35
“Can you believe that?” Hussein asked Rev as Pierson lay on his cot, head back, snores reverberating through the bivvie. “A fucking Platinum Nova?”
“You saw him, Hus-man. He was a freaking monster out there. Saved my sorry ass and a lot more folk as well.”
“I know, and I’m glad of it. But how can that lump of lard be the same beserker we saw out running around and killing a damn courser?”
“You know, I wanted to shitcan him when he first came here. Comparing him with Wheng—”
“Respect to the fallen.”
“Respect to the fallen. Between him and Wheng, I thought he was a lost cause. It was the master guns who said it was up to me to bring the warrior out of him. I guess he saw more in Pierson than I ever did.”
“Yeah, but a Platinum Nova. I mean . . .” he trailed off before he turned back to Rev and asked, “Does it piss you off?”
“Me? No. Why should it?”
“I mean, you know, you were supposed to get one before politics got in the way. And I’m not saying that Pierson didn’t do good, but so did you, so did all of us. And it is him and Harisa who are getting the PN.”
“Lieutenant Harisa deserved it,” Rev said, brooking no disagreement.
“No, I know that. She did. But Pierson? Over you or anyone else?”
Rev would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about that. But in his heart, he knew Pierson had brought his warrior with him to the fight, and he was not going to denigrate what the young man had done.
“Two Platinum Novas, though, for the same battle. I don’t think that’s happened before. Makes me wonder if all of this is for show. Like every swinging dick is getting the New Hope Home Defense Medal, you know?”
The new medal had just been authorized by the Directorate. It wasn’t unheard of for a planet to authorize a military award, and while junior to all Union awards, it could still be worn on the uniform, giving Rev now a grand total of five ribbons. But it meant nothing to him. Like others, he was already referring to it as the “I Was There” medal.
It wasn’t that Rev wasn’t proud of their service. They’d kicked the Centaurs off of their home, saving an untold number of lives. But he didn’t need a new colored ribbon to say he was there.
Hussein had a good point, though. With the apparent victory over the Centaurs, people were in celebration mode, and the government, both Union and New Hope, seemed to want to make sure backs were patted and hands shaken so everyone knew just how great and wonderful the leadership had been to get them through the crisis. And medals, with all the military pomp and circumstances, were good PR.
Tomiko came through the hatch and walked back to join them. Rev looked at her with the unspoken question.
“Same as everyone. Platinum Achievement with V.”
Which cemented what Hussein was referring to. Every single Raider was getting at least a Platinum Achievement Medal with the Combat V, which was the highest medal that could be awarded by a division commander. From the looks of things, it was going to be the standard for the Direct Combat Marines.
Individuals might get higher, into one of the three Novas. Top Thapa and Captain Omestori had been put in for the Gold Nova, which had to be approved by the commandant, and Lieutenant Harisa and Pierson were up for the Platinum Nova, which had to be approved by the Council, but given the current political environment, the recommendations should sail through.
“And you’re up next,” Tomiko told Rev.
“Last, but not least.” He stood up as Pierson let out a particularly loud string of snores. He looked to his rack where his social arm lay. Sieben and made good on their promise, and he had to admit it was a sweet prosthesis, but with his sleeve still warped, even that amount of weight could be uncomfortable. He decided to leave it there. It wasn’t as if he thought he’d need it just to talk to the captain.
“Good luck,” Hussein said, and Rev wanted to tell him good luck was getting out of a firefight alive. Good luck was having the Centaur beamer hit a meter to your right. Luck had nothing to do with the back-slapping the military conducted after the shooting had stopped.
He left the bivvie and headed to the company offices. The camp was coming together. Real construction had started, with the regimental headquarters going up over the location of the old one.
The company-level offices, however, were in a supply warehouse that had been spared destruction. Rev walked in and through the partitioned passages back to the Recon Company offices.
He knocked on the side of the hatch for the Raider platoon. “Corporal Pelletier, sir.”
“Come on in, Corporal, take a seat,” Captain Omestori said.
Rev sat, and the captain looked at him for a moment before saying, “I’m going to get right to the point. I put you in for a Silver Nova.”
Which surprised Rev. Yes, he’d killed Centaurs, but that was only because he had Pashu. He hadn’t been braver than Tomiko, Hussein, Strap, or any of the others.
“Unfortunately, the CG was told not to forward it.”
Which wasn’t a surprise. Still, it stung.
“You’ve got enemies in high places, Rev. It isn’t fair, it isn’t just, but that’s the way it is. The CG is going to plead your case to the commandant himself, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
“You can tell her not to bother, sir. No need for her to get splashed with my shit,” Rev said, sounding more bitter than he’d intended.
“That’s not how she considers it. She wasn’t around for your Platinum Nova, but Colonel Destafney told me this morning that she was well aware of it and thinks the entire evolution stunk to high heaven.”
“It won’t matter, sir. Like you say, I’ve got enemies in high places.”
“But it’s still BS. I think . . . I’m not sure how to put this. But of all the Marines I know, you personally have done more for us to win this war than any single Marine in the Union, and I’m talking from four stars on down. I remember you with that paladin you took out with a Phoenix, and I thought that was amazing. Still do. Then recovering the body along with Sergeant Reiser—”
Rev looked up startled and started to speak, but the captain was having none of it. “Let them listen up. I don’t care. The tin-ass body you two recovered, which for all I know is how we developed the virus. The little girl you saved, then keeping the Fries and us from fighting on the asteroid. And then your IBHU, and I know how much that thing is hurting you now.
“My point is that you’re a helluva Marine, and that should be recognized instead of having D-4 crap all over you.”
Rev just looked at the captain for a long moment before he quietly said, “I appreciate your sentiments, sir. And that means more to me than any damn medals.”
“Hell, I’m sorry. I know I’m on my soapbox, but this kind of crap pisses me off. We’re Marines doing our job, and politics shouldn’t be a part of it.
“Anyway, as I said, your recommendation for a Silver Nova has been pulled. And it has been suggested that Colonel Destafney give you another star for your Gold Achievement Medal.”
Rev laughed out loud. “That’s precious, sir. I guess we can just call it my second consolation award.”
“That’s kinda what it is. But at the moment, it’s the best we can do on that front. But there is one more thing we’re doing.”
What now? A free steak dinner at the club?
“Colonel Destafney is vacating your reduction in rank.”
“What, sir? What do you mean?”
“When you got busted down to corporal. That’s gone now.”
“But how, sir?”
“Who signed your reduction?”
Rev had to think back. “I think it was Colonel Destafney, but the order came from HQ.”
“But he signed it. And any commanding officer who reduces a sergeant or below in rank can, as they deem fit, vacate the reduction within twelve months if that Marine shows excellent performance of their duties and remorse for their actions. You do show remorse, right?”
Rev’s mind was whirling. No, he didn’t feel remorse, but the captain was offering a lifeline, and sometimes, standing on principle when no one else cared anymore only hurt the victim. And, to be honest, he wanted his rank back. He thought he was OK with being a corporal, but with sergeant being dangled in front of him, he realized that he’d just been fooling himself. He wanted that extra stripe again.
“Uh . . . yes?”
“That’s what I thought. So, the colonel is vacating the reduction. By the end of the day, you’ll be a sergeant again with your original date of rank. And you’ll be getting back pay as well. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but think of it as a sort of redemption. And then there’s this.”
He reached into the small drawer in his field desk and withdrew a single sergeant’s collar insignia. “Master Gunnery Sergeant Tuala is over at Camp Falcon, but when we heard this might happen, he gave this to me. It’s only the one, so you’ll still have to hit the PX for another, but he’d be honored if you would wear this. It was given to him by a sergeant major when he first made sergeant, and he’d like it if you can keep the chain going.”
Rev reached out and took it. It was a little chunkier than the ones in the PX, and it felt old and steeped in history. Thinking back to their first meeting, Rev wondered why the master guns would give this insignia to him and not someone else. He had to have had lots of Marines make sergeant under his watch to whom he could have presented it.
Rev didn’t understand why the master guns chose him, but there was only one possible response.
“I’d be honored to wear this, sir. Honored.”