Ragnarok: Colonization, intrigue and betrayal. Andrew Claymore (primary phonics books .txt) 📖

Ithad a domed roof, clad in what looked like copper. The walls betweenthe slender pillars were a delicately formed lattice work. He’spretty good at coding!

“Verynice,” she reached out to touch the screen. “Wesaw screens like this when we visited Cordoba…” Her breath caughtin her throat.

Thetrip had been a treat for her grandparents, arranged by her mom…“Sorry.” She gave him a sad smile. “Seems like, every now andthen, something reminds me of my mom.”

“Yeah.”Vikram gave the hand he was still holding a little squeeze. “Itkind of takes over the happy memories, doesn’t it?”

“Doesit ever end?”

“Notthat I’ve noticed,” he admitted, “but you do get to a pointwhere the memories have more joy than sorrow.”

Shehad no idea how she happened to be in his arms. One second she wasstanding next to him, the next she had her face resting on hisshoulder, her arms around his back.

Hepatted the back of her shoulder awkwardly. Somehow, it was nicer thathe wasn’t quite sure of how to handle the situation.

“Thank-you,”she said, forbeing someone that understands losing a parent, forbeing a normal person in the middle of a screwed-up Universe, forbeing nice...

Theydisentangled. “So,” she said, sniffing, “what’s the plan forthis place?”

“That’sup to you,” hetold her. “It seems like everybody here wants you to step in andsolve their problems. You need somewhere to get away from that.”

Henodded down into the house’s atrium. “You need someplace that’snot your bedroom, where you can enjoy a little freedomfrom responsibility.Maybe folks will remember how to solve their problems on their own ifyou’re not immediately available.”

Shesmiled at him, unable to speak but reasonably sure he could read thegratitude on her face. First his family had given her a place intheir home and, now, Vikram had dragged nanites up here to constructthis place for her.

Hesmiled back but then his eyes suddenly looked like they werecos-playing as puffer fish. He was staring at a spot behind her.

Sheturned to find herself wrapped in an armored embrace that smelledlike home.

Thefirst thought in her head was that her mom had come but she knew thatcouldn’t be. This was Luna.

“It’sreally you, isn’t it?” Luna said, finally loosening her embraceenough to look at her niece. She turned off her gauntlets and reachedup to touch Gabriella’s face.

“Wethought we’d lost you…” She stopped talking, on the verge oflosing her control.

Theysettled for another hug, drawing comfort from each other. There wasno need for words.

Butwords intruded.

“Mylady,”Mal’s voice said from Gabriella’s and Luna’s suit collars.“We’re coming in with prisoners. Major Goodwin has capturedKolm.”

Lunafelt Gabriella stiffen. “We’llmeet you at the security pad behind Town Hall,” Luna replied.

“Mylady?”Mal blurted. “Yes, mylady,”he added hastily.

Lunaleaned back again, raising an eyebrow at her niece. “He was callingyou, not me, wasn’the?”

Gabriellanodded. “Unsurprisingly,” she replied, switching to ImperialStandard, “when the Deathstalkercrashed on the surface, Ragnarok was in a state of emergency. Therewas a well-intentioned squabble underway when I arrived at thecouncil chamber that we didn’t have time for.

“Wehad Quailu pouring out of a heavy cruiser, traitors scattering intothe jungle from the EdgedStarand gods only know how many escape pods came down from the fight inorbit...”

Luna’seyes looked past Gabriella for a second. She was asking herself whatshe would have done in Gabriella’s situation. Probablythe same question she asked herself at the time,she realized.

Shelooked at the young woman with a new respect. “You assumedcommand?”

Shenodded. “Gods know, it was the last thing I wanted. The words wereout of my mouth before I knew I was talking.”

“Uh-huh...”Luna had a feeling ithadn’t been that simple.“How’d Goodwin end up down here? Last I knew, he was on theTulwarwith Johnson. We sent them here to evac the colony.”

Gabriellafinally stepped back. She sighed, offering the hint of a shrug.“That’s what Johnson said when he got here.”

“Sowhat happened?”

“Battlewas done. We survivedit by the skin of our teeth but we weren’t aboutto gothrough all that just to run off and leave Unity to the enemy.There’s still hundreds of them to hunt down.”

“Hegive you trouble?” Lunaswitched back to English.

“Triedto but orders are orders and he wasn’t going to just leave us onour own. Goodwin was a lot less trouble. He was practicallysalivating at the chance to get his Marines on the ground and showthese genetically engineered Humans what they can do.”

Lunachuckled. “Can’t wait to hear Mal’s thoughts about professionalsoldiers.”

Gabriellasmiled. “I don’t know a hell of a lot about Force Recon but I doknow they’re supposed to be some serious bad-ass hombres.”

Shetilted her head in respect. “Sounds like they caught public enemynumber one for us, so I’d say they’re showing Mal a thing ortwo.”

“Oh!”Speaking ofshowing things… Lunaglanced at the young man. “Sorry, did I interrupt something?”What werethey doing up here on someone’s roof?

He looked alarmed. He put upboth hands, palms out and was about to speak but Gabriella got therefirst.

“Kindof,” she gave Luna a look, defiantly vague, but then she noddedover her aunt’s shoulder. “Vikram was showing me a place he madewhere I could get away from the colony’s endlessstream of minorproblems.”

“Well,that’s an awfully nice thing to do,” Lunasaid, resisting the urge to hug the stuffing out of him. Doesshe realize how cute this guy is?

“Hisfamily… You remember John’s brother – the wedding when we gothere?”

“Yeah,Frank and Trisha?”

“Yeah,this is their house, and Vikram is Trisha’s son. They took me in. Iwas going to sleep at City Hall but Frank saw me yawning and musthave realized I don’t have a home here.

“Andthat was after I nearly crashed the Deathstalkeron top of Vikram. He had to carry me out of a patch of deadly sporeswhen I jumped clear of the wreck.”

“Waitjust a second here.” Luna deliberately put on a skepticalexpression.

“Youget dragged halfway across the Nereid Arm, crash on this planet andyou just happen to hop out into a dangerous patch of forest rightnext to a handsome young man, who thenhas to carry you… in his arms, I’m guessing… to safety?”

“Therewas an outside force involved in our paths,” Gabriella insisted.

“Thewhole jungle’s pretty dangerous,” Vikram objected, “and she washardly helpless, she…” He glanced at Gabriella then shut up.

And I’mpretty sure neither of you regret the moment, either,