Decisively Engaged (Warp Marine Corps Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

largely ignored it, until a follow-up survey had discovered large deposits of rare earths, among the most valuable commodities in the galaxy. While asteroid mining provided most of America’s rare earth needs, new sources were always in demand. Jasper-Five’s lanthanide deposits were concentrated in one of the planet’s continents, dominated by the Kingdom of Kirosha.
    While some Starfaring civilizations would have just seized the kingdom’s mineral wealth by force, the USA found it easier to negotiate with the locals for mining rights, providing them with hard currency they could use to improve their technology and living standards far beyond what they had before First Contact. It was cheaper than outright conquest, and in the future might provide the US with a client species that might serve as an eventual ally. The US could always use more friends in a largely hostile galaxy.
    Over the ensuing two decades, Kirosha had changed a great deal; the formerly insular, relatively backward kingdom had become the most powerful nation on the planet. Its newfound wealth had allowed it to purchase the best military equipment available from its neighbors (no Starfarer was willing to sell them high-tech weaponry for the time being) and modernize their kingdom.
    From the smoke dotting the edges of the city, it looked like the changes had brought their share of problems as well.
    The fires were mostly concentrated on a ring of shantytowns that had accrued around the city proper like crystals in a supersaturated solution. The briefings didn’t provide any reasons as to why the locals seemed intent on arson as a form of protest. Fromm would have to figure that out by himself after he made landfall. He couldn’t even query his own command or the Embassy beforehand, not with two rival Starfarer delegations in place, quite capable of eavesdropping on any but the most heavily-encrypted communications.
    “Ladies and gentlemen,” the shuttle’s pilot announced. “We’ve been authorized to land, and will be arriving in under five minutes. Be advised; there are reports of civil unrest throughout the capital. Transport to the Foreigner Enclave has been provided for everyone, courtesy of Caterpillar, Inc and Star Mining Enterprises. Venturing outside the Enclave is not recommended. If you must go into the city proper, make sure you do so in groups. Things are a bit rough out there. Hope you had a good trip. God Bless America.”
    “God Bless America,” the passengers chorused back. A couple of remfie suits sitting near the captain did so while rolling their eyes in jaded cynicism, but the miners, technicians and machinery operators who comprised the majority of the passengers said the words with the mildly bored sincerity of people raised to love God, Flag and Country from earliest childhood. Fromm’s own response was heartfelt, but tempered with the knowledge of the price involved in upholding those words. God might wish America His best, but He left most of the heavy lifting in the hands of mere mortals like Fromm and his beloved Corps.
    There was the usual rapid shift in pressure as the shuttle dropped the last several hundred feet towards the ground, throwing itself on the mercy of the gravity grapples dirtside. The abrupt motion slowed down during the last few seconds, and the hundred-ton vehicle came down in a gentle, almost imperceptible motion. Fromm grabbed his personal satchel from the overhead compartment. His orders had come so abruptly that he’d left most of his meager possessions behind; they would follow him here eventually, which given the remoteness of his new posting meant weeks, if not months. On the other hand, a few weeks ago he’d fully expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars, which given the capital nature of his crimes was likely to be a very short time. A hasty posting to a planet in the ass-end of nowhere was a much better alternative.
    The Marine took a deep breath as he stepped onto