Reavers (Book 3) by Benjamin Schramm

Author:Benjamin Schramm
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2014-09-26T23:00:00+00:00

Rhea lifted her feet onto the desk and started rubbing her soles. The office wasn’t very large, but thankfully it was private. When Grand Executive Catala had suggested a position for her, she hadn’t considered how exhausting it would be. At the time, all she could think of was the prestige and status of the position.

Life in the military was always moving, running, or marching. In the Independent Traders Union there were incredibly long stretches of stillness. Standing still for hours for the various conferences and news feeds was taking its toll on her feet. She couldn’t really complain though. She was working for the ITU, a corporation she had idolized since before she could remember. Sadly, it wasn’t near as magnificent as it had been.

The Shard had tricked and manipulated the corporation three years ago. While the public knew that fact, they still felt resentment. The ITU had done a great deal of damage on behalf of its puppet master, and there were few who didn’t blame the corporation directly. It all made sense. They needed someone to blame for the mess, and they didn’t dare accuse the Shard - as if even whispering their name would break the spell, and the horde of metallic death would descend over the Commonwealth again.

On the plus side, being the left hand of death had spared most of the ITU’s ships. Even though people resented the corporation, they still needed supplies and goods. Lofty ideals and morality took a back seat when there wasn’t anything to eat. With a begrudging thankfulness, the various worlds had renewed their trade contracts with the ITU.

They simply had no choice in the matter. For the corporation it all amounted to little more than a public relations nightmare. Rhea was confident that, in the fullness of time, people would forgive the mistake the ITU had made. A gentle tapping on her door interrupted her impromptu massage.

“Come in,” Rhea called out as she quickly sat up properly.

As the door slid open, she recognized a familiar face she hadn’t seen in a long while.

“Douglas?” she asked in surprise.

“Don’t call me that,” he mumbled with a slight cringe.

“Sorry! I haven’t seen you in . . . how long has it been?”

“At least six months,” he said in his characteristic mumble. “Probably longer.”

In all the time she’d known Humphrey, he never once spoke at full volume. Even in fits of rage, he barely reached the level of normal speech.

“So, what brings you to Reloas?” Rhea asked, trying to conceal her delight at his surprise visit.

“New assignment,” he mumbled.

“Oh?”

“I’m the new liaison between the military and the ITU.”

“What?” she asked in shock, nearly falling out of her chair.

“No one else would take the position.” He shrugged. “Sounded like an easy assignment - good pay, too.”

Rhea sighed. It had been a long while since she had seen anyone from her old squad, and she had hoped for a social visit or something pleasant. She and Humphrey had never really gotten along, and the prospect of working with him was daunting, to say the least.

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