Paladin

by Natalie Grey

  Sandar drew himself up. “I do not answer to you, scout. I answer only to Koel Yennai.”

  “A poor choice.”

  “I assure you that I have done quite well for myself.” Sandar allowed a sardonic smile to touch his lips. “You will not rise very far in Yennai, recruit.”

  Which meant either a lifelong stint in one of the factories or outright execution. But he wasn’t about to tell the human that while he was still armed.

  Even this human’s armor wasn’t regulation. Sandar grimaced and nodded at the carrier.

  “Withdraw from this battle and await your transfer. It should please you not to participate, in any case.”

  “It’s worth noting, you know,” the human continued thoughtfully, “that at no point did I say I was part of the Yennai Corporation. You assumed.”

  “I—” Sandar’s head jerked to the other scout. “He isn’t with you?”

  “I thought he was with you,” the scout was saying as Sandar’s head was ripped from his body and bounced gently into the underbrush.

  The scout shrieked and ran. He clearly thought he had only a few seconds to live, but sheer animal terror drove him onward.

  Barnabas watched him go, checking his Jean Dukes. “You can come out now,” he said to Gar. “They’ll be along shortly.”

  You could have brought the head back yourself, you know, Shinigami said. It’s just laziness, really.

  But he’s doing such a good job. Barnabas craned his head to watch the scout flailing through the woods. He was lost from sight after a few moments, but the sound of his screams carried through the evening air.

  He had to hand it to the Yennai Corporation’s generals. Whatever the scout managed to gasp, which Barnabas was fairly sure was entirely incoherent, the generals responded promptly and with force. A missile hurtled through the trees.

  Barnabas swore and tackled Gar sideways, pulling his coat over his head. There was a moment of searing heat, then the missile finally hit the ground a few dozen yards away. It landed just in front of the city walls and exploded in a shower of dirt and stone.

  The response from the Jotun town was instantaneous. Several cannons belched smoke and fire, and munitions arced overhead. From amongst the trees, Barnabas heard the soldiers roar as they charged.

  “Between a rock and a hard place,” Barnabas said succinctly.

  A mech appeared first, crashing through the trees on a series of heavy, spidery legs.

  Barnabas ran, taking a bounding leap and pushed off a tree to land on the mech’s top. He drew back his fist and punched down with all his might, significantly denting the metal. Still, it appeared that wouldn’t be the best strategy.

  He frowned.

  You could try opening it, you know.

  I’m sure it’s locked.

  Just try it, Shinigami urged.

  Barnabas rolled his eyes and hauled on the handle of the top hatch, which opened so easily that he lost his balance and nearly tipped off the side of the mech.

  Men. Shinigami scoffed.

  A soldier popped up through the now-open porthole with a rifle, scanning around.

  You see, falling off the side was useful. Barnabas clawed his way up, grabbed the barrel of the gun, and used it to haul the soldier out and over the side. He kept the gun. Barnabas pulled out the clip and slammed the gun down through the porthole. Screams and thuds answered the blow.

  Behold the Queen’s Rangers. So graceful. So dignified.

  Listen. I am not going to take these insults from—ow!

  Branch?

  Bullet. Barnabas flexed his shoulder and hissed. The wound had barely broken the coat’s fabric—some of the best tech to come out of Jean’s labs—but there was going to be one hell of a bruise.

  He reached down into the mech as it fired and bared his teeth at the first soldier he hauled up. “Turn this thing off.”

  “Don’t do it!” the soldier cried dramatically. “Save yourself! Keep firing! For—”

  “Look, if you’re determined to die dramatically…” Barnabas held up the soldier’s body as the mechs behind them started to fire, having finally noticed him.

  The Yennai armor was not quite good enough for the soldier to survive that many direct hits, but both layers of it combined with the soldier’s body were enough to keep Barnabas safe, at least.

  “Thank you.” Barnabas dumped the body off the side and jumped down into the interior before another round of bullets could reach him.

  The mech pilot had his sidearm out, clutched in shaking hands. “I’m armed, and I warn you—we’ll fight to the death!”

  “That is just a ridiculous sentiment from someone who’s trying to slaughter civilians,” Barnabas informed him. “However, since you’re all so damned insistent on this, I will help you out.” He slashed the pilot’s throat with one of his knives, turning the body, so the blood sprayed onto the back wall of the mech. “All right, how do I pilot this thing?”

  There’s probably a manual somewhere. Or, if you’re determined to be manly, I can just let you figure it out on your own.

  Some pointers would be helpful!

  The joystick on the left will deviate you from the pre-set course and the joystick on the right is part of the point-and-shoot display. Also, the body can swivel on the base.

  Excellent. How do I do that? I want to shoot at the rest of them.

  Probably wise. They’re arming missiles. I’d try the toggle switch above your head.

  Doubtfully, Barnabas complied—only for the mech’s body to do a dizzying 360-degree spin. He toggled it a bit more carefully the second time and wound up facing the other mechs.

  They’ve been firing at you this whole time, but their bullets aren’t very useful against the mech body. I’d suggest the missiles. They seem to be saving theirs for a special occasion.

  What better occasion than this? Barnabas asked whimsically. He targeted another mech, pressed what he guessed was the missile launch button, and was rewarded by four missiles launching from the right side of the mech. It rocked on its spider feet, and the target exploded in a shower of sparks and splintering trees. We probably didn’t need all four of those.

  Probably not, no. Look down at the control panel for a moment? Okay, try the green button. Now the blue. Now press the blue and the orange at the same time while targeting that cluster of mechs over there. Whooooo!

  We’ve started a forest fire.

  We’ll deal with that in a moment. Right now, you need to be anywhere but inside that mech.

  Barnabas hauled himself out with a curse and tumbled into the undergrowth as several missiles slammed into the mech and knocked it back into a tree.

  Ruuuuuun, tiny squishy human!

  Barnabas ran.

  Several mech crews, apparently not aware of who or what he was, decided to take this opportunity to avenge their fellow mech pilots’ deaths. They piled out of the mechs and ran for him.

  Unbelievable. Inside the mechs, they had armor and missiles. Outside…

  Barnabas snickered as he dove into a slide and took out several pilots at the ankles. They yelped as they fell, and Barnabas rolled back to his feet. A few were still standing. He drove a fist into one’s face, pivoted to bash another with his elbow, and seized a third by the lapels and kneed him in the chest. Two shots took out the two on the ground still moving.

  Can you get to the center of town?

  Yes, why?

  Because there are two more Yennai carriers on the way, and I’m guessing it’s nuke o’clock.

  Barnabas turned and sprinted for the town. Get word to the Jotun!

  They know. They’re evacuating the troops and sending shuttles into the town. The Shinigami screamed overhead and banked sharply before descending. I’m picking up as many as I can.

  I’ll meet you there. Barnabas pushed himself as fast as he could, screaming for the Jotuns on the city walls to get to the center of town.

  Koel Yennai had wanted to take this colony with infantry. No doubt he
wanted an occupation, with the civilians held hostage for the Jotun Navy’s good behavior.

  But he’d been prepared for it to go wrong, and he was willing to sacrifice his own soldiers to make that happen.

  Above Abassi, Commander Jeqwar swung her ship around and primed her missiles. All she had to do was intercept enough nukes for the evacuation to take place. After the last battle, she had no faith that she could take down a carrier.

  “Do whatever you have to do,” she told her fighter pilots as she launched them out into space.

  “Yes, ma’am.” They knew what that meant.

  Nukes launched from the carriers, and Jeqwar let instinct take over. She directed her own missiles to intercept, keeping the destroyer in constant motion. Not a single one of the destroyers could afford to be taken down, not when they were all that stood between the nukes and the colony. They had arrived the fastest and now…

  “All clear,” came the transmission from the ground. “Get out of there. Don’t wait, and don’t engage.” There was a pause, and the admiral added, “We can’t fight this fleet.”

  21

  Admiral Threton was one of the most distinguished officers the Jotun Navy had ever produced. A living legend, he had single-handedly rescued several civilian ships from a slaver attack back when he was just a destroyer captain. Since that time, he had managed the fleet through several engagements and war drills.

  The problem was, Barnabas couldn’t for the life of him figure out which of the Jotuns standing on Shinigami’s bridge before him was Admiral Threton.

  “Help me,” Barnabas said to Gar silently.

  “How?”

  “You introduce me as our emissary, and hopefully, their second-in-command will introduce him.”

  “Clever,” Shinigami commented. “Maybe you should introduce me as our emissary, however.”

  “You can’t project an avatar out here.”

  “Give me a body, then.”

  Barnabas refrained from rolling his eyes as Gar stepped forward with a bow, gestured, and announced, “Barnabas, captain of the Shinigami.”

  Barnabas nodded to the group of three Jotun.

  “Barnabas, this is Admiral Threton.” The leftmost Jotun gestured to the one on the far right. “I am Commander Jeqwar, and this is Commander Celwar.”

  “I am pleased to meet you.” Barnabas nodded to each of them in turn. “This is Venfaldri Gar, and my associate, Shinigami, is listening in remotely.”

  “Shinigami is an Artificial Intelligence, yes?” Admiral Threton sounded dubious. “Is it capable of drawing conclusions?”

  “I assure you, aside from multitasking processing capabilities—in which capacity she far exceeds any of us—she is quite similar to any organic mind.” Barnabas gestured to the ship. “She will be able to use the ship’s external speakers to communicate with us.”

  Not that I intend to after that insult. “Is it capable of drawing conclusions?” What does he think I am, a pocket calculator?

  Quick! 4 + 6.

  I hate you.

  Barnabas hid a smile. “We have important matters to discuss. Namely, how we intend to defeat the Yennai Corporation.”

  There was an awkward moment of silence, then the admiral made a noise Barnabas could only describe as clearing a mechanical throat.

  Thankfully, he did not beat around the bush. “We aren’t prepared to attack until we can be sure that we understand their cloaking and shield mechanisms,” he said bluntly. “And we don’t know when that will be.”

  “I’ll help,” Shinigami said. “We all need to know that. After all,” she added smoothly, “we’re on the clock now.”

  The Jotuns looked at one another.

  Shinigami continued with only the faintest edge to her voice. “I assume we all understand that any appeasement efforts will be entirely useless. What Koel Yennai wants—”

  “Is to rule this sector,” the admiral interrupted. “We are aware of that, Miss Shinigami. At this point, we have to weigh his goals against his apparent desire to kill our entire populace if he does not get what he wants. Because it seems he can carry that plan out quite successfully.”

  “That would be short-sighted.” Barnabas picked up the thread Shinigami had started. “Koel only wants you to believe the choices are between benevolent dictatorship and certain death. In fact, neither of those options are a true representation of the facts. He is using brutality to blind you.”

  “I am aware of his tactics, thank you.” The admiral sounded unimpressed. “And I hold this position with the express purpose of defending my people. If I undertake a course of action which will result in deaths—perhaps thousands of deaths—I must be willing to say that it was truly the only way. I must be able to say with certainty that I knew more would die. Not that I simply believed Koel would eventually turn into a dictator.”

  “Idiot,” Shinigami muttered over their comm.

  “Hold on a moment.”

  Barnabas looked at the admiral. “What do you see as an alternative to an attack?”

  “A false capitulation that sets him off his guard, followed by an attack at an appropriate time.”

  Barnabas nodded slowly. “And you think this has a chance of winning? You think Koel will not anticipate this, demand the imprisonment of your officer corps, and install some method of insurance in every Jotun colony?”

  There was a long silence.

  “You’re right. He’s an idiot.”

  “I do have some sympathy, though,” Gar commented. “It would be a hard sell to go back and explain that he knew Koel was going to destroy colonies if he didn’t back down…and he didn’t back down.”

  “Then he just needs to take Koel out before Koel can take out any more colonies,” Shinigami said promptly.

  “Precisely,” Barnabas agreed.

  “Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.” Gar looked a little bewildered. “Why isn’t he doing that?”

  “He thinks the odds are too much of a long shot,” Shinigami explained. To the admiral, she said, “We understand your desire to save as many lives as possible.”

  “We also respect your wish to make this a battle of wits as well as weapons,” Barnabas added.

  “The only way to win against Koel now, however,” Shinigami finished, “is to hit him hard and fast and end his hopes entirely.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” the admiral snapped. “Your colonies aren’t in the crossfire.”

  “Yet.” Barnabas felt his lip curl in contempt, though he tried not to be too obvious about it. “I am not sure about Jotun history, but in human history, it is quite clear that when someone like Koel takes power, no one is safe. If we allow Koel’s reach to grow longer, he will come for human colonies.”

  “Then summon your fleets to deal with him!”

  “If we must, we will.” Barnabas did not waver. “I am telling you, however, that we do not have time to get all of those ships here, and pulling them away from their current engagements will hurt us as well. I do not ask your ships to engage for no reason.”

  “Besides which, it’s hardly unfair of us to ask you to fight Koel yourself when it’s your colonies he’s attacking at present,” Gar pointed out.

  “A very good point,” Shinigami said over the comm.

  “Thank you. Now, try not to roll your eyes too much. Just let me try something.”

  “All right,” Barnabas said apprehensively.

  “I’m intrigued,” Shinigami said.

  “With your politicians having sold out to the Yennai Corporation, this is a uniquely difficult operation for you,” Gar observed.

  Admiral Threton bristled at this. “We are hardly the only species that has had politicians taking bribes.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” Gar’s voice rose slightly, but he got himself back under control. “You’re quite correct. All species are corruptible, and Koel is very good at finding leverage. What I meant was that you are fighting, knowing that there is misinformation being spread, and kn
owing that your sacrifices are not being honored. That is…well, I cannot imagine how difficult it is. I know only the smallest part of that.”

  Admiral Threton looked at him curiously.

  “I am Luvendi,” Gar said with a shrug. “My family does not respect my choice to leave Luvendan. Though I have found great purpose and done many things of which I am proud, I know they think I shamed our family by leaving. I cannot imagine how much worse it must be to know that I would face imprisonment or disgrace, as you are.”

  “Er, Gar? Are you sure you’re making this better?”

  “Keep listening.” Gar’s subvocalization sounded serene.

  The Jotuns looked at one another.

  “You know,” Gar said emphatically, “that they’re back on Jotuna, making speeches and media statements, saying that you were supposed to be in prison, that you’ve brought the wrath of the Yennai Corporation down on the civilians…and they’re just hoping, praying, that they’ll make it out with their mansions and their bribes still intact.”

  Commander Jeqwar fairly growled her contempt. “Soft-living idiots. They do nothing for us. They sold us out to the Yennai. They gave them windows into our technology! They should be strung up for this.”

  Gar laughed. “But did you hear their communications when they arrived and saw your fleet? We caught a few pieces of chatter. They were flabbergasted. Whatever those politicians gave them, the Yennai fleet didn’t have any idea they should expect you all. Oh, it was beautiful.”

  The Jotuns started to laugh as well, little mechanical chuckles.

  I’ll be damned, he’s actually pulling it off. Barnabas saw where Gar was going with this, but he didn’t want to intervene or even chime in. Gar had wormed his way into their good graces and was working them. Barnabas might only scare them off.

  “They’ve handed so much over, though.” Gar shook his head. “Like you said—the technology, the channels into the fleet. You managed to cut off their access, but that hardly excuses it. Those politicians thought they were giving all of that information up.”

  The Jotuns nodded.

  “And right now…” Gar sounded thoughtful now. “I can’t imagine what Koel is offering in bribes.”