Read The Empire’s Corps: Book 01 - The Empire's Corps for Free Online Page B

to any other unit, speak to me or the Sergeants about it and we will attempt to honour your request,” he said. Marines rarely moved out of their units. It was too hard to fit them into a new unit without heavy intensive training. “Let us know before the end of the day; tomorrow we start preparing for our journey. I’m afraid it will be six months in the tubes for most of us.”

    This time, the groans were real. The Marines would be placed in stasis tubes once they were onboard the transport and would be taken out of the tubes when they reached Avalon. A handful would remain awake and active, making preparations for the landing, but none of the Marines liked being helpless in the tubes. There were plenty of rumours about colony ships being hijacked and their colonists pressed into slavery on hidden colony worlds. Not that pirate crews would bother keeping the Marines alive, of course. Once they realised what they had on their hands, the Marines would be unceremoniously spaced.

    “There isn't an alternative,” he snapped, before anyone could make a comment. “If you’re fighting already today, what are you going to be like after a month in Phase Drive?”

    There was no answer. “Avalon is rated as a Class-Two Colony World, so any of you who wish to invite your wives or sweethearts along should mention it to the Sergeants,” Edward continued. Marine Riflemen – the lowest rank – rarely married, but they often formed long-term relationships. “We can obtain permission for emigration from the Colonisation Office, subject to the usual regulations. There are no restrictions on who may enter Avalon.”

    He saw the implications sinking into their heads, a handful looking more thoughtful than usual. Civilians thought of Marines – and soldiers in general – as dumb beasts; after all, who in their right mind would charge into the teeth of enemy fire? Marines were encouraged to learn as much as possible, particularly history – there were millions of lessons to be learned from history – and that included the early years of human exploration and settlement. A planet with few immigration restrictions would, likely as not, end up with a multiethnic or religious population, a recipe for trouble down the line. The lax regulations – a brief glance at the file had suggested that the development corporation had been desperate for colonists – would come back to haunt them. Or maybe they’d be lucky. There were several worlds that had formed a new culture, or had simply kept the disparate cultures apart.

    “We may be there for as little as a year, or much longer,” he concluded. “The Grand Senate may see the wisdom in bringing us back sooner than I dare hope. Or maybe we’ll be out there forever. I honestly do not know.

    “Our mission is threefold. We are to provide some additional muscle for the local government, to train their version of the Civil Guard to acceptable levels and prevent pirate operations in the vicinity. None of that is going to be easy. I know, however, that each and every one of you will give his or her best. Semper Fi !”

    “ Semper Fi ,” the Marines echoed.

    “I will see the Sergeants and Lieutenants now,” Edward said. “The rest of you...try not to get into any more fights. Dismissed!”

    The Marines marched out, leaving Edward alone with his officers and NCOs. There were fifteen of them in all; five Lieutenants and ten Sergeants. It always amazed the Imperial Army how few officers and NCOs actually wore Marine Blues, but the Marines had always believed that every Rifleman had Sergeant’s stripes in his backpack. Edward knew of units that had lost almost all of their officers, yet had kept going and won the battle anyway. In the Imperial Army, there were units that could only have been improved if they’d lost all of their senior officers. They were the ones who had bought their commissions, or had been shuttled in to serve as someone’s eyes and ears. They were, thankfully,