Chapter 5 - Flag Duty
The sun over the forested hills, the UK Space Force Training Command shone as the dew caught the light. It was a large white building with Greek pillars that dated back more than centuries to the Victorian Period. First it had been the British Army's School of Artillery and Engineering, then it had been the main leadership college for all officers. Since the development of hyper-fast, reliable sub-orbital "flight" the Army deployed its troops to greatest effect and most surprise via the Space Force. The Air Force and Navy similar found their transport, missile and communications capabilities all working through the Space Force's technology, equipment or telemetry. Cyber command was subsumed into the Space Force, and much to the disappointment of traditionalists, the Space Force led all logistical, strategic and operational decision making.
The Army lost its officer training school, and the Space Force took over.
Cadet Katherine Suzuki looked across at the beautiful building through her tactical monocular. Tilting up, she followed the flag pole that rose above form the central dome and saw that it was not flying the usual Union Flag, but instead nothing. It was barely past 5.30 am.
"Christina, we must've fallen asleep." Kat said to the cadet lying prone next to her.
"Huh? Oh, what?"
"Somebody's removed the flag, we need to put it back up now"
Most first term cadets failed flag duty because it was a punishment given to the lazy or socially poorly adjusted, and before they had managed to develop a good team bond with their platoon-mates. You were expected to keep up with all of your duties, training and education, whilst also being held responsible for the Union Flag always remaining flying about the College Building. The only way to do this was through teamwork because it was Space Force tradition to keep all official flags flying 24 hours as, well, in space there is no day or night.
Group punishments were illegal and had been since anyone could remember, but Flag Duty was a strange relic of those days - technically the punishment was given only to one person. The fact it could only be completed by getting help from others was not considered an issue.
A number of strategies had developed over the years - some cadets slept in the flag room, other set up technological surveillance, still other set up hazards at the base of the flag. These rarely worked as if you were caught, you were punished again, usually by expulsion and being returned to civilian life. Kat had convinced her platoon to let her and a few others set up a hidden OP (observation post) in the trees beside the parade ground, as well as to falsify records and reports if ever a member of the Training Staff decided to give them an emergency wake-up in their barracks in the small hours. It had gone great for 4 weeks, now the flag was gone.
"Maybe I should go to Staff Bramo" Kat said carelessly, realising her mistake.
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"Huh Bramo?" Christina yawned, still half asleep.
"Nothing, forget it, I meant something else."
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Kat remembered the night of the Sergeant Major had given Morrison and her mech-yard duty and her flag duty. But that wasn't the most important part. She remembered walking back to the cadet barracks, Tom going over to the 10 Platoon side, and as she left her bike at the entrance of the 11 Platoon, the women's platoon, entrance, she noticed Staff Bramo standing just out of the light cast from the door.
"Took your time, cadet, follow me." He said, turning back towards the parade ground.
"Yes Staff" the reply was automatic.
As she caught up to him, she noticed he wasn't wearing his black-camo working uniform, or any of his formal dress, but was instead wearing what looked like a monk's hooded robes but with a large white circle on both sleeves and another on its back.
"Staff..." she started and he shot her a look and raised a single hand indicating that silence was required.
She followed him.
They arrived at the site where Kat had been caught on her bicycle by Camp Sergeant Major Bartain. Kat's heart sank, trying to recall Bramo's reaction to the news of her punishment. Why had he brought here back here? Wasn't official punishment enough?
But they continued past the track by the copse for a few more yards an arrived at the old unused storage bunker. It was covered in moss and had mostly been let to rot, the old corrugated roof didn't even look watertight, nevermind bombproof.
Kat noticed a glow coming from within the old building.
In silence Staff Sergeant Bramo of the UKSF 19th Orbital Artillery walk up the steps and pushed open the rusted metal door, Kat followed him inside.
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Kat and Christina got up from their makeshift camp, covering it in some sniper's camo-netting that someone had "liberated" from camp stores without the storekeeper seeming to notice. As a fast run, they headed for the College building, keeping just off of the parade ground, hoping they would be unnoticed.
"Round the back, we can use the fire stairs" Kat shout-whispered to Christina.
"Right, no problem." Christina replied, used to Kat giving the orders.
Instead of trying to sneak in and past the guards, they would get to the roof by the fire stairs and enter the flag room from the outside. With luck, they would find the flag at the bottom of the pole. Nobody would be sick as to hide or steal it.
Racing up the stairs and onto the roof of the old building, the sun now fully illuminating the whole of the Camp, Kat noticed how beautiful it was from up here. It was only 3 storeys, well 4 including the roof, but it still was spectacular.
Christina pulled ahead as the both sprinted to get to the external door of the flag room but still half a buildin's length away. A good 50 metres. Christina put out her arm to the side and and slowed, grasping Kat's shouldering, pulling her down.
"Look!" Christina whispered.
Kat looked at the flag room, a mostly glass dome protruding from the middle of the long flat roof, with one external door, and a flag pole striking skyward through a small hole at the dome's centre.
The flag has just appeared from the dome and was slowly rising up to the top of the flag pole. Either someone was helping them, or whoever took it down was having second thoughts.
Kat and Christina snuck over to the window. Carefully they looked inside to see two figures walking away from the flag pole, approaching the internal entrance, a set of metal spiral stairs. One was Camp Sergeant Major Barstain holding his face with what looked like a bloody nose, the other a man in a hooded cloak.
As they walking down the spiral, Kat thought she recognised the face of the hooded man.
Tom Morrison from 10 Platoon?