Galactic Vigilante (Vigilante Series 3)

by King, T. Jackson

  “Earth? They’re going to attack Earth!”

  “No!” Suzanne said, shaking her head. “I do not sense any danger to Earth, or to Eliana’s Halcyon planet or to your birth home of Thuringia. Your assumption they will not attack homeworlds in order to avoid the suggestion that a lone renegade with a starship is any kind of threat to the Anarchate will keep them pursuing us, rather than retaliating against our homeworlds or our friends.”

  “Morrigan,” Matt said. “Does your psychic sense indicate the Anarchate knows about Morrigan? And the human refugees we transported there?”

  Suzanne said No mentally. “I do not sense any awareness of Morrigan in the future actions of the Anarchate. They employ billions of lifeforms in their Combat Command, in their land and space forces, and in their administrators like the galactic tachlink node you destroyed on Megadeen. My precog sense, and fragmentary mental images of the future, do not include the Anarchate doing anything at Morrigan. Though,” she said, pausing to smile at him, “I think your future plans for using Morrigan as part of our campaign are just great!”

  Damn. Now everyone could read his mind and his future plans and hopes. Bad enough when two T’Chak AIs do it, but to share his rather grandiose future schemes via mindlink with his human battlemates was like—

  “Being naked in front of us all?” Eliana said softly, her mind carrying the tone of the Molecular Genetics field she had trained and worked in. “Matthew, we have seen each other this way in the pond at the Park and you as you sat in the Interlock Pit. It’s nothing new to us. So being able to see, or mind-sense, your future plans is not a big deal. Actually, it makes me appreciate you even more!”

  “Here, here!” growled George as he clapped his mental hands. Suzanne joined him in clapping as did the mind images of Mata Hari and Gatekeeper.

  Well, mindlink was not something he could censor. Especially not now as he caught glimpses of Suzanne’s early life in a Swedish village on a Second Wave colony world where the young girl had been bullied and hit by young boys because of her smartness. She had even fought off two efforts to rape her when she attended a residence high school far from her parents’ home. Her training in judo and Okinawan karate had let her turn the attackers into shuddering piles of pain impulses. Blinking mentally, Matt shut off that glimpse of the deep self of Suzanne, returning to the mental here and now. In his mind he shrugged, as was his wont when caught being distracted by his father Benoit.

  “Thanks. But grandiose plans for the future may not work. To quote Sun Tzu—He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious. Or, as Suzanne suggests, the Anarchate may have deadly plans for us. They have a lot of smart people. And the Anarchate’s insistence on ‘Results or you die’ is a powerful motivator.”

  “Matthew,” Suzanne said firmly. “They do have plans for us. One mind is very dangerous. It has used the six months we’ve been away from the galaxy to plan and to organize more effective responses to whatever we do in the future. Other Anarchate minds are also paying attention to us. Though the exact shape of what they plan is not clear to me since . . . since they are alien minds, rather than human minds. There is a fuzziness to my sense of aliens that is not there with a fellow human like Eliana. Or to actual events like the upcoming battle at Alkalurops. That is close enough in time for it to appear clearly.”

  “And?” Matt pressed. He had solid plans for how to destroy 300 plus genome slaver starships but uncertainty had dogged him ever since he’d returned home to see his family’s farmstead burned and his sisters and parents kidnapped to serve as genome reservoirs for the creation of human cloneslaves.

  “You will win,” Suzanne said softly. “We will win. But there will be surprises. And we will all cope with them.”

  Well, he’d expected that. “What tactical advice comes from your advance mind view of what will happen in a few weeks?”

  “Matt,” Suzanne said with a glance sideways to include Eliana. “You should just use the Hexagon Prime fleet. Eight ships will be enough to do what you plan. We should leave the other 500 T’Chak Dreadnoughts parked in deep space a light year or more away from Alkalurops. They will see what we do via their own tachlinks with our AIs. But until we gain human or alien pilots for each ship, you should leave their management in the hands of the ten AIs that Eliana and I chose to manage them. Remember our cohort arrangements?”

  He remembered. It had been a surprise after awakening from the exhaustion of his mindlink with Eternal Love, formerly Mama AI. His memory of that hurricane-size swirl of disordered and inchoate thoughts was a memory he did not wish to revisit. Far better to fight genome slaver starships as they shot lasers, proton beams, wiggler lasers and thermonuclear torps at him and his friends.

  “Okay,” he said, mentally squeezing Eliana’s hand, then nodding to the mindshapes of Mata Hari and a somber Gatekeeper. “Only the eight of us will leave the rendezvous point a few light years away from Alkalurops. Anyway, I have long believed in not showing my entire card hand to any opponent, whether AI, organic or the Anarchate. They may still think my crusade is led by only one T’Chak starship!”

  “Maybe,” George said. “But even though your Hit-and-Run attacks have been nearly random and based on the Intelligence data crystal you got from the attack at SAO 47250, still, the Anarchate knows what you got from that crystal. And you left the AI alive. So for sure the weekly and monthly security and arrival codes have been changed, along with the protocol for responding to solo gravity wave pulses that show up on the outskirts of an Anarchate star system.”

  “Agreed,” Matt said, standing up but still holding mental hands with Eliana. “Which is one reason I chose to head next to the space around the three star system of Alkalurops. The Anarchate naval base on the planet that hosts the Flesh Markets is long used to picking up random gravity wave pulses from the starships of labor slavers, genome harvesters, organ harvesters and their customers. The hundreds of gravity wave pulses that will be generated by our arrival will be assumed to be those of the genome slaver ships arriving for their annual coordination meeting.” He grimaced. “The Core computer on the slaver we boarded said they meet annually to assign territories, handle disputes among themselves, arrange barter prices for the genomes of high demand species, and to negotiate with the local Anarchate base commander for the amount in barter bribes each ship must pay to the Anarchate base in their operating zone. So, we will arrive just before they arrive.”

  In his mind Suzanne, George, Mata Hari and Gatekeeper all nodded agreement to his attack plan. But Eliana pulled on his mental hand, drawing his focus to her lovely mind.

  “Stop it, Matt! This mindlink is about more than the passion we feel for each other.”

  “Agreed. My regrets.” Their partners disappeared from their joint mind image, all except for Mata Hari who always hovered somewhere in Matt’s mind. “You have a question?”

  “Yes. What about the Flesh Markets on Alkalurops. Do we do anything about them? After we defeat the slavers?”

  Matt had long thought about that during the three months of their trip from the Small Magellanic Cloud to their pickup of the Bogean Harmony devices. He had some ideas. He had a strong feeling. But he had not made any decision.

  “You are right. The market should be destroyed. But do we destroy the planet itself, with its one billion alien inhabitants and the ecosystem that includes everything from single cell microbes up to the Anarchate governor’s palace? Or do we do less. Like I tried to do in Omega Centauri cluster, by leaving the Trade planet intact, even though the space station turned to stellar gas?”

  Her deep green eyes met his, heart to heart, mind to mind, emotion to emotion. As much as one can on this side of the spirit world, they had become one in thoughts, feelings and choices. While also staying separate, distinct and ornery individuals. “I understand now your point about learning the morality of possessing ultimate weapons and the ability to destroy whole star systems. And peoples. Not fun.”

  “No, not f
un,” he muttered. “And Sun Tzu had advice on that which I try to heed—Treat the captives well and care for them.

  Eliana nodded thoughtfully. “As we did with the Omega Casino refugees and residents. Perhaps they are already spreading word about this dangerous pirate who harms only the Anarchate, not civilians?”

  “Perhaps. One can hope. Though I like having precognition on my side!”

  “Suzanne and I agree.”

  “Time to go to work.” On the outskirts of his mind the starships of Hexagon Prime, and the 500 other T’Chak starships that surrounded them the way a necklace encircles the neck of one’s love, those ships tachlink-connected with Mata Hari’s countdown to entering Translation. In four minutes and 34 seconds. Which required him to be present in the Interlock Pit with his mind in full ocean-time mindlink with Mata Hari and BattleMind.

  Eliana smiled softly. “Vaya con dios.” Then her mind image disappeared as she too headed for her starship’s Interlock Pit and preparations for their final Translation trip into the space near Alkalurops.

  They all knew it was going to be a lonely two weeks. Except for Eliana and Suzanne. In his heart he felt a touch of jealousy that the two women could stay in mindlink telepathically, while he, George and all future pilots of his fleet must accept only the company of the ship’s onboard AI.

  “Hey, Matthew, like my gorgeous look?”

  In his mind Mata Hari’s image switched from the pale skinned nudity of their meadow conference to the smooth black nakedness of the Barbarian Queen, adorned only by jewels, necklaces and gold bracelets. The AI grinned salaciously. “You know, you and I, we could mentally have a great time! Those positions you and Eliana shared that last night you were together here. I’ve got them memorized. We could—”

  “Piss off, Ms. AI.”

  He would not yield to his hormones and his basic male needs. He had gone years with no human love until Helen Sayinga Trinh came into his life. Then died. Now Eliana had chosen to be his lifepartner. His lifemate. She deserved his allegiance in all matters.

  “Which she shall have,” he muttered to himself as he walked barefoot down the Spine hallway toward the Bridge and the Interlock Pit. “But now, the battle begins.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Commander Chai stood before his five assistants and laid out his requirements, ignoring the presence on the ceiling of the Monitor globe. Of course anyone superior to himself in the Anarchate could view his official work while in his globular work node, or during his off-duty time at a nearby food service node or entertainment globe. Such monitoring was a given for any of the one billion employees of the Anarchate. For those who served in Combat Command, especially in the Sector 14 Intelligence headquarters as he now did, being under constant surveillance by living or AI intelligences could also be a welcome source of excuses for his boss, High Commander Brrzeet. He eyed the four eyestalks of the amphibian Kontine.

  “Well, where will this renegade Dragoneaux strike next upon his return to home galaxy?” he asked them all but kept his attention on his chief aide, Kontine.

  Two of Kontine’s eyestalks looked aside at the other four assistants, who represented four strange bodyforms. An arthropod of the Brokeet species. A black-furred biped of the Meligun species. A six-legged herbivore of the Dolmat species. And a four-legged, two winged carnivore of the Mican species. They all breathed normal air, like himself. And each would love to advance in the ranks of Combat Command. But just as High Commander Brrzeet controlled Chai’s fate, so did he control the fate of his five assistants. The Loglan’s other two eyestalks fixed on him. Its mouth palps clicked in passable Belizel.

  “We have compiled five possible target points, based on the recorded and researched life history of this soft-skinned biped of limited vision ability,” Kontine said in rapid clicks. “Target One is the Halicene shipyard in Upsilon Carinae binary star system. It is the source of the MotherShip used by the Human’s opponent, one Legion of the Halicene Conglomerate, during the Human’s work as a Vigilante for hire at the Direndl world of Halcyon.” Chai wondered which of his assistants had been so lacking in brain lobes as to suggest the shipyard, when that would have been one of the first targets of the Human if all he sought was vengeance. Kontine’s four eyestalks now focused on Chai. “Target Two is the Human’s home world of Thuringia, which his species labels as a Third Wave colony. It orbits the star Pl-3 Orion, in the Human terminology. It is the world where a genome slaver ship captured his progenitors and siblings.” Chai nodded slowly, his carbon black whiskers going stiff as he considered whether the Human’s emotions were stronger than his intellect. “Target Three is the Combat Command starship base in the nearby Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, since the alien biped has shown a willingness to visit obscure dwarf galaxies that the Anarchate has little interest in.”

  “And the other two target ideas?” hissed Chai in Belizel.

  Kontine’s mouth palps shivered, moved sideways, then resumed clicking. “Target Four is the Anarchate Sector 15 headquarters in the Omega Centauri cluster of Norma Arm, since it is one of sixteen sector bases that actually administer the daily dealings of the Anarchate.” Kontine’s voice sounded both harsh and dry. Perhaps the amphibian was in need of a drink. Too bad.

  “And Target Five is?”

  “The Flesh Markets of Alkalurops, which lie on the planet Megil that orbits Component C of the Alkalurops trinary star system. It is a G5V main sequence yellow star much like the home star of the Human species.” Kontine paused, its stance on its six legs beginning to lower as if its carapace sought immersion in salt water. “Since this Human biped has declared a solo war on the Anarchate with the stated aim of ending cloneslavery, it is logical that this star of the Alkalurops system would be a target. Probably a high probability target.”

  “You may sip some water, Kontine,” Chai said, never forgetting that a small mercy shown to his underlings appeared good in the eyes of those monitoring him, while also being sensible. The Loglan species could not go long without imbibing water. Or soaking in a saline bath. He scanned the four other assistants who stood at their species version of alert attention. “Well, who had the Alkalurops target idea? Out with it!”

  The black-furred Meligun biped raised one of its four arms. “I suggested Alkalurops as a target to Assistant Manager Kontine. My name sigil is Rak alk-thorn,” it said. The alien’s two pink eyes fixed on Chai. Its thick body shape bent forward at the waist, even as its two pointed ears hugged its blocky skull. Much like his whiskers did when he felt uncertain.

  “Good,” Chai said in blunt Belizel. “At least someone other than myself has reviewed this renegade’s recorded statements as left in the locator beacons lying beside the remains of our battleglobe allies.” That was enough for the naval fleet monitors. “Rak alk-thorn, describe this system for me. I have heard of it, but my work for the . . . starship arm of Combat Command did not take me within sensing distance of it.”

  The Meligun biped crossed both pairs of arms across his broad chest. “I will Commander Chai. But my suggestion also relied on data provided to me by a clan colleague. One Rak tho-mesk of Clan Klickjo, from my species. He is a banking merchant. He was kidnapped by this Dragoneaux biped during a refueling stop at CC1939 in the Omega Centauri cluster. He . . . he was released by this renegade biped five months ago when the Human’s starship stopped next to a Do Not Enter region lying South Galactic and next to the Magellanic Stream. I believe he was interrogated by other elements of Sector 14 Intelligence.”

  “He was,” Chai said shortly. That interrogation had been long but merciful, due to the influence of the Melikark Conglomerate. If the other Meligun had not worked for one of the sixteen prime conglomerates of home galaxy, its greedy mind would have been probed either telepathically or by AI, with no mercy shown. Its return to home galaxy aboard an alien starship of unknown make had made the galactic tachnet news reports. Brrzeet had been outraged at the way the Meligun had spoken positively of his time with the Human renegade. “And your clan ass
ociate shared what with you?”

  Rak alk-thorn flared his pointed ears. “My clan associate described how it was obliged to promise, on behalf of the Melikark Conglomerate, that his employer would change all bondServant contracts to include an option for any bondServant to leave service after a year, upon notice to one’s employer. Melikark Conglomerate is also obliged to provide transport to a nearby habitable star system for any departing employee. And to wipe all accrued debts of the employee from its records.”

  Chai’s mind reeled. This demand of the renegade Human was an element he had not heard about when he read the executive summary of the Meligun’s interrogation. Clearly he would not sleep tonight. He would have to read the entire gigabyte record of the interrogation. “And what possessed your clan associate to promise such an outrageous action?”

  Rak alk-thorn stepped back into line with its other comrades as Kontine moved to stand between the Meligun and Chai. “Commander, Rak has described this data to me,” said his Loglan chief assistant. “It appears the Meligun he describes was able to establish Trade links with a distant alien group named the Bogean Harmony. This Harmony group offered unknown devices to the Melikark Conglomerate. The adjustment of the standard bondServant contract was a required element of the negotiations.”

  Tech devices? So greed was still alive in the conglomerates of the Anarchate. That was both good news, and tiresome news. It would complicate his target guidance to High Commander Brrzeet. But what mattered most to all of Combat Command was the elimination of this renegade biped before the current rumors about an activist for stellar alliances and personal freedom for workers could gain the attention of the trillions of obedient lifeforms who made up the Anarchate. Well, two million years of geopolitical scheming had rendered the Anarchate both enduring and somewhat predictable. At least now he could offer his boss some worthwhile options. And at least one of them would likely prove to be a target of this Dragoneaux biped. Chai waved dismissal to his four lesser assistants and stiffened his whiskers into the expression of Confidence Supreme. “Kontine, follow me as I go to report to High Commander Brrzeet.”