On the Run (Verity Chronicles Book 3): A Cadicle Space Opera Adventure

by T. S. Valmond

  The ping on his handheld came a minute later, and he gathered himself to go and meet with Wil Sietinen in his office. Even after years of Wil holding the position of High Commander, it still felt odd to meet with him in such a formal way. Ian had trained directly with Wil as young man, part of the first team of Primus Elite Agents in the TSS. Looking back, it felt like eons before the Bakzen War. A lifetime ago. It was a thrilling time—studying alongside their new commander—the Cadicle himself—as he taught them to reach beyond all previously set limits, in a desperate bid to save the Taran Empire. Ian’s life had forever changed, and he didn’t regret it for a moment. But he’d thought that winning the war would be the end of it—not that new threats to the galaxy would keep popping up. Then again, true peace would be rather boring.

  Almost to Wil’s office, he remembered the gift sitting on his desk. Wil and Saera’s wedding anniversary had been the week before, and he’d already forgotten the present twice. Admittedly, he wasn’t good with that kind of thing, but he’d known them since the beginning, and he beat himself up for not remembering it.

  When he reached the High Commander’s office, he found one of the large wooden doors open. Ian stepped inside to and find Wil staring at the holodisplay above his desk, rubbing his chin in reflection. He’d chosen to keep the leather couch and the carved wooden desk that his father had used when he was High Commander, which had also belonged to the High Commander before him—a close family friend. It suited the office more than it suited Wil, though Ian couldn’t imagine the room without it.

  “Did you see the report I sent you?” Ian asked without preamble.

  “I did. Have a seat.”

  Ian took a breath. He’d already barged into the man’s office without even a greeting. “I’m sorry, I’ve had a devastated Initiate in my office worried about her missing family all morning. This thing has completely derailed my day.”

  “Were she any more advanced than an Initiate, I’d worry about her disposition.”

  “Yeah, she’s still green. But her potential is off the charts,” Ian said.

  Wil raised an eyebrow.

  Ian realized his mistake in wording. “Not actually off the charts like you, but high. Above 9, easy. Anyway, it was a task just to get her to stay at Headquarters and not go running off to Uephus to find her family.”

  Wil nodded but remained silent.

  Does he know something? “Any idea what’s going on?”

  Wil stared at the wall behind Ian as if he could read the answers in the rustic landscape holopainting. “No. It’s unnatural, and it’s wiped out a planet of people. We need to keep an eye on the Outer Colonies. The people out there are going to be frightened and confused. We don’t have the resources to cover every planet and watch for transformations.”

  “It’s bizarre. Has there ever been anything else like this?”

  “Not to my knowledge, but there’s a lot that was lost during the previous Revolution.”

  Though Ian knew it was unfair to expect Wil to immediately have all the answers, he certainly felt better when that was the case. For now, it seemed he’d have to wait.

  “Do what you can for your Initiate,” Wil continued. “You were right to keep her here. It’s too dangerous for her to return to her world before we know exactly what’s causing these transformations.”

  “Yeah, I’ll figure out something to tell her.”

  “Remember when we first met?” Wil asked after a moment. It seemed out of nowhere, but Ian knew better; Wil had always been wise beyond his years, and he didn’t ask questions just to hear himself speak.

  “Yes, like it was yesterday.”

  Wil folded his hands on the desktop. “You may recall that one of the first things I told you and the other Primus Elites was that I’d do anything for the person I loved most, Saera—though I didn’t give her name at the time. I think half of you thought I was crazy for leading with that.”

  “It did set a tone,” Ian said.

  “What I didn’t say then is why I felt that was important information to share. Yes, it was in the context of the biases I may hold and how that could impact me as a leader, but that’s not all there was to it. Every single one of you Primus Elite trainees came to the TSS with strong ties. It was one of my selection criteria, in fact. It’s been my long-held belief that you’ll fight harder for something specific than you ever would for a vague idea. Parents, a friend, a lover—it’s the people closest to us that come to mind in the dark moments when we need a reminder about why it’s worth it to push through the pain. Those people we care about can be our greatest vulnerability, but they are also our greatest source of strength.”

  “I agree. But what does that say about a perennial bachelor like me?” he said with a smirk.

  Wil smiled. “Clearly, that you have an unhealthy infatuation with your work and need to get laid more often.”

  Ian laughed. “That is undoubtedly true.”

  “Anyway, my point is that your Initiate is emotional because she cares deeply for her home and loved ones. That kind of passion is what makes the best Agents. Teach her to harness those feelings as motivation to accomplish mission objects, and she’ll be unstoppable.”

  Ian nodded. “I’ll do that. Thanks.” Ian rose from his chair. “Oh, speaking of Saera, how was your anniversary?”

  “Busy.”

  “I understand,” Ian said. He did understand. Wil’s normalcy in life could be counted on one hand. He and Saera had done right by raising their children on Earth where they could have a more conventional childhood.

  “By the way, how’s Joe settling in on Earth?” Wil asked.

  Ian’s eyebrows drew together. He knew his friend wouldn’t read his mind outright, but there were times he seemed to pick up his stray thoughts as if they were floating in the air between them. He sighed, picturing the look on Joe’s face when he’d been sent away. Joe had shown some promise as an Agent, but his stubborn disposition had proved to be too much to overcome. “He’s found employment, though it won’t be satisfying to someone even at his level. He made a lousy TSS officer, but he’ll be bored to tears on that planet. I can barely keep the officers tracking him engaged.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Keep monitoring his situation. I believe he’s still a target.”

  “A target?” Ian’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Why?”

  Wil shook his head. Ian wasn’t sure if that meant he didn’t know, or he wasn’t going to say. “Let me know if anything changes,” Wil said without elaborating.

  “Yes, of course,” Ian said. In his mind, he stumbled over the overabundance of questions that sprang up.

  It seemed that was all Wil was going to say on the matter, so he changed the subject. “I’ve got an anniversary gift for you in my office; it’s been there for two weeks. One of these days I’ll remember to give it to you.”

  “Is that a subtle hint that I should come by and visit you next time?”

  “No, but I’m just saying it out loud, so maybe I’ll actually remember to bring it.” Ian smiled as he left. He didn’t expect Wil to come to his office. The High Commander was far too busy saving the universe.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Karter didn’t like how Iza was looking at him differently—like he’d finally earned a measure of respect in her eyes. It made what came next that much more difficult.

  The small shuttle that they’d been using had seen better days, but it managed to get them back to the Verity without any problem. Their departure from Uephus had been expedited by the local Enforcers, who’d decided that there was only room for one set of heroes. They weren’t wrong so much as greedy. Karter knew a little about that.

  “Why don’t you go get cleaned up. There are booster nanite injections available in the infirmary,” Iza said, her voice echoing off the empty cargo hold as they exited the shuttle.

  Karter followed her, leaning on Braedon for support. Why does she care whether or not my leg falls off? There could only be one explanation fo
r it: what he’d done for the little girl. He still remembered the feeling of being buried alive as he held onto the child, shielding her tiny body with his own.

  “I’m fine.” Karter let go of Braedon as if to prove it. “We don’t need to use up our resources on something that will heal on its own in a few days.”

  Iza stopped short and turned to glare at him while Braedon and Cierra hurried past, neither of them making a sound. Even the dog seemed to give them a wide berth as he trotted over to wait at the foot of the stairs.

  Iza used her height to her advantage, squaring her shoulders and tilting her head back so she could look down at him. It was one of her favorite postures, but he tired of it. “What do you mean by ‘our’ supplies?” she asked.

  “I didn’t mean to imply anything.” Karter had learned not to respond when Iza was threatened. “We should talk about what’s next.”

  She raised an eyebrow in question but didn’t speak as she folded her arms.

  “Like it or not, we’re still engaged,” he continued. “It would not be wise for me to make any major changes that might scare off my business investors, considering my delicate situation at present.”

  Iza sauntered forward until they were almost nose-to-nose. “Let me be transparent about something,” she said through gritted teeth. “I don’t care a bomaxed flying fruit what your investors think. You and I are not getting married. In fact, this engagement contract is going to come to a swift end when I throw you out the airlock.”

  Without her android friend for backup, the threat didn’t bear any teeth. But, Iza was resourceful, and it was clear she’d made up her mind about him a long time ago. No singular redeeming action could warm her to him, only elevate him to the status of a person rather than a parasite.

  “There is one way you could get me out of the contract,” he said.

  “Yes, I know. Find you someone else. I think you and I both know you’re into your assistant, Becca, and there’s no one else willing to tolerate your ridiculousness.”

  “Yes, I think we’re in agreement there.” Karter noted the slight widening of her eyes.

  “So, you’re finally willing to admit it? Well, that’s a start. How soon can we get you two together and get you off of my ship?”

  “Although I’ll admit to having more than platonic feelings for my assistant, I cannot for certain say that she’s equally as interested, or willing, to live out her days married to someone as insufferable as me.”

  “Stop with all the false modesty. She’s into you, and we both know it. All you have to do is grow a pair and ask her.” Iza gave him a light poke to the shoulder then refolded her arms over her chest.

  “It’s not going to be so easy. My mother has been trying to turn Apex investors away from me for months, and the one thing I have on her is you at the moment. If I drop you for someone else, it will give the impression I’m as fickle-minded in my business dealings as I am in my personal life. Not to mention, Mother made it clear that employees aren’t spouse material.”

  Iza dropped her arms to her hips. “So, what exactly are you proposing?”

  “I think it will go over a lot better with my business associates if there’s some reason for them to sympathize with me—a man whose fiancée has gone off after someone else might be a bit more sympathetic than one who trades one woman for another.”

  Iza bit her bottom lip in thought. She had no idea how attractive it made her. He pushed the thought down reminding himself of the larger picture.

  “I see. You want me to play the bad girl so you can come out looking like the innocent.”

  “I convince people I’m heartbroken. Then, I turn to my assistant who’s always been there…” He left his thought unspoken so she could fill in the rest.

  Iza nodded with understanding. She was quick to figure things out; that’s one of the things he loved and hated about her. As long as he could keep the rest of his plans to himself, everything would work out. But maintaining that measure of secrecy was difficult with a telepath around. There was a hard line between not thinking about something and drawing attention to something by trying not to think about it.

  “Fine, then. Let’s go get my boyfriend so I can get rid of my fiancé,” Iza said. “Braedon you can come out now.”

  Braedon stepped back into view at the top of the stairs. To Karter’s horror, it seemed he and Cierra had been listening out of sight the entire time. Karter tightened his jaw, biting down on the anger that swelled up in him at being so violated.

  “Set a course for Lynaeda,” Iza instructed, unfazed. “Once Trix is better, we’re going to go on to Earth.”

  “You got it. But I don’t think we’ll need to stop at Lynaeda.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Trix is up and running again.”

  “How do you know that?” Iza asked.

  “Because she’s right behind you.” Braedon pointed behind them.

  Karter turned to see Trix standing at the entrance of the shuttle, as if waiting for them to address her.

  “Trix! Are you all right?” Iza raced to the android, looking her over.

  “Yes, my systems are functioning normally again. The virus is gone.”

  To Karter, she looked as she always had. Her brown hair was pulled into a perfect plait and her eyes took in her surroundings, missing a measure of depth he’d expect to see in a person.

  Braedon jogged over to get a better look at her while Iza stepped back. “What took you so long to come out of it this time?”

  Trix looked up at him as he approached her. “After the virus took control of my systems, I created a backdoor, which, if triggered, would roll back my systems to my last backup. However, I needed to be back on the Verity in order for the system to fully restore. Before that, I detect that I underwent a hard shutdown?”

  “You had Iza by the throat. I had to,” Braedon said his voice apologetic.

  Could she really have hurt feelings? Karter watched with interest as Trix described her sentience being pushed to one side while the alien virus animated her body.

  “You acted appropriately by shutting me down,” Trix assured Braedon. “It prevented further damage and allowed an error log to be made of the virus’ activities. Using this information, I have been able to write in code to protect me from being used by the alien virus again to hurt any one of my friends.”

  Karter stared in wonder. She was remarkable, but something about the way she casually said she rewrote her system’s programming made the hair on his arms stand on end.

  “Well, I’m just glad you’re okay.” Iza gave her a hug.

  “Would you be willing to let me take a look at your new code?” Braedon asked. “It might help us solve another problem we’ve been working on.”

  Trix paused for a moment as if measuring his trustworthiness. Then she nodded. “That is acceptable. I am available to assist with your project in any way that would be useful.”

  “Good, we can work on it while we’re underway.” Braedon’s eyes lit up. “If I heard right, I think we’re about to go on a side quest?”

  Iza nodded. “Sure, I guess we can call it that. Set a course for Earth. It’s going to take us some time to get there, and I’m going to need to read up on Earth’s culture before we arrive.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Trix acknowledged.

  Braedon clapped his hands together. “Earth! I can’t wait. Boy, is Joe going to be shocked when we show up…”

  “Or upset that we did not come for him sooner,” Trix countered while the two of them walked up the stairs toward the flight deck.

  Iza seemed to remember Karter was still there. “Well, I suggest you get ready for departure, because it looks like we’re picking up Joe sooner than we thought. Let me know if you need help packing,” she said.

  Despite her attitude, there was a slight shift in her eye when she spoke about heading to Earth. She was worried about going there. It wasn’t like they were free to enter orbit and then fly to his front door an
d knock.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll help you get around the TSS patrols once we get to Earth.”

  “Who’s worried?” Iza shrugged and strolled away.

  She might not admit it now, but they would need more than her usual finesse to get her precious Joe back. They’d need someone with connections. Someone like Karter.

  Cierra helped him to his cabin and promised to bring him new dressings for his leg. After she’d gone, Karter saw he had a video message waiting for him from Becca. He settled onto his bed an opened it. Though his mood lifted just looking at her face, he was concerned to see that her features were filled with worry for him.

  “I hope you’re well and that you’re fitting in with the crew. I know how much you detest following orders, but I’m sure you’re doing better than you imagine. Things here are unchanged. The investors are still asking questions, but your mother has not been able to move them to take further action against you.

  “Their distrust of your mother is the only thing keeping them where they are, for the moment. Though there are rumors that someone else is trying to make a play for the business. I haven’t been able to track down the source of the story, or the facts, but you’ll be the first to know if I do.”

  Becca looked off-camera, and he knew she could see into his office from her desk. It was designed in such a manner so that she’d be able to anticipate his needs.

  “Your office is very empty without you here. Everyone misses you and is hoping that you are able to return soon. This may be a lot to ask, but I hope you’ll do something for me. While you’re there, make a friend. You need more allies in your life. Becca out.”

  The screen went black, and Karter found himself reversing the video until her face was back on the screen. His chest tightened at the sight of her full lips pressed into a tight line, eyes pleading. Karter couldn’t imagine wanting anyone more. His mother had complicated matters. No one else knew about the clause in his father’s will that said his dynastic inheritance was dependent on his son marrying ‘a woman worthy of him’. His mother’s interpretation said he couldn’t be with someone who wasn’t highborn. Others who knew his father’s heart had offered another interpretation—one that was more lenient, as it would have been between a father and son. It was a matter of character, not blood.