Hard Duty: Merkiaari Wars 1 by Cooper Mark E

Author:Cooper, Mark E. [Cooper, Mark E.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: alien invasion, cyborg, space opera, science fiction, merkiaari wars, space marines, military, war
Publisher: Impulse Books UK
Published: 2012-08-10T16:00:00+00:00

James took his time with his inspection of the lander. A week had passed since he volunteered for this mission; a week of intensive training and strained silences between him and Brenda. Both had taken their toll on him, but despite it all, the excitement of meeting a Shan face to face had not left him.

Despite their disagreement, Brenda had done her part. All week she had worked beside him, tirelessly helping him learn what he needed to know to make the mission a success. But at the end of each day, when they retired to their cabin, Brenda would eat in silence and then go to bed—without him. She had made it plain he wasn’t welcome in her bed, not even to sleep.

James stopped and peered around the empty bay. He didn’t want to leave without trying to straighten things out between them. He had hoped Brenda would come to see him off, but she hadn’t yet, and he couldn’t delay much longer.

After their last meeting with Colgan, Brenda was angry. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand why he had volunteered for the mission. She did… or so she said. What made her mad, she said, was that he hadn’t discussed it with her before hand. He tried to explain that until that moment, he hadn’t known he was going to volunteer, but she wouldn’t hear excuses, and she was right. Although he hadn’t known Colgan would pre-empt the President by going ahead with phase two without orders, James had long ago considered ways in which it could be done. His work with Williams on the translators was a big part of that. He tried to tell himself that he hadn’t lied to Brenda, but deep in his heart he knew the truth. He had been working toward this mission almost since the day he offered his help to Bindar.

James climbed up the ramp to the shuttle, but stopped in the open hatch to look out at the empty bay. Brenda wasn’t coming; he knew that now. With a sigh and a heavy heart, he sealed the hatch and made his way toward the cockpit. He was a damn fool. Brenda was everything he had ever wanted in a woman. She was funny, and passionate, and clever, and oh so beautiful. He loved her more than anything, so why had he let this wall develop between them? Their last argument had been the worst.

Brenda had tried to make Colgan let her accompany him, but the captain said letting a civ carry the mission was bad enough, he wasn’t about to make the situation worse by adding another. The ensuing argument had nearly caused Colgan to send Commander Groves on the mission instead, but even he knew there was a greater chance of success if someone familiar with Bindar’s work was there to operate the translators. Brenda knew that as well as anyone. The sneaky woman had studied up while helping James prepare for the mission. She knew as much

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