Walker Brigade - Book of Incidents

"Bridge, Echo One, if that ship drops out of hyperspace can we follow?" I didn't know if it was possible, but I was damned if I would let these scum get away.

"Affirmative."

The Chrispin ship disappeared with a wink of light and then we were in a calm blackness dotted with stars, and the ship was only about five kicks away from us.

"Echo Squad, disable the standard drive and hyper-coils." Bolts of plasma fire shot out lancing the ship before us with cold precision.

"Bridge, can you maneuver alongside that hulk?"

"Affirmative," the reply came as the Med Ship quickly closed on the melted hulk that had been a fairly trim fighting ship.

"Echo squad, prepare to board the bogey. We'll use the amidships cargo bay. Once inside, we secure the bay and dismount. Echo Two, you will stay mounted with Echo Five and keep the bay secure. The rest of us will head for the bridge.

"Echo Four, you will stay on the Med Ship and stop all escape pods from departing and to keep boarders from getting in the Med Ship."

"Aye, Chief," came the replies as we moved to the side of the ship closest to the bogey. The Med Ship extended its in-port clamp on the starboard side and grabbed the Chrispin ship, pulling it gently against itself.

"Board," I shouted as the ships touched. I stepped onto the melted hull of the intruder heading for the amidships cargo bay.

* * * Jolene Akers

The Chief was the first to get to the hatch. Leaning down, he pressed his left walker arm to the entry controls and pressed the red emergency button. The hatch started to open, releasing the atmosphere from within to empty space. The squad circled the hatch and watched, as flotsam and air whooshed past. When the hatch was open, we all oriented ourselves to the deck and filed in.

The Chief was at the far wall with his walker in standby mode, un-strapping himself. Shonner and I took up positions facing the inner hatches, as the rest of the squad dismounted their walkers. The hatch doors started closing behind us, the Chief was at the inboard cargo hatch waiting for the pressure to equalize.

"Akers, no one gets out through here. Understand?"

"Aye, Chief." The pressure equalized and the cargo hatch opened, allowing the squad to file into the ship. Bursts from energy weapons and slug throwers flashed through the open hatch.

Smoke was now coming into the bay from the passageway where the firefight was being waged, filling the large bay with swirling wisps of smoke. Shonner and I could hear the firefight recede from the bay hatch as we waited.

"Echo Two, Echo Four, you have suited individuals attempting to open the port side cargo hatch."

"Affirmative, Echo Four. Pick them off with your gauss-gun."

"Aye, Second." The hammering of aluminum slugs striking the outer hull immediately followed the reply.

"All clear Sec."

"Thanks, Echo Four." All was now quiet in the cargo bay.

The smoke was even gone, whisked away by the air handlers. There had been no chatter on all-com from the Chief and the others, so we didn't know what was going on, or how it was going.

Therefore, we waited.

* * * Max Jones

The minute I ducked through the hatchway, multiple power weapons and slug throwers fired upon me. I don't think they were counting on us wearing combat armor, and when I didn't go down under the hail of bullets and laser beams, they turned and ran up the passageway.

We chased them up the passageway toward the bridge, firing our hand lasers. At a bulkhead halfway to the bridge, a bulwark was thrown up to slow us down. What was left of those who had started the flight up the passage ducked behind the barricade, and started firing again. Class IV armor is impervious to slugs from firearms, and the power weapons had barely heated our armor.

As I stopped to take a bead on one of the hostiles, Echo Ten flashed past me on to the top of the barricade and started firing wildly at the people behind it. A single flash of light and heat struck him in the chest, knocking him back off the barricade. There was a six-inch hole in his armor.

"Echo Squad, they have a pulse rifle behind the barricade, take cover." We all scrambled to put something between the barricade and us. The pulse rifle wouldn't be a match for our pulse cannon, but it was quite effective against armored troops. Looking back down the passageway, an idea was trying to burst into flame as I tried to think of a way past the pulse rifle. It wouldn't be long before they brought it to the top of the barricade and tried to pick us off one at a time.

"Echo Two, send in Shonner. I need her in her walker ASAP."

"Aye, Chief."

Looking around the bulkhead I was standing behind, I picked off another hostile as he fired at another of my squad. The passageway from the cargo bay to here should be wide enough for Shonner to kind of waddle down if she kept her legs bent. There was a sound of rending metal behind me, causing me to whirl around toward the sound. It was Shonner her walker arms tearing the overhead to let her walk upright. When she saw the barricade, she dropped her arms and fired her particle beams, causing the junk they were made from to explode into little pieces of shrapnel.

When the smoke cleared, there was a man standing with the pulse rifle aimed right at Shonner's head. Eight lasers lanced out, cutting him to ribbons, and the pulse rifle clattered to the floor.

"Very impressive, Shonner, very impressive indeed," I told her.

"Thanks, Chief." She was smiling as she saluted me with her walker's arm.

"You stay with Fletch. And no one gets past you, hear?"

"Aye, Chief."

"Echo Squad, forward, it's time to take the bridge." All seven of us surged forward as one.

We met no further resistance as we cautiously made our way to the bridge hatch. They dogged it from the inside but a blast from the pulse rifle opened it without a problem. Inside were ten hostiles all cowering behind consoles, not one of them armed.

"Who's in command here?" I shouted. No one answered.

"You," I said, pointing at the closest man to me, "who's in command of this ship?"

"Uh...uh...," he stuttered looking around the bridge, "that would be Commander Rikter, over there." He finished, pointing at a little man, in a black uniform with gold garbage on his shoulders.

"You, Rikter," I said swinging around to face him, "get up and come here. All of you get up and put your hands on your heads, and stand very, very still."

Rikter rose slowly with a sneer on his face and walked over to me. He stood there with a look of complete contempt on his face.

"By the authority of the Federated Planets and the Stellar Army, you are hereby sentenced to death." I shot him in the chest as I finished my sentence. The look on his face turned to astonishment as the beam struck him, burning a hole in his chest. He slowly crumpled to the deck, the astonished look still in place.

"Echo Nine, take the rest of this scum to the starboard cargo bay for transfer to our shuttle."

"Aye, Chief. You heard the man; all you scum better start moving, now. Echo Seven, you lead off."

I stayed behind and looked over the bridge. It looked like everything was intact. The crew in preparation of being boarded had not damaged the equipment on the bridge. Reaching up to scratch my head, I suddenly realized I was still in my armor. I turned to the hatch and left. The tech boys could look this hulk over.

"Echo One to Nightingale, can you have our shuttle dock on the starboard cargo bay as soon as possible, for prisoner transfer."

"Roger, Echo One," the reply came as I hurried to the port side cargo bay to retrieve my walker, and return to the Med Ship. The engineers from the Med Ship would have to place a beacon so the tech boys can find this hulk.

5.30.0093/3

* * * Jolene Akers

The Chief had assigned me to see about a holding area aboard the Med Ship for the prisoners from the outlaw ship. They were all a bunch of meek techies who had probably not wanted to be there at all and were forced to fly on the ship by the officers in charge. I had my team clear out a storage room just across from our shuttle dock, and fitted the hatch with a locking mechanism.

Any hatchways inside the storeroom were welded shut, as were the ventilation ducts. Cots were moved in and welded to the deck, as were some tables and chairs. I worked up a rotation of the squad for guard duty and posted it in our mess. We were now short two squad members: Becky, who was in cold sleep, and Fletch. The Chief was arranging services for Fletch while I took care of our prisoners.

The Chief had been debating on whether to wake Becky for the services or not. I told him she would never forgive him if he didn't, so he had her brought out of cold sleep for the services. Then she would go back into cold sleep before we jumped to hyperspace again. And from the scuttlebutt, it would be a while before we were able to jump. It had been rumored we didn't know what part of the galaxy we had dropped into, out of hyperspace.

"Johnson, you're up first."

"Aye, Sec."

"The rest of you are free to do whatever you want, just be sure to look over the duty roster before you leave. The service for Fletch is at oh-eight-hundred...Stevens, you'll be relieved by a Navy rating for the service. Dismissed."

The squad milled around for a while, then one by one, they wandered out of the squad bay to the mess hall. Not that they were hungry, I was somewhat sick to my stomach, they just didn't want to stay in the shuttle if they didn't have to.

I just stood there for a while with an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. Fletch would be missed more than they knew, more than anyone in the squad knew. I went to my bunk flopped down, and the tears started to well up in my eyes as the thought of the loss of him rolled over me. Rolling over, I buried my face in my pillow, screamed, and screamed until the racking sobs came.

I was startled out of my reverie by a hand on my shoulder. Spinning around, I saw Second Latham standing over me.

"You loved him, didn't you?" I was startled by the question, let alone her presence.

"Uh," I didn't know how to answer her, or if I wanted to answer her.

"You can tell me. It won't go any further, I promise," she crossed her heart as she spoke.

"Uh," she sat down on the side of my bunk, "yes, I did. We spent all our free time together when we were on leave. There was many a night he climbed into my bunk just to snuggle, or to let me know he was thinking of me. I'm going to miss him dreadfully."

It just poured out of my mouth. Here I was, telling Becky things I have never, nor would I ever, tell anyone. She leaned into me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"There will be others, Jolene. In time, the ache in your heart will recede into the background, and another will fill the emptiness Fletch has left there. Not right away, but down the road, and until then you will have us to help you through your pain. Just remember that we will be here whenever you need us." She hugged me again and was gone as quick as she had come.

I sat up feeling better than I had a few minutes ago, good enough to join the squad in the mess hall. Stopping to splash cold water in my face, I left the shuttle and headed for the Med Ships mess hall.

* * * Becky Latham

I came to in the cold sleep recovery room covered with blankets and a warm water lavage tube running down my throat.

"Take it easy, Second Latham, we'll have that tube out of you in next to no time," the masked doctor said, as he started pulling on the tube that went down to my stomach. The feeling as he pulled it out was not unpleasant, but I would much rather not have that done to me again.

"Now, lay there for a while. The nurse will be in with something for you to drink shortly." I waved weakly to him as he left. Looking over at the chronometer on the bulkhead, I saw it was too early for me to be out of cold sleep, real early, two days early.

"Here we go, Second Latham," the nurse said, pushing a straw into my mouth. "Drink, it will make you feel better in no time."

Sucking the cold fluid into my mouth, I was surprised at the taste that exploded on my tongue and spread throughout my body. The soothing liquid hydrated the parched cells of my mouth and throat, and as it hit my now empty stomach, it quieted the hunger pangs rumbling my insides.

"Very good, Second Latham," the nurse praised me as she pulled the straw away from my lips.

"Call me Becky, please," I squeaked, causing great pain in my throat.

"No talking for at least another five minutes, Becky," the nurse admonished me as she placed another straw to my mouth.

This did not contain the same stuff as the first glass. This was different. It still tasted good but was not as exciting or potent as the first. By the time, I finished the second glass of the liquid, the taste had become downright awful and I gagged the last swallow down.

"Okay, Becky, I'll be right back with your clothes and something solid to eat."

She was gone before I had a chance to blink, only to return with a bag containing my clothes and an energy bar. I gnawed on the bar while I dressed. The bar was pretty good and I could feel my energy levels rise with each swallow.

"Once you finish the energy bar, you are free to go." She smiled and left.

I was dressed but not finished with the bar. Shrugging my shoulders, I walked out of the bay munching on the energy bar. I ran into Max just outside the med bay.

"Becky, how are you feeling?" The look of concern on his face didn't match up with me coming out of cold sleep.

"I'm fine, what's up?" I mumbled around the energy bar.

"We lost Fletch." Deep down in the pit of my stomach, there was a sudden empty feeling and my knees buckled. Max caught me and set me down in a chair.

"You ok?" How do you answer that after hearing one of your squadmates won't be there when you get back to the squad bay?

"Uh, yea, I'm okay. How...how did it happen? Is this why have I been brought out of cold sleep?" So many more questions I needed to ask.

"A ship from Alabasters fleet chased us down to free him. The squad deployed on the outside of the Med Ship to defend it. We disabled the hyperspace engines and dropped out of hyperspace when they did. We boarded the ship, dismounted and fought our way to the bridge. Fletch bought the farm in the fight to the bridge. You were brought out of cold sleep to attend his service."

I sat there with my head in my hands, the emotions racing through my mind and heart. The loss I felt, even though I had been with the squad such a short time, was overwhelming. I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I couldn't talk. Max sat down next to me and placed his arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him, sighing.

"I'll be fine, Max, I will. I'll just need a little time."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You have somewhere to be now, don't you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. Can you make it back to the shuttle without me?" The pain on his face was touching, to be torn between duty and love as he was. I understood his pain and smiled at him as I kissed his cheek.

"Go, I'll be fine." He quickly kissed me on the lips and was up and walking down the passageway before the feeling of his lips on mine left.

I sat there for some time and then decided that I needed a shower. I really needed a shower. Hurrying to the squad shuttle, I paused in the door to the squad bay being quiet as possible. Jolene Akers was laying on her bunk with her face in her pillow sobbing. It was rough to lose someone close. They thought we didn't know, but we did. Everyone knew about her love for Fletch and his for her. Walking as softly as possible, I moved alongside her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You loved him, didn't you?" She jumped, rolling over with a bewildered look on her face.

"Uh," she was hesitant to answer my question.

"You can tell me. It won't go any further, I promise," I crossed my heart as I said I promised.

"Uh," she started as I sat down on the side of her bunk, "yes I did. We spent all our free time together when we were on leave. There was many a night he climbed into my bunk just to snuggle or to let me know he was thinking of me. I'm going to miss him dreadfully."

It just poured out of her mouth. She was telling me things she would never tell anyone, ever. I leaned in and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. We settled down and talked about finding someone else in the future. How the squad would be there to help her in her time of need.

I hugged her again and hurried to the showers. I really needed that shower.

6.01.0093/8

* * * Jolene Akers

Fletch's service was held in the ship's auditorium. The squad was in dress grays draped in black. The Navy brass was there, out of respect, in their dress blues. I choked up when taps played, and Fletch's body was lifted to the next deck for burial at sea. The Navy chaplain said some words, and even Captain Hanson gave a really nice eulogy.

Then the Chief got up, saluted the Captain, and turned to face us, his squad. He saluted us and began to talk.

"Trooper Fletcher Wilcox III was a good soldier, a damn fine soldier, who laid his life down to save others. As soldiers, we all know that the call could come at any time, anytime. So it is with pride that I bestow upon our fallen comrade the Order of the Silver Cross.

"Trooper Akers front and center..." The Chief calling my name startled me. I stepped forward and marched up to the front of the auditorium, stopping in front of the Chief.

"As Fletch had no next of kin to send this to, I thought it only fitting that you receive this for him." The Chief handed me the velvet box containing Fletch's medal and saluted me.

I was startled further by the whole auditorium snapping to attention when the Chief did. The tears started to well up in my eyes as I felt the weight of the box in my hands, and the honor my squad mates were bestowing upon me. The Chief held the salute as did everyone else until I composed myself enough to return the honor. I saluted the Chief, then turned and saluted my fellow soldiers.

"Jolene, don't leave just yet." The Chief whispered as I started to head back to my place with the squad.

"Attention to Orders." The Chief shouted. The auditorium snapped back to attention.

"It's not often that I have an honor like the one I am about to have, and I felt that gratitude for one of our own would be a good way to end these ceremonies. It is with a great sense of pride that I am able to bestow upon Jolene Akers her promotion to a grade she well deserves: Second Junior Grade." I had been acting as such, and it was about time that they made the promotion permanent. A cheer went up from the squad as tradition demanded.

The Captain stepped forward to assist the Chief with the placement of my new rank insignia on my uniform. The Captain stepped back, saluted without waiting for a return, grabbed my hand in a firm grip and shook. The Chief then saluted and shook my hand.

"Sec Akers, return to station."

"Aye, Chief." I spun around and marched back to my position with the squad.

"Squad...dismissed!" The Chief shouted.

The squad clustered around me with congratulations and condolences. I just stood there, smiling and crying at the same time.

"Becky, take Jolene down to the squad bay. Let her get herself together, then you both report to the ship's mess for refreshments."

"Aye, Chief." Becky snapped as she led me off to the squad bay.

* * * Max Jones

The party for Fletch was in full swing when Becky and Jolene showed up, the Captain grabbed Jolene, handed her a drink, and dragged her out to the area set aside for dancing. A yeoman started the music as soon as the Captain reached the dance area. Jolene gulped down her drink, set the glass down on the nearest table, and danced with the Captain.