Artemis Slade & The Renegades: Road to Redemption

by Art Gulley Jr.

  "Then I'll just have to aquire a new set of...'keys' from another source, and I think I know just the donor."

  Yeah that choice works for me, Tianna said having plucked the identity of my chosen target from my head. You'll probably find him here. In my minds eye, a section of the schematic briefly flared brighter than the rest. According to the schem it's his private quarters.

  "Looks like it's two levels up from my position," I said studying the compound layout. Shouldn't be a problem...unless something like that happens," I sighed at the sudden siren blaring through the hallways. "I guess I'll be doing this the hard way. You guys stay put for a moment so I can assess the danger level."

  Will do, Tianna responded. Do try to keep your self in one piece, Artemis. Good lovers are hard to find.

  "Likewise," I said blowing her a mental kiss as she withdrew from my mind.

  I gave the bodies scattered around the room a quick once over to see if any of them contained any useful items. The Matadrans had stripped me of my gear and weaponry when they captured me and I was feeling woefully naked.

  My search yielded a few knives, a couple of collapsable batons, and several packs of mints. Apparantly having fresh breath was a priority for these clowns. It was to bad their boss didn't subscribeto the same level of oral maintenance. With my newly aquired gear in hand, the compound's schematic firmly in mind, and a few mints in my mouth (fresh is breath is definitely a priority for me) I slipped into the corridors in search of my prey.

  Chapter 7

  You're pretty good a that, Tianna commented as I neatly broke the neck of the latest Matadaran fool trying to keep me from my objective. My pathic partner had been keeping a running tab of my adversaries as I slowly worked my way through this twisting cesspool in search of Dag-breath's quarters. The one currently slipping from grip made number twelve.

  "Thanks, love. How are the kids doing?"

  Not bad considering the shit they just went through. They're a pretty tough lot.

  "Most orphans usually are," I said with a snort.

  Once Tianna had gotten her group to a more secure position, she was able to question them a bit about their ordeal and New Day's conection, with me listening in as best I could through our rapport. The data she'd been able to glean did not project a pretty holo.

  New Day reps had recruited them from several orphanges across the planet a few days after their Emancipation. As far as Child Services knew, this lot were on a skills-building retreat after which they would be offered employment opportunities in various companies throughout the Systems.

  And the part that really burns me is the fake placement report these bastards generate and make the kids sign, Tianna fumed, her anger a palpable presence in my mind. With that type of documentation, neither the CS administration or the Emancipated child's Sponsor will have a clue as to the fate that befalls their former charges.

  "Exactly," I muttered as I considered my own situation, wondering just how long the Matadarans or others like them have had this kind of access. Would I have met a similar fate had I not removed myself from the system prematurely?

  Which is all the more reason for you to get your hands on Dag and pump him for data so we can start shutting these bastards down!

  "Agreed, and it looks like I'm about to get the chance," I muttered as I rounded the corner and spotted Dag and a couple of his butt-boys moving swiftly up the corridor toward the reinforced hatcway to his office; all three of them heavily armed.

  Moving with a stealthy grace that would've made a cat jealous, I slipped into position behind them and trained the laser rifle I'd confiscated from one of my previous sparring partners on the man on the left. Normally I prefer a more personal touch with blades and such but with another dozen or so goons roaming the compound looking for me time was of the essence.

  I gave the trigger a light squeeze and chuckled inwardly at the bloody mess my shot made of my target's head. Before his body had a chance to hit the ground, I fired again sending goon number two to the land of the angels, or demons in his case.

  Dag's startled reaction to the sudden demise of his cronies and the fear that etched its way across his face was a beauty to behold.

  "You..." he managed to stammer before my stiffened fingers stabing into his solar plexus robbed him of air. I would've prefered it to have been one of my blades but I needed answers.

  Of course my need for data didn't prevent me from getting in a couple of nasty shots to his ribs with my elbow that quckly doubled him over. For such a big guy he was pretty soft.

  "C'mon, Daggy-boy," I whispered icily in his ear as I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and hauled him back up to a standing position. "You can puke on your own time." I shoved him hard against the hatch. "Right now I need you to deactivate the security grid then you're going to fill me in on your relationship with the good folks of the New Day organization."

  "Go to hell," Dag spat cradling his left side where I might've fractured a rib or two (what can I say; sometimes I get a bit overzealous). "I ain't doing or saying nothing!"

  A nasty smile played across my lips. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

  Five agonizing minutes later (well, agonizing for Dag. It's amazing how effective the applocation of a sharp blade to certain exposed areas of the body can be for extracting information from a less than agreeable source) Tianna and the kids were speeding away from the compound in the commandeered transport, while Dag spilled his guts on how certain key level officials at New Day had sold Kestan's entire orphanage database to several loathsome parties.

  If we can get access to the Matadaran's network we might have a chance of tracking all the kids they've snatched, Tianna speculated through our rapport after she had gotten the transport to the prearranged rendevous spot.

  Once the grid had been deactivated she'd been able to make contact with our orbiting shuttle which was now stealthily blasting its way to her location.

  "Way ahead of you, darlin'. I've got Dag's personal tablet which should give us everything we need."

  Good boy, Tianna teased. And what about Dag? You think you can sneak him out of there with you? He might be able to provide us with even more useful data.

  "Not unless he can communicate it to us from the Great Beyond," I replied as I cleaned Dag's blood off the blade I'd just used to cut his vile throat.

  You do realize you've just wasted a potential fountain of criminal data, Tianna said as I happily watched the life slowly ebb from the former head of the Matadaran Cartel's eyes.

  "Sorry," I responded to the disapproval in her mental tone. "But this bastard's done some vile shit. As an orphan myself I couldn't allow such crimes to go unpunished any longer."

  I understand, Tianna replied engulfing my mind in a wave of compassion. Shuttle's e.t.a. is thirteen minutes. I trust you'll be able to make it out of there on your own.

  "I'll be on my way just as soon as I pay the reactor room a little visit..."

  Chapter 8

  "Having any luck?" Tianna asked as she swept into the data compartment aboard our shuttle where I had spent the past several hours exposing all the dirty little secrets the late Dag-breath had locked in his tablet.

  "The bastard was even more vile than I thought," I growled feeling even better about ending his wretched life. "It's to bad that his fat carcass was atomized along with rest of his filthy compound. I would've loved to been able to broadcast a holo of him strung him up on a flagpole across the networks as a message to all the other child-slavers operating throughout the Systems."

  Tianna encircled my neck and shoulders with her arms and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. "I'm not sure such a thing would make for good family viewing."

  "Yeah, you're probably right," I agreed with a snort resting my head against her bicep. "How're the kids doing?"

  "Overall they're doing great; although I think Connie was a bit upset when she realized that you and I were something of an item," Tianna added with a teasing wink.

  Her statme
nt brought a smile to my tired face. "Is she the tall one with the red hair?"

  "That would be her," Tianna chuckled. "Poor thing seems to have developed a serious crush on you."

  "Really? Well she is cute, and of legal age," I noted with a teasing smile that vanished at the feel of a blade pressed against my throat. It was amazing how fast my pathic playmate could bring her toys to bare.

  "Don't play, Artemis," she whispered icily in my ear. "I tend to be the jealous type."

  "Point taken," I said then relaxed as the knife withdrew from my flesh and dissappeared back into its hidden sheath.

  I gave the crook of Tianna's arm a quick kiss then returned my attention to Dag's tablet only to freeze at what I saw on the small screen.

  "What's wrong," Tianna asked, alerted by my sudden tension.

  "I've been going through the Child Services files the Matadarans had access to," I said, my hands and voice trembling as I opened the file with the name that had grabbed my attention as effectively as a slap to the face. "This is a list of Sponsers registered with the Lazon Oprhanage where I was raised along with the children they sponsored."

  "Oh my," Tianna gasped as she read the file's contents. "Veronika Kyle; that's the Commander."

  "Yeah," I said through wooden lips. "And look at who she was sponsoring."

  Tianna flinched then stared at me. "Jeremy Arten...that's you! What the hell...?"

  "My thoughts exactly," I muttered as I slumped into my seat. "What the hell?"

  It was a question I pondered the entire journey. I of course put on a good front in front of the rescued youths wishing them the best when they disembarked at the Civil Services where they were met by Councilor Jubal and a Medical Corp envoy.

  I spent the remainder of the trip back to Renegade HQ submersed in the Matadaran database looking for more useful data in attempt to keep my mind of the real mystery: Why was one of Jones' aliases listed as my Sponsor?

  The Sponsership program had been started over a century ago by the Child Services Department in an attempt to enrich the lives of the thousands of orphans throughout the Systems, the extra funds taken in through the program offsetting the expenses incurred by the orphanages; allowing for better facilities and ameneties.

  Growing up at Lazon, I knew I had a sponsor but had never met him or her as was often the case. If the Veronika Kyle listed in the files did indeed turn out to be the Commander...Let's just say that she had a LOT of explaining to do!

  Chapter 9

  The moment our shuttle landed I bolted out the hatch and headed straight for the Commander's office. Tianna, bless her heart, volunteered to log all of our mission notes and begin cordinating with the Justice Corp while I dealt with Jones.

  After giving the door to her office a perfunctory knock, I barged right in and found her leaning casually against the wall-length glassteel window that provided the most spectacular view of the mountains that surounded our base.

  "I take it you have an urgent matter to discuss with me," she drawled eyeing me through the steam rising from her dratted circuitry-laden mug.

  "Oh yeah, you and I've got business to discuss," I growled smiling in satisfaction at the yelp that escaped her lips as the penlight I threw at her struck the nerve cluster in her right wrist; the resulting spasm in her hand causing her to drop the mug. "And I don't feel like being stasified while we're having it!"

  Our eyes locked for a moment then, much to my surprise, the Commander smiled. "You truly are a breath of fresh air. Have a seat," she said pointing toward the plush chair positioned in front of her desk.

  "Ugh...thanks," I said feeling slightly unnerved by her reaction or rather lack of to my extreme insubordination as I slid warily into the proferred seat.

  Jones retrieved her cup from the floor, placed it atop her desk then took a seat herself. "I take it that all of this hostility stems from something you discovered in the Matadaran database regarding your past?"

  My eyes widened with surprise. "How did you..." I began then physically smacked myself on the forehead as realization figuritvely slapped me in the face. "Tianna told you, didn't she? No wonder she was so willing to handle our debrief by herself."

  "Yes she told me," Jones said evenly. "Don't be mad at her," the Commander admonished for the anger she obviously sensed rising in me. "Tianna's a good girl and she's taken quite liking to you. She was only trying to help. And in answer to your next question," she said after a brief pause. "Yes; I was your Sponsor during your time at Lazon; in fact," she continued reaching across her desk and taking my hands gently in hers. "I've been watching over you your entire life."

  Her announcment caught me flatfooted and my mouth fell open. "I don't...I don't understand," I stammered after regaining the use of my voice. "Are you saying that what you told me at our first meeting, about you having had your eyes on me..."

  "Was completely true, with the exception of the way we tracked you down. I already knew who and where you were, and that you would be the perfect operative for this assignment."

  "This is crazy," I snapped snatching my hands from hers and rising angrily from my seat. "First you set up some lame Sanction to get me here and test my skills, and now you're telling me that you already knew who I was and what I could do." I stared at her through disbelieving eyes as my mind worked furioulsy to process this jacked up scenario. "If you're so privy to my life then why go through all that trouble?"

  Jones opened her mouth to speak and for the first time since meeting her I detected a note of uncertainty peeking through her reserved veneer. "The drama I put you through wasn't to gauge how you would do," she admitted, her voice subdued. "It was for me; so that I could see if I would be able to handle putting you in harms way."

  Once again her statement caught me off guard. "You're the Commander of one of the most lethal military squads in the United Systems. What makes me so special?"

  Jones stared at me for a long time, a fierce mental battle going on behind her eyes. Finally she took a deep breath and released it. "The fact that you're my son."

  Her voice was barely a whisper yet her words thundered through the office like the roar of a starship's engines. "What?" I managed to croak through stiff lips, too in shock to do or say anything else.

  Jones slowly stood and moved from behind her desk; her measured steps bringing her to a halt in front me where she reached up and cradled my face in her hands . "You're my son," she repeated, her eyes moist.

  "No," I cried trying to pull away from her but the strength of her grip held me firm. "No...you...you're lying! You must be. My mother died...my mother..."

  "Is alive and well," Jones gently cut me off.

  Again the shock at what she was saying sent a ripple through my rigid body. "But...but why..." I managed to choke out after swallowing hard several times. "Why did dad say you were dead? And why did you stay away from me all these years?"

  The anguish in my words washed over her, and the damn holding back her tears broke loose. "Because it was the only way I could keep the two of you safe."

  "I don't understand," I whispered, my paralysis replaced by a slight tremble as the impact of this moment slowly began to settle over me. "Safe from what?"

  "From me," Jones sighed as she hugged me close to her and rested her head against my chest. Not knowing what else to do, I wrapped my arms around her and stood completely still as she began her tale.

  "Your father and I first met during a shared Covert Op, the details of which are not importent. He was a civilian cotractor assigned to my team, and the two of us developed a fondess for one another that we decided to pursue. One thing led to several others, including you, and for a time life was good."

  "What happened?"

  The Commander (I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that she was my mother) relseased a heavy sigh. "My pass caught up with me. Several members of the Cheesan spice Cartel, a nasty little group that I had infiltrated and helped take down a few years prior to my meeting Jarrod, gainded access to cer
tain Corp files that revealed my true identity which allowed them to track me down and send a hit team to settle the score. I of course dealt with them but you and your father were almost killed in the process. I knew that as long as I was on the Cheesan's radar, the two of you would never be safe."

  "So you figured that leaving us, leaving me," I couldn't help the bitterness in my voice, "was the best solution?"

  Jones tilted her head up so that our eyes met. "It wasn't like that Artemis. The plan was for you two to dissapear while I handled the rift-raft after me then reconnect once we were in the clear. DNA test had already confirmed that you carried the G6PD1 enzyme like your father so we figured Jerrod's homeworld, a restricted planet, would be the ideal place for the two of you hide. Neither of us could've foreseen the accident that would claim his life..."

  "And leave me alone," I bit out angrily.

  "And leave you safe!"

  I was taken aback my the force of her statement.

  "For security purposes I was never identified as the mother on any of the documents pertaining to you which meant that you were in the clear. And though it tore my heart out to do so, I arranged for your admittance into Lazon and set myself up as your sponser under an alias that I had established early on in my career."

  "An alias that I assume no one else knew about," I said. Establishing several pseudo identities was common for Special Operatives. I had a couple myself, the fact of which also made it easier to understand her reasoning. Ours was a dangerous profession which is why I tended to shy away from long term relationships. The potential risk to loved ones was too great.

  "Actually there was one other person who knew the full details of my life."