Bitter Harvest (Seeds of War Book 3) by Jonathan P. Brazee & Lawrence M. Schoen

Author:Jonathan P. Brazee & Lawrence M. Schoen [Brazee, Jonathan P.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Semper Fi Press
Published: 2018-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

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“Any signs of life?” Colby asked. “Human life?”

The last two hours on and then in orbit around New Mars had been hectic, a case of controlled chaos as the Marines embarked aboard the Pattani. He’d had one last meeting with the Navy and Marine Corps staffs, but once they left orbit and headed to the Vasquez wormhole, the Navy took over, leaving Colby alone with his thoughts.

Those thoughts veered into territory he’d just as soon avoid, but once started, they wouldn’t let go. He’d left Topeka and Riordan on the planet when he’d commandeered the alien ship to get back to New Mars, and he couldn’t help but feel that he’d abandoned them. The planet hadn’t been secured from the alien threat, and for all he knew, the plants could have sprouted up armies of the daikaiju since he left.

“Not much, sir,” the sailor on the bioscans said. “I count just four-hundred and thirty-three humans.”

Four-hundred thirty-three?” Colby asked.

“That’s all. Sorry, sir.”

Vasquez had been a highly automated colony, and prior to the invasion, there had only been just over 2000 inhabitants on the entire planet. Sixteen hundred people killed was horrid enough, but over four hundred survivors was more than he could have hoped for.

“And at DeStaffney Station?” he asked.

“I’ve got forty-one, sir.”

That doesn’t mean Topeka made it, but if there were that many people there, he’d bet she was already in charge of them. He felt a load lift off his shoulders.

“Sir, do we proceed?” Manny Sif asked.

“Nothing else out of the ordinary?” Colby asked the rest of the Navy CCC crew.

The holovids showed Navy captains battling aliens from ships’ bridges, looking out through vast windows into space. There was nothing like that in actuality aboard a Navy ship. The Pattani was controlled from the CCC, the Combat Command Center, located deep in the center of the ship and heavily shielded from enemy attack.

All 15 of the scantechs shook their heads. Colby realized that none of the ships extensive scanners was set up to identify specific plant life, but several systems would notice 30-meter tall plants roaming the landscape, and with 433 humans still alive, the planet had to be relatively secure.

“Captain Whitehorse, are we ready?”

Her eyes lost focus for a moment in the manner of someone on her implant, then she was back, giving Colby a thumbs up and saying, “Shuttles and the gig are up and ready.”

“Very well. In that case, Colonel Sifuentes, let’s launch.”

He gave a quick order to his implant, and a moment later, a dedicated circuit was created, linking him directly to Captain Whitehorse.

“I’d like you to keep this circuit open,” he passed. “Just in case.”

If she was surprised at his voice suddenly sounding in her implant, she didn’t give any hint of that. She nodded once, then passed, “Will do, sir.”

“Well, you keep the Navy ready up here in case we need a ride off Vasquez.”

“Aye-aye, sir,” she passed as he turned to make his way to the hangar deck. “Go with God, sir.”

Colby

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