“But there’s also the question of whether Stygaard has the resources and the reach to infiltrate the Ranger Initiative,” Deckland said. “Chief Moreland made it clear all Stygaard’s wealth was invested in colonizing the Alpha Renway system and he was going all-in on his campaign for Legacy status with the Empire. Would he really have the funds and influence to infiltrate every single Imperial agency out here in the Frontier?”
“If he did, it might explain why he’s stretched so thin in terms of finances,” Berenger replied. “Might also be why he’s gearing up to start mining Alpha Renway and Sarjana so heavily despite the Skinny Plains colony still being as small and underdeveloped as it is. Once the minerals start flowing, so do the digicredits.”
“But how does kidnapping fit into all that?” asked Deckland. “And what about that thing Pyle said before he died? Archeron? What did he mean by that, and how does it play into all this?”
“Both mighty fine questions I don’t have answers to, as of yet,” said Berenger.
“How are we even supposed to get those answers?” Deckland asked, sounding frustrated. “We can’t query the Initiative dataservers. We can’t request more manpower. We can’t even report in and let HQ know what we’ve found. Where do we even go from here?”
“Back to where it all began,” Berenger replied. “Back to Sarjana.”
Deckland raised an eyebrow in surprise at that suggestion. “Sarjana?” he said. “You want to go back to the isolated colony that’s governed by our prime suspect and is housing a squad of Pink Sun mercenaries who more than likely have orders to kill us on sight?”
“No,” Berenger said. “I want to go back to the planet on which our victim was found to see if we can dig up another lead that will give us the proof we need to take Stygaard down once and for all.”
“When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound nearly as dangerous or as stupid.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s still incredibly dangerous and stupid, though,” Deckland added.
“Which is why no one will see it coming,” said Berenger. “Whoever’s behind this will be expecting us to follow protocol and return to Barnholm to submit our report of what happened on WS-4855. They won’t expect us to head back to the crime scene to continue our investigation. But if you’ve got a better suggestion as to what our next move should be, Rook, I am all ears.”
Deckland sighed, but was forced to admit to himself that Berenger’s plan was the best option available to them. The prospect of returning to the belly of the proverbial beast didn’t make him happy, though. On Sarjana, Stygaard ruled supreme and the Pink Suns could operate with impunity. In all likelihood, he and Berenger would be killed before they could turn up a new lead, if they were able to turn anything up at all.
As Deckland contemplated the lack of options available to him and his partner, he knew only one thing made sense. Someone had to do something to bring the killer of Roseca Villem to justice. And if he, Deckland Prescott, were going to risk his life for anything, it was going to be for that.
“Very well,” Deckland said. “Let’s head back to Sarjana.”
Chapter 14
The Leadbelly exited hyperspace on the edge of the Alpha Renway system before powering down enough to avoid being detected by the system’s sensor network. Deckland had never had to sneak into a planetary system before. However, at the IIA University, part of his training had included instruction on performing covert operations like the kind he and his partner were currently trying to execute.
In planetary systems with established hyperspace lanes and regular starship traffic, there were typically sensor buoys seeded throughout that were networked with monitoring stations on the system’s primary planet. In order to approach a planet without being detected, it would be necessary to fly in without the use of normal EM engines and with a minimal power signature. A system like Alpha Renway wasn’t established enough to have full sensor coverage of its galactic territory quite yet, which made the trek toward Sarjana easier. However, the closer the Rangers would get to the planet, the more comprehensive the sensor network would become, making the task of getting to Sarjana’s surface undetected more difficult.
Berenger had obviously done this type of thing before, based on how he was able to pilot his ship toward the planet without being seen. Before the sensor coverage became too concentrated to avoid, he’d positioned The Leadbelly on a trajectory that would bring the ship in on a landing path that would be close to Skinny Plains, but still far enough away so as not to be spotted. From that point, Berenger used only minimal bursts of EM engines to accelerate enough at sub-light speeds, so they could reach the planet without having to use the engines again once they’d entered Sarjana’s sensor range.
However, as they came ever closer to their destination, Deckland began to wonder how Berenger planned on landing The Leadbelly on Sarjana’s surface, since he would need to use the ship’s engines upon entering the planet’s atmosphere – something that would undoubtedly make them show up on the Skinny Plains sensor readouts.
“According to the ship’s navigation computer, we’ll be entering Sarjana’s atmosphere in about 15 minutes,” Deckland said.
“Yep,” replied Berenger.
“We’ve made it this far without being detected, but once we begin our atmospheric entry, we’re going to light up Skinny Plains’ sensor screens like a fireworks display. You have a plan to get around that?”
“I do,” said Berenger. “We’re gonna power down the ship completely, coast through the colony’s atmospheric sensor network, and only re-engage our engines once we’re under their coverage.”
Deckland frowned, not quite following Berenger’s explanation. “Power down and coast?” he asked. “What exactly does that mean?”
“It means we turn off the lights and glide all the way down to the surface.”
Deckland blinked for a moment, his brain still trying to process what he was hearing. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re telling me you’re planning on crashing us into the planet.”
“Coasting, not crashing,” Berenger corrected. “Unless we eliminate our energy signature completely, we’re gonna be detected. Thus, we gotta wait to return to normal operations until we’re closer to the ground.”
“How close to the ground?”
Berenger shrugged. “A couple hundred feet, I’d reckon.”
“A couple hundred feet???” Deckland cried. “Berenger, we’re coming in from orbit!”
“Remember back when I told you that in this line of work, you tend to fall more often than you fly?” Berenger asked. “Well, this here is one of those times when you gotta fall.”
Deckland scowled at Berenger. “And here I thought I had to worry that the Pink Suns were the ones trying to kill me.”
Berenger chuckled. “Relax, Rook,” he said as he began powering down the ship. “The Leadbelly is a tough old girl. She’ll make it just fine.”
“I’m more concerned about me making it,” Deckland said. “We’re not going to have any inertial dampeners engaged during this maneuver, are we?”
“Nope.”
“Wonderful,” Deckland said before calling out: “Wadsworth!”
The robo-butler hovered forward. “You summoned, Deckland Just Deckland?”
“I’m going to need some air sickness bags,” Deckland said. “As many as you got.”
“I fear we do not keep any air sickness bags in stock on the ship, sir,” Wadsworth replied. “We do, however, have one or two buckets handy, which could serve the same purpose.”
“Fine, I’ll take them both. And hurry up before your boss starts our descent.”
As Wadsworth went to comply with Deckland’s request, Berenger smirked at his partner. “If you spew all over my bridge, Rook, you will need to find another mode of transportation back to Barnholm when this is all over,” he cautioned.
“If we make it to the surface in one piece, I will be more than happy to make return arrang
ements that do not involve this flying deathtrap of yours,” Deckland replied. “So, do both of us a favor… make it to the surface in one piece.”
Berenger chuckled. “Don’t fret none, Rook. The Leadbelly may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts. I can’t promise a smooth landing, but I can promise that we’ll have a landing we can walk away from.”
I certainly hope so, Deckland thought nervously as he looked at the navigation display on his flight panel.
Wadsworth delivered the two buckets Deckland had requested, clipping them to the side of Deckland’s chair as Sarjana grew ever bigger on the bridge’s viewscreen. One of the buckets was a dented metal one, the other a smaller plastic one. Deckland hoped desperately he wouldn’t need either of them.
As the lights on the bridge began to power down, Berenger spoke. “Strap into your stasis harness,” he ordered Deckland as he pulled his own seat’s harness around his shoulders and buckled it across his chest and between his legs. “It’ll keep you from being thrown from your seat and prevent your spine from compressing.”
“My spine?” asked Deckland as he strapped in.
“Not gonna lie to you, Rook. This maneuver is gonna be a rough one. Without the inertial dampeners on, we’re gonna be feeling some G’s as we enter the planet’s gravity, and your stomach is gonna feel like it’s a mile behind you as we fall. Once I punch up the engines to stop our descent, your body is gonna want to flatten into a pancake. These here harnesses are designed to keep your back from breaking when that happens.”
Deckland didn’t like the sound of any of that. “Good to know,” was all he could nervously reply with.
“When things get rough, try to pass out, if’n you can,” Berenger suggested. “It’ll be easier that way. Shouldn’t be hard to do.”
“And what’s to keep you from passing out???” Deckland asked, slightly alarmed.
“True grit,” Berenger said with a smile. “Well, that and my bionics.”
“You’re not exactly instilling a lot of confidence here, Berenger…” grumbled Deckland.
“Don’t know what to tell you, Rook. Sometimes you just have to sit back and let RNGsus take the wheel.”
With that, Berenger pulled up a new control panel from the side of his chair that had analog instruments on it, including an altimeter and an altitude indicator. He flicked a few more switches on his digital console, which shut off the bridge’s viewscreen and opened up panels on the walls revealing small portholes that looked out into space. Deckland watched quietly as the bridge fell into darkness, all electronic hums and lights disappearing as The Leadbelly went dark.
“Wadsworth, secure Spur and then yourself,” Berenger ordered as he monitored his analog controls. “We’ll be entering Sarjana’s atmosphere in ninety seconds…”
Wadsworth immediately strapped Berenger’s pet Lampak into a special harness secured to the wall by the animal’s bed – something it looked like the Lampak was used to. The robo-butler then hovered over to a wall where he docked with some fasteners designed to keep him in place.
Deckland gripped the arms of his chair, his heart thumping in his chest. As the inertial dampeners powered down, he could feel the speed at which they were moving more acutely as the pressure on his chest began to increase, pressing him harder against his chair.
The ship began to shake as it met with resistance from Sarjana’s atmosphere, flames licking at the porthole windows as the ship began its entry. Berenger’s bionic eye glowed as he kept his gaze on the analog readouts. His bionic hand held the ship’s control stick steady as he kept the vessel at the proper angle.
Deckland grit his teeth as The Leadbelly vibrated, shaking so hard he was afraid the ship would tear apart. Without the viewscreen of the bridge engaged, he had no way to tell what was happening outside. In some ways that was a blessing; in others, it was terror-inducing. Without seeing for himself what was going on outside the ship, he pictured all sorts of things in his mind – none of which were good.
The ship lurched as the flames at the portholes faded and the sky transitioned from black to light blue. Deckland gasped, feeling like he’d just suffered a drop from a roller coaster as the ship began to plummet. The rattling of the bridge became worse as the vessel met with wind resistance, and Berenger kept his jaw set as he attempted to keep the ship steady and on-course with its glide down to the surface.
There was no way to tell how fast they were going or how close they were to the ground – at least not from where Deckland sat. Severe queasiness took root in Deckland’s gut as the ship fell, his stomach feeling as though it had been left in orbit. Deckland gritted his teeth, trying to keep from vomiting from the sensation.
“Berenger…” he said.
Berenger didn’t look up, instead keeping an eye on his instruments. Deckland felt a sense of panic start to rise in his gut along with nausea. It felt like they’d been falling for far too long – surely, they were under the colony’s sensor range by now?
“Berenger!” Deckland said again.
“Not yet, Rook,” Berenger replied.
Deckland’s teeth were rattling so hard he was afraid they might break. The ship continued to vibrate violently, forcing him to grip his shaking seat until his knuckles turned white. Time seemed to pass quickly and Deckland couldn’t see any indication of their altitude from the portholes, which only served to make him more nervous.
“BERENGER!” Deckland cried out.
“Hang onto your jimmies, kid,” Berenger replied before reaching out and hitting a button on the ship’s digital console.
The lights on the bridge lit up again, and the viewscreen re-engaged, coming back to life by showing the rocky ground of Sarjana quickly rushing toward them.
“Great Observer!” exclaimed Deckland as he saw the image of their impending doom racing forward to meet them.
Berenger quickly tapped away at his flight control console, and Deckland could hear The Leadbelly’s engines roar to life. There was a sickening lurch as Berenger pulled back on his flight control stick to reverse the ship’s descent and applied its air brakes.
The whole ship rumbled as the echo of air rushing against the flaps of its wings filled the bridge. Deckland felt as though his body were being crushed as his harness held him in place in his seat.
Berenger fired the engines at full just as the ship impacted the ground, its underbelly scraping the surface of the planet as Berenger struggled to slow it down. The ear-splitting noise of metal scraping rock filled the bridge, and the ship’s shaking became even more violent.
Finally, The Leadbelly came to a stop with a final lurch as it kicked forward before falling back on its rear. The viewscreen displayed a now stable horizon of Sarjana’s landscape, all noise had drained from the cabin, and everything was blissfully, surreally still.
Berenger let loose a relieved sigh as he checked the readouts at his console. “Well now, that was one mighty fine landing, if’n I do say so myself,” he announced. “The old girl held up just fine. No major damage. How about you, Rook? How you holding up?”
Deckland’s eyes were wide, and he’d gripped his armrests so tightly there were impressions of his fingers in the upholstery. For a moment, he was still as a statue until his stomach finally caught up with him, at which point he hastily unbuckled his harness and leaned over the side of his chair where he promptly vomited into one of the buckets clipped there.
“No major damage for you, neither,” Berenger said as he unbuckled himself. “Feel free to join me after you’ve collected yourself.”
As Deckland continued to retch, Berenger walked off the bridge toward the rear of the ship, strolling along as though crash landing were an everyday thing for him. When Deckland had recovered enough to leave the bridge himself, he made his way to the rear cargo bay where Berenger had already lowered the boarding ramp. The man was standing outside with a pair of binoculars, gazing out at the distance. Deckland shielded his eyes from the sun briefly before putting on his hat.<
br />
“Where are we?” Deckland asked.
“About a hundred or so miles from Skinny Plains, right where I wanted us,” Berenger said as he gazed in the direction of the colony. “No indication anyone’s the wiser about our landing, neither.”
“Alright, so we made it to the surface,” Deckland said. “What do we do now?”
Berenger lowered his binoculars and opened up the panel on his bionic arm where he tapped at the touchscreen beneath it. “Now, we wait,” he replied.
“And what exactly are we waiting for?”
“Hopefully, a new lead,” Berenger answered.
It would be a few hours before that lead presented itself. While they waited, Berenger deployed The Leadbelly’s landing struts to lift its underside from the ground. Deckland walked with Berenger as they inspected the damage the ship had suffered. To Deckland’s surprise, the vessel appeared to be in fine condition – at least as fine a condition as such a hunk of junk could be in. The mismatched metallic undercarriage of the ship was scratched and marred with dirt and had some rocks embedded in it, but by and large, the hull had withstood the rough landing.
“What’d I tell ya?” Berenger said as he rapped his knuckles on the ship’s plating. “She held up just fine.”
Deckland nodded, impressed. “She did indeed, surprisingly,” he replied.
“Ain’t nothing surprising about it,” Berenger bragged. “Cost me a pretty penny to reinforce her underside with ultrasteel and retrofit her wings with flex-iron spars, not to mention over-tuning her maneuvering thrusters for rapid deceleration. I’ve modified her to be crash-proof, which is why I prefer her to them fancy new shuttles the Initiative offers. If we were in one of those contraptions, we’d be part of the ground right now.”
Lawmen- Rook and Berenger Page 16
