by J. N. Chaney
She shook her head. “I said I’d stick with you, didn’t I?”
“Then try to be a little more optimistic. You say you wanna be a Renegade, right?”
She set her jaw and nodded.
“Then start acting like one. Think of this like your graduation test, if it helps motivate you.”
“Graduation?” she asked, lifting her brow. “Do I look like a student to you?”
I took a second to look her over, pretending to assess her appearance. “Hard to say. I could see it.”
She scoffed as I turned back around. “You’d better hope this plan of yours works, Jace.”
“Or what? You’ll kill me?” I took the control stick and activated our thrusters, beginning our move to the nearest planet’s orbit. “Get in line, honey.”
The planet was listed on the gal-net star chart as X83-1882b, part of the X83 system. A boring name for a boring place, but I hoped to change that.
If things went my way today, this system would be known for at least one thing, even if the only people who knew about it were the boys and girls over in Union Intelligence.
And a little rogue agent named Warren Church.
I strapped myself into the cockpit chair, while Calista did the same in the extra fold-out chair beside me. We sat in silence while I scanned the system one last time.
No ships detected, according to the holo.
If Church was following us like Ollie had suggested, then he’d arrive from the same tunnel we had, which was only a little longer than the one connecting this system to the Union. There was a pretty solid chance we’d see a fleet of Union ships arrive before Church did, so we’d have to be ready to run.
I looked at Calista, my fingers wrapped tightly around the data stick. “You good?” I asked after a moment.
She stared at the holo, her eyes fixed on the blue dot that indicated our ship. I could only imagine what she was thinking right now—whether she had regrets about picking up her father’s life and following in his footsteps, or even throwing in with me. It was only natural to question your decisions when you were looking down the barrel, and we were certainly doing that now. The only difference was that, most of the time, there wasn’t so much time to sit and think about it.
“Let’s do it,” she said, finally looking at me. “This is going to work.”
I just smiled then inserted the device directly into the Star. “Siggy, kill the scrambler.”
“Deactivating,” said Sigmond. It only took a moment. “Deactivation successful.”
I could sense my own pulse quicken, and it surprised me. It had been a while since I felt this way… felt this kind of uncertainty. If it had been under different circumstances, I might have even liked it.
“Replicating signal now,” announced Sigmond.
Just like that, the plan was in full swing. In a short while, this system would be swarming with enemy ships, but with some luck, we’d be on our way home.
“Replication successful. The shuttle is now equipped with the requested signature.”
And there it was. My own shuttle, parked safely on the other side of the Renegade Star, would act as our decoy. All interested parties would scan us both and discover that the signal was coming from the shuttle, and all we had to do was sit back and watch.
After we killed the one coming from the data drive, of course. “How long before you can disable that signal on the drive, Siggy?”
“Seven minutes, approximately,” he replied.
“That seems like enough time,” said Calista.
“Maybe,” I said. “But I’d rather have more if I can help it. Siggy, keep an eye on the tunnels and let me know if you get any openings. I want to know the instant someone arrives.” I shot a quick glance to Calista. “No going back now.”
She smiled. “If there was, it wouldn’t be any fun, right?”
“You’ve got a strange sense of—”
Before I could finish, another dot appeared on the radar. “An unknown ship is accelerating toward our location,” said Sigmond. “ETA is two minutes.”
“But I didn't see a tunnel open,” said Calista. “Where did it come from?”
“Son of a bitch must have been cloaked,” I snapped, taking the control stick in one hand and activating thrusters in the other. “Time to move!”
“What do we do?!” she asked, frantically searching the cockpit.
“I fly the ship. You stay put until it’s time to drop that drive!”
The Renegade Star continued accelerating around the nearby planet, breaking free as we reached the nearest moon.
“How did you pick up the ship if it was cloaked?” she asked.
“Don’t know,” I admitted. “Usually, you’d only want to drop the cloak if you’re firing on something. He may have been premature. No time to worry about it now. Siggy, show me that ship. I want details!”
“Scanning. Please hold.”
A diagram of the other ship came up on the holo, floating in front of me. I held the control stick with one hand and used the other to zoom in on the vessel. It was former Union, but modified with Sarkonian shields and, by the look of it, a handful of weapons from other ships. He also had himself a set of quad cannons.
I guessed he probably had a custom engine, too. Ugly, sure, but practical. Not bad.
I maneuvered around the moon, breaking its gravity well and continuing toward the second planet nearby. This one contained a ring of asteroids around it, which I planned to utilize.
“Siggy, keep an eye on the rocks. Calista, you know how to use a cannon?”
“I can figure it out,” she said.
Another set of controls appeared in front of the girl. “Please let me know if you need assistance.”
I smiled. “Looks like we’re finally in sync, Siggy,” I said.
“I do try, sir,” said the AI.
We were only a moment away from the ring. If I could get inside, I could play a little hide and kill with our new friend.
“Enemy ship will be within weapons range in ten seconds,” informed Sigmond.
“Almost there,” I said.
“Three, two—”
Just as we neared the first section of the belt, I pulled the stick hard to the right, causing the ship’s thrusters to shift power and change our trajectory enough to miss colliding with the rock. As I did, the red dot beeped and an alert popped up.
A blast from the operative’s quad cannon hit the asteroid, cracking it in half as we came around the side of it. “Shit!” Calista snapped.
“Easy,” I said, keeping my eye on the holo. “Focus on the cannons. Fire when you’ve got a shot.”
“Right,” she said.
We weaved in and out of the rocks, slowly enough to make the turns but fast enough that Church remained far enough away. He fired every chance he had, but always with precision. He knew what he was doing, even if he couldn’t land a blow. The man wasn’t clumsy.
Calista hovered over the controls, presumably waiting for a chance to use the cannons. “These guns only go forward. How do you turn them around?”
“You don’t. This ain’t that kind of ship,” I told her.
“Then how do you expect me to fire back?”
A group of rocks lay straight ahead, a thin opening between them. I increased our speed and set our course to take us directly through the middle. “See that? Use the guns and break that top one there. Siggy, place a marker!”
An icon appeared on the larger rock above where we were headed. “A blast from the cannon will—”
“Not the cannon! The guns!” I snapped.
She paused but then adjusted the controls and leaned forward, her finger at the ready.
Church was right behind us and gaining. He’d fire any second now. We barely had the time to make it through. “Now!” I shouted.
Calista fired before I could close my mouth. Armor piercing bullets meant to take down enemy ships with shields and hulls tore into the asteroid and quickly cracked the stone apa
rt. As we arrived at the center of the gap, Calista stopped, no longer able to shoot from this angle, and we entered the opening. The ship shook violently as the rocks brushed against the Star’s shielding, cracks forming along the hardened energy. But they didn’t break.
“Shields down to 67%,” announced Sigmond.
Before I responded, another indicator popped up to show Church’s ship firing again into the asteroids. Three quick shots, each from the quad cannons, tore the larger stones apart. His ship was coming up too fast. He was going to hit them.
Another shot, shattering more of the rocks. “He’s trying to get through!” Calista’s voice was frantic and full of fear from the weight of the moment. “We need to go now!”
I barely had time to take a breath before the next shot left the other ship. It tore through the newly formed gap in the rubble, staying ahead of the source as the two manifested triumphantly from the debris. The enemy vessel was surrounded by a glowing shield that was still strong enough to push the rocks out of the way.
The cannon shot continued forward, making its way to us. I barely had time to activate the accelerator when the blast struck our backside.
I jerked sideways in my seat, held in place by the straps around my chest.
“Shields at 35%,” announced Sigmond.
Thrusters were at max, and I turned our nose to the other side of the ring, ready to go back in, except something else was happening. I had another alert.
TRACKER DEACTIVATED
Finally. “Siggy, get ready to deploy the shuttle!” I barked.
I re-entered the ring, keeping an eye on my pursuer. We only had a few minutes to stall before things got even more complicated, so that didn’t leave long to take care of Church.
“Run a scan on that ship and give me his shield strength.”
“12%, approximately,” said Sigmond.
Finally, some good news, or as close as I could ask for. The debris must have done more damage than I thought, or those Sarkonian shields were to blame.
Probably a little of both.
That gave me a slight advantage. I just had to wait for the right opportunity.
SLIPSPACE RUPTURE DETECTED
“They’re here!” said Calista. “What now?”
“Stick to the plan,” I told her. “We’re almost there.”
“Sir, I am detecting multiple Union contacts,” informed Sigmond. “There appears to be a cruiser and twenty-seven strike ships. Apologies. Two cruisers. What are your orders?”
“Hold on!” I pulled hard on the controls, trying to avoid a nearby asteroid as I entered the empty space between the ring and the planet. “Give me a second, Siggy!”
Church fired on me from the rear, but the shot only grazed my shields, taking them down a few percent. “Sir, we are receiving a hail. Audio only.”
“Open the channel,” I said, before looking at Calista. “Don’t say a word, no matter what happens.”
She hesitated but nodded.
“Renegade Star, you are in possession of stolen goods. Release the undelivered merchandise you acquired and I shall end this pursuit.” The voice was distorted, the exact tone and identity unrecognizable. “Fail to do so and your life will be forfeited.”
I re-entered the ring and set a course for the slip tunnel exit, opposite of the arriving fleet. “Hey, Church, is that you, buddy?” I asked, trying to sound casual as I tapped a specific command into the holo. “I can’t say I know what you mean by stolen, but I am a Renegade and thieving is sort of my business. Can you be a little more specific?”
MINES ARMED
“The data drive you were supposed to deliver to the Sarkonian Empire. I know you’ve already accessed it two separate times.”
“Oh, that old thing? I sold that to a thrift store on Megos III. Got a sweet deal for it, too. Did you know they’ll give you three chickens if you spend over two hundred credits at the Ringo Twins Tavern down there? You should check it out if you’re ever out that way. Those boys make a mean whiskey sour.”
A blast from his quad cannons hit one of the asteroids as I passed by. “Do not test me. I won’t ask you again.”
“Church, wasn’t it? You know, maybe I’m overstepping a bit, but you ought to learn when to pack it up and head out. Your former employer is about to beat your door down and you’re over here worried about me and my little ship. Priorities, man.”
Church’s ship was nearly on me, barely far enough behind to keep out of visibility as I continued swerving between asteroids.
“You’re resourceful,” the operative said. “But even with all that bluster, you won’t be able to—”
I hit the release button on my dash for the mines. They shot out, one after the other, entering space and activating almost immediately.
Only five mines made it out in time to arm, but the following explosion rocked my ship. Every alarm in the tiny cockpit lit up, and the force of the blast sent us spiraling.
I gripped the controls with my whole body, but it wasn’t enough. I unbuckled my harness in a desperate attempt to gain some leverage. “Hold on!”
The holo went crazy, I could hardly see what was going on, and then—
Something struck me in the back of my head. I fell forward and onto the dash, my arms spreading across the holo, disrupting the image. “Jace!” shouted Calista.
“Shields are down,” announced Sigmond.
I sat up and tried to focus, but everything felt numb. Church’s ship was still there, but it wasn’t moving. Good. The asteroids around it were still colliding with one another. We were out of range of them, thankfully, and moving away.
“Was all of that necessary?!” Calista shouted.
“Don’t worry about that,” I said, trying to shake off the disorientation. I held my temple.
Gods. My head hurt.
“Jace, are you okay?”
I reached behind me and pulled out a small section of the overhead control box, then I tossed it to the floor. “Need to get that fixed.”
“Sir, the Union fleet is approaching,” said Sigmond.
“We need to deploy the shuttle,” said Calista.
“Yeah,” I muttered, a slight haze to my vision. “Yeah, deploy it. Siggy, deploy it.”
“You heard the man!” she shouted. “Launch it toward Church’s ship then set a course for the slip tunnel.”
“Understood. Detaching shuttle now.”
I leaned back in my seat and took a long breath. An icon flashed on the holo, but I couldn’t make it out. Calista’s hands moved quickly across the dash as my eyes grew heavier. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to… rest.
25
My eyes snapped open to the sound of alarms.
“Impact detected in hull section 13. Security alert. Intruder detected.”
Sigmond’s voice echoed through the cockpit as a bright red light pulsed on the dashboard. “What… what happened?” I asked, holding the side of my head and trying to sit up.
I looked to my right, expecting to see Calista, but she was gone.
I coughed. “Siggy, where’s Calista?”
“Security alert,” repeated Sigmond. “Hull section 13 has been breached. Intruder detected.”
“Intruder?” I muttered, blinking for a moment before finally sitting up. “Someone’s on my ship?”
Calista must have gone to check it out. I had to get over there, and quickly. The holo blinked, indicating that the slip tunnel was still several minutes away. The Union fleet was swarming near our shuttle, along with Church’s ship, which was exactly where we’d left it.
Had the Union sent a strike ship when they saw us fleeing? Were we about to be swarmed by a team of armed soldiers?
I struggled to my feet, searching my hip until I found my pistol. I unholstered it and checked the magazine. Nearly full.
“Siggy,” I wheezed, holding the back of my chair as I walked to the doorway. “Keep our course for that tunnel, but don’t enter until I’ve secured the ship. Do you understand?”
/>
“Yes, Captain,” said the AI.
“Where’s Calista? And the intruder.”
“Both are outside the engine room,” he informed.
“Which means we have a problem.” I got to the side of the cockpit entrance and eased my back to the wall, peering out. “Tell me through my comm if either of them move somewhere else.”
The hall was clear, of course, since the intruder was in the rear of the ship, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. As much as I trusted Sigmond, there was no telling what sort of damage the Star had taken during that last fight, especially from the mines. Internal sensors could be agitated, possibly missing a second or third signal.
I crept along the corridor, stopping when I reached the lounge at the center of the deck.
“Calista and the intruder are moving, sir,” informed Sigmond.
“What direction?”
“They appear to be headed toward the cargo bay.”
I doubled my pace and went in that direction, stopping whenever I reached an opening in the hall. My pulse raced, the pain in my head already fading as adrenaline took over. Breathing was too fast, though. Had to slow it down. Easy, Jace. Easy.
“Intruder has entered the cargo bay,” said Sigmond.
I quickened my pace until I neared the shuttle hatch. The glass showed the inside of another ship. Not ours. I couldn’t tell if it was Union or not, but it looked to be a three seater at best. Hardly standard for Union strike teams.
“Siggy, how did that shuttle even get close enough to dock with us?” I asked.
“The vessel was cloaked,” he explained. “I’m afraid I was unable to detect it until the ship was attached.”
Cloaked? That was certainly standard for Union spec-ops ships, but it was rare to see one on a shuttle this size.
I shook my head. No time to sit and debate with myself about how someone else got the jump on me. Calista was in trouble, and the last thing I wanted was to enter that slip tunnel with the Union latched onto my side like a parasitic worm.