The Legion at Cisalpina
A UEC Story
The Vidivician War left scores of colonies devastated in its wake. To tackle the chaos that followed, the United Earth formed the first Legions (known formally as the Independent Military Groups, but no layman refer to them as such). Unlike the cohorts of the Central Army, Legions may act without prior approval from Meridian. That independence had allowed them to counteract pirates, revolts, and alien incursions when Earth Space was at her weakest. Yet it also fostered resentment within the military leadership of Earth; many saw the Legions as troublesome and in need of enforcers.
-A.S. Icardi, The Annals of United Earth
Planet Cisalpina was home to the UEC 13th Independent Military Group, also known as the Cisalpine Legion.
From space, Cisalpina was an orb of grey, green, and white. The most defining feature of the planet was its high mountains and jagged hills. The forests were lush, but filled only by the hardiest of trees and greeneries. At the top were the snow-capped mountaintops. The few valleys on Cisalpina were dotted by human settlements. Most of these settlements were small, mere villages; the folks who lived there were mostly farmers and loggers, hardy people.
The largest settlement - the capital world of the colony - was the City of New Milan, located at the flat plains known as the Ambrose Valley. But calling New Milan a city would be quite the stretch; by Earth standard it would hardly qualify as a town, or even a hamlet. Yet it was the location of the only starport on the planet.
Or to be more accurate, the general area known as New Milan was the location of the only starport on the planet, for the San Siro Starport (SSS) was located at the intersection between New Milan and Delle Alpi, the Legionary Base of the 13th. Snugged beneath the white mountains of Cisalpina, Delle Alpi was mostly invisible to those on the outside. Inside, it was a fortress. When they were not on mission, the thousands of men who formed the Cisalpine Legion lived in this underground base; them and their families, though family members would stay behind when the legionaries of Cisalpina took flight in the UEC Waterloo. In addition, Delle Alpi also served as the evacuation spot for the citizens of New Milan in case of planetary invasions.
Yet Delle Alpi was a small base compared to others of its kind. In fact, Commander Jack Green had been planning to expand the legionary base. He only needed to get approval from the UEC High Command. Little did he know, he would soon meet one of its representatives...
***
Jack Green looked to the holographic plans of the new Delle Alpi base. It was much smaller than his original plan, but that one was rejected out of hand by HighCom. It was only thanks to the intervention of his friend, Colonel Scott Harrington of the 9th Legion that he was given a chance to rework the plan.
“And you think HighCom will approve of this?” Captain Joseph Nyerere asked. He was giving his legionary commander a skeptical smile.
This one’s a lot less ambitious,” responded Green. “For example, I took out the plans to expand the Buggy Hive. Poor Gracchus... after all he did for us on Altair Prime. I promised him the expansion of Delle Alpi’s hive. Guess that’ll have to wait.”
Nyerere shook his head. “The cerebrate will understand! The real issue is HighCom, will they understand? I did not think they would reject our initial proposal.”
“Sorry,” Jack said.
The Captain raised his brows. “Sorry? For what?”
“I’m sure it has something to do with the Lambda War...”
But Commander Green was interrupted; Sergeant Major Marco Icardi arrived to greet his two superiors. He saluted. “Sirs.”
“What is it, Marco?” responded Green.
Icardi had a nervous look on his face. “You wouldn’t believe it sir, but a UEC Alpha-class starship is landing on the SSS as we speak. We have a guest, a very important one.”
“What!” cried Nyerere.
Green narrowed his eyes. “Who could that be?”
“Lieutenant Tan said that it was General Tyrone Murray,” responded Icardi.
“Speaking of... why didn’t Tania message me through the comms!?” Green asked with anger.
“I apologize on the Lieutenant’s behalf, Commander,” Icardi said. “She thought that it would be better for you to receive this message in person.”
“Hmm,” the Commander said, having calmed himself.
Nyerere interjected, “What a snake, this General Murray. There is no way he could have landed on this planet without the Colonial Magistrate’s permission. But someone of his stature and knowledge should know better than to contact Cisalpina’s Magistrate without contacting the Legion - us - first.”
“I have underestimated him.” Green laughed. “Very well, let us face this challenge head on.” The Commander turned to Marco. “Come Icardi, I’ll be needing you.”
***
Jack Green and Marco Icardi rushed through the hallways of the Delle Alpi but not in the direction that Marco had expected.
“Commander!” cried Marco. “We’re going the wrong way. The Lobby’s this way,” he said, pointing behind him.
“I know,” responded Green. “We’re getting Special Agent Petrovsky.”
Icardi narrowed his eyes. “The psi-op?” He shook his head. “I don’t follow.”
“He’s on our side,” responded Green. “Yes, yes, I know you’re skeptical, Icardi. But hear me out. Back on Altair Prime, when Prince Alexios pled for the lives of the wounded Lakamodians. I knew I had to do the right thing, but I knew full-well that nothing will ever be the same again once I defied General Murray and HighCom in such a public way. So I hesitated, and then...”
Icardi nodded. “He read your mind didn’t he?”
“Not just. He reached out to me...”
“Your conscience screams, Commander. Clawing at every fibre of your mind. If you ignore it, this war will eat you up for the rest of your life. And you will never forgive yourself. For what it’s worth, I do not think you will succeed. But do what you must in the eyes of God.”
“He...” Icardi began, “said that? I can’t believe it.”
“Right?” said Green.
Icardi looked deep in thought. “Perhaps I have misjudged him.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Sergeant Major,” a third voice rang.
Icardi jumped in surprise, but Green was calm and unperturbed. The two turned to the source of the voice. There was nothing, though the wall was a bit... off, inconsistent. A mass of bright light shined, revealing the person of one Special Agent Nikolai Petrovksy.
“Glad you can make it, Special Agent,” Green said, bemused.
Petrovsky shrugged. “Eh, just making use of this new cloaking suit you commissioned for me. Thank you, by the way.”
Green nodded. “No prob. Make the 13th proud, Agent.”
Icardi in the meantime, looked on in amazement. He didn’t expect this turn of events. It was no secret that psi-op agents were attached to a unit - especially a UEC Legion - for one reason and one reason only: to keep an eye on them. These mind-reading commissars were just as likely to use their deadly sniping against a misbehaving commander as they would against a legitimate threat to Earth. Yet Commander Green trusted Agent Petrovsky. Will this turn out to be a mistake? Only time will tell, so Icardi thought.
“But enough about that,” Green said. He turned to Icardi. “We need to talk, Sergeant Major. You’re back for over a week now, and still you said nothing. Tell me about your wedding.”
At this, Icardi’s face turned red with embarrassment. “W-what about it?”
“Of course,” Petrovsky chimed in. “You and Lambda... talk about sleeping with the enemy.”
Icardi was indignant. “Her name is Arlena! Also, she’s not our enemy anymore.”
“I jest, Sergeant Major,” replied Petrovsky.
Green spoke up, “So when’s the wedding? You will invite me won’t you, Sergeant Major?”
Icardi sighed, and grimaced. “Please, sir. One question at a time. But in all seriousness, it won’t be happening for a while. She’s still getting used to life on Earth. She’s also in catechesis.”
“You mean she agreed to convert?” asked Jack. “That quickly?”
Marco nodded. “Yup. It’s... a long story. But regardless, my mami’s glad that we’ll be having an actual Catholic wedding. As for the invitation, sir. I... was actually hoping for you to be the ringbearer.”
Jack had the widest smile on his face. “Really now? I’m flattered.”
“Sir,” said Icardi, “you’ve more than earned it. In a sense, it was you who brought us together.”
Petrovsky interjected, “What about me? Will you invite me, Sergeant Major?”
Icardi gave Petrovsky a look of disbelief. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Will your handler even allow you to attend a wedding?”
“Probably not,” responded the psi-op agent. “But I can always mind control my handler, or threaten him. Or maybe trick him, he’s a bit... weak-minded.”
The Sergeant Major narrowed his eyes, then turned to his Commander, only to see him trying desperately to suppress a laughter. In response, Icardi shook his head. “Just do what you must, Petrovsky.”
***
Commander Green, Sergeant Major Icardi, and Special Agent Petrovsky was waiting at the train station of Delle Alpi. Their respective demeanors could not be any more different. Icardi was nervous, not sure what General Murray was intending to do. Meanwhile, Petrovsky was lax, lackadaisical; like he had no care in the world. As for Green, he was calm - focused.
And finally, the train arrived. It was small, made up of only a few railcars. This train carried scant few passengers - just a few bodyguards for the man himself: General Tyrone Murray, who was now making his grand entrance.
It had been a year since Icardi saw General Murray in person, back when he was just Major General Murray. At the time, he had his full armor on, including his helmet. But now, General Murray was sporting his general’s uniform, decked-up with medals and accolades that Icardi had no idea even existed. To the people of Earth, the Black Irish was a great hero of Earth, the man who put down the Altair Prime Revolt and defeated the invading Lakamodians. For the glory of Earth! Yet Icardi, like everyone else who had served under General Murray, knew better. It was Murray’s incompetence which had extended the Altair Prime Revolt by a few months. It was Murray’s reign of terror on Altair Prime, the hunger winter, that drove the people of that planet into the arms of the Lakamodians. Murray’s callous disregard for human life had backfired during the Lambda War, nearly costing the UEC the Altair Prime offensive. And who was there to clean up Murray’s mess? The Cisalpine Legion! The men of the 13th... with a little help from Col. Harrington’s 9th, of course. The wisest fool in Earth Space, thought the Sergeant Major; that was the moniker the general had earned amongst the rank-and-file of the UEC. What could he possibly want from us?
“Welcome to Cisalpina, General,” Green said in the warmest way he could. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
Murray waved his hand, frowning. “You may dispense with the pleasantries, Commander. First, the psi-op must go! We can’t have him here.”
At this, Green turned to Petrovsky. “You heard him, Agent.”
Petrovsky saluted. “Sir.” Then he left.
Green frowned, crossing his arms. “What could be so important that you sent away Petrovsky?”
“I cannot afford to have any mind-readers picking at my brain,” responded Murray.
Green asked, “And what is in that brain of yours, General?”
At this, Murray pointed his finger at the Commander. “Don’t act dumb, Green! Back on Altair Prime, you have defied me, undermined my authority.”
Icardi interjected, “Is this about the Lambda War?”
“Indeed, Sergeant Major,” said Murray. “When the good Commander ordered our blockade to let the Alliance remnants go, thus letting a potential threat to Earth to lick their wounds out there in God-knows-where, you lot landed me in trouble with HighCom!”
Green shrugged. “Last I check, it was you who gave the final order to let the wounded Lakamodians through...”
“Shut up!” cried Murray. “The only reason I gave that order was because you have convinced Harrington to go along with your plan. What do you think would happen had I overruled the two of you heroes? You sneak! You knew exactly what you were doing.”
“But I wasn’t...”
“You’re on notice, Commander!” Murray said with venom. “I’m General Tyrone Cliff Murray of the United Earth Coalition. You see these medals? Don’t fuck with me!”
“Sir.”
And with that, Murray turned back towards his train. “Now let me off this freezing ball.”
Icardi looked on in disgust. Perhaps don’t come in the winter just to scream at us, you pompous fool.
***
Commander Green and a select men of the 13th now found themselves back in the Command Center of the Delle Alpi base. It was not fun being being threatened and yelled at by General Murray, but there was one good thing that came out of this...
“Now we know who was behind the rejection of our base expansion plans,” said Green.
“Makes sense,” Captain Nyerere said. “We know Murray has friends in HighCom.”
Icardi added, “And he sounds like the kind of guy petty enough to use it against us. Now what?”
“Whatever you do,” Petrovsky interjected, “be careful around him! Don’t underestimate him!” The Agent turned to Green, who was shocked to see his outburst. “Commander, when he first arrived... he was thinking about the Super Bowl.”
Icardi raised his eyes. “The Super Bowl?”
“Ah yes,” Green said, “The Super Bowl. Also known as America’s Game. The New York Giants pulled off a great upset against two-time defending champions Tokyo Tremors, winning their first championship in over a hundred years. Riveting game, though I’m more of a Packers guy myself.”
“And what does this sporting event have to do with our situation?” asked Nyerere.
“Absolutely nothing,” Jack said, “which is the point, he’s trying to keep Petrovsky from reading his mind.”
“And old trick,” Petrovsky added. “But not a lot of people know of it.”
Nyerere tapped his chin. “Troublesome. But the question remains the same: what is our next move?”
Green was deep in thought. In front of him was the table displaying the holographic plans for the expanded Delle Alpi base. After the rejection of the first plan, the new plan was of a greatly reduced expansion. The Commander had intended to send this to HighCom for approval just before Murray made his little visit. The Commander chuckled; he clicked a button on the table, changing the hologram into something more grandiose.
Nyerere’s eyes widened. “Is this not...?”
“Yes,” Green said. “The original expansion plans. Complete with an expanded buggy hive and our own starport. Get Lieutenant Tan, Nyerere. Tell her to send the original expansion plans to Colonel Harrington. I know Scotty will come through for me.”
“I don’t need my psionics to know that your heart is set,” Petrovsky said. “But surely you know that you’re playing with fire. Shouldn’t you be taking it easy?”
Green smiled. “I’ll take it easy when I’m dead.”
Author’s Note: Image generated at NightCafe.
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