Rikas Marauders
Page 98
Rika didn’t have the energy to respond. She connected through Alison and raced through the data stacks within the node, looking for official messages sent with the admiral’s encryption tokens attached. Commands that could be sent to ships in his fleet and receive instant validation. Missives that would appear to be incontrovertibly sent from Fels himself.
It’s not here…shit…it’s not here! Rika exclaimed to herself as she combed through the data.
Rika’s headache intensified, and she closed her eyes tight, pleading to whatever light guided the universe that she could stay conscious just a few minutes longer.
Chase sounded good—triumphant, even. A smile formed on Rika’s lips. She barely heard the Nietzscheans storm into the node chamber where her body lay, as the blissful darkness of unconsciousness overcame her.
SURRENDER
STELLAR DATE: 09.20.8949 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Peerless
REGION: Ursa Station, Sepe System (Independent)
No response came, and Chase felt a cold shiver run down his back.
Nothing.
“Sir!” one of the Marauders called out, and Chase turned to see PFC Holly pointing at the holotank. “We’re broadcasting to the entire fleet.”
“Which fleet?” Chase asked, gesturing for the holo to play the message audibly on the bridge—surprised that it accepted his command.
The voice of Admiral Fels suddenly filled the bridge.
“I repeat, all prior orders were the work of Marauder infiltrators. New vectors and targets to follow this message. The Sepans have double-crossed us. They are not coming to aid us, they are joining with the Marauders to attack our ships. I repeat, new orders are included with this data burst. Updated vectors and targets are being transmitted now. All Sepan vessels are hostile, take them out with extreme prejudice.”
“The fuck?” one of the mechs whispered. “Did we just win or lose?”
Dammit!
Chase’s eyes flipped to the holotank, but he barely noticed that every Nietzschean-controlled ship had shifted to new vectors, the weapons fire directed at the Marauder-controlled ships decreasing as the enemy fleet dispersed.
“Wow…they’re going all over the place,” Holly muttered from Chase’s side.
Chase considered his options, then thought of something.
Though he supposed he should expect it, Chase was constantly amazed at how well AIs could compartmentalize their fears and inject humor.
Niki complied, and a moment later, Chase was looking at a view of the Ursa Station Operations Center. The room was the very picture of chaos. Half the people were rushing about without any clear destination, while others were staring at consoles dejectedly. A lot were yelling.
It took almost ten seconds of Chase calling out for the admiral—who was ten paces away, screaming at someone to get him in touch with his flagship—before anyone took notice of him.
When they did, the entire room fell silent.
“That’s more like it,” Chase said. “My name is Captain Chase. I’m currently in command of the Peerless, and I demand your unconditional surrender.”
“What?” Fels straightened and strode toward where Chase’s holo was projecting. “A mech? In command of my ship? I think not. This is a ruse.”
A bright light flashed against the operation center’s windows, and several people within the room screamed.
“Triangulate that,” Chase said. “You’ll see where it came from. We control all but a handful of ships within half a light second, and the Sepans have changed sides. You’re done. This will be a Marauder system by the end of the day.”
“Marauders take systems now, do they?” Fels growled, having recovered from the shock of beamfire playing against the control center’s windows.
Chase shrugged. “It’s becoming a habit, I know. Now, order all your troops on the station to stand down immediately and move to the docking bays to surrender.”
“And if I don’t?” Admiral Fels growled.
Brilliant light once again played against the windows of the operations center. Chase saw the plas begin to crack, and several people ran to the doors only to find them sealed.
“Last chance,” Chase said, praying that Fels wouldn’t suspect he was bluffing. He hadn’t the stomach to murder a whole room of defenseless people.
Fels drew in a deep breath, ready to lash out with a harsh rebuttal, but then the man appeared to deflate, the fight gone out of him. His shoulders drooped, and he nodded. “OK, you win, you…I’m sending the message.”
“Good.” Chase nodded, not even trying to stop the predatory smile that spread across his lips. “You all stay put.”
Chase felt a moment of dizziness wash over him, and he put a hand on a console to steady himself.
“Stars…we did it.”
VICTORY
STELLAR DATE: 09.21.8949 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Fury Lance
REGION: Ursa Station, Sepe System (Independent)
“Stars,” Rika muttered. “It feels like someone parked the I2 inside my skull. What happened?”
“So we lived?” Rika whispered as she opened her eyes to see that she was laying on her
bed in her quarters aboard the Fury Lance.
Rika tried to sit up, but the pounding in her head intensified, and she fell back onto her pillow—which also hurt more than she thought it would.
“Normal?” Rika whispered. “What the hell does that even mean? What did they do to me?”
Rika closed her eyes, wishing away that vision. “Stars, Niki, that’s disgusting.”
“You’re not exactly ‘nestled in with them’.”
“Rika?” a voice asked from the foot of her bed, and Rika opened her eyes again to see Chase approaching.
“Oh, good, you didn’t die,” Rika whispered.
“Die?” Chase asked, looking wounded as he sat on a chair next to the bed. “I had too much work to do after you went poof to die.”
“Poof? Is that what happened to me? Feels like more than ‘poof’.”
Chase took her hand, his touch gentle, and Rika realized she was still wearing her human limbs. Chase wasn’t, though, and the hard edges of his mech hand felt good against her palm.
“Well, I got scared shitless when you disappeared, but then Niki was still around, so I knew you were OK.”
“That’s the weirdest—and weakest—metaphor I’ve ever heard,” Rika muttered. “So, what happened?”
Chase chuckled and shook his head before replying. “Well, I threatened to kill everyone in the station ops center if they didn’t get all the Niets to stand down. Fels put up a bit of a fight, but in all honesty, he was done. Worn down to a nub. He surrendered, and we were able to rescue you.”
“Awww…” Rika laughed—then wished she hadn’t. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them once more and continuing. “Threatening the safety of an entire station just to save me. You’re such a romantic, Chase.”
“Are you sure you should be awake and talking?” he asked, his brows knitting with worry. “Niki?”
“Yeah,” Rika said with a wan smile on her lips. “I need to rest easy. What about the Seppies?”
Chase’s worried expression turned into a winning smile. “Your little ruse worked. The Niets turned on the Sepan Space Force, and the leaked message turned the Seppies against the Niets and their General Saz. Funny thing, though…when it all came out in the wash, Saz was in cahoots with Fels. Their local government has imprisoned him.
“While that was going on, just about every single Nietzschean ship in the system ended up surrendering. There are two currently trying to escape, but the Asora and Capital are hot on their tails.”
Rika grinned as she imagined the consternation this would cause the Nietzscheans. “Another mysterious defeat that Constantine will only get sketchy details on.”
“All in a day’s work for Rika’s Marauders,” Chase replied. “Oh, shoot. I need to have a conversation with Alice before we have a chat with the new five-star in charge of the Seppie fleets.”
“Alice…” Rika whispered. “I’d almost forgotten about her. How did she do?”
Chase shook his head. “She’s been fine since I got back, but Heather had a pretty big blowout with her. Alice threatened to file charges against Heather, but I’ve smoothed it over—Borden helped, too. For now, she seems back to her old self. Which Heather thinks is a ruse. Shoot, sorry; you didn’t need that right now. Don’t worry, it’s all under control.”
Rika patted Chase’s hand. “Good, because I’m about to pass out, here. Wake me if you need me.”
“I love you, Rika. You’re amazing in every way.” Chase leant over and brushed his lips against her forehead. “You got it.”
A lump formed in Rika’s throat, and she nodded silently before replying. “I love you too, Chase. Now get out there and take care of everything so I can just kick back and relax—once my brain shrinks back down to the size of my skull again.”
Chase stood, a soft laugh escaping his lips. “Yes, ma’am.”
He stood gazing at her for a moment longer before she shooed him off.
“I’m serious. Go. Solve all the problems. Oh, and I want cake and fresh coffee and tarts when I wake. Strawberry tarts, a dozen at least.”
Chase stopped at the door and shook his head, a happy grin on his lips. “You got it, Colonel Rika.”
“Good,” she whispered, and closed her eyes once more.
Rika sighed.
Her thoughts began to drift, making increasingly less sense, a precursor to blessed sleep, when she suddenly heard Tanis’s voice. It was saying something…something about the mission.
Tanis?
[Rika.]
Rika realized that the words were being sent into her mind, not as Tanis’s voice, but as written text, as though she were reading a console’s display.
[Tanis? What is this?] Rika asked.
[Remember QuanComm? You have one inside you.]
Rika struggled to remember the details of the QuanComm system. It was what had allowed the ISF to coordinate their jump into the Albany System four weeks ago. Real-time, instantaneous communication across any distance. Quantum entangled rubidium atoms kept within a third of a degree of absolute zero.
[There’s a QuanComm blade in me?] Rika asked, both amazed that such a thing was possible, and annoyed that Tanis had put it inside her without Rika knowing.
Maybe more than annoyed, maybe angry.
[Why?] she demanded.
[A pod, not a blade, can’t use it much. Sorry, I should have told you. Thought you might say no.]
[Why *in* me?]
[Tech too dangerous. Trust you to keep safe out there.]
Tanis’s explanation didn’t do much to assuage Rika’s disgruntlement, but she also knew that Tanis wasn’t the sort to do things without good reason.
[Well, I was nearly captured by the Nietzscheans, so it may have been a risk after all,] Rika countered.
[Fewer words,] Tanis replied. [Finite use.]
Rika sighed, remembering Finaeus discussing the system with Carson at one point. If the rubidium atoms warmed to three degrees kelvin, they would disentangle.
[OK.]
[Success in Sepe?]
It didn’t feel like success at the moment, but her objectives were met. [Yes. No Niets escaped.]
[Good. I have your next mission. Listen carefully.]
THE END
RIKA INFILTRATOR
RIKA’S MARAUDERS – BOOK 5
FOREWORD
Something that’s always a bit fun with the books that are being narrated is that I’m often listening to a book that is two or three releases behind the one I’m writing.
While writing this book, I listened to Alison’s narration of Rika Redeemed (as well as a bit of Rika Triumphant), and was reminded of some fun and interesting interactions between the characters. While I don’t really want to put Rika through more of what she went through in the Politica (she’d probably show up and kick my ass), I did want to give her a chance to really shine on her own once more.
That’s really where she does her best
, after all.
We’re also going to get to see the fight for Genevia from the eyes of more Marauders than ever before. Chase will be getting some more time in the limelight, as will Smalls, Alison, Kelly, Leslie, Silva, and even Vargo Klen!
We’re also going to get introduced to some new tech that Finaeus provided the mechs with, as well as some great old standbys that the Marauders are all too happy to use against their enemies.
And lastly, we’ll get to see a bit more of Rika’s journey down the path that Tanis set her on, with hints of where that may take us in the future.
We’re getting close to the end of the Rika septology, with Rika Unleashed and Rika Conqueror still to come—but fear not, these seven books will not be the end of our time with Rika. There’s a whole new series on the drawing board, ready to come hot on this one’s heels.
M. D. Cooper
Danvers, 2018
Prominent Members of the Marauders
Though there is a full list of all the mechs, pilots, and members of the Marauders at the end of the book, this is a listing of some of the more prominent characters and their current role in the battalion.
9th Marauder Battalion Leadership
Rika – Colonel, battalion commandeering officer
Alice – Lieutenant Colonel, executive officer
Silva – Lieutenant Colonel, training commandant
Barne – Sergeant Major, command sergeant
Leslie – Captain, intelligence officer
Niki – AI, Lieutenant, operations officer
M Company Leadership
Chase – Captain, company commanding officer
Karen – Lieutenant, company executive officer
Tex – First Sergeant
Aaron – Gunnery Sergeant
Potter – AI, Chief of Tactics and Strategy
The Seventh Fleet, First Division
Heather (Smalls) – Captain of the Fury Lance