by Marc Stevens
I stopped beside the pile of material crates and said, “You have impressed me and you were correct: you are the only logical choice to run the replicator. You are now elevated to the rank of Senior Replicator Engineer and sole operator of this equipment. Your rank status will net you an additional fifty million credits.”
The young Zaen whirled around with a smile that quickly disappeared as he turned back to his work. I still had not spent all of the credits I had bilked from Drayen, and if we had a surplus of anything, it was credits.
“Justice, take the balance of credits I took from Drayen and divide them evenly among the scientists. I have a funny feeling we are about to experience another windfall.”
“Affirmative, Commander. I have additional progress on Tria’s weaponization.”
I paused and listened with anxious concern. I had not inquired as to what Tria had told Justice to do and now I wished I would have asked. “Is the process complete?”
“She has requested a limited muscle enhancement.”
I winced remembering what the Operative’s muscular build looked like. Tria had a beautiful physique, but it was hers and I had no say in the matter. “Will it increase her recovery time?”
“No Commander, the limited nature of the procedure might in fact speed her recovery. The additional muscle mass will help shield her skeletal system from blunt trauma until the discomfort of the procedure subsides.”
“Thanks for the update, Justice. Please keep me informed on her progress.”
I looked around for Klutch and Xul but they were nowhere in sight. I hoped they were getting Eagle Two prepped so we could get it loaded aboard the Legacy for the upcoming mission. Coonts was back at the replicator watching Felix perform his magic. It might be a good time to take a short nap. I moved off in the direction of the Legacy only to have Justice hail me.
“Commander, The Operative’s starship has transitioned into our system and I have detected a power spike in the IST transmitter.”
Before Justice could say another word, the Operative started speaking with me. “Nathan, I need to meet with you, we may have a problem. I am moving my flagship to the crevasse and my shuttle will be at your location in fifteen minutes.”
“Acknowledged, Sael. I will be standing by.”
Since the Operative was known for killing most of her problems, I did not like the implications of her hasty return. I stood watching the tunnel entrance and right on cue the Operative’s shuttle came in for a silent landing next to the Legacy. She debarked and I met her halfway. The frown on her face told me the problem must be significant.
“Nathan, the Scrun base is a major supply hub. We detected twenty-seven Scrun Motherships and more than a hundred of their assault shuttles operating in and around the star system.”
The tension slipped from my face and I almost smiled. This was going to play right into my current plans. The expression on the Operative’s face was shock when she saw my reaction.
“Nathan, did you hear what I just said? We will lose the element of surprise well before we can reach the base! Do not let the demon inside of you lead us to our deaths!”
I had to turn away before I laughed. I clasped my hands behind my back and hoped she thought I was considering other options. The Oolaran monster in me had nothing to do with my decision, but I could not let Sael know that. I just got a long overdue acorn. I needed to make sure I did not tip my hand and let her figure out my true intentions.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Coonts, Klutch and Xul rapidly approaching. Shit! One of them might inadvertently let slip what my plans actually are. I waved them off with a spastic jerk of my arm. They came to a sudden halt and stood with puzzled looks on their faces. I repeated the motion hoping Klutch would not think the Operative and I were having a disagreement. By the way Coonts and Xul stepped away from him, I could tell that was exactly what he thought.
I called out, “I will meet with you in the briefing room when the Operative and I are finished!”
Coonts and Xul took off at a pace that left the Tibor well behind. Klutch again stopped and turned to me, but I quickly pointed at the Legacy. I felt sorry for the rest of my crew when Klutch made it to that location. The Tibor stalked off toward the Legacy pounding his fists together. If I knew for sure the Operative could not decipher our transmission, I would have let Klutch know what I was up to on the Backscatter Transmitter.
I turned around and hooked my arm in one of the Operative’s. She seemed surprised but she calmed when I walked her over to the benches by the artifact building. The short walk helped me compose myself and the story I planned to tell her.
“How much backup do you think we will need to take the base without killing a large number of slaves doing it?”
“Nathan, regardless of the reinforcements, the only way to clear the orbitals will be to destroy the Motherships. Collateral damage will be severe if those ships are carrying slaves. I can tell you right now, the Sig will have no problem with destroying the Scrun Motherships, no matter who is on them.”
I knew the Operative’s last statement might not be correct according to my intelligence. I did not want to mince words on the subject.
“What do you suggest we do? I will not let the Scrun continue to enslave others while I stand by and do nothing.”
“Nathan, even if we manage to disable the Motherships with a stealth missile strike, they can still use their primary weapons systems to bombard us from orbit. The Scrun spend considerable amounts of their wealth on modern weapons. You should not discount their military capabilities.”
“Would your military counsel aid us if we ask?”
“It is a possibility, but they will want substantial returns for their assistance. It would take more than a request from you alone. I would have to back you and insist it is in their best interest.”
“The chances are pretty slim of them doing that after you disappeared with a ship and crew. I can almost bet they would require you making your request in person, so they can lock you down until they can determine if you are still useful to them.”
“You are most certainly correct. I for one do not plan on returning until my rank has been thoroughly established. My current leadership status indicates some on the counsel believe I no longer have their best interest in mind. To some extent, that assessment might be true. Nonetheless, I have shed my blood, and that of my many subordinates, far too many times for the good of my people to be retired into obscurity.”
“Then we must show them you are capable of making decisions without benefit of their questionable wisdom.”
The Operative cocked an eyebrow. “Why do I suddenly feel I am about to be manipulated?”
“I have already told you we have more than one target. I think we should move on to the next and, if it bears fruit, I will see to it you gain all of the credit.”
The Operative looked skeptical. “What target could be more important than going to explore the derelict ship?”
“We have been assessing information we obtained from a group of Murlak.”
“Unless it has to do with finding Eiger, you are wasting your time even talking to those pirate pieces of scat.”
“It just so happens that is exactly what they claimed.”
“How did you manage to obtain this information?”
“You do not want to know.”
The corner of Sael’s mouth curled up ever so slightly. She surprised me by reaching out and pinching my cheek as a teacher would do an unruly child. She shook my head back and forth. “You simple minded primate, I get the distinct feeling you are not being completely honest with me.”
Her pinch was becoming quite painful. It was all I could do to keep a neutral expression on my face. “I will play along for now, but I am warning you, my patience is wearing thin.”
She finally released my cheek, stood up and walked away then came back. She looked like she was deep in thought. The uncanny intuition exhibited by the Chaalt was unnerving. While she was not
quite as perceptive as Tria, she was very much aware I was up to something. She finally came to a stop in front of me. I really wanted to rub my throbbing cheek but would not give her the satisfaction of knowing it smarted like hell.
“Okay Nathan, I am in, for now. You have never been dishonest with me in the past. I still feel you have an ulterior motive, but I am in. Where is the target?”
“Are you familiar with Outpost 79584?”
The Operative started pacing once more. “That makes sense — the place is a cesspool and home to the worst scum that sector has to offer. If we go in there, you had better be prepared to fight our way out if we manage to kill Eiger. If the intelligence is accurate, we would be better off destroying that scat hole rather than risk injury wading through those Throggs.”
“There is a gathering of Eiger’s clan at a supply cache hidden in the Sitch fighting pits. They are waiting to be picked up by Eiger. I would love to be the one to meet him when he shows up.”
“That makes two of us. My people have never gone out of our way to track Eiger. After he staged his illegal boarding within our home world protective zone, he is now elevated from target of opportunity to priority target.”
“We will never know unless we go see for ourselves.”
The Operative looked at me and frowned. “I would be interested in hearing what Tria thinks of your little adventure.”
When I made no comment the Operative’s stare became piercing. I decided to deflect the question. “We have intelligence on another Scrun target, one that might be much easier to deal with.”
“My, my, you seem to be full of…intel today.”
“Sael, we are going to strike all these targets with or without your help. I am making you privy to our latest intel. If you are not interested, then feel free to carry on with the missions your military counsel has waiting for you.”
I could almost feel the heat of her anger. I felt a sudden flash of her Sha’leen assault me. I sat with a stoic expression on my face, giving her no indication of the pain, she was inflicting on me. It quickly ceased with the softening of her frustration. In some ways, I felt sorry for her. From the minute she first met me, her whole world changed, and in her eyes, I was pretty sure, she thought it was not for the better.
“When our new battle armor is complete, I can guarantee you there will be no more delays”
24
The Operative sat down next to me with a look of resignation on her face. “Tell me about the secondary Scrun target.”
“The Sig have uncovered data on three Scrun assault teams that are training with the sole purpose of killing me. We have the location and it is not a great distance from the primary Scrun target. My thinking is if we hit the secondary target we might gain intimate knowledge of the primary. It is my understanding they have assembled their very best troops to take me out. I personally see this as an opportunity to send the Scrun a message they will find very easy to understand.”
Sael finally gave me a small smile. “I like it. I have nothing better to do and I find I have the sudden urge to kill something. Before I can pledge my crew to your bloody vendettas, I have a request.”
“Sure, Sael, what do you need?
“The real reason you are stalling and putting off what should be considered the priority mission.”
Crap! There was no hiding anything from a Chaalt. The Operative was reading me like a book, and I now felt it was pointless to continue skirting the truth.
“We have a new armor system and they are not complete. The young engineer that is operating the replicator is working as fast as possible. As it stands, we will be taking an untested weapons platform into combat. It was my thinking we should test them on a target that might not prove to be the deadliest enemy in the galaxy.”
I thought this would pacify the Operative, but I was wrong. Sael stood with both sets of arms crossed and a rather stern look on her face. The longer it took for me to come clean the more irritated her expression was becoming. I closed my eyes and shook my head.
“Tria has undergone a medical procedure and I do not think she is one hundred percent combat capable. I know she would go whether she was fit or not. I will not take that risk. She means more to me than any number of trinkets we might recover from the derelict ship.”
I was surprised by Sael’s reaction to my revelations. She sat back down next to me with a look of concern. “If she has been injured, we should transfer her to my flagship. We have the very latest in medical technology. What is the extent of her injuries and what type of medical procedure did she undergo?”
“She was not injured. She chose to have a military grade enhancement.”
The Operative looked puzzled. “I know our species are similar but having human military modifications performed on her seems reckless and foolhardy. You should have denied her request.”
Now, I was the one looking skeptical. “I give my crew free choice and Tria exercised that option. She did not undergo a human procedure; it was an Oolaran weaponization protocol.”
“Oolaran?”
“Yes, I underwent the procedure and I am Oolaran weaponized. My race has many very competent warriors, but none are as capable as me. Just so you know, the demon you sense in me is a byproduct of the Oolaran conditioning.”
The Operatives eyes grew wide and she jumped up from the bench. “She is a fool! We must stop the procedure now!”
I reached out and grabbed one of Sael’s arms. “She only had her epidermis, bone and muscles enhanced, nothing more. Once she has healed, she will be resistant to cuts and abrasions. Her bones can sustain impacts without breakage and she will be much stronger.”
Sael sat back down and whispered something unintelligible. I frowned trying to decipher what she had said. “What did you say?”
She looked me in the eyes. “When we were in conflict the first time I met you. I struck you in the head, it was a killing blow. I have killed more than I care to remember with such a strike. I was stunned when you only flinched.”
Holy shit! I thought she was just trying to knock me out, to shut me up. “Since we are being honest with each other, I had every intention of taking your head off with that machine spar.”
She smiled at me. “Had it not been for my enhanced reflexes and the quality of my armor you might have succeeded.”
“Enhanced reflexes?”
“Yes, we Chaalt have a similar military program. It is a closely guarded secret. Ranking field Commanders are enhanced to ensure their survivability. Good leadership is hard to come by, so there are some who are modified. I was selected for modification. The procedure is quite painful and the lingering side effects take considerable getting used to. It is why my physique appears to be not of my gender.”
“Trust me when I say the Oolaran procedure is extremely unpleasant. The healing process takes an extended period of time, but there are little to no side effects.”
Sael made a disturbing noise and said, “I would argue the demon that possesses you should be considered an undesirable side effect.”
“The so-called demon was an artifact of the combat training and conditioning downloaded into my implants. It was designed for Oolaran soldiers. It was my understanding that the Oolaran people were a docile species. They developed the imprinting to meet the Prule threat and to ensure the survivability of their race.”
“You must have been insane to infect yourself with technology you know nothing about.”
“It was not one of my better ideas, but I could also point out, I have survived a number of conflicts that I should have never walked away from.”
Sael just nodded her head in agreement. After the Quill engagement, she knew I could be a murder machine when the beast took over. “How much longer will it take to get your armor complete?”
“We should have enough for my crew in another hour or so. I want to act on the outpost intel before we lose the opportunity. As for the derelict ship and the Scrun base, they are not going anywhere. I also think you a
re correct in stating we will need some serious backup to take down the Scrun base.”
“Yes, the Scrun base does pose a larger risk factor than your other targets. When we exited the system, we left several surveillance drones to monitor the base’s activities. There is a possibility we can develop a strike plan based on the traffic patterns in the system. My intelligence teams are crunching the data. If it is revealed there are times of minimal base usage, we can formulate our assault around that timeframe.”
“When Klutch and I discovered the base, there was only a single ship in orbit, and a handful of shuttles that were observable. With the right coordination, we might be able to get in and take the base with the Sig’s help. Once we free any slaves and whatever we determine to be of value, we will turn it over to the Sig and let them worry about holding it.”
The operative stood up staring at me. “I agree with you.”
“Agree with me?”
“Yes. Moving against Eiger’s clan should be the current priority. The longer you wait, the more likely you will lose that opportunity. It is what I would do.”
The old war horse was truly a kindred spirit; she just didn’t like not being the one in charge. The more I thought about it, I realized she probably never had anyone jerk her around before either.
“Sael, I apologize.”
She snorted. “For which of your actions?
I frowned and said, “I should have never tried to mislead you.”
She let out a barking laugh. “HAH. It is what most primates do — what makes you think you are any different?”
My frown faded to a smile. “You old witch, I will attempt to be more forthcoming in the future.”
“See that you do. I am going to take my ship to the outpost’s location and surveil the situation. We will gather intelligence and await your arrival. If a Murlak Warbringer transitions into the system, I will not be standing by waiting for orders from you before I take action.”