by Darko, Luke
“Roger, I have to say that was the best meal I ever had,” she said with a smile. Even though she still looked pale from the internal bleeding, Matt still thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. It was at hearing his father’s name that he remembered his vow.
“Xandra, I have a couple of things to tell you,” he said, the smile disappearing from his face.
“You can tell me anything,” she said. Matt took a deep breath and tried to steel his courage. “It’s okay,” she said with a smile as she leaned back against the pillows. She was still weak and Matt had insisted she remain in bed even while she ate. Matt could tell that the meal hadn’t done as much as he had hoped to build her strength, but he knew he needed to get everything off his chest.
“First of all, it looks like you’re still bleeding inside. You’re going to need surgery, and soon. Since I’m not sure who we can trust, I’m taking you back to Earth. They have great doctors there and if anyone can help you, they can.”
“That’s perfect, Roger,” she said, her voice sounding weaker with every utterance. “I really want to see your home. I’ll bet it’s beautiful.”
“The other thing I need to tell you is that my name isn’t Roger.” He paused for a moment to let it sink in. Matt couldn’t tell if the look of discomfort on her face was due to her condition or what he had just admitted, but he knew he had no choice but to continue.
“Roger Britton is my father. All the things I told you about being in the Planetary Defense Force and being decorated for bravery is all true, but it happened to my father and not to me. My name is Matt and I’m nothing but a smuggler. The night I met you I had just come to Lathos to look for my next job.” Xandra closed her eyes and hugged her stomach. Matt still wasn’t sure if she was reacting to his admission or her own condition, but he was worried all the same.
“Don’t we make quite a pair?” she said quietly as she opened her eyes. Matt could tell it took a bit of an effort to do so. “Not only are we both liars, but the lies we told brought us to right where we are. I have no doubt that if I had told you who my father was, you never would have even considered letting me go with you when you left Lathos.”
“Probably not,” he said softly. He suddenly found it hard to look her in the eyes.
“You have to be thinking that if you had told me the truth when we first met, I would have shot you down just like every other guy who spoke to me that night.”
“Yeah, I’d say something like that,” he grinned.
“That’s probably what would have happened. So, if either of us had been truthful, I’d be back on Lathos being bored out of my skull by my classes and the prospect of being groomed for a job I don’t want, and you’d be off somewhere smuggling stolen merchandise for someone. The problem with all of that is that I’ve fallen in love with you,” she said, turning to look at him and squeezing his hand.
“I love you too,” he said and kissed her passionately.
“Then let’s get me to Earth so I can get better, and then we can start our new lives together,” she said when their lips parted.
“About that,” he said, turning away from her.
“This is supposed to be the part where we’re totally honest with each other,” she told him. “Don’t ruin the moment.”
“I’m going to be honest,” he assured her, “but I think I’m going to ruin the moment we’ve been having, too. When we get to Earth I’m going to be arrested. I don’t know how long I’m going to be in jail, but it won’t be a short stay.”
“Then we’ll go someplace else,” she said. “There has to be other worlds with doctors.”
“My first goal was to get far enough from Lathos so that no one knows you or that General Ragen is searching for you. I think I’ve accomplished that, but now that means that the best doctors we could hope to find are on Earth. Lathos physiology is unknown in this sector, so I don’t feel comfortable having you in the hands of anyone but the best. Even if that weren’t the case, we’d have a hard time finding a place where there isn’t a price on my head. Earth will probably treat me a little better because I’m Roger Britton’s son.”
“You must be one hell of a smuggler,” she deadpanned.
“I like to think so.”
“Well, then I guess Earth it is,” she said. “But once I’m healed, I’m returning to Lathos to talk to my father. Once he knows that you’ve been helping me, then maybe he can do something to help. Lathos and Earth may not be allies, but I’m sure your government won’t ignore the request of another head of state.”
“Xandra, it’s too dangerous,” Matt insisted. “Ragen wants your father’s job, and to ensure that he gets it he needs you dead, too. If you go back, there’s a good chance he’ll get to you first.”
“You’ve been risking your life for me from the start,” she said. “How can I not do the same for you?”
“I’m asking you not to do that. We don’t have to figure all of this out now. The first thing we need to do is get you taken care of.” Before Xandra could object, Matt heard his proximity alarm sounding. Confused, he looked over at the chronometer next to the bed. He was shocked to see that he had been asleep for almost twenty-four hours. He had clearly been more exhausted than he had realized. “Wait here,” he said, then went back to the main deck.
“Okay, here’s where we stand,” he said after coming back a few minutes later. “I fell asleep and pushed the engines harder than I should have, and they overheated. In the process I got us close enough to Earth space that I was able to contact the PDF. They’re sending a ship to meet us now. It should reach us in less than an hour.”
“What does that mean for you?” she asked.
“What it means for you is that you will get the surgery you need. You’re going to be fine. As for me, it’s just as I said. I’m going to be arrested and I’m going to have to stand trial.”
Xandra didn’t say a word. She just cried on Matt’s shoulder as he held her in his arms. He was relieved to know that she was going to be safe. To Matt, that was what was most important. An hour later he was kissing her just before the doctor on the Planetary Defense Force vessel took her away to perform surgery and he was taken to the brig.
A day later, after being assured that Xandra was well on her way to a full recovery, Matt was back on Earth, sitting in a jail cell. He was startled when he received an unexpected visitor. “General Brian Weathers,” he said to the tall, bald, African American man sitting on the other side of the force field that kept Matt confined. “This is a surprise. What brings the head of the PDF himself to my humble cell?”
“Your father was the finest officer I ever had the pleasure of commanding,” the man said. Brian Weathers was pushing seventy but still looked like he could beat Matt to a bloody pulp if he wanted. His muscles were still firm, and his hazel eyes were as sharp as Matt remembered from when he was a kid. “He would be embarrassed to see what you’ve become, but that isn’t why I’m here.”
“Is Xandra okay?” asked Matt, jumping to his feet in alarm.
“Miss Torin is doing just fine,” General Weathers assured Matt. “The surgery was a success and she should be back to full strength in a few days. She’s already insisting that we release you and that as soon as she talks to her father he will demand the same thing. Why a woman like that would ever vouch for scum like you is beyond me.”
“What can I say, General?” Matt said. “I grow on people. Is there any chance that you’re here to tell me you’re granting her request?”
“No chance at all. You will stand trial for the crimes you’ve committed. Because your father was such a good man and because Miss Torin seems so adamant, I was inclined to put in a good word to try and get your sentence reduced, but that was before everything went to hell.”
“General Weathers, what’s going on?” asked Matt, confused.
“That’s what I’ve come to talk to you about,” the man said. “I’m hoping you can explain why I have an entire fleet of ships head
ing for Earth even as we speak under the command of some General Kellenar Ragen of Lathos demanding that you stand trial there for kidnapping, murder, and assault. He’s also demanding that Xandra be given over to his custody as well.”
“How much time do you have, General?” asked Matt with a heavy sigh. “This is going to take a while.”
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Smuggler’s Final Conquest
Lathos Galaxy Chronicles
Luke Darko
Table Of Contents
Chapter One: Ramscoop Virtue
Chapter Two: Sentience
Chapter Three: Posthuman
Chapter Four: Sapient
Chapter Five: Matt’s Avengence
Chapter Six: The arc
Chapter Seven: Lofstrom loop
Chapter Eight: Fate
Chapter Nine: Meatspace
Chapter Ten: Esper
Chapter Eleven: Sphere
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Chapter One
General Brian Weathers sat back and shook his head. Matt Britton had just finished telling the story of how he had met Xandra Torin, and how the daughter of the Chancellor of Lathos had come to be here with him on Earth. The look the man gave Matt was unreadable as Matt waited for a response that was a long time coming.
“If anyone else had tried to feed me this line of crap, I probably would say they were crazy,” the burly African American man said as he scratched the top of his bald head. “Only Matt Britton could be that self-centered.”
“Yeah, I do have a way about me,” Matt agreed as he shot the general a toothy grin.
“This is not a joke!” the general snapped, locking his hazel-eyed glare on Matt. Matt’s blue eyes refused to blink, but he knew the man was right. He ran his hand through his curly black hair and dropped his head to his chest before responding.
“I’m sorry. I just never thought anything like this could ever happen.”
“That’s been the problem ever since your parents died, Matt,” said the general. Matt thought his deep voice sounded almost tender. “Look where we are, Matt,” he said, spreading his arms and looking from side to side. Matt didn’t have to look. He was in a dank jail cell with gray walls. A sink and a toilet protruded from the wall to his right, and the cot attached to the wall where the two men were sitting was the only furniture. Matt was wearing a gray prison jumpsuit a shade or two darker than the walls. “This was always going to be your destiny.”
“I know that,” said Matt. “I think I’ve always known. I deserve this, but Xandra doesn’t deserve any of it. Just promise me that you won’t let that maniac take her.” He was referring to General Kellenar Ragen of Lathos. According to General Weathers, the man was currently leading an entire armada of ships directly to Earth. He had already contacted the leaders of Earth’s General Assembly and Brian Weathers. Ragen was demanding that the leader of the Planetary Defense Force turn Matt over to stand trial for crimes against the Lathonian people, including the alleged abduction of Xandra. He was also demanding that Xandra be returned as well, to be taken back to Lathos.
Matt knew that if Xandra stepped foot on Ragen’s ship, she wouldn’t live long enough to ever see her home planet again. As he had explained to General Weathers, Ragen was planning to assassinate Xandra’s father, Maxall, and have himself named Chancellor. To do that meant he also had to get rid of Xandra, since she was next in line for her father’s title. Matt had brought Xandra to Earth in hopes that she would be safe.
“It isn’t as simple as that,” the general reminded him, “and once again we have you to thank for that.”
“Oh, come on,General! Do you really believe I kidnapped Xandra?”
“I have to admit that seemed a little much, even for you. Even if she hadn’t been here to back your story, I would have had a hard time believing it. But you did beat her security guards to a pulp, and you did kill a soldier on Ragen’s ship. You just sat right there and told me all about both incidents.”
“I told you that both times I acted in self-defense,” Matt reminded him.
“Yes, but Ragen doesn’t see it that way. He’s demanding justice and threatening to start a war if we don’t give him what he wants. Since what he wants is you, I see no reason to put the good people of this peaceful planet though any extra grief. You could have been a different person, Matt, a better person. On your father’s name alone you would have been accepted into the PDF academy and had a chance at an honorable career. Instead you became a criminal.”
“Fine,” said Matt, “give me to Ragen. At least he’ll kill me quick rather than throwing me in a cell and leaving me to rot for the rest of my life. Just don’t let him get his hands on Xandra.”
“As much as I would like to say it is, none of this is up to me. The General Assembly has been called into emergency session to decide if they’re going to agree to Ragen’s demands. They’re all politicians and they don’t much like the idea of some blowhard from the other side of the galaxy coming here and issuing ultimatums. In the end I think they’ll do the smart thing and give you up. Even though the number of ships he has at his disposal isn’t enough to win any sort of battle against Earth in our own solar system, he can still cause a lot of grief and kill a lot of innocent people. Frankly young man, you just aren’t worth it.
“As for Miss Torin, I don’t think the Assembly much cares what happens to her. She’s an alien, too, and her plight doesn’t mean much to a bunch of men and women, most of whom had never even heard of her planet until a few days ago. That’s the screwed up nature of politics. They’ll spend days debating whether to protect a no-good criminal as long as he’s one of their own but don’t care a lick about an innocent lady from light years away.”
“General, go to the General Assembly and tell them I’m willing to go with Ragen as long as they agree to allow Xandra to stay here,” said Matt desperately.
“I doubt they’d go for that,” said Weathers. “It still comes down to the fact that she’s Lathonian, and while the GA might at least make a show of not giving you up so easily, they won’t risk a fight over her. There’s also the fact that she’s saying she wants to go home and talk her father into demanding that all charges against you be dropped. For some reason I can’t explain, she seems to think she’s in love with you.”
“Yes, well, she’s seen a side of me you haven’t.”
“Son, I’ve seen every side of you there is to see. If I could have my way, I’d put you on a shuttle and deliver you to Ragen myself, if for no other reason than I don’t even think you’re worth the time and effort of a trial here. I’d also line up every PDF battlecruiser in the solar system and reduce his so-called armada to scrap metal if he tried to touch Xandra Torin. But I can’t hold her here against her will.
“For the time being, I’ve been able to stall the man by telling him that not only is Miss Torin still recovering from surgery, but her testimony is needed so that the GA can make a final decision on your fate. If Xandra were to ask for asylum, I would make a personal plea to the General Assembly that they grant it, but so far she seems set against it. I think you need to prepare yourself for the fact that everything may turn out exactly the opposite of what you want.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean it may turn out that you end up staying here while Xandra is sent back to Lathos. From what you say, she’s the one the general really wants. If the GA insists you stand trial here, then Ragen may not make a big stink about getting his hands on you as long as we return Xandra. In the crazy world of politics, I can see that happening.”
“General Weathers, that can’t be the way this ends,” Matt insisted softly. “Xandra can’t be the one to pay for my mistakes.”
“I guess you should have thought about that before you put her in this position in the first place,” the other man said. “You’ve always been so good at saving your own skin, but you’ve never given much though
t to what your actions could mean for others. Now, all that is coming back around to you. I hate to sound like a looped recording, but this might be out of my hands. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try and change that. I’m going to try one more time to talk some sense into Xandra Torin.”
“Please do that,” said Matt sincerely. “Tell her that the last thing I want is for her to risk her life for mine.”
“I’m going to tell her that you aren’t worth the effort. Maybe when she hears all about your life, she’ll believe me.” Without another word he stood, had the force field dropped so he could exit Matt’s cell, and made sure it was raised again once he had.
Matt slumped back on his cot in misery. He knew that every word General Weathers had said about him was true.
Chapter Two
Xandra Torin absently chewed a bite of apple as she stared out the window. The sun had been shining all day. It was an amazing sight. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen a full day of sun on Lathos. Earth was truly an amazing planet. She just wished she could enjoy it. With Matt locked in a cell and Kellenar Ragen threatening war if she and Matt were not returned to his ship, she couldn’t find much joy in anything.
She swallowed the bite she had been chewing and set the apple back on the table. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the exotic fruit. She actually found it more tasty than anything even remotely similar back home. One way or another, she knew the chances that Matt would ever be a free man again were slim. Nothing else mattered to her right then.
Matt Britton. Until a few days before, she had thought his name was Roger and that he was a captain in Earth’s Planetary Defense Force. As it turns out, he was nothing more than a criminal, a smuggler wanted on nearly every world between Earth and Lathos. A woman like her had no business loving someone like him, but that was precisely how she felt.
