This was not good. I had promised Morton I would look after him. Which I could not do if we were in different companies. I sighed. I would have to break the first rule of military survival. Although it violated the primary army axiom—keep your mouth shut and don’t volunteer—1 volunteered. Stepping forward smartly and slamming my bootheels down as I snapped to attention.

“Sir! My bottom is lean, my gut is flat, I have field experience. I fire sharpshooter, I instruct unarmed combat.”

“And I don’t believe you!” he roared into my face.

I threw him onto the ground, put my foot on his back, took away his gun, shot out one of the streetlights, helped him to his feet and handed back his weapon. His fierce glare melted almost to a smile as he wiped pebbles from his uniform.

“I could use a few more like you. You get a combat company. Name?”

“Drem. I respectflilly request Lieutenant Hesk here as exec. He is young and dumb but I have been training him.”

“You got him. Move out. Any more volunteers?” I grabbed up my bags before he could change his mind and hurried off toward the transports with Morton stumbling behind.

“I thought that I was going to die when you knocked him down,” he gasped. “You took some chance.”

“Just being alive in the modern world is taking a chance,” I pontificated, “what with all the carcinogens and traffic accidents. And I think we can stop and put the bags down. Help has arrived.”

An eager-looking sergeant, with a bald head, large moustache and two privates, came trotting up and I returned his salute.

“I am Acting First Sergeant Blogh. If you are Captain Drem you are the new CO,” the sergeant said.

“Right both times, sergeant. Get those men on these bags and let’s go.”

“Last of the company boarding now. We blast off in ten minutes.

“We can make it. Let’s move.”

The loading ramp vanished from behind our heels and the outer lock began to grind shut. We had to climb over. boxes of equipment bolted to the deck to reach the stairs. Two flights up was the company,; sprawled from wall to wall on their G pads. We dived for ours and were just horizontal when the red lights began flashing and the engines came to life.

As takeoffs go, it went. They poured on a lot more G’s than a commercial transport would, but that is what the army is all about. When the acceleration dropped to one-G I stood and waved the sergeant over. “Canteens fall?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Let them drink, but no food for a while…” There was a roar of sound from the speakers followed by an overly-amplified voice. “All commanding officers to deck two now. All COs, now.”

“Lieutenant,” I called out to a very queasy-looking Morton. “Take over until I get back. Let the noncoms do all the work.” I bent and added In a whisper, “Don’t let that bird-bag out of sight. If it is opened we will really be in the cagal.”

He moaned slightly and I hurried away before he began to feel too sorry for himself. There were other officers climbing the gangway, all of them curious and expectant.

“Maybe now we will find out what this whole thing is about.”

“They got to tell us something—we been living on latrine rumors for a vear.”

The dining hall was not that big, so only the first arrivals got seats. The rest of us crowded in between the tables and leaned against the walls. An ancient sergeant checked us off his list when we came in. When he was satisfied he reported to a two-star general at the top table. The hum of conversation died down as the sergeant called for our attention.

“For them of you newly transferred to this division this here is your commanding officer. General Lowender, and he has an important announcement to make.” There was silence as thg, general turned to us, nodded sagely, and spoke.

“This is it, men. H-hour, D-day, the moment you have all been expecting, nay, looking forward to eagerly. The captain of this ship has reported that we are on course, with no chance of turning back now. So the secret orders can be opened.”

He took up a large envelope heavy with red seals and tore it asunder, the sound of ripping paper loud in the silence. He held up the red-bound volume inside.

“This is it. You will have heard rumors that we plan a defensive action against Zemlija. That is wrong. Security planted those rumors to mislead the enemy. Our ofiworld enemies are many and their spies everywhere. That has explained our great need for secrecy. That need is past, As you can tell we are now in space and heading toward a new world. A rich world. A world that lost contact with the rest of the galaxy thousands of years ago. And, more important, a world only we know exists. It is inhabited, but the natives are backward and do not deserve to have this verdant world for their own greedy selves. Is the machine ready? Good, General Zennor, the discoverer of this rich planet, will tell you abo.utit in his own words.” My pulse hammered and I started to sink down before I realized that it was just a recording and I did not have to worry about being recognized. The lights dimmed a bit, the general took a digital recording from the envelope and slipped it into the projector. Zennor’s repulsive hologramed features floated before us.

“Soldiers of Nevenkebia, I salute you. You are now embarked on the greatest venture ever conceived by our country. Your victory in the field will enrich and strengthen our fatherland so that none will ever dare consider an attack upon us. The riches of a new world will be ours. The riches of this world—Chojecki!”

There was a blare of tinny music as Zennor vanished to be replaced by the blue sphere of a planet floating in space. But if we were spared his image his flatulent voice still hammered in our ears.

“Chojecki. Rich, warm, fertile. It was a chance in a million that we discovered it. The ship I commanded was being followed by the killers of the League Navy and we used a random, untraceable jump to escape them. This noble planet was what we found. Perhaps there is a higher power that guided us to our destiny, perhaps the needs of our noble land were divined by benevolencies unknown to us.”

“Perhaps that is a load of old cagal,” someone whispered and there were mutters of agreement in the darkness. These were combat officers who preferred truth to propaganda. But there was no stopping Zennor.

“We landed and made a survey. It is a rich planet with immense reserves of heavy metals, abundant forests, untapped rivers to supply hydroelectric power. If there is anything at all wrong with Chojecki it is the present inhabitants.”

We listened now with interest because there was an edge of irritation that Zennor could not keep out of his voice.

“They are disgusting people, with vile attitudes and strange perversions. We approached them openly, extending the hand of friendship. We offered them aid, companionship, trade, contact with a superior civilization. And do you know what we got in return? Do you know what they did?”

The anger in his voice was obvious now, his audience eager.

“I’ll tell you what they did. They did nothing! They completely ignored us, turned away from us—rejected all civilized contact.”

“Probably knew just what they were doing,” someone said and the general shouted for silence. The planet popped out of existence and Zennor’s image returned. His temper was under control now but there was a baleful look in his eye.

“So you officers will understand that what we are doing is for their own benefit. Ours is an old culture and a wise one. We extended the hand of friendship and aid and it was rejected. We have bgen insulted, offended by these peasants. Therefore, for their own good, we must show them that Nevenkebia pride does not take insult easily. They have asked for this and they are going to get it. We come in friendship to aid them. If they reject our aid they have only themselves to blame. “Long live Nevenkebia! “Long live positive peace!”