Three Player Game (The Lunar Free State Book 10) by John E. Siers

Author:John E. Siers [Siers, John E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Theogony Books
Published: 2024-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

15 January 2122

Guard Training Center, Two River City, Planet Ragnarok

“Better.” Jayfeather grunted in satisfaction. “Still slow, but better.”

“Hmmph.” Chang snorted. “LT, I’m just happy they got them put back together correctly. Kalashnikov once said he designed this weapon to be simple enough that a Russian farm boy could learn how to maintain and use it with five minutes of training. I guess his farm boys were smarter than this lot.”

“According to the Wans, these guys are the best they’ve got.” Jayfeather chuckled. “Remember, though, we’re showing them technology that’s a lot more advanced than what they have now.”

“I suppose so…” Chang turned back to the group seated behind the rows of tables, the reassembled weapons lying on the mats in front of them. She touched a button on her wrist pad, advising the AI in orbit to resume translation.

“That will conclude today’s session.” Her words, translated into the local language, issued from the tiny speaker clipped to her collar. “Pick up your weapons and stow them in the locker. Be back here tomorrow at 0800 hours. We will be going to the range for some actual shooting practice.”

The guardsmen got to their feet and picked up the weapons. Several glanced at her warily, but all of them carefully pointed the muzzles upward at the ceiling. None wanted to risk a tongue-lashing from the Marine NCO, let alone a physical encounter. They’d learned early on that size and gender counted for nothing where Chang was concerned. She was 150 centimeters of solid muscle and was faster than any of them. Prior to assignment to Isis Company, she had been an unarmed combat instructor at Fleet Academy.

It was a hard lesson for the guardsmen, products of a male-dominated society who had been selected for service based on size and strength, and whose duties involved control of ordinary citizens by physical intimidation. This group of ten were ‘subleaders’—the guard equivalent of noncoms; they had risen to that rank by demonstrating some degree of intelligence and leadership.

They had learned quickly. Dissatisfied with their lack of attention to her instruction, Chang had picked the largest, nastiest looking one in the bunch and gotten in his face, calling up her Marine noncom’s store of creative metaphors that cast aspersions on his intelligence, personal appearance, and manhood. She wasn’t sure how those translated into local, but one of them must have hit home because the man struck out at her… and wound up face down on the floor with her knee on his back and his arm in an extremely painful position, thanks to her grip on his wrist.

At that point, Jayfeather had quietly informed the group that Sergeant Chang was their instructor and they had best pay attention to her. He asked if any of them had a problem with that. None spoke and no further demonstrations were needed.

“I’ll be glad when we get this bunch done.” Chang switched off the translation as the group filed out the door. “Then we can sit back and watch while they train the rest.

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