“The last one’s out,” Danny said. “That much I can tell you now.”
“What, the network?” Lee wrinkled his nose. “How do ya figure?”
“Because we killed the uplink as soon as we got control of Mr. Black’s primary systems.”
Lee felt his mouth fall open. “Why on Earth would you do that? Do you have any idea what kind of intel you left on the table?”
“Sure.” Danny folded his arms. “But in case you haven’t noticed, Captain, those in our line of work tend to value their anonymity—hence my desire to not pop like a Roman candle on every Kurgorian scope in the quadrant.”
Lee shifted, not following.
“All centurions have access to the network, yes, but the network also has access to them. What they see, what they hear, not to mention every thought command they run through the system—it’s all shunted back to their superiors via the network in a continuous stream of real-time data.”
Lee blinked. “So, they’re a hive mind.”
“Not entirely, but close. Think of it more like finely tuned intuition. No centurion can control another. They’re just in each other’s heads at all times.”
A lot connected in Lee’s mind at once. On the rare occasions when the Kurgorians had put boots on the ground, they’d been nothing short of lethal to face. Part of that had to do with the strength of centurion armor, but a lot of it involved the near-flawless harmony with which they’d fought. “And their ships?”
“Run the same way,” Danny said. “They’re all connected. It’s how they fight with such synchronized unity.”
Lee licked his lips. “See, this is the kind of stuff that Wylon and his people need to know.”
Danny flinched at the mention of Aura’s president, and Lee silently cursed himself for his lack of tact. Danny’s relationship with Madisyn, Wylon’s daughter, had made him a close friend of the family. So, it stood to reason that he might not be too keen on a reunion just yet.
Danny blew out a sigh and rose to his feet. “Come with me. There’s something I want to show you.”
Not quite sure what to expect, Lee followed Danny into the next room. There, on the back wall of a makeshift study, was a full-sized map of the Alystierian Empire, its six major provinces staked out in a spatter of multicolored pins, images, press clippings, and intel excerpts.
“What is all this?” Lee asked.
“This is everything I have on Alystierian operations in the rim,” Danny said. “Ship deployments, troop assignments, logistics, intel, everything.”
Lee inspected one of the myriad images. It was a special shot depicting eight Alystierian cruisers, all moored to a docking port in orbit of a white planet. They were undergoing a Kurgorian refit.
Lee’s pulse jumped as revelation set in. “Was this taken at Kyma 4?”
Danny nodded.
“We had no idea they’d opened a shipyard there.” Lee fingered the photo. “When did this happen?”
“About a month ago,” Danny said. “It’s one of several they’ve opened in this region.”
Lee stepped back and rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands. “I don’t get it. Why open up shop out here? Masterson has tons of resources in the core systems, and they’d be easier to access.”
“Yep. And as of last month, he’s tapped out every single one of them. Masterson’s putting the full-court press on this project, Lee. He wants Aura in ashes. He just doesn’t have the firepower to do it yet sans hard Kurgorian aid. That’s why he’s leveraging every asset he’s got to build as many hybrids as he can—and oh, by the way, he won’t have sixteen more by year’s end; he’ll have thirty.”
Lee’s expression plummeted.
“The clock’s ticking on the ASC, brother. You guys need to make a move and make it now, or Masterson is gonna tear it all down.”
In that instant, something occurred to Lee. “What’s your angle in all of this?”
Danny’s lip twitched. “What do you mean? You know what I want…I want Masterson.”
“I get that.” Lee gestured to the wall. “So, why put forth all of the time and effort to build this? By your own admission, Danny, you’re out of the war. So why invest so much time and energy in tracking it? Why not go after Masterson head-on and say screw the rest?”
“Gee whiz, Lee, you make it all sound so simple.” Danny threw up his hands. “For starters, getting to Masterson isn’t that easy. Trust me, I’ve tried. The guy’s got more security than a Fort Knox fire sale. He’s never without an escort, ever. One source even told me he takes a piece to the john with him; I kid you not. As for my interest in the war, I never said I was out of it. My role in it just changed is all.”
“Yeah, how’s that?”
“I want Masterson dead more than anybody,” Danny said. “Of that, I have no illusions. But I want to do more than kill him. I want to break him, and that means killing his dream first, his legacy. You have to understand who you’re dealing with. Masterson is a true believer in the Alystierian ideal as envisioned by Clayton Zier back in the day. You’re a history buff—ask around. Clayton won the Beyonder War, yes, but he damn near sold Aura’s soul to do it. He was a ruthless son of a bitch, man. We’re talking Stalin ruthless. And yet to Masterson, he might as well have been Moses, leading his people to the frickin’ promised land. All that rhetoric Masterson spouts about imperial glory and sacrifice and order by federal supremacy, where do you think he got all of that? Straight out of the Clayton Zier speech book, that’s where. Worse yet, Masterson truly believes it’s his gods-ordained duty to carry this all out. Think jihad hopped up on steroids and alien tech!”
Lee felt a chill. “And you mean to take that from him.”
“Yes, but not for the reasons you think. In the end, this isn’t a moral thing for me. That’s just a byproduct. No, I want to burn it all down for the simple sake of making Masterson watch it happen. I want him to sit there and see the blood dripping from my hands as everything he’s worked for—everything he’s built, everything he’s lived for in that bat-shit-crazy existence of his—turns to scorched earth and dust before his very eyes. Then…then I’ll kill him.”
Danny’s entire form went rigid, from the muscles in his back and arms to the butts of his fists, which had become white-knuckled hammers.
Lee had seen this before, and he knew what it meant: Danny was committed, and come hell or high water, nothing would change that—not that Lee would’ve tried. Had that been Mac instead of Madisyn at the other end of Masterson’s knife, he’d have sought a little of that Old Testament justice himself.
Lee stroked his whiskers, not entirely sure how to broach his next query or if he even wanted to. “Danny, I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask this, but…if you succeed here, and you get a hold of Masterson, what are the odds you’ll reconsider and let us take him alive?”
Danny sneered at the notion. “Oh, don’t even start, Lee!”
“I’m serious, man. Listen, I don’t blame you for wantin’ him dead. Hell, I’d feel the same way in your shoes. But if you’re serious about seein’ his legacy burn, you’ve got to know you achieve that to a far greater end by makin’ him stand trial for his crimes. Otherwise, you risk makin’ him a martyr.”
Danny snorted in disgust. “And you wonder why I left.”
Now it was Lee’s turn to vent a little pent-up frustration. “No, Sport, that I get. What I wanna know is why you wouldn’t let us help you back when you had the chance. Danny, you’re like a brother to me, and I love you like one, but you’re also a damned hypocrite.”
Danny scoffed. “How do you get that?”
“A long time ago on the Praetorian, you made a big ol’ grandiose speech to me about friends and family, and how we always stick together—cause that’s what family does. Remember that?”
Danny begrudged a nod. “The mission to get Mac.”
“You’re damn right. Only, when the boot hit the other foot, and it was our turn to be there for you, you cut bait and split. Don’t g
et me wrong, Danny—I know why you did it, why you ran. You’d just seen firsthand what happens when our loved ones get caught in the crossfire for our actions, and you didn’t want that for the rest of us. So you lit out after Masterson on your own. That about sum it up?”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Pretty close.”
“That was not your cross to bear alone, brother. You should’ve let us help you—you should’ve let me help you. Because hey—” Lee huffed. “That’s what family does, right?”
Neither man said a word for a long minute after that. The air needed to settle first, and they both knew it.
“It just…it just felt like the right thing to do, Lee. Yeah, in retrospect I could’ve probably handled it better, but I still don’t regret the decision to leave. Sorry if that makes me a selfish, backpedaling ass, but I just don’t. I didn’t want you involved.”
“You mean anymore than I already was?” Lee grunted. “Lest we forget, I’m the guy who put us all on Masterson’s radar, not you.”
Danny’s lips formed a line. “I see my fellow stowaways from the Axius have been talking.”
“Little bit.” Lee considered the quandary of that last statement. “What do you reckon the odds are he’s forgotten about all of that?”
“Are you kidding?” Danny laughed. “Dude, you painted a wall with his kid’s gray matter. You’re Masterson’s white frickin’ whale. Believe me, I saw it in his eyes when he came to my cell.”
Lee frowned. “In any event, Danny, what’s it gonna be? You gonna table the revenge thing long enough to come back to Aura and help us out or not?”
Danny grunted and spun away.
At least he’s thinking about it.
“All right, fine.” Danny huffed. “I’ll come. But I’ve got two conditions.”
Lee knit his arms. “Name them.”
“To start with, I need the admiral’s word that everybody on my crew gets safe harbor when we dock. That means nobody gives them any crap and nobody lands in cuffs no matter what their history checks come back with.”
Lee didn’t like the sound of that, but he let it slide for the sake of progress. “What else?”
“The other thing I need is your word.”
Lee shifted. “My word on what?”
“I want your word that once this is all over, you’ll let me skate with my crew, Mr. Black, and Overlook.”
“Danny, I can’t just—”
“You promise me, Lee. I mean it. When this is all over, you let us go our own way, and you don’t come after us. You want me to come talk to the brass and help you beat Masterson’s hybrids? Fine, that’s my price.” Danny averted his eyes, his expression turning solemn. “You and the others…you’ve got families, bro, people who depend on you. You don’t belong out here, not on this. I walk when this is done, and I do it alone. Otherwise, there’s no deal. Take it or leave it.”
Lee leaned back in his chair. Ain’t a snowball’s chance in hell. “Deal.”
Danny studied Lee for a long moment before rising to his feet. “All right, then. I’ll let the others know that—”
“Hey, Top?” Reegan’s voice cut in via the wall terminal. “I need you up in Ops right away. We’ve got a problem.”
Lee and Danny traded looks before the latter responded, “On my way.”
* * * * *
Chapter 7: Under the Hood
Feeling the lift rise toward the Operations Deck, Danny wondered if Lee could see the unease on his face. He hated surprises, and while he could typically conceal that from his crew, doing so with Lee—a guy he’d known since high school—presented a whole new challenge.
The lift door swooshed open, and Danny stepped into Ops to find Reegan in the pilot’s chair with Mac to his left at the nav station. Doc, Shotz, Hamish, and Link held the floor behind them.
“What do we got?” Danny asked.
Reegan raised an index finger then adjusted the mic on his headset. “Copy that, security, but I’m sure this is all some kind of misunderstanding. If you’ll just check the port manifest, you’ll…well, yes, I understand that, but…”
“Apparently we’ve got security outside asking questions,” Shotz said.
“Any clue why?” Danny asked.
“My money’s on Mangum,” Shotz muttered. “He’s irked that he couldn’t take the ice from us, so he ratted us out to the local authorities.”
“That’s his MO, all right.” Danny rubbed his chin. “What are they asking?”
“They want us to open up our hold for inspection,” Doc said. “You know…so they can see the trash we’re supposedly transporting on behalf of parliament for disposal?”
Danny rolled his eyes. Wonderful.
Lee tapped Danny’s shoulder. “Let me guess. There is no trash onboard your ship.”
“Not in the amount they’re expecting, no.” Danny glanced back to Reegan, whose patience with the voice on the other end of the line was waning.
“I understand that, sir, but to be frank, that doesn’t concern me.” Reegan shook a finger at the launch controls, and Mac took his cue to start them.
So much for an 0800 launch. Danny turned to Lee. “Sorry, but it looks like you’re staying with us for a while. We’ll come back for your ride later.”
Lee opened his mouth to speak but didn’t get the chance.
“Doc.” Danny was already in motion. “Get back to engineering in case Remy needs a hand. Tell him not to freak out, but we might have to make an emergency jump if this thing goes sideways.”
Hamish raised a hand. “Mind if I tag along?”
“Be my pleasure.” Doc vanished down the hall with Hamish in tow.
“Where do you need me?” Lee asked Danny.
“We updated our aft defenses with a pair of slammer cannons a while back. You take port; Shotz’ll take starboard. I’ll call the ball from primary tactical up here.”
Lee wrinkled his nose. “How in the world did you come by slammers on a tub like this?”
“Tell you later.” Danny pointed to the hall. “Now get to it.”
Lee fell in stride with Shotz and took off.
“Link.” Danny shifted. “I need you to go secure the cargo bay. Make sure everything’s tied down solid.”
Link threw up his hands. “Really, Crockett? I fly starbombers through the gates of hell on a regular basis, and you want me on mop duty?”
“Just do it, Link.”
Link groaned then darted out of sight.
“Yes, sir, I understand your position, but you need—” Clearly frustrated, Reegan spun to Danny and covered his mic. “Sorry, Top. I was really hoping I could talk us out of this one, but these guys aren’t taking no for an answer. We need to go.”
Danny grabbed the intercom mic from the wall cradle beside him, keyed it, and put it to his lips. “All right, everybody, looks like we’re leaving the party a little early today. Be advised this could get hairy, so buckle in and be ready to field instructions. Ops out.”
Overlook’s engines whirred to life, and Danny watched through the forward viewport as the hangar floor outside became bathed in moonlight. Once the ceiling exit had spiraled open, Danny glanced back to Reegan, who took hold of the yoke. “Your show from here on in.”
Reegan tipped a salute. “You got it.”
The ship let out a groan as its struts left the docking platform. It ebbed slightly then steadied before ascending into the open, where it listed a bit to port then pitched forward to begin its rise into the stratosphere.
A series of light, metallic taps came from outside.
“Underbelly’s taking fire,” Mac announced.
Danny slid into the worn, leather seat cushions at tactical behind her and put in his earpiece. “Don’t sweat it—we’ll be fine.”
Mac’s olive-skinned face twisted. “In this thing? You’re kidding, right?”
“Let them be,” Danny said. “They’re just local rent-a-cops doing their job. They’re no threat to us. Reeg, what’s our time?”
/> “Twenty seconds to atmo breach,” Reegan said, the viewport before him now completely obscured in clouds.
“Looks like we’ll have company when we get there.” Mac peered at her reading. “LORASS is tracking one Alystierian destroyer and two Stinzer-class attack shuttles inbound from the far edge of the system.”
“Is the destroyer a hybrid?” Lee blurted over the comm.
Mac double-checked her screen. “Negative; she’s stock class.”
Lee’s voice relaxed. “Nice to catch a break for a change.”
Mac spun her chair back to face Danny. “Conventional tech or not, you are planning to shoot back at those, yeah?”
“You help Reeg fly the ship,” Danny said. “I’ll worry about what we will or won’t shoot at.”
“Shotz and I are in position,” Lee announced.
“Glad to hear it, guys.” Danny refreshed his screen. “Stay alert and on comm. We’ll keep you apprised from up here.”
“Copy that, Ops,” Shotz’s voice said.
“Open space in three…two…one…mark.” Reegan looked up from the yoke as the scene beyond the viewport washed clean to stars, save for a trio of flecks of gray off the starboard bow. All three moved to intercept.
“Reeg, you try hailing these guys with our parliament credentials yet?” Danny asked.
“On our way up,” Reegan said. “I got no response.”
Danny, Reegan, and Mac ducked in unison as three tracer rounds blistered past Overlook’s nose.
“So much for credentials.” Reegan sat up.
“Ya think?” Mac said.
“Sanitations Vessel, Overlook,” a voice squawked over the intercom. “This is the imperial destroyer, Baronthaul. You are hereby ordered to power down your engines and prepare to be boarded.”
Danny cracked his knuckles. Not today. “Reeg, you set?”
“Say the word, Top.”
Danny licked his lips. “Take ’em!”
A loud boom bellowed from Overlook’s engines when Reegan ripped back on the yoke, soaring the ship into a pirouetting climb into the heavens. There it peaked then looped back hard onto a max-burn charge toward its aggressors.
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