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  These humans have much to learn about using an advantage. Trenik flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I hope for all our sakes they live long enough to seize this opportunity.

  ***

  Oliver made his way to the hangar so he could get back to the Morrigan. They were heading out soon to join one of the Confed battlegroups coming in. Alden planned on getting back to the capital long enough to establish control then he’d join them before they made their final push.

  “Peck!” A familiar voice drew his attention. Albert Gage came hurrying up, waving. “I didn’t know if you made it out of there alive, man!”

  “Holy shit, man!” Oliver shook his hand. “I wasn’t sure about you either. How’s it going? Were you hurt?”

  “Nah, I made it out okay. I’ve received word from my people too. They’re all okay. In fact, they have some weaponized ships. They’re ready to help us with the ervas threat. I’ve put them in touch with your logistics people. When we’re ready, I’ll join them to take command. Give these pricks a real ass kicking.”

  “Amazing. Wow. I’m glad to hear it.”

  “Where’s Rita?” Albert waved his hand behind him. “I’ve looked everywhere.”

  “Oh boy.” Oliver told him the story about what she did, about her leaving with Loch. “We have people heading out to get her back right now.”

  “Holy shit, man. That’s…” Albert blinked a couple times. “I’m not even sure what to say. I’m sorry to hear it.”

  “Me too.” Oliver shrugged. “We’ll fix it. The best we can.”

  “I wish I would’ve known. I’d have helped with that.”

  “I know, man. I thought you were…”

  “Nah, I ain’t that easy to kill.” Albert smirked. They walked in silence for a few moments. “So… I know everyone’s coming together. It’s a real love fest. But… I have a curiosity. A wonder, I guess.”

  “What’s up?”

  “What are our chances do you think? Do we have this?”

  Oliver didn’t answer right away. Having sat through the briefing, he may have been one of a few people with an informed opinion about that point. Unfortunately, he wasn’t certain. They didn’t know what they were facing. Most of their situation came down to guesswork involving numbers.

  And that’s why he couldn’t give Albert a direct answer. I don’t want to give him false hope. At the same time, he couldn’t remember a time when he told people they were in trouble. Not without some path forward. I guess this is the time to be honest. He’s not a military man and he shouldn’t be here if he’s not confident.

  “We are doing everything in our power to stack the odds,” Oliver said, “meaning we’ve got everyone on deck. We can say two human nations are involved. MerCon is practically a third. The civilians helping don’t count as a fourth. What this comes down to, though, is whether or not the ervas have the same type of resources.”

  “You mean… if they have the equivalent grouping of forces.”

  “Right. Are we outnumbering them three-to-one?” Oliver shrugged. “Or do they have such a vast fleet that we’re in real trouble? Even our prisoner can’t help us with that. They don’t know the full extent of our opposition. So…that’s why I can’t outright say yes, we’re going to win this fight.”

  Albert clapped him on the back. “Well… I guess we’ll do the best with what we’ve got, huh? I personally look forward to fighting someone that isn’t a human being. Might be nice to face off with some allies on my side. Former enemies. I dunno. Part of me thinks this battle was a long time coming, that we really needed it.”

  “Maybe so.”

  Oliver hadn’t put too much thought into it. Unification might’ve still happened without them but after everything that happened in the frontier, all the discoveries and violence, outing Whitaker and working with the Gold Empire, even bringing MerCon around… it really did change the dynamic of human interaction.

  “Alright, I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than jaw jack with me.” Albert picked up the pace. “I’m off to a briefing of my own before heading out. See you around, Peck! Good luck!”

  “You too!” Oliver watched him disappear around a corner up ahead before veering into the hangar. He hadn’t known about the civilian side of things. Partly because he hadn’t thought of people like Borden and Albert as civilians. They were capable enough. If they stepped up and didn’t become liabilities, then they’d be welcomed to the party.

  I’ll ask Noah what he thinks about our chances.

  But Oliver had duties of his own. Organizing security on the ship, ensuring they didn’t experience another sabotage situation, and keeping everything locked down. That was his duty. Even if the marines weren’t needed for combat, they had a job to do. And based on what he heard from their previous mission, they needed more focus.

  At least we won’t be sitting around. Oliver approached the shuttle, returning a salute from the man waiting at the ramp. He boarded, taking a seat. They had to wait for some others, but he’d be back on the Morrigan soon enough. I feel like I haven’t seen it in a year. I can’t believe it’s been such a short period of time.

  When he’d boarded the ship, he’d never imagined he’d consider it home. The mission was supposed to be in and out, grab intel, research the enemy, and get out. It had became so much more. His entire family had been on board… Rita and Noah but also a crew of individuals he became close to.

  That made the ship something he felt protective toward. I’ll do everything I can while we’re out there. Whatever that means. Oliver leaned back, closing his eyes. But first, I’m getting some damn sleep. I feel like I’ve been running my ass off for the last two weeks. I’m well past the point of needing some downtime.

  Chapter 5

  Dora clung to the flight stick as the ship entered the planet’s atmosphere. Zem gave her coordinates and asked her to do everything she could to make the trip as fast as possible. That meant a bumpy ride for nearly five hours straight. When finally they emerged, normal space felt strange. Everything had been too calm.

  All that changed when they started their descent. Their goal was to put down at a complex under the pretense of doing some business. She had no idea how he knew the people might accept that with their boss off world, but he was adamant. McCully sat on the bridge with her. She’d expressed the most skepticism.

  “You ever hear of this place?” McCully asked. “Been here before?”

  “This is my first time in the frontier,” Dora replied. They were entering cloud coverage. She changed the viewscreen to a tactical view, showing an outline of the planet’s surface below. “So no. I have no idea what this place is or what we should expect. Other than it’s a pirate compound.”

  “I’ve dealt with those, but they were closer to the border.” McCully hummed. “I hope he doesn’t intend to go in there guns blazing.”

  “Not right away,” Zem said. He moved silently, even when the ship was bouncing around. It leveled out as they drew closer to the surface. “Scans show there are only twenty people down there. Perfect. They must be hanging out with him. I’m going to reach out to them. Make sure they know we’re coming.”

  “Knock yourself out,” Dora replied.

  Zem tapped the controls before having a seat. “Attention, we’re about to make a landing. Listen up, I’ve got some valuable information for your boss. Who do I talk to?”

  “You’re not authorized,” a man replied. “Who is this?”

  “Name’s Zem. I’ve been operating in these parts for years. I happen to know about a Confed plot that might interest you. Give us clearance.”

  “Just tell me.”

  “Better to talk in person,” Zem said. “You’ll have questions.”

  “What do you want for this information?”

  “A chance to join your crew. I represent some hard hitters who need steady work. I’m pretty sure you can provide it. What do you say?”

  “Hold on.” The line went dead.

  �
��You always that abrupt?” McCully asked. “And are you sure this is the best course of action? Offering to work for those assholes?”

  “Finding decent people with something of value is tough out here,” Zem replied. “So yeah, this is the right course of action. More importantly, it’ll get us what we need. Which is on the landing pad. Head back. Tell the others to be ready to go. Full gear. When the gate opens and I meet up with the guy, we start shooting.”

  “So we’re just killing these people?” McCully tilted her head. “No warning?”

  “I told you what we’re up to.” Zem shrugged. “You said you could handle it. If not, sit up here. We’ll do the rest.”

  “I’m in,” McCully said. “I just… hoped we’d have a different tactic.”

  “Now that you know otherwise, swallow your qualms and get moving.” Zem seemed to wait for her to leave. “Dora, keep the engines idling. If this goes south, we might have to take off in a hurry. Make sure Ronnie’s ready on all the defenses and such. We could have to fight our way out of here.”

  “Looking forward to it,” Dora said. “Don’t worry. We’ve got your back. Just… you know, be careful down there. I don’t want to go home without you guys. That would raise some serious questions I wouldn’t be comfortable answering.”

  Zem chuckled. “That’s why you’re my favorite. You know how to keep this shit light.” The comm buzzed back on.

  “Listen up,” a new voice spoke this time, one who sounded a lot older. “Name’s Biggun… as in Big Gun. I’m in charge here right now while the boss is away. I want the nature of this information and how you came by it.”

  “It involves a threat to your boss,” Zem said, “and I found out about it because I keep my ear to the ground. We broker information and we kick ass. Those are our talents. You need that, pretty sure. Everyone’s said so, at least. So you going to let us land or what? If you don’t, I’ve got to go so I can get another job.”

  “You that sure we’re in trouble, huh?”

  “I am. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have something that could bargain my way into your payroll, man. Besides, I’ve worked for you before. Did some wet work. Knocked out a couple targets. So I know the drill. Just stop being so cagey and let’s do some business.”

  “What if we don’t like what you’ve got to say?”

  “Then I’ll toss you some creds for a refuel and get the hell off your planet.” Zem sighed. “Christ, what the hell happened out here that you’re so nervous?”

  “Don’t worry about it. Land at pad three. You’re cleared. We’ll be there waiting. Only you come out of there. You can talk to us right away and I’ll see if you’re worth a damn. You got it?”

  “Whatever. Shit, no wonder this place seems deserted. Your hospitality is crap.”

  “Yeah, well… we’re cautious. And if this works out, you’ll appreciate it. Biggun out.” The line went dead.

  “Okay then.” Dora altered course, heading for the designated area. “Shouldn’t be long now, Zem. I’d like to know what your plan is.”

  “Shoot people,” Zem replied. “It’ll work out okay.” He stepped out of the room. “Thanks, Dora!”

  Ronnie pinged her from the engine room. “Hey, are we landing?”

  “Yeah,” Dora replied, “stay put down there. Lock the door. Just in case, okay?”

  “That bad?”

  “Probably worse.” Dora zeroed in on the flashing IR picked up by her HUD. That was the pad they were after. “I don’t want you in any danger. You’re wearing the pistol I told you to, right?”

  “Yep. Not exactly convenient down here but I know why.”

  “Good. Keep it close and ready.”

  Though if she and I need guns, we’re in more trouble than I want to pull myself out of. She thought back to the pirates who boarded the ship on a previous mission. I’m not going through that again. We’ll find another way… but then again, with the people I’ve got on board, I probably shouldn’t be so worried.

  ***

  Torrence stood in the cargo bay with her rifle slung. She pulled at the neck part of her armor. The MerCon variety fit incredibly well… so much so that it clung to her skin, chafing her neck and causing her a low level of discomfort. Fussing at it seemed to make it worse, but she couldn’t stop scratching.

  “Knock it off,” Nostros said. “You’ll get a rash. Put your helmet on before we land.”

  “Isn’t this bothering you?” Torrence asked. She gestured at his pants. “I know it’s got to be compressing your junk something fierce.”

  “My junk’s fine.” Nostros shook his head. “Seriously, you need to relax.”

  “Whatever.” Torrence picked up the helmet as McCully came in. “What’s up, Cap?”

  “Nice.” McCully rolled her eyes. “We’re about to get into some shit. You two look ready.” She picked up her helmet. “I’m pretty sure this maniac plans on blasting whoever happens to be at the base of this ramp so… keep that in mind.”

  “Yeah, he’s pissed.” Torrence shrugged. “What can you do? This is a shitty situation. And Rita’s a friend so… I’m willing to go along with it.”

  “She’s not even here,” McCully pointed out. “So whatever we do won’t exactly be helpful.”

  “You’ll see,” Zem called out. “We’re on. Take positions behind the cargo containers. I’ll get them in your line of sight. On my signal, open fire.”

  “What’s your signal?” Torrence asked.

  “I’ll pull out my pistol and shoot Biggun.”

  “Just like that?” Nostros asked. “I expected an answer of something like… you’ll know it when you see it.”

  “Nah, I don’t want any confusion. Anyway, I’m going to stun that prick. We need him. The others, feel free to kill. Save us the trouble of finding out they can withstand a shock.” He grabbed hold of the safety guard by the door as the ship slowed. “We take this place and we’re on the road to finding Rita. Remember that. It’s our only objective.”

  “Hey,” Torrence held up her hands, “we’re not in this for the glory or the money so we get it.” She stepped away, taking a knee behind a crate, one nearest to the loading ramp. McCully went opposite her. Nostros took the high ground, going prone on the stairs leading to the crew area.

  Dora put the ship down masterfully, causing barely more than a gentle rumble as the hydraulics absorbed the weight. Zem stepped over, tapping the panel to bring the ramp down. Three men stood at the bottom, two with rifles held out in front of them. The last one, Biggun presumably, took the center.

  Wind flipped his long hair, bringing out to the left. He wore a long sleeve sweater with holes in the sleeves, cargo pants tucked into boots. His only weapon seemed to be a pistol worn on the left, but his hand wasn’t anywhere near it.

  Zem approached him. The conversation came through the comms. “Biggun, huh? I expected you to be a lot taller.”

  “Funny guy,” Biggun grumbled. “So what’s the deal? Give me the information.”

  “How long before your boss gets here?” Zem asked.

  “What’s that matter?”

  “Because if this works out, I need to know how long we’ll be in limbo about a job.”

  “Soon enough.” Biggun shook his head. “I’m getting the feeling you don’t know shit, pal.” The others stirred. “Why exactly are you here?”

  “Bored.” Zem quick drew his pistol, blasting Biggun in the gut. The other guards lifted their weapons.

  “Left,” Torrence muttered as she pulled the trigger. Her target took the hit in the face, a full-powered blast that obliterated his skull, knocking him to the pad.

  “Right,” McCully said. She took hers out with a double tap to the chest.

  Torrence broke cover, grabbing a rifle as she hurried to meet Zem.

  “I’m on overwatch,” Nostros said, “changing position for a better vantage.”

  “Coming down,” McCully added. “On the left.”

  “Nostros, Bring him aboard.” Zem po
inted at Biggun. He took the rifle from Torrence and started marching toward the compound. “McCully and Torrence, you’re with me.”

  The compound could’ve housed fifty troops. It was walled off from the outside, sitting in the middle of nowhere on the planet. Loch proved to be paranoid. Any civilization had to be over fifty miles away, probably more. That meant no help would be coming anytime soon. If they took out the garrison, they’d have the place.

  “Follow my lead,” Zem hurried over to the nearest door. It happened to be ajar. He opened fire, pouring several blasts into the area. Someone screamed. Footsteps scuffled about; probably four people.

  McCully opened fire inside as well before pressing her back against the wall to the right of the doorway. Zem didn’t hesitate, charging inside.

  “Christ!” Torrence hurried after him for cover. McCully cursed as she followed. They had to hop over a body.

  “Who the hell?” A man shouted from somewhere ahead. One blast hit the ceiling to Torrence’s left. She took a knee, aiming to the right of Zem as he continued his relentless advance.

  “Clear the right!” Torrence shouted. He took a step out of the way as she fired, suppressive shots down the narrow corridor.

  Zem continued shooting as well, keeping his motions conservative and tight. The sound of falling bodies rose above the clatter. Torrence had to pick up the pace to keep up but she remained crouched. The three of them reached an intersection where the hall broke off while still continuing down.

  “McCully, left,” Zem called, “Torrence, right. I’ll go straight.” He didn’t wait for comment but kept moving.

  Shit, this guy’s intense! Torrence complied though she sensed the hesitation of their third. McCully didn’t like the aggression, that much was obvious. Getting into the mix the way they were carried incredible risk but it also gave them the initiative. Biggun clearly didn’t anticipate a full-on raid. Probably because they scanned the ship and didn’t see a lot of us.