Evolution: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Ghost Squadron Book 3)

by Sarah Noffke

  “When do we go?” asked Eddie.

  “You depart at thirteen hundred hours. I’m having ArchAngel send over the details for the mission, so you have just enough time to meet with your team, debrief, and prep,” said Jack.

  “There’s something you’re not saying, Jack,” said Julianna.

  Eddie had sensed that too. It was something in his demeanor. A hesitance, perhaps.

  Jack let out a long sigh and threw his hand out. “This mission—it’s exactly why we need to grow this team faster. We need more pilots and we need a ground force, but we don’t have all that in place right now. It’s going to take time.”

  “Felix planned this perfectly,” said Eddie, seething at the words. “He must know about our team and what we’re doing, and he’s trying to act before we have time to prepare.”

  “That he did,” said Jack, his tone full of fury. “Since we don’t have the numbers we need, we’re going to have to rely on strategy. Felix is counting on the Brotherhood to control this region, but that power is centralized in Commander Lytes, not Felix himself. If we take Lytes out, at least, it should dissolve the Brotherhood, but getting in there to do that will be a big problem. There’s a war on that planet.”

  “Could we partner with the natives to increase our numbers?” asked Eddie. “Drop in covertly and start a resistance?”

  Jack nodded. “That was the idea. Back on Earth, a ruler named Napoleon would enter his enemy’s country and start a civil war before attacking it. It was very efficient.” Jack flashed them a cunning smile. “Between this and a few other strategies we’ll run simultaneously I think we can get in swiftly and, more importantly, succeed, so long as everything comes together at the end. Just remember, we want Commander Lytes above all else. We need the Brotherhood disbanded.”

  “You can rely on us, Jack. We will do everything in our power to free the innocent and bring justice to Commander Lytes,” said Eddie.

  “Good,” said Jack, a serious look on his face. “Because if he and Felix are successful in taking over this planet, there won’t be anything we can do to stop the war that follows.”

  Loading Bay 02, QBS ArchAngel, Tangki System

  A row of modified Black Eagles sat on the front line, each pilot standing at attention. She had only briefly met these new recruits and it pained her, because Jack was right. They were understaffed for this mission, all because they hadn’t anticipated what was about to unfold.

  Julianna stared at the small fleet, the Eagles barely recognizable with their new design. Hatch had modified them so no one would be able to tell these ships had come from the Federation. In time, of course, their squad would only use Q-Ships, but they had to make do with what they had right now.

  Behind the Black Eagles stood the two Q-Ships. Eddie was checking over his Alpha-line model before the mission and Hatch waddled beside him, explaining many of the changes he’d made to the ship to bring it closer to the Omega-line. The Stingray was at the back with Lars in front of it, feet shoulder-width apart and arms rigidly crossed.

  “You all have your orders,” began Julianna, speaking directly to the pilots. Eddie looked at her with a fierce expression on his face. “This mission isn’t going to be easy. Actually, it’s fucking complicated, but that shouldn’t matter. What matters is that people’s freedom is at stake. Some have already been stripped of that natural right. We can’t let Felix Castile’s influence spread any farther than it already has.”

  Julianna began to pace, hands behind her back. “No one knows who we are or why we fight.” She halted and stared at the men and women before her, who were all new recruits and all pilots. But they had proved they were hungry for justice, same as Julianna and Eddie. “But you all know what Ghost Squadron’s mission is, am I right?”

  There was a collective “Yes” from the group, and Lars answered from the back.

  “We do what we do because it’s worth fighting for,” continued Julianna. “We hide on the fringe, punishing those who think they can bully the Federation. The people we are going to help are not a part of the Federation, but their freedoms are at stake or have already been stolen. If we don’t fight for them today, they could be us tomorrow. We are all at risk of losing the one thing that truly matters. Freedom is not a gift, it is our birth right. I want you to go out there and help us protect the people of Nexus. I want you to help us to disband the Brotherhood, but even after we are successful there will still be more battles to fight. However, we will have defeated one more bully. We will have sent them an important message: The Federation may not have been able to stop you, but Ghost Squadron will.”

  ~~~

  “Nice speech,” said Eddie when Julianna met him by the Q-Ships.

  “Thanks,” she said, acting indifferent.

  He’d never seen her quite like that—overcome with passion. It was inspiring, and had been perfectly executed. Concise and powerful. “I didn’t know you had that kind of speech in you.”

  “How do you know I didn’t just regurgitate something I’ve used before?” To his surprise there was a playful smile on her face, although her eyes were serious.

  “Did you?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No. Our squadron is about to risk their lives under our command, so they deserve to hear something from the heart.”

  Eddie smiled, feeling an immense amount of pride. “I agree. Our squadron…” It was surreal to think they were in charge of this group, but it felt right.

  “You ready to go, Captain?” asked Julianna, looking his ship over.

  “You know I am. I was born for this mission, and for the next. And the next,” said Eddie, the adrenaline spiking in his blood.

  “Be swift. Get in there, and get out. Don’t take any unnecessary risks,” ordered Julianna, her voice serious.

  “Aw, shucks. From the sound of it, Commander, you’re worried about me,” said Eddie.

  “We all have a dangerous mission, but I think we both know you have more at risk,” said Julianna, insinuating Eddie’s vulnerability.

  “Don’t worry, Jules, I’ll be back on this deck with you by the end of the day, ready to throw back some drinks.” Eddie held out his hand to her. “Safe flying, Commander. Watch out for yourself as well. You may be strong, but we all know that no one is invincible.”

  Julianna eyed his hand before wrapping her fingers around his. They shook briefly, eyes locked. “Will do, Captain.”

  Eddie climbed aboard his Q-Ship, giving Julianna one last look as she did the same.

  ~~~

  When the squadron had departed the loading bay felt strange, and too empty. Hatch eyed the crew, who were working on another Q-Ship. He opened his mouth to tell them they were doing something wrong, but slammed it shut. What was the point? It wasn’t that the crew was incredibly incompetent. They were actually normal. Average…but that was the problem. Hatch liked to work alone, because he had zero tolerance for “average.” He’d never known what it was like to perform typically. Pip kept telling him his expectations were too high, but that wasn’t something one changed overnight.

  He waddled over to a set of workstations where he was constructing engine parts to be installed in the new Q-Ships.

  Someone was already there, he quickly realized. It was the kid with the black Mohawk. Knox, he believed his name was—the boy he had talked to about his car collection.

  Knox dropped something on one of the tables and clumsily shuffled backward. “Sorry,” he said.

  “What are you doing back there?” asked Hatch.

  Knox looked up, his face startled. “I was… I just… I saw those parts sitting there… I’m sorry.”

  Hatch eyed the engine parts on the table. They weren’t how he’d left them. He stretched one of his tentacles toward the table and picked up the part, which had been put together…correctly.

  “Did you do this?” asked Hatch, narrowing his eyes at the kid.

  “I’m sorry. Yes. I was just messing around, and before I knew it I had done thi
s. I apologize if I messed it up. Please let me fix it,” said Knox, his voice frantic.

  “Fix it? How can you fix that?” asked Hatch, his tone still brooding.

  “I can take it back apart.” Knox hobbled behind the table again, still seeming really clumsy—like he was hopping. “Please, I’ll do whatever you say! Just don’t tell the Commander or the Captain I messed up your parts. They’ll kick me out. They’ll make me leave.”

  Hatch regarded the turbo pump in his tentacle, trying to hide anything that might be in his expression. “You think they’ll kick you off the team?”

  Knox nodded. “I’m still new, and on a trial basis. I’m really sorry. I don’t know why I messed with your engine parts, it’s just, they called to me. I should know better.”

  “You should definitely know better,” said Hatch, turning the connected pieces over in his tentacle to inspect them. “These parts called to you, you say?” The form wasn’t standard. It was clear this boy had never assembled a piece like this before but he’d found a way to do it, making it just as efficient as if Hatch had done it himself. For someone with no experience, this was impressive. “Who showed you how to do this?” Hatch asked him.

  The boy shook his head. “No one did. It was like a blueprint appeared in my head. Something makes me think I know how to put things together. I know it’s dumb. I don’t even have any formal schooling,” said Knox, “not like the people on your crew. My old boss Mateo taught me how to fix my ship, so I guess you could say that was how I learned the basics.”

  “You’re right. My crew all has engineering degrees, although most of them have more credentials after their name than brain cells in their heads,” said Hatch.

  “Oh, right. Well, I won’t touch your stuff anymore. I won’t even come down here again. And if you want me to, I’ll fix what I’ve done,” said Knox.

  “Fix? There’s nothing to fix,” said Hatch, laying the turbo pump back down on the workstation.

  “Wait, there isn’t? What are you saying?” asked Knox, his eyes wide.

  He was just a kid, but there was something perfect about the young. They hadn’t been corrupted by other people’s practices or taught the wrong way to do things at some stuffy school. They hadn’t been taught to trust textbook practices over intuition and gut instinct, which was why Hatch had patented so many inventions. For a lack of a better phrase, he thought outside the box. Hell, he lived outside the box, as far as his thinking went.

  “I’m saying that you constructed this turbo pump correctly. Not only that, but you connected them perfectly. Usually a newbie…or a member of my worthless crew,” Hatch yelled loudly enough for the crew shuffling around behind him to hear, “fits the bearing on too tightly or cross-threads it.”

  “Oh, well… Rookie luck, I guess,” said Knox, his face flushing red.

  “I’ve never met a rookie who could put together a turbo pump correctly on his first try without blueprints,” said Hatch.

  Knox shrugged. “I dunno, I see connections in my head when it comes to mechanics. That’s how I was able to fix Catfish.”

  “Yeah, I had a chance to look at that Black Eagle you fixed up,” said Hatch. “The control drum needs to be repaired.”

  Knox nodded. “Yeah, I know. I checked my girl this morning. I haven’t gotten around to the control drum, and the internal shield is mostly shot, but none of that is worth fixing if I can’t get the propellant line clear. The engine took serious damage on my trip here.”

  It was astonishing that this kid knew all that. He covered his surprise with a scowl, though. Hatch turned his head to the side, regarding Knox with one eye and the crew with the other. “What are you doing here anyway?” he asked. “You can pilot. Why didn’t you go on the mission?”

  Knox reached to the ground and retrieved two crutches, then positioned them under his armpits and hobbled around the table. Once he was in clear view, Hatch noticed a cast on one of his feet. “I broke my foot when I was at Onyx Station, and I’ve been decommissioned for the moment. Not even sure what purpose Ghost Squadron will have for me now. I’m pretty useless.”

  “Feet mend, especially with the Federation technology we can get,” said Hatch.

  “Yeah, that was what the Captain said. He’s working on getting a regeneration pill for me. It’s just that this mission today is really important. This Commander Lytes, he’s one of the people responsible for what happened to my old crew.” He lowered his eyes. “I wanted to go with everyone, be a part of the efforts to bring him down, but I’m stuck here doing nothing.”

  “Pilots are definitely at the heart of attacks that stop people like Commander Lytes,” began Hatch, holding up one tentacle for silence. “However, a pilot is worthless without a ship, and we currently have more pilots than we do ships to fly.”

  Knox leaned on one of his crutches, putting most of his weight on his good foot. “Yeah, you’re right. Even if I could fly, I probably wasn’t going to be able to join today. I’m not even formally trained.”

  “That wasn’t what I was saying,” corrected Hatch.

  Knox blinked at him, confusion evident in his gaze. “You weren’t? What’d you mean?”

  “I meant that having pilots is important, but they are useless without mechanics to construct the ships and keep them maintained,” started Hatch. “What Ghost Squadron needs more than newbie pilots is a mechanic who shows promise, one who can see the inner workings of an engine using an intuitive perspective. One who can assemble a turbo pump from instinct.”

  Knox’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. He nearly toppled over on the crutch he was leaning on. “You mean me? You think I… Even after…”

  Hatch cleared his throat. “I think you show more promise than any of the hundreds of applicants I’ve interviewed. I’ve hired the best, but none of them display a natural talent for mechanics like you do, because it’s rare. Most are taught how things work. Few naturally understand it.”

  If Hatch was honest with himself, there was only one other who he knew who had a natural instinct for mechanics. And he knew that Londil well—better than anyone.

  “Are you offering me a spot on your crew?” asked Knox.

  Hatch looked over his shoulder at the crew, who were tirelessly trying to please his impossible expectations. “No. My crew is full.”

  “Oh, I misunderstood,” said Knox.

  “And besides, if you were to work with those dimwits you’d learn bad practices, ones that I can’t unteach them because they’ve been drilled in by formal schooling,” said Hatch.

  “What exactly are you offering me?” asked Knox.

  “A position as my apprentice, if you’re interested. You would only work with me. The things you would learn would come from only me. No bad practices would be forced on you,” said Hatch.

  “Are you serious? You’re the very best, though, and I’m a nobody—”

  “I’m a mechanic who needs an apprentice. The job will be demanding, and you’ll constantly be tested. I’m not going to try and convince you. All I’ll say is, you’re a good fit. If you want the position, just say it,” said Hatch, twining his tentacles across his chest.

  Knox shook his head as if to rid it of cobwebs. The kid was completely dazed by this changing of events. For a human, his newness was kind of endearing.

  After a long moment Hatch sighed impatiently. “Well, I guess you’re not ready. Maybe you aren’t—”

  “I’ll do it!” yelled Knox, gaining the attention of many of the crew in the distance. “I’ll do it,” he said a bit more quietly.

  Hatch nodded. “Good choice, Gunner. Your first job is to go to Sick Bay and get a regeneration pill.”

  “What? No, the Captain said they didn’t have any...”

  “Of course they do. This is the ArchAngel,” explained Hatch, puffing his cheeks out. “They’re just holding them in case of emergency. You go down there and tell them I sent you. They’ll get you taken care of, because if they don’t they’ll have to deal with
me. And trust me, kid, no one wants that.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Omega-line Q-Ship, Nexus, Tangki System

  Julianna landed the Q-Ship in the area Chester had identified as friendly Nexus territory. He’d also been able to send correspondence to the people, explaining who they were and their intention. These were primitive people, mostly living in huts and tents, but there was something sophisticated about how they used the resources and didn’t deplete them. That was one reason that Nexus was so rich in minerals and other useful resources.

  Chester had encoded a video message from Julianna in a small capsule that they’d dropped on Nexus-occupied territory. It carried a blinking yellow light, which according to the research Marilla had done on these humans was synonymous with “friendly.”

  In addition to the video message, a light projector had been included. It was small, but when pressed it sent up a beam of light that could penetrate orbit—a cleverly-designed invention of Hatch’s. The end of Julianna’s video message had been simple: “If you want our help overthrowing the Brotherhood, click the light projector twice. If you do not want our help, click it once. But be warned: the Brotherhood is under the influence of a dangerous man who will use your planet and your people and dispose of them once he’s taken everything you hold dear.”

  An hour after the capsule landed, the ArchAngel recorded two light beams projected from the western continent of Nexus. They were on-planet now, ready to partner with strangers to fight a larger evil. It continued to amaze Julianna how those so separate and different could bond together to fight a common enemy. No one was really isolated when they had a mutual goal.

  The small planet of Nexus was diverse, with lush lands full of mineral-rich caves and an underground stocked with oil and other natural resources. The waters that bordered the land were a pristine blue, the coral reefs full of vegetation and exotic animal life. Julianna hadn’t seen a planet like this…well, for too long. Most of the planets she’d visited were dominated by a single type of terrain, or boasted only one climate. Not Nexus…it had the right balance of land and water, mountains and plains. Its vegetation and population suggested the climate had a proper spectrum and that the year would be marked by four distinct seasons.