by C H Gideon
Reynolds growled as he saw Jora’nal exit the lead shuttle and stroll confidently into the dock alongside his crew.
“When was this?” Reynolds asked.
“Weeks ago, according to the timestamps. Three, to be precise,” Ria replied. “I’m not finding any records of him or his people returning to the ship in the intervening time. All of his shuttles are still on the airfield where they parked after leaving the space dock.”
“That means he’s still camped out somewhere below,” Jiya said with a grin.
“The question is, where?” Maddox muttered. “That Asparian city looks huge.”
“The primary population center is dense too, making it hard to parse the individual lifeforms,” Jiya reported. “On top of that, it looks like the Asparians have installed an array of independent deflectors to distort readings across the surface of the planet, making it even harder to get anything more than general details regarding numbers and basic location intel. There’s no way to know where Jora’nal or his people are within the city without getting eyes directly on them.”
“Not surprisingly,” Geroux added, “there are no cameras anywhere in town to be accessed, giving us no way to track Jora’nal’s movements since his arrival.”
“Don’t want to discourage trade by throwing up a bunch of surveillance around the place.” Tactical laughed.
“That means we need to go down there and search him out,” Reynolds said.
It wasn’t how Reynold had envisioned it, but he was ready for anything.
“Should I get the new transport systems ready to send you down to the surface?” Takal asked over the still-open comm.
“Not yet,” Reynolds answered. “We’re expected to report in at the dock, so we’ll play by the rules…for now. Keep working on your project with Xyxl, and keep me appraised of your progress.”
“It’s a tough one, but I’m certain we’ll crack it soon enough,” Takal replied.
“I’m sure you will,” Reynolds fired back. “I have faith in you.”
Takal thanked the AI and closed the comm link.
“Geroux?” he asked, checking to see if the young tech was still on the line.
“Yes, sir?” she replied.
“Gain access to the planet’s communications,” he relayed. “I want you to monitor them remotely and see if we can pick up any chatter regarding Jora’nal and his people, or know if the head honchos reach out to him to warn him of our movements.”
“On it,” Geroux answered.
“Comm, I want you to stay on top of the Pillar’s transmissions,” he told the personality. “If they send a signal through the Etheric, I want it tracked to its destination.”
“Will do,” Comm replied, “although it’s clear I won’t be able to track anything they send to the planet, due to the deflectors. I’ll know they transmitted, but there’ll be no way to pinpoint a location.”
“That’ll have to do,” Reynolds told him before turning to the first officer. “Get a Pod ready, Jiya. We’re going to pay Jora’nal a visit. Asya, you’ve got command until we return. Keep the Pillar honest, and let us know if anything happens up here while we’re away. We need to stay on top of the situation like never before.”
Jiya saluted and left the bridge to collect the others.
“Yes, sir,” Asya replied once Jiya was gone, stepping around to claim the seat Reynolds had vacated. She dropped into it with a grin.
Everyone was ready to take the fight to Phraim-’Eh and his minions.
They’d trained hard in the months they’d spent on Muultar, tightening their skills and improving their teamwork at Reynold’s direction. While the SD Reynolds was being repaired and upgraded with Gulg technology, the crew had hunkered down and worked their asses off in preparation for facing Phraim-’Eh and destroying every one of his disciples.
Jora’nal and his master were going to regret not pushing the advantage they’d had when Reynolds last encountered the Pillar.
Now there’d be no stopping the crew of the SD Reynolds.
They were going to blaze a trail of ruin in space, leading all the way to Phraim-’Eh’s door.
Bethany Anne would be proud.
Reynolds laughed at that thought. His Queen wouldn’t need him to report what happened. She’d hear what went on long before Reynolds made it home to tell her about it.
“Come on, Maddox,” Reynolds said, waving the general on as he made his way toward the bridge doors. “We’ve got a cult to decimate.”
Chapter Two
With the SD Reynolds being positioned so it could either fire upon the Pillar or retreat with equal ease, Reynolds joined the crew in the hangar bay.
Jiya had gathered Geroux, San Roche, and Ka’nak, while Maddox accompanied Reynolds to the Pod. The first officer oversaw the preparation as bots loaded the ship and ran flight and safety checks.
“You sure you want to go down this light?” Jiya asked.
Reynolds nodded. “With the new transport systems, we can summon the cavalry and have reinforcements within seconds if we need them,” the AI answered. “No point going down en masse and causing a ruckus right off the bat.”
Takal and Xyxl had integrated the Gulg transport system with the personal translation and comm devices each of the crew had implanted under their skin. That allowed for the SD Reynolds to locate and teleport them with ease anywhere they went, as long as there wasn’t a powerful shield between the crew and the ship.
That made for almost instant access to the entire crew of the SD Reynolds anytime they were needed.
It almost meant they could be pulled out of harm’s way with minimal effort.
Reynolds ran a check on the system, happy to see they were up and fully operational as reported. Xyxl had made sure those operations were shored up before they left him and his people on Muultar. They’d reached out using their advanced communications in order to update their people and request another ship to take them home.
Takal and the alien had been in constant contact using the same system, which operated in the Etheric in order to keep them in touch regardless of the distance. This also allowed for the crew to remain in contact, regardless of any atmospheric disruptions that might otherwise hamper communication.
“Pod’s fully loaded,” Jiya reported.
Reynolds acknowledged with a nod.
Although he didn’t expect the Asparians to put much effort into examining their load, Reynolds thought it best to carry some sort of merchandise down to the planet in case they were searched.
He’d ordered the Pod packed with junk tech, bits and pieces of equipment that amounted to little more than scrap metal if it were examined closely.
Hidden within all the junk were cloaked suits of armor, firearms, and a variety of explosives, including grenades, as well as enough ammunition to take over a small planet.
While he knew from the video of Jora’nal that the security on Aspar was simplistic and let most everything through its checkpoint, Reynolds wanted to keep their visit low-key, so he’d had the crew dress down, carrying nothing more than a pistol each.
He didn’t want to raise the suspicions of the security force when they were made to dock at the station before continuing down to the planet. The less aggressive they looked, the less attention they’d generate.
Jiya climbed into the Pod and settled into the pilot’s seat. The rest of the crew followed her in and took their places, Reynolds bringing up the rear and sitting alongside Jiya in the co-pilot’s chair. The Pod’s hatch hummed shut with a reverberating thump. The engines ramped up, vibrating the ship.
Jiya glanced at him once the crew was strapped in.
“Let’s do this,” Reynolds told her.
Jiya nodded and lifted off, piloting the Pod out of the open hangar bay. Comm passed along a farewell as they left the craft, and the first officer aimed the ship toward the planet’s docking array.
As soon as they slipped into open space, the automated voice of the Asparian defense system
sounded in their ears, directing them to where they needed to dock and what protocols to follow as they did so to avoid being fired upon.
“These guys don’t play around,” Jiya mentioned.
“Given the type of people they deal with regularly, I understand why,” Maddox told her. “Can’t be too trusting when all your visitors are criminals.”
“Yet they let anyone in with minimal examination.” Jiya laughed, amused by the contradiction.
“There has to be a pretense of authority and order,” Maddox said, “or the place will devolve into a total clusterfuck.”
“The truth is, it’s the criminals who maintain the security and peace around here,” Reynolds clarified. “The defense system is just a figurehead. A smokescreen for them all to hide behind, kind of an early warning system. If anyone is going to dish out any kind of Justice, it’ll be the residents of the city we’re headed to. The rest of this is just show to keep those unfamiliar with the rules in check.”
“Well, it’s impressive, regardless,” Jiya commented.
The crew went silent as she guided the Pod into the labyrinthine web of the massive dock that hung in orbit above Aspar. She followed the repeated instructions of the automated voice and landed the Pod in the large, open bay they’d been directed to.
She cycled down the engines after they landed, following orders to open the ship’s hatch and provide the defense force access to their cargo and crew quarters.
The crew eased out of the Pod and were immediately confronted by a small force of armored soldiers. The blue and green of their suits stood out in the dull grey of the surrounding dock. They carried rifles, their barrels pointed at the deck, showing solid trigger discipline, just as they had in the earlier video the crew had watched as Jora’nal met with them.
One of the soldiers, the only one without a helmet, stepped forward, a sly smile stretching his lips.
“I’m Commander Dox Gorn, head of Security. State the purpose of your visit,” the officer ordered, his voice smooth and confident.
Reynolds examined the alien as he made to reply.
Dox’s skin was gray, reminding Reynolds of fresh cement. Darker circles surrounded the male’s eyes, appearing as more of a natural feature than any indication of tiredness or stress.
Brilliant orange eyes gleamed from within those darkened sockets, and Reynolds felt the full weight of his stare as he leveled it on the crew.
“We’re here to trade for parts and for a little R&R,” Reynolds answered, saying nothing about their real mission. “Mostly the R&R.” He chuckled.
Dox nodded. If he suspected Reynolds of lying, the AI couldn’t tell. The officer’s expression remained neutral, only that slight grin giving his face any sort of personality.
The commander glanced over his shoulder at a secure booth near the top of the hangar bay. A soldier there nodded, and Dox returned his gaze to the AI.
Reynolds knew they’d scanned the contents of their Pod while they stood there talking. The nod made it clear they hadn’t detected the hidden armor or weapons.
Dox’s smile widened. “Welcome to Aspar, traveler,” he said pleasantly. “Mind your manners during your stay, and have a great time. The automated systems will guide you down to the planet.” He motioned for the crew to return to the Pod and backed up to rejoin his soldiers without another word.
“Thank you,” Reynolds answered, and spun on his heel, returning to the Pod. The crew followed him in silence.
Once they were inside and the Pod was secure, Jiya dropped into her seat and turned to look at Reynolds.
“That was easy,” she said. “Too easy, maybe?”
She lifted off and turned the Pod around, exiting the docking structure the same way they’d entered and slipping out into space. Scanners warned of weapon systems following their progress, and the automated voice sang out once again, providing them with specific instructions to follow to reach the planet safely.
“If they’re working with Jora’nal, I couldn’t tell,” Maddox stated. “Dox Gorn has one hell of a poker face.”
“I don’t think he’s in cahoots with Jora’nal or the cult,” Reynolds argued. “Nothing in their posture gave me any indication that they were treating us differently than they do anyone else they welcome to the planet. It’s all a show of force, a deterrent.”
Reynolds had taken an instant to scan his memories of the security videos Geroux had hacked into to compare the soldiers’ manner and attitude with the other visitors to the planet.
He’d seen nothing to make him think their visit stood out in any way from the host of other arrivals. From the wry grin to the posturing, Dox Gorn had approached everyone the same way on those videos. So much so, in fact, that Reynolds might have questioned whether the commander was an android if Reynolds hadn’t been able to detect obvious biometric signs of life.
That’s just who he is, apparently, Reynolds thought. Not much of a personality, that one.
As the Pod drifted down toward the planet, Jiya brought the image of it up on the screen. The city, the system noting it as Aspar’s Hold, was a sprawling metropolis.
The only major city on the entire planet, it took up more surface space than Jiya’s entire nation.
It seemed to be broken into dozens of different sections, some with towering buildings that reflected the morning’s sunlight, others areas of sparseness where spread-out compounds sat, walled-in and held at a distance from their nearest neighbors.
Much of Aspar’s Hold appeared to be an active hive of people and businesses.
As they drew closer, scanners showed a disparate gathering of alien races, from those Reynolds recognized to some he had never even heard of. The Pod’s systems scrambled to delineate and categorize the population mix.
Zoomed in, the scanners showed people everywhere. It was if some kind of festival were happening, the streets flooded with pedestrians and vehicle traffic.
“That’s going to make finding Jora’nal difficult,” Geroux said, eyes wide as she watched the screen.
“We’ll find him, don’t worry,” Reynolds assured them. He’d make sure of it, even if he had to scour the entire city from end to end.
That little bastard wasn’t getting away this time.
Jiya brought the Pod around, following the directions she was provided, and landed on a cluttered stretch of tarmac, barely enough room for the ship to settle in between its neighboring crafts.
“Tight fit,” Maddox commented.
“Tons of people here,” Geroux replied. “That’s a big reason why we couldn’t get solid readings up on the Reynolds. Well, that and the deflectors, but the population density is the biggest problem. There must be ten million people squeezed into this town. I wonder how many actually live here?”
“Probably a damn good base of operations for those looking to stay off the radar,” Reynolds admitted.
“I imagine the place is expensive,” Jiya said, reviewing the images the system had stored as they arrived.
“Worth it to have a safe haven this far from other habitable systems, and to have an army of criminals all motivated to keep this place safe and secret,” Maddox explained.
“Probably means bribing or coercing the locals won’t get us anywhere,” Jiya said. “I don’t see these people rolling over on Jora’nal for a meager payday.”
“No, it’s not likely,” Reynolds replied. “But if we can’t find Jora’nal ourselves, we can always use the local rumor network to get word to him. We spread enough money around, making it clear we’re looking for him, I suspect it will only be a matter of time until he finds us.”
“Or he runs,” Maddox countered.
Reynolds shrugged. “Either works for me.” He laughed. “Phraim-’Eh is the big fish in this scenario. I want to take out Jora’nal, too, of course, but we need him to lead us to his master or draw the prick to us. We pressure this asshole hard enough, he’ll do one or the other. Then we put our boots up Phraim-’Eh’s godly ass.”
T
he crew gathered their equipment, keeping it hidden in inconspicuous baggage, and exited the Pod, leaving San Roche behind to secure it.
They stepped out onto the crowded tarmac, amazed by how many ships were squeezed into its tight space.
“Seems everyone in the galaxy is here,” Maddox remarked. “Reminds me of Dal’las Tri.”
Ka’nak chuckled. “I loved that place. There were all sorts of opportunities to get into a fight.”
“I suspect this place will be the same.” Jiya grinned. “We just have to make sure there are no neurological suggestion beams driving you two to fight and gamble.” She stared at the Melowi warrior before turning her gaze on Maddox.
The general smiled slyly and tapped the side of his head. “Fortunately, Takal coded in protection against that kind of manipulation after our last…unfortunate incident at Dal’las Tri. I couldn’t gamble if I wanted to,” he admitted.
“That same adjustment has curtailed Takal’s drinking a bunch, too,” Geroux said happily, clearly glad to have her uncle sober.
“And he’s been a right stick-in-the-mud ever since,” Ka’nak complained with a grunt. “I can’t get the old guy to do anything besides work these days. It’s annoying.”
“At least you can still fight,” Maddox offered.
“Takal would have to lobotomize me to take that instinct away.” The warrior chuckled. “I’d have zero personality if he did that.”
“Zombie-Ka’nak sounds like he’d be good shipmate,” Jiya remarked, grinning at the Melowi again.
“Maybe, but then I’d be as boring as you,” he retorted.
The crew laughed as Jiya held her hand over her heart, pretending dismay.
“You wound me,” she teased.
Reynolds ignored the crew and glanced around, looking for a Jonny-Taxi or some other sort of local transportation. He waved one down as it drew close.
The cab pulled up, its doors popping open automatically as it came to a stop. The crew loaded their equipment and clambered into the vehicle. Jiya let out a loud bark of a laugh when she saw the Jonny-Taxi android in the front seat staring at them, requesting their destination.
