by M. R. Forbes
“Enter that tube,” Coxie said. “It will drop you with the secondary team.”
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Olus said.
Hayley turned back to Coxie. “Thank you, Sergeant,” she said.
“You’re very welcome, Hal,” Coxie said. “Good luck with the Don, and stay safe.”
Olus and Hayley moved to the tube, entering it as Coxie’s team spread around it, defending them until they started to ascend. He caught a glimpse of the squad easing up before he lost sight of them, their end of the mission complete.
“Have you ever met Don Pallimo before, sir?” Hayley asked.
“Not in person. We’ve spoken a few times.”
“Is he nice?”
“I don’t know. He’s on our side. That’s all that matters.”
“Affirmative.”
The platform came to a stop a few seconds later, dropping them in a well-lit garden atrium that Olus had noticed on the way in. It had a transparent bubble surrounding it, a climate system providing a more humid atmosphere that was very unlike the rest of the planet.
The doors slid open, allowing them to exit. Olus hesitated, scanning the path that spread out ahead of them.
“Where is everybody?” Hayley asked.
Olus put his hand on her shoulder. “Stay close.”
He reached inward for the Gift, sensing it along his skin. It had warned him of trouble before. It wasn’t warning him now. But what was this?
He shifted his hand from Hayley’s shoulder to her hand and led her out of the tube. They entered the garden, surrounded by large green leaves and an abundance of colorful flowers. When no one appeared to greet them, they moved further into the area, following a winding walkway through the growth.
They reached the center of the atrium a few minutes later. A man was sitting on a bench there. He was older, with salt and pepper hair and a wrinkled face. His clothes were plain but clearly expensive. A cane rested to his left.
His head turned as they approached, and he smiled.
“Ah. There you are.” He took the cane and used it to help himself up. Then he bowed to them. “Captain Olus Mann. Miss Hayley Cage. Don Attoro Pallimo, at your service.”
Olus glanced down at Hayley, his other hand dropping to where he had stashed a knife.
“I’ve met Don Pallimo before,” he said. “You aren’t him.”
5
The man came out of his bow already smiling. “Of course, Captain Mann, I’ve met you as well. We’ve spoken to one another face-to-face. Granted, not with this face.”
He tapped his cane, a projection firing from it that completely altered his appearance, changing him to the Don Pallimo Olus knew.
“My own design,” he said. “I’ve got a team still working on making it seamless from all viewing angles, but it’s convincing head on, isn’t it?”
“You’re telling me that the Don Pallimo the world knows-”
“Isn’t the real Don Pallimo?” the Don replied. “What makes an individual what they are. Their appearance or their soul? I’ve made a lot of enemies over the years, Captain. I’m sure you understand that. Oh, they won’t come right out and say they hate me, but of course, they do. The Haulers are as close to a monopoly as anything in the galaxy, and I like it that way. Plenty of others don’t.”
“I heard a rumor once that you and Korvin Layle are one and the same,” Olus said. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
The Don put a finger to his lips. “Our little secret, eh, Captain? There are only a handful of individuals in the galaxy that know about it. The fact that I’m letting you in should be proof of how important Miss Cage and her mother are to me.”
“Why?” Olus asked.
“You know what the only thing worse than a liar is, Captain?”
Olus smiled. “A backstabbing liar.”
“Exactly. General, excuse me, Gloritant, Thraven not only lied to me, but he also used my Haulers and me. Now, I don’t hold any airs about being an upstanding citizen of the Republic. I’m pretty certain I’ve shipped some cargo that would make me sick if I knew what was in those pods. But when his soldiers turned on my crew? When he lied and tried to blame Cage for it?” His pleasant expression turned dark. “Nobody crosses me like that. I don’t give a frag who they think they are. If he had told me one of his units went rogue, it would be a different story. That’s not what happened.”
“You took a big risk to get us off Earth,” Olus said. “Some might argue it was too much risk for such a small favor.”
“Some might screw their sister or their doggie, too,” Pallimo said. He glanced at Hayley. “Pardon my language, Miss Cage. I don’t spend much time in the presence of the young.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” Hayley replied.
“Even so, it proves my point. Just because some might think a certain way or act a certain way, that doesn’t automatically make it right. My crew is my family. All two hundred thousand of them. You hurt one; you hurt us all. And you hurt me the most.”
“You know what Thraven is doing to the galaxy?”
“His little rebellion? Of course. Not only is he disrupting the backend of the business, he’s been attacking my assets directly. He acts like it’s my fault I’ve got it in for him.”
“Sergeant Coxie told me you owe Abbey a favor,” Olus said.
“That’s how these things work, Captain. One good turn deserves another. When I found out Miss Cage was in danger, I put my team on it, and now she’s here. She’s under my protection until her mother comes to collect her. It’s my way of repaying her.”
“And you’re certain she’ll be safe here?”
“I can name every individual who knows my whereabouts and count them on one hand. As you witnessed with the Sergeant, I take great pains to stay out of sight, both in the galaxy at large and here on Gamlin.” He tapped the cane again, his visage shifting. Olus recognized the new face as Korvin Layle’s. “Very few people have ever seen my true face.” He tapped the cane again, dropping the mask. “Consider yourselves special in that regard. I know your history, Captain, so I trust you with this. Miss Cage, your mother showed more compassion and honor than my hunter deserved. I assume you’re her equal in that department?”
“I try to be,” Hayley said.
He smiled. “Good enough. Very few know my face. Fewer still know I’m on Gamlin. Plus, I’m very well defended here, even if it isn’t obvious from the outside. I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable to say that this is one of the safest places in the galaxy for Miss Cage to be.”
Olus looked over at Hayley. He knew she didn’t want to be left behind. He had even given some thought to keeping her close. Enough that he was undecided. Was it better to stash her somewhere that was supposed to be secure, or was it better to take personal responsibility for her. He knew from Zoey and Pahaliah that being around him hadn’t been very good for their health.
“And what about the resistance?” Olus said. “Where do you stand on that?”
“I knew that question was going to come,” Pallimo said. “You don’t waste time, do you, Captain?”
“We don’t have a lot of time to waste,” Olus replied.
“Gloritant Thraven crossed me, which means he’s no friend of mine. I’m organizing my resources as we speak to teach him a lesson in manners. But helping the Republic? I’m neutral in political affairs, Captain. I deal with both the Republic and the Outworlds and can’t afford to take a side.”
“Even when millions of innocents might die?”
“What do they have to do with me? My business is my business. Other than that? I suppose you could argue a thinner population means fewer sales of my toys, but it’s a weak argument.”
“Perhaps I can appeal to your sense of honor then. Thraven has the Outworld Governance fooled into thinking he’s doing all of this with them. They’re going along with it because they believe they’ll get a piece of the Republic when all is said and done, and that’ll boost their holdings across the board. The truth is that a
s soon as the Republic is disabled, he’ll turn on them as well.”
“A fact that wouldn’t surprise me. I’m still not inclined to get involved beyond my own motivations. I’m not a charity.”
“We’re talking about the end of the galaxy here, not a few planets changing hands.”
“What do you want me to do, Captain?” Pallimo said. “Or, more importantly, what’s in it for me?”
“I thought you wanted to get back at Thraven?”
“I do.”
“I thought your crew was your family?”
“They are.”
“Then why do I even need to convince you? Thraven murdered your crews in cold blood. He’s destroying your ships, their cargo, and their personnel, and you believe any response you give should be measured?”
“An eye for an eye, Captain. That’s what my father taught me.”
“Do you think the Gloritant will stop at your eyes, once he’s taken the rest of the galaxy?”
Pallimo fell silent, staring at Olus with a thoughtful expression. “You have a point. But then, I should have guessed the infamous Olus Mann would be able to make sense out of madness. These are uncertain times, aren’t they?”
“Only for individuals who are navigating for themselves, and not for the good of all. I know what my responsibilities are.”
“Be careful how you speak to me, Captain. I’m lenient with you because I respect you, but you’re getting close to the line.”
Olus froze. He was getting too emotional. But why shouldn’t he? Individuals were dying out there.
“My apologies, Don Pallimo,” he said. “I feel very strongly about this situation, both as a loyal member of the Republic and as Hayley’s current guardian.”
Don Pallimo smiled, his face turning warm once more. “I understand, Captain. I’m a businessman, not a monster. There are no hard feelings. Your words aren’t lost on me, and I need time to consider them. Let’s head back to my estate. You can help me get Miss Cage settled and then we can discuss matters of violence. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Olus replied.
“If you’ll follow me, I have a separate entrance to the atrium. The gardens are one of my favorite places on Gamlin. So relaxing, most of the time.”
He turned and started walking toward the opposite direction. He was near the edge of the pathway when someone approached at a run. An older man, clearly a soldier, muscular and raw with a thick, deep scar that went across his face and both of his eyes. His original organic optics had been replaced by mechanical lenses that stuck out from the vacant sockets.
“Get down!” he shouted as he dove toward the Don.
Olus felt the tingle of the Gift at almost the same instant. He reacted instinctively, scooping Hayley into his arms and covering her as he fell to the ground, the Gift spreading around them.
Something hit the top of the atrium. He could hear the transparent cover shatter as though it were happening in slow motion. A loud, echoing woomf followed, and then a wave of heat and force that battered at his sudden defenses, threatening to break through.
Apparently, Gamlin wasn’t as safe as Don Pallimo thought.
6
Olus looked up from his smothering position over Hayley. The garden that had been there a moment earlier was gone, nothing but ash and flames remaining where the foliage had been. Pieces of the outer cover surrounded them, and the sound of heavy buzzing was thick in the air.
“Hayley, are you hurt?” Olus asked, shifting his attention down. She was staring back up at him in a state of shock. “Hayley?”
“I want to go home,” she said, her lower lip starting to quiver. It didn’t matter how strong she was trying to be. She wasn’t ready for any of this. “I want my mom.”
“Me, too,” Olus agreed. “Right now, we have to get away from here.”
He helped her to her feet.
“Shit on a fragging comet,” he heard the soldier say beside him. “Shithead, get the boys inbound asap.”
“Roger, Colonel,” someone replied. “We’re on the way.”
Olus turned his head, finding him leaning over Don Pallimo.
“You’ve got to be yanking my balls,” the soldier said, noticing the motion and looking back at Olus. “Do you believe this shit?”
Olus looked down at the Don. His head had been pulverized, as had portions of his body. There was no blood. Only exposed wiring and some clear lubricant.
“A fragging synth,” the soldier said. “You think the Don’s even on Gamlin?” He started laughing, getting back to his feet and scanning the air.
“What’s happening?” Olus asked.
“I’ll tell you what’s happening,” the soldier said. “There’s a cloaked warship up there, a fragging hornet’s nest that the Don thought might be fun to kick as hard as he could.” He laughed again. “Name’s Quark, by the way. Colonel Quark. You’re Mann. That’s Cage.” He put his fake eyes on Hayley. “I met your mom on Azure. She kicked my ass pretty good, and I liked it. You look like a smaller version of her. You tough as rocks, too?”
The question seemed to get Hayley back to the immediate. She straightened up and nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. We need to get off this fragging mountain top before the Shrikes circle back. The rest of my Riders are heading in, but that won’t mean shit if we get slagged before they arrive. Thanks for the shield, Captain, even if it missed robo-Don over there. Being pissed off won’t help anyone against standard ballistics.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Olus said.
“Don’t matter. Let’s just get the frag out of here.” He pointed back the way he had come, through a wall of flame. “Can you keep that away from us?”
Olus noticed movement in the sky nearby. A dark spot was angling back toward them. It had to be a Shrike, coming back for the kill. “Do I have a choice?” he replied. He put out his hands, the Gift spreading from him. He couldn’t see it, but he could feel it. “Come on.”
He led them to the fire and through, a force field keeping the flames from reaching them. The Shrike was closing fast, set up to launch more munitions their way.
Something streaked up from a lower peak, a flash that struck the side of the Shrike and detonated, blowing the craft to pieces.
“Thraven doesn’t know what he just got himself into, attacking Gamlin,” Quark said. “The Don isn’t one to take it lying down.”
“He was so sure Thraven wouldn’t track him back here,” Olus said. “It seems like his secret isn’t very secret after all.”
“I’m sure I’ll be charged with solving that mystery sooner or later,” Quark said. He looked at Hayley again. “Don’t worry, darlin’, me and my Riders are the best there is. We’ll get you away from this mess.”
They reached the secondary tube. Two soldiers in battlesuits were flanking it, and they saluted when Quark approached.
“What the frag are you standing there for?” Quark asked. “Let’s move.”
They boarded the tube, heading back down.
“Shithead, ETA?” Quark said. “Don’t give me the 'I can’t fly my way through fifty Shrikes' bullshit. I need you here, now.”
Olus heard the explosions further away, along with the sounds of rapid gunfire. They had escaped one war zone on Earth to wind up in another one here. He felt especially bad for Hayley. She didn’t deserve any of this.
The tube doors slid open, showing the concourse in chaos around them. Transports were trying to squeeze into the closed space to escape the Shrikes outside, while individuals were huddled in the center in an effort not to get hit by the vehicles. The bots had all moved the opposite direction, going outside. Olus wasn’t sure what for.
“Of course, Shithead can’t land in here,” Quark said. “We get outside; we wait for him to drop. You with me, Captain?”
“Roger,” Olus said. Quark called himself a Colonel, but it didn’t mean a thing to him. Mercenaries had their own ranking systems, as did the Outworlds, and he was sure the soldier
had never been part of the Republic military.
They started crossing the concourse. Quark and his guards vaulted the transports easily in their suits, while Olus picked Hayley up and carried her through the mess.
“Shit,” Quark said suddenly, stopping his advance and ducking behind one of the shuttles. “Head down, Captain,” he called back.
Olus dropped between vehicles, placing Abbey down and sticking his head up. A squad of blacksuits came in through the exit a moment later, sweeping the concourse in search of them.
“Wait here,” Olus said, finding his knife.
“Be careful,” Hayley replied.
Olus crept to the edge of the shuttle they were behind before using the seraphsuit and the Gift to vault over it, bouncing toward the blacksuits. They fired at him, but he put out his hand, deflecting the rounds as he landed directly in front of them, batting one soldier’s weapon aside and stabbing him in the neck before spinning and kicking a second soldier, breaking his leg. He moved behind that one, slamming his shoulder into the third and knocking him into a fourth. He pounced on them while they tried to disentangle, digging his blade into their necks in the space between helmet and suit.
As long as they weren’t Converts, they wouldn’t get back up.
Two quick pops dropped the remaining two soldiers in the squad.
“You sure you don’t want a gun, Captain?” Quark said, popping out from behind the shuttle. “It’s a little cleaner.”
Olus looked down. He had lines of blood on his clothes. It was a small price to pay. He bounced back to Hayley without responding.
“We’re clear, come on.”
He picked her up again, carrying her past the dead soldiers to the exit. The individuals on the concourse watched them go. They probably thought he was crazy for going outside.
