Into the Night

Chapter 1 Tim Wilkerson hated rain. This, he decided, was most definitely true for him as he stood in the middle of a Rakhiminisan Monsoon with nothing more than a Syndicate fighter pilot's uniform clothing him.

Mondor was late. This wouldn't be the first time the K'harian had gotten lost away from the Beijing, he knew. He also knew that it probably wouldn't be the last. The wingmates were here to hold down the fort at the Syndicate's garrison here until the TSS Quebec arrived with a new detachment of officers. Several of their fellow officers had joined them on the small personnel shuttle that had ferried them down to Rakhimin to relieve the current garrison.

Now he could see Mondor arriving over the crest of the hill separating the garrison from Takhimin, the capital city of Rakhimin. The K'Harian Lieutenant seemed wounded, slow. Then Tim saw what was going on.

Five plasma lasers hit Mondor in the back, punching holes through his body. They obviously weren't civilian weapons, Tim realized. The Republican Separatists had come to attack the Rakhimin garrison. He whipped out his radio and thumbed it active while drawing his own plasma laser pistol to return fire.

" Base this is Wilkerson. We've got RepSeps coming over Takhim Rise. They've just killed Mondor. Request backup." One RepSep soldier made his head visible over the hill. Wilkerson placed a shot between his eyes and looked for cover as the man's head exploded.

" Wilkerson, this is Base. We've got two Chimeras in the air and Ranger team 3 on foot to your position. Turn on your GPS."

" Yes Colonel," replied Tim. He thumbed a button on his chrono and hunkered down behind a rise. Four blasts flew right into where he had been, and Tim watched them explode against a shield imprint. One of the Chimeras. He fired again and heard a dull thud as he caught one of the Separatists in the chest, and a louder thud as the remaining members of the group fired into his hill. The whine of laser rifles drowned out his curse. He looked up to see a group of Syndicate soldiers come down a neighboring hill. All the RepSeps were dead, and some of the Syndicate group removed all identifying items from them, as well as weapons, while the rest bore Mondor's body back to base for return to his family.

Upon arrival, Tim was ushered into the office of Terran Syndicate Colonel (Infantry) Kevin Rayburn. The Colonel was finishing a relay-time conversation with Terran Syndicate Senator for the Rahki sector.

" Mister Senator, this is the fifth attack this week on Syndicate interests in your sector. Is there any way to get the Quebec here any sooner?"

The reply was so soft-spoken it was inaudible to Tim. But to Colonel Rayburn, who could hear it, it was bad news. Tim saw that by the expression on Rayburn's face.

" What? When?" The look on Rayburn's face was one of extreme shock. The reply this time was more audible, and Tim was able to pick it up.

" I said, Quebec was destroyed, along with 13 other vessels, in the Separatist attack on the Kymiran Shipyards. There were three hundred survivors, out of 3,000 personnel stationed aboard. None of the soldiers detailed to Rakhimin survived, and I am having a hard time finding any more to detach from their units to transfer to your garrison, Colonel."

" Senator," Rayburn began to respond before Tim moved to within visual and audial pickup of the comms system and cut him off.

" Senator," Tim said, " what about the temp garrison crew from Beijing? Our orders were to join Quebec upon her arrival, but now that she's been destroyed…"

" Ah! Lt. Commander Wilkerson, correct?" Tim nodded, and the Senator continued, " Unfortunately, there are no longer any open fighter positions for you or any of the rest of your temporary garrison. So, and I was planning to have Colonel Rayburn tell you this, the Syndicate Armed Forces Bureau has decided to temporarily detach you from Syndicate Naval Service and attach you to Syndicate Infantry service, with Rakhimin as your station. You, Mr. Wilkerson, will now hold the rank of Major in Infantry. A conversion chart will be sent to you to further facilitate the change. This is only for another 3 months or so. Construction on TSS London will be finished in another two months, plus a month for shakedown and transfer of troops and crew. You are officially guaranteed the position of CO of SFS-91, to be formed and placed aboard her by you personally. Keep Rakhimin under Syndicate control, and you'll be fast tracked for a CFG position. Do we have a deal, Major Wilkerson?" the Senator asked.

" Yes sir, we have a deal," Tim said with a neutral face, leaning in and terminating the comm before the Senator could utter another word. He straightened up and looked at Rayburn. " If I may be excused, Colonel? It seems I have some work to do," he said, a hint of anger creeping into his voice.

" Certainly, Major," Rayburn said. " Meet me tomorrow at 0930 in the Officer's Club, after you brief your detachment. You're in command of the Beijing group, Major."

Wilkerson snarled and left the room. He now had to take to wearing the clothing of an Infantry puke. He guessed that his detachment would be as pleased about this as he was, but the Senator had left him with very little choice in the matter. CFG on a Syndicate carrier was something he doubted he would achieve otherwise…