Revolutionary (The Athena Lee Chronicles Book 4) by T S Paul Read Free Book Online

that the troops had formed.
     
    The black clad troops had moved out into a battle line that stretched from the edge of the sidewalk to across the front on the steps leading into the government offices. The leaders of the march and their followers approached the line of troops.
     
    A very large and menacing black clad trooper carrying an high powered assault rifle began speaking. “Halt, this is an illegal protest you are ordered to return to your homes. NOW! By order of Sector Governor Samuel Norton all protesters will be arrested and tried for crimes of terrorism against the state if you do not stop now and return to your homes. Halt this march now. This is your last and only warning!”
     
    The leaders of the march kept moving forward and began shouting. “We want to talk to the Governor, we want arbitration, we need better tax laws, stop farm Levey's now.”
     
    The troops moved into firing positions guns at the ready, the troop commander looked to either side at his forces. Small groups were setting up squad manned machine guns and snipers were getting into positions. He yelled, “Fire!”
     
    The black clad ESS troops began firing into the crowd with their assault rifles and machine guns. The leaders of the march were cut down in a spray of blood and gore. The force of the rounds hitting them sprayed the crowd behind them. They were not spared either as the armor piercing rounds continued through them to the innocents behind them. No one was spared. Snipers were picking off the organizers and their veteran ‘guards’. The troopships were firing into groups of people with grenade launchers. The explosions were destroying the surrounding vehicles and spraying shrapnel in all directions. Many sought the cover of trees, buildings, or piles of debris. The troopships overhead joined in the melee, firing their rockets and anti-ship lasers at those trying to hide. Even more death followed. Several newsies were hit and killed, their footage continued to roll out and what they shot angered the entire planet.
     
    I stood in shock staring at the screen. The troops had opened fire on the tens of thousands of innocent unarmed people. The leaders of the march were mowed down along with hundreds in the front rows. The troops continued to fire. There was a brief pause as the troopships moved over the crowds, circling them. Among the broken and bleeding bodies were those of the young and of the old. A group of school children were seen hiding behind bodies belonging to their teachers and classmates. The black clad ‘demons’ turned their guns in that direction. The crowd now trying to flee was trampling the fallen and scattering in every direction. The children were crying and huddling together on the blood covered pavement. A lone man jumped up from where he had been hiding behind a parked vehicle and stood in front of the terrified children. A blood spattered woman tried to pull him back under cover, but he pried her hands off. Saying something to her, he pushed her back behind the large truck. The man motioned for the children to lay flat and as out of sight as possible. He then turned to the troops and yelled “these are innocents, why kill them? Why kill any of them? This was a peaceful protest!” Protecting the crying children as best as he could David pleaded with the ESS to stop. The Commander looked at my brother David and said “I have my orders no survivors, open fire!” David died as he was struck with numerous armor piecing rounds. His wife, the light of his life tried to run to him and was cut down by a sniper on the roof of the Capitol building. One of the ships lased the group of children incinerating them.
     
    I watched as David, my peaceful brother, who never wanted to fight, gave up his life up in protest of the very people I now worked for. The troops gunned him down and continued to kill for another ten full minutes. The gutters and culverts of the city ran with the blood of the innocent. The dead and