“There’s a problem with this,” the Union station guard said.
“No, it’s legit.” I leaned over and touched his tablet, allowing X-37 to do his magic. “See right there. One thousand credits.”
“That says one hundred credits. Are you trying to cheat the Union?” the guard asked.
I spread my hands apologetically. “Hey, I had to try, right? Can’t get nothing past the Union’s finest.”
A few minutes later, the man agreed with me that a fugitive like Slipdriver would say anything to stay out of jail. I got paid and I left. On the way out of the system, the Jellybird fired two rockets into the Iben IV communications relay.
“Send an apology and a promise to pay for the damages,” I said. “The good people of Iben IV didn’t deserve that inconvenience. This system really sucks space balls.”
“Agreed, Captain,” Jelly said.
X-37 disapproved of my generosity. “You’re getting soft.”
“Maybe I’m turning over a new leaf.”
“Reapers are known to be recidivists. That’s why the Reaper Corps was eliminated.”
“Am I the last of us?” I asked.
“Unknown, but there were three including you when you were sentenced and I stopped receiving updates,” X-37 said.
I wondered who had survived. Not that we were a close-knit group. Partitioning was a big part of the RC. Thinking on this and other grim scenarios, I went to deal with the kid.
“She’s not going to like your plan for her,” X-37 said.
“Of course not.” I didn’t really give a shit at this point.
32
“Greendale is a nice planet,” I said, glad that her backstabbing, used-his-own-daughter-for-research father wasn’t here to chime in with his opinion.
“It’s not that green,” she said somberly.
I suspected she understood what was about to happen. Smart and street savvy, it was too bad I couldn’t take her with me. I mean, I could, but it wouldn't be fair to a young woman with a future. Going renegade had been a popular fantasy in the neighborhood where I grew up. I’d seen enough to know how dangerous and miserable the career actually was.
The planet we were landing on had some green areas. This time of year, it was mostly brown or yellow, but the name wasn’t a total lie. I’d been to Greendale once before to drop an information packet. Hadn’t killed anyone, which led me to remember the place fondly.
Maybe it was a cancer on the galactic slip tunnel system. I didn’t care and it wouldn’t change what I had to do anyway.
“You’re leaving me here,” she said, swiveling in the copilot’s chair.
“I know people here who can teach you things, basic skills if you want to stay on the run.”
“Why don’t you teach me?” she asked. “Why don’t you take me with you?”
“Because you don’t want that kind of blood on your hands. I made a list while I was stuck on death row,” I said. “There is going to be a reckoning.”
“Are you going to put a stop to people like my father?” she asked.
“Yes and no. A lot of people on the list just pissed me off. Bad service at a restaurant, beat me at checkers, basically everyone who needs to die.” I had the skill and the motivation to do anything I wanted. Including dominate at checkers.
“Be serious,” she said.
“I’m going renegade, but it won’t be like other renegades,” I said. “You don’t want to be part of my fight with the Union.”
“You’re just like everyone else,” she said.
I laughed bitterly. “Kid, there’s no one like me.”
“You think you hate the Union more than I do.” She glared at me. “You think you’ve got a better reason.”
I leaned in close and spoke in a near whisper. “They killed my father and nearly everyone else I cared about. The only reason they left my mother and sister alive was so I’d worry about them.”
She didn’t know how to respond, choosing instead to glare at me like I was a total asshole.
“But you know what? I’m mostly angry at myself for not putting it together before now. They convinced me gangs did it, and I went vigilante. It felt good and taught me a lot about myself. They weren’t wrong to lock me up.”
Her expression changed, uncertain at my admission.
“I could take you with me and teach you things, but I wouldn’t be doing you a favor.” The last thing I wanted to do was ruin this kid’s life. “You want to take the fast lane to hell, then do what I do.”
“Whatever,” she said, looking away.
I landed the Jellybird and worked silently on the keyboard. I could’ve asked Jelly or X-37 to do most of the work, but I didn’t want to speak. That would only give Elise an opening for further conversation.
The ship was old, larger than it really needed to be, and lacking any type of aesthetic presentation. The exterior was three or four different colors, depending on how you classified primer gray, and the design hadn’t been popular for decades. In short, my ship was totally forgettable.
Elise kept up the silent treatment as I walked her down the gangway to the docking station. I bought her a cheeseburger and we watched ships land and take off while we ate.
“You’ll do fine on your own.”
“Fuck off,” she said, not bothering to look at me.
As I handed her a go-bag with not much in it, I nearly reversed my decision. She was probably the last person in the galaxy who would ever travel with me willingly.
“Keep your head on a swivel, kid.”
She turned and walked away.
“Fucking brat,” I muttered.
I left the Greendale system behind, burning more fuel than necessary with a hard acceleration.
“Jelly, let’s take the next slip tunnel to the Deadlands.”
“Right away, Captain.”
When the tunnel opened, I flinched. Why had I left a kid on a planet with only a few old soldiers to check on her? She’d give them no end of grief, probably hate them because they’d been my friends.
And when the Union came looking for them, they were the honorable types that would get themselves killed trying to defender her.
I had to put the Union down before that happened. With luck, they’d be too busy chasing me to look for the kid.
Yeah, right. That would work.
I pulled up a holo screen full of text.
“Looking for a job already, sir?” X-37 asked, finally dropping my name from his regular vocabulary. I didn’t like hearing it.
“We need a lot of repairs,” I said. “And a war against the Union isn’t going to pay for itself.”
“It might, Captain,” Jelly said.
“You have my attention.” I’d probably already thought of whatever Jelly was going to say, but I didn’t want to get caught up in rebel politics. Most of them were amateurs. Still, I had to keep an open mind.
“Mine as well,” X-37 said.
“My previous captains were very fond of stealing from the Union,” Jelly said.
“By previous captains, you’re referring to the ones who died on said raids?” I asked.
“Well yes, but they weren’t Reapers,” Jelly said defensively.
“Good point. But let’s start with an easy job to get warmed up and make some connections. Find me some alien kittens to transport or something.” I needed to recuperate and repair some shit. “Maybe there’s someone in this galaxy that owes someone else money. X-37 knows my CV.”
Several new pages of text rolled across the holo screen.
“Wow. Is there really this much need for cat smuggling in the galaxy?” I asked.
“You would be surprised, Captain,” the Jellybird said. “Shall I plot a course to a system with technology sufficient to repair the damage to your cybernetic systems?”
“You know of such a place?” I asked.
“I do, Captain. It is heavily guarded, however.”
“We’ll figure something out. Maybe I will just ask n
icely.” I had ways of getting things done.
Hal, X-37, and Elise return in Fear the Reaper, out now on Amazon.
For more updates on this series, be sure to join the Facebook Group, “J.N. Chaney’s Renegade Readers.”
Renegade Star Universe
The Renegade Star Universe
Click the titles below to reach the book’s Amazon page
The Renegade Star Series
They say the Earth is just a myth. Something to tell your children when you put them to sleep, the lost homeworld of humanity. Everyone knows it isn't real, though. It can't be.
But when Captain Jace Hughes encounters a nun with a mysterious piece of cargo and a bold secret, he soon discovers that everything he thought he knew about Earth is wrong. So very, very wrong.
Climb aboard The Renegade Star and assemble a crew, follow the clues, uncover the truth, and most importantly, try to stay alive.
The Last Reaper Series
When a high value scientist is taken hostage inside the galaxy's most dangerous prison, Halek Cain is the only man for the job.
The last remaining survivor of the Reaper program, Hal is an unstoppable force of fuel and madness. A veteran amputee-turned-cyborg, he has a history of violence and a talent for killing that is unmatched by any soldier.
With the promise of freedom as his only incentive, he’ll stop at nothing to earn back his life from the people who made him, imprisoned him, and were too afraid to let him die.
The Orion Colony Series
Humanity’s Exodus is about to begin.
When half of mankind revolts and demands more opportunity, those at the top decide on a compromise: they will build the first colony ships and allow those who are willing to discover new worlds to leave and start over.
Twelve ships are built, the first of which is called Orion. Many are eager to go, but only one hundred thousand are chosen for each vessel. Far from Earth, a new life awaits, and it promises the prosperity they’ve always wanted.
But still, resistance stirs, eager to sabotage this new expansion effort, threatening the promise of a new life. As Orion moves through the void of space, towards a distant world, its passengers must fight for survival in an unprecedented conflict.
Win or lose, their future will be forever changed.
The Fifth Column Series
After a soldier is left for dead, Eva Delgado's life begins to unravel.
The truth of what happened remains a mystery, and the government will stop at nothing to keep it buried.
Together with the unit's medic, Eva finds herself branded a terrorist and enemy of the State, hunted by two opposing governments.
When the pair uncover a plot that could have ramifications for the whole galaxy, they know they have to act, but it will take all of their training, cunning and just a bit of luck to do what no one else has achieved.
But what do you do when every secret begets another? And how far will you go to find the truth?
Nameless (Abigail’s Story)
Abigail and Clementine were just a couple of orphans looking for a home.
But when the two girls witness something terrible, they have no choice but to leave their orphanage and go into hiding. The only person willing to take them in is a man named Mulberry, but his home isn't the safest place for two innocent children.
Abigail and Clementine quickly discover that their new caretaker is the head of a guild of assassins, and the two are thrown into a whole new world of danger. To survive, they'll need to adapt, focus, and learn how to survive in a world of killers.
The Constable (Alphonse’s Story)
My name is Alphonse Malloy, and I see everything.
From a simple glance, I know your hobbies, what you ate for breakfast, how well you slept, and whether or not your wife is secretly seeing the high school biology teacher when you're not around.
I can't explain how or why I get these feelings, only that I know they're true.
All the little secrets you're too afraid to tell.
Sometimes, that means helping people. Other times, it means staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.
I wish I could tell you I was using this ability for good.
I wish I could tell you a lot of things.
The Constable Returns
Alphonse Malloy may just be the smartest man alive.
A year has passed since Alphonse joined the Constables, but his work is only just beginning. In order to graduate and achieve full Constable status, Alphonse will need to complete one final mission.
When new information about an old enemy arises, Al and his mentor Dorian must head deep into the Deadlands in search of answers.
But in a galaxy of secrets, the truth is often more elusive than it seems.
As the search continues, Alphonse's talents will be pushed to their absolute limit, and he'll need everything he's learned to make it out of this one alive.
Warrior Queen (Lucia’s Story)
On a lost world, far removed from Earth, a group of humans struggle to survive.
Two thousand years after their ancestors lost control of a hidden genetics research facility, the descendants of mankind have been reduced to a tribe of two hundred survivors. They fight, kill, and die in an endless cycle, all in the hope that things will get better.
Lucia is one of these colonists and the daughter of the tribe's leader, the Director. Together with several other candidates, she must soon undergo a trial to decide her father's replacement. The winner will shape the future of the entire colony.
But the trial is dangerous, meant to test each candidate's wits and strengths to see who is truly worthy. To claim victory, Lucia will need to venture out into the tunnels near the city to search for lost artifacts known as Cores--small but powerful devices capable of harnessing endless energy.
But there are monsters here, waiting in the dark, and they are always hungry. Beware the Boneclaw, Lucia's father use to tell her, for it lives only to kill and to feed.
Lucia must do whatever it takes, learn as much as she can, and fight with every ounce of strength if she hopes to make it through the day.
Forget winning the trial. The real challenge is staying alive.
Resonant Son Series
30 floors of nightmare fueled action. An ex-cop with nothing left to lose.
After losing his job and family, Flint Reed finds himself in the middle of a terrorist attack. With nothing but his wits and experience as a former Union police officer, he must do everything he can to stay alive.
As he soon discovers, however, there are also hostages, and no one is coming to save them.
All hope falls to Flint.
But as he fights to navigate the building, the real answers begin to unravel. What are the terrorists really after, and why are they so intent on getting into the vault?
Experience the beginning of the Resonant Son series. If you're a fan of Die Hard, Renegade Star, or the Last Reaper, you'll love this epic scifi thrill ride.
Galactic Law Series
Lethal force is authorized.
In the wild space of the Deadlands, Taurus Station is where miners and tourists come to play, and the ravager gangs follow close behind. Out here, far from the civilized world, the Law has a name.
Gage Walker is the son of hard-nosed asteroid miners. Brash, rough, and crude, he's one of the few deputies working the station.
Still a rookie, Walker is tasked with the security of a mining magnate's daughter, an easy job that quickly takes a turn for the worst.
The ravager gangs want her, and it falls to Walker to find out why.
In a chase across Taurus Station, Deputy Walker must prove he's fit to wear the badge and issue his own form of justice...one body at a time.
Deadland Drifter Series
When a dental appointment goes sideways, former Union Operative Jack Burner wakes to find himself drugged, and imprisoned.
And he's given a choice: assassinate an Admiral... or allow himself to be killed.
>
With no other option, Jack reluctantly accepts the mission, only to find himself being trailed by a mysterious blonde woman... and she may or may not want him dead.
As if dealing with a terrorist group wasn't enough.
With the fate of the Admiral and thousands of lives on hanging in the balance, Jack stands in the middle of an event that could ignite a war on the edge of the Deadlands and Union Space.
Despite his exceptional abilities, training, and tenancy, even Jack has little to no chance of preventing this particular powder keg from exploding.
He's going to need a miracle.
Join the conversation and get updates on new and upcoming releases in the Facebook group called “JN Chaney’s Renegade Readers.” This is a hotspot where readers come together and share their lives and interests, discuss the series, and speak directly to J.N. Chaney and his co-authors.
The Last Reaper Page 25
