Colonel Dennus of Hosta was thoroughly enjoying himself. Having command of a battalion of Legion troops was, in his opinion, the only place for a serving soldier. It was even better that his command was temporarily detached and now well away from the Regimental headquarters. This was due to his current assignment, attached to a newly colonised world in the galaxy called, locally “Ice Fire”, located in the Third Cluster. The Empire called it Resta for reasons known only to those who name such things. The planet itself had the name of Zarma, after the first, long dead, ruler of note.

The battalion that Dennus commanded was the 3rd/297th/109th. That is the 3rd Battalion of the 297th Brigade of the 109th Division. The bulk of the 109th was several sectors away while brigade was quartered on a system two sectors away. This was actually the only division of troops in the Resta galaxy; not a great deal happening in this peaceful place. For space support, a light cruiser, the Gretta, was in orbit around Zarma, her sensors being put to full use. The large transport vehicles that delivered the battalion now returned to base. As they were only armed for defensive space combat, their use was limited.

While considered ‘newly colonised’, Zarma had been populated several thousand years earlier. The population had grown slowly due to the severe conditions on the planet itself, it was colder and on the outside edge of the ‘water zone’. As well, strict qualifications were imposed by the then planetary governor for resettlement. The planet was a harsh world for many centuries until hard work by the first settlers brought about necessary changes. Forestation and grass growing gradually brought some moderation to the climate. No changes were made directly to the oceans which remained essentially unchanged and full of life, some deadly.

With a current population of just under a hundred million, the planet was on the verge of full autonomy and membership in the Empire. A coming of age which brought about the current difficulties and the reason for Colonel Dennus of Hosta’s presence together with his battalion. A small section of the population, calling themselves Free Zarma’s, had, within the year declared that they would rather die than submit to the Empire’s tyranny. Never mind that the Empire had been supporting them for thousands of years. This news had not yet reached the ears of either the high council or legion high command as the galactic and cluster councils felt that they could handle the problem themselves.

The local police found themselves unable to properly deal with the insurrectionists due to a lack of numbers and equipment. After all there were a lot of places to hide on such a planet, and the services of the Legion were called upon. The Colonel was sent.

Swiftly appraising the situation, and recognising the need for speed in dealing with the problem, he recommended that the 3rd Battalion be transferred to Zarma along with a cruiser with the best sensors available. This was agreed and approved by the Galactic Governor and the cluster council. They were also aware that this was a message that would in time be delivered to every planet in the Empire.

On the battalion’s arrival, there was a full civic greeting which the Fire Support Company was assigned to attend. Always impressive, due to the variety of methods of destruction they employed, they were a hit. However the other three line companies and headquarters company were quietly landed at a remote base selected as their headquarters and base of operations.

It was only then, after all the ceremonies were complete that Colonel Dennus met with his team, getting straight to business. “Welcome everyone, you have read all the intelligence. Thoughts?”

There was silence for a moment, then Major Greta Trilm, one of many women in the Legion sighed. “Well the crew on the Gretta have done a great job and should get our thanks. We own them a lot, but we don’t have all the personnel to do this in one shot without running a considerable risk. I would also like more time to run some training scenarios.”

As Major Trilm was the second in command, her words carried weight. A stocky woman with a round happy looking face that many in the past had assumed had taken as displaying the Majors nature. They were soon made aware how mistaken that was. She was a veteran of the Legion. Their adversaries totaled almost a thousand of which about one third could be described as combatants. Currently they were grouped into three columns of unequal size located in what could be called villages. While they were far enough apart to make a simultaneous assault difficult for a single battalion, a plus was that the three groups were too far apart for mutual support, however the make-up of each group complicated the problem. The smallest and closest group, about ninety men and women, were all combatants with the next largest being a hundred and fifty strong. Again all combatants. This last was also the furthest away. The middle group, numbering about seven hundred, was located between the two groups and had over four hundred women and children mixed in. However, there were only about thirty combatants, but this group included all the top leadership.

To carry out his mission, Colonel Dennus of Hosta had, including himself, four hundred and twenty seven combat personal with an additional hundred or so support troops. All trained troopers with powered armour and a fire support group. Gretta was able to supply in support, two shuttles which could also carry weapons in addition to the two standard to all battalions. Blasting the insurrectionists was not the problem, the non-combatants were. No one wanted to be accused of killing children in particular. Not for any reason.

“We will take down the two smaller groups together then converge on the larger from two directions. These two groups contain the majority of the armed rebels, so if we take them out the rest should be a lot easier. We can call on Gretta for additional fire support as necessary.” The Colonel paused, ready to speak again.

That was as far as he got, a trooper entered the room.

“Sir, priority message, you are to report on board Gretta immediately.”

The room dropped into sudden silence.

“Corporal, repeat the message.” Major Trilm was the first to recover and her order went to the corporal handling communications with the light cruiser who had just appeared.

“Sir, Commander Kilvert sent the message by secure priority channel. The actual message is: Imperative Colonel Dennus report on board with full baggage immediately. High Command orders.”

Another corporal entered. “Sirs, I have a further message: Major Trilm to take command pending arrival of brigade. By order of High Command. That is all, sirs.”

“Get Commander Kilvert on voice. I want to speak to him!” Colonel Dennus ground out.

This was speedily done. “Kilvert speaking. Colonel Dennus, I assume?”

“What is going on? Why am I being replaced? Is this your idea of a joke? If it is …” His voice trailed off.

“To answer your questions in reverse order, no; I don’t know and I have no idea.” He took a deep breath audible over the comm. “I hope that you have your men packing because a fast courier is on its way in hyper and it has your name on it. So, sir, you have to get up here, please. The orders are signed by the Marshal herself. That is all I have.” There was a pause. “Sorry Colonel, but you have to get up here now.” The finality in the Commander’s voice broke through Dennus’s anger.

While this was occurring, Major Trilm had pulled the adjutant, Captain Dule, aside and given him a quiet order. This officer nodded and left.

“I will be up there as soon as I can and I will want to see those orders personally.” While the Colonel’s discipline training had reasserted itself, he could not completely hide the bitterness in his voice. He turned to his erstwhile second in command and spoke, “You have command now Major Trilm.”

“Yes sir.” Then Major Trim turned to the assembled officers. “Attention, Salute!”

Returning the salute, Dennus gave a quiet “Thank you.” Collecting his sword from its hanger, he turned to leave. Some officers moved to follow him. He stopped them with an upheld hand and pointed to Major Trilm. The officers nodded and turned away. Nothing was said nor needed to be said.

Moving with a brisk pace, the Colonel answered all salutes from passing personnel with exactitude, ignoring the unspoken questions in the eyes that followed him. The gossip mill is working with its usual speed, he thought with unaccustomed bitterness. He reflected on his, to date, unblemished career. Never a backward step, although he had routinely turned down, whenever possible, postings that took him away from active commands. Maybe that was the problem, too many refusals.

Arriving at the small room that was his quarters, he was not surprised to find his adjutant supervising the swift packing of his few belongings that he had brought. The majority were at the battalion’s base at brigade headquarters.

“I have cut orders regarding the balance of your personal effects, sir. I have also given orders to have a shuttle ready for you.” Captain Dule informed the Colonel.

“Thank you Captain.” Dennus replied.

“My honour, sir.” Dule paused. “I would be pleased to serve with you again sir, if possible. Anywhere.”

“I will remember that. You may not be too grateful!”

The Captain laughed, then stopped as the two privates straightened up. “Done, sirs.” The senior spoke.

“Let’s go then.” The Colonel said with a smile. “And thank you.” He took the bag, holding it easily in one hand. “I can do this, return to your duties.” The two privates saluted and disappeared. Turning to the adjutant, he spoke quietly. “Major Trilm will need all your support. This will be very difficult for her.”

“Off course sir,” Captain Dule motioned. “This way.”

“I can find the launch pad, you have done enough. Now this is my last order; return to your duties.”

“Sir!” The two exchanged salutes and parted.

Moving out of the temporary housing at his deliberate brisk place, Colonel Dennus turned in the direction of the area where the launch pads for the shuttles were located. Reaching the ready shuttle, he was met by the sergeant commanding the ground crew and the lieutenant commanding the shuttle. Both saluted and the sergeant took the Colonel’s bag.

“I will stow this, sir.” He disappeared.

“Welcome aboard, sir.” The shuttle commander greeted the Colonel.

“Thank you Lieutenant, I know where to sit, there is no need to show me.”

“Yes, sir.” With a nod to the crew chief, the lieutenant took the captain’s seat.

“Let’s strap you in, sir. Atmospherics are rough on this planet.”

Suffering this, although he knew that the chief was exaggerating, somewhat, Dennus sat through the safety drill. Taking his seat opposite, the chief informed the pilot that the shuttle could go.

The flight up was uneventful, contrary to what the chief had implied. Docking with the Gretta was routine and, with thanks to the crew, Dennus boarded the light cruiser.

*********

Roughly oblong, the Gretta was similar to all the other members of the Empire’s fleet, excluding battleships and the large armoured planetoids. The class that Gretta belonged to, the Quaser class, massed about forty thousand tons and exhibited the usual boxy, rectangular shape favoured by the Empire’s ship builders for cruisers and smaller ships. In its three football field length were housed a complement of one hundred and seventy crew, along with a platoon of Legion Troopers. These numbers had been the standard for light cruisers for centuries.

Armed with the standard spectrum of hyper missiles, anti-matter and gravity, as well as high velocity mass missiles, they packed a formidable punch for long range attack backed by the firepower of a plasma beam for closer work. There were three firing points on each side with a further three each on the top side and the bottom of the hull. A lack of space for additional firing points was accepted due to the type of work that a light cruiser was expected to do. It, of course, carried the usual defensive shields common to all military vessels. A heavy cruiser was much larger with a correspondingly larger crew and was also armed and armoured to a greater extent.

Designed with a graceful sweep of the hull curving up from the front and down to the engines at the rear, the lines of the vessel were somewhat spoilt by the bulbous engine housing. This shape, while much admired, shortened the vessels life due to excessive metal fatigue during hyper travel. The shape was changed back to a boxier shape in future designs after several hundred had been built. A small number by the Empire’s standards.

None of this concerned Colonel Dennus. As the shuttle bay was unavailable he had to climb through a docking tube connecting the two craft. Clutching his luggage, he made a somewhat undignified entrance into the Gretta. A large man, even for the empire, he was in what was considered early middle age for his long lived people. Tall with close cut dark hair, his somewhat rugged face showed the evidence of several campaigns. There, ready to meet him, was the cruiser’s captain, Commander Kilvert.

*********

“Welcome aboard sir.” Commander Kilvert saluted. “My office is this way.”

“Certainly, but I want to know what, by the black fire, is going on,” the Colonel spoke in a level tone, which still betrayed his anger. However Dennus still knew better than to challenge the Commander on his own ship.

“I understand completely. A little more information has arrived and you can review it in my office. It is not much, but it is all that I have.” There was silence for a moment. “I am sorry that I had to do this, but I was not given a choice. The new message was in code that only I could unscramble.” He smiled at Dennus’s sudden frown. “We ship commanders are implanted with a code that only we can use. It is not common knowledge.” He stopped at a door. “Here we are.”

They had arrived at the Commander’s office. Stepping in, he was surprised how spacious it was. Taking the seat indicated, the Colonel accepted the ship’s captain’s comm unit. The first words leapt off the screen. “By Order Of the Dark Lord.” He looked up at Commander Kilvert.

“This is the message that you decoded?”

“Yes.” He leant back in his chair. “After I had spoken to you.”

Reading through the rest of the message, Colonel Dennus saw nothing new. He frowned. “I am not sure what is new here, I have received orders that read in the Dark Lords name, I don’t see what you are getting at.”

Kilvert raised his eyebrows. “Have you ever received orders or seen orders that started with that particular wording?”

“No but…”His voice trailed off.

“Neither have I. Indeed, I think that the Dark Lord himself is involved in this.” He smiled. “And the fact that I was not ordered to arrest you is a comfort.” He stood up. “Let us eat. The fast courier will not arrive for about two periods and the first vessels of the brigade for ten. So you will be long gone!”

Still not at all happy, Colonel Dennus followed the Commander to the officers’ mess. Taking his meal from the dispenser, they sat down together. “I am not certain about your idea that He is involved. More likely, He ordered an officer to be tapped for some reason and that turned out to be me. Then everyone overreacts, especially considering the way he suddenly returned.” Dennus shrugged. “Anyway, the meal is good.” He smiled, “You space jockey’s get good food.”

Commander Kilvert did not take offense, this was a common jab by the planet based forces at the space based forces. A lean, wiry man, some considered him good looking, he just nodded. “Yes it is good.” Then he smiled. “I would like to have you on an exercise when we go into stealth mode for a three or four day period and the rest of the quad is searching for us. Now that is fun with the ship shut down completely to eliminate all noise! Drives the crews to the point of rebellion.”

Noise meant detectable electronic emissions. They could drop a wrench and the sound would not be heard outside the ship, but turn the wrong switch and the exercise would be over!

The Colonel grunted. He had been through similar training exercises at various times and gone ‘noise less’ for real in a battle situation once. He did not want to do it again and most definitely not in a metal box with two hundred plus members of the Legion, no matter how well trained they were.

Finishing his meal, Dennus sat back. “I am sure that you have many things more deserving of your attention, Commander. I will wait in your fine mess for the courier craft and the next step to wherever it is I am going to go.”

With a nod, Commander Kilvert acquiesced, he did have many items to attend to. “If you are certain, Colonel?’

“I am, in any case I wish to write my final report which I will leave in your hands to pass onto the officer commanding the brigade. There will likely be a new Commanding Officer, but I have no idea who that will be. Perhaps the Major will retain her command.” He gave a genuine smile. “This will be a nice hot item for her to deal with.” A real laugh escaped his lips at last.

“Of course, Colonel.” Commander Kilvert did not want to get to close to that delicate point. “If you need anything, just ask. I will give you full warning of the arrival of your next transport.” With a nod and a smile, he left.

*********

It was closer to three periods later when Colonel Dennus watched the stocky, almost misshapen fast courier dock at the outside boarding lock of the Gretta. Turning to Commander Kilvert he held out his hand, “Thank you for your hospitality, Commander, I wish you well. Sorry that you have lost your independence here!” With the rest of the brigade arriving, a fleet officer of higher rank would no doubt be taking over.

The two shook hands, and the Commander said, “All the best to you, Colonel.” Turning to the assembled officers. “Salute!” Hands flashed up. The Colonel returned the salute, turned picked up his bag and entered the docking tunnel, scrambling through to the entrance port of the courier.

*********

An alien was waiting for the Colonel at the other end of the connecting tube. One of the few that breathed oxygen, it was a native of the planet Captus. Somewhat humanoid, bipedal, it was tall, scaly and had an elongated snout for a mouth. A metallic voice greeted the Colonel. “Welcome aboard, Colonel. Please stow your luggage and be seated as we have to leave at once.”

The Colonel nodded; although, he wondered if the gesture would be understood. Picking a seat, he moved to it. The alien gestured with a weird looking instrument which made a squawking sound.

From the wall mounted speaker came further instructions. “We are to take you to Rim Base Transfer Station Four. There is food and drink suitable for you at the rear of the cabin. Personal facilities also are at the rear. Any questions?”

Speaking slowly to allow for the translation, Dennus asked. “How long will the trip take?” The rim base mentioned was almost on the other side of the galaxy.

After a moment and the usual squawking, the answer came, “Eleven periods.”

“Thank you. I have no more questions.” Inwardly, he was impressed. That was fast!

“You will have privacy.” The alien left. Dennus reflected that no name had been given.

Well strapped in and his luggage stowed, the Colonel suffered the jolts, jerks and gravitational acceleration pressures associated with a small craft outfitted with large engines. The transition to hyper was no better. Colonel Dennus wondered how the natives of Captus could handle it, knowing as he did that they were considered ‘delicate.’ He also reflected on the presence of the alien crew. This was unusual. The Empire and the Legion took pains to cater to the necessary differences between the numerous races that made up the Empire. Mixing them meant problems that were often insoluble and made ship building an extremely difficult task. That he was on this craft with an alien crew took his thoughts in an uncomfortable direction.

Mentally, if not physically, exhausted, Dennus put his thoughts in the drawer that said Things that I can do nothing about. And slept.