by G. P. Hudson
“Yes. We are ready to go. I’ve continued to bomb the entrance to the jump gate. The Dvorkans will think that we are proactively defending against another incursion. I’m sure they’ll convince themselves that we are frightened of them.”
“Excellent, that’s what we want. Let them keep thinking they are superior. Are you sure nothing is spying on us?”
“I have ships spread throughout this system flooding it with ionizing radiation at regular intervals. If something were here, I would know about it.”
“Good, a lot depends on the element of surprise. Thank you, General. Let’s reconvene in a few hours.”
“As you wish, Admiral,” Calledonius said and vanished from his display.
“You have the bridge, Captain Henderson,” Jon said to his XO.
“Yes, Sir,” Henderson said.
Jon left the bridge and took a walk through the ship’s expansive corridors. It was good to be back on board the Freedom and back in the field. But he couldn’t shake his nagging nerves. “AI, where is Breeah?”
“Breeah is on observation deck gamma.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome, Admiral.”
He changed direction and headed toward the observation deck to find his wife. He hoped talking to her would help settle his unease, although he doubted it. When he entered the observation deck, he found Breeah alone, staring out into the void. He walked up and stood silently beside her.
“So many ships,” she said. “Will they be enough?”
“I think so,” Jon said.
“Do you think they’ve made it to the Satek System yet?”
“Yes, they should be getting into position now.”
Breeah nodded but said nothing. She continued to stare out into the void, the worry etched across her face.
Jon’s stomach tightened at the thought of sending Anki into such a dangerous situation. She had volunteered for the jump teams, and Jon initially refused her request. He said she was too young, and that she should be back in the Academy, not on a commando mission.
But Breeah and Jonas intervened on Anki’s behalf. They argued again that she was a Reiver and old enough for combat. She was skilled enough, and wanted to prove herself, so why stand in her way? In the end, he relented and agreed to assign her to a jump team.
Jonas was right, he did think of her as his own daughter and tried to protect her, but that wasn’t fair to Anki. She was a Reiver and wanted to prove herself in battle. Still, did she have to do it in the most dangerous way possible?
“The Chaanisar will keep an eye on her,” Jon said. He may not have been able to protect her, but he could choose whose team she was on. He could think of none better than Lieutenant Jarvi and his Chaanisar. Jarvi had been with them from the start and knew Anki since she was a child. No other team surpassed his in combat.
“I know,” Breeah said, a solitary tear running down her cheek.
Jon put an arm around her shoulders. “She’ll be fine. I’m sure of it,” he lied.
Chapter 35
Jamie felt as though he had gained the trust of the mercenaries, since taking out the target on their last job. Colonel Harris was challenging to read at the best of times, but even he seemed to have become more trusting of Jamie. That said, he hadn’t developed enough trust to tell Jamie who their next target was, and as their ship entered Earth’s atmosphere, he wondered who that target might be.
On the positive side, he knew that Admiral Pike had left for the Piirgos System and had taken an invasion fleet with him. At least they weren’t going to try and assassinate the Admiral again. With any luck, the next target would be another greedy scumbag. But what if it wasn’t?
He wasn’t comfortable with Colonel Harris’s policy of killing for the highest bidder and wondered what he would do if he really had to kill an innocent person. How far was he prepared to go to learn the identity of the mystery client? He supposed he would have to make that decision when the time came.
Are you ready for the next job? Colonel Harris said through his implant.
I’m always ready, Colonel. You know that Jamie replied.
Good, because this one is tricky.
Why is that?
The target is a Chaanisar.
The words stunned Jamie. He had worried about who he would have to kill but hadn’t considered that the target might be one of their own.
Is that going to be a problem for you, Jamie? Harris said.
No, Sir, Jamie said, regaining his composure. I’m just surprised. That’s all. But why are we killing a Chaanisar anyway?
Why do we kill anyone? Someone wants him dead bad enough that they’re willing to pay us to do it.
I see.
Trust me, Jamie. Most of the times it’s better not to know the reasons. Better not to form an opinion one way or another on the matter. You should know that.
Yes, Sir, I do. But no one has ever hired me to kill a Chaanisar before.
Well, there’s a first time for everything. Now I’m going to help you get over your reluctance by making you the lead on this mission.
You can count on me, Colonel.
That’s the spirit, Harris said. I’m transferring the details and logistics to your implant now.
The Colonel sent the data to Jamie through their connection, and Jamie immediately went to work, analyzing the information. The target was a Colonel Traeger who was also a UHSF officer. Revulsion set in as Jamie poured over the files. Traeger wasn’t just a UHSF officer, he was a decorated war hero. He had fought in every major engagement against the Juttari since his freedom and had been decorated for his heroism on several occasions.
How can I kill such a man? Jamie thought to himself, careful not to let Harris or the others notice how he felt.
Jamie read on, hoping to find something that could justify what he was being tasked with. He saw nothing. There wasn’t even a blemish on the man’s service record. Instead, like many Chaanisar, here was a man desperate to make up for his past. Jamie understood his motivation. The man fought not just for revenge, or freedom, but for redemption.
Traeger had managed to claim his family’s property and currently lived there when not on active duty. It was in a rural setting, far from a major city and had been spared much of the devastation of the nuclear holocaust. He was currently living there, and that was where the hit would take place.
Jamie would visit Traeger with two other mercs. Traeger would be expecting them, thinking that they were interested in UHSF membership. Harris had arranged for a referral to him by another Chaanisar officer so the visit would not seem suspicious. The two other mercs were just there for backup. It was Jamie’s job to carry out the killing, and as much as he tried, he couldn’t find a way out of it.
The two mercs accompanying him were part of the problem. Even if Jamie blocked Harris from viewing the operation, the Colonel could still do so through the other two mercs. Jamie thought about killing the two mercs, but again, Harris would know. There was no way around it. Jamie had to kill Colonel Traeger. But could he do it?
After a time, the merc ship landed several miles from Traeger’s property. Jamie and the two other mercs then took a flitter and traveled the rest of the way alone. Traeger owned several acres of land and noticed them the second they crossed the boundaries of his property.
A challenge was sent to the flitter, and the mercs replied, identifying themselves and their reasons for being there. Traeger confirmed and gave them instructions on where to land their flitter. He also told them to leave their implants open for further communication.
When they landed Traeger greeted them through their implants. Welcome to my home, brothers. Please come to the main house.
The mercs exited the flitter and proceeded toward Traeger’s residence. Jamie took note of several security measures, including cameras that monitored their approach and concealed energy weapons that could fire on them if Traeger desired. Jamie approved.
They reached the front porch, and t
he door to the house opened. Come inside, brothers, Traeger instructed.
The mercs walked through the door and were instantly met by several Chaanisar in UHSF uniforms.
He’s not alone, Jamie said through his implant to Colonel Harris but received no reply.
Jamie scanned the room and noted more armed Chaanisar occupying tactical positions throughout the house.
Please give my men your weapons, Traeger said through the merc implants. There’s no need for any of this to get out of control.
Unfortunately, the two mercs with Jamie didn’t seem to understand Traeger’s instructions and aggressively drew their weapons. The mercs must have gotten too used to dealing with normal humans. If these weren’t Chaanisar, the mercs could have cut down every man in this room before any could return fire.
But these men were Chaanisar, and they were just as fast as the mercs. After a brief exchange, the two mercs lay dead on the floor, and multiple weapons pointed at Jamie’s head.
The only thing keeping Jamie alive was the fact that he stood still. He hadn’t gone for his weapon at any time during the exchange and now merely stared calmly back at the guns trained on him.
“I’m confused about you, Jamie,” came Traeger’s voice from the adjacent room. That surprised Jamie, as they had gone to Traeger using pseudonyms. “You are good at blocking others from accessing your implant. Still, I bet you are wondering how I know your name. Are you curious about what else I know?”
Jamie stayed silent.
“I know you are working for that pathetic excuse for a Chaanisar, Colonel Harris. I also know that you saved Admiral Pike’s life against none other than Colonel Harris’s men. Hence my confusion. Would you care to enlighten me?”
Jamie sighed. “I’m finding it hard to think with all these weapons pointed at me.”
Traeger chuckled. “That is perfectly understandable. Allow my men to disarm you, and we can have a more civilized conversation. I’m sure I don’t need to warn you against doing anything stupid.”
“Go ahead,” Jamie said. One of the Chaanisar stepped up to him and patted him down, taking each of Jamie’s weapons in the process.
“He’s disarmed,” the Chaanisar said when finished.
“Very well, bring him inside,” Traeger said.
Jamie stepped into the adjacent room with Chaanisar flanking him on all sides. They still brandished their weapons but didn’t point them at Jamie. Colonel Traeger sat on a leather club chair with an energy weapon in his hand. Jamie noted that the weapon’s barrel aimed at his head.
It was often hard to guess a Chaanisar’s age, even for another Chaanisar. The augmentation allowed them to reach manhood but drastically slowed the aging process after that. So, each Chaanisar seemed like they were in their twenties, or early thirties, while the truth might be that they were over a hundred years old or more. Considering Traeger’s rank, he had to be at least one hundred years old.
“Here is how our conversation is going to go,” Traeger continued. “You are going to tell me the truth, and I am going to decide whether or not to let you live. Don’t worry about Colonel Harris. His connection to your implant has been severed. Once you walked into this house, all communication was jammed. That includes implant communication. So speak freely. Your life depends on it.”
Jamie figured he had nothing to lose, so he told Traeger everything. He told him about General Tallos and how they suspected that the traitor Dathos was behind the hit on Admiral Pike, and how Jamie was trying to win the Colonel’s confidence. He also told him how Harris had been his commander under the Chaanisar and how he tried to hunt him down after his escape.
“That’s an interesting story, Jamie,” Traeger said. “Unfortunately, General Tallos is currently in the Piirgos system with Admiral Pike, so I can’t confirm its truth.”
“I’m not lying to you,” Jamie said.
“Perhaps,” Traeger said as one of his men signaled to him. “I see its time for the show. You’ll enjoy this, Jamie.”
The Chaanisar turned Jamie around to face a wallscreen. On it, Jamie saw the merc ship that they came to Earth in. It had taken off and was currently racing toward the upper reaches of the atmosphere.
“I’ve been tracking you since you entered orbit around Earth,” Traeger said. “None of you ever had a chance.”
The view of the ship panned out to show a couple of missiles racing toward the fleeing mercenary vessel. Jamie knew that they couldn’t outrun the missiles. The ship deployed countermeasures, but the rockets ignored them and closed with their quarry. Before the merc ship could escape, both missiles reached their target and detonated their warheads. The mercenary ship blew apart in a brilliant flash of light, smoke, and debris. Jamie felt nothing.
“I never understood why someone like Colonel Harris chose the path he did,” Traeger said. “How about you, Jamie? Why are you an assassin?”
“I don’t play well with others,” Jamie said.
“Come now, Jamie. We’re having an honest conversation. Tell me the truth.”
“How were you freed?” Jamie said.
“Jon Pike and his AI freed me, as well as my men.”
“No one freed me. Not Jon Pike, not his AI, not the Cenobi. I am in nobody’s debt.”
“Is that why you think we fight for the UHSF? Because we are paying off a debt?”
“No. You are either seeking revenge, or you are trying to make up for any harm you caused while under the Juttari. I’m not sure which one yet.”
“What of your conscience?”
“What of it? I am not guilty of anything the Juttari made me do. I had no free will. I could not resist their commands. Does your weapon bear any blame for the way you use it? How are the Chaanisar any different.”
“We are different because we remember our actions. Do not tell me that your memories don’t haunt you.”
“Of course they do. Our wounds run deep. But I do not believe that fighting for the UHSF has exorcised your demons, Colonel.”
Traeger grew contemplative and then put away his weapon. “If Admiral Pike did not free you, why did you save him?”
“I respect him. Humanity needs him. When I found out that they were going to kill him, I could not stand by and let it happen.”
Traeger nodded. “What of General Tallos. Why work for him?”
“Tallos hired me. That said, the idea of infiltrating this traitorous mercenary group appealed to me. As did the idea of catching a Diakan traitor.”
“I think you fight for the cause in your own way, Jamie. Still, I am forced to wonder what you would have done if my men weren’t here. Would you have killed me?”
“I did not want to, but I hadn’t figured out how to avoid it. I considered killing the two men with me, but Harris would have known that I betrayed him. It was a fluid situation, and I was looking for options.”
“Well then, it is lucky for both of us that you didn’t have to decide.”
“We can agree on that point, Colonel.”
Traeger stood up and walked toward the door. “I’m afraid I can’t let you go just yet, Jamie. I am bringing you with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“To my battleship, of course. Where else?”
***
Colonel Harris watched Traeger’s house through a long-range lens. Somehow Traeger had learned of the assassination and was ready for his team. Traeger did not know who had betrayed them, but he would find out.
He observed a transport come down and land beside his house. The Colonel was likely heading back up to his ship, which meant they would have to wait before they would get another chance at killing him. Luckily, Traeger now thought that they were dead, which would help eliminate any surprises the next time.
Harris had realized something was wrong when he lost contact with his three men. He ordered the rest of his team to evacuate the ship and then sent it up to orbit on autopilot. His ship’s destruction confirmed his fears. All that was left now was to regroup and clean
house.
If there was one thing that had served him well his entire life, it was his meticulous attention to detail. With assets in place on Earth and in the colonies, bouncing back would not be a problem.
When the door to the house opened, Harris watched as a cohort of armed UHSF Chaanisar appeared. His men had walked into a trap. Then Jamie came out. Harris studied him. He had been disarmed but not restrained. Why? There could only be one reason. Jamie had betrayed them.
Colonel Harris vowed to hunt Jamie down and make him pay for his betrayal. This time Jamie would not escape.
Chapter 36
Anki took slow, calming breaths while waiting for the order to board. She was on a cloaked Chaanisar battle cruiser in the Dvorkan occupied Satek System. Many other cloaked UHSF vessels had also made the trip. The ships stealthily moved into position, within boarding range of the Dvorkan warships defending the jump gate.
She wore a powered combat suit, retrofitted with a personal jump system. Thirty Chaanisar soldiers similarly clad in combat suits stood nearby.
The team had trained extensively on the trip to Satek which proved challenging for Anki. The Chaanisar did not seem to ever get tired. For an unaugmented human like herself, that was more than frustrating. In fact, she wondered why Jon placed her on this team in the first place.
Initially, she figured he was trying to keep her safe. Unaugmented humans were not typically placed in Chaanisar teams, after all. That was only common sense. How were you supposed to keep up with a bunch of Chaanisar? It would’ve made more sense to put her on a Reiver team.
But after training with the Chaanisar, she now thought that he was trying to make her quit. Maybe that was how he planned to keep her safe, by pushing her to exhaustion thereby forcing her to give up.
Jon Pike, of all people, should have known better than that. Anki had never quit at anything in her life. This was no exception. She pushed herself to keep up, fighting fatigue and doubt every step of the way. By the end of it, she hoped that the Chaanisar accepted her as one of their team. Unfortunately, without one of their brain implants, she would probably never know.
