Wildfire Snippet 2

 So, Wildfire was passed back to me by Goodlifeguide last night, shocking me. I'm debating publishing it today or waiting until tomorrow.

This is book Sixty, which is impressive to many including me. Everyone was surprised when I told them I'd written a book initially. When I told them I had 30 more planned they were shocked and amused. Now, here we are, 10 years later and I'm still going. Beyond Embers and Ashes there are 18 more books planned. We'll see if we get to them all. :)

Anyway, snippet time!

Here is something from Helljumpers:

Helljumpers

 

Cast:

Major General Brussel

Sergeant Niles Smith

Corporal X'v'll

Third Consulate Associate Perri Dinkle

Ambassador Robespierre Tennison

Sllith: Predator Union lawyer. Naga.

Bartholomew: Mog, Neodog collie mix. Representative of the colony.

 

Vespa, Beta Sector

 

Sergeant Niles Smith grimaced and crossed his arms as he watched the grade A cluster frack unfold. Marines, army, and navy personnel were all over the bay. It wasn't supposed to be like that, but hell, why not apparently. Worse, they were mixed with some civilians too for good measure.

On the one side, they had the natives. On another they had the representatives from the State Department and government. Then they had the damn Predator Union jackasses. They were the most intimidating of the bunch.

What was supposed to be a simple eviction had turned into a three-ring circus. He knew what was coming and wasn't looking forward to it, even though it was considered a combat drop and therefore a ticket in his resume. He had to survive it in order to enjoy it later.

He wasn't too afraid of the drop storm. It wasn't even a full court press; they were going to be methodical about the landing. Well, that had been the plan. Some genius had sent along cameras and had pushed for a full show of strength.

That idea had shifted after the Predator Union and some liberal types had gotten the word of the show of force and had pitched three shades of a fit, saying it was excessive and unnecessary.

It was, but some flag officers somewhere wanted to get the extra training in. Or, so they said. Really, they just wanted to show off for the cameras. Probably someone somewhere thought it would grease their way to another star or something. Who knew?

Who cared, really, he thought with a pang as he watched a camera crew and reporter interview an officer. It was an army officer, not one of his people thankfully. The Marines had a habit of playing bluff soldiers but were good at sticking their feet firmly in certain orifices according to Public Relations.

He shook his head as he watched his Marines watching the show. They were just about ready, just doing final checks to keep busy and to look busy. Good for them. He nodded slightly to Corporal X'v'll and moved on.

#==#==#

Third Consulate Associate Perri Dinkle watched the people around her as the small fleet of ships arrived in orbit of the Vespa colony. She looked at the fleet map and noted the naval escort had shifted to a perimeter around the core group.

Ships were already spreading out around the planet. They were no doubt tapping into the few satellites the colonists had. The navy would act as some of the eyes for the ground forces. She was aware that they were there not just as escorts but also to show they played a role in what was to come.

She didn't like it. She hoped they could get some last-minute trade going, get the natives to budge, and give the Dilgarth an island or something or conversely, get the Dilgarth off the planet. But so far, no such luck.

Until the Marines and army dropped, she and the other members of the State Department delegation would continue to try to negotiate with the natives, the Dilgarth, and the Predator's Union. Not that it was having much luck.

She had to admit, the Dilgarth and their supporters were right on several points. There were of course two sides to each point. Working for them, the Federation was supposed to be open to all species. That much was true. Colonization was subjective, however; if someone was paying for the star system, applicants had to apply to join the colony through legal channels. They had to pay their fair share and get approval. Plus, they had to pay for their own lands and such.

They also had to agree to the local laws of the colony and Federal laws. Once they were not in debt to the colony, they could legally vote and hold office as citizens.

Second, point in their favor; this had all happened several years ago. But the only reason that a response had been delayed was because they had filed petitions with the court to delay any eviction. They'd done so to run out the clock and exhaust the colonists into allowing them to stay.

That wasn't going to happen.

She felt bad; it was her job to find consensus, to be the bridge and to end conflict before it became violent. Her bosses insisted that they had to keep that club handy though; sometimes it had to come into play to get one side back to the negotiating table.

She just knew that employing the club would mean people got hurt. She bit her lip. Why did it have to come to that? Ordinary people could be reasonable. Predators though …

She shook herself. She was thinking along prejudicial; some might even consider racial lines. She should feel ashamed but instead felt a flicker of defiance. What was about to happen wasn't her fault.

The Dilgarth had no intention of paying their colony shares, nor pay for land they had taken, nor allow themselves to be subjected to the laws of the colony or the Federation. The Dilgarth had proven they could and would take whatever they wanted. Might made right in their eyes, period.

She looked at the soldiers assembling to drop. Well, they were about to find out what it was like to be on the receiving end of that statement.