Recollection: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Ghost Squadron Book 6)

by Sarah Noffke

  Fletcher didn’t think it was possible that the Petigren would return, but Eddie and Julianna wanted the team to remain in position, just in case. Things couldn’t be set up any better: the captain and commander were inside the border of Sunex, and Fletcher and his team were on the outskirts.

  Nodding to a group gathered around a fire, Fletcher ambled toward the closest Q-Ship. Lars was dutifully checking the controls when he entered.

  Good, the pilot didn’t bail on me, Fletcher thought.

  “We’ll be ready to go in five minutes,” Lars stated when Fletcher took the copilot’s seat.

  “Sounds good,” Fletcher said, his adrenaline starting to beat in his veins.

  “Are you sure you can get us into Area 126?” Lars asked.

  Fletcher wrapped his hands around his head and leaned back. “Of course.”

  “What if we’re questioned?” Lars asked.

  “Why would we be questioned?” Fletcher countered.

  “Because what you’re doing is wrong and you know it,” a voice chimed in behind him.

  Both Fletcher and Lars shot around in their seats. Nona stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips and a stubborn look on her face.

  “Officer Fuller, what are you doing here?” Fletcher asked, his voice automatically going into lieutenant mode.

  “Stopping you from doing something stupid,” Nona said, and then cast her gaze at Lars. “Stopping both of you from doing something you’ll regret.”

  Fletcher narrowed his eyes at her. “This is none of your business.”

  “Oh, really? You’re abandoning your post,” Nona challenged. “That’s not my business?”

  She knew she could get away with standing up to him. They both knew it.

  “I’m not abandoning my post,” Fletcher lied.

  “You’re not headed to Area 126?” Nona shot back.

  Fletcher ran his hands over his shaved head. “Well, yes, we are, but it’s to help Ghost Squadron with something.”

  Nona shook her head, not buying it. “So you’re not going to see the family tree located at Area 126?”

  How did she know about that? Fletcher ground his teeth together. “We have business there.”

  “The lieutenant is taking me into Area 126 so that I can speak to my parents,” Lars cut in.

  Dammit, Kezzin. Fletcher should have guessed that Lars would rat them out at the first chance. He is honest to a fault.

  “Lars, don’t be fooled,” Nona said, her gaze on Fletcher. “The lieutenant needs you to take him there because he wants to say goodbye to his father. He’s using you.”

  “Dammit, Fuller, you’re out of line,” Fletcher was almost yelling.

  Nona dared to march forward until she was looking straight up at him. “I don’t care. You can’t bring him back. I know it sucks. I know it isn’t right. My own father committed suicide. How much do you think I want to talk to him, to hear his reasons?”

  Fletcher softened. “Nona, this is different.”

  She shook her head, more adamant than he’d ever seen her. “It’s not different! We’ve all lost someone but none of us are meant to talk to them again. You think you’re going to have closure after you hear your father’s voice?”

  “Yes, I do!” Fletcher yelled.

  “All you’ll do is tear open a wound that will be even more impossible to heal,” Nona reasoned.

  “There’s a viable way to talk to my father, and you want me to ignore that?” Fletcher’s fists were balled by his side.

  “Talking to him isn’t going to change anything about the past,” Nona said, her voice calmer now. “Abandoning your post is only going to make things a hell of a lot worse right now… and you know that, even if you’ve worked hard to rationalize this.”

  Lars reached out and pressed his hand down on Fletcher’s shoulder. “She’s right. We can’t bring them back. We can’t say anything that they don’t already know. They don’t need us to say goodbye or tell them that we love them. Being able to let go of our parents is how we know the love was real.”

  Fletcher pressed his eyelids together. He wanted to argue. More than anything, though, he wanted to punish Nona for interfering.

  “What if I helped you with something that is within your control?” Nona asked.

  Fletcher opened his eyes, his curiosity taking over.

  “You can’t bring your father back,” she repeated. “But you can take out the alien who murdered him.”

  “Rosco,” Fletcher bit on the word.

  Nona nodded. “What if, on our time off, I help you track him down? Help you take him out.”

  Fletcher had been trying to find that pirate for years; he was a tricky bastard. But if he had help…well, he might be successful.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Fletcher finally said. These were his demons—he didn’t want anyone else sacrificing themselves to slay them.

  “I want to,” Nona implored.

  “I do, too,” Lars said.

  Fletcher looked between the two, stunned that they were volunteering for such a mission. Time off was rare, and to offer theirs up to hunt down a dangerous pirate wasn’t something they’d do just for their XO. It was a sacrifice one would make for a friend.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Hatch’s Lab, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System

  “When do you think it will be operational?” Eddie asked Liesel, studying the blueprints in front of him.

  “It’s hard to say,” she reasoned, toggling her head back and forth. “I’ve got a few ship repairs that are taking priority, so I can only work on this in my spare time.”

  “So I’m guessing asking for you to build a pool with a slide on the third deck is out of the question?” Eddie pretended to ask.

  Liesel fidgeted with her necklace, made of lug nuts. “This ship does need a water element of some sort. I could draw up plans for a fountain.”

  Eddie shook his head. “I can’t dive into a fountain.”

  “I’ll see if I can come up with something else that suits you,” Liesel said. “Currently, we have three of the five elements represented on the ship, which is important for achieving balance.”

  “Elements?” Julianna asked as she and Hatch approached.

  “Yes, the fire, air and earth elements are all represented on Ricky Bobby,” Liesel explained.

  Eddie cut his eyes at Hatch, fairly sure the mechanic would tear Liesel in half for this kind of hippie talk.

  “What is the fifth element?” Hatch asked.

  “Spirit, of course,” the engineer said with a light laugh.

  Eddie chuckled. “Come on, Hatch. How did you not know that?”

  Hatch puffed up his cheeks. “Teach, I’ve had about enough of you.”

  “What are you talking about?” Eddie complained. “I haven’t seen you in days,”

  “Has it only been a few days?” Hatch asked.

  “So after we have the Wiccan shrine constructed, then we’re getting a pool, right?” Pip asked through the overhead speaker.

  Liesel laughed. “Not Wiccan. But I do think having a meditation area with candles and an intention wall would be really nice.”

  Again Eddie expected Hatch to grimace, or at least flush from embarrassment. There was no doubt that Liesel was an incredibly talented and efficient engineer, but she’d been Hatch’s choice, and her oddities reflected on him.

  Instead, Hatch pointed a tentacle at the blueprints resting on the station. “I’m still skeptical about the legitimacy of this project.”

  “It’s only a weapon that we have at our disposal,” Eddie stated. “Just because we have it doesn’t mean we have to use it. Jules and I discussed it at length, and we think it’s better to have it and not use it than to not have the option at all. Isn’t that right?”

  Julianna peered around the lab, seemingly distracted.

  “Jules, isn’t that right?” Eddie asked again.

  She startled, looking around at them. “Huh? Yeah, we need options.”


  “Where’s your head?” Eddie asked.

  Julianna cleared her throat, stepping around to peer behind a shelf. “It’s nothing. I’m looking for something…well, someone.”

  “Knox isn’t here,” Hatch told her. “I gave him the day off. Actually, I told him he was fired.”

  “Hatch!” Julianna reprimanded.

  “What?” Hatch threw up two tentacles. “He’s stressed and needs to get some rest, but every time I offer him time off, he refuses.”

  “So you fired him?” Liesel asked, looking amused.

  “I’ll rehire him tomorrow.” Hatch waved them off.

  “But in the meantime, he’s probably pretty upset,” Eddie said.

  “He’s upset anyway,” Hatch complained. “At least he can try and get some rest this way.”

  “Your management style is interesting,” the captain observed.

  “You probably don’t get it, since I don’t encourage my direct subordinates to get plastered,” Hatch quipped.

  Julianna was back to searching the lab, Eddie noticed.

  “Who are you looking for?” he asked.

  She tensed. “Marilla mentioned that Harley has been missing since he ran off after Sebastian.”

  “Oh, that’s strange,” Eddie said, turning in a circle, looking for the dog.

  “‘Bastian?” Liesel called. The ferret popped his head out of a can in the supply area of the lab.

  “Dammit, you better not be organizing my parts again, rodent!” Hatch yelled, his face flushing pink.

  The ferret scurried over to Liesel, crawling up her pants and shirtfront until he was on her shoulder.

  “You’re not creating trouble for the doctor, are you?” she asked the ferret.

  Sebastian clucked and sniffed.

  “I can’t find a damn thing since he was in here last,” Hatch complained.

  “My apologies,” Liesel said sincerely.

  “It’s fine. It’s fine.” Hatch turned, waddling over to a nearby workstation.

  “Have you seen Harley?” Liesel asked the ferret.

  “I don’t think he’s going to answer you,” Julianna said, giving Liesel a quizzical expression. “Ricky Bobby, do you have any information on the dog?”

  “I’m currently conducting a complete scan of the ship to try and locate him,” Ricky Bobby stated.

  “Have you checked the cargo bay?” Liesel asked, Sebastian clicking loudly in her ear.

  “My records show that was the last place the dog was seen,” Ricky Bobby reported.

  Eddie gave Liesel and her ferret a long look of disbelief. “Bizarre,” he said in a hush.

  “Let us know when you locate him,” Julianna ordered.

  “It’s possible that he’s in one of the compartments I don’t have the ability to monitor,” Ricky Bobby suggested.

  Julianna nodded. “Maybe I should go down there and look for him.”

  Hatch spun around, holding the Saverus goggles. “You, Julie, are the commander of this ship. Do you think it wise for you to spend your time searching the cargo bay for a canine?”

  “I…I’m only worried about Harley for Marilla,” Julianna stuttered. “He’s her dog, and she’s our comms officer.”

  “Then maybe Marilla should be searching for her dog,” Hatch countered.

  Julianna couldn’t admit that Harley quit being Marilla’s dog as soon as he met her.

  Those two had a bond that even Eddie didn’t understand, but he read the worry in her eyes.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Julianna said, jogging for the exit. “I’ll tell her where to look.”

  “I can relay the message, if you’d like,” Ricky Bobby offered.

  Julianna was already gone.

  Hatch held up the Saverus goggles. “I guess she’s not interested in hearing my news, then.”

  “The goggles are ready?” Eddie guessed.

  “No, it’s my birthday, you idiot,” Hatch said, his eyes narrowed. “Hell yes, the goggles are complete.”

  “Good news!” Eddie sang.

  “Well, don’t celebrate yet,” Hatch said, his tone flat. “They still need to be tested, which is your damn job.”

  “Which means I have the privilege of paying our prisoner a visit.” Eddie sighed with dread. That Saverus had a way of fucking with his head.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Planet L2SCQ-6 in Frontier space

  The council was finally taking Verdok seriously. He’d failed before. He hadn’t progressed as fast as they would have liked. But without him then they wouldn’t have a lead and the elders knew it. More importantly, he was one step ahead of Ghost Squadron. They were still camped on Nexus when he’d taken off for Planet L2SCQ-6.

  Before Verdok had to work with Penrae who messed up every single mission. He’d proven his worth though and now he had three skilled members from the council working for him. He turned, slithering in front of the others. The fleet had sent these council members over that morning. They were skilled at shapeshifting, which was key to succeeding in this mission with Ghost Squadron closing in on them.

  “Tell me what you learned on your expedition,” Verdok ordered, turning to face the three.

  The first, a Saverus who passed the ritual test only recently, swayed, his tongue flicking from his mouth. “I scoured the eastern side and learned that a boy with a Mohawk was taken in by a mechanic. A man who ran the Defiance Trading Company.”

  “That’s progress,” Verdok said. “Where is this man now?”

  “He’s dead,” the Saverus stated.

  “What else?” Verdok asked, turning to the other two.

  The one in the middle shrunk back, obviously not having any information of use.

  “I asked around about the crash and discovered something interesting,” the Saverus on the end said.

  “Go on then,” Verdok encouraged.

  “It happened next to a junkyard,” the Saverus imparted.

  “Why is that of use?” Verdok asked.

  “Because, you said that the boy was thought to be dead,” the Saverus stated. “If the authorities didn’t think there were any survivors, it’s because the boy ran off before they could find him.”

  “And?” Verdok asked, his tone growing impatient.

  “And, if you’re a scared child, maybe you’d try and find a place to hide after crashing on a foreign planet,” the Saverus said.

  “Oh…” Verdok mused on the idea. “Yes, the junkyard would make a perfect place to hide, both a child and the Tangle Thief.”

  Brig, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System

  As soon as Eddie entered the Brig, the fucking Saverus had shifted. She’d taken the form of Harley, which at the moment was a cruel joke since the dog was missing.

  “Your game is about to be up,” Eddie threatened, pressing the goggles to his face and pulling the strap securely around the back of his head. He adjusted them until they were in place. The Saverus goggles were pretty weighty, forcing his chin down. Eddie had to work to keep them balanced, which meant they wouldn’t be something he could wear in battle.

  The Saverus shifted into the form of Julianna. She turned, brushing her ass across the bars, shaking her hips. “You like what you see, big boy? Bars aren’t poles, but I can still dance around them.”

  Julianna would skin this fucking “See you next Tuesday” if she saw this.

  Eddie did his best to ignore the imposter form of Julianna as she grinded against the bars. He tried to remember what Hatch had said about the settings. Turn the lens to the right while staring at a shapeshifted Saverus.

  No problem, he thought.

  The fake Julianna grabbed the bars with both hands, throwing her head back and arching her spine.

  Eddie willed himself to focus and turned the lens once.

  Nothing happened.

  “You look like you could use a lap dance,” the Saverus said in Julianna’s voice.

  Eddie turned the lens again.

  Nothing.

  “Open up this cell
and I’ll give you a show,” imposter Julianna said. “No one needs to know.”

  Eddie turned the lens again.

  Again there was no change.

  Damnit, there was only one more setting left.

  “I see the way you look at your partner,” the Saverus said. “I can be her for a night. I promise you that I’ll feel the same.”

  Revulsion rose up in Eddie’s throat as he turned the lens one last time. The image of Julianna dancing against the bars was replaced with the form of the giant red snake with bright green eyes. Her tongue flicked out her mouth as she swayed behind the bars.

  A laugh burst out of Eddie’s mouth. “I don’t fuck snakes, which is exactly what you look like to me.”

  The Saverus halted, its head sinking back a few inches. “Those goggles? Do they…”

  Eddie nodded, holding the goggles in place. “That’s right. I can see you in your pure, scaly form.”

  “Oh…”

  “Which means your mind-fuck games aren’t going to work anymore,” Eddie said triumphantly.

  “Okay okay,” the Saverus said in a rush. “I’m willing to cooperate.”

  Eddie smiled. “About damn time.”

  “What do you want to know?” the Saverus asked. With the goggles on, Eddie could see exactly how fearful the snake was.

  “Why don’t you start by telling me what the Saverus want the Tangle Thief for?” Eddie asked.

  The snake shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “Don’t lie.”

  “I’m not,” the Saverus said with a hiss. “The council wouldn’t tell someone like me such a thing. It was only my job, along with my partner Verdok, to get the Tangle Thief.”

  Well, at least they were getting somewhere. This was progress. “Verdok? That’s the other Saverus that got away?”

  “Yes, and he left me for dead,” the Saverus said bitterly.

  Eddie laughed morbidly. “Not only that, but he fucking used you as a shield.”

  The Saverus’s green eyes narrowed. “I remember.”

  “And Verdok, is probably out there right now, trying to beat us to the Tangle Thief,” Eddie stated. That Saverus knew that Knox had been transported to a safe place on Nexus. He’d obviously figured out that was Sunex and had sent the Petigrens there. Eddie had to hope that this Verdok hadn’t learned what they had: that Knox took the Tangle Thief to Planet L2SCQ-6.