Reason For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 1) Read Online Free

Privileged.  All the rest are recruited from us.  They’re not traitors of their own people like the police.  They don’t beat and murder us!”
    Pausing before speaking, Billy considered just how much he could say without damaging some of the Rebellion’s current operations.  It wouldn’t do any harm to let them know there was a plan.  Besides, the other side would know what the Rebellion were attempting, it was the obvious strategy.  More importantly, these people needed hope.
    “We have people doing just that, but it is a massive organisation and it will take a lot to get enough on board to make a difference.”
    The woman nodded in acknowledgement and Billy continued.  “Don’t hate those men and women who have joined the police.”  He spoke directly to the woman while knowing the rest were listening.  “They are little different from us.  All they wanted was a better life for themselves and their families.  Unless we work for the gangs, we cannot hope to earn what the police and Legion are offering.  Yes they hurt us, their own people, and so do the Legion.  Do not forget, it is only rare they are called in here on Olympus.  On other worlds, the Legion is just as much hated as the police, for exactly the same reasons.
    “If you think, when it finally comes down to it, there will not be Manual blood spilled by us, then you are fooling yourself.  Like those who have turned their backs on us, we will be killing to better our lives.  We will fight them as we must, but do not hate them.”
    “When then?” the woman demanded.  “When will we be actually able to make a difference and bring down the Privileged?” 
    “I don’t know.”  Billy shook his head.  “We need a catalyst, something or someone to bring the Legion together and lead them in revolt.  Without that, all we can do is keep chipping away at their powerbase.” 
     
     

CHAPTER ONE
     
     
     
    The door hissed open on the Legion Space Station Furioso, in orbit around Olympus’s primary moon, and Major Valerie Carter came through into the briefing room.  One hundred and seventy centimetres tall with a slim build, dark hair cut to her shoulder and pale skin emphasised by the black uniform she wore.  She walked with a clear purposeful stride.  To ninety-nine percent of the human population she would look like a very attractive woman in her late twenties, though she was actually one hundred and eight years old.
    “Shadow Company!  Attention!”  Sergeant Major Bickerstaff commanded and the one hundred and twenty-eight soldiers, Officers, Non-Coms and Privates all came smoothly to their feet.
    “At ease, Company.”  Valerie said with a smile.
    She walked over to the screen at the front of the room, along with the two other officers who followed her in, and the Company seated themselves.  Valerie indicated the two officers to her troops.
    “This is Major Wilson and Colonel Lieberman.  They’ll be giving us the brief on our latest assignment.  The short version is we have a target in the middle of a jungle, one hundred and fifty to two hundred hostiles by current intelligence.  They have a semi-fortified position, but mostly rely upon staying hidden from the locals as their main protection.  They have basic skills and have shown some effectiveness against those locals in the field, with quite a high kill ratio.
    “Our mission is to go in, clear them out and be off planet before the locals know we are there.  This is a straight sanitisation.”  She saw the Colonel and Major stir out of the corner of her eye but continued.  “You all know the drill.  These guys have gotten too big for the locals to handle and the Foreign Office has asked us to sort it out.  Removing any high tech equipment they may have obtained in the process.”
    Valerie turned to the two officers.  “Colonel Lieberman, the floor is yours.”
    “Thank you, Major.”  The Colonel replied, with emphasis on her rank.  “Shadow Company,