Preservation_Age of Expansion_A Kurtherian Gambit Series

by Sarah Noffke

  “What do you want, human?” Rosco yelled, his voice full of laughter.

  “Put down your gun,” Fletcher demanded, his eyes narrowing at the vermin before him.

  Rosco didn’t look too different from most Kezzin. Maybe overfed a bit, and with a special bitterness in his eyes, but otherwise, he had all the same features.

  He laughed and shot once, hitting the Kezzin in Fletcher’s grasp.

  The alien yelped in pain, trying to reach for the wound in his abdomen. His weight and the force behind the impact of the bullet nearly made Fletcher double over. He threw the Kezzin to the ground, seeing him now as more of a liability than a shield. The guard cried out in pain, trying to say, ‘Why?’.

  Looking rather annoyed, Rosco fired at the Kezzin again, killing him. Fletcher was prepared for that and used the opportunity to fire at Rosco, knocking the gun from his hand. He could have shot him dead right then, but he needed to tell this Kezzin why he had hunted him down. He needed to see Rosco’s face when he explained why he was ruining him.

  Rosco growled and dropped his gun, waving his injured hand like it was on fire. “You!” he said viciously.

  “You killed your own man,” Fletcher said, aiming straight at the Kezzin’s heart.

  “He knew it was a possibility when he signed up,” Rosco said, his voice deep and rough.

  “When you enslaved him,” Fletcher corrected.

  Rosco smiled, not seeming at all put off by being forced to stare at the barrel of someone else’s gun.

  “I know all about you,” Fletcher began. “You take these men when they’re young. You tell them that you saved them from something, but really it was you who murdered their family or burned their village to the ground or stole everything they owned. It’s you they should be running from, but none figure it out until it’s too late. You force these men to work for you, and none of them know the truth.”

  Rosco reached for something at his waist. Fletcher fired again, shooting the pirate in the foot.

  “You motherfucker!” Rosco yelled. “How dare you come here?! What do you want?”

  “Everyone on this island is dead,” Fletcher informed him. “You’re about to join them.”

  “What did I do? Take your treasure? Steal your home?”

  There was no remorse in Rosco’s voice. Fletcher’s hand shook.

  “You killed my father.”

  An evil laugh ripped from Rosco’s mouth as he hopped on one foot, blood spilling from the hole in his boot where his foot was wounded. “Join the club, you sappy human. I kill. That’s what the Kezzin do. Get over it.”

  Fletcher aimed his gun to the left and shot again, the loud bang echoing off the cave walls. The bullet shot through the fleshy part of Rosco’s bicep; he had more flesh than most Kezzin, and he screamed again, clapping his hand over his arm.

  “That’s not what Kezzin do,” Fletcher corrected. “That’s what you do, you fucking worthless maggot, fucking piece of shit.” He was suddenly flooded with emotion, like the dam he’d built all those years ago when his father died had suddenly burst open.

  “Fine!” Rosco yelled, his voice raw with physical pain. “You want to kill me? Kill me! Do it now! Get the revenge you came for.”

  Fletcher aimed at the alien’s heart.

  All he had to do was pull the trigger, and it would all be over. He’d made Rosco suffer, as he’d intended. He’d told him what he came here for. And Fletcher saw with his own eyes the despicable savage who had murdered his father.

  And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to end him. There was something stopping him. Something telling him that there was another way. A different path his father would have wanted for him.

  “Rosco, you are under arrest for the murder of Cornell Fletcher, as well as for many other crimes,” Fletcher intoned, disbelieving what he was saying.

  “What?” Rosco asked, sounding grossly alarmed by this news.

  “You’ll be tried and sentenced for your crimes, because death is too kind an end for you.”

  “No!” Rosco yelled, blood oozing down his arm. “No, just kill me.”

  Fletcher wasn’t sure why he had done it, but this was the right option; he knew it with such certainty. He didn’t automatically feel lighter, though, as he thought he would. He realized it would take more than revenge for him to get over his father’s death, but he also knew he hadn’t come for revenge. He’d come for justice.

  An intuition as ingrained in him as his father’s love told Fletcher that he would get it. Apprehending Rosco would bring about justice for thousands, not just for Fletcher.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Jack’s Office, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System

  Fletcher kept his eyes low and his elbows pinned on his knees as Eddie paced the room. Julianna stood stoically nearby, as usual.

  “What do you think Jack meant when he said, ‘this could change everything’?” Eddie asked.

  Fletcher shook his head, feeling the space between his thoughts evaporate a little more. His head was feeling increasingly crowded.

  The look on Nona’s and Lars’ faces when Fletcher marched Rosco onto the ship had made him question his decision.

  Twice, he’d held his gun to the pirate’s head, but each time something deep within him told him he didn’t want the alien’s blood on his hands. Fletcher was trained to kill. He was practiced at handling the complexity that came with ending a life. However, he couldn’t kill Rosco—the one person he’d been dreaming of hunting down for years.

  Life was weirdly ironic.

  The captain and commander were even more surprised than Nona and Lars were when they found out Rosco was locked up in the brig of Ricky Bobby. Jack, who hadn’t known about the side mission at all, was totally stunned when he got the news. He took off for the brig with an exclamation, sprinting through the corridors, his suit jacket flying behind him.

  Since then, they’d all been sequestered to Jack’s office, with no information and a lot of quiet time to ruminate.

  “What was Rosco into?” Julianna asked, not answering Eddie’s question about Jack.

  Fletcher shrugged, looking up at the two of them. “He was a dirty pirate.”

  Eddie gave him a worried stare. “We both know he was more than that. He worked with the Nihilists. This was a Kezzin who was out for more than riches and power. Rosco interacted with the foulest of creatures. He does not have a soul.”

  “How does it get worse than the Nihilists?” Julianna asked, shivering from the idea.

  Fletcher knew she’d seen some things in her many years, but nothing was worse than a group of beings who had no concern for life.

  “I can think of a worse bunch. I’d still lump them as a group of greedy pirates, though,” Eddie reasoned.

  “Yeah, I guess they’re not as bad as selfish shapeshifters who are willing to sacrifice billions to get their planet back,” Julianna agreed.

  Fletcher had momentarily forgotten about the mission to stop the Saverus, so thick was his hate for Rosco.

  Eddie combed his hand over his forehead. “We will get a lead on that, don’t worry,” he said, his voice hypocritically full of anxiety.

  Julianna nodded, a numb expression on her face.

  “How is Lars?” Fletcher asked, trying to fill the silence.

  Eddie smiled. “He’s fine. Well, he always says he’s fine, but even the doctors agree that he will be all right. Just needs a little bit of rest.”

  Fletcher nodded, his head heavy. He knew that Lars had signed on for the mission, but it was still hard for him to think that his friend had been injured while on Anara. When he and Nona had transported Lars to the medical wing, he hadn’t acted like he was in pain at all.

  Instead, he couldn’t stop talking about how the natives of the Cantjik Sea could go back to a life of peace, now that their mother island was returned to them. This had brought pride to Fletcher, too—knowing they’d done more than apprehend a deadly pirate.

  As they helped Lars to a be
d in the infirmary, he swayed, watching them with a dazed look in his eyes. “It’s not a happy ending for those natives. It’s better. It’s a happy beginning.”

  Then the Kezzin’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out from blood loss.

  ~~~

  After ten more minutes of silence, Jack burst into his office, his attention on his desk.

  “What’s going on?” Julianna asked, though he’d dashed right for his computer and began typing furiously.

  He slammed his finger down on a final key, eyeing the screen. Something popped up on the monitor a moment later.

  Jack’s eyes broadened, excitement springing to his face. “Yes! That checks out!”

  “What checks out?” Eddie asked, striding over to the desk.

  “I got Rosco to talk,” Jack stated simply, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

  “About…?” Julianna encouraged.

  Jack strode around his desk, taking a seat on the arm of one of the chairs. “It’s only a small lead, but it’s better than anything we’ve had in ages, and I suspect it will lead to more information.”

  Julianna lowered her chin, staring at Jack with hooded eyes. “Specifically, what the hell are you talking about?”

  Jack, who appeared more than lost in his excited thoughts, nodded, seeming to try to come back to himself. “Right, sorry. It’s only that we’ve been grasping for leads, and this is a huge breakthrough.” He shook his head, realizing that he was going off on another vague tangent. “Anyway, I’ve known for a while that Rosco was working with a group called the Starboard. However, as you three know full well, tracking down Rosco was near to impossible. Good work, there, Fletcher.”

  Fletcher released a hesitant smile, nodding his acceptance of the compliment.

  “So you’ve been hunting for this group, Starboard?” Eddie asked.

  Jack shook his head. “No, I’ve been looking for the corporation they serve.”

  “Oh, right!” Eddie chirped. “Because they are the villains responsible for a terrorist organization or weapons dealer.”

  Jack shook his head again. “No. The corporation, although corrupt, is only a small powerhouse. They have a partnership with a truly horrendous corporation, which continues to evade prosecution for their evil deeds.”

  “Got it!” Eddie stated. “And Rosco’s lead gets you one step closer to this corporation.”

  “But the corporation isn’t the end goal here,” Jack said.

  Eddie laughed. “Of course not. Why didn’t I see that this rabbit hole would just keep going?”

  Jack cleared his throat. “Monstre Corp is responsible for the degradation of a cluster of planets on the Frontier.”

  “Why aren’t we out there stopping them?” Eddie asked.

  “Because you’re here, trying to stop the Saverus,” Jack stated simply. “There are many battles to be fought.”

  “And with this lead, we’re one step closer,” Julianna concluded firmly.

  Jack agreed with a nod. “Monstre is only as bad as its leader. A man named Solomon Vance. If that name doesn’t inspire fear in you yet, it will once you become acquainted with his history.”

  “So he uses his corporation to intimidate the Frontier, all the while going unchecked, is that right?”

  “Pretty much,” Jack confirmed. “We can’t even locate the board members, much less Solomon. The corporation’s dealings are always quick, so by the time we get wind of it, they’ve disappeared to another area of the Frontier.”

  “Sounds like Ghost Squadron needs to put a swift end to this bullying organization,” Eddie said.

  “Although Monstre Corp is a big part of the problem,” Jack began, “the organization isn’t the reason that Solomon is dangerous. The threat is that he used to work within the Federation as a scientist.”

  Eddie let out a loud breath. “It’s always the science-types who are the most diabolical.”

  “I don’t disagree,” Jack said with a laugh. “Science is the most radical power. It changes everything.”

  “What did Solomon do to get thrown out of the Federation?” Julianna asked.

  “He didn’t get thrown out. He left,” Jack said, dark shadows flicking in his eyes. “Taking with him a specimen, and all the research for the project he’d been working on with his team.”

  “We have backups, though,” Julianna argued.

  Jack shook his head. “Solomon was thorough. He didn’t leave anyone alive who could speak about the project.”

  “He killed his team?” Eddie asked, disgust heavy in his voice.

  Jack nodded darkly. “I’m afraid so.”

  “Then we have no way of knowing the details of the project or the specimen,” Julianna stated.

  Jack rose, leaning forward on his toes, and clasped his hands behind his back. “It’s true that we know little, but what we do know is that, if his project was successful, he could be more powerful than almost anyone in the Federation. It was rumored that he’d found a way, using the Etheric, to bring a collective energy to life, to harness an all-encompassing power.”

  “I-I-I don’t understand,” Eddie stuttered. “Why would that be considered?”

  Jack let out a breath. “Solomon was trying to create a monster.”

  Julianna shot Eddie a cautious look. Humans and aliens are monsters. We create ships and weapons to fight our battles with. How is this so different?

  “It’s impossible to tell at this point if Solomon was successful,” Jack began, “but if he was, this monster could soon be loose. There’s no telling what it is capable of, but, based on Monstre’s history, we won’t want to find out the hard way.”

  “So your lead checked out?” Eddie asked, pointing at the computer screen.

  “Yes, but it only leads to Starboard,” Jack stated. “There’s still a lot of digging and hunting to be done.”

  “We wouldn’t even have that, if Fletcher hadn’t brought Rosco in for trial,” Julianna stated, nodding proudly in his direction.

  He had sat quite still throughout the meeting, stress making his shoulders tense.

  Jack smiled broadly. “It’s the biggest break we’ve had in a long time. Great work, Lieutenant.”

  “We’re ready to start hunting for this Solomon,” Eddie said, all fired up.

  Jack swallowed and nodded. “In time. Right now, the Saverus should be our priority.”

  “Right,” Julianna said, striding for the door, before remembering they still had no leads on the case.

  It was infuriating.

  The ship shifted slightly, buzzing with the familiar vibration that happened right before they gated.

  The commander froze. Then she turned and looked at Jack. “Did you request a change in our locations? Is there new information on the Saverus?”

  His face scrunched up in confusion. “No, I have no new information.”

  “I’ve taken it upon myself to change the location of the ship,” Ricky Bobby stated overhead.

  “Why?” Julianna asked, irritation flaring in her voice. “We agreed that being close to Savern was best, in case we need to move fast.”

  “That’s correct, but I’ve made a different decision based on my own observations,” Ricky Bobby said.

  “What’s going on?” Jack asked.

  “The team currently has no breakthroughs in the case, and meanwhile, morale and stress continue to be a negative factor for the crew,” Ricky Bobby explained.

  “That’s because we are up against a tight deadline,” Julianna argued, her voice rising. “If we aren’t in position when something happens, how can we stop it? So much is riding on us to stop the Saverus. You get that, right, Ricky?”

  “I absolutely understand,” Ricky Bobby said, unaffected by the scolding.

  “Then why would you take us away from the planet?” Eddie asked.

  “Sometimes a break can lead to a bit of clarity,” Ricky Bobby stated. “I made the executive decision that you and the crew needed something to help break thr
ough the walls. Because if you stay positioned where you are, you may never get any closer to learning what the Saverus are up to, and then you’ll be at the epicenter of the tear.”

  “How dare you!” Julianna revolted. “You can’t make executive decisions.”

  “I can, actually,” Ricky Bobby said matter-of-factly. “And I firmly believe that where I’m taking you will help. What the team needs is a break, so that you can make a break through. Then you’ll be ready to pursue the Saverus.”

  Julianna pressed her eyes closed. It made sense, but it also meant taking a giant risk.

  She let out a steadying breath, trying to quell her anger. “I hope you’re right, Ricky Bobby.”

  “My instinct tells me that I am,” he said.

  “Okay, so where are you taking us?” Eddie asked.

  “It’s a surprise,” Ricky Bobby stated simply.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  En route to Planet Noircun, Q-Ship, Tangki System

  “What do you suspect is down there?” Eddie asked over the comm as he steered one of the six Q-Ships down to the planet below.

  “Probably not enough whiskey to save Ricky Bobby’s ass,” Julianna sent back. She peered through the viewscreen at the glowing blue and green planet. It didn’t appear especially unique, except for the splashes of pink and purple lights that sparkled and faded every so often.

  “I ask that you keep an open mind, Julianna,” Ricky Bobby said, interfaced into the comm for this team-building mission.

  “People only ever say that when they realize they’re about to disappoint,” Julianna said to Harley, who sat in the copilot’s seat. The dog gave her a sideways look that she instantly interpreted as agreement.

  “My initial scans of the terrain aren’t picking up anything of unique interest,” Marilla reported from the first row behind Julianna.

  “There could be several plausible explanations for that,” Chester reasoned.

  Marilla shrugged, continuing to type on her device.

  Julianna let their musings fade into a soft mumble in the background as she stared at the ships around her. It was hard to believe that a few months ago, they’d had only one Q-Ship, and the team was only her and Eddie.