The Guardians of Sol by Spencer Kettenring Read Free Book Online Page B

cutest, most irresistible little technician by them. I had been lucky enough see Rachel every day since we had gotten back to the Forge - I gave her a wink. She smiled and blushed! Now that was the best thing I had seen all day! The bell rang out again - have to finish this now, I thought, before I fall down.
    I started in immediately with a left hook. Ruin ducked under the punch and replied with a biting jab, knocking the wind from me. I returned by chopping down hard on the Spartan's injured side. Ruin's leg buckled, I skipped away to take the time I needed to catch my breath a little.
    Ruin tentatively got back on his feet, and grinned. I couldn't help but shudder at the insanity that seemed to be bred into these Spartans - the harder the fight the more savage - and gleeful - they became. I had just been complaining about easy fights though, hadn't I? Hard hurts, but is usually more fun.
    Ruin and I came at each other with a flurry of ferocious blows. We kept hammering at one another, until I was finally able to slam a meaty fist into the Spartan’s jaw. Yes, I called my own fist meaty.
    Finally the black-bearded madman went down. The count went up: One... Two... Three... The Spartan tried to rise, Four... He staggered, Five... He fell back to his knees, Six... Seven... He glared daggers at me, Eight... He fell to his back, Nine... He took a deep breath and sighed, Ten...
    The referee raised my hand, and announced the win. Haywire came up, taking me by the shoulders to steady me. The Spartan gained his feet after a minute or two, still didn't seem all that stable.
    "Hell of a fight, brother... I am Hektor, at your service," Reaching his hand out to me.
    "You Spartans sure have a way about you. I'm Rhys Castle," Pointing to Haywire. "That's Jimmy Freed. You just gave me the best fight of my career... Let's try not to do that again. Ever."
    "Hah!" Hektor burst out. "No promises. You’ve bested me. It’s only proper that I try to return the favor next year.” The younger man made some odd noises in his throat. “I'm thirsty; let's go get some drinks, brothers."
    “I’m going to have to take a rain check on that, Hektor. I already have plans for tonight, but I’m sure Jimmy will be happy to commiserate with you. See you guys later.”
    Haywire gave me a sad look as I abandoned him to the tender mercies of the Spartans, but there seemed to be a smile as part of it so I assumed the best. I turned away from them and made my way to where the rest of my squad was waiting, triumphant grins on their faces. I do believe that I had just doubled their income for the month. Rachel ran over and threw her arms around me, and then immediately backed away.
    “You stink!” She told me, all concern gone from her voice and manner. “Shower before you pick me up tonight.”
    “What did you expect? I’m covered in blood and sweat, of course I’m going to stink.”
    I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “But I guess I’ll do as you ask. Just this once. Now if you’ll excuse me, beauty, I have to let to the medic check me over before I get cleaned up. I have one or two other things to take care of before dinner too.”
    *****
    Later that day, still smarting from my wounds, I made my way over to one of the engineering blocks. More specifically, I made my way to the bay where all of the technology for the Specials was maintained and developed. I did, of course, hope that this preliminary meeting didn’t take very long. I had that date with Rachel tonight, after all. I turned the corner of the corridor to where the bay was…
    And threw myself back, barely missing impalement on a Ring Jumper’s spiked armor. The man and his team walked past me as if I weren’t even there. Arrogant bastards. In all my time in the Corps, I think I have only met one likeable man from that space-born branch of Castigars. Their armor is hardened to the rigors of space, so it is appropriately bigger than anyone else’s except perhaps the first specials