“Her guns will be a little way behind her.” Hak-Chet grinned. “I expect her to recognize the situation as difficult and to attempt to maintain her presence as a Peacemaker as long as possible, Rsach. I also expect she will recognize the situation is much worse than she was briefed. As long as she maintains a sense of the big picture, the overall situation along the Choote River, she’ll see the Consortium and their poor contracts are at fault. To what extent she will charge in with guns blazing, I cannot predict.”
“But you suspect?” Rsach chuckled. “You sent her less than a company to fight against two complete mercenary companies—one with air support—and you’re expecting her to fight them off.
Hak-Chet shook his head. “No, Master Rsach. I expect her to win.”
* * *
“Second squad, move out,” Hex snapped over the primary armor frequency. “Demon One, we’re crossing your nine o’clock now. Lift and shift fire!”
“Roger, Boss,” Tara replied. As one, her four tanks lifted their gun tubes and rocket pods about 10 degrees over the heads of the advancing CASPers as they charged into a nest of Tortantulas with every single cannon blazing.
Hex hadn’t seen the ugly things up close and personal, and though this was a simulation event, they made his skin crawl. Even the sight of a terrestrial spider made him want to smack it with the first thing handy. In a CASPer, he’d almost fired his main cannon more than once at the tiniest arachnids. “Alpha Team, prepare to jump. Bravo Team, covering fire!”
The six CASPers to his left grounded and centered a withering mass of fire onto the nest. Bravo Team stowed weapons and prepared to jump.
“Demon One, cease fire! Bravo Team—now!” Hex ordered.
The tanks stopped firing and accelerated forward to cut off any retreat. Bravo Team jumped to max altitude and came down in the center of the nest and scattered the remaining Tortantulas. The little bastards and their Flatar riders managed to run about 200 meters to the south before Tara and her tanks cut them off.
Hex checked the radar and saw no threat icons. “Scope check and hold fire.”
“Angel Two, negative and ceasing fire.”
“Angel Seven, negative and ceasing fire.”
“Demon One, negative contacts, all guns silent,” Tara said. “Security posture alpha.”
Hex stabbed his radio button with a grin on his face. “Coil up and set the defense. Great job, people!”
The private message light blinked, and he thumbed over to the channel without removing his hands from the CASPer’s controls. Tara shouted in his ear, “Did you see that? An almost perfect run.”
Hex grinned. “It’s a sim, yeah, but they did really well. You did, too.”
“Roger, boss,” Tara said. “Recommend we end here. Recovery operations for emergence will start in an hour. The kids need a break.”
I do, too. Hex sighed.
“Yeah, roger that. We’ll have a bit of a party tonight to welcome them into our ranks, so to speak.”
Tara didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Do we have ranks, Hex? What are we calling ourselves?”
“I haven’t given it much thought,” Hex replied. The idea of naming themselves for simply for their mission to support Jessica seemed stupid. However, he realized the soldiers needed it. The experienced tankers expected it, and the newbies believed that their first assignments said everything about their abilities. They needed a name. “Have you got any ideas?”
“There are 28 people in this, including us. Maybe they have a few ideas.”
Hex nodded to himself as the idea crystalized. He chuckled into the microphone. “Huh.”
“What? What did you think of?”
Hex smiled. “My dad. He used to watch old war movies a lot. Said that men could learn a thing or two about others, even from a bad movie. There was one, something with Force Ten in the name. Had a bunch of people thrown together that had to complete a complicated mission deep in enemy territory. It was actually a good flick, and they called themselves Force Ten. Let’s go with Force Two Eight until we come up with something else. We’re all in this together, right?”
“And we’re only as strong as our weakest member,” Tara agreed. “Okay, Force Two Eight it is, Boss. You do like that better than Angel One, right?”
“Not much of an Angel, Tara,” Hex laughed. “Bring in Angels Two and Seven before we meet with everyone else. I’d like to spend a few minutes with them.”
“And actually learn their names?” Tara asked. The implication was crystal clear, and he knew he was guilty. Treating newbies as numbers, his father said, was necessary.
You didn’t get too close to the ones who were going to fuck up and die. If you did, their loss would turn into guilt, and that never ended well. If you couldn’t save them, and you believed you could have, then no one could save you either.
This time, Hex realized that outside of Tara’s tankers, newbies were all he had. “Yes, Tara. That’s why I want to spend time with them. They’re part of the team as much as you and I, and they’re starting to act like it.”
“Boss? Not to sound like an ass, but you’re starting to act like a leader, too.” There was a hint of a smile in Tara’s voice, and it made Hex feel a little better about himself despite his critical self-facing eyes.
“Thanks, Demon One. Boss, out.” Hex disconnected the transmission and touched a series of commands to terminate the simulation and place all weapons systems to standby. He opened a channel to the ship. “Lucille? We’re standing down from simulations. Set the cargo loading programs to arm all weapons systems.”
<
Hyperspace, boring as it was, didn’t lend itself to news updates. They’d figure out the situation in the transit from the emergence point to orbit. There was much he would not know until they could establish radio contact with Jessica. What he did know was that every weapons system on the Victory Twelve, and those in her hold, would be armed and ready to fight just as his father taught him.
“Lucille? Sound boots and saddles. I want Force Two Eight ready to deploy the second we emerge.”
* * * * *
Chapter Twelve
Jessica hefted the last of her bags into the temporary living shelter erected by the fallen Raknar’s helm. Inside the small, clean space was a twin-sized bed tucked against one wall, a small desk, and an auto galley that looked as if it had never been used. Across from the bed was a chest with wide drawers for her clothes and a small laundry machine. There were no Tri-V screens or media devices that she could see, and that was just as well. The last thing she needed was a distraction.
Unpacking her clothes took only a few minutes, and she set her slate and a collection of manuals on the small desk. She closed her eyes and leaned against the chair, suddenly exhausted. Her mother had called it “a tired coming on.” There were times during her adolescence, and especially on her visits home, where they could be deep in a conversation or simply watching a holo-film and her mother would stand up, shuffle toward her bedroom door, and simply say those words. No wishes for a good night, pleasant dreams, or even an “I love you.” She was tired and that was that. Jessica rubbed the inside corners of her eyes with one hand and stood there under the weight of her fatigue and the godawful decision she’d made to take the mission in the first place.
One hand found its way into her pockets and the cool, smooth plastic chipset with Snowman etched into the surface. Without withdrawing it from her pocket, she felt the connector spines along one side and tried to recall ever seeing something like it. There was nothing in her memory that could link the chipset to any technology capable of reading it, and Lucille had been unable to do anything in the brief test she’d run on the Victory Twelve. She squeezed the chipset carefully. There would be time after the mission to find a way to read it, especially if she failed. She’d have all the time in the world.
Stop thinking like that,
Jess.
Brushing the thoughts aside proved easier said than done. In reality, failure to commission as a Peacemaker meant she’d go back into the Mercenary Guild. With her track record, she could easily gain a staff position with any number of companies—perhaps even one of the Four Horsemen. Five years ago, she would have jumped at the chance to do just that. Falling in love with Marc derailed everything, and when she fell out of love with him and had the chance to be the mercenary she’d always wanted to be, things changed.
Being a Peacemaker called to her. On the surface, a Peacemaker was little more than a galactic cop to most of the galaxy. She understood the role better after serving as a mercenary herself. Peacemakers weren’t cops any more than they were soldiers. Problem solvers, go-betweens, and strong-willed enforcers that they were, Peacemakers gained instant respect. The notoriety and fame of being Earth’s first one would be difficult, she knew, but it called to her. After bringing in Ch’Tek and stopping his crazy scheme to plant a Canavar egg on Earth, the path seemed laid out in front of her, until the Guild questioned her diplomacy—her very methods. With a sigh, she sat down at the table and cradled the chipset in her palms. The last thing she wanted to do was walk outside and face the situation. Taemin, with his smug face, would doubt and demean her decisions at every turn from his position as a mediator.
Whose side was he on?
Does it matter, Bulldog?
Her father’s voice in her conscience snapped her back to the present. Jessica stared at the chipset for a minute, thinking of her father so deeply she could almost smell his aftershave. How many times had she imagined walking into any seedy bar in the galaxy and seeing him cradling a cold can of Coors? She’d looked for him everywhere and found nothing.
Get going. There’s no time for memories.
Does it matter?
Jessica sighed. Her father’s idioms and sayings came back to her at the oddest times, mostly when she needed them. She and Taemin would have a conversation when she was ready to confront him. As it was, her stated intervention phase ticked by. She stood and slipped the chipset into the shoulder pocket of her coveralls, quickly brushed her hair, and tucked it under a dark-brimmed boony hat. After a quick smear of sunscreen across her face, she felt ready to step out into the Araf sun and see just how bad the situation was.
The door snapped open behind her. Startled, Jessica drew her pistol as she half-turned and leveled it at the dark figure in her doorway. Just as quickly, she recognized the mediator, and kept the pistol trained on his narrow chest.
“I can see that you’re not ready, Peacemaker.” The Caroon smirked at her.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Taemin? You can’t just enter my quarters and -”
“A mediator can go anywhere in a defined diplomatic area. If you wanted your quarters amended from that list, you should have said something. This merely proves my point, and the point I will make to Klatk and the Altar Council: you are not ready for this negotiation and should be removed as their appointed Peacemaker.”
For the briefest of moments, she considered pulling the trigger.
“Let me make this abundantly clear, Taemin,” she said slowly. The pistol’s barrel never left the center of his sloped forehead. “You are never to open the door to my quarters again. You will knock and wait for an answer. If there is no answer, you will walk away. Any attempt to enter my quarters will result in your getting your face blown off.”
Taemin’s eyes widened. “You’re threatening a mediator in the performance of his duties. This is —”
“Shut up,” she said. “You are well aware that a Peacemaker can exact extreme force if threatened, and it would be wise for you to consider your choices. Opening a door on a female from your culture may be acceptable and expected. For a human, it’s not. Do you understand, or do I need to make my point another way?”
Taemin’s head bowed slightly. “My apologies, Peacemaker. I intended no harm.”
Bullshit.
Jessica lowered the pistol, engaged the safety, and holstered the weapon without taking her eyes from Taemin. “You want me removed from this investigation? You make the call.”
“That’s not the proper procedure. I can only make recommendations. There is no action a mediator can take other than to provide counsel to both sides. I’m telling you that you are not ready for this negotiation and should request an immediate replacement.”
“Noted, “ Jessica said. “I will not be making any such request. As of right now, Mediator, you need to gather more documents for my investigation.”
Taemin stammered. “I-I’ve already fulfilled that requirement onboard the ship.”
“Which is precisely my point. Pull the agreement files from the Altar. If there are any inconsistencies, I want them noted as evidence in accordance with Union trade provisions.”
“Yes, Peacemaker Francis,” Taemin said. The tone of his voice, lower and more serious, threatened to make her smile. She’d managed to rebuke him with his own responsibilities.
“There’s more.” Jessica stepped out in the warm afternoon. “I want to see the original Dream World contracts and the hydrological and geographic discussion of rights on this property. I also want to see whatever you can find about this Raknar—schematics, capabilities, anything in the Union archives.”
Taemin nodded, his eyes bright and interested. “You’re looking for something specific?”
“I’m looking for anything specifically missing.” They walked toward the small command center, dodging Altar scurrying back and forth to the walls with ammunition, and others moving supplies toward the cavern entrances to the east. Klatk moved across an overhead walkway and dropped effortlessly to the ground in front of them. Taemin flinched backward.
“Honored Klatk.”
“Peacemaker,” Klatk said, her mandibles flexing in a gesture akin to smiling. “We are preparing for another attack. Ground surveillance radar systems near the GenSha colony have picked up a lot of movement and preparation within their walls. This is something we’ve seen before, and it’s the closest thing we have to early warning.”
“What about the Selroth?”
Klatk shrugged. “Their last incursion damaged many of our underwater sensors and we don’t have enough spares to adequately cover the river. I’m shifting direct observation there and will use a few of our spare systems for warning purposes, but I am concerned they could use a GenSha attack as a diversion and hit us again.”
The very same thought ran through Jessica’s mind along with a thousand others in a flash. The first one was the most obvious one. “I need to know how you’re laid out to fight, and what your intentions are. We need to look at the terrain and your weapons and attempt to figure out what to do when they attack.”
Klatk tilted her head to one side. “I agree, I think we...” She paused, her antennae twitching in silent communication. Klatk turned to the command post and then looked into the sky high above. Jessica did the same, but saw nothing in Zehra’s intense glare. “Peacemaker, there is communication traffic on Araf’s approach channels referring to you by name. Please come with me.”
That sonuvabitch! She whirled to look at Taemin expecting to see a defiant grin on his elongated face. Instead, he looked shocked and surprised.
“Did you make that call, Taemin?”
“No, Peacemaker,” Taemin replied. “It is possible that Administrator Kenos did, but the timing does not match the situation.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Jessica said as she turned to follow the Altar queen. She scrambled behind Klatk as they climbed over low walls to the command center—the shortest distance between two points. Klatk paused at the top and looked down in what Jessica thought was horror.
“I’m so sorry, Jessica. I forgot that you can’t move like an Altar.”
Jessica laughed and pulled herself over the last wall. Sweat stood out on her forehead, and she breathed harder than she wanted to from the exertion. She touched her hand to the Altar’s upper sh
oulder joint. “It’s okay, Klatk.”
“I won’t do that again.”
They pushed into the command center, and Klatk pointed to a speaker. The soldier on duty flipped a switch, and the speaker came to life with a very pissed off controller yelling at someone on the other side.
“...I don’t care who you’re trying to reach, you’ve entered controlled space without proper authentication. You are ordered to halt in place and prepare for a boarding party from the Consortium’s inspection division.”
“Araf approach, this is the Victory Twelve—”
Hex!
“— Negative on your last request. I am commanding Force Two Eight and we have orders to report to Peacemaker Jessica Francis on the surface within the hour. These orders are signed by a Peacemaker Guildmaster. I recommend you get the Peacemaker on the channel to confirm, over.”
Jessica grabbed the microphone. “Victory Twelve, this is Peacemaker Francis. Reference check on Foxtrot Two India Kilo priorities, over.”
Hex’s voice came back. “That’s affirmative, ma’am. We are Foxtrot Two India Kilo, over.”
Jessica beamed and quickly swallowed the smile. “Araf approach, Peacemaker Francis. I am confirming the Victory Twelve’s mission and requesting immediate clearance to my location as granted under the Peacemaker Guild statutes. Acknowledge.”
There was nothing on the frequency for five seconds. Jessica sucked in a breath to transmit again but didn’t need to. “Peacemaker Francis, this is Araf approach. Request acknowledged. Victory Twelve, proceed to the following coordinates via data package.”
“Victory Twelve acknowledges receipt. Peacemaker Francis, our ETA is seventeen minutes to station. Foxtrot Two India Kilo will commence on arrival.”
Jessica set the microphone gently on the console and looked at Klatk. “Things just got interesting.”
Peacemaker (The Revelations Cycle Book 6) Page 14