Free Slaves of Hyperion (Star Crusades Uprising, Book 6) by Michael G. Thomas Page A

part of the Confederacy that was relatively unpopulated. As part of their agreement to fight in the War, they were guaranteed freedoms and rights, but many citizens resented the Biomechs playing any part in civilised society. A solution to the Jötnar Question may have been war, had it not been answered by scientists and the unexpected events at Hyperion.
     
    The 1st Jötnar Battalion

     
    The circular Senate House was probably the most elaborate and exquisitely detailed structure Spartan had ever sat inside. According to the information he had read on the flight down to the surface, this part of the Palace had been rebuilt in marble a generation before the Great War of over fifty years ago, and had housed the Council for centuries. It had always been the seat of power for the planet and ultimately for the Confederacy. Scores of lavish marble sculptures adorned alcoves in the wall. The seating was on multiple levels, apparently in imitation of ancient designs back on Old Earth. Old paintings of important officials were shown on almost every flat service. It was evidently a solemn place, and the atmosphere of seriousness pervaded the room to the extent that Spartan could almost feel a chill down his spine.
    Impressive, Teresa would love this place.
    Spartan’s eye was drawn from the room and its decorations to the centre of the chambers. On a large pedestal stood a massive sculpture of the spaceship Terra Nova, the original colony ship from which the planet had taken its name. Spartan had heard of the tales of the vessel but had never seen a model of it before. This one was almost five metres long, and it showed signs of repair that may have been due to violence or simple decay. Most of the ship seemed to be taken up by massive fuel cells, perhaps more than three quarters of its size. There were a few other key differences between this model and the ships he was familiar with. For one thing, it looked like the ship was unarmed. No vessel of that size would travel through space in his time without at least basic point defence and small calibre weapons. The ship would be at risk from pirates, raiders and kidnappers. There was also no form of rotating habitation ring like on the ships he was used to; in fact, the passenger section looked no different to the cargo holds on modern ships. He was confused for a moment before remembering what he had heard about the early voyages, and the time they had taken to travel long distances.
    Of course, the first settlers to Terra Nova were frozen. If they’d made the journey the way they travelled now, they would have been dying of old age.
    At least he was pretty sure that was how the first ship made the massive journey of about four light years centuries ago when they had arrived in orbit. There were so many myths and rumours surrounding the founding of each colony, and Terra Nova was no different to the rest. In many ways, the capital of the Confederacy had built up such a mythology that many believed the planet had been colonised for thousands of years, rather than the official three hundred and thirty years taught throughout the colonies. The sound of voices drew him back to what was probably the most boring meeting he had ever attended.
    “Let me ensure I understand this new proposal correctly,” announced a bitter sounding Marshal Arryne Youtler.
    He was the current Supreme Commander of the Army, and from what Spartan could tell, a bitter rival of the Marine Corps and Navy. This was Spartan’s fourth visit to the Chamber in the last week, and he was starting to be bored with the tedium of the discussion. Hours of wasted time, and he had not been asked a single question. He tried to think of something else, but the raised tone of the man’s voice snapped him out of his daze.
    “You have ignored my recommendation on splitting up the remains of the heavily depleted Marine Corps, and instead want to destroy the regular Army and use the resources saved to create battalions of