Major (The United Federation Marine Corps Book 5) Read Online Free PDF

I’m under strict orders about putting myself into a potential conflict zone, so I’m afraid I will be debarking with my Liberty Alliance colleagues.”
    “I understand, Mr. Baker.  The shuttle to the packet will leave in 35 minutes, so I suggest you and the Alliance personnel gather your things.  If anyone else needs to contact your embassies, please let me know.  Once the shuttle leaves, everyone onboard at that time will be along for the ride,” she told them.
    Ryck’s pulse was quickening.  This wasn’t his fight—he was an observer.  But he’d tangled with the SOG before, and he was sure he could offer some advice if they wanted it.  The Federation and the Confederation were not the closest of governments even in the best of times, but against the SOG, the old enemy of my enemy adage was in full force.
    “Nicely played,” Micah said as CDR Harper left the wardroom with a promise to be back in under an hour with a more detailed brief.
    “What do you mean?” Ryck asked.
    “This may have been planned from the gitgo.  With us onboard, technically, this is an allied mission, and all of our governments will go along with whatever the Confeds decide to do.  They have full operational command with no input, but our governments are complicit.  Hans realized that, and that’s why he had to leave.”
    “And the Liberty Alliance?” Rainer Kopf asked, listening in.
    “Don’t know for sure.  But their Navy’s been spread thin, especially with them decommissioning a good chunk of their destroyers.”
    “They fought the trinoculars with us,” Ryck said.
    “Even the SOG offered to help with that,” Micah said.  “It was furry aliens invading human space, after all.  And the Alliance lost five capital ships in that war.  I think they’re trying to stay on the sidelines in any future conflicts, if they can, and as they haven’t been bearing the brunt of any SOG attacks, they want to keep it that way.
    “In my humble opinion, of course,” he added.
    Ryck sat back to contemplate what Micah had said.  It made sense, but it was just his best guess analysis.
    Whatever the reasons, though, CAPT Franks, and Mr. Lamonica back at the embassy, had committed themselves to support a Confederation military op.  The politics about this were way above Ryck’s paygrade, but fighting an enemy was not.  He was going to offer his services to the Confeds and with no ulterior motives.  He’d worry about being an attaché afterwards, but for now, he was going to be a combat Marine.

CS CT-83
     
    Chapter  6
     
    Ryck looked around the cramped bridge of the CT-83 , technically a naval capital ship, but in reality, an old cargo hauler.  He was trying to control his disappointment that he was not on the Path of Glory with CAPT Franks and most of the other observers in the heart of the action.  When CAPT Franks had told him he’d be in the CT-83 , he’d initially bristled, and he almost broke his vow of never saying “Do you know who I am?” before he could gain control of himself.  
    The captain didn’t quite apologize — his comment about Ryck being too much of a political hot potato to risk his participation in combat was probably as close as he would get to that.  But as he joined Bill Csonka and an enlisted naval tech from the Brotherhood whose name he hadn’t caught as the three were shuttled over to the CT-83 , he had to admit he understood the decision.  Unless the whole O’Brian Park incident was an elaborate play by the Confeds, some in the government wanted him gone enough to attempt to have him killed, and merely having him present in combat aboard a Confed vessel could complicate matters.  At least the captain had not sent him back to New Mumbai with Hans and the Liberty Alliance personnel.  The CT-83 wasn’t much, but he could monitor the situation from her.
    The ship’s CO, LCDR Chris Nuzzi, sat in her captain’s chair, monitoring the command circuit which she had coming over the