The Chronicles of Kin Roland: 3 Book Omnibus - The Complete Series

by Scott Moon

  “Your friend hasn’t been a boy for a long time, from what I can tell. Reports I received from Admiral Westwood indicated that Rickson fought well, taking down quite a few Reapers. If Westwood told the truth, your boy was using a quarterstaff by the end of the battle and never quit the field.”

  “That sounds like Rickson.”

  Major Eagle dismissed all but one of his guards and stood with Kin in the tent. “You can thank me later. The Mazz authorities wanted you for themselves, probably as a bargaining chip. They’ll realize we don’t make bargains.”

  Kin watched and waited, trying to decide what type of game Eagle was playing. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  Eagle tapped his wrist and spoke, then listened to his earpiece. “Tangerine, give me the status and location of the shepherd.”

  Kin waited.

  “Bring him to me,” Eagle said.

  Another pause.

  “My authority.” Eagle met Kin’s gaze. “I’m not making any promises yet.”

  “He’ll be harder to catch than I was,” Kin said.

  Eagle nodded, then continued the conversation as though there hadn’t been an interruption. “The Mazz are in for a surprise. Our strike force was intended to arrive before the Battle of the Bleeding Grounds, but fate has a way of working out for the best. Now we’re here in full strength, and everyone on the field must sue for peace.”

  Kin cocked his head and shrugged. “Your new ships and that armor you’re wearing look impressive, but your force is small. I fought alongside of the Mazz army, and the Ror-Rea, for that matter. You might want to proceed with caution.”

  Eagle smiled, then moved to the side of the room and poured two glasses of water from a secure container. He handed one to Kin. “The Mazz Emperor understands the new strength of Earth Fleet and we expect his cooperation. I’m not sure the rest of his army will bow down as easily.”

  Kin remembered that Eagle had always been confident, but none of this made sense. How could the Emperor know anything about Eagle’s state-of-the-art war machines? Major Mike Eagle acted as though he had faced Filoussage Onderbock in battle, despite the Mazz Emperor’s isolation.

  “The Mazz follow their Emperor with absolute obedience,” Kin said. “You must not know them as well as you think you do.”

  “The Emperor remains an enigma to most of us. There are factions within the intelligence section that are still trying to determine if Onderbock is the real thing or an impostor. Either way, it’s best to be thorough when facing this type of enemy.”

  An electric pulse, cold as intuition, darted through Kin’s awareness. He had known Eagle years ago. He seemed to tell the truth. Which probably meant he was holding something back, screening his movements, or just lying.

  “I can cause you trouble.” Kin resisted the urge to grip his pistols. He understood the major was an excellent soldier but didn’t have an accurate measure of his personal combat skill. If this was to be a test of reflexes, he would bet money on his chances of drawing and firing before the officer could close his helmet. Killing the officer wouldn’t guarantee escape, but at least he would go down fighting.

  “You do not understand the trouble we’ve already been through. Things have gone bad in the galaxy while you lounged here in this forgotten paradise. The Seventh Fleet had to nuke a world full of shapeshifters less than a year ago. And that was a sideshow compared to the Mazz threat.”

  Kin laughed. “Last time I spoke with the admiral, he suggested that the Mazz were winning the war. He wasn’t sure how, but a man like Westwood wouldn’t admit defeat unless there was overwhelming proof.”

  “Don’t cause me trouble, Kin.”

  “Why not?”

  “I know you better than you think,” Eagle said. “Your psychological profile suggests that you have a guardian mentality. My intelligence operatives have informed me you spent the last nine years protecting castaways and refugees from the ravages of this planet. I know how you think. I know what you want.”

  Kin waited, never taking his eyes from the major.

  “I’ll personally protect the survivors of this planet. I’ll make sure Rickson and his dog get to safety. I will even assign Admiral Shield’s personal surgeon to work on fixing the mutt.” He drank the rest of his water and put the container way. “Some of my contemporaries would threaten to hunt down and eradicate everybody you care about, but that’s not how I operate.”

  “How can I know they'll be safe?” Kin asked.

  “They will be billeted on my ship. I can allow you to view them through a video link. They won’t be able to talk to you or know anything about your status. Your situation is complicated.” He dropped one hand to the sidearm on the leg of his armor, but it seemed more of a habit than a threat. “The consensus in the Fleet is that your execution should be more permanent this time. A simple bullet would probably do the trick.”

  Kin waited.

  “Not everyone wants to see you dead. Some people want to study you. The majority, however, want to make an example.”

  “Which group are you in?” Kin asked.

  “I don’t have anything against you.”

  Kin measured the man’s words before he replied, “Am I a traitor?”

  Major Mike Eagle stared, face hard as any veteran’s face could be. “You failed. Does that make you a traitor? Maybe, maybe not.”

  “I can help you find the people of Crater Town and get them to safety,” Kin said.

  Eagle shook his head. “I’m not much of a gambler. Letting you run around loose is more of a risk than I am willing to take.”

  Kin watched Trak watching him. I didn’t see that coming. How did Earth Fleet get to you? Kin returned to his earlier assessment of the Mazz captain. Was the man helping a friend or removing a rival?

  He didn’t believe that Trak understood intrigue, but there was something about this scene that wasn’t right. Trak had contacted Kin without wearing armor, which was probably a condition Eagle had demanded for this exchange. What Kin didn’t understand was what Trak or the Emperor got out of the deal.

  He smiled grimly. Eagle, old buddy, you are about to get FUBARed.

  Two guards stepped inside of the tent, exchanged private communications via headsets, then escorted Kin outside. He emerged into the newly descended darkness and a scene of minor chaos.

  Laura struggled against a trooper, kicking his armored shins, then yanking one of her arms free. Kin was impressed. Even the simple act of pulling an arm free should’ve been impossible. The trooper had underestimated Laura, something Kin would never do.

  “She’s a fighter,” Eagle said. “Better tell her to stop before she hurts herself.”

  Ogre bolted down the trail, leapt into the air, and struck the trooper holding Laura in the middle of his back. The wounded animal bounced sideways, rolled across the ground, and scrambled to his feet.

  Several troopers laughed. Eagle wasn’t among them.

  “Laura,” Kin said, “Major Eagle has promised safe passage for everyone from Crater Town.”

  “This brute tried to have his way with me,” Laura spat.

  Kin tensed, then lunged forward to attack. His guards bore him down, smashing his face against the rocky soil. He struggled but was no more effective against the troopers in powered armor than Laura.

  Eagle approached Laura and the trooper. “Release her,” he said.

  The trooper stepped away.

  Laura straightened her clothing as she edged closer to the darkness and the chance to escape.

  Eagle spoke. “I advise you not to run.”

  “I am a citizen of Earth Government. Are you taking me prisoner without due process?”

  Silence spread among the troopers as they watched the confrontation between their leader and the councilwoman.

  “No, citizen, you’re not a prisoner. I must advise you, however...”

  “I will be returning to my camp. Kin, please come with me.”

  Eagle held up a hand, commanding his
troopers to stand where they were. Kin dangled in the grip of two armored men.

  “Kin Roland is a prisoner. He will stay with us. I advise you to accept my protection.”

  Laura moved forward, effecting her most imperious manner. “That is unacceptable. Kin Roland is also a citizen and is employed as a security officer for Crater Town. You will not be taking him anywhere without my leave. Whoever you think he is, is no concern of mine.”

  Eagle stared at her for a long time.

  Laura glared at Kin’s guards. “Well then, we will be going. Kindly release that man before I launch a complaint.”

  “If I doubted who you were, I don’t doubt now that you are the Crater Town councilwoman. The report I received indicated you were more attractive.”

  “Kiss my ass, you arrogant bastard,” Laura said.

  Eagle smiled. He looked toward his men, away from Laura. When he faced her again, his smile disappeared. “Now that I have your attention, let me explain something. This man is in my custody. I am willing to honor my agreement to protect the people of Crater Town from the Mazz Imperials, Reapers, and anything else on this planet. But my orders are clear. Nothing will stop me from taking Kin Roland to my superiors.”

  Laura looked at Kin.

  He took a deep breath and tried to think. The trooper had taken him down hard and his vision remained blurry. Ogre limped around the perimeter of the scene and growled. Kin wasn’t sure what Eagle was talking about.

  Laura was as radiant as ever. She was tall, lithe, and curved as a woman in her prime. His heart sank.

  “Laura, you better find Rickson and the others. I’ll be okay.”

  She looked at him mournfully, then nodded. She whistled to Ogre and left.

  Captain Trak stood at the perimeter of the incident, arms crossed, standing tall in SKIN armor like Kin had never seen. Unlike the standard tan and dirt-colored camouflage of regular units, the current gear was red, black, and silver.

  Was he able to gear-up without support staff? The question was a warning bell in Kin’s head.

  A squad of Earth Fleet troopers ringed Trak, but the Mazz officer ignored them as an adult might ignore children. He had seemed moody and unsure during the march to Eagle’s encampment. Those emotions were gone. Grim regret remained, evident in the way he stood and the way he ignored dangerous troopers holding weapons ready.

  Kin wondered how Mazz SKIN armor would compare to the new FSPAA models of Major Eagle’s unit. Kin had seen Trak fight and had been on the receiving end more than once. The only person he could think of who was a match for Trak was Orlan, and Orlan was dead. Dog Rolston might have a chance, but Kin hadn’t seen that large-headed giant since Hellsbreach.

  What would Orlan do in this situation?

  Eagle approached Trak, and they spoke in low tones for several minutes.

  “You can put me down now,” Kin said. “I told Eagle I would cooperate. The only reason I jumped was because your buddy over there was mistreating Laura.”

  The trooper that had been holding Laura spoke. “She was lying; you know that. I have it all recorded.”

  “You record your conversations now? That makes it seem like Earth Fleet troopers can’t be trusted.”

  “That’s good, coming from you.”

  Kin considered arguing, then wondered if he wanted to anger these men. Consequences came to his mind. He was visualizing a desperate fight, planning his moves, predicting the order of battle, when he saw a company of Mazz troopers approaching. Red, black, and chrome glinted in the starlight.

  “Eagle,” Kin said, wondering why he would warn a man who had just arrested him and would likely be present at his execution.

  The Earth Fleet officer looked at Trak and the Mazz soldiers running to join him on the ridge.

  Kin focused on Eagle, who shouted orders.

  “Contact, right flank. Get on line! Get on line! Weapons hot and fire at will.”

  A pair of Earth Fleet troopers flung Kin on the ground and lay across him. He felt the thump of their nearly recoilless weapons. Dirt and debris flashed up from the ground. Projectiles impacted his guards with merciless rapidity and force.

  “Trak, you son-of-a-bitch!” Eagle moved backward and sideways — firing, reloading, and ducking low. Two platoons of Mazz soldiers, which were larger than Earth Fleet to start with — sometimes forty fighters strong — flanked and advanced on the encampment. Kin laughed in frustration. Not so long ago, he had judged Trak to be too simple for intrigue and betrayal.

  He got you good, Eagle, Kin thought.

  “Get Roland out of here. Fall back to the ships!”

  Explosions, tracer rounds, and energy weapons flashed bright. Blackness followed. The cycle repeated, the only constant being the escalation of force and numbers.

  New hands ripped Kin away from his guards. He was pulled up, shoved back, and slammed down more than once. In reality, the battle was short, although it felt like a night that would never end because he was unarmed and helpless. Earth Fleet troopers took bullets on their armor to defend him, then Mazz soldiers captured him and did the same.

  Kin prayed that Laura had made it to safety before the ambush. He wondered about Ogre and Rickson but didn’t worry. The boy and his dog had been surviving on their own for a long time. That didn’t mean this might not have been the end for at least one of them. He tried not to think about it.

  Without warning, he was beyond the battle. Sounds of fighting filled the night, accentuated by flashes of light and air-to-ground missiles crashing down like divine retribution from invisible sources.

  “You are with me now, Kin Roland,” Trak said. “Earth Fleet cannot be trusted.”

  Kin looked at his battered gear. “Great.” He counted his guards and saw about a dozen alert Mazz commandos in special armor similar to Trak’s red, black, and chrome outfit. “I order you to give me a new suit of armor.”

  Trak shook his head and glared at him. “This is not a time for jokes. Major Eagle and his troopers fight like none I have encountered.”

  “I had to try,” Kin said.

  “You did,” Trak said. “Now I will take you to the Emperor.”

  “Why all the intrigue?” Kin asked.

  Trak didn’t answer. He turned away and attended to his platoon leaders. Orders given, the sounds of battle diminished as synchronized squad deployments moved the company rapidly toward the Mazz controlled area. Trak collapsed his helmet and walked beside Kin and Kin’s guards.

  Emotions twisted Trak’s face. The Mazz captain didn’t like the orders he had been given. Light flashed in his eyes, quickly turning to emotional fire hidden under a furrowed brow.

  “I didn’t realize you could move that fast,” Kin said.

  “You should know and respect my abilities.” All signs of Trak’s sympathy vanished. “I lost several good men today. And a woman. Do not ask me for anything once the Emperor is done with you.”

  There was something wrong with the way Trak spoke. That, more than the ambush, sparked real dread in Kin’s consciousness. “What is happening, Trak?”

  “Earth Fleet would have you executed,” Trak said without making eye contact.

  “And so will your Emperor,” Kin said.

  Trak didn’t answer.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  A Reaper Like No Other

  LIFE inside a Mech unit was hot, thirsty work. The air smelled like puke and broken dreams. Rebecca had strained her back several times though Fleet doctors claimed the redundant safety protocols of Mech units prevented mundane injuries and warned against false reports to get pain meds. She’d lost oxygen during ship-to-ship boarding actions and learned the joy of suffocation, nearly orgasming with relief when atmosphere was restored to her suit. She had experienced anything that could happen to a Shock Trooper.

  But she’d never been crushed.

  Dogface rammed into the light battle tank parked on top of her again and again. Each collision jolted her that much closer to unconsciousness.

 
“Hang on, Bec!” He grunted and cursed and drove his Mech against the heavy armor and spinning tracks.

  She cried out when the weight slid from her.

  “How’d you get run over? Fucking slacker.” Dogface didn’t wait for an answer. He disappeared into the smoke.

  Rebecca crawled from the broken Mech, blood gushing across her face. She couldn’t see the wound. If she’d been in her Mech, the computer would have told her what was wrong with her. She suspected the top of her head was torn off.

  A Mazz soldier slid to a stop, stood over her, and aimed both arm weapons at her forehead.

  She rose part way to her feet, then lunged between his legs, coming up behind him and grabbing him around the waist. The wound she couldn’t see left curious blood smears on her opponent as she moved. A big man could drag an armored opponent off balance with this technique, but she was as heavy as a damp towelette in comparison. She hung on as he tried to aim behind his own back. A muzzle blast deafened her, but she was sure she was still alive.

  What would Kin do?

  What would Orlan do?

  What the fuck am I going to do?

  She shimmied up his back, holding him under the armpits to reduce his ability to reach her with his hands or weapons. The struggle lasted forever as the Mazz soldier twisted right and left to dislodge her.

  She looked for buttons or latches that would open the SKIN unit but found none.

  “Yield, Imperial,” a pained voice said from nearby.

  Rebecca didn’t dare lift her face to see who gave the command. Keeping pressed to the SKIN was the only thing keeping her alive. There were drawbacks to the tactic. She had the sinking feeling that if the enemy soldier didn’t comply, the trooper, a member of Westwood’s Own, would expend an extravagant allotment of ammunition to enforce his will and dismember them both.

  Dogface burst into the circle of Earth Fleet and Mazz troopers, rampaging through the standoff like an angry giant with one arm. Electricity sparked from his Mech unit. Hydraulic fluid sprayed like blood.