by Sarah Noffke
He racked the gun's slide and released it to load a round into the chamber, then paused to listen to the footsteps of the soldiers as they continued through the hall. He had to wait until they were close enough. Until the moment was perfect.
Knox fired at the Brotherhood soldier in the lead and the male fell back, the hit to his shoulder knocking him down. Knox let out a breath as he released the trigger and prepared for the next shot.
The other soldier had stopped and raised his gun as he tried to find the target, and again Knox pulled the trigger, letting two successive shots fly. The first bullet missed, but the second went straight through the Kezzin’s leg and he fell forward onto his hands and knees.
The male stared up at Knox, a desperate look in his eyes. The soldier behind him, still alive, had crawled over to his gun and managed to grasp it.
Knox whipped around and sprinted for the exit, with both these males disabled there was no reason to stay and fight. He didn’t have to kill them, as long as he could get away.
Besides, more soldiers would be here soon. He didn’t have long.
He managed to get to his ship and open the hatch. It was an old Black Eagle that had seen better days—too many days, actually.
Knox had salvaged this bird a few years back and fixed her up as best he could. Mateo had taught him how to fly back when he had first gotten the old ship working. That skill was going to hopefully save his life now. He dropped into his chair, not even strapping in as he started the engines.
“Gonna be a fast takeoff,” he said to himself. The engine stalled briefly, but that was normal. Knox slammed his hand onto the controls. “No, you don’t. Don’t fuck with me today. This isn’t the time.”
From the side window he saw multiple Brotherhood soldiers spilling out of the ship they’d arrived on, the vessel known as the Unsurpassed. Knox had never seen anything quite like it. Massive and smooth by design, it had more guns and weaponry than any single ship should have.
The soldiers fired at his ship just as the booster kicked in and the Black Eagle rose, shots ricocheting off his craft with a series of clangs.
Knox fixed his eyes on the clouds as he rocketed away. “You’ve taken worse. Hang in there, ol’ girl,” he told his ship, pulling back on the controls and lifting her nose.
He took several potentially fatal hits before the bird managed to soar into space. If he were lucky, he’d make it out of the system. He already knew those guys would follow him—people like that never left survivors—but if he could get far enough away then maybe they wouldn’t find him. Maybe he could stay alive.
There were very few things Knox was actually good at, but one of them was hiding.
He’d been doing it all his life.
Chapter Two
Officers Lounge, QBS ArchAngel, Lorialis System
“You’re kidding me,” said Eddie, pulling back his arm and launching the dart. It whirred through the air and stuck hard into the board a few centimeters from the bullseye.
Lars replaced Eddie at the line. “I’m not kidding you! Marilla says these aliens are telepathic. Isn’t that bizarre?” He threw his own dart, and it pierced one of the numbers that bordered the target.
“I definitely don’t want to meet any of those guys,” remarked Eddie. “I don’t need some alien in my thoughts.” He picked up another dart and twirled it in his fingers. The idea of having someone in his head—like Julianna had Pip—was a bit strange. Sure, there were the obvious perks to it depending on the circumstances, but Eddie wasn’t sure how he’d feel about an AI listening to the things that went on in his mind let alone an alien.
Maybe that was why Julianna had gotten rid of her last AI, Ricky Bobby. Eddie had been silently investigating the whole thing for a while now, ever since Pip had become sentient. Julianna acted happy about the evolution, but there was something else going on. He could sense it in little ways. It wasn’t so much what she said, but what she didn’t say. When Eddie had discovered Ricky Bobby’s existence, it had come as a shock. He knew her well now, but Julianna had never spoken about her former AI companion, despite how long she and Ricky Bobby had worked together.
Eddie wanted to approach her about this, but had yet to do so. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe he just didn’t know if it was his place.
“Yeah, I know,” said Lars. “One or two telepaths is one thing, but an entire species boggles my mind.” The Kezzin soldier watched as Eddie took his second shot and again narrowly missed the bullseye.
Lars didn’t bother lining up for his next shot, just threw the dart haphazardly. It didn’t even make it to the board.
Eddie whistled through his teeth. “Damn! I’m glad you fly better than you shoot, or you’d have been wasted by now.”
Lars shook his head. He realized he was being sloppy. It had been like this in recent weeks during his down time. That was the only opportunity he had to let his mind wander, and it always shot back to the Brotherhood. The idea of the army Commander Lytes had put together overwhelmed Lars whenever he thought about it, but he couldn’t help but dwell on it. Maybe he didn’t know those soldiers, but they were still fellow Kezzin. They were his brothers.
He wondered about his family too. Had his brother been required to join once Lars had left? He didn’t like to think about that, but it was difficult to control where his mind went. Doubts and fears were tricky things to control—the moment you thought you had a handle on them, they consumed you.
The screen on an adjacent wall flickered on and Chester’s pale face peered at Eddie and Lars. “There you are, Captain,” he said, beaming. “There’s something I think you should take a look at.”
Eddie, unflustered, pulled back his arm and released his third dart, which went straight into the bullseye this time. Casually, as though he had planned it, he turned to the monitor. “I’ll be right over. Have you paged Commander Fregin yet?”
“Yes, she’s on her way,” said Chester, running his hands through his spiky blond hair.
“Very well.” Eddie slapped Lars on the shoulder as he turned to leave. “Keep practicing, brother. One of these days you’ll be able to beat me.”
Lars smirked, showing his razor-sharp teeth. “Challenge accepted.”
Intelligence Center, QBS ArchAngel, Lorialis System
Julianna was already in the Intelligence Center when Eddie arrived.
Harley ran over and wagged his tail at him, tongue hanging limply from his mouth. Eddie knelt and tousled the dog's head.
“Hey there, Jules. Saw the list of new recruits you brought in. We’re starting to fill out a bit, aren’t we?” Eddie smiled at Marilla, who was hunched over her desk as usual.
“Not as fast as I’d like, but we’re making progress,” said Julianna. She gave Chester a nod to let him know to proceed with the briefing.
Chester smiled. “Thanks for coming so fast. I only just picked up on this, but I thought you both might want to see it,” he said, blowing up the image on the largest screen above his desk. “This shot was taken from Federation Border Station 7.”
He zoomed in on the image until a small ship came into view, and Eddie raised his brow. It was a Black Eagle, albeit heavily modified. It seemed to be painted light gray, unlike the standard charcoal color Eddie was used to seeing. There were black streaks on the nose that looked almost like whiskers, and something on the side that resembled a fin.
“What’s going on?” asked Eddie, stepping forward and narrowing his eyes. “What’s a Black Eagle doing out there, and why does it look like someone pulled it apart and pieced it back together? Don’t tell me that’s a Federation ship!”
“I don’t think so,” said Chester, “which was one of the reasons I alerted you. This guy, from everything I’ve been able to tell, just flew in from the Frontier. I don’t think he realized he was close enough to Station 7 for anyone to get a shot of him.”
“How did you get this feed?” asked Julianna.
“I picked up some of the comm traffic from Station 7. They
sent a message when he was close enough, but he cut the line as soon as it happened. He tried his best to stay off the radar.”
“Tried?” asked Eddie.
“Well, he did sever the line with Station 7, but I had already leeched into his comm, which granted me the opportunity to track his movements.” Chester rubbed his hands together with a cunning look in his eyes.
“You’re one smart sonofabitch. Have I told you lately I’m glad you’re on our side?” said Eddie with a laugh.
“You haven’t said it nearly often enough for my liking,” joked Chester.
“He enjoys having his ego stroked more than Harley likes his head scratched,” said Marilla, not looking away from her screen.
“It’s true, I’m just like a dog.” Chester tapped on his keyboard, enlarging the image of the ship even more. “Anyway, just before the comm was severed completely I heard the guy in this rogue ship say, ‘Damn Federation can’t protect me from the Brotherhood. No one can.’”
“Brotherhood? He said that?” Julianna asked, standing up straighter. Harley had been eyeing her eagerly, as if hoping she’d acknowledge him or maybe even pet him, but she’d kept her eyes trained on the image over Chester’s desk.
“Yeah, that was what got my attention and is why you’re here,” said Chester.
“What’s that on the side of the ship?” asked Eddie.
“I’ve been trying to find out. The image is getting cleaned, so I’m hoping a clearer version refreshes soon. The cameras on Station 7 aren’t the greatest, so we should be grateful they captured what they did.” Chester pushed up his glasses just as the image refreshed, the magnified text on the side of the Black Eagle now readable.
“’DTC?’” asked Julianna, squinting. “Am I reading this right?”
“I’ve seen that before,” said Eddie. “Not long ago, when I was visiting a fringe planet.”
“You mean when you were taking a drunken tour of bars on shitty planets?” asked Julianna.
“Yes, actually,” said Eddie, winking. “Tons of bar fights, lots of waking up in alleys. Good times.”
“What’s it stand for?” asked Marilla, poking her head above her desk.
Eddie thought for a moment. “Defiance Trading Company, if I remember right,” he finally answered. “They deal in black market weapons. I heard the Federation pushed them beyond their borders a long time ago. I don’t know much more than that about them, though.”
“Which means, if this guy is flying around next to the border—” began Julianna.
“Then something’s gone wrong,” Eddie said, completing her sentence as his gaze drew distant.
“Something involving the Brotherhood, it sounds like,” said Julianna.
“Yeah. If they’re after him, there has to be a reason. I’m guessing this guy could tell us some stories.” Eddie stood tall, the adrenaline already starting to pound in his veins. “Commander,” he said, glancing at Julianna, “you up for an impromptu game of hide and seek?”
She grinned. “Absolutely.”
Marilla chimed in with, “I’m guessing this guy is going to do his best to give you the slip. He sounds scared.”
Eddie nodded. “Which means we need to double our odds, so I’ll have Lars come along. We can practice that pincer movement we were talking about yesterday,” said Eddie, his voice growing more excited.
Julianna smirked. “Thanks, Chester, for keeping your eyes on the radar and constantly scanning. Good work.”
Chester leaned back and laced his hands behind his head. “Someone has to have eyes out there.”
Chapter Three
Alpha-line Q-Ship, Federation Border Station 7 Airspace, Lorialis System
“That’s the Omega-line? It doesn’t look any different from this Q-Ship,” said Lars from the copilot seat.
“That’s kind of the point,” said Eddie. “The differences are on the inside.” He pulled the controls to the side as Julianna maneuvered the other ship, the one Hatch had just created, up next to them. “Strong Arm,” he said, using Julianna’s call sign, “you wanna show Carnivore what that baby can do?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” said Julianna over the comm. The Q-Ship she was flying punched out at breakneck speed, leaving the other behind.
“Whoa, it can definitely move,” remarked Lars. “I’ll admit that’s impressive, but I thought the new line had some out-of-this-world features?” The Kezzin gave Eddie a sideways glance that showed his disappointment.
Eddie activated the thrusters to send their own Q-Ship racing after Julianna. “Just wait. There’s another feature you have to see in action.”
“Carnivore, did you just say ‘out-of-this-world’ while we’re racing through space?” asked Julianna.
Eddie snickered. “He’s been sheltered, so give him a break. We’ll teach him some fun references.”
A laugh echoed across the comm. “Don’t learn your lingo from Blackbeard.”
“Hey, I know things!” argued Eddie.
“If you three are done shooting the breeze, our target is ahead,” said Pip.
“’Shooting the breeze?’” asked Eddie, activating the second thruster to catch up with Julianna.
“Yes, it’s one of the many weird things about his new evolution,” said Julianna, a sudden edge to her voice.
Eddie shot Lars a look and raised his eyebrow but said nothing, and Lars returned the glance with a slight shrug.
“Target spotted,” said Lars, checking the radar. Julianna, as planned, had made an arc around the upcoming Black Eagle.
“That puppy is slow. It must have been kept in a rusty garage since it was decommissioned.” Eddie sent the Q-Ship toward the flying target, doubling his speed.
“Strong Arm, we are approaching and will be in position soon,” Lars informed Julianna.
“Fifteen seconds,” supplied Pip.
“Almost there,” muttered Eddie.
“Target’s fuel reserves are low. Engines have failed twice,” Pip informed them.
Lars flipped two switches overhead before adjusting his microphone. “Defiance Trading Company, we’ve determined that your spacecraft is in distress. We’re a Ronin tow craft, and we offer assistance.”
There was no answer over the static-filled comm, but the gray Black Eagle immediately spun in the opposite direction. For a moment it looked like it would stall, but the engines kicked back on and it shot forward.
“We’ve got a runner,” said Eddie, sitting up.
“Your engines are failing, Defiance. We can help you. We mean you no harm,” said Lars over the comm.
Another voice finally answered. “I don’t need any help. I’ve got a rescue craft already on the way.”
Eddie sent the Q-Ship after the Black Eagle and quickly caught up. The craft in front of them came to an automatic halt, causing Eddie to swerve the Q-Ship around it. He overshot it by a short distance before doubling back and hovering just in front of the old craft.
“Fuel levels on Defiant ship are nearly depleted,” said Pip.
“How long could he idle?” asked Eddie.
“Three hours, roughly,” said Pip.
“I don’t have three hours to hang around here,” remarked Eddie. “This idiot needs to realize we aren’t the bad guys.”
“Unless he turns out to be an enemy, and then we’ll fuck him up,” said Julianna.
“There you are, Strong Arm. What say we end this already?” Eddie and Lars were only thirty meters from the other ship, close enough for a visual, and Eddie leaned forward to look into the Black Eagle. The murky dust covering the windows made it impossible to discern a figure, though.
“There’s a problem,” said Pip over the comm.
“Of course there is. Wouldn’t be a party without one,” said Eddie, not at all deterred.
“Fuel level is rising,” informed the AI
“How is that possible? You said it was near zero,” said Lars.
“It shouldn’t be possible,” said Eddie. “Maybe ther
e was a malfunction with the gauge.” As soon as the last word left his mouth the rogue Black Eagle zoomed forward again in another attempt to get away. It wasn’t going to work, but the last-ditch effort was kind of cute. Eddie flew straight after it and kept pace.
“Have you guys been looking for me?” asked Julianna. Eddie couldn’t see her out the window, but a quick glance at the radar told him that she was hovering just above the Black Eagle.
“There you are!” Eddie chuckled. “Lars, tell this guy we’ve got him surrounded. You’ve got a nice voice, so I’m sure it’ll sound comforting.”
Lars shot Eddie a strange look. “’Comforting?’ Do I really?”
“Like an old grandmother,” Eddie assured him.
“If she had smoked for forty years,” added Julianna.
“Are you sure you want me to say we have him surrounded?” asked Lars. “We only have two ships.”
Keeping his hands on the controls, Eddie nodded. “Just do it.”
Without another word, Lars flipped a switch. “Defiance, we have you surrounded and we mean you no harm. Allow us to tow you from here.”
“I’m not falling for your bullshit. Just leave me alone.” The voice crackled through the staticky comm.
“Testy little tyke, isn’t he?” asked Eddie. “Strong Arm, we’re ready for you to graduate to the next phase.”
“Copy,” said Julianna. “Initiating. Be ready for next phase in three, two…and one.”
In front of the racing Black Eagle another Q-Ship appeared, and Lars’ eyes widened with shock. Eddie had wanted to tell him about this part beforehand, but he had also wanted it to be a surprise. He wagered there was no danger in that.
Lars whipped his gaze to the radar. Another ship had appeared behind the Black Eagle and almost at once the fleeing ship slowed, stalling once more before coming to a near-halt. A second later two more Q-Ships materialized on each side of the Black Eagle.
Lars flicked off the comm, disconnecting them from the Defiance ship. “I’m guessing those aren’t enemy ships, based on the smile on your face.”
