Osdal (Harmony War Series Book 3) (45 page)

NIDenise overlaid his view with instructions to get to Centurion Exceter’s position.

Nerva marched through the halls of the ship. People that saw him came to attention, slapping their chests in salute and bowing their heads. He returned the gesture, though it almost felt foreign to him, it had been 25 years since he had last saluted someone from the Legion. And those 25 years had been spaced out with nearly two hundred years of being in cryo-sleep.

Nerva traveled on a few grav-walks, taking him across the ship in minutes. He quickly found centurion Exceter’s room, and knocked on the door. A green light appeared in is view, the Centurion seeing who it was and agreeing to his entry.

Exceter stood and saluted Nerva from behind his desk.

“It is a great pleasure to meet you, Legate. I have heard tales of your feats since my childhood,” Exceter said with a wide smile.

“He is an old bastard,” Legate Aurelius said on a wall screen to Nerva’s left.

“Why the fuck am I on a Space Legion Ship headed away from Osdal?” Nerva asked, staring Aurelius in the eyes. He hadn’t seen his old friend like this in years, it had always been through NIDenise and Aurelius’ own NIAI.

He could see that his friend had aged heavily in the years apart. His dark hair was salt and pepper, but his face was still clean-shaven and his brown eyes were commanding as always.

“Because we need you back, and we don’t want Nivad Selvra sniffing around the Legion,” Aurelius said as if the argument was over.

“I never asked to be pulled, I have people depending on me over there!” Nerva’s anger built.

“That might very well be true, but you can’t go back now anyway, it’s been weeks since you died.” Aurelius said.

Nerva made to argue but Aurelius cut him off. “They’re still fighting one another for land and resources, just like when they first found Roma. They didn’t care that they entered us into a war for our very survival. All they care about is what they can get from the situation. The Legion is fighting for the survival of the human race; they’re just fighting for credits. The bastard that came up with Harmony is just a kid who doesn’t have the patience to play their power games. One kid and a bunch of CEOs looking to get rich, that’s what their war is all about. Millions are going to die because of those idiots’ games, and they don’t give a fuck,” Aurelius raged.

“We’re out in the black of space, killing and getting killed by the Maraukians, keeping humanity, including Earth and Her Colonies, safe. I need you Nerva.” Aurelius’s anger dimmed, showing a tired old man that had seen too much. “The Legion needs you, Legate Nerva.”