by Frank Carey
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COPYRIGHT
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deputy Marshal Maxine Wabash
Adventures of the League Space Patrol Book 9
By Frank Carey
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2018 by Frank Carey
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
League Tale #65
PROLOGUE
Max slammed the Loki's throttles to their stops as the Cube module released its grip on its mother in preparation for ejection. Beside her, Dr. Leesta Merser indulged in hysterics as the ship's acceleration pressed them against their seats. With the inertial dampener system not keeping up with the thrust, her fingers felt like they each weighed a ton. Fighting the weight, she flipped a switch on the control yoke, switching the cockpit viewer's feed to the rear cameras. She watched as the massive, laboratory-filled module ripped loose from the Cube and headed out into space, taking her friend, Captain Niall Thorvald, to his death. She turned her head and saw the structure pass by, heading toward the star the Cube orbited. Moments later, it disappeared as a malfunctioning micro-FTL drive tore it from this universe and threw it into other-space.
"He's gone, isn't he?" Leesta wailed.
"Yes, Doctor, he is gone," Max said as she killed the engines and alleviated the pressure on their bodies. She flipped a second switch on the control yoke. "This is Lieutenant Wabash aboard the Loki. I have Doctor Merser, and she is safe. The module is gone, and we're heading in. Loki out."
"What now?" Leesta asked as she composed herself.
"We get back to living. The dead are not in our preview, so we leave them to their own devices."
"He was your friend..."
"Is my friend and always will be. He died doing what he loved: protecting the people of the League."
They remained silent for the rest of the trip.
###
Max stared out the window at the star as she waited for Red and Ariel to join her. Soon, they would be boarding the shuttle to Maeve where they would start new lives as officers in the new Space Patrol Marshal Service. Not being one who normally embraced change, she was looking forward to this one.
"Maxine?" a familiar voice asked from the doorway. Max spun around and gasped. Two very familiar Alue stood there, a woman and a man, both smiling from ear to ear.
"Mom! Dad!" she yelled as she ran over to embrace them. "What are you doing here?"
"We heard about what happened," her father said. "Ambassador Irithyl told us everything. Are you OK?"
Max nodded. "Yeah, I'm OK. So, you know about Maeve?"
"Who names a planet Maeve?" her father asked. "Especially one at the edge of League space? Now 'Remote' would be a good name, or maybe 'Rimworld...'"
"Caleb!" Her mother said. "Maeve is a perfectly fine name. All that counts is our daughter’s happiness." She looked at Max. "I love the new uniform. So, my little girl is a Deputy in the Space Patrol Marshal Service. Your father and I are very proud of you. Aren't we, Caleb?"
"Yes, Ruby, my love, we're both very proud of our little girl." He took a box from his pocket and handed it to her.
She turned it over in her hand. "What's this?" she asked.
"Open it," Ruby said.
Max carefully removed the lid, then removed the contents. Inside the box was a state of the art multi-tool complete with all the usual tools like screwdrivers, pliers, and knives, but this one had a special extra, an electronics tool set complete with a universal case opener. If a case could be opened, this baby would open it. "This is amazing. Thank you." She hugged them again. A knock at the door announced the arrival of Red and Ariel.
"Are we interrupting something?" Ariel asked.
"Marshal Melinda McKee and Deputy Marshal Ariel, I would like you to meet my parents, Ruby and Caleb Wabash."
They all shook hands.
"Ruby and Caleb. Not the Ruby and Caleb?" Ariel asked.
"Guilty as charged. Max was born in a Ziggurat located in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico on Earth. Ah, those heady days... Umph," Caleb said as Ruby elbowed him in the stomach.
"Quiet, you, or I'll tell them the real story."
"Max, we have to go," Red said. "Mister and Missus Wabash, it was good to meet you. I hope you visit us on Maeve."
"We plan to as soon as our little Maxine is squared away." Ruby said as she and Caleb gave their daughter, then Red and Ariel, goodbye hugs. When they finished, the two Alue waved goodbye, then disappeared in a flash of light.
"Damn, I wish we could do that," Ariel said.
"I dunno," Max said. "I kinda like to sight-see."
###
Max couldn't count the number of times she used the term, "gone to shit," to describe a situation which had gone pear-shaped. Now, she found herself standing next to Red on a planet called Shit where millions of missing items from socks to ships landed after leaving her universe. Her mind boggled at the thought that one-half of her favorite pair of gloves was sitting somewhere on the surface of this planet. Her thoughts shifted to the now when Niall Thorvald’s thought-long-dead parents walked up to them and hugged them. In moments they were surrounded by Niall's sisters and brothers... Time stopped for a moment as a familiar face walked up, came to attention and saluted. "Captain Niall Thorvald reporting for duty, Captain!" he said.
Max screamed and fainted at the sight of her dead friend standing there with that damn, cock-sure smile on his face.
###
The trip back to Maeve was quiet. While Niall and Red got reacquainted and Ariel took a nap, Max made her way to the cockpit. "Permission to have a seat, LT?" she asked.
"Mi cockpit, su cockpit, he said as he swept his hand toward the copilot's seat. She sat down and looked out the window.
"Nice ship," she said. "I'm curious, how did you get a gig like this?"
"If I go into too much detail, I'd have to shoot you, and that would be unforgivable. What I can tell you is that I have one of the cleanest records ever recorded by the Office of Security."
"How did you pull that off?"
"Clean living, a cup of oatmeal every day, and a shot of fine whiskey every night before bed, milady."
"Milady? Are you from England?"
He hesitated for only a moment. "Born and raised, milady. Haven't been back since the day I entered the service."
"I bet you miss her."
"No, milady, not even a little. She and I made an agreement of sorts: she stays put and I put as much distance between us as humanly possible. It is an arrangement that has worked well for the last eight years." A tone from the NAVComp interrupted them. "We've arrived at Maeve." He looked up at her and gave her a smile. Only then did she realize how translucent his skin was. He ma
de a Halcyon look tanned. "You better go strap in. We'll be deorbiting soon."
She got up and headed out the door. "Deputy Wabash?"
"Yes, LT?"
"It was a pleasure to meet you."
She smiled back. "Nice meeting you as well, LT."
She walked out, leaving him to prepare for landing.
CHAPTER ONE
Maxine rolled on her back as a sunbeam tickled her forehead. Slowly opening her large, Alue eyes, she realized two things: First, her head was about to explode. Second, she was lying naked in a strange bed.
"Good morning, Deputy," Greg said as he sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. He placed a tea service on the table next to the bed before turning and smiling at her.
Her black nictitating membranes snapped closed as she bolted upright in bed. Remembering her lack of clothing, she grabbed the comforter she was sleeping under and pulled it up to her chin. "Where am I?" she squeaked out.
"My bed," he replied as he poured her a cup of tea. He handed it to her, then pulled up the edge of the comforter she was covering up with. "See? Vintage 19th century quilt."
She looked around and realized she was in a natural history museum diorama of a 19th century bedroom. "How did I get here?"
"I am not sure, milady. I found you here after the party broke up. Your clothes were strewn about the room while you slept in my bed. After checking you out with a medical scanner, I set the computer to monitor your life signs before retiring to the couch for some much-needed sleep."
"You mean we didn't...?"
"You slept in this bed, while I slept on the couch. I figured that it was just easier to let you sleep it off than try to carry you to your own room while maintaining your dignity. Now, I could have asked Ariel or Marshal McKee for help..." He was sure he could hear the membranes snap open, revealing her striking blue eyes.
"You didn't tell Marshall McKee, did you?"
"Of course not. Where you sleep is none of her concern unless it leads to you being injured."
Max breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Greg." She looked up at him. "I have been such an ass."
"Oh, the stories I could tell you about the benders my original went on... Anyway, no harm done. Your clothes are cleaned, pressed, and on the chair next to the bed. I'll be down in the kitchen. I'm preparing bangers and mash. Though not of the time I remember, I fell in love with the dish after I joined Cube Security."
She grimaced. "I don't think I'm up for eating."
"You're suffering the effects of a hangover. Get dressed, and I'll whip up a batch of Gregory's mother's cure."
"And that is?"
"You'll see." He got up and walked out, leaving her to get dressed on her own.
###
Max found Melinda and Ariel sitting at the counter while Greg prepared various dishes on the stove and in the oven. Arranged on the counter were plates of food including sautéed potatoes, sausages, pancakes, three varieties of eggs, toast, grits and biscuits. Standing around the dining room were Colonel Match, Captain Harcross, and the members of Stryker Team 3, all holding plates piled high with food.
"Deputy Marshal Maxine Wabash!" Marshal Melinda McKee exclaimed. "How nice of you to join us. You just missed Sheriff Smythe, Deputy Kuurtz, and her team. Have some food. It seems Deputy-Pilot Alabaster is a talented chef."
Franny, their Alturan office manager, walked past with a tentacle holding a plate of nutribars. "He can bake, too," she said as she headed back to her desk in the front of the station.
Greg walked over and handed Max a glass filled with something red. "Drink this down, and you'll be as good as new."
She took the glass and looked at it with a jaundiced eye. "What is it?"
"A mixture of various fruit and vegetable juices combined with spices and a touch of white rum. I checked, and nothing is poisonous to Alue biochemistry."
"How kind of you to check," she said. "Bottoms up." She drank it down. Then grimaced. "What the hell is that gritty stuff?"
"Black powder."
Her eyes went large as she let loose with a belch that brought applause from the male members of the stryker team. "Pardon me!" she said.
"Better?" Greg asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I now seem to be very hungry..."
Greg handed her a plate. "Bon appétit," he said.
She sat down next to the Marshal. "Helluva party last night, wasn't it?"
Red--Melinda garnered that nickname due to her flaming red hair--looked at her and smiled. "Damn skippy."
"Where's Niall?" Max asked, referring to Deputy Niall Thorvald, Red's fiancé.
"He was called to transport some VIPs to Cleve. The colony there is fully operational now."
"And just when I was going to have him fitted for his tux," Ariel, the necrue deputy marshal noted while looking to heaven with his white, mantis-like eyes.
"He'll be back in a couple of hours, so don't get your panties in a bunch," Red admonished.
"An artist is never appreciated," Ariel replied while looking to the sky for guidance.
"We all appreciate your work, Ariel," Greg said. "Planning a wedding is difficult. The woman who did Gregory’s—my original-- had to retire for several years after what Gregory and Penelope put her through."
"At least one of you has a heart," he replied.
"I've got two," Private Norcross, an elf, said. "Does that help?"
Private Tang threw a napkin at him.
The intercom chimed. Greg pressed the activate button. "Go for Alabaster."
"This is Franny. Is Max there?"
"I'm here, Franny. What's up?"
"We got a call from the colony ship Algonquin. She's requesting final inspection before heading out to Atherton-335. Maxine, you're next up on the duty roster."
"I thought they weren't due until tomorrow," Max said.
"The captain says they got an early launch window. Did you want them to wait until their scheduled time?"
"Wait one. Marshal?"
"Greg, how about the Roswell?"
"Sure. She's prepped and ready to go," he replied as he handed her the ship's keys. Greg was the official keeper of everything ship-related.
"Thanks," Max said as she finished her meal. She leaned over the bar and gave him a peck on the cheek. "For everything."
The room went silent as she headed out the back door leading to the hanger. When she was gone, everyone turned their attention to Greg.
"More pancakes?" he asked while ignoring the questioning looks.
CHAPTER TWO
Max parked a click off the colony ship's starboard docking bay and radioed their captain. "Colony Ship Algonquin, this is Deputy Marshal Maxine Wabash in command of the Space Patrol Craft Roswell requesting permission to land in your starboard docking bay, over."
"This is Captain Meer in command of the Algonquin. Permission granted, Deputy. Thanks for the early inspection. I've got a gaggle of antsy colonists waiting to step foot on their new home, over."
"Roger that, Captain. I see the door opening, and your marshaller is waving me in. I'll see you in a few minutes. Roswell out." She took the craft in and landed it next to a shuttle as instructed by the marshaller. Once down, she spun down the engines and grabbed her paperwork before exiting the craft. She was met by the captain and two of her subordinates, all of whom were Logash.
"Deputy Wabash, it is good to meet you”, the Captain said. "I'm Captain Wanda Meer, but you probably knew that from my name tag. This is my first officer, Commander Jenna Tantor, and my purser, Lieutenant Judith Krantz."
"Maxine," she replied as she shook hands. "Are all your crew and colonists Logash?"
"Yes, ma'am," Judith said. "A number of us got the travel bug."
"I know the feeling. Why don't we begin in colonist stasis storage and work our way forward?" Max suggested.
"Excellent. This way," the captain said as she led them out of the bay.
###
They finished four hours later. "You pass with
flying colors," Max said as she handed the captain a packet of paperwork. "You are free to continue on your way. Do you need anything in the way of personal supplies?"
The captain and first officer looked at the purser. "Judith?"
"Pencils. I forgot a box and we won't unpack the ones in storage until a couple of weeks after planet fall."
"Office or art?"
"Office. Number 2."
"It's funny how many colonists forget number 2 pencils. I've got a couple of gross back on the Roswell."
Judith reached over and hugged the deputy. "You are a true godsend. Thank you."
"Let me go get them, then you can get on your way. I'll be right back." Max hurried off to retrieve the pencils from the Roswell. Once she was inside the patrol ship, she headed back to one of the storerooms where she found two boxes of pencils. She grabbed the boxes and headed out into cabin. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw through the cockpit windows a large metal robot leveling a rocket launcher at the Roswell. She watched as smoke poured from the weapon as the bot pulled the trigger. Max knew she was toast, so she did what any sane Alue would do when watching a rocket approaching. She shifted into the nearest large network she could find just as the projectile impacted the windshield and exploded, turning the Roswell into shrapnel.
###
The marshals assembled in the main meeting room in response to the alarms going off throughout the building. "Report and shut those damn things off!"
The room became instantly silent. A stunned Greg stepped over to the comm terminal and brought up an image on the room's main view screen. It was from a camera mounted in on the back wall of a cockpit and facing forward. It showed a robot or a large biped wearing armor firing a rocket. The image went full-on static a moment later. "The main computer just alerted me that the Roswell has gone offline. What you saw was the last thing the security system saw before that thing destroyed her with a shoulder-launched rocket."
"Oh my God, was Max aboard her?"
"I don't know. The security system recorded her entering, but leaving the hatch open, so I just don't know."
"Computer! Do we have any eyes on Algonquin?"
