Read Online Legion Of The Damned - 06 - For Those Who Fell by William C. Dietz - Free Book Online Page B

tense up as Gaphy stopped in front of Santana, and the Hudathan moved in to examine her readouts.
    As with all Trooper IIs, inspection plates were located on various parts of Haaby’s mechanical anatomy. In order to thumb the higher ones open most humans had to stand on a footstool, but thanks to his additional height, Kuga-Ka had no need for such assistance.
    The Hudathan called each reading out as he checked them. “Power, 98 percent. Coolant, 94 percent. Ammo, zero. Life support, 100 percent. Communications, uh-oh, what have we here? I’m sorry, Lieutenant Santana, but at 56 percent readiness, Corporal Haaby’s com status falls well below minimums. Not a very good showing is it, sir?”
    Haaby checked her own internal readouts, experienced a feeling of horror when she realized that the accusation was true, and wondered how such a thing could have occurred. In fact, one of the maintenance techs had checked her systems earlier that morning, and . . . Then it came to her. The tech had been bribed or forced to disable part of her com system. Not the short-range stuff, since she’d been using that, but something else. But why?
    Santana heard the patronizing, almost condescending tone in the Hudathan’s voice, and knew that whatever had occurred was payback for the incident the day before. Kuga-Ka knew the new lieutenant would want to make a good impression on Gaphy and was determined to embarrass him. Just as he had been embarrassed in front of his toadies. The cavalry officer looked up into the Hudathan’s mocking eyes. “Yes, Sergeant. I would have to agree. Come see me about 1400 hours. I’d like to discuss what we can do to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
    It was an order—which meant Kuga-Ka had no choice but to obey. Not only that, but the way the response was worded, and the slight emphasis on “ever,” had a slightly ominous quality. “Sir, yes sir.”
    â€œIf you two have completed your little chat, it would be nice if we could move this process along,” Gaphy said irritably. “I realize that you have been dirtside for less than a full rotation, Lieutenant Santana, and am willing to grant you some momentary slack, but not after today. Corporal Haaby is your responsibility, and I expect more of my officers, especially those with your experience.”
    It was a proper dressing down, made all the more humiliating by the fact that it had been delivered in front of the 2nd platoon, not to mention the rest of the company. Santana felt the blood rush to his face as he stared at a point one foot above Gaphy’s head. “Sir! Yes sir!”
    Kuga-Ka smiled thinly—and the inspection continued.
    The sun inched higher, the temperature continued to climb, and the Legion baked in the sun.
    Â 
    A cold lunch had been brought into General Ibo’s office fifteen minutes earlier. It sat mostly untouched as the increasingly heated discussion continued. The meeting with Kobbi had gone well, but taken a turn for the worse, when Naval Captain Horace Yantz arrived, and immediately launchedinto a list of all the things that the navy couldn’t possibly provide, starting with armed escorts, and extending to the request for a Leviathan class transport.
    â€œSo,” Yantz said, flicking an imaginary piece of lint off an immaculate sleeve, “the Mothri Sun and the Spirit of Natu, are the best that I can do. Both of them are smaller than the type of transport you requested, but there’s a war on, and we must work with what we have. Especially where these off-the-cuff special ops missions are concerned. There’s only so much we can do you know.”
    Ibo watched the naval officer stroke his well-manicured mustache with the back of a finger and wondered if he had ever been shot at. It seemed unlikely.
    Kobbi, his face bright red with barely contained anger, leaned forward in his seat. His voice was so low, so