Read Online Captain (The United Federation Marine Corps Book 4) by Jonathan P. Brazee - Free Book Online

Federation Nova holder, endanger my men.”
    Endanger?  What grubbing bullshit are you saying?  I was keeping my men safe!   he thought, even if he was smart enough to say nothing.
    “I’ve gone over your operations, from where you won your silver star as a PFC to your operation on GenAg13.  All your successes were because you acted and acted decisively.  Your performance reports all noted this tendency. 
    “I’ve also gone over your psych reports.  After losing most of your men on G.K. Nutrition 6, including your brother-in-law, you retreated within yourself and almost resigned your commission.”
    Ryck wanted to protest, but he knew it was true.
    After you were awarded the Nova, the powers that be hoped you had gotten past that, and your assignment here is your proving ground.  The Corps wants their heroes, and you fit the bill.  They want you to succeed.”
    “Uh, sir, how do you know all of this?” Ryck asked.
    “Please, Captain.  Do you think I wasn’t briefed about the great Captain Ryck Lysander?  That I wasn’t briefed to make sure you succeed and get past any remaining demons?”
    Ryck said nothing and simply digested what the CO had just told him.  So the top brass had their eyes on him?
    “But let me make one thing perfectly clear.  I don’t give a rat’s ass for what the general staff wants with you.  You are one of my company commanders, and I expect you to perform.  And if you don’t, I will run you out of the battalion.”
    At that, Ryck started to protest, but the CO held up his hand.
    “And yes, I know that could cause me to be relieved, too.  But if you screw up in a fight, I need to do what is best for the Marines.
    “I was trying to do what was best for the Marines,” Ryck said sullenly.
    “You were dawdling, Captain, afraid to take decisive action.  You knew that two Confederation capital ships were inbound, but you delayed, giving a potential enemy time to prepare and putting the entire task force at risk, all because you were trying to protect a few Marines.  There might be times that you will have to send a man to his death, Captain, all for the greater good.”
    Ryck winced, thinking of Joshua, his own brother-in-law, whom he had ordered to his death, along with three other Marines.
    “And frankly, I don’t know if you have it in you,” the CO went on.
    “I called you here for two reasons, and no, I don’t have a hard-on for you.  I want you to succeed.  I want you to be the very best Marine you can be.  The first is to give you fair warning.  You need to step up your game, Captain.  You need to find the Ryck Lysander who went fearlessly into battle and made immediate, effective decisions.  You have not shown that to me yet, so consider yourself on probation.  The second thing is that I want you to know your medals won’t help you.  I don’t care about them, and I don’t care if you have godfathers looking out for you.  I will do what I think is best.”
    You grubbing pogue, Ryck thought, keeping his face expressionless.  Of course you care about my medals because you’ve never seen combat, and you’re jealous.  You don’t ride Preston like you ride me, right?  Because Preston doesn’t have a Nova and a Navy Cross.
    “Do we have an understanding?” the CO asked.
    “Yes, sir,” he said, his voice calm and even.
    “OK, Captain.  I know you have it in you, and I expect to see it.  Go see to your men, now.  Dismissed.”
    And that was that.  Ryck had been dismissed like a recruit who’d just screwed up.  In the back of his mind, a tendril of thought kept trying to surface, that the CO had been right, that Ryck had been endangering the entire battalion and the Inchon by playing it too cautiously.  But Ryck successfully pushed that tendril back into the recesses of his mind. 
    The CO was out to get him, pure and simple.  And Ryck was not going to give him any excuse to relieve him and take away his company—both by his performance and,