The Fifth Column Boxed Set

by J. N. Chaney

  I considered that for a moment. It was a good point.

  “Haas said they wanted me, Sophie, and her bow,” I said slowly. “Why?”

  “The Union wants your intel,” he replied. “I think they figure if you’re so against the Sarkonian Empire that you’ll join them and help destroy it.”

  “What’s the big deal with the bow?” I wondered. “I mean, I get that it’s ancient, but it’s not like a game changer for them or the Empire.”

  Mat shrugged. “I’m not sure. They only tell me so much, but the tech is supposedly a relic. From Earth, but that’s ridiculous. Everyone knows Earth is a fairy tale. Anyway, they have other more important tech they want to unlock.”

  I thought about the weapon and its strange blue markings. Clint had said something similar, but I hadn’t taken the arms deal seriously. Haas had confirmed it first and now Mat was here saying the same thing. Knowing the Union wanted it that bad?

  Well, that changed things.

  “Maybe I should go with you,” I said, changing subjects abruptly. “Like you said, they’re going to offer me the same deal you guys got. I say we learn what we can then find a way to split.”

  His tone went fierce. “No. If what I read in those files is true, you need to stop it from happening. Sophie will need you. There’s no way to tell if the Union will give you the same deal, toss you in a cell, or hand you back to the Empire.”

  I cursed, hating that he was right. I could no more abandon Farah than I could have not tried to go back for him that night.

  He pulled me into his arms, and I couldn’t help but lean into his comforting warmth.

  “I love you.” He said it so quietly that I thought I’d misheard him.

  “You can’t say that,” I said, pulling back.

  “Why? You did,” he pointed out.

  “That was different. I thought I was dying,” I argued.

  “It’s not different. I need you to know in case we never see each other again or the Union installs some kind of brain control hardware in my head.”

  I stared at him. “That’s not funny,” I said.

  Mat fixed a serious gaze on me. “I wasn’t joking.”

  My mouth set in a grim line. “You’re kidding me.”

  “No. They don’t say much around me, but I hear whispers sometimes that the Union experiments on volunteer soldiers.”

  “Sounds like the Void,” I said thoughtfully. It made me think of Dolph, and Sophie’s story about her brother.

  “You think Sarkon is making cyborg soldiers?” Mateo asked after I’d filled him in, leaving out Jax’s part. I didn’t think he would betray me, but I wouldn’t risk Farah’s family.

  “It’s what they do,” I said with a shrug. “Copy and try to emulate everything the Union does.”

  We both fell quiet for a few moments after that. The idea of super soldiers on both sides running around was more than a little scary.

  “How’s the leg?” Mat asked, finally breaking the silence.

  He stood up when I eased it to the side of the bed and let it swing gently down, then I gave it a few test kicks, which didn’t hurt as bad as I’d expected.

  “Better than I thought it would be,” I admitted. “Thanks, by the way. For saving my life.”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, Mat leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on my lips.

  “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I just don’t know when or if I’ll see you—”

  I cut him off by grabbing a fistful of his shirt and pulling him down to me again.

  Epilogue

  “What took you so long?” complained Farah. “Vega and I thought we were going to have to start firing at him.”

  I’d made it back to the Second Genesis with a few minutes to spare and had found Farah on the bridge ready to turn on the weapons systems.

  “We were just talking,” I said easily.

  “Talking? For two hours?” She looked at me in obvious disbelief. “Not with those vitals, you weren’t.”

  My head snapped up. “What vitals?”

  Now she smirked. “Since Vega was still hooked into his systems, she was able to monitor you. Your stats were all over the place, and not from conversation.”

  “You spied on me?” I was ready to give her a piece of my mind when she held up a hand.

  “I know, I know. Sorry. I was just worried. Once I realized you weren’t in any danger, I had Vega stop monitoring. Still, you cut it a little close at the end and I started to get nervous again.”

  Her words, and the fear in them, calmed me down. “Sorry, Soph. We were just saying our goodbyes. I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, accidentally using the nickname upon seeing the look on her face.

  “Fine,” she grumbled, looking a little surly.

  “Where are we headed now?” I asked.

  “Z-28K,” Vega supplied helpfully. “An abandoned mining moon in the Osiris system.”

  “The Osiris system? Isn’t that still in Union territory?” I looked at Farah for confirmation, and she nodded. “Is that the best idea right now?”

  My co-captain nodded again. “It’s closer to the Deadlands than we are now. The Union won’t be back any time soon to claim it.”

  “Why not?” I asked, genuinely curious.

  “It’s one of the places where most of the population disappeared from,” Farah announced dramatically. “Word has it that the Union couldn’t convince anyone to repopulate the colony there. Then they realized there wasn’t much left to be mined, so they ceased operation and moved the remaining colonists.”

  “Sounds like a target for pirates and ravagers,” I commented.

  Farah shot me a smug smile. “It has a natural debris field from asteroids that orbit the moon at high speeds. That makes it worthless to either the Union or Sarkonians and too much trouble for anyone else,” she finished.

  “Except for us,” I said.

  “Except for us,” Farah agreed. “Vega says she can navigate through the ring.”

  “I guess it’s settled,” I announced. “The Fifth Column needs a lair.”

  Farah gave me a strange look. “The Fifth Column?” she asked.

  “It’s an old war term,” I clarified. “Means a small group that undermines a larger one by sabotage. We learned about it in academy, remember?”

  “Oh right,” she said. “That sounds like us for sure. I like it.”

  “Me too,” I agreed. “We’re going to dismantle and expose the corruption within the Sarkon government. Starting with Vice-Admiral-Kaska.”

  Continue reading for THE SOLARIS INITIATIVE.

  The Solaris Initiative

  1

  “What’s taking so long?” I whispered.

  My best friend and partner, Farah Shahi, was currently tackling the locks on the cell door in front of us.

  “Working on it,” she whispered over her shoulder.

  Knowing it wouldn’t help, I forced myself not to interrupt again. We were on a small labor moon deep in Sarkonian territory, hired to free a group of wrongfully incarcerated individuals. At least that was the story we’d been given. I didn’t much care as long as we got paid the rest of our fee.

  Our reduced fee.

  That had been Farah and her soft heart’s doing. Me? Well, let’s just say that while I didn’t mind helping people, I was realistic enough to know we couldn’t do so without the funds. She, on the other hand, was all for picking up strays. Whether they could pay or not.

  Thankfully, this particular job had been for a substantial amount due to a number of concerned family members pitching in to bring a group home from Sarkonian clutches. Even taking a cut wouldn’t offset us too much.

  Was it risky breaking into a labor camp with just the two of us? Yeah, but when we pulled it off, we’d be set for a couple of months.

  The previous few jobs had been a little rough, but I’d settled into the role of soldier turned Liberator well enough. Liberator was the term I’d taken to using whenever people accused us of b
eing Renegades. Farah kept telling me that they weren’t accusing, just saying what they were familiar with, but I balked at the connection. Still, there was no LBO—Liberator Bounty Office—to be found in any of the charted systems.

  I guessed that made Mack the first, though she only rolled her eyes when I said as much. Mackenna Woods, hacker extraordinaire and Farah’s cousin, was probably one of the main reasons this little plan was working at all.

  She tracked down the jobs, Farah and I worked them. Most of the money went to fuel, fixes, and equipment, but we split what was left over.

  With her help, we got jobs like this one: rescue missions for people either in government custody or unable to get home for whatever reason.

  That was how we ended up here, on a moon named Boltin, infiltrating a Sarkonian labor camp. So far, it didn’t look too horrendous. I’d certainly witnessed worse places. Instead of people toiling away in grubby mining camps, these prisoners were sentenced to easier work making clothes and other Sarkonian needed supplies.

  I’d never considered where my uniform had come from while in the service, and now I felt sorry for it. These poor souls were sentenced to a life of utter boredom, probably for something inconsequential.

  The prisoners were kept two to a standard cell. Farah was working on the door that held our first pair of rescues. Her door breaching skills had improved since our defection from the Sarkonian government, but I was still twitchy about getting caught.

  I fully expected a Sarkonian soldier to burst into the barracks at any moment. If that happened, we’d be screwed. “That sedative isn’t going to keep them down for long.”

  “Got it!” Farah announced triumphantly.

  The low security wooden cell door she’d been working on swung open to reveal two grimy prisoners inside, both men.

  “What are your names?” I asked while she continued on to find the rest of our cargo.

  On one of our first rescue attempts, I made the mistake of asking if the people I found were those we’d been hired to pick up. They said they were, and we almost left the planet with the wrong cargo. After that lesson, I made sure to ask for names first.

  “Beck,” said the first, eyeing me warily.

  I nodded. That checked with one of the four names. “Good. And you?”

  “J-Jack,” the other man replied hesitantly. He was small and mousy, his eyes wide with fear.

  “Your families sent us,” I told them. “Follow me if you want to get out of here.”

  “I have Amy and Jennifer,” Farah said in my ear.

  “Copy, let’s move out,” I replied, scanning the area for any sign that our presence had been detected. These barracks weren’t high security, even by Sarkonian standards, with shabby locks geared more toward keeping a person inside than stopping someone from breaking in. Seeing no obstacles, I moved to the door we’d already breached.

  “Hey!” a voice called out from one of the cells.

  There’s always one, I thought, not responding. This was an aspect of the work that I didn’t like. Whenever other prisoners or captives saw an escape in the works, they wanted us to take them along. Not that I didn’t want to help, but the Second Genesis was only so big, plus I refused to let anyone aboard who hadn’t been fully vetted. We’d found it was best not to engage them.

  “I know who you are, Eva Delgado,” said the voice in a quiet tone.

  That stopped me in my tracks. “Stay here,” I ordered Beck and Jack. “F, might have a problem. Take the package back to the ship.”

  “Almost to your location,” Farah answered.

  Stepping to the cell the voice had come from, I hefted my rifle. “You got a death wish?” I asked darkly. “That’s the only reason I can think you’d be saying that name out loud.”

  “Not at all,” came the soft reply. Whoever it was stayed in the shadows so I couldn’t see their face through the small window in the door. “But if you help me—”

  “Let me guess, you won’t call the guards?” I interrupted snidely.

  It was a valid threat, particularly because this person knew my identity. The Empire didn’t take kindly to their prisoners escaping, let alone when two of the most wanted fugitives in the known universe were responsible.

  “I was going to say that I’m familiar with the grounds and patrol.” The owner of the voice finally stepped to the small barred window. I was taken aback to see the tomboyish face of a girl that looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen.

  “You don’t even look old enough to be in here,” I said, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

  The girl grinned sheepishly. “I deserted, just like you. Well, except it was from the Union. They were asking me to do things I really didn’t agree with.”

  I softened slightly at the girl’s words. No one knew better than Farah and me what it felt like to be ordered to do the unthinkable. But she knew who I was and we knew nothing about her. I couldn’t just take her word and allow her on the ship. It put too much at risk.

  “Gods, A. She’s just a kid.” Farah’s voice sounded behind me and I whipped around.

  “You’re supposed to be headed for the ship.”

  She looked at me apologetically. “They said she called you Eva. Had to come see for myself.”

  “Yeah, yeah. It’s great, someone here knows who we are. Now, let’s get out before we’re caught.”

  I started to walk away when the girl spoke again, a desperate edge to her voice now.

  “Wait, please. I’m not lying about helping you. I’ve been planning my escape for a while; I just didn’t have a way off the moon. At the very least, I can help fight.”

  Farah touched me lightly on the shoulder. “She needs our help,” she whispered.

  I glanced back at the hopeful face, trying to keep my resolve. “They all do. We don’t know anything about her.”

  “Perhaps I can be of assistance,” chimed in Vega, our ship’s artificial intelligence. “Voice pattern suggests this individual to be one Petty Officer First Class Calliope Walker, Union deserter, age 19, blonde hair—”

  “What’s your name, kid?” I asked, cutting Vega off.

  “Calliope Walker,” she replied.

  Farah slated me a look, her eyes imploring me to do something.

  “As I said,” Vega said in a clipped tone.

  “Sorry, V. In a bit of a rush here,” I said, gesturing for Farah to open the door.

  “No apology is necessary, Captain Cortez.”

  As soon as the door was open, Calliope exited, and I had to stop myself from snorting at her size. She was nearly a head shorter than me with all the musculature of a prepubescent boy. A cap of short blonde hair was pulled away from her face and she wore the same dirty outfit as the four we’d been sent to rescue. I severely doubted she’d be worth much in a fight, should it come to that.

  There was nothing to be done about it now. I couldn’t go back on my word. “I don’t care if you seem like you’re still in academy. You even look like you’re going to screw us over and I put a bullet in you.”

  I didn’t bother asking if she got it. From the girl’s wide-eyed expression and slightly open mouth, I surmised she did.

  “You’re bringing a Union soldier with us?” whispered Beck when we returned.

  Jack still looked nervous, and the two women cast stony looks in Calliope’s direction.

  “Sure am,” I said, brushing past him. “If you got a problem with that, you’re welcome to stay behind and try your luck with the guards when they wake up.”

  Unsurprisingly, he declined the offer.

  “Alyss will take the front, I’ll bring up the rear,” Farah explained. “Stay quiet, stay close, and keep your eyes peeled.”

  No one argued. We left the way we’d come, stepping carefully around the two fallen guards Farah had knocked out with sedative laced arrows. The hour was late and most of Boltin appeared to be asleep. Even the on-duty guards played on data pads silently or nodded off at their posts.

  “On
your left,” whispered Calliope, coming abreast of me.

  “What is it?”

  If my clipped tone bothered the girl, she didn’t show it. “I wouldn’t go this way,” she said. “There’s a storage shed they use to hook up on breaks.

  I stared at her a moment. “V, can you confirm?”

  “I’ve scanned the shed and it was empty as of then, but there are two individuals whose current trajectory will intersect with that location.”

  “Thanks. Okay,” I said to Calliope, “which way then?”

  “South,” she answered confidently. “Then loop back around—”

  “You there!” bellowed a voice behind us. “Stop!”

  “Dammit.” We’d been caught. I swung around and searched for the source.

  It was a middle-aged soldier stood with a rifle trained at our group.

  Well, this sucks. Think fast, Delgado. Cortez, I hastily corrected myself.

  Stepping between the rest of my people and his rifle, I kept the nose of my own weapon down and raised my free hand.

  “We’re escorting these prisoners to another facility. What is the problem, soldier?” I said in an authoritative tone.

  It wasn’t exactly a lie.

  His eyes flicked to my hair. While still short, I’d temporarily changed it to black, as had Farah, to help us blend in better. The ploy appeared to have worked because his gaze didn’t linger, and he held out a hand. “Transfer documents?”

  A quick look at his uniform told me his name was R. Decker. I pulled a datapad out of my side pocket and passed it over. Mack had falsified forms for us and even if he did a deeper than usual scan, I was confident they would pass. “Sure, Decker.”

  He looked it over carefully then passed it back with a hard look. “Everything looks to be in order. Next time don’t slink around like you’re trying to hide something.”

  I grunted in assent and tried not to smirk. Accepting the pad, I turned to leave when the man spoke again.