Forever Defend (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 17)

by Michael Anderle

  “Why am I not tired?” Bastek asked.

  “More secrets,” Ecaterina answered.

  “Did your people start that fight?”

  “No,” Ecaterina sighed, “but, to be fair, we had been waiting for a fight to start while you were working.”

  “What! Why?” Bastek was confused. “I’m nothing but a bouncer there.”

  “We needed to know more than if you could fight.” Ecaterina explained. “We needed to know your heart. Frankly, we don’t want you for your fighting skills. We want you,” Ecaterina looked her in the eyes, “for your medical abilities.”

  Bastek stared back, then pointed to the Pod-doc. “You need me, when you have this?”

  Ecaterina nodded. “We can’t take that with us on business or operations, so we need a medical person. What we do can be dangerous, so we need someone who can be dangerous back, who isn’t concerned with breaking a few heads even though they would prefer to heal someone, than fight.”

  “Who are you?”

  “A better question would be, who are you, Bastek?” Ecaterina countered. “You were sent to Eubos to be a slave, but---”

  “But I was rescued by a Ranger and her team.” She looked around. “I said I was fine with going to Ekuled when asked where I wanted to go.” Bastek walked over and sat down on a chair, “But that was a poor decision.”

  “Because?” Ecaterina asked.

  She shrugged. “Life is held in pretty low regard out here. I do fix some people up for money, but my real income is from bouncing.” She made a face. “The jerk who owns Dirtside thought it would be both funny and a great attraction to hire a female bouncer. It has caused the number of bar fights to increase one hundred and seventy-eight percent over the last five months. Now we charge people higher entry fees if they want to sit on the second floor to watch.”

  Bastek looked over to the Pod-doc. “How did you find me?”

  “The Etheric Empire looks after those they save. We monitor when we can to see if there is something further we can provide. It doesn’t necessarily happen often, but you were flagged as possibly being a good match for Bad Company.”

  “Which is what, exactly?” Bastek asked.

  “Family,” Ecaterina started, when Bastek tensed.

  “Family?” she spat. “My family sold me into slavery because of my desire to read, to learn, and to do, not listen to those so-called wise elders in my group who wished to marry me off.”

  Ecaterina’s voice softened. “That only means your family is questionable, Bastek, not families in general.”

  Bastek thought about how this group had protected her when she took the bullet. She touched the location where the scar should have been. “Who do you work for, really?”

  “The Empress,” Ecaterina told her. “Mind you, if you choose not to work for us, you won’t remember any of this.”

  Bastek stopped a moment to turn her attention back to Ecaterina. “Why not?”

  Ecaterina pointed to the Pod Doc. “I’ll have you lie back down in that pod, and your memory of us will be removed. We will put you back on the station in your bed and you will wake up healed, but not able to remember how. You will find your book, and your job, waiting for you back on the station.”

  “I’d say you and what monster could make me go back in there, but I’ve already seen him.” Bastek’s voice trailed off. She was inside their ship, what could she honestly do?

  “Oh, inside we are all monsters, Bastek.” Ecaterina eyes flashed. “But some of us don’t come out to play all the time.”

  Bastek’s eyes opened wide. “Ok, that’s not frightening or anything.” She thought about it a moment. “Unless one is on your team.”

  There was a knock on the door. Ecaterina asked, “Prometheus, who is it?”

  “R’yhek is on the other side of the door, Ecaterina.”

  “What the hell does he want?” she wondered aloud as she walked to the door, hitting the manual control to open it. “Yes?”

  “If you are done speaking with her and she has not decided to join us yet, I would like a chance to talk to her.”

  Ecaterina’s eyes narrowed. “Seriously?”

  The Yollin just nodded. Ecaterina turned. “Are you ok with R’yhek here?”

  Bastek nodded. “Yes, that is fine.”

  “Do you want to talk down in the galley, or somewhere else?” Ecaterina gestured to the room.

  “No.” Bastek looked around before she answered, “No, I’d rather it was here.”

  Three hours and three more conversations later, Bastek joined Bad Company as their Medical Officer.

  Bad Company’s Prometheus Major turned toward a point in space, and moments later, a small gate opened. The ship slid into it and disappeared.

  They needed to speak with Bethany Anne and get their team fully up to speed on their next project.

  They had a large corporation to build.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Empress’ Quarters

  “If we are going to do this,” Bethany Anne spoke from inside her armor and weapons vault, “we are going to do it right!”

  “If you say so, boss,” Cheryl Lynn answered from where she was sitting on Bethany Anne’s bed.

  Bethany Anne walked out of her room and was playing with the armor around her wrist. She looked up when she heard Cheryl Lynn gasp. “What?” she asked.

  “Do you have to make everything look so good?” Cheryl Lynn complained. “Holy crap, it’s like Barbie-goes-to-war in here.”

  Bethany Anne looked over to see her reflection, and smiled. The added three inch lift in the boots of her armor did make her look very good. The armor fit snugly over the cushioned leather suit underneath.

  Which required her to sweat way more than she wanted to while wearing it, but way less than she should. “If you are going to fuck someone up, you should only wear the very best.” Bethany Anne winked to her PR person. “Why do you care? I thought you public relations types always wanted us to look our best.”

  “Well, yeah,” Cheryl Lynn admitted waving a hand at Bethany Anne. “But damn, woman.”

  “You can always join us at practice if you want to get this kind of body, Cheryl Lynn. You have the genes for it.”

  Cheryl Lynn rapidly shook her head. “But not the desire to suffer that much pain. I find it far more satisfying to occasionally bitch about it to you in private.” She smiled. “Say once a month or so. It makes me feel good, versus a month full of…” Cheryl Lynn stood up, struck a karate pose, and punched a couple of times, then kicked once, “martial arts where everyone hits back.”

  Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow. “Those punches look remarkably practiced, and so did that kick. Scott been working with you?”

  “Uh huh,” Cheryl Lynn blushed. “Seems appropriate considering I am a weak link if something happens.”

  Bethany Anne nodded. “That’s a good idea. I think you are right to do it.”

  Cheryl Lynn smiled when Bethany Anne added, “I think all the partners should have once-a-week training. We will start that as soon as this operation is finished.”

  Cheryl Lynn’s smile faded to a grimace. “Patricia is going to kick my ass.”

  Bethany Anne chuckled. “Cheryl Lynn, I’m not above being bought to keep my mouth shut about where the idea came from.”

  “What’s the price?” she asked. “I know it isn’t money, so you must need something done.” Her eyes narrowed. “And you want it done before you lift off.”

  Bethany Anne smiled. “Exactly!”

  “Who’s going to be hurt by this?” Cheryl Lynn asked. “I mean, who’s going to be mad?”

  “Well, I’m sure my dad will be, and probably Dan,” Bethany Anne answered.

  Cheryl Lynn pursed her lips. “And you promise to never tell where you got the idea to make us work out each week?”

  Bethany Anne nodded.

  “Ok, what do you need?” Cheryl Lynn sighed.

  “I need you to go down to Team B
MW’s area. A bot will have a package for you. I need that package brought to me on the other side of the mall.

  “A package?” Cheryl Lynn narrowed her eyes. “That’s it?”

  “Yup.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Good. ADAM will tell you more on your way. Now skedaddle. I’ve got to go act as if I’m an ass-kicking Empress now.”

  Cheryl Lynn looked Bethany Anne up and down in her red armor, swords, and what weapons she could see. Cheryl Lynn knew there were others that she couldn’t. “So, you are just being yourself, then.”

  Bethany Anne smirked.

  “How does it feel?” Cheryl Lynn asked, nodding to the armor and weapons.

  Bethany Anne turned and took a moment to look at herself in the mirror again.

  A calm rested across her shoulders. “Like I’ve put my own skin back on,” she answered.

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, the Open Court

  There had to be at least thirty thousand souls packed into the Open Court. The levels now numbered eight, with all but the last level occupied a hundred percent. There was presently a second court under construction to help separate the shopping and restaurants from the other businesses.

  Many groups that wanted to conclude a deal in safety made the trip to the Etheric Empire’s Open Court. What started as a way to get different groups of people to come together for food and shopping had turned into a major destination.

  For some, it was a chance to see Humans up close. For others, it was a safe location to meet. There had been three murders in the Meredith Reynolds in the first five years of her existence. Each time one was successful, the humans got better at identifying those who meant to hurt someone else.

  No one who had killed another ever made it off the base. It was widely known to be a one-way trip, and it was believed that no one could successfully commit a large-scale killing in the Open Court, not that there weren’t people trying to figure out how to pull that off.

  Assassins and others who were willing to kill could make an enormous amount of money from a successful hit on the Meredith Reynolds.

  If they could get away with it.

  In the last twelve months, seventeen had attempted the feat. Nine had been tried and sent to Eubos to work as forced labor. Five had been remanded to their own governments for punishment. One of those five had been slapped on the wrist and let go, proving to the Etheric Empire that it had been the government itself trying to commit murder in their domain.

  Three days later, the assassin, and the legate who had argued for his release and promised capital punishment “on pain of death” should it not happen, died at the exact same time in two different cities.

  The Etheric Empire had never claimed the kills, but many believed it was by their hand that both had died.

  The last three were ushered out an airlock, without suits.

  At the present time, there were no less than six businesses that rented their facilities out for impromptu meetings in the Open Court.

  Bethany Anne refused to have any sort of music announce her entrance. She entered the Open Court from a hallway near All Guns Blazing with twenty-one Guardians and their Marines ahead of her, Darryl was in the lead, Eric and Scott beside her, and John Grimes behind her. Stephen and Gabrielle were behind John.

  As soon as the first of her team came out of the hallway, the conversation in the Open Court hushed.

  ADAM, give me access to the speakers.

  >>Done.<<

  “My people, and visitors to the Etheric Empire…” she started saying.

  ---

  Johnny was eight years old, visiting his mom at her office on the seventh level of the Open Court, when people started setting up chairs at viewing spots on the levels below. “MOM!” he called over his shoulder as he looked down, his hands grasping the top of the protective rail.

  She didn’t answer.

  Johnny turned to see his mom with her head still down, working on some sort of drawing. It seemed that every time he looked, she was drawing, drawing, drawing.

  He’d rather stick one of her pens in his eye than draw.

  “MOM!” He shouted again to get her attention, but he was too far away. He shrugged and went into her office. He grabbed one of the chairs, the four legs making a screeching noise as he half-carried, half-pulled it across the twenty feet from the front of her office to the balcony, where he pushed the chair up to the rail and sat down.

  A moment later, he wished he had thought to get something to eat. He wasn’t sure how long this was going to take, but he could see the fourth level getting full, and the fifth level was starting to stack up too.

  He turned and slid off his chair, ran back into the office, and grabbed a bag and a drink out of the small kitchen. He looked at what he had picked up, then grabbed a second set. He ran back out and placed his loot on his chair, then went back in. He dragged another chair out and placed it by the first one.

  Thirty minutes later, a very well-dressed man walked by. Johnny watched him, wondering if he would want to rent his little chair, complete with snacks?

  The man continued his walk, and then, to Johnny’s surprise, he turned around. “Young man?”

  “Yes, sir?” Johnny replied.

  “Would you happen to know if that chair is for rent?”

  Johnny smiled. “Yes, sir!” He stood up. “I can let you use it for two credits, sir,” Johnny looked down over the balcony, “but honestly, I’m not sure what everyone is so anxious to see down there.”

  “Is that so?” the man asked. He reached into his pocket and took out a tablet. “Who do I pay the two credits to?”

  Johnny was stumped for a moment. He didn’t have his own account yet. He looked around and back at his mom, but she was still working. “Um, my mom.” He looked up at the man, “But I don’t know how to make that happen.”

  The man pursed his lips. “I understand. That’s her business name, right?” Johnny nodded, so the man tapped his tablet, then winked at the young boy. “ADAM? Yes, Barnabas. I need you to find the account of the lady who owns this business, so I can deposit two credits. Charge it to my account. Yes, that’s correct. Make it so, and label it ‘For Johnny’s Chair Rental.’ That’s right, thank you.”

  Barnabas looked at the eight-year-old. “You have gumption, young man.”

  “Johnny?” a female’s voice called. Both he and Barnabas turned in their chairs to see a woman looking at a screen, then at her son when she realized that he was sitting next to a man. She quickly grasped there were a few people standing around the perimeter.

  She pushed away from her desk and moved quickly toward the two of them. “Sir, did you just deposit two credits for Johnny here?”

  Barnabas turned toward her. “I did, yes. Your enterprising young son had set up a rentable chair, complete with snacks, where one can watch the Empress come by below.”

  “The Empress?” Johnny asked, excited.

  Barnabas nodded. “Oh, yes. She will be here in about five more minutes.”

  “How do you know this?” Johnny’s mom asked.

  Barnabas smiled. “I’m aware of her itinerary.” He nodded to the people around them. “This time, I chose to be up high and let others be a little closer. It isn’t often you get to see her as she was meant to be.”

  “How’s that?” Johnny asked.

  Barnabas looked down at the young man. “The Empress is going to come through here on her way to defend the helpless, to defend those who can’t defend themselves.”

  “What’s so wrong with that?” Johnny’s mother asked. Then, having decided this man wasn’t a threat to her son, she reached across her son. “Sorry, I’m Sarah.”

  “Barnabas,” he replied, raising himself just a bit and then sitting back down.

  “Absolutely nothing,” the man answered her earlier question. “But I can tell you that the Empress most have seen these last few years isn’t the Empress the Kurtherians will meet.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened. “Oh�
�”

  The hush caught their attention, and they all leaned forward so they could see down to the bottom level as a number of black-clad warriors entered the Open Court.

  “Who are they?” Johnny whispered.

  “Those are the Empress’ Guardians, and the Guardian Marines. They are always deployed in groups of three. One Guardian, two Marines. The Guardian handles close-range attack and defense, and the Marines are for farther-away attack and Guardian defense. You can see the guns they wear.”

  Johnny turned to Barnabas. “Why don’t the Guardians have guns?”

  Sarah swallowed. She knew the answer, but had not ever thought to teach her son this stuff. “They are the weapons, Johnny,” she told him. He turned and looked at her. “They can change shape, son. They are there to attack for the Empress. The Marines are there to protect the Guardians.”

  Johnny looked back down. “THAT’S THEM!” he half-shouted, half-whispered. The people around them chuckled at his exuberance.

  “Yes, those are the Empress’ Guards. The one in front is Darryl, to the Empress’ left is Eric, and across from him is Scott. Behind her is---”

  “John Grimes,” Johnny told him. “Everyone knows him.”

  Barnabas laughed. “I suppose they do.”

  “That’s Gabrielle, their Captain, right?” Sarah asked, getting into the spirit of things.

  “Yes, and the man next to her is Stephen,” Barnabas finished.

  “No one knows much about him, do they?” Sarah asked. “I mean, we know he is with Jennifer.”

  “You have to love the grapevine. But gossip or not, it is true,” Barnabas answered. “Stephen prefers to keep to himself when he isn’t on an op. He doesn’t mind being in the spotlight, but you won’t find him there on purpose.”

  Johnny looked up at Barnabas. “Why’s he doing it now?”

  “Because those soldiers down there are going with the ArchAngel to fight a Kurtherian-backed group.”

  “Coooool,” Johnny whispered. “I want to see the ArchAngel someday,” he said to no one in particular, then turned to Barnabas. “I have a model of it, you know.”

  “No, I didn’t,” Barnabas admitted, “but that is interesting,”