Read Online Slaves of Hyperion (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 6) by Michael G. Thomas - Free Book Online

units.”
    With a simple flick of the General’s wrist, he transferred the file from one datapad to the other. Spartan saluted and the General was gone. As quickly as that, Spartan found himself alone on Terra Nova and surrounded by a crowd of people he didn’t recognise. He glanced at his device and checked the timetable. As the General had already said, there was the meeting of the Defence Committee, but that wasn’t for another three hours. He looked back up and saw a number of soldiers in Regular Army uniforms, much like those worn by the soldiers on both sides on Prime. He walked towards them and one, a young corporal, noticed him approaching. They stood smartly to attention, and Spartan returned the courtesy.
    “Sir,” asked the corporal, “Are you Lieutenant Spartan of the Vanguards?”
    Spartan looked at the man. He couldn’t have been just out of his teens, yet his chest was emblazoned with medals. He looked at the others to find the same with each of them. The insignia on their dark grey uniforms was of a wolf. He didn’t recognise the design but that was not surprising. The Army units were very large and followed different structures on every colony.
    “Yes, I’m Lieutenant Spartan.”
    The young man smiled and extended his hand.
    “Sir, I’m Corporal Broby Ramir of the 4 th New Carlos Militia. Your unit protected our flank in the fighting back on Prime. I saw the assaults your marines held off, Sir. I just wanted to thank you.”
    Spartan sighed but this time of relief. It was rare for him to come across somebody with positive news for a change. The fighting at New Carlos had been a vicious mixture of ranged firefights and urban combat. It had been the first battle where they had made major use of the Combat Engineer Armour, the early version of what was known as Vanguard armour.
    “Thank you, Corporal. That was a nasty business back on Prime. How is your unit?”
    The Corporal smiled and indicated to his comrades around him.
    “We’re all that’s left of our platoon, Sir. The rest were killed, wounded or retired since we pushed back the Union forces.”
    Spartan nodded.
    “I see, you’re not in militia uniforms now, though.”
    “No, Sir, after you left, the remaining units were combined into the New Carlos 1 st Brigade, but we’ve kept the insignia of the old 4 th .”
    Spartan understood why old soldiers like him were being sent to the summit, but these were rankers. They had experience of combat undoubtedly, but were they what was needed to make major decisions?
    “What are you doing at this summit? I can’t imagine you volunteered.”
    The Corporal smiled.
    “No, Sir, we’re here on an exchange programme. When the ships left with delegates from Prime, there was a call for six volunteers to visit Terra Nova. We’re joining the Guards for six months, and they are doing the same back on Prime.”
    A woman, a private, in her early twenties with short curly hair joined in.
    “That’s not a bad idea. A little more mixing of units, and we might not have had this kind of trouble to start with, if you ask me, Sir.”
    All of their attention was pulled away from their discussion and towards some kind of commotion further inside the building. Spartan looked past the scores of people until he found what he assumed was the cause. A number of people were running to a growing throng around one of the side entrances. A series of loud shouts followed, and then one of the soldiers staggered out of the group and collapsed to the floor.
    “What the hell is going on?” asked one of the soldiers.
    “I don’t know,” replied Spartan.
    But he didn’t like what was happening. Arguments and fighting usually escalated, and there were plenty of soldiers and weapons to be found in this place. He looked at the group and jabbed his finger in the direction of the sound.
    “Follow me, it’s time we broke this up.”
    He moved off at a jog and ducked in and out of those that got in his way. The nearer he came