The Renegade Star Series: Books 1-3 (Renegade Star Box Set)

by JN Chaney

“It was a gift for Al, here,” I said, nodding at the Constable.

  “A gift?” she asked. “What sort of person gives such a thing?”

  “I believe it was meant as a prank,” said Alphonse, tucking the pad behind his belt.

  I snickered. “Saving that for later, Alphonse?”

  He gasped, embarrassed, and took the pad out and handed it to me. “No, of course not. Here, please discard it at your leisure.”

  I leaned in closer to him, whispering, “I’ll be sure to give this back once we’re gone.” I winked, then turned back to Dressler. “Anyway, Doc, here’s the story. I’m sorry you had to stay in here all night, but we’ve been kinda busy trying not to die.”

  She pulled her head back. “I noticed,” she remarked. “I might be stuck in this room, but with all this turbulence, I assumed you had us caught up in something.”

  “That’s right. The Union’s been chasing us and I’ve been trying to keep my crew alive as best I can, and incidentally, that includes you. We’ve got an army after us.”

  “Did you expect otherwise when you invaded a military research facility? Of course, the Union isn’t going to simply let you walk away.”

  “Even still, my point is that we’ve been preoccupied,” I said. “Hell, I nearly died a little while ago. Not that I’m complaining or anything, but cut me some slack.”

  “Some slack?” she asked, like I’d just offended her. “You’ve kidnapped me and stuck me in a prison cell. Excuse me if I’m less than understanding of your situation, sir.”

  I glanced at Alphonse. “She called me, ‘sir’. Did you hear that?”

  “I did,” he said, holding his chin and nodding, thoughtfully. “It’s very respectful.”

  “I feel so honored,” I said, holding a hand to my chest.

  “If you two are finished mocking me, I’d like to discuss that shuttle you promised,” said Dressler. “I want you to send me on my way.”

  “Can’t,” I said, flatly. “Not right now. You’ll have to wait.”

  “Why? Because you have people after you? Just stop the ship for two minutes and let me leave. I don’t care where you do it.”

  “I care,” I countered. “If we wait around, even for a few minutes, that’s time the Union has to catch up to us, and I can’t let that happen. We’re on the run. Don’t you get that?”

  She growled in frustration, turning away from me and balling both her hands into fists. “This is ridiculous!”

  I looked at Alphonse. “You talk to her.”

  He nodded. “I’ll do what I can, but you must remember, Captain, she believes you to be nothing more than a simple brigand.”

  “A what?” I asked.

  “You don’t know what a brigand is?” he asked.

  I stared at him for a long moment. “No.”

  He tilted his head. “It’s a villain,” he finally answered. “A lawbreaker. An outlaw.”

  “Outlaw?” I asked, glancing at the doctor. “Now, that’s one thing we can all agree on.”

  Alphonse edged his way closer to Dressler, who was still facing away from both of us. “Doctor, if you don’t mind,” said the Constable.

  “What is it?” she asked, furiously. “Come to tell me why you betrayed your own government?”

  Her words didn’t seem to faze him. “I can see you’re tired and agitated. I had to wait in a room like this one for several days before you met me. I understand how you must be feeling.”

  “Do you? Because you don’t seem very angry about it. They captured you and made you a prisoner, so the first thing you do is join them?” she asked. “What’s wrong with you, Constable?”

  “A great many things, I’m sure the Red Tower will say,” he told her. “Nonetheless, Captain Hughes did not capture me.”

  “Hey,” I said. “Sure, I did.”

  Alphonse ignored me. “I let myself be taken, because I learned a dark truth and wanted to verify it. I became a prisoner so that I might understand.”

  “You let them take you?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I had several chances to run,” he explained. “Even after I was in a cell, I could have fled and gotten free. I chose to remain with these people, to watch them with my own eyes.”

  “Why in the galaxy would you do such a thing?” she asked.

  He paused, rubbing the side of his chin. “Have you heard of the Old Earth theory?” he finally asked. “Surely, since you worked on Priscilla, you must know of it.”

  “Of course, I do,” she said.

  “What have you heard?” he asked.

  “I’m not telling you. I swore an oath of confidence. The research is classified. All I can say is that I know about the theory,” she said.

  “Let me help you,” continued Alphonse. “The Old Earth Theory states that all human life shares a single common origin point—that being Earth. This is very different from the fairytale that parents tell their children, which describes Earth as a fantasy world of magic and dragons.” The Constable cleared his throat. “Instead, the Old Earth Theory outright denies any such story in favor of a more realistic approach, based entirely on evidence collected by the Union. According to such evidence, researchers conclude that Earth was once a thriving paradise of technological wonder. Its people were said to have conquered disease, invented the first slipspace drives, and mastered many other fields of study.”

  Hearing Alphonse talking about Earth reminded me of the conversation I had with Athena the previous night in the Hatchery. Everything she had told me had seemed so impossible. Now, Alphonse was saying the same things, although with less detail than Athena had.

  Still, the overlap surprised me. The Union knew more than I thought about Earth, which only meant they had even more of a reason to keep pursuing us.

  “What does any of that matter?” asked the doctor. “You’re talking about things that have nothing to do with either of us.”

  “Ah,” said Alphonse. “But that is where you are mistaken, Doctor.”

  Alphonse looked at me, almost like he wanted my permission. I responded with a short nod, giving him the all-clear.

  He continued. “The Union is seeking to rediscover Earth, and in doing so, it has expanded its research efforts throughout the galaxy. It has invaded neutral zones on all sides of its borders, slaughtered countless people on dozens of worlds, and abducted hundreds of children to perform experiments on.”

  “Experiments?” asked Dressler. “Are you referring to the Blue Ink Experiment?”

  Alphonse smiled. “Very good, Doctor.”

  She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No, that’s not right. Those experiments ended from lack of progress.”

  “Incorrect,” said Alphonse. “They ended because the lab lost its control subject.”

  “Control subject?” she repeated.

  He nodded. “The experiments revolved around replicating a certain tattoo on each of the children, which would—”

  “Which would give them the ability to control Origin Tech,” finished Dressler. “I know.”

  “What you might not be aware of, is that the tattoos were based on an original source. Another child who presented the marks at birth, or so it was theorized. No one knew for certain, since no one knew where the child had originated,” explained Alphonse.

  Dressler scoffed. “Are you suggesting that the researchers were only trying to replicate an existing tattoo from another child?”

  “Indeed, I am, Doctor, and I mean to tell you that the only reason the trials ended was because the child went missing.” He paused. “Well, she was kidnapped, in point of fact.”

  “Kidnapped?” asked Dressler. “That can’t be true. None of it was in the files I read. How have I not heard of this?”

  “Because the details of this child are highly classified, beyond the typical blue clearance level,” he said.

  She listened to every word he told her, taking it all in, then let out a short sigh and shook her head. “This is all fascinating, Constable, bu
t I have to say, I don’t know what the point of any of it is. What does the Old Earth Theory or the Blue Ink Experiment have to do with you, me, or that Renegade behind you?”

  “Everything,” I finally said, taking a step closer to the two of them. “That child he’s been telling you about is here. Her name is Lex. She was rescued from a lab to save her life, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let the Union take her back.”

  Dressler’s mouth dropped. “She’s here…?”

  Alphonse nodded. “Correct, and now I hope you understand my role in all of this, Doctor. I came here because I wanted to know whether the child was real and worth protecting. I wanted to see the Renegade responsible for her safety and decide for myself.”

  “Decide what?” asked Dressler.

  “Whether I could trust him enough to join him,” Alphonse said, looking back at me. “Whether he was everything they said he was…or something else altogether.”

  * * *

  I was sitting in The Star when I got the call. “Jace, get your ass to the bridge. We need you up here,” said Abigail.

  The com cut out, before I could answer. “That was rather abrupt,” said Sigmond.

  “I think she might still be pissed at me,” I said, sitting on my sofa with my feet on the table.

  “In fairness, sir, you did force both of us to abandon you, despite our protests,” argued Siggy.

  “What can I say, Siggy? Sometimes I like to go at it alone,” I said with a grin.

  I made my way out of the ship and headed towards Titan’s bridge. When I got there, I found Abigail, Freddie, Hitchens, Octavia, and Alphonse all standing there, watching the screen on the wall. They all turned to me, the moment I entered, but I could already see what the problem was before anyone had the chance to speak.

  The monitor behind them showed an image that I quickly recognized. It was Gen. Brigham’s flagship, itself, The Galactic Dawn, flying straight through a slip tunnel. Green walls of lightning surrounded it, reflecting emerald light on its hull. The effect made the ship look almost angry.

  I stepped into the bridge letting the door slide shut behind me. “Looks like we have a problem,” I said.

  Freddie scratched his head. “You could say that,” he said, glancing back at the screen.

  “Is that what I think it is?” I asked, walking closer.

  “It seems the enemy refuses to quit,” said Alphonse.

  “The enemy?” I asked, cocking my brow at him.

  He smiled. “I think I’ve made it clear which side I’m on, Captain.”

  I glanced at Abigail. “Is it just the one ship?”

  “In the tunnel behind us?” she asked. “Yes. Elsewhere? Hard to say.”

  Athena materialized in front of us. “Welcome, Captain Hughes. To answer your question…” She waved her hand, changing the screen.

  I saw another ship, this one much smaller, with the Sarkonian design on it. Before I could say anything, the screen changed again to show another Union ship. A second later, it changed to another, and then another. In seconds, the screen switched dozens of times, cycling through a list of enemy ships, almost overwhelming me with how fast they were coming.

  “Holy shit,” I muttered, blinking at the fluttering display. “Are you saying that we have a small armada coming our way?”

  “It’s worse than that,” said Abigail.

  “How can it be worse than that?” I asked.

  Athena answered me this time. “Each of the ships is pursuing us from a different direction, across multiple tunnels. The tunnel we are now traveling through already has an end point, which means they already know where we will arrive.”

  “I thought you could form tunnels with Titan and go wherever you want,” I said.

  “That is true,” said Athena. “However, while I did form a new slip tunnel, we returned to retrieve you soon afterwards.”

  “And?” I asked.

  Octavia smacked the side of my arm. “After we picked you up, there wasn’t enough time for her to make a brand-new tunnel. She had to use the existing one.”

  Abigail nodded. “The same one we were on our way to take before you tried to defuse that mine and then take on those soldiers, all by yourself.” She glared at me. “Like an idiot.”

  I ignored her and looked at the Cognitive. “Isn’t there a way for you to change directions?”

  Athena frowned. “I can break an existing tunnel, but I cannot change course midflight. Its direction is fixed.”

  Freddie raised a finger. “So, why can’t we just break out of the tunnel and form a brand-new one?”

  “Because that scenario comes with its own set of problems, given where we might arrive,” said Athena. She turned around and waved her hand at the screen. The display changed to show a planet that I instantly recognized. It was a place that I’d made a point at avoiding, and for good reason.

  “Isn’t that…?” asked Abigail.

  “Maelstrom,” said Alphonse. “One of the strongest military outposts in the entire Union. It’s also home to the Constables.”

  “That’s where the Constables live?” asked Freddie.

  “Where they convene,” said Alphonse. “Only a few live there. For the most part, it’s a heavily guarded military instillation. Typically, there are less than one hundred Constables on site. The rest are either at the Red Tower or on their own missions.”

  I shook my head. “We can’t stop there. We’ll keep going until we reach a better spot.”

  “This tunnel’s path leads even further into Union territory,” said Athena. “The next location is Androsia, itself.”

  “The capitol?” I asked, spitting out the word like it was toxic. “Are you kidding me?”

  “I’m afraid not,” said the Cognitive.

  “You heard her, Jace,” said Abigail. “We can either follow this tunnel to its end, get out near Maelstrom, or the point between, which would be—”

  “Near the Androsia system,” I finished. “Yeah, I got it.”

  I stared at the planet, letting the air around me fill with a long silence. No matter which option I chose, the Galactic Dawn would still follow us. It had set itself along the same path as us, which meant that no matter what I decided, the end result would still be a showdown. “How big are the numbers at Maelstrom?” I finally asked.

  The Cognitive zoomed the image of the planet in, showing a small group of ships. “Currently, enemy forces in this region are reduced.”

  “That’s because they don’t know we can rip a tunnel open and surprise them,” said Freddie.

  “You’re actually correct,” said Alphonse. He crossed his arms. “The Union has every ship in the area heading to the endpoint of this tunnel. They’ll converge on that location and try to surprise us.”

  “Which means,” I said, narrowing my eyes at the planet. “All we have to do is drop out at Maelstrom long enough to rip another hole in the sky.”

  “Sounds about right,” said Octavia.

  I nodded. “How long before we arrive?”

  “Up to fifteen hours,” said Athena. “Approximately.”

  “Up to?” I echoed.

  The Cognitive nodded. “I have slowed our movement to allow us more time. If need be, I can also bring us to a full stop inside the tunnel.”

  “No, we’re not hiding out in this tunnel,” I said.

  “Is fifteen hours enough time to get prepared?” asked Freddie.

  “It will be,” I responded. “We’ll make sure we’re ready.”

  “But even with Titan and The Renegade Star, we barely had enough firepower for the last fight,” said Octavia.

  She was right. Titan still didn’t have full access to its weapons yet. I also had no idea how many hits its shield could take before collapsing.

  “Actually, Captain, now that Titan’s systems have partially been restored, there is one thing that we can do to better our odds of survival,” said Athena. “Do you recall the ship you arrived in, originally?”

  “You mean the li
ttle triangular one?” I asked, thinking back to a few days ago, when we visited the ruins on that planet, the same day we discovered the truth about this Moon. It felt like a lifetime ago. “What about it?”

  “Those ships contain their own weapons systems. Before now, they were inoperable, due to Titan’s power deficiency,” she explained. “However, I believe that now they may prove functional, should you see fit to use them.”

  “You’re telling me we’ve got other ships we can use to fight with?” I asked, surprised she hadn’t brought this up before.

  “There is only one caveat,” she said.

  “Caveat?” I repeated, glancing at Abigail.

  “There’s a catch,” the nun explained.

  “Oh. What is it?”

  The Cognitive took a step closer to me, raising her finger and touching the blue mark on her neck. “You will need to receive your key.”

  EIGHTEEN

  I was inside the pod, my arms at my sides. There was more than enough room for me, but I still felt claustrophobic. You would think for somebody who had spent half his life on a spaceship, I wouldn’t mind feeling a bit cramped from time to time, but maybe the small space wasn’t the problem.

  Maybe I just didn’t want a bunch of needles drilling into my skin.