CRIMINAL OATHS

John Walker

Copyright © 2024 John Walker

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This story contains explicit language and violence.

Blurb

A few stand against the darkness.

As the Gorlan threat mounts, a small group may determine the fate of humanity. Aldo Cassidy and his team head out to explore a derelict alien spacecraft that may hold the key to their enemies. The operation seems simple enough until a new member of his unit may hold the key to undo everything he’s worked so hard for.

The Security Corps fortress station of Borealis stands on the verge of destruction. Caden Raines boards the structure to discover the whereabouts of the former commandant. But those who attacked the facility have been thrown into a violent rage, ready to kill anyone who crosses them. With the reactor on the verge of destruction and few options, he may not survive long enough to bring anyone to justice.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Epilogue

Prologue

Problems mounted. Helmut Nassir wondered if the time might come when Constance turned on him. Nate made a mistake, and it all crashed down. They would take it out on him in a dramatic way. Whether that meant exposing him to Security Corps, or killing him outright, the result was the same.

So he had to make himself scarce. Leaving Borealis didn’t seem simple until the moment he came to understand his predicament. Then, departing felt like no big deal. Those who relied on him, the agents under his command or those who came to think of him as a mentor, meant nothing when he put them against his well-being.

He packed the few supplies he needed then prepared to make his excuses. An inspection of one of the far-flung colonies seemed like the best plan. Something no one could argue against. Beside the fact he gave the commands. No one aboard Borealis had the authority to argue with him.

All he had to do was make his way to the hangar, requisition one of the ships, then he’d be off. No one would find him again. Though as he considered leaving his office, it dawned on him that he’d left far too much evidence behind. His computer system had countless encrypted communications with Constance. Not to mention the cases he fudged for them.

I have to take care of them. Though he wasn’t sure how. Much of what he created had been backed up. Before he knew better, back when he didn’t know precisely how to cover his tracks. That won’t matter. I’ll go somewhere they can’t find me regardless. Yet he wasn’t sure that made sense either.

Can they track me? Helmut knew the answer. He worked with the best investigators in the galaxy. But will they be able to if I delete enough records? Select ones. And I can likely fake my own death readily enough. Depending on whether or not he found himself in the possession of a second ship.

“Alert!” The computer’s voice shocked him. Helmut hadn’t heard any sort of emergency message from it since they tested the thing a month earlier. “Incoming, unidentified vessels. Weapons are powering up. Defense systems activated. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill.”

I know who they are. Helmut rushed to his terminal. He brought up the silhouette data from the invaders. Constance. And they brought more than two dozen ships with them. That’s overkill! Oh God… this is it. He looked around, sweat soaking his face. This is really it. They’ll jam comms… board… and then…

The next part, he didn’t dare think about. Other than to know he needed to lock down the security on his terminal. Perhaps start something with the reactor. He believed he might still slip out through the chaos… if he created enough. I just have to make it look plausible. And leave the others to defend this place.

That meant moving fast.

And shrugging off any sense of obligation to his subordinates.

Screw them. Helmut left his office. It’s every man for himself now.

Chapter 1

Aldo Cassidy stood beside Captain Risler near the hangar entrance. They both wore dress uniforms. His carried the captain’s insignia on the collars and a single ribbon indicating he’d finished training. They might have one later for what he’d done, but he didn’t know much about the way they decorated personnel.

Risler, by contrast, wore five rows of ribbons on her chest and two medals. He wanted to ask her about them, get an idea of all the things she’d been through, but it wasn’t the right time. Though in all honesty, he doubted he’d be well enough acquainted with her in the future to ask any private questions about her service.

Some of his team might have the stories. He figured he’d ask Cully later about her efforts, see if he could understand just how many conflicts she’d fought in. He knew she’d been in the service for the better part of twenty years without a break. How much longer did she intend to stay in?

She looks good for her age. He had noted she didn’t have as many lines as he expected someone in her position to sport. She was fit still, stood tall, and honestly he thought she was fairly attractive for someone nearly twice his age. This is not the best line of thinking. Focus on the moment, not the lady standing beside you.

The Arden had entered Terra Sector earlier in the morning. Aldo couldn’t believe he was so close to home again, especially since he never thought he’d return. The Olympus came alongside them, making it easy for a shuttle to come across. Adrian Horn planned to join them so they could meet up with the admiralty together.

Over a secured line, of course. Turned out they didn’t meet in person very often. Many of them were stationed in different parts of the sector to ensure if some catastrophe happened, they weren’t all in the same place. Kept the chain of command safe from a single bomb taking them all out.

“Are you okay?” Risler asked.

“Yeah.” Aldo turned to her with wide eyes. “Uh… why do you ask?”

“You’re pale,” Risler said. “And you’re sweating a little.”

“This uniform is warm,” Aldo replied. “Plus, I’m going to meet the admiralty. Which I never thought would happen. Hell, even what we’re doing right now… me standing next to you… this is crazy. I mean, it wasn’t long ago that I…”

“Yes?” Risler prompted. “You were about to say?”

“Nothing. Just… I was a civilian.”

“I don’t know what you were like then,” Risler said, “but you seem to have found your footing here. I hope you’ll stick with it. I’ve enjoyed having you around. At least, you’ve been effective enough to vindicate my decision to requisition you into the Rapid Response team.”

“I appreciate that.” Aldo noted two distinct absences. Darius, though he likely maintained operations on the bridge. And General Omari wasn’t there either. He decided to ask about that one. “Will we be seeing the General at this meeting? Or… is he… indisposed?”

“I thought I’d meet with Adrian first,” Risler replied. “Omari’s still pretty unhappy about being abandoned on that planet. I don’t want this to turn into a shouting match when we need answers about what the Olympus discovered. I suspect they have more than us, considering how they dealt with the Gorlan.”

Aldo nodded. “That makes sense. What’s Captain Horn like?”

“I thought he was a stickler for the rules,” Risler explained. “Instead, it seems he’s a bit of a rogue. At least enough to cross the border without authorization to do whatever he did.”

“Does that mean you have something in common?”

Risler smirked. “Yes, but at least I had a couple nobles throwing the idea at me. I can’t wait to hear who pushed him to do it.”

“So you don’t think he came up with the idea on his own.”

“Nope. I think someone fabricated that attack on the Talmar base just to get him in position to leave. Which means someone tried to sacrifice Omari and his people. And that’s why they aren’t going to be in the same room for a while. Until I can find a reason for any of that to have happened, they need to be given some distance.”

I understand. Aldo thought about what he’d done to Shep. I totally abandoned her to deal with Constance. God, I hope she’s okay. He tried to think of a way to check up on her since they were in the same region of space. I wonder if they killed her… or if she found a way to square it with them.

He had no idea what that would mean beyond finding a way to sell him out. Or rather the poor bastard who got his identity. If she was smart, she would’ve bargained him for her life. Though Constance may not have given her the opportunity. After all, Borland had been her contact, not his.

And he probably took it far more personally considering the situation. Shep could be crafty though, so there was some chance she managed to get away with it.

If not, I wonder if there’s still something I could do. Aldo had resources, and he thought he might be able to get her out of the area with his rank. I wonder just how much juice I have as a captain. If I get to keep it. The problem was, he didn’t want to ask the question. Doing so might make him seem weak in the eyes of those above him.

Though honestly, how the hell am I going to learn if I don’t get to ask? It felt like taking on the captain’s role only meant continuing his previous job without the concern of someone requisitioning him for something else. Cully made it clear he had other responsibilities. Or would. Writing reports on personnel. They just haven’t been assigned yet.

“They docked,” Risler said.

Aldo hadn’t noticed anything. “Sorry… how can you tell?”

“You didn’t feel the deck vibrate?”

“Uh… no?”

Risler smirked. “I’m kidding.” She gestured to the panel next to the door. It displayed the occupancy of the area. A new shuttle had landed on the far left. “They just have to secure the ship and they’ll disembark. Then, a brief meeting where he meets you and we get our stories straight before telling the admiralty.”

“How bad do you think this can get?”

“Wow.” Risler heaved a sigh. “I can’t say. I haven’t done anything exactly like this before. Changed directives? Yes. But crossed a line like we have? No. This is huge, and I don’t think the Claytons are going to be able to help. Though they will be at the meeting with the admiralty to try.”

“What about Avris?” Aldo asked. “Or Voldal?”

“I think we can introduce our Talmar friends to them after they accept our reason for crossing the border in the first place. These things have to come in stages. Our hope is that we have the time to follow these protocols. Otherwise…” She shrugged. “Well, I guess we’ll wish we’d been a little more forthcoming.”

“As in if the Gorlan happened to be breathing down our necks, you’d just outright tell them what was going on and throw everything at them at once.”

“Yep. But there’s no evidence of that or Adrian would’ve said so when I talked to him earlier.”

Aldo felt some relief about that. “Good. We need a chance to make some changes, right? Like… build more of those weapons the Olympus used.”

“Along with whatever other technology he pilfered. Sorry… we stole. I’ve been feeling a little holier-than-thou considering how much deeper he went than we did. The memory core seems small compared to actually destroying a Gorlan ship.”

“We know it can be done,” Aldo said, “and that we have the firepower. But… begging your pardon, do you think the admiralty won’t consider the Talmar treaty now? Do you think they’ll come to the determination we can handle the enemy on our own so why bother?”

“That’s a possibility,” Risler replied. “But I don’t think so. Not with the nobility backing us. The military typically responds to the military first before the Board. Though everyone knows they have liaisons making bigger calls… anyway, whether or not that goes through is based on how the information pipelines.”

“Bureaucracy,” Aldo said. He shook his head. “Gotta love the fact that no matter what you do, that’s a major part of life.”

“Always.” Risler held up a hand as the door opened. “Quiet from here on out until you’re spoken to.”

Aldo nodded once.

Adrian Horn stepped out of the hangar, pausing in front of Risler. They exchanged a salute. Aldo did the same. Two other members of the Olympus crew followed suit. One of them was a lieutenant, the other a sergeant. The former stood nearly six-five, with sparse dark hair and deep set, brown eyes.

The other was barely five-eight with short blond hair, blue eyes, and a pronounced, square jaw. He looked tough enough, though next to his officer, there was something diminutive about him. In any other circumstance, he’d likely be an intimidating presence. He also had an air of friendliness his colleague did not.

The lieutenant looked familiar. Enough for Aldo to stiffen in his presence. He’d met the man once… before he changed his identity.

“Christine.” Adrian shook her hand after the salute. He was clean-shaven, his dark hair combed back. “It’s good to see you in person. Been a while.”

“I see you decided to look a little more professional,” Risler replied. “I hope you’re ready for a serious discussion about what’s been going on. Both of us have been naughty enough that we’ll need a real explanation to keep the powers that be from giving us a real boot to the ass.”

“I got orders,” Adrian said. “So I think I’ll be fine. And I’m sure I can cover for you, if you’ve got something to bring to the table.”

“Really?” Risler huffed a laugh. “You’re saying that if I don’t, you’ll… what? Leave me out to dry?”

“No. I’ll have your back regardless. What were you doing out there?”

“Trying to forge an alliance with the Talmar,” Risler said. “So we could fight against the Gorlans together. As you know, they had data on the enemy. We went out to get it. And since you abandoned Omari…”

“That’s a strong word.”

“Don’t mince them,” Risler replied. “Because believe me, that’s how he feels. And if we hadn’t made it there, he would’ve died.”

“He made it seem like he had that attack under control. Anyway, I knew someone would be along to back him up. And again, I had orders. They didn’t involve bringing that stickler for the rules along with me. I guarantee he would’ve been unhappy about it. Especially when he found out the outpost attack was a ruse.”

“I thought so.” Risler rolled her eyes. “Come on. Let’s get to the briefing room. Oh. This is my officer who took on the ground ops. Captain Aldo Cassidy. Aldo, this is Captain Adrian Horn.”

Aldo nodded. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

“Likewise.” Adrian gestured to his two people. “This is Lieutenant Deter Rollins and Sergeant Mac Jefferson. He’s a tech guy, and knows his way around the Talmar gear that we’ve adapted. I hoped I could put him with your people to make sure we’ve got the science down for anyone who asks.”

“That would be a Talmar,” Risler said. “Specifically, one of the lore keepers. He’s working with my bridge officer to disseminate all the data we took from the station.”

“Interesting.” Adrian turned to Mac. “That won’t be a problem, will it Sergeant?”

“No, sir.” Mac spoke louder than he probably needed to. “Just point me in the right direction.”

“Head to the bridge,” Risler said. “I’ll inform Lee you’re on the way.” She sent a quick message. “There we go. Now, if the rest of you wouldn’t mind coming this way…” She led them away from the hangar.

Aldo’s mouth went dry. His throat ached. He didn’t want to look at Deter, but he couldn’t help but give the man side-eye. How the hell did he end up on the Olympus? He never imagined, not in a million years, that he’d run into a military person he knew. After having so little contact with them, it seemed insane.

Worse, he noticed Deter looking at him. He cleared his throat, wishing Risler had picked a conference room closer to the hangar. We’re probably heading all the way down to the freakin’ engineering room at this point. But just when his discomfort boiled over, they stopped at a room.

“Here we are,” Risler said, “Cassidy, Rollins, wait out here a moment, please. I need a word with Adrian alone.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Aldo nodded… then he was alone with Rollins.

“Have we met, sir?” Deter asked. “You look seriously familiar.”

The haircut and uniform probably helped. Aldo figured Deter had plenty on his mind since the Branch Office attack. Hopefully, enough that he didn’t pick up on Aldo’s real identity. I don’t know how to respond. What’s he going to accept and how weird will he get? Especially if he latches on to the idea that we’ve met.

“I… don’t think so.” Aldo shrugged. “I think I’d remember a Lieutenant Rollins.”

“Have you always served on the Arden?”

“Yep.” Aldo clasped his hands behind his back. “Whole time. Been in some crazy ops lately. What about you?” Divert his attention from my identity to what he’s been up to. Get him thinking about the job. Maybe then I can be different enough to dissuade him from pushing any more on our relationship.

“Same. Though not as much lately… or rather, specifically. Other groups have taken stations lately. I’ve been on backup since my transfer. Been a little rough.”

“Why’s that?”

“Problem on my last duty.” Deter waved his hand. “Doesn’t matter. Captain Horn said he’d give me a chance on what’s coming up, so I’m taking it with both hands.”

I wonder if that was the Branch Office attack. Civilians died on Deter’s watch, because he just had to go at the place his way. I’ll never forget what happened. Or the fact he sent me to do his work for him. The military didn’t even offer to send a single soldier as backup for getting into the place.

If he did get in trouble for it, he deserved it for sure.

“Got it. Well, welcome back to the fray, I suppose. Though to be honest, the kinds of things we’ve been up to haven’t exactly been easy.”

“Like what?”

“Fought some Gorlans recently,” Aldo said. “Took on a squad of them.”

“Bullshit.”

Aldo snorted. “Seriously. You can read the report when we’re done. We were providing relief for a colony when it happened.”

“Huh. I’m… not entirely sure how I’d respond to encountering one of them.”

“I can tell you I wasn’t thrilled about it. We had been under the impression they left. But then, as I’m sure you know since you were on the Olympus, they came back. Dropped off a squad or three. We took care of the ones we did then evacuated.”

“Barely, if I recall. I didn’t know someone down there was fighting the Gorlans. I’m sorry we didn’t deploy fast enough to help.”

Aldo shook his head. “Don’t be. There was no way you’d get there in time to do anything about it. And then we all would’ve had to leave when the extras came down after their ship got destroyed.”

“Man… Well, we’ve got the gear for them now. Just not in the numbers we need. Once we get it, I’ll be happy to put some boot to Gorlan face. Sons of bitches. They’ve taken out enough of our colonies. I’m ready for real payback.”

Just as aggressive as when he hung out on Mars. Aldo resisted the urge to ask about his last assignment. Drawing attention to Mars will definitely get me caught.

“When did you train?” Deter asked. “And where?”

“Mars,” Aldo said, “training camp south of Venice II. But then I deferred.”

“Ah. Wealthy?”

Aldo nodded. “Yep. Frankly, this is the most work I’ve ever done in my life.” Sell it. Get out of the idea that I ever worked as a freelancer or held a gun. “I was just keeping the family business going. Workin’ deals, making the market flow. That kind of thing. But you know how it is. The Gorlans mustered soldiers.”

“Did they ever.” Deter glanced at the door. “What the hell do you think they’re doing in there?”

“I don’t think they’ve had a proper chance to talk. And before they go before the admiralty, they need to be on the same page. If we’re going to sell anything, it’ll have to be from two captains… and they’d better not contradict one another. Not about any side of what these ships did.”

“Yeah, I worried when we crossed the border… but I was more concerned when we bailed on General Omari. That guy is a loose cannon and he freaks out at the drop of a hat. I did not enjoy serving under him. Because his bullshit rolled downhill in a major way. My captain was a real dick about it.”

Aldo winced. “Sorry to hear that. He did seem a little…” He weighed his words. I don’t want to insult the man too much in case I’m being baited. “Let’s say loud.”

“That’s a great description. And he can get worse, too. Given half a chance, I mean. I’ve never enjoyed working with people who lose their shit over small details. It’s conflict, often open fighting. Situations rarely go according to plan. We have to be capable of improvisation. Flexibility. Without that, what’s the point?”

“I agree. I did hear he knows his business though.”

“Oh, yeah, I mean he’s got the chops for leadership, just his temperament has gone downhill. Between us, I think he’s been in need of retirement for a long time.” Deter narrowed his eyes. “Man, I swear to God you and I have met before. You seem beyond familiar. Like… did you take a training course with me or something?”

Aldo shook his head. “I would’ve remembered, I’m pretty sure.” The door opened. Thank God!

Adrian leaned out. “Come in, gentlemen. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

“Yes, sir.” Aldo hurried in after him. Let’s get this show on the road before Deter has more to ask. And outed him to someone important.

***

Risler stepped into the room with Adrian, letting the door close behind her. She needed Aldo and the lieutenant out of the way to ensure she was on the same page as her colleague. Arguing in front of subordinates wouldn’t do, and it promised to be career suicide if they did it in front of the admiralty.

Adrian held up his hands as he rounded the conference room table. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, you want to know who sent me to do that work.”

“That’s a start,” Risler said, “but it’s hardly as important as what we’re going to tell the admiralty. I don’t think you’ll be able to talk about why you went.”

“And you are?”

“Mostly,” Risler replied. “The Claytons are willing to step up. They’ve got all the passion necessary to make anyone believe in them. And they’ve got enough people ready to back them up to talk about their reasons. Whether or not the admiralty believes them is another story, but I’m willing to take a chance on them.”

“They’re children,” Adrian said. “And more important than that, they’re related to you, aren’t they?”

“They are.”

“Okay… so how is that going to help us? You can’t go in there hoping what they say will be enough to sell your reason for crossing the border.”

“Why not?” Risler asked. “They’re nobles. They’ve got some kind of organization put together of like-minded individuals, and those people have decided we needed a treaty with the Talmar. Then it turned out the Talmar had something to bring to the table. They allowed us to go to that station.”

“About that.” Adrian rubbed the back of his neck. “We didn’t go in there peacefully.”

“I thought not.”

“God damn it, Christine! Can you try not being judgmental for a minute?”

“Did you kill innocents?” Risler asked. “Because if so, then I doubt I’ll be able to shut it off.”

“Yes, okay? We attacked the station.”

“Because you didn’t think the Talmar would willingly share their technology.”

“We knew they wouldn’t because we didn’t have your advantage of having a couple of them on your ship.” Adrian sat down. “We went there to get what we needed to defend the Empire. Our own research didn’t turn up nearly as much information. Nor did we have the means to predict their patterns.”

“So you see, our method proved better.” Risler pursed her lips. “So I’d suggest we go with that. Though I have to be honest with you, something happened while we were there. Several Talmar military vessels attacked the place. They seemed ready to take it out for some reason.”

“I’m guessing it was their quarantine method. It was so top secret, their military didn’t necessarily know what was going on. Nor did they have any clue they were about to destroy their only chance at fending off the Gorlans. Sounds a lot like how we operate from time to time.”

“They wouldn’t even listen to hails.” Risler finally took a seat. “Alright, so here’s the thing. The Claytons are under the impression we can forge an alliance to fight the Gorlans. I’m planning on pushing that narrative. Can I have your support?”

Adrian shrugged. “If they’re willing to give me a pass for what we did.”

“Do they even know?”

“Maybe not,” Adrian said, “unless you told the two we’ve got onboard.”

Risler frowned. “They only know that you lured the Gorlan ship to that colony. And nearly killed one of their family members.”

“Ouch. I obviously didn’t want to kill a bunch of people.” Adrian leaned on the table. “But we had to know we could attract them… and hit them hard.”

“So you used that technology to block scans,” Risler said. “And then lured them in. They didn’t detect you, so you were able to hit them when they didn’t expect it.”

“With enhanced weapons. Granted, jury-rigged versions of our own cannons which will have to be retrofitted to fix the heat dissipation and power drain. Once we get those two things under control, we’ll be golden against them. Well… I’d suggest we work on our shield output as well.”

“Circling around, how exactly am I going to explain your crime against that colony?”

“That’s a harsh way to put it, don’t you think?”

Risler shook her head. “Not when you used innocent civilians to test a theory.”

“I had to pick something remote,” Adrian replied. “Having them attack a small settlement way out made sense because they hadn’t done something like that before. They’ve only hit industrialized worlds. Big targets. Plus, I wasn’t going to do it to humans. My directive required a target and that was the best choice.”

“Hardly.” Risler frowned. “I’ll chalk it up to fog of war and poor directions, if that works for you?”

“Do you think it will?”

“No. I’m certain they’ll want some reparations. We lost the whole damn colony along with the majority of the civilians. People who survived the first attack then had a second wave come through. Two Gorlan attacks on a planet that shouldn’t have ever seen them in the first place.”

“I get it.” Adrian nodded. “I’m fine with accepting responsibility for it. I think bringing this tech out, and showing that we’ve managed to adapt it, should be enough to level the playing field in that regard. Plus, they can’t expect to take out the one guy who took out some Gorlans the way I have.”

“I’ll just bet.” Risler cleared her throat. “So I think we’re on the same page. We ask for the Talmar treaty, we tell them we’ve got the technology, and we’re adapting it as we speak. Is there anything else we should know before we call those two in here?”

“Nope. I’ll have your back. Just don’t improvise my ass into a cell, please.”

“No one would arrest you, Adrian.” Risler rolled her eyes. “Please. Do you have anything else to say?”

“I do. This isn’t about the admiralty. However, I believe we have the location of a large Gorlan ship. Our data suggests it’s inoperable. Which means—”

“Data,” Risler interrupted. “If we were able to board it, maybe even tow it back, then we’d have the kind of information we need to defeat them properly.”

“Exactly. You and I are the only people qualified for the job too. We assemble a team, your captain out there leads it, and get everything we need on the Gorlans. On the way, we ensure our people have the equipment they need to fight anything on board. Weapons, armor, that sort of thing.”

“You think we can generate that so fast?”

“Yep,” Adrian said, “because I’ve done it with ship’s weapons.”

“Making it smaller isn’t easier.”

“You’d be surprised how clever the Talmar are.” Adiran looked away. “Mostly. They didn’t exactly catch on to what we were doing at their station.”

“That’s another thing. The fact you attacked it has to stay between you and me. Destroying the settlement is one thing. You didn’t know what we were trying to do. But hitting their research facility…”

“What am I supposed to say?”

“You came upon it the same way I did,” Risler explained. “The place was already in shambles. You were able to access a terminal. When we arrived, the place had deteriorated more so we had to take the whole memory core.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Okay. You’re very reasonable.”

Adrian smirked. “We’re going to beat the Gorlans. I don’t have any reason to be an ass.”

“And you still don’t want to tell me who gave you the order to attack the station?”

Adrian shook his head.

“Will you ever?”

“Only if they tell me to,” Adrian said. “But something tells me they aren’t interested in bringing you onboard.” He shrugged. “They might have their reasons, they might not, but they’re the kind of people you don’t cross. No matter what position you hold or what influence you believe you can bring to bear.”

“I get it.” Risler leaned back in her chair. “Get the two officers. We’ll brief them on that derelict ship so they can start planning. Pretty sure they’ll want as much time as possible.”

“Can we leave them out of the admiralty meeting?” Adrian asked. “I’d rather not have to trust them both not to say something stupid.”

Risler nodded. “Yep. I’m okay with that. Do you have the data about the target?”

“Right here.” Adrian patted his device. “Let’s give them something more exciting to work on than politics, huh?”

“Sure.” Risler watched him rise. I hope I can trust you. He’d accepted her conditions far more easily than she anticipated. And he doesn’t have a lot of remorse about those colonists. Well, he didn’t have to if he could deliver what he said. That’s how the admiralty will feel about it. We probably just brought them the end of an aggressive insurrection.

Providing they sold the urgency… and expense.

Chapter 2

Trentin Oslow didn’t know what to expect when he met up with the Artel character. When two men showed up at his doorstep, he anticipated they’d be standard Security Corps officers, only under some kind of deep cover or operational authority that granted them a heightened clearance.

Instead, they dressed like Board members. Fancy suits, expensive equipment, and the sort of demeanors suggesting they knew more than anyone else. The arrogance immediately put Trentin off, particularly because these people were supposed to be responsible for helping return his daughter to him.

Artel introduced his associate as Miller Winstead, a brand-new addition to their crew and someone capable of getting things done. They retired to the living room where they took a seat for their conversation. The formality of it all annoyed Trentin. He wanted to get to the point for Jenna’s sake.

“First,” Artel said, “let me assure you that things are better than you think.”

“How do you know?” Trentin asked. “Before you give me a song and dance, explain to me how you know what I think of the situation? Because from where I’m sitting, things are far from better. They’re outright disastrous. I haven’t heard from my operative on Earth. I don’t know what’s happening with Jenna’s abduction, and—”

“Begging your pardon,” Artel interrupted, “but we have good news about that. It turns out Jenna Oslow has been liberated from the Constance colony and is in the custody of a Justiciar by the name of Caden Raines. He had another assignment, but Senior Director Messini diverted him to save her.”

“And he succeeded?” Trentin shook his head. “Why is this the first I’ve heard about it?”

“Because such information isn’t traveling fast.” Artel leaned forward. “We’re working on getting them to come back here, but the problem is we believe Raines plans to finish his original assignment first.”

“Which was what?”

Miller spoke up this time. “He was heading out to find a criminal who broke into the Security Corps headquarters.”

Trentin frowned. “How big of a deal was that?”

“A black eye,” Miller explained, “they’re the law and order on Mars, so when a common criminal broke into their house, they took it personally. In a major way. Then…” He turned to Artel. “Well, I think he can finish the rest.”

“They were given a push,” Artel said, “and while I haven’t been clearance to tell you everything, Caden Raines has a fire under him to get that person before they escape. As you can imagine, every minute they waste is a chance for this criminal to disappear for good. Though I don’t suspect it will go down like that.”

“I don’t care,” Trentin said. “I want the man to return my daughter to me, or get her to Borealis so another ship can return her home. They’ll issue her a proper bodyguard contingent and send her back to Mars right away. All of this should have already been done though, so I suspect you have some excuse as to why it hasn’t.”

“Communications with Raines haven’t been established.” Artel lifted his hands. “So we’re in a holding pattern until they surface. When they left Constance, it wasn’t easy. And there may be some corruption they’re dealing with as well. Regardless, I’m doing everything in my power to get in touch with the man to carry out your wishes.”

Trentin replied, “You didn’t even know what I wanted. How are you trying to carry out my wishes?”

“Sir,” Miller spoke up, “we have your daughter’s best interests at heart. She’s our number one priority in this matter. The escaped criminal won’t matter ultimately. Anyone can be brought up on charges for that.”

“You want to pin it on someone?” Trentin asked. “Who put the plan in motion? Was it Constance?”

Artel shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Please.” Trentin rolled his eyes. “You know or you wouldn’t be sitting here talking to me. So be honest. Did the criminals hire someone to break into Security Corps headquarters?”

“Then yes,” Artel said, “they did. They wanted a codex, because they’d operated under bad information. They thought they’d be able to use one for unrestricted travel. That’s not true.”

“Do they know the person who they hired?” Trentin asked.

Miller nodded. “They do.”

“Then you can’t just pin it on someone without getting them on board or they could blackmail us.”

Artel chuckled. “And risk revealing that they paid the man? Do you think they want a full investigation to come down on them? No. They’re going to keep their mouths shut, and thank God we don’t go after them anyway because we’ve got something on them. The attack doesn’t mean anything anyway. It was a ruse for the man to get money.”

“Wait,” Trentin said, “he didn’t get the codex. Then he fled Mars. How did he do that? Did he get the money?”

Miller explained, “He created a forgery. One good enough to fool initial scans. They transferred him the funds, and he took off.”

“So Constance is doing the work for you,” Trentin said. “They’re going to find the man and kill him. Because no one does scorned as well as criminals. They won’t tolerate what happened. Is that about right?”

“Something like that,” Artel replied. “And you’re right, we’re not going to intervene. If they kill him, so be it. And if not, then he’ll go hide somewhere. We don’t care. Ultimately, he’s got nothing but a lot of wasted time and some dirty money. We have much bigger problems to focus on. So we’re going to keep our focus.”

“On what?” Trentin looked between them both. “You’ve already told me my daughter’s safe. You didn’t have to come here to give me that news. Anyone could’ve related it to satisfy me. Instead, you’re sitting here… just the two of you… and I’ve received a recent promotion. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

“Alright,” Artel replied. “We have a couple of major problems. Some of which, I’m not sure we’re going to be able to stop.”

“That sounds ominous.” Trentin cocked his head to the side. “What’re they about?”

“The Talmar,” Artel continued, “you see, some of the nobles have taken it upon themselves to start a secret organization called the Conclave. They intend to create an alliance with the aliens against the Gorlans. I trust you know all about these two cultures, and likely are aware of what they represent.”

Trentin nodded. “Everyone knows about them.”

“What you may not know is that many military analysts believe we’re about to go to war with the Gorlans. Or rather… that they’re going to show up and attack Terra Sector.”

“You’re right,” Trentin said, “I’ve never heard that. Are you suggesting the threat is credible?”

“Enough so that my organization recently requisitioned a warship called the Olympus to find the necessary information to fend them off. We needed technology, weapons capable of defeating the enemy, but also information. Studies about them so we could determine the best course of action to fend them.”

“And?” Trentin asked. “What did they find?”

“A great deal,” Artel said. “But the problem we’re facing is they have yet to report in. So if something happened, we may be back to square one. If that’s the case, we don’t have a plan yet. However, if they turn up, they’re going to need to push through some research and development quickly. That’s where you come in.”

Trentin snorted. “I see. You want me to push through the budgets for this, is that it?”

“You’re the newest member of the Three,” Artel replied, “and when we have the chance to start this project, you’ll be the right one to do the work. Those you used to work with remember you and they haven’t had a chance to resent you for rising to your new status yet. Undoubtedly, they will eventually, but now… we need you to get them in line.”

“So let me get this straight.” Trentin rubbed his forehead before continuing. This is insane. They want me to help them build weapons. “You’re telling me my daughter’s safe, and not to worry about her anymore. In the meantime, you want me to basically manage the council into agreeing with your assessment about the Gorlans.”

Artel smirked. “I want you to help save humanity, sir. We won’t win a war against them. The nobles didn’t go about it the right way, but they’re not wrong. I suspect the Board wants to punish the Conclave as well. They did conspire to take power. But that would be a huge mistake. Instead, we need to get onboard and save ourselves. Now.”

“You really think it’s so bad?” Trentin felt overwhelmed by the news. “I’ve read all the reports. They hit remote colonies then move on. They don’t even occupy the places they destroy. So why exactly should we be so worried about them? There’s nothing here in Terra Sector they would want. If they haven’t stolen anything else so far.”

“They kill,” Miller said. “I only just learned a great deal about them as well, sir. These creatures basically murder everyone they encounter. Our concern is that they’re planning on doing it here because this is the largest population center. However, even if they don’t necessarily have a plan, charts suggest they’ve moved in this direction for a while.”

Artel added, “We’ve watched long enough that this might not happen for six months or even two years. But if we wait until the last possible minute to prepare, they’re going to win any conflict we face. The Olympus may be our only hope against this threat, and what they bring back has to be added on. ASAP.”

Trentin sighed. “I’m not saying I won’t help. It just seems far-fetched that we’re dealing with… what you’re saying.”

“Believe us,” Miller said, “it’s true. We can share with you the classified facts. I believe you have the clearance for that now.”

Fantastic, Trentin thought. I can see all the things that have been hidden from me and find out how much trouble we’re in. That stress didn’t bode well. Maybe I should’ve found a way to avoid joining the Three. Though he wasn’t sure who would have taken his place. None of his peers were ready.

What am I going to do? I’ve never pushed military research and development. That’s a totally different angle. But then, he didn’t have to. I’m an admin. I can take charge, and let those who know this work do their best. Empower them. He’d been doing it with people for years. This feels different though. Far more is at stake.

“Understood,” Trentin said. “I just need those files then so I can study up. When I understand what we’re facing, I can impart it to those who report to me. Ensure they get what we’re up against. Because I’m of the impression we’ll need to sequester people to get this work done, is that about right?”

“I would,” Artel said. “But of course, this part is on you. We solve problems that are of a more direct nature. If you need information or something retrieved, we can make it happen. Otherwise… the rest is up to you. And that leads us to the next thing we need to talk about. Our availability.”

“Go ahead.” Trentin leaned forward.

“Miller will be your pipeline to us. He’ll have his device on him at all times. If you need anything from my teams, he’ll arrange it right away.”

“Seems fair,” Trentin said. “What do you think I’m going to need? I don’t exactly understand what you can offer.”

Artel replied, “Things like Security Corps without the rules. And we have access to military assets as well. With enough notice, we can do just about anything. I do mean that. If you encounter an obstacle, we can take it out.”

Trentin furrowed his brow. “I’m going to clarify what I just heard. It sounded a lot like violence. Possibly even murder.”

“Let’s put it another way,” Artel said, “if the survival of the human race is at stake, then I’m willing to make a few sacrifices.”

I’m sure you are, Trentin thought. This man doesn’t care about the people we’re supposed to be leading. The mission is all that matters to him. I’m glad Caden Raines found Jenna instead of these people. They wouldn’t have cared about her well-being so much as returning her to placate me.

And that became something of a worry as well. If Artel only worried about the big picture, many smaller pieces would be sacrificed along the way. Possibly for no other reason than their deaths occupied the path of least resistance. Trentin had no idea how to manage someone like that.

Nor keep them in check.

I wish I could speak with Messini on this. Though he had a bad feeling about how that man was doing. I’ll inquire about him later. It’s time to be delicate now.

Trentin drew a deep breath. When he let it out, he tried to look tired. “Let’s err on the side of keeping people alive, shall we? I feel that if we’re meant to save our society, then it would be best not to sacrifice too many unnecessarily.”

“Last resort.” Artel held up his hands. “I read you loud and clear.”

I expected him to say that’s how he always works. Even if he had to lie. Artel’s honesty was scarier than the implications of what he’d be willing to do. I wonder if his colleague is just as cutthroat. I suspect he must be if he works with a man like this, and an organization so secret, I never even suspected its existence.

There are so many questions I’d like to ask, too. But most of them might incriminate him, or worse, put him in real trouble with the Chairman. I haven’t been at this job long enough to risk any sort of blowback. Still, these men likely knew about every major dilemma in the past decade.

Including the Branch Office attack.

They could tell me if they were responsible. But I bet they’d be willing to lie. Otherwise, I’d know they intentionally put Jenna at risk. And didn’t care about the fact at all. That might make it impossible to work with them. Suspicion isn’t proof. I can live with a lack of trust. Flat out knowing their crimes might push me over the line.

“Alright. I suppose I have a great deal to prepare for. When do you expect to hear from the Olympus?”

“I don’t know,” Artel replied, “but that’s my part of things. I’ll work on getting us some reasonable data. Hopefully, they’ll check in soon. But even if they do, they won’t be back and debriefed for several days. You’ve got plenty of time to organize your teams and ensure they’re ready for whatever we have to offer.”

“That works for me.” Trentin stood. “I suppose this concludes our meeting then?” Let them know that I feel in charge, even if I have a feeling these two could kill me in my own house and no one would do anything about it.

“Certainly.” Artel clapped his hands before rising. “I have some things to take care of on my end. Miller, make sure the good executive has everything he needs to reach out to you. I’ll be just outside waiting.” He grinned. “I like to give a subordinate a chance to speak ill of me to a client if he’d like. In private.”

“Kind of you,” Trentin said, “and courageous considering how few of us are okay with anyone talking like that.”

“Well, you know. I tend to take it personally.” Artel winked. “See you in a minute, Miller.” He left the room.

“How new are you to this?” Trentin asked.

“Just started,” Miller replied.

He didn’t lie at least.

“Are you okay with the way these people work?”

Miller sighed. “Yes. To a certain extent.”

“Explain.”

“I don’t want anyone to die unnecessarily. But if Terra Sector is in trouble, if we’re looking at something happening that might end our civilization, then I’ll do whatever it takes. But I don’t know many people who wouldn’t. Even the criminals have the self-preservation to make appropriate sacrifices.”

Trentin nodded. “I like your answer better than his.”

“I’m not quite as…” Miller weighed his words. “Committed to the cause as my colleague. Talk to me in two years and see where I stand.”

If you’re still alive, Trentin thought. Or Artel for that matter. Something told him the organization they worked for wasn’t the kind a man retired from. They end up dead because they know too much. All the bodies they bury could sink a lot of important people. Better to put them down rather than risk them talking.

“I look forward to working with you, Mister Winstead.” Trentin shook his hand. “And please thank your colleague for putting my mind at ease about my daughter. I’ve been… well, I’m sure you can imagine how I’ve been. This hasn’t been easy. And Earth hasn’t proven to be all that useful.”

Miller nodded. “I haven’t had much experience with the royals or Earth defense. But… I understand they aren’t the most cooperative with the Board. I suppose I’ll find out firsthand soon enough. But until then, I say we focus on the problem with the Gorlans. And see where that goes.”

“Before you leave, do you feel we have a chance? With what you know from Artel and the others.”

“Truthfully?” Miller shrugged. “I haven’t been doing this long enough to have a reasonable opinion. But Artel is confident, and if I’m honest, that’s saying quite a lot. I don’t think he’d say anything if he didn’t believe we could back it up with some action. But right now, it’s out of his hands. Until the Olympus turns up.”

“Of course.” Trentin gestured for the door. “I’m sure you can see your way out.”

“Goodbye, sir.” Miller inclined his head before leaving the room.

I’m grateful for that man as a liaison. The two might be the same, but Miller fronted with more humility. He didn’t come off as an all-knowing spy. Artel had too much information for his own good. Trentin didn’t want to find out what it meant in the long run, but he would. Because his colleagues put him in the position.

I’m going to be responsible for a murder. Trentin closed his eyes as he sat back down. All because Jenna was gone, and those two showed up to let me know she was safe. He wondered how many other deaths he might have caused over the years. More than a few, I’m sure. But this will be overt. I’ll be a hundred percent aware of my orders.

It wouldn’t be for a while. He had time to come to terms with the future. Just then, he had some people to organize. And a future to protect.

Chapter 3

Borealis acted as the hub for Security Corps operations throughout the frontier. There were smaller offices on distant planets to help supplement the needs of operatives that far out, but by and large, most work went through the massive station located near a sparsely inhabited agricultural world.

At any given time, the station saw dozens of ships attached from all over the galaxy. Some Justiciars took leave them, decompressing in a safe place while gathering resources for another run at various open investigations. Others brought prisoners, which were housed in an extensive section dedicated to cells.

The place had even undergone a radical upgrade in recent years when the Board approved a budget to swap out computer gear and defensive equipment. It was a top-of-the-line facility designed specifically to bring law and order to a region that wouldn’t have had it otherwise.

Not outside a military fleet, which tended to err on the side of violence over adjudication.

Caden Raines expected trouble when their ship arrived in the region. He thought the Commandant, Helmut Nassir, might even attempt to arrest them. They had enough evidence to put get the man a death sentence after a tribunal, so he really had nothing to lose by making an attempt on their lives.

But as they approached the station, it became clear something had happened.

No ships docked. Scans showed power fluctuated throughout the decks, with some of them totally in the dark. Some of it came from internal damage, as if some sort of battle took place. One of the hangars had been totally destroyed from a powerful detonation, the kind that devastated most of that section of the station.

Sarina Heran leaned over his seat to stare through the cockpit window. “What… the hell… that doesn’t look good.”

“Nope,” Caden said. “And it’ll only get worse, because we have to check it out.”

“Do we?” Sarina asked. “Because frankly, it looks like a call it in scenario to me. Bring out the big guns to investigate that nonsense.” She turned to the scanner. “There aren’t even many life signs over there.”

“Enough that they might need help.” Caden drew his weapon. He checked it over before thrusting it back in the holster. “Besides, I want to make sure Helmut’s one of them.”

“You don’t think he’s responsible for this, do you?”

Caden frowned. “Think about his situation. If he figured out we had Nate, and he did because his Constance buddies would’ve told him, he only had a few choices. Take us out or run. If he ran, we’d hunt him down. But if he did this… left the station in ruins… it might be plausible that he died in a way that finding the body became moot.”

“Do you honestly think he’s so evil he killed all these people just to escape?” Sarina sat behind him. “That just seems… it’s insane.”

“We don’t have a clue as to the extent of his crimes,” Caden said. “But he’s sold people out, that’s for sure. Why not kill a bunch more? The selfish bastard got away, I’m almost certain of it. And I want to know that so we can hunt him down.” He checked the chronometer. “We’ve got twenty minutes before we can dock.”

“You and I going?” Sarina asked.

“Yes. Jenna will stay aboard. Nate’s locked up… I’m torn about him. Whether we should bring him or not.”

“I don’t want him running around over there.” Sarina gestured. “Just be a random element we have to worry about.”

“But leaving him with Jenna’s dangerous. If he gets free and steals the ship… we’d be stuck on a station without power.”

“Good point. Whatever you think is best, I’ll make it happen.”

“We bring him with us. Jenna acts as tactical back here. She can tie into the security system, providing us with updates about positioning, power, and all that. But we’re going to need some hazard suits. The life support’s iffy over there. In fact, we might prioritize fixing it if you think you can.”

“Just depends on how extensive the damage is, but I’m willing to try.”

“Good.” Caden initiated docking sequence with their ship. The fancy computer took over, lining them up with the least damaged hangar. Which didn’t say a whole lot considering it appeared to have some problems as well. What the hell did Helmut do? Why didn’t he obliterate the whole place?

That might have been too obvious. Or he was just incompetent. If Borealis had been totally destroyed, then they wouldn’t have had anything to go on. No security streams, no physical evidence, no potential witnesses. Instead, Helmut left them options. Which gave Caden pause.

I wonder if we’re not being cautious enough. Caden couldn’t work through the thinking of leaving the place intact. For all he knew, we’d go back to Terra Sector. Why come back here, just the two of us? He could’ve tried to play off that he wasn’t part of this whole thing. But instead… well, this happened.

Then there was another possibility. Helmut may not have been responsible for the damage. It made the most sense, but then, they had plenty of crooks there. Any of them might’ve broken out and caused havoc. Though considering the lack of ships or response, that pushed Caden back to Helmut.

He sent them away somehow. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be the first authorities to arrive. Understaffed, underprepared, and with a civilian vessel as well. Doesn’t matter. The two of us will at least uncover what happened. Then we can contact home base to let them know Borealis has fallen.

Caden couldn’t even imagine how the Board would respond when they found out about the damage. Many of the executives talked about the wonders of the facility, how they put so much into it for the people beyond the borders of Terra Sector. If Helmut survived and was caught, plenty of people would want a piece of him.

The men using Borealis as a platform for corporate superiority would be arguing over how many times they could kill the guy to satisfy their damaged egos.

“Hangar, unstable,” the computer spoke. “Recommend extreme caution when disembarking vessel.”

“Thanks,” Caden muttered. “Maybe you’ve got some other fantastic ideas about what we can do.” He stood. “Sarina, secure Nate. Jenna, report to the bridge. You’re running tactical for us on this.”

“What?” Jenna nearly ran into him as he left the bridge. “Sorry… what do you want me to do?”

“Monitor comms,” Caden said, “keep track of the scanner, and let us know if you see anything crazy. We’ll secure the ship when we leave so you shouldn’t have to worry about someone sneaking aboard. But you will be alone until we get back.”

“Uh… I’m not a fan of that. Why don’t I come with you?”

“We need you on the scans,” Caden replied. “And I’m not keen to put you in danger. Don’t worry, the place is practically abandoned.” Or it’s a graveyard. Half the people are probably already dead. “We’re just checking to find out what happened to Helmut then we’re out of here.”

“Alright…” Jenna sighed as she moved to the bridge.

Sorry, Caden thought. I don’t want to put you in that position, but we don’t have a lot of choice here. He wished his friend hadn’t been part of the problem. I can’t believe I’ll be marching his ass straight to a prison cell as soon as we get back to Mars. Then to a tribunal where he’d likely face execution.

All of this overshadowed the reason they left Mars in the first place. Finding Sam Levine took a major backseat to the other issues. If that young man hadn’t disappeared, it would be both a miracle, and prove he was an idiot. Either way, tracking him down seemed almost pointless.

Unless Helmut did his job, and found something for us. When he thought we wouldn’t uncover Nate’s corruption. There’s still a chance we could get lucky out here. Though the state of Borealis suggested they weren’t getting anything out of the computer systems of value. The survivors should be able to give us what we want.

They had to know who caused the damage.

Caden entered the cargo area. He found the emergency lockers, then grabbed one of the larger hazard suits. They could shrink to a better fit, which was good since that one might’ve easily wrapped around a full-sized gorilla. The helmet part was at least regular and rested comfortably on his shoulders.

As he tapped the wrist control, it sucked into him, at first settling in just a little too tight. After a moment, the internal scans analyzed his body size so it deflated enough to fit, but not constrict any part of him. He flexed his arms and legs, making she he had full range of motion before confirming the completion of the process.,

The ship landed with a quiet clatter below him. Caden checked his weapon one more time. Scans didn’t show anyone in the hangar itself, but he didn’t entirely trust them. With the damage to the station, there was likely enough interference to throw off the sensors. Anything might be in the corridors.

Sarina stepped up behind him. She dragged Nate with her. They both wore hazard suits.

“This is ridiculous,” Nate said, “you could at least arm me. No one out there will differentiate between you lot and a prisoner. They’re going to shoot me too, and you know it.”

Sarina asked, “And let you shoot us in the back. That’s ridiculous. Just be quiet.”

“She’s right,” Caden said. “We’re not bringing you because we need you as backup. You’re coming because we can’t trust you. Once we leave this ship, Jenna’s locking it down. So don’t think you’ll come running back here either if you do manage to get away.”

“What’s the point?” Nate tried to pull away from Sarina. He failed. “Why are we even going? You should take me back to Terra Sector and—”

“Let your buddy get away?” Caden finished. “Is that it? Save Helmut for another day? Screw that. I’m finding out where the hell he went, getting some evidence, and shutting your operation down.” He slapped the panel by the ramp. It began to descend. And when that happens, I’m going to be there for Helmut.

Lights flickered in the hangar. And this is the one that’s supposedly in the best shape. The HUD on his helmet showed a high concentration of radiation and low oxygen levels. Someone could survive both, but they’d need some serious decontamination afterward. He started down the ramp first, slowing as he took in the debris all around them.

Chunks of shuttle decorated the area, with a particularly large piece wedged into the wall. Sparks came down from overhead where circuit panels had been damaged. The doors on the far end tried to close, but a gnarled, half melted crate kept it open. Caden started in that direction, scanning the area for movement.

Nothing’s lurking around in here. No one’s stupid enough to risk it. Caden tapped his comm. “Jenna, close it up. We’re clear.” The ramp lifted behind them with a quiet whir. The place was relatively quiet otherwise. The occasional zap echoed through the space, and the shuffle of the door attempting to close added to it.

“What the hell…?” Nate muttered. “Who did this?”

“Your patron,” Caden said. “That’s my guess. Probably covering his tracks.”

“He loved Borealis,” Nate replied. “There’s no way he would’ve trashed it like this. I think he’d let them kill him before he left this place in such a state. No… I think this was someone else.”

“Who?” Sarina asked. “Come clean. What do you think?”

“Settle down!” Nate rasped. “Christ, you’re intense! I’m sure it was Constance that did this. Helmut probably let them in and they went crazy. Likely because of what you two did.”

“No way.” Caden shook his head. “There’s no way those criminal idiots would attack Borealis. This was an inside job, I’d bet my life on it.”

“I wouldn’t.” Nate clicked his tongue. “Because this place… this is savage. It’s way personal. Look at the wall. Someone blew up a shuttle, Caden! This isn’t the kind of thing Helmut would do! You don’t know him. I’m telling you, this is—”

“We got it.” Sarina gave him a shake. “You can stop trying to sell your theory. You’ve already given it, and we think it’s BS.”

They made it to the door. Caden checked the panel beside it. An emergency protocol went into effect, which meant it was trying to seal the hangar. The crate was the only thing allowing them access to the rest of the station. Without it, the door would require a cutting torch to open.

“Careful.” Gestured to the crate. “Do not move that.” He went over first. “Nate, I swear to God, if you mess with that on your way over, I’ll shoot you in the damn knee and leave you here to die.”

“I don’t want to be stuck here.” Nate climbed over. “And you have a duty of care. You wouldn’t dare leave me in this place.”

“Who would know?” Caden glanced down the long hallway. The lights worked, though several wall panels were missing, revealing wires and pipes throughout. This place was ransacked. Not just attacked. God, maybe Nate’s right.

“She would.” Nate jerked his head in Sarina’s direction.

“She,” Sarina said, “wouldn’t give a shit. I’d argue for the right to be the one to pull the trigger. Now move! We’re going that way.” She gestured to the left. “That’s where the office will be.”

“Yep.” Caden took the lead. “Keep it slow. We’ve got time.” At least until we learn the state of the reactor. Sensors suggested it was in decent shape, but he steeled himself for otherwise. Something tells me this place will not be here too much longer. There isn’t much I can do about it either.

Though saving at least the basic structure might win him some points. Maybe we can shut down the reactor entirely. Then engineers can come in to fix it all. Rebuilding the whole thing might just put the Board into a meltdown of their own. He thought of some of the execs responsible for the sign off on the place.

I’ll need to work with Messini to salve this nonsense. Proximity to the disaster might just be enough to get him in trouble. Fairness wouldn’t have anything to do with it. Pinning it on Nate might help. Him and Helmut both are responsible, after all. And with one of them guaranteed to be alive, they can take it out on him.

“Sir,” Sarina said, “did you see that up ahead?” She slowed down. She moved to the curve on the left, giving herself some cover in the event that something came around the way. Caden took the right, narrowing his eyes to see what she was talking about. “I swore I saw some movement.”

“I didn’t,” Caden replied. “Not to say you’re wrong. Nate?”

“I’m not paying attention.” Nate scoffed. “Why would I? I’m the prisoner.”

“Because you didn’t want to die here,” Caden snapped, “and if we do, Jenna’s sure as hell not letting you get back on that ship. She’ll go straight home and tell them everything that happened so have some self-preservation.” He leaned his head against the wall as he caught a shadow on the wall. Definitely something there.

“Ready?” Sarina asked. “Because whatever comes down this way isn’t going to be a friendly. That’s a guarantee, right?”

“Pretty much.” Caden sighed. “I had thought we wouldn’t be dealing with many people considering the damage here. I figured they’d be worried more about survival than fighting more. Still, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised, all things considered. Whoever they are… let’s hope they don’t start shooting immediately.”

“Who’s there?” a man’s strained voice shouted from down the way. He clearly wasn’t wearing any protective gear, meaning he’d been blasted with radiation for a while. “I want to know who’s walking in the halls of heaven!”

“That’s…” Sarina shook her head. “Yeah, that’s probably not good.”

“Calm down!” Caden shouted back at the man. “We’re Security Corps operatives. I’m Justiciar Raines. We can help you. If you’re armed, please put your weapon down and come out. We’ll—”

A weapon discharged, a beam striking the ceiling above him.

“What the hell?” Caden crouched, taking aim. “They have beams? Why the… that’s not a Security Corps person.”

“Told you!” Nate shouted. He crouched behind Sarina. “Definitely Constance, man! Get up there and take care of them!”

“Be quiet,” Caden snapped. “You talk again and I’ll make you go down there as bait.” He waited for a second beam, which went high but it gave away the target’s position behind some rubbish. It appeared they took cover behind a busted table and a few chairs. He took a moment to aim… then fired.

The weapon barked in his hands. His target cried out. “Unbelievers!” The man screamed the word as if he might be heard on the nearby planet. “Blood! I must not… give in!” Half a moment passed before the crazed man darted out from his cover, charging directly toward them.

He wore a filthy black uniform without shoes. Burns covered his face. What little hair he had left clung in clumps to his mangled scalp. He fired wildly, mostly toward the ceiling. The first shot got him in the left shoulder, a massive hole provided a view straight through him.

The guy made it eight paces before Sarina put him down with a shot to the face. His screaming ended, the body slapped the ground face first, sliding a couple feet before coming to a halt.

“Sorry,” Sarina said, “but what the hell was that? What happened to him?”

Caden shrugged. “Radiation poisoning? I guess?”

Nate added, “I’ve never seen that before. Wow. Horrible. We should leave this place. Whatever you think you’re going to find here, it isn’t worth it.”

A commotion behind them drew all their attention. Caden sighed. “You know what that is, right?” The thunderous sound on the deck had to be dozens of feet. People were charging in their direction, undoubtedly drawn by the sound of gunfire. “Sarina, do you know the way to the office we need?”

“Yes,” Sarina replied. “I hate to say this, though… Nate might be right about getting out of here. If that’s really dozens of people, we can’t exactly kill them all with pistols.”

“We won’t have to,” Caden said. “I’ve got another idea. But we have to be in the next area with a sealed door between us and this hallway. So lead the way and run. That goes for you too, Nate because if you don’t, you won’t like how this ends for you.”

“Whatever.” Nate grumbled. As Sarina started to run, he hurried after her. He lifted his bound hands to his chest as he went.

Caden gave himself another few moments to watch the hallway. I want to know how many there are. And then he saw the shadows. Well more than a dozen, all of them shouting the same type of nonsense as the man who threw his life away moments before. They all had weapons, though of different types.

How the hell did radiation make them this crazy? Caden sprinted after his companions while tapping the comm. “Jenna, do you have access to station control in the hangar?”

“Sure,” Jenna said, “what’s all the noise?”

“No time right now,” Caden replied. “On my mark, lower the containment field.”

“That… would expose the entire hallway to a vacuum. The door’s not closed, and it can’t be, remember?”

“I do,” Caden said, “but we don’t have a lot of choice. So be ready to do it on my mark.”

“Got it, absolutely.”

“Good.” Caden glanced over his shoulder. He’d put enough distance between him and the others to at least not worry about being overrun. They aren’t all that fast. Despite their insanity, their bodies aren’t up to the demand. But they’d catch up eventually. Or they had more up ahead.

Either way, if they didn’t make it to the next section of the station, the crowd would likely beat them to death. If it was that quick.

Chapter 4

Aldo struggled to get through the whole briefing. Once it was made clear he’d be working with Deter on the operation, he suffered from a wave of anxiety. His expression probably made them think the prospect of boarding a Gorlan ship bothered him. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, he would’ve rather gone alone than bring Deter along.

Adrian sent him the details, which included what they believed to be the plans for the derelict ship. It was a massive vessel, easily bigger than two imperial warships combined. They didn’t have much data beyond that, only that it was supposed to be abandoned. Another data collection mission, though this time, it had the potential to finish the Gorlan puzzle.

And I have to bring someone who can reveal my secret. Aldo genuinely believed that once he got through the initial security of joining the ship, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone figuring out his identity until he got out of the service. Then he’d have to go back to his regular life where business contacts might have called him out.

Instead, he ran into the one person he had enough contact with as Sam Levine to figure something out. But would Deter bother to deep dive the subject? Was it going to matter in the long run? They had a job to do, and if they wanted to survive, they all needed to focus on the task at hand.

No one had a clue of what to expect aboard their destination. Adrian suggested it might be a sleeper ship full of Gorlans in hibernation. Risler offered the idea that it could be an active base, and they might have to immediately leave upon arrival. The only good news the captains offered was the fact Aldo didn’t have to go before the admiralty.

Part of him wondered if one of them might have known about him. Suddenly, every possible new encounter offered the chance for him to be caught. It seemed absurd, but running into Deter shook him to the core. Enough that he intended to speak with Risler in private before he headed out.

When the time came, he let Deter know he’d send him a message when they pulled the team together for the assignment. Adrian and Risler were about to leave, heading to her office where they’d have their virtual meeting with the admiralty. Aldo cleared his throat to get their attention. Sweat soaked his back as he spoke.

“Ma’am, I know you’re wildly busy, but… may I have a brief word? It’ll only take a moment.”

Risler turned to Adrian. “You know where the office is. I’ll be along shortly.”

“See you there.” Adrian waved as he left. The door closed again.

“What is it?” Risler turned to him. “Make it fast.”

“Lieutenant Rollins,” Aldo said. “I’m sure he’s more than capable, but I don’t see the point of bringing him along. In fact, it honestly feels like he’d be better served staying back at his own ship on backup. Since that’s what he’s been doing… and I guess it was some sort of punishment so…”

“What is this really about?”

“Excuse me?” Aldo blinked.

“I sincerely doubt you care about this guy’s punishment, so why are you against him coming along? Your team’s a little light. You need the extra force. And this guy’s good or Adrian wouldn’t have brought him along.”

“Just… my team and I are good too. We already know each other, we’ve worked together, and how the rhythm. Adding more people at the last minute—”

“We’ve got plenty of time for a quick refresher,” Risler interrupted. “Take it to ensure everyone gets to know each other. Especially Cully. Anyway, this is a special circumstance. He’s got some experience with the Gorlans and he knows the score out there. He’s exactly the type of person I would’ve picked to send with you.”

“I’d…” Aldo sighed. “I understand, ma’am.”

“Do you not like him personally?”

No, he’s an asshole who didn’t care about the civilians. Aldo shrugged. “I got a vibe.”

“Work it out,” Risler said. “And do it fast. You don’t have a lot of time to mess about. In fact, when you do, let me know. I don’t want to worry about the success of this mission. If you still can’t work with him, I’ll be disappointed, but I’ll understand. You’re my guy first, and I can smooth things over with Adrian.”

“Are you sure?”

“You don’t have to ask a ship’s captain that.” Risler gestured to the door. “Now, am I dismissed? Or is there something else my subordinate would like to discuss?”

“No, ma’am. I’m sorry. Thank you for taking the time.” Aldo’s cheeks burned. “I’ll um… I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Let me make one thing clear before I go.” Risler met his gaze. “I do expect you’ll work it out with that man. Don’t play games then come to me with some sob story. I need to trust that you’re going to do everything in your power to make that happen. I don’t have many other people to assign that I trust right now. Do you understand?”

Damn it. Aldo thought he had his way out. He’d intended to do exactly what she said. He nodded. “I will, ma’am. I’ll make every effort.”

“I have a feeling he doesn’t care,” Risler said. “At least, that’s the sense I got during the briefing. Why don’t you look over his record? He’s been transferred to your command. Maybe you’ll see something in there that gives you some perspective. And don’t forget, he’s been an officer longer than you. If he finds out about your promotion… and how fast…”

“I get it.” Aldo smiled. “I really will make it happen, ma’am.”

“Good. Now… I’m off to be yelled at for everything we’ve done since we left Terra Sector before.” Risler left the room.

Aldo slumped in one of the chairs, staring at the ceiling. Now I have no choice. I need to work it out with Deter no matter what. And the worst part about it was he probably could have gotten rid of him later if he had been patient. But that’s more exposure to the man. I wanted to avoid spending more time in his presence.

No one else knew his secret. Except maybe the real Aldo… but I doubt he survived. And then there’s Shep. If somehow she find out, she might be willing to expose me. But he doubted she made it either. Leaving Deter. And there was no telling what he might do when he became more suspicious.

After the way I sat there during the briefing, I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought I flat hated him. Considering I have no reason to do so in his eyes, that could be a red flag. Aldo wondered if Deter might seek to be relieved of the duty as well. Maybe Adrian will make it happen for us both.

Though Aldo couldn’t be hopeful about that. Deter likely didn’t have the nerve to go to a ship’s captain to ask for anything at all, let alone a change of duty. Besides, any military person worth their salt would want in on a mission to infiltrate a Gorlan cruiser. They could learn a lot, see things no other human did.

If not for the prospect of being outed as a criminal identity thief, Aldo would’ve been thrilled. He wanted to do it with his core group and Voldal. They made sense to him, and he trusted them with his life. Deter, he knew for a fact he couldn’t put his faith in. The man sold out regular people in a heartbeat.

Including me! That pushed his buttons. I could’ve died trying to turn off those defenses. And he was perfectly happy with the arrangement. Then they paid us less because he didn’t like my solution. Which proves he’s an inflexible piece of shit. At least Aldo outranked the man. Which means I can show him what a real military person would do.

Even thinking that made him groan internally. I’m such a hypocrite. The notion that he was somehow a real anything made him laugh. I’ve been a fake lieutenant, a fake captain, and a fake soldier this whole time. And somehow, I’ve managed to sell it enough to get through multiple operations.

He wondered if they might have caught him had he been assigned to a regular unit. Many of the protocols other soldiers adhered to weren’t things he had to worry about. Which made it easier to blend in. He could be out of place without drawing the attention of dozens of other people who went through the process properly.

Even studying didn’t necessarily prepare him for regular duty. He couldn’t remember all the regulations that were beaten into the rank-and-file soldier during training. Repetition might have helped, but he hadn’t had the time to work on it. Not with his current operation schedule. He learned the most from his time with Cully and Ellie.

I need to give them a heads-up. Deter would likely come with at least one other person. He was a lieutenant, after all, and that meant one or two attachments. Maybe that sergeant guy who came aboard with him. Though that task of working with Avris will likely take up too much of his time to get in on any action.

As Aldo made his way back to his quarters to plan his own briefing, he realized Deter may have been the least of his worries. The Gorlan ship should’ve been the bigger worry, though as much as he tried, he couldn’t quite bring himself to prioritize it. Maybe when we’re on the way… but right now, there’s no guarantee we’ll even go.

That notion made him feel better. If there’s no op, I don’t have to interact with Deter. Still, he needed to find some way to make peace with being around the man, even if it was only for the sake of his team. Cully and Ellie were far too empathic to miss any drama. And the last thing he wanted was to have to lie to them to cover up his nerves.

***

Risler sat through nearly fifteen minutes of the admiralty rambling on about their concerns regarding the activities of the Olympus and Arden. They never mentioned names, but the way they directed their comments made it obvious they worried more about what Adrian did than her.

Which helped the cause of getting the treaty going with the Talmar. Norman and Sienna Clayton showed up to speak, and they clearly became anxious after five minutes. Neither of them could sit still through the lengthy opening, shifting about like a couple of children in the middle of a boring class.

Even a sharp look didn’t calm them down, and that’s all Risler had at her disposal.

Five admirals occupied the screen. Each of them had commanded vessels for a number of years. The youngest among them was fifty-five. Somewhere along the way, they’d become sticklers for rules and tradition. Enough that they found it perfectly reasonable to carry on and on despite the importance of the topic that brought them together.

When they finally settled down, Risler allowed Sienna and Norman to speak. They gave an impassioned speech, expressing why they got involved in the matter in the first place. Their love of the Empire, and desire to save it, governed their actions. Then, much to everyone’s surprise, they mentioned the Prince.

Who sent a private message to the admiralty on cue. He let them know that he headed up the Conclave and that the Claytons had his full support. His belief in the treaty might have done more for it than anything the Arden managed to pull off. The admiralty seemed to adopt a special love for the royals when they received their promotions to the council.

Something Risler didn’t quite understand, but then… she was technically amongst the nobility.

Once the Claytons finished, the admiralty made it clear they didn’t have any questions. Risler sent the two away so she and Adrian could finish their report of what they’d been up to out in Talmar space. They spoke as they intended, maintaining a common front. Neither of them contradicted the other.

The conversation went mostly smoothly, though she believed it genuinely worked when Adrian brought up the derelict ship.

The admiralty unanimously agreed to the operation, assigning them both to the task. They also agreed to begin proper negotiations in earnest with the Talmar. Everything seemed to be on track. So much so, Risler felt suspicious about it all. Her commanding officer never let anything go over so easily before.

I need to know who put Adrian up to crossing the border.

The admiralty made it clear they leaned toward the negotiations to avoid a war over Adrian’s actions. That was as close to an admonishment as either of them received throughout the conversation. It was enough to make the man shift uncomfortably in his seat, but considering what he’d done, he got off way too easy.

I thought for sure they’d be more concerned about the colonists. But the lives of the innocent Talmar didn’t seem to register as part of the conversation. They expressed regret over the loss of resources, and suggested they’d prioritize that planet for liberation. She wondered how Voldal or Avris would feel about their “generosity.”

Negotiating with the Talmar leaders is on them. I have to help win the war before it turns into something else. Which could only be Armageddon. If the Gorlans made it to Terra Sector before they were ready, the crux of humanity’s Empire would be destroyed. The admiralty seemed to understand that before she and Adrian even started talking.

That’s why I need to know more about Adrian’s contact. They’re pushing some kind of agenda, and I want to know what it is. If his people had the ability to help get resources, make something happen, she needed to know about it. They might even have the ability to get production underway for the better weapons.

The admiralty signed off nearly an hour after they started the conversation. Risler had to admit it went faster than she anticipated. And that included the redundant questions they each asked three or four times, as if they hoped to get some kind of different answer.

Or they’re senile and forgot one of their peers already asked. Risler turned to Adrian. “You have some explaining to do.”

“Why?” Adrian asked. “We got everything we wanted with minimal effort.”

“Yeah, and you’re not at all suspicious about that. Which is also a reason that I want more information. Why aren’t you more worried about the Board preventing this from happening?”

Adrian pursed his lips.

“Come on. Can’t you trust me?”

“This is about more than trust, Christine. It’s about a group of people that don’t like to anyone to talk about them without their consent. And I don’t have it.”

“You don’t think I can keep a secret?”

“They trusted me because I can.” Adrian leaned closer. He lowered his voice, as if someone might be in the room listening. “I’ll tell you one thing, but that needs to be the end of it, okay?”

“I can’t promise that.”

Adrian grunted. “Try.”

“Tell me then.”

“They represent the Board.”

Risler turned away. She rubbed her forehead.

“What?” Adrian asked. “What the hell is all that?”

“You’re working with the damn Board!” Risler shouted. “What do you think? We don’t take our orders directly from them, Adrian! That’s the problem!”

“It doesn’t have to be!” Adrian clenched his fist, released it… then slapped the table. “You know they control the nobility. And by extension, us. So why not go direct? At least, that’s how they painted it to me. And they have the resources to do what we need them to do. In other words, we cut through the middle man.”

“Where does that end?”

“Right now,” Adrian replied, “today, does it matter? The good news is they’re against the Gorlans. And the Board’s letting us get into bed with the Talmar. Did you think that would ever happen? Cause I sure as hell didn’t. They literally believed it would corrupt the thinking of the people. Disrupt our caste system. And break—”

“I know what they think,” Risler said. “I’m one of the upper echelon with ceremonial power, remember?”

“If you believe that, then why are you bent out of shape? You need the illusion?”

“It exists for a reason.” Risler pursed her lips. “But while it’s mostly ceremonial, day-to-day operations are ignored by the Board. Now, they’re giving out secret missions that endangered entire units. Call Omari whatever you want, he didn’t deserve to be sacrificed. And he’s doing a damn good job of putting together a defense plan against the Gorlans.”

“I’m sure he is,” Adrian replied. “And we knew someone would be along quickly.”

“Doesn’t excuse it. Anyway, this argument is pointless. We have an assignment, but… I’d love to know how the Board reached out to you. Since they didn’t deem it necessary to speak through the admiralty.” Risler frowned. “But then the admiralty didn’t get bent out of shape over it. So they have control of them too?”

Adrian shrugged. “I don’t know the extent of what they have or don’t have.”

“I feel like that’s probably a lie.”

“Think what you want,” Adrian said. “I’m telling the truth. And again, if you focus on the defense of our civilization, then you won’t be so upset about it. Frankly, we’re lucky. We would’ve had to sell this to a lot more people otherwise. Right now, they’re going to start development and work with the Talmar!”

“Yeah… it’s all very convenient.” Risler leaned closer. “What about the Conclave? Now that they know about them, what do you think they’ll do?”

“I… have no idea.” Adrian’s eyes bulged. “Why would they do anything?”

“Because those young nobles put themselves on the line to fix a problem they didn’t know someone else was working on. Now, they’re not safe.”

“No one’s going to do anything to high-ranking nobility. The Prince is behind them.”

“That might not mean as much as you think.” Risler took a deep breath. She ran her hands through her hair. “We need to plan our op… but I’m torn about the Claytons.”

“Why?”

“Part of me thinks they should work with their friends to ensure they don’t get in trouble. But then if they come with me, I can keep them relatively safe.”

“As safe as anyone can be visiting an unknown ship in the middle of nowhere.” Adrian showed her his hands. “I’m just saying, safety is totally relative in this case.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

“They’re not going to be hurt if they stay in Terra Sector. Besides, this is a strictly military operation. They’d be sitting around on the ship praying it didn’t get shot up.” Adrian gestured toward the door. “I’d even suggest we leave Omari here. He can work with control to figure out the best use of our new gear.”

“I concur.” Risler stared at the table for a long moment. She had a lot more to say, but elected to keep it to herself. Adrian clearly came to terms with his decisions. Pushing him to doubt them didn’t make much sense. If he hadn’t done this, we might not have a chance. He’d even already adapted some of the tech.

That proved far more valuable than the ideology behind it all. If the ends justified the means, then maybe it would all work out well. She felt like they opened a can of worms they’d never be able to contend with though.

Unless these secretive Board people have been at it for a long time. Risler felt a chill at the thought of only just becoming aware of a faction like that. Some behind the scenes players, adjusting the course of the Empire. I wonder how long they’ve been doing it. Could be years. Maybe all the way back to the beginning, during the rise of the companies.

Before the nobility.

“You’d better return to the Olympus,” Risler said. “I’ll get our people to coordinate so we have the same upgrades as you. Ensure we’ll be useful in a fight this time. Two of us might be able to take out a couple of their smaller vessels this time. If we’ve got the same advantages.”

“Happy to do it.” Adrian touched her shoulder then offered her hand. “Are we good? I want to go in this with a friend.”

Risler rolled her eyes before shaking his hand. “Yes, we’re good. I just wish for different things. They might not even be rational, but that’s just how it has to be.”

“When we’re done with this operation, we can sit down and argue about it all you want. I’ll bring the best bottle I’ve got. Until then, we shelve our disagreement and focus on saving everyone, yeah?”

“Yep.” Risler nodded. “I’m with you. Now let’s go explore a derelict ship.”

Chapter 5

Miller had no idea what he’d gotten himself into. Not that he had any real choice in the matter. Artel’s “join or die” pitch was real enough, and there was a silver lining. He supposedly went to work for the Board, which meant no more Constance, and no more criminal nonsense. And that took him off the list for Security Corps to bother him.

Caden likely will still come calling. Miller worried about the Justiciar, particularly since Artel’s people were behind the attack. How the hell am I going to spin that? I have to get some instructions on how we’re going to divert suspicion. As a member of the Three, Trentin would likely reward Caden in such a way that would distract him.

That’ll delay things for a while. I suspect Grace’s death won’t be so easy to forget about.

“You’re quiet,” Artel said. They’d boarded the shuttle and already left Trentin’s place. “Do you have a problem with working for that man?”

“Not at all,” Miller said.

“Then what is it?”

“I’ve been thinking about the situation with the Branch Office attack, the death of the Justiciar, and the attack on Caden Raines. When he gets back, we can only distract him for so long before he starts looking into it again. So I wonder what exactly we’re going to do about all that.”

“Probably promote him,” Artel said. “Maybe move him out of the area entirely. If I recall, the current Commandant of Borealis needs to be removed.”

“I’m pretty sure this Justiciar is looking for a promotion to director level.”

“Yes, but that would keep him on Mars. We don’t want him here.” Artel smirked. “Unless you can convince him to drop it. Let him know the attack was for the greater good, but he proved himself worthy of survival. I’m not sure how a traditional detective like him would take it. His file didn’t indicate any political leanings.”

“Which would make him a poor director, don’t you think?”

Artel sighed. “I don’t know. It depends on what the person above them wants. If they’re looking for a guy who will get the job done, even if it means using his own two hands, then no. He’s the right man for the job. Otherwise, if they think they’d be getting someone ready to delegate, he can’t have a promotion.”

Miller nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

“You know.” Artel chuckled. “I just thought of a way to distract our friend. What if we set up your old pals? The Constance crime family here on Mars. They might’ve been the ones to put someone up to it. We can scapegoat a couple of Security Corps personnel, kill them of course, but fabricate evidence… in the end, he’d have everything he ever wanted.”

“Isn’t that risky? Creating conspiracies like that?”

“We’re very good at making things up.”

“I imagine, but this guy’s a serious detective. He’s going to dig hard and I don’t think anyone’s good enough to cover all the angles.”

Artel frowned. “Why do you think he’d dig? If he got what he wanted, and it wasn’t easy to find, he’s going to take the facts for what they mean. Then we’re going to walk away with one less criminal, a Justiciar who not only saved the daughter of one of the Three, but brought down a conspiracy to kill his colleague, and in the end, he gets to do what he wants.”

“We may have some time,” Miller said. “To put this together. But if you’re looking to me to make it happen, I need some solid technicians. The kind of computer experts who cannot be traced. And know how to backdate their files. If we don’t, he’s going to see through this ruse. They have to be top notch.”

“Have you not been paying attention?” Artel asked. “That’s what we do.”

“Then if you want me to take care of it while we wait for the Olympus or Trentin, I can get started. Should I run it by you?”

“No, I trust you.”

“With this?” Miller snorted. “You sure? Because it’s huge.”

“Not for us. And anyway, if it fails? We can take care of it. Consider it an experiment. See how you do. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Run with this, Miller. And I’ll see the fallout. Besides, I don’t know any of those Constance morons. You do. You’ll be aware of the proper person to direct their attention to.”

“There are people Caden wants bad,” Miller said. “And if I can make it work, his desire to bring them down will help sell him on it. Shouldn’t be too hard. But the rest… the files and such… getting those Security Corps people…” And killing them. He didn’t like the idea of totally innocent people dying. Maybe I can find some crooked ones.

That wouldn’t totally salve his conscience, but it would be a start.

“Sounds like we have a plan.” Artel yawned. “Oh, pardon me. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends, I’m afraid. But I think I’ll have a chance to get some rest tonight. Nothing really to be done until we get those military bastards back here. I’m still stunned they haven’t checked in. But their captain’s a bit of a rogue.”

“Is that why you picked him?”

Artel nodded. “Exactly. I needed a man who was willing to do something totally outside his nature. In this case, cross the border without authorization and steal things from an enemy culture without starting a war or getting caught. God knows, but we might be at war right now if he failed completely.”

“Ouch. How would we not know?”

“The Talmar are notoriously slow about connecting with our diplomats. If they declared some kind of hostile action, we wouldn’t have heard about it yet. Though they might’ve hit our outer colonies too, I just don’t know. Information can be slow from the frontier.” Artel rubbed his eyes. “Which is frustrating.”

“Seems we have a firm grip on Terra Sector,” Miller said, “but the rest of the Empire…”

“There’s only so much anyone can do. Which is why we have the bloody military. If they’d just stay the course and focus their attention on doing what they’re told. Too many of them fall back on honor as if they can use it to get away with making up their own missions. Or changing the ones they have.”

“Not a surprise,” Miller replied. “The academy teaches them to think on their feet, to change tactics when they encounter a threat the normal processes fail to address. It’s only natural they’d question things from time to time. Even do whatever they want.”

“Yes, I understand it makes them good at their jobs, but they’re no less irritating when it comes to planning ahead. On another topic, after the Gorlan. Let’s say the Conclave succeeds, God forbid. And we’re suddenly allied with the Talmar. We need to know who their equivalent of us is so we can coordinate.”

“You think they’ve got the same type of organization? Someone working behind the scenes?”

“Every good government does.” Artel chuckled. “It’s just a matter of how effective they are. Considering they’ve been able to fend us off, and keep order with their anti-capitalist mentality, I’m guessing they’re very good.”

“Do you honestly believe an organization like ours is essential?”

Artel nodded. “Unquestionably. If we didn’t do our jobs, too many things would be left to fate. We’re here to stop bad things from happening, even if sometimes that means we’re forced to commit a crime or two. The greater good rules in our case, and it’s important that we maintain that mentality. Without it… well, we couldn’t predict anything.”

“You don’t think we’re meddling? And how do you know we make the right call? Doesn’t it stand to reason we shouldn’t be doing all of this?”

“We already talked about our role, Miller.” Artel scowled. “Someone must be the authority on when things need to happen.”

“I guess I question how the leaders of this organization were chosen. Who has the moral fortitude to make these choices? How were they vetted? What if you make the wrong call? Like… like killing Grace, for example. She was just doing her job, and she was good at it. Wouldn’t it have been better to talk to her?”

“And tell her what?”

“The truth!” Miller slapped his leg. “Bring her aboard the way you did me!”

“She went after the report because she was a true believer. She wasn’t going to join us for the reasons you’re asking about.”

“So wait,” Miller held up a hand, “why didn’t I get killed then?”

“Because while you may be asking these questions, you’ve done all of this before. You’ve made moral decisions for the Constance people. You’re responsible for deaths, misinformation, and all manner of other things. In short, the thing we do all the time. So that’s why you got picked and not her.”

“But…”

“Before you protest about that, I should let you know, we also took a deep dive into your past. You’ve got skills we need. Justiciars are too accustomed to working for themselves, and doing whatever they wanted. We can’t trust them to follow our instructions because, like the military, they’re used to pivoting on a whim.”

Miller slumped in his seat. “I get it.”

“Why are you so bent out of shape over that woman?”

“Because I know she was just doing her job.” Miller turned to look out the window. Clouds whizzed by as they raced across the sky of Venice II. “I hate the fact she had to die for that. I’ll tell you this, I won’t jump to murder as a solution.”

“I understand. As long as you know that occasionally, it’s an important tool.”

“I know. And you know I’ve used it. But we have to have some caution.”

“Why?” Artel asked. “Why do you think at least?”

“Because someday, this organization may be outed. If we’re discovered, and a tribunal is called, it would be nice to show that we don’t jump straight to killing people to fulfill our agendas. History won’t look kindly at us.”

“That’s our purpose,” Artel said. “We are the ones that history shits on while the leaders get to look rosy for making things alright. If we’re caught, I fully expect that every member of our organization will be put to death or at least imprisoned for life. But the goal, and the thing we’ve been good at for decades, is staying under the radar.”

“I agree. I just…”

“You’re overthinking.” Artel clapped him on the shoulder. “Focus on your tasks, stay vigilant, and none of your concerns will come true. I have faith. Now. I’m hungry. Let’s get some lunch, then you can rush off to figure out which of your old pals can take the fall for Grace’s death. I can’t wait to see your eloquence at work.”

What a choice of words. Eloquence. Miller knew the right person. Borland and his crew offered the obvious choice. Though picking them required some serious legend building. Specifically, they needed to show resources they didn’t normally have. The ability to bribe officers promised to be the easy part.

At least he had a task from Artel. It had seemed like gloating before. Taking on something meant he was going to live. And introducing him to Trentin Oslow sealed the deal. The meeting provided him with the closure for the job, making it all real. Gaining access to a member of the Three meant he’d have a real contact going forward.

Though he had no idea how he’d utilize such a man considering his own status. But that would come later. Once he solved his immediate problem. And the threat of a Gorlan invasion.

***

Benedict Messini had no idea what to do. The room he’d been confined in had a kitchen area with food and water, but no other technology to speak of. They left him there for hours with no one so much as checking up on him. Which meant they had cameras in the area to keep track of him.

They must be worried I’ll attempt to escape. Though his days of brawling young men and fleeing a building were mostly behind him. He hadn’t kept up on his self-defense training for several years. Even his workouts had diminished considerably until he was doing the bare minimum to pass fitness exams.

How long can they keep me before someone asks questions? Messini figured Trentin Oslow would start to wonder what happened to him. And why I haven’t checked in. Jenna’s out there. Surely, he’ll begin to wonder if I suffered the same fate as her. If someone took me as well.

Or would he? If someone found Jenna, then Messini might go unnoticed. Saving him likely fell to the back burner with other things going on. Which meant if he ever wanted to leave Lorne’s company, he had to find a way to do so on his own. Whether that involved a deal or legitimately escaping, it was likely up to him.

Though even if he got out of the room, chances of getting anywhere that mattered were slim. He couldn’t exactly cross town with the Royal Security Forces looking for him. And the Security Corps personnel were occupied, not to mention they had been ordered to comply with their noble counterparts.

Meaning he had no real recourse for leaving. The thought of getting to the port was laughable. And he couldn’t exactly go underground with it. Not when he didn’t have a single underworld contact on Earth. If such a thing even existed directly under the noses of the nobility.

He might’ve given the Prince a hard time about many things, but Lorne seemed to have a firm grip on his territory. Locking down the district didn’t seem all that difficult, and his people proved to be far more effective than Messini thought possible. Which led him back to the idea of talking his way out.

How am I going to convince him to do anything if he won’t come down here to talk? I can plot a conversation all I want, but I think they might leave me in here for days. Which drummed up some strong feelings about Oslow. His daughter isn’t the only one in peril. Perhaps he needed to take a more active role in saving her.

Anger with the worried father didn’t help, but it was hard to stave off. Messini knew that he was expected to take care of himself, particularly because of his attachment to Security Corps. Running the Justiciar division, keeping the high level work under control, all made it clear he should’ve been more than capable of handling Lorne.

Messini wondered if Lorne’s file contained real information about his past. He seemed far too knowledgeable to have gone to the common noble school. Had his father sent him to the military academy in secret? Did he work with intelligence officers or something along those lines? It would’ve made more sense.

At least, Messini wanted it to, because if Lorne did not have any special training, he fooled a senior director with ease. That ego hit was intolerable. Yet as he sat on the couch, he had to admit arrogance partially got him involved in the issue to begin with. Once Jenna had been abducted, he stopped thinking like a politician.

He fell back on an investigator mentality, which gave Lorne everything he needed to manipulate the situation. Considering he seemed to be directly responsible for Jenna being taken, it had been the plan all along. What was next? The only positive news was that the Prince likely had no intention of killing Messini.

That mess would be too big to clean up, even for him. After all, it would come out eventually that the nobles conspired to take the girl. Providing she survived to tell the tale. Then the Board would take action, either sanctioning the nobles or even removing Lorne from the succession.

Though maybe they couldn’t. Messini’s faith in his side had been shaken. The Board might’ve been in real trouble, and he had no way to warn them. The thought compelled him to scour the room for any technology he might use, but the guards did their jobs well. There was nothing.

So Messini reclined on the couch, resigning himself to wait or whatever might happen next. Whether that involved Lorne coming to visit him, an executioner showing up for his life, or a miracle to pull him out of his predicament.

The latter seemed beyond impossible. The royals could string along security for days before they’d get too suspicious about his absence. The only person that might get him out was Jenna. And that involved her returning to Mars with news of how she’d been abducted. Security Corps would issue a warrant for Elora Grayson then.

Then they might launch an investigation to find him, though when they realized how much time had passed since their last contact, they’d know they had little chance of finding him. Especially if Lorne got rid of him. Death wasn’t necessary. They could throw him on a freighter bound for the edge of the Empire.

Part of him wondered when they’d get around to thinking about that. The clock was ticking, and if something didn’t happen soon, his life would be forfeit. Even if he didn’t die.

Chapter 6

Sam left the medical chamber where Shep remained asleep. Elora stayed with her, promising to remain in her presence until they stabilized her vitals. The ship already left orbit, and they’d left the system. It was time to talk to Mel about her part in the situation, and why she’d thrown in with them to such a degree.

He found her on the bridge, going through several statistics rushing across a scan screen. She didn’t acknowledge his presence, even as he sat beside her and cleared his throat.

“We need to talk,” Sam said. “Because I need to understand why you’re doing this, and what’s going on.”

“I told you, I made a promise.”

“And I made it clear this is above and beyond the call of duty.” Sam leaned toward her. “Hey… what happened to push you to help us like this? You risked your life… shot security people… survived an explosion… got us through the streets of that place all for… what? You have a family!”

“Had,” Mel corrected. “My son’s gone.”

“Wait, what? What do you mean?”

“When we were separated, they confirmed my identity. I got an apology. Then someone mentioned there was an urgent message that came through. Two days earlier, my son died. And while they called it an accident at the farm he was working, it was pretty clear he’d been killed by some criminal bastard. A Constance person.”

“Oh God…” Sam grimaced. “I’m so sorry. I… so you helped us… because you wanted… what? To get even with them?”

“You’re goddamn right!” Mel shouted. “I’ve been working for those people for practically nothin’, giving all my money over to him to keep him safe. He’d been working as an apprentice while attending school. If he had another few years, he would’ve been out of the colony business… but then…” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Anyway, that’s it.”

“I get it. But this…”

“It’s not that bad,” Mel replied. “Frankly, they don’t even technically know I did any of this. Other than the fact I didn’t report back to my duty post. They might put something together, think through it and cause us some trouble eventually. But I kind of doubt it. They have bigger problems. Like the fact several of their people were shot.”

“And that explosion,” Sam pointed out. “Whoever caused that must be someone they have to contend with.”

“Exactly.” Mel took a deep breath. “We should focus on what you want to do to get us out of this. I assume you have a plan.”

“First, just as a reminder, Security Corps is still after us. We’ve only shrugged off one of the groups that wants us dead or caught. So we have to be cautious about where we go in that regard. Second, Shep’s going to need some better gear to pull this off. Supposedly, this ship has some resources we can trade for that.”

“Yeah, I think so,” Mel said. “I saw some big ass crates in the cargo area. But we should be cautious. Check them for tracking devices or something. It wouldn’t be beneath the Constance assholes to play that kind of game.” She stood. “I’ll look through them, then we’ll set a course for… well, I don’t know yet.”

“Somewhere with decent tech,” Sam replied, “and a connection to the imperial network. Fast enough to be of use. We have to find a guy, and that’s not going to be easy no matter where we are.”

“Might mean we have to return to Terra Sector.” Mel hummed. “I wonder if we could get away with that. Maybe if your girlfriend can change the ID on this ship, give us a chance to blow through some imperial checkpoints. That would be a good start. But we have to wait for her to wake up to get her specific needs.”

“Right…”

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Mel asked. “Because if not, this is going to be a seriously short trip. We’ll have to go into hiding. And while I’m good with that, I don’t know how you two would feel. Especially the noble lady sitting in the medical room right now. I bet she’d like to get back to her palace.”

Elora said, “That’s hardly your concern.” She stepped onto the bridge, blocking the hallway. “I need some answers.”

“Slow down.” Sam held up his hands to placate her. “Mel’s a friend. She saved our lives when we crashed our ship.”

“She didn’t save me.” Elora’s eye twitched. “And now we’re following a course she set without our knowledge. Who are you bringing us to?”

“Why would I bother?” Mel shrugged. “No one would give me more money than Security Corps right now. And they are ready to pay out big according to this guy. You too since you’re accused of abducting a Board member.”

Elora shook her head. “That doesn’t fill me with much confidence about you.”

“I don’t give a shit,” Mel said, “you either trust me or you don’t. I saved your lives, and if you can’t see that, then I don’t have much sympathy. However, I promised this man right here that I’d help him and his friend. That’s what I’m doing. If you want to cause problems as a result, be my guest, but I won’t be accused by a little girl pretending to be a revolutionary.”

“Pretending…” Elora clenched her fists. “I’ll have you know I’ve put everything on the line for this! I’m helping our entire society and you think you can disparage me because… what? You’re some rough and tumble criminal? You’ve been around the galaxy more than me? I’ve got news for you, I’ve been training for the last several—”

“Stop.” Mel took a step closer. “First off, I ain’t a criminal. I worked a transmission tower. And yes, I know how to handle myself because I’ve been around, but that doesn’t make me the enemy. And whether or not you’ve been training doesn’t mean jack shit. You’re still a privileged little moron who thinks she can throw money around to save the universe.”

“It’s more than that!” Elora continued to shout, “and if you can’t see it, then I don’t know what to say!”

“How about,” Sam interrupted, “we all take a deep breath and calm down? This isn’t getting anyone anywhere. Elora, I trust Mel. And Mel, I think Elora’s got something to bring to the table. So let’s put our heads together to solve some problems rather than create more by yelling. Right now, we need to check those crates. Then, we find a destination.”

“Sure.” Elora nodded. “I’m going back to check on the patient.”

“Her name’s Shep,” Sam said. “Let’s please use that instead of patient. We don’t need to dehumanize or marginalize who she is.” He turned to Mel. “You and I can check the crates, maybe run a scanner throughout the ship to see if they installed a tracker elsewhere, yeah? Give us something to do while we wait.”

“Okay.” Mel gestured for him to lead the way. “After you.”

“How long will we be traveling?” Sam asked. He headed for the cargo area. “Do you have an ETA for our destination?”

“Six hours,” Mel said, “and I set a course for a remote as hell colony that doesn’t get much traffic. Somewhere that will be unlikely to have any ships waiting nor even decent satellites to pick us up on the outer edge of their system. That’ll give us everything we need to make a good choice, but still be close enough to civilization in case there’s trouble.”

“What kind of trouble are you worried about?”

“Ship issues. Engine problems. The power failing. God knows how good of shape this ship’s in. But we’re going to find out. I’ll get all the information we need, then we can prioritize what should be addressed, if anything. And afterward, we can try to relax ourselves. Sitting around in a cell couldn’t have been all that restful.”

“Shockingly, I fell asleep and didn’t do too badly.” Sam passed through the lounge into the cargo bay. It was freezing in there. “Why’s it so damn cold? What’s the point of that?”

“Climate control,” Mel said. “Crates that have to be warm have internal methods of maintaining a particular temperature. But otherwise, we tend to keep this area chilly. Not quite refrigerated though.”

“Might as well be,” Sam muttered. “I’m freezing in here!”

Ten crates occupied the middle of the floor. Mel scanned each one before turning back to Sam. “Constance didn’t try to screw us, so that’s a pleasant change. But since we’re alone, it’s time you come clean about a few things.”

“Excuse me?”

“What’re we doing? And how did you really get into this mess?”

Sam sighed. He sat on one of the crates, resting his elbows on his knees. “The more you know, the worse your trouble gets.”

“I’m up to my neck,” Mel said, “so just put the cards on the table already.”

“Fine, fine…” Sam held up his hands. “Do you know much about the nanoquads we all get as kids?”

“I mean, they help with all kinds of medical things. Probably why Shep will survive.”

“And identity? What do you know about how they work with that?”

“Not much.”

Sam nodded. “Okay, so identity theft is nearly impossible. No one can do it because the quads are hard coded when we first get them. I can’t just say I’m someone else, because a deep scan will prove I’m lying. Likewise, someone can’t decide to change their ID, even if they wanted to assume a brand-new one.”

“Right… prevents unauthorized travel too, then.”

“Yep, that too.” Sam smirked. “Though that’s the least of my problems in this case. Someone came up with a procedure to alter the quads in such a way that a person could change their identity. But it had some restrictions and requirements. If those were met, then the quads were modified, and for all intents and purposes, that person became someone else.”

“That sounds beyond illegal.”

“Oh, believe me, it is. Messing with quads is an executable offense. Doesn’t matter if you do it to your own or someone else’s, Security Corps comes down hard on people.”

“Okay…” Mel leaned forward. “What’s this got to do with you?”

“I did it.” Sam shrugged. “I found a person who helped me change my quads and when I woke up… he screwed me over, and Shep and I have been on the run ever since.”

“Whoa… time out. Why would you do it? What could possibly compel you to take the risk?”

“It was worse than you think,” Sam said. “Right out of school, I went to military training. At the end, I had the choice of taking deferment or serving my time right away. I figured I’d never get called in so I went with the former. I had no idea what was going on with the universe back then. I didn’t know about the Gorlans or any of that.”

“Let me guess,” Mel replied, “they did call you in.”

“Indeed. And I didn’t want to go because by then, I knew all about what happened on the frontier. I had no desire to be thrown away like trash so… I sought any way to get out of it. When all the legitimate methods failed, I was approached with this opportunity. I was supposed to be swapped with someone of equal standing.”

“Who were you before?”

“Doesn’t matter. What does matter though… is that I got screwed because he picked some freelancer guy who screwed over Constance to get the money for the procedure. The other guy became me, with my resources and yeah, the burden of joining the military. Where I… found myself in a shitty apartment with people gunning for me.”

“Wow.” Mel huffed. “You don’t have any resources because all of yours are with him… and he didn’t have anything. But why did it have to be that guy? Why screw you over?”

“Because it turns out you have to have similar features, builds, etc. If you don’t, then the process will kill the victims. And that’s something I didn’t know before he started, or I might’ve thought twice. Still, I did get out of military service. If I can solve these problems, then it might be fine.”

“How?”

“I still know how to play the market,” Sam replied, “and I can get the money back. I lost out on some family stuff, but I never was overly sentimental. I just didn’t want to die unnecessarily.”

“Then you nearly did. Over and over again trying to save yourself from this mess.”

Sam shrugged. “Yep. But I couldn’t have known all of this was going to happen. And now that I do, I need to focus on how to get out of it. Which means finding the person who changed the quads in the first place.”

Mel lifted her brows. “What’s that gonna do? You want to switch back?”

“No. I want to turn him over to Security Corps in exchange for letting Shep and I go.”

“Won’t they be a little curious about how it worked?” Mel asked. “And worse, how can they let you go if that’s something you did? They’ll want the other guy too. The one that exchanged with you. This whole thing has to be swept up or they’re going to have citizens trying to pull it off all over the place.”

“It’s a fairly complex process,” Sam said. “Anyway, I’m sure I can talk them down. Once they see what it can do. I’ll even offer them some blood samples to see the effects of it. Maybe we can commit to doing some jobs for them. But ultimately, I can paint myself a victim. Should get me somewhere.”

“You might want to think through this a little harder,” Mel replied. She paced away. “Maybe talk to the noble girl. She might have a better chance of getting you out of this when you bring them that crook. But if you can’t find him, you won’t have a bargaining chip, is that it?”

“Probably not.”

“Then tell the girl to vouch for you after saving her life. She’s gotta owe you that much.”

“Combined with the doctor… yes, I think that’ll work.”

Mel nodded. “Great. Then I guess you’ve got some kind of plan. And I know what we need to do. Right now, I’m going to scour the ship to make sure there’s not a tracker somewhere less obvious. And you… well, you can do whatever you want. There’s no work to bother with for the next few hours.”

“Thank you… I didn’t know how you’d respond to what I had to say, but thank you for not getting too judgmental.”

“About what?”

Sam cleared his throat. “Avoiding the military service the way I did.”

“I’d be a hypocrite if I did.”

Sam frowned. “How so?”

“My son.” Mel sighed. “I helped him stay out of service. It’s mandatory for people, as you found out. Even the wealthy ones. I pulled some strings, placed some bribes and did whatever it took… some unsavory things… to keep him from going.” She turned away. “And in the end, it didn’t matter.”

“Where’d he grow up?”

“All over,” Mel said. “And they still tracked us down. Not that I expected they wouldn’t. Or I guess… maybe I did. Maybe I was stupid and figured he was just one kid. Why’d they care about him? Sent a message straight to us both, telling him he had to report in a month. That gave me precious time to get the job done.”

“But you did…”

“Again, it didn’t matter. But yes. He got to die a different way than working for the Board. If only that made me feel better.”

“Is that why you went to work for Constance?” Sam asked. “Because you couldn’t imagine giving the Board anything after they put in the demand for your son?”

“Maybe. I didn’t think about it so clearly at the time, but I’m sure it had something to do with it. I sure as hell didn’t have any love for them. But hey, I got what I wanted.”

“What exactly did you have to do?”

Mel snorted. “If unsavory isn’t enough for you, then I guess you’ll have to live with disappointment because I sure as hell won’t be saying it out loud. And it also took nearly two weeks of running around to pull it off.”

“Did your son know?”

“Nope. I kept it from him. Good thing too. He had a lot of passion. Like his father. They were both the type of men that took things personal, even if it didn’t happen to them. Probably why my son ended up dead. I’m sure he got involved in some kind of bullying nonsense. Standing up to them, I mean. And then… well… numbers mean a lot.”

“If I can help you find some… some peace… I will. When this is over, you won’t have to go back to taking shit jobs. I’ll make sure of it.”

“And how exactly do you think you can say otherwise?”

“I told you, I can still play the market. I’ll have the resources for whatever we want to do. And I’ll set you up for life. Besides, I’m going to owe you big for all you’re doing right now.”

“You’re right.” Mel smiled. “You kinda will. And maybe I’ll take you up on that offer. But for now, we’d better see if we’ve got a future, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely.” Sam shivered. “Okay, I’m leaving this freezer. Finish those scans. I need a nap.”

***

Shep woke to her head throbbing. She felt like she’d slept too long. A heavy fog weighed her down, making her motions feel sluggish. Even flexing her fingers proved difficult. She opened her eyes, thankful for darkness. Only a dim glow from the floor illuminated the room.

“Hello?” Shep’s voice croaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Hello? Can someone hear me?”

“Hey.” Elora appeared above her. “I’m right here. How’re you feeling? Are you okay?”

“That’s… probably not for me to say.” Shep squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, the room clarified. “I think I got hurt pretty bad.”

“Explosion,” Elora said, “you had some internal injuries but according to the medical scanner, everything’s mending well. Your quads are earning their keep today, I can tell you that.”

“Did I almost… was I close to…”

Elora nodded. “Yeah. You were. But don’t worry about it because it didn’t happen and you’re totally fine.”

“I’m thirsty.”

“Oh! I’ll get you something.” Elora disappeared. She came back a moment later with a metal bottle. “Take it slow at first. Just wet your throat.”

“Don’t worry.” Shep took two sips then gave it back. “Why do I feel so groggy? So… freakin’ exhausted?”

“Head trauma will do that.”

“Brain damage?”

“None that wasn’t there before.”

Shep glared at her.

“Okay, I’m sorry I joked. No, you’re good.”

“Thank you. Where’s Sam?”

Elora jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. “I think he went to get some rest himself. I didn’t think he’d try to sleep again after conking out in that cell for so long, but stress and all. Do you want me to get him?”

“Soon,” Shep said, “first, I want to know where we’re going?”

“Still in transit after we left the planet. Mel pointed us to some quiet settlement that wouldn’t have any ships we’d have to worry about. From there, we’ll pick wherever we have to for some equipment you need. I guess you’ve got to get some computer stuff? For whatever we’re about to do?”

Shep nodded. “Yes… I’ll try to make a list for Mel soon. We’re looking for a person. When we find them, Sam and I can negotiate ourselves out of prison or a death sentence. Or we can give you the guy and you can get us out of it. I don’t care which, but I’d like to avoid prison or being killed. If at all possible.”

“I’ll do everything I can to help you,” Elora said. “I would even be willing to take you back to my estate on Earth but… I’m afraid I might already be in trouble with Security Corps.”

“Because of the other lady?”

“Jenna… yeah. I have a feeling she reported me immediately upon leaving Constance.”

“So you two were friends?”

“When we were in school. I know I took her without asking, I kept her sort of hostage, but… I genuinely believed she’d see the right side of what we were doing. And if we could’ve talked to the Claytons… she might’ve come around. I just wanted someone powerful from the Board on my side there. And I knew in my heart she was the right one.”

“I mean… abducting her probably wasn’t the best way to get it done.”

“You don’t think I know that? I just thought… maybe she could be calm long enough to listen to reason, but she just kept falling back to the rules. She really did go a long way from the person I knew. Or at least, she lost any sense of idealism she might’ve had to begin with. I can’t think of anything much worse honestly.”

“Why didn’t you talk to her before you took her away?”

“I didn’t want her around that Messini guy. Prince Lorne had plans for him, and I thought she needed to be as far away from their plotting as possible. Jenna might’ve figured it all out too soon. Then she would’ve ended up in a cell. Instead, I thought she might come with me and help us get the Talmar on our side.”

“Got it. And instead, she’s probably told the authorities who are looking for at least you.”

“And the others I mentioned as well, yeah. It all depend on how far she got. Maybe she changed her mind too. It’s possible.”

Oh, I doubt it. Shep didn’t necessarily want to rain on the girl’s parade, but chances were good no one would be okay with abduction no matter what evidence was put before them. Maybe in streams, it might be different. The nobles likely lived in a different world entirely.

One where words got them what they wanted regardless of how stupid they behaved.

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” Shep said. “And get you out of this mess too. We may have different reasons for being in trouble with the law, but the results of our efforts should be enough to get us all out of it. Providing we get that gear. I really should wake up Sam so we can get to the work. You think I can stand yet?”

“Not quite. Vitals are stabilizing.” Elora cleared her throat. “Maybe before we get Sam, you can tell me how you got involved in all of this? Like… what specifically.”

“That’s a story,” Shep said. She flexed her fingers again. They felt a little better, but still not great. The leaden sensation in her legs was lifting though. “I guess I can catch you up while I let the rest of my body wake up. Grab me some more of that water… and strap in. It’s been an insane ride so far.”

Chapter 7

Aldo briefed his people on the assignment, though he didn’t have much beyond a map of the ship. They studied it together, came up with a few ideas of how to navigate the thing in the event of being separated, but most of it came down to knowing they had zero clue about what to expect.

None of them believed the notion they would find it abandoned. Something had to be aboard. And the only good news was they’d have the equipment to face the threats. Though Ellie made a good point that they should be sending over a full battle force. Just to be on the safe side.

“If,” Cully said, “they have the same gear to protect themselves. Without it, they’ll be cannon fodder. Better to leave them aboard their respective ships than risk their lives.”

Aldo replied, “We can form a command center in the hangar. Build up enough of a force to give us some backup in the event we need it. With enough concentrated fire, it wouldn’t matter if they had the best equipment. Anyway, that’s not our problem as much as finding the information we need.”

Ellie pursed her lips before speaking. “Let me get this straight. The plan is we’re going to board what we think is a derelict Gorlan ship to find out a little more about them. And in that process, we’re going to explore this massive vessel to see…” She shrugged. “I don’t even know what. Can you explain?”

Aldo nodded. “We don’t know the origin of these aliens. The hope is we can acquire information about where they come from. They clearly know how to find our settlements. It would be nice to find some of theirs.”

“Then what?” Cully asked. “What’s the plan?”

“Maybe hit them where they live.” Aldo shrugged. “Or try to negotiate with them. There must be some of them that are willing to talk. Whatever we’re encountering now… it doesn’t make a lot of sense that they never want to communicate with us. They turn up, attack, and leave? What’s that? We need to understand their tactics.”

Ellie replied, “I can get behind attacking them at home. Makes sense. But do you really think we’ll find that data on an old ship? The information has to be seriously out of date.”

“Um,” Cully turned to her, “what do you think someone would find on a two-hundred-year-old human vessel? It’s not like we moved Earth.”

Ellie’s cheeks turned red. “Okay, I mean, that’s a good point and all. I guess I was thinking about defenses, fleet movements, that kind of thing.”

“Random,” Aldo said. “At least, that’s what it looks like since they hit our facilities out of the blue for no reason. Talmar and human.”

“We going alone?” Cully asked.

“No.” Aldo sighed. He didn’t want to talk about the additional people he’d been assigned. “We’ve got two more people in addition to Voldal.”

Ellie scowled. “Then where the hell are they? Why are they getting a separate briefing?”

“Because,” Aldo said, “you two, I wanted to give a private moment to in case you had some complaints. You could voice them freely.” And I don’t want to spend any more time with Deter than I have to. “The other guy, Sergeant Mac Jefferson will be along. He understands their tech. And then we’ve got Lieutenant Deter Rollins. Either of you know him?”

They shook their heads no.

Thank God.

“We have Voldal,” Ellie said. “We don’t need this Mac guy, right?”

“He’s with us.” Aldo met her gaze. Though I do agree. I’d rather not have either of them. I’m sure there are other people available too. “It was an assignment, and that’s pretty much the end of it. But I get where you’re coming from. Anyway, right now, Mac’s working with Avris on translating the Gorlan information we have.”

Cully added, “Doesn’t hurt to have some redundancy anyway. Voldal will understand. What’s the deal with Lieutenant Rollins? He just some infantry guy from the Olympus?”

“Pretty much.” Aldo nodded. I don’t want to talk about what he did before. They can’t go rooting around for old reports. He wondered if his picture had been associated or uploaded to the system during that situation. I have a feeling Deter didn’t allow me to figure prominently in that thing, since they screwed me out of the fee.

“So…” Cully waved his hand at Aldo. “What’s that mean for command structure?”

Shit. I thought it was obvious. Deter would be in charge of everyone under me. Maybe I don’t understand the normal structure. Which doesn’t bode well. Nor does it work entirely for what I’m doing. Aldo cleared his throat. “Uh… I don’t follow. I feel like this is a trick question or something.”

“Do I report to you?” Cully asked. “Or this Deter guy?”

“Me,” Aldo said. “Right?”

Ellie laughed. “Seriously, Captain?”

“Guys…” Aldo’s shoulders slumped. “You know I’m new to this. Just help me out.”

“He,” Ellie pointed at Cully, “is your sergeant. So unless you turn over command structure to this lieutenant, he’d be a visiting officer. Yes, we’d have to follow his orders, but you can lay down the ground rules on what that means. And I’d say we should probably have him as a backup rather than… you know… directly in charge.”

“That makes sense to me.” Aldo turned to Cully. “Do you agree with that? Or…”

“It’s perfectly fine. I don’t want to take orders from a stranger. And we won’t have time to get to know each other well. Frankly, this NRR nonsense is causing me some heartburn. It would be nice to establish a unit, practice and train with it, get to be the best we can be, then run with it from there.”

“I get it.” Aldo nodded. “And when we have the chance to do so, I’ll push for it. Right now, we’re going to focus on the task at hand. Investigate the ship, and make it out of there alive. Anything else is just a bonus.” He looked between them both. “You have any other concerns?”

Ellie lifted her hand. “Do you have history with Lieutenant Rollins?”

Aldo’s brows shot up. “Why would you ask?”

“The way you talked about him before,” Ellie said, “it just seems like you must have known him. Or at least you’ve got some opinions already. What did he do to give you an impression already? I’m super curious. Or is he just an idiot? Because it doesn’t take long to figure out officers are dumb. Uh… present company excluded.”

“Interesting ramble,” Aldo replied. “How many enlisted personnel feel that way?”

“A lot.” Cully and Ellie spoke in unison.

“Good to know. I’m sure you just gave away a secret you weren’t supposed to share, right?”

Cully shrugged. “Moving to something far more important, do you trust this man to go along with us?”

No. Aldo thought. Not after the way I saw him conduct himself at the Branch Office. He’s a hotheaded idiot, and I know this is going to go poorly if we’re forced to endure him. But that wasn’t his call. Risler made it clear he needed to come to terms with him and get on with his life.

“Well enough,” Aldo said. “I mean, he’s an unknown quantity but that shouldn’t matter. We’re all soldiers, and we’ll have each other’s backs. Just a matter of getting out there, doing our jobs to the best of our abilities, then getting home. So we focus on our efforts to do the right thing.”

“Stealing data,” Ellie replied. “Piece of cake.”

“Investigating,” Aldo corrected.

Cully said, “She likes to feel like a villain once in a while. When do we get our hands on the better equipment? And how hard is it going to be to get used to it? Because I don’t want to try running around in brand-new armor.”

“Supposed to be the same,” Aldo replied. “So there won’t be any adjustments.”

Ellie laughed. “Yeah… no.”

“What?” Aldo asked.

“Just…” Ellie shrugged. “We’ve heard that before, sir. The people who tell us that kind of thing rarely have a clue what they’re talking about.”

“Okay, I’ll see about getting our hands on something before we have to depart.” Aldo gestured to them both. “But are you guys okay otherwise? Any other concerns?”

“Millions,” Cully said, “but none we can solve so…”

Aldo smirked. “I guess that’s fair. Do you ever feel prepared?”

“Nah.” Ellie waved her hand. “It would be impossible. Intelligence isn’t good enough to make you feel comfortable with an operation. Though honestly, I don’t trust ops where we have too much information either. You haven’t experienced that with us before. Not yet at least. But those are stressful.”

“Yep,” Cully agreed. “Gives a soldier way more to think about than is necessary.”

“Okay, okay.” Aldo gestured at the door. “I’ll find out where some of this gear is stored so we can try it on before we get to our destination. We’ll meet up with the rest of our team just before we depart for the mission and see what happens from there. Like proper… confused… people. Or whatever.”

“Don’t forget,” Cully said, “to talk to someone about sending over enough of a force to secure a hangar or something.”

“I won’t.” Aldo waved. “Let me know if you come up with any other concerns.”

It wouldn’t be too difficult to convince them not to trust Deter. Get him thrown off the team before we even have to give it a go. Aldo bit his tongue as he left the room. No, that’s an issue I’ll have to contend with on my own. Keep the man busy throughout the operation so he doesn’t get too curious.

But there was a chance Deter didn’t even wonder about Aldo. No more than he already had during their initial conversation. I might have sold him on my lies. He could believe that I look like someone he’s known. If only I had it in me to believe it, I might not be freaking out so much.

The operation they faced carried enough danger without an external point of contention. I wish I could be honest with Risler. Let her know what I did. The very thought of doing so made him sick to his stomach. I can’t share this burden with anyone. They don’t need to know anyway.

Aldo knew what they’d be forced to do. He’d find himself in a cell awaiting a trial. The authorities may even turn to his unit, wondering if they knew. Revealing himself carried the threat of casting a light on everyone who did him a solid since he joined the military, even Captain Risler.

After all, she’d elevated him to a role in the NRR, then gave him a field promotion. It wouldn’t be hard to draw a parallel if someone tried. So the only thing he could do was keep his mouth shut, pray Deter let it go, and move on. There was only one saving grace about the whole affair.

They’d be wearing helmets when they went on the mission, meaning Deter wouldn’t have the opportunity to scrutinize him too much. It might not seem like much, but it did offer some anonymity. A small thing that could very well save him and many others from a great deal of unpleasantness.

I made a serious mistake. Aldo felt so good about his position in the military, he sometimes forgot he’d only made it there through fraud. If only there would’ve been a way I could have done this without working with Knowles. Or screwing over Shep and the person he took the identity of.

I have a serious karmic debt to pay. Deter’s arrival on the Arden proved it was about time to collect. And he had no way to settle the account.

***

Risler stood as the ship arrived at their destination. Scans came online moments later. The screen came to life, providing a wide view of the space dead ahead. Three planets occupied the area, none of which were considered habitable. No explorer had been so far away from the imperial border.

Their target floated some million kilometers away, a massive vessel bigger than the largest imperial space station. While it had a great deal in common with the smaller Gorlan ships they encountered in the past, this one could have easily transported several of them. As the silhouette appeared on the tactical screen, the weapon systems followed.

If those guns had power, they could annihilate one of our worlds. Potentially the entire thing, not just scorch the surface. There better not be another one of those out there somewhere.

“Get me Adrian on the line,” Risler ordered. “Darius, where’s Avris?”

“On the way,” Darius said. “He’s been busy, apparently.”

“Should’ve been up here already. We called him before we arrived.” Risler stepped over to Lee. “I want a full scan of that vessel. Power settings, life forms, anything you can get at all. Before I send people over, we need as much data as we can get. Focus on anything that changes between now and the next time I ask.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

If we trigger a safety feature, some defensive routine, we might be in trouble. Derelict could turn into a vessel in hibernation mode. Some of their own satellites turned on military vessels. An abandoned colony required an operation to collect some technology left behind. The weapons came online, nearly ending the mission prematurely.

Why would this be left to rot though? They’d march through our defenses without breaking a sweat.

Lee announced, “The ship is on low power mode, ma’am. A basic level of life support seems to be on. Penetrating the hull for specifics might take time. I’ll need Avris to help with that. The Olympus reports the same. An entry point seems to be… there.” A circle appeared on the ship. “That is a hangar we can land on.”

“It’s open?” Darius asked. “That seems odd.”

“We have the code to open it, sir.” Lee turned back to his screen. “The Olympus states we should have access codes for their computer systems as well. When we find an appropriate terminal, we can access the data.”

“True!” Avris shouted as he entered. “My apologies for being tardy. I’ve been busy. We have rigged together a transmission device to send the data back to multiple computers. Such information may not come directly here, but whatever ships we land on the vessel will collect them and relay what they have back.”

“Okay.” Risler nodded. “That sounds good.” She stepped closer to her chair. “Adrian, I hope you’ve been listening in?”

“Yep,” Adrian replied. “And we’ve got our ships ready to provide support for your team. I guess we’re still going with the small scout squad?”

“Better than having a massive army traipsing around the place,” Risler said. “Fewer opportunities to trigger traps or whatever else might have been left behind. And since we can’t get a scan of what’s inside, we may need them to take down an enemy combat force. Or defenses. Anything to be a distraction.”

Adrian hummed. “Soldiers love it when that’s what they’re called. Just let me know when we’re ready to send them and we’ll get underway.”

Avris asked, “Did anyone find a defensive unit flying around the Gorlan vessel? Or anything else in the system? On one of the planets perhaps?”

“No,” Lee said, “they’re totally dead, sir. There’s nothing on those worlds.”

“But were they alive?” Avris asked. “I’m asking because I want to know why that massive vessel is here in the first place. It shouldn’t be, you know. That’s a flagship, not some random bit of tech to leave floating around.”

“Good point,” Darius said. “Let’s focus on the planets for a minute. Maybe we’ll find something of value. A little context goes a long way to knowing what we might expect from the ship itself.”

“Meanwhile,” Risler added, “I want a shuttle out there. Set up some satellites for better scans and comms. We’re setting up a beachhead of sorts here. Best if we treat it like a proper combat mission.”

Adrian replied, “I’ll get that going right now. I’ve got some defensive satellites to bust out too. In case it somehow calls for help. We’ll need something to buy us some time evacuate our people and escape this place.”

“Alright.” Risler returned to her seat. She tapped the comm. “Aldo, you and your team will be clear to depart in the next forty minutes or so. Now’s the time for any last minute preparations.”

“Larger force ready?” Aldo asked.

“Yep, boarded and good to go. They’ll coordinate with you as they take the hangar and lock it down. You know what to do from there. Exploration time.” And if we have so many people in position, I can send out other scout parties if things aren’t going fast enough. Though she had every faith in Aldo’s team.

If anyone had it in them to root around an unknown facility, it would be them. The Talmar station proved a solid enough test. What they were about to do would make history. The first humans to set foot on a Gorlan vessel. Their efforts might well carry the added benefit of bringing about the end of the alien threat.

What they do here might save the Empire. They’ll certainly be honored for that.

“Planetary scans…” Lee sighed. “We’ll need those satellites. There’s a lot of interference coming from them. A lot of radiation from the nearby star. Whatever the case, I’ll need some time to process it. If you can give it to me, then I’ll paint a real picture. But… I’m guessing we have to hurry.”

Darius said, “The longer we’re here, the greater the chance one of them will show up.”

“Understood, sir.” Lee got back to work.

Chilling reality. Risler took a deep breath. But if they aren’t defending it, they must not think we’d ever find it. Or it holds no value to them. There was every possibility that the databanks would be empty. She steeled herself for the operation to be a waste of time. But if not… then Darius is right about hurrying.

Once they got what they needed and everyone was back aboard, they could risk extending their stay for research. Until then, the operational objective had to come first.

***

Aldo stood on the shuttle waiting for it to depart. The armor they were given proved to be as comfortable as promised. The modifications came down to how the plates inside functioned, granting them additional protection against Gorlan weapons through countering the common frequencies of the beam attacks.

Stress from those assaults still had the ability to kill, but they were given three to four hits instead of two. That was more than enough when compared to what they dealt with before. Aldo felt confident they could handle any hostile engagements aboard the ship, though it did turn out there wasn’t enough for everyone going.

Many of the forces meant to hold down the hangar would not have the advantage. Their weapons were ready to go. The Olympus managed to convert several of their guns ahead of time. The next generation promised to be more efficient, and safer all around. There was a chance for failure with the original updated versions.

The others mingled nearby. Cully and Ellie spoke with the new folks, which suited Aldo. He didn’t have to worry about interacting with Deter. He wore his helmet with the fib that he wanted to get used to a HUD upgrade. Voldal leaned against the wall near him, staring at his device.

Voldal hadn’t spoken much since they the Talmar settlement behind, effectively dooming a large number of civilians. His niece had been saved, but she was a lucky one. Many of the others didn’t stand a chance against the force that darkened their skies. They were likely already gone.

I can’t imagine what he thinks of us. Both Avris and Voldal knew about the way the Olympus used the colony to draw out the Gorlans. They were keenly aware of the fact their people had been sacrificed to test technology. Whether or not they’d tell their commanding authorities was another story.

If they did, it might prevent a union. If they did not, how would they live with themselves? And they weren’t the only people who needed to remain quiet. Those they saved from the surface knew the story as well. Aldo figured they had no obligation to keep their mouths shut either.

Frankly, he believed the Empire should have taken account for their actions. What that meant, he wasn’t sure. Reparations seemed likely, though would they be enough to placate the Talmar people? Aldo wanted to ask Voldal about it, get his take on the situation. Even when they didn’t have an operation on the horizon, he couldn’t find a way to bring it up.

“They’re landing,” Ellie said. Her voice broke Aldo out of his reverie. “First three ships have entered the hangar.”

Aldo replied, “The codes worked. That’s good news. It’s time we launch, guys. Everyone strap in.” He took a seat beside Voldal. Once the others were in position, the pilot closed the ramp and fired up the engines. “Hey…” He nudged the Talmar. “How’re you doing? You want to talk about anything before we get there?”

“No.” Voldal didn’t look up.

“You sure?”

“Why would I not be?” Voldal turned to him. “Why is your helmet on again?”

“HUD,” Aldo replied. “Um… just… checking.” He sighed, then pulled it off. Deter sat at the back of the ship on the opposite side of the aisle. It was dark in there so he probably couldn’t get a good look anyway. “Sorry.”

“Is there something you need to talk about?” Voldal asked. “And before you say no, are you sure?”

No, but I can’t confide in anyone about this. “I’m good.” Aldo shrugged. “A little nervous about this one. After we saw what the Gorlans could do on that planet… another encounter doesn’t make me all that confident. But I’m sure we’ve got this. Better gear, an ancient ship… what could technically go wrong?”

“Everything,” Voldal said. “From the destruction of the vessel to the awakening of dozens of soldiers to defensive positions we can’t crack. I imagine the Gorlans have left behind something to ensure their safety. Others must have found this vessel in the past and attempted to gain entry.”

“But we have data about it,” Aldo replied. “Good intel.”

“Advantages.” Voldal nodded. “But nothing is certain, correct?”

I guess not. Aldo sighed. “You have a way of taking any optimism out of a situation.”

“Hope is good,” Voldal said. “But reality is better. We prepare for one and foster the other. I’ve always found that it’s easier to overcome fear and uncertainty if you count on it. Since both of those come from the unknown, and we’re about to enter the most profound version of that, I believe we are doing the right thing by accepting a little pessimism.”

Dark, but he’s always seemed like a bit of a brooder.

“No argument from me, I guess.” Aldo settled into his seat. The shuttle had long since departed the Arden, maneuvering toward the Gorlan vessel. In less than twenty minutes, we’ll be aboard a ship that no human has ever visited. The notion excited him, despite the fear. This is an impossible opportunity.

“Godspeed,” Risler’s voice piped through his earpiece. “Be safe. Don’t go for any heroics. Find what we need and get out of there. This has the potential to be a real cakewalk. I want you to do everything your power to make sure it stays that way.”

“No promises,” Aldo said, “but we’ll do our best.”

“Yeah…” Risler clicked her tongue twice. “Do better than that. And for God’s sake, bring everyone back alive. I don’t want any casualties today.”

That’s a hard promise to make and an even worse command. Aldo bit his tongue from replying. She embraced the optimism Voldal warned against. Or she just wants it so much she’s willing to sell it to me. “Understood, ma’am.” Any other reply would’ve sounded like more excuses or ways to cover himself in the event he failed.

But we won’t fail today. Aldo gripped his weapon tightly. This is all going to work out.

“Boarding in six minutes,” the pilot’s voice boomed through the cabin. “Prepare yourselves.”

Oh, I’m prepared. Aldo took a deep breath. Or at least I hope I am.

Chapter 8

Sarina felt the weight of their plight with every step. The shouts and cries of their potential attackers brought on a rush of adrenaline, one she struggled to keep under control. Shooting the charging man in the face barely registered. Let alone why the person came at them or how so many people had been driven mad.

The passage they needed was a good hundred yards away. Driving Nate along with her slowed the process, only because she knew she could pick up the pace if she didn’t have to keep track of him. Instead, the enemy forces closed, enough that a glance over her shoulder gave her a good view of their front line waving weapons while they dashed along.

Caden hadn’t caught up yet. He was still thirty yards behind her, and wouldn’t make it if he didn’t pick up the pace. The door loomed ahead with a stairway leading up just inside. She shoved Nate through the passage then stepped across the threshold before turning to aim her weapon.

“Hurry!” Sarina shouted. She fired her weapon three times, keeping the shots low. The idea was to create obstructions, to slow the whole crowd if only by a tiny amount. Those she hit went down, but they were immediately trampled, consumed by the mob without so much as causing any of them to trip. “Seriously! Go!”

“I’m almost there!” Caden put on a burst of speed. He shouted, “Now, Jenna! Do it!” They were so close on him, one might’ve been able to lunge forward to knock him down. But he hopped through the door. Sarina yanked her arm back as the door slid shut behind him. A hand was severed as one of the people tried to grab him.

“Christ!” Sarina gestured. “Look at… wow. They really are completely insane!”

“No doubt.” Caden bent at the waist, struggling to catch his breath. “But they won’t be a problem anymore.”

“You sure?” Sarina asked. “All they have to do is—”

“Jenna took care of it.” Caden gestured. “Lead the way. Get us to that office.”

“Okay…” Sarina frowned. “Let’s go, Nate.”

“Pretty sick,” Nate said, “what you just did.”

Caden shrugged. “Better them than us. And they were beyond help.”

“You know that for sure?” Nate asked.

“Nope. But they were beyond our help.” Cade took up the rear. “Now get moving.”

I think I missed what he had Jenna do. Sarina started up the stairs. She held Nate tightly as they went. I’m sure he knew what he was doing. He was certainly right that they weren’t equipped to help those people. She didn’t recognize their outfits either. They weren’t Security Corps issued.

Maybe prisoners. The Borealis cells held quite a few individuals. They got out during the fighting. We have to get the information from the security terminal. I want to know what happened here.

“He’s crazy,” Nate muttered, “you catching on?”

“Just be quiet,” Sarina said.

“I won’t,” Nate continued, “and I think you know it. He doesn’t care about Helmut. He’s only in this to cover his own ass about Borealis.”

“If he wanted to do that,” Sarina replied, “he could destroy the station, we could leave, and pretend we didn’t come back.”

“That means he’d have to kill you and the girl.” Nate hummed. “Pretty sure you’re expendable, darling.”

“Keep talking and you’ll be expendable.” They reached the landing. Sarina shoved him toward the next flight of stairs. “Stay ahead of me and keep your trap shut. I don’t need to hear it from you.”

“You’ll come talking to me soon enough,” Nate said. “When you need me.”

Not likely. Sarina glanced back at Caden. He remained at the bottom of the other stairs. She slowed her progress to give him a chance to catch up. Don’t make me nervous. She didn’t want to doubt him. The guy talking to me is a criminal and a piece of shit. Trust your partner, for God’s sake!

They needed a moment to chat. When we get to the office. She’d talk about her concerns then. If I can even articulate them in a meaningful way.

***

Jenna’s hand hovered over the panel to turn off the containment field. The idea terrified her. The ship’s magnetics would keep her steady, but plenty of equipment, debris, and probably people would be sucked out into space. She tapped her foot in anticipation, her mind lingering on exactly what she was asked to do.

This is crazy. Jenna had no idea how many people pursued Caden and Sarina. It had to be a lot if she was being asked to do something extreme. Are they in immediate danger? She’d already tried to gain access to cameras throughout the hallways, but most of them had been damaged. Only the upper levels seemed functional.

“Get ready,” Caden’s voice piped through the speakers, “we’re almost there.”

Great. Jenna’s heart throbbed in her chest. What am I about to do?

“I’m good,” Jenna muttered. “Just… whatever this is… you’ll explain, right?”

Caden didn’t respond.

He was breathing kinda heavy when he spoke a moment ago. They’re running. This is awful.

“Now, Jenna! Do it!”

Jenna hit the panel without thinking. She slammed her hand into it so hard, it made her fingers ache. Clenching into a fist, she winced as all the debris across the hangar deck flew into space in seconds. Bodies followed. Half a dozen tumbling through the door before disappearing into the void.

She had no idea how many made it before they somehow dislodged the crate stuck in the door. How it had been stuck so well was beyond her. But once it moved, the door slammed shut. A quick scan proved it wasn’t opening again without a torch or some kind of override code. Neither of which Jenna possessed.

The hangar itself had been swept clean. Nothing remained except for her ship. Jenna engaged the forcefield again. Oxygen levels went back to normal, though radiation remained at dangerous levels. She slumped in her seat, sweat soaking her face and chest. I killed dozens of people just now.

Their tumbling bodies filled her mind when she closed her eyes. They flailed, likely screaming as they went straight to their horrifying ends. I didn’t have a choice. They were going to kill Sarina, Caden, and Nate. But that didn’t salve her feelings. Not when she grasped her part in the situation.

They were crazy, Jenna thought. So contaminated by radiation, they’d never be the same. It was a mercy killing. I didn’t have a choice. Even if I could’ve decided, I didn’t have options. Each of those people… they were already dead. I just finished them off. Remember, it was mercy. You gave them peace.

Through the vacuum of space.

“Hey,” Caden’s voice made her jump, “you okay?”

“No…” Jenna cleared her throat to keep from trembling. “No, I don’t think I am.”

“I’m sorry you had to do that,” Caden said, “but we didn’t have a choice. Those things were homicidal and insane. They had no concern for themselves or others.”

“If that’s true,” Jenna replied, “then why weren’t they hurting each other? Why did they charge as a group specifically after you?”

“Some kind of weird instinct,” Caden explained. “They were ill, probably felt some kind of kinship with the group, but we were invaders so they lashed out. I doubt they were doing anything at all before we arrived here. Did you turn on the forcefield again?”

“I did. Unfortunately, one of their bodies dislodged the crate holding the door. This hangar is locked down now.” Jenna wiped her face with the back of her sleeve. “I don’t know what to do about it. I can’t get it open. It’s totally locked down.”

“Got it.” Caden went silent for several moments. “We need to find another way to rendezvous. This also means there may still be some of those things alive on that deck. They might find their way to us still. I need you to continue looking for ways to access the Borealis security. Get eyes on the area.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Which isn’t much. Jenna understood the systems they used at the facility, but she didn’t have authorization. Without some high-ranking official’s codes, she could only impact basic functionality of the area. Even that was iffy. Shutting down the forcefield had been a shock.

Wait a minute. Jenna brought a prompt up for the computer. She put in a command to take control of the facility security systems. It asked for a reason. Compromised by criminals. We need to establish order.

“Working,” the computer’s voice chimed through the speakers, “please hold while I establish a connection.”

No way. Jenna leaned back. Okay, Elora. You spent some real money on this thing, I’ll grant you. If the Conclave wanted to conduct spy work, it made sense they’d have some security modules. Though I didn’t think they had access to anything like this. How did they come by it?

She had a lot of questions for her former friends, the type that would come out in their trials.

Of course, I can’t complain right at the moment. They may well make it possible for us to find the information for Caden.

The more she thought about it though, the less she believed they needed to board the Borealis station. Caden’s desire for information seemed obsessive, and an unnecessary risk. They weren’t equipped for an operation of any kind, let alone boarding a station without any idea of what they might be facing.

We did it anyway. Staying alive became Jenna’s top priority. And I’ll know if I’m doing that alone soon enough.

***

Caden checked his scanner. Random blips appeared around the area, then disappeared. Interference from the contamination made the thing pointless. He had no idea how long it would take the people who attacked them to recover from nearly being sucked into space or if they had the means to move about the station.

Would they hold a grudge or go back to standing around?

“Hold on,” Caden called. He caught up to Sarina at the top of the second flight of stairs. “We should be on the correct floor.”

Sarina nodded. “Just down the way, and we’ll be where Helmut worked.”

“This is a bad idea,” Nate said. “You have no idea who’s still alive up here. They’re likely armed, and we can’t exactly take them.”

Caden replied, “You aren’t doing anything. Enjoy the ride. Your last chance to walk around outside a cell or prison yard.” He put his scanner back on his belt then held his weapon at the ready. “This seems like a reasonable place to avoid those things. Anyone sane might still be here.”

“Hey…” Sarina turned to Caden. “About what happened… about this situation… do you think… maybe we shouldn’t have boarded the station? Seems to me we could’ve done just as well with a quick scan then returned home. We’ve got the means to get there.”

Caden looked at her for a moment before returning his attention to the hallway ahead. “What’re you suggesting?”

“We could just go. Get back to the ship, head home, and let everyone know about Helmut there.”

“No.” Caden shook his head. “No, I’m bringing back solid evidence against that piece of shit. And if we find a way to track him down, he’s coming with us. Nate knows what I’m talking about. Borealis cost a lot. The people behind it are going to look for anyone to pin the destruction on. Right now, that’s us.”

“Him.” Sarina jerked her head at Nate. “Not us.”

“Be that as it may, we need the real architect. They won’t go after people needlessly if they have the person directly responsible. And Constance, of course. We’re hitting them too. A real case. We can finally take them down once and for all. Which might be worth all this in the long run.”

Nate laughed. “You’re just as much of an idiot as you’ve always been if you think you’re taking down Constance. They’ve got their hands in every cookie jar, and plenty of high-ranking personnel are in bed with them. No one wants that to come out. You used to know how scandal looked… and why people refuse to court it.”

“They won’t have a choice,” Caden said. “I’ve been trying to find a fool proof way to get at those criminals and this is it.”

“Maybe he’s right,” Sarina replied. “There’s a chance we’re—”

A gunshot rang out, a projectile thrower this time. Caden shoved Sarina into the wall. Nate dropped into a crouch. He saw the muzzle flash come from near their destination. He fired back, advancing as he did. After the fifth shot, he paused. A head peeked out. He pulled the trigger again, scoring a hit to the forehead.

“One down,” Caden called out. He dropped the magazine and reloaded. “Advancing. Cover me on the left.”

Sarina hurried after him, sliding to a halt beside the door. Caden reached her, took a quick breath, then hustled past the opening. No one shot at him, but he swore he saw movement inside. The scanner still didn’t show anything.

“At least one,” Caden said, “maybe two.”

“How do you want to clear it?” Sarina asked. “Without grenades, it’s a risky proposition to get in there.”

Caden bounced on the balls of his feet. They didn’t shoot at me when I crossed the way. The question was whether he wanted to take the gamble. “Let me look.” He glanced in then pulled back.

An upturned sofa occupied the middle of the room. The desk had also been flipped on its side. If someone was hiding, they were likely behind it. Decor littered the floor as well, some in pieces. The lights were strong though, which couldn’t be said of much of the rest of the station.

Screw it. Caden slipped into the room, dropping into a crouch. He kept his weapon aimed at the desk. He made it five paces before someone poked a weapon over the desk and opened fire.

Their shots went wide, slapping the wall off to the left. Caden shot at them, narrowly missing their hand. As they pulled back, he picked up the pace, coming around the table to aim at them.

“Freeze!” Caden shouted. The woman pressed her back to the table. She was filthy but didn’t have any of the burns of the people in the lower level. Her matted hair clung to her sweat soaked face. She widened her eyes, bringing her weapon around. Before she could aim, Caden shot her twice. “Damn it!”

“You okay?” Sarina joined him. She stared at the body for a moment. “Whoa…”

“I told her to freeze! I had her dead to rights, and she…” Caden sighed. “Damn it. Get on the terminal. Start collecting the information. I’m getting Nate.” He headed into the hallway.

Nate was gone.

“Of course!”

Sarina asked, “Did he run off?”

“Yep.”

“I’m sure we can find him again easily enough. There’s nowhere to go on this tub.”

“But he’ll try to find it.” Caden stepped back inside. He reached out to Jenna. “Hey, can you hear me on this channel? We’ve got plenty of problems, I’m hoping you’ve got a solution or two.”

“What’s going on?” Jenna’s voice piped through static. “Are you hurt?”

“We’re uninjured,” Caden said, “but Nate’s gone. Did you find a place for us to rendezvous? We’re about to download what we need.”

“Not yet,” Jenna said. “Not that you could easily get to. Right now, I’m wondering if you should try to get on the surface of the station then just move into the ship from the outside. I can level the thing out easily enough. And I understand it’s not a big deal to travel through zero g. At least they always made it sound easy at school.”

I’m sure they did. When you rich assholes never had to try it for yourselves. Caden pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll take it under advisement. Keep looking for another way.” He turned to Sarina. “Well… we might be stuck here a little longer than anticipated.”

“Yeah?” Sarina nodded. “Well, at least the computer’s working. I’ll need you to put in your code to get us full access though.” She paused. “You don’t think Nate’s going to try to mess with the data core, do you?”

“Damn it! Yes. That would be his best bet.” Caden entered the code. “Get everything you can as quickly as possible.”

“I guess you’re going after him?”

“Yeah, I have to.” Caden headed for the door. “Keep your head on a swivel though. You’ll have to watch the door and grab the information at the same time.”

“No worries. I’ve got this under control.”

“I’m sorry…” Caden frowned. “This really is all my fault.”

“I understand why we’re doing it. And if we get the information—”

“We’ll talk about how you really feel later,” Caden interrupted. “Until then, trust me. This really is going to help us out.” If we get out alive. He had confidence in doing so before Nate ran off, before they had to find an alternative way to leave the station. Jenna will figure it out. But I can’t let Nate take out the data stores.

Caden left the room, moving swiftly back the way he came. He’ll be looking for the means to remove his cuffs first. Then, he’ll get down to the engineering section. Which meant moving past a section where the people turned feral. He’s got the protection so he’ll be moving fast.

The data storage units were four floors down, which would’ve taken a few minutes under normal circumstances. With half the place losing power, plenty of debris, and crazy people running around, all estimates were thrown out the window. The situation became dire, and it would only get worse before it got better.

Chapter 9

Sam followed Shep into the pub. She waved at him to give him some space, putting a good ten feet between them. The common room only had five tables. Three of them were occupied. Booths surrounded the rest of the room, nuzzling right up against the bar. All eyes fell on them, though they must not have been all that interesting.

How the hell are we supposed to know who we’re meeting here? Sam followed Shep’s lead, but he couldn’t imagine she knew what she was doing. Not after the countless times she mentioned she sat behind the screen. The other guy did this type of work, going to the sites, meeting with people.

And probably settling disagreements.

Shep paused, scanned the area, then turned hard left toward a booth where a man sat hunched over a drink. Long, stringy hair hung over his face. His clothes looked old, dirty and worn. If he happened to be her contact, he went deep undercover. Either that or he lied about having access to the equipment she needed.

Sam caught the guy looking in his direction, just a subtle sidelong glance. Shep must’ve caught it too. She didn’t hesitate nor slow down before sitting across from the man.

“Hi,” Shep said. “I think you’ve got something for me. I’d like to get it off your hands so we can all go home as quickly as possible.”

Shit, do I join her? Sam felt like a knob just standing there. He stepped closer, keeping an eye on the room.

“Who’s your friend?” The man’s deep voice came off as more of a raspy whisper, as if he spent too much time shouting in his life. “I don’t recall having an agreement to—”

“I wasn’t coming here alone,” Shep interrupted. “I’m not stupid. Just like you aren’t either. I know you’ve got some people posted around this room, probably outside too, because the stuff I asked for isn’t easy to get. Now, the question you have to ask is simple. Do you want a lot of money or do I got somewhere else?”

The man chuckled. “I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let’s fix that. My name is Garra. You’re Shep, yeah?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Garra extended his hand. Shep didn’t take it. “I guess it’s one-sided.”

“I didn’t come to make a friend,” Shep said. “I came to get the equipment we agreed upon. Now where is it?”

“Resources?”

“Waiting at the dock where we agreed.” Shep sighed. “I don’t know why we have to be so cagey about this. We’ve made a deal already. Can’t we just get it over with already? I’m sure you have better things to do.”

“You presume a lot about my time.” Garra leaned back finally. “Thing is, I do get plenty of action here. This settlement has people coming through here looking for favors all the time. Folks just like you, wanting illegal tech with a no questions asked policy. And while I’m generally glad to provide, I like to know what you need it for.”

“How’s that any of your business? Why would I tell you what I’m going to do with equipment that I shouldn’t have? You want me to just offer you my criminal record so it’s easier to blackmail me?”

Garra lifted his hands. “Lady…”

“No.” Shep tapped the table. “You wouldn’t treat a male customer like this, you’re not giving me this shit either. Do you not have the equipment? Because I can’t imagine why else you’d be playing games. Maybe you really are that bored. I don’t know. But we have places to be… and if you want to act like a fool, I do have my friend here to negotiate on my behalf.”

“I thought you could do it yourself,” Garra said. “That you were in charge.”

“We’re partners,” Shep replied. “And that means when one person starts to fail, the other steps up. But I don’t think you’ll like the way he deals with situations. He’s used to far rougher people than you.”

I am? Sam tried to look tough. He figured he looked like an idiot. She’s laying it on kind of thick. What the hell am I supposed to say if she turns to me? He never negotiated with criminals. Not openly at least. I suppose it’s just another business deal. I could try to approach it like that. But I don’t have much to sweeten any deal.

“You a hard man then?” Garra directed the question to Sam.

“Yes.” Sam nodded. “But not the way you think.” That didn’t come out right. God, I think I just… wow. I really am an idiot. “Just give her what she’s asking for so there won’t be trouble.”

Shep turned to him with wide eyes.

Shit. I said the wrong thing. Sam wondered if he wasn’t supposed to offer trouble. I guess I could see how that might cause a disagreement. I think I just threatened this man. And if he’s got friends around the bar, it could go badly. Fast. He tried to ascertain who might be working with Garra.

They all looked pretty much the same. Rough, bad clothes, armed… they were ready for action and dramatically outnumbered him. Even with Mel outside.

“Look…” Sam lifted his right hand to show he wasn’t going for a weapon. “We just want to make this happen. What’s it going to take?”

“An understanding,” Garra replied. “That when I ask for something, I get it.”

“We’re looking for someone,” Shep said. “And that’s as specific as I’m going to be.”

“I can help with hunting people down.” Garra smiled. “For a small fee.”

“No. I can find people too. And I don’t need you.” Shep leaned forward. “Are we done with the questions?”

“Not quite. Because you’re so untrusting, the price is about to go up.”

“That’s a shame,” Sam replied, “because we’re only paying what we agreed. We went out of our way to come here because your organization is trustworthy. Are you going to tarnish that reputation now?”

“I want to know,” Garra said, “and this is with all seriousness, are you going against Constance? Because that’s trouble I don’t need. They find out you got equipment from us…”

“No.” Shep shook her head. “No, we’re not. In fact, we just left the Constance colony, and we made an arrangement.”

Garra frowned. “If you’re working with them, then what do you need our stuff for?”

Sam sighed. “We didn’t say we’re working with them. We just made an arrangement. As in if we’re on anyone’s side… anyway, it won’t blow back on you, man. Christ, this is the hardest it’s ever been to spend some money. Now, either you take what we’ve got or you don’t, but we have places to be.”

“Alright, alright, Christ!” Garra shook his head. “You two are intense. Fine. We’ll make the deal. Your goods are at the dock in storage container six. You get down there, transfer the funds or show us where they are, you take possession. That simple.”

“It better be,” Shep said. “I don’t want to get down there and have this turn into a party. You don’t have a dozen guys waiting, do you?”

“Robbing you would be simple,” Garra replied. “But we have a reputation for a reason. We can’t go around doing that nonsense or someone would eventually talk. So keep your panties on.”

A woman grunted behind them. Sam turned, noting a man groping a lady in a booth. She struggled to get away from him, squirming while trying to plant an elbow. But her mauler proved too strong. He laughed, continuing to feel her up while the other men at his table laughed and pointed.

“You know them?” Sam asked.

Garra shook his head. “Nah. Just some out of world scum. Got no idea. You want to get down to the dock to finish up this deal?”

“In a minute.” Sam turned to intervene. Shep grabbed his arm. “Why don’t you go with Garra to finish our business? I won’t be a moment.”

“There are four of them,” Shep whispered, “and they don’t look like pushovers. All we have to do is walk away.”

“If you were that woman,” Sam said, “wouldn’t you want someone to intervene? Relax. I’ll catch up with you.”

“Let’s go.” Garra stood. “We can go out the backdoor. Let your friend be a hero.”

Sam tapped his comm. He whispered, “Mel, I might need some backup in here. If you wouldn’t mind closing on the door.”

“Sure,” Mel said, “they not going for the deal?”

“It’s not that. Something else. Call it… being a decent person.” Sam approached the table. “Hey!” He called. “Guys, would you mind letting her go?” She made eye contact with him. He couldn’t quite gauge whether she was upset or amused. “I don’t think she’s interested in what you’ve got to offer.”

The men at the table were burly. Each one wore a thick beard, along with matching long, dark gray coats. They were certainly armed, pistols bulging under their jackets, and they were just as filthy as Garra had been. While they may have been from off world, they blended in fast enough.

The victim wore a dingy white blouse with a black vest partially buttoned. Her tight trousers hugged her thin legs. She wasn’t armed, but she did have a gun belt without a holster on it. Her tall boots had seen better days. The chunky one-inch heel had been worn down, the tops scuffed down to white.

The big guy holding the woman let her go. “Tell him.”

“Money.” She held out her hand. “Now.”

Sam frowned. “You’ve gotta be kidding. This was… what? Some kind of ploy to find someone reasonable enough to stop you from abusing a woman in the middle of a bar? Why do you think a decent person’s going to have something to take?” He slid his hand closer to his weapon.

In response, all the men did the same.

Shit. This is going down in a moment.

“A fool and his money,” she said. “Just give us everything you’ve got. Including the gun while we’re at it. And maybe your jacket too.”

These are the worst garments I’ve ever seen let alone worn, and someone actually wants to steal them. Sam huffed. “I’m not giving you anything. But I’ll tell you what, we can just go our separate ways. You can keep up this strange attempt to rob someone, though I’m not sure how port security will—”

The guy who fondled the woman went for his gun. The others followed suit, though they must not have been prepared for the escalation because they started fumbling to get their coats open. The woman cursed, dropping down to the floor where she started groping for something under the table.

“Now!” Sam shouted as he pulled his weapon. He leveled it at the first man’s head, pulling the trigger. The gun barked in his hand, as blood splattered against the wall. The body slumped in the booth.

The woman spun, weapon at the ready. A shot from outside made her whole body jerk. Her eyes went wide, blood stained the front of her shirt, then she went still.

Others in the bar got to their feet, drawing weapons as well. Sam had no idea which side they’d be on, but when the shooting started between them, it became clear they were clearing up some rivalries.

Sam fell back, dropping low to avoid the random gunfire going on around them. The other three burly guys tried to file out of the booth. One of them took a shot to the shoulder. Another was shot in the chest. The third one fired at Sam, slapping the ground near his foot, close enough to make him slump to the floor, half under a table.

Blind shooting, he laid down several rounds in the direction of his opponent. That man stumbled for the door, blasting away in a wide arc. Some people started screaming near the bar. Glass exploded. A fire broke out a moment later. Someone started shouting about putting it out.

Sam crawled to his feet then went for the backdoor.

“You okay?” Mel shouted. “Can you even hear me?”

“Were you talking?” Sam asked. “I hadn’t noticed. I was kind of busy.”

“Yes, I was asking you what happened! All hell broke loose in there!”

Sam paused as he made the backdoor. He didn’t want to rush out without having a quick look. “Worst part is it was all a trick. Anyway, I’m heading out the back.” He opened the door, then glanced out. A shot hit the doorframe near his head. He slipped inside again, wincing. “Someone’s out there.”

“I’m on my way,” Mel said. “And you’re a real idiot, you know that? Don’t get involved in nonsense at these types of meetings! We have more important things to do than try to be heroes.”

Yeah, I know that now. Sam sighed. If that was real, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself had I let it go.

“Why is someone shooting at me through the back?” Sam asked. “They can’t possibly know it’s me.”

“They probably don’t give crap!” Mel sighed. “Where’s Shep? Is she okay?”

“She went back to the port with the contact.”

“Great, now she’s alone with some unknown quantity. Great job, Levine. I’m near the alley. Stay put.”

More gunfire erupted from outside. Bullets tapped the wall next to Sam. He faded back inside, but he didn’t want to expose himself to the common room. The fighting in there should’ve slowed down, considering there many people there to begin with. Yet the brawl seemed to escalate.

What is even happening? This place must be boring if there’s this much action.

“Shit,” Mel said, “you should probably look to leave through the front. There’s a bunch of people back here causing trouble for each other.”

“I thought they were shooting at me.”

“Probably just saw the door open and wanted to take an opportunity.” Mel sighed. “You stirred up a real hornet’s nest. This whole place is lighting up. Listen, there might be another way out. A window maybe? Look around. See what you can do. I’ll let you know if this becomes an option.”

“Thanks.” Sam leaned to get a look into the common room again. He barely got his head around the corner when someone grabbed him by the jacket. The attacker yanked him into the room, punching him twice in the gut before shoving him against the bar. Neither of the hits registered. Adrenaline kicked in, making everything seem far louder around him.

Sam’s opponent advanced—a wiry guy with leathery skin and short hair sticking up like a shoe brush. The good news was he didn’t seem to be armed.

“Back off!” Sam lifted his pistol, aiming at the man’s chest. The guy took a swipe at it. Sam pulled the weapon back then slammed it into the side of the guy’s head. Blood burst from the impact point as the body went down. Jesus! That was harder than intended… Christ, I have to get out of here.

A path to the front door was clear. Sam hurried across the floor, bending at the waist. He peered outside. The street beyond seemed safe enough. He stepped out into the open air then darted toward the port. Gunshots off to his left made it clear there was still fighting in the alley.

Well… shit. Sam sighed. “I’m clear, Mel.”

“Meet you at the port,” Mel said. “Be safe and watch your ass. There might be more people out there looking for an opportunity.”

“Got it.” Sam put his pistol away, slowing to a walk. He wanted to look normal, but there was a sense of urgency as well. He didn’t trust Garra. Maybe Elora will have her back. The very thought made him pick up the pace again. Yeah, better I get there as soon as possible.

***

Elora leaned against the pillar holding the ship’s ramp. She stared at the old device she found aboard. It had logged into the local network for the settlement, displaying the various activities happening around the planet. Shifting from work related to leisure time dropped it down to two events.

One involved camping while the other invited people to a cook out at one of the farms.

No wonder we have rebels from out this way. They don’t have anything to do. Elora clicked through the environmental reports. The planet itself seemed nice enough. They had a lot of sun in the region where the settlement had been established. Enough that she wondered why no one built an estate nearby.

Then she found the predator list. The planet boasted dozens of dangerous animals, many of which had been listed as a direct threat to colonists. So this place is crap. I get it. Elora wondered if they had a way of keeping the animals away from the port. The door’s wide open to get into this place. Wow.

At least the individual docks are locked down. Elora shifted so her pistol stopped grinding into her hip. She hated wearing the thing, but Mel insisted they carry weapons while on the surface. As if I’m going to be shooting anyone. That’s what the others are here for. I told them to go back to Terra Sector for a reason.

“Hey!” Shep’s voice boomed in Elora’s ear. She’d forgotten about putting in the comm. They’d been gone for the better part of a half hour. “Can you hear me?”

“Way too loud and clear,” Elora said. “What’s going on?”

“We had some trouble,” Shep replied, “but I’m on my way back. Are there any people there you see?”

Elora glanced around the area. There were four docking locations. It was an isolated, circular area with no roof. Several doors led to places she had no idea about, but she was definitely alone. “Nope. No one in here at least. I think this is a private area, so it’s not like anyone would…”

“Our stuff is there,” Shep interrupted, “and we need to load it up fast.”

“What’s the rush?”

“Gunfire,” Shep said, “and other nonsense. So be ready to help. You might even move for the exit because I should be there in less than five minutes.”

“Wait a minute.” Elora pushed away from the ramp. “Are we all in danger here? Because I’m not super excited about being shot at or something. In fact, why did anyone pull out a gun? What did you guys do to bring that about? Don’t tell me you had to be insulting or something.”

“Just… be ready to help. I’ll tell you the story later. I’m out.” The line clicked off.

The nerve. Can’t even tell me what happened. Elora sighed as she made her way for the door. It’s probably that woman Mel’s fault. She seems like the sort of person that trouble follows. She got to the door, pausing at the panel. Damn it. What was the code to get out again? Asking Shep seemed like a bad idea.

Elora jumped when the door started opening with her touching the panel. A hand reached through to grab her. She reacted, throwing a quick jab that connected with the person’s throat. They gasped, huffing while stumbling away. She drew her weapon, aiming it at her attacker.

“What the hell?” Elora asked. The assailant wore the overalls of a dockworker, but he carried a rifle slung over his shoulder. He grasped at his throat, blue eyes bulging. Sweat covered his bald head. “Who are you? Why’d you just try to grab me? Do you have the wrong dock? Or…”

The man started going for the rifle.

“Hey!” Elora waved the gun at him. “Are you seriously going to force me to shoot you? Settle down! Um… Shep! Mel! We’ve got trouble here! I…” Her gun went off, blasting the guy in the shoulder. He spun then went face down.

Elora screamed.

“What’s wrong?” Mel asked. “What the hell are you doing, girl? Seriously, you’re going to give me a damn aneurism!”

“This guy!” Elora stammered, “he… he tried to… then I pointed my pistol and… he went… then he… and I… the gun… went off!” Did I pull the trigger? Was this an accident? She had no idea. But the man wasn’t dead. He wallowed there, rolling on his side while drawing his knees up. “I told you not to go for the rifle! You shouldn’t sneak up on people!”

Shep asked, “Did the guy wait for you to open the door or something? What happened?”

“He opened it!” Elora shouted. “I don’t think there are more.” She looked all around. There were other people in the general area. Most of them looked in her direction. “Uh oh. I think I’ve given off the wrong impression about what happened. Or rather, it probably looks like I randomly shot some dockworker.”

“I’m almost there,” Shep muttered, “just… stay back and out of sight. Don’t get shot. Damn it, guys! This didn’t have to be so dramatic!”

Like I had anything to do with that! Elora stepped back into the dock then around the corner. She leaned against the wall, trying to calm down. Her pulse raced. Take a deep breath, for God’s sake. It’ll all be fine.

“Over there!” a voice shouted from across the room. “See that body? Someone just shot him!”

Or maybe not. Elora steeled herself for what security would have to say… or if they’d get out of there before it mattered. Something tells me we’re in this for some kind of long haul. All for some illegal computer equipment.

Chapter 10

Miller felt a rush of guilt squeeze his heart. He’d felt sick since he finished his frame job of Constance. The leadership would never know he was involved in the plot. The small section of their operation was about to be abolished, wiped from Mars, and he’d done it so masterfully, he’d probably still have access to the highest echelons of the criminal underworld.

Which is going to seriously come in handy in the near future.

The strike force brought along a transport vessel. Miller went along. Not because he had to, but his conscience required him to see it in person. Those men and women about to be taken prisoner or killed deserved something. He wasn’t sure what. It felt dignified for them to have their betrayer present.

Not that anything would push them to forgive his actions. Borland trusted Miller, at least for the most part. They’d been acquaintances for years. They faced many problems together, overcoming all of them in one way or another. Because of that, it was easy to create a legend suggesting Constance killed Grace.

And happened to be responsible for the Branch Office attack as well.

That little bit covered Miller with Caden. He knew when the Justiciar made it back, he’d have a lot of questions. Fortunately, the only people who could definitively answer the questions would be long dead. They weren’t going to make it to a tribunal. They’d be lucky to survive the attack on their little clubhouse.

I’ll make sure of it. Miller knew all about their various methods of leaving the place in case of an emergency. They’d fled plenty of times when the authorities came around. When they had to worry about a genuine threat at least. Most of the time they just feigned ignorance and pushed back on whatever charges were brought against them.

This time, the authorities will start shooting with any hint of pushback or noncompliance. Miller created the rules of engagement. If anyone spoke back to them, if a single gang member didn’t comply immediately, the shooting would start. He wanted Borland alive. Everyone else could become a casualty of the operation.

Which would ultimately make it easier to explain as an operation gone bad. Constance wasn’t known for their good manners. Their little subsections generally committed violent crimes on a near daily basis. Miller didn’t feel bad about some of those people going down. Only the fact he knew Borland so well… and that the man had zero chance of survival.

Miller waited for the other vehicles to empty. Several men disembarked, charging the building in question. He knew Borland would be present. He checked with a contact to be sure of it. All of his lackeys were there. The best of them. Taking out that structure, all the people inside, would be a genuine blow to Constance.

And they’d suffer for it.

I hope Ethan doesn’t put it together. He’s smart enough to believe I had something to do with this.

Once the guns started, Miller got out of the vehicle. He wore body armor, but no helmet. The attack force came straight from the best of Security Corps, men specially trained for taking out hardened positions. The Constance people might cause some injuries, but the surprise assault likely caught them flatfooted.

Chatter over the comm proved it out. Miller drew his weapon and advanced behind them, trailing his squadron. As they swept through the building, their advance brought on a variety of screams. He gestured for two men to follow him, then cut around to the back of the building. The place where Borland might try to flee.

They reached the alley in short order, advancing at a fast walk. The door burst open ahead of them. Miller and his two guards blocked the only means of escape. He lifted his weapon, aiming as Borland came stumbling out of the room. The man’s eyes bulged, his mouth dropped open.

“You…” Borland mouthed the word. “What is this?”

“Hi, Mick.” Miller advanced. “I’m afraid you’re under arrest.”

“Arrest?” Borland scoffed. “By you? Who are these people? Who are your friends? Do they know what you do? Do they know a damn thing about you? Because I could tell them some stuff.”

“They know.” Miller shrugged. “They don’t care. And neither do I. So here’s your chance. Just… let these two guys grab you. They’re going to cuff you, take you back to my car. We’ll talk.”

Crop came barreling through the door. He stumbled when he saw the guards, throwing his hands up in the air. Miller shot him in the face, dropping the young man in a single shot.

“What the hell!” Borland turned, dropping to his knees. “Why? Why’d you do that? You know he had value! He was a good kid! God damn it, man. What the hell happened? Do you have any idea what Ethan’s gonna do to you when this is over? You’re dead! You are literally dead!”

“Take him,” Miller said. “Get him out of here before he tries to make a scene.”

“I’m gonna make a scene!” Borland stood. He clenched his fists. “I’m gonna beat you to a pulp, you son of a bitch! You want them to stop me, they’re gonna have to kill me, because if you think you can shoot me enough before I strangle you to death, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“It’s over!” Miller shouted. “Whether you want to believe it or not…” He gestured to the building. “You hear those gunshots? That’s the rest of your crew dying. None of them are coming out of this alive. None of them are going to make it. I’ve ensured they are going to die. And your hideout will be burned to the ground.”

“I don’t get it.” Borland’s shoulders slumped. “You…”

“I’m going to help you,” Miller said. “When you get in the car, I’ll explain how it works. But please. Come quietly. I don’t want you bleeding in there when we shoot out your damn knees.”

Borland looked over his shoulder. He winced as a rapid fire weapon discharged somewhere deep in the bowels of the structure. “You’d better not be screwing with me. If I surrender—”

“Don’t finish that,” Miller said. “You have no choice. So… they’re taking you now.” The men advanced. They grabbed Borland, shoving him against the wall before securing his hands behind his back. “To the car and keep an eye on him. Do not let him out of your sight. I’ll be along in a few moments.” He waited for them to go, then got out his device.

His security forces tore through the rooms, kicking in doors before unloading their weapons on the people inside. Well over two dozen men died in just the short time Miller watched their advance. He wondered how many went down on the initial entry. Constance would definitely feel the hit.

That’s going to leave a serious mark. Miller put the device away when the weapons went silent. He got a report that stated the building was clear. They began to round up the bodies and planned to run a sensor sweep to ensure no one survived. The whole attack took such a short period of time, the regular authorities had yet to receive notice.

Not that it would matter. We’d divert it no matter what. Miller made his way to the car. He paused by the guards. “Send me a report when the building is destroyed. Ensure emergency services do not get in there. I want every ounce of data deleted. All bodies, including the guy in the back, need to be in the fire.”

“Yes, sir.”

Miller climbed into the vehicle. Part of the plan involved letting people debate on whether the group was killed by Security Corps or a fire. The delay bought him some time to let the publicity part of his organization take over. They’d place the blame in the right place. Which would give them everything they needed for a “victory” of sorts.

I can tell Caden we took care of the people who killed Grace.

“What lies do you have now?” Borland asked. “You traitor. You piece of filth!” He struggled against his bonds. “I should—”

“Shut up,” Miller said. “That’s what you need to do. What happened? You seemed cowed when I had them arrest you a few moments ago. You got a little fire in your gut after all, huh?”

“You think? You just murdered all my people! My friends! My—”

“Please.” Miller rolled his eyes. “Those people aren’t your friends. You treated them like dirt. If it wouldn’t have been today, they would’ve been sacrificed for some other stupidity. So I don’t think for a moment you had any camaraderie with them. It’s just convenient to be bent out of shape right now.”

“You call this convenient?”

“I call it judgment.” Miller sighed. “Borland, you’ve been dealt a shitty hand. There’s no two ways about it. I know for a fact you didn’t do what I’m accusing you of. But you’ll carry the brunt of it anyway.”

“What the hell? What’re you talking about?”

“The death of the Justiciar?” Miller pursed his lips. “I found the people who did it.”

“I didn’t do it!” Borland shouted.

“Exactly my point.”

Borland stiffened. “Oh God.”

“Yes, you see now, don’t you?”

“I do.” Borland leaned forward. “You can’t do this to me.”

“Why?”

“I have family,” Borland said. “What do you think Ethan’s going to do to them?”

“Kill them, I suppose.”

Borland scowled. It took him nearly twenty seconds to respond. “And you’re okay with that? You don’t care?”

“I don’t. Not at all.”

“Why?” Borland slumped. “What made you so damn callous!”

“Life, I guess. And the fact I don’t throw my lot in with losers. Constance isn’t going to survive forever. After what I’ve seen… I made the right call for myself. And believe me, I’m not super fond of them either. But they’ll make a difference for the Empire. You guys? You’re just fodder. An annoying obstruction on the road. Not even an obstacle.”

“You work for us!”

“No. But Ethan’s not aware of that. Which will make it a hell of a lot easier to manipulate him about you.”

Borland shook his head. “Please, Miller. I’m begging you not to throw me out like that. You have to tell him something else. Save my family. I’ve got a sister. She has kids.”

“They’re already dead,” Miller said. “Stop worrying about them. Be more concerned about yourself.”

“Why? You going to get me a good representative for the tribunal?”

Miller snorted. “You’re one serious optimist if you think you’re getting out of this car alive.”

“Oh? You going to just flat out murder me? Right here? Why’d you bother to talk to me then? What’s the point? You just have to get some cold blooded shit off your chest? Because I see no—”

“Hush. And listen. This isn’t for you. It’s for me. You think I’m unfeeling… that’s your right. But I’m not thrilled that I’ve had to do this. In fact, what I came up with is going to work so well because of the nature of your organization. They’re going to believe it. That I set you up for being angry about the betrayal over the codex.”

“Don’t even…”

“Oh, it’s easy. From there, I plant the right ideas in Ethan’s head. I nudge him on a path. He closes this down with you family. Not for anything they did, but to send a message to the rest of the thugs not to step out and get caught. Everyone will know what you did. And it’ll be a lie believed. No… I’m not okay with it.”

“Yet here you are, sentencing quite a few people to death.”

“Done it before,” Miller said, “and for worse reasons.”

“Yet this is me. We’re friends.”

“We’re no more friends than you were to those poor bastards who died back in the hideout.”

Borland closed his eyes. “Did you get what you wanted? Have you had your catharsis?”

“Not as much as I would’ve liked.” Miller frowned. “I had hoped to feel a lot better about this. And yet… it stinks regardless. I guess that’s what I get.” He huffed. “I should’ve thought about it more. Maybe let them execute you as part of the rest of the group. But this is going to be a lot better.”

“What? What’re you going to do?”

“Suicide,” Miller said. “That seems a little more likely than murder, don’t you think? When your world collapsed around you, you decided jumping off the roof would be a better plan than facing proper justice.”

“But we’re not there anymore… how will you sell it?”

“We didn’t go anywhere,” Miller replied. “We’re hovering. And it’s time for you to get out.”

“With the cuffs? You think that’ll make sense to people? That they’ll buy it? You’re an idiot!”

“The story… the official report says… hold on.” Miller read from his device. “Suspect broke free from his captors and dashed up a flight of stairs. Before he could be stopped, he burst through a door and threw himself off the building. He was dead when he made contact with the ground.” He met Borland’s eyes. “Hence why we didn’t want to shoot you.”

“This is… I can’t believe… Miller. Please. Think about this. Think about what you’re doing. This isn’t you. You’re not a murderer. You don’t kill people like this.”

“I have, actually.” Miller nodded. “It’s how I thought of this. See, you don’t know all the things I’ve done for Ethan. And I’m kind of angry that I cared about you enough to feel bad. But that’s just how it goes, I guess. Now…” He tapped his device. The door opened. “Make this easy on yourself… and get out.”

“You want me to…”

“Make the story true?” Miller nodded. “Yep. And I don’t want to fight about it.”

“Why should I?”

“Because no matter what happens, you’re going to die. At least if you jump, you’ll have done something in your final moments. Not just taken a bullet in the face.”

Borland said, “But you don’t have a story for that.”

“I’m good at improvisation.” Miller motioned with his head. “Get out. Now!”

“I’ll see you in hell for this, Miller. You gotta know you’re heading to the hot place.”

“Then I suppose I’ll be in great company. Last chance before you get popped in the face.”

Borland slid to the edge. He looked out then faded back into the seat. He tensed, on the verge of lunging when Miller braced his back then kicked the man on the side of the head. The blow sent him tumbling out of the vehicle. His screams ended abruptly half a moment later. The door closed.

“Sir,” a voice piped through his comm. “He’ll have a contusion from that bruise.”

“Fell down when running for the roof,” Miller said. “Make sure to get this cleaned up right away. The narrative has to fit.” He sent a quick encrypted report to Artel. It’s done. He then closed his eyes, flopping back in his seat. The situation drained him far more than he anticipated. Enough to make his stomach churn.

This should secure my position with Artel. Miller leaned back in his seat as the door closed. I’m half surprised someone didn’t just dump me out of the damn vehicle too. If not for them putting me in touch with Oslow, I’d wonder if I was on the way out next.

The vehicle flew off, moving toward his new office. Miller found himself in one of the more prominent buildings for a company specializing in colonization buildings. They had the manufacturing capabilities to ensure whatever was needed to fight the Gorlans could be quickly turned around.

Three more planets suffered at their hands since Miller began working with Artel. Whatever they were going to do needed to happen soon. He started to genuinely worry about what the aliens might do or when they’d arrive in Terra Sector. Part of him always believed they had the capacity to repel an attack on Mars.

His opinion changed dramatically when he heard about some of the Talmar losses.

The comm buzzed. Artel was on the line. Miller steeled himself for the conversation then accepted the connection.

“Report received,” Artel said. “It’ll be sold soon. But that’s not why I contacted you.”

“Okay.” Miller chewed his lip. What life do I have to ruin now? “What’s going on?”

“We have the data from our friend on the Olympus. Along with some solid information provided by a bonafide Talmar on a ship called the Arden. Turns out a couple of ship’s captains worked together to make this happen. Not expected, but welcome. Which means you and Oslow are up.”

“We have the green light to get this working?” Miller nodded. “Good. I’ll prefer making this happen than the other thing.”

“Oh, don’t be squeamish about those scum. Sooner or later the whole organization will be taken down. We’ll install a new government on their colony and enjoy the benefits of their labor without all the crime and bribes that go with it. Part of what makes our jobs amazing is we don’t accept bribes. What could we possibly want we couldn’t get for ourselves?”

Friendship, Miller thought. Trust from anyone outside the organization. I’m sure I could generate a lengthy list. “I’m with you.”

“Good. Talk to Oslow, get the ball rolling, and let me know the moment you encounter an obstacle. Not that I don’t trust you to take care of it, but I’d like to know what it is so I can report up. As much as possible, I’ll try to anticipate anything that could stand in the way of our success. But as I’m sure you know, it’ll be tough.”

“There are a lot of moving parts,” Miller said. “But Oslow has the clout to get things done. He won’t be dissuaded. I think he understands how important all of this is. Enough that he’s not going to sit on his hands.”

“Having a daughter helps,” Artel replied. “Gives a man something to fight for. Which I can fully appreciate. I wouldn’t want to lose my kid to those monsters. They’re supposed to have zero reaction to people begging for their lives.”

“That’s what I’ve read now.”

“Lit a fire under me.” Artel snorted. “Speaking of which, good idea to torch that building. Makes it look like it went down hard. Gives the remaining members of the Constance family a little dignity too. We can still use them this way, right? I’m assuming that was your idea.”

“Sort of. I know Ethan Constance. He’s going to be angry about it, but if his people deleted data, it’ll at least make him feel safe.”

“But we got that data,” Artel said, “right?”

“Of course. But I had it before we went in there. I didn’t trust what might happen during the attack.”

Artel chuckled. “You were a fantastic choice. You know that?”

Yes, I do. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“I’m serious. I can’t wait to go through some of their dirty secrets. Though I’m going to store that nonsense on one of the more secure devices. Last thing we need is some random asshole stumbling on it. That would be embarrassing for some people.”

“Isn’t everything we have a potential embarrassment?” Miller shrugged. “Seems like we’ve got plenty of information that the regular authorities would love to get their hands on. Which to me means we should be damn careful with everything we’ve got. Any of it gets out, particularly to the nobles…”

“Don’t worry about them. They’re under control now.”

Miller frowned. “How’s that?”

“Just that they let their little clubhouse out of the bag to the admiralty. And we’ve been working with them. So they have a new sect rising. One we’re going to grant power to so they can feel like they’ve got the power they want. It’ll take a few months to navigate properly, but they’ll end up right back where they started from soon enough.”

“So wait. They made a play… you let them… and all it’s going to get them is back to the way things work now with different names?”

“Welcome to the game,” Artel said. “We’ve done this before.”

“That’s not the impression I had when we talked before.”

“Then my apologies for misleading you.” Artel chuckled. “You’ll figure me out eventually. And when you do, you’ll be happier for it. Anyway, this isn’t a big deal. It won’t matter when it comes to dealing with the Gorlans. When they’re out of the way, we’re going to play a bigger game. Something with the Talmar.”

“Can’t wait.”

“There’s a lot of work to do in the future.” Artel clapped his hands. “So let’s both of us get to work. You should be back in your office soon enough. I’d stick around there if I was you. Order in and all that. The people you need to deal with should be able to easily reach you for the next few days.”

“Of course.” Miller really wanted to get off the comm. “Any last thoughts before we disconnect?”

“Nope. Great work. Thanks again. I look forward to your next report.”

The line went dead. Miller let out a heavy sigh. I shouldn’t have done that. His posture likely had been noted by his driver. He figured someone was probably recording him. Everything he’d done for the past two days must’ve been somewhere for Artel to watch. Which was both creepy and expected.

He must know that I’ve got qualms about what I’m doing. But Artel didn’t care. Nor did he bring it up. Which either meant he genuinely thought it didn’t matter or that it would eventually resolve itself. The more of this I do, the easier it’ll get, and he’s aware I’ll become more like him.

Which didn’t seem like a good thing. Miller performed plenty of questionable acts for Constance. Somehow, he justified those far easier than Artel’s asks. He figured it was a difference in scope and honesty. Constance freely embraced their criminal activities. This super secret organization did not.

The confidence in which they killed or altered the path of their society or even just changed smaller organizations didn’t work in Miller’s head. He felt the weight of tremendous hubris. The kind that left him both humbled and terrified at the same time. Yes, he had the resources to alter the Empire.

But he didn’t have the right. Not on a moral level. Legally, they seemed to be above every law. The Chairman held the reins. No one in the Empire could override him. Which meant they genuinely did have the ability to do anything to keep their society safe. He wanted to use the term people but the individual lives didn’t matter.

They never would. As long as the human Empire endured, no specific lives mattered. Even a hundred people could probably be killed if it was deemed necessary. Artel wouldn’t bat an eye. Miller wondered if he could ever get to the point where he made such a callous and dark decision.

Yes. Miller closed his eyes. I could. And I’m not sure I’m happy about that fact. But really, it didn’t matter. For the moment, he stood on the threshold of saving the human race. I’ll focus on that until such time as I find myself in a different situation. At which point he’d struggle through the obstacle.

Just then, he reached out to Oslow. Time to get this party started.

Chapter 11

Voldal didn’t want to go into the Gorlan vessel. He had wished he and Avris would take their people back to their own territory for a report. His feelings about the humans changed dramatically after they discovered their culpability in destroying the colony. Had the Arden not arrived, they wouldn’t have saved his niece.

Aldo and the rest of their small team were fine. He trusted them. They would’ve stayed and fought if there had been any chance of success. But their government sent the Olympus to test those weapons and Voldal struggled to even consider forgiveness. If it had been up to him, he would’ve considered going to war.

Even with the threat of the Gorlan hovering over them. The Empire had the capacity to effectively kill civilians for no other reason than they wanted to test a theory. Why would they be good allies? Banding together against a common enemy only promised to last a short period of time.

Once the fighting ended, they’d return to business as usual. Attacking random facilities because they wanted the resources. More than that, they believed they deserved whatever they set their eyes on. Their ridiculous notions would lead to another conflict, one the Talmar may not win if they gave too much technology to the thieves.

Which was why he wondered if it might not be better to wipe them out before taking on the Gorlans themselves. With the information at their disposal, they could prepare for an attack, take it straight to the aliens, and wipe them out without getting a single human involved. Destroying the Empire may not have taken long.

If only they hadn’t shared any of their arms.

That’s going to come back to haunt us. Guaranteed.

The shuttle neared the Gorlan vessel. Aldo touched Voldal’s arm. The human met his eyes. “You okay?”

Voldal furrowed his brow. “Didn’t you ask me before we left?”

“Still a relevant question,” Aldo replied. “And I’m worried. You look seriously pensive.”

“I’m fine. Things are fine. We’ll get this over with and move on to the next problem.”

“Do you know what that might be?” Aldo shrugged. “Because you have the look of someone who’s contemplating a fix already.”

I’m completely aware, but I don’t think it would be a good idea to tell you. Aldo also had a secret, though Voldal had no idea how to get it out of him. I wonder if we could share our burdens together. He seems trustworthy enough. But who could he truly believe in? That was the trick he didn’t want to test.

“Fighting the Gorlans,” Voldal said. “That’s the sort of quandary we should all be worrying about. I’m just doing it in advance, I suppose. The situation on the ship… there’s nothing to think about. The future will be whatever it is. But beyond that, we can start running through scenarios.”

“Like what?”

Like how to take out your defenses and ensure you’re too busy rebuilding your forces to mess with us after we take out the Gorlans. Voldal had no illusions that it would be easy. He figured they’d need to restructure their military after a major battle. We might win, but it won’t be easy.

“Fleet movements,” Voldal replied. “How they spread out, what they’ll do when they’re forced to work as a unit… these are things we don’t exactly know yet. But if we start preparing for a battle, thinking through it at the very least, then we’ll have one more step up. At least we’ll have considered things. Instead of reacting to them.”

“What about your caste of warriors?” Aldo asked. “Aren’t you folks always doing this?”

“For the most part,” Voldal said. “Though our primary focus tends to be training. Preparation is good and all, but we don’t always know what threat to consider. Sometimes, there are too many. Malcontents… sometimes your people… we have plenty of enemies. Just as you do.”

“Yeah, we’re doing an okay job of containing them though, don’t you think?”

“Maybe.” Voldal’s lips pressed into a tight line before he continued. “But your rebels still cause serious trouble. Just as ours do. Most of our issues are too random to stop entirely. Not without addressing underlying issues which no one has the stomach to talk about. So we’re destined to deal with criminals.”

“Because you won’t change,” Aldo said. “That’s probably true about us as well. I know the rebels want to see some major alterations in the way we live and act. They’d like to see our government act more like yours. Yet none of the Board members seem willing to talk about such a thing. So here we are.”

“Not exactly.” Voldal waved his hand over the ship. “We’re out doing the right thing. Plenty of individuals are taking away the resources necessary to spread that intention to the rest of civilization. Fundamental differences are one thing. No one can agree all the time, but on the biggest features of society, there tends to be little compromise.”

“Such as?”

Voldal met his gaze. “Murder. For any reason.” That probably gives away more than I intended. But I stand by my comment. These people, these humans will need to understand what they’ve done and pay for it.

“I… think I know what you mean.”

“Do you?” Voldal lifted a brow. “Specifically?”

Aldo nodded. “Yes.”

“Then perhaps you understand why I’m quiet.”

“You should know that was a situation many of us had nothing to do with, and plenty of people back home would have condemned it.”

Voldal smirked. “Many. But not all.”

“Of course not. Because there were enough aboard the ship who went along with it. But I’m sure there are Talmar with little concern about what happens to humanity.”

“You’d be surprised,” Voldal said. “Our culture has protests about how we have yet to build a relationship with your Empire. They want us to get along, to forward galactic peace.”

“Do you agree with them?”

“Not entirely.”

Aldo sighed. “Why not?”

“Because their hope is built in naivety. They don’t know what your people are like. We met you because your kind attacked our outpost for no reason. Then we learn that the Olympus attacked the station. And continued on to use our colony as a testing ground. Any one of those would be an act of war. Together…”

“You found out about the station?”

Voldal rolled his eyes. “Avris had the data. We were asked not to reveal it until the humans could frame it in just such a way. They think because the experiments went out of control, they might be able to exonerate themselves from what they’ve done. I disagree. But fortunately for the Empire, my opinion matters little.”

“I’m sorry. For our part in any of this, I sincerely…”

“Don’t.” Voldal turned away. “I don’t hold you responsible for this. You, Cully, and Ellie are the only humans I trust right now. Simply don’t do anything to change that, and maybe you can be ambassadors for my opinion to change. Of course, what I think doesn’t matter so you needn’t worry terribly much about my thoughts.”

“We’re entering the hangar,” the pilot said. “Looks like there’s been some action, sir.”

“Thanks.” Aldo stood. “Get ready everyone.” He turned to Voldal. “We’ll keep your trust. And make up for what our government did to the Talmar. I don’t know what that looks like or what it’ll take, but you have my word… it’s something I’ll prioritize with my commanding officer.”

“Thank you.” Voldal watched him walk toward the ramp.

Perhaps he will at that. Voldal stood. He sheathed his sword then prepped his rifle. But we need to worry more about the action the pilot spoke of at this point. They must have encountered automated defenses. Which means this will not be the casual mission the humans wanted.

They might get a rude awakening soon. Voldal wondered if it might also be fatal.

***

Cully disembarked from the ship alongside Aldo. They approached General Omari who took position by the other shuttles near the far right of the hangar. A passage off to the left lead deeper into the ship, a wide open archway with a ceiling some twenty feet high. The room they found themselves in was easily a couple hundred yards wide in all directions.

Gorlans are huge, so it makes sense. But this is much larger than anticipated. I don’t think anyone understands what we’re facing. Even he didn’t necessarily know until that moment. Seeing the scan of the vessel was one thing. Yes, it proved far bigger than anything in the imperial fleet. But the enormity didn’t mean anything with a silhouette.

Standing there, staring at a ceiling so high up, moving through the structure toward the General, it sunk in. Any Gorlan vessel landing there must have been three times the size of the largest human shuttle. And with their armor, they themselves probably felt right at home in the space. Rather than diminutive and puny.

“Welcome!” Omari shouted at them. “Glad you could make it.”

Aldo took the lead. “Thank you for establishing this hold, sir. What’s the situation?”

“We ran into some opposition.” Omari gestured toward the gunfire. “There’s a passage leading that way. When we initially landed, turrets dropped from the ceiling and took some shots at us. The initial encounter took a few minutes. Now we’re dealing with some odd probes.”

Cully asked, “Sorry, sir. Like drones?”

Omari nodded. “Exactly. The good news is that the path you’re supposed to take appears to be clear. We’re going to hold this area for you, but I recommend you hurry. God knows what else this place wants to throw at us.” He stepped closer to Aldo. “And Captain, ensure you bring all your people back as well.”

“Yes, sir.” Aldo offered him a salute. “Thank you again for the support.” He turned away, heading back to the others. Cully saluted as well before following. “Not a good sign that they found opposition.”

“Nope.” Cully glanced in the direction to see if he could make out any of the fighting. Too many shuttles were in the way. “I’d love to know what they’re talking about. Probes and drones… I get a vision of floating objects with guns.”

“Get a scan,” Aldo said. He paused in front of the others, then gave them a quick briefing on what Omari said. “We can head out now.” He pointed. “Straight that way. Any questions?” No one replied. “Ellie, you’re on point. Let’s head out.”

Cully took up the rear. As they approached the exit, he paused to look at the other opening across the way. Makeshift cover had been placed near the door, tall metal barriers where several soldiers crouched while firing their weapons into the darkness. He didn’t see any return fire though.

Hit the things already. Cully couldn’t imagine there were enough targets to maintain a firing line. Omari must have some clue about what he’s doing, though it looks like a waste of power to me.

“Hey,” Ellie’s voice crackled in his ear. “You should probably catch up. What’s so fascinating back there?”

“Finding out what Omari’s up to.” Cully hurried to catch up with Deter and Mac. “This private?”

“Always.”

“What do you think of these guys? You talked to them more than me.”

Ellie scoffed. “Dunno. They’re okay, I guess. Would’ve been nice to hang out with them more though. Really understand what makes them tick. But if they were on the Olympus, they probably have some moral flexibility. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have done that shit to the colony.”

“True.” Cully looked all around. The walls to the left and right were more than twenty yards apart. If the exit had been a little bigger, they could’ve brought one of the shuttles through easily enough. “What kind of gear did they transport through these things? What do you make of it?”

“Too big,” Ellie said. “Almost like they wanted it to be intimidating rather than functional. I bet it’s part of the natural defense. If anyone came aboard, they’d be cowed by the rooms themselves. I’ve seen the Gorlans now. They don’t need this much space. So this is a statement. Not a functional decision.”

“Interesting. How long is this hallway?”

“Can’t see the end,” Ellie replied. “But I have a solid scan on energy readings. Could be that we’re heading toward a reactor or a set of computers. Either way, it should help. The schematics are starting to make some sense too. Voldal’s updating them. Chief problem is that comms are a little sketchy.”

“They’ll get the relay up soon.” Cully wondered why they hadn’t put it together yet, if for no other reason than calling for backup. “We probably shouldn’t have left until they finished.” But Omari hurried us out. He’s nervous. Probably waiting for the hammer to come down on them. If he doesn’t bolt on us, I’d be seriously surprised.

The General had a serious grievance with the Olympus he didn’t seem ready or willing to let go. Would he take it out on the individual soldiers? Maybe. Though someone must have instilled the importance of the operation. Yet he went at it in a rush, pushing the people around him to hurry when they could’ve taken some more time.

If the Gorlans aren’t here, they won’t turn up too suddenly.

“Coming up on a door,” Ellie said. This message went out to the whole team. “Or at least, another passage. The entrance is a lot smaller. Probably just big enough for the armor they wear. Might be a good direction to go based on the scans right now.”

Aldo replied, “Let’s form up over there. We can take a look. Try to get a feel for the place.”

Cully moved up to the others. He stood beside Lieutenant Rollins as Aldo and Ellie scouted ahead.

Rollins nudged Cully, then switched his comm to private. “Hey. You work with Captain Cassidy for long?”

“No,” Cully replied. What’s this guy want? “Got assigned to him right when he came aboard the Arden though.”

“You know much about him?”

“I know he’s a wealthy guy from Mars.” Cully shrugged. “Had his deferment pulled so he ended up having to serve after all.”

“And he’s good at his job?”

“We’ve pulled off our missions and survived. Minimal casualties. Why?”

“Just curious.” Rollins cleared his throat. “I swear I’ve met him before, but it wasn’t at training. I served on Mars for a while. Ended up on the Olympus after that ran out. I just can’t place him. Like… I know his face for sure.”

“Maybe you saw him on the street,” Cully suggested. “Or at some bar or restaurant. How big is that Venice II?”

“Huge,” Rollins said, “too big. You don’t run into people. It would be a million to one. But if he was rich, I might’ve seen him on some advertisement or something. I don’t know what they do. Did he work for the Board? Or… do you have any idea what he did before he joined the military? Or is he just old money?”

“Trades,” Cully replied. “That’s what I think anyway. Some kind of business, but yes, old money too.”

“Got it.” Rollins hummed. “I think he might just look a lot like someone else. You know how people have doubles?”

“I’ve heard about it.”

“I must’ve met his.” Rollins shook his head. “It’s been gnawing at me since I met him just before the briefing. I know, I shouldn’t be so fixated, but I felt a little guilty for not remembering.”

“We meet way too many people in this line of work to feel that way.” Cully wished Aldo would finish what he was doing so they could get moving again. I really don’t want to jaw jack with this guy. The lieutenant’s interest seemed dangerous for some reason. He couldn’t place it, yet there was an air of distrust… suspicion.

Maybe Aldo did something that put him on the wrong side of the military before he joined. It didn’t seem likely. First, Security Corps would’ve been involved, not someone like Rollins. Second, even if some infantry guy encountered him in such a circumstance, he’d definitely remember hassling a wealthy Terra Sector citizen.

“Dead end,” Ellie announced. “Just some kind of storage area maybe? It’s totally empty. Big enough for a couple troop transports if they could’ve gotten through the door.”

“Yep,” Aldo added, “let’s move on. Pick up the pace. This hallway stretches a couple miles. Keep an eye on your scans for any sort of power fluctuation or surge. We might encounter whatever they’re dealing with back at the hangar.”

They traveled for another ten minutes without seeing another passage leading off the tunnel. Cully imagined the Gorlans used some kind of vehicle to traverse from one point to another. It seemed more like a transit line than a proper hallway, particularly with the size of the walls and ceiling.

Comms finally came through from the command post back at the hangar. They got the relays online. Aldo reported in to the Arden, but he didn’t have much to say. Only that they were moving further toward the front of the ship. The only real power reading still appeared far ahead of them. Just shy of a mile at their current location and somewhere to the right.

Omari’s voice burst through the comm. “Captain Cassidy, do you read?”

“Yes, sir,” Aldo replied.

“We have a problem. Bulkheads just closed over the two exits here in the hangar. We’re working on finding out what happened and how to open them. Be advised, we have no ETA on this process.”

“Understood.” Aldo turned to the others. “Any thoughts? Mac? Voldal?”

Mac shrugged. “Sorry, sir. The internal aspects of these Gorlan ships are still a mystery to us. We’re learning as we go here. And right now—”

“Wait.” Deter held up his hand. “Do you feel that?”

The deck seemed to vibrate. A breeze cut through the air. Cully stepped forward, staring down the hallway in the direction they were heading. “I do,” he said. “Reminds me of what happens when you’re standing on some train tracks.”

“What?” Ellie asked. “You gotta be… oh crap. Look! Way down there!”

Cully narrowed his eyes. Lights appeared in the distance, two of them side by side. Scans came back with some data. “That’s a big energy surge. And it’s moving fast, whatever it is. Sir… that thing takes up most of the corridor. And it’ll be here inside of fifteen minutes.”

Deter asked, “Can we make it back to the room we found?”

“If we sprint,” Ellie replied. “Maybe. And if not… well…” She shrugged.

“Go.” Voldal darted away, moving at nearly a blur.

“You heard him!” Aldo gestured. “Go!”

They started to run, pushing hard. They’d walked quite a ways in the time since they left the room, but at a full run, Cully had confidence they’d make it in time to avoid being crushed to death. He couldn’t see the indentation of the entrance up ahead, though he knew it wasn’t all that far.

Metal grinding metal filled the air. The tram seemed to pick up the pace according to the scans. Any chance of getting to cover became less of a certainty. Shadows of their moving forms appeared on the floor in front of them as the lights became brighter. Scans showed living creatures inside the thing.

Great. They’re heading straight for the hangar too. Eight, it appears. If they had the full body armor, and knew how to open the bulkhead, then Omari’s people had their work cut out for them. This would be far more dangerous than some drones. They’d be facing full-on Gorlan warriors.

Voldal made it to their destination. He was roughly a block away, waving at them to hurry. Cully pushed himself, hunting for an extra reserve of strength. He appeared to be ahead of the others, far enough that he barely noticed their shadows moving next to his own. A quick glance over his shoulder dampened his spirits.

The tram was closing fast. A dark metal front narrowed to a point in the middle. The lights seated above it like two eyes over a beak. Mac lagged behind the others. Ellie passed Cully, slapping him on the arm. She shouted something he didn’t make out. He thought about slowing down, but before he could, Aldo grabbed him, compelling him forward.

They made the passage, darting inside past Voldal. Deter made it next. Ellie stood way back from the doorway.

Cully leaned out, shouting at Mac to hurry. Aldo mirrored his sentiment.

“I’m going out for him,” Cully said.

Deter grabbed him by the shoulder. “Stand down, Sergeant. He’ll make it!” Mac was only forty yards away, but the tram closed fast. “Come on, Mac! You’re almost here!”

I can get him! Cully thought. Deter held him tightly. Ellie came forward to grab him as well.

Mac shouted as if trying to draw on some extra strength that just didn’t seem to come. He was a few feet from the doorway, arms extended when the tram rushed right over him. His arms flopped on the floor, one bouncing closer to them as the rest of him was obliterated, disappearing in a second.

“No!” Cully fell back. A splatter of blood soaked his boots. “God damn it! What the hell happened? How’d that thing move so fast?”

“I can’t…” Deter moved into the room as well. “Poor Mac.”

“We can mourn later,” Voldal said, “we know more about this ship now though, and there must be a way to go deeper from this position. This is where their personnel moved about. Not out there. Not if they had vehicles in the area.”

“What do you propose?” Aldo asked.

“Search.” Voldal moved to the wall. “I’ll scan this one, someone get the opposite side. We’ll locate a passage and continue on.”

“Sir,” Cully said, “we need to warn General Omari.”

“Go ahead,” Aldo replied. “Ellie, you take the other wall. Deter, you’re on that one.” He turned back to the doorway. “God… that guy…”

Cully nodded. “I know.” He dialed in the comm, reaching out to their camp. I hope they’re ready for their own challenges. At least they didn’t have to deal with an attacking force on top of the tram incident. Explains why there weren’t many doorways leading off of it. He wondered when the next one might come through.

And what it would be carrying.

Chapter 12

Caden made his way to the edge of the station until he found a window. He tried his comm, reaching out to Jenna. The connection proved spotty. He gave up, moving on from his position. What little he remembered about Borealis suggested he’d be coming upon one of the station’s storage rooms soon enough.

Nate needed such a place to undo the bindings. He might even find some weapons in the area. What he did afterward was anyone’s guess. It seemed unlikely he’d try to destroy the station, thus killing himself in the process, but it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility either. No matter where he went, Security Corps would hunt him down.

Why would he care so much about Helmut that he’d throw his life away to save him? Getting rid of the evidence might prolong an investigation. It could even distract the authorities for a long while. But the traitors had to know they wouldn’t live normal lives. They’d be looking over their shoulders until they died.

Unless they think the Gorlans will somehow wipe the slate clean.

That suggested they knew about Jenna’s old friends and what they were up to. Were they aware of the attempt to forge a treaty with the Talmar? If so, and they didn’t tell anyone, that wouldn’t have gone over with the authorities either. Then again, Helmut and Nate showed no signs they cared about the opinions of their superiors.

Until they were on the verge of being caught.

The storage room had been ransacked at least a day before Caden stepped inside. If Nate found something to help him, it couldn’t have been substantial. Empty shelves lined the small room. A nearby closet was ajar, though nothing seemed to be inside their either. The light flashed on something metal.

Caden crouched to investigate. The bindings. Nate freed himself, but there were no signs of useful weapons in the vicinity. He might not have needed one though. He had a head start and could be going anywhere from the memory core to the reactor, depending on what mischief he wanted to commit.

Destroy the place or the data… what’s more important to him? Which one’s easier with limited resources? The former. Overloading the reactor didn’t take all that much work, but deleting data required account access. He might have had it, but that seemed unlikely since he’d been working on Constance for so long.

So I go to the reactor and pray I can stop him before he incinerates us both. Caden let out a heavy sigh. This seems like a really bad idea. He hesitated, considering an alternative path. I go back for Sarina, we find a way to reach Jenna, and get the hell out of here. Nate wasn’t worth it. Nor was the data they might preserve.

But maybe I’m wrong. The extent of Helmut’s betrayal needed to be realized. Security Corps might have more corrupt officials working out on the frontier. Though a lot of us died here. That hadn’t been allowed to sink in yet. Many of his peers, men and women working a dangerous, difficult job, had been killed in whatever happened there.

And it most certainly came down to the actions of Helmut.

Fine. I’ll try. But Sarina and Jenna need to be ready to go in case this doesn’t work. Caden reached out to the former. “You have the information yet?”

“I’m logged in,” Sarina said, “and yes, I’m finding what we need. Did you pick up Nate’s trail?”

“Ninety percent sure I know where he’s going.” Caden left the room. “And it won’t be pleasant. You need to coordinate with Jenna in case I get stuck down there.” Or this goes so poorly, I die. “Make sure you have an exit strategy in place. That data must get back to Terra Sector.”

“We’re not leaving you,” Sarina said, “that’s totally out of the question.”

“You won’t have a choice,” Caden replied. “If you have to leave, I’ll already be dead. So… just focus on the task and hand and be ready to move. I have faith you’ll both figure it out.” Probably better than me.

“We’ll give you as much time as we can,” Sarina said. “I need to focus on the computer now, I’m afraid. Let me know if you need help. I might be able to—”

“No. Find Jenna, get ready to go, and pick me up if possible. That’s the plan. Nothing else. Caden out.” He muted the signal I hope she listens to that. She’s got enough loyalty that she might not. Following an order to let someone die didn’t go over well with many people. Even those who understood the reason it had to happen.

A flight of stairs loomed ahead, directly beside an elevator. The doors to the latter were twisted off at the top, as if they’d been hit by some kind of explosion. Caden moved closer, peering through the gap in the metal. A pile of bloody corpses occupied the car. Gore splattered the walls, limbs were strewn about, making it hard to count the dead.

Caden stepped back. He took a deep breath, then let it out. The moment didn’t clear his head as he’d hoped. Seeing the horror shook him, gave him a chill that started at the small of his back then rushed straight to his heart. The corpses looked as if they’d been torn apart, clawed and bitten.

Did these people turn to cannibalism?

The thought wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility. He swallowed hard before starting down the stairs. Debris cluttered the passage with the occasional blood stain on the walls and floors, but he didn’t see any dead people. Why had they all gone in the elevator during an emergency?

Unless those are some of the diseased weirdos we encountered right when we got here. That seemed most likely. Especially the way the torsos were huddled together. Someone arranged them, stacking them over there but they didn’t bother with the body parts. And how did they become severed?

This whole place turned into a slaughterhouse. It may not have been people out of their minds even. Someone could use this as a distraction for investigators, getting them caught up in the graphic nature of the violence rather than the purpose of it. The smokescreen might’ve worked if Borealis had been left undisturbed for a week or so.

The diseased weirdos would have all died by then, making it hard for anyone to guess they were responsible for some of the violence. And that was if the reactor didn’t meltdown and destroy the place first. Then there’d be no evidence. Which begged the question… if Helmut left, why not destroy the place?

Caden kept coming back to the motivation behind the decisions regarding the place. None of it made sense. Nate tried to offer some of his views, but they hardly mattered. He was a confirmed traitor, a man who tried to sell his fellows out. If the data didn’t offer some insight, they might never know the specific reasons Borealis ended up as it had.

Other than terrible luck.

“Data’s almost done,” Sarina said. “I’ve got some company coming though. I think some of those diseased people found their way to this floor.”

“Protect yourself,” Caden replied. “At all cost, you have to get your ass on the ship with Jenna.” I shouldn’t have left her alone. He paused on the stairs, contemplating the possibility of heading back. Then I’d commit to leaving Nate to do whatever he wanted. If I don’t continue on now, then we’re leaving.

And he couldn’t do it. There was no way.

“I’ve got it under control,” Sarina said. “I’ll reach out to Jenna now to arrange a rendezvous point. How close are you to your destination?”

“Got a ways to go.” Caden picked up the pace, hurrying down the stairs. “Shouldn’t take too long though. I’ve got clear stairs, and no opposition at the moment. Did you see any of the information you downloaded?”

“Didn’t have time,” Sarina said. “I’m just lucky I got it all. I did see several of Helmut’s files. We’ll have to do some work to prove their authenticity… and that they aren’t some red herring he put in place just in case we turned up.”

“There’s no way he could know we’d make it back to Borealis. No way.”

“It didn’t have to be for us, sir,” Sarina replied. “If he wanted to confuse any investigator, this would be the way. Put down a line of nonsense, leave it as an official report, then we have to decide what’s real and not. Rather than taking action against the real threat. Whatever that turns out to be.”

“Okay, your pessimism is wearing off on me.” Caden rounded the next flight of stairs. He kept his weapon at the ready, aiming each time he reached a corner.

“It’s not that. I’m just being realistic. This man had the nerve and intelligence to fool Security Corps for a long time. I can’t put anything past him.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay. I agree.” Caden cursed under his breath. “Switch over to Jenna. If you can, get us both on the line at the same time. I know it might not be possible. But you must get that rendezvous squared away. Or all the fancy shooting and survival won’t mean much.”

“My company’s almost here,” Sarina said. “I’m switching off until I take care of them. Good luck on your hunt, sir.”

It’s Caden, he thought. We’re past the whole honorific thing. Oh well.

The temperature started to rise, growing warm enough to feel through the hazard suit. Caden checked the settings. It was over ninety degrees Fahrenheit. With two floors to go, he figured it would easily exceed a hundred. Nate wouldn’t have to do much to push the system to overload.

“Hey.” Nate’s voice made Caden pause on the stairs. “I see you on scans. Turns out things work down here in Engineering. Well… mostly.”

“Don’t do it,” Caden said. “Whatever you’re planning…” He moved again, picking up the pace. “Whatever you think you have to do… just don’t.”

“Why?” Nate asked. “What’s the point of not doing it? You know what’ll happen to me if you bring me back to Terra Sector.”

“We can figure something out.”

Nate laughed.

“C’mon, man. We were friends. I’m sorry things worked out this way, but you know I’ll do whatever I can to help—”

“No!” Nate shouted the word. “Don’t even go there! After what I’ve heard from you in the short time I’ve been in your custody, I know how disgusted you are. There’s no way you’ll let this go. You would’ve marched me right up to the executioner. So don’t try to pretend otherwise because I’m going to blow this place up.”

“Why?” Caden yelled back. “What’s the point now? We already have the information! Are you destroying it out of spite? Because I can’t see any other reason for—”

“I’m going out my way,” Nate said. “Not in the halls of Security Corps. Not as a disgraced Justiciar or a collaborator or whatever else you want to call me. I’m going to make a statement of my own by destroying Borealis. If I have to go down a villain, it can be for this. Not anything I did for Constance.”

Caden rounded the final corner. He paused at the doorway leading into the engineering section. “Do you think they won’t blame Constance? Talk about how you probably did this for them? You won’t be around to set the record straight. They’re going to throw you to the wolves, man! Just think! I can help you.”

“But you weren’t going to,” Nate replied, “so I guess it’s time to overload this reactor and put the cards on the table. Whatever they say after this, they’ll have to acknowledge that I absolutely did destroy Borealis. The shining star of the Security Corps external security force. Gone because of me.”

Technically, it’s because of Helmut. Caden bit his lip from throwing that out. He figured it might push Nate beyond the point of conversation. He felt like it might be possible to get him to calm down, to get him out of the room. Back to the ship. God, I hope Jenna and Sarina have figured this out.

Nate said, “I know you’re outside the door, Caden. I know you don’t want to die today. Because we were friends, I’ll give you a chance. Walk away. Just go find some way to get to the ship and leave this place. There’s nothing you can do to save it anyway. We both know that. Save yourself.”

“That’s kind,” Caden replied. “But you have to know I’m going to try. Yeah, this place is hosed. It’s been beat to shit, but if we shut that reactor down, it can be repaired. We won’t waste a whole lot of resources… not to mention the fact there are other people aboard. You’re killing more than yourself here.”

“I’m responsible for a lot more.” Nate sighed. “If you want to mess with me, if you have to try, come on in. I’m not armed. We can put this to rest right now if that’s what you want. But I don’t think you’ll make it out. Even if you finish me off, this place won’t survive, regardless of what you do next.”

Caden shifted to step through the door. A gunshot rang out, the bullet slapping the wall a few inches from his head. He took cover a second time. “Not armed, huh?”

“I think we established that I’m a liar,” Nate replied. “Sorry to continue to be a disappointment.”

“You’re also a terrible shot.” Caden pressed his back against the wall then slid into a crouch. He poked his weapon around the corner, firing twice.

“I’m the bad shot?” Nate called. “You—”

Caden spun around, taking half a second to aim and fire. He got Nate in the shoulder, making him stumble against the wall. As his target reeled from the blow, Caden rushed inside, keeping his weapon trained. “It’s over. Drop the gun, come back with me to the ship. I’ll get you some medical attention.”

Nate pressed his hand against the wound. He panted as he bent at the waist. He’d dropped his weapon. “Seems… pretty rough… calling me out… distracting me…”

“I have to shut this down.” Caden gestured with his free hand at the reactor. “Turn around, leaning against the wall. It won’t take me long then we’re out of here. And I meant what I said before. I’ll do whatever it takes to help you out with this. You have my—”

Nate lunged. The weapon went off. Whether it scored a hit or not, Caden couldn’t tell. He was driven against the reactor panel. A solid punch to his side made him wince.

Caden shoved Nate back, then followed up with a kick. The attack missed, and Nate jumped him a second time. They rolled over the panel then went to the floor.

An alarm went off as Nate loomed over Cade, clawing at his throat with his one good hand.

Caden jabbed him in the wounded arm, drawing out a gurgled scream. He bucked him off, then got to his knees.

Nate crawled toward his gun.

Caden dove to grab his own. As he rolled on his side, he took aim, just as Nate fired into the reactor control panel. Two shots went off before Caden shot him in the chest. The blow finally took the fight out of him.

“What the hell?” Caden muttered. He stood, moving over to kick the gun away before aiming at Nate’s head. “You really decided to go out with that shot? Didn’t even go for me?”

“I… don’t hate… you…” Nate muttered. “No point… in shooting you anyway… you’re going… you’ll die here…”

“I should let you bleed out,” Caden said. “Walk out the door so you can watch this place explode.”

“Would you?” Nate asked. “I might as well see something I did work…”

“I wish you would’ve contacted me a long time ago. Right when they pushed you.”

“Doesn’t… work like… that.” Nate shook his head. He coughed, blood flecks coating his lips. “You… find yourself… doing one… thing then… then another. Over… and over… small leads to big. Big… to unforgivable. Then what? I’ll tell you. You’re done.”

“Alert,” a computer voice blared over the speakers, “alert. Reactor overload detected. Coolant failure. Alert. Alert.”

“That’s… it…” Nate smirked. “I guess… I destroyed… Borealis.”

“Congrats.” Caden backed away. “The gun’s just over there if you can crawl to it. End yourself faster than being obliterated when this goes up.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry this happened to you. That this is your end.” He turned away, moving swiftly for the door. He slapped his comm back on as he went. “Jenna? Sarina?”

Neither answered.

Great. Caden hustled up the stairs. Maybe I can rendezvous with Sarina before she gets out of here. Though she probably should’ve already been gone. We’ve got a few more minutes. Just keep moving.

***

Sarina moved to the door then slipped to the other side. She leaned against the wall. Footsteps approached. They were less than ten feet away, closing fast. A shadow spread over the floor. She counted backward from five in her head, tensing for action as she got down to one.

The person outside hesitated. They must have known someone was in the room, though they didn’t take any action. Sarina lunged, snatching at them with a quick grab. Her fingers closed around regular cloth. They weren’t wearing a hazard suit, nor did they wear any armor.

As she dragged them into the room, she shoved them hard while lifting her weapon, aiming at their chest. The young man threw himself to the side, landing just beside a pile of rubbish. Sarina fired once. “Get your ass out of there right now! You’re under arrest!”

“Don’t shoot!” Hands lifted above the trash. “Please! I’m unarmed! I’m an intern… I just work here. I’ve been trying to—”

Another gunshot went off. The young man’s head jerked back. Sarina spun, aiming at the door as she dropped to a knee. The weapon went off while she was still in motion, which would’ve been a solid hit if she hadn’t reacted instantly. She pulled the trigger, loading up the target.

They went down, sprawled in the hallway. Sarina advanced, noting they were one of the scarred up maniacs they ran from before. Only this one had the peace of mind to keep quiet, to take a shot though not enough sense to take cover. She glanced down the hallway. More of them seemed to have formed up some hundred yards away.

None of them advanced yet.

“Hey,” Sarina whispered, “Jenna? Can you hear me?”

“I can.” Jenna’s voice trembled. “I have left the station. There’s no way to get through the security to open the door for you. You’ll have to climb. There’s a command center up there and they have an emergency exit hatch. I can link up to it for you.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Sarina said. “If I didn’t have a problem. I’m not sure where the stairs are. And some of those maniacs survived so now I have to deal with a lot of them.” She retrieved the weapon of her recent victim. “I’ve got basically two magazines for my weapon and whatever’s in this thing.”

“Um… I have you on scan. Take a hard right, there’s a staircase going up. You only have to go thirty yards. Then four floors to get where I want you to be. From there…” Jenna paused. “Yep. I’ll be able to walk you through opening the hatch. It’s a security thing again so I hope you remember your personal operator code.”

“Of course I do,” Sarina muttered, “but how do you know I’ll have the access to get through it?”

“Because everyone your level and above do,” Jenna said. “At least that’s what the manual says here. Look, I’m doing my best. And this is our only shot. So you should probably move. It’s what Caden told us to do, right?”

Yeah, and God forbid we argue with him. Sarina took two quick breaths. If I leave this room, they’ll come after me. Though she had to take a moment to think. They didn’t even look in her direction when the guns went off. And I loaded this guy up. Shit, that was a bad idea. Two would’ve done the trick. Instead, I wasted five rounds.

“You gotta move,” Jenna said. “I’m so sorry. I know it must be—”

“Stop,” Sarina snapped. “Just… don’t try to do… whatever you were about to do.” She shoved away from the door, dashing to the right. She made it twenty yards before she heard a grunting sound behind her. A glance filled her with dread. The people standing around looked in her direction, and started to follow.

Damn it! “They’re after me.” Sarina slowed as she reached the stairs, grabbing the doorframe so she could swing inside. A form surprised her. She barreled into them, knocking them off balance. As the person tumbled backward down the stairs, she didn’t slow down to see what happened, instead starting up.

A final strangled cry came from the one she bumped into before they fell silent.

They could not have been like the kid. They weren’t a normal person. I couldn’t have saved them.

The first few steps were slick with something. Sarina couldn’t tell if it was fresh blood or some kind of grease. Half the wall panels had been ripped clear, but none of them occupied the space. Some shards of metal stuck out of the wall, sticking in a good half an inch in some places.

Explosions. Sarina had no idea how any of it could’ve happened. I don’t get this. Power relays must’ve burst. The pits in the walls were especially dark, as if covered in soot. Some points along the way looked like fires had broken out, licking as high as the ceiling. Emergency response evacuated the oxygen to douse the flames.

“You’re almost there,” Jenna said, “but you’re right. People are chasing you. I’m… I’m not sure what you’re going to do when you get to the command deck. Because it’s going to take a minute to open that panel.”

Shit. Sarina glanced at her weapon. “How many are there? Can you tell?”

“Ten.”

That’s probably more than I can take out.

“Shoot the panel.” Sarina reached the floor she needed. “Unless you can get a door closed, we’re going to have to breach the hull to get me out of here.”

“If you get swept out into space, the chances of me being able to collect you alive are slim!” Jenna hummed. “Go up to the next floor. There’s an office there. I think you can close the door.”

“Then what?”

“Just go!” Jenna shouted. “They’re closing on you fast and if you don’t move…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sarina grumbled. She went up the final flight, slipping down a short hallway into a room. As the door closed behind her, she looked around. A desk sat off to the right, a sofa on the left. The place hadn’t been ransacked, nor had it received any damage at all. Even the lights remained steady. “I’m here. What’re you going to do?”

“Try to open the door remotely,” Jenna said. “Then suck them out into space. Give you some breathing room to figure out what to do. Um… so to speak. You know, cause I’m going to suck out the air and—”

“Just do it,” Sarina interrupted. “Whatever you’re going to do.”

An alarm went off. The computer issued a warning about the reactor overloading.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Sarina shouted. “I guess Caden didn’t succeed.”

“I don’t have him on comms either.” Jenna groaned. “This is hard!”

You’re telling me. People started banging on the door. Sarina made sure it was locked. “Whatever you’re going to do, now’s the time, Jenna.”

“Working on it!” Jenna complained. “Just… please hang in there.”

“Sure.” Sarina stepped over to the desk. She perched on the edge. “Take your time.”

Chapter 13

Shep entered the port with Garra. He tapped her arm, directing her attention to several security personnel moving toward one of the docking areas. She let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping. A body reclined right in front of the open door, making the situation all that much more difficult.

“Your friend?” Garra asked.

“Loose term,” Shep muttered, “how do we deal with the security people?”

“I don’t know who attacked,” Garra said, “but I guess we can try to talk them down?”

“Kill them!” A man’s voice echoed through the common area. Shep turned to watch as five people charged the security personnel, opening fire on them.

Garra grabbed her then pulled her into a storage closet nearby. All hell broke loose beyond as both sides blasted away at one another while civilians scattered for safety. Elora’s voice broke over the comm, but whatever she tried to say turned into random screams and a few inarticulate grunts.

“Okay,” Shep said, “what is wrong with your colony?”

“Honestly?” Garra shrugged. “This isn’t typical. We don’t usually have people running around doing… whatever that is. There’s no rebellion to speak of, no one’s put in a position where they’d be against the authorities. Frankly, the security personnel here tends to be lazy. They don’t get involved unless there’s violence.”

“And you don’t know those guys shooting?” Shep glanced again, watching as two people went down under heavy fire from security. She counted eight bodies on the ground already. The fighting continued as each side took cover behind trash cans, merchant stalls, and benches. “They’re serious about it.”

“I can tell,” Garra looked. “No, I haven’t seen any of them. Damn… maybe they are rebels. This wouldn’t be a terrible place for them to establish a base. It’s out of the way, we’ve got resources, and they could jump to a bunch of imperial worlds. Enough to make it worth overwhelming the authorities here.”

Mel came on the comm. “What’s going on? Why’s Elora screaming like a child? And who is shooting in the damn port?”

“Um…” Shep shrugged. “Everyone? And she’s freaking out about it, I guess? I don’t know. I feel like I should be more freaked out, if I’m honest. Garra and I are hanging out in a closet while we wait for it to end.” The shooting stopped. No one seemed to move out there. “They’re either on break or it’s over.”

Mel grunted. “I sincerely doubt they’re on timeout! Look, are you safe?”

Shep nodded. “Uh… I just shook my head yes. Sorry. But Garra and I are good for now. Though I don’t think we’re leaving this closet, right?”

“Nope.”

“Yeah, we’re good right here until we have a plan to move forward.”

“I’m outside,” Mel said, “and Sam should be along shortly. As soon as we get in there, let’s exchange this stuff so we can go our separate ways. Then leave this insane planet before the next stupidity erupts.”

Garra muttered, “I kinda resent that. We don’t normally have challenges like this.”

“She’s just frustrated.” Shep waved her hand. “And I mean, can you blame her? This is nuts.”

“Oh, I get it. Sure. Just… you know, I’m sorry it went down like this. Much as I’d like to blame your buddy Sam for trying to save that lady, I think this is a series of unfortunate events.”

“Definitely serial.” Shep cleared her throat. “Anyway, I don’t see any guns out there. All the civilians are gone. Do you think they killed each other? Because that’s just… insane.”

“I guess we can find out.” Garra stepped outside. He shouted, “Hello? Anyone alive over there? Do you need some help?” No response came back. “Yeah, I guess they must’ve. That’s some serious shooting. Gotta be honest, I have not seem that before either. Definitely not in this settlement.”

Shep asked, “You want to hurry? Get this deal done?”

“Yeah, I think we’re safe enough.” Garra gestured to the right. “I guess my people ran off too, but your gear’s in there.”

“Elora?” Shep joined Garra. “Where the hell are you?”

Elora leaned to look out the door. “Is it safe?” She shouted, then cursed. “I mean…” She tried a stage whisper. “Is it safe?”

“Just come out here.” Shep rolled her eyes. “For God’s sake, girl. What are you even doing?”

“I had to shoot someone!” Elora stormed out of the dock toward them. She waved the gun around.

“Put that thing away!” Shep pointed. “Are you in the market for killing someone else? Christ, I thought you knew how to use a weapon.”

“I do! I just never had to fire at someone before!”

And I don’t think she had to this time either. Shep followed Garra to the storage door. She gestured for Elora to come forward. “Here’s our part of the bargain.”

Elora blinked a couple times. “Oh!” She cleared her throat. “Sorry. Um… here.” She pulled out her device, tapped it four times. A door opened off to the left. “Voila. The resources requested.”

“And you.” Garra smacked the panel beside the door. It opened, revealing some dusty, old computer equipment. “Top-of-the-line.”

“Are you serious?” Shep stepped inside. She crouched by the gear. Everything they had to leave back on Mars made the pile look like trash. “Does this stuff even work? Where’d you find it?”

“Hey, it’s top-of-the-line for the frontier.” Garra shrugged. “You can’t be too choosy when it comes to getting illegal gear out here. Besides, it may not be the fastest stuff you’ll use, but it’ll get the job done.”

“It better.” Shep picked up the first box. “Elora, we gotta move. Help me.”

Garra went to look at the payment. “Nice. Where’d you get these supplies?”

“What do you care?” Shep asked. She paced past him. “Enjoy them. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope we don’t meet again.”

“Harsh,” Garra said. “But I understand. Damn it. I need to get my guys back here. I’m not carrying this crap all over the place.”

Elora grumbled, “Sounds like a you problem.” She carried one of the boxes past him, hurrying to catch up with Shep. They only had two to deal with. “This is heavy!”

“Stop complaining,” Shep said, “and just get it on the ship. God knows we want to get out of here as quickly as possible. We’ve stumbled into a real shit show with the rebel types hanging out. If that’s who they were. And then you’ve killed someone. Sam probably did too. We’re about to be very unpopular.”

“I can’t wait to get home,” Elora replied, “where I actually am popular. Because everyone hating on us… I’m really over it.”

“Join the club. Sam and I have been dealing with it since we met up. It’ll be nice to slow down and not be in a constant state of panic about who might be coming after us next.” Shep reached the ramp. She hurried up to the top, set the box down on the floor, then rushed past Elora. “I’m going to wait for Mel and Sam.”

“Why?” Elora shouted, “I thought you had to get this stuff working!”

“Just… stay with the gear!” Shep waved over her shoulder. She made it back to the door, peering out. Garra remained by the storage door. He spoke to a device as he paced. No one else had shown up after the violence. The streets must’ve been full of people out there, the civilians who fled when the shooting started.

I wonder if that’ll delay Sam and Mel. Shep used her device to reach out to them. “Hey, guys? We have the stuff and it’s aboard the ship. Where are you? This place is a ghost town and it would be ideal if we could get the hell out of here. Right now, preferably.” She eyed Garra. “Before our seller gets some ideas.”

“What kind of ideas?” Mel asked. “You gave him his payment, right?”

“I’m not sure how he feels about it,” Shep said, “and he knows we’ve got a ship with limited protection. So… he’s alone right now. Let’s just make haste.”

“You could just shoot him,” Mel replied. “That’ll slow them down considerably.”

“I’m not doing that!” Shep rolled her eyes. “Wow, you’re far more bloodthirsty than I thought when we first met.”

“I wasn’t worried about dying when that happened. Not until those assholes showed up at the gate and demanded to get in. Anyway, I’ll be there in just a second. Sam’s making the long way around to avoid more conflict. Have Elora power up the engines and we’ll leave the second we’re all aboard.”

“Sounds good.” Shep hurried back to the ship. “Start the ship, Elora!” She called. “We have to go!” She got to the top of the ramp. “You might…” She paused when she saw a man with a gun holding Elora close to him. He wore the weird black outfit the others donned in the area, which probably meant he belonged to the rebel people. “Shit.”

“Hi there,” he said. His beard hung down low enough to cover Elora’s shoulder. His bald head glistened with sweat. He looked filthy, dirt and grime covering his face and hands as he brandished his pistol. “Seems like you’ve got a bit of a problem here. One that I think we can work out if you’d kindly disembark from my ship.”

“Oh, it’s yours?” Shep asked. “I didn’t realize that. Maybe it was the fact I landed the ship in this dock or something that’s given me the impression. Which leads me to the next thought… what exactly do you think you’re doing? Are you seriously under the impression I’m going to let you steal this vessel?”

“If you don’t want me to blast your friend…” The man squeezed Elora. “Then yes, I think you’re going to do a lot more than that. You’re going to take out your little pistol, toss it on the floor, then you’re going to walk backward off the ramp. I’ll be on my way shortly after. And you can do whatever.”

“You going to take my friend?” Shep asked. “Because that’s also a deal breaker.”

“I’m not making a deal!” he screamed. “I’ll shoot her!”

“She’s going to die anyway if you take her.” Shep shrugged. “So maybe you shouldn’t act like you’ve got some kind of bargaining chip. Look, I don’t know why you’re trying to steal my ship or what the plan really is, but it’s not happening. So put the gun away, and get the hell out of here. Or you’re not walking away.”

“You’re real tough!” He pressed the barrel of his gun against Elora’s ribs. Her face scrunched up in pain. “But this little bitch is about to…”

A weapon went off behind Shep. She jumped, then ducked though the man’s body slumped to the floor. Elora shuffled away, then turned to kick the body three times. It had been shot in the face.

Mel walked past Shep. “Neither of you thought to watch the ship? To make sure no one came aboard?”

“No!” Elora yelled. “No, we didn’t! Because the whole place was deserted! So why did this guy even do that? What’s going on? What’re the rebels up to? And are all of them so…” She sneered. “So disgusting? Seriously! I don’t get it! He could’ve talked to us! We probably would’ve helped him leave!”

“Settle down.” Mel waved at her. “Get the body off the ship.”

“Wait.” Shep stepped forward. “I think she’s on to something. Why are they doing this? What’s going on, Mel?”

Mel sighed. “The rebels want this place as a foothold. That guy didn’t want to stick around and wait for the military to sweep them away so he tried to steal the ship. It’s not all that complicated. But if we don’t want to get caught up in this civil… event, then we have to go. So if you’re done with the questions, can you get him off the ship?”

She stormed off toward the bridge.

Elora turned to Shep. “Are we seriously going to drag this… this body outside?”

“What do you want to do with it?” Shep asked. “Ask it to leave?” She grabbed the shoulders. The scent got to her, a combination or body odor and copper. Elora grabbed the legs. They tried to hoist him, but he proved too heavy. Then his head rolled to the side. Blood and chunks of meat fell on the floor.

“Oh God!” Elora stumbled away.

Shep did the same. “Okay… I think we can wait for Sam.” She held her hands over her mouth. “I… might be sick.”

“I am definitely going to be sick!” Elora hurried down the ramp. Shep heard her wretch just off to the left.

“Sam?” Shep stepped over to the ramp. “Can you hear me?” She checked her comm. It was engaged. “Hey, if you can hear me, let me know, okay?”

“Fighting…” Sam’s voice cut through some static, but it was lost again a moment later. “Whatever… if you…”

“Hey!” Shep shouted. “Come again, I didn’t copy!” She held tight for a moment. “Sam? Sam? Damn it!” She stepped down to Elora who crouched by the ship. “You feeling better? Can you get a hold of yourself?”

“I’m trying!” Elora grumbled. “I’ve never seen anything that horrible before!”

“Okay, I get it, me too. But Sam’s out there and… I don’t know what’s happening. I want to get to the door. See if I can help from afar or something. So… you should definitely be on the ship.”

“What about the body?”

Shep sighed. “Worst case scenario, we jettison it when we take off. Go!” She hurried off toward the doorway. Garra was gone, along with the goods they provided him. At least he got what he needed. She made her way to the exit. A lot more gunfire went off out there. She leaned to get a look.

No sign of Sam, but there were plenty of people fighting in the streets. Why they hadn’t come to the port, she had no idea. But it became clear they needed to go sooner than she thought. Mel was right. Whatever went down would spill over to them soon enough. And if Sam didn’t get there, they might not ever leave.

***

Sam ducked into a building the moment chaos exploded on the streets of the settlement. He kept low and away from the window, moving toward the back exit. comms didn’t seem to work, and he couldn’t raise Mel. Gunfire outside made it clear a real battle started between a number of combatants.

“Sam?” Shep’s voice piped through his earpiece. “Can you hear me? Hey, if you can hear me, let me know, okay?”

“I’m in trouble out here!” Sam called. “Fighting broke out without any notice. Whatever someone can do to help, if you could even bring the ship this way, we could get out of here.” Only static responded. “Damn it, Shep?” The line went dead.

I hope she got the message. Sam reached the door. He opened it, but took cover to the left. No one shot into the opening so he risked a glance. The immediate area was clear, but the sound of fighting was close enough to make him nervous about leaving. Any movement probably constituted a target.

Screams accompanied the other violence. I can’t stay here. I have to move. Sam darted from his position, his jaw tense in anticipation of being shot. He figured it was only a matter of time before someone got him, especially as he crossed an opening between two buildings. He saw someone go down in his peripheral vision.

Bullets slapped the ground near him. Sam picked up the pace, sprinting to the next bit of cover where he paused to catch his breath. He leaned against the wall, though the gunfire continued throwing up dirt all around where he’d just passed over. Why are they shooting down here?

“Advance!” A random voice rose above the clatter. Sam risked a quick look. Two sides charged each other, each shooting the whole time.

What the hell are they doing? A rogue shot hit the wall above his head. Okay, I get it. I don’t give a shit. I have to get to the port. He pushed away, staying close to the wall. The comm continually buzzed in his ear. Occasionally, he heard male voices shouting at one another. He somehow picked up on their frequency.

Sam saw a corner loom ahead. The port should’ve been a couple dozen yards away from that point. He tried the comm again, reaching out to Mel or Shep. Neither replied. As he approached, two people emerged in front of him. He tried to stop abruptly, sliding a few feet before tripping and tumbling to the ground.

He landed on his shoulder, rolled twice before coming to a halt facing the two. They leveled their weapons at him, the barrels smoking.

Sam shot one in the knee, the other in the groin. Both shots brought the targets down. As he climbed to his feet, he put them down with headshots, though he understood how close he’d come to dying. They must’ve gotten off at least three or four blasts while he was rolling toward them.

Behind him, another group of men rounded the way. Sam cut behind the building as they opened fire. He sprinted for the port with a half dozen men just twenty yards to his right firing wildly down the street. He kept his path away from going behind them, but at the very end, just before entering, he had to cut across.

Bullets slapped the ground all around him, pinging the walls as he cut through to the common area of the port. He finally slowed, coming to a halt as he walked toward his ship’s dock.

“Hey!” Shep ran toward him. She extended her hands. “Are you okay? The comms dropped! I couldn’t hear you and—”

“I’m good.” Sam waved his hand at her. “I’m totally good. Just… wow. That was a run.” He struggled to catch his breath. “Let’s just get out of here before that mess comes in here.”

“You’re telling me.” Shep shouted over her shoulder, “Mel! We’re coming aboard!” She grabbed Sam’s arm. “I hate to tell you this, but I need your help getting rid of a body on the ship. Long story.”

Elora stepped out. “Thank God! You made it!” She waved, advancing toward them. “We were ridiculously worried! I hope you’re—”

A gunshot went off. Elora winced, coughing once before falling backward.

Sam spun, shooting a silhouette in the doorway. He hit them three times, then held his weapon at the ready for anyone else who might come through.

Shep jogged over to Elora. “Help!” she shouted, “we have to get her on the ship! Now!”

“I’m coming!” Sam joined her, pausing to take in the injury. Elora took the bullet to the right side of her chest, just beside her arm. She’d already fallen unconscious… or died. He couldn’t tell. “I’ll pick her up.” He scooped the woman into his arms. “Go! Get to the ship and prep the medical area.”

Sam hurried after her, whispering to his charge, “it’s okay. I’ve got you. Stay with us, Elora. We’re getting out of this, I promise you… you’ll be okay.”

The ramp loomed ahead. Sam glanced over his shoulder as he started up. Two people came running toward him. He paused at the top to hit the panel. It started to close. “Turn on the shields,” he yelled. “We’ve got company outside and they seem seriously intent on getting aboard.”

He then carried Elora to their small medical chamber. We got what we wanted… but wow, what a cost. The violence alone seemed shocking enough, but as they took off, he wondered how it all went so crazy. It wasn’t all my doing with that woman and her scammer friends.

The frontier proved a lot more dangerous than he ever realized. As Elora’s hot blood soaked through his shirt, he recognized just how out of his depth he’d truly fallen. And how his lack of experience impacted those around him. All over a selfish desire to escape military service.

He had to wonder if he it would’ve been worse had he just gone. And that went for everyone around him.

Chapter 14

Risler listened as the comm channel turned chaotic. Multiple voices shouted over each other. Omari had reported they secured the hangar. She believed they were well on their way to securing the necessary data. Then all hell appeared to break loose. Without a recent report from Cassidy’s people.

“Lee, clear that up.” Risler stood, pacing to the screen. She stared at the tactical scans, but they weren’t revealing any sort of activity on the ship. “What’s going on over there? I thought the relays were setup. We should have a good view of activities within the structure itself.”

“The hangar’s closed,” Lee said. “We aren’t getting scan data out, but we do have comms still. It appears General Omari’s under attack.”

“Specify,” Darius replied. “They already mentioned those probes and drones. What else is over there?”

“Hard to say. You can hear how they’re reacting to it.”

“Alright,” Risler said, “get me a connection straight to Captain Cassidy. I’ll get a report from him.” She turned to Hudson. “You got anything on tactical over there? Anything that isn’t showing up on the main, I mean?”

“No, ma’am. The Olympus is almost finished deploying their satellites. Should be good in a few minutes. We still have some data coming back from those planets as well… but that’s Lee’s work. Everything’s quiet out there. Plenty of turrets on the surface of the Gorlan vessel, but they seem to be bricked.”

Small favor that they didn’t crank on too. Risler forced herself to return to her seat. She still leaned forward, as if she might launch out of the chair at any moment. A sense of helplessness made her anxious. There’s nothing we can do from here. Except maybe send some reinforcements.

“I’ve got Cassidy,” Lee said. “And the comms are clean. Ready when you are.”

“Patch him through.” Risler leaned on the arm of her chair. “What’s going on over there? Give me a report. Do you have any way of speaking with Omari?”

“We started down what we thought was a hallway,” Aldo said. “It turned out to be a tram tunnel. A transport vehicle came for us. Sergeant Jefferson died. Several Gorlan are likely on that tram, and I’m sure they’re engaged with the General now. We did give him what warning we could, so hopefully, he was prepared.”

I doubt he was entirely but he’s got the numbers to handle a squad or two.

“I’m sorry about Jefferson.” Risler rubbed her forehead. “Everyone else is okay? Any injuries?”

“We’re fine, ma’am. We’re attempting to find the means to get deeper into the facility now. We’re confident there must be something we’re missing in a room off the tram station. It may be a terminal of sorts. I believe we’ll be on our way momentarily. But as far as Omari’s concerned… the exits from the hangar have been closed off.”

“Just as a group of enemies make it there.” Risler nodded. “Alright, report back with any major updates. I’ll let you get back to work.” She turned to Lee. “Make sure you find a way to speak with Omari soon.” She switched over to Adrian. “We lost a member of the team and it seems our people are under attack.”

“By real Gorlans,” Adrian said. “I’ve got some people ready to go for backup. But the hangar’s locked down for now. We’re looking for another entry point to help. So far, no go.”

“I understand. Let me know if you come up with something.” Risler gestured to Lee. “Tell me you’ve got some clue about those planets yet. Anything at all to help make this make sense.”

“Negative,” Lee replied. “Only that there were settlements there before. But I can’t date them yet. They might be a few years old, or more than a decade. A sample brought to the ship would be a big help but… barring that… it’ll just take some more time. But suffice to say, they haven’t had anyone in them for long enough to be completely uninhabitable now.”

Darius asked, “What would it take to clean the place up?”

“Weeks of radiation sweeps.” Lee shrugged. “Maybe a full-on terraforming project. It would require domes. Calibrating to use the star’s energy here would take a lot. I’m no expert on the procedures involved, but this isn’t the type of place any of our colonization teams would take on.”

“No,” Risler said, “this is an archaeological site at best. Okay. And the ship? Do we have any more data about its age?”

“Sorry, ma’am,” Lee replied. “When the ground team has a chance, they can get a detailed scan of the interior. That should help us out. I will say this, it appears the life support systems are at full power now. That could be a response to the life forms boarding the station, meaning us… or the activation of their troops as stated by Captain Cassidy.”

“Monitor those power surges.” Risler pointed. “And let me know the second another one happens. I shouldn’t have had to ask just now.” She turned to Darius. “What’re your thoughts?”

“We should use the satellites to jam all comm traffic out of the area. Just in case that thing calls for help. They probably have something similar to what Adrian used to draw the Gorlans to that colony. We do not need that here. Especially since I think this ship might be important to them. Enough to defend with plenty of ships.”

“Agreed. Coordinate with Adrian to let him know we’re going to do that.” Risler turned to Avris. “You’ve been quiet. What’s going on over there? Any ideas?”

“Sorry, ma’am.” Avris let out a heavy breath. “I’ve been studying the designs on the surface. They aren’t like any human or Talmar buildings. We’ve found ancient civilizations before on planets. Generally, we’ve thought they were those which never took to space. This one reminds me of a couple worlds in our own territory.”

“Tell me more,” Risler said. “What did you find about them?”

“That’s harder to relate specifically. I can’t recall the individual details. Only that I’ve seen these silhouettes before. The architectural styling. The way the buildings start broad and narrow as they climb, ending in points here and there. And they go underground as well. Several stories according to these scans.”

Risler asked, “Are they interconnected?”

Avris nodded. “Yes. Though there are clearly paths above ground as well. It could be that as the climates became more difficult to thrive above ground, they turned to subterranean travel to compensate. We’ve done the same on some worlds which we knew could not be saved, but still had harvestable materials.”

“Okay.” Risler tapped her knee. “Why are the Gorlans so hostile? What’s compelled them to attack everyone they come in contact with? If they’ve got a full-on colony here, with roads and buildings, then what made them change? Because they don’t take anything from their raids. They just kill.”

“Right?” Avris shook his head. “I’ve never been able to understand that myself. It’s been a question others of my caste talk about once in a while, but there’s never enough data to answer the question. We’ve always thought they were merely a warrior race, one that thrives on combat and somehow derives resources another way.”

“And I’m guessing the prospect of that colony changes your perspective.”

Avris frowned as he nodded. “Yes, if it’s theirs. And it may well be. Or… it could just be another conquest and for whatever reason, they chose this spot to remain. I would very much like to go down to the surface there, look around to compare notes later. But it’s hardly essential. Other than to gather some of the Gorlan mindset.”

“I wish I could risk it.” Risler stood. “Alright, let’s focus on the problem at hand. Getting those people some support, ensuring Cassidy can continue his mission, and making sure we don’t find ourselves at the wrong end of an enemy attack force before we can do anything about it.”

***

Omari stood with his line behind mobile cover, holding a weapon right alongside the grunts. According to Cully, the tram should have arrived. The enemy likely had the means to open the bulkhead. When they did, he intended to put them down fast. He ordered everyone to engage their magnetics in the event the Gorlans tried to jettison them into space.

None of the vehicles will leave. We have this under control. Some of his soldiers controlled the turrets, aiming them at the door. The amount of firepower at his disposal was stunning. They could certainly distract their opponents for some time. If not put them down completely. They just have to come through.

A muffled clatter sounded from behind the bulkhead. The panel began to vibrate then shift to the left. It had fallen before, straight down from the ceiling. Watching it drag across the ground, scraping metal on metal, made his teeth itch. He pressed the butt of his weapon against his shoulder tighter, his heart hammering in his chest.

“Steady!” Omari shouted. “Wait for my command to fire!” He wanted a good look at them, a solid bunch of targets to open up on. They had the tram on the other side of the door, which might make good cover, and prolong the fighting. Knowing the way the Gorlans tended to fight, he anticipated their soldiers taking a charging approach.

They’ve never had cause to fear our weapons before. Today, you get a real wake up call.

The panel finally parted, moving quicker to get out of the way. Omari narrowed his eyes. Scans indicated there were at least eight life forms out there waiting to get in. His force should have made short work of them. They had likely been in some kind of hibernation as well, which he hoped would provide some advantage.

Two beams of light filled the area, coming from a good ten feet off the floor. Omari gasped. They weren’t going to send their people in. They planned to drive the tram through the hangar, and he had no idea just how big it might be. But he only had a few moments to react before it had enough room to get through.

“Open fire!” Omari shouted. “Let them have it with the turrets! Don’t let that thing through!” He fired as well, his weapon joining the countless energy beams cutting through the doorway. The turrets let out earsplitting screams as they laid into it heavily, though his tactical HUD didn’t show any sign of appreciable damage.

Just some surface scoring… a small hole… then the engines for it cranked up, letting out a whine that echoed through the hangar. It lurched forward, taking the door down as it slammed into the edge. The metal hit the floor with a clatter powerful enough to rattle the floor right before the tram ran it over.

The door’s presence caused the tram to careen to the right, which would’ve taken it straight into the barrier blocking the exit if not for a shuttle standing in its way. They continued hitting it right up to the point that it smacked into the bow of the ship. As it came to a halt, smoke rose from the front along with dozens of holes all across its hull.

“Hard cover!” Omari shouted. “Shields up!” He ducked behind his cover as the ships cranked on their shields. An explosion rocked the area, throwing him off his feet. He landed on his side, a hot breeze rushing over him. He crawled to another bit of cover, waiting out the flames.

Gunfire erupted again. Tactical came online a second later, showing the Gorlans advancing into the hangar. Omari got a look at the carnage. The tram detonated, blowing the shuttle in half at the same time. A dozen bodies littered the floor as well, some of them in pieces.

Those who survived returned fire on the incoming enemy. They blasted away while the remaining vehicles did the same. Three of the Gorlans entered the room while the others stayed in the hallway, using the walls for cover as they leaned in to shoot. Those that advanced took the full brunt of their improved weapons.

The armor didn’t save them from the assault. Two of the three were cut down in moments. The last one managed another dozen shots before it took enough firepower in the face to melt its mask. The body slumped to the floor as the real firefight began between them and the aliens in the hall.

We have to find a way to put these guys down before they get reinforcements. Or another tram to slam into the hangar. He barked some orders, then took cover to reach out to the Arden. As the comm link established, he shouted, “We need some more people down here! Heavier weapons! This is imperative!”

If a response came back, he didn’t hear it. Omari got back to firing along with the others. Beams lashed out from the doorway, slapping their cover, knocking one of them over. The concussive force of the Gorlan weaponry made them almost as deadly as the initial contact.

“Keep it up!” Omari shouted. “We’ll win this!” But maybe not the next one.

***

Risler needed things to speed up. Everything was taking too long. The reinforcements couldn’t find a new way in. The satellites weren’t quite in position, and Cassidy’s people were moving deeper into a facility with a proper enemy presence. She hadn’t dared to hope for an easy mission, but this proved more challenging than anticipated.

“Ma’am,” Lee said, “the fighting in the hangar has escalated dramatically. We just had a massive explosion over there. One of the shuttles seems to be destroyed. Casualty reports suggest at least eight dead, several more wounded.”

“Omari?” Risler asked.

“He’s checked in and is still alive. I haven’t received an exact report of what happened specifically though.”

“See what you can do,” Risler said. “Darius, what’re our options?”

Darius replied, “The other hangar we can access is quite a ways off from their location.” He stood, moving to the tactical screen. “Our force is fighting here. If we want to land without accessing that hangar, we’d have to be here.” He tapped a point that didn’t seem all that far away.

“What’s the problem?”

“It’s roughly a half mile distant from where the rest of the forces are. Meaning they’d have to cover a lot of ground without vehicle support.” Darius shrugged. “I’m not sure it’s worth the attempt. If there are Gorlans over there causing trouble, then we might create a fight on two fronts.”

“Or,” Risler replied, “we give our forces a place to retreat to. Take a second hangar, give them a way to get out of there, and have Cassidy’s team rendezvous there for an extraction.”

“That’s a possibility.” Darius waved his hand over the tactical screen. “However, we’d be sacrificing quite a bit of equipment doing that.”

Yeah, I know. Risler sighed. I’d rather not, but at the same time, the data’s more important. Then again, our people are over there to create a distraction for Cassidy, and provide backup. Maybe a second front would do that. If she had them land, they’d constitute a second set of invaders, potentially dividing the Gorlan response.

Along with sacrificing quite a few people. With only a handful of Gorlans reported, it seemed frivolous to throw more bodies at the problem just yet.

“Hold off on the landing.” Risler reached out to Adrian. She told him the dilemma, about what it would mean to abandon the equipment as well as the potential sacrifice. “What do you think?”

“We do whatever it takes,” Adrian replied. “To secure the information we need. I should…” He cleared his throat. “Christine, can you get us a private line? I’m moving to my office.”

“In the middle of this?” Risler scowled. “I swear to God, Adrian… if you’re about to tell me some secret order—”

“I am,” Adrian interrupted, “and you’ll have to find a way to forgive me about it.”

“Oh, I have to?” Risler snorted. “No, I don’t have to do a damn thing. I’ll be there in a moment. Darius, you have the con.” She left the bridge, storming into her office. She engaged the comm without sitting, then commenced to pace. “Spill it. What nonsense do you have to tell me now?”

“One of the reasons we sent Mac,” Adrian said, “was to make an attempt to commandeer the ship.”

“You wanted to capture the Gorlan vessel?” Risler frowned. “Why wouldn’t you have told me that? Do you really think we have enough people over there to do that? And how exactly were they going to pilot it? Prayer?”

“Like I said, Mac’s got the basic understanding and—”

“He’s dead!” Risler interrupted. “He got crushed while they made their way toward the power source. And now—”

“Wait. Your people let him—”

“Don’t.” Risler shut it down. “Just don’t. We both knew how dangerous that place could be. What was the point of taking it? Did they want to reverse engineer it?”

“Or,” Adrian replied, “use it against the enemy. You see the potential.”

“We have no idea how many Gorlans are over there! You must be crazy if you think we can take over that ship and…” Risler paused. “Okay. So did your contacts stop to think that bringing an enemy ship to one of our facilities may not end well? What if they all wake up and use that ship to blast their way to Terra Sector?”

“I don’t think you believe that,” Adrian said, “and I sure don’t. Otherwise, it would’ve been used before now.”

“The Gorlans have yet to encounter anything they couldn’t conquer,” Risler replied. “There’s a possibility that when they did, they’d call on this thing. It doesn’t have to be in hibernation because it’s down and out. It might be that they don’t need it at the moment. And if that’s the case…” She shrugged. “Then we’re looking at a trap.”

“Then we fix it,” Adrian said. “The way we have the last few times we’ve encountered their gear. We crossed the border for a reason the first time. Now, we’ve got this thing. And I’ll be damned if we don’t use every bit of our ingenuity to claim the ship for our own. If not the vessel itself, then the schematics for its weapons.”

“Which we’d have to scan for.” Risler sat down heavily. “Adrian… if you would’ve told me this, I would’ve come at this from a different angle.”

“What’s that? Send more people? We already filled that hangar.”

“A full-on invasion… along with additional soldiers requisitioned before we left the admiralty. That’s the start. A group of engineers we could’ve trained. I might’ve even taken more time to give people a chance to study what we know… but this is an argument we don’t have time for.”

“I can agree with that.”

“Then we have to find a way to populate the ship, take out the defenses, and overcome whatever we encounter. Cassidy and his people are a spearhead. I’m giving them an order to scout the vessel to identify points we should be taking. They can grab data along the way if necessary.”

If they can even get out of the area they’re in.

“That’s perfect. I’ve got all the rest of our infantry ready to board the ship as well. We’ll take each of the hangars and lock them down.”

“Let’s get back to work then.” Risler killed the connection then returned to the bridge. “Do we have any bad news from the time I left?”

“Not really,” Darius said, “but we’re getting closer to information about those planets.”

The absolute least of our worries.

“Good.” Risler took her seat. “Get me a line to Cassidy. We need to issue some new orders. We’re no longer exploring that thing. We’re going to take it.”

Hudson turned. “Ma’am? Did you say we’re going to commandeer the Gorlan ship?”

“Yes.” Risler met his gaze. “Do you have an opinion about that?”

“Yes.” Hudson nodded emphatically. “I’d love the opportunity to go over there and pilot it wherever we’re going.”

Risler snorted. “If we get to the point we need to, I’ll consider it. Right now, I’m not as confident we can do this.” She ran a hand through her hair. “The Olympus is about to drop some additional personnel into the hangars so we can begin to occupy the vessel. Avris, set the planetary scans to automatic and help our people in the operation.”

“Of course,” Avris said. “I think we’ll have no problem with the—”

“I don’t want to hear that yet,” Risler interrupted. “Give me a report when you know the status.” She waited to get Aldo on the line. I wish I could’ve given them the truth when they left. I genuinely thought we’d only be grabbing information from this vessel. Taking the ship presented far more problems than she wanted to deal with.

And put everyone aboard the enemy vessel at risk.

Chapter 15

Jenna stared at the screen for a long moment. The computer did the calculations for her. All she had to do was pull the trigger, and the door would be gone. It even determined the exact amount of power to not blast the entire section out into space. If only she didn’t feel so self-conscious about it.

What if it’s wrong?

Sarina would be dead. It might even be enough to jolt the reactor into detonating faster, killing Caden as well. Jenna felt physically safe from her position, yet it didn’t stop her from trembling. The next few moments, whatever decision she made, might well end two people’s lives.

A couple that trusted her, and helped her when she needed it.

They shouldn’t have come back here! Jenna scowled. This isn’t fair. I shouldn’t have been put in this position. Damn it!

Anger didn’t help. Those people on the station would go up looking for Sarina soon enough. They knew she was there somewhere. I have to make something happen fast. They’ll tear through that door and kill her in a few minutes if I don’t. Jenna hovered her hand over the panel to fire the weapon.

God… I hope this works. If not, I’m so sorry Sarina.

Jenna tapped the button, wincing as she turned away. The weapons discharged. She opened one eye, gazing through the cockpit.

The panel was gone. Most of the section remained intact, though bodies spilled out into space. That probably needed an airlock or something. Though she didn’t know specifically what it was for except it represented a way out. Probably some kind of super secure maintenance hatch.

“Um…” Jenna cleared her throat. “Sarina? Are you okay?”

“I’m here,” Sarina said, “but the computer’s going crazy. I don’t know if you can hear this. The system’s stating the reactor’s going up soon. So… whatever you’re going to do, you need to do it faster.”

“I destroyed the door…” Jenna cleared her throat. “The freaks who were chasing you are gone. So if you can leave…” She paused as a metal panel fell into place over the hole. “Oh shit.”

“What is it?”

“Some kind of emergency barrier thing, I guess. It fell over the opening, blocking the way out. Maybe that’s for the best. If you opened the door, the air in that room probably would’ve thrown you out or something. I don’t know how it works. Good news, the section’s pressurizing again. You can get to the command center.”

“What good’s that going do?” Sarina asked.

“You’ll have access to various systems,” Jenna said, “and maybe you can disengage this emergency thing. Or find some other way out. I don’t know! But it seems like the best possible option at this point. And you don’t have a lot of time, so you should definitely move as fast as you can.”

“Ugh…” Sarina grunted. “I’m on my way. This has been about the worst possible scenario, huh?”

You’re telling me! Jenna shook her head. I’m going to give Caden a serious piece of my mind about this. She ran a scan over the area again. “Computer, show me a door… an exit. Tell me out to get Sarina out of there alive!”

“Reactor overload imminent. Evacuation recommended.”

“Thanks!” Jenna shouted. “How? How do I get them out of there!”

“Emergency lockdown has commenced. Decompress command center and destroy forward section. Targeting now.” Three red dots appeared on the scanner. “Command console should have the controls for shutting down all the oxygen to give the inhabitants a chance to survive.”

“What about Caden?”

“Locating.” The computer then fell silent.

Great! “Sarina! Did you hear any of that? If not, find a way to decompress…”

“I heard it,” Sarina said, “and I’m not thrilled. But I’ll do what I can. I don’t think we’re going to have time… and wherever Caden is… he might…”

“I get it.” Jenna clenched her hands into fists. “Please just try. I don’t want… I want to be… you guys have to…”

“You’re fine,” Sarina interrupted. “Just focus on finding Caden. I’ll do my part up here. Hold on.”

Jenna tapped her foot. Anxiety made her heart race. She tried to calm down with several deep breaths. It didn’t work. In fact, she nearly started to hyperventilate. That won’t help! Calm the hell down! She closed her eyes. Three more breaths offered a momentary reprieve. I think I can do this.

The computer beeped. “Alert. Justiciar Caden Raines is ascending now. He will need to increase speed to evade death. Or, depart through hangar six located on the same floor as him right now. The area is open, but it’s on the opposite side of the station. We will have less than ten minutes to get around to save him before his oxygen runs out.”

“That seems like plenty of time,” Jenna said. “Right?”

“We have less than four minutes before the station detonates. Proximity to the station will destroy this vessel. Suggest haste in all the current activities if all parties are to survive the encounter.”

“Sarina…” Jenna said. “Please tell me you’re decompressing that part of the station!”

“It’s happening right now!” Sarina replied. “Says it’ll take about a minute.”

“God damn it.” Jenna turned to the comm station. She dialed in Caden. “Sir, please come in. Can you hear me?”

“Hey!” Caden shouted. “I guess I left the interference behind. Listen, I’m on my way to—”

“Stop,” Jenna interrupted. “You have to get to hangar six right now. I’ll give you the path. If you go there, you can disembark and we’ll pick you up.”

“Uh… I won’t have much oxygen if I…”

“That’ll be the least of your worries,” Jenna said, “but it’s the only hope. Please get there. I’m about to help Sarina.” Then I can pray we’re fast enough to help you and get away. She plotted a course to put some distance between them and the reactor. If they went full speed, the computer suggested they’d narrowly escape.

This is going to be far too close. If they all died, Helmut would win. So would Nate after a fashion. The whole point of going to Borealis would be a waste. Then I won’t let it. She maneuvered the ship around, allowing the turrets to aim but still providing an entry point into the cargo area.

“Sarina,” Jenna said, “get as far back as you can. The computer’s calculated the amount of power necessary to open the way. But when it happens, throw yourself out. The cargo bay…” She shut it from her side then dropped the ramp. “It’s open. You’ll want to stay down there to help Caden potentially.”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Sarina replied. “I’m ready.”

I’m not. Jenna didn’t hesitate. She fired the weapon. It blasted a hole in the control center. “Now!” She shouted. “Go for it!” This is the moment of truth. That forcefield will start up fast. The notion of what it would do to a human body made her sick to her stomach. Seconds matter. Make them count.

***

Caden found his way to hangar six. The station started rumbling at that point, the deck plates shaking enough to bounce in several places. He wondered how they’d become disconnected to begin with. They should’ve been locked down, secured except for when someone needed to perform maintenance.

This place took more of a beating than I thought if half the place is falling apart like that. He figured Borealis had been tough enough to withstand an internal conflict. Hand weapons and the like. But they had to have taken more of a beating than that to damage the facility to such an extent.

Especially with the reactor already suffering a meltdown when Nate got down there. He hurried up the destruction, though it was going to happen anyway. A serious engineer might have been able to save it. But it was truly done in its current state. The computer began a countdown to a proper explosion.

Nothing would be left of Borealis after that.

“You there?” Jenna asked. “Are you going to get out?”

“I’ve made the hangar.” Caden stumbled from a particularly violent rumble. “Is Sarina good? Are you on your way?”

“Dealing with that part now,” Jenna replied. “I know this is horrible, but I highly recommend you exit the hangar immediately. Just jump… and we’ll get you as quickly as possible. I promise.”

Christ. Caden jogged across the deck toward the forcefield. An emergency panel on the right would allow him to open it. The void yawned beyond the barrier. He stared at it as he ran, his brain trying to fathom exactly what it meant to intentionally venture outside in a hazard suit. Can I even do this?

“The… the barrier,” Caden said. He cleared his throat. His mouth went dry. “I don’t know… how long the emergency… I mean, I can shut it… down but… holy shit.”

“I’ll do it from here,” Jenna said, “there are some features I still have control over. Brace yourself. How much debris is in there?”

Caden looked around. A few crates were scattered about but no larger chunks. “Not much. Nothing too dangerous.”

“Alright, here we go then.”

“Wait!” Caden shouted, half a second before the barrier dropped. The crates lifted and hurled into space in a second. He followed, lifted off his feet and hurled toward the exit. He flailed, probably screamed, lost his weapon as he floated through the remainder of the hangar straight out into space. “Jenna! You could’ve warned me!”

“No time,” Jenna said, “hang tight. We’ll be there in a moment. I think.”

“You think?” Caden began to spin. The station came into view… then nothing. Over and over, the darkness of space filled his vision as he spun head over heels. And he had no way of slowing down or righting himself. His stomach lurched. God, if I throw up, this is really over. “I don’t think you understand what’s happening here!”

“Strangely,” Jenna replied, “I do. Take care.”

Easy for you to say! Caden closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. You’re anywhere else. Floating in a pool. An isolation tank. Nothing else matters. Focus on anything else. Survival. You’re going to make it out of here. But the station was on the verge of detonating, and he’d be incinerated in the blast.

That’s not soothing. Caden bit his lip. Concentrate.

***

Sarina thought she’d feel more during the breach of the control center. Instead, it didn’t even make any noise. She only knew it was time to move when Jenna shouted at her to go. The countdown began. Fortunately, she only had to shove away from the wall to hurl herself into space.

The fact she did so without hesitation surprised her. Once she started moving, terror struck her. If she missed the ship, what would happen? How would Jenna respond? Heading outside carried far more dangers than being lost as well. The oxygen in her suit wouldn’t last long, particularly since she didn’t have a tank or anything to provide extra.

The breach loomed ahead. Sarina knew she’d clear it inside of five seconds. But she lost track of time between shoving away from the wall and floating across the room. Would the forcefield fall into place already? The emergency services shouldn’t have even been online after all the damage the place took.

And the Borealis computer knew it was about to detonate. Why bother to engage any of the safety features? The binary responses of a machine might well cost her life. Because while she might have survived losing a leg under normal circumstances, breaching her suit promised a quick, horrifying death.

“You’re clear!” Jenna shouted.

Sarina hadn’t even noticed she’d closed her eyes. She craned her neck to look back at the station. The forcefield was in place. I’m still alive though so I must have all my limbs and pieces. But when did it engage? And how close was I to… well… shit. She swallowed hard. It doesn’t matter. I have to get to the ship. We need to get Caden.

“How do I do this?” Sarina asked. She surprised herself by not trembling. She couldn’t see the ship. Only the endless void in all the directions she could see. If she bent at the waist, she got a reasonable look at the station. It looked serene enough, despite the alarms and warnings from the computer. “Where are you?”

“Moving around in front of you,” Jenna said. “Look to your right.”

Sarina complied. She gasped as the vessel seemed to drift lazily in front of her. Maneuvering thrusters fired to slow the motion and the ship twisted until the ramp appeared directly in front of her. It remained in position until she sailed directly into the ship, at which point she felt like she was moving a hundred miles an hour.

The walls blurred by her. She slammed into the railing then grabbed on tight, wincing from the sudden impact.

“I’m aboard!” Sarina coughed. “Go for Caden!” She held on as the vessel moved, coming around.

“We’re running low on time…” Jenna’s voice crackled through the overhead speakers as well as the comm. It made her voice echo. “Be ready, Sarina. When you bring him in, I have to start moving away. So we won’t have a lot of time to secure you both.”

“I get it.” Sarina made her way toward the ramp. She kept a firm grip on various points of the wall as well, though she finally made it just as they started to slow down. “What’re you doing? Where is he? How am I supposed to—”

“Look at the panel,” Jenna interrupted. “I’ve patched the scan down there. You should see his blip. I think we’re very close. But you have to be sure.”

Great. Sarina found the panel. A green blip seemed to be moving toward them. It should have been within range. She stepped out onto the ramp, holding fast to the bar across the ceiling. “I don’t see anything!” She called. The station stretched out in front of her. If Caden was out there, he was too small to make out. “I don’t know what to do!”

The urgency mounted, along with Sarina’s frustration. She looked left and right, but didn’t see anything. There was only so far she could go out on the ramp before risking her own safety. “Jenna! I need you to do something!”

“I got it,” Jenna replied. The maneuvering thrusters fired near the front. As the rear tilted around, Sarina caught sight of a form floating nearby. He was tumbling, head over foot, fast away from the station. “I see him! Hurry! You gotta go… ah, hell… thirty degrees to the um… port! Port side!”

“Yeah, I think that’s my left,” Jenna said, “right?”

“I guess! You see the damn scans too!”

“Calm down!” Jenna shouted. “I can’t stay calm if you’re yelling at me!” The ship began to move again, adjusting to line up with Caden.

She needs me to calm down? Love the fact that this has anything to do with me.

Jenna managed to line up the ship for Caden. He was coming toward her fast. Sarina prepared to hit the panel to close the ramp. She thought for a moment he might not have lined up properly, that he’d hit one of the bars and bounce off. But no, he managed to come straight through the opening, flying toward the back.

Sarina closed the ship. The rear thrusters engaged. She turned to the panel, watching as the scan indicated the power build up in the station had gone beyond critical. It should have detonated already. The fact it hadn’t was a gift. They still had a chance to get to a minimum safe distance.

“Hold on to something!” Jenna shouted. “I’m pushing the ship as hard as I can!”

The walls began to rattle. Oxygen flooded the compartment. Artificial gravity returned. Sarina dropped to the floor, though she held fast to the safety bars. She glanced back. Caden sprawled on the floor, face down. He wasn’t moving, and she didn’t have any way to scan him from her position.

“Are we safe?” Sarina asked.

“Not yet,” Jenna said. “Hang tight.”

“Caden’s not moving!” Sarina replied. “I have to get to him. He might need medical attention. I should definitely bring him into the other room, don’t you think? And if we don’t—”

“We’re almost clear!” Jenna interrupted. “I want to know if he’s okay too, but we’re going to have to brace for impact no matter what so…”

Screw this. Sarina let go, hustling across the deck. If I don’t get to him, if we have to brace, he might bounce all over the deck. She made it to him, dragging him to the wall where she could hold on to a safety bar. The moment she grabbed it, she put her weight on his back… then the ship began to thrash about.

The jostle was bad enough for Sarina to believe they were about to die. The ship couldn’t possibly take as much punishment as she felt. It went on and on, the rattling walls making her ears ring and her teeth ache. She closed her eyes, holding on with both hands for what felt like an eternity.

Silence followed. Sarina took a deep, rasping breath. I’m still alive. She looked around. Nothing seemed amiss. The lights flickered overhead a couple times, then went solid. She pulled her helmet off, shuffling to check on Caden. After removing his helmet, she checked his pulse. It was faint but steady.

“Hey!” Jenna shouted. She came stumbling into the room. “We barely made it! Shields held at the end there, but I can’t tell you how nervous it made me! I swore to God we wouldn’t make it! But even when the station exploded, we had enough of a running start to avoid… wait a minute. Is he… did he…”

“I need help,” Sarina said. “We have to get him to Medical. I don’t know what’s wrong. Maybe oxygen deprivation. And we probably both need to be checked for radiation contamination too. Get down here.”

“I’m on my way,” Jenna replied. “Hang tight.”

Sarina looked around the room. The space was empty. She had nothing to make him more comfortable. Not that he’d be there for much longer. Jenna’s footsteps echoed in the hallway. We’ve gotta get back to Terra Sector now, she thought. There’s no point in remaining out here… going after Helmut or trying to find Levine.

How would Caden feel about it?

We’ll find out when we get there. He can dress me down then. Whatever evidence she picked up from the station could be acted on by the Commandant on Mars. Or maybe Messini if he was available. We’ve been through enough out here. This was supposed to be a hunt for two fugitives.

It revealed the serious need to take down a criminal settlement, then culminated in the destruction of Borealis. How many of her peers died in that place? Sarina struggled to fathom how many were killed after they arrived. Between the contaminated crowds and the few remaining legitimate Security Corps reps, Helmut had a lot to answer for.

“Hey,” Jenna said. “I’m here. And I’ve got this medical pack. Maybe we can give him something. A stimulant or… something?”

“Here.” Sarina took the bag from her. She pulled a hypo, one typically used on people with exposure. It encouraged the quads to work on restoring bodily function after deprivation. She’d seen it work on people who nearly drowned as well as a woman who suffered total oxygen deprivation during an accident in a vault.

The injection went in the side of his neck. Caden gasped. His eyes opened but he didn’t sit up. He rasped, “What… was… that?”

“Medicine,” Sarina said. “It probably stung like hell. How do you feel? We can turn off the gravity and carry you to the medical area if you’d like.”

“No…” Caden shook his head. “No, just give me a moment. I can walk there.” He looked at them both. “We all made it.”

“Barely,” Jenna said. “The station blew up. You and her… both had to basically go into space… and that was scary. Then we had to race away from the explosion because there was debris and the initial shockwave interfered with all kinds of systems on the ship, but the shields held so we…”

“Jenna,” Sarina interrupted. “He got it. We don’t have to rehash it all.”

“Oh.” Jenna’s cheeks darkened. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Caden sat up. “Did we get the data? Is it secure?”

“Yes.” Sarina put a hand on his back to help. “We’re good to go. And I think it’s time to get back to Terra Sector. We should report what we’ve seen, make sure they—”

“No.” Caden shook his head. “Not until we’ve looked at the data and have a clue about Helmut. I want to fully understand what we risked our lives for before we turn it over to someone else.”

“Sir…” Sarina frowned. “Sir, I really think—”

“Drop the formality,” Caden said. “I’m serious, you and I are on a first name basis. And I understand why you think that. But I’m not going back to Messini with so little. We have to analyze the data, see what we can do about it, and if that’s nothing? Then we go home. Not before.”

“So… you admit,” Sarina replied, “that if we don’t feel up to the task, we’ll go home?”

Caden nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Okay.” Sarina stood. She offered him her hands. They got him to his feet. “Then let’s dig into that data.”

“Caden?” Jenna stepped forward. “Uh… I know this is probably a bad time and all, but I just wanted to say something…”

“What is it?” Caden rubbed the back of his neck. He leaned on Sarina.

“I’m really sorry about Nate. I know he was your friend and… I mean, he was definitely going to prison or, hell… he probably would’ve been executed. Doesn’t make him less of a friend. And I kinda know what it’s like to feel that betrayal right now.”

“Thanks,” Caden replied. “I appreciate it. Jenna, take us to the nearest system with a small settlement. Something off the beaten path. Sarina and I will take care of our medical problems then we can all dive into that data.” He motioned with his left hand. “I don’t want to be in this sector in case some other Justiciar shows up for work.”

“God,” Sarina muttered, “it didn’t even dawn on me that someone might not be aware… that they could end up here wondering.”

Caden nodded. “And they might not feel like listening to an explanation. Anyway, my head hurts like hell so…”

“Yep.” Sarina gestured to Jenna. “Talk to you soon.”

Jenna offered them a sloppy salute then rushed off.

“She did well,” Caden said.

“Saved us both.”

“I screwed up.” Caden sighed. They started walking. “Got all the way down there, ended up fighting with Nate… left him for dead. The reactor went up anyway… I don’t know. After we got the data, I should’ve ignored him. Let him do whatever he wanted.”

“Why did you go after him?” Sarina asked. “Was it to stop him from blowing up the station? Or could you not let him go after what he did?”

“Oh, the latter… definitely.” Caden shook his head. “I let ego get in the way. Nearly killed us all and… I’m sorry for that.”

“Don’t be. We got what we needed.”

“Nearly cost all of us our lives,” Caden said, “and Jenna… no offense to you or me, but she’s a civilian. And her father… powerful as he might be… he’s still human. He doesn’t deserve to lose his daughter because of my hurt feelings. I need to be cautious going forward. Maybe… I don’t know.”

“Get her back to Terra Sector?” Sarina offered. “Make sure she stays safe?”

“We don’t have time. Helmut…”

“Can’t do much,” Sarina said.

“He could,” Caden countered. “What if he gives up undercover officers? Or our safe houses? Or any number of other secrets? No. He’s a priority target.”

“And Sam Levine?”

Caden rolled his eyes. “In the wind. We’ll never find that guy. Not if he’s remotely intelligent. When he turns up, we can deal with him then. But right now, we’ve got to clean our house. And that starts with a traitor. Anyway, the data’s going to be the guide. If there’s nothing there, then Jenna goes home right away.”

“And if it does, we’re all going to be at risk again.”

“Price we pay, Sarina.” Caden patted her on the shoulder. “Now let’s get some proper medication going. We have too much work to do to feel like this.”

Chapter 16

Sam stood over Elora while Shep applied a basic level of first aid. The ship launched, rocketing away from the port and ascending for orbit. It would take a while to be truly clear of danger, particularly with a rebel force causing trouble. If they had ships, they might well try to shoot them down.

Mel came into the room a moment later.

“Whoa!” Sam flinched at her presence. “Who is flying the ship? Shouldn’t you—”

“Be trying to save this girl’s life?” Mel asked. “Yes, that’s why I’m here. Now get to the bridge so you can intervene if the autopilot does something insanely stupid.”

“You want me to fly?” Sam asked. “I didn’t do so well when we turned up on Constance.”

“That was different. You tried to land.” Mel shoved him out of the way. “And besides, I didn’t tell you to fly. I said to intervene if the computer can’t. So go. Now!”

“Alright.” Sam exchanged a quick glance with Shep before heading out of the room. He made his way to the bridge, then sat down. As soon as he strapped in, they hit some heavy turbulence. Scans didn’t show any signs of other ships in the area. It seemed they might have a smooth flight out of the area.

So far so good. Sam dialed in the comm, checking to see if he might intercept some chatter. He got some action from the ground forces as they struggled to repel a group trying to take the settlement. They didn’t seem to be doing well, and it only got worse as time went on. Jesus. They’re not going to make it.

Part of him felt responsible, as if he kicked off the attack by getting drawn into the con artist’s nonsense. The violence might’ve been a trigger for the rebels, a confusing moment for them to initiate their take over. They were likely in position long before he and the others arrived for their gear.

How are we going to use that stuff? If we have to go to another system, then we’ll have another major delay.

The computer let him know the ship was on the verge of breaking atmosphere. The shaking grew heavier, enough that the seat felt like it might break free. He held fast to the edges of the chair, clinging until his knuckles turned white. Jesus Christ! What the hell’s going on with this weather?

Everything smoothed out as they broke into space. The course took them directly away from the planet, though he noticed they weren’t going much further. Another twenty minutes of flight time before the autopilot would hold them steady. So we’re staying? But the rebels must have ships incoming.

“Mel!” Sam shouted. “What do I do now? We’re clear!”

“Shut up,” Mel said, “and let me work.”

“Very helpful! Thanks.” Sam rolled his eyes. They were no longer in jeopardy of crashing. He took off the safety harness then left the bridge, heading back to join the others. “How is Elora? Will she make it?” He paused just outside the room where Mel worked. The scent of blood turned his stomach. “Oh God…”

“It’s bad,” Mel replied, “but she’ll survive. We had to get the bullet out.” She motioned to a small table on the right. “It entered then got stuck, but the kinetic force caused additional damage when it blew a small hole out the back. Sealing all of it won’t take much more time. She’ll probably have a scar though. At least for a while.”

Shep said, “That’s the least of her worries. Or rather, she should be grateful she’ll only walk away with a cosmetic injury.”

Sam turned away. “Shep, do you think you could get started on your part of this situation? Maybe start your process? I can… I can assist Mel. If she needs any assistance that is.”

“Yeah.” Shep moved past him. “I’ll be in the cargo area unpacking and preparing. Won’t take me long to be up and running. With any luck, we’ll have a lead in a few hours. Can we stay in this system for so long?”

“Yes,” Mel said, “anyone that turns up won’t be able to stop us from leaving if we want to. They might mark the vessel, but that won’t matter. No one’s fast enough to stop a small ship from ditching out. And no, I don’t really need help with Elora. This part is all me. Go ahead and assist Shep.”

“Thanks.” Sam hurried after Shep. “Wait up! I’m with you.”

“Don’t like the blood, huh?”

“It wasn’t super terrible when it was mine… but from her, yeah… it bothered me.” Sam shivered. “Don’t know why. It’s not like I haven’t seen plenty since we left Mars. I’ve shot people. Killed them. Put them down… and yet.” He looked down. “I guess it’s different when a friend’s on a medical table. Makes it… I dunno. Real in a new way.”

“Probably,” Shep said, “gotta be honest, I’ve never seen anyone like that. Not in person. Only over streams. Heard about it plenty of times, but that doesn’t matter, you know? Their story doesn’t get visceral enough to empathize with the problem. Seeing the blood… experiencing it firsthand… that’s rough.”

“Knowing she’ll be okay doesn’t help either.” Sam let her go through to the cargo area first then followed her through. “And how it happened…”

“She almost got shot by this asshole we have to get rid of.” Shep gestured to a body in the cargo area. “I think we can put him in the airlock over there. Then jettison him. Before we leave. Probably wouldn’t be a good idea to do it right away.”

“Why not?” Sam sneered. “And I’ll move him. You go ahead and get started with your gear.”

“Maybe someone can scan for organic material?” Shep shrugged. “I have no clue.”

Sam dragged the corpse across the deck, pausing in front of the airlock door. “What’s this even for? Why do we have it?”

“Probably for supplies or something. I’m sure this is used to swap gear when merchants get together. It has to be something like that.”

“Looks like it’s barely big enough in there for two or three crates.”

“Honestly, your guess is as good as mine.” Shep opened the various boxes then started setting up the equipment. “This is the first time I’ve been off Mars. The last trip to Constance didn’t give me enough time for it to sink in. Now, I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve been in space… and honestly, it’s terrifying.”

Sam shoved the body into the airlock then shut the door. “Look on the bright side. At least we have no reason to go outside. Walk around on the hull of the ship or something insane like that.”

“God… I can’t even imagine. I’m not even a fan of zero gravity. I did it once at one of those amusement parks. I nearly puked. Kinda knew that I wouldn’t be good for space travel beyond the safest possible means. Yet, there you and I were, hopping off Mars. And we’ve barely slowed down since.”

“At least we got to get some rest in the cell.” Sam sneered at his stomach. He had blood all over his clothes. “Ugh. This is disgusting. I need to get cleaned up. How long before you’ll be able to start doing… whatever you plan to do?”

“This stuff’s booting up right now.” Shep sat on the floor. She crossed her legs at her ankles. “Soon as it’s ready, I’ll jump in. Use the satellite, mask our signature, and we’re off to the races. So to speak.”

“I have a concern,” Sam said. “We sat around on Mars for a long time and didn’t come up with anything about Knowles. What do you think is going to happen now? How do you intend to find him this time?”

“We’re out here.” Shep waved her hands. “The middle of nowhere. I’m thinking he might’ve left Mars too. So I’m going to hit up every shady dealer or personality I can find. I’ll put out a broad call for him, hitting people up to go to a proxy server where I’ll check the messages and we can work through leads.”

“And… you didn’t try that on Mars?”

“It’s a lot harder to spoof anything there. Especially when sending messages out of the system. Security Corps watches it closer. Besides, even if I had taken the risk, that guy couldn’t have gotten too far out of Terra Sector back then. Now… he could be anywhere. And even if he’s back home, someone might’ve heard of him.”

“What’re you offering them? They have to be willing to come out to talk to us.”

Shep replied, “Codes. Information about Terra Sector. A lifetime of building up data archives gives me some decent bargaining chips. I’ll lay them all out for us. These frontier types should be gagging for that kind of thing. They can’t get their hands on this type of information easily.”

“Seems reasonable.” Sam stepped over to join her. He slumped to the floor. “Okay. So… do you think… Elora…”

“What about her?”

“Is she going to forgive us?”

Shep frowned. “Depends on what issue we’re worrying about. Considering she nearly got killed on the ship, and shot someone that she didn’t mean to, then got popped herself…” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I hope so. At least she’ll be happy with Mel for saving her life.”

“There’s that.”

“I don’t know. I think it’ll be fine. We need to find a way to clear her though. Security Corps is going to bust the hell out of her for what she’s done. You and I both know what that’ll look like too. Abducting a Board member’s daughter won’t be something they let her off lightly for. I’m guessing if she doesn’t have something to bargain, she’s done.”

“I’ll do anything in my power to prevent that.”

Shep snorted. “With your vast wealth you left behind?”

“Wealth can be acquired again. It won’t be hard.” Sam rubbed his eyes. “If we could stay still for a minute. Let me go over the market. Build up some credit. I’ll need to get my license. But I figure whoever we have to talk to about Knowles will be able to help there.”

“You think they’re going to let you trade? Why bother to ask for that when we could just get all the wealth we need to do it ourselves? Or even leave Terra Sector properly. Escape all the bureaucracy and nonsense. The further away we get from the Board and their companies, the easier it’ll be to breathe. We can do what we want.”

“I wish it was that simple.”

“Why isn’t it?” Shep asked. “Seriously, there’s no reason to think we can’t ask them for anything. What this guy can do… what he has done… the only reason I was able to get through Constance was because we crashed. And I still ended up in a cell. That last place we visited was practically a new colony or it wouldn’t have worked there either.”

“You’re talking about quads holding us back? Identities?”

“We didn’t have the right to travel,” Shep said. “Justin was supposed to smuggle us onto Constance so we could talk to them. Without that, we would’ve been arrested wherever we went. And God knows what they would’ve figured out about you.”

“Nothing,” Sam replied. “That’s the point. I am Sam Levine. So if they checked me out, I probably have warrants from Security Corps and bounties from the criminals. At least back then. If they did what they said, then I guess I’m okay in that regard at least. None of that’s the point. We need something sustainable.”

“Wait a minute…” Shep turned to him. “We. We need. The way you put that…”

“What?” Sam met her gaze.

“Are you… suggesting… you don’t want to…”

“Go our separate ways? Do you?”

Shep shook her head.

“Then I guess we’re on the same path.” Sam smiled. “I know what we have… who we are… it’s come about through crisis. But I think it can be a lot more than that. I think it is more. And I’d like to… find out. Fulfill my promise to you about the future. But it means a little more ambition than taking a payoff and running.”

Shep nodded. “I’ll trust you.” She smirked. “After all, you said you’ve negotiated crazy huge deals before, right?”

“Plenty of times.” Sam took a deep breath. “This won’t be any different except for the stakes being higher. Survival being one of our requirements. Outside a prison. Maybe getting away from Terra Sector is the right call. I’ll bet that’s part of whatever we get out of exposing Knowles.”

“You can live free but not here?” Shep asked. “I guess that makes sense. I’d miss my place… though I doubt it belongs to me anymore anyway. And my stuff’s long gone. I had some great clothes too.” She sighed. “Both of us lost everything, didn’t we?”

“Stuff is easy to get back.”

“Yeah, never has been for me.” Shep began typing. “Alright, let’s see what we can do. Everything’s ready here. All the encryption… yep, Garra came through. Looks like we should have this message out and running in a few minutes. I’ve got all the details about this guy that we’re aware of… and… voila.”

“Done?” Sam asked.

“Indeed.” Shep turned to him. “Something dawned on me though. What about the other guy?”

“What do you mean?”

“What’s going to happen?” Shep shrugged. “He took over your life. Which means he’s probably in the military now. When they find out about you, they’ll know about him, right? And they have to find out about both if we’re going to solve this problem for ourselves. Even if this Knowles guy tells them.”

Sam let out a heavy breath. “I’m not sure how much I care. What motivated him? What did he want that he could only get by making this switch? I’m bitter because I ended up in the life of a criminal. He ended up with all my holdings, my name, and a potential death sentence. We both got screwed in a way. And I’m sure Knowles sold him a bill of goods.”

“He wasn’t a bad person,” Shep said, “but after what he did to me… to you… I don’t know. I feel like I can’t forgive him for it.”

“Understandable.”

“Just… it’s going to broadside him. He won’t know what hit him when they come for him. Whatever he’s done in the military… if he’s even alive… I don’t know. Despite what I just said, I kind of feel bad.”

“If it helps, we won’t have any choice.”

Shep shook her head. “It doesn’t.”

“For me either.” Sam shuffled closer to her. He put his hand on her back. Shep leaned on him. “Whatever happens, we’ll do it together, yeah? For good or ill, the things they offer, the chance we receive… we’ll make it work. And when all is said and done, we can at least say we’re not alone.”

“That’s a sweet notion.”

“Maybe.” Sam hugged her to him. “But it’s true. And hey, we’ve given ourselves a good chance here. Considering how close we’ve come to dying so many times, I think we deserve a little hope.”

“I like that. I accept.”

“Me too.” Sam closed his eyes. “Me too.”

***

Mel gave Elora a sedative to ensure she stayed asleep before heading out to clean up. After she changed her clothes, she went to the bridge to check on the situation. No other ships had arrived in the area, and they hadn’t picked up any communications from the planet either. Everything remained quiet.

Which meant they could piggy back off the satellite for a while longer. Despite that, Mel took the time to plot a course for another colony with reasonable communications. They might have to hop about for a while before they got the information they wanted. Plus, staying on the move made it harder to track them down should anyone want to cause trouble.

Sending out broad messages the way Shep intended carried consequences. Mel saw people suffer from messing with underground hackers plenty of times. Most of them preferred to sell their peers out rather than help them for potential resources. Shep disagreed, though it was obvious she had more scruples than the average computer criminal.

An hour passed. Mel figured she needed to check on Elora. Just before she stood, a message appeared on the scanner. Another ship entered the system. They were well over half a million kilometers away and moving toward the planet. The signature suggested imperial military.

That’s our cue to leave.

Mel engaged the internal intercom. “Attention. We have to leave the area. Did you get your message out? Are we good to depart?”

“Yes!” Shep’s shout barely made it to the station. A moment later, her voice piped through the comm. “Sorry, yes. We’re good. We’re just waiting for responses. What’s wrong? Why are we having to go?”

“Military ship showed up,” Mel said. “The rebels barely got to make themselves comfortable before the real opposition arrived. We’re not messing with them and before they can even get a solid scan we’ll be out of here.” She confirmed her course and started the countdown to depart. “Five minutes, folks. Secure your stuff and strap in.”

Things are heating up, Mel thought. Rebels attacking smaller colonies… the military responding so fast… this is unusual. I wonder what got them all stirred up. She figured someone on Constance likely knew. Pity I wasn’t paying more attention while working there. Maybe I’d have a clue about what we’re facing.

The military ship hailed her. Mel returned a static response. They’ll be on the lookout, but it probably doesn’t matter considering what they intend to do. Something dawned on her. They needed to take care of something before leaving.

“Sam,” Mel called, “jettison the body, please. You’ve got… two minutes.”

“I’m on it,” Sam replied. “Where are we going?”

“Someplace that doesn’t matter.” Mel settled into her seat. Where we can be alone for a while longer. Until we get what you want… and we can be done with all of this.

***

Trentin Oslow received a briefing from the military admiralty. They had all the data necessary to make some profound changes to their weapons and defenses. Terra Sector might just stand a chance against the Gorlans, if he could motivate the crews to work fast enough. The first step was to get all manufacturing online and focused.

Which promised to be a challenge. Some of the owners of those facilities had contracts with various companies, all of which ultimately answered to the Three. Oslow needed to bring them inline quickly. They’d protest, some would even try to appeal the decision to some higher authority.

He came to understand why he’d been given the task to work with them. The buck stopped with him. I’ll let them know there’s no point in appealing. They’ll be patriotic and save the human race no matter their personal feelings. Those who pushed back, he’d take note of. The others would be rewarded.

Anyone who doesn’t want in on this mess will be war profiteers anyway. People trying to take advantage of their competitors doing something else. I’ll quash all of that in short order. And with Miller on his side, he’d have no trouble making it happen. Because anyone who feels too feisty can be removed quickly.

Oslow didn’t even have to wait for firing them or going through regular channels. The human race needed them to work. So they would. And if they didn’t like it, he’d have them killed. The notion didn’t feel good, but he steeled himself to the possibility. Even as he looked over the data and didn’t understand a word of it.

High-end weaponry never made it to his slate. He preferred finances, logistics, manufacturing in general. The specifics behind those things never mattered to him. Statistics flashed across his screen, comparative analytics between their existing weapons and the proposed changes. Some of them promised to be simple, others much harder.

The engineers in charge of the manufacturing had to be involved. They were fast tracking new technology, pushing things which wouldn’t have time to be tested thoroughly. Oslow knew he’d hear from plenty of individuals pushing back on it. He already knew the most basic argument.

If these cause damage to our ships and people, then we won’t be defending anything.

That would need to be addressed. The workers and specialists needed a big picture understanding of their situation. I’ll get that going ASAP as well.

If only Jenna had made it back. Oslow would have loved to have her helping him through some of those administrative processes. She knew how to motivate people, how to keep them focused and, honestly, she understood the technology better than him as well. Supposedly, she’d be back soon.

I wonder if she’ll be in any position to jump back into work.

And he still hadn’t heard from Messini. Which made him send a message to Miller. Please look into my senior director’s whereabouts. I’d appreciate it. It was time to call anyone he trusted to action. Providing they were available, healthy, and of sound mind. They’d contribute to the plan.

Terra Sector’s safety was everyone’s responsibility. Oslow intended to put them all to work. Earth had resources to contribute as well. When Mars was up and running, he’d turn to the rest of the solar system as well. The military suggested additional defensive positions out on the edge of their space as well.

That meant more satellites, better detection equipment, and rapid response weaponry. Oslow had every intention of meeting any request. Even if it didn’t seem all that practical. He felt the sense of gravity over the situation. Preserving resources wouldn’t mean much if the Gorlans got through.

If Terra Sector fell, the Empire would follow soon after. The colonies might survive for a while, but they’d be targeted eventually. And while they waited for invasion without trade or support, they’d face starvation or worse. Some settlements relied on trade vessels for oxygen or even battery recharges.

The hub matters. And unless the Chairman himself comes down, I’ve been given the right to arbitrate this as I see fit. Jenna’s well-being came to mind. He thought about her a lot since her abduction. Far more than before the Branch Office attack… more than while she was away at school. I squandered so many opportunities with her.

A message came through, something unrelated to the current situation. A segment of the Constance family was targeted by Security Corps for their part in an attack on a Justiciar and the attack on the Branch Office. The individuals responsible were dead, one of which committed suicide rather than be captured.

Oh… I need to speak with Miller about that. If they had any resources available to deep dive the attack, Oslow wanted them to get to work. He had thought the rebels were responsible for the attack that nearly took Jenna from him the first time. Now that we have a target, I have every intention of bringing it down.

He sent that request off a moment later. His hands itched as sweat soaked his palms. The rage of it all made his heart throb in his chest.

How can we thrive and fight off an external threat when these scum are gnawing away at our insides?

He had no idea, but he intended to remove the thorn from his side before they had another chance to cause trouble.

It seems I’ll be using Miller’s services for killing after all. Because if every single Constance criminal on Mars was either dead or arrested, they could be safely ignored. Then we’ll find the people they’ve been bribing. I’ll cut this illness out from our society once and for all.

But until he had some results, he put his focus back on defending the territory. Professionals are in position to do their jobs. Now, I get out of their way and provide support as needed. He went to the kitchen for a drink. The reports will start soon. He wanted to be ready to respond as quickly as possible.

Humanity needed him.

Chapter 17

Aldo stood by the opening leading out to where the tram screamed by them. He heard a rush of gunfire followed by a massive explosion. It rattled the floor, even at this distance, then erupted into another layer of chaos. The vehicle mounted turrets made the most noise, echoing down the long corridor.

“What the hell?” Ellie asked. “What is all that?”

“The Gorlans putting up a fight,” Aldo said. He risked a glance. He could see flickers, but that was all. He stepped back into the room for fear he might catch a stray shot. Though none of the beams had come down that far yet. No one was directly in front of the tramway so the walls took the brunt of the damage.

Cully added, “We’re not going back that way, I bet.”

“Depends on if they get reinforcements,” Aldo replied. “Same with us.” He turned away. “You find anything?”

“Yes.” Voldal waved. “Over here. The outlets look like this.” He showed them an outline against the metal.

“How do you open it?” Deter asked. “Because I don’t see a panel or anything.”

“Charge.” Voldal drew his sword. He tapped the edge of the outline with the blade. A moment later, a bright blue flash danced across the edge. The panel slid up, disappearing into the ceiling. “Probably not what they intended, but it will work for now. Until we have a more elegant method.”

Deter muttered, “Poor Mac. He probably knew how to do this.”

“Fall out.” Aldo gestured. “Cully, you take point.” He glanced over his shoulder. His HUD showed a set of red blips coming their direction from the same way as the came. The sound of a second tram filled the tunnel, the metal screaming on its way to the hangar. He engaged his comm to warn Omari. “You’ve got another group incoming.”

“We’re fine!” Omari shouted. The screams of beam weapons accompanied his comment. “Just get your asses where you need to be!”

The others filed into the smaller hallway. The door itself would not have accommodated one of the Gorlans in their full armor. As Aldo took up the rear, he hurried through the door, though it didn’t close even when they were all through. The new hallway was made of black metal with dim lights coming from the edges where the walls met the floor.

So not every Gorlan’s a giant. Aldo wondered about them. They didn’t have much in the way of their biology, even with all the information they got from the Talmar. Mac claimed he only knew about the larger of them, which did fill out the armor. They weren’t normal sized humans in a battle suit.

Another explosion shook the floor.

Ellie asked, “What is going on back there? Are they going to take out all the ways we can get home?”

“No,” Voldal said, “but your forces are doing an admirable job of keeping them busy. They represent the bigger threat. Which suggests the Gorlans do not know how to properly assess a problem. And that’s good news for us.”

“Aldo,” Risler’s voice crackled in his ear. The interference was bad. He cranked up the gain. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“This is a secure, private line. The mission parameter has changed.”

“Are you serious?” Aldo lowered his voice, as if the others could hear him. “This isn’t a good time for that, ma’am. What do you need us to do?”

“We’re taking the ship,” Risler said. “Not just information or data. You and the others are going to find a control center or engineering section. Secure it until additional forces can join you.”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but Omari’s people are locked down. They’re engaged in a major—”

“We’ve sent a lot more,” Risler interrupted. “They’re entering other hangars. We’ll sweep the vessel, kill anything that isn’t human or Talmar, then claim it.”

“I mean…” Aldo sighed. “Understood. We’re a scout team now.”

“Exactly. Be as careful as you can, but we need that vessel.”

“What do they plan to do with it?” Aldo asked. “Scratch that. I don’t care. We’ll do what we have to.”

“Good luck.” The line went quiet.

“Guys…” Aldo let them know the new plan. “Anyone got a question?”

“Yes,” Deter turned to him, “where do they want to take this thing? Because if we drag it to some imperial base, we’re risking a lot of lives on technology we practically know nothing about.”

Voldal asked, “Why not take it to one of our colonies? Since you don’t have any problem with risking our lives.”

Well, shit.

“Whoa,” Aldo stepped in, “let’s not start down that path. Not in the middle of wandering this hallway. Just focus on the path ahead. We’re still moving toward that energy source.” Which seemed to be growing stronger. “And it looks like more parts of the ship are coming online. You notice?”

“Yep,” Ellie said. “Which means… wait a minute. Look at the surge.”

“Down!” Cully shouted.

Aldo hit the deck as a weapon opened fire from up ahead and above them. Voldal and Cully fired back. A quick electric pop filled the air as flames and sparks burst from the stem of a turret. More dropped down from the ceiling. Aldo and the others opened up, cutting through three more.

“We gotta move!” Deter shouted. “We have another panel or door or whatever?”

“Right here!” Voldal gestured. “Ten feet that way. I’ll handle it.” He crawled toward it while the others maintained vigil.

It seemed as if they’d entered a specific zone for the defenses to kick in. Whatever room Voldal was about to open might have some significance to the Gorlans. Though Aldo suspected if they continued to advance, they’d encounter more of the gun emplacements. Staying still seemed the best plan for the moment.

“It’s open,” Voldal said. “Let me check it out.” He rose to a crouch then went through. “Room!” he called back. “Another door. There’s furniture in here.”

Aldo stood, hurrying through. The others followed. Blocky, metallic chairs sat against the walls. They seemed to be part of the structure of the room. Another passage off to the left led deeper into the ship, leading them toward the energy reading. This one was open already with brighter lights in the hall.

Ellie examined one of the seats, crouching in front of it. “Weird. These are welded into the floor. So much for the idea you might want to change up your living space… or alter the use of a room.”

Cully said, “It might be a waiting room.” He stood near the exit. “This hallway’s short, but there are a lot more open doors. Look at the walls. They’re white this time. A lot brighter. You don’t think this is a medical area, do you?” He turned to the others. “We might get some real data on their physiology.”

Deter replied, “They’ve been keeping it a damn good secret either way. All the data we found on the Olympus didn’t offer much other than the fact they were tough as hell even outside the armor. Thicker bones, tough skin, redundant organs… and these hallways aren’t big enough for them, are they?”

Aldo touched the top of the door frame. “Not even if they ducked.” He gestured. “Let’s see what we find.” He took the lead this time, glancing into the rooms as he passed them by. They were definitely examination rooms with proper gurneys and larger consoles pressed against the walls. “Let’s check this one.” He paced through the second door on the right.

The console came to life as he approached. Information flashed on the screen, a bunch of squiggly lines he couldn’t identify. He turned to Voldal. “You have any means of reading this stuff? Maybe if we send it to Avris?” He sighed. “I don’t know how they intend to take the ship unless they can decipher a lot of information.”

“I’ll speak to him,” Voldal said. He approached the screen. “I’ll relay this image back to him.” He began speaking in his own language.

“Alright.” Aldo turned to the others. “Ellie, watch the hallway. Deter check the room for any clues about these things. Maybe there are cameras or something. Maintenance passages. Something like the underground tunnels back on Mars.”

Deter stiffened. “You know about those?”

Aldo huffed. “Doesn’t everyone?”

Deter shook his head. “No, not really. Not enough to reference like that.”

“Well, I talk to people.” Aldo shrugged. “I’ll be right outside.”

Damn it! Aldo clenched his fists. That means nothing. He has no idea who I really am. He just suspects I’m more than I suggest. That isn’t a big deal. Bringing up the tunnels came out naturally, mostly because he used them all the time back home. They weren’t something to keep to himself.

Shep had to listen to him carry on about how good they were for traveling plenty of times.

And now I’ve given Deter something else to think about when he’s trying to determine where he saw me before. Aldo sighed.

“You okay?” Ellie asked. “Sorry about Mac… if that’s why you’re upset.”

“Just worried,” Aldo replied. And I’m not even lying.

“Hey, we’re doing fine so far. I mean, we’re in an enemy fortress and we only lost one person. As far as suicidal scout missions go, I’d say we’re doing great actually.”

“You thought this was a suicide mission?”

Ellie nodded. “Of course.”

“But you didn’t say anything,” Aldo replied. “You didn’t push back. Didn’t make a single comment to suggest you worried about it.”

“When did I say I was worried?”

Aldo blinked. “A suicide mission didn’t worry you?”

“What’s the point? I can’t say no to a mission, can I?”

“I thought…” Aldo lowered his voice. “I thought you knew me well enough to suggest that you could speak your mind.”

“Wait.” Ellie held up her hand. “You didn’t think this was a suicide mission?”

“Of course not! Risler didn’t want us to come over here to die. She wanted results. That’s why we were sent. There’s no way they thought we’d fail or they would’ve come up with a different plan.”

“Oh, dear.” Ellie sighed. “You’re a bit naive about what the higher-ups do sometimes. But I’m glad you weren’t leading us into a situation you had no faith in. That makes me feel better.”

“Me too,” Cully said, “and there’s nothing in here. These cabinets are empty. They must keep the goods somewhere else. Or they’re all spent or something. I don’t know. Do we have a clue how old this thing is yet?”

“Yeah,” Deter replied. “Around five hundred years.”

“What?” Aldo cried. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. How the hell is that possible?”

Ellie offered, “Superior craftsmanship?”

Aldo asked, “How did no one bring up the possibility of this place being so old? Wait. How do you know that, Deter?”

“Mac suggested it before we left the Arden. He and that Talmar guy were talking about the possibilities. They figured it’s been here a long time. When we arrived, the plan was to check out the planets. Find out if they have any sort of clue as to the origin of the Gorlans. Or at least their presence here.”

“Great talk,” Ellie said, “but whatever Voldal’s doing, he should hurry up. Looks like we’ve got someone coming our way. From the way we came. You think they’re responding to the turrets we blew up? Because that wasn’t subtle.”

Cully stepped into the hallway. “Probably not. Scans show they’re not particularly large. Maybe we’ll see some… other… Gorlans? Whatever else lived on this ship with them? Their weird indentured servants that did… stuff? In here?” He shrugged. “Sorry, I’m grasping at straws in a major way.”

Aldo stepped across the hall into the next room. He leaned out. “Take cover. When they come out, if they’re hostile, we’ll be ready to engage. Voldal, he’s not wrong. You need to pick up the pace so we can get moving again.” He aimed, watching the dots on the HUD move swiftly in their direction.

Four of them. Definitely armed. The weapons themselves came back as unknown though. The sensors didn’t offer even a guess as to the power level. The cores are sealed. But they have to be smaller than the average Gorlan weapon. Those things relied on a massive amount of energy to be so destructive.

That gave him some hope that they’d encounter something on par with their gear.

“Heavy footsteps,” Deter said. “They’re wearing armor too, I think.”

Scans didn’t confirm that. They didn’t even show they were organic. The armor must have been as protective as the exterior of the weapons. I hope our shots can penetrate them. Shadows danced over the floor, followed swiftly by a series of beams splashing against the floor near their location.

“Return fire!” Aldo shouted. He had thought, for a brief moment, they might have a chance to communicate with them. Instead, they entered a firefight that quickly escalated to dozens of shots being tossed about.

Ellie cried out.

“Are you hit?”

“Nope!” Ellie replied, “but it was damn close.”

One of the blips dropped off the scan, followed by a second. Then one darted into the hall, spraying wildly. Aldo faded back into cover as the automatic fire filled the hallway. A high-pitched squeal burst from the thing as a single shot seemed to take it out. He risked another look.

Their opponents were covered in black metal from head to toe. Their weapons matched. A hole appeared in the one in the hallway, sparks bursting from mechanical parts. It fell forward on its knees, then dropped face first on the deck with a metallic clatter. The others advanced directly after it fell, continuing to lay down fire.

“Robots!” Cully shouted. “Don’t let up! They’re coming!”

Another flurry of shots rang out. Aldo jerked backward when a hit struck the ground directly by his knee. The others fell back into their rooms as well. “Get back!” he shouted. “Wait for them to come to you!” He aimed at the opening, sliding back against the opposite wall.

The shadows approached. One rounded the corner. Before it could level its weapon, Aldo blasted it three times. The head burst, flying off the rest of the body. But that didn’t stop it. The weapon lifted, firing twice into the wall to the left though it moved ever closer to scoring a hit.

Aldo shot it three more times in the chest. The robot finally dropped backward, sprawling in the hallway.

“Report!” Aldo stood, hurrying to the door. He pressed his back against the wall, leaning to get a look outside. “Are you guys okay?”

“Fine,” Ellie said, “they’re down.”

“Yep,” Cully added. “Armor stopped the shot I took. You guys?”

“Same,” Deter replied. “We’re good. What the hell? They’ve got robots now? That was not in any of the briefings about the Gorlans.”

Cully said, “They never fielded anything like that when they’ve attacked our colonies. Only the big guys came down there. And their vehicles once in a while. Mostly, it was orbital bombardment, then a sweep with the armor. That’s it. Whatever we just encountered must be special to their ships.”

Aldo approached one of the bodies. He crouched over it. The smooth black metal looked like it might be the same material as the armor. “What do they police?” he asked. “Those armored guys would take these out easily if we did. So what’s their purpose?”

Ellie said, “Five hundred years ago, things might’ve been way different on this ship.”

“Good point.” Aldo stood. “Voldal? What’s going on, man? What’s Avris got to say?”

“I’ve finished scanning the data,” Voldal replied, “and he’s examining it. But we should move on. It’ll take him a while to provide any actionable data.” He stepped into the hallway. “Good job taking care of these automated piles of junk. We’re lucky their exteriors are not as tough as the armor.”

“Might’ve been,” Deter said. “But our weapons are enhanced, remember?”

“And,” Aldo added, “I had to hit one of those things a bunch of times. It kept shooting without a head so… that’s something to keep in mind. It wasn’t exactly easy.”

Voldal nodded. “Move out then. We need to get to the source of the power and claim this ship for your Empire.” He hurried off. “So that we can see how this fares for my people.”

Yeah, I’ve wondered that too. Aldo gestured for the others to follow. “I’ll take up the rear.” He picked up the pace as the last of them departed. We’ve seen their medical quarters. At least some of the Gorlans are, or were, normal sized. Another piece of the puzzle as to their origins. Finally some progress.

Along with some hope that they could succeed at taking the vessel.

***

Risler received an update from Adrian. The additional soldiers landed in the various hangars. They’d start moving through the ship soon. He asked for her scout team to identify key points to lockdown, including anything resembling a bridge. She had no idea where they were heading, but hoped it would be Engineering.

Avris suggested the ship might be ancient, which threw off any hope of conventional design. The reactor may be located somewhere distant from the general stations used by an engineering crew. She found it incredible that the ship worked at all, let alone well enough to unleash defensive forces and have a screen function in a medical lab.

As the soldiers began to swarm the ship, additional life signs popped up through the area. The ship woke up more defenders, though they had no idea what they faced. While the Gorlans may have had superiority before, the playing field had been leveled to a certain extent. And the ancient ones could not have possibly been as powerful as the new ones.

“Lee,” Risler said, “run a weapons check. I want a full rundown of the upgrades we pushed through.” They took on the same makeshift improvements of the Olympus. Taking on the true upgrades would have taken more time than they supposedly possessed. Everything felt like they ran in fast forward, even without a clear indication of why.

Sitting on the bridge of the Arden, she felt like they might have been impulsive. Yet things seemed to be working out. Even with the few casualties they faced, it appeared it would work out. And much as she didn’t like the last second plan update, she had to admit taking the ship would be a boon for humanity.

“All weapons are functional,” Lee said. “Did you just have a bad feeling?”

Yes, actually. Risler didn’t know how she wanted to respond to the question openly. “Just double checking now that we’re in the thick of it.” She gestured to Darius. “Keep in constant communication with the new landing force. I want frequent updates on their progress.”

A message came in from Aldo’s team, a quick text statement mentioning they encountered automated opposition. It went on to describe robot sentries and turrets that popped down from the ceilings. They were progressing through, and provided Avris with some information to analyze.

“Avris,” Risler turned to him, “weren’t you going to tell me when you got new information?”

“My apologies,” Avris said. “Voldal sent me some text from what we believe is a medical computer. I’m cross-referencing it with everything we’ve got. I might have something shortly.”

“Do you have anything at all?”

“Yes,” Avris replied, “well, I should say some of this information appears to be medical records for a subject or patient. I’m hopeful that when I decipher it, we’ll know what beings occupied that ship before the Gorlans took it.”

“Wait.” Darius turned at that statement. “You think this ship may not be an original Gorlan design?”

“It doesn’t seem to be,” Avris said. “They’re traveling through a much smaller set of hallways now meant for people our size. Therefore, it’s an operating hypothesis that the Gorlans conquered the ship.”

“Keep at it,” Risler said, “I’m curious what you turn up.”

Adrian sent her a private message, a text which read: We need to talk about your scout team.

Why? Risler wrote back. They’re doing fine. Their progress is good considering the unknown elements of that ship.

My person on the ground, Adrian replied, has some suspicions about your team leader.

Aldo? Risler frowned. What about him?

Lieutenant Rollins thinks he knows him from somewhere. That he may not be who he says.

That’s rubbish. Risler sighed. He was vetted through security when he reported for duty. He’s done nothing but admirable work since he started working with us. And why is your man sending your reports like this in the middle of an operation? From what I just heard, they were in action. How’d he find time to bring this up?

If it’s true, Adrian replied, then it may jeopardize the mission.

Whatever he’s alleging hasn’t mattered so far, and while we’ve got so many pieces moving, I’m not even entertaining this conversation. Tell your soldier to focus on the task at hand. If they fail because he’s scrutinizing his commanding officer, I’ll arrest him myself and put him before a tribunal.

You’re right, of course. Adrian’s message came through quickly. It was followed by another. Just be prepared because if he’s right, we may have a problem.

Risler grunted.

“What’s the matter?” Darius asked.

“Adrian thinks Aldo’s got some kind of secret.” Risler shrugged. “Because his lieutenant on the team recognized him from something. It’s all cryptic and ridiculous considering what they’re doing.” She rubbed her eyes. “God damn it… I feel like… maybe we need to… I don’t know. Look into it.”

“How?” Darius shrugged. “He passed through the checkpoints. He made it through Medical. He’s done several missions. What more do we need to do?”

“What if he is hiding something?” Risler turned to him. “I’m not saying it would be easy to find it considering what he’s done so far… but maybe do a pass. Find out why he took deferment. It should be in his file. Check his training record. See how he did.”

“I’m kind of in the middle of compiling information from the field…”

“Hudson,” Risler spoke louder, “take over the coordination with the occupying soldiers. Darius will let you know when he can relieve you.”

“Okay…” Darius stood. “I’ll do it at the other terminal.”

“Thank you.” Risler shook her head. Screw you, Adrian. For giving me any sense of doubt about the man.

Aldo had put his life on the line for them several times. Whatever Lieutenant Rollins thought had to be unwarranted. But if it wasn’t, if he happened to be right and there was some reason they should be concerned, she needed to get on top of it. The last thing any of them could afford was to be blindsided by a member of the crew.

Particularly one she promoted and brought under her specific command.

Please be on the level, Cassidy. Risler clenched her fists. None of us has time for you to be a liar right now. Not on the verge of taking a massive enemy battleship, not at a point where we’re trying to unify two cultures, and certainly not while we’re attempting to save the human race from certain destruction.

Chapter 18

Sam reclined on one of the beds, staring at the ceiling. It felt good to be motionless, to relax for a while. Part of him wondered if it would last. They might find Knowles in such a compromised situation that they wouldn’t have to get involved in any more violence. That appealed to him.

He just wanted it all to be over. Getting back to regular life seemed impossible. He had no idea what it even looked like. As a low born known criminal, he might be in a difficult position for the rest of his life. Acquiring wealth legally wouldn’t be a problem if he was granted access to try.

The notion anyone would trust him with such a thing felt hopeless. No one cared about him, certainly not the authorities. Shep’s own reputation thrived in the underworld. Anyone who could vouch for her wouldn’t hold any weight with the people they needed help from. Elora might’ve been able to do something before she became an abductor.

And he didn’t know enough about Mel to have any faith in her doing something for them. Except for her immediate skills. But what contacts did she have that she’d be willing to tap for them? No, the only thing they had going for them was the chance to turn Knowles in to the right person.

Then they’d have the opportunity to walk away.

Despite the fact they’d be revealing a person capable of breaking one of the fundamental laws of their society, Sam still didn’t feel confident it would help. Having Constance off their back was a relief, but he would’ve rather they be hunting him than the Security Corps people.

Maybe because I don’t know the reach of the criminals as well. Sam knew all about Borealis and the various Justiciars operating in the frontier. He hadn’t met any of them, of course, nor did he know anyone who ran afoul their authority, but he understood their power. They could hunt someone forever.

No place was safe from them.

What scared him the most was the idea they may not find Knowles. Sam hadn’t found him when he made the arrangement to change his ID. He’d been approached. And he suspected the same thing happened to the guy he swapped with. They had a description, an initial location, and a few small details.

But other than that, Shep had nothing to go on. So who would possibly offer them any actionable intelligence about the guy? Trustworthy information didn’t seem possible. They might be chasing down leads for weeks, months… perhaps a year. How long would Mel stick around for that?

She didn’t have to stay. No one wanted to take her out. She wasn’t wanted by the authorities. But the longer she stuck around them, the more often she was seen with Sam, Elora or Shep, the greater chance she’d find herself on the wanted list as well. Harboring and aiding fugitives for one.

Not to mention the fact they killed people back on the planet to get Shep’s gear. If anyone remembered her or them, they’d have a good starting point to continue the hunt. That terrified him, only because he knew the Justiciars would drag them straight back to Terra Sector to be brought before a tribunal.

Followed by summary execution. Though that part might take a few days.

Any rest he hoped to get drained from him. Sam no longer felt comfortable lying on the bed. He wanted to get moving, to walk or run. He knew the ship hovered well outside of orbit of a small colony, another one where they could piggyback on the satellites. Any ship could come along and drive them off as well.

But regardless, they were stuck there. Just sitting and waiting for additional information to come their way. A lead of any sort. The longer they sat, the worse his anxiety would get. That much he knew for sure. Nothing he could say or do, no amount of conversation or effort, had the power to calm him down.

I don’t know how to do this. Sam wondered if meditation might help. Or even medication. They had supplies aboard. Something to make him sleep or at least mellow out. Some of their sedatives went to Elora to keep her from moving while she healed from the bullet wound. I’m sure we have more of that.

Though medicating to avoid worry may not be the best path to go down. He envisioned becoming addicted to the stuff, making for an even more difficult time clearing his name. Regular life might well be impossible if he decided to start taking drugs just to get through the slow time of their efforts.

Since he woke up until they picked up the gear, he’d been in near constant motion. The next situation hovered over him, even when he rested in the cell on Constance. He knew eventually they’d come for him, and it was only a matter of time before he needed to take some kind of action again.

As he stared at the ceiling just then, he felt directionless. The future was blurry. And so every decision they made since he woke up in the apartment came into question. How many things had he gotten wrong? Had his bad decisions ruined Shep’s life too? Or Mel’s? Elora may have been the only one who got off better than the others.

She survived something that might’ve killed her otherwise. Until she got shot during a computer part deal. Sam groaned at the thought. That should’ve been avoided. I can’t believe that place turned into a chaotic mess like that. His stomach turned when he thought about the violence that might’ve still been carrying on there after the military arrived.

“I’ve got something!” Shep shouted. “Y’all need to get in here!”

Here it is. Our first false lead. Sam rolled out of the bed. His hands trembled as he left the room. Don’t shoot it down out of hand. Listen to what she’s got to say. Understand that this is going to happen. People will reach out. They’re going to have things to say. You need to be positive. Do not complain!

“What’s up?” Mel asked. “How’d you find someone this fast?”

“First,” Shep said, “it wasn’t fast. I expected someone to contact us much sooner over what I’m offering. Which means people don’t want to be caught lying about the information at their disposal. Second, this is someone from Earth contacting us. Which to me carries some more credibility than a frontier person.”

“Why?” Sam shrugged. “We thought Knowles left Terra Sector.”

“But what if he didn’t?” Shep asked. “He didn’t have to. If he changed his name and moved to Earth? The kind of money you gave him… and the other guy dropped… he may have been able to hide out there. Security Corps has a smaller presence, and the royal guards aren’t all that good at their jobs.”

She’s not wrong about that. “Okay…” Sam sat down. “What do they have to say?”

“Let me read you the message.” Shep cleared her throat. “‘The guy you’re looking for works out of an office here on Earth. He spent time with a Board sanctioned medical office nearby, something to do with upgrading quads. Description matches. I’ll give you specifics in exchange for the databases.’”

“That’s convenient,” Mel said. “Like… what?”

“Yes,” Sam replied, “and no. Who is this shady guy? I thought you targeted the underworld outside of Terra Sector.”

“Honey,” Shep said, “I hit everyone. I want this guy too, remember? And it’s clear he’s got the balls to do something this illegal, why not stick around the location while he does it? No, I believe he’s there on Earth. And I think we should head there immediately.” She turned to Mel. “How long would it take?”

“From out here?” Mel shrugged. “A couple days at most. In this ship… yeah. We could do it.”

“The lion’s den,” Sam replied. “For us, and Elora. So we’d better be damn sure this is legit.”

“He’s sent a photo.” Shep gestured to the screen. “Which he’ll give me the decryption for if I send him the database links.”

“Do it.” Sweat broke on Sam’s back. “Do it now. Get me that picture. Then we’ll know.” Jesus Christ. “Was this the first hit?”

Shep shook her head. “No, I ruled out the other ones. They didn’t match the descriptions. And they were way out in the middle of nowhere. Let me get that message sent over.” She started typing. “Give me a few minutes. It might be a half hour before we get his reply.”

Thirty more minutes. Sam forced himself to stay seated, though he wanted to pace. And we’ll know. We’re so damn close. Though he tried not to get his hopes up, if the person on the other end of the line had enough confidence in their intel to send a photo, it might just be the right path.

“How many?” Sam asked.

“Huh?” Shep looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“How many people did you turn away? And why didn’t you let us know we’d had some replies?”

“They were nonsense,” Shep said. “If I told you about every single contact we received, you’d get bored fast. Besides, this is what I do. Filter the nonsense and give us the important bits. This one’s credible. I’ve seen his name before, but never worked with him. The other guy probably knows about him too. He helped some freelancers in the past.”

Mel added, “Never heard of him myself, but anyone operating off of Earth must be big-time, right?”

Shep waved her hand. “Yes, and no. I mean, he’s got the means to stay there, that’s big. He might even be a bored noble. But whatever the case, he’s got some serious anonymity, and the balls to run around grabbing intel like this.” She gestured to the screen. “So I’d say high-end of dabbler.”

“Really?” Sam frowned. “If he found Knowles for us, I wouldn’t call him a dabbler.”

“I’m not disparaging him. Just saying he probably doesn’t need this life. I think he does it for fun. I know the difference. My own situation makes it clear. I did this work because I was good at it, and needed to make a living. Not because I wanted to. I’d much rather be sitting around watching streams all day and buying clothes.”

Mel muttered, “Admirable work if you can get it.”

“Only if I met a pop star that liked lazy women with too much computer experience and fashion sense built from age appropriate stream channels.” Shep leaned back. “But anyway, I’m sure he’s going to come through. This one, I have a good feeling about. Like… in my bones. If we’re wrong though, it might still be a lead.”

“How so?” Sam asked.

“The Board sponsored medical thing might be a place I can hack into. Find a picture of our subject. Track him that way.” Shep put her hands behind her head. “Everything’s a start, right? Or at least… an opportunity.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Sam sighed. “Sometimes, when opportunity rises, you should walk away.”

They fell silent for a time, none of them moving. When the computer beeped several times, Sam’s breath caught in his throat. He held his breath as Shep acknowledged something. She narrowed her eyes, then spun the screen around. “Is this the guy? The picture’s forming on the left there.”

Dark hair, dark skin, thin beard, broad chested, with thick legs. He dressed in fancy clothes, far more so than when Sam met him. His dark, beady eyes squinted as he stared off to the left of the person taking the photo. Rodrigo Knowles had been living on Earth. And they knew where.

“Yes.” Sam’s mouth went dry. “Yes, that’s him. The guy found him. How the hell… this feels… this is the most insane luck…”

“Maybe not,” Shep said. “I didn’t know he went by Knowles.” She turned the screen around. “He worked on Mars. Did some medical work for people who couldn’t afford visiting Board certified medical centers. But not all the time. That’s how… well, the other guy must’ve met him.”

“Then,” Mel added, “he decided to get into the illegal act of trading identities? That seems like a jump.”

Sam said, “Not if he worked for the Board medical thing on Earth. I bet he was there before. And if that’s the case…” He shrugged. “Well, he picked up what he needed then came after us.”

Mel stood. “I guess we’re heading back to Terra Sector then. Straight to Earth.” She frowned. “I’ll need a damn good reason to land.”

“Use me,” Elora’s rough voice made Sam jump. She leaned against the wall, her face drawn and pale. “Tell them you’ve got me aboard. That’ll get you to the surface easily enough.”

“You sure?” Mel asked. “They’re going to want to arrest you.”

Elora nodded. “I am. Don’t worry about me. This comes down to saving their lives. If they can do it with that Knowles guy, then whatever happens to me doesn’t matter.”

“Alright.” Mel headed for the bridge.

Sam stood. He moved over to help Elora sit down. “I’ll do everything I can to help you too.”

“Only if it doesn’t compromise you two.” Elora winced as she tried to get comfortable. “Seriously, I made my choice. I did it for the right reason and if it gets me in trouble… then I guess I’ll have to live with it. Otherwise… at least I can get you guys where you need to be. And that’s important.”

Shep said, “We appreciate it.” She sent a message. “Sam, the information about this guy’s in your computer. Everything we have on him and his location. It’s… not a whole lot beyond the fact that he’s there. But I think that should be more than sufficient to bring him down.”

“Damn right.” Sam wanted to check it out, but he kept his attention on Elora. “Let’s get you back to the bed. You’re not ready for prime time yet.”

“Yep.” Elora let him help her up. “Gotta be healed from a gunshot wound before the authorities add another.”

“They won’t do that,” Sam said. “Like I said, we’re going to figure it out.”

“I appreciate the thought.” Elora smiled, but it faded quickly.

Sam returned her to bed just as the engines whined to life. They’d be on their way back to Terra Sector soon. Earth. He sat with Elora, waiting for her to fall back asleep. Where everything comes to a head. And we fight for any chance of a future. Or find ourselves standing beside her in front of a firing squad.

***

Miller downed another stimulant as the sun came up. He’d been reading reports for the past eighteen hours with only two short naps spread throughout. Most of the initial analysis of the required updates had been finished in short order. Those things done by the Olympus crew were proven to work.

Their assessment on how to drive the next steps also made sense. But they were working fast, with little time to check their findings or to factor in testing. Oslow authorized them to start with a shuttle, to ensure their efforts would not cripple fleet warships. The thought made sense to Miller. He didn’t intervene.

Then Artel came upon the information somehow. He showed up at Miller’s office shortly after the project got a green light.

“What is this?” Artel gestured to his device. “We need to be factoring the warships immediately.”

“And if they don’t work?” Miller asked. “What happens then?”

“We can’t win now,” Artel countered. “So there’s no point in being cautious. If we want to survive against the Gorlans, then we need to be bold. The scientists at your disposal are the best of the best. They know what they’re doing and they’re going to get the work done. Trust them and push this through.”

“What’s the harm in doing a single shuttle first?”

“Because we give them an inch,” Artel replied, “and they’ll demand a yard. They’ll want to test key systems. Have them refit a single warship, which will be a real test. Then, they need to be working on how to quickly work on the rest. Time is of the essence.”

“Everyone’s aware of that,” Miller said. “We’re working hard. It’s only been three days since they got the information. Oslow told me that what they’ve done so far is nothing short of a miracle.”

“Then keep pushing the divinity.” Artel sighed. “Do they need a fire under them? Is that the problem?”

“What’re you talking about?”

“I can encourage them to hurry.” Artel turned away. He tapped his comm. “Begin stage one.”

Miller’s heart hammered in his chest. “What was that? What’s stage one?”

“Did you look at all the Olympus brought back?”

“Most of it. The important parts of the project… why?”

“One thing,” Artel held up a finger, “they figured out was how to predict the Gorlans. They knew how to draw them out.”

“So?”

“So that’s what I’ve just done. Stage one is Constance. I don’t know how long it will take the Gorlans to get there. A week or so, I suppose.”

“Wait… what did you say?” Miller scowled. “Are you suggesting you’ve summoned them to that world? That you’re condemning it?”

“That’s up to you and your scientists, isn’t it? Are they going to hurry now that millions of civilians are directly on the line?” Artel shrugged. “They can do what they have to in order to save them. And I personally would rather the battle take place over the soil of a bunch of scum, but if they’re not ready in time? Stage two begins.”

“And what’s that?”

“Borealis,” Artel said. “Or maybe Altair. That world’s populated. And before you ask, Stage three is Mars. They’ll come to Terra Sector. Which means at this point? You’ve got about a month to save us all.”

“You’re insane…” Miller shook his head. “You can’t turn those things on. How’d you even figure this out? And why do you think anyone will let you do this? No one will let you turn those beacons on.”

“Now that I’ve given the order for stage one,” Artel replied, “the others are in motion. They’re on too, just not active. And no one knows where they are but select crew. Mine, specifically. And they won’t talk. So you see… the clock is now ticking. Scientists are often said to work better under pressure. I have applied it.”

“And if they fail, we all die.”

“That’s true. But if they don’t hurry, we will anyway.”

“You don’t know that!” Miller shouted. “You could’ve done this stage bullshit on small worlds that aren’t inhabited! Lured them to places where they’d waste their time! Hell, we could’ve done that indefinitely. Kept them busy, maybe led them out of known space even! Instead, you had to shove it in their face? That makes no sense!”

“We don’t know how many times it’ll work,” Artel said. “So it’s not a weapon. The only way to win against them is to destroy them utterly. And now that you know it, you can get to work in earnest. I recommend letting Oslow know if the knew project timeline. I’m sure he’ll motivate his people appropriately. I have some standing by for violence if needed.”

“That’s all you think about,” Miller said. “Killing… violence… even sacrificing an entire population or two. Because you know full well the military won’t head out to save Constance. They can’t risk it.”

“What better place to act as a warning than somewhere we don’t care about, but still has enough humans to be tragic?” Artel shrugged. “I have things to attend. A meeting on Earth. Do your best, Miller. The fate of the Empire hangs on your shoulders. And everyone currently working for you. I’m sure you’ve got this.”

“And I suppose you’re going to make it clear to everyone that matters how I’m involved? So history blames me if we fail?”

“Oh, my friend…” Artel shook his head. “You still seem to think there’s a future after failure. No, you won’t go down in history as the man who killed the Empire. No one will. Because it won’t exist. And neither will we. So do the right thing… and be a hero. I’ll stay in the shadows. Enjoy your glory. Or accept our end. Your choice.”

Miller watched as the door closed behind Artel on his way out. He slumped in his chair. That piece of shit. He struggled to swallow past a dry throat. How the hell am I going to tell Oslow? Or put him on the spot like this? How will he not turn around and order an evacuation? Maybe they could start trying to save Mars. But Constance was done.

Artel happily sacrificed them. Probably because of the criminal element. And there was nothing Miller could do about it. I can’t even contact Ethan or let someone know. Not without revealing what I’m up to. No one has time for an investigation into this matter. Or to try and stop it. We have to focus on getting the military ready for the attack.

He reached for the comm and got Oslow on the line. “I’m sorry, sir. But I’ve got some seriously bad news… and you’ll want to sit down for it.” Though I’m not sure that will help.

Chapter 19

Omari choked. Blood splattered the inside of his helmet, filling in some of the cracks. His HUD still functioned, providing information about his compromised armor and the many dead all around him. An explosion brought him down. It wasn’t a direct hit from an enemy weapon. Shrapnel cut through the armor, tossing him to the floor.

He thought he lost consciousness for a short time. Coming back around, his medical prognosis appeared on the screen to the left. The concussion from the blast caused internal bleeding. A hairline fracture on his collarbone caused most of the pain he felt, a surge of it just below his throat spreading to his hips and legs.

Comms continued to function. People screamed orders at each other. A wild fight seemed to be going on around him. Enemy forces must have broken through the line, likely with the second tram exploding. He couldn’t believe they used two of them as projectiles. The fact they had more than one available baffled him.

“General?” Risler’s voice broke through above all the other voices. “Can you hear me? Omari! Respond!”

I can’t, Omari thought. I’m struggling to stay conscious. But he found his voice a moment later, rough as it was. He felt like he spoke through broken glass. “I’ve been… hurt. Status of operation… unknown at this time. Give me… give me a moment. I’ll… respond… shortly…”

Though he wasn’t sure what he meant by the statement. He didn’t have the strength to move, let alone assess the problem.

“Stay down,” Risler stated. “That’s an order. You’ve got reinforcements converging on your position. They’ll be there any second. Just stay awake and listen to the sound of Lee’s voice. He’s going to give you an update about the situation. Hang tight! You’re about to be relieved.”

That would be nice. Omari felt a wave of warmth cover his back. I have a bad feeling about that. It felt wet as well, which changed it from comfortable to horrifying. Blood. I’m soaking in my own blood. Or shit. Neither of which will be the most dignified way to go out today. Though if reinforcements arrived, that meant they might just pull off a victory.

The notion of dying while trying to claim a Gorlan cruiser seemed like a reasonable way to go out. Better if his people succeeded. He had every faith they would. Just because the explosion took him down didn’t mean the rest of his crew weren’t fighting hard at that very moment.

Turret fire kept him conscious. The noise wasn’t all that nipped at his senses. Vibrations running through the deck jostled him enough to stay awake. He smiled. The Gorlans didn’t stand a chance. Humanity wanted the victory. They needed it. Survival pushed them on while the enemy merely wanted carnage.

Their hunger for murder meant they didn’t have the same stake in the game. Those hunting for sport didn’t put the same soul into a fight that the hunted did. Instinct became far more important when the challenge came down to living or dying. And the Gorlans hadn’t faced real opposition in a long while.

They’d learn what it meant to find defeat when they lost their ship and all hands protecting it. Every single one of those things would die and he looked forward to hearing about it. Providing he survived. That was a trick he may not be able to pull off. Lights flickered around him, gunfire erupting in quick bursts, and he helplessly reclined… waiting.

What would come next? He had no idea. A stray shot might kill him. Omari wanted to move, to crawl out of the way and save himself. But he couldn’t. Even his fingers ignored his pleas to wiggle. Blinking, breathing, occasionally swallowing… those were the only actions available. He relished them, simple as they were.

I’m still alive.

“General!” a young man’s voice shouted. “I’m here. Please don’t try to move! I’m going to run a quick medical can and give you something for the pain. My name is…”

The rest of what the young man had to say was lost on him. Omari trusted the man to do his job. If he survived, it would be due to the medic’s attention. If he didn’t, then the shrapnel was too embedded, too deep in his flesh to bring him out. He already worried about radiation from a ruptured suit. Or some other illness from the Gorlan vessel.

So many things might go wrong. But they already had. Omari took a deep breath and let it out. He wasn’t sure if he’d been asked to do it or if it came all on its own. The fighting hadn’t stopped. Three people dragged him across the floor. He went up a ramp, but the motion made him nauseous. He closed his eyes.

And let himself fall unconscious.

***

Aldo didn’t want to hurry the team with the traps they’d encountered thus far, but a sense of urgency fell over him. The report came in about other units taking the ship, landing at different hangars to drive forward through the ship. He had no idea how much good they’d do, or if they’d be pinned down by enemy opposition.

“Omari’s down,” Ellie called. “Just got word through tactical.”

“Dead?” Cully asked.

“No, injured. They got him aboard one of the shuttles to provide medical attention. Colonel Driver’s in charge now. They’re consolidating then will push in whatever direction they want. Right now, they’re building a barricade to prevent more tram missiles from coming down on them.”

“Two rooms,” Voldal said. “We’ll be at the energy source.”

Aldo hadn’t seen any stairs nor the means to travel to different elevations. That seemed odd considering the sheer size of the vessel. He began to wonder if much of it had been allocated for automation. They might be on the only level that supported organic life. The Gorlans may have used the rest for storage and power relays.

Deter slowed, walking beside Aldo. “Sir…”

Great. “What is it?”

“You were born on Mars, right?”

Aldo nodded. “Yep. Why?”

“That explains how you knew about those tunnels. I didn’t know much about them until recently. I’d heard they were all around, but didn’t know the extent. Nor did I realize how someone could use them to travel the entire city. Venice II, I mean. Big place for such a thing, you know?”

“Yep, I know.”

Deter asked, “How many times have you been down there?”

“I never said I went down there.”

“But you mentioned them like you had. Compared them to maintenance tunnels on a ship.”

“What’re you getting at?” Aldo turned to look at him. “What’ve you got to say?”

“I remember you,” Deter said. “Took me a while. I had to think about it on the ship. I almost convinced myself I had to be crazy considering you’re wearing a uniform. But two things gave you away. Your comment about Mars, and your eyes. The way you scowled at me… same as on that day we needed to take the Branch Office.”

“I literally have no idea what you’re talking about.” Aldo’s heart raced as he picked up the pace to catch up with the others.

“I have a HUD,” Deter replied. “And I can see your physical reaction to what I said. Your name’s Sam Levine. You were that freelancer. Just tell me I’m wrong. Lie some more.”

“That’s impossible,” Aldo said. “Whatever you’re suggesting can’t happen. Quads, remember? You can’t change who you are.”

“I’ve learned to never say never.” Deter caught up to him.

“Then what’re you going to do about it?”

“I already did it.” Deter started to say more, but fell silent when their comms buzzed.

Fortunately, they’d been speaking in private.

What does this guy want from me? Aldo figured blackmail. It had to be coming soon.

Voldal said, “We’re here. If you two would like to stop sharing a private moment. This next room holds the power source. It’s not great enough for us to be walking into the reactor itself. But it may be on top of it. Or an interface for it. Be prepared. This may be guarded and if so… we may want to take a formation to defend ourselves.”

Aldo grabbed Deter’s arm. “We have a job to do. You going to focus?”

“I’m focused.” Deter met his gaze. Aldo saw his eyes through the helmet, through the HUD. “Are you?”

“Always.” Aldo gestured to the door. “Take up your position.” He stood behind Ellie on the opposite side of the door. Cully was at the point to breach. Voldal stood ready with his sword to open the door. “We’re ready. Take it, please.”

“As you say.” Voldal tapped the frame, then stepped aside as the door slid upward. Heavy, metallic footsteps advanced on them. Cully crouched, leaning in to open fire. Ceiling lights burst to light, enough to bathe the area in a brilliant, white glow. More of the robots advanced, shooting through the door.

“One’s down!” Cully faded back, “but I’ve got six more on scans.”

“They’re coming,” Deter said. “Let them get closer. We’ll take them out when they try to emerge.”

Voldal said, “We do not have time. Give me a moment.” He drew his pistol, firing twice inside. A series of shots came through the door as he moved out of the way again. As soon as they stopped, he darted inside, the sword glowing blue.

“Damn it!” Aldo grumbled. “Support! Put down some fire!” He moved around to get an angle. Deter and Cully both leaned around, firing inside.

Aldo watched as Voldal cut down the first three, shot one in the head, then continued through the room. Cully and Ellie took out two more.

A beam flashed, catching Aldo in the chest. He slumped backward, then rolled to the left. His armor held. The HUD showed he had not been compromised. Deter stood over him, offering a hand.

Aldo accepted, getting back to his feet. He looked over Deter’s shoulder. Halfway across the room, one of the robots took aim. Aldo shoved Deter to the side, then fired twice. The enemy fired once, the blast whizzing past his head. He put the thing down with a quick burst, starting at the chest then rising to the face.

It would’ve taken Deter’s head clean off.

“You…” Deter stared at him. “You didn’t have to do that. You could’ve…”

“What?” Aldo asked. “Let you die?” He turned away. “Report!”

“Room secure,” Voldal said. “I’m patching Avris in because these terminals are beyond me.”

Aldo stepped inside. A pillar in the center of the room glowed teal. Five terminals came off it at hip level. More jutted out of the walls around them. Voldal stood at the center, tapping the sheer, matte surface of one of the panels. It came to life with more of the odd characters rushing across the screen.

One of the walls dimmed then depicted deep space. They saw the Arden and Olympus. “That’s something.” Aldo gestured. “You guys think this is the bridge?”

“Or,” Ellie said, “an auxiliary control center. Either way, I bet this pillar thing goes straight to the reactor. Then up to other systems. Weapons… navigation… whatever they use. But if Voldal doesn’t know how to access this stuff, then I’m not sure we’re going to be able to take anything.”

“Deter,” Aldo gestured, “Get in touch with Colonel Driver. Give him our position. We need to lock this area down. Until they get here, this is ours and we’re not going to let go for anything. Lock it down.” He approached Voldal to look over his shoulder. It looked the same as the computer at the medical area.

Closer to the objective. Aldo slung his rifle. Now to finish up… and deal with the fallout.

***

Risler stood on the bridge, watching the tactical screen intently. The infantry personnel aboard the Gorlan ship consolidated on Omari’s position. They’d put down considerable opposition during the course of their assault. Casualty reports were coming in. The admiralty would call them acceptable.

Those equipment upgrades kept losses to a minimum.

Avris worked with Voldal to assert control over the ship. He claimed it wouldn’t take long. The information he received from the medical area was able to be cross referenced with data from the Talmar research facility. He only needed to implement the translator to the landing party’s equipment.

So far so good.

“Ma’am?” Darius called. “I’ve got some information.”

Risler joined him. “What’s up?”

Darius lowered his voice. “Aldo Cassidy went to training when he turned eighteen then sought deferment. His scores are average. The sort of thing you see when someone really has zero interest in the assignment.”

“He did the bare minimum to get through it,” Risler said. “Okay. What’re you suggesting?”

“The next five years, he worked on a variety of financial deals with the Board. I’ve got a bunch of them here. He started running the family business, which was a full-time job. My point is I’m not sure we’d see the kind of performance we got from the young man without keeping up his efforts.”

“He could’ve gone to the range. I’m sure he stayed healthy.”

“Sure,” Darius said, “but he didn’t seem to have many qualms about the people he had to kill either. Maybe he talked to Cully or Ellie about it. I don’t know. But there may be something to the concern. The person we know doesn’t fit the guy on paper here. And I didn’t get the impression that he’s some kind of sociopath.”

“No, he’s gone out of his way to help others.”

Darius nodded. “If he’s pulling a scam, he’s doing it in such a way that’s pretty damn benevolent, don’t you think?”

“Pictures?”

“Yeah, here he was at training.” Two images appeared. “The one on the right’s the day he came aboard the Arden.”

They looked damn close, but there were distinct differences. The eye shape, primarily. And tone. Otherwise, they could’ve been related at the very least. Though she doubted anyone would argue that he could’ve changed significantly in five years. He had another two years of growth when he finished training.

“Any images between those times?”

Darius shook his head. “Those would’ve been on public databases.”

Risler nodded. “I don’t know. It seems like we’re digging for no reason. Maybe he was a natural when he got down there on the planet to save the Claytons.”

“How many of those do we encounter?”

“Then what do you think he is?”

Darius frowned. “An intelligence officer infiltrating our ship to report on us.”

“What?” Risler blinked. “You… wow.”

“It makes sense,” Darius said, “and this is a good cover. I’ll bet this guy… the real Aldo Cassidy is back on Mars or something.”

“How would he have gotten past security? The quads were correct.”

“That… I just don’t know.”

“Then I’ll ask,” Risler said. “When he gets back to the ship… I’ll ask.” An alarm went off. “Great. Hudson? What’s going on?”

“Two Gorlan ships have entered the system,” Hudson said. “They’re on a direct course for us.”

“Defensive positions.” Risler returned to her seat. “Prepare to engage. Coordinate with the Olympus. We’ll take the one on the left.” She tapped the comm. “Aldo, we’ve got incoming enemy vessels. It would be good of you to hurry up so we can leave. There may be more where these came from.”

“We’re just waiting on Avris,” Aldo said. “Whenever that translator installs, we’ll do what we have to do here.”

Risler turned to the Talmar. “I hope you heard that.”

“It’s a big language!” Avris threw his hands up. “It takes time to put that information into your computers! They’re not exactly the best technology! Buy me some time, ma’am. In fact, it would be better if we didn’t move right this moment.”

Risler sighed. “Adrian.” She leaned on her chair to speak into the mic closer. “You’re not going to like this but I’m going to give it to you straight.” Maybe he can lure them in. Or if her people got control over the ship, they might be able to help. Whatever happens, we’re too close to give up now. One last push, everyone. And we’re golden.

***

Cully didn’t like the tension between Deter and Aldo. He figured they just had different styles of leadership, with the former having more experience than the latter. It would make sense they’d butt heads. But there was something more going on. Whatever private conversation they had didn’t seem to go well.

Ellie eyeballed them in a way that suggested she felt it too. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to stop them from cooperating during the mission. Aldo saved the man’s life. That should’ve settled the disagreement. At least until they arrived back on the ship. Cully had half a mind to ask them to maintain civility until they were done.

But he didn’t want to get involved. Not until he knew the score.

Voldal said, “Two enemy ships have arrived in the system.”

Aldo turned to him, “How’d you know? Do you have scans working?”

“Avris told me,” Voldal replied. “And I have the translator downloaded. This is absolutely a navigation terminal.” He moved through each of them, identifying them as helm, weapons, scans, and defenses. “You should all have your translations now. These are rudimentary compared to what we’re accustomed to on modern vessels.”

Cully stepped closer. When he looked at the screen, an overlay on his HUD gave him the directions. He was standing before the helm, providing him with access to various thrusters throughout the ship. “Uh… he’s not kidding. I could probably get us moving pretty easily, in fact. Wow.”

“Ancient tech,” Ellie said, “that’s still more impressive than anything we had during the expansion.”

“Ma’am,” Aldo said, “we have control of the ship. That includes shields, weapons, and navigation control. Whatever you want to do with this thing, we’re ready.”

“Run some tests,” Risler replied. “Make sure it works. Avris will run down the options. You should have some soldiers nearby to help keep that location safe. Be on the lookout.”

“Problem!” Deter shouted. “Looks like the wrong kind of troops are arriving before ours could.”

Cully hurried over to join him. He glanced out. At least ten more of the robots were coming their way. “There must be a way to change their friend or foe on this thing. Ellie? Check that panel there. It’s the defense one. I bet it goes beyond just external shields.”

“You hope,” Ellie muttered. She rushed over to the panel and started tapping. “Shields… yep, check. Uh… internal security protocols… this is a big ass list. There are lots of things! Turrets… gas lines… something called a boom… no, translation updated. Mines. Oh. Good, there were mines somewhere out there.”

“Find the robots!” Aldo pressed.

“I’m reading as fast as I can!” Ellie complained. “Hold your horses!”

Shooting commenced. Deter and Cully stepped into the room. Voldal joined them to close the door.

“That should buy us some time,” Voldal said. “Unless they have the means to open the door.”

“We can take them,” Deter replied. “As they come through, we can take cover behind the control panel, and—”

Aldo interrupted, “If that gets damaged, this whole op is a fail.” He switched the comm to the wide tactical network. “Colonel Driver, this is Captain Cassidy. We’re pinned down in the control room with dozens of robots converging on our position. Be advised, there’s little cover in those hallways.”

“Understood, Captain. We’ll be there in sixty seconds.”

That’s not bad, Cully thought. We can at least hold out until then.

Voldal returned to the helm. The ship rumbled as he tapped the screen. “Thrusters are all functional. FTL drive is online as well. We could leave this area right now… but it might not be the best idea with a bunch of enemies out there. Captain Risler, Avris… what do you want us to do? This ship is functional.”

“Lockdown,” Risler said, “and help us fend off the enemy ships. The weapons will be a good test of whether or not we’re wasting our time.”

There’s plenty to learn here. Cully moved over to the weapon console. “I’m on it.” He noted there were well over seventy turrets spanning the hull as well as five main cannons. He engaged them all, targeting the approaching ships. A warning came up, letting him know they were about to attack friendly targets. Recategorize.

The system flickered as it seemed to scan the Arden and Olympus. A moment later, it narrowed in on the Gorlan vessels. Adrian seemed to be heading out to meet them. He’d be on them at any moment.

“Olympus,” Cully said, “fire your maneuvering thrusters to give me some room to shoot. I don’t know what’s going to happen when all these weapons go off at once. Might be in your best interest to stay well back.”

Voldal added, “Don’t fire them all! Only forty percent of the turrets.” He leaned to look. “Any more, we might tap the reactor too heavily. It was in hibernation. You don’t want to find out what that means.”

“Got it.” Cully deselected several of the weapons. “Okay… I’m going to let loose in a moment unless anyone has an objection.”

Tapping at the door made him jump. Those damn robots. It’s been more than sixty seconds. Where the hell’s Driver? He should be tearing them up right now!

“No objection,” Aldo said, “take them out.” Deter, aim at the door. Ellie, keep trying to shut those things down. And Voldal, continue preparations to leave.”

“Think they’ll get through?” Deter asked.

“Maybe,” Aldo replied, “but our people have to be right there. If Ellie can’t get them to shut down, then at least we won’t be alone in the fight.”

“Twenty seconds,” Cully announced. Hold together, you ancient piece of crap. We deserve a little luck right now.

Chapter 20

Risler switched the main viewer to watch the Olympus approach the approaching enemy ships. They powered up their weapons as they approached, their cannons glowing. She clenched her fists as she watched. Avris only barely finished his work getting the necessary information to Aldo’s team.

“Full speed,” Risler ordered, “catch up so we can provide some support.”

“Wait,” Avris said. “Begging your pardon, but… the weapon systems on our new vessel are functional. And we’re about to unleash them.”

“Now?” Risler frowned. “Is that… wise?”

“You wanted a test.” Avris shrugged. “This seems like the best way to see what it can do. At forty percent power.”

Risler nodded. “Alright, let them commence. Hudson, give us some distance from them.” In case the damn thing explodes. If a mishap occurred, they’d lose a lot more than a primary target. A lot of personnel happened to be over there. Enough that it would be considered an absolute catastrophe.

“The Olympus is moving aside,” Hudson said. “They’re ready for the attack, it seems. And wow… that energy build up from our side… that’s insane! Look at the rating!”

The scan appeared on the screen. It far exceeded what they generally witnessed from their own weaponry during a fight. And it built faster, rising to a monumental level. The Gorlans let loose with a volley at the Olympus, scoring a number of hits. They didn’t even seem to acknowledge the derelict.

Until it unleashed.

A massive energy wave rushed from the cannons as dozens of smaller beams rushed out. The attack slammed into the first of the targets, then branched to the other. Their defenses dropped instantly, hull breaches appearing at various points along the outside. The Olympus followed up, tossing out everything they had.

The threats were neutralized in seconds. Then the energy readings stabilized on the derelict.

“Success,” Voldal’s voice piped through the speakers, “and we have plenty of reserves. If we can stop the robots from getting through here, we’ll be in a good position.”

Risler frowned. That should be taken care of already. “Report back when you’re secure.” She turned to Darius. “We need to start to plan an exit. Find us a course to the nearest military installation. We can report in from there and start the process of figuring out the rest of that ship.”

I’ll let Adrian know it was a good idea later. Risler never felt confident about taking the vessel. Their schematics they had proved mostly incorrect. She stepped over to Avris’s terminal to look at what they had. The vast majority of the ship was mostly maintenance tunnels and energy conduits.

It’s not massive because they needed to carry a lot of people. It’s big because that’s what it took to pack in all that power. However, that didn’t speak to the idea that there may be more Gorlans somewhere in the ship in hibernation. I’m not as concerned about them now. They’re not to the same standard as the ones flying around the galaxy.

Plus, it was likely they could shut them down. Once her people figured out the defenses once and for all.

We’ll be out of here soon. The important part of the task involved cutting off any tracking equipment about the vessel. We’ll figure that out en route. She sent the order to Driver and the others. Make sure they know they’ve got a task at hand. Everything else was semantic at that point.

We won. Will it matter in the long run? That’s the question we have to answer.

***

Aldo held his weapon at the ready beside Deter, staring at the door. He had no idea why they couldn’t open it, or what they were even up to. But it continued to rattle, even vibrating with their efforts. He wondered how long they had, and where the others were. Why hadn’t they arrived?

He dreaded another attack force locking them down earlier in the hallway. Or mines. They knew about plenty of defensive features in the ship, the kind that could stop a unit from advancing easily enough.

The robots would lose some numbers the moment the door opened, but they had the numbers to overwhelm them. Aldo figured their stand against them was token at best. Dozens of those things would come through, wiping them out then… what? Shut down the computer? Hibernate? Or go out to join their comrades in fighting off the invaders?

Aldo switched his comm to private for a chat with Deter. “What did you do?”

“Told my commanding officer,” Deter said. “Let him know who you really are.”

“Why do you think they’ll believe you?”

“Compelling evidence,” Deter replied.

“I saved your life… just a few minutes ago.”

Deter sighed. “Not the point. You lied. However you did it, whatever you pulled, you’re a fraud. And no matter what you’ve done for anyone else, I couldn’t let that stand. Whatever Captain Horn does is on him. I’ve done my duty.”

“This is my life we’re talking about here, man… you…”

“Save it,” Deter interrupted. “We might not even make it out of this room alive. So there’s no reason to get whiny with me now.”

That’s what I am? Aldo’s eye twitched. Whiny? But he understood the notion. He’d been suffering from anxiety about being caught since the moment he boarded the Arden. He thought about how Knowles so casually told him he had to join the military. It killed him inside. If he hadn’t been forced to take on an official assignment, he could’ve easily walked away.

No one would’ve ever known.

But instead, he found himself in the military. And it was likely over. As soon as everything slowed down, Captain Horn would pressure Risler. They’d have no choice but to arrest him. Then… a tribunal, he supposed. Followed by the penalty for identity fraud. Even the basic version carried a death sentence.

Messing with quads… there wouldn’t even be a negotiation.

The door started to rise.

Deter and Aldo both opened fire on the legs they saw.

More gunfire erupted in the hallway. Aldo thought it might be the robots attempting to retaliate before they had clear shots. But their bodies started falling. Driver and his people must have finally made it.

The fighting became frantic. The door paused, not quite up to the robots’ knees. Aldo and Deter knelt in unison, tearing into their targets to help thin the ranks. A good five minutes of shooting came to a sudden end when silence filled the hallway. Someone shouted clear four times.

“Done!” Ellie shouted. “The robots are offline!”

The door opened. There wasn’t a single robot still standing. Their body parts piled up, shoved against the walls.

“Um…” Cully pointed. “Ellie? Have a look.”

“Oh.” Ellie stepped over to the hallway. “Uh… sorry about that. I only just found the sentry protocols. But hey, there were a lot more throughout the ship and they’re offline too. Turrets as well. And I’ve got a mapped location for each of the places where they dropped mines so… that’s all good?”

“Didn’t help this.” Aldo gestured to the broken up robots. “But yeah, at least we can handle the rest now.” He backed away, then reached out to Risler. “I’m sure you’ve heard from Driver, but it seems that we’ve secured the ship, ma’am. Everything’s under control here now. What’s the next step?”

“You’ll have coordinates soon,” Risler said. Her voice was colder than he expected. The tone made his heart beat faster. His stomach tingled. “Colonel Driver’s in charge. I’m transferring command of your unit to him for the duration of your stay on that vessel. Provide whatever support he requires. Risler out.”

Ellie whistled. “Wow. That was cold. I thought she’d be a lot more excited about this than… whatever that was.”

“Yeah.” Aldo cleared his throat. “Better… consolidate what we’re doing. Get those panels labeled for whoever ends up piloting this thing.” He turned to Deter. “We’d better go report to the Colonel while they do that, huh?”

Deter nodded. “I’ll head out there now.”

“Be with you in a moment.” Aldo watched him go before turning to the others. “Whatever happens… thank you. You’ve done an incredible job today and I… couldn’t have done any of this without you. Not what we just pulled off… not what we did in the previous mission. Sincerely. Thank you.”

“What’s going on?” Ellie asked. “What’re you on about?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Aldo waved at them. “Just make sure they know what they’re doing with that gear. We’ll talk again later.”

Maybe. That one word hit harder than knowing Adrian Horn must have already told Risler about him. They’ve got plenty of data aboard the ship to prove Deter right. I’m sure they’ve got photos of Sam Levine even. If not, they will when we get home. Then… I guess the gig’s up.

And whatever happened after would come on fast.

***

Risler headed for the hangar with Darius and Avris in tow. The Talmar tried to get her attention. He finally moved in front of her, walking backward.

“Ma’am, I would genuinely prefer the opportunity to board that craft and make a proper study. If we can’t get down to the surface of one of the planets, then the next best thing will be to look over what they’ve got there. I can get a jump start on analyzing the weapons, converting ideas, getting our people coordinated and—”

“It’s not happening,” Risler cut him off. “You’ll stay on the Arden and study what you can from here. This is an imperial operation at this point. I’ll give you every cooperation I can. Right now, trust me.”

“But Captain, that makes no sense!” Avris sighed. “I’m sure you understand that if I can get close, if I can see it with my own two eyes, then—”

“That’s enough,” Risler said. “Please, Avris. Don’t push. I’m following orders. And you should understand what that means. I’ll share everything I can with your people at the appointed time.”

Avris stiffened as he fell into place beside her. “You mean you may not share it all. Despite my government’s cooperation… and the fact we’re turning a blind eye to the attacks on our property and planets. The tremendous loss of life due to what your Olympus vessel did to us.”

“We’ll talk about this later.” Risler waved at him. I have to do something disgusting. The shuttle was about to land when they arrived in the hangar. Colonel Driver’s boarding party would pilot the Gorlan ship back to its destination. Omari was being brought back for medical attention and the rest of the passengers… she didn’t want to think about.

I have to get this over with. Risler turned to Darius. “Sentries?”

“They’re on hand.” Darius motioned to the left and right. Armed guards stood by. “You sure you want to do this right now? After he and his team went into that ship without complaint? They just plunged right in without complaint and now…” He shrugged. “I mean, this isn’t very grateful.”

“Can’t be a factor,” Risler muttered. “Not with these allegations.”

“I’m sorry,” Avris said, “but what’re you talking about?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Risler stepped forward as the ship landed. The ramp dropped. Soldiers brought a gurney down with Omari on it. Medics joined them then the whole team rushed out of the room. That guy redeemed himself with me. I’ll check in on him when we’re on our way home.

“Here they come,” Darius said. “I hope you really are ready for this.”

“What do you think?” Risler snapped. “Just… get the guards over here.”

Darius waved. The security forces joined them, just as Aldo and his team disembarked from the ship.

“Captain.” Aldo offered a salute. “Mission accomplished, and my team’s ready for a briefing.”

“Aldo Cassidy,” Risler stepped forward. “You are under arrest for impersonating a military officer. Please relinquish your arms and surrender to these people for incarceration.”

“What?” Ellie stepped forward. “What’re you talking about? How’s that possible?”

Darius said, “Stand down, Sergeant. This isn’t any of your concern.”

“Like hell it isn’t!” Ellie started to speak again. Cully grabbed her, dragging her back. She complained, but their argument became hushed whispers.

Voldal approached. The guards went for their weapons. Risler waved them down.

“Whatever this is,” Voldal said, “should not be happening. On behalf of my caste, I would like to extend Captain Cassidy asylum with my caste.”

“He’s an imperial prisoner,” Risler replied. “And this has nothing to do with politics. So there’s no cause for asylum. Not to mention we don’t recognize Talmar laws. We aren’t allied just yet.”

“No,” Voldal said, “and considering what your kind of have done to mine recently, it may be that we never are. But this would be a step toward goodwill if you complied with my offer. I suspect you’d like to. Something may be holding you back. Just let it go. So we can fix this without him being sent to a brig.”

“Voldal,” Avris intervened, “please. This isn’t our concern. We can’t—”

“We must,” Voldal replied. “We have to honor the man who saved our lives, and risked his own plenty of times to get us things we needed. He’s been selfless, and helpful. I say that’s worthy of the Talmar mentality. I will vouch for him personally. And get him out of this situation as quickly as possible.”

Risler said, “That may or may not be true or work out. But until that time, I’m afraid he’s going to be in the brig. You can communicate with your government once we’re back in imperial space. Perhaps make your case.” She turned to Aldo. “Please tell your companion to stand down so this doesn’t become an incident.”

“It’s okay.” Aldo turned to all of them. “Seriously, I appreciate it. But… you don’t have to do this. Any of you.” He smiled. “The fact you would means the world to me. Right now, let’s just be happy that we got that ship. It’s a step toward defeating the Gorlans. What happens to me doesn’t matter when compared to saving humanity, right?”

“This is bullshit!” Ellie slapped her thigh. “And I’ll be putting that in my report.”

“If you must,” Risler said. “The rest of you are relieved until further notice. Please report to your barracks and wait for debriefing.” She turned to Voldal. “I obviously cannot give you a direct order, but I do hope you’ll at least accept what I’m asking without incident. Things can turn badly for our cultures if we let it.”

“You made it so,” Voldal replied. “But Avris and I will comply. Until we can depart.”

“Thank you.” Risler turned to Aldo. “I’ll speak to you later… whoever you are. Consider yourself stripped of rank and privilege. Take him away.” She watched the guards hold him by the arms, pulling him toward the exit. And there we go. One of the more heroic soldiers I’ve worked with in recent years… turns out to be a criminal.

Cully pulled Ellie out of the room next. They went the opposite direction of Cassidy’s party. Avris and Voldal left next.

Risler turned to Deter. “Don’t get comfortable. I want you back on that shuttle and on your way to the Olympus right away.”

“Ma’am, I’m sorry if—”

“You don’t get to talk to me,” Risler interrupted. “I didn’t give you leave. Now take yourself out of my sight immediately. Go.” He wisely complied, hurrying back to the shuttle. “Whether or not he’s right, I can’t abide the way he did this. Straight to the captain. Didn’t bother with anyone else. Not Omari, not Driver… incredible.”

“He probably didn’t trust them,” Darius said. “You can’t blame him for that.”

“I can blame him for anything I want,” Risler snapped. “Keep an eye on Cully and Ellie. I don’t trust them to stay clear of Aldo. And the Talmar too, damn it. It’s clear they aren’t fans after Adrian’s shenanigans. This is going to be an uncomfortable trip home, I’m afraid. Let’s do our best to keep it civil.”

“Understood, ma’am. Are you really going to talk to Cassidy?”

Risler nodded. “You’re damn right I am. I want to hear what he’s got to say for himself. And find out how he did it. Anyway, we’ve got a lot of work to do and plenty of people to check in with. You return to the bridge, organize our departure from this system. I want to be on the way home in less than an hour.”

The future’s still uncertain, but this goes a long way to tipping the scales in our favor. Risler wondered about the fallout of her own involvement with Aldo. Everyone’s a target until we explain ourselves. The admiralty’s going to have a field day with what I’m bringing them this time.

And whether or not all those Aldo touched would find themselves before a tribunal came down to his explanation for why he did it… and how.

Epilogue

Messini thought he was done. Nourishment arrived at regular intervals, but no one spoke to him. He lost track of time, figuring they’d just let him linger there forever. But when the door finally opened in the middle of the night, he dared to feel a rush of hope. Someone might have taken pity on him.

Then Lorne entered.

“What do you want?” Messini asked. He didn’t stand from the couch, didn’t offer even a nod of respect.

“It seems you’re needed,” Lorne said. “Your executive Oslow is part of the Three, and made a request to check on you. Then… I received word you’ll be needed to deal with a particular problem. Something left over from just before you become a senior director. A little incident back on Mars.”

“What’re you talking about?” Messini scowled. The only thing Oslow wants is to punish me for letting Jenna get taken. There’s nothing else he could possibly want. “You must be mistaken.”

“I wish I was. If it were up to me, I’d leave you in here to rot a while longer.” Lorne lifted his shoulders. “But it seems you’ve got some value when it comes to an interrogation. About a little incident involving your Security Corps headquarters and some kind of Justiciar codex scheme?”

Messini groaned. “Yes, that thorn. What about it?”

“The person responsible will be on Earth soon. And there are players requiring your attention. So… will you accept the request from Oslow? Or can I tell them you’re… indisposed? I don’t mind either way, and I do hope you’d rather retire yourself to this. I don’t think you’ve got it in you to do the task, and…”

“Of course I’ll do it,” Messini snapped. “And the fact you held me here is outrageous. I’ll have you know, it’ll figure in for any report I issue.”

“Do what you want.” Lorne waved and turned away. “When you’re needed, you’ll be taken to the site. Until then… you might want to get some rest. You seem a little grumpy.”

“Go to hell!” Messini shouted after him. His heart hammered in his ears. What is he even talking about? Caden knows who broke into the headquarters. How could they possibly be coming back here? Unless the culprit was in the custody of Security Corps officers. That’s my ticket out of here.

The hope he felt before lingered. He believed things might finally go his way. Patience. He took a deep breath. It’ll all work out as it should if you’re just patient.

Lorne was right about one thing. He needed his rest. Whoever showed up would require his undivided, focused attention. Messini planned to give it his all.

And redeem himself to the Board.

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When a group of desperate men attack a Corporate Branch Office, they violate one of the most protected policies of corporate law: never interfere with corporate business. They take hostages, intent on stealing valuable data, though when the military shows up, they may not have enough time to complete their plan.

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