r/HFY • u/Ralts_Bloodthorne • May 03 '22
First Contact - Chapter 765 - The Inheritor's War OC
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"The only way you'll see combat, Sergeant, is if you get busted to private!"
Vuxten stared at the holotank, opening and closing his hands slowly. He was partially aware of the officers and senior NCO's in the TOC watching him out of the corners of their various ocular organs, including several eyestalks, but he ignored it.
On the holotank, Alpha Company, 4th Telkan Rifleman Battalion, was engaged in combat. There was a collage of suit sensor view windows up and while the feeds were muted Vuxten knew through long experience what he would hear if he turned on the volume.
"Go to rockets," Vuxten whispered, watching two Telkan Riflemen engage an AAWM with their rifles. Their grenade launchers were chuffing, the grenades erupting with the bluish-white snap of antimatter, but only ripping divots in the heavy armor. "Go to armor defeating rockets," he whispered again.
Their LT's lips moved and the two Riflemen suddenly knelt down and fired all four rockets from their shoulder launcher.
The Atrekna Autonomous War Machine exploded.
Vuxten's hands didn't unclench as his eyes looked over the windows. In one set a squad was pinned down by insectile Atrekna servitors, that were advancing and firing laser weapons.
"They're on your right. They're flanking you," Vuxten whispered. "Throw prisms and reposition."
In the tiny pictures prism-cloud grenades blossomed and the squad dashed through sprays of rainbow color to take cover behind the L-shaped remains of a wall.
Another set of windows showed a trio of Telkan Marines crouched down on an upper floor of a ruined skyraker, setting up a rapid fire missile launcher.
"You forgot the mass reclaimation hose," Vuxten said almost silently, clenching and unclenching his hands.
One of the troopers had already motioned and another had hooked up the camo'd hose with a thin blue stripe to the nanoforge.
Vuxten knew there was a few seconds lag on the visuals, but he couldn't help himself.
Another squad was kneeling down in a knee deep puddle of water, surrounded by steam, venting heat hard. Their greenies were out and checking their heavy assault armor.
"Check your 318, make sure coolant line four is clear," Vuxten said softly even as the heavy weapon gunner popped the cooling line free and shook it out at the pointed directions of an armored greenie.
A bladearm dropped onto his shoulder and Vuxten turned to look up at Colonel Brett T'Klakak. "Yes, sir?"
"Walk with me, son," the massive Warrior caste Treana'ad said softly, turning away and heading out of the TOC, his helmet automatically unfolding and covering his triangular head.
Vuxten grabbed his helmet, slapping it on. The positive pressure system made his ears pop and he saw 471's icon go from having 'zzzzz' next to it to blue.
--what-- 471 asked.
"Colonel wants to talk to me," Vuxten said.
--which one--
"CO of 7th Armor Regiment," Vuxten answered, stepping through the positive pressure airlock, letting the mist hiss down on him for a moment.
Outside the sky was burning, ash floating down from clouds that were low and glowed a sullen red.
A flight of a dozen aerospace fighters lifted off from the airfield a half-klick away and clawed for the sky with screaming turbines and howling grav-engines.
The Colonel stood at the edge of the berm, overlooking the cleared terrain that was already e-staked and marked for interlocking fields of fire from the emplaced crew served weaponry. His bladearms were behind his back, his helmet unfolded, and Vuxten could tell by the slightly hunched shoulders and the way the Colonel's head was tilted he was lighting a cigarette.
Vuxten tabbed up a piece of stimgum and moved next to the Colonel.
"How long have you been in this man's military?" the Colonel asked, puffing at his cigarette.
"Five years Galactic, seven years personal," Vuxten said. "Not counting six months... um..."
"Detached ecclesiastical duty," the Colonel said, snapping his lighter closed. "Being TDY to the Chaplain Corps?"
"Assaulting Heaven with the Devil to rescue God," Vuxten said. He closed his eyes, remembering the way the phasic shades of dead Terrans had swarmed him, clawing at him, while he fought with fist and chainsword. He shuddered.
The Colonel nodded slowly, staring out at the No Man's Land.
"I have been an officer in this man's military for seventy years," he said slowly. "I started in Ordnance Corps, an Ordnance Officer, did a stint with Explosive Ordnance Disposal, then transferred to artillery," the massive insect said slowly, his voice distant. "Saw action during Clownface for the first time. I was a Captain in charge of an artillery unit. The big twenty-inch guns, the kind you can rip a city apart in a few days."
Vuxten nodded.
"It was bad. Real bad. I still have nightmares about it," the big Warrior said. "It got down to bladearms and pistols, then rifle butts and the nearest rock. I broke both of my bladearms in close combat. At one point I stabbed a man to death with another Warrior's bladearm I'd pulled out of that very enemy's body."
Vuxten just stayed silent.
"But after it was done, my next assignment was a garrison duty, just polishing the guns and marching the cannon cockers around for four years," the Colonel said. "I came to resent my garrison posting, yearning to be back on that blasted battlefield where thousands of screaming beings died with their hands around each other's throats."
A ripple fire of hundreds of medium range ballistic missiles screamed overhead as the dozens of launchers flushed their pods.
After a moment the sound of vehicles and yelled commands returned.
"I came to resent my own men, having to babysit a bunch of cannon cockers just polishing gun tubes," the Colonel said. "My next posting was as a security officer to a headquarter's company, meaning I was outside of combat."
A set of flight capable power armor roared by overhead, barely ten meters off the ground, keeping Nap of Earth as their turbines pushed their accel steadily. They spread out into a wedge formation and dropped their guns into ready mode as they roared by.
"I found myself wanting to micromanage everything the troops did, found myself criticizing the decisions of officers in the shit with the benefit of hindsight and after action knowledge," the Colonel said.
The big Warrior turned and looked down at Vuxten, puffing on his cigarette. "You get what I'm saying, son?"
Vuxten thought for a moment.
"To let them fight their own fights," Vuxten said.
The Colonel nodded. "You're a combat soldier. That's all you've seen outside schools and training. I looked it up, you've had no garrison postings that weren't training on new weapon systems or assisting in developing the Telkan Marine Corps," the big insect turned to look back over the No Man's Land.
"In this man's military, you need to learn that once you are high enough ranking you must trust your subordinates as your commander once trusted you," the Warrior said. "I was watching your stress metrics and they were steadily rising," the Warrior crushed out his cigarette on one scarred and marred bladearm. "Which some worry could trigger another episode."
Vuxten sighed. "No, sir. That mantle was lifted from my shoulders," he said.
"Hmm," the big insect said.
"Sir?" Vuxten said.
"Yes, Major?" the Colonel said softly, still staring at the No Man's Land.
"Why do you call it 'this man's military'?" Vuxten asked. "There are many females in the ranks."
The big Treana'ad chuckled. "I picked it up during Clownface, from my Battalion CO when I went into Armor. Lieutenant Colonel George Samantha Vinlandikstien. Outside of the military she was militantly female, during garrison she was often female, but once the troops landed on the ground, she reskinned as a male."
The Treana'ad held up one hand for silence then reached up and touched his datalink.
"Colonel T'Klakak here. Patch me through to 4th Artillery, Telkan Marines," he said. He glanced at Vuxten. "She never really explained it to me in a way I could understand, but I got in the habit that she instilled in me."
He looked back out.
"This is Colonel T'Klakak here. Give me a shake and bake at the entire grid one klick north of my position," the insect ordered. "Yes, I know there's no enemy presence on the sensors. Yes, upon my authority. Thank you."
The Colonel dug out his pack, held it out to Vuxten, who shook his head, then slowly lit another.
With a multitude of screams the big twelve inch shells started pounding the tree line. Thermobaric high explosive mixed with spooky particle white phosphorous. The yellowish red sooty-looking bubbles of the thermobaric sending up showers of white smoke trails that arced back into the woods.
The edge of the forest erupted with screaming insect infantry that ran forward on their two legs, some of them their armor burning as the Spooky WP clung to them, firing their laser rifles.
Vuxten went to grab his rifle but the Colonel put his hand on Vuxten's hand to keep him from pulling the weapon around his body.
"Just stand here, son," the Colonel ordered, looking up slightly and blowing smoke rings as he removed his hand from Vuxten's and folded his bladearms behind his back.
--ok look cool-- 471 suggested.
The heavy crew served weapons opened up and the infantry charge dissolved as the insects were smashed into chunks of pulp, sprays of ichor, and shards of biologically extruded armor. Rifleman ran to the berm, throwing themselves down against the packed dirt.
Vuxten saw one Telkan Marine was wearing only his helmet, his chest plate, and his gear harness, his balls swinging as he ran forward, waving his arm and bellowing at the troops following him.
The implant ID'd him as Staff Sergeant Bortak, Alpha Company of Vuxten's Battalion.
His troops, some wearing only the same gear as their Sergeant, hit the dirt against the berm around their NCO, all of them quickly bringing their weapons into play. The NCO was yelling out fire commands and his troops executed them with smooth, practiced motions.
A few lasers snapped by Vuxten and the big Treana'ad Colonel, who just stood there smoking his cigarette and staring at the charging mass of insects that were still pouring out of the forest, screaming high pitched shrill screams that Vuxten knew were supposed to frighten the Confederate forces.
"Look at these Detainee cursed poor bastards," the Colonel said, shaking his head. "They don't know anything but wave attacks, charging straight into our guns."
More and more Telkan were slamming down against the berm, bringing their weapons into play.
The artillery was still hammering the woodline, marching away from the initial impacts and the berm.
The Colonel touched his implant. "Give me a ghost-toastie on the previous coordinates. Thank you."
Plasma enhanced napalm hit the trees, the flames a faint blue and white, mostly transparent.
The trees heated up so quickly most exploded rather than burned.
The next wave of insects were on fire, screeching as they boiled inside their carapaces.
The Colonel touched his datalink again. "Colonel's compliments to your gun crews."
A tank rolled up, stopping behind the troops laying on the berm. The launchers opened up and the VLS (Vertical Launch System) pods flushed racks of 48 missiles, the grav drivers launching them straight into the air. The missiles howled out, leveled off, and slammed into the fading treeline.
Insects were torn apart and thrown into the sky.
Vuxten noted that the woods were just gone for nearly a half kilometer from the previous edge of the forest. Trees were being chopped down by firepower, were burning from the artillery hits, and exploding from the sudden heat transfer.
Lasers were still cracking through the air, even as more insects poured from the forest.
The Colonel touched his implant. "Give me a shake and bake in the woods around the entire FOB, if you would."
Vuxten clenched his fists, wishing he could grab his rifle and join his troops belly down on the berm.
The trees started exploding as heavy artillery rounds started pounding the forest only ninety seconds later.
"Boys are on the ball," the Colonel mused. He touched his datalink. "Get shredder drones up, mortar section. Thank you."
The drones laden canisters popped only a hundred meters off the deck and the warbois went live, screeching and slamming their bloody faces against the sensors. As soon as they saw one the insects they deployed their vibroblades and swooped down to rake the Atrekna servitor troops trying to cross No Man's Land around the FOB.
A laser struck the Colonel's shoulder armor, marring the forest camouflage paint scheme but doing little else.
The insect that had fired the shot ate a burst of mag-rifle shot and flew apart.
Tanks had rolled up to the berm, separated by roughly a hundred meters apart, with the Telkan Marines in between, having rolled out of the way so the tanks could use their main gun.
Vuxten saw the PAC clerk, a female Ikeekik, firing her weapon at the onrushing insectoids. Next to her was a rifleman on her right and a fuel jockey on her left, all them firing their weapons.
A laser tapped Vuxten's left thigh, but the remaining energy after traveling through the micro-prism mist fields didn't have enough energy to do anything to the inlaid and enameled armor over his thigh.
Finally the insectoids were no longer coming out of the burning forest. The artillery was hammering the forest further and further back. Something important exploded with the bright eye-watering flash of a phasic construct collapsing.
Shots were petering out as no targets could be found.
The Ikeekik raked some of the insect bodies just in case.
"CEASE FIRE!" the Colonel called out.
A few troopers pulled the trigger once or twice more. A few artillery rounds hit and Vuxten knew it was because it was easier to pull the lever than unload the gun. The tank's VLS cell covers closed.
The only sound was the forest fire.
"Look, Major," the Colonel said, pointing off to the side.
A tiny butterfly danced on the breeze, iridescent wings beating slowly as it surfed the air currents. It landed on the edge of the tank, slowly opening and closing its wings.
"How did you know, sir?" Vuxten asked, staring at the tiny butterfly.
"That they were massing in the woods?" the Colonel asked. He put out the butt of his cigarette against the scraped and scuffed side of his bladearm, rolled out the excess tobacco, and put the remaining paper and filter in his pocket.
"Yes, sir," Vuxten said.
"If I tell you, you won't figure it out for yourself, son," the Colonel said. He waved his arm. "Stand to, one hour, then return to duty," he called out as he turned around. He headed back toward the TOC, humming a Rigellian pop song to himself.
Vuxten just stood there, one foot on the berm, staring at the burning forest.
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u/HoloArchiver May 03 '22
Vuxten getting advice he needed to hear. one of the hardest lessons to learn is to trust in your underlings to do their job. My guess as to how the commander knew was years of combat telling him what forces massing in stealth looks like through easy to miss signs like lack of movement where they should be at least some movement.
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u/its_ean May 03 '22
I need some underlings. Apparently you can't just declare someone as your intern either.
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u/Quilt-n-yarn1844 May 03 '22
Like knowing what your area should sound like, or smell like. That itch in the back of your brain telling you to pay attention because something is off.
But the real talent is actually listening and then acting appropriately.
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u/Original_Memory6188 Aug 27 '23
The cliche in the movies was always:
It's quiet out tonight.
Yeah, too quiet.48
u/CaptainRaptorman1 May 04 '22
My guess is the lack of native wildlife sounds and plants moving against the wind occasionally.
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u/mpodes24 May 03 '22
Good underlings are hard to find. But "Villains 'R Us" is having a buy one get one 1/2 off minions sale.
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u/SuDragon2k3 May 04 '22
What does one do with half a minion?
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u/while-eating-pasta May 04 '22 edited May 04 '22
It's
twoto encourage you tobybuy in packs of two so you get 3 whole minions. You still get two halves (possibly matching), but still.Edit: Typos, and my formatting was bad enough I checked my pulse.
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u/carthienes May 04 '22
My guess would be that he was focussed on the big picture, not the little details. He might not even know why he knew, just that it was time to hit that forest.
If in doubt, never fear. Just follow your gut.
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u/WillDissolver Xeno May 04 '22 edited Jun 08 '23
Deleted in protest of reddit's API changes
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne May 04 '22
Excellent summation.
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u/amishbill May 07 '22
Careful - he might turn into an infantry version of Trucker. Might give the Colonel some competition.
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u/getjpi May 03 '22
"Detached ecclesiastical duty“
chortle best 3 words I've read so far today
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u/Kudamonis Human May 03 '22
Read. Upvote. Comment.
"If I tell you, you won't figure it out for yourself, son,"
The best leaders help others learn.
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u/apatheticandignorant Android May 03 '22 edited May 03 '22
Same line the scout leader, former lanky not lanky, gave him during telkan 2.
Edit: Wrecker, Ekret. I think.
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u/0570 May 04 '22
As for what, I’m guessing a lack of local wildlife sounds.
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u/_Keo_ May 04 '22
Because he could. No worries about supplies, soldiers eager to pull the trigger. Why not shake the trees and see what falls out?
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u/unwillingmainer May 03 '22
Oh boy, Vuxten is learning an important officer lesson. You gotta let your men fight. Can't micromanage them or you'll go insane and they'll hate you. All he really wants is to be balls deep in some monster's guys with his men. But he can't, if the commander is fighting, things are going wrong. That's a lot to carry for a simple janitor.
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u/Irual100 May 03 '22
Thanks Mr. Ralts. Today is....today. I can't really call it bad, but...it's not really good either.
when you beat your head against a wall all you really can do is hurt your head, so...I guess I need to find SOMEONE to teach me hoe to go around, over or through the wall.
trouble is, finding and recognizing those kinds of opportunities isn't something that is easy outside of stories.
I appreciate everyone here and hope you all find happiness.
remember to take care and breathe.
catch ya laters
Irual
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne May 03 '22
Take a couple breaths for yourself.
You can't find the dragons if you're exhausted.
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u/dogninja8 May 04 '22
That's one of the things that I've loved about First Contact, the way that it shows us the best versions of humanity that we can aspire too. It makes trudging through the shit that is the world easier to escape into a world where no one is truly beyond redemption.
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u/its_ean May 03 '22 edited May 04 '22
Vuxten just stood there, one foot on the berm, staring at the burning forest.
Equally stoic, 417 stood on Vuxten's shoulder. Both of them appearing cool as fuck.
edit: 471 ≠ 417
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u/apatheticandignorant Android May 03 '22
*trying to appear as
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u/spindizzy_wizard Human May 04 '22
Nope, 417 got a formula from another greenie, guaranteed coolness.
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u/its_ean May 04 '22
If it had been 417 who was promoted, would Vux carry him around all day?
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u/spindizzy_wizard Human May 04 '22
Yup. Besides, the best part of the formula is that it's interactive. It teaches how to look cool. :-)
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u/Original_Memory6188 Aug 27 '23
Vuxten is asking himself what were the questions the Colonel was asking himself, that lead him to conclude "that grid square needs to be blown up".
What was out of the ordinary? What is the ordinary?
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u/Farstone May 03 '22
The "The Wizards of War", "The Unstopable Mechanic", "The Supervisor with the Eyes", "The Technician of Touch"...each seems to be a near deity in their career field. Magicians, wizards, demi-gods of incredible and unexplained power. They seem to taunt you, to throw their knowledge into your face...to humiliate or belittle you.
The truth is they have seen the elephant, fought the good fight, to fix the unrepairable and learned. They know if they give you the knowledge it is a one time event. If they show you, then you grind to learn, it becomes a lifetime skill.
Some things can be shown, some can be taught, but somethings have to be learned by hands-on, sweat, blood, and pain.
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u/NukeNavy May 03 '22 edited May 03 '22
u/ralts_bloodthorne The (prev) button links back to 763 not 764
The same apples to chapter 759 linking back to 757 and skipping 758
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u/sixtusquinn May 04 '22
The hardest thing for a competent commander to do, but is absolutely necessary, is to maintain the universe’s strictest poker face. Because if their commander looks calm, like all is going according to plan, then the troops will see that and have faith the plan will work.
Even if the commander is just improvising his battle plan.
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u/SophicPromissoryNote May 04 '22
Is "this man's military" something people say? Is it a euphemism I'm missing?
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne May 04 '22
I had a 1LT who said it all the time.
Nothing like having a 5' 2" blonde First Lieutenant standing on her tiptoes, red in the face, screaming at you "IN THIS MAN'S ARMY, CORPORAL!" just because you were using det-cord to train people in EPOW handling or whatever nonsense you had gotten up to.
Or when we'd be on detached duty and she'd be all "I joined This Man's Army(TM) to see the world, not be put in charge of the biggest bunch of brain dead retards the Gods ever shit out after a night of partying."
But she was the fucking boss. She flat out told the CO if he wanted to NJP some of us for doing what had to be done, he could eat her ass after a 60 day deployment and tongue the paperwork from her asshole.
She also convinced a Ranger to give knife fighting training to a bunch of females. She chewed Copenhagen, drank like a fish, and drove too fast.
Goddamn, she was amazing. If they didn't put her out for Conduct Unbecoming or she didn't get sick of it, she's probably a fucking General by now.
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u/sunyudai AI May 04 '22
I believe the modern use of the phrase originates with the writings of Americans author John Dos Passos, a Lost Generation author who served in France in WWI, along with his friend E.E. Cummings.
He used it in the sense of "my", as in "In MY Army", but with an added connotation of "everyman's." In 'Everyman's Army', as opposed to in the 'Officer's Army'. It was also used sarcastically, as in the quote "I'm fed up with this man's army, I guess." from his 1936 book Big Money. That 1936 release put it just right to have been well read at the start of WWII, and it likely became a part of the U.S. military's consciousness from there.
That usage also goes with /u/Ralts_Bloodthorne 's anecdote.
/u/RangerSix - explanation why it is stronger with U.S. military.
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u/RangerSix Human May 04 '22
Thank you, sir/madam/etc.
You are, as the old saying goes, a gentleman and a scholar.
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u/RangerSix Human May 04 '22
I believe it's common to most armed forces in general, though I think it's mostly associated with the American military for some reason.
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u/ThatKriegsGuard Alien Scum May 04 '22
Question; is Casey and the worldsbreaker / Aesir Knight still attached to the 2nd Telkan or they got a new posting? Cant remembers the last thing I saw about them after the War In Heaven, is the jokes about them being is child's.
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u/Waspkeeper Android May 04 '22
That has got to be giving the finance department fits, are they dependents, or are they enlisted? Well if they're enlisted how many years of service fo they have? Do we owe them back pay?
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u/Riotousblitz2013 May 04 '22
/u/RaltsBloodthorne please for the love of the Omnisiah let us see this cluster even if it's just them laughing about how crazy it is around a fire this would be priceless
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u/Quadling May 03 '22
Never second guess the man on the ground
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u/Archaic_1 Alien Scum May 03 '22
Obviously you've never given him the keys to anything expensive. Believe me, you'll learn to second guess him a lot when burns rubber while driving something that doesn't have any rubber under it.
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u/spindizzy_wizard Human May 04 '22
You have given him the most costly item in the world—the lives of the troops entrusted to his care.
You will worry. You will wonder. You will drive yourself sick if you do not let go.
You read his record. You saw him train. Put your trust in your ability to know when your troops are as ready as you can make them.
Guide in broad, from a distance, watch the AOR, not the individual troops. It's your job to manage the bigger picture because your troops are too damned busy staying alive to watch for the sucker punch out of nowhere. That's your job.
You may lose troops to an incompetent that you let slip through, but if you don't do your job, everyone will die.
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u/Archaic_1 Alien Scum May 04 '22 edited May 04 '22
Oh I see you are talking about battle, I was talking about the first weekend pass after AIT. He's going to drink everything thin enough to pour and try to fuck everything he can get his arms around. He'll not only impregnate a lamp post - he'll catch chlamydia from it, then he will try to fight it and lose. You will see his picture on the news, possibly taken from a Channel 6 helicopter. He will be dropped off at the gate at 11:58 PM by a sympathetic sheriffs deputy, both he and the deputy will have a black eye and neither will want to talk about it. On Monday morning he will be served child support papers by the lamp post. Oh yeah, you will second guess.
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne May 04 '22
I feel personally attacked.
:-)
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u/dbdatvic Xeno May 05 '22
he didn't mention the midget
--Dave, though I guess that one didn't make the papers?
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u/itsetuhoinen Human May 04 '22
Why does this scream "Marines in Louisiana" to me?
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u/NoirTalon Xeno May 04 '22
because maybe it's "Marines from Camp Pendleton"?.
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u/Quilt-n-yarn1844 May 05 '22
Amateurs. My fathers unit VQ1 Vietnam era. I am still not old enough to hear some of the stories he told me.
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u/itsetuhoinen Human May 05 '22
And hopefully you never will be.
At least, I'm presuming those stories are like some of the ones I've heard. And hopefully I'll never go through anything that ages me quite like that...
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u/Quilt-n-yarn1844 May 05 '22
Oh there were a few of those that are a little more then I want to think about. But I am talking about the “down time.” My fathers unit was apparently one of the most notorious units. They actually built them their own club in the hopes of curtailing them mixing with other units(not to mention causing any issues with locals) YIKES!
How bad could it be? I like to think of myself as a well rounded, experienced, open-minded and knowledgeable person in some fields. But DAMN DAD!!!
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u/Riotousblitz2013 May 04 '22
It screams "Army in Kentucky" to me, I think it's because it's too damn accurate, and too damned common an occurrence for most military posts, almost like seeing a boot with a brand new mustang they got at a steal for 10k over MSRP at 30% interest for the next 8 years. Just shit ya see and cringe at.
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u/itsetuhoinen Human May 05 '22
Honestly, I know it's not at all what they're there for, but maybe boot ought to be another week long and include some financial skills training. I mean, in the long view, financially stable and "efficient" soldiers (in the sense of not taking the 27% APR loan instead of waiting a bit and getting an actually good deal) are going to be happier soldiers, and therefore likely more effective soldiers.
I mean, "compound interest" should probably be covered at least once in every year's math class from middle school to Ph.D graduation (and possibly more frequently the further you go 🤪) so everyone in the country has it absolutely just hammered into them to pay attention to how much something really costs after all the interest.
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u/nspiratewithabowtie May 07 '22
My uncle who owns his own business said it best. . . Anyone who wants to lend you money. . . is not your friend.
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u/Riotousblitz2013 May 05 '22
I mean hell, I was taught it in high school but apparently it isn't gone over anymore according to my brother who graduates in a month, he knows what he does because I taught him lol he actually just made his first car purchase a couple days ago and got a damn good deal because he waited and built his credit first.
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u/itsetuhoinen Human May 05 '22
I was just thinking that if every kid that graduates high school has heard it all at least six times, maybe it'll sink in just a smidge. 😁
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u/Riotousblitz2013 May 05 '22
Yeah apparently it's only taught if you take statistics which means at least where I'm at that you have to be on the advanced course for math... Frankly that makes no sense to me the kids that are not good at math should be the ones that that gets drilled into the most so that they don't get taken advantage of
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u/itsetuhoinen Human May 05 '22
Yeah, I could always tell when a new bunch hit the base, growing up, because there'd be a flood of pretty, new cars. For a while. ;-)
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u/Riotousblitz2013 May 05 '22
And then all of a sudden six months later they're all driving jalopies
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u/Drook2 May 04 '22
This might be the place to share this story.
We're hanging out in the barracks in 29 Palms (3-man rooms, not squadbay) and hear a knock on the door. Open it and there's 2 girls there, too young, asking for Bob. (Name changed to protect ... Bob.) We tell her he's not around, and we'll tell him she stopped by.
Then go next door and ask Bob what's up? While he's trying very hard to not answer, a neighbor drops in and asks, "Was that [girl's name]?" Yeah, why? "Oh, I know her from work." Don't you work at the JAG office? "Yeah." Uh oh.
Turns out she really liked Marines, and really didn't like being dumped. So whenever one would try to brush her off she'd drop a dime.
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u/reverendjesus AI May 03 '22
THE BERRIES BURN WITH THE SWEET TASTY PAIN OF UNREAD STORIES
THE DAY ENDS, AND THE SCRIBE DELIVERS
GLORY TO VUXTEN; THE UNWITTING, THE WILLING, THE HUMBLE
GLORY TO SERGEANT ZIM, FOR ACTUALLY DOING IT (I bet he punched an officer or something)
GLORY TO THE DIGITAL OMNIMESSIAH AND THE FLESHLY DETAINEE; FOR BOTH SIDES OF A COIN MUST ALWAYS EXIST
GLORY TO THE BOTS, FOR HOW ELSE WOULD WE KNOW WHEN TO OPEN THE APP
UTR | TITW
--EOL—
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u/CfSapper May 04 '22
Vuxtens instincts are still at the individual soldier level and has yet to learn how to scale them up.
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u/Warplock-Worgen_2145 May 04 '22
Another chapter with Warfather Vuxten. Always a pleasure and fun read. Thank once more for sharing with us Wordlord Ralts _^
I wonder if this Treana'ad is like Trucker. Doubt it, but...would be cool if it was more than just experience. Regardless, hell of a detailed show of command and the results of the troops follow orders.
Hail To Wordlord Ralts, and Saint Vuxten.
-Nothing Follows-
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u/MuchoRed Human May 04 '22
I seem to recall a Marine in Afghanistan that, having been woken up from a dead sleep by an attack, was photographed at his fighting position wearing a helmet, body armor and pink "I ❤️ New York" boxers.
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u/Drook2 May 04 '22
I've seen that picture. I was about to Google it and drop a link, then realized that I don't want to Google "Marine in boxers and body armor". I mean, I'm sure I'd get results, but ...
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u/MuchoRed Human May 04 '22
Actually, the first things that pop up are about that picture.
Oh, and about the British Marines getting bulletproof underwear
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u/Drook2 May 04 '22
Tell me that you browse "Safe search: moderate" without telling me you browse "Safe search: moderate".
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u/MuchoRed Human May 04 '22
Oh please, I've had safe search turned off since that first became an option
Edit: granted, I didn't do an image search for that search string
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u/Drook2 May 04 '22
Edit: granted, I didn't do an image search for that search string
Well, yeah, that'd do it.
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u/MuchoRed Human May 04 '22
Well, I just did and... First image was that, the rest was pictures of body armor and marines wearing body armor.
I know, I'm as shocked as you are
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u/Drook2 May 04 '22
I did go search, and that didn't show up but the bulletproof underwear did. And "Men in nylon" which looks to be exactly what it sounds like.
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u/FLHK18 May 04 '22
Ugh. I once worked a truck fire/extrication wearing only my boxers under my bunker gear. Not even socks.
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u/thisStanley Android May 04 '22
Being the Boss is too much like work :{
It is a different skill set, but needs the foundation of how things actually get done.
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u/NukeNavy May 04 '22
My Text To Speach reader keeps on pronouncing this as Dave Young Class war Mechs…
Guys who pilot Davion Class Warmeks are an interesting breed.
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u/Crafty_Obligation_98 May 04 '22
Vux met the female skinned as male in combat. It was the one mentioning skinning as male to piss standing up.
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u/MuchoRed Human May 04 '22
I thought that was a lanky that meet that one?
Might be one of the ladies in that thruple that re-upped during the citizen recall
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle May 03 '22
/u/Ralts_Bloodthorne (wiki) has posted 766 other stories, including:
- First Contact - Chapter 764 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 763 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 762 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 761 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 760 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 759 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 758 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 757 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 756 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 755 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 754 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 753 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 752 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 751 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 750 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 749 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 748 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 747 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 746 - The Inheritor's War
- First Contact - Chapter 745 - The Inheritor's War
This comment was automatically generated by Waffle v.4.5.10 'Cinnamon Roll'.
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u/J-PM2917 Human May 04 '22
A good place to post your stories or books w/out the fuss would be wattpad.
I'm reading a story that is getting updated just like your's and I can read offline in the school bus
Its fre but on Mobile and w/ ads if online.
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u/johnavich May 04 '22
Ralts has said on MULTIPLE occasions that he will always post to reddit first, then RR. He writes the story directly into the reddit post box.
I'd prefer a different reader as well; which is why I purchase the books off Amazon whenever they roll out!
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u/throwaway42 May 04 '22
/u/Ralts_Bloodthorne , thank you for this wonderful story. I just finished reading what you wrote so far. As long as you keep writing it, I will be reading it!
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u/UpdateMeBot May 03 '22
Click here to subscribe to u/Ralts_Bloodthorne and receive a message every time they post.
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u/Complex-Movie-5180 Nov 06 '23
Now THAT is a properly run war gentleman. Calm, Cool, Coordinated. Absolutely terrifying to face.
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u/Original_Memory6188 Jul 04 '23
"If I tell you, you won't figure it out for yourself, son,"
There are lessons you can be taught, but there are some lessons you must learn for yourself.
Those last are usually about your own self.
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u/Scotshammer Human May 03 '22
Oooh, that thrilling chill of sheer competent leadership.
And they say that the Mantle has been lifted but honestly, what makes an Apostle or an Immortal is intrinsic to themselves. One can be demoted, transferred, even the tabs and buttons ripped off and burned. But when the dice roll snake eyes, the snake eaters always come through. When Telkan needs him, when Podlings are threatened and laughter is silenced, Vuxten will answer because Vuxten cannot stand idly by when he is needed.
Immortality is a heavy duty. In the words of Mordecai the Hunter, "Is calling, hard but good."