The Empire’s Corps: Book 01 - The Empire's Corps by Christopher Nuttall Read Free Book Online Page A

assigned to assist Thomas with the logistics as well,” Edward added. “He’s going to need help...”

    “If only to hold the irate bureaucrats down as we take everything we want,” Howell said, with a grin. There were some chuckles. The Marine Supply Officers were an understanding bunch, but the same couldn't be said for the General Supply Officers, who insisted that any mere logistics officer had to have his requests signed in triplicate before they even considered considering granting them. Edward had fought enough battles with the bureaucrats to make him glad that someone else was going to be handling it. It was a shame that shooting bureaucrats was officially Not Allowed. “Or perhaps to help me dig a tunnel into the supply depot and smuggling out the loot.”

    “I think they’ll go to their union about that,” Gwen said, sourly. “They’re the only ones allowed to loot military supplies.”

    Edward scowled, wishing that she was joking. In theory, the private possession of guns on Earth was forbidden, with very heavy penalties for anyone who owned a weapon. In practice, there were literally millions of illegal weapons and weapons factories in the Undercity, where violence was common and the Civil Guard never went. And even the more advanced weapons could be found on the black market. Someone had sold the Nihilists enough weapons to take a bite out of a Marine Company and that could never be forgiven. It was probably too much to hope that Marine Intelligence would track them down before the Stalkers left Earth forever, but they would find the culprit and deal with him. The Commandant would probably send a few Marines to assassinate the bastard.

    “If they give you any trouble, let me know,” Edward said. The bureaucrats would probably not be cowed by a mere Captain, but a call from the Commandant himself – particularly after he pointed out that the Grand Senate had ordered that the Stalkers leave Earth forever – would probably loosen the purse strings. “I can pull strings for you.”

    “Yes, sir,” Howell said. He glanced around the room. “Is there anything else, sir?”

    “We start three days of heavy training in two days,” Edward said, firmly. “Gwen, you will supervise that if I’m not present at the time. The Commandant said that we might get a few newcomers to the unit; if so...we’ll start working them hard and get them up to standard. After that, we'll start boarding the transport and stocking up on supplies. Keep a close rein on everyone. The last thing we need is another fight at the moment.”

    “The Civil Guard isn't making that easy,” Young said. “The Pacifist League is really not making it easy.”

    “If it was easy, it really wouldn’t need us,” Edward said. He grinned. “They may whine about us now, but they’ll be calling us back soon enough.”

    “When they need us,” Young said. “For its Tommy this an' Tommy that, and ‘chuck him out, the brute! But its ‘Saviour of The Country’ when the guns begin to shoot...”

    It was a misquote – Marines were encouraged to study Kipling, even though his poems were unknown to the vast majority of the Empire’s population – but Edward didn't mind. “They’ll call us back soon enough,” he said, firmly. “Until then...keep the faith.”

    “Yes, sir,” Young said.

    He watched as the officers filed out, leaving him alone with Gwen. “Tell me something,” she said. “Do you think they’ll ever call us back?”

    “I like to think so,” Edward said. He could relax with Gwen. They’d served together for years. She’d forgotten more about being a Marine than most of the enlisted men ever learned. “I don’t know, though. I really don’t know.”

    “It could be for the best,” Gwen said, frankly. “After what happened today, I doubt that Earth is going to remain stable much longer.”

    “No,” Edward said, grimly. “Forty billion people, most of them fed and watered by processes that might