Galaxy's Edge: Takeover: Season Two: Book One

by Jason Anspach

  No ping.

  Which meant no rescue team. Unless one was already inbound. He needed to make his way back to the other side of the clean room at the front blast door. That was the last time he remembered his comm working. He pushed himself up along the wall, balancing on one leg.

  Good. This was good. He was upright. He could get around, albeit slowly, with just one working wheel. He hopped and stumbled back along the galleries to the main entrance, thankful for the pain meds. Knowing that without them, each jarring hop would be torture. Trying not to think about the damage he might be doing to an already ruined limb.

  There were no spiders. No other warbots.

  Those things must have been tricks played by the THK to get close. THKs that ran active PsyOps software designed to confuse and disorient their victims. Of course the thing had made it seem like it had help. In all likelihood it was just some relic from the Savage Wars that had been beaten to hell and salvaged by some collector. It probably wasn’t even at full warfighting capabilities.

  “Grateful for that,” muttered Bowie as he limped along. He winced from the effort of speaking, and felt a tang of blood in the back of his mouth. His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper.

  He got to the front entrance and found an active comms signal again.

  “Reiser?” he croaked, sounding like a koob, his throat in agony. “Reiser! Reiser… you there?”

  A moment later after a wash of static the old spook who ran dirty work for Team Nilo came through.

  “Yeah, I’m here, Jack,” said Reiser. “All clear? We lost you when…”

  “Yeah,” gasped Jack. “All clear.”

  It was all he could manage to say.

  “All right,” said Reiser softly. “They’re coming in now, Jack. Stand by.”

  37

  Reiser leaned back in his chair at the operations center inside the warehouse after telling Jack Bowie to stand by. Yes, they were coming in.

  He picked up a separate comm.

  “Go with Alpha Team. Clean him and get everything out of there.”

  The confirmation from Alpha Team leader came back. Alpha was go for clean and clear.

  There was no one else here in the ops center. The rest of his Nether Ops team was in and around the museum, in armored sleds masked up to look like Team Nilo cargo and ready to take possession of the artifacts that had just been secured.

  Stolen right out from under Nilo’s nose.

  Now Reiser had to torch the warehouse, issue the burn notice for everyone involved, and return to his role as playing for Team Nilo until he was needed again by Nether Ops. You never left Nether. Why would you? Life just wasn’t as fun afterwards. Working with the sexy little Tennar operative sent out by Nether Ops had been enjoyable. He wouldn’t mind getting a session with her if she could be convinced. Maybe she liked old guys who knew where some of the bodies were buried. But, the payment to his retirement account from Nether could buy him a real Tennar courtesan of his own. Not some spook playing the part. And a lot of other alien girls for that matter.

  It was good to play for both sides, Reiser reminded himself. It was fun to be Nether. Because you could make it up as you went. And you could choose which way you…

  That was what Reiser, ex-Nether Ops operator who’d never really left, was thinking when she stepped out of the shadows and shot him from behind. The Tennar he’d wanted a “session” with. The “courtesan” called Honey. The new operative from the new Nether.

  Her current working ID was Sylindia Dor. And yes. She worked for the Nether. Working quickly, knowing the Alpha and the extraction teams were heading in to take possession of the Savage artifacts and leave the right evidence that would point directly at Nether, she tidied up Reiser’s computers with a worm that ripped through all the data in seconds. Then she activated the incendiary and set it for two minutes to detonation.

  It would burn so hot it would melt the very walls of the building. Nothing would survive.

  She dragged Reiser’s corpse for the exit. The dirty old operator had a look on his face that seemed to indicate he wasn’t the least bit surprised at all. That he’d expected this. That he was still playing his part. But that was just the trick unexpected death had left on his face.

  She reached the street as the sun rose in the east. It was quiet here in this part of the district. The day’s distresses had not yet started. The koobs were not finished with the zhee, but the fighting hadn’t started back up again. Team Nilo would still have its hands full.

  But now, she thought as she left Reiser’s body on the curb where it would be found by Team Nilo’s operatives. Now Nilo knew he had leaks. And that would slow him down. Make him more cautious. More paranoid. And in the vacuum of power that was the galaxy, that might do some good if the new head of Nether Ops was right.

  Nilo needed to be checked until he could be convinced to play for the right people.

  No one really knew what Nilo was. They knew the “official” Nilo he showed to the press and stockholders. They had an idea about the real Nilo. But no one knew anything for sure. They just knew he needed to be stopped for the moment. This was the message that he wasn’t safe. This would slow him down.

  The incendiary exploded inside the ops center with a dull whumph. She was halfway down the street and she could smell the burning fumes as everything in the warehouse burned hot and cooked down to its elements. She made contact with the Alpha team just entering the warehouse now. She still had operational control since Reiser had introduced her as Team Nilo command and signal.

  Operation Firewall was coming to a close.

  Too bad. She’d liked the big good-looking freelancer. She’d liked Jack Bowie. He’d been good to her. But he was just another pawn in the big game of galactic chess a lot of sides were looking to win. He never should have left the services. Freelancing was a risky business. It paid to have friends. It was safer that way. Even if your friends were dangerous and sometimes hazardous to your own health.

  And she wanted Nether Ops to win. So she played to win and stuffed the feelings she’d had for him down someplace where she’d deal with them later.

  And maybe she didn’t have any feeling for him at all. She was like that. She could turn it on, and turn it off. It was all part of the game and her skill set. Why she was valuable to Nether. Her price to be in the show.

  “Target acquired,” she heard from the Alpha Team Leader over her comm as she found a kaff stand open early. Despite the chaos of the day before. The boundless optimism of a small business owner.

  The vendor smiled at her. A Tennar, and a beautiful one at that, dressed like a freighter pilot but never mind that, had come to his stand. To him. To that kaff vendor, it was like an omen of all the good things to come that day.

  Studying the blackboard menu, she thought of Jack Bowie. He was just a sacrificial lamb. Some no-name freelancer the galaxy wouldn’t miss. She could see him now. Standing there as the cleaning team entered. Suddenly aware he’d been double-crossed. He wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t beg. He’d only look at them and not flinch. He wouldn’t give them, or the galaxy, the satisfaction of begging for his life. She’d learned enough about him in the small amount of time they’d spent together to know that. She’d hacked his phone and seen all his secrets. Hacked the comm so the message he got from Reiser was off the Team Nilo net. But made to look like it came from them direct. He was a pawn. A pawn that would be sacrificed to show Nilo that he couldn’t trust anyone. Jack was someone they’d begun to trust. And here he was helping to steal Nilo’s prizes right out from under him.

  Man, you couldn’t trust anyone. Isn’t that right, Nilo?

  “Kaff, miss?” asked the vendor.

  “Yes please.”

  “Cream and sugar?”

  “Go for clean?” asked the team leader in her ear.

  The sun turned the dirty streets of Kublar
to gold.

  “Go for clean,” she whispered as the vendor began to slam pots and express steam to brew.

  “What was that, miss?” asked the vendor of the pretty little Tennar who’d come to his stand.

  “Dark,” she said. “I like it dark.”

  And over the comm she could hear their blasters, the blasters of Alpha Team leaving the last clue for Nilo, whoever he was, to find.

  You’re not safe, Nilo. Whoever you are. We are out to get you. First the freelancer Bowie in your hidden sanctuary of dirty secrets. Then your doer of dirty deeds. Reiser on the street like a dog. Bowie sacrificed at the scene. A message.

  “Done,” said the Team Leader a second later. “He’s down. Pictures to confirm. Transport teams moving in to collect.”

  “Is this good?” asked the vendor as she slithered one delicate tentacle around the cup he’d offered her.

  She nodded. Her eyes were big, bright, and beautiful.

  “Very good. Yes,” she said. “Very good.”

  CARTER

  INLAND KUBLAR

  38

  “Hey, baby.”

  “Oba’s ears, Carter. You’re okay.”

  Mel is tearing up. And even though I called as soon as I could, I can’t help but feel like I dropped the ball. Because it wasn’t really as soon as I could. It was as soon as I could once I got some other stuff done. Things that needed doing. Or at least seemed to at the time. Now that I see Mel fighting with her emotions, I’m not so sure.

  This is going to sound jacked up but… I’m kinda glad she’s reacting this way. It shows she still cares, right? Which is good because a lot of what’s been keeping us at odds is getting cleared up. Credit transfers underway. Debts paid.

  Big Nee was true to his word and while I might not be rich, I’m the closest to it I’ve ever been.

  “Yeah, I’m okay. Wanted to call sooner, but…”

  “Yeah.”

  A silent pause pushes its way into our conversation. I was excited to make this call. Still am. Just not… just not capturing that enthusiasm as well as I thought I would. It’s not coming naturally.

  “Hey, so, good news.”

  Mel’s face brightens. “You’re coming home?”

  “Ooh. Uh… no. Not yet. But this is better news than even that, I think.”

  The oh-so-familiar traces of skepticism mingled with disappointment cross my wife’s face. Her eyebrows arch and she turns her head away, still looking at me but pulling away. Slightly. Almost imperceptibly.

  I guess I’ve given her cause to make that face for most of our marriage. Missed birthdays. Extended deployments. Lonely anniversaries. That look is how she mentally preps herself. Like she can sense trouble and doesn’t want to be close enough to it that it might hurt.

  It wasn’t until our second year of marriage that I actually realized it was even a thing. Now I can practically see it in my sleep.

  “Hey, don’t give me that look, Mel.”

  “What?”

  “You know what. You’re always…”

  I cut myself off and sigh. This is always the way, isn’t it? Even the good news feels like it has to get tainted by bad.

  “Never mind,” I say. “I’m sorry. Hard as it might be to believe after a rocky start, but this is going to be a good call. One we’ll both remember.”

  Mel is agreeable to that. Willing to drop it and move on. And that’s a good sign, too. “Okay. Spring it on me, Carter.”

  “Got a big raise. Team performed well and we’re being recognized for it.”

  Mel smiles, but weakly. Not that big megawatt smile she uses when she’s really happy. Our wedding day. That time when we took that vacation cruise through the mid-core resort worlds. When she found out she was pregnant with Tria.

  “Well, we can use it,” she finally says.

  I nod. “We can. But… I mean a big raise. Like… check the mortgage statement.”

  Mel’s look gets a little quizzical. I motion with my hand for her to go ahead and do it.

  “I’m serious. Check it.”

  I see her pinch our call into the corner of her datapad so she can bring up our banking info. Her mouth drops open and her eyes go wide.

  “Carter, are you kelhorned kidding me?”

  I smile and shake my head. “Not even a little.”

  And then that big smile comes back and she lets loose a squeal of joy that gives way to peals of laughter. Immediately everything is good and right and I’m feeling so warm and happy that I think there may be a little dust in my eyes.

  “Carter, this is unreal!”

  I just smile.

  Her face freezes in a mask of joy and I see the skepticism come back. Only this time it’s playful. Loving. “You didn’t… commit any crimes, did you?”

  That makes me laugh. “No, babe. At least not anything that would be considered a crime since the House of Reason fell apart. It’s legit. And, even better it’s—”

  I’m interrupted by the sound of my youngest daughter running into the room. She wants to know why her mommy was “screaming.” She gets an answer but has already moved on once she sees me in the datapad.

  “Daddy!”

  “How’s my little princess?”

  “Good. I lost a tooth yesterday.” She shows me the gap where her tooth once was, bringing her little mouth up close and personal with the datapad’s holocam.

  “You’re growing up!”

  She nods. “Uh-huh.”

  “Listen, sweetie,” her mom interjects. “Daddy and I have some things we need to talk about. But if he still has time at work after we’re done, I’m sure he’d love to talk more.”

  The holocam refocuses on Mel.

  “How’re the girls doing?” I ask.

  “Fine. Tria’s been a little better. I think she’s trying.”

  “Good.”

  Mel nods in agreement then says, “I just can’t believe this. I thought we’d be in our eighties before this house was paid off. Guess that’ll be when the credit accounts are finally back at zero.”

  “That’s next month. Just gotta finish up this job but… we’re doing good, Mel.”

  The thought seems to bring a sense of peace over my wife’s face. It’s been so long since either of us could say that.

  We’re doing good.

  But then the tranquility of a life moving in the right direction, income arrows moving up, debt moving down… all that evaporates.

  “Carter. Are you on Kublar?”

  I give her my poker face. This kind of thing happens a lot. Wives, family, friends… they all want to know where you’re deployed. And there’s nothing wrong with that because you know they’re just trying to get an edge on anything that might happen to you. Watch the news, hope that any reports of trouble aren’t you. And knowing where your loved one is helps a lot. But in this case, I can’t divulge that info.

  “Why would you think I’m on Kublar?”

  Mel’s face goes expressionless. Another look I’m familiar with. The one that’s asking, “Really?”

  “Carter, have you cheated on me since you left?”

  What the hell?

  “No,” I answer.

  “Is your shotgun still named after me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have any of the guys in your squad been killed?”

  “No. Mel, what’s going on?”

  “You are such a terrible liar, Carter.”

  I give a half smile and scoff. “No, I’m not. And none of my team has been shot and I haven’t been fooling around on you. I swear.”

  The smile returns to Mel’s face. “That I know. You’re lying about Kublar, though. You always deflect when you’re lying. I ask you about cheating, your gun, or your team, it’s ‘no,’ ‘yes,’ ‘no.’ I ask you about Kublar and it’s�
��” she deepens her voice and makes herself sound goofy. “‘Why would I be there, Mel, a-hyuk’?”

  I give a disapproving frown. “That’s your impression of me?”

  “It is. And don’t try doing one of me. It’ll ruin the moment. Why are you there?”

  “Honey, I can’t… I can’t talk about that.”

  “Well, you’re about the only one who can’t.”

  I furrow my brow in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean it’s all over the news. Most of the planet has declared independence and the capital is just about the only holdout. They’re asking for Legion support to remain in the Republic.”

  This has my attention. Not that Mel didn’t have my attention before. She was looking at me with those eyes that hinted that I just might be able to get into some trouble with her if I wanted to try it. And if I weren’t a ridiculous number of light-years away. But if the Legion is looking at Kublar—and in support of that worthless government no less—then that’s something I need to know about.

  “So what’d they decide to do?” I ask.

  The thought of getting into a tangle with the Legion is not one I’m even considering. And not just because it would be a bloodbath for my guys. I don’t see how I could fight other legionnaires unless they were trying to harm my family.

  “That’s why everyone is talking. Legion Commander Chhun is supposed to have a briefing on the subject. But it’s a whole thing. The planets that went with the Legion against the Empire, Spilursa, Sinasia, all those, they all seem to not want Kublar in the Republic at all. But a lot of the planets that have rejoined after Article Nineteen was carried out, they don’t feel a planet should be allowed to leave the Republic. Same stance the House of Reason used to have.”

  I nod. “Well, doesn’t matter. I’m not on Kublar.”

  “Carter, your mama must be ashamed to have a son who is such a liar.”

  I smile. “Nah. She figured I must be a pretty good liar to have snookered you into agreeing to marry me.”