by Skyler Grant
The incoming comm signals came at almost the same time. Station secured, and Ice and Joline had made it to the Granite’s bridge.
Quinn headed to the station to retrieve Kalisa even as Ice's ships began to send transports.
The fleet was indicating that it was ready to jump by the time Kalisa was plopping back in the copilot’s seat. She was covered in blood, none of it looked to be hers.
"That washes off, you know," Quinn said.
"Perhaps I'm hoping you or one of your wives offers to lick it off. That was fun. Easy, but fun. I thought I was bored of killing, but it's been so long I think I'm right back around to having fun with it."
"Then let's go to war," Quinn said.
"Aye, Captain," Kalisa said with a smirk. "Course plotted."
33
By the time they returned the battle had shifted even more in Sinclair’s favor. The two cruisers guarding the colony were both venting gasses and were no longer exchanging weapons fire.
A cluster of ships was near the Runestone, prepared to ambush vessels that came through. Quinn had done an extended jump past their line and was already tapping keys to send their locations through before the others jumped.
The Granite appeared first, eating the first round of fire, its energized armor plating sparking from the contacts. A moment later the rest of Ice's fleet jumped in and fell upon the vessels before they could prepare a second round.
Quinn hit the comm-link for the family frequency, calling ahead to the colony. They should be in range now. "We're back in system. Status?"
"Been rough going," Dela said. "I had to put down at the colony. They shot the hell out of me. Isn't a one of them that hasn't been shot, even Kara is slowing down. The air defenses are holding for now, but the mercs brought mechs and we're getting pushed hard."
The destroyer and its escort frigates were in orbit around the planet, the occasional bombardment streaking down into the atmosphere. The gunships originally with their fleet were in the atmosphere, aiding the battle to take down the colony.
As the Centauri Bliss held back, Ice and her fleet were already advancing, ships spread wide as they closed the planet. They weren't concentrating their fire as much, but no ship would be able to escape orbit without a vessel being able to close on them.
An incoming comm signal from the destroyer. This time around, Quinn answered.
Sinclair came into view, scowling at his display. "Captain Jade. I give you credit, you have gone from irritant to something more. There is no place you'll be able to hide from me after this."
Beside Quinn, Kalisa yawned. "If this is the extent of what you consider competition, my time with you is going to be frightfully dull. If you'd care to send me aboard his ship, I'll torture him to death for you."
"Beautiful," Sinclair said. "I could use a new enforcer. Bring me the captain and his crew, and I'll let you keep any you want as pets and pay you a damned sight better than he's paying you."
"If I wanted to enslave them, I'd already have done it," Kalisa said.
"Perhaps you haven't noticed I came with a fleet? I think you're done making threats," Quinn said.
"Pirates? When I'm wealthy? Your fleet will soon be my fleet," Sinclair said.
"And if they don't? How soon do you think your mercenaries are going to stay loyal when they realize instead of a payday they'll be collecting early graves?".
"I'll bet on my cash," Sinclair said and closed the comm.
"I fly over, butcher everyone aboard. I'm already dressed for it," Kalisa said.
"You are a whole new level of creepy," Quinn said.
It gave him an idea.
Quinn hit in the frequency for Tamara's comm. "Tourmaline. Can I chat with your other half?"
"Kind of busy stealing a tank here, sexy stuff," Tourmaline said.
"I like her," Kalisa said.
She would.
"Park it. I need Tamara negotiating with these mercs," Quinn said.
"Hit their mechs first. If they can take the colony, they'll have hostages to barter their way out of the system even if you hit the fleet," Tourmaline said.
"On it," Quinn said and killed the comms.
This wasn't a decision Quinn could be making alone. He called Jinx up to the cockpit.
Her runes seemed to glow especially brightly as she neared Kalisa, blue and red producing glare on the screens.
"You called?" Jinx asked.
"Got some catching up to do. Probably should have called you sooner, but it is what it is. Me and Taki struck a bargain with Ice to be your admiral, keep the colony safe. You got any objection to that?" Quinn asked.
Jinx frowned for a moment. "Not for now. I get anyone better, I might have other thoughts."
"Then we need to make a call. Tourmaline thinks if we take out the mechs on the surface she can get the mercenaries to back off. We slip past him though and win the day, seems like Sinclair will go on his way," Quinn said.
"We take him out, won't those mercenaries surrender?" Jinx asked.
"Might. But Tourmaline thinks they might continue the battle they're winning. Try to seize the colony and use the hostages to barter their way out of system. You know we have our family in the way."
"I can make this problem go away," Kalisa said mildly.
Jinx told her, "Quinn shouldn't have let you out the first time around. You're too dangerous. I need you, and you will teach me, but you are not a crutch we'll lean upon."
"Shall I give Ice the go-ahead to head for the surface?" Quinn asked.
Jinx took in a long breath and let it out slowly. "No. Every time we've seen Sinclair he's gotten more dangerous. We break the fleet and we can pick off their forces on the planet as we choose—if they haven't taken the colony yet. Our family will hold. Put me through to Ice."
"To kill your foe or protect your assets? An interesting choice, my apprentice," Kalisa said.
Ice called in, "Quite the party you brought us to. Joline wants to flank them and support the colony. I want to kill every one of these bastards in orbit. Whoever’s calling the shots have a preference?"
"Sinclair has to die. Take those ships, no survivors," Jinx said.
"You're short of men. Turn these mercenaries and you can use them," Joline said.
"That man is out for our blood and if we let him go he will be back. The colony is in danger either way. I'll take the risk today. Do it," Jinx said.
"Yes, ma'am," Ice said, and killed the comm.
The net around Sinclair's ships tightened.
With Sinclair having so many gunships on the surface they had the edge in firepower, but even so it wouldn't be an easy fight. Ice was going to lose people.
Quinn hit the comm for Tamara again.
"She stole a tank. These mercs are stubborn, but I'm making some leeway," Tamara said.
"We heard, and Kalisa has the hots for her now. Change of plans, Jinx is ordering the fleet after Sinclair," Quinn said. “You’re on your own for the moment.”
There was a long moment of silence. "I'll turn things over to Tourmaline then. We'll hold."
Tourmaline took over and said, "Screw holding. They see things shifting in orbit they'll get desperate. Rush, we'll be waiting. I'll bleed them."
Quinn watched the blips on the sensors as Ice and Sinclair engaged. The pirate vessels were engaging in a series of hit and run encounters, using the more heavily armored ship as a shield they could swoop behind.
Quinn knew Ice, she was more of the rush and shoot type. The strategy must be a result of Joline's direction. It was devastatingly effective.
"Shuttle escaping," Kalisa said.
Quinn checked the sensors, she was right. It had broken free from the destroyer and was heading for Runestone.
"I've got it," Quinn said, "Look at the speed on that thing. It must be ninety percent engines."
"Your technological expertise is disappointing. Will they be able to intercept?" Kalisa asked.
Ice had some fast ships with her, but the shuttle
had planned its launch well when the faster ones were out of position. Quinn didn't think they could get to it in time. It didn't look like the Centauri Bliss could either. Even at full thrust and cutting some of the safeties they'd be short.
An incoming comm from the shuttle. Quinn already knew what was coming, he hit the comm.
"Pirates that won't be bought and come out fighting like that. And you left your people on the surface to face their fate alone. You're full of surprises, next time no warnings," Sinclair said.
"You won't trouble the stolen worlds again," Jinx said.
"The thief of stars. Next time I see you, I break you," Sinclair said and closed the comm.
"I really don't like that guy," Quinn said.
"Send telemetry to my comm. I'm going to the orb, we'll cut him off. Be ready to fire when we come out," Jinx said.
"Get me in position. I'll make the shot," Kalisa said.
Jinx didn't hear her, she was already off at a run.
Quinn plotted the escaping shuttle’s course and linked it to Jinx's comm. Within a minute reality was warping and bubbling around them. Another life, a crashed shuttle, and a life lived amongst the Yek although Kara was nowhere to be seen.
Reality came crashing back around them.
Quinn took some satisfaction that Kalisa threw up, heaves wracking her body even as she hit the keys to fire. Even in that state she was dangerous, both shots scored and a shuttle rippled with blue energy before the engines died.
34
With Sinclair having tried to flee, the ships in orbit surrendered and that left Ice free to rain fire down upon the mechs attacking the colony. Those forces’ surrender was slower, but they still capitulated within a matter of hours.
Jinx would insist it wasn't a throne, but it was hard to tell the difference as she was seated at the head of colony's dining room, the heads of the various mercenary companies and Sinclair lined up before her.
Quinn and Tamara stood at her sides, with Tamara still wearing several medpatches clinging to her flesh. Tourmaline had thrown herself into the middle of combat and Tamara would have the scars to show for it.
Donna stood before Jinx, wearing some patches herself for a set of burns on one arm. Most of the Centauri and even Joline were in the audience, all except for Kalisa and Melody who remained aboard the ship.
Donna said, "We don't have laws for this. We don't have much in the way of laws at all right now. But it’s considered polite, when a mercenary surrenders, you let them go their way. You never know when you might need them yourself."
"A contract faithfully paid for and executed. We threw down arms. We bear no ill to you or your people," said one of the mercenaries.
"You took a contract from a slaver to capture and enslave an entire population. When you did, you stopped being mercenaries and became slavers," Jinx said darkly.
"We were hired to capture the world. Why didn't factor into it."
Jinx made him wait before announcing, "Your ships and arms are forfeit for your crimes, and you're exiled from this space unless any choose to take our standing offer for mercenaries. Land and citizenship in exchange for service."
The mercenaries traded looks and one sighed. "Without our mechs we aren't a company anymore. Lots had doubts about this job, seeing what you did back on Arkstone. Guess I should have listened, and my men will be yours soon enough. Guess I will be too."
"And are you going to hire me as well? You should," Sinclair said smoothly as he stepped forward. "You have personnel problems. I'm your solution. The desperate, the hungry, I know where to find them and how to recruit them."
Jinx rose from her seat, moving to study him up close. "Tempting isn't it, mercy?" She lifted her hand to display the rune blazing upon it, "Do you have any idea what this is?"
"I saw that movie, same as everyone else. Saw you kill that man," Sinclair said.
"Yes, I got it then. A fraction of his power but shifted, altered. Ilinar embodied wrath, fury without restraint. But I'm different, a mage of order, and so I've been trying to figure out what exactly this power is now," Jinx said.
"The opposite of wrath is forgiveness," Sinclair said.
"Perhaps, but this isn't the opposite. It is the counterpart," Jinx said, and her fingers splayed as she pressed her hand against Sinclair's chest.
Blue light flared, the rune glowing with a dazzling intensity for a moment as Sinclair screamed. Blue flames erupted from his mouth, his eyes, consuming the slaver from within. When Jinx pulled her hand away there was nothing left of the man.
"Justice," Jinx said, staring at her hand for a moment. Only someone as close as Quinn was would see the tremor in it. Realize how hard that had been on her.
There was a hushed silence from the crowd.
"Donna, our ground forces need to be improved, and Ice will be building our navy. It is a priority to get the station in the next system working and to watch the Divide. The clans and the Unshackled are coming," Jinx said.
"And what do you expect us to do against might like that?" Donna asked.
"I stole these worlds fair and square. They'll know that, feel that. They respect mages. You're the watchers and not the shield, but still, be ready for whatever comes."
"It sounds like you're not going to be here," Donna said.
Jinx turned her attention to Joline. "We have someone we need to take home. And perhaps, just perhaps, a crown to steal for her. A divided Imperium is of no use to us."
The crowd cheered. It was insanity, but the crowd cheered.
They'd fled the Core to escape the civil war. Now they were returning to end it.
Coming Soon
Centauri Valor
Space is torn by war. As the war for the throne in the Core reaches a fevered pitch and claimants begin to fall, the clans finally make their push through the Divide.
Afterword
So quickly up to book three on a series I knew I loved but wasn’t sure anyone else would. For all of you who have read this far, thank you.
A lot of changes in this one with multiple new additions to the Centauri. A lot of those didn’t have much chance for bonding this book but that is going to happen a lot more in the next one.
Heading into the core is going to test this ship and this family. Almost every one of them has been running from something since the series began and the core is home to a lot of it. A lot of old names are going to pop back up and they will find themselves tested by a lot more than just the war for the throne.
I’m thinking book four should be out in January, unless the holidays are even more a holiday than they first appear. If you’ve been a fan of my Laboratory series I’m hoping to have the final book out in December. I’m going old school with it, a lot more of a true “dungeon” novel than a lot of the later volumes have been, but doing it on a galactic scale.