Renegade Fleet

by J. N. Chaney

  J. N. Chaney

  Copyrighted Material

  Renegade Fleet Copyright © 2018 by Variant Publications

  Book design and layout copyright © 2018 by JN Chaney

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living, dead, or undead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from JN Chaney.

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  1st Edition

  Books By J.N. Chaney

  The Variant Saga:

  The Amber Project

  Transient Echoes

  Hope Everlasting

  The Vernal Memory

  Renegade Star Series:

  Renegade Star

  Renegade Atlas

  Renegade Moon

  Renegade Lost

  Renegade Fleet

  Renegade Earth (May 2018)

  Standalone Books:

  Their Solitary Way

  The Other Side of Nowhere

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  Renegade Fleet

  J. N. Chaney

  BOOK DESCRIPTION

  Renegade Fleet

  Renegade Star Series #5

  An ancient threat is rising.

  Jace Hughes has successfully crippled the Union, saving a small civilization in the process. With a new army at his side, he sets his sights on Earth, the lost homeworld of humanity, vowing to finish the job he set out to do.

  But there is something looming on the horizon. Another threat of unspeakable carnage, and it isn’t the Union or the Sarkonians.

  It may not even be human.

  Journey alongside Jace as he attempts to save his crew, his people, and himself from an enemy he cannot see. The mission is bleak, but the payoff is huge, and everyone wants him dead.

  Just another day for a Renegade.

  Experience a sprawling galactic tale in this fifth entry to The Renegade Star series. If you’re a fan of Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, or Leviathan Wakes, you’ll love this epic, space opera thriller.

  For James,

  Who knows what it means to live free.

  One

  “Keep your eye on the target, Freddie!” I shouted.

  “Yes, sir!” he answered, flying his strike ship toward the asteroid. A blast from one of the proximity drones struck the side of his ship.

  I was about to yell at him again when he regained his speed and trajectory. Freddie had been flying his little rig for a few weeks now, but was slow to pick up the controls. I was glad to see he was finally getting the hang of it.

  “How’s Fred looking?” asked Abigail, using the secondary channel.

  “Not bad,” I admitted, watching as Freddie fired a beam at the asteroid, missing his mark. “But not great, either.”

  “He’ll get there,” said the former nun.

  “How about Karin?” I asked.

  My holo display suddenly changed, showing Karin’s ship maneuvering between multiple drones, evading each of their attacks and landing a final shot on her target. “She’s okay,” said Abby. I could almost hear the satisfaction in her voice.

  “Yeah, live it up,” I said, then switched the comm back over to Freddie. “Try it again, Fred, and this time you’d better get it right!”

  “Y-Yes, sir!”

  “Don’t tell the ship to fire. Just imagine it,” I told him. “Visualize the exact spot you want to hit.”

  “But what if I—”

  “Godsdammit, Freddie, just do it!”

  “Ah!” he squirmed, immediately firing another beam into the asteroid. The blast struck the rock at its center, breaking it apart and scattering dust.

  “That’s what I’m talking about!” I snapped, smacking my dash in celebration. “Now you’re making prog—”

  Another beam left the strike ship, sweeping across the asteroid belt and decimating the other rocks. Freddie’s ship spun out of control. “H-Help!” he cried.

  “Dammit, I guess I spoke too soon,” I said. “Athena, you mind stepping in?”

  The Cognitive popped up on my holo display, giving me a gentle smile. “Not at all.”

  Freddie’s ship stopped firing into the belt, stabilizing itself in the process. I could hear him breathing heavily on the other end of the comm. “Oh, boy,” he said, quickly. “Thanks, Athena. I’m so sorry to trouble you.”

  “Think nothing of it,” said the Cognitive. She disappeared from the display and my radar returned.

  I leaned back in my seat, letting out a short sigh. “Well, that was still better than last time,” I said, opening my comm to the rest of the squad. “Everyone, form up and prep for teams. You know the drill.”

  “You got it,” said Octavia. “Bolin and I are on our way.”

  I watched the dots on the radar slowly come together from across the belt, each of them moving in pairs. Octavia and Bolin, Abigail and Karin, followed by Freddie and me. We didn’t always train this way, but it was important to have a wingman watching your back at all times. When the situation came where we couldn’t move as a team, it might make more sense to break up into pairs. In that instance, we’d be ready to strike. No questions. No discussions.

  But, clearly, we had work to do. Freddie just wasn’t acclimating to the strike ships as quickly as the rest of us. Maybe he didn’t have a good head for it, but I wagered he just needed more time. Who could say? He never seemed to have a problem with The Renegade Star—he’d adapted to those controls much faster. Oh well. I was certain he’d find his footing before too long.

  He just had to do it before we were ambushed again by the Union.

  I waited for everyone to take their positions around the asteroid belt. We divided into two groups, each on either side. The goal was simple. Eliminate the other team.

  The attacks would be safe, of course. Athena had taught me how to lower the density of the ship’s beam so that it didn’t cause any damage. Despite this, each vessel’s hit-detection remained intact, signaling the pilot when the enemy landed an attack. This made training a breeze, giving us the chance to use our weapons and practice exercises without actually destroying each other in the process.

  “Bolin, Octavia, and Karin against Freddie, Abigail, and me,” I explained.

  We had to keep the teams shuffled. It was the best way to see how we worked together, how we adapted to new variables. I’d noticed that Octavia did well with Bolin, but had a hard time communicating with Karin. Maybe putting the three of them together might balance it all out.

  Or maybe not. I had no idea.

  “Same rules as last time,” I said, bringing my ship near Abigail and Freddie, facing the asteroids. “You get tagged and you’re out. Best two out of three.”

  “I’m coming for you, Frederick,” said Karin, a playful tone in her voice.

  “Oh, uh,” he muttered, nervously.

  “Karin,
stop flirting and focus,” ordered Octavia. “I’m not losing to Jace again.”

  “Keep dreaming,” I said. “Everyone ready?”

  “Ready!” they all said together.

  I leaned forward with my hand on the sensor. “Start the countdown. You’ve got two minutes to plan. Better make it a good one.”

  I switched comm channels, ending the call with the other team.

  “What’s the plan?” asked Abby.

  “I was thinking we’d do the one we discussed at dinner the other day. Remember that?” I asked.

  “Of course,” she answered.

  “Is this the one you told me about?” asked Freddie.

  “Sure is,” I said. “Think you can handle it?”

  “Being bait is easy,” he said.

  “That’s the spirit,” I said. “Okay, Abby, we’re following your lead.”

  There was a short pause, followed by a beep, indicating the start of the battle.

  “Here we go!” snapped Abigail.

  She took off, heading straight into the belt, winding between two large asteroids.

  “Right behind you,” I said, signaling my ship to follow.

  Freddie was beside me, sticking close and never branching too far from my position. We wouldn’t be able to track the other team with the radar until we were right on them. It also meant they couldn’t see us coming. Losing the tracker made things more difficult, but I wagered the training would be worth it in the long run.

  Abigail neared the center of the belt, taking her position inside one of the larger asteroids. We hadn’t planned this part out—just the general idea. She’d hide there in low-power mode, ready to ambush the enemy when they came too close.

  “The area is safe,” she said. “Taking position now.”

  I arrived a few seconds later, dropping my ship beneath another large rock. “Freddie, take your position,” I ordered.

  “Yes, sir,” he answered, and went into the open area between the asteroids.

  “If this doesn’t work, we try my plan next time,” said Abby.

  “It’ll work,” I assured her. “Freddie makes excellent bait.”

  “You’re saying it like it’s a good thing,” said Freddie. I could almost hear him frowning.

  “In this case, it is,” I assured him. An indicator light beeped on the radar as one of the enemy ships entered range. “Eyes up! We’ve got company.”

  It was Karin, moving toward Freddie. Since his ship was the only one currently active, she wouldn’t be able to see either Abigail or myself, giving us the element of surprise.

  She accelerated, probably the moment she spotted him, moving along the edge of one of the rocks.

  “In three,” I told my teammates. “Two…one.”

  Abigail and I ignited our thrusters, pushing forward, into the open to meet Karin’s ship. At the same time, Freddie reversed, maneuvering himself between a set of asteroids. The second Karin emerged, Abby and I fired.

  The beams struck the ship before she could even react. The radar beeped, marking her position with a large, red “X”, signaling the kill.

  “Got her!” shouted Abby.

  “Back into the field!” I snapped, giving no time for celebration.

  “Which way?” asked Freddie. “Back the way we came or—”

  Before he could finish, a beam hit the side of his ship, disabling him. “Freddie!” I yelled, right as his icon changed to an “X”.

  I checked the I.D. of the incoming ship. It was Octavia, coming in from behind.

  “I’ve got her!” said Abigail, emerging from a cluster of nearby rocks.

  As the former nun fired, Octavia broke her trajectory and reentered the belt.

  Abby’s beam missed, hitting one of the asteroids. At the same time, I was heading after Octavia from the other direction, racing between the rocks to cut her off.

  She had to see me coming, since I couldn’t cloak or hide my signal at this range, but that was fine. There were two of us and one of—

  A beam grazed the side of my ship, barely missing me and hitting one of the nearby asteroids. I dove forward and out of sight. The radar showed the blast had come from straight ahead, although I couldn’t see the ship. It had to be Bolin, obviously, but that meant he was sitting in low-powered mode, waiting for us.

  “So that’s their plan,” I muttered.

  “Jace, are you okay?” asked Abigail. “Wait there! I’m on my way!”

  “No, stop!” I snapped. “Octavia had the same plan as us, only she was the bait instead of Freddie. Bolin planted himself on the other end to snipe us if we followed.”

  “Looks like we’ll have to change it up now,” she said.

  “Looks like,” I repeated. “Come around behind Bolin. That shot came from beneath this asteroid.” I tapped the holo display and a light formed on the exact spot I’d touched. Abigail would see the same thing on her holo simultaneously.

  “Got it,” she said, quickly heading around to get behind their position.

  I waited, observing Octavia’s movements. She seemed to be hovering there, probably hoping Abigail or I would still take the bait. She’d give up in just a moment, then leave and try a new plan with Bolin. We wouldn’t give her the chance.

  I cleared my throat, feeling the anticipation in my chest. I’ve never had a trigger finger, but in that moment, the sensation to fire had crawled into my hand and begged me to leap out and take both of them on. I could probably do it. I was fast enough, wasn’t I? Octavia was good, but…

  No, better to wait and do this right. Get the drop on them and win. It wasn’t just about me anymore. I had a crew now, and we’d need to make this work if we wanted to beat Brigham and his armada.

  And I aimed to do just that.

  Besides, Abby would kill me, and I couldn’t have that.

  “Almost ready,” she said in my ear.

  I glanced at the holo to see her nearing the position. “On my mark,” I told her, watching Octavia, who was already beginning to move.

  I stared at the spot where I believed Bolin to be. If the two of them were going to change position, then he was about to—

  A small dot formed, indicating that he had activated thrusters. “Now!” I snapped. “After him!”

  Abigail pushed forward, passing between several asteroids and coming up the rear. I did the same, only from the other side, heading toward Octavia.

  By now, the two of them could see us both, we were so close, which meant we’d only have a few seconds to get the drop on them.

  It would have to be enough.

  Bolin began to move and turn, probably trying to get clear of Abby’s line-of-sight. I, on the other hand, went straight for Octavia.

  I fired the second she was in range. To my surprise, she was already facing me, too. We exchanged beams, hitting one another at the same time.

  I cursed as soon as I realized what had happened, and two red “X” marks appeared on our positions.

  “Godsdammit, Octavia!” I shouted, although she couldn’t hear me. Not until the training match had ended.

  “Did she get you?” asked Freddie.

  I’d nearly forgotten the poor bastard was there. “Yeah,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “Lucky shot.”

  Another “X” popped up on the holo, taking me by surprise. In my frustration, I’d missed all the action happening with Abby. Had Bolin taken her out?

  Abby let out a quick whoop of excitement, telling me all I needed to know. “Made it!”

  “Hey, great job!” exclaimed Freddie. “I knew you two could do it!”

  I let myself smile a little. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. I knew that plan would work.”

  Abigail snickered. “Could’ve fooled me by all that cursing just now.”

  The comms opened up again, now that the match was over. “Damn,” said Octavia. “I thought we had that one.”

  “Seems like we both had a similar strategy,” said Abigail.

  “The difference is
that we didn’t sacrifice ours,” said Octavia.

  She was right about that. I never would have used Freddie like this in a real fight. It’d be a waste, but it was good to try new strategies while we had the time…test different scenarios and see what worked. “Freddie likes being sacrificed,” I joked.

  “Is that true, Frederick?” she asked.

  Freddie paused. “No comment.”

  “Okay, folks,” I said, priming thrusters. “Time to head home for the day. Let’s reconvene tomorrow, same time.”

  “Understood,” said Bolin.

  “I’ll bring a better strategy next time,” said Octavia. “You’d better watch yourself.”

  I smirked at the challenge. “Same goes for you.”

  Two

  “Octavia entered the loading bay ahead of me. I was the last one to arrive, bringing my ship through the shield and setting down next to her. She was already walking out, waving toward the rear section.

  At Hitchens, by the look of it.

  The jolly professor smiled at her, returning the gesture. He looked to be in his usual high spirits, with Lex and Camilla by his side. Hitchens had taken to tutoring the two girls in the afternoon, during the time between lunch and dinner. School had never been my thing, but I figured the kids needed it. They all seemed to enjoy it, including Hitchens, so much that the happy fool was already talking about expanding his lessons to the other children.

  The ship’s door opened, allowing me to disembark. Alphonse spotted me and jogged over as I stepped onto the bay floor. “Captain! Do you have a moment?”

  “What’s up, Al?” I asked.

  Alphonse never bothered me with trivial bullshit. Like the rest of my crew, he was smart enough to handle most situations on his own. If he needed to speak with me, I figured it had to be important.

  “The new recruits are acclimating quickly to the training regiment,” he explained, motioning to several of our new residents, near the other strike ship. “The first group of trainees is nearly ready to graduate to tactical combat training. Have you decided who you want to oversee that yet?”