Guerilla by Mel Odom Read Free Book Online

find their way into the money purses of several key members of the Quass, from what I am told. They will not be happy with Master Sergeant Sage’s success.”
    Reluctantly, Zhoh admitted to himself that it was a good plan. One of the major benefits of the Makaum civil unrest lay in how it kept the ­people separated. Polarized as they were by their wants, they could not change treaties or make decisions with any real speed. At this point, confusion was a potent weapon.
    But there was another potential problem.
    â€œThe plan is good, General.” Zhoh was not going to give Rangha credit for coming up with it. Doubtless the strategy had been drawn up by the War Council leader assigned to the Makaum action. “However, the (ta)Klar will not hesitate to take advantage of the situation to champion their own interests.”
    â€œDo not concern yourself with the (ta)Klar at this moment, Captain. As always, those creatures play their little political games behind the scenes, and this time they continue to be too far behind. They will take far too long to stop us. We gain momentum every day.” Rangha pulled open a desk drawer and took an ivory object from within with one of his lesser hands. He set it on the desk.
    Zhoh recognized the alabaster grin of a human skull at once. Taking such prizes in combat went against the rules of engagement between the Terran Alliance and Phrenorian Empire. Rangha would only get chastised by the primes and the War Council if it was discovered he had the artifact. Rank had its privileges.
    â€œI killed this human in combat on Akalo,” Rangha said. “For four days and three nights, I stalked him until he had no place left to run. Then I confronted him.” He dropped a primary hand onto the skull with a resounding crack. But the skull remained whole.
    Zhoh barely held back a sneer. Akalo was an outlaw world on the fringes of the Pagor System that had fallen nine years ago. The planetoid wasn’t part of the war and had existed only for spacefaring crews to pursue their vices. It was only a place the war had gone through, a blip on the path to victory. One day it had been there, and the next it was gone.
    â€œI killed him and I ate him and I claimed his head.” Rangha’s pheromones broadcast the sickening stench of pride. “I promise you, Captain, we will claim many skulls here.”
    â€œYes sir.”
    Rangha’s chelicerae twitched expectantly, as if the general had wanted a more robust response.
    Zhoh wasn’t going to give it. He sat and waited till he was dismissed, and he was glad to be going.

 
    FIVE
    Fort York
    Loki 19 (Makaum—­colloquial)
    0357 Hours Zulu Time
    D id you see who it was?” Sergeant Pearson’s voice sounded surprisingly calm and he stood his ground.
    Still in a kneeling position, still panicked that he might be injured, Corporal Trevor Anders sighted along his Roley EMR 6 out of habit. Locked into the AKTIVsuit, with the onboard near-­AI doing the calculations for him, he didn’t have to aim. The suit more or less did the aiming. He just had to make the decision to pull the trigger, and that had happened without him truly thinking about it.
    â€œNo!” Anders yelled. He swept the Roley over the rooftop across the nearby intersection where the suit told him the missile had come from. He still didn’t see whoever had fired the projectile that had hit him. He sucked in air and listened to his heart slamming in triple time. It was the first time outside of boot that he’d been shot, and the experience ripped away any ideas of how calm he would be in combat. The veterans had told him the Army was 99 percent boredom and 1 percent frenzy during firefights.
    â€œCalm down, Corporal,” Sergeant Pearson said. “You’re on comm. There’s no need to shout.”
    Anders cursed. He’d forgotten about the comm. He’d been—­maybe still was—­reacting to