Tevun-Krus #16 - Military SF

Extinction Force - A Short Story by @LostDMBFiles

Extinction Force

David Mark Brown

EPISODE ONE: CONTAMINATION

One

THE TYRANNY BUCKED AS its aft sloughed from the gate. Otto Jaeger breathed deeply while patting himself down, starting with his head. Spectacles, testicles, wallet, watch. Everything remained in its proper place after another successful jump. Sheer probability would catch up with him eventually. Someone could only be disintegrated and reassembled so many times before coming together out of order. Most of his men thought his pre and post jump litany a joke, but he'd seen scramble first hand. Messy stuff.

"Better acquire a visual, Commander, just in case." Kade jostled Jaeger as he pushed past.

"Find a seat and strap in, XMO Christiansen." Jaeger growled. "Half a nut would be enough to command this motley crew."

Brick Jenkins stood between the two and corralled Jaeger toward the bridge. "For Yuan's sake, someone toss his grumpy highness the com so he can talk to his daughter before we pop the eye."

"Mind your place, Brick."

"Give it up, Otto, and admit you're worried about her." Ariza tossed a portable to Brick. She jammed it into Jaeger's hand. "Ping the poor girl. She's worried about you, even if you're too pig headed to worry about her." Brick leaned close. "We gonna be a month before extraction. She'll be a roughhide on another squad by then. Show her you care, you prickly old frendol."

Jaeger raised the com but hesitated to ping XLO Dalia Jaeger, his daughter and youngest child.

"If you don't, I will." Brick threatened.

Jaeger dialed the coordinates on the handheld and pinged.

A response came seconds later. "EEF Ravager requesting authenticate."

"It's Commander Jaeger, I wanna talk to Dalia."

"Your identification, Command-"

"Wilkes, you twit, I swear I'll plug your pie hole with your protocol if you don't-"

"ID authenticated. Roger that, Tyranny." The connection fell quiet. Moments later Jaeger heard his daughter's voice, rigid with formality.

"Commander?"

"Dalia." A shadow of tension lifted from Jaeger's shoulders. "We're about to pop the eye on the Primal Instinct job."

"Congratulations, sir."

Jaeger gritted his teeth and checked to ensure the rest of his squad couldn't overhear. "Baby girl, it's me."

Silence greeted him from the other end.

"Dalia?"

"Daddy?"

Jaeger allowed the familial title to nourish his heart. "I'm proud of you. I want you to know that. I still wish you could have spread your wings under my command, but I understand why you requested the transfer."

"You're not still angry?"

"A little, but mostly at myself. I can't stay mad at you."

"You always were a softy when it came to your baby girl."