Galactic - Ten Book Space Opera Sci-Fi Boxset

by Colin F. Barnes

  ***

  Ariel knew the look in her daughter’s eyes, and it terrified her. She had a certain expression when she was frustrated with something. Selena was never one to just let her mother be pushed around. Her daughter had a sense of justice like Ariel’s father, Guise. She was also headstrong and stubborn, once she had decided to do something she saw it through to the bloody end. The mother in her was afraid of what the young woman had in mind. Ariel knew it would be nearly impossible to stop Selena once her mind was made up. She could only pray her girl would do the smart thing and stay hidden but she also knew that Selena was never one to hide from anything. Ariel could only sit by and wait for her daughter to vanish like Kyro, so alike they were, it made her angry and proud all at once.

  ***

  Cane gathered his blasters, he was going to be prepared to take down the famous Kyro Kalil. If the cocky bastard had just taken care of Deris right away and got his ass off planet Cane wouldn't have had time to decide to double cross him and keep the ten-thousand Zen for his own, but the bounty hunter just had to take his time and strut around like he owned the city. Kyro even had the nerve to lay hands on the sheriff and try to put down the man who brought him there. Cane had a skewed view on things…he didn't want to admit that he was a slimy corrupt son of a bitch, or that the moment he knew the mayor and big wigs planned to pay a skiff load of Zen for the head of the street king, that he started to think on taking it for himself. None of the rich assholes in power in Sentos ever rewarded him with such things for taking out the bag guys. How was it fair to offer one criminal so much coin to shoot another? No, this time Cane would come out on top and get his deserved reward. He would show these street thugs how it was done, how to be a true bad guy.

  ***

  Kaleb decided that the best way to help his son was to be prepared to get him out of there. The old man had an old skiff sitting out back that had not been flown in ages but if he were to have it ready it could save them in the end. He went out and knocked the dust off the once fine flying machine, she would need some tinkering and it had been awhile since he had been behind the controls but he still had confidence that he could manage to fly it if he could get her running. The skiff was named the Norma jean and the fading paint showed the outline of a pretty lady on the side panel. Kaleb didn't need her to look good only to run.

  Pulling out the old manuals he kept from years ago he figured the old girl mostly needed basic maintenance, however he was unsure if the hyper drive would still engage for outer space travel. He decided that if they couldn't completely leave the planet maybe at least she would fly them somewhere safer. Kaleb needed a project to keep him from going insane with fear, he only hoped to help Kyro in some way. His son had lived through many crazy hunts; this he knew from news reports and rumors spread of Kyro’s exploits. Kaleb would hate himself forever if his son died because he had to babysit his aging father. He told himself he would help Kyro anyway he could and at the moment the Norma jean seemed like the best way.

  ***

  Selena filled a small pack and hid a few blades about her body, she carried a walking stick to look like a traveler but really brought it along to crack heads. The young woman never shied away from a fight and hated the feeling of being tracked like an animal. Selena was enjoying the feeling of walking the streets as someone else, no one could have guessed it was her and she loved the anonymity. This was something she would use again for future jobs, if she lived through this that is. For some reason she felt hopeful that they could win this fight. A person can never really know the future but sometimes she would feel a certain way about a situation, and for the most part her feelings were right. However, she didn't want to be over confident or too hopeful because the notion that her feelings could be wrong this time was too scary to think of, that her intuition had abandoned her. Onward she walked looking for any clues as to where Kyro went. Selena had a good idea that he was going to the gambling house but she wasn't sure. So she started in the direction of the place she first met her father.

  The gambling house was not the best place to have an altercation with Deris, for one thing it was his turf which she never liked to do, she preferred going after her targets in areas they weren’t familiar with, eliminating the risk of them having hidden weapons or booby traps. The gambling house was also too big, anyone could be hiding anywhere in that place, one wouldn't know if they were going to fight five men or fifty…there was just too much space for concealment. She knew her father was a proficient at this kind of thing but there were so any misgivings she had, he certainly shared them being a professional but that didn't calm her racing mind and heart. Selena had to find him and help him. She worried now that he changed his face she could pass right by him and not know, any injured or bleeding men could be him. Selena decided to really look at everyone around her and hope her intuition would help point Kyro out. Her heart was pounding harder the closer she got to Deris’s hide out. Selena had to remind herself that her appearance was completely different from how she really looked, that thought gave her a boost in confidence. She rounded one more corner and now had the gambling house in view. Selena paused near the last stall selling goods in the area, pretending to inspect pieces of fruit and vegetables she let her gaze fall on the hide out. Selena was sampling a slice of Earth apple when she saw a man walking near the door of the building she was watching. A tall man, very tall, with crazy orange hair. Her stomach twisted… was that a sign? The man seemed to be contemplating what to do next and her stomach flopped completely. This was her father; she had gained enough ground to catch up to him…now hopefully she could help him somehow.

  ***

  It was the time that Kyro had been waiting for, time to finish what was begun twenty years before. If Deris didn't regret how he treated Kyro in the past, he would be made to now. Kyro was trying to find the best way into the large building when a low whistle from behind him caught his attention. It sounded again and didn't seem to have a melody of someone making a tune, no, it was more of an attempt to get attention. He turned his head and didn't recognize anyone. There standing near the fruit seller was a girl with long red hair, this girl was unfamiliar to Kyro but somehow he felt like he should know her. The girl had a smirk on her face, and suddenly something in his gut told him he knew her.

  “God’s damn you, girl. What in the seven pits do you think you are doing here?” He whispered frantically to her.

  Selena only stared for a moment. “I came to help you, father. And don’t try to send me back because I won't go. Take the help I’m offering. I'm no child I can help!” Selena implored.

  Kyro could tell she meant what she was saying. He couldn’t send her away, she was hard-headed just like him, and if she was going to be part of the fight at least he could try to control what she was involved in. He couldn’t risk her sneaking back and getting herself into a situation she couldn’t handle.

  “What weapons did you bring?” he asked.

  “Knives and this stick.” She whispered.

  Kyro stared for a moment. “This would go better if you had carried a blaster.”

  She had to admit that she never owned one. She had only shot one a few times but reassured him that her knives and staff skills were just as deadly. At this point Kyro had to go with it and believe in her. He rattled off several prayers in his head, knowing the gods probably wouldn’t listen. This had just gotten far more complicated.

  ***

  After giving her a once over and a full tune up Kaleb was attempting to get Norma jean flying. He could only hope to get her in the air as fast as possible. Kaleb knew that time was running out and she may be their only chance of giving Kyro some kind of assistance. Having not flown her in many years he was getting really worried if he could get the skiff going. Twice he tried to start her up and twice there was no sign of life in the old girl. He was becoming desperate and frustrated, trying again and again. His hopes to help Kyro were fading with the minutes. Kaleb felt tears building up, his hands shook as
the old man racked his brain to think of any tricks to get her flying. He even began to pray to all the gods he could think of. His mood swung from sadness to burning anger, in pure exasperation he began beating and kicking anything in sight. He squared off and punched Norma jean straight in the ignition compartment, and as if the God’s finally felt he suffered enough a familiar whirling noise started. High Holy shit the skiff was running. He jumped with joy and cried out to Helen to come see. Kyro’s mother was in tears and praised any God she could name then she hugged her husband. He was going to help, he could be a hero for his son, for his growing family. The two happy parents then got serious and loaded up whatever they thought could be useful to Kyro. Then they became nervous about what they needed to do and if they could get to Kyro and Selena in time. Then there was the question of whether or not Norma jean would fly straight. Having little time, Kaleb called Ariel to them, they filled their arms with anything they could find that could possibly injure someone…If they had to, they would throw wrenches at thug heads. After a few minutes Kaleb called it good they could waste no more time. He took the controls of the skiff and with much anxiety rose into the sky. He maneuvered her just above the city as to not miss who they were looking for, Norma jean surprisingly flew quite well, and Kaleb was rather confident that she probably wouldn’t fall from the sky. Before long they spotted a man who looked familiar, it was the slimy bastard Cane making his way in the direction of the gambling house. Ariel prepared herself and told Kaleb to dip lower before buildings got in the way. The old man did so and with one quick flick of the wrist Ariel dropped a rather large pipe directly on his head. Kaleb and Helen cheered as the sheriff dropped to the dirt, completely unconscious. They had no way to know if the man lived or died from the wound, but as they climbed higher again they were thankful to have one less snake to look for when they got to the big fight.

  Chapter Six

  Kyro and Selena walked through the front door of the gambling house, they were surprised to see it only had a few folks inside. They appeared to be regulars gambling their coins away, no one even looked twice at them. This was the easy part, getting upstairs to Deris would be another task all together. Selena noticed the stairwell was guarded by the men who played dice when she came before. She almost forgot her looks were so different and for a moment wanted to hide behind the slot machines. Kyro was thinking the same thing and had to remind himself how different he looked. Kyro placed a hand on her arm and slowed near one of the machines.

  “Act natural.” he whispered, pretending to be deciding on a game to play. “We will make our way towards them slowly and then strike…that’s when things will get scary.”

  Selena thought it was their only option as well, nodding her agreement and adding. “Don’t forget that I’m no stranger to violence.”

  After a few minutes of pretending to be interested in the machines they had finally gotten close enough to make their move. They were within feet of the laughing captains, two of them standing guard but mostly they were shooting the shit and swigging house brew. Kyro approached them and acted as though he could not understand one of the machines, the men looked and laughed. They called him terrible things that a foreigner wouldn't understand thinking he was an ignorant traveler as they showed him how to operate the machine. The joke was on them however when they were taken from behind and choked into unconsciousness. No other gamblers or employees noticed the commotion over the steady clinking of machines and cigar smoke, they kept on playing games and drinking lost in their hopeless dreams of winning big. Kyro and Selena quickly gathered the men up and placed them out the side door they slipped through before when Kyro first met his daughter. They left them hog-tied and buried in garbage in the alleyway they had shared their secret conversation. Making their way back in, the two took to the stairs and began ascending. It was only seconds before they could hear people coming down as they made their way up.

  “Shit!” Selena exclaimed.

  Her father however didn't look too concerned.

  “Pretend to be snorting powder from your hand.”

  Selena looked puzzled.

  “Like this.” Kyro mimicked the movement. “Ask if they want a snort, when they get close shove them down the stairs.”

  Selena finally caught on as sure enough two men came into view.

  “What are you doing here?” the first man growled.

  Selena did as Kyro instructed and the bastards fell for it. They came near in hopes of getting some of the potent space amphetamine, but ultimately were tossed backwards down twenty steps. Kyro knew they wouldn't be getting up from that fall. With bloody cracked heads and limbs displaced the captains laid at the bottom unmoving. Almost there, Selena thought, hoping that there weren't too many more guards to deal with. She wanted Deris dead and the whole ordeal finished. The pair approached the top floor, the one that Deris called home. Kyro slowly peaked out the stairwell door to see who was in the hallway, again there were two guys loitering outside am office door. Kyro tried to think of a reason for why they would be in this area. He knew these men were more than likely to just going to shoot them.

  Selena placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering, “I got these two.”

  Her father was a bit confused and started to protest her going out there but when he noticed Selena pulling her shirt tighter and pushing her breasts up he knew what she had in mind. As a father he was proud, but also irritated that these scumbags were going to be looking at her in that way. Selena straightened her back and tried to seem very confident as she left the stairwell and walked down the hall to Deris’s office. The captains took notice but her swagger told them she should be there. When one man began to question her as to what she was doing. She told them she was invited to distract the Lord of the streets. The men looked at each other, they certainly were not going to get in the way if that’s what the boss ordered. They turned and showed her down the hall to the room Deris was resting in. As soon as they turned their backs Selena drew hidden her blades and stabbed them both at the base of their skulls. The bodies hit the floor just in time for Kyro to drag them into a secluded corner. They now just had to get to Deris Fel and end him. The door the men had been leading Selena to was a few feet away. Kyro put his ear up to it to try and discern how many were inside, he thought that he heard at least two or three. Now that they had reached their goal he pulled out his blasters he could finally use them. There was no need to remain quiet, Deris had nowhere to go. Selena went for the door knob but Kyro stopped her he made a promise to himself to go in as his true self when Deris was killed. He gestured to take his mask off. Selena understood, she too wanted him to know who was taking his life. They both peeled their masks off, it seemed strange to Kyro to see his daughter there with him because while she looked so different it was easier somehow to be risking her life…now like this he had a flood of terror over her getting hurt. Selena was more nervous than ever she wanted to put an end to all of this, but she knew Deris Fel and how sneaky he could be. She readied herself for the fight that was upon them.

  Kyro slowly turned the doorknob and in the half-lit room he could make out a man sitting alone listening to a music player, that was the other sound he had heard and mistaken for guards. Well, at least it's just him. Kyro thought.

  “It's just him. I will take care of business and we will get out of here.” Kyro whispered.

  Selena nodded and agreed to stand guard in case anyone came up the stairs. The bounty hunter slowly pushed the door open and drew his blasters. A quick shot to the back of the head and they would be done. He slowly crept closer and closer until he was just a few paces from his target, from a dark corner came a whisper “I need one of those masks.”

  Kyro knew the voice all too well. It wasn’t Deris sitting in front of him, he now noticed the form unnaturally slumped. It was obviously a dead man when Kyro got a better look.

  “I had to make an example out of him this morning. I figured why waste him.” Deris chuckled it was all so funny to him. T
hat annoyed Kyro very much, Deris was always such a vile bastard.

  Deris Fel came fully from the shadows. He looked at Selena and motioned her into the room.

  “I couldn’t forget about you, girl. By the way have you seen your house lately?” he laughed even harder.

  Selena could imagine what he had done to her child hood home but at least it didn't have her mother inside it. He motioned Selena to him. She really didn't want to get any closer to the bastard but he had a blaster in his hand. Deris smiled and walked right up and behind her. He placed his blasters close to her side staring at Kyro with a grin. Kyro would never forgive himself for this blunder. He knew of one option only but didn’t like it at all, Selena wouldn’t either. Kyro fought internally with himself, the hunter within cried for him to proceed, he hesitated…Selena nodded, she knew what his instincts told him to do, hers told her the same.

  As the bastard Deris began to make another remark as to what he will do to Selena and Ariel and the other members of Kyro’s family the bounty hunter fired. The cocky fool didn't see it coming, that Kyro would do what he just did. Deris slumped to the floor with a hole in his forehead, Kyro had taken the shot and Deris was dead. The blaster unfortunately blazed a path along the side Selena’s face. Kyro hated to scar her but he wouldn't get another chance. He couldn't allow Deris to finish his thoughts it had to be done when the crazy man was distracted. Selena was shocked and dropped to her knees, the focus it took her not to flinch as he pulled the trigger was maddening. Kyro held her and apologized for the gash across her face but Selena was relieved. She didn't care about a scar on her face as long as the nightmare was over with for good. Kyro placed a torn scrap of cloth against her wound and they began to try to sneak from the building.