Planet Eaters (Galaxy Mavericks Book 8)

by Michael La Ronn

  “I bet,” Grayson said. “Well, it's pretty gratifying, man, but it's not all it's cracked up to be, either. Whatever choice you made, it was probably the right one.”

  The group stopped in the center of the airlock where three men in olive green flight suits were waiting for them.

  The tallest of them stepped forward. He was noble-looking, with brown eyes and a stately countenance.

  “Glad you're all safe,” he said. “I'm Petty Officer Romeo Beauregard. Nice to meet you all in person. Here with me are Petty Officers Will Stroud and Griffin Sims.”

  Beauregard nodded to Grayson. “Good to see you.”

  Grayson nodded back. Then he high-fived Will.

  “And Miss Sheffield, we’re glad to see you as well,” Beauregard said.

  “Gentlemen,” Keltie said.

  “Which one of you is Miss Michiko Lins?” Beauregard asked.

  Michiko raised her hand shyly.

  “You're a tough gal to find,” Will said. “We went through hell and back to find you.”

  Michiko stuttered. “Why are you looking for me?”

  “Our commander has asked us to take you and Miss Sheffield into protective custody,” Beauregard said.

  “Custody?” Eddie asked. “Did they commit crimes?”

  He figured as much from Keltie. Anyone from the Macalestern Corporation deserved to be in jail. The moment she told him where she was from, he knew there was nothing else to say to her, awkwardness be damned. They were the enemy, the reason his family was abducted. And Florian Macalestern was the architect behind it all.

  “No, they haven't committed any crimes,” Beauregard said. “They're victims.”

  Eddie’s jaw dropped.

  “Both of you have seen the Planet Eaters,” Beauregard said. “We have reason to believe that you may be targets.”

  “Targets,” Keltie said, laughing. “From who?”

  Devika stepped forward and flashed her GALPOL badge.

  “Florian Macalestern is not after these two,” Devika said. “It doesn't make sense.”

  “Our intelligence tells us the opposite,” Beauregard said. “And any news of Mr. Macalestern is welcome. But we’re more concerned about the Zachary Galaxy.”

  Eddie’s stomach knotted up.

  “What about them?” he asked.

  Beauregard turned and motioned for the group to follow.

  “Come with me.”

  Eddie felt adrenaline rushing through him as they walked onto the bridge.

  Just like in the movies!

  The only thing missing was a space battle.

  And…yeah, no, he didn't want any more space battles.

  He ran his hand along the smooth beveled dashboards, marveled at the intricate touchscreen displays that showed the vitality of the ship in colorful graphs, charts, and statistics.

  His spaceships had dashboards, but nothing quite like this. It would have required tremendous engineering and navigation know-how to fly a ship like this.

  Grayson must have been a hell of a soldier.

  Eddie glanced around as the rest of the Mavericks gathered on the bridge.

  Beauregard stood in the center of the bridge next to Eddie and Grayson.

  “Eddie, check it out,” Grayson said, pointing at a television screen on the wall. It was ten feet tall and curved. “That's the handymon. Use it for just about everything.”

  “Whoa,” Eddie said. “You must use it a lot.”

  “Used to,” Grayson said. “I'm a civilian like you, now. But yeah, had a lot of good times here, my man. Lot of good times. How do you say good time in Spanish?”

  “Bueno tiempo,” Eddie said.

  “Bueno tiempo,” Grayson said with a terrible accent. “I like that.”

  Eddie chuckled.

  “Been thinking I could pick up a skill, now that I got nothin’ else to do,” Grayson said. “How about you teach me a word or two? I heard through the grapevine that you want to learn how to fight.”

  Eddie blushed.

  “Who told you that?” he asked.

  “Let's just say that Devika is good at delegating,” Grayson said, winking.

  What was Devika’s problem?

  She didn't seem to care about anyone but herself.

  But at least someone wanted to help.

  “You got yourself a deal,” Eddie said, shaking Grayson’s hand.

  Beauregard clapped his hands once and the lights on the bridge dimmed.

  “Computer, activate the evidence,” Beauregard said.

  On the screen, a star map appeared. The galaxy, spiraled and speckled with stars, rotated slowly.

  “Approximately three days ago, a then yet-unknown race of aliens appeared on the Planet Kepler, and as far as we know, they destroyed it. That's when we found Miss Sheffield.”

  Keltie folded her arms and sighed.

  “Not gonna lie—I really don't feel like reliving those memories,” she said.

  “Of course,” Beauregard said. “Just stating the facts, ma’am. We were able to detain an alien from the attack. It's currently on Gargantua with military researchers.”

  “Any luck?” Keltie asked. “That thing made a mess of the Regina VII Star Base.”

  “Not that we know of,” Beauregard said. “The researchers are stuck. They don't know what to do or how to even run tests.”

  Will Stroud shrugged and dug his hands into his pockets. He watched the entire exchange nonchalantly, and he grinned.

  “It's a Planet Eater, right? How about they start with a stool sample?”

  Eddie suppressed a laugh.

  This Will guy was hilarious.

  Beauregard pursed his lips, as if the joke was out of place.

  “To make things worse,” he said, “the same alien race destroyed the moon, Refugio, the next day. We did not find any aliens after that attack, but there were survivors, unlike on Kepler.”

  A grid of photographs slowly appeared on the wall. They were of innocent people who looked both frightened and courageous.

  Eddie recognized many of them.

  They were his people!

  La raza!

  He swelled with pride.

  “Thanks to Galaxy Corps interviews, we know that the Planet Eaters are extremely deadly. We were also able to obtain video footage. It seems that their mode of attack is the same every time—they come out of nowhere, and gorge themselves on everything in sight.”

  “Like Sims at a Chinese buffet,” Will said, smirking at Sims, who was watching with his arms folded. The soldier grunted and a slight smile crept across his face.

  “I’m a glutton for egg foo young,” Sims said.

  Beauregard continued.

  “You all know the story,” he said. “but what's concerning is what has happened since.”

  “What's going on?” Grayson asked.

  “Our intelligence tells us that a lone Zachary Empire ship was found with a dead body onboard. GALPOL is investigating a possible murder.”

  Devika's eyes widened.

  “Describe the ship,” Devika said.

  “Pioneer model. Blood everywhere. There was only a single body onboard.”

  “Wait a minute,” Eddie said. “That sounds like the ship I found.”

  “That sounds like the ship I was on, but there were many, many bodies onboard,” Devika said. “I watched Florian Macalestern and his crew kill them all.”

  “Hmm,” Beauregard said.

  “But there was only one body on the ship I found,” Eddie said.

  “Florian was looking for it, right?” Devika asked. “It has to be the same ship. He must have been looking for something.”

  “Sounds fishy to me,” Will said. “I'm two steps away from punching this Florian guy in the face, after all he put us through.”

  The star map reappeared. Three blinking red dots appeared, and they moved slowly through the stars.

  “Those are Zachary exploratory vessels,” Beauregard said. “For the last eight hours, they hav
e been scouring our galaxy. We don't know what they're looking for.”

  “Can't you stop them and ask?” Keltie asked.

  Grayson shook his head. “Rah Accord. If they aren't armed and the ships are not of a military nature, the only way we can stop them is if we suspect they're breaking the law.”

  “And we have no probable cause, unfortunately,” Beauregard said. “But we can watch them. And they're definitely searching for something. Their radio communications could best be described as…anxious. Whatever they're looking for, they want it badly.”

  “Miloschenko,” Eddie said. He remembered Miloschenko’s dead body and a shudder went through him. “Maybe they’re looking for Miloschenko.”

  “GALPOL has not released the name of the body it found,” Beauregard said. “We don't know if it is in fact Miloschenko.”

  “Any sign of Florian?” Devika asked.

  “None at all,” Beauregard said. “We know he’s behind all of this. He’ll probably stay hidden for a while.”

  Devika stepped forward and pointed to the star map.

  “Then we’ve got work to do,” she said.

  “What do you suggest?” Beauregard asked.

  “I heard two things in your briefing,” Devika said. “First, we’ve got this Planet Eater specimen on Gargantua. Michiko, do you think Clark would be able to communicate with it?”

  Michiko nodded. “Probably.”

  “Good, then you are going there,” Devika said.

  “What?!” Michiko asked.

  “If they can communicate, that might give us some hints about where the Planet Eaters are,” Devika said. “And since you’re Clark’s best friend now, it means you should go.”

  “But I don’t want to go alone,” Michiko said. “What if something happens?”

  “Keltie and I will join you,” Devika said.

  “Wait a second,” Keltie said. “You know how I feel about Planet Eaters—”

  “If it recognizes you, it may give us more clues,” Devika said.

  “So what exactly is the end game here?” Michiko asked.

  “Get Clark and that other alien talking,” Devika said. “Record everything. It’s a simple mission. It shouldn’t even take us that long.”

  “Guess you’re right,” Keltie said. “How far is Gargantua? Like a couple of hours?”

  “The second thing I heard,” Devika said, “is the Zachary ships. Whatever they’re looking for, I’ll bet that Florian is at the heart of it. So we’ve got to smoke Florian out. Grayson, I'm going to need your help.”

  “Name it,” Grayson said.

  “Follow one of the ships,” Devika said. “See what they're up to and where they go. The moment you find Florian, call me.”

  “On it,” Grayson said. “Drop us off at the nearest planet and we’ll start looking.”

  “Nearest planet is Cryovox,” Beauregard said. “We can be there in an hour or two.”

  “Then it’s official,” Grayson said.

  “I’ll go with you,” Eddie said. “I know how to shoot a gun now.”

  “You know how to load a gun,” Devika said. “And barely.”

  “But—”

  “No worries,” Grayson said. “By the time I'm done with him, he'll be a marksman machine.”

  “It’s settled,” Devika said. “If we can all accomplish our goals, then our next step should be apprehending Florian. He can’t run away forever.”

  As the group dispersed, Eddie stayed on the bridge, looking out at the stars.

  What was going to happen?

  Everything in this mission was so important, but he didn’t know that he understood the whole picture.

  He should have asked more questions.

  But that would have made him look silly.

  He had to save his family. And if a mission to follow a ship was what it took—he would do it. His stomach churned at the thought of the unknown. What if they ran into trouble? Who would protect them?

  Grayson?

  Yeah, he was pretty heroic.

  No.

  He couldn't rely on someone else to save him like a damsel in distress.

  If they ran into trouble, he would have to fight.

  And he had no track record of being a hero.

  He gulped.

  Michiko walked up next to him.

  “You okay, Eddie?”

  “Yep,” Eddie said. “Ready for action. You?”

  “Yeah,” Michiko said, sighing. “Is it just me or was Devika trying to get rid of us?”

  The words made Eddie turn to Michiko.

  “What?”

  “Come on, that was obvious,” Michiko said. “She thinks we’re liabilities. If it weren't for Clark, she'd be dumping me with the Guard. She all but ignored you.”

  “Ah,” Eddie said.

  Why hadn’t he thought of that?

  He hung his head.

  “God, why couldn’t I see that?” he asked. “I’m terrible at reading people.”

  “Well, I’m good at it,” Michiko said. “So when it comes to that, we’ll make a good team. Can I call you Ed?”

  “Whoa, whoa, no,” Eddie said. “That makes me sound thirty years older than I am.”

  “Come on, Ed is cool!” Michiko said.

  Eddie laughed. “For the love of all that is holy is this universe, my name is Eduardo or Eddie.”

  “Eduardo,” Michiko said. “Okay, deal.”

  Two voices called Michiko.

  A man and woman entered the bridge, smiling. The man was Eddie’s skin color, and he looked like la raza. The woman was Japanese.

  “Mom! Dad!” Michiko cried.

  Eddie watched as she ran to hug them.

  He glanced out at the stars again.

  This was going to be one hell of a voyage, he told himself.

  But for his family, it would be worth it.

  5

  Florian, Tatiana and Huxley held on tight as their escape pod blasted through a vortex of white energy.

  The pod’s metal panels rattled and screeched. Outside, blinding white light covered the windshield.

  The pod shook so fiercely that it seemed as if it were going to break apart.

  Florian held on to his seat, staring out the windshield resolutely.

  “I hate this part,” Huxley said.

  “We’ll be through any moment now,” Florian said.

  And then—

  CRACK!

  The pod broke through a film of light, into dark, starry space. A circular shockwave of white light zoomed out around the pod, dissipating as it traveled.

  In an instant, the screeching stopped and silence swept across the pod.

  Florian’s ears popped, and a shiver went down his neck as they normalized. He grabbed his earlobe and opened his mouth, stretching his jaws.

  “Damned transfer process,” he said. “It’s loud as shit.”

  The escape pod’s computers came online, illuminating the interior with blood red lights.

  “We should be close to the ship’s location,” someone said.

  “Over there!” Tatiana cried.

  In the distance, a black and white striped ship neared.

  “About time,” Florian said. “Oh, I can't wait to ream them the moment I get on board.”

  “Try to have a little mercy,” Tatiana said.

  “I've got a plan to execute, Tati,” Florian said. “We’ll need to get the Planet Eaters ready for feasting. I'm thinking they'll be able to swallow the next planet in a couple of hours.”

  The ship approached quickly.

  “Open the radio,” Florian said.

  A henchman turned on the radio and handed Florian the communicator.

  “So very glad you were able to find us,” Florian said. “Collect this pod, and get food and drink ready for us when we board. We’re fucking starving and I want to have a full stomach before I rip out your throats.”

  “Yes, sir,” someone said over the radio. “And sorry, sir.”

  “Wh
at the damned hell took you so long to find us?” Florian asked. “You should have had our coordinates.”

  “Ran into some trouble, sir.”

  “Are you going to elaborate, or am I going to have to ask you twenty fucking questions?”

  The radio went silent.

  “Hello?” Florian asked, irritated.

  Stitches of purple light appeared in the darkness. Then they grew brighter, making everyone in the escape pod shield their eyes.

  When the light faded, three Zachary Empire cruisers flanked the black and white ship. They were red box ships, giant rectangles in the middle of space.

  “Damn,” Florian said, throwing himself back into his chair. “Ladies and gents, this changes our plans.”

  They watched as one of the cruisers opened its airlock and swallowed the escape pod.

  6

  Michiko hugged her parents. Once she was in her mother’s arms, she began to cry.

  “I'm sorry,” she said. “I'm so sorry.”

  “We’re the ones who are sorry,” Arthur Lins said reassuringly, rubbing her back.

  “We believed Florian,” Reiko Yokokura-Lins said. “He lied to us. We thought he was sincere about helping you. I let my motherly instinct get the best of me—”

  “It's okay,” Michiko said, wiping her eyes. “I was so scared when I saw that Florian ejected you from his ship.”

  “Luckily we were in an escape pod,” Arthur said. “The Galactic Guard found us just in time.”

  “We had a lot of time to think,” Reiko said. “And I'm sorry for giving you a hard time about nursing school. But you really made me angry.”

  “It's okay,” Michiko said.

  She turned to see Eddie still standing on the bridge.

  “Let me introduce you to my new friend. This is Eddie Puente.”

  Eddie shook hands with Arthur.

  “¿Como está?” Eddie asked.

  “Bem obrigado,” Arthur said. “e voce?”

  Eddie laughed. “Sorry, didn't realize you spoke Portuguese.”

  “My Spanish isn't so good,” Arthur said, rubbing his neck. “But maybe if we spoke slowly, we could’ve understood each other.”

  “Are you from Refugio?” Reiko asked.

  “Yes, ma’am. I'm trying to find my family,” Eddie said.