Ruins of the Galaxy Box Set: Books 1-6

by Chaney, J. N.

  “La-raah,” replied the company in unison.

  “And, Titus?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Next time you decide to go treasure hunting through some old buildings—which wasn’t the worst idea, by the way…”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Do a scan first.”

  “Yes, sir,” Titus said with a crisp nod.

  “Okay, Granther Company, let’s run it again. Computer, reset simulation.”

  “Request acknowledged.”

  32

  Awen could hardly believe that she’d been training Piper for just over a month. The time had gone by more quickly than she realized, probably due to the fact that she was enjoying her time with Piper immensely. In fact, she couldn’t remember having as much fun with anyone in recent years.

  Perhaps this is what Willowood felt like with me. Awen thought better of that idea when she considered just how gifted Piper was. The girl was a marvel, doing things Awen had never seen another Luma do, herself included. But she and Piper weren’t Luma. We’re Gladio Umbra now, Awen reminded herself. The rules would be different, and so would the results.

  Ni No was quite small, so after the last six weeks, everyone had begun to get island fever. Most of the team split their time between the island and the Spire, taking advantage of the change of scenery. For her part, however, Awen preferred staying on Nieth Tearness as much as possible. She most enjoyed the strand on the west side of the island, walking along the sand in her bare feet during sunset. After a few weeks, Magnus had discovered her evening ritual and started joining her occasionally. Sure, she was more of a closed person, preferring to be alone whenever she wasn’t training Piper or getting a history lesson from Azelon. But she never complained whenever Magnus showed up to join her.

  “So, how’d things go today?” Awen asked Magnus. The two of them were halfway to a large set of rocks that blocked the northern reach of the strand. The purple-hued sun was just about to touch the far ocean horizon, and the temperature was dropping.

  “Best day yet,” Magnus replied. “I’m proud of them.”

  “Seems like they’ve really come a long way.”

  “They have. Further than I expected in this amount of time, truthfully.”

  “That’s great, Magnus. But you shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “You’re a good leader.”

  Magnus didn’t say anything right away, and the sounds of the ocean took center stage. The seabirds were flying to their nests to roost, sending out their final cries to the sky, while the salty waves crashed rhythmically against the shore. Awen wasn’t sure if she’d embarrassed him or if he just didn’t want to say anything in reply.

  She was about to change the subject when Magnus said, “Thanks.”

  A man of few words, she thought, smiling to herself.

  “What’s so funny?” Magnus asked her.

  “Oh, nothing.”

  “Nothing? ’Cause you’re smiling.”

  “It’s just that…” She wasn’t sure how to say it. “You’re a fairly understated person. But that’s okay. I like it.”

  He paused again. “That’s good.”

  And why’s that good? She was all for men of few words, but this was a little over the top. “So,” Awen said, changing the subject, “how soon before you think your company will be ready to see combat?”

  “Combat?” Magnus said, scratching his beard. “I’m guessing another six months. But I’d prefer a year.”

  “A year?” Is he crazy?

  “Yeah. Why? You think that’s a lot?”

  “Well, in protoverse time… that’s two-and-a-half weeks at the most.”

  “But in metaverse time, it’s a long time for Kane’s recon unit to uncover stuff they could use against the galaxy,” Magnus concluded.

  “Exactly.”

  “I get it, Awen. Trust me when I say that they’re making progress. I just don’t want…”

  Awen slowed and looked up at him. “Don’t want what?”

  “I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  Awen chuckled. “Is this happening right now?”

  “What?”

  “Me, the former emissary, is about to lecture the former Marine on the risks of combat and the greater good.” She laughed some more. “What’s happened to us, Magnus? You going soft on me?”

  “And you’re getting nasty to kill somebody?”

  “Not exactly,” Awen replied. “But I do want to stop bad people from hurting innocent ones.”

  “Careful.” Magnus raised his hands. “You’re starting to sound like a Marine.”

  “And you’re starting to sound like a—”

  “Don’t say it.”

  “A Gladio Umbra?”

  “That’s better.” Magnus smiled then looked down in the sand. He’d actually taken off his boots for the first time. Awen didn’t recall ever seeing his bare feet before. They’re… kinda cute.

  “I guess the more people I lose, the more I tire of fighting. Not because I don’t want to fight—that’s not it at all.” Magnus worked his jaw, thinking. “It’s because I’m tired of bad people having access to power that they can use to harm others. I want everyone to have the ability to fight for themselves and stand up for what they believe in.”

  “Mystics, Magnus. I think you missed your calling.”

  Magnus looked at her with a half smile. “I told you,” he said, holding a finger to her face. “Don’t you say it…”

  Awen batted his hand away and kept walking. The smell of the water and the late-blooming flowers above the dunes was intoxicating. She could spend all night out here… if she didn’t have so much to do.

  “How’s Piper doing?”

  “Wonderfully well,” Awen replied.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. I mean, she’s exceeded all my expectations. She’s doing stuff that I’ve never seen any other person do in the Unity.”

  “Not even you?”

  “Not even close! But don’t tell her that. She’ll get a big head.”

  “Piper? A big head? Somehow I think her only downfall will come from wanting too many Jujari around to snuggle.”

  Awen nodded. “She’s naive. But still powerful.” Awen’s thoughts drifted away like the ocean currents. This whole conversation bothered her in ways she couldn’t express.

  “Hey, what’s gotten into you?”

  “Huh?”

  “Come on, Awen. I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re preoccupied.”

  Awen shrugged. “Eh, I don’t know…”

  “Come on, Awen. Cough it up.”

  “Well, it’s about Piper.”

  When she didn’t say anything after a few seconds, Magnus said, “Do I need to interrogate you?”

  “No,” Awen said with a chuckle. “It’s just that… well, she’s naive, right?”

  “You established that.”

  “And she’s powerful too.”

  “Also previously established.”

  “What happens when she kills someone?”

  Magnus looked at her—she could feel his eyes staring at her. “That went dark fast.” He cleared his throat. “All things considered, she’ll be at the back of the line, and we’ll do all the killing—”

  “Come on, Magnus. We both know it’s just a matter of time before something happens. Either the enemy finds her, or her powers get away from her. There’s only so much all this training can do. At some point, she’s going to come face-to-face with…”

  “With what?” Magnus placed a hand on her forearm, causing her to stop.

  “With who she is and what she’s capable of.”

  Magnus turned to face her. The sun was setting over his shoulder, hiding his face in shadow. “Awen, isn’t that what we all have to face?”

  “Yeah, but she’s different.”

  “No, she’s not.”

  “What?”

  “She’s not different from any othe
r person. She’s going to have to decide for herself who she is and what she’s going to do with her powers. I know you don’t want her in harm’s way, and you certainly don’t want her hurting anyone else. But, Awen, she was born for this hour. I mean, come on—what are the chances that someone of her ability is born in a time when people like Kane and So-Elku are trying to take over the galaxy? The universe… it knows. I don’t know how, but it does. And we need her. We need everything she can do.”

  Magnus held Awen’s biceps. His hands were warm and strong. The way he held her—it felt so good. But he needed to let go, didn’t he? This wasn’t right. There was something about him and Valerie… but she didn’t want him to stop. If anything, she wanted him to hold her closer.

  “And we need you,” he said, pulling her closer.

  “You need me?”

  Magnus nodded.

  “So do I,” Awen replied. “You, I mean. I need you too.” Mystics, just shut up and kiss him.

  But she didn’t need to, because Magnus pulled her toward him and kissed her instead. It was the best kiss she’d ever had. When was the last time you were properly kissed anyway, Awen? She couldn’t remember, but she didn’t need her inner self ruining this moment.

  When Magnus finally pulled away, Awen kept her eyes closed, not wanting it to end. But it needed to—of course it needed to. When she opened her eyes, Magnus was smiling at her, barely discernible in the fading light.

  “That was nice,” she said.

  Nice, Awen? That was incredible!

  “I’ve been wanting to do that since…”

  “Since we were hanging in Abimbola’s jail?” Awen asked, laughing in spite of herself.

  Magnus nodded. “Pretty much.”

  “Wait.” Awen brushed her hair out of her face. “You’re serious?”

  “Yup.”

  The truth was, she’d liked him the moment he saved her from the mwadim’s skyscraper. And nothing would ever change that. It was a mix of admiration, respect, and desperation—a potent concoction she doubted would ever let go of her.

  “Listen… about Piper,” Magnus said. “Just let her be what she’s gonna be. Earlier, you told me that I’m a great leader. Well, you are a great teacher, and you’ve got to trust what you’ve invested into her. But you’re not responsible for who she becomes—you’re only responsible for who you are to her. And I can assure you, you’ve done more for her and mean more to her than you can possibly know.”

  Awen lowered her head and took a deep breath. Mystics, why does he always have to be so compelling? And charming. And handsome.

  “You good?” Magnus asked.

  “Huh? What?”

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” Awen squished her toes in the sand as Magnus let go of her. “Thanks. For what you just said.”

  “No problem.”

  Suddenly, a voice crackled over the comms device attached to Magnus’s shoulder. Awen could barely make it out but was pretty sure it was TO-96.

  “You gonna answer that?” Awen asked.

  Magnus snapped the earpiece off its clip on his shoulder and placed it in his ear. He winked at her and then tapped the comm to open the channel. “Go for Magnus.”

  Magnus listened intently, turning away from her slightly. Whatever TO-96 was sharing with Magnus was important. If Awen had brought her own comm, she would have listened in, but she purposely left it back in her tent when she took these walks.

  “What’s your best estimate?” Magnus asked. There was a beat as he listened. “You’re absolutely sure about that?” Another beat. “Okay, then. Bring both shuttles down here, and we’ll get the team off the ground in twenty. Magnus out.”

  “What’s going on?” Awen asked.

  “Seems the recon unit is getting a little too close to something for Azelon’s comfort.”

  “In Itheliana?”

  Magnus nodded.

  “Wait, wait—so you want us to…”

  “We’re moving out, Awen.”

  “But… no. I mean, we need more time. You just said—”

  “I know we need more time. But we just lost that luxury. The first lesson in combat is that no plan survives contact with the enemy. So we move with what we have.”

  “And what if we have isn’t enough?”

  Magnus shrugged. “Then hopefully, the universes have some other heroes to do what we couldn’t. But until then, we prove that no one else is needed.” He reached down and grabbed her hand. “Come on. We’ve gotta go.”

  33

  Magnus stood before the members of Granther Company inside a cavernous shuttle bay on the Spire. His team waited in a loose semicircle. He could tell they were nervous just by the expressions on some of their faces. Behind Magnus sat a series of vertical shipping containers, four across and eight deep, each dark gray and emblazoned with red and yellow Novia script. Two shuttles also rested on either side of Magnus, loading ramps extended, cockpits powered up.

  “Everyone listen up,” Magnus said. “I’ve got a lot of ground to cover, and quickly, so I need your full attention.” He purposefully made eye contact with several members in the group before continuing. “As you’ve probably guessed, we just made the jump from Nieth Tearness to Ithnor Ithelia, and I can confirm that we will be landing in Itheliana to engage the enemy in approximately seventy-five minutes.”

  Murmurs went up from among the teams.

  “Quiet down,” Abimbola said, raising a hand but with little effect. “I said, quiet down!”

  The bay went silent again.

  “I know you probably don’t feel ready yet,” Magnus continued. “And while I, too, wish we had more time to train, the reality is that we cannot wait a moment longer to strike the enemy. Azelon and TO-96 have both assured me that the enemy recon unit is very close to discovering something that should not leave the planet—that should not fall into enemy hands. From what our intelligence tells me, if Admiral Kane or Luma Master So-Elku gain access to whatever this recon unit has discovered, it’s game over for us. For everyone.

  “Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that we stop them from stealing any Novia technology. Our mission is to kill or capture all enemy combatants and get them off the planet.” Magnus let his words hang in the air before saying, “And to help us along, I brought some new toys…”

  He turned to the nearest freight container and pressed his hand against an oversized bio-scanner—one better suited to a Jujari than a human. A sensor swept his handprint, and then the device chimed just as a solid white light changed to purple. An internal maglock deactivated, and Magnus pulled the doors apart. Inside were seven glossy-white assault blasters bathed in soft light.

  “These,” Magnus said, retrieving one of the weapons and holding it up for everyone to see, “are your new NOV1 assault blasters.”

  Quiet whistles and exclamations went up from the teams. Then everyone shushed one another, presumably in anticipation that Magnus would explain the weapon. He wouldn’t disappoint them.

  “The NOV1 is based on a Novia design with Repub mods. Call it a hybrid, if you will. Azelon and I designed this ourselves. It features a lattice-work stock, bio-linked operational access, dual inline mag ports, adaptive maglock technology, multidirectional sighting, and ultra-high-speed energy delivery, which means it’s capable of delivering one megajoule of energy in point-zero-two-second pulse intervals.”

  Magnus was happy to see that they looked just as dumbstruck as he had been when Azelon first rattled off those stats to him.

  “I want you to picture a one-megagram dune skiff traveling at about one hundred sixty kilometers per hour and slamming into your target. That’s what your new NOV1 can deliver three thousand times per second on full auto.”

  “Great mystics,” someone whispered.

  “You got that right,” Magnus replied as several other members laughed. “The weapon also features an AI-assisted multi-target fire effect, or MTFE, which, using a gimbaled barrel, can identify and take
out up to twenty targets at once. This, of course, is contingent upon your energy-mag capacity, fire rate, and target composition. However, until you’re all outfitted with the proper biotech interface, this function will remain offline.

  “Azelon needs more time to integrate each of us into the Novia defense architecture, or NDA. But what you can use is the variable fire-rate function that we’ve given you—single-round, three-round burst, and full-auto mode. Under no circumstances do I want any of you using full auto unless you’re assaulting an armored hover tank—is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir,” the company replied as one.

  “Once the NOV1 encodes itself to your palm, the weapon is yours and can’t be fired by anyone else.”

  “Unless Cyril gets ahold of it,” Silk said from beside Abimbola. Several members of Bravo and Charlie companies chuckled.

  “Quite true,” Magnus replied, using the opportunity to lighten the mood. “Mystics know, Cyril’s never met a system he can’t slice.”

  When the laughs and nods of agreement dissipated, Magnus held the weapon aloft one last time. “The NOV1 also has one more feature you might find interesting.” He touched the side sensor pad and swiped, activating the first skin on the weapon’s stock menu. Suddenly, the weapon went from glossy white to matte black.

  Gasps went up from among the Granthers. One Jujari even howled, perhaps in fear—Magnus couldn’t tell. He touched the pad and swiped again. The second stock skin appeared, turning the weapon into a close-up of jungle foliage. The projection was picture perfect. More gasps came from the company.

  Finally, Magnus swiped a third setting—one he’d specially preloaded on this particular weapon. It displayed a picture of Abimbola, smiling broadly, wearing a hat that had an embroidered red heart between the words I and Bucketheads.