Read Online Helfort's War Book 4: The Battle for Commitment Planet by Graham Sharp Paul - Free Book Online

too;
387
nearly didn’t make it back. How many of her crew died? Then you had the
Ishaq
blown out from under you. You were fortunate—you escaped—but hundreds of
Ishaq
s didn’t, including people I joined Fleet with, good friends of mine. How many friends did you lose, sir?”
    “Too many, Chief, too many,” Michael said.
    “Aye, sir. That’s right. Too many, and there’ll be thousands more before this stops. Now we have that evil bastard, what was his name, Hart something?”
    “Hartspring, Colonel Erwin Hartspring.”
    “Yes, him. He has the crap beaten out of you, and now he wants to have your woman shot because she’s the one you love. It’s total bullshit, sir, the sort of blackmail only the truly wicked could dream up. So here’s the deal. I understand rescuing Lieutenant Cheung is a one-way mission. I know we won’t be coming back any time soon. I realize we’ll be stuck dirtside on Commitment until this damn war ends, and that means joining the Nationalists, doing what we can to help that raggedy-assed army of theirs, the NRA. I know we’ll be putting our lives on the line. If we can make a difference by teaming up with them after we’ve rescued Lieutenant Cheung, I’ll do that … and be happy to do it. Trust me, sir. I’ll gladly spend the rest of this damn war killing Hammers,” he said, his face twisted into a bitter scowl. “At least it’ll be face to face. At least I’ll be doing something that might make a difference. At least I won’t be sitting back waiting for a Hammer antimatter warhead to blow me to hell. And let’s not forget there’s a bunch of Fed spacers in that camp with her who’ll be more than pleased to see us. I’m sure they have a few scores to settle after what happened at Salvation.”
    Overwhelmed by the raw emotion that infused every word Fodor had said, Michael sat, stunned. He’d had no idea Fodor held such strong views. He always assumed he was the only one who carried a burning, corrosive hate of the scum who ran the Hammer Worlds. He struggled to control a growing feeling that things were spiraling out of his control, to push away the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he might be able to save Anna.
    Recovering his composure with an effort, Michael looked at each person in turn. “You all agree? The way Chief Fodor puts it, you all see it the same way? I need to be sure, because if I agree with what the exec has proposed, there’s no turning back.”
    “Chief Fodor is right, sir,” Bienefelt said, “though it’s not only about the deaths of friends and family, though that’s a huge part of it.” Her voice was soft, subdued. “I’ve lost family, too … nobody close but still family … and some good friends, but there’s more to it, for me, anyway.”
    “More to it, Chief?”
    Bienefelt nodded. “Yes, sir. For me there is,” she said, looking right at him. “We’ve been through a lot, you and me, and you’ve never once let me down. If I’m sent into combat, I want you to be the spacer in charge, and you know why? Because I know you’ll never throw my life away on a whim just to make yourself look good, because you can’t be bothered to find another way. The spacers and marines you command matter. You and I both know that loyalty cuts both ways. You’ve been loyal to me. I figure it’s time for me to be loyal to you. I know rescuing Lieutenant Cheung is a personal matter, but I don’t care. I owe you. As for joining the New Revolutionary Army, it’s a bonus. That’s about fighting the scum-sucking parasites that keep the Hammer of Kraa Worlds going, something I’m always happy to do. I don’t care,” she said, shrugging her enormous shoulders. “Assault rifle or dreadnought, it doesn’t matter to me what I kill Hammers with. I’m happy either way.”
    Embarrassed by the raw emotion in Chief Bienefelt’s voice, Michael struggled to respond. “What can I say?” he asked finally. “Anyone else?”
    “Yes, sir.” It was