“I understand that, but—”
“Need I remind you that I resigned from the Fleet?” she said forcefully, cutting him off. “I work for the Aegi Order, and so do you. Straiya’s order is final.”
Grimshaw sat upright, ignoring the pain, and gestured to the cabin. “I don’t care about orders, Andrews. We either get the help we need, or this will all be for nothing.”
“Andrews is right,” Roshi interjected, finally looking up from his compad. “Time is of the essence. If we don’t reach the waypoint in time, it’ll put the others in danger. We can’t afford to be late, even by a second. Only you can get us on board the North Star.”
“Listen!” Grimshaw punched the ceiling panel above him, startling even himself. “I’ve seen the briefing. Faye’s place is on the way to the waypoint. We can drop in and be out again in under an hour. That’ll leave us ample time. I added the calculations to the files. You can check for yourself.”
Grimshaw looked to Roshi, and Roshi looked to Andrews. “I can’t put these people or the operation in harm’s way,” Andrews stated, doubling down on her position.
“Sorry,” he said, looking at them both apologetically and softening his voice with a deep breath. “Andrews, you were on Colony 115. You know what Chimera and the Chits are capable of doing. You know that it’s bigger than what’s happening here on the Sentinel.” He thumbed the primary passenger cabin beyond the wall behind him. “So, we get these people out of here. Then what? We’ll still be powerless against those who want us dead, and we won’t be able to stop them from hurting others. They have us in a trap, and Faye’s the only way out. It puts a few dozen at risk but consider the millions that will die when the Chits start hitting bigger colonies than 115 while the Galactic Council idly stands by.”
Andrews’s eyes darted about the cabin as though mulling his words over. Grimshaw didn’t know how else to make her see bar holding his blaster to her head and that was hardly going to help. I really have to work on this diplomacy stuff.
“What do you think Roshi?” she asked.
“I’ve checked Grimshaw’s notes. He’s right. Making a quick stop on the way will still leave ample time to prepare things at the way point.” Roshi looked out the window at the darkening sky, then turned back to them. “I don’t know much about anything, except how to help people with medical problems. But if Grimshaw thinks this Faye lady will help our cause…well, we could use all the help we can get at this stage. But you’re the boss. It’s your call.”
Andrews looked like she still wasn’t sure.
Grimshaw swallowed. He was about to make his case again, but she spoke first.
“Fine. You have an hour. No more.”
“Thank you,” Grimshaw said.
“Flight control, I’m sending you coordinates to a stop before we reach the waypoint,” Andrews said over a closed command channel. “Set us down somewhere nearby. We’ll be there for an hour, so make it discreet.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the pilot answered.
Roshi looked to him. “How are you going to convince this Faye to join us? She’ll hardly throw herself into an airbus full of terrorists.”
Grimshaw regarded his pale reflection in the window. “I don’t know yet. I’ll work something out.” He had always worked something out but usually with the help of his team.
Taza would know how to convince Faye. He was much better with people than Grimshaw would ever be. He hoped the former Archagent could pull off his end of the deal too. A lot was hanging on so many pieces falling together at the right time and in the right way.
He thought about Clio and the others illegally being kept prisoners by SenSec. He hoped that Eline and her team succeeded in breaking them out. He wished he could have learned the good news about the Shanti Aegis under better circumstances. Grimshaw looked forward to seeing her in person again.
Grimshaw looked over his shoulder at the alleyway that led back to the airbus. They’d touched down behind a building that had been burned out in the Chimera attack. This part of town appeared to be well off, but more than a few burnt out husks lined the nearby streets.
“Looks clear, sir,” Ragalla said on the vox, one ear twitching as he surveyed Faye’s residence building through a pair of binoculars. “We should have plenty of time before the curfew guards show up.”
Ragalla was a young and eager Shanti who had worked at Straiya’s offices in Sentinel Tower. He had reportedly held off a squad of Chimera troops on his own when they tried to gain access. He also knew this part of Sentinel City well.
“It’s best we not be seen regardless of when the curfew starts if we can help it,” Roshi said.
Grimshaw muttered agreement. With an arrest warrant out on him, running into SenSec at any time of day was a bad idea, and in his current state, he wouldn’t make it far in a fight or a chase. Andrews had objected to him going at all, of course, but Grimshaw knew that only he stood a chance of convincing Faye. He made the compromise of allowing Roshi to accompany him in case he required medical attention, though Grimshaw suspected it was more to keep an eye on him. She wanted to send backup, but Grimshaw didn’t want to draw unwanted attention. Three was already pushing it.
“There’s plenty of cover.” Ragalla’s tail swung from side to side as he turned back to them. “We’ll be fine if we stick to the shadows.”
“Lead the way then,” Grimshaw offered.
“Yes, sir.”
Ragalla stowed his binoculars and rounded the corner. Grimshaw and Roshi followed.
The streets had been cleared of rubble, but signs of the attack still showed.
“I wonder why they would have attacked these parts,” Grimshaw said. “It’s so far outside the city. I didn’t see any places of note on the map.”
“A lot of celebrities live in Hillting Park. Some important officials too,” Ragalla’s voice answered in his ears.
“Must have been people they wanted…taken care of,” Roshi said with disgust.
Grimshaw was still amazed by how well-organized Chimera had been. They had hit key points on every level. Some attacks took out essential Sentinel infrastructure, while others acted as diversions to distract anyone in Sentinel Security and other forces who weren’t in on Chimera’s dirty little secret.
They edged the buildings, staying under overhangs, balconies, and trees where they could find them. Grimshaw saw how severely damaged Faye’s apartment building was. The upper floors seemed untouched, but the first two looked like they had been gutted out by a fire.
Ragalla suddenly signaled for them to stop. They pressed their backs against a concrete wall under a fenced balcony.
A moment later, a SenSec aircar whirred into view before Faye’s building, its lights shining through the broken doors and windows. It hovered for a second before taking off again.
“So much for SenSec not being around,” Roshi said.
Ragalla nodded. “They’ve really upped their presence lately.”
“Funny how they couldn’t do that during the Sentinel Ceremony like I requested,” Grimshaw spat.
“Looks and sounds clear,” Ragalla said, his ears twitching again. “Let’s go before they come back.”
He led them onto the apartment grounds, and they wasted no time entering the buildings. Most surfaces had been stained black by fire and smoke.
Grimshaw noted a crumbled pillar. “I’m surprised they let people stay in this building.”
“The attack displaced a lot of people,” Ragalla explained. “Every hotel in the city is packed. Even the city shelters are choked.
“I guess it’s safer than sleeping on the streets.” Roshi kicked what remained of a low wall and it crumbled into a pile.
“Or maybe not,” Ragalla said. His ears suddenly fluttered. “SenSec.”
They ducked behind pillars and rubble just as lights flooded the blackened hallways. The lights drifted between supports and openings, ash drifting in their beams. The lights vanished and the patrol car whirred away into the d
istance once again.
Grimshaw shot Roshi a warning glance.
“Sorry,” the Shanti said on the vox. “I didn’t think it would fall apart.”
“This way.” Ragalla pointed to a damaged staircase and disappeared into the shadows.
Grimshaw pushed himself forward, cursing the fire for taking out the elevator. He might have struggled to squeeze into his TEK, but he was glad for the assistance the servos lent his aching joints.
They eventually reached the top floor where there were barely any signs of fire damage, though hints of acrid smoke still clung to the air.
They walked as inconspicuously as three men in battle-ready armor could.
A large bay window stretched across the end of the corridor, offering a stunning view of the parks and buildings outside. Beyond the parks, the inner city twinkled, and streaming aircar traffic cut rivers of light across the darkening skies.
They turned into the last recess and arrived at apartment 121.
Ragalla and Roshi stood back, the former keeping a watchful eye on the hallways. Grimshaw cleared his throat, surprised by how nervous he felt. He drew a deep breath and knocked on the door.
He waited a moment, but there was no answer. He knocked again, a little harder this time. Still no answer.
Grimshaw felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Looks like no one’s home,” Roshi said. “We can wait around for fifteen minutes in case she returns?”
Grimshaw looked back at the door. “No, it’s okay. I wouldn’t be surprised if she moved out of the building after the attack. This place still reeks of burnt plastic.”
They turned to leave when the locks behind the door started to slide free, and Grimshaw spun on his heel.
The door slid sideways several inches and an eye looked out at him from the darkness.
“Grimshaw…What the hell are you doing here? They said you were dead.”
“They’ve said a lot of things that aren’t true.”
“What do you want?” she asked nervously, eyeing the two Shanti behind him.
“It’s a long story. May we come in?”
“I’m busy.”
“We need your help,” he pleaded as she shut the door.
He was about to turn away again when another lock slid and the panel snapped open, revealing Faye. He recognized the blaster held tightly in her right hand as the one she’d procured during the attack on Sentinel Square. Faye herself, however, looked like a different person entirely—an imposter.
She wore a purple, floral nightgown that reached her ankles. Without layers of makeup, a line of freckles peppered her nose and cheeks. The scar on her face was also more prominent, giving her more…character. Something else was different, and it took him a second to work out what it was. She didn’t exude the same flamboyant energy she usually did. Instead, she was as worn and deflated as Grimshaw felt.
He eyed the gun again. It was loaded and the safety was off. “Is everything okay?”
“No.” She looked into the hallway beyond as though expecting someone and cocked her head. “Come in.”
She walked into her apartment’s hallway, and Grimshaw followed, signaling for the others to do the same.
The apartment was much bigger than the corridors indicated. The ceilings must have been ten feet high, and elaborate paintings hung from colorful walls, their details unclear in the dull emergency lighting.
Ragalla wasn’t kidding about Hillting Park being a more affluent area.
“Power’s still off,” Faye said, pointing to the ceiling lights. “Keeps coming and going since the fire.”
They made their way into a lounging area, and Faye invited them to sit on her plush couches. “Can I fix you a drink?”
Ragalla stood by the doorway, remaining vigilant, and Roshi stood off to one side.
Grimshaw shook his head as he stepped closer. “We don’t have time. We…I wanted to stop by with a proposition.”
Faye let out a wearisome laugh. “A proposition? Is this how you treat all your women, Grimshaw? I spent months chasing you and got nothing but the cold shoulder. And now you want something from me?”
She laughed again and Grimshaw wasn’t sure how to respond. Despite not having any cause to, blood rushed to his cheeks. “I’m not…I didn’t mean to—“
“Do you know what? Screw it. Let me hear this proposal. It couldn’t make the week I’ve had any worse.”
In an effort to mask his nerves, he sighed. “We’re leaving the Sentinel and wanted to know if you would join us.”
“You want me to leave the Sentinel?” she said as though it were the most bizarre thing anyone had ever suggested.
“Are the bad men back, mama?” The soft voice startled Grimshaw, and he turned to find a little girl, no more than seven years old, standing in the doorway. Ragalla stood at her shoulder, looking a little awkward.
Faye walked to the girl. “Krystine, I told you to stay in bed.”
“I thought I heard the bad men again, mama. I got scared.”
“These aren’t bad men sweetheart. They’re mama’s friends. Okay?”
The girl nodded slowly but didn’t seem too sure. Doctor Roshi crouched to her level and wrinkled his nose, eliciting a giggle.
“The cat man is funny,” she said with a wide yawn.
Faye gave Roshi with an apologetic glance, and the Shanti winked as if to say not to worry about it.
“Give me a second, to put her back to bed.” Faye took Krystine by the hand and was about to lead her back through the doorway when the girl broke into a coughing fit. Faye had to hold her close, to stop her from flailing all over the place.
“Dammit, not again,” she hissed.
Grimshaw drew close. “Can I do anything?”
“No, she’s been like this since the fire. Those Chimera bastards crashed an aircar into the lower levels. The babysitter kept Krystine safe, while the fire crew put out the fire, thank the gods, but by then she had already inhaled a lot of smoke. I took her to the hospital, but they sent us home with pills. They haven’t been working. I went back but they keep turning me away. Won’t even take my money. Every medical facility on board is clogged with people since the attack.”
“I’m a doctor,” Roshi said, pointing at Kristine’s chest. “May I?”
Faye nodded and pulled up the girl’s gown, allowing him to put his ear to her chest.
She giggled between coughs. “Your fluffy ear, tickles.”
“Can you take a deep breath for me please?”
She did as he asked and exhaled.
“And one more time.”
She repeated the process.
“You said the pills aren’t working?” Roshi asked Faye.
She shook her head. “If anything, it’s getting worse. She’s coughing up more blood each day.”
Roshi maintained a solemn expression as any good doctor would. “I’m going to scan your chest and tummy with my SIG, Krystine. You might feel tiny butterfly wings fluttering on your skin. Is that okay?”
She nodded and Roshi ran a medical scan.
“The bad men said they would come back if mama talked,” she blurted. “She keeps talking, but they still haven’t come back, and I don’t know why.”
Grimshaw gave Faye a questioning glance.
“SenSec sent a couple of officers as soon as the fire calmed down,” Faye explained. “They ransacked the place, took all of my footage from the Sentinel Ceremony, said it was recorded illegally. I was too distracted to think anything of it, but the next day, they took over the Sentinel Network news station too. I took the day off to take Krystine to the hospital…but they forced the people there to run that story about you and your people. That was wrong, even by my standards.” She looked at Grimshaw guiltily.
“Don’t worry. SenSec have been in Chimera’s pocket for a long time,” Grimshaw told her. “They’re behind all of this.”
“That explains a lot,” Faye said thoughtfully. “I saw what happened on Sentinel Square.
I knew they had to be lying.”
“That’s why we need your help.” He saw the wheels turning inside her head.
Roshi stood and Krystine sidled back up to her mother. “It looks like she’s contracted a rare fungal infection. It’s a known strain brought on board by the Varg who built most of these buildings,” Roshi gestured to the apartment. “Normally, the spores themselves are harmless, but fire can cause them to secrete a chemical as a defense mechanism. Unfortunately, that chemical is poisonous to most other species on the Sentinel.”
“Can you do anything for her?”
“Not here.” Roshi paused and looked at Grimshaw. “If we could get her to the North Star…I could probably do something.”
“I’ll go with you, just take care of Krystine.”
Grimshaw held up his hand. “Are you sure about this, Faye? We need to leave immediately, and as you said, you will be putting you and your daughter at great risk.”
She took a step closer to Grimshaw, her face twisted in worry. “Years ago, I promised I would get Krystine and I off the Sentinel. I guess I got side-tracked…caught up in the rush of things. We’ll gather our things right away.” She looked to her daughter. “But she’s in no state to travel.”
Grimshaw nodded. “We have a heavy medivac waiting nearby. We’ll get them to come here.”
Roshi cocked a bushy eyebrow, telling Grimshaw he understood but at the same time Andrews wouldn’t like it.
Grimshaw just stared at him and the doctor’s shoulders finally sagged.
“Okay, I’ll talk to her,” the Shanti doctor said moving into the hallway. “Ragalla, help the ladies with their things.”
Faye nodded at Grimshaw before taking the girl back the way she’d come.
The North Star would be no place for a child, but they needed Faye’s skills and her sway. She had an audience that would listen. Only she could make the Sentinel see the truth. The only way to truly get to the Galactic Council was via the masses.
Grimshaw cracked a small smile despite the pain still wracking his body. They had a long way to go, but at least something had worked. Now to actually get the North Star off the station.
The Galactic Sentinel: Ultimate Edition: 4 Books with 2000+ Pages of Highly Entertaining Sci-Fi Space Adventure Page 66