Earth (Harmony War Book 5)

by Michael Chatfield

  “It matters because the gangs might use our own war to cover for theirs. We need it sorted out before we have to deal with that and Harmony. If the Slums start to annoy the corporation heads in the cities, or even Mega City itself, who do you think they’re going to send to purge the Slums?” Moretti said.

  Ortiz noticed the way that the Victor family moved and looked at one another. The story that they had told him had shocked him in more than one way. Mark, being as paranoid as he was, had set up an empire, a secondary plan for when they were out of the EMF, or a way to escape it.

  Ortiz had been proud instead of angry, and appreciated that Mark and Jerome had raised the funds to pay off the Troopers’ contracts, even Ortiz’s own.

  He also knew that the Westerly Three Complex gang was integral to their plan. He didn’t know what they would do, but they were the best shot they had at stabilizing the whole thing.

  He’d easily turn a blind eye to it as long so he could focus on Harmony.

  ***

  “So what’s the plan?” Tyler asked Jerome and Mark, and Alexis leaned in, eager to hear the reply. It was just the four of them in the empty store room, and a noise canceler was working.

  “Quentin said that we were to take over the gang when we returned; well, we’re back and we need to sort it the hell out. Either they can look after the Greenhouses and support us, or we rip it apart and build it back again. I’m not going to let Quentin’s work with the gang turn into nothing. Moretti will support us and Ortiz will turn a blind eye as long as we get it sorted out. We need to establish our control,” Mark said.

  “What if leaving them to be picked apart by the other gangs puts us in a better position?” Jerome hated himself for having to ask the question.

  “Then we let it fall, but we pick who comes into power; those Greenhouses were put under our protection and they pay their taxes to us. We will uphold our side of the bargain. Get in contact with Jane Costa, see what’s going on there, and then get her to organize a meeting with the Greenhouse leaders. We’ll land, get our bearings, and then start getting things sorted out,” Mark said.

  “Let us know how we can help,” Alexis said, looking at her two brothers, and holding Tyler’s hand.

  “Will do, little sis,” Jerome said grinning.

  “It’s not going to be easy or simple, but we’ll get everything sorted out,” Mark promised.

  Jerome looked at a man he could only think of as his older brother. The head of their little family. He wasn’t perfect, but Jerome trusted him totally.

  “Jerome, you know more about space stuff than any of us. I want you to go and visit The Yard quietly,” Mark said.

  “I’ll get something sorted out,” Jerome nodded, looking at Tyler.

  “You have my permission,” Tyler said, tapping him on the shoulder.

  “Thank yah, sir,” Jerome said, smiling at his own terrible pirate imitation.

  “Let’s get our people training and ready. The gangs live by the rule ‘might makes right’. We need to show that we’re not going to deal with their petty crap. First thing, we take back control of the Greenhouses, then we exercise our control over the gangs. Crush those that don’t get in line and award their territory to those that support us,” Mark said.

  Earth was one big Slum with pockets of cities and then the sprawling Mega City. Talking of controlling it all was a hell of an undertaking, but Jerome wasn’t even fazed by Mark’s words. He wasn’t day dreaming, he was planning, and few things could get in the way of Mark’s plans.

  Chapter 11

  Senate House​

  Roma, Hellenic System

  8/3347

  Nerva had been a man of the Senate since before he had left to recruit Troopers. He had gained the position through his feats defending the people of Roma against the Maraukian hordes.

  With his return to the Legions, his position as Primus Legate had again improved his position. It entitled him to a plot of land where the people on it could come to him, or someone that he appointed, to hear out their troubles. Nerva dealt with most of the issues himself, with NIDenise acting as the intermediary. Most of the other infractions and smaller issues were dealt with by the magistrate courts that ruled over the Roma people.

  A person had to gain the position of Primus Legate to be considered for the Senate. If they commanded more than five Legions at a time, and had carried out their duty to the Senate and the Roma people with honor, then they were given a position in the Senate.

  Nerva was an odd case; he had been given a position even as he continued to serve with the Legions. There were only a few others that did this.

  Nerva had been on Roma and he had fought across the planets Goulag and Erstal since the EMF had left Fernix. Two whole wars had left him in need of a rest. His Legions trained and gained strength. He was now in charge of ten Legions, which were ready to be deployed to any system if needed.

  Nerva looked around the Senate house, it was built with Rome’s architecture in mind. It had grown over the years. People sat around, everyone intermixed with seating determined by picking a number out of a box. It made it easier than to have different sides bickering.

  A few fights had broken out, but the Senate guards were used to them and adept at pulling people apart. Everyone served in the Legions from the age of sixteen to eighteen, bridging the gap into adulthood. These men and women, even if they had filled out in their extended age, had spilled Maraukian blood. They knew how to kill, and a few of them had even killed their fellow man when people had moved against Roma.

  People wore white clothing with a slash of color which denoted their background. There were plenty of blood red sashes of the Legion among the green of growers, blues of medical care, purple of heroes, orange of mechanics. The list went on and on, making a sea of shimmering colors.

  The Senate proposed bills and ideas, which they then argued over, though the vote went to the people. Everyone voted on what the outcome would be.

  They were talking about various engagements, about sending the Legions to different places. The people of the Hellenic system and under Roma’s rule would vote.

  If someone did not cast their monthly votes for a period of three months without a reason, then they were given a warning. The next year, if they missed more than three vote periods, then they were given their belongings and holdings, and told that they were no longer Roma citizens.

  Plenty of people wanted to be citizens of Roma, their ancestors had forged their great empire. Before the Emperor had died during the Maraukian hordes’ attack on Roma, childless and fading quickly he had ordered that Roma was a privilege, that the people of the great empire must be worthy of calling themselves Roma’s citizens as their ancestors did.

  It meant that the Empire’s subjects always knew what was going on, and the people’s rule was enforced. People complained that the economy suffered because of the monthly votes. They might suffer a loss of credits, but they were a much stronger empire, and people were proud of the empire that they had a hand in.

  Even with the voting system, there were many that wished to join Roma to have the same rights that all citizens were privy to.

  Roma expanded constantly, terraforming and, on occasion, taking down systems that they had freed and which turned against Roma.

  When alliances were made, nations were given plots, usually a few floors of the mega towers on Roma to take up residence in, and Roma was gifted plots of land. While Roma got more, those that moved to the new planets created Roma embassies that worked with the people of the new planet.

  They brought education, technology, and the promise that the Legions would stand beside them.

  All of it was interesting and made Nerva proud of his home.

  “Doesn’t change much,” the Legionary beside Nerva said, waving to the Senate House.

  “Nope, though we’re still here and the empire is stronger than ever,” Nerva said.

  The man nodded, he had a hard face and a no-nonsense attitude to him
.

  “Have you found out what your next deployment is going to be, Pullo?”

  “Some backwater planet, all desert with a bit of water. They call it Tricticus,” Pullo sighed.

  “Problems?” Nerva asked. Pullo had served under him in the EMF and had been the sergeant of Mark and Tyler Victor on Sacremon before getting gravely injured.

  He was slated for recruitment into the Legion so they put him back together and put him to work.

  Through the decades he’d worked his way up the ladder until becoming a Legate himself.

  “The planet has a bunch of city-states instead of any true countries or real treaties with one another,”

  Nerva winced. “That is not going to be fun,”

  “I hate politics,” Pullo agreed, the two of them falling silent for a while.

  “How is that Harmony War thing going?” Pullo asked. He might be a Legionnaire now but he had been a Trooper first.

  “Getting messy, they’re all racing towards Earth to duke it out there.”

  “Bunch of corporate bastards using a war to attack Earth and try to take over the EHC. Brings a whole new meaning to office fights,” Pullo said, shaking his head.

  Nerva gave him a small smile, remembering some of those fights.

  “Seems that they’re finally getting their heads out of their behinds though. I wouldn’t mind having a few of those EMF guys on our side. They’re going to give those Chosen a good thrashing,” Pullo continued.

  “Here’s hoping,” Nerva said, not really wanting to dive into it. He didn’t want to think of how many of his friends would die from fighting on Earth.

  A recess was called and the Senate House rose and started moving outside, and a few holograms here and there disappeared.

  “Well I’m going to go and get my orders then go see the sights,” Pullo held out his arm.

  “Look after yourself, Pullo,” Nerva said, bracing the man’s arm.

  “Don’t I always?” Pullo grinned.

  “I remember one time when a young sergeant got between the Victor brothers and their attackers,”

  “Ahhh, they were still wet behind the ears! I would’ve been fine,” Pullo smiled.

  Nerva gave Pullo a flat stare as they separated and Pullo chuckled, walking away.

  The Senate House was one of the most guarded places in the entire universe. It wasn’t a physical building, even though it looked like it; it was a massive ship with the Home Fleet protecting it.

  Nerva made small talk here and there but he couldn’t keep his mind off Earth, and NIDenise gave in to his thoughts and started displaying different information from Sol.

  Chapter 12

  The Yard

  Sol System

  9/3347

  Jane walked into her office, looking up sharply as she realized that there was someone in it.

  “Excuse me, can I help you?” Her voice was stern, and the large man sitting in front of her desk stood. She used her implants to call for security.

  “I think you can, Miss Costa,” the man said, a cigar in his mouth as he looked at her levelly. He wore the armor and fatigues of a Trooper, with his helmet hooked to his hip.

  His name tape declared him as a Victor. She’d seen all of the Victors on the feeds from the Harmony War.

  The security guards came in, their weapons at the ready as they looked darkly at the man, moving to put themselves between Jane and him.

  “Don’t worry boys, this is an old friend, though he just near about scared the piss out of me,” she said, her eyes flicking to Jerome who smiled wolfishly, still puffing on his cigar. “It’s all good, make sure the doors are locked. Also, you never saw him.” Her eyes were on her guards and the guns disappeared as Phil, the shorter one, nodded.

  “Understood, Jak, I believe we were taking a nice long walk through the offices,” Phil said.

  “Yes, sir,” Jak replied.

  Phil sent her a questioning glance as they left, but she waved him away, reassuring him as the door sealed.

  A sound told her that a noise canceler was working.

  “I’m guessing you’re Tyler,” she said, extending her hand.

  “Jerome,” the man corrected. His hand was calloused and strong, but he didn’t try to use it as they shook.

  “Good, didn’t want to be dealing with an imposter,” Jane said, moving behind her desk as Jerome took a seat in front of it.

  “So what can I do for you, Mister Victor?”

  “Please, call me Jerome, would get too confusing with Victor.”

  “Jerome then,” she amended.

  “I need to set up a meeting with the heads of the Greenhouses. I also want to know what the situation is like here, in your words. I want to know how we can help, and we need to go over your future plans. I also wanted to have a frank conversation with you about Osdal and the company that is being set up there under the protection of the Victor Corporation,” Jerome said.

  “Just a quick chat,” she smiled, not really believing that she was sitting across from the man who had talked with her great grandfather and first purchased what had become The Yard. “I take it from your words that you want to talk about the mining company based in Osdal’s Oort cloud?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, your messages told us that they were willing to work with us and that they could supply the rarer materials that we are paying out the ass for in Sol.” Seeing Jerome’s look, she added, “People don’t like new blood out in the universe. We’ve had to pull heavily from your line of credit to stay afloat. It has only been in the last few centuries, as the Harmony War has been ongoing, that we’ve hit our stride. There’s a distinct lack of specialty materials, and the ones we’ve been getting are on the extremely expensive side. We’ve been pulling ships apart to get them back. Osdal gives us a new avenue.”

  “Good, the Victor Corporation owns ten percent of the companies’ profits in that system, and we have agreements with them to take that in materials instead of credits for trading with you. That said, while they do give the Victor Corporation a portion of their profits, they are a separate company, and you will have to negotiate prices. As time passes I expect that they will be selling to more people, but hopefully they will have a high enough capacity that they can serve our needs and those of their other buyers.”

  “Good, that will sort out materials in a few decades,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “Mind if I call in my granddaughter, she’ll be working by that time.”

  “Certainly, but why don’t you just take an anti-aging treatment?” Jerome asked.

  “They are rather expensive and, while this is a large company, we are running at a little over cost. In a few decades, when we’re shipping more goods, then we will be doing rather well. Maybe if I live that long I’ll get the treatments.”

  Jerome simply nodded, and Jane couldn’t read his expression at all. She sent a message for Esamai to join them.

  “Right, where were we?” she asked.

  “What is going on with The Yard?” Jerome reminded.

  “Alright well…” she leaned back and grabbed a cigarette, lighting it up. “We’re going big and we’re not going to say sorry for it.”

  Jerome let out a laugh.

  Even though Jane had only been talking to the man for a few minutes, she felt a bond with him that she hoped would turn into a friendship. He seemed like a capable young man, mature well beyond his years.

  Chapter 13

  EMFC Fearless

  Sol System

  11/3347

  Mark looked down on the red-dust covered planet he had been born and raised on.

  He spat into his squeeze bottle as another alert came up. Seeing the heading for half a second, he threw it into the trash again.

  “Hey, Moretti.” Mark didn’t have to look at the man as he approached, his augments gave him better hearing. A lot of people might call him a cyborg, and he was. If the augments kept him alive, then they kept him in command and fighting the enemy.

>   “I honestly didn’t think that I was going to see Earth again,” Moretti admitted as he stood next to Mark and they looked down onto it.

  “Me neither.”

  Moretti paused, as if he wasn’t sure how to go about saying what he needed to say.

  “You look like you’re going to go the way of that reactor if you don’t let it out,” Mark said.

  “I need you to go and meet with Nivad Selvra,” Moretti said finally.

  “The head of the ministry?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?” Mark asked, confused. “I’m a Trooper doing a job, what the heck is so interesting about me?”

  Moretti stared at him for a while, blinking. “Sorry was having an aneurism, did you go blind?”

  “No?” Mark said, confused.

  “Holy shit, it must be nice with that much space in there,” Moretti said staring at Mark’s head.

  “I will punch you,” Mark threatened one eyebrow lowering as he spat into his tin.

  “You, my friend, for some reason, are a war hero.”

  “Damn stupid tittle,” Mark growled, looking back over the planet.

  “Course it is; as a wise man said to me, heroes are made when someone fucked up. Or the enemy were a bunch of assholes and listened to Murphy’s Law and Sun Tzu. Now, like it or not, people on Earth think you piss victories and probably could shit out a four-course meal. Don’t try to imagine that, it’ll just hurt,” Moretti warned.

  Mark spat again, trying to hide the fact that his imagination had started to run away with him.

  “Nivad needs to secure his position and look, there’s you, look at that shiny... well, a war hero anyway. The guy has done a lot for us. If it wasn’t for him, then we’d have had some dipshit general that had had their brains addled from screaming like children and calling it politics and war fighting. He’s the one that gave me the authority to run around like a friggin’ kid with a whack-a-mole. Trust me, I wanted to hit more than one of those idiots in the head with something big. Preferably a shovel,” Moretti said, his tone thoughtful.

  “Nivad,” Mark said, getting the man back on track. Dealing with the generals and higher echelons of the EMF had made Moretti appreciate the Troopers and their straightforward ways. It had also given him an interesting ability to express his growing annoyance with idiots and know-nothing generals and captains turned politicians, who shouldn’t be in charge of a garbage chute, unless they put themselves into it.