Renegade Lost

by J. N. Chaney

  The Star arrived behind us, cloaking itself and lowering the cargo bay door. Sensors showed a tow cable extending out to Bolin, catching the nose and pulling him in. It was going to take some time to load his ship. Maybe too long.

  I activated the comm. “Siggy, patch me through to The Galactic Dawn.”

  “Yes, sir. Please hold,” said the A.I. After a short pause, he said, “Go ahead.”

  “General Brigham, this is Captain Hughes of The Renegade Star. Tell your cruisers to stand down.”

  The holo changed to show Brigham’s face and torso. “There you are,” he said. “Captain Hughes, at last, you’ve finally decided to surrender yourself. Better late than never.”

  “Shut the hell up and listen to me, Brigham. Either you have your people stand down or that moon-sized ship is going to clear a hole straight through the middle of your stomach. Are you hearing me?” I asked.

  “If that thing could have attacked, it would have done so by now,” he said, shaking his head. “No, I believe you’re at your end, Captain.”

  I sighed. “Athena, can you—”

  Before I could finish the sentence, a beam struck The Dawn’s hull, forming another breach. Atmosphere began to vent immediately as the automated systems locked the section down. “Done,” said Athena.

  I quickly checked her position. She was growing closer to us, but not so far that she couldn’t fire a second beam if I needed it.

  “Hear that?” I asked, looking at the man on the holo. “Try me again.”

  The old man’s eyes showed a glimpse of horror before straightening, returning to the same calm demeanor as before. “Tell Commander Braxin to stand down!”

  “But, sir!” said someone I couldn’t see.

  “Do it!” the General ordered.

  “That’s more like it,” I said, giving him a smile.

  “Captain, you listen to me. If you don’t turn yourself in, the Union will not stop its pursuit. We will hunt you forever, if that’s what it takes. You’re only putting more people in harm’s way by—”

  “By what?” I asked, leaning closer to the holo. “Keeping my crew away from you?”

  “Defying the Union is not a viable, long-term solution, Captain. Even if you killed me here and now, the other fleets would come.” He shook his head. “In fact, they’re already on their way.”

  “Other fleets?” I asked.

  “That’s right, Hughes. Nothing you do here or in the future can stop what’s coming. The Union will have its prize, even if it costs them an armada. When the dust has settled, and everyone is dead, that weapon you call a child will be back in their possession. They will hunt you to the ends of the galaxy. Perhaps even beyond.”

  I felt my chest tighten and my shoulders tense. The end of the galaxy? Would I have to go on the run like this for the rest of my life? I swallowed. No, I had to find a way out of this nonsense. A way to either kill the Union or exile it back into the hole it grew out of.

  “Maybe you’re right,” I muttered. “Maybe you’ll win in the end and I’ll be dead tomorrow and that’ll be it, but tomorrow isn’t today.” I gave him a crooked smile. “Today, you’re the one who’s lost.”

  In an instant, five blue lights erupted from Titan, forming a single, central beam at its center, firing into the second cruiser.

  The ship’s underbelly tore apart, its twelve hulls splitting open like a filleted fish.

  As the beam dissipated, another formed, latching on to The Star and its new passenger, pulling it inside Titan at once.

  The rest of us quickly followed, making our escape. My radar showed several cannons firing on us from the third cruiser, sending a spread of missiles towards us.

  But I was already inside the perimeter of the shield as it went up, encasing Titan and all its people, right as the torpedoes hit.

  Before I could even land the damn strike ship, I ordered Athena to open a tunnel and get us the hell out of there.

  “Activating slip drive,” the Cognitive answered. “Stand by.”

  The rift formed in seconds, breaking the darkness apart and replacing it with emerald light. I brought my ship into the landing bay, the new rift at my back. It was a sight to behold after days spent underground. I wanted to rest, to go and have a hot meal or a stiff drink. But more than anything, I realized, I wanted to see my crew.

  Titan entered the tunnel quickly, maintaining our shields as the third cruiser continued its attack, giving us everything it had.

  But it was too late. After another series of missiles hit the shield, we were already halfway through the opening.

  * * *

  In minutes, the rift had closed behind us, sealing the enemy for however long we might have. “Give me a head count, Athena,” I said as my ship settled and locked itself in place. I lowered my head and closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing.

  “All passengers accounted for,” she informed me.

  “And Bolin?” I asked.

  “He is being taken by Abigail Pryar and Frederick Tabernacle to a medical pod.”

  “Is he still alive?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she said, and I felt myself relax at the sound of the word. “Rest assured, he will recover, Captain.”

  I watched several of the colonists running through the landing bay. I couldn’t believe we’d done it. They were all still alive, still talking.

  Laughter rang from nearby. “Mister Hughes!”

  I looked and saw Lex, running up with open arms. She hit me so hard, I nearly fell back, but it was good. I laughed. “Easy, there,” I told her, but she only smiled at me.

  “You’re back!” she exclaimed, hugging me with all the strength a kid can muster. “Where did you go? What took you so long?”

  I could sense the strain in her voice as she spoke. The concern and relief, all happening at once. It was too much for a child. I stepped back so I could see her, and bent down. “I’m sorry, kid. I got a little lost and had to find my way home.”

  Her lower lip trembled as tears formed in her eyes, and she threw her arms around me again. “I thought you were gone! I didn’t—I didn’t know—”

  I touched her back with my palm. “It’s okay, kid. It’s okay.” I cleared my throat. “I’m here, Lex. Everything’s going to be all right.”

  “Really?” she asked, pulling away so she could see me.

  I nodded. “Have I let you down yet?” I asked with a smirk. “Who’re you talking to, kid?”

  She giggled, and hugged me again.

  In the distance, I saw Alphonse, standing with one of the colonists, laughing and nodding as they talked together. He looked at me and waved. Lex and I waved back. She ran to him, while I took my time, taking in the room. There were so many people here, so many survivors. I couldn’t imagine what we’d do with all of them, but I was sure we’d find a way to make this work.

  As I neared Alphonse, I noticed one of the strike ships was active, its door slowly opening. Were the colonists still unloading? How many more could there be?

  My eyes lingered on the ship, watching as the only passenger began to exit, wearing a flight suit—the same one Alphonse had on.

  As I continued walking toward the crowd, each of them embracing one another, I saw a face I hadn’t expected.

  It was Octavia, walking on two good legs, smiling at me from across the ancient bay.

  Epilogue

  The cargo bay remained a mess as my crew worked on getting everyone into their own rooms. Titan had more than enough space to accommodate these people, so I saw no reason to keep everyone crammed into this one location.

  Only a few of them remained behind to coordinate with me. Karin wanted to discuss the next step, like I had a plan or something. “I’m not sure what you want to hear,” I told her. “We barely made it off that rock alive. Take a second and be glad.”

  Octavia had taken Lex to join Abigail, since the girl wanted to see her so badly. Alphonse, meanwhile, had stayed at my side and was observing our new friend’s every
word, saying nothing.

  “This General Brigham person and his Union,” began Karin. “They have taken a great deal from my people. Janus was a trusted friend.”

  I could sense the conflict in her voice—anger, gradually replacing grief. I’d felt it many times before. “Janus did what he had to do. It was his choice. You need to learn to live with that.”

  She lowered her eyes to the deck. “What happens next?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. We’ve been lucky so far, but we can’t keep running away. Eventually, one side will have to lose.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “It won’t be us. Tell me you believe that, Captain.”

  “Of course, he does,” said Alphonse, finally speaking up. “You don’t survive this long without a bit of hope.”

  Karin looked at me, curiously. “Is that right?”

  Truth was, I couldn’t predict how things would go from here. I was just a Renegade from Epsy, thrown into something I didn’t ask for, but I wouldn’t walk away from it. I wouldn’t give up everything I’d fought to keep. “We’ll fight for it,” I told Karin. “I don’t aim to lose.”

  She smiled, all the doubt in her face gone. “Then, you can count on the rest of us to help you.”

  “Are you asking me if you can stay?”

  “Don’t you have the room?” she asked, raising her brow.

  “I’m sure we can fit you in somewhere.”

  Alphonse motioned at the woman’s right arm. “If I might,” he began. “Your tattoos. Are they functional? Can you operate old Earth technology with them?”

  Karin nodded, reaching behind her and touching the nearby strike ship. The internal lights activated. “Does that answer your question?”

  Alphonse smiled. “Karin, if I might make a suggestion.”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  The former Constable looked at me. “Captain, how many strike ships would you say are on this vessel?”

  “Hard to say,” I answered.

  He turned to face the rest of the cargo bay, and my eyes went with him. “I think we may want to find out.”

  There, throughout the bay, hundreds of ships lay waiting, each one fully armed and operational. Each one, ready for combat.

  All they needed were pilots.

  Jace, Abigail, and Lex will return in RENEGADE FLEET, coming February 2018.

  Read on for a special note from the author.

  Author Notes

  I’m writing these end notes roughly two minutes after finishing the final chapter of this book, so let me just say wow, what a fun ride.

  Before I even started writing this book, I knew I wanted to tell a different kind of story from the rest of the series so far. This time, the heroes would have more than humans to contend with. There would be monsters, and they would be terrifying.

  That was the idea, anyway. I just wasn’t sure how I’d do it. While writing Renegade Moon, however, all the pieces started falling into place. I’ve always been into genetic engineering and dystopian type societies (my first series, The Variant Saga, explores both of those concepts in-depth), so it made sense to include them here, but in a different sort of way. Given the backstory presented in Renegade Moon about how Lex and the other Eternals came to be, it stood to reason that somewhere, that process could have gone wrong.

  People, no matter how perfect they believe themselves to be, will always be capable of hubris. The Eternals are no different. At least, that was the general idea.

  What followed was part scifi horror, part discovery. My favorite stories were always the ones that showed you “new worlds and new civilizations”, took us to interesting locations and revealed a deep, dark secret. Maybe the characters survive, maybe they don’t, but there’s always a puzzle to be solved, something buried in the world, and it nearly always shakes up the narrative.

  In this case, we met a group of people who had built their lives on the rubble of a long dead civilization, and all they wanted was to survive. There were monsters, but as we soon discovered, they were more than they appeared.

  We’ll be seeing all of these characters again, along with the rest of the crew. The Union is about to come back with a vengeance, and Jace will need all the help he can get.

  Until then, thanks for reading, Renegades,

  JN Chaney

  PS. Amazon won’t tell you when the next Renegade book will come out, but there are several ways you can stay informed.

  1) Fly on over to the Facebook group, JN Chaney’s Renegade Readers, and say hello. It’s a great place to hang with other sarcastic sci-fi readers who don’t mind a good laugh.

  2) Follow me directly on Amazon. To do this, head to the store page for this book (or my Amazon author profile) and click the Follow button beneath my picture. That will prompt Amazon to notify you when I release a new book. You’ll just need to check your emails.

  3) You can join my mailing list by clicking here. This will allow me to stay in touch with you directly, and you’ll also receive a free copy of The Amber Project.

  Doing one of these or all three (for best results) will ensure you know every time a new entry in the Renegade Star series is published. Please take a moment to do one of these so you’ll be able to join Jace, Abigail, and Lex on their next galaxy-spanning adventure.

  Preview: The Amber Project

  Documents of Historical, Scientific, and Cultural Significance

  Play Audio Transmission File 021

  Recorded April 19, 2157

  CARTWRIGHT: This is Lieutenant Colonel Felix Cartwright. It’s been a week since my last transmission and two months since the day we found the city…the day the world fell apart. If anyone can hear this, please respond.

  If you’re out there, no doubt you know about the gas. You might think you’re all that’s left. But if you’re receiving this, let me assure you, you are not alone. There are people here. Hundreds, in fact, and for now, we’re safe. If you can make it here, you will be, too.

  The city’s a few miles underground, not far from El Rico Air Force Base. That’s where my people came from. As always, the coordinates are attached. If anyone gets this, please respond. Let us know you’re there…that you’re still alive.

  End Audio File

  April 14, 2339

  Maternity District

  MILES BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH, deep within the walls of the last human city, a little boy named Terry played quietly with his sister in a small two-bedroom apartment.

  Today was his very first birthday. He was turning seven.

  “What’s a birthday?” his sister Janice asked, tugging at his shirt. She was only four years old and had recently taken to following her big brother everywhere he went. “What does it mean?”

  Terry smiled, eager to explain. “Mom says when you turn seven, you get a birthday. It means you grow up and get to start school. It’s a pretty big deal.”

  “When will I get a birthday?”

  “You’re only four, so you have to wait.”

  “I wish I was seven,” she said softly, her thin black hair hanging over her eyes. “I want to go with you.”

  He got to his feet and began putting the toy blocks away. They had built a castle together on the floor, but Mother would yell if they left a mess. “I’ll tell you all about it when I get home. I promise, okay?”

  “Okay!” she said cheerily and proceeded to help.

  Right at that moment, the speaker next to the door let out a soft chime, followed by their mother’s voice. “Downstairs, children,” she said. “Hurry up now.”

  Terry took his sister’s hand. “Come on, Jan,” he said.

  She frowned, squeezing his fingers. “Okay.”

  They arrived downstairs, their mother nowhere to be found.

  “She’s in the kitchen,” Janice said, pointing at the farthest wall. “See the light-box?”

  Terry looked at the locator board, although his sister’s name for it worked just as well. It was a map of the entire apartment, with sma
ll lights going on and off in different colors depending on which person was in which room. There’s us, he thought, green for me and blue for Janice, and there’s Mother in red. Terry never understood why they needed something like that because of how small the apartment was, but every family got one, or so Mother had said.

  As he entered the kitchen, his mother stood at the far counter sorting through some data on her pad. “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Something for work,” she said. She tapped the front of the pad and placed it in her bag. “Come on, Terrance, we’ve got to get you ready and out the door. Today’s your first day, after all, and we have to make a good impression.”

  “When will he be back?” asked Janice.

  “Hurry up. Let’s go, Terrance,” she said, ignoring the question. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “We have about twenty minutes to get all the way to the education district. Hardly enough time at all.” Her voice was sour. He had noticed it more and more lately, as the weeks went on, ever since a few months ago when that man from the school came to visit. His name was Mr. Huxley, one of the few men who Terry ever had the chance to talk to, and from the way Mother acted—she was so agitated—he must have been important.

  “Terrance,” his mother’s voice pulled him back. “Stop moping and let’s go.”

  Janice ran and hugged him, wrapping her little arms as far around him as she could. “Love you,” she said.

  “Love you, too.”

  “Bye,” she said, shyly.

  He kissed her forehead and walked to the door where his mother stood talking with the babysitter, Ms. Cartwright. “I’ll only be a few hours,” Mother said. “If it takes any longer, I’ll message you.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing, Mara,” Ms. Cartwright assured her. “You take all the time you need.”

  Mother turned to him. “There you are,” she said, taking his hand. “Come on, or we’ll be late.”

  As they left the apartment, Mother’s hand tugging him along, Terry tried to imagine what might happen at school today. Would it be like his home lessons? Would he be behind the other children, or was everything new? He enjoyed learning, but there was still a chance the school might be too hard for him. What would he do? Mother had taught him some things, like algebra and English, but who knew how far along the other kids were by now?