Star Trek: Terra Alpha

The sun had set bellow the horizon. The entire division had been at it since sunrise, and had only broke once for 30 minutes for the Marines to consume field rations.

6,000 sweaty bodies filled the parade grounds, as officers and marines from other units wrinkled their noses, and mocked the members of the 82nd as cheerfully jogged past for their weekend liberties.

One Lieutenant, "Hey 82nd! You're never going to see real combat go home and leave the war to the real Marines. We don't fight with swords no more!" His buddies high-fived him and ran off giggling like a bunch of school girls.

Ethan grumbled under his breath. There were a handful of officers and Marines in the division that knew how to handle a sword. Most were members of the Academy fencing team.

Dougal on the other hand with a few others had been members of the S.C.A. The Society for Creative Anarchism, and played knight on weekends, and thus were proficient in midieval swordsmanship.

And of course the Narlins were all proficient in their own sword style. The use of a sword was part of their military training. Something Ethab had thought was a monumental waste of time and resources until the Battle of the Two Roses which claimed the life of Empress Starbreeze.

As for him he wasn't what he'd call proficient, but Dougal had commented that he had picked ut up exceedingly fast. Ethan wondered if that had to do with his affinity with the ijulna. That first instance when he had managed to harness the ijulna still sent shivers down his spine.

An odd crack sent a wooden practice sword pinwheeling into the air and stuck the back of the head of another Marine.

"Corporal O'shea, you goddamn stupid bitch!" Her Irish NCO shouted at her as the Sergeant closed in on Corporal Molly O'shea like a lion stalking a gazelle.

And Molly acted just like the gazelle and shifted uncomfortably. The private who had been on the receiving end of her negligence scowled at her and was rubbing the back of his head.

"I ought to bust you down to private lass!" The sergeant's voice rang out across the parade yard. "It's a sword, not your boyfriend's dick. You do that in battle with an Ajem'dasis or their bloody lackeys you're dead and I have to write to your ma and da' explaining what a useless bitch you are!"

"S..s..sorry sir. It won't happen again."

"Sir?!" The NCO blared. "See these stripes?" He demanded pointing to the sergeant's chevrons on his sleeve. "I work for a living!"

"Yes Sergeant!" Molly replied. You could tell she was close to tears, and it was taking everything she had to hold herself together.

The sergeant nodded, "Well, lass you best be getting your sword."

She swallowed, and trotted off to retrieve the wooden practice sword and returned to her sparring partner.

Ethan chuckled and leaned close to Dougal so that they were the only ones heard, "Irish NCOs. Only DIs I have ever met that could make you feel both useless and empowered at the same time."

"Aye," the big Scotsman replied. "A Scotsman would likely just knock ye on yer wee arse."

Ethan chuckled, "That can be effective too."

Dougal smirked, "We've been at it all day. Do ya think it time to call it?"

"They're not ready," Ethan replied.

"Lad..." Dougal admonished. "There's a point where too much training results in diminishing returns."

Ethan sighed, "You're right. Okay."

"Working the division 'ta death will no bring yer wife back lad."

"But, not preparing for the next encounter really will kill them"

"Aye, I ken that well enough, an' we will be lad. We will be, just in no one day."

Ethan gave Dougal a curt nod and shoutedat the top of his lungs, "82nd Division fall in!"

There was a flurry of commotion, as officers from the regmental level all the way down to NCOs on the platoon level shouted orders and admonished the slower moving Marines.

Once everyone had settled into attention. "We still have lots of work to do," he started. "Today is a good start, but there's more to being a Marine than fighting. We have to be able to march all day and jump into a fight. Or be dog tired from a fight and execute a fighting retreat. War is hell ladies and gentlemen, and it is my job to give you all the tools I can so you can survive. All regiments except for the 69th are dismissed. The 78th will report to Colonel Macdonald here tomorrow at 0400."

There were no sounds as the bulk of the division broke up and scattered. "Mr. Murphy," Ethan said to his regiment CO. "Your staff, and your battalion officers and staff NCOs are dismissed as well."

"If it's all the same ta' you sir," Colonel Murphy shouted. "This division sticks together."

"Very well Colonel. Tonight we run Waxahachie. Four k up four k down! Move out Marines!"

Without complaint or hesitation the entire division broke onto columns of four, the width of the road, and started their trek up the mountain and back. Ethan jogged close behind to help any stragglers.

Somewhere someone started to sing, and the entire regiment took up the regimental song. A modification of an even older regimental song from the 19th century.

My name is Tim McDonald, I'm a native of the Isle, I was born among old Erin's bogs when I was but a child. My father fought in " 'Seventy-four," for liberty so dear; He fell at Chin'toka like an Irish volunteer.

Then raise the harp of Erin, boys, the flag we all revere We'll fight and fall beneath its folds, like Irish volunteers! Then raise the harp of Erin, boys, the flag we all revere. We'll fight and fall beneath its folds, like Irish volunteers!

When I was driven form my home by an oppressor's hand, I cut my sticks and greased my brogues, and came o'er to this land. I found a home an many friends, and some that I love dear; Be jabbers! I'll stick to them like bricks and an Irish volunteer.

Then fill your glasses up, me boys, and drink a hearty cheer, To the land of our adoption and the Irish volunteer! Then fill your glasses up, me boys, and drink a hearty cheer, To the land of our adoption and the Irish volunteer!

Now when the evil Imperium commenced a warlike raid, I quickly then laid down my hod, to the devil went my spade! To a recruiting-office then I went, that happened to be near, And joined the good old "Sixty-ninth," like and Irish volunteer.

Then fill the ranks and march away!--no traitors do we fear; We'll drive them all to blazes, says the Irish volunteer. Then fill the ranks and march away!--no traitors do we fear; We'll drive them all to blazes, says the Irish volunteer!

When the Queen of Evil came over here, and made a hubbaboo, Oh, everybody turned out, you know, in gold and tinsel too; But then the good old Sixty-ninth didn't like these lords or peers They wouldn't give a damn for kings, the Irish volunteers!

We love the land of Liberty, its laws we will revere, "But the divil take nobility!" says the Irish volunteer! We love the land of Liberty, its laws we will revere, "But the divil take nobility!" says the Irish volunteer!

Now if the tretorous Imps should ever cross our roads, We'll drive them to the divil, as Saint Patrick did the toads; We'll give them all short nooses that come just below the ears, Made strong and good of Irish hemp by Irish volunteers.

Then here's to brave Mattis whom the Marines now revere. He'll lead us on to victory, the Irish volunteers. Then here's to brave Mattis, whom the Marines revere. He'll lead us on to victory, the Irish volunteers.

Now fill your glasses up, me boys, a toast come drink with me, May Erin's Harp and the Alliance Flag united ever be; May Imps quake, and rebels shake, and tremble in their fears, When next they meet the Alliance boys and Irish volunteers!

God bless the name of ol' Ryder! that name this land reveres; Success to Murphy and Talon, and their Irish volunteers! God bless the name of ol' Ryder! that name this land reveres; Success to Murphy and Talon, and their Irish volunteers!

A sleek red and gold administrative shuttle was parked outside of Ethan's office. Secretary of Defense Director Tony Ryder was sitting on the roof with his shirt open and a pair of ear buds in listening to music when he saw the troops jogging back into the base. "About time..." he muttered and buttoned his shirt back up and slid down the front window of the shuttle and landed on his feet. Despite being raised alongside his far more optimistic brother and sister, he was the realist and the futurist. He knew that the Marines wouldn't survive another encounter with the Ajem, although he was sure that's what all the extra training was for, but he knew they'd need an edge.

"General... I'd offer you a scotch but I think you would probably go for a tall glass of water right about now eh?" Tony said with a smile. "As well as the gear you requested." he patted the side of the shuttle. "My boys and girls have been working for months on this."

"Mister Ryder," Ethan acknowledged. "What is it? They may not be able to sling the force about, but they are learning to use a sword, and the Narlins are already prepared."

"A few things to keep your men alive." Tony replied. "Besides enhancements to the standard armor systems..." he pulled out a new gauntlet. "Designed to deflect, absorb and deactivate a kilden at close range. These micro RCS packs, to counteract a force push or pull, basically if it detects a push or pull it'll attempt to counteract. They work with the new personal force field system. I had Nick try to kick my ass, even insulted his wife... most I got was knocked off my feet a bit but in my defense, I was wearing leather sole shoes with no traction."

Tony pulled out a drawer. "Now this I developed just for you." he pulled out a rather hefty looking sidearm. "Managed to mod an old Desert Eagle into a plasma pulse bolt pistol. Has about as much stopping power as one of those larger rifles we gave ya, but in a much more compact form and the ammo uses my new micro dot plasma ammo. Get about fifty shots before you need to reload. Oh and the shell of the gun is kilden resistant. So they can't just chop it in half. A new alloy Nicholas and Alice have been working on, only gave me like two 5x10 sheets of it to work with, but that was enough to make a few guns and some other little gadgets." he handed the gun to him and then opened another side panel. "And this... if the Navy complains about the Marines actually getting something 'new' they can shove it up their ass. This is a portable, field deployable... holodeck for all intents and purposes. Set it up, load a program, make the enemy think there are dozens more of you or make them think they won."

Tapping a control on the side of the panel the tiles shot out from the shuttle, deployed on the ground and instantly there was a 'command bunker' with about two dozen troops patrolling. "Now I do understand that the Ajem will know the troops are holographic, but they can still fire at them, go intangible and the tiles can form a hard light force field, basically what goes in, doesn't go out. Been finding that a lot of the Ajem we face aren't really 'master's' or even close to like my brother or your mom's skill, so they can be fooled if they see what they want to see. Once they're in position, you can capture 'em, beam 'em somewhere... hell, take pick 'em off like fish in a barrel of course I wouldn't condone that kind of easy cold blooded killing but y'know... war is hell."

"I'll do what is tactically sound," Ethan said. "When the Americans dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima it might have saved lives in the end, and that my friend was some cold blooded killing. Besides, as far as I am concerned the Ajem, and their allies gave up their right to life when they attacked us."

"Won't get any argument from me there. Personally I think your ma should have cut Bartyn in two but... whatever. Not letting anyone else's father get killed because of those laser sword wielding assholes." Tony said bitterly.

Ethan dug into his pocket and pulled out a can of chewing tobacco, a habit he picked up following Trinity's capture. Extracting a pinch of the foul tobacco he stuck it in his lower lip.

"I think she wanted to before she disappeared. She said something strange about a vision, and how she nearly murdered him."

He spat and shrugged, "It's a truly messed up situation we're finding ourselves in. My Corps commander General Woodruff doesn't see the seriousness of the situation. Thank God for General Mattis. He saw it coming before all of us. He's got another four militia divisions formed, making a total of eight ready for the field. Eight divisions we wouldn't have if we had left that up to Congress."

"It helps when you have people making your case for you General." a tall bald headed Marine said as he stepped out of the shuttle. "Considering I came from the belly the beast, they took my testimony a bit more seriously. Besides, don't need Congress to tell us how to run our Corps. Four months of work at least didn't go down the drain. And we got some new recruits too. Dumb bastards. Let's hope we weed the cocky SOBs out before we have to put 'em through the chipper that's Dominus and the Ajem."

"Nephew in law has been helpful with getting this stuff Marine ready. You boys tend to break things we give you, not like Navy." Tony said with a smirk.

"We use 'em for actual battle." Riddic said with a grin. "Not scientific and diplomatic use. And former Nephew in Law... I ain't Livvy's hubby officially. Just a good ol' Marine Clone... alright so I ain't a clone technically but that's what I've been workin' toward, more guys like me, dumb and brave enough to fight the good fight and take risks no one else will take. By the way Talon, brass is impressed with what ya got here. May be another star on your shoulder before long. Kinda proud they reactivated me under your command. Not that I don't miss bein' a fighter jock but someone has to kick some ass here on the ground."

"Just doing a job," Ethan replied. "A job that trains these men and women how not to die. Trinity got us some great regiment commanders. She's got an eye for sizing folk up. I have to admit her indian recruits had me questioning her, but I would put that unit up against any unit in the Corps."

"Yeah I could have told you that." Ethan nodded his head. "I had a few of 'em in my old unit when we moved out here. Surprised some of them were still kicking. Although I do agree, she turned the drunks and bar room brawlers into some of the best soldiers we've got. She certainly inherited her mother's tactical sense. And hey man, I am sure she's got some plan in her head and that's why for the past six months we haven't been able to find them. Ryder women always have some plan up their sleeves. Trust me on that one. I've seen a lot of different versions of my ex-wife and her sister and they're all super resilient." he took off his beret and stuffed it in his pocket. "In any case, we get word that she's anywhere within range, I'll fly you to her myself."