Blood War 1: Last Stand of the Legion: Rift Read Online Free PDF

said.
    "Sensors suggest, by the bodies decomposition, that the attack was about six hours ago, " Liu said.
    "Lieutenant," Aijuba said. "There is nothing like this in the local background.  Six hours is not too big a head start.  We can overtake them before they reach their launch ship. I am telling you it is the trail."
    "Well...." Dasan wasn't sure. 
    Dasan did not know what to say. This was not what he had counted on; he had expected to wake up a civilian. Now for the first time since he enlisted he was faced with the decisions of a real command, with life and death consequences for himself, the men and women of his command and the children.
    "Lieutenant , they took the kids during the raids ten years ago. We never got any of them back.  I tried..." Aijuba hesitated.  "We never had a trail before," Aijuba continued.  "We are on to something.  We can go after them.  They will not be expecting us.  They will be pulling a sled for the children's life support.  We found a couple of them during the last raids. They were empty. We never found out why they took those children...." Her voice just died off.
    The platoon had rallied around Dasan's ship. They all waited, looking to Dasan, waiting for his decision . It was his and his alone to make. 
    Dasan felt as if an immense weight had been placed on his shoulders.  There was no one else.  He didn't want this.  He wasn't prepared.  He needed more time.  He was so tired.  Dasan had thought his career was over. He had been relieved that he would never have to make these kind decisions during his service, the kind of decisions that determined the lives of others.  These were the kind of decisions that not only affected others’ lives but determined the direction of your own life. What he decided to do in the next minutes and hours would set the course of many lives.
    He wanted to run from all of this, he had no idea what command really meant until now. No one would question his actions if he turned back now.  No one could expect them to continue. They were all past the physical limits; to push on would endanger their ships as well as their own lives.
    "Lieutenant, what are your orders?" It was Aijuba. "Shall we continue?"
    The aliens had put troops on the ground. That meant the escaping fleet was not just fighters, but had to contain some sort of troop ship to transport the ground forces.  Dasan and his platoon could catch up with transport ships.
    An image of the children suddenly flared through the fatigue and fear.  There was no one else.  The fate of the children depended on his abilities and those of his platoon.  It did not matter that his enlistment was almost finished.  It did not matter that he was tired. It was his job to lead. The fate of the children rested with him now. 
    Suddenly, everything was clearer. He was no less tired, and in no less pain, but for the first time he understood, really understood, the purpose behind the years of training, and sacrifice.  The meaning of the oath he had taken when he had become a Legionnaire.
    "Check, Sergeant. Put Liu and two of the scouts in the lead.  Liu I want your sensors at max range.  Flankers out from the first section. I want everyone on full combat alert. We are going to near light and stay there until we overtake them. Aijuba send our drones back to the Lyre.  Download images of the complex and that we are tracking the aliens in an attempt over take them and rescue the children. Advise them I want the Lyre standing by our present position when we return."
    "Aye, aye Skipper," Aijuba said. She had never called him Skipper before. It was a sign of respect from a senior enlisted person.
    Dasan knew having the Lyre at Gaxola by the time they returned was all but impossible given the distance and the laws of physics.  The Captain would have to push the destroyer past the design spec ifications to get it there in time.  But everyone was taking chances on this one.
    "Remember you are Legionnaires.