Miranda was chomping at the bit for them to get off Nix V, but Director Shelley had demanded they stay a few days to make sure the monster wouldn’t be returning. Now that they knew the monster had a ship and had gotten scans of it, keeping an eye out to make sure it didn’t come back was easy. If it did, Nix V’s planetary defense systems would be waiting for it.
Miranda was taking the loss of Flynn and Rachel hard. Their deaths had followed Robbie’s very closely, all of them slain by the monster they had managed to drive away. But Miranda was troubled by more than just their deaths. She was terrified that their crew would be drawn into the civil war between the fringe worlds and the core worlds of Earth Gov. Whether or not that was a fate they could escape, Lee didn’t know anymore. Things were getting darker and more violent on the fringes every day as Earth Gov continued to claim the outer colonies as its own.
Honestly, Lee was more concerned about being three men down in terms of their crew. If they could continue to find work despite the war, doing it with just the four of them left would be a dangerous thing. He had hoped to find replacements for those they’d lost, but with the war…
The old man sighed and turned where he sat on the edge of the bed to stare at Shelley. She was young compared to him, but that hadn’t stopped them from falling into…well, whatever this was. Surely she knew he was planning to leave as soon they were confident the monster wouldn’t be coming back. He didn’t blame Shelley for wanting them to stay a few days, and he certainly didn’t mind the attention he was getting from her personally. However, the longer they stayed, the more likely it was that more Earth Gov troops would show.
Eventually the powers that be would realize Bear Wiggins and his crew had never reported in. When they found out the people here had fought back and taken out Bear and his men, Earth Gov wasn’t going to be happy about it. Shelley swore she would keep the involvement of his and Miranda’s crew out of it if things went south, but she was only human.
As rich as Shelley’s colony was, even its defenses couldn’t hold the forces of Earth Gov at bay if they really wanted to take the colony from her, and Lee wagered they did. Shelley had already joined Holland and many other colonies in an alliance against them. The other colonies had vowed to send support to her, as Nix V had no defenses, but that aid was still en route. If Earth Gov showed before it did, Nix V would fall, and Shelley, along with her people, would be put to the question about what had happened to Bear and his crew after they had taken over. That you could count on.
When and if the truth of what they had done came out, there would be no neutrality for himself and the crew of Strider. They would be branded as rebels and a price put on their heads. If Earth Gov saw Miranda as a symbol for the rebelling fringe colonies, there would be no expense spared to see them dead, either.
Shelley was a beautiful young woman, and Lee drank in that beauty as he continued to stare at her where she lay, only half under the covers of the bed they shared. She was naked, her soft flesh exposed in the light of the small lamp on the bedside table next to where he sat. Were he a younger man, Lee had to admit he would have been tempted greatly to stay with her on Nix V and join her fight against Earth Gov. But he wasn’t a foolish young man anymore. His many years as a monster hunter had taught him the folly of such impulses.
He hoped Shelley and her people would be okay, but he doubted it, and he had no intention of being imprisoned or dying with them when Earth Gov came calling again. No. His loyalty lay to Miranda. Lee had raised her and thought of the young monster slayer as his own daughter, though he would never openly admit that to anyone. As nice as what he and Shelley shared was, he couldn’t stay on Nix V. Miranda would be lost without him. Oh, she was capable enough on her own, but Lee wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he parted ways with her, especially now when their crew was already three men down.
Besides, that monster was still out there somewhere. Nix V might be safe from it, but the old man knew it would be coming after him and his crew again. Whatever the monster’s reason for hunting them, Lee would bet his life it hadn’t given up. Driving it away from Nix V was likely just a minor setback for the creature. When the thing had recovered and thought the time was right, it would show itself again and keep right on coming at them, until either it was dead or they were. There was no doubt of that.
Lee rose as quietly as he could from the edge of the bed and started to get dressed. The sun would be up soon, and it was time to go. He had never been a fan of saying goodbye and didn’t intend to now. Miranda and the other survivors of the crew would be waiting for him aboard Strider. His mind made up, Lee finished getting himself together and headed for the door.
* * * * *
Chapter 31
Joe watched Brook as she ran the system checks on Strider. He loved her so much and had finally told her so last night. It seemed as good a time as any, considering they had a monster hunting them and the uncertain future ahead of them.
Brook noticed the frown he wore.
“Penny for your thoughts,” she said, flashing him a smile.
He had been ecstatic to discover she had feelings for him, too. The night they had shared in his quarters had left him bruised and exhausted. It was if they had always loved one another and just never said the words until now. Like they were connected on a level deeper than he was able to understand.
“You sure you want them?” Joe asked.
“Hit me with them, Joe,” Brook said, stopping her work and turning to face him.
“Brook, we murdered two squads of Earth Gov troops.” Joe shook his head.
“It was self-defense!” Brook laughed. “Those bastards were going to arrest Miranda for nothing. We couldn’t just stand by and let that happen.”
“It’s nothing to laugh about, Brook.” Joe was scowling, not at her, but at their situation. “Do you really think Earth Gov is going to let that slide?”
“They would have to know about it first,” Brook told him. “I started jamming The Brute and those two transports the moment they touched down. They weren’t able to tell Earth Gov crap, and we’ll be long gone before any more like them show up here.”
Joe shrugged. “I hope you’re right.”
“I usually am,” Brook assured him. “Regardless, there’s nothing we can do about it. What’s done is done, Joe.”
She reached out to take his hand in hers. “It’s going to be okay. Really. We have each other, and that’s what matters. If it comes down to it, we can always quit this line of work and use our savings to buy a quiet little farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere.”
Joe cracked a smile of his own. “You have savings?”
“Don’t you?” Brook chuckled, grinning at him.
When Joe didn’t answer, Brook said, “We’ll need to do something about that. I’m not marrying a bum.”
“Yeah. I guess we will,” Joe agreed.
Miranda entered Strider’s pilot compartment. She looked the two of them over.
“Glad to see you guys ’fessed up to each other,” Miranda said. “I was beginning to wonder if you ever would.”
“Me, too.” Brook squeezed Joe’s hand.
“Any word from the old man?” Miranda asked. “He was supposed to be back by now.”
“Not yet,” Brook told her.
“Have Strider ready,” Miranda ordered, “I want us off this planet as soon as he gets here.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Brook nodded.
“We’ve stayed too long here already,” Joe said to Miranda.
“My thought exactly, Joe,” Miranda agreed. “Brook, tell me you took care of The Brute.”
“I did, ma’am. Just like you ordered me to.” Brook smiled. “I moved her to one of the moons around Nix V and stashed her there. If we ever need another ship, she’ll be there waiting for us.”
* * * * *
Chapter 32
Director Shelley awoke to find Lee gone. It didn’t surprise her. Lee had told her that Miranda wanted to leave as so
on as possible. She was a tad miffed he hadn’t said goodbye, though. She got out of bed and got ready for the day. By the time she made it to her office, it was around 10am.
Settling in behind her desk, Shelley got to work catching up on some long overdue paperwork. Nix V had gotten rid of the monster plaguing it, only to find itself in an even worse situation. The civil war she had hoped wouldn’t come had been officially declared by Holland and several other larger colonies. She had agreed to side with them against Earth Gov in exchange for their support in keeping Nix V free. The haggling had been fierce, but she had forced the larger colonies to agree to send her what they could in terms of ships, as her colony had none that were combat capable. A destroyer and a detachment of fighters were en route to them and should arrive shortly.
Strider had left Nix V shortly after dawn. She was going to miss Lee. Shelley couldn’t honestly say what had attracted her to him in the first place, but she was glad things had worked out between them for the short time they’d had together. She hoped one day they would see each other again…assuming they both survived the war that was upon them.
Director Shelley had ordered Gary, her chief aide, to erase all evidence that the old man and his crew had ever been on Nix V. She checked to make sure her order had been carried out and smiled when she saw that it had. Good help was usually difficult to find. Gary was amazing, and Shelley was glad to have him.
She looked up from her work as the door of her office opened. Gary stood in the doorway. Shelley could tell that something was wrong.
“What is it?” She asked.
“An Earth Gov fleet has just dropped into the system, ma’am. They’re on their way here,” Gary told her.
“Bloody Hades,” she rasped. “Bring the planetary defense system online and issue them an order to withdraw.”
“Ma’am…” Gary said reluctantly. “It’s a full battle fleet…a battleship, four destroyers, two fighter carriers, and several troop transports.”
“God help us…” Director Shelley stared at Gary.
“Are you sure you want me to order them to withdraw?” Gary asked.
“I don’t think we have any choice, Gary,” Director Shelley said. “If we allow them to land, that’s it. We’ll have lost this war already, and we’ll never be able to get them to leave.”
“We need to get you to the bunker, ma’am,” Gary urged her. “Before it’s too late.”
Like most of the richer fringe colonies, Nix V had a secured bunker built for its key personnel and must valuable residents. The bunker had originally been constructed as a place to run to in case of an overwhelming attack by an alien race. The times such bunkers had been used throughout the history of the fringe worlds were few and far between, as rare as humanity’s encounters with alien races that possessed a level of technology that made them a threat to the outer colonies and Earth Gov. Shelley had never imagined one day she would be thankful the bunker was there because of Earth Gov, itself.
“No.” Director Shelley shook her head. “I’m staying right here, Gary. You go on, and take your family with you.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.” Gary looked relieved. “Do you want me to tie the computer on your desk into the feeds of the defense satellites before I go?”
“I can do that myself,” she answered, “and you may not have much time.”
“Thank you, ma’am!” Gary told her again and then was gone, darting out of her office to gather up his family and get them to the bunker beneath the office building.
Shelley activated the computer on her desk, typing in the personal command codes that allowed her to directly access the feeds from Nix V’s defensive satellites. Its screen came to life, and split into a half dozen views of the approaching Earth Gov battle fleet. The sight of it made her cringe. The satellites shifted in their orbits, positioning themselves so they could best strike at the approaching fleet.
Opening a comm channel, Director Shelley hailed the Earth Gov battleship. She had sent Gary away before he’d had the chance to carry out her order to tell them to withdraw from the system. The battleship answered her hail immediately. The feeds from the defense satellites were shunted to the side, taking up only half of her screen, as the other half showed the battleship’s bridge. A man dressed in the uniform of an admiral stood in its center. His uniform was a pristine gray with red trimmings. He spoke before she could.
“This is Admiral Tythron of the Earth Gov battle fleet approaching your colony,” the handsome officer told her. “You’ve brought your planet’s defenses online. Shut them down now, or we’ll be forced to take aggressive action.”
“This is Director Shelley of the Nix V colony,” she answered, trying to keep calm and come across as tough as she could. “I urge you to exit this system. Nix V is an independent colony world, and you have no right to be barking orders at me, Admiral. If you fail to comply and exit this system within the next two minutes, I will open fire on your fleet. Do I make myself clear?”
“Have it your way, then,” Admiral Tythron growled and ended the transmission. His image disappeared from her screen.
Director Shelley stabbed a button on her computer and the defense satellites surrounding Nix V engaged the Earth Gov battle fleet. She watched as each of the six satellites loosed a volley of missiles. They streaked across the blackness of space toward the Earth Gov ships. Fighters came soaring out of the fleet’s two carriers to intercept the inbound missiles as the Earth Gov destroyers also targeted them. Not a single missile reached its target. Explosions rippled through the black as they were cut to pieces by the destroyers’ counterfire, and the few that got through were taken out by the fighters.
Before the defense satellites could loose a second wave of missiles, the destroyers targeted them. One by one, their feeds disappeared from Director Shelley’s screen as the satellites met their end. Only the southernmost satellite survived the destroyers’ fire, and it was too badly damaged to do anything but allow her to continue to watch the battle fleet approach.
Admiral Tythron made no attempt to hail her and issue further demands. Instead, the massive battleship released a salvo of missiles at the Nix V colony. Shelley stared in disbelief. The admiral had just nuked her and her people. When the nukes reached the colony, not a single person who hadn’t made it into the bunker below the building her office was in would survive.
The admiral had apparently decided that, despite the value of her colony, Nix V would serve as an example of what awaited any fringe colonies with the courage to stand against Earth Gov. And with the satellites in orbit destroyed, there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. Tears rolled over the curves of her cheeks as she waited for the nukes to arrive and the fire from their explosions to scorch the flesh from her bones.
* * * * *
Chapter 33
After leaving Nix V, Brook had set a course for Moore Colony at Miranda’s orders. The “information specialist” she had hired to dig up her father’s service records should have found something by then. That was, if he had kept working on what she had hired him to do. If he hadn’t, there was going to be hell to pay.
Miranda entered Strider’s pilot compartment. Brook sat at the ship’s helm, with Joe in the copilot seat next to her. There was no sign of Lee. Most likely the old man was still sulking in his quarters. Miranda got the feeling Lee hadn’t really wanted to leave Nix V. Staying would have been asking for trouble, but he wouldn’t have minded that. Lee had lived his life on the edge as long as she had known him.
The best she could figure was his loyalty to her had brought him back onto Strider before she took flight. She knew the old man had found something rare with Director Shelley, and she felt guilty for ruining it. But she was glad Lee had picked her over his new love. Their crew was three men down, and frankly, she was going to need the old man’s help to rebuild it, not to mention deal with the looming confrontation with Earth Gov.
“ETA?” Miranda asked Brook.
“Dropping out of Vo
id Space in about a minute, ma’am,” Brook answered. “We’re almost there.”
“Are you sure coming back here is a good idea?” Joe turned in his seat to look at her.
“Moore Colony is the most neutral planet in the fringes, Joe,” Miranda assured the nervous sniper. “It has to be in order to survive. Besides, it’s populated by rich thrill seekers, monster hunters, mercs, and any other lowlifes that can afford to visit. There’s no way Earth Gov would ever…”
“Dropping out of Void Space,” Brook’s voice interrupted them.
Then everything went to hell.
Strider emerged from Void Space right into the heart of a raging battle.
“Frag me!” Brook screamed, banking the ship hard to avoid plowing into the wreckage of Blackheart. At least it looked like Blackheart. Miranda would have recognized Python Frank’s ship anywhere, but the ship had been blown to into several pieces. Python Frank was another of the last monster hunters still operating, and not someone you wanted to mess with.
“Was that…” Joe started to ask, but Brook snapped at him.
“Shut up, Joe!” Brook fought with Strider’s helm. “Everybody grab hold of something and start praying!”
Numerous other ships that looked to be not only the defense fleet of Moore Colony but several independently-owned smuggler, civilian, and fringe world warships were engaged with not one, but three full-sized Earth Gov battle fleets. Volleys of missiles hurtled toward their targets and cannons blazed, spitting streams of fire that raked and tore at the hulls of ships on both sides.
Miranda stared out the forward window of Strider’s pilot compartment in shock and disbelief. Brook took the ship down to fly beneath the belly of an Earth Gov destroyer as a salvo of missiles hammered it. Explosions flashed in the blackness as the missiles detonated, engulfing a third of the destroyer in flames. Strider came out from under the dying destroyer to find itself on a direct course for a large Moore Colony defense corvette.
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