Masoul (Harmony War Series Book 2) (33 page)

              He sent a message to Wallace, ordering him to meet him later.

              He needed to know where the FTL relay was, who was using and then take it and the entire network connected to it, apart. A perfect job for the scout ships.

              Controlling the networks was his best way for knowing what was going on with the people. Information was power, leaving that FTL relay out there was just a problem waiting to happen.

              He pressed a button on his desk, connecting him to his secretary.

              “Have the Commander of the EMF meet me for lunch at Cafe liberte,” Nivad released the button, ending the call.

              He would move more of the sleeper carriers out towards Osdal, they would move in, ready for when Osdal stepped out of line.

              For the first time in a long time, Nivad was enjoying his job as spy-master.

             
It is so much more interesting when people know how to play the game,
he thought to himself, a smile that would never be called kind spreading across his lips.

              He was looking forward to the reports from his operative in Masoul Actual. It wouldn’t be long before he and the EMF troopers started putting their own plans into motion.

Chapter 29

             
EMFC Reclaimer

             
Departing Gas Planet for Shipping Station, Masoul System

             
11/3240

              The higher ups were taking their time in reaching Shipping Station, they could have been there a week ago but they were going slowly and carefully.

              Jerome looked at the rest of the platoon which was pushed into the conference room meant for the higher ups.

             
The seats certainly feel like it,
he thought. The chair once again moved to fit his body, it was softer than some of the beds he’d rented on
Resolute
station a few nights.

              Nerva walked into the room, holding honest to god paper information packets, he dropped them in front of Haas who took one and pushed it down the table.

              Nerva pressed a button a light buzzing filling the room.

              “You’re all going to Masoul Actual instead of Shipping Station,” Nerva started, he held up his hand stopping the noises before they turned into words.

              “You will be acting as Harmony fighters, moving to Masoul Actual and working to soften up the forces there. You may have noticed Lieutenant Yu, his second Young and cargo master Duncan,” Nerva said, pointing to each.

              “Bobbie please sir,” Duncan said.

              Nerva nodded and continued on.

              “They’re not just here to look pretty, they will be your flight crew to get you to Masoul Actual. They will also be working with you to send us real-time information on the ground. You will be our eyes and ears, we will be doing an orbital drop on Masoul, we want to make sure we take the damn place. It’s estimated that there’s six million people on the planet, that’s nearly twenty-seven times our own forces,” Nerva looked to them all, everyone focused on him.

              “We know that there are people that hate Harmony, we want to focus that hatred and turn them against Harmony, help spread their fall by turning them inside out. Your objectives are in the folders as well as how you can contact the operative on the planet. Unless there’s something of military importance, take everything he says as if it was coming from me. He’s been behind enemy lines since this all began and he’s done a hell of a lot for us. If you don’t remember the rest of the objectives on that sheet, remember this. Do anything and everything to gather the most information possible so we can get your fellow troopers and Combat Shuttles on the ground. Then fuck with everything and anything useful to the Harmony forces.” Hard faces nodded around the room, jokes and smiles were gone, all of them focused on the job at hand.

              Nerva wasn’t just putting a lot of trust in them, he was putting the lives of two hundred and twenty-three thousand EMF souls at risk. They would succeed or die trying.

              “Now let’s get you orientated with the situation on the ground,” Nerva said.

              ***

              Tyler and Alexis wandered to the observatory. Alexis seemed to have something on her mind as they walked in and sat down.

              “Something up?’ Tyler asked.

              She looked to him, her face serious.
Shit, what did I do now?

              “Where do you see us going?” She asked.

             
Fuck.

              “Umm, to Masoul?” He said, her face fought to break out in a smile.

              “No, like do you see us as staying like this forever?” She asked.

              “Could you get to the point, I’m a little lost,” Tyler asked.

              “Do you want to get married?” She asked.

              “Well that was not what I was expecting at all,” Tyler said his face creasing into laugh lines as he looked thoughtful. After a few moments she gave him a light punch.

              “Sorry, zoned out,” he said with a laugh, getting another punch.

              “Jerk,” she accused a nervous smile on her face.

              He looked at her, seeing their lives together, the love they shared, the care. They’d fought like hell to survive and always come back to one another. That all fell away as he saw the vulnerability lingering behind those eyes. She was revealing all her weaknesses to him.

              He was on a knee holding her hand before he knew what he was doing.

              “Wha…”

              “I love you, you are the person I lean on and come back to after every fight. Would you fight by my side for the rest of our lives?” Tyler said cutting her off.

              Tears sprouted in her eyes as she used her other hand to cover her mouth.

              “Be warned I, wait,” Tyler flicked an arm to his side, brandishing one of his blades with it’s ring-handle that slid on like a brass knuckle with the blade pointed up or down. “Will you look at that; I do have a ring!” He grinned and held it up.

              She couldn’t help but laugh, the rich noise making his heart dance in his chest and the tension that he didn’t know was in his gut lighten.

              She jumped on him, bringing him to the ground smothering him in hugs and kisses.

              “Soooooo, yes?” Tyler asked after a pause.

              “Yes you dolt,” she laughed, her eyes sparkling as he wrapped his arms around her and never wanted to let go.

             
***

              The entire platoon was messing around; they’d come together in more ways than one. Tyler’s wedding to Alexis would be tomorrow and Jerome for one wasn’t going to miss it.

              People talked and joked, eating and pushing the thoughts of what would happen in two days to the back of their minds. They had come together as sections, platoons and companies, all the way through the carrier.

              “Fuck I love apple pie,” Dashtund said, on his third helping of the stuff.

              “You like anything with sugar in it,” Bale said.

              “And you aren’t on your fourth plate of food?” Dashtund shot back.

              “Mans got to eat, don’t want to get all scrawny like you,” Bale said with a smile. Bale and Dooks parents must have some similar heritage to have two boys that size. They were muscle bound, strong and damned good at their job. They also ate more than any two other people, except maybe Mark and Tyler.

              “How the hell do you put that all away?” Jerome asked Tyler.

              “I chew and swallow,” Tyler retorted with a smile, shoveling more food into his face.

              “Like the human vacuums around here,” Jerome said, slapping Ohana’s hand sneaking for his pseudo bacon.

              “Oi! Mine!” Jerome said, giving her a dirty look but only getting laughs in return. His look transformed into a smile.

              “Looks like someone is here for you Sarge,” Mcnara said, using a spoon to point behind him.

              Jerome looked, seeing Garcia, they locked eyes and both grinned. She started excusing herself from her table and Jerome looked to his fellows.

              “Well it seems that I must be going. See you tomorrow for the big day!” Jerome grinned to the blushing Tyler and Alexis sitting beside one another.

              A few people weren’t happy with the arrangement, mostly higher ups, something about military discipline. They should know the number of relationships that went on between the troopers. Everyone was attached in some way.

              Getting married was just a very official way of doing things.

              If they had an issue, there was a company that would happily back up the two, maybe the division as Major Nerva would be the one presiding over the ceremony in the auditorium.

              He left the table to a few catcalls and whistles before they found something else interesting.

              “Hey,” Jerome said, feeling a tightness in his chest. He knew he needed to end whatever they had going on before tomorrow so that they didn’t have linger feelings before their drop.

              “Hey yourself,” she said dimpling cutely as they dumped their trays.

              “So, mess?” Jerome asked.

              “Wanna buy a girl a beer?” Garcia asked.

              “Sure,” Jerome grinned and they talked about what had been going on in the last days of their training. Off loading, relaxing, and pushing it behind them. They grabbed beers and sidled over to a cubicle.

              “So, this has to be the last time,” Jerome said, finding it hard to meet her eyes.

              “Who said anything about anything happening
this
time?” Garcia joked sipping her beer.

              “It’s best for both of us that we clear our minds before we go to Masoul. We don’t need crap getting in the way before we touch down,” Jerome said softly.

              “Yes, that might be true, but you’re forgetting one thing,” Garcia said her tone serious but not in a harsh way.

              “What?” Jerome said as she took her time drinking.

              “Look if we die, do we want to die stopping ourselves from doing something we both like? I think that’s a bit dumb. We all die at sometime, if we find something fun then we should do it. In our case that’s a little more literally, but you get the point,” she said a wicked smile hiding behind her beer bottle.

              Jerome laughed and took a drink of his own. She had a point, what the hell was he trying to stop. He liked her, yes she was good in the sac, the best he’d ever had, but more than that, he could talk to her like a friend. They weren’t all over one another like Alexis and Tyler but different people liked different things.

              “Alright, then it looks like I have nothing else I can say,” Jerome said, his own brain already working against him.

              “Well what if I told you I had a room reserved for us tomorrow night?”

              “I’d say, I hope you’ve got a few beers to go along with that,” Jerome said leaning forward.

              “Now that’s the Jerome I know,” Garcia said with a grin. “Well that and the bastard that yelled at me, stuck my arm to my side, pumped me with drugs and told me to shut the hell up.”

              “Well you were moving around a lot, plus you are loud. In
all
aspects,” Jerome said, his turn to hide his expression behind his beer, a wicked gleam to his eye.

              “Well at least you know what’s going on, and it’s not
my
fault I’m always so loud,” she growled, leaning into the table.

              Jerome laughed.

              “Here I was thinking that people were supposed to be quiet in the library.” He got a kick under the table, the foot returning a few moments later and rubbing his leg. He looked to her with raised eyebrows.

              “Something wrong?”

              “Nothing, I was wondering if you wanted to disturb anyone trying to read a book,” Jerome said, the picture of innocence.

              “Maybe,” she purred.

              “Good, me too.” Jerome leaned in grabbing her hair and dragging her into a hungry kiss. They left the beers there. They were two Troopers that were going to make the very most of the next two days of freedom before they were put on ice.

             
Got to enjoy what you have, when you have it. You don’t know when it might all disappear,
Jerome thought, for perhaps a millisecond before his brain turned to other things, and he moved faster down towards the library.