Recruit, Jonathan Brazee [which ebook reader .txt] 📗
- Author: Jonathan Brazee
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His eyes roamed over the crowd. There were a lot of eligible women there, and Joshua had assured him that it was a good time to be in uniform. There was a new romance-flick that was all the rage, and the little-understood-but-noble-hero was a Marine lieutenant. Usually, the heroes, if they were military, were Navy or Legion, so this was something new, and Joshua was more than willing to take advantage of the current popularity if he could.
Joshua’s own sister, Hannah, had grown into a fine-looking young woman. She had talked with Ryck for about 30 minutes as they set up the picnic dinner. Whether that was out of politeness to her brother’s friend or something more, Ryck had no clue. He wouldn’t mind finding out more about that, though.
He shifted his gaze to his sister just as Barret leaned over and kissed her. She accepted his kiss and laid her head on his shoulder as they sat on the blanket, waiting for the show.
Joshua’s laugh brought him back to where he was. Charles had finished the sea story, and Joshua was hurriedly launching into his own. Ryck didn’t really have any of his own such escapades. He had combat stories, but those were usually only shared with those who were there, too. He could discuss regen, but that was for other gen hens. Still, the very nature of the military made him part and parcel to the stories, even if he hadn’t actually been there. If Ryck decided to get out when his enlistment ended, he would miss that. He would miss the brotherhood.
Down in front of him, there was family. Beside him was the brotherhood of the uniform. He had to make his choice.
His train of thought was interrupted when the first explosion showered the sky with color. The show was on.
Tarawa
Chapter 28
“Enter!” the voice ordered.
Corporal Ryck Lysander opened the hatch, then marched in to center himself in front of Sergeant Major Huertas.
“Corporal Lysander, reporting as ordered.”
“At ease, Lysdander, at ease. You know why you’re here. Your enlistment is up in seven days. It’s declare time for you. As you know, you’ve been approved for reenlistment. It’s yours if you want it. You can stay infantry, but there have been by-name requests for you from the armory and armor. Have you made your decision?”
“Yes, sergeant major, but first, can I ask you something, if I can get personal?”
That seemed to take the sergeant major back, but after a moment, he replied, “Sure, son. What is it?”
“Well, and please accept it if I’m getting too personal, but you never married. Why?”
Ryck half expected a blast with a “None of your fucking business!”
Instead, the sergeant major looked down at his fingers as if checking the nails for dirt, then said “I was married to the Corps, son. It wouldn’t be fair for some young honey to be waiting for me, to wonder what was happening, to sit with me while I was going through regen. Hardly seems fair to me.”
“Do you regret it?”
“Oh, I like women, you can be sure of that. And I’ve had my fun. Maybe I’ve had some regrets, but I made my choice.”
“Was it worth it, though?” Ryck asked.
“Yes. Absolutely. You know I’m retiring next month. But if I could I would switch places with you in a heartbeat. To be a corporal in the Marines again. Things are happening now, things are heating up. If the shit hits the fan, I would want to be at the tip of the spear, son, the tip of the spear.
“But I’m just an old fart now, regened three times, and ready to be put out to pasture. Maybe I’ll hook up with some honeywa and see what all those civvies think is so great about marriage. Maybe I’ll just whore around until they bury me. But my time has passed. Now it’s your time. So it’s up to you. What is your decision?”
“You know I went to my home planet two months ago, right? I saw my sister, her kids. I got a great job offer. I’d make more money in a year than I would in an entire career in the Corps. I could find a wife. I could have a family.”
“And so . . . ?”
“But that was not my home. My home is here. My family is here. In the Corps. I want to reenlist.”
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Ryck’s story continues with Sergeant.
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OTHER BOOKS BY JONATHAN BRAZEE
The United Federation Marine Corps
Recruit
Sergeant
Lieutenant
Captain
Major
Lieutenant Colonel
Colonel
Commandant
Coda
Rebel
(Set in the UFMC universe)
Behind Enemy Lines
(A UFMC Prequel)
The Accidental War (A Ryck Lysander short story originally published in BOB’s Bar: Tales of the Multiverse)
The United Federation Marine Corps’ Lysander Twins
Legacy Marines
Esther’s Story: Recon Marine
Noah’s Story: Marine Tanker
Esther’s Story: Special Duty
Blood United
Women of the United Federation Marine Corps
Gladiator
Sniper
Corpsman
High Value Target (A Gracie Medicine Crow Short Story)
BOLO Mission (A Gracie Medicine Crow Short Story)
Weaponized Math (A Gracie Medicine Crow Short Novelette Originally Published in the Expanding Universe Anthology 3 and a 2017 Nebula Award Finalist)
The United Federation Marine Corps’ Grub Wars
Alliance
The Price of Honor
Division of Power
The Navy of Mankind: Wasp Squadron
Fire Ant (2018 Nebula Award Finalist for Best Novella
Crystals
Ace
Fortitude
Ghost Marines
Integration (2018 Dragon Award Finalist for best Military SF Novel)
Unification
Devotion
Fusion (coming soon)
Call to Arms: Capernica
Conscientious Objector
POG
Veteran
The Return of the Marines Trilogy
The Few
The Proud
The Marines
The Al Anbar Chronicles: First Marine Expeditionary Force--Iraq
Prisoner of Fallujah
Combat Corpsman
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