Authors: Phillip Richards

EDEN (The Union Series) (36 page)

BOOK: EDEN (The Union Series)

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She suddenly removed
her helmet, and lifted her respirator away from her face. Then, without
warning, she gripped the underside of my own respirator. Warning tones bleeped
in my ears as the seal was broken, and cool toxic air rushed over my face.

‘Wait,’ the platoon
signaller started in alarm, ‘what are you …?’

I don’t think anybody
expected what happened next. Before I had the chance to say anything she kissed
me gently on the lips, before returning my respirator back into place.

She pulled hers back
down over her face, breathing out hard to force out the bad air, before returning
her helmet to her head.

Everyone nearby was
frozen to the spot, stunned at what had just happened. Even the FEA soldiers
looked horrified to see their captain kiss a Union trooper.

There was no danger
of me accidentally sucking in the toxic air inside my respirator; the tiny
motors had already cleaned it out before I remembered to breathe again.

She smiled, and for a
brief moment her eyes shone.

‘Perhaps we will meet
again, Andy,’ she said, and before I could say a word she was gone, the FEA
soldiers hurrying after her.

Speechless, I blinked
at the sky as the first dropships swooped in to land. My lips burned.

‘Right! Let’s get
lover boy into the dropship!’ somebody shouted, just as the ramps touched the
ground.

Perhaps I would meet
her again, I thought, as my section lifted my stretcher into the air. I’d often
considered it funny how even in a world so big I could still bump into old
friends. Anything could happen in the Bosque, and I still had another year to go
before my tour on Eden ended - if I didn’t get sent to jail.

My stretcher was
moved onto the waiting dropship, and quickly strapped into place by my section
before they loaded themselves into position above me.

The sergeant major
leant into the open doorway, casting a glance around the compartment to check
everyone was present before finally looking down at me.

The corner of his
mouth twitched. ‘Feel better now?’

‘A little bit,’ I
said. ‘A little bit ...’

I shut my eyes.

BOOK THREE IN THE

UNION SERIES

(Details of books One and Two can be

found at the end of this book)

Back to the contents page

Endnote

Eden was a challenge to
write, certainly more so than my previous two books, which I had dreamed up
years before writing. It turned a little darker, I think, but I also wanted to
try to achieve a slightly happier ending, if anything just to give Andy a
break. I also wanted to try to keep some characters for future books, rather
than kill everyone straight away. You will certainly see Andy's platoon again,
as well as Yulia and maybe even major Bhasin . . .

I hope you enjoyed
reading Eden as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your positive response from the
last two books has driven me to keep going, and who knows where Andy might end
up - he promotes slowly for a reason, so I can write more books! If you have a
spare few minutes please visit Amazon and write a quick review for my book -
your objective review will help other potential readers make informed choices.

Many thanks,

Phil

Books in the highly acclaimed

Union Series of novels

C.R.O.W. -
Book One of The Union Series: Andy Moralee knew that life with his new company
of Dropship Infantry would be hard, but nothing could prepare him for life in
one of the toughest units in the Union army. New arrivals, nicknamed ‘Crow’ by
their platoons, are the lowest form of life in his Company, and he finds
himself at the mercy of unforgiving commanders and bullies, all the time
knowing that the real enemy are waiting for him at the end of his journey
through the void. The enemy know that the Union are coming, they have dug in and
fortified, and they are ready.

C.R.O.W is a Military Science Fiction novel that follows Andy
Moralee across the cosmos, and into combat against a well-equipped enemy
prepared to fight to the very end.

Amazon links:

www.amazon.com
(US/Worldwide)

www.amazon.co.uk
(UK)

LANCEJACK -
Book Two of
The Union Series: Andy Moralee is no longer the young and terrified recruit who
had last set foot upon New Earth two years ago. Decorated for his bravery
during the final hours of the invasion and promoted to lance corporal, he is
still troubled by his memories and haunted by nightmares. He finds himself
unable to cope with life back on Earth, and so he returns to the red planet,
the only place where he feels he belongs. But New Earth has changed as well. A
growing insurgency threatens to turn the planet into a battleground once again,
but this time the enemy has the ability to melt away into the population, and
even turn the Union's weapons against them. Nobody can be trusted, even old
friends. Quickly swept up in the gathering storm Andy finds himself in the
command of a section that resents his early promotion, and during the battle
that follows his leadership, his loyalty, and even his faith in his comrades
are put to the ultimate test in the face of an enemy that will stop at nothing.

Amazon links:

www.amazon.com
(US/Worldwide)

www.amazon.co.uk
(UK)