America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 4: Demilitarized Zone
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Authors: Walter Knight
Tags: #science fiction war military adventure alien spiders desert chupacabra walmart mcdonalds
AMERICA’S GALACTIC FOREIGN LEGION
Book 4: Demilitarized Zone
by
Walter Knight
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Changing Luck
as told by Henry S. Knight, Jr.
AMERICA’S GALACTIC FOREIGN LEGION
Book 4: Demilitarized Zone
The sweeping, satirical military space saga
continues...
Decorated war hero Captain Joey R. Czerinski
of the United States Galactic Foreign Legion faces new challenges
when he and his platoon are ordered to planet New Colorado’s New
Gobi Desert to guard the demilitarized zone dividing human-occupied
territory from areas claimed by the Arthropodan Empire.
A new alien spider commander – and nephew of
the Arthopodan Emperor – creates more headaches for Czerinski with
his strict policies and competitive attitude. In the wake of his
many ill-formed decisions, a young local militia hero emerges,
giving Czerinski and his platoon even more trouble to deal with.
But it is all water under the desert as Czerinski takes everything
in stride and plays a deadly game of tit-for-tat and one-upmanship
with the spider commander to maintain order in the volatile
DMZ.
With chupacabra, Walmart, and McDonald’s
thrown into the mix, the fourth installment of this politically
incorrect military space opera aims straight for the funny
bone.
AMERICA’S GALACTIC FOREIGN LEGION
Book 4: Demilitarized Zone
Licensed and
Produced through
Penumbra
Publishing
www.PenumbraPublishing.com
SMASHWORDS
EDITION
EBOOK
ISBN/EAN-13: 978-1-935563-33-4
Copyright 2009
Walter Knight
All rights
reserved
Editing
Coordination: Patricia Morrison
Production /
Cover Art Coordination: Judith Pilsner
Cover Art: W.
K. Danes and G. E. Ambrose
Also available in PRINT ISBN/EAN-13:
978-1-935563-34-1
This is a
work of fiction. Names, characters, planets, asteroids, alien
species, evil empires, galaxies far, far way, or future events and
incidents, are the product of the author’s imagination, or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or aliens, living
or dead, events or locales including those on Mars and New
Colorado, is entirely coincidental.
Licensing Note: This ebook is licensed and
sold for your personal enjoyment. Under copyright law, you may not
resell, give away, or share copies of this book. You may purchase
additional copies of this book for other individuals or direct them
to purchase their own copies. If you are reading this book but did
not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, out of
respect for the author’s effort and right to earn income from the
work, please contact the publisher or retailer to purchase a legal
copy.
~AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT~
I dedicate
America’s Galactic Foreign
Legion – Book 4: Demilitarized Zone
to the memory of my dad,
Henry S. Knight, Jr., my American hero. Dad passed away July 11,
2010, at age 88. I’ve included a short story in his honor at the
end of this book.
A special thanks to editor Patricia Morrison
for still finding my books amusing escapist entertainment.
Also, hugs and kisses to my darling wife
Barb, for her continued support.
AMERICA’S GALACTIC FOREIGN LEGION
Book 4: Demilitarized Zone
by
Walter Knight
Chapter 1
The United States Galactic Federation Foreign
Legion Missile and Gunboat
Predator
patrolled the New
Mississippi River all the way up to New Memphis. Past New Memphis
lay the Arthropodan Empire. A demilitarized zone partitioned the
planet of New Colorado since the last war, but New Memphis was a
human enclave that existed north of the DMZ. It was the
Predator’s
mission to maintain humanity’s right-of-way on
the river to New Memphis. Spider insurgents had threatened to blow
up the
Predator
with suicide bombers riding in speedboats,
but no attempts had occurred yet on this trip. Until now.
It was late at night, but I could see the
profile of the approaching speedboat. Night vision technology
allowed me to see much farther than the insurgents, even in the
night fog. I ordered Corporal Williams to fire a cannon shell
across their bow as I broadcast a warning on the PA system. “This
is the United States Galactic Federation Foreign Legion Gunboat
Predator
!” I announced. “Turn off your engines and prepare
to be boarded! Failure to comply will force us to take
countermeasures to ensure our safety and the safety of other river
traffic!”
“They are still approaching,” advised our
radar technician. “They’re coming straight at us!”
“Blow them out of the water,” I ordered. “Hit
them with everything we have. The Legion does not pay you to bring
ammo home!”
I am Major Joey R. Czerinski, hero of the
Legion, and regional commander along the DMZ here on Planet New
Colorado. I am more accustomed to ground fighting, but this section
of the New Mississippi is also my responsibility. I arranged a
ride-along to familiarize myself with riverboat patrol. A good
commander learns the jobs of everyone serving under him.
Captain Gregoire let me take command of his
boat as a courtesy. I felt I was doing everything by the book. The
insurgents were warned. They had no one to blame but themselves if
we sent them to the bottom of the river. Corporal Williams fired
two missiles. I tracked the missiles on radar. Both hit, destroying
the enemy. Our ship then ran aground, bottoming on shallow
rocks.
As the fog cleared, it became more apparent I
should have stayed on dry land where I belonged. Not only had I run
the
Predator
aground, but I had also destroyed an automated
lighthouse onshore. Dismayed, I put a fishing line off the bow of
the Predator, and waited for the worst. My riverboat days were
over. Captain Gregoire angrily approached me, carrying gear. I
spoke first to cut off another tirade. “How long until we get off
this sand bar?” I asked. “I don’t want to be stranded too
long.”
“Sand bar? You ran us onto rocks!” shouted
Captain Gregoire. “Thanks to your incompetence, my ship is
ruined!”
“Does that mean it will be a while?” I asked,
annoyed. “I’m late, for a very important date.”
“The
Predator
is gutted!” fumed
Captain Gregoire. “This ship is not going anywhere.”
“Can’t you call a tug boat to tow us home?” I
asked. “Isn’t anyone coming to get us?”
“It’s a total loss,” growled Captain
Gregoire. “Helicopters will lift us out eventually. I will see to
it you are busted back to private, if it’s the last thing I ever
do!”
“Whatever,” I replied, adding under my
breath, “Annapolis Naval Academy asshole.”
“I heard that! You will show proper
respect!”
“Whatever.”
Helicopters soon arrived, landing
legionnaires to protect the
Predator
during salvage
operations. I took command of a smaller riverboat that brought more
supplies, and I proceeded up river at a leisurely pace to New
Memphis. Captain Gregoire hitched a ride, sitting at the back of
the boat, brooding. Every once in a while his eyes widened as he
jotted down a note about how terrible a commander I was, and how it
was all my fault his prized boat was gutted, and how I should never
be allowed on the New Mississippi River again because I was a
menace to commerce and everyone around me. I ignored the old
duffer, concentrating instead on the speed and maneuverability of
my new riverboat. This boat hauled ass!
About half way to New Memphis I saw a couple
spider insurgents pop out of a spider hole along the bank of the
river. One insurgent was aiming an RPG directly at me. The other
had an old-style AK47. At first I did not react to the danger. It
just seemed incredulous that someone other than Gregoire would want
to kill me on a peaceful beautiful river like the New Mississippi.
As Corporal Williams began firing his machine gun, I made a hard
left and sped at the insurgents. The RPG went over us, landing
harmlessly in our wake. As the insurgents ducked back into their
hole, I smashed the boat onto the soft sandy bank and through the
high grass. The boat bounced a few yards and came to rest next to
the spider hole. I jumped off, firing my assault rifle into their
hole. Then I dropped a grenade down the hole. When the smoke
cleared, Corporal Williams went down the tunnel and retrieved
spider bodies and equipment. It felt good to finally have something
go right.
The good feelings ended when I explained on
the radio to General Kalipetsis how I managed to beach two boats in
one day. Also, in the confusion, Captain Gregoire had fallen
overboard and was now missing in action. He had already been
leaning left, scribbling his venomous notes, when he was lost
overboard as I made the hard turn. No loss there, but it looked bad
in my report.
* * * * *
General Kalipetsis was waiting for me at
Legion Headquarters. “The spiders say we owe the Arthropodan Empire
$235,000 for destroying an automated lighthouse! What do you have
to say for yourself?”
“Lighthouses don’t cost that much,” I argued.
“Don’t let those spiders cheat you. I’ll bet the
Predator
alone costs much more. At least I didn’t destroy the second boat.
It was just stuck in the sand.”
“You think this is funny?” asked General
Kalipetsis. “The money will come out of your paycheck!”
“Now that is funny.”
“I know you have millions on your card,” said
General Kalipetsis. “How does a mere major become a millionaire on
Legion pay?”
“Lucky at cards?” I suggested. “All you have
to do is tell those spiders that insurgents blew up the lighthouse.
They can’t prove anything.”
“What about the
Predator
?” asked
General Kalipetsis.
“We needed a new riverboat anyway,” I said.
“That rust bucket was due to be scrapped. Order a new one. Only
this time get one of those slick new hydrofoil boats. They’re fast.
Bigger is better, you know.”
“You will never find out how fast they are,”
said General Kalipetsis. “I received a report of seismic readings
in Sector 27 along the DMZ. Go check it out. It might be spider
insurgents digging more tunnels.”
“Sector 27?” I asked, checking a map. “Isn’t
that in the middle of the New Gobi Desert? There is nothing out
there but sagebrush and rattlesnakes.”
“Good,” said General Kalipetsis. “You won’t
be able to break anything. Let that be a lesson to you.”
“I killed at least two insurgents,” I
protested. “Doesn’t that mean anything? There might have been
insurgents in that lighthouse, too. In fact, I’m sure of it.”
“Insurgents in the lighthouse is not in your
report or anyone else’s account of what happened,” said General
Kalipetsis. “Take your sun-block. I hear the New Gobi Desert is
very hot this time of year.”
* * * * *
As ordered, I took a company of legionnaires
to Sector 27. We were airlifted with our armored cars and
equipment. After the planes left, it seemed so quiet. The only
sound was a desert breeze through the sagebrush. There were no
landmarks for miles around, just sand, sagebrush, and a dirt
road.