“Now, for you repulsors, just try and use less damned bullets. It’s a bitch carrying all those rounds,” Tyler joked, getting laughs from the platoon. They had come together well, the original crew of Reclaimer were still a little better, but the margin was damned slim.
And it might change with this little demonstration, Tyler thought.
“Get on the line and let’s get this shoot done. I hear they’ve got bacon cheeseburgers for lunch.” Tyler had never had a Bacon Cheeseburger before he joined the EMF. It was love at first bite and he made it a point to always get his sacred burger.
This got more smiles and amused headshakes as the troopers moved to their runs. They would be moving through a range built to mimic the different areas of Masoul and have live rounds shot in it.
Each Sergeant took up position at a door, four people waiting to go into each of the four ranges.
Tyler tapped Kauv’s shoulder, a buck new private in Jerome’s section. He almost shit himself and shot at the same time.
“We’ve done this before, don’t worry about it, just flow through and find the bastards in there,” Tyler said, his voice low and confident.
“Yes Sergeant,” Kauv said, taking a breath. Tyler could picture his Eastern features covered in sweat.
Tyler looked to Mcnara behind him, Gesturing to Kauv with his eyes.
She nodded ever so slightly. She’d make sure he was good to go. Tyler gave Kauv another tap and started the timer to start the course, once it hit zero the door opened and Kauv moved in, there was a burst of fire, followed by another, another went off as Mcnara flowed into the room, Kauv and her were flowing apart like waves through a breakwater.
Sasaki, also from Jerome’s section was third, Niemi from Mark’s was fourth.
“Right good, got a door straight, no movement, covering,” Kauv said, he was still a little shaky but less so than before.
“Left good, moving up to doorway,” Mcnara moved according to what she’d said.
They continued to communicate and move, getting through the course without anyone shooting anyone that wasn’t a target.
Tyler closed his visor and watched the cameras in the ‘kill house’.
“So looks like we’ll be getting the replacement for Domo today,” Jerome said.
“Hopefully you don’t have to kick their ass Mark,” Tyler chimed in on the private channel.
“Oh I think you will have a problem with that if I did,” Mark said.
“Something you’re not telling me?” Tyler asked, watching his team move down a corridor and breach into a new room.
“Why would you think that brother dear?” Mark said, enjoying stringing Tyler along.
“I swear you’re worse than bartenders and their regulars,” Zukic said, spitting into the receptacle in his helmet.
Tyler watched as Jerome leaned against the wall of the kill house, pulling a tin out and tapping it.
“I swear all you lot need to do is learn how to swing a bat and you could have yourselves a regular old-fashioned baseball team. Bunch of spitters!” Tyler accused, getting laughs from the others. Zukic had really grown on them, it seemed that he had his reservations about them when they had got their current ranks. Over time he had seen them at work and come to see them as professionals. Not the rank climbing assholes like Reyes.
Tyler no longer felt dwarfed by his rank, settling into it with calm ease. He knew his stuff, he knew his people and he could rely on them to help him out. Worrying about shit beyond his control was pointless.
It wasn’t long until the first team were done in the kill house. The next group moved in while the first talked to see how they could improve.
They sped through the day’s training.
Once they were all done with their run-throughs and the final after action was given, Wen and Haas dismissed them off to dinner with the night off.
Tyler dumped his armor on his rack, showered and walked over to Mark’s section. He wanted to know why the new member of his section was such a secret.
He walked in to find Mark on his back talking to someone.
“Yeah I know, but for now I’m going to focus on training this bunch of monkeys up,” Mark said, his voice firm, but with an edge of pleading. Tyler walked up to see who he was talking to.
“You only live once, need to get out to the mess and jump your bones. I know a few girls that would be happy to jump you,” Alexis said from the bunk opposite.
“Hey babe, what you doing here?” Tyler asked, leaning on the bunk she was sitting on.
Mark looked up to his brother from his back and gave him a shit eating grin. Tyler looked to Alexis seeing a similar smile on her face.
“I got transferred,” she said.
“Should have guessed,” Tyler said with a mix of trying to look annoyed, but also impressed.
“Now I get to bug him about going to see a girl instead of just working himself out like a man possessed,” Alexis said.
“Well he is possessed,” Tyler grinned.
“Shut up SWAS,” Mark said, turning the nickname into a plaything.
“Now come on Diablo, you mopey bastard, I think we should go get something to eat.” He looked to Alexis a wide smile splitting his face. “And then we can go to the gym.” Alexis rolled her eyes and tried to keep her lips in a line but couldn’t stop the corners from twitching up.
“Well, you two might be gym monkeys,” she said standing, “but the results aren’t bad.” She grinned wickedly, pressing against Tyler, they kissed as her hand snaked around squeezing his ass.
“Wow, now that will be five credits please,” Tyler said putting his hand out.
She laughed and shut him up with another short kiss. Tyler wasn’t opposed.
“Alright, well I’ll go to the gym. I have the feeling you two are going to studying your asses off in the library,” Mark said.
Alexis and Tyler laughed, they loved to bug Mark.
They made their way to the mess, talking about idle things as they grabbed food and downed it. They went through a simple gym routine more to get their blood flowing than push any actual weights. They were doing enough physical training every week that they didn’t want to burn out.
Then it was off to Nerva’s latest lecture on various processes used to make the different living areas in Masoul.
Mark headed back to his section’s barracks, bidding them a good night.
Chapter 14
Landing City
Masoul Actual, Masoul System
3/3240
Dan Moretti had aged a lot as Harmony had taken over the running of Masoul. He was seen as one of the lieutenants of the group. No one dared to go against him as he walked through the corridors of the buried towers.
He passed the ‘institutions’ places where people were taught the ways of Harmony, usually through pain and torture. There were two groups here, the believers and the dead. If you weren’t with Harmony you were against them. Mass killings had put down any that didn’t like Harmony. The rest had kept their comments to themselves. Moretti felt the E-12 that was slung across his chest, marking him as someone important and that had helped secure the freighters. The enforcers around him were his personal guard. Everyone knew him as Harper’s right had man.
The believers nodded to him in reverence as he passed. The none believers were in school; most would never make it out. The believers would do everything possible to extract the ‘greed’ that contaminated them.
He didn’t want to think about the number of people that were there just because their neighbors or someone didn’t like them. If he had read a history book he would have likened it to witch hunts in Earth’s history.
What he did know was that the EMF would come eventually and he could remove this disguise. He’d go back to work and worry about corporate back door deals instead of militarized religious orders taking over an entire solar system.
He went down a number of levels till he was at the command room where Harper, the man who still wore jani
tor’s clothes was waiting.
Moretti was still trying to figure out his past but it was murky.
“Ahh, Mark it’s good to see you,” Harper said, rewarding him with a smile that made his stomach turn. He’d seen that same smile after the victory on shipping station. He’d also seen it just before he executed someone. Harper was one of the few people that made Dan Moretti squirm.
Moretti hid his inner qualms and smiled at Harmony’s leader.
“Sir, for the sake of Harmony,” Moretti said, holding his hand up.
“For the sake of Harmony.” Harper returned the gesture and waved him over to a couch. Moretti sat, feeling it move to contort to him. The couch must have been a CEO’s.
Harmony might be all about sharing everything with the regular people and the troops, but the leaders don’t really seem to feel that same pinch, Moretti thought. It wasn’t an angry thought, just an analyzing one. It was how it had been with the CEO’s in control, just with torture and more draconian rules that limited the people in every way. That was the difference between Harmony and the corporations. Harmony looked to infuse themselves into the people’s lives. Using doctrine and teachings that they pulled from thin air, they looked to change the people’s minds to respect those that believed as they did and utterly hate those that didn’t. There was no middle ground with Harmony. The corporations didn’t care what people did with their personal lives as long as they met their profit margins and production levels.
Harper waved to one of his aides that was hanging around.
“A drink for myself and Mark,” Harper said.
Moretti didn’t know why he liked calling him Mark. Maybe it made him feel as if he was in control. He didn’t care. It annoyed him sure, but there were so many things that annoyed Moretti about Harper it barely mattered at this time.
Moretti took the offered glass with a short thank you and took the time to look around the room. It had been a working office of some kind. Now it had been turned into an area dominated with screens and massive touch tables. People moved through the room wearing identical blue coveralls to Harpers.
They were proud and they were good at their job, this only made Moretti uneasy.
Harper looked him over as if evaluating him. Moretti let him and continued to look around the room, sipping what had to be a few thousand credits scotch idly.
“So…” He started, his eyes snapping to him. He seemed to pause, drawing Moretti’s attention in.
“We’re going to take the gas planet and its orbitals,” Harper said in calm measured tones, like a janitor would talk about cleaning an office building. Nothing new, just something that had to be done.
“Tell me your commands and I will see that they are done,” Moretti said, holding Harper’s gaze.
Harper’s face creased into a smile.
“I knew that you would be the right one for this task,” Harper said. Moretti faked embarrassment, sipping his drink to hide his actual scowl.
I wish that Nivad would just give me a kill order already.
Harper waved the aide back over, this time they carried a surface. Harper knew how to make himself look powerful and like he had a handle on things. He also knew how to get people to do as he wanted. He was the perfect person for this uprising, which made Moretti and Nivad all the more interested in his hidden past.
The surface showed the gas planet in all it’s glory.
It was a paused screen, hiding the shuttles that were still plying their trade between the extractors refiners, storage areas and the asteroid mining colony.
Moretti hoped that the people out there were building up for Harmony.
“I will give you both of the freighters.You will bring the faithful into the arms of Harmony and help those that are unsure, to find their faith,” Harper said.
Moretti nodded, looking at the planet with new eyes.
I’m going to need to take the planet and try to get as many as possible to the asteroid belt to fight Harmony until the EMF get here, Moretti thought.
“I know that this will take time, but you have to complete it in a year,” Harper said.
Hope blossomed in Moretti’s chest.
“I’ll see to the preparations,” Moretti swore, If I can time this right… He thought at the same time.
“Very well I will let you get to it,” Harper said. Moretti rose opening his hand to him.
“For the sake of Harmony,” Harper repeated the saying and Moretti took the surface. He downed the remainder of his drink and gave it to the aide. He didn’t see the annoyed expression on their face as he wandered out, his mind starting to create plans.
First he needed to contact his true boss.
Chapter 15
Tower
Earth, Sol System
3/3240
“We have a message from them,” Dalia said, breezing into Nivad’s office.
“Ahh, Madame Sisola, we will have to continue our conversation at another time. Twelve percent is my final offer,” Nivad said, giving her a smile that never reached his cold eyes.
He cut the channel and gave Dalia a very different look.
With a command the door locked and sealed behind her. There was only one ‘them’ that would make her burst into his video-meeting. He did love to see CEO’s squirm.
Dalia didn’t wait for him to prompt her to talk.
“They’re going for the gas planet. They didn’t mention how long that they’ve been planning this and they’ve only given a rough timeline just in case the informations leaked. Though it looks like they will be using both freighters for the job.” Dalia stood in front of his desk as his mind worked.
“How many can they fit on the freighters?” He asked, looking to the fake wall of his office, seeing the system on his implants.
“About five million. They also aren’t running right into battle, they’re training them up before going,” Dalia’s voice tight as Nivad’s lips pressed together and he let out a slow, angry, exhale.
“There is a silver lining,” Dalia said, getting a nod from Nivad to continue.
“It looks like they don’t know about the status of Reclaimer, or that it’s on it’s way. With the proposed timeline both Reclaimer and Fearless will get to the system either while Harmony’s fighters are in transit, or when they have just reached the gas planet,” Dalia said, Nivad looked to her, nodding in appreciation.
“Our operative is also of the belief that this, ‘Harper’ is not originally from Masoul. His accent is a little off and his history is nearly nonexistent. It also seems that he is too perfect for the job to be spontaneous,” Dalia said.
Nivad interlaced all of his fingers except his forefingers which made a peak for him to rest his face against.
He felt a small smile grow on his lips. It had been ages since he had a good real game against a worthy opponent. It looked like there was a new player lurking out in the industrial sphere.
He needed information and quickly.
“Activate our other lead agents in the various spheres, have them go looking for Harmony and information on this Harper. If Harper is from a different system, then they might be doing the same to a new system already,” Nivad said. Dalia looked to her surface tapping away.
“Yes sir, I’ll see to it,” she said turning around, never stopping her tapping as she walked out of his office.
Chapter 16
Freighter Righteous
Gas planet, Masoul System
9/3240
“Sir, I’m seeing something on the scanners,” an aide said.
“Well what is it?” Moretti growled, clearly angry. The crew might think it was because they had taken such severe casualties as they moved through the orbital facilities, various collectors, and refiners. No that made him pretty damned happy.
It was the fact that they had even got to the Gas Planet that pissed him off. He had timed his journey to meet up with Reclaimer as it continued its flight to Masoul. Though it seemed that the timing had been off and he had spent t
hree months watching as Harmony moved through the stations.
“A power signature,” the aide said. Moretti stood from his chair and marched over to the console, pushing the aide out of the way as he looked over the information.
Fearless must have survived. His anger from a moment before change to excitement and then dread in the space of seconds.
I need to get the fuck off of this ship and get as many Harmony fuckers in space for their cannons.
The dread did him good to make his reaction seem realistic.
“Recall all of our fighters and prep for immediate departure for Masoul actual.” People looked at him in askance.
“Do it!” He barked, the ingrained fear of going against Harmony pushing them to work.
He sent a message to Harper, detailing that he believed the EMF had arrived and that there looked to be a single carrier. He hid it in the message logs and sent it on a route that would take days instead of hours.
“You three,” he pointed to three guards on the bridge. “You’re with me, we’re going to get our people back. The rest of you focus on getting this ship ready to go as fast as damned possible.”
“What’s going on?” Someone asked, a blonde man with scars on his face.
“The fucking EMF are here,” Moretti said.
“We can fight them, show them the power of Harmony!” The blonde said. A shot rang out, Moretti’s E-12 smoking as he walked over to the now dead blonde.
“Don’t you ever fucking question my orders or my faith in Harmony,” Moretti spat on the man, raising his hand over the man.
“For Harmony,” he said, others echoing the words.
“I want every pilot out there bringing our people back, now!” He marched out of the room, the three guards following him.
It wasn’t long until he got to a fueled inner-system freighter clamped and attached by airlock to the hull of the ship.
He pulled his mask on, the others following suit, his rough spacesuit held as the airlock depressurized.
He jumped, gravity turning to microgravity as he dragged himself through the airlock and into the freighter.
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