Lieutenant (The United Federation Marine Corps Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

and centered himself on Captain Klein’s desk.
    “Midshipman Lysander, reporting as ordered, sir!”
    “Take a seat, Mr. Lysander,” the bull-necked officer told him, indicating one of the two chairs that were placed in front of the desk. 
    Ryck took the one indicated and sat on the outer six or seven centimeters of the seat while MGSgt Ghanaba took the other. 
    The captain studied his PA for a few moments before looking up at Ryck.  Ryck tried not to stare, but the captain’s eyes were two different colors.  One was blue, the other green.  He’d heard that, of course, but seeing it up close was different.  Ryck had to focus on the subject at hand, not the captain’s eyes.
    “Mr. Lysander, I have here the results for PA-06. [8]    As you know, you did not perform particularly well.  In fact, while you did well in Phase 1, you have not done well in any assignment for Phase 2, starting with your first assignment.”
    Ryck grimaced.  On their first day in Phase 2, the instructor had given them a pop quiz.  They were given a list of resources—including Marines, tools, cement, a pole, equipment, and sensors—and were asked to write down what they would do to get that pole erected as a flagpole.  Ryck got into the problem, calculating the amount of cement required to hold the pole steady, the necessary supports, the time for the cement to cure—details in that vein.  He was the last midshipman done, and when he’d uploaded his response, he was sure he’d aced it.  Instead, he’d been one of only five to fail.  The only acceptable answer was anything along the lines of “Staff Sergeant, erect that flag pole.”  Ryck had made the fatal mistake of getting down into the weeds.
    The captain went on, “I want to find out why this has been a difficult transition.  You’ve got an exemplary record as an enlisted Marine, but that has not translated to NOTC. [9] ”
    He paused and simply looked at Ryck for a moment before asking, “What do you think of your men?”
    Ryck couldn’t help but to look confused.  His men?  The computer generated men assigned to him?  He thought carefully, wondering what the captain wanted to hear.
    “Um, sir, well, I respect each one of them.  They are part of our history.”
    Each “Marine” was named for a hero of one of the old Marine Corps or the Federation Marines.  They had been awarded Federation Novas, Medals of Honor, Victoria Crosses, Heroes of the Soviet Union or Russian Federation, the Military William Order, Philippines Medals of Valor, Taegeuk Cordons, even a Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand, the one that Ryck found the most historically interesting.
    “You know as well as I do that naming them for old heroes is part of the Marine way, to keep tradition alive.  I don’t mean the historical figures, but the men attached to you for each exercise.  What do you think of each one of them as individuals?  Who is your strongest Marine?”
    “Staff Sergeant de la Cuadra,” Ryck answered immediately. 
    Each Marine had been given an extensive bio, complete with schooling, experience, and evaluations by those senior to him.  Each midshipmen had to study those bios to get to know their platoon as if they were flesh and blood Marines.
    “De la Cuadra?” the captain asked.  “Are you sure?”
    “Yes, sir,” Ryck responded without hesitation.
    “Then why during the course of the exercise, did you fail to address him until sending him on that suicide mission?”
    “Of course I–” Ryck started automatically before thinking back.
    Did I really ignore my platoon sergeant? he asked himself.
    “The only time you initiated contact with him was to order him and Cpl Hakkenberg to charge the Tonya.  Do you really think an attack with so little chance at survival was the best use of your self-determined strongest Marine?” the captain asked him.
    “I thought that if anyone could take out the Tonya, it would be him, sir,” Ryck said, trying not to sound