Her Last Run by Michael Penmore

Author:Michael Penmore [Penmore, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: galactic fleet, colonization, earth expeditionary forces, books of the science consortium, leon the chamonkey, strong female lead, malcolm tiergan, Sci-Fi, science consortium, colony, fall of the space marine, like star wars, malachi AI, henrietta tiergan, space battle, jane poole, space exploration, peter koval, miron koval, michael penmore, star fleet, Space Opera, prelude to war, hetty, jane poole genesis, troopers, major augusta remorra, space adventure, like firefly, like star trek, bounty bother, sigma protocol, the widows, colonial resistance, nadine chu, nadie, christmas on the anvil, richard starr, chameleon-monkey, books in the science consortium, space marine, spaceships, blasters, derek bodiye, prox doom, chameleon monkey, starship copernicus, luc harfleur, galactic empire, isabel rocarion, a story in the science consortium universe, new cairo fandango, colonial war, starr, subject proof, like the expanse, zachary gorman, colonies, starships, rhys dreyfus
Publisher: Michael Penmore
Published: 2019-07-06T16:00:00+00:00

* 7 *

The briefing room was spacious but steeped in darkness. One of the walls was entirely transparent, but it had been dimmed on purpose. The only source of light came from a long conference table set in the part of the room farther from the door. That’s where the ship’s Captain sat with two other high-ranking officers - one naval in a deep blue uniform, one army in olive green. They all sloped over what the table’s surface displayed: a big tactical map of Rockwall’s surface, with troop movements updated in real time. It was the progress of EEF ground assault.

“They’re moving fast. Where’s the fighting?” the ship’s Captain growled, anxious about the Higher Power’s delay in joining the invasion.

“I think the colons surrendered, sir,” his naval commander offered.

“Surrendered? All of them? How punking disappointing. Here I was hoping for some real fight for a change.” The ship’s Captain looked up. The corners of his lips drew even lower than they were already when he saw who had entered the room. “Santiago! What took you so long? One little smuggler is too much for you, Spanish guy?” He waited for the man to burst out in Spanish and remind him that he was a South American, not a European. He knew something was not right when the expected response didn’t come. The impatient look turned into a frown of surprise and mild concern. “Where’s the monkey thingie?”

“We need to talk in private,” Santiago fired away. His rank was subordinate to everyone else in the room, but the ship’s Captain quickly granted his request.

“Go check the troops one final time. Tell them they’re going out in five.”

The senior officers walked out without objection. As they did, the army one glowered at Santiago with contempt, but the Army Captain didn’t react at all. It was an old, known animosity. As long as the men didn’t jump at each other’s throats, the ship’s Captain saw no reason to get involved.

The ship’s Captain reclined in his chair and put his arms across his chest. He didn’t either like or dislike Juan Santiago, but if the trooper leader didn’t deliver according to orders, there would be hell to pay for the failure. For both of them. “Well, Santiago? I gave you one simple task and you seem to have botched it. What’s so important that you have to hold up the entire assault group on V-day?”

Santiago closed the distance between him and the table. He put one hand on the surface, temporarily distorting the image of a platoon of EEF ground forces crossing a ridge on the way to one of Rockwall’s villages. With his other hand, he reached under the tunic and delivered a small black box. The letters DK were engraved over the narrow metallic fastening.

“What’s that? Don’t tell me you vapourised the monkey! I’ll be very angry if you did! The command wanted it pretty bad!”

“This is bio-stasis. It arrests the degradation of genetic material. Look inside.” Santiago opened the box. Inside was a tuft of hair.

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