T'aafhal Legacy 1: Ghosts of Orion Read Free Page A

it seems to me that young people like yourselves would much rather have jobs where you could stay together.”
    “Please explain, Mr. Parker,” Mizuki said.
    “Call me TK, no need bein' so formal, girl. Anyway, if you're interested, I would rather explain in my residence later this evening—say around 11:00?”
    The friends looked at each other and found almost instant agreement.
    “Yes,” they said in unison.
    “Great! See y'all then.” The hologram vanished and the small silver sphere flew off through the surrounding foliage, disappearing into the night.
    “So what do we do now?” asked Beth of her companions. “It's only 9:30.”
    “I think we have another drink,” said Billy Ray, motioning to the waiter loitering next to the bar.
     
    Officer's Quarters, Farside
    In a different part of the base, three Fleet officers were holding a clandestine meeting of their own. Each of the three steadfastly believed that things would be much better off for the human race if they were in charge. In a sense, they and others like them were the cause for the friends' complaints. 
    The Fleet was expanding rapidly, doubling in size since the momentous battle in which the minions of the Dark Lords were defeated and life on Earth saved—at least for the present. New, larger warships were added and the existing frigates upgraded with more effective shields and more powerful weapons. With the expansion came the recruitment of new captains and crews for the added ships. The best berths went to the veterans of the battle for Earth, those with actual experience in space combat. 
    While this made sense, it created two classes of naval officer: those who had defended the solar system under the command of Captain (now Admiral of the Fleet) Gretchen Curtis, and those who came later. Naturally, the late comers felt unfairly discriminated against. They despised those at the top of the command chain, who held their positions not through merit but because of personal ties to Adm. Curtis and Gen. Rodriguez, the head of the Marine Corps. They only held their positions because they happened to be in the right place at the right time, or so the disaffected officers thought.
    Moreover, those not among the higher ranks suspected the top of the command structure was occupied by two women as a ploy by the rich civilians who ran the place. It was not enough that the old billionaires on the ruling council kept the Fleet on a tight leash by controlling the means of production, be it ships, food or ammunition. By keeping officers they could control in charge of the Fleet and the Marines they made sure they remained on top of the political heap.
    Those officers not in favor with the powers that be were shunted into non-combat commands—personnel, supply and maintenance. In times of peace, such positions often held more sway than those commanding the sharp end, but that was little recompense for the officers sharing a drink in private quarters that night.
    “It looks like the first of the colonization ships will be operational within a month,” said the middle ranking of the trio, a commander in procurement. “That means continued delay in building more cruisers to patrol beyond the solar system.”
    “Yes, the building of the colony ships will slow production of new combat ships,” said the senior officer, a Navy captain in personnel. “That means fewer senior slots to fill with new officers.”
    “It also means that there will be further delay in the launch of the first Planetary Combat Ship,” added the third, a Marine major assigned to training. “Until that happens we have no good way of getting more than a few platoons of Marines to an exoplanet.”
    The PCS was intended to house and support a full battalion of Marines, 800 combat personnel and others to support them, their assault shuttles and transatmospheric fighter craft. The PCS would also mount the shields and offensive weapons of a cruiser, enabling it to operate autonomously in