The Apex Warriors

by Marc Stevens

  As my crew and I sat down for our group meeting, the news that the leader of Russia stepped down from power announcing his retirement due to medical reasons. In a shocking turn of events, a leading opposition leader replaced him. The political landscape was shifting dramatically and I felt that things that had looked so bleak days before, were now on an entirely different path. I felt it was time to do something dramatic to make sure that all the players would stay the course. It would require Justice to take measures to ensure the Galactic Union Drones that encircled Sol’s star system were blind to my upcoming ambitions. He assured me it would be a simple matter to infect them with programming that would enable us to control exactly what they could and could not detect. The subjugation he had in mind, was similar to the way the Prule controlled other machines. They would not be aware they no longer had self-control and could easily be manipulated.

  “Justice would you please open an IST channel to Tam Lin.”

  “Channel open Commander.”

  Tam Lin came right on and I explained to her in detail what I was up to. After more than a forty-minute conversation, I got her to agree to share the cost of taking fifty-seven obsolete freighters out of her boneyard. We would have Sig salvage crews restore them to space worthiness, and then jump them to Earth’s solar system. Once there, I would park them in the Valles Marineris trench on Mars. The seven-kilometer deep trench system will easily hide the entire fleet from direct observation, and allow me quick access to them as well. Any country that rapidly embraced the concept of a world government and took the other steps laid out on the data cubes, would receive a freighter less an operable jump drive. Tam Lin assured me that the Sig would provide training crews. She also agreed to hook me up with lightweight durable spacesuits. The self-contained extended endurance suits were typically worn by deepspace mining teams. The power supplies and rebreathers only needed maintenance yearly. They would be coming from the Zaens. I already had my foot in that door and could make the purchase at a respectable discount. The price tag for all the incentives would be close to four hundred billion credits. Tam Lin just shrugged it off and said the Containium mine would be operating in the black very soon, and we basically owned the market. My profits would take a big hit, but we still had a surplus of accrued credits just lying around to help offset the expenses.

  Tria seemed interested in what I was doing, but the rest of my crew sat around moping until we got an unexpected call from Bond Conner. That got Coonts, Klutch, and Sael to sit up in their chairs and pay attention.

  Justice put the IST transmission through and my strike team's attitudes perked up at the news. “Commander Myers,” Bond said as his face appeared on the viewscreen. “I have an intelligence report that might interest you. One of my newest operatives is a freighter Captain that hauls perishable goods from a storage facility that is in orbit above Carsoon Shipping Hub Four. She has reported to me that a Constellation Class freighter is currently docked at the Hub. The data is already twelve hours old, so I cannot guarantee that the freighter is still there. I have been informed that it takes close to six standard rotations to fill one to capacity if that is what the ship is indeed doing. If you were to quickly make it to that location, you might be able to catch up to it before it departs.”

  “That is good news Bond. We will take the necessary steps to visit that location as soon as possible. I also have information on a new and upcoming marketplace that will need to be developed. I would like you to be in charge of acquisitions when it matures to the proper level. If this works out as I imagine, you will be the sole contact for this particular race’s galactic supplies.”

  Bond’s face lit up. The alien was at his best when he was busy with things that involved him being in charge. “Thank you, Commander Myers, I look forward to the challenge. I am uploading the data on Hub four now. Good luck and good hunting Commander.”

  I looked around the table and saw that my team was all smiles now. I guess sitting around doing nothing while I worked on bringing my homeworld up to speed, was not their forte. If they were not as Klutch would say, breaking scat and taking titles, they were bored stiff.

  Justice tossed another piece of interesting news into the ring. He was not sitting idle and was constantly working on projects that would aid our missions. “Commander, I have taken the liberty of altering an IST transmitter for tracking purposes. If the Constellation Class freighter is still docked when we arrive at that location, attaching a tracking transmitter to it might net valuable intel. The information on the ship’s travels may reveal the location of more than one of the vessels. It would be advisable to see where the ship goes, rather than immediately board it.”

  I got some sour looks from my strike team when I answered Justice.” Okay, we will play it your way. Please inform our clan we are preparing for departure.”

  “Affirmative Commander, message sent.”

  “What is our current state of readiness?”

  “The Legacy lacks a full loadout of Planet Killer class torpedos. Your last combat missions depleted the entire stock of the weapons. The remaining two are aboard the Legacy. All other expendable munitions are at capacity. The strike team’s armor suits are ready in all aspects and available for immediate deployment.”

  “Has Felix given you any update on a torpedo production schedule?”

  “Yes, Commander. Felix is temporarily suspending drone production on replicator number five and has reprogrammed it for torpedo production until further notice. He anticipates having a full loadout of the weapons for the Legacy within seventy-two hours. He has also requested that we acquire additional replicators to keep up with all current ordnance production needs. He has stated that two replicator units would suffice, but a total of four would be optimal.”

  I looked over at Sael. “I know there was some friction between you and council Leader Marin, but do you think you can convince them to sell us four more replicators?”

  “I know that it may have appeared that way,” Sael said. “but when the intelligence on the data cube is carefully examined, the Council will realize that I did my duty to the point of death. I have no doubt they will be more than willing to continue a working relationship with you. With your permission, I will make contact with them and see if my conclusions prove correct.”

  “Please do Sael, and feel free to make use of our Containium resources to expedite the transaction.”

  Sael gave me a smile and left our gathering to make the call. We moved onto the next order of business which was meeting with our clan before departure. It became a ritual for them to bid us farewell. It may sound superstitious, but it was a good luck routine that I would not discount. We needed all the luck we could get.

  Sael returned with good and bad news. The good news was that we could indeed purchase additional replicators from the Chaalt. She managed to make the transaction for six replicators. It was her thinking that the two additional units would preclude us from having to do this again a year or so in the future. The bad news was that we were going to pay out the ass for them. I suspected we were going to be financing a new research center or possibly another ship similar to the Fury. Either way, they had the corner on the market for cutting-edge replicators. We were already familiar with their operation and maintenance routines. It would be taking a step backward to entertain the thought of purchasing other less advanced units. It was going to cost me four thousand pounds of enriched Containium. Tam Lin was going to have a shitfit when she finds out that her date for profitability was going to be moved out a few more months.

  With our goodbyes behind us, Justice launched and quickly took us to the edge of our star system. He DEHD core jumped to a predetermined distance from our target and cloaked the Legacy. We made our final approach to the target area and got a big surprise. There were two Constellation class freighters docked at that location. I now had to make the decision on whether to board them or track them. My crew and I tossed around a few scenarios but could not come to a consensus. We were deb
ating the fact that two of the six freighters we were searching for ended up in the same place at the same time. What are the odds of that happening if they were the ones carrying the Omega Syndicate’s covert strike teams?

  Justice had an answer. “Commander, I find it unlikely that the Constellation Class freighters currently docked at the shipping hub are in fact the vessels we are searching for. The percentage of that possibility is only twelve percent. I still recommend putting trackers on the vessels to establish their destinations, but do not recommend an attempted boarding.”

  The sour looks on my crew’s faces told me they were expecting some action. My two favorite troublemakers started picking at each other enough to annoy me. It probably had something to do with another stupid bet on one or both of their parts. I didn’t want to see or hear any more of their antics and tapped them both for placing the trackers. Justice moved the Legacy in closer to the targets, but not so close we would interfere with the local ship traffic coming and going from the hub. The ships were still a good distance away. I think Justice selected the spot to deploy Coonts and Klutch based on the time it would take for them to come and go from the targets. It may have been his thinking that the two would have more than enough time to work out all of their arguments before returning to the Legacy. Since I came from the most primitive planet amongst my crew, I didn’t want to hear any of their IST comms traffic. There was a possibility my IQ could take a hit from their mindless chatter.

  Coonts and Klutch had hardly made it out of the hatch when Justice informed me he had another incoming IST communication from Bond Connery. I suspected it was a report on the presence of the second Constellation class freighter. As it turned out, I was wrong.

  “Commander,” Bond said in an excited voice. “My Ilor contacts that helped uncover the recent terrorist activity you acted upon, have come up with more intel that I thought you should hear.”

  “Okay Bond, calm down a little, and let’s hear it.”

  “As you know, there was several Ilor involved in the terrorist activities that took place on the Outpost. I am sure you are also aware that many of them have escaped judgment for their complicity. One of my contacts has credible evidence on the location of at least three of those subjects of interest. They boarded a shuttle and fled right after you took down the Tibor strike team. My contact has recorded proof from another Ilor suspect, that states they are still hiding out on a small black market outpost about two hundred lightyears from here.”

  Tria, Sael, and I exchanged looks. If Bond’s informant wasn’t being misled, we could be on the verge of closing up some loose ends that have been a burr under my saddle since the terrorist attack took place. Putting Bond on Outpost 9765 was turning out to be one of the best intelligence sources we had.

  “How old is this intel?” Tria quickly asked.

  Bond sounded jubilant. “I just got the report and that is only part of it. The recordings also state that the Ilor subjects in question, are waiting to be picked up by someone else you have been wanting to meet.”

  I knew a lot of really bad people I wanted to personally meet, so I was hoping that Bond wasn’t going to make me start guessing. His lack of a forthcoming announcement hinted that he was hoping that I would do just that.

  Sael wasn’t the type to be left hanging and was getting irritable at the Coram’s pause. She had no problem stomping toes to get an answer. “Operative Connery, our list of adversaries is quite extensive, and it could take more than a rotation for us to come up with the correct name. So, could you do us all a favor, and just tell us!”

  Bond cleared his throat. “Um.. yes, my apologies Senior Operative. The Ilor agents are waiting to be picked up by a mercenary named Glock. He is going to retrieve them thirty hours from now. The black market outpost is a well-known location. It is commonly called the Exchange, by the merchants that do business there.”

  Tria and Sael glanced at each other and smiled. “We know the location,” Tria said.

  Bond told us he would pass on anything else he heard and signed off.

  “Justice, how are Coonts and Klutch doing?”

  “They are approaching the second freighter now Commander. Both vessels have maintenance crews actively working on the exterior hulls of both vessels. They are following the crews and placing the devices in areas that have undergone inspection.”

  “After they place the second device, tell them to hurry back because we have a mission.”

  “I will intercept their withdrawal so we can get underway Commander. DEHD Core operations will be available in seventeen minutes.”

  I turned to Tria and Sael. “ What can you tell me about the Exchange?”

  Tria deferred to Sael. “It is similar in respects to several other outposts. It is situated inside of an asteroid that happens to be near busy trade routes. It is an old and well-established marketplace. It has good mechanized security forces and enjoys obscurity from the prying eyes of the Galactic Union. The word is that they pay a percentage of the entire outpost’s profits to be sheltered from Galactic authority. As you might suspect, the sum is considerable and would have to go to council members with enough power to make fellow members look the other way. They do a very robust business. All races that I am familiar with, frequent the outpost to sell goods sanctioned by the Union.”

  “When you say good mechanized security, are you talking frontline combat mechs or relics that will be easy to handle if we have to shoot the place up?”

  Sael looked at me and shook her head. “My data on the outpost is several years old. There is a possibility the funds that go to the Union may have bought the outpost more than a blind eye. They could have modern combat mechs with sensors that can detect cloaked targets. I know that we have cutting-edge negation systems, but they will be of little use in a shooting battle. It is just an observation on my part, but we are easily tracked by the amount of destruction we leave in our wake. If we can avoid shooting the place up, we may avoid scrutiny altogether.”

  I scratched my head. Every time I went in intending to keep things quiet, scat always finds a way of ending up in a ventilator.

  “Are there Guilds on the outpost?”

  Sael nodded. “Yes, my last data dump reported more than eighty. I know that it is not much help, but the Ilor have one of the largest Guilds. If they wanted to shelter the fugitives we seek, that would be the place to start looking.”

  19

  Tria was thinking hard on the subject and finally had something to add to Sael’s report. “Nathan, I think we should avoid the outpost, and attempt to locate Glock’s ship when it arrives. If we get lucky, they will dispatch a shuttle and we just have to wait for its return to collect our fugitives.”

  I smiled at Tria. The female warrior was very much in tune with what I was thinking. “Justice, do you think you can pick Glock’s Ship out of the other traffic in the area?”

  “Commander, the information we have on Glock is minimal. What we do know, however, is that he is a high-ranking mercenary, and the probability of him being hunted by other races including members of his own kind, is high. That information makes me speculate that Glock will not expose himself or his ship to scrutiny. I believe he will seek out a suitable place to conceal his location and dispatch a shuttle to collect the suspected terrorist. We will need to arrive at the target area well in advance of Glock’s arrival and carefully assess the void within a short transition of the outpost. Depending on what we find, I can downsize the search area to increase our chances of locating Glock or the shuttle transporting the fugitives.”

  That still left one hell of a lot of space to search, but I had confidence in Justice’s abilities. Coonts and Klutch were on the return leg of their mission when Justice intercepted them with the Legacy. He snatched them up with the tow beam and then put us on a heading that would take us well clear of the freight hub. We DEHD Core jumped to within a half lightyear of the outpost known as the Exchange. Justice immediately started scanning for areas that would be suit
able for a clandestine shuttle insertion on the outpost. He methodically worked us in closer to the outpost. As was the case for most outposts that occupied hollowed-out asteroids, it was in or near an asteroid field. This one happened to be in a field that spanned several million miles of space. Depending on the size of the ship, it could easily hide on a lot of the cosmic debris near the outpost. Another factor to consider was the amount of ship traffic in the area. It was a fairly busy location. Justice had forty-eight spacecraft that were either coming or going highlighted with yellow boxes on the view dome. There was an additional twenty-two parked over the outpost. We assumed they had shuttles inside the outpost. Many were of races that we were familiar with, but some were not. Tracking the right spacecraft was going to be a nightmare. There was one redeeming factor. There was only one entrance and one exit. They were large enough to admit a gunship-sized spacecraft, but we were only observing shuttle traffic.

  “Commander,” Justice called. “I believe it would be to our advantage to launch drones in stealth mode, to monitor the entrance and exits. We can use them to intercept the comms of the shuttle traffic. There is a possibility the fugitives or Glock’s emissaries might reveal themselves through their communications.”

  “Do it Justice. Use them all if you have to.”

  “Affirmative Commander, launching drones now. I will send two into the outpost to locate the Ilor Guild, and station twenty at the exit. In the event we want to track outgoing traffic of interest, the drones can attach themselves to the targets before they transition to hyperspace.”

  “Excellent idea Justice. Find us someplace out of the way to monitor the outpost.”

  Justice maneuvered the Legacy into the asteroid field and onto a large stationary piece of rock. The location he chose gave our sensors good coverage of the target area. Now we just had to play the waiting game until something of interest happened. Justice put the video from the drones on the view dome. It was an interesting place. The interior of the asteroid was square and just over a mile by a mile. It had a large spacecraft parking area in the middle that had sixty-two shuttles sitting on it. The marketplace surrounded it. The Guilds were large sturdy looking structures and ringed the outside of the marketplace all the way to the verticle rock walls that encased the outpost. Sael’s information appeared to be correct. The Ilor Guild stood out from the rest, and our other drone hovered near the top of it. The interior of the asteroid was lit up like a carnival and was a busy place. Our other drone was cautiously flying low over the area mapping its details in case we had to put boots on the ground.