Formation: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Ghost Squadron Book 1)

by Sarah Noffke

  He heard a snap behind him, like a twig breaking, and he instinctively turned and found nothing. This planet was largely devoid of animals, but it had its share of insects and foliage. Had his mind played another trick on him?

  Was he so sleep-deprived that he was hearing and seeing things? If so, it would have been a first. Lars had always been able to rely on his senses. Perhaps it was due to all his time spent tracking and camping in the wilds of Kezza, or maybe it was a natural gift. He couldn’t say, but he could only hope that—

  A light snap echoed near the base of the wall. Lars glanced over the side of the stone, but saw nothing. Another phantom sound? No… his instinct told him there was more to this. He stared at the dirt and mud beneath the wall, watching with focused eyes.

  That was when he saw it.

  The dirt compressed, forming an outline. A footprint, he realized, fresh and newly defined. Lars dropped his mouth and, without realizing it, leaned closer to the edge of the wall. What in the gods’ names could this be?

  Another boot print formed in the mud, followed by a third. As Lars observed them, more appeared in the same direction. It was as though a ghost was moving before him, traveling the border of the wall.

  But Lars did not believe in such things. He’d spent enough time in the darkness to know that such specters were nothing more than superstition. This was a person, he knew it. A living, breathing thing that had, somehow, found a way to hide itself.

  Lars watched as the footsteps continued, and he moved quietly along the top of the wall, observing, staying in the darkness. He’d spent his whole life tracking game, keeping silent and remaining hidden. He would watch this entity, this intruder, and see where it went. Whatever this was, like Lars himself, did not belong there.

  ***

  Eddie stopped while Julianna set another bomb against the wall. They’d finally placed all but one of the explosives. In only a few moments, they’d return to the Q-Ship and blow this place to hell and back.

  Julianna covered the bomb with some dirt, the same as before, and looked at Eddie, giving him a nod. Just one more to go, he thought. Another two dozen yards and we can high tail it out of—

  A shadow formed in front of him, there on the ground, and grew rapidly. Eddie turned towards the top of the wall, only to see a looming mass as it came towards him.

  The object slammed into both him and Julianna, pinning them to the earth. It didn’t take Eddie long to realize that this was a body—a massive, hulking alien who was strong enough to bend metal.

  Eddie wheezed, having had the air knocked out of him. The two arms wrapped around him, pinning him tight. “What the actual fuck?!”

  “Hold yourselves!” ordered the Kezzin soldier.

  “Fuck off!” returned Eddie, digging his knuckles into the alien’s waist.

  But the Kezzin didn’t flinch. His armor was thick and he was strong. He clung to both of them with all his strength. “Intruders! Intruders!”

  Julianna pulled her forehead back and attempted to head-butt the guard, but he buried his head between the both of them, holding their bodies close. A second later, three other guards ran up, armor clanking as they arrived. The first two took Eddie by the shoulders while the third kept a rifle pointed at him. He gritted his teeth and flinched at them, about to fight back. He’d rather die than be taken prisoner.

  “Go with them,” said Julianna, jarring Eddie. Her words pulled him out of his rage.

  He looked at her. “But we can’t just—”

  “Trust me, Eddie!” she snapped.

  He snarled, looking at the guards. “Bastards.”

  Once they had him handcuffed, the group turned to Julianna. The one who had tackled them put another set on her wrists. She said nothing, and instead got to her feet.

  The guards escorted them to the front of the base and into the facility. Shit, thought Eddie as they entered the gate. Shit shit shit shit.

  ***

  Lars watched as the other guards locked the prisoners inside their cells. When it was done, they called for Commander Orsa, who took reports from each of them, one at a time.

  “Excellent work, Lars Malseen,” said Orsa, once he was done. “You have performed well, and before your patrol was even scheduled.”

  “Thank you, sir,” said Lars.

  “I have to wonder, though, what were you doing out before your shift? And how did you know of the intruders? It seems no one else was aware of them.”

  “I was restless,” replied Lars. “And I saw them moving beneath the wall. They had some kind of invisibility.”

  Orsa gave him a skeptical look, but left it alone. “Very well. Return to your quarters for now.”

  Lars looked at the two humans in the cells. One was calm and motionless. She sat with her hands on her knees, taking steady breaths. The other, a male, seemed to be fuming. “Sir, if you would allow it, I would like to question the prisoners.”

  Orsa raised his brow. “Would you?”

  “I have some experience extracting information,” explained Lars.

  “We have no official interrogator here,” said Orsa, apparently considering the notion. “Very well. Do what you want, but don’t kill them. Find out if there are any others out there. Ask them why they’re here. Do whatever you have to in order to protect this base. Do you understand?”

  “Of course, sir,” said Lars.

  Orsa looked at the three guards, requesting they join him. “Let’s go.”

  As the group left, Lars turned to the cells. The cages were both made of hard light, making them impossible to penetrate, which meant that no matter what these prisoners did, they couldn’t leave.

  Lars went to the side of the first cell where the male was sitting. The human glanced up at him. “You there.”

  “What?” the man retorted.

  Lars stared at him. “What are you doing here?”

  “None of your business, asshole.”

  Lars ignored the insult. “Are there more of you outside the walls?”

  “Hundreds,” said the intruder, giving him a slight smile.

  “Is that so?”

  “Maybe. Who knows? I’m not telling you shit.”

  “If you don’t, the Captain will have you killed.”

  The human laughed. “We’ll see.”

  “You seem overly confident for someone in a cell,” said Lars. “What is your name?”

  “You can call me Ed.”

  “Ed?” repeated Lars. The name was simple, yet strange, like something a child had thought up.

  “Got a problem with it?” asked Ed as Lars understood the human’s name.

  “No,” Lars said, simply. “Where did you come from?”

  “My mom,” said Ed. “You know how babies work, right?”

  “I mean, why did you come to the base? What faction are you with? What organization?”

  “I’m an independent contractor,” said Ed.

  “You operate on your own?” asked Lars.

  Ed tapped his nose. “Right you are.”

  “I find that difficult to believe.”

  “Believe what you want,” said Ed. “But I’ll tell you one thing. If you don’t let me out of here, I’m going to break out, and then I’m going to kill every last asshole terrorist in this place.”

  “Terrorist?” asked Lars. “You’re the one planting bombs.”

  “To stop you from killing innocent people, you jackass.”

  Lars paused, trying to understand. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your people have been attacking colonies! You keep killing all those—”

  “That’s enough!” barked the female. “Contain yourself, Eddy. You’re speaking with the enemy.”

  Lars had heard of the colony attacks. It was difficult not to notice or overhear the way the higher ranks celebrated their slaughters. They made a habit of pillaging, it seemed, but such was the way of these people. The Kezzin Brotherhood owned a third of the Kezzin-occupied systems, which made them one of th
e most influential independent military factions in this region. The way Lars had heard it, the Federation had invaded their territory, killing Kezzin soldiers and stealing their worlds. “You must face the consequences of your actions. I’m sorry.”

  “By consequences, you mean death,” said the female.

  “That is none of my concern,” Lars said.

  “Concern?” asked Ed. “Wait until I get out of here. I’ll make it your concern.”

  Lars didn’t answer, but turned and walked to the door, leaving the angry man to himself. He stepped out into the hall and proceeded towards Orsa’s office. He’d have to tell the Captain all about this, about what the human had told him regarding the colonies. If it was true, there could be more of them out there, waiting to strike. The entire base might very well be under siege before long.

  Lars knocked, entered the office, and stood before Commander Orsa as the elder soldier ordered three squads to patrol the walls in search of hidden bombs. “There must be more of them. Go and search!” ordered the Captain.

  “Yes, sir,” said several of the men.

  As the soldiers began to leave, Orsa turned to him. “Lars, what did you discover from the prisoners? Anything important?”

  “They claim to be avenging the Federation colonies,” said Lars.

  “The colonies?” asked Orsa, though he didn’t seem very surprised. “I see. What else did they say?”

  “Nothing else. The female stopped the male from speaking further on the subject, but I learned his name is Edward.”

  “Edward, you say? Interesting. I’ll have to include that in the report. Good job, Lars.”

  “Thank you, but there was something else.”

  “What is it?”

  “The male mentioned that the Brotherhood was responsible for terrorist attacks on the colonies. He made it sound like we were the aggressors.”

  Orsa chuckled. “Is that what he said?”

  Lars nodded. “It’s a lie, isn’t it?”

  “A lie?” asked Orsa. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve heard the Federation colonies once belonged to the Kezzin. Isn’t that true?”

  “Something like that,” said Orsa. “That area was lost in the War of Division. The Federation moved in when it was unoccupied.”

  “You mean to say they didn’t steal it?” asked Lars.

  “Of course they stole it,” insisted Orsa. “Those worlds are ours by right. Just because we left them vacant for three hundred years does not mean the claim is rendered null.”

  Lars considered this for a moment. “Who attacked first?”

  “They attacked when they established those colonies,” explained Orsa. “Colonizing those worlds was an attack on our dignity. Our very pride.”

  “But they didn’t fire weapons,” said Lars.

  “No, they didn’t, but they might as well have.”

  “But that means—”

  “Lars, let it go. Remember why you are here. The Brotherhood exists to ensure Kezzin prosperity. To hell with those aliens. They are all garbage, especially humans. You know that.”

  Lars stared at his superior, blinking. “Yes, sir.”

  “Now, if that’s everything, then leave the rest to me. I’ll see these humans punished for their attempted attack.”

  “Of course,” said Lars. “My shift is about to begin, so I should prepare.”

  “No, just go to your room and await instructions. Get some rest until I need you.”

  “But what about—”

  Orsa raised his brow. “Don’t make me repeat myself, Lars. I’m giving you a reward. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir. Of course.” Lars backed away, towards the door. “Thank you.”

  He turned and left, leaving the office and proceeding down the hall. It had only been a short time since he’d gone outside, but already so much had happened. He couldn’t believe it, everything Orsa and the two humans had said.

  Did those colonies really deserve the fate they received? Had the Brotherhood attacked them simply for existing?

  Galactic politics were cruel, and Lars knew better than most about how an innocent person could get caught up in them, unable to do anything. Unable to fight back.

  What an awful life it is, thought Lars, to be the pawn of an unjust empire.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Inside a cell. Kezzin Battlebase 44, Planet Exa, Seolus system.

  Julianna sat on the bench, quietly staring at the translucent hard-light cell wall.

  She was breathing steadily, totally calm and without concern. There was no need for it. Not yet, anyway.

  The Kezzin guards had taken her rifle, but she was still armed. They had separated her from Captain Teach, yet she was not alone.

  Pip, thought Julianna, mentally calling out to her E.I. companion.

  I am here, Julianna.

  Have you had time to crack the security network yet?

  It is nearly finished. Please be patient.

  Go as fast as you can. I’m not sure how long I can let this façade go on.

  Getting captured was unfortunate, but this could prove to be even more fortuitous.

  If you manage to crack that digital safe and get us the data, then you could be right.

  Shouldn’t you let Captain Teach know what we’re doing?

  Not without alerting the other guards, but he’ll find out in a few minutes.

  You’re right, of course.

  Julianna glanced over to the other cell where Teach was standing, leaning with his fist against the hard-light wall. He looked absolutely furious, so much that it made her want to smile. If only he knew what she and Pip were planning.

  The door to the room opened and in walked a Kezzin guard. He looked at each of them for a long moment before Teach smacked the wall. “What’s the deal, buddy?” asked the Captain. “Got something you wanna tell us?”

  The guard looked him over. “Which of you is in charge?”

  Teach chewed on the inside of his lip before he answered. “That would be—”

  “Neither of us,” interjected Julianna.

  Teach looked at her, curiously.

  She winked at him. “We’re just grunts like you, doing our jobs. Our boss is outside in the ship, along with the others.”

  The Kezzin laughed. “I am no grunt, human. My name is Commander Trill Orsa, the head of this instillation.”

  “So, you’re the boss here. Is that right?” asked Teach.

  “It is,” answered Orsa. “And if you think I’m stupid enough to believe there are more of you outside, then you must be a poor judge of character.”

  “It’s true, we are,” said Teach, nodding and tapping his chin.

  “Very poor,” agreed Julianna. How’s it coming, Pip?

  Infiltration process complete. I’m inside the network.

  Upload their files and logs to the Q-Ship as soon as you can.

  I’ve already started. Estimated time to completion is ninety seconds.

  Which still leaves us with enough time to hightail it out of here, thought Julianna.

  I would suggest waiting a few minutes. An escape could trigger an alert to their system, which may slow me down.

  Julianna sighed inwardly. Fine.

  Commander Orsa crossed his arms and glared at Teach. “I’ve decided you will both be executed for your crimes against the Kezzin people. What do you say to that?”

  “Shove it up your ass,” said Teach.

  Orsa ignored the crude comment. “I’ll give you one last opportunity to get out of this. Tell me everything you know about the organization you work for, including any intelligence relating to our operation. Do this, and you might make it out of this alive.”

  “You want us to flip?” asked Julianna.

  “Flip?” repeated Orsa, apparently not understanding the expression.

  “Betray our side,” explained Teach.

  “Ah,” said Orsa. “Yes, that. If you do, I’ll see to it that you’re treated with respect. In t
ime, perhaps in a few years, you may even be allowed to leave.”

  Teach leaned forward, raising his fist to Orsa. “I’ll say it one more time so you understand exactly what I mean. Take your offer, ball it up, and—” He slammed his fist into his other palm. “—shove it so far up your own ass that it clogs your goddamn throat and chokes the blood to that tiny, little Kezzin brain of yours. You got me, fuckwit?”

  Orsa gave an odd expression. Julianna took a guess that it probably wasn’t good. “I’ll come back when you two are feeling more talkative,” he said, stepping towards the door. “Just remember, if you don’t talk soon, I can’t ensure your protection.”

  Julianna watched as Orsa left, closing the door behind him.

  “Asshole,” muttered Edward, loud enough that the Kezzin captain was bound to hear.

  ***

  Lars watched as his captain walked across the hall from the brig and re-entered his office. Judging by the look on his face, Lars guessed the discussion with the prisoners had not gone well.

  He followed after Orsa, curious to find out what he planned to do. The Captain had ordered him to return to his room, which he had done, but with so much going on, Lars could hardly sit still. It bothered him to believe what the humans had said was true, that the Brotherhood really was attacking defenseless colonies.

  When Lars finally entered the office, he was met by two guards. “The Captain is not to be disturbed,” said one, whom Lars recognized as a Kezzin named Kal Drog.

  “I need to ask him something,” said Lars.

  “The Captain gave specific orders,” said Kal. “Sorry.”

  “Can you tell him it’s me?” asked Lars.

  “I will,” agreed Kal. “But you should leave now. He’s very upset. If you think your capture of the invaders will garner you any special privileges, you’re mistaken.”

  The second guard nodded. “You should return to your room, like the Captain instructed.”

  “I have questions,” said Lars.

  “Not for the Captain, you don’t,” said Kal. “Why not ask us your questions? Maybe we can save you the trouble of getting killed.”

  Lars considered the proposition, but decided against it. “No, I think I’ll do as you suggested and return to my room. I don’t know what I was thinking, bothering him.”