Read Online The Heart of Matter: Odyssey One by Evan Currie - Free Book Online Page B

the assembled people standing behind Captain Weston. Unlike the last time Eric Weston had set foot on his planet, Rael didn’t see any of theheavily armored soldiers. Instead, it was a group of hard-looking men that he thought would fit in quite well with Nero Jehan and his people.
    Or they would have, had Nero’s world not been one of the casualties in the opening rounds of the war.
    “This is Colonel Reed,” Eric said, gesturing to a man who was scarcely any larger than Tanner’s own slight build.
    As the man approached, however, Tanner had to revise any thought that the man might not be capable of personal violence. There was something about the set of his stance and the look of him in general.
    “Colonel,” Tanner replied gravely.
    “Admiral.” Reed nodded. “I understand that your people might have need of training in ground warfare.”
    The words were not a question, they were a statement, and Tanner rather doubted that the man before him was in the habit of asking questions he had the answer to. Even so, however, Rael nodded in response. “Yes, Colonel. My…
colleague
, Commander Nero Jehan is in command of our ground forces here on Ranquil. I’m certain that he will be most receptive to any suggestions you might have.”
    The colonel smiled thinly, as if the words Rael had spoken were amusing in some way, but merely nodded. “I’m certain that we’ll work something out. These are my main advisors, Admiral. Captain Scott…”
    A man in a mottled uniform of sandy colors stepped forward and nodded. “Admiral.”
    “Scott is an expert on what we call ‘combined arms,’” Reed went on. “He’ll be in charge of liaising between your naval forces and the ground forces.”
    Rael almost frowned at that, but swallowed his questions until later and merely nodded.
    “Major Carson”—Reed gestured to a rather large man in drab clothing—“he’s a combat engineer and specialist in field expedient mayhem.”
    A few of the men chuckled while Tanner frowned, trying to decide if the translators had scrambled some of the words as they were wont to do. Again, he pushed his questions aside and nodded. “Major.”
    “Master Chief Wilson,” Reed went on, gesturing to a barrel-chested man in Navy blues. “Unarmed combat trainer, demolitions, and one of the best commo men in the business.”
    Wilson stood about six feet six inches, and Rael Tanner had to crane his head to look up at the man, even from eight feet away. He didn’t change his expression, however. In his days in the Colonial Exploration Fleet, he’d had to deal with a great many people who towered over him, and giving them the satisfaction of even the slightest intimidation would have placed him in a very poor position, indeed.
    “Master Chief,” he said evenly, then glanced over at Eric for the first time since Reed began speaking. “I understand most of these things, but what is the word…
commo
?”
    “Communications specialist, Admiral, sir,” Wilson spoke up for himself, holding his position very carefully as the alien admiral looked him over again. As the smaller man’s eyes lighted on him, Wilson resisted the urge to look down at him and instead kept his eyes pinned right on a far wall.
    “Thank you, Master Chief,” Tanner said after a moment, running the odd title through his mind as he spoke it.
    His own people had no ranks to measure it against, and he wondered where this “master” stood in the line with the others present.
    Reed apparently decided that it was time to speak up again. “These are my advisory staff; the rest of my team is stillon the
Odyssey
, Admiral, waiting for instructions. If I could be directed to this Commander Jehan?”
    “Of course.” Tanner nodded. “Cathan!”
    “Sir?” A man stepped up quickly.
    “Show these men to guest quarters and inform Nero that the Terrans have sent an advisor team.”
    “Of course, Admiral,” the man replied, then looked diffidently at Reed. “If you would follow