by B. V. Larson
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Derek Straker. There is much work to be done before that.”
* * *
Loco knocked on the door to Chiara’s tiny cabin aboard Cassiel. Was it still his cabin? He hadn’t slept in it, slept with her, since he’d disembarked days ago. A bunk in Trollheim’s officer country had been enough while he was coordinating the anti-boarding defense during the battle, containing and destroying the few Korven incursions that managed to get through, and then helping with the work afterward.
The door opened and Chiara’s dull, annoyed face peered out. “What?”
“Good morning to you too. Mind if I come in?” He didn’t wait for an answer, but edged in and sat on the bunk, putting his feet up on the rumpled, unwashed covers.
Chiara lay back down and buried her face in a pillow. “Just let me sleep, Loco.”
“You’ve been sleeping for days. It’s time to come back.”
“Come back where?”
“To life.” He leaned over to kiss the nape of her neck where silky black hair grew. “Come back to me.”
“Don’t want to,” she said, pulling the pillow over her head.
“I know. But I need you. We all need you.”
“Why? I’m all fucked up, Loco. Why would anyone want me, care about me? I have so many wounds, I feel like that’s all I’m made of. You should take Bel and go be happy. Leave me alone.”
“She’s not the one I want. She’s not you.”
“That proves you’re an idiot,” she said.
“Maybe,” Loco admitted. “I had some time to think things over, talk things over with Bel, and we figured out why you got mad.”
Chiara turned over to look up at him. “Really?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t because you were jealous of Belinda. It was because you thought it made no sense for me to love you instead of her. That I must be lying, or crazy, to say I want you more than I want her. And that in your mind, I’d eventually leave you for her. Which would prove you were right all along—that you think you’re not worthy of love.”
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
“It’s not true, Chiara,” Loco insisted. “People don’t fall in love by some attractiveness-ranking system. They don’t suddenly fall out of love because they see someone cuter or easier to get along with. I love you, not her.”
She sat up, running her fingers through her hair and rubbing her eyes. “My head understands you, but my heart... my gut, maybe, doesn’t. I’m a total mess. I fight and I bluster because I’m afraid of you and your love. I try to control everything because I’m afraid of everything. I can’t get close to anyone because I’m afraid of getting close. I hurt the people I love because I’m afraid of getting hurt.”
“If you can admit that and work on it, then we’ll be fine.”
“My relationships never last.”
“This one will. But you have to believe, and hope—and pray. Praying is a thing with you, right? Maybe I’ll pray, too.”
Chiara snorted. “What? Loco is going to convert?”
Loco shrugged. “Maybe. I can see some advantages, starting with making you feel more secure.”
“You can’t do something so important just because of me. You have to do it for yourself, Loco.”
“No promises—but my mind is open. In fact, I’m the most openminded guy you’ll ever meet.”
“You just want what you want.”
“Is that wrong? If I want something good for myself and for you?”
Chiara shook her head slowly. “No. Not wrong.”
“Feels right to me,” he said.
“To me too.” She embraced him at last, melting into him.
For now, that was enough.
* * *
Later, after Chief Sylvester and his crew helped resupply Cassiel and put her in good working order, Chiara piloted the ship out of Trollheim’s flight bay and into Watcher’s system. Loco sat in the copilot’s seat, for once feeling satisfied with the world. Brock was puttering with his merc gear in the cargo bay, and Raj was on the tail gun where he liked the view.
Belinda had decided to stay with Trollheim and the rescued Breaker spacers for now, the only people she knew. She was bright and energetic. She’d find her place.
Chiara flipped a switch and moved a cursor on the main screen to highlight one of the many wormholes floating around the system. “That one?”
“That’s what Roentgen said.”
“You think Gurung will go along with it?”
Loco nodded. “If I know him, he’ll already have his fill of trying to run a community of pigheaded civilians. You know something about that, right?”
“Yeah, I do. No fun. I’m much happier out here on my own.”
“With us.”
“That’s what I meant. On our own.” Chiara reached over to squeeze his hand.
“Besides, he’ll be happy to reconnect with the Breakers.”
Soon, they passed through the designated wormhole. Its other end turned out to float mere kilometers from the lumpy, disc-shaped Furmian ship Gurung commanded. That ship was vainly trying to maneuver away from the wormhole, which followed effortlessly through the trackless glowing gas.
A quick comlink scan revealed a continuous, worried hail from Gurung.
Loco spoke. “Senior Gurung, this is Captain Paloco. You don’t need to try to run away.”
“General Paloco! It’s good to hear your voice, sir.”
“I’m not a general now, Vedayan, any more than you’re a chief. Just the captain of a ship. I’ve resigned from the Breakers.”
“Really?” Gurung asked. “Why?”
“A long story for another time.”
“We’ll always be Breakers, sir, no matter what the paperwork says.”
“Fair enough. But I’m not your boss anymore. If anything, you outrank me now.”
“If you say so, sir. What’s going on?” The single engine on the Furmian ship shut down.
“Another long story. The short version is… I hear you could use a home, some recruits, and a green planet.”
“You can show us the way out of Hell’s Reach?”
“Eventually. But for now, there’s a place that’s safe and friendly, with people and resources you need—and they need you.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve got people, and you need help. We’ve got husbands for your women and techs for your machines. Population replenishment. You’ve got crops, farmers, livestock, and hardworking people with low-tech skills perfect for helping settle a planet.”
“Furmians don’t like settling down in one place, sir.”
“Nobody’s asking them to stay permanently—but come with me and you can trade, recruit, resupply, teach, farm—it’ll benefit everyone.”
Gurung paused, and Loco could hear muffled conversation in the background. No doubt Gurung was consulting with his Furmian advisors. “All right, sir. As long as we’re free to leave when we want, we’re happy to come along. Anything to get out of this trackless wilderness.”
“Good to hear. Follow us through the wormhole. It’s perfectly safe.”
Cassiel left the Furmian ship orbiting above Watcher’s strange double world. Loco had already said his goodbyes, telling Straker and Engels he wouldn’t be reassuming his position in the chain of command. “I’ll always be there if you need me, Derek,” he said, “but right now, I have to follow my heart, and that’s with Chiara.”
He’d decided it was better to head out into the Middle Reach and live Chiara’s preferred life as a free trader for a while, at least until something better came along. If things got boring, they could always pick a crimorg and raid it. Maybe he’d form his own mercenary band—freebooters, like he’d suggested so long ago aboard the original starship Liberator. Privateers with ethics and purpose. Kick ass on the bad guys, free captives and recruit them to his cause. With luck, he’d get rich and make his woman happy.
That appealed to him.
However, as Gurung had said, on s
ome level he’d always be a Breaker. If Straker ever went back to free the Republic, Loco would play his part. Until then, he’d be Captain Loco. He’d have to think up a better name, though, to spread around. Loco the Looter, maybe. A feared but fair and honorable space pirate.
He smiled.
Something like that.
He glanced over at Chiara, and she showed him her strong white teeth. It was her first honest smile in a long time.
Yeah, this was gonna be fun.
The End
From the Authors: Thanks Reader! We hope you enjoyed HELL’S REACH. If you liked the story and want to read the next one soon, please put up some stars and a review to support the book. Don’t worry if you’re a fan of another series, more books are coming!
-DVD & BVL
Galactic Liberation Series:
Starship Liberator
Battleship Indomitable
Flagship Victory
Hive War
Straker’s Breakers
Hell’s Reach
More Books by David VanDyke:
Stellar Conquest Series:
First Conquest
Desolator: Conquest
Tactics of Conquest
Conquest of Earth
Conquest and Empire
More Books by B. V. Larson:
The Undying Mercenaries Series:
Steel World
Dust World
Tech World
Machine World
Death World
Home World
Rogue World
Blood World
Dark World
Storm World
Armor World
Clone World
