Read Online A Savage War Of Peace (Ark Royal Book 5) by Christopher Nuttall - Free Book Online
Authors: Christopher Nuttall
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cabins and barracks for the human settlers. Percy had a feeling that the base would be expanded rapidly, once Earth heard about the existence of a second alien race; besides, paying the Vesy to help expand the facilities kept them sweet. He was all-too-aware that there would be no help from any other human faction if the base came under attack.
“Corporal,” Platoon Sergeant Danny Peerce said, as Percy stepped up to the metal doorway leading into the office. “The miscreants are inside.”
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Percy said. “I’ll chew them out personally.”
“Just remember there aren't any replacements,” Peerce warned. “You can't have anyone beached permanently - or dumped in the brig.”
Percy nodded. They had an odd relationship; he might have been given command of the section, a ten-man team of Royal Marines, but Peerce outranked him - and had much more experience, to boot. And yet, the Sergeant seemed content to treat Percy as a promising young officer who needed mentoring, rather than an outright subordinate. Percy wasn't sure if his family name was working in his favour, or someone had seen promise in him he hadn't seen for himself, but it led to some awkward conversations. It would have been harder if he hadn't had a sneaking suspicion that Peerce was actually enjoying himself.
It must be nice to mentor an officer you can relieve if necessary , Percy thought, as he stepped through the hatch. Normally, it wouldn't be so easy to get rid of an over-promoted upper-class twit .
“Gentlemen,” he said, as Peerce followed him into the office and closed the hatch behind him. “I trust you have an explanation for this?”
Private John Hardesty and Private William Oakley exchanged looks. “We thought we wanted to spice things up a little,” Hardesty said, finally. “They wanted to learn what we were doing ...”
“So you decided to teach the Vesy how to play Poker,” Percy said. He had no idea if it was against regulations to teach aliens how to gamble, but he had a feeling it was probably covered by the non-interference edict. Except, of course, for the simple fact that the non-interference edict had already been smashed to pieces by the Russians. “And now the game is spreading through their society?”
“Yes, sir,” Hardesty said.
Percy fought down the urge to rub his forehead in frustration. The hell of it was that there was very little to do on Vesy, besides standing guard and talking to the aliens. He couldn't spare the manpower to do building work, let alone exercises that might work off some of the growing boredom. And there certainly weren't any available women - or men - to chase. The former hostages were off-limits, even if they’d been interested. He didn't really blame the two for looking for something else to do.
“Do you know,” he asked, “what this will do to them?”
“No, sir,” Oakley said.
“Me neither,” Percy said. “It could cause a great deal of damage - and not just to them!”
He groaned, inwardly. It was easy to see the Vesy getting into debt to a pair of humans - and trading gold or silver to pay off the debt. He’d heard tales of men stationed in the Middle East who’d wound up in real trouble after taking bribes from the locals. But it was also easy to see his men being corrupted and then manipulated into secretly passing information or technology on to the Vesy. What would a Marine do when he owed the aliens more than he could reasonably pay ... and knew he would be in deep shit if his superiors ever found out?
“We are guests on their world,” he added, sharply. “When you were gambling, what were you gambling for?”
“Chips,” Oakley said. He sounded rather offended. “We weren't gambling for money, sir.”
“And how long,” Percy asked him, “would it have stayed that way?”
It hadn't been that long
“Corporal,” Platoon Sergeant Danny Peerce said, as Percy stepped up to the metal doorway leading into the office. “The miscreants are inside.”
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Percy said. “I’ll chew them out personally.”
“Just remember there aren't any replacements,” Peerce warned. “You can't have anyone beached permanently - or dumped in the brig.”
Percy nodded. They had an odd relationship; he might have been given command of the section, a ten-man team of Royal Marines, but Peerce outranked him - and had much more experience, to boot. And yet, the Sergeant seemed content to treat Percy as a promising young officer who needed mentoring, rather than an outright subordinate. Percy wasn't sure if his family name was working in his favour, or someone had seen promise in him he hadn't seen for himself, but it led to some awkward conversations. It would have been harder if he hadn't had a sneaking suspicion that Peerce was actually enjoying himself.
It must be nice to mentor an officer you can relieve if necessary , Percy thought, as he stepped through the hatch. Normally, it wouldn't be so easy to get rid of an over-promoted upper-class twit .
“Gentlemen,” he said, as Peerce followed him into the office and closed the hatch behind him. “I trust you have an explanation for this?”
Private John Hardesty and Private William Oakley exchanged looks. “We thought we wanted to spice things up a little,” Hardesty said, finally. “They wanted to learn what we were doing ...”
“So you decided to teach the Vesy how to play Poker,” Percy said. He had no idea if it was against regulations to teach aliens how to gamble, but he had a feeling it was probably covered by the non-interference edict. Except, of course, for the simple fact that the non-interference edict had already been smashed to pieces by the Russians. “And now the game is spreading through their society?”
“Yes, sir,” Hardesty said.
Percy fought down the urge to rub his forehead in frustration. The hell of it was that there was very little to do on Vesy, besides standing guard and talking to the aliens. He couldn't spare the manpower to do building work, let alone exercises that might work off some of the growing boredom. And there certainly weren't any available women - or men - to chase. The former hostages were off-limits, even if they’d been interested. He didn't really blame the two for looking for something else to do.
“Do you know,” he asked, “what this will do to them?”
“No, sir,” Oakley said.
“Me neither,” Percy said. “It could cause a great deal of damage - and not just to them!”
He groaned, inwardly. It was easy to see the Vesy getting into debt to a pair of humans - and trading gold or silver to pay off the debt. He’d heard tales of men stationed in the Middle East who’d wound up in real trouble after taking bribes from the locals. But it was also easy to see his men being corrupted and then manipulated into secretly passing information or technology on to the Vesy. What would a Marine do when he owed the aliens more than he could reasonably pay ... and knew he would be in deep shit if his superiors ever found out?
“We are guests on their world,” he added, sharply. “When you were gambling, what were you gambling for?”
“Chips,” Oakley said. He sounded rather offended. “We weren't gambling for money, sir.”
“And how long,” Percy asked him, “would it have stayed that way?”
It hadn't been that long
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