by M. D. Cooper
He folded his arms behind his back and waited for the PLI’s envoy to climb the ramp. The woman’s eyes met his when she was halfway up, and her unblinking gaze never wavered from that point on. When she finally stopped a meter before him, a mirthless smile formed on her lips.
“Captain Rajiz. Welcome to the PLI.”
“Let’s not be hasty,” he replied, extending a hand, which she clasped and gave a single shake before releasing. “I don’t even know your name. I like to have one of those before doing business with someone.”
“Rachella,” she replied. “I represent the PLI’s acquisitions arm. We’re always looking to bring new crews onboard, expand our reach, you know…fun stuff.”
“The only fun stuff I’m interested in is getting out of here before the Niets flatten the place.”
“May I come in?” Rachella asked. “I really don’t fancy having this chat out in the open. If the Niets find out that we know about their plans, they’ll up the timetable, and that’s not good for either of us.”
Rajiz shrugged. He suspected she was right, and gestured for her to enter the ship. “Just you, though. Your meat boys can stay out here.”
“Meat boys?” one of them protested.
“Easy, Jim,” Rachella said gently. “He’s not going to do anything stupid. Not if he wants this ship to ever lift off again.”
“Yeah, Jim,” Rajiz said. “I’m not stupid.”
“Then why’d you call us meat boys? That’s pretty stupid.”
“Don’t make me send Betty out to trample you.” The captain grinned, then followed Rachella as she walked through the airlock and onto the ship, turning toward the bow and continuing down the passage a dozen meters.
Her false smile disappeared, and she fixed Rajiz with a serious look. “It’s clear that you’re just passing by, looking to make a buck, but let me explain something about Chad. The PLI runs it, not the Niets. We’ve got things going pretty good here, and we want to keep it that way.”
“Good luck,” Rajiz replied. “I fought in the war. Niets didn’t pull out often, but when they did, they didn’t do it nicely. Sore losers.”
Rachella’s gaze grew distant. “Yeah, that’s one word for it.”
“So let me see if I can skip a few steps. You’re a front organization for a resistance, and since there’s no real way to resist the Niets when they can just roll up on Chad and nuke it to shit, you’ve worked out a bit of an arrangement to keep things copacetic.” Rachella’s lips had drawn into a thin line as Rajiz spoke, and he couldn’t help but smirk. “How am I doing?”
“Close enough,” she replied, feigning indifference.
“But really, unless you’ve got your own fleet tucked away somewhere, what are you going to do? Time to cut your losses and get out.”
“That’s just the thing,” the PLI woman said. “If the Niets wanted to wipe us out, they’d just nuke us, or roast the planet with their engines. But you said they’re prepping Razers, which means they want to make things messy, but not totally wipe us out.”
“Shit,” Rajiz muttered, thinking of the news coming out of Genevia. “They want to make us into a problem.”
“Yeah, for Rika and the Marauders.”
“Those the mercs who took Genevia? Is it true they killed the emperor?”
“Seems like it,” Rachella nodded. “Colonel Rika and her fleet have been slicing through Genevia for months now. Their last stop was in Iberia, and no one expected them to show up in Genevia right afterward—least of all the Niets, it seems.”
For the first time, the woman gave a genuine laugh, and Rajiz wondered if she and the PLI really were true believers in freedom, not just opportunists.
“OK,” he shrugged. “So some mercs took Genevia—and a few other systems. Just a few hundred to go then, eh? They’re a long way from actually defeating the Niets.”
“Those mercs are backed by some powerful allies,” Rachella said. “Just one Marauder ship is a match for dozens of Nietzschean cruisers.”
Rajiz suddenly realized where she was going. “You want the ViperTalon to go to Genevia and get these mercs to come help Chad.”
“I knew you were smarter than you looked,” Rachella’s lips formed less-than-pleasant smile.
“Yeah, well, you’re not. We’re deep in Burroughs’ gravity well. Even if we burn haaaard, we’re looking at four days to get to a jump point, and the Niets haven’t interdicted jumps to Genevia yet, but I bet they will soon, and they’ll sure be curious about a ship boosting like mad to get there.”
“Yes, well—” Rachella began, but Rajiz cut her off.
“And then it’ll take the mercs four or five days to get to a jump point for Chad—that’s if they decide to come help—and then another three or four to get insystem here. Let’s say they’ve got some serious burners on their ships. You’re looking at twelve days best-case, probably closer to fifteen. Face it, PLI woman, you’re screwed.”
“Stars, man. Will you let me get a word in edgewise?”
Rajiz ignored his first mate, and nodded for Rachella to say her piece.
“Yes, I get that time is short, which is why we need to get you on the move. There’s a shortcut to jump outsystem from here, only three AU away. It’s only open for another two days, then it’s obstructed by dark matter for a month. It’ll take you four days to get to Genevia, and then one day for them to get back here.”
“Seriously?” Rajiz asked. “One day? What sort of FTL do they have?”
“Some gate system,” the woman replied with a shrug. “The Niets have them too…or one of their allies does. It’s hard to be sure. Either way, there are a whole whack of these ring things in Genevia, most of them in the outer system, but a few around Belgium.”
“Did the mercs bring them?”
“No, our intel on the rings is from before the Marauders showed up.”
“OK, so let’s say I do this little courier run for you.” Rajiz leant against the bulkhead. “What’s to stop me from just buggering off and leaving you in the lurch?”
“Well, for starters, I’m coming with you.”
“And,” Rachella continued, “my ‘meat boys’ are coming as well.”
“Yeah, that’s a big no,” Rajiz shook his head. “I don’t need them drinking all our beer. Besides, they’re not going to be able to do much to help you out, anyway.”
“Really?” Rachella cocked an eyebrow. “Jim and Jerry are combat vets. Don’t underestimate them.”
“And don’t underestimate a fully armored centaur barreling through the corridors,” Rajiz countered. “Trust me. We’ve been boarded before. It didn’t go well for the other side.”
“Colonel Rajiz of the Genevian Armed Forces, I thought you had more honor than that.”
Rajiz drew himself up straight, his dark eyes boring into Rachella’s green ones. “Don’t you call me that. Don’t you ever say those words again. You do, and I’ll kill you where you stand, meat boys or no meat boys.”
A deafening silence followed as the pair stared at one another for over a minute. Finally, Rachella broke eye contact and took a step back.
“Fine. We’ll do this a different way. From what I hear, you owe Kershaw in the Morres System a nice sum of credit. You do this, and we’ll square it away for you.”
“And what if the Niets burn Chad to a cinder before we get back?”
“We have off-world funds,” she explained. “So long as they don’t trash the whole system, we’ll be able to make good on our promise.”
“And no meat boys?”
“Nice try. Jim and Jerry are non-negotiable. Besides, I thought
you put your faith in Betty and her armor.”
Rajiz set his jaw, and glowered at Rachella, wishing he’d gone with Avi’s seduction plan at the Nietzschean compound.
“Fine. Show me the charts with this dark layer shortcut.”
A MEET AND A MISSION
STELLAR DATE: 06.03.8950 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Mount Genevia, Belgium
REGION: Genevia System, New Genevian Alliance
“Well, Gary, what do you think?” Kora asked as the man’s lips twisted in indecision. “We need to find who brought Arla to Belgium, and then find out if they were just a ride, or if the resistance in the surrounding systems is gonna resist Rika as much as the Niets.”
“Yeah,” the lieutenant nodded. “I get that, I really do, but this feels like rolling on people who have had my back for years.”
“Sure,” Kora nodded, “I can see how you’d feel that way. But let’s be straight, here. I’ve only known of Rika for a couple of weeks, and it’s clear as day to me that she’s Genevia’s future. Do you feel any differently?”
“No,” Gary shook his head. “I agree with you in every way, that why I sided with Rika against Oda back at the Refuge. Trust me, I’m not going to go against her now. But walking away from the Refuge, and pointing the finger at rebels isn’t the same thing.”
Kora rose from the chair she’d been sitting in and walked across the small meeting room in what was becoming known as the Royal Palace. She stood at the window for a moment, looking down at the forested slopes of Mount Genevia, before turning back to face Gary, who had remained seated.
“And what of the mechs?” she asked. “Arla facilitated the use of the KK100. Not only that, but the Niets had one on the Pinnacle, too. Either she was working with the Nietzscheans, or she’s complicit in some other way. Regardless, I need to get to the bottom of it all.”
“You?” Gary cocked an eyebrow. “Why you?”
“Tremon gave me the task,” Kora shrugged. “But even if he didn’t, I’d be all over this. I’m not just going to sit back and let infighting tear down what the Marauders have done here. We have a chance at a real Genevia again. A strong nation, a united people.”
“I’m with you.” Gary nodded. “I really am, it’s just….”
“It’s just what?” she asked.
“Just going to make for a bit of self-loathing is all.”
Kora pursed her lips, knowing all too well what the man meant. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve had my fair share of that. I’ve been a cop here for years, just made it to detective a few months ago. This job…it’s supposed to be to help people, but that wasn’t so easy under the Niets. I did my best, but sometimes I had to make hard choices, weigh two evils.”
“Yeah.” Gary nodded. “That’s what this feels like. Either way, I think I know where to start.”
“Oh?” Kora asked, an encouraging smile settling on her lips. “Where to?”
Gary’s gaze darted to the ceiling. “We need to get to Capeton Command. Annie introduced me to a guy there, I think he’ll know where to start digging.”
“Can we just hit him up over the Link?” Kora asked.
“No.” Gary shook his head. “He’s not going to give us we want without a bit of squeezing.”
The detective laughed. “Luckily, I have a lot of on-the-job training when it comes to that.”
“Stars…just don’t make me regret this too much.”
Kora patted Gary on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your delicate feelings firmly in mind.”
TALONFLIGHT
STELLAR DATE: 06.03.8950 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: ViperTalon, near Chad
REGION: Burroughs System, Old Genevia, Nietzschean Empire
Rajiz shifted in his captain’s chair, eyeing Rachella, the unwelcome guest on his bridge. The rail-thin woman sat at the auxiliary console to Avi’s left, doing her best to annoy the hell out of him.
Granted, the PLI babysitter wasn’t actually doing anything specific, but the way she sat with her shoulders back and her straight, blonde hair falling down over the back of the seat seemed like a calculated measure designed just to piss him off.
Stars, man, relax!
“We’ve got clearance to transition out of orbit on our assigned vector,” Avi said, throwing a worried glance in Rajiz’s direction. “We’ll be able to burn on it for two hours, but then we’re going to have to break off to make for our secret jump point.”
“How secret is it, anyway?” the captain asked Rachella. “I mean, if you use it enough to map it, the Niets must have spotted ships dropping out there.”
“We’re real careful,” she replied with a noncommittal shrug. “Plus, we make sure all the right people are paid off. Trust me, it’s far from common knowledge.”
“So when we veer off, the Niets are gonna do what?” Avi asked.
Rachella sighed. “You’re the savvy pirate ship, what would you use as your excuse for changing course?”
Rajiz had already been considering several options, and pointed at one of the two ice giants in the outer system. “We’ll redeclare our vector to use Jujell as slingshot mass for fuel savings. They have a vector past the planet set up for that.”
“A bit off from where we’ll really be vectoring,” Avi replied. “But I imagine they’ll buy it. No one in this system really cares much if you burn straight or not.”
“Works for me,” Rachella said with a shrug. “Your Talon can outrun whatever they toss at us anyway, right?”
Rajiz had already reviewed the Nietzschean patrol craft in their general vicinity, and nodded. “Unless they send a relativistic missile our way, we’re fine. And no way I can see them wasting something that expensive on us.”
“So long as they don’t know who you really are,” Rachella said with a laugh. “I bet the Niets would love to stop you from robbing them in every system you go to.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he replied.
The bridge fell silent once more, and Rajiz decided to kill time by reviewing all of the ships’ systems. Something in his gut told him that they were going on more than just a milk run.
He hadn’t asked Rachella why the PLI had decided to use a new and unknown person for such an important mission—mostly because he didn’t want a bullshit answer—but there had to be a reason. It was likely to do with not connecting their surreptitious exit with any known PLI craft, or maybe it was that the gangsters weren’t as big a going concern as they liked to pretend, and they had no ships of their own.
Either way, he felt half good for doing the right thing in helping his fellow Genevians against the Niets, and half like an idiot for getting mixed up with a local rebel group…again.
Not going to be like last time, he thought. We get to Genevia, Rachella delivers her message, and the mercenaries use their fancy jump gates to get back to Burroughs.
Of course, he knew it wasn’t that simple. He still had to turn around and go back as well, to get his payment.
Unless I just forgo that and drop Rachella and her meat boys on whatever station is nearby.
The situation made Rajiz want to scream.
He’d long since given up caring about his former nation of Genevia. They’d lost, and their systems now belonged to Nietzschea. For a time, he’d fought against the occupiers, but all that ended up doing was getting good people killed.
After a few years of struggle, he’d come to realize that the war had already taken too many lives. Resisting just made the Niets grind their oppressor’s boot into the remaining Genevians even harder.
Best to just get on with life.
A wave of guilt washed over Rajiz as he considered that while he’d given in and gone along with the flow, others had continued to fight back—and rather successfully, if the PLI and reports out of the Genevia System were to be believed.
He’d always told himself that his raids on Nietzschean facilities were his way of striking back—a way that put few other
s at risk, and kept his ship in fuel and food.
But the feeling that he’d dropped out of the rebellion too soon had been nagging at him ever since he’d heard the first rumors that some sort of mercenary force had attacked Genevia. Another part of him knew what that really meant, what was really going to happen now.
The war was back on, and the people caught in the crossfire were going to be those least able to defend themselves.
The razing of Chad would be just the beginning. If the Niets were actually retreating, they would shred the Genevian systems on their way out. There would barely be enough to rebuild with.
Stars…didn’t you used to be an optimist?
He reminded himself that his initial plan had been to review ships systems, with the goal of keeping his mind from wandering through such unpleasant topics. He returned to that, checking over the ViperTalon’s shields, main weapons—a set of ten-centimeter beams aft, and fifteens up front—and the smaller kinetic and point defense systems.
Everything checked out, and he switched to reviewing the engine profile, monitoring its burn and efficiency numbers. Gero would have alerted him to any issues with the drive system, but Rajiz knew that a good captain had an eye on everything, anticipating any issues their crew might raise.
The fusion burners were running clean, happily sipping on their optimal mix of deuterium and tritium. A small store of antimatter waited in the annihilation chamber, should they decide to activate the antimatter-pion drive.
Rachella had already expressed a strong desire for them to do so, but Rajiz had explained that no one burned AP on ships like the ViperTalon unless they were up to no good, or moving something very expensive—which was usually the same thing. Spewing gamma wash behind the freighter would just make the Niets pay a lot more attention to a single ship amongst hundreds of thousands of others.
His review brought up a few systems that needed repairs, a scan array that was running on a secondary antenna, the port-side airlock that would jam if they used it in atmo, and three rather unsightly gashes in the forward ablative plating from encounters with people who didn’t feel the same way Rajiz did about their property.
