by M. D. Cooper
Tanis decided to come out and ask the question that had been burning in her mind for days. “So I’m not going to be sent packing?”
Kocsis barked a laugh. “Stars, Tanis! I should promote you, but Harm, here, won’t let me—well, that, and I’d have to say why you got an early promotion, and Harm won’t let me do that, either.”
The idea of a colonel not ‘letting’ an admiral do something struck Tanis as amusing, and she couldn’t help a small laugh.
Admiral Kocsis locked eyes with Tanis, and she wondered if he was going to lay into her, but then he smiled. “Yeah, it is kinda funny. OK, no more beating around the bush, Commander. Here’s how things are going to play out.
“Firstly, you remain a commander, and you keep Darla in that pernicious head of yours. Seems like Division 99 is very happy with how the two of you are working out.”
“You’re welcome, Darla,” the admiral replied, seeming unperturbed by the AI’s interruption. “I’m just glad we finally found a place for you where your…penchant for mischief seems to benefit the force.”
“We’re going to bill this whole thing as an ‘exercise’, and use it to shore up areas of Vesta’s security that are sorely lacking. I’m going to put in for a whole host more AIs to help keep an eye on things, with an XO-style oversight authority. The fact that Deering just did as she wished, and no one questioned it at any point disturbs me greatly. That is not the sort of operation I want to run.”
Kocsis paused and ran a hand through his hair.
“Of course, I’m a realist. At any given time, there are over a hundred million people on Vesta, and keeping a leash on everyone is impossible—plus, I want people who think for themselves. Harm, here, has convinced me that being heavy-handed isn’t the right solution.”
Tanis’s eyebrows rose. She had several suspicions as to how that would play out, but didn’t want to interrupt the admiral.
“As a result, Division 99 is going to set up a larger presence here on Vesta—but this one won’t be officially visible. We’re going to recruit regular space force officers to assist in investigations to determine the extent of any SWSF subversion in our ranks.”
“And that’s going to take some doing,” Harm added. “Knowing who you can trust is no simple thing.”
“Which makes me sick,” Kocsis muttered. “But I’ve been in this game for far too long not to know how it’s played.”
Neither man spoke for a moment, and Tanis decided she was tired of waiting. “So what does this mean for me?”
Kocsis glanced at Harm, who gave Tanis a winning smile in turn. “Tanis, Darla, say hello to your new MICI handler. You’re going to be running side-ops for Division 99, now.”
Tanis’s eyebrows rose to what felt like her hairline. “Seriously?”
“You still report to Higgs,” Kocsis interrupted, then shook his head at her dour expression. “I need officers who can work together and get past shit that comes up. This is as much a test for Higgs as it is for you. I don’t want you to tattle on him, but if things aren’t working, Tanis, you let me know.”
She nodded in response, understanding where the admiral was coming from.
“So I have two masters now, is that what you’re saying?” she asked.
Harm chuckled. “Well, I’m less a master, and more an advisor. Plus, if I need you to go somewhere, Higgs will suddenly get a mission spec for you that sends you where I ask. I hate being pulled in two directions as much as anyone, so I’ll do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen here.”
“Thank you, sir. I think.”
“So does that mean the two of you are in?” Harm asked.
Tanis snorted aloud, while Darla laughed over the link.
“We have a choice?” they asked in unison.
URDON
STELLAR DATE: 01.26.4084 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: SWSS Fortune
REGION: Approaching Jupiter, OuterSol
“They didn’t make it to the rendezvous,” Major Ron reported to Colonel Urdon. “Scan was able to confirm that the Normandy showed up.”
“That new carrier?” Urdon asked, a scowl forming on his face. “And they wonder why we want to rebuild our dreadnoughts when they make warships like that.”
Everyone in the Scattered Worlds knew why the Terrans would build ships the size of the Normandy. One ship alone would be enough to blockade a world, to impose whatever the Terrans wanted on their member states.
The TSF could now project its full might anywhere in the Sol System with just one ship.
Not if we have anything to do with it, Urdon thought.
He knew it would be a long game. It would take decades to secretly build up the fleets they’d need to stand against the Terrans, but stand they would. Someday, the Scattered Worlds would be free.
“The other ships?” he asked Major Ron. “Any problems with them?”
“No, only the Norse Wind met with any sort of trouble. Every other courier vessel is now beyond Neptune’s orbit.”
“Good.” Urdon interlaced his fingers and leaned back in the command chair of his frigate. “Then our work is done here…for now. Take us back to Makemake.”
“Yes, sir.” Major Ron saluted, and nodded to the helm officer, who began keying in the course.
Urdon couldn’t help but think about the woman who had foiled their efforts with the Norse Wind, and at Vesta. Who, more importantly, had lost them the valuable asset they had in Admiral Deering.
I’m sure we’ll cross paths again, Tanis Richards.
THE END
* * * * *
Tanis Richards’ adventures are just getting underway. Now paired with Darla, and taking missions from Harm, she’s going to get into more tight situations than ever before.
Grab the next book in the Origins of Destiny series: Tanis Richards: Masquerade.
THE BOOKS OF AEON 14
Keep up to date with what is releasing in Aeon 14 with the free Aeon 14 Reading Guide.
Origins of Destiny (The Age of Terra)
- Prequel: Storming the Norse Wind
- Book 1: Tanis Richards: Shore Leave
- Book 2: Tanis Richards: Masquerade
- Book 3: Tanis Richards: Blackest Night
- Book 4: Tanis Richards: Kill Shot (November 2018)
The Intrepid Saga (The Age of Terra)
- Book 1: Outsystem
- Book 2: A Path in the Darkness
- Book 3: Building Victoria
- The Intrepid Saga Omnibus – Also contains Destiny Lost, book 1 of the Orion War series
- Destiny Rising – Special Author’s Extended Edition comprised of both Outsystem and A Path in the Darkness with over 100 pages of new content.
The Orion War
- Book 1: Destiny Lost
- Book 2: New Canaan
- Book 3: Orion Rising
- Book 4: The Scipio Alliance
- Book 5: Attack on Thebes
- Book 6: War on a Thousand Fronts
- Book 7: Precipice of Darkness
- Book 8: Airtha Ascendancy (Nov 2018)
- Book 9: The Orion Front (2019)
- Book 10: Starfire (2019)
- Book 11: Race Across Time (2019)
- Book 12: Return to Sol (2019)
Tales of the Orion War
- Book 1: Set the Galaxy on Fire
- Book 2: Ignite the Stars
- Book 3: Burn the Galaxy to Ash (2018)
Perilous Alliance (Age of the Orion War – w/Chris J. Pike)
- Book 1: Close Proximity
- Book 2: Strike Vector
- Book 3: Co
llision Course
- Book 4: Impact Imminent
- Book 5: Critical Inertia (Sept 2018)
Rika’s Marauders (Age of the Orion War)
- Prequel: Rika Mechanized
- Book 1: Rika Outcast
- Book 2: Rika Redeemed
- Book 3: Rika Triumphant
- Book 4: Rika Commander
- Book 5: Rika Infiltrator
- Book 6: Rika Unleashed (2018)
- Book 7: Rika Conqueror (2019)
Perseus Gate (Age of the Orion War)
Season 1: Orion Space
- Episode 1: The Gate at the Grey Wolf Star
- Episode 2: The World at the Edge of Space
- Episode 3: The Dance on the Moons of Serenity
- Episode 4: The Last Bastion of Star City
- Episode 5: The Toll Road Between the Stars
- Episode 6: The Final Stroll on Perseus’s Arm
- Eps 1-3 Omnibus: The Trail Through the Stars
- Eps 4-6 Omnibus: The Path Amongst the Clouds
Season 2: Inner Stars
- Episode 1: A Meeting of Bodies and Minds
- Episode 2: A Deception and a Promise Kept
- Episode 3: A Surreptitious Rescue of Friends and Foes (2018)
- Episode 4: A Trial and the Tribulations (2018)
- Episode 5: A Deal and a True Story Told (2018)
- Episode 6: A New Empire and An Old Ally (2018)
Season 3: AI Empire
- Episode 1: Restitution and Recompense (2019)
- Five more episodes following…
The Warlord (Before the Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: The Woman Without a World
- Book 2: The Woman Who Seized an Empire
- Book 3: The Woman Who Lost Everything
The Sentience Wars: Origins (Age of the Sentience Wars – w/James S. Aaron)
- Book 1: Lyssa’s Dream
- Book 2: Lyssa’s Run
- Book 3: Lyssa’s Flight
- Book 4: Lyssa’s Call
- Book 5: Lyssa’s Flame
Legends of the Sentience Wars (Age of the Sentience Wars – w/James S. Aaron)
- Volume 1: The Proteus Bridge
- Volume 2: Vesta Burning (Fall 2018)
Enfield Genesis (Age of the Sentience Wars – w/Lisa Richman)
- Book 1: Alpha Centauri
- Book 2: Proxima Centauri
- Book 3: Tau Ceti (November 2018)
- Book 4: Epsilon Eridani (2019)
Hand’s Assassin (Age of the Orion War – w/T.G. Ayer)
- Book 1: Death Dealer
- Book 2: Death Mark (Fall 2018)
Machete System Bounty Hunter (Age of the Orion War – w/Zen DiPietro)
- Book 1: Hired Gun
- Book 2: Gunning for Trouble
- Book 3: With Guns Blazing
Vexa Legacy (Age of the FTL Wars – w/Andrew Gates)
- Book 1: Seas of the Red Star
Building New Canaan (Age of the Orion War – w/J.J. Green)
- Book 1: Carthage
- Book 2: Tyre (2018)
- Book 3: Troy (2019)
- Book 4: Athens (2019)
Fennington Station Murder Mysteries (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: Whole Latte Death (w/Chris J. Pike)
- Book 2: Cocoa Crush (w/Chris J. Pike)
The Empire (Age of the Orion War)
- The Empress and the Ambassador (2018)
- Consort of the Scorpion Empress (2018)
- By the Empress’s Command (2019)
The Sol Dissolution (The Age of Terra)
- Book 1: Venusian Uprising (2018)
- Book 2: Scattered Disk (2018)
- Book 3: Jovian Offensive (2019)
- Book 4: Fall of Terra (2019)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Cooper likes to think of himself as a jack of all trades (and hopes to become master of a few). When not writing, he can be found writing software, working in his shop at his latest carpentry project, or likely reading a book.
He shares his home with a precocious young girl, his wonderful wife (who also writes), two cats, a never-ending list of things he would like to build, and ideas…
Find out what’s coming next at www.aeon14.com
