by B. V. Larson
Seeing it had been left behind, we all felt better.
* * *
Baron Trask was overjoyed when I returned as promised. I hid my injuries with a confident step and a proud smile. I gave him fifteen hundred rifles up front.
He looked shocked. “This is… generous!”
I nodded. “I have a few more things to sell you, if you’re interested.”
We began long negotiations. By the time midnight fell over the Trask estate on the planet Gladius, we’d struck a deal.
Thirty-two mortars were handed over, with an additional ammo box for each. They came with a variety of shells, some that dropped EMP blasts. Others leveled buildings. A few had knock-out gases and the like.
Trask was very pleased. He threw a feast in my honor. He again suggested I become one of his captains.
“I would,” I said seriously. “The sword-brothers are perhaps one of humanity’s greatest assets. But I have duties elsewhere.”
Baron Trask blinked at me in surprise. “You see yourself as some kind of freedom-fighter, don’t you? Do you fancy yourself a rebel against the Conclave?”
“No, not exactly.” I explained to him at length about the threat from the skies. About the Tulk and the others—the monsters that infested various planets, even here in our local cluster.
The baron’s mood shifted as I spoke. He nodded at last.
“We’ve seen signs of these things. As you say, sometimes the colonial worlds… they’re empty and barren when we get there to raid them. We know it isn’t us who has taken too much. A smart raider never burns out a planet completely. It must be left fallow, to grow back a fresh crop of hard-working rubes to steal from next time.”
“What have you seen?” I asked him.
He looked troubled. “Out past Ceti, in the real frontier—a few ill-advised colony ships have gone that far. Their settlements have been… destroyed. Nothing but skeletons are left behind in fields and burned buildings.”
I nodded, unsurprised at anything but the range of Trask’s raiding. As a well-traveled man, I’d been out as far as a hundred lights in every direction—but Trask had reached farther still.
At last, we retired for the night. I slept on my ship, as I couldn’t trust this band of pirates enough to slumber among them. They respected this and took no insult.
In the morning we bid them farewell and flew out into space.
“Where to now, boss?” Jort asked.
“Set course for the Conclave.”
“Why there?” Rose asked in concern.
I smiled, knowing she was still worried I might take her home to her dull life with her parents. I had no such ideas. With a crew of only four, I couldn’t afford to ditch even the most inexperienced hand aboard.
“To throw off anyone who’s following us.”
Seven hours later, I put the hammer down and jetted away from any unseen pursuers.
“You don’t trust Trask? Even now?” Jort asked.
“It’s not that. I trust Trask as long as I’m a benefit to him. But the Sword Worlds are full of barons and knights like him. I don’t trust them all.”
Jort understood, and he went back to his duties.
That night, my ribs finally felt better. Maybe it was the magic of the healing process—or maybe it was the lifted weight of leaving a dangerous place behind.
A tiny knock came to my door. Then a chime.
I roused myself. I’d been dozing… dreaming.
I opened the door and Rose stood there, her lovely figure silhouetted by the reddish light of the passages in night-mode.
“Hello, Rose. Is something wrong?”
“You tell me. We’re still headed for the Conclave.”
“We’ll change course. Don’t worry.”
“I don’t believe you. Not now. You’ve finished a mission, you’ve got money—you don’t need me anymore. You’re going to dump me back home, and you’ll fly off and hire some real spacers.”
Her arms were crossed tightly over her breasts. Her eyes were downcast, her lips cinched tight with worry.
“You want to stay aboard? Even after all you’ve seen? There will only be more blood, more danger if you stay with me. Are you certain you want that?”
“Going home would be like dying now. I’d never forget these days. I’d never be happy again.”
I kissed the top of her head. “All right. Let’s go change course.”
She brightened and followed me. We turned the ship to its new heading.
“Where are we going?” she asked me, watching closely.
“Somewhere out past Ceti. There’s something going on out there—something the baron talked about. I thought we’d take a look.”
She appeared baffled but happy. She hadn’t been there to overhear Trask’s dark talk of dead worlds that had been abandoned. It was just as well. She was in a much better mood this way.
After we’d changed course, she still followed me back to my cabin.
“Ah… is there something else?”
She looked shy, studying the deck between us. “I came here thinking I would have to convince you to change course somehow. But you gave in so easily.”
I touched her chin with a crooked finger and brought up her eyes to gaze into mine.
“Perhaps, since I didn’t even need convincing, I deserve some kind of… reward?”
Rose smiled, and I smiled. We embraced, and the night proceeded very pleasantly. My ribs ached and burned afterward, but I didn’t care.
It was worth it.
THE END
From the Author: Thanks Reader! I hope you enjoyed GUN RUNNER. The book will be out in audio form in June 2020, performed by Mark Boyett. If you liked the book and want to read more in this universe, please put up some stars and a review to support the series. If you’d rather see more of James McGill, don’t worry, I’m working on the next Undying Mercenaries right now!
-BVL
More SF Books by B. V. Larson:
The Undying Mercenaries Series:
Steel World
Dust World
Tech World
Machine World
Death World
Home World
Rogue World
Blood World
Dark World
Storm World
Armor World
Clone World
Glass World
Rebel Fleet Series:
Rebel Fleet
Orion Fleet
Alpha Fleet
Earth Fleet
Star Force Series:
Swarm
Extinction
Rebellion
Conquest
Army of One (Novella)
Battle Station
Empire
Annihilation
Storm Assault
The Dead Sun
Outcast
Exile
Demon Star
Starship Pandora (Audio Drama)
Lost Colonies Trilogy:
Battle Cruiser
Dreadnought
Star Carrier
Visit BVLarson.com for more information.