildings only to get blasted with constant suppression fire and grenades. A vehicle suddenly exploded as a large bomb prematurely ignited after getting hit with Space Marine plasma fire. Scores of Freemen hostiles were slaughtered with those remaining retreating away. The second wave was over.
As time went on, Trig looked like he was about to pass out. "Take a break. I got this," Alex said to him. He reluctantly went down inside the building. Rone then arrived to check up on Alex. "Those Titans, you should see the look on their faces. They're going to relive this shit for the rest of their lives," Rone said amused. "My whole mindset is not to give a fuck, keep shooting balls out every time. How you doing, Marine?"
"Downtime is the worst. Adrenalin leaves and your mind begins to wander. I haven't thought about my family once since being up here. Now, I'm thinking about them. Up here in the middle of this. I'm thinking about my little girl. Thinking what my wife would say about me? Dying on an alien desert planet, a colonial outpost to an alien empire that is part of a Galactic Federation that exists one thousand years after I was born. Like, why the fuck am I even here? What does any of this mean to me? Every time I go back to Kelly and my little girl, I think this is it. I'm going to stay and do something normal with my life like be a doctor, a martial arts instructor, a housewife. And then something happens, and I end up back here. Why is that?" Alex said thoughtfully.
"Warriors aren't trained to retire, Alex," Rone said simply.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I guess I'm not cut out for Space Marine life," Alex shook her head embarrassed.
"Nah, it's cool. I get it. I know what it's like to be in a place like this. I have another man raise my children because I believe in fighting for something bigger," Rone said.
Alex gave him a WTF look but quickly recovered. "Escort from the airport is on its way. Also, Ambassador Ardeen has been found alive at Zaghi Hospital," Brainiac 5 reported.
"Fuck yeah," Rone said pleased. "We're heroes."
Lieutenant Bub being a lieutenant got himself lost so the escort didn't arrive in a timely manner. The Space Marines waited for the dawn. The Freemen came around to gather intel and regroup for another wave. Lt. Bub eventually arrived at the compound. "The Calvary has arrived!" he said as he brought a squad with him. He went up to the rooftop and met with Rone.
"Sorry, got hung up at a gift shop," Lt. Bub said dryly. "You made a mess up here."
"Sorry, Sir, won't happen again," Rone rolled his eyes.
"I'm happy to inform you that more battles await you, today. You're staying here a couple more hours while we evacuate these civilians," Lt. Bub said.
"Tell you what...thank you, Sir," Rone said gratefully.
"Where's Olsen at?" Lt. Bub asked.
"The other roof," Rone pointed out.
Lt. Bub went over to the other roof to check up on Alex. "Didn't think you were coming, Sir. Not with all the paperwork you, officers, do," Alex joked.
"Well, I was going to but then I remembered not to leave any Marine behind," Lt. Bub smiled.
"Mortars incoming," Tanto radioed.
The Freemen changed tactics and fired mortars into the compound creating all sorts of explosions. As before, the Space Marines kicked ass, but things were now more complicated as mortars rained down on them. One by one the defenders started to fall. Dave was hit with shrapnel to the chest making him a total mess. Another mortar hit near Oz severely damaging his left arm. Rone went over to check up on him only for a mortar to fall directly on him. The explosion tore open his armor and killed him on the spot. Lt. Bub turned around to get to Rone only to get hit with a mortar as well.
"Rone! Bub!" Oz shouted as he crawled over to where they were.
As the third wave ended, Alex moved over to the other rooftop and looked over Oz. She quickly put a tourniquet up to his armpit and got him back to his feet. Alex then went to Lt. Bub and checked for a pulse; he was dead. Trig went over to Rone and found him to be dead as well. "God, watch over him, guide him where he needs to be, protect his family," he prayed over him.
Inside the compound, Alex and Brainiac 5 went into doctor-mode as they stabilized Dave and Oz.
Titan ground forces and their colonial allies finally reached the Space Marine compound and took everyone away except Brainiac 5 who decided to stay to collect intel. After getting checked out by medical personnel, the surviving Space Marines boarded the Sydne's Titan cruiser. "Hey, it's me. I wanted you to hear it from me first. We had a slight problem here. Whatever you hear on the news, it's over now. Not a big deal. Okay, love you, bye," Alex said to Kelly's voice mail.
Alex and the rest of the surviving Space Marines were ordered to Titan for a debriefing.
Titan
A large hall was filled with Titan officials and military personnel in formations. At the end of the formations was the Titan royal family: Bertor, Sydne, Irma, and Jancel. On the side was Kara, Brainiac 5, and Primarch Hulgrim. With booming music, the surviving Space Marines marched toward the end of the hall and stood at attention for the Titan royal family.
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of one's life above and beyond the call of duty, I hereby award the Imperial Navy Cross to all those present and to Lieutenant Bub and Sergeant Rone posthumously," Primarch Hulgrim awarded each of them.
"All of Titan thanks you for your efforts and your sacrifices. Your comrades will not have died in vain. The Titan Empire will continue its efforts to civilize and increase the quality of life for all Freemen on Arrakiss," Sydne said appreciatively.
The formation then clapped loudly for all of them and then began to disperse. Kara approached each Space Marine shaking their hand and then finally went to Alex. "You, done having fun? Time to stop playing marine, I think," Kara said to her.
"I think I've only begun," Alex countered.
Kara simply stared at her. "You nearly got killed. You have a wife and child back home. You've exceeded all expectations. You're far braver than me. It's time to give this up."
"I'm not done yet," Alex said stubbornly.
Kara took Alex aside. "I'll force you out."
"Then, I'll go back to the past taking Kelly and Kelex with me," Alex threatened.
Kara simply glared at Alex. "One day I will send you back."
"But it won't be this day. I want more," Alex demanded.
Kara motioned for Primarch Hulgrim to come to her. "Find Neophyte Olsen a new assignment," she said coldly.
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Primarch Hulgrim smiled.
As Alex left with Primarch Hulgrim, Kara was met by Brainiac 5 who had been listening. "This is getting out of hand. Find a way to get Alex to quit and fast," Kara ordered.
"I have an idea in mind," Brainiac 5 assured her.