Osdal (Harmony War Series Book 3)

Prologue

Prologue

Mining City Twenty-One

Osdal Actual, Osdal System

10/3242

It was a holographic meeting; people sat around a desk, and there were three chairs where there had been five just 25 years ago. All the representatives were cloaked in shadow, their features and voices obscured.

“The representative from Osdal has the floor,” a commanding voice said.

Luke knew the representative from Housapel, he had been the one to teach him about Harmony. How to get people to do what he wanted with a small incentive and the right leverage.

“From our communications with Mintran, it looks like the Harmony forces there were not able to secure their positions before the Troopers appeared,” Luke said, his voice coming out deeper and slower.

“We knew that the EMF had many carriers in limbo, so it is not a shock that they had carriers close to at least one of our systems,” Fernix’s representative said, sounding monotone and tinny.

“It will mean that we do not have the materials we need for more weapons and armor,” Luke explained. Osdal supplied the majority of materials to the other systems, but Mintran had fuel and specific metallic materials for building. Items that would take time to get to Mintran from Osdal.

“It looks that Nivad has caught on to Fernix and Housapel, he is rerouting shipping away from our systems in a bid to recreate strike station he says. I think he just wants to keep the materials away from us,” Housapel said.

“It might make sense to let our presence be known soon,” Fernix mused.

Luke and Housapel waited for Fernix to continue.

“We already control all that we would need; we do not need to convince anyone to join our cause. We can also get the propaganda machine going and turn Osdal into a show of what the company forces will do when we try to work for equality. We don’t start with enforcers, we start with chosen, and start making militaries. They will need time to get better and to prepare to fight Troopers. If Nivad thinks that we are already Harmony, then there is no issue,” Fernix said.

There was silence. Luke thought it was a good argument, but Harmony had started in Housapel, and Housapel’s representative was the leader of their movement.

“I think you might be correct, Fernix. With proper militaries, that look to protect the people instead of exercise their power in any way possible, our systems will support us more fully,” Housapel said.

Luke didn’t comment; Masoul and Osdal were proving grounds for tech to be used against the EMF. He cared little for the systems, they weren’t his own. He would make sure his forces bled the EMF as much as possible. That was his role, to weaken the EMF before Housapel and Fernix.

“So shall we move ahead with our plan?” Fernix asked.

Housapel replied, “Yes we shall, send word out to our people to put our plans into motion. Osdal, have the EMF appeared yet?”

“Not yet, though I have freighters out for them,” Luke said.

“Be careful, these ones are smarter than I thought. Using an EMP to blind our sensors and communications - no other EMF Carrier has done that before. Destroying the Earth’s Military Force Carrier Reclaimer is your highest priority,” Housapel said, and even with the voice modification there was no denying that the words were an order.

“I will see to it. Measures have been taken to make sure that we are not blinded by another EMP strike,” Luke said.

“Good. We have lost valuable information being unable to see the performance of new weaponry,” Fernix said.

Luke had had more than one conversation with the other Harmony system heads about how they were building weapons that they didn’t know were still effective or not.

“I think that is all we have to discuss, see to your tasks.” Housapel disappeared from view. Fernix similarly dissolved.

Luke let out an amused snort.

Housapel never said “For the sake of Harmony” around the other system leaders, it was a saying for the useless peons that did their bidding.

Being a CEO for nearly four hundred years and getting sidelined by other systems, Luke and his fellow ‘Harmony leaders’ had conspired to use the lower ranks anger to collect the power and control of other systems. When they were done, they would control Earth. No longer would they be sitting in backwater partnership worlds; they would be the CEOs of Earth.

Luke stood and left the conference room, a hungry look on his face as he pictured Nivad Selvra begging for his life at Luke’s feet.

Chapter 1

Tower

Earth, Sol System

10/3242

Nivad looked at the reports from Housapel and Fernix.

He was a simple looking man, with black hair, light colored skin and a flair for expensive suits. He did not look like Earth and Her Colonies’ power broker. He was the go-between for companies, and he ruled the EMF and intelligence ministry. Information was his trade, and money was his score card.

Company takeovers, and the latest scandal he could use to leverage shares from a prominent CEO, were far from his mind.

His office was large; it held an obsidian black desk, a liquor cabinet, opulent chairs with couches beyond them and wall-length view screens that showed Mega City.

Everything was designed to display both his power and personal wealth.

Dalia and Wallace sat in the chairs in front of the obsidian desk, their faces hard as Nivad held his chin and read reports on his surface.

Harmony had been hit almost overnight. They had removed the CEOs from their systems and called for democracy.

It was a sham, like Earth’s own presidential election. The voice pieces of Harmony were elected; there were a number of them and they even made it look like a fight between them all.

Nivad wondered if Harmony might have had an actual election. With all of the options being Harmonies anyway, whichever one got elected they would spout Harmony’s words.

They’d brought back religion, they’d raised the wages and then asked for people to join their military.

Nivad felt his face tighten as he put the surface down.

There was a light buzzing in the air, telling Nivad and his company that no one would ever hear their conversation.

“It seems that they have finally shown their hands,” Nivad said, looking from Dalia to Wallace. Any other person might have fidgeted or been scared. These two simply sighed and nodded.

Wallace pulled out a cigarette as Nivad sat back in his chair. He offered them to Nivad and Dalia, and they both took one.

Nivad allowed the practice to center his mind as he thought.

“What are our recruiting numbers looking like?” Nivad asked.

“We have three thousand potentials going through every day,” Dalia said.

“Move all Limbo carriers, except the four surrounding Earth. How is that contract for Carriers coming along?” Nivad asked.

Wallace exhaled smoke. “Now we have ‘The Yard’ working for us, we should have twelve carriers produced in a year.”

“What about the new survey ships?” Nivad asked Wallace.

“The first is already in transit to Masoul to track down the Harmony’s FTL communications. The second and third are moving through the uninhabited systems.”

“What can we expect at the end of this?” Nivad looked to the other two.

“Masoul is still rebuilding, Mintran is firmly on our side, Osdal is in opposition. The chosen are still nothing but a large gang that intimidate people. While that works for individuals, for populations it makes them restless and angry. The civilians want them gone, but they’ve been around for so long that they’re used to them. Humans get used to a new situation quickly. They won’t help us but they won’t go against us. It will take new colonists and new CEO’s to get the planet running.” Dalia smoked on her cigarette, bracing herself for the worst parts.

“Fernix and Housapel are doing something similar to Sacremon; they’re giving power to the people, and they’re raising a military with a stake in their future. It looks like they want to create a professional military, like the EMF. One that has tactics, weapons and gear that are on level with our Troopers, if not above.” Others would have shied from this admission, but she knew how Nivad needed the information, and withholding it from him would only make him angrier when he found out. And he would find out.