Gun Sage

by Skyler Grant

  "The thing that surprised you."

  "It was beyond what your first evolution should have been capable of. I don't know if it was just accessing a new ability early, or if some way was found to magnify your existing abilities."

  Van didn't know either. Perhaps the answer to that was written on his guns, if he ever figured out how to read it.

  42

  Of the three aspects, spirit is the hardest to develop, and in the end the most powerful. One does not reach ascension without truly becoming its master.

  It was three of the most miserable days of Van's life until he was able to move and function normally again. After his evolution had passed he felt a sense of exhilaration mirroring every pain he had felt. It was like when he'd first woken up as a clone, but even more intense.

  Van also found his armor didn't fit quite as well. Perhaps because of the metal, but he'd gained around an inch in height and a bit more muscle mass. For the time being he left his armor behind and was wearing a suit Mortimer procured for him.

  As soon as he was feeling better he and Alexa headed for the Bounty Hunters Guild. With all that was going on, it was better to make sure they were on the right side of things.

  It was busier than the last time they'd been, and with a lot more heavy armor evident in the people milling around.

  It took them over an hour of waiting before they had a seat before Iris' desk. She was looking tired.

  "Steel and Stone. Came here taking a lot of jobs and did one of them. Well, at least you weren't total slackers. If you're looking for more work, do some of what I already gave you," Iris said.

  "We want one of those jobs taken off the board. We also need an indulgence or two," Alexa said.

  Iris arched a brow. "I'm busy, not just for my sake. I can deal with it as long as you remember we're here. Which post do you want removed, and what did you do—or plan to do?"

  "Can we really say?" Van asked.

  "You get all squeamish about the law because the Bounty Hunters aren't just after the guilty, and then you're worried because you are? It's fine," Alexa said.

  "It really is. We hire those who make a living from violence and pain. Those that do are always being hunted by somebody. It doesn't have to be us," Iris said.

  Van didn't approve of the ethics, but in this case approved of the convenience.

  "We want the contract lifted off Mortimer. He's trying to go straight, least as straight as you can in this town ,and make himself a man of means. To that end we're going after the CMC," Alexa said.

  "The CMC have their own people. Was it you that robbed one of its transport trains? Few minor bounties on that. We can clear them and lift the one on the con man. Anything else before I figure out a price?" Iris asked.

  "We're planning on a bank robbery," Alexa said.

  "Sheriff won't like that, which means you probably aren't going to survive. I'll give you a bargain. For everything, call it six hundred galactic if you pay now, or fifteen hundred after the robbery."

  Alexa grimaced but pulled out several galactic credit chips and slid them over the table. Iris scanned them in and grinned cheerfully.

  "Good luck with it. Smart move paying now. With all the heavy-hitters here you wouldn't want to wind up with a bounty on you."

  "What is going on anyways?" Van asked.

  "One of our bigger bounties in the system. One million galactic for the Red Death," Iris said.

  Van felt his stomach drop.

  "Gun Sage. I've heard of him," Alexa said casually.

  "Been in the system for awhile. Recent event looked like him. Probably not, but for a bounty that large it brings out the optimists," Iris said.

  "I'd ask if we could get in on that, but it seems a bit out of league," Alexa said.

  "Just a bit. Congratulations by the way. Sensors picked up the shift," Iris said, pulling a badge out a drawer and tossing it to Van. "I'll take your old one back."

  The new badge bore a marker for his first evolution. Van accepted it and swapped out his old one.

  Business done, they made their way outside and Van waited until they were on a quiet stretch of street before speaking.

  "One million credits," Van said.

  "Strange bounty. To anyone capable of collecting it, money isn't hard to get. It's only a large sum to those too weak to claim it," Alexa said.

  "So what do you think this is?"

  Alexa narrowed her eyes and peered towards the rising sun. "Best guess, you. Well, you or any other clones he had. The bounty isn't there for someone to collect on your Prime. It's there for someone to collect on you."

  Well, that was a chilling thought.

  "You think they have my genetic scan on file," Van said.

  "It makes sense. Give you armor and weapons plausible enough to be him, and a genetic scan to match. If you evolve, you send out a big flashing beacon and confirmation of being the legitimate bounty target, not your Prime," Alexa said.

  "And maybe whoever is hunting him stops for awhile thinking he's dead," Van said.

  "He is said to be a master of misdirection. Fooling his enemies, taking them from behind, being where they aren't expecting him," Alexa said.

  "Doesn't explain everything. Why all the upgrades? What about the engravings on my guns?"

  "Maybe you're meant to be decoy or replacement, depending on how things turn out. Maybe your Prime is just the sort of man that believes in giving their clones at least some chance to survive."

  "Is Yui like that?" Van asked.

  "No, no she isn't. Yui does everything she can to make sure we never turn, and make sure that if we do, we get brought home in a tank of goo. You've seen that much for yourself."

  True enough, nobody had it easy.

  "We should make it a priority to get off-world," Van said.

  "We'll do the bank tomorrow. I'll let Gideon know to expect us. Then we're clear and off to a new world where nobody expects to find us."

  The great thing about space was how far you could run away.

  43

  "You can keep your fancy magic tricks and your battle armor. There is no fight a cataclysm class missile and the will to use it can't win" Admiral Ezekius, three days before he was found dead on the bridge of his flagship with his throat slit.

  Van and Alexa spent most of the day watching the bank and getting to know the surroundings. Every detail was important for a robbery. It helped to know that the jail was two blocks away—it gave an idea just how quick the Sheriff might respond.

  The bank had security, of course. There were two guards, one who stood outside the door and one inside. Both wore standard body armor and were armed with some sort of energy rifles—which was unusual here.

  That night, when were almost ready to launch their plan, Mortimer came to them, finding them in the room they occupied at Silibah's house.

  One of the beds was covered in weapons, sketches of the bank, and the surrounding area. Everything they had been putting together about their plan.

  "Don't worry, we know the meeting point after," Alexa said.

  "It isn't that, dear lady. I wish it were. It is Silibah, she hadn't returned home yet and I thought nothing of it, but a letter was just delivered," Mortimer said, and the strain in his voice was clear.

  "The CMC?" Alexa asked.

  "I don't know how they figured it out, but they did. I'm supposed to turn the two of you over or they kill her. They are savages, brutes."

  "So why didn't you take the deal? Betraying an ally isn't beyond you."

  "Dear lady, if I were convinced it would assure the release of my beloved, I may well have done so. But these people are the sorts that once they put a boot on one's throat, they never take it off."

  "Can we help?" Van asked Alexa.

  Alexa closed her eyes. "I like Silibah, but I don't know. Do you know where she is being held?"

  "There is only one place they would have taken her—where they could be sure of holding onto her. The headquarters of their operations," Mort
imer said.

  "How many people? What kind of defenses?" Van asked.

  "Lots? They have a whole compound. Most of the workers live at the mines, but the executives and the troubleshooters live at their headquarters. By troubleshooters I mean those with lots of guns," Mortimer said.

  "And some sort of breeding ground as well for essence-infused creatures. Perhaps they are even doing research," Alexa said, starting to pace. She told Van, "You're capable, I'm better, but we are only two people."

  "Stealth?" Van asked.

  "Neither of us are masters of stealth arts. We're fast, not subtle. Don't let the fact you snuck into two ships of a vastly overconfident opponent confuse you."

  "I have assets, dear lady. Things put aside for a rainy day and it is pouring. I can withdraw what I have. Hire people," Mortimer said.

  "Any muscle that you can hire isn't going to be up to facing what they have in that compound. You'll need heavy hitters and they don't come cheap."

  "But ... they come out for a million credits," Van said.

  Mortimer offered a weak smile. "My rainy day assets are not quite that extreme, though I wish that they were. I fear that would require thievery on a level I have not quite mastered."

  "Unless you're wealthy, you aren't getting anyone extremely skilled. And someone skilled and with any sense isn't going to tackle a target this big. You'll have to make do with the unskilled and foolish," Alexa said.

  "That could mean a lot of hired help getting killed. And we don't want them dying for no good purpose," Van said.

  Alexa shot him a wry look. "I suppose not. We have them hit as a diversion then, and instruct them to peel off before too many get hurt, while we infiltrate the compound from different angles."

  "Not go in together?" Van asked.

  "If you bump into trouble, you're fast enough to get away. You're also the second diversion, as it were. I want you to go after the biggest target you can get. The head of their local operations."

  "I don't know if I actually wanted to start a war," Mortimer said.

  "You didn't. They did. You wanted to be the head of a local resistance effort, now you've got your chance," Alexa said.

  "Dear lady, if this succeeds I am going to see I get my Silibah off this world and her family as well. There is being an inconvenience, and there is truly becoming a thorn—and thorns get plucked out."

  "That solves a problem, if you're willing. I didn't know how we were going to get her off-world anyways. If we use Gideon for our extraction we don't have to," Alexa said.

  "This is a lot of trouble and a lot of danger we're not getting paid for. You sure you want to do this?" Van asked.

  Alexa rubbed her eyes. "Essence. We know they have supplies for what they did to those creatures. Where else would they keep them? Valuable to us, valuable for resale. We rob them blind too, and if we can set a few murderous beasts loose in the compound while we do so, all the better."

  "I wouldn't know what is valuable," Van said.

  "But I would. I'll pick out what we're keeping and have Gideon land while their forces are distracted by our hired help. I'll then extract Silibah. You will make enough noise to draw some serious attention to you."

  "When they show up, the CMC is going to shoot at them, because that is what they do," Van said.

  "And we let our threats tear each other apart while we escape to somewhere more scenic. Silibah will be with us." She told Mortimer, "If you want to join her, you'll need to be on our ship when it lifts."

  "Nothing would give me greater pleasure, dear lady. I cannot thank you enough for this, for helping. I know it would be easiest for you to pretend that none of this had happened," Mortimer said.

  "We'll get her out, we'll make them pay, and we'll turn a profit doing it," Alexa said.

  That was optimistic.

  44

  Full-on war between the Empire and the Dynasty has never occurred. Both are wracked by internal power struggles and while these occasionally escalate, the royal families on both sides find it in their best interest to keep them contained.

  They were in orbit. Fortunately, Gideon didn't object to a risky plan as long as he was getting paid, and if there was anything this plan had a lot of, it was risk.

  The compound was in the middle of the desert, which was good,—it made things nice and isolated. Up until now they hadn't had a good idea of exactly what to expect.

  A central building was large with multiple entrances and exits. Probably some sort of main administration. There were a number of small residential structures ranging from the relatively shabby to the ornate. One villa in particular stood apart in its own small fenced area, likely the home of the chief executive. Another building had a target range outside, perhaps the center of their military operators.

  On the outer edges of the complex and at the far end was the stables surrounded by animal pens.

  "Where they have the firing range is most likely where they are holding Silibah," Alexa said.

  Gideon joined them near the display. They were on the bridge, standing around a table with a holographic map.

  "They've an anti-air turret on the roof of the main building. We come in close, they could tear us apart," Gideon said.

  "You're the hot-shot pilot. Don't you have a way to deal with that?" Alexa asked.

  "Sure, I go down in an armored drop pod, take it out, and land the ship remotely."

  "Then do that."

  "You going to cover my costs?"

  "Mortimer will. Got more than one drop pod? Can you send all three of us in?"

  Gideon nodded. "If Mortimer is paying, I can get us all down there."

  Van said, "Then you'll insert on top of that central building. I'll go in near that manor."

  Alexa said, "I'll drop near the building with the animal pens. That's near the northern edge of the encampment anyways. I'll steal what we need and then go grab Silibah. Have the forces Mortimer hired attack from the south. It will draw most of the defenses that way and give us the best chance to keep the ship clear."

  "Sounds like a plan," Van said.

  There was a lot that could go wrong. This entire thing was a hastily put-together plan against a superior position. Yet, if all went well, they'd save a friend and be away before the consequences could find them.

  Two hours later and Van was scrunching himself into a drop pod in the ship's hold. He had prepared as much as possible, wearing his new and upgraded armor with enhanced scorpion chitin plates. Van's pistols were loaded with mostly standard ammunition, but he had a lot of it. There was also a shotgun on his back with a good number of explosive rounds that should be able to deliver excessive power up close even without essence.

  All three of them had eaten spirit fruit, loading up their essences with as much power as they could hold. Enough that it made Van's aura tingle uncomfortably, burning from holding so much more than was natural.

  Gideon barely fit in his pod and didn't seem to be going into the fight armed with anything more than his fists. In contrast, the pod was massive around Alexa, who had a sword on her hip and was dressed completely in black.

  They all nodded to each other.

  Van's pod door slid shut and beeped, his ears popping as the interior filled with pressurized gasses that obscured his vision in a wash of blue. Van didn't understand the science of how these pods worked, but he didn't need to.

  There was only the gentlest of nudges as the pod launched.

  Without any tactical displays or announcements he had no idea how his flight was going. This really was a crude way to make a planetary landing. The air grew heated as the pod entered the atmosphere.

  It felt like an eternity before he finally felt the violent jolt of the pod making impact with the ground. Metal groaned and shook all around him, and there was the hiss of escaping gas.

  Van got hit four times just getting out of the pod, all head shots that rattled his helmet. The helmet was earning its keep, not just keeping his head from taking the bullets but high
lighting the snipers in the tactical display.

  He'd landed on target in the garden of the manor, all in all almost exactly where he was supposed to be. Both snipers were on the roof. It was out of range of his pistols unless he threw some essence into the shots and Van wasn't willing to do that, not yet. There was a long fight ahead of him. If those snipers wanted a further piece of him they could have it up close.

  Van ran for the nearest window of the manor. The doors were likely locked anyways, and he didn't know what defenses might be in place.

  No need to waste a bullet on the glass—Van dove through shoulder-first. The glass shards were sharp, but through his armor he didn't even feel them. The interior was dark and his tactical display was already lighting it up. Two targets, one behind a countertop, another in a corner and behind the door waiting to open fire on someone entering.

  Van put one in the leg of the figure near the door, but not before the one behind the counter put two in Van's chest. They bullets drove him back. Even through the armor he could feel the sting. Piercer rounds. Van knew from experience the scorpion plates could take a direct hit from those, but there were gaps in his armor. While his evolved flesh might resist a normal bullet, piercers would hurt him.

  Van storm flashed to the other side of the counter where the man had already taken cover. Armored chest, nothing on his hands. Van put a bullet through his gun hand.

  That would keep him out of the rest of the fight.

  45

  "The deadliest blow you will ever strike is the one that takes an enemy from behind." Reflections on Power.

  Van cautiously made his way upstairs. With his senses going he could feel others in the house, one with some essence.

  At the top of the stairs he was ambushed again. Shooters from two different doorways. Seeker rounds mixed with piercers, they must be, and targeted at seams in his armor. One took him in the leg and the other grazed his gun arm.