Read Online Three Against the Stars by Joe Bonadonna - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joe Bonadonna
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five fingers of the amber-colored nectar. He swallowed half the drink, and then set the glass on the table next to his bunk.
“Well, Colleen,” he said. “It’s Day Watch and scuttlebutt has it that we’re being deployed to Rhajnara. We’re getting briefed in about an hour or so, and then it’s off we go, first to fight, as always.” He paused and took a breath before going on. “I got some bad news for you, honey. We lost Lieutenant Hooks. You remember Sam. He dressed up as Santa for the kids one year.”
He sipped his whiskey and continued talking to the photos.
“We lost quite a few good Marines, too—young men and women you’d have been proud to know.” His sigh was heavy with sadness. “Anyway, I’m glad you and the kids are along for the ride. Patrick, Brian—I hope you boys are minding your mum. Katie, I know you’re helping keep them twins in line.”
As he sipped his drink, O’Hara remembered . . . and the hole in his heart, never to be healed, began to ache.
He had been aboard the Imperial Starship, Inchon Landing , just entering Earth’s solar system, when a tsunami hit the Fiji Islands; his wife and children had gone there on vacation. By the time O’Hara had returned to Earth, their bodies had been recovered from the wreckage. Colleen and the kids were cremated a few days after his return…
O’Hara rubbed tears from his eyes. It was hard to believe that fifteen years had passed since that terrible day when he said farewell to his beloved family.
“I’m worried about Makki, my love,” he said. “You know . . . that wee Rhajni corpsman who was assigned to our regiment about a year back. What with him getting into all sorts of trouble with Cortez, and Akira teachin’ him how to fight—I don’t know what’s gonna happen to him. I know there are rules and regulations against it—but he wants to be a Marine!
“He’s a good lad, though. Don’t get me wrong. But he has no business wantin’ to be a warrior. Poor kid has seen enough war and death in his young life, I can imagine. Besides, he has what it takes to be a real fine doctor. I ride him hard, that’s the truth. But that’s my way, and I’m hopin’ he’ll come to his senses and decide to go to medical school.”
O’Hara paused as if listening to some voice only he could hear.
“What’s that, love?” he asked. “Oh, I’ll be behavin’ myself, I promise. Now I’d best be shovin’ off. Kids—I love you, and try to behave yourselves , okay? Colleen, love of my life, I miss you more than I can say. Keep a light burnin’ in the window for me.”
O’Hara finished his whiskey and set the empty glass on the table.
444
Standing on the hangar deck, Akira was amazed by the condition of the Iwo Jima. It was an old rocket ship designed only for interplanetary travel; she had no FTL drive, and had to be hauled from one galaxy to another by the massive starships of the Imperial Fleet. Patched and battle-worn, the ship was a relic from the early days of space exploration, around the last decade of the 21 st century. Docked at one end of her landing bay were twenty-four Comanche AEVs—two squadrons—like the ones used on the missions to Cindar and Grant’s Planet.
444
The Marines of Company E were standing at ease with their sergeants and officers.
“What a heap of nuts and bolts!” Pretty Boy complained.
“I’ll be a happy camper if this bucket can maintain an orbit,” said Horseface Jenkins.
Fatty Russo cursed with disgust. “We’ll be lucky if this garbage scow gets us halfway across the next solar system!”
“Jeez! The Fleet tours the universe in brand new starships and all we get is this rickety relic left over from some ancient science fiction movie,” Tattoo Annie complained.
“Even Flash Gordon wouldn’t be caught dead flying in this crate,” Akira said.
Cortez shook his head. “Who is this Flash Gordon?”
“Quit your whining, ya miserable beggars!” O’Hara
“Well, Colleen,” he said. “It’s Day Watch and scuttlebutt has it that we’re being deployed to Rhajnara. We’re getting briefed in about an hour or so, and then it’s off we go, first to fight, as always.” He paused and took a breath before going on. “I got some bad news for you, honey. We lost Lieutenant Hooks. You remember Sam. He dressed up as Santa for the kids one year.”
He sipped his whiskey and continued talking to the photos.
“We lost quite a few good Marines, too—young men and women you’d have been proud to know.” His sigh was heavy with sadness. “Anyway, I’m glad you and the kids are along for the ride. Patrick, Brian—I hope you boys are minding your mum. Katie, I know you’re helping keep them twins in line.”
As he sipped his drink, O’Hara remembered . . . and the hole in his heart, never to be healed, began to ache.
He had been aboard the Imperial Starship, Inchon Landing , just entering Earth’s solar system, when a tsunami hit the Fiji Islands; his wife and children had gone there on vacation. By the time O’Hara had returned to Earth, their bodies had been recovered from the wreckage. Colleen and the kids were cremated a few days after his return…
O’Hara rubbed tears from his eyes. It was hard to believe that fifteen years had passed since that terrible day when he said farewell to his beloved family.
“I’m worried about Makki, my love,” he said. “You know . . . that wee Rhajni corpsman who was assigned to our regiment about a year back. What with him getting into all sorts of trouble with Cortez, and Akira teachin’ him how to fight—I don’t know what’s gonna happen to him. I know there are rules and regulations against it—but he wants to be a Marine!
“He’s a good lad, though. Don’t get me wrong. But he has no business wantin’ to be a warrior. Poor kid has seen enough war and death in his young life, I can imagine. Besides, he has what it takes to be a real fine doctor. I ride him hard, that’s the truth. But that’s my way, and I’m hopin’ he’ll come to his senses and decide to go to medical school.”
O’Hara paused as if listening to some voice only he could hear.
“What’s that, love?” he asked. “Oh, I’ll be behavin’ myself, I promise. Now I’d best be shovin’ off. Kids—I love you, and try to behave yourselves , okay? Colleen, love of my life, I miss you more than I can say. Keep a light burnin’ in the window for me.”
O’Hara finished his whiskey and set the empty glass on the table.
444
Standing on the hangar deck, Akira was amazed by the condition of the Iwo Jima. It was an old rocket ship designed only for interplanetary travel; she had no FTL drive, and had to be hauled from one galaxy to another by the massive starships of the Imperial Fleet. Patched and battle-worn, the ship was a relic from the early days of space exploration, around the last decade of the 21 st century. Docked at one end of her landing bay were twenty-four Comanche AEVs—two squadrons—like the ones used on the missions to Cindar and Grant’s Planet.
444
The Marines of Company E were standing at ease with their sergeants and officers.
“What a heap of nuts and bolts!” Pretty Boy complained.
“I’ll be a happy camper if this bucket can maintain an orbit,” said Horseface Jenkins.
Fatty Russo cursed with disgust. “We’ll be lucky if this garbage scow gets us halfway across the next solar system!”
“Jeez! The Fleet tours the universe in brand new starships and all we get is this rickety relic left over from some ancient science fiction movie,” Tattoo Annie complained.
“Even Flash Gordon wouldn’t be caught dead flying in this crate,” Akira said.
Cortez shook his head. “Who is this Flash Gordon?”
“Quit your whining, ya miserable beggars!” O’Hara
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