by R. L. Wolf
The Marshal tossed the letter across the desk. Austin picked up the letter and read it again to himself.
"Well, what do you make of it?" asked the Marshal.
Colt shrugged and waited for Austin to finish reading the letter.
"It's a threat, sir," said Austin, turning the letter over several times and studying the paper.
"You are correct," said the Marshal. "The Emperor does not order you to come to court, he asks."
"He's afraid of us?" asked Colt.
"Very much so," said the Marshal.
"The Envoy is coming here to judge whether we are dangerous to the Emperor?" asked Austin.
"Not us," said the Marshal. "Only you five. And the Envoy isn't coming to this Camp. You will meet him at the Mining Colony on the other side of the planet."
"Are you coming too, sir?" asked Colt.
"No, there is nothing I can do to protect you this time, you will be on your own."
"There’s a threat you’re not telling us about," said Garth, his eyes narrowed and ready for a fight.
The Marshal nodded his head and leaned back in his chair. "Yes, the Envoy will be escorted by a Religious Military Order that not only rivals but exceeds our own.”
"Who is better than the Gunslingers?" asked Colt.
"The Ravens," said the Marshal.
"But the Ravens are from Darai, and they are at war with Kesune," said Austin.
“Yeah, and they’re a crime syndicate,” added Toran.
"Do not underestimate the Ravens. They have a training program for their young that makes what you have endured look like children at play. And, the Ravens no more care who is at war than we do," said the Marshal, waving his hand as if to brush aside the thought of being involved in anything political. "The Ravens care only about profit, they will hire out to anyone who pays."
"What do you want us to do?"
"I believe Austin passed his Dart flight test?”
"Yes, sir, Class 4 license."
"Well, that's enough to keep from crashing into the ground," said the Marshal. "Take one of the Dart ships, and go to Sanon Town to meet with the Envoy. Diplomacy is the answer, solve your problem with the Envoy peaceably. You leave in an hour."
"Sir, what do we do if the Envoy finds us dangerous, or guilty, or something?" asked Colt.
"I'm giving you a Dart. If all fails, head to deep space and don't ever come back. Find a small colony somewhere and live quietly. You have the skills to take care of yourselves."
The boys spent the next hour packing the gear they might need. Toran grabbed Colt's arm and pointed at Garth.
"Seriously, Garth?" asked Colt. "Is that a flamethrower?"
"I have my sources," said Garth.
"I think I know why the teachers never inspect our cabins," said Wes. "They're afraid of stepping on something and getting blown up."
"I happen to know you're referring to the land mine you have under your bed," said Austin.
"Come on you twisted psychopaths," said Colt. "Let's go."
"Who are you calling a psychopath," said Toran, walking past Colt. "You've got a mortar round in your sock drawer."
"So that's where my socks been going," protested Colt. "You sock thief."
"I can't wear mine," said Toran.
"Why,"
"I lost the pin to the hand grenade that's in there, can't open the drawer until I find it," replied Toran.
The Dart pilot was standing next to his ship when the boys arrived at the airfield.
"Your first mission off the training camp?" asked the pilot.
"Yes, sir," said Colt.
"I want my ship back in one piece."
Austin climbed into the cockpit, and started the pre-flight checklist, while Toran and Wes did the hull walk-around, and Garth loaded the ammunition. The boys finished preparing in the modified combat Dart Fighter. The Dart ship was the base ship used for nearly everything from combat to mail delivery.
Colt sat directly behind Austin in a jump seat facing the crew pod, and Wes settled into the communications and navigation station. Garth was in the center and lifted himself up into the turret--gun, and Toran dropped into the rear belly gunner's position. Most Dart ships were equipped with a bunk and living quarters, but this Dart was a combat Dart, and the pod had been gutted for a combat team.
“Crew check,” ordered Colt.
“Flight ready,” replied Austin.
"Navigation ready," said Wes.
"Turret--gun ready," reported Garth.
"Belly Gun ready," said Toran.
"Okay guys, this is a peaceful mission," said Colt, checking the command console. He pulled his cheat sheet out from class to make sure he didn't forget anything. “Austin, whenever you’re ready," said Colt.
Austin fired the vertical thrusters and lifted off just as he had in the simulator and during the training flights when the instructor was sitting in the seat Colt was now sitting. This was his first time flying his team, and he was nervous. He didn't want to mess up—the ground inched by beneath the ship.
"Hey, buddy," said Colt. "The mining colony is on the other side of the planet We won't get there at this speed."
"I'm just being careful," said Austin.
"My grandmother can walk faster than this," said Garth.
"Punch it," ordered Colt. "Let's go."
Austin pushed the thrusters forward, and the engines tilted to a horizontal position. Once the engines were in the correct position, the Dart ship did what she was designed to do, she leaped forward at a dizzying speed across the desert.
"Oh wow, I... Um... Wait... It...” Wes was pushing buttons on his console but was obviously confused.
Toran laughed watching Wes trying to keep up with the navigation display.
"We're going too fast for Wes," said Toran. "Maybe we should have taken pack mules."
"Woohoo," shouted Austin. "I've never flown it this fast before."
"Hey, are we rolling?" asked Wes.
Colt grabbed his harness and buckled it. "Austin?"
"I got this," said Austin.
The ship rolled on its side and then flipped on its back.
"Austin!' everyone yelled at the same time.
The ship slowly rolled back to the right-side-up position. Colt noticed that everyone’s faces were as pale as his felt.
"Sorry guys," said Austin. "I forgot the stabilizers."
"Hey, I been thinking," said Toran.
"Should I be scared?" asked Colt.
Toran laughed. "They are waiting at the Space Port for us, right?"
"Yep."
"Then let’s not go there," said Toran. "Austin, take us as close to the ground as you can and don't head for the Space Port. Take us to the other side of the town, someplace they won't be looking for us."
"How low?" asked Austin.
"I want to be able to reach out and write my name in the sand," said Toran.
Austin dropped the ship to the ground, and Toran retracted the belly guns just in time before they heard the scraping of the ground against the hull.
"Not that low," yelled Colt.
Austin pulled up on the nose of the Dart and slowed down so he could maintain control of the ship.
"What’s the plan?" asked Colt.
"We’re going to hide the ship and walk in," said Toran. "That way the Ravens won’t know where our escape route is."
Austin managed to keep the ship upright for the rest of the trip. Wes caught up on the Navigation display and guided them to a small hidden canyon on the far side of the Colony town. The ramp dropped, and the team quickly ran off the ship, Garth knelt down and laid his hand on the ground, thanking the Father for life. Austin sealed the ship and set the lock, joining the team a moment later.
"Oh don't be so dramatic," said Austin. "It wasn't that bad."
"Please make your flight lessons a priority," said Colt.
Wes unfolded a map and studied the terrain features around them. "We're about two miles from the edge of town, and
another four miles across town to the Space Port.
"Let's go," said Colt, moving out at a run.
"We do a lot of running," said Wes.
"Yeah, I'm starting to get why the Marshal makes us run twice a day," said Toran.
"Remember how hard we thought The Long Walk was," said Garth.
"Bet we could do it in two hours now and not even be tired," said Toran.
The boys entered an older part of the town. The buildings were in various stages of disrepair, and some were nothing but piles of rubble. The people walking around didn't look up or show any interest in the strangers that had just run out of the desert. This was the kind of place that you mind your own business, or you don't live long.
The town improved slightly the closer to the Space Port the boys got, but not by much. They passed several factories with workers carrying large sacks of salt—the work seemed grueling.
Colt and the team slowed to a walk and kept to the back streets to avoid attention. The boys cut down an alley and ran into a group of men beating another man. They already had the man on the ground but continued to kick him. Colt stopped and headed for the men.
Toran ran after Colt to stop him. "We don't have time, Chief," whispered Toran, looking into Colt's eyes, it was already too late. Colt's eyes had turned dark; there would be no stopping him now. Toran motioned for the others to spread out and provide cover for whatever Colt was going to do.
Colt approached the men and laid his hand on his gun.
"Step away from that man," ordered Colt.
The men turned around and sneered at Colt. They had the expressions of bullies that enjoyed doing what they do. These were the kind of scum that preyed on the weak, and the kind that Colt intensely disliked.
"Piss off, kid," said one of the men. "This ain't your concern."
"I won't tell you again," said Colt.
The man noticed the badge on Colt's Duster and was visibly startled for a moment before he laughed. "This is a private planet, you have no jurisdiction here, Gunslinger."
That brought Colt up short; he didn't know anything about this planet. He had just assumed anything within the Empire or Tri-Alliance was his jurisdiction, but if this planet was an independent world, he wasn't sure what to do.
"I don't care what this planet is," said Garth, stepping forward. "If you kick that man again I'm shooting you."
"Okay, calm down," replied the man, motioning his men to stop. "This scum didn't pay his… taxes, but if you would like to talk with Lord Sanon about it."
"Maybe I will," said Colt. "Where do I find him?"
Colt followed the men to a warehouse they had already passed. He scanned the windows. There were armed men watching from several broken windows. Colt saw more men were slowly heading this way.
“It’s a trap,” whispered Toran.
Colt nodded. “Be ready.”
The man led Colt through a door and upstairs to an office. Scantily clad women lounged against the wall, talking with some of the armed men. The place stank of alcohol, urine, and a musky smell Colt suspected had something to do with the barely dressed women. He was just getting more upset the further into this cockroach nest they went.
Colt followed the man into an office with a desk near the far wall next to a window. The man behind the desk had a rattlesnake look to him, and a woman sitting on his lap. Colt marked the position of the other gunmen in the room.
“I’m Gunslinger Co…” started Colt.
"Yes, I’ve been told,” interrupted the rattlesnake. “The Gunslinger that doesn't know where he is. I'm Lord Sanon, and this is my planet, you have no jurisdiction here, now you know, get out."
"I have no proof of your claim," said Colt, his eyes dark and cold. "You will talk to me civil-like, or I'll kill everyone in this room, pull this building down, and then go about my business."
"Are you calling me a liar?" asked Lord Sanon.
"Yes, I'm calling you a liar, a snake, and a cockroach," said Colt.
Lord Sanon's face turned red with anger, but he didn't make a move toward his gun. This Gunslinger looked wrong; his eyes were empty of any life. Sanon placed his hands on the desk in plain sight.
"I've been called worse," said Lord Sanon, shrugging. "I'm not drawing on a Gunslinger, but this is a private planet, and I have the Deed to it. We are not part of the Alliance or the Empire. You have no jurisdiction here."
"Prove it and I'll be on my way," said Colt, his fingers flexing over his gun. The room had turned cold. Garth and Toran exchanged glances—a fight was coming, nothing would stop Colt now, it was just a matter of who was going to light the match and start the fire. Austin saw it too and casually turned around to face the door.
Lord Sanon didn't want trouble with the Gunslingers. They never paid their rent, but they also never bothered him. It would be best to try and keep it that way. He motioned to one of his toadies and the gunman went over to a wall and pulled a safe open. The man fiddled around inside the safe and brought out a piece of paper and held it up.
"That's the Deed," said Lord Sanon.
"Wes is my legal specialist," said Colt. "Wes, check it out."
Wes walked over, and the henchman handed the paper over for Wes to review. Wes read the paper, walked back to Colt, and showed it to him.
"It's true," said Wes.
Colt took the paper and looked at it while Wes whispered in Colt's ear. Colt grinned and shoved the paper in his pocket.
"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Lord Sanon, realizing the mistake he had just made.
"This is an open deed,” said Colt, losing his grin. “That means whoever physically possesses the deed is the owner of the planet. I own this planet now.”
“Kill them," screamed Lord Sanon.
The men waiting outside saw the flash of gunfire from Lord Sanon's office and laughed. They knew Lord Sanon would be sending them to dump the Gunslingers’ bodies in the desert next to the rest of his enemies. The gunfire flashes moved from the windows of Lord Sanon's office and down to the next floor, and then to the ground floor. The men started backing up, and when the five Gunslingers emerged from the warehouse unharmed, the last of Lord Sanon’s men turned and ran.
Colt was scanning for more targets to shoot when a thin older man with his hands over his head walked toward him cowering.
"Don't shoot, my lord," said the thin man. "I'm the mining colonies accountant. I work for you now."
"I’m not a Lord, and you're fired," said Colt.
"Please don't do that, my lord," said the man. "I stay alive by never stealing or cheating whoever the current owner is, and I've lived through five owners. I can help you."
"Wes?" asked Colt.
"He’s right," said Wes. “You just legally conquered a planet. You are technically a Lord now. I think you should listen to him.”
"Dammit, okay, what do you want?" demanded Colt.
"First thing is I need to register the new name of the planet," said the accountant.
Colt shrugged, "What was the old name?"
"Sanon Minor, my lord."
"Well…um…I guess it’s Cyness Minor now," said Colt.
"I have some papers for you to look at, my lord," said the accountant. "Production numbers, and distribution for the Salt Haulers, and..."
Colt interrupted the man. "Give that stuff to my foreman, Toran'Sar."
Toran looked at Colt, his eyes curious. "Are we really going to keep the planet?"
"Sure, we won it fair and square," said Colt. "We all get one-fifth."
"I saw a small sea when we arrived," said Toran. "I'm calling it the Toran Sea."
"This will be fun," said Wes, pointing out at the desert. "I declare that the Weston Flats."
"I call the town," said Austin.
"Good," said Toran, shoving the papers from the accountant at him. "You do the paperwork."
"I'll call this intersection Raven Point," said Garth.
"Why would you call it that?" asked Wes.
"Because those are Ravens," said Garth, nodding at the rooftop across the street.
The boys looked up. Four small humanoid figures, half the size of a man, stood on the edge of the roof. The Ravens were dressed in long black coats, similar to the Gunslinger duster, and…the Ravens had black wings.
"Oh crap, the Daraians found us," said Wes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The Ravens
“Did we lose him?” asked Colt, peeking around the corner of a building.
“I think we lost him outside that last warehouse, my lordship,” replied Wes.
Colt gave Wes a shove. “Stop that, I’m not a lord.”
“That deed says you are.”
“Toran, tell him, I’m not a lord.”
“I don’t know. I think Imperial law says you are a Lord through conquest.”
“Oh for ancestors’ sake, Austin, will you talk some sense into them.”
Austin was busy looking at the armful of production reports, supply and equipment lists, contract orders, and delivery invoices he was carrying.
"What am I supposed to do with all this stuff?" asked Austin, ignoring Colt’s complaints.
Garth grabbed the stack of paper and dropped it into a trash dumpster next to the building.
"Now that’s the way to do it, make Garth the foreman," said Austin.
“Don’t make me shoot you,” warned Garth, poking his head around the corner Colt had been watching. “We lost that accountant fellow, but those Ravens are still following us."
"How did they know we wouldn't be at the Space Port?" asked Wes.
"The Marshal said they were good, they probably guessed,” replied Toran.
"Let's see if these Ravens can fly," said Colt, and headed across the street at a run.
“I wish he would warn us before he does stuff like that,” complained Wes.
The boys followed Colt, and ducked down behind some crates on the other side of the street and waited. A moment later, two black leather-clad Ravens leaped from the rooftop. They sailed across the open street to the roof of the building next to where the boys were hiding.