Soldier of the Legion

Dedicated to my family:
Kim Lien, Christopher, Alexander

Praise for Marshall's Soldier of the Legion Series

“Soldier of the Legion draws on a rich tradition of military science fiction—from Heinlein to Haldeman to Epic Comics’ Alien Legion... Thomas has put a lot of consideration into the technology, weaponry, and tactics of his futuristic Legion and it pays off in what is an epic testosterone-driven military adventure.”

— Review from the Nth Degree, the Fiction and Fandom ‘Zine, September 2004.

“Exciting read... Heart pounding action. Mind blowing battles... Adrenalin pumping encounters with alien life... futuristic sci fi masterpiece... Marshall Thomas should soon be a major name in futuristic sci fi. I enthusiastically recommend this book.”

— Laurel Johnson, Midwest Book Review.

“...a deep, rich story that captures the heart of Sci-fi... a perfect story... captivating... moving. I highly recommend SOLDIER OF THE LEGION, one the best books I’ve read this year!”

— Nancy Mehl, MyShelf.com.

2003 Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist in the “Popular Fiction” category.
2002 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award Finalist in two categories: Science Fiction and Audio Fiction.

Books in the Soldier of the Legion Series

Soldier of the Legion
March of the Legion
Slave of the Legion
Secret of the Legion
Cross of the Legion
Curse of the Legion

An Introductory Note from the Author

I have been gratified by the popularity of the
Soldier of the Legion
series since the publication of the first book,
Soldier of the Legion
, in 2002. Now the series is complete, in 2010, with the recent publication of the sixth and final book in the Series,
Curse of the Legion
.

Why, then, am I republishing the second book,
The Black March
, as a new volume,
March of the Legion: The Author’s Cut
? Two reasons: first, my new publisher, Ridan, is re-releasing all my previous books with attractive new covers and artwork. Second, this gives me a chance to fix a historical problem with my first two books. What happened is that my first publisher decided that
Soldier of the Legion
was too long and so I was forced to cut the story back and repackage the last part of it as
The Black March
. That wasn’t a problem, but the cut was made at an awkward point in the story. I didn’t like it much, but as a new author at the time, I had no choice.

With this edition of
Soldier of the Legion: The Author’s Cut
, the problem is fixed. The last part of Soldier of the Legion now has been moved into
The Black March
, where it belongs. The result is that both stories are stronger.

I look at
The Black March/March of the Legion
as
Soldier of the Legion’s
little brother. Please also see the new release of
March of the Legion: The Author’s Cut
. This is the new version of
The Black March
, and it too now appears as it was originally created.

My thanks to my new publisher, Ridan Publishing, for all their work. I am thrilled to see my creations reflected accurately as they were first written.

Table of Contents

PART I—NEW WORLDS
Chapter 1: Fortune’s All-Sub Crimson Souls
Chapter 2: Year Zero
Chapter 3: Grim Reaper
Chapter 4: Slave of the Future
Chapter 5: Gravelight
Chapter 6: Dancing in the Dark
PART II—STRANGE SKIES
Chapter 7: The Mark of the Beast
Chapter 8: Island in the Sun
Chapter 9: Food of the Gods
Chapter 10: The Eyes of the Dead
Chapter 11: The Delegate from the Past
PART III—AVOIDING INTERSTELLAR WAR
Chapter 12: Atom’s Fist
Chapter 13: In the Eye of the Hole
Chapter 14: Coldmark
Chapter 15: Something Evil
Chapter 16: Dead and Gone
Chapter 17: The Space Between the Stars
Chapter 18: Worshipping Red Gods
Chapter 19: Blood of the Legion
Chapter 20: Motes of Dust
GLOSSARIES

Crista Cluster, 1,400 light years from Sol

When the first Outworlder refugees approached the Outvac fleeing System oppression, the Crista Cluster beckoned them onwards with a view that appeared to form a starry cross in the vac. ConFree's ancestors settled those worlds as a free people and vowed in a Constitution written in blood to uphold liberty, justice and freedom, no matter what the cost, and to remain eternally vigilant against all forms of tyranny and slavery. The ConFree Legion was formed to accomplish those objectives.

Chapter 1:
Fortune’s All-Sub Crimson Souls

“Stand by. Redhawk is on the way.” Snow Leopard’s icy whisper hissed in my ears, though he was nowhere in sight.

A muted red glow bathed the interior of my helmet and the darksight built into my faceplate lit up the black forest better than daylight. It was the dead pit of the night on this obscure world. Merlin and I crouched in our A-suit battle armor in a tangle of undergrowth, surrounded by tall, spooky trees. The silent forest was calm and serene. All appeared to be well.

But it wasn’t.

For what seemed like the thousandth time, I checked my E. The E Mark 1 Multi-Ordnance Battlefield Superiority Rifle was a compact, general-purpose electronic weapon that never malfunctioned and never missed. I raised it and slid the stock against my armored shoulder. Biostats blinked in the upper left corner of my faceplate. My heartbeat had just sped up. I swear I could taste the adrenalin on my tongue.
Deadman!
I would probably start shaking soon.