A Desert Called Peace Part 55

I am so hungry. So very hungry. He thought warmly for a moment of his wife, Cara. He felt a moment's chagrin as he realized that he didn't think of s.e.x anymore, hadn't in weeks. He thought warmly for a moment of his wife, Cara. He felt a moment's chagrin as he realized that he didn't think of s.e.x anymore, hadn't in weeks. And a sad thing it is, too, when your p.e.c.k.e.r stops working. And a sad thing it is, too, when your p.e.c.k.e.r stops working. The stress- and starvation-induced impotence was something of a cla.s.s joke for every Cazador cla.s.s. "Hung our b.a.l.l.s on the Centurion's office wall when we reported in." The stress- and starvation-induced impotence was something of a cla.s.s joke for every Cazador cla.s.s. "Hung our b.a.l.l.s on the Centurion's office wall when we reported in."

As he sometimes did when there was time and nothing better to do with it, Cruz played a mental game. He had discovered, almost two months prior, that just dreaming of having enough to eat was unsatisfying. Instead, he gave himself an imaginary twenty drachma, then went on an imaginary shopping spree at the supermarket with only that twenty to spend. The limitation, imaginary and artificial as it was, gave more substance to his dreaming. It also, sometimes, caught his stomach up in the dream so that the organ stopped nagging, Feed me, Motherf.u.c.ker, Feed me, Motherf.u.c.ker, feeeddd feeeddd meee. meee.

He roused himself back to reality as he realized the patrol was moving on. The man to his front reached back to tap him; too many times a patrol had become separated after a halt to a seemingly interminable march. Men had learned that they could fall asleep on their feet. The students no longer took chances. Cruz likewise tapped the man behind him. "Come on, Montoya. We're moving out again," he whispered.

Montoya nodded. Speech took too much energy. The group continued their fight with the water and the muck.

Jungle Camp, 16/4/462 AC A light rain, unusually light for Balboa, fell on the patrol. Montoya walked back to the center of the perimeter, where Cruz minded the radio. "I failed another one, Cruz."

"s.h.i.+t."

Montoya collapsed in a heap next to the radio. "Not to worry, friend. They're going to keep giving me back-to-back leaders.h.i.+p phases until I pa.s.s. I'm leader, again, for this one. I'm f.u.c.ked. You all are even more f.u.c.ked."

Cruz, who had already tabbed out made the requirements to graduate the course made sympathetic sounds. Saldanas, Ramirez, and Dominguez walked over and sat down as well. They, too, already, had made the grade.

"Heard you're on the intensive track, Montoya." That from Ramirez.

Cruz interjected, "It just isn't possible. He can't do any more." Montoya didn't argue the point.

"He can't, but we we can. Listen." Cruz listened as Saldanas laid out his plan for how the four of them would do as much of Montoya's work for him as the CIs would permit. can. Listen." Cruz listened as Saldanas laid out his plan for how the four of them would do as much of Montoya's work for him as the CIs would permit.

Montoya looked up, hope dawning in his eyes. His eyes clouded. "I can't make it on charity."

Dominguez took his shoulder in a firm grip. "It's not charity, Montoya. When Saldanas, here, froze on the log walk, who went up and talked him across? You, friend.

"And when Dominguez fell off the side of the hill at Camp O'Higgins, rolling end over end while his own machine gun tried to beat him to death, who carried the gun and the pack for two hours until he was capable of carrying them again?"

"Me, too, Montoya," said Cruz. "When I f.u.c.ked up and didn't order chow for the platoon...and we all had nothing at all to eat for a day. Who talked me up to keep on going. They're right. We can help you, and it isn't charity. It's just paying a debt."

Montoya bowed his head, humbled and grateful.

Ramirez, silent until now, said, tersely, "Now let's get to work."

Graduation Exercise Area, Camp Gutierrez, 5/5/462 AC Unique among militaries, the legion, at Carrera's insistence, had a requirement that all officers and centurions be combat tested before receiving their commissions or centurion's batons. This was so even though almost everyone sent to the Cazador School, followed by OCS, CCS or WOCS, was a veteran of combat already.

"Eventually, there will be peace, however transitory it will prove," Carrera had said. "The tradition of combat testing starts now so it will be kept then.

This was the most dreaded mission in the school, although much of the danger was still more apparent than real. Nonetheless, students were were wounded or killed by design rather than by accident. wounded or killed by design rather than by accident.

The live fire took place on an area of rough ground. The objectives consisted of well fortified battle positions, with bunkers and trenches, protected by broad belts of barbed wire and concertina. Interspersed among the bunkers, sometimes in place of them, very heavily uparmored tank turrets with anti-spalling liners lead s.h.i.+elds to absorb the little splinters of steel that often flew off of the inside of armor when it was struck by fire were set into concrete. These held the defenders of the positions.

The tanks had the main guns removed. Unlike the ones the school used elsewhere, however, the crews of some of these tanks would try to hit the students rather than merely frighten them. Ordinarily, this would mean serious casualties. To keep these within acceptable limits, the turrets' machine guns only carried one round in ten live. The rest of the belted ammunition was plastic tipped. This was still dangerous close up but the plastic rounds lost velocity rapidly due to their low density. Every burst would be aimed with evil intent, but only one round in ten would actually have a bullet in it. The machine guns were, moreover, set loosely in their cradles to allow the fire to spread to cover an area as a normal ground mounted machine gun would. Therefore, even if the gunner was dead on target, inclined to shoot that target, and that target was a real student, and the burst happened to have a live round in it, the odds were good that the bullet would go low, high or wide.

Other turrets had both main gun and machine guns removed. These had sniper rifles locked firmly into place. The 'sniper' turrets fired all live ammunition, but their job was to try to fire as close as possible to the students without actually hitting any of them. Still, mistakes happened. And, it was widely rumored, the CIs manning the sniper rifles would deliberately shoot a man if provoked by incompetence. The rumor was only occasionally true and they never never shot to kill. shot to kill.

Still, the students weren't entirely helpless. The things they had learned, careful reconnaissance, thorough planning and rehearsals, control, and teamwork could, properly applied, allow them to put effective fire on the turrets. The turret crews would cease fire for fifteen seconds after taking a hit from a bullet. There were also two small, upper body shaped, targets on the front of each turret. If the students. .h.i.t both of these in an area about ten inches in diameter, the tank would cease fire completely. It was possible, though very uncommon, for no turrets on an objective to have a chance to fire.

Turrets never fired deliberately at a CI. Indeed they avoided them as completely as possible..

As an added measure, the students were issued the heavy, fifty-four pound, ceramic torso armor and extra-heavy helmets. Face, arms and legs were still exposed, but the odds of a fatal hit were lessened. Statistics said that out of a typical cla.s.s of about three-hundred to three-hundred and fifty, 8.4 men would be shot as a result of the days' training, 1.4 of them fatally.

Olivetti, wearing more complete body armor, painted white to mark him as a CI, stood in front of the cla.s.s, explaining these things to the students. "Those casualty rates are only averages. Sometimes a cla.s.s comes through without a scratch. Once we had seventeen men shot. Four died. If anyone wants to resign now, step to the rear and see Sergeant Major Schetrompf. He'll take your resignations." The CI didn't mention that after that particular day, the course had changed to give 16 hours unbroken rest and five complete meals to the students before sending them to the graduation exercise. It was better they should believe the course was even more dangerous than it was.

Inside the ranks men wavered, Olivetti could see it in the way they s.h.i.+fted weight from side to side, looked around to see what their peers were doing.

Montoya finished their mental self debate for them. Speaking loudly, he said "You've made me s.h.i.+t myself more than once already, Centurion, although with the little bit you feed us there wasn't much s.h.i.+t. I'll be d.a.m.ned if all that, plus starving us and making us walking dead from lack of sleep, was for nothing. Bring on your f.u.c.king tanks, Centurion Olivetti. Besides, I need to pa.s.s one more patrol to graduate anyway." A few students laughed nervously. The moment of wavering was broken.

Olivetti nodded, seeing the men quiet down in the ranks. That's why you're still here, Montoya. You can't lead for s.h.i.+t. Your squad has carried you through every leaders.h.i.+p phase you pa.s.sed. But you're a tough little b.a.s.t.a.r.d and you don't quit. Your legion has use for those, too. That's why you're still here, Montoya. You can't lead for s.h.i.+t. Your squad has carried you through every leaders.h.i.+p phase you pa.s.sed. But you're a tough little b.a.s.t.a.r.d and you don't quit. Your legion has use for those, too. At his signal, the three, much truncated, student companies began to shake out into tactical formations, separating and moving toward their objectives. Olivetti fell in with the center company, talking on his radio as he did so. At his signal, the three, much truncated, student companies began to shake out into tactical formations, separating and moving toward their objectives. Olivetti fell in with the center company, talking on his radio as he did so.

Overhead, real artillery, not simulators or preplaced charges, began to rumble across the sky toward small impact areas offset from the objectives. Though frightened, the men grinned. It was almost over.

Parade Field, Camp Gutierrez, 8/5/462 AC The School Commandant, Major Broughton, F.S. Army (retired), stood on a low reviewing stand. He looked over the ranks, 331 men of six hundred and ten who had started. Four were dead, about par for the course, most of the rest dropped with prejudice or quit. Some of those dropped were medicals. If they recovered, these would have a chance to continue the course with another cla.s.s. A few others, hospitalized with wounds from the final exercise, would be graduated, and decorated, in their beds later in the day, their squads in attendance.

Broughton walked up to the microphone and began to speak. At his command the cla.s.s stood at ease. He told the graduating students how tough they were, and brave; how they represented the best of their countries, and some of the best in the world. He said he expected great things of them, as they had proven themselves capable of great things.

Cruz whispered to Montoya, standing at his left, "You feel tough, bud?"

Montoya answered, likewise in a whisper, "He must be talking about some other people. I don't feel tough."

Broughton finished, calling the cla.s.s to attention and ordering the School Adjutant to call the roll.

The Adjutant took Broughton's place at the microphone and began to read off names.

"Junior Centurion Enriquez."

The entire cla.s.s answered, as rehea.r.s.ed "Here!"

"Signifer Trujillo."

"Here!"

The Adjutant finished the last names on his list of dead, each with the rank he would have held had he finished Cazador School and the next course for which he was scheduled. Following the last "Here!" he gave the command, "Open ranks, march!"

As the companies opened their ranks, the CIs of Camp Gutierrez trotted out, one to each rank of each platoon, each CI carrying a cloth bag draped over one shoulder. Olivetti came to attention to Cruz's right front.

"Present the tabs!"

Olivetti took one step forward, halted and faced left. He nodded, "Cazador Cruz?"

"Blood tab, Centurion." In the school's short life no Cazador had yet failed to ask for a 'blood tab'. It was an article of faith among the students that the first one to do so would have his name publicized across the entire legion.

Olivetti reached into the cloth bag and pulled out a full color black and gold half circle with the word "CAZADOR" spelled in bold, gold letters. A safety pin ran through the tab. Olivetti unlocked the safety pin, grabbed Cruz's sleeve near the shoulder, and drove the pin into the emaciated flesh beneath before withdrawing it, pus.h.i.+ng it through the cloth, and hooking it back onto itself. Cruz controlled his flinch. What's a little more pain, after all. What's a little more pain, after all.

"Good job, Cruz." Olivetti held out his hand.

"Thank you, Centurion. You, too." Cruz shook the hand with real feeling.

Olivetti pa.s.sed on to Montoya.

Montoya smiled. "Blood tab, Centurion." He held his smile as the point pierced him.

"You're a s.h.i.+thead, Montoya. But you're a d.a.m.n fine soldier. Congratulations."

When the last of the tabs had been awarded, Broughton returned to the reviewing stand. "Pa.s.s in review!"

Without further fanfare, the platoons faced right and began to double time past the reviewing stand. They only dropped to a walk when the last of them had pa.s.sed. The students no, full fledged Cazadors now began to sing as they walked back to barracks.

Once he arrived back in las Mesas, Cruz was very pleased to discover that his impotence was only temporary. Caridad was very very pleased, as well. pleased, as well.

Interlude

Atlantis Base, 15 June, 2104 (Terra Novan Year 45 AC) The acting commander of Atlantis base was at wits' end. High-Admiral Annan was gone; reported dead. The Marines and shuttle he had borrowed were gone as well and he had to presume them to be dead or captured, likewise the Supervisory Office in Balboa colony. He had no more Marines to spare. He had no more shuttles and only three helicopters. And until a new s.h.i.+p came in system he had no way of getting any more, either.

It was bad enough that Anglia Colony, for now, reported only to its home government back on Earth. No one ever expected anything different from the stinking Americans beginning to fill up Southern Columbia, or indeed anyone from Earth's Anglosphere except for the people settling Secordia. But the colonies from the Earth's Third World? These were supposed supposed and expected to stand by the UN, to toe its line, to build one world government here to match the one building back home. Otherwise, Terra Nova would become just another twentieth century Earth. And that, the acting commander knew, spelled danger. and expected to stand by the UN, to toe its line, to build one world government here to match the one building back home. Otherwise, Terra Nova would become just another twentieth century Earth. And that, the acting commander knew, spelled danger.

"Commander?" an aide broke in, giving the honorific despite doubt about whether the t.i.tle would become permanent. "News from our office in San Jose Colony. They're under attack by hundreds of men armed with modern weapons."

"s.h.i.+t!"

"It gets worse, Commander. The rebels are broadcasting from the radio station at our Balboa office what used to be our Balboa office calling on everyone to "throw off Earth's chains." And we have little or nothing to stop it."

That b.a.s.t.a.r.d, Annan, the acting commander thought. the acting commander thought. He could have bought He could have bought all the little girls he wanted from the Yithrab, or even bought them from Earth at one of the open markets and brought them here. But nooo nooo, the cheap son of a b.i.t.c.h had to go outside channels and avoid paying the little bit asked for. G.o.d save me from hereditary bureaucrats and their offspring. Now I get to sit, helpless, while the world we wanted to construct here falls apart around me.

"Can we contact the leader of the...rebels?"

The aide thought about that for a minute. "He's probably directing the attack in San Jose Colony, sir. We can probably contact him after after he's finished storming it." he's finished storming it."

"Great," the acting commander muttered, leaning his weary head down to rest it in his hands. "Advise the office in San Jose to surrender. Tell them to ask ask him to speak with me. Maybe I can make a deal to keep this from spreading." him to speak with me. Maybe I can make a deal to keep this from spreading."

"Comandante," Pedro said, "the Earthpigs want to talk to you. They want to arrange a ceasefire before this war spreads."

Belisario considered. Should I? I could stop the carnage now, probably. But then, what prevents them from using the bases they retain to come back? What do I owe my fellow colonists languis.h.i.+ng under the heel of the UN Birkenstock? How will my wife and our children ever sleep safely with slavers and tax gatherers hovering at the edges of our domain? Should I? I could stop the carnage now, probably. But then, what prevents them from using the bases they retain to come back? What do I owe my fellow colonists languis.h.i.+ng under the heel of the UN Birkenstock? How will my wife and our children ever sleep safely with slavers and tax gatherers hovering at the edges of our domain?

"Tell the pig to kiss my a.s.s, Pedro," Belisario answered. "The war goes on until we are, all of us, free."

Resolution 4999 (2127) Adopted by the Security Council on its 16128th meeting, meeting, On 1 June, 2127 The Security Council, Recalling its previous resolutions, in particular resolution 4547 of 2107 and 4569 of 2108, concerning the situation off world among the colonies of Terra Nova, its previous resolutions, in particular resolution 4547 of 2107 and 4569 of 2108, concerning the situation off world among the colonies of Terra Nova, Reaffirming its commitment to peace, prosperity and freedom as expressed and implied in the Charter, its commitment to peace, prosperity and freedom as expressed and implied in the Charter, Welcoming a just resolution to the ongoing conflicts on the planet of Terra Nova, a just resolution to the ongoing conflicts on the planet of Terra Nova, Acknowledging the difficulties inherent in administering and securing a world light years away, the difficulties inherent in administering and securing a world light years away, Reiterating in the strongest terms its desire to accord self-determination to all mankind, in the strongest terms its desire to accord self-determination to all mankind, Stressing the importance of the recent peace accords between itself and various insurgent governments and movements on Terra Nova, the importance of the recent peace accords between itself and various insurgent governments and movements on Terra Nova, Welcoming the joint communique between its representatives on Terra Nova and the representatives of the United Front for the Liberation of New Earth, the joint communique between its representatives on Terra Nova and the representatives of the United Front for the Liberation of New Earth, Expressing its continuing responsibility toward the peoples of that world and its firm commitment to their continuing welfare, its continuing responsibility toward the peoples of that world and its firm commitment to their continuing welfare, Determining that the maintenance of its rule on the world of Terra Nova is beyond its abilities, that the maintenance of its rule on the world of Terra Nova is beyond its abilities, 1) Retires Retires its offices and security facilities to its base on the Island of Atlantis on the new world, its offices and security facilities to its base on the Island of Atlantis on the new world, 2) Requests Requests a cease fire from all still-engaged armed or political agencies, governments, organizations and movements on the new world. a cease fire from all still-engaged armed or political agencies, governments, organizations and movements on the new world.

3) Reiterates Reiterates its request for prisoner of war exchange and repatriation, its request for prisoner of war exchange and repatriation, 4) Directs Directs the redesignation of its fleet around the new world as the United Nations Peace Fleet, to be further renamed the United Earth Peace Fleet at such time as the General a.s.sembly may direct, and the redesignation of its fleet around the new world as the United Nations Peace Fleet, to be further renamed the United Earth Peace Fleet at such time as the General a.s.sembly may direct, and 5) Declares Declares the conflict on the new world to be at an end. the conflict on the new world to be at an end.

Chapter Thirty.

We have done with Hope and Honour, we are lost to Love and Truth, We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung,-Kipling, Gentlemen Rankers

Ninewa, Sumer, 10/5/462 AC Fadeel al Nizal's problems had multiplied. On the plus side, though, at least Mustafa was no longer one of them. If anything, the relations.h.i.+p had reversed itself with Fadeel becoming a major financial supporter of the rest of the movement and Mustafa being along mostly for a distant form of moral support. Not that the movement didn't have money. It had a great deal, most of it untouchable for the infidel accountants who watched for the slightest excuse to freeze suspicious accounts. Even Fadeel had lost money that way.

He'd have gladly accepted a great deal more of Mustafa's former chiding if he could have eliminated some of the other things bearing down upon him.

For a while it had seemed that the willing cooperation of the Kosmos the cosmopolitan progressives who believed in one world government, under themselves themselves were the answer to most of his prayers. With the money gained from the crusader governments with the progressives' cooperation, his organization had flown as high as the aircraft he had managed to bring down early on in the campaign. were the answer to most of his prayers. With the money gained from the crusader governments with the progressives' cooperation, his organization had flown as high as the aircraft he had managed to bring down early on in the campaign.

For a while, rather than having to listen to lectures from Mustafa, Fadeel had found himself in a position to repay the start-up money he'd received and even to make a substantial gift to his principle. That gift had been gratefully received, Mustafa having fallen upon rather hard times. Moreover, he'd managed to knock one crusader state, Castilla, almost completely out of the war. He'd failed to knock Balboa out of the war. That rankled. Worse, they were hunting down and killing his men. And the d.a.m.nable locals seemed to be helping them do it, which was worse.

Unfortunately, the supply of Kosmo hostages had dried up completely. There were no more Taurans willing to volunteer, nor had there been since that one woman, Giulia Masera, had been fed feet first into a wood chipper and a tape of the murder turned over to al Iskandaria News Network. Fadeel was still puzzling over what had caused al Iskandaria to broadcast the tape. After all, they'd been wise enough to refuse to show the death of one of Masera's countryman when he had defied Fadeel just before his well-deserved execution. At the time, Fadeel had been rather angry at the television network for refusing the tape. On reflection, though, he had come to agree that showing a citizen of the crusader coalition dying bravely and well would have been damaging rather than helpful.

At that, it would not have been nearly as damaging as broadcasting the death of Masera. She had been emulsified from the bottom up, her mouth opening and closing like a fish stuck out of water as she sank feet first into the wood chipper, her reddened, lumpy remains spitting out the bottom. Fadeel had rather enjoyed the show, naturally, but even he had seen it was a dangerous move for whichever comradely organization had been responsible.

That was another puzzle. Fadeel didn't know and had not been able to find out who was responsible for that execution. He'd thought at first that it must have been one of his own cells, naturally under very loose control due to the circ.u.mstances of the fight for G.o.d in Sumer. Not one of his people, however, had been willing to admit to it. Nor had any of the ransom money shown up.

I could surely have used another twenty-five million Tauros in the fight against the crusaders.

Not everything was going against him, fortunately. He'd had a few bad moments there, when the satanic Federated States had introduced automatic explosive sniffers. A number of bombs and great quant.i.ties of bomb making material had been lost to the cause of the righteous and the just that way. Then the local mercenaries had brought in dogs to hunt for and warn of bombs.

The solution had been both beautiful and elegant in its simplicity. Fadeel had set some hundreds of young boys with small spray bottles to randomly spraying wheel wells of automobiles and trucks with water with which minute quant.i.ties of powdered explosive had been mixed. When everything smelled of bomb then nothing smelled of bomb. The dogs and the operators of the sniffing machines had been driven half insane, Fadeel and his followers had had a few good laughs, and more than a few crusaders had been enticed into the range of actual bombs.

Now the dogs were used only for tracking and the sniffing machines sat uselessly in a warehouse somewhere in Babel. Better still, the flow of explosives continued as it had before the infidels had tried their clever tricks.

Thinking about that, about the machines sitting idle and useless, set Fadeel to laughing yet again.

He sobered immediately. It wasn't enough to make up for the fact that after Masera's grisly execution the weak crusader governments had refused to give any any ransoms. More than three dozen kidnappings and executions without so much as a drachma changing hands was enough to convince him it was a losing game. ransoms. More than three dozen kidnappings and executions without so much as a drachma changing hands was enough to convince him it was a losing game.

Fadeel supposed that the charge of bad faith, after the Masera butchery, was enough to s.h.i.+eld those governments from the domestic fallout of not paying.

When the governments had a reasonable and obvious chance to get 'their" people back alive the pressure was tremendous. Now? Now n.o.body trusts us to deliver the goods.

Oh, yes, his people still went after the humanitarians and the journalists. The FSC even tried to stop them or rescue the peace-lovers in the other parts of the country. Here around Ninewa, for some reason, the Balboans generally didn't even make the attempt. And the other aid workers, the ones Fadeel thought might elicit a response from the mercenaries? Those were always too well guarded to even try.

Maybe they want want me to kill off the ones I take. Something to think upon, anyway. me to kill off the ones I take. Something to think upon, anyway. Fadeel scratched his head in puzzlement. He was, at heart, a fairly simple man rather than a devious one. Grand strategy was Allah's job, not his. He was for fighting. Fadeel scratched his head in puzzlement. He was, at heart, a fairly simple man rather than a devious one. Grand strategy was Allah's job, not his. He was for fighting.