No. Not today. Grace tapped more commands on the Helm console. EMERGENCY LAUNCH. The bridge holo cleared of the system’s view, showing a schematic of the ship instead. The skiff detached, taking Ryan and Amita to safety.
Grace stood, feet planted on the deck of a nuclear time bomb. She breathed, worn thin. Could she run for the rest of her life? Would it be better to let it end here?
One or two chances for greatness. That’s all anyone has. You’ve burned yours already.
Lips parted in a feral grin, Grace shook her head. No, she wouldn’t be lost in the hard black. She knew what helping people felt like now. Grace spun, finding the exit leading to the crew’s escape pods. She darted into the small corridor, finding them still there. Grace clambered inside an escape pod, sealing it behind her.
The math was crazy. The escape pod would launch, but at the same velocity as the ship. She didn’t know if she’d be far enough away when the ship blew. A tiny chance, but she took it. It took a handful of moments to strap herself onto an acceleration couch.
Grace put her hand on the launch lever. The pod’s windows looked out to the hard black. She saw Starfire Station pulling away, lost in the ship’s wake. Thousands of souls, safe by her hand, and only one of them knew her name. Grace pressed her hand against the glass. Don’t forget about me. Then she yanked the launch lever.
Acceleration hammered her. She screamed, straps digging into her shoulders. The insurgent’s ship spat out her pod into the starry night.
The pod shook, rattling Grace. She clenched her teeth as its tiny thruster blasted at the hard black. Too soon, it guttered out. Grace drifted, the corvette still visible. Too close.
It had been a good run. She’d die, free.
A clank sounded against the hull. The pod shook. The door hissed, sliding open. Ryan poked his head through. “Come on.”
“Ryan! Why are you here?” Grace struggled clear of her acceleration couch.
“Hell, Grace. You didn’t think we’d forget about you?” Ryan held a hand out. “Time’s wasting.”
She clambered through the skiff’s tiny airlock. The inside was cramped, Amita at the modest Helm console. Ryan closed the airlock, the escape pod cut free. Amita hit thrust, Grace falling against a wall. The pressure held her there. If felt like five or six Gs. The pressure built, thrust piling on.
“Seven Gs,” croaked Amita. Grace’s head hurt where her skull rested against the wall. She didn’t know where Ryan was.
Bright, impossible brilliance. A tiny star born in the ashes of the corvette’s corpse. The nuclear explosion grabbed the skiff, shaking them more. Amita yelled as the skiff lost thrust. Ryan groaned.
Grace shouted with joy. I’m alive!
On approach to Starfire, Grace let Amita do the talking to Dock Control. Rumor had it that the station boarders didn’t get far. Why was apparent as the skiff rounded the barrel of Starfire, nosing toward a waiting dock.
Next to their assigned berth lay a gleaming Empire destroyer. The ship was over a klick and a half long, bristling with weapons. Chatter over the comm net suggested they’d been ‘in the neighborhood’ when the insurgents made their move.
The universe isn’t that lucky. The destroyer’s here for me. Grace bit her lip, peering at the massive starship through a porthole. The skiff jockeyed for position on approach, station chatter wild as merchants who’d emergency-launched tried to re-dock.
Grace felt the curiosity/care of Ryan behind her. It warmed her like a tiny sun. She turned, offering him a worn smile. It wasn’t a mask. She was tired to her core. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. Do you want to know the fun part of all of this?” Ryan leaned against a wall.
“Fine group we make. You’re beat up. I’m exhausted. Amita’s taken her lumps too.” Grace examined her hands. Calluses and scars. Lean muscle and tendons. But not strong enough to do this without friends. She felt it made her weaker. “It’d be nice to hear about fun.”
“We’ve still got the data.”
Grace spun, glaring at Ryan. “You’ve what?”
“Got it. It’s on a secure data island.” Ryan nodded to the front of the skiff where Amita brought them in with a steady hand. “Her idea. Data’s ready for retrieval.”
“So, you can sell it.”
“So, we can sell it again.” Ryan shrugged. “We only got paid a deposit. Your share was half our share. We haven’t seen the balance yet, and with the insurgents gone, we’re unlikely to. A man’s got to eat.”
Grace ran a hand through her hair, shaking out the kinks. “I’ve got a better idea.”
“Lay it on me.”
“We give the data away.”
Ryan did a double-take. “We do not give priceless data away.”
Grace crouched in front of him. “Ryan, that destroyer is here for me.”
Amita craned to look at them. “They’re here for the insurgents.”
“No way they got here in time.” Grace shook her head. “Distress call doesn’t go out that fast. Even pinging the star would take minutes. No, they were already destined for Starfire.”
“Okay.” Ryan nodded. “While that makes sense, giving away the data doesn’t.”
“The Empire knows we stole the data. Whether they’re after me as in Grace Gushiken, or me as the thief of their data, we don’t know.” Grace stood, pacing the small skiff. “It might be both. But they’ll want to do what the insurgents did. Get rid of the people who’ve seen the data.” She sighed. “It’s simple. The only way to be safe is to make sure everyone has the data.”
“We don’t get paid?” Amita looked like she’d just bit into a lemon instead of an orange.
“We get to live.” Ryan sagged a little. “It makes sense. Naturally, I’ll be ruined.”
“I’ve got an idea about that too.” Grace looked out at the hard black. It was unforgiving. She needed to make her heart cold like it, to get through what was to come.
Chapter Four
Grace was alone. Ryan and Amita were tracking down the Pandora. Empire soldiers teemed through Starfire, giving aid to the injured and sick, but also keeping an eye out for a fifteen-year-old Japanese girl.
The Ume Kimura identity wouldn’t withstand scrutiny aboard an Empire destroyer. Word on the station was the Navy hunted terrorists, and only recently turned their attention to a fugitive of the state.
Grace knew where they’d found out about her. She walked the concourse of Starfire, sword concealed beneath a tawny cloak. Dodging the checkpoints wasn’t hard. Eluding soldiers was easy. Difficulty lay ahead.
After a few twists and turns of unremarkable corridors, she left the noise of Starfire behind. Her journey led her to an unremarkable yet familiar door. She knocked twice, hesitating, then let her hand fall. Three knocks were a different signal. Grace didn’t have a pattern for you’ve betrayed me.
The door slid open, Cam standing there. His gray and yellow uniform was rumpled. His eyes brightened as he saw her. “Grace! You’re okay!”
Grace pushed past him, sealing the door behind her. She whirled. “You sold me out.”
Truth/betrayal/sorrow. It felt like the cold of a stagnant pond. “Aye.” He didn’t try for denial. “They offered so much coin. And I knew they couldn’t catch you.”
She shook her head. “They’ll always catch me, Cam. You know why?” He shook his head. “Because people like you will throw me to the wolves. I trusted you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. You’ve taught me a lesson worth more than coin.” Grace felt the fury in her ebb, sorrow creeping in. “You’ve reminded me people can’t be trusted.”
“I…” Cam trailed off. He moved to the dirty bunk and sat. “Can I make it up to you?”
“Yes.” Grace nodded. “You’re going to give me all the money they gave you.”
“I’ve got debts!” Cam sprang to his feet. “The cartels will kill me.”
She considered the man she’d once counted a friend. “We’ve each got one or two
chances for greatness. Just a couple in the span of years the universe gives us. Yours might be here.”
“To make you rich?”
Grace laughed. “Good Empire coin is easy to get. No, you’re going to pay back Ryan McCabe.”
“He’s a pirate.” But Cam looked away. They both knew Ryan wasn’t a real pirate. McCabe knew the value of trust.
Grace nodded. “There are pirates, then there are folk who are just plain mean. Which are you?”
Cam considered her from the distance provided by the short width of his room. “Neither. I’m no pirate. I’m not an evil man. Got myself in some trouble, is all. Can’t seem to get above it.” Despite his words, he bent to retrieve a case from under his bunk. He nudged it toward her. “Here. Good Empire coin.”
She touched the case with her boot. “Last chance, Cam. Leave this behind. Come with us. Ryan’ll give you a berth. There’s just one condition. No lies. No stabbing us in the back. You’re one of us, or you’re adrift.”
Cam gave a sad sigh. “There’s two kinds of people in the universe, Grace. Ain’t about being mean or pirating. It’s the weak and the stupid. I know which I am. Do you?”
Grace hefted the case, giving Cam a final glance. He was your friend, once. He could be again. She thought about his question for a moment. “I’m not weak.”
She left Cam alone in his apartment, his sadness/regret dogging her heels as she headed for the departure gates. Grace tried to push him from her thoughts. She wasn’t weak, and she didn’t want to be stupid either, but friends were hard to find.
It doesn’t matter. Freedom is life. I need to stay ahead of Father.
The data nets were alive with news of the super soldier program. The recipe was modified and traded a hundred times. It didn’t matter. Amita kept her key safe and secure. No one could make one of the Empire’s monsters without it.
It didn’t matter. Once their secret was out in the open, the Empire stopped hunting Ryan McCabe and his accomplices.
Grace made it to the Pandora with a spring in her step. She left Cam and her weakness — or was it stupidity? — behind her. Ryan and Amita would be her business partners, nothing more.
I’m Grace Gushiken. She pulled a mask on, one to hide sadness even from herself. Grace wasn’t sure whether being stupid or weak was worse, but she had a hunch she’d made the wrong choice.
She boarded the Pandora with a last look for a familiar face in a gray and yellow uniform. Cam didn’t see her off. Grace sighed, slinking away as the Pandora charted a course for a new star.
A whole Empire waited for her.
You’ve finished Dragon’s Rescue. I hope you loved it!
The Empire’s Rogues will return. Until then, you might find something of interest in the rest of the Ezeroc Wars universe. Start with Tyche’s Flight, where Nate and Grace first meet. They’ve got to save humanity from the insect-like Ezeroc. Why not check it out? An excerpt is included at the end of this book.
[https://www.books2read.com/TychesFlight]
WAIT. Don’t go!
Thanks for reading my Rogues story. If you liked it, would you share your experience with your fellow organics? Reviews are helpful to readers by ducting like-minded people to books they’ll enjoy.
Review Dragon’s Rescue on your retailer and Goodreads [http://hit.mondegreen.co/ReviewDragonsRescue]
FYI, an angel gets its wings for every five-star review.
About the Author
Richard Parry worked as an international consultant in one of the world’s top tech companies, which sounds cool, but it wasn’t all cocaine parties. He lives in Wellington with the love of his life, Rae. They have a dog, Rory, who chases birds. The birds, who have the power of flight, don’t seem to mind. Richard’s online hood is:
www.mondegreen.co
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Also by Richard Parry
The Ezeroc Wars
The Ezeroc Wars universe is big (and growing!). Get the reading guide here: https://www.mondegreen.co/ezeroc-wars-reading-guide/
The Empire’s Rogues
Nathan Chevell and Grace Gushiken are destined to meet, saving the universe from the vile insect-like Ezeroc. Becoming heroes is hard work; read their tales before they meet, forging their names among the stars.
Rogues 1: https://www.books2read.com/GanymedeSteel
Rogues 2: https://www.books2read.com/DragonsRun
Rogues 3: https://www.books2read.com/GanymedePlunder
Rogues 4: https://www.books2read.com/DragonsBargain
Rogues 5: https://www.books2read.com/GanymedePlague
Rogues 6: https://www.books2read.com/DragonsRescue
A colony world goes dark.
When Grace Gushiken and Nathan Chevell of the Tyche are hired to deliver a new transmitter for a downed Guild Bridge, they find the Absalom Delta colony deserted, its people enslaved by the insect-like Ezeroc. The aliens have descended like locusts on humanity, consuming all in their path. No one is safe. Even the Republic Navy is powerless against them. The ship and her crew need to test their skill and their luck to survive. Will Grace and Nate be able to work together to get away? Or will fears and rivalries from the past destroy humanity’s hopes, ceding victory to the Ezeroc?
Tyche’s Journey
Book 1: https://www.books2read.com/TychesFlight
Book 2: https://www.books2read.com/TychesDeceit
Book 3: https://www.books2read.com/TychesCrown
Tyche’s Progeny
Book 4: https://www.books2read.com/TychesDemons
Book 5: https://www.books2read.com/TychesGhosts
Book 6: https://www.books2read.com/TychesAngels
Tyche Origins
An empire falls.
Before there was a Tyche, the crew were scattered. Nate wore the Emperor’s Black. El helmed mighty destroyers. Hope joined the new Republic’s reclamation projects. Kohl fell in with the Yakuza. And Grace was a prisoner. Grab their origin stories as they become the heroes the universe needed them to be.
Collection (origins 1-6): https://www.books2read.com/TycheOrigins
Or get them à la carte…
Origin 1: https://www.books2read.com/TychesFirst
Origin 2: https://www.books2read.com/TychesChosen
Origin 3: https://www.books2read.com/TychesHope
Origin 4: https://www.books2read.com/TychesFury
Origin 5: https://www.books2read.com/TychesGrace
Origin 6: https://www.books2read.com/TychesGravedigger
Future Forfeit
Not sure where to start? Get the reading guide here: https://www.mondegreen.co/future-forfeit-reading-guide/
It’s 2150AD. There hasn’t been a corporate war… until now.
Mason Floyd is an augmented syndicate enforcer at the top of his game. His job is asset protection and acquisition, no questions asked.
Company tech is stolen on Mason’s watch. Rival megacorps want it, and they don’t mind killing him to get it. Framed for the theft, Mason runs. He tangles with off-grid rockstar Sadie Freeman on the grimy seam between the powerful and poor. Together they uncover a secret an entire city died to keep.
Hunted and desperate, they must team up to survive. Together Mason and Sadie can save the world. Apart, both are lost. They must trust each other or die.
Megacorps. Cyborgs. AI. Gene-spliced monsters. Syndicate enforcers. Off-grid illegals. Supersoldiers. Rock music. Violence. Einstein-Rosen bridges. Liquor. Enhanced reflexes. Power armor and energy weapons. Full body replacements. Swearing. Mind control. Telekenetics. G-Men. Drugs. Neural links. Orbital cannons. THIS IS CYBERPUNK.
Book 1: https://www.books2read.com/ChromedUpgrade
Book 2: https://www.books2read.com/ChromedRogue
Book 3: https://www.books2read.com/ChromedRestore
City Stories 1: https://www.books2read.com/ChromedConsensus
City Stories 2: https://www.books2read.com/ChromedDelilah
City Stories 3: https://www.books2read.com/ChromedMeltdown
Night’s Champion
Could just one night change your life forever?
Valentine Everard and Danielle Kendrick have the Night’s Favor: they are werewolves. There are many who would steal the Night’s dark gift from them. The Night’s Champions must face down the corporate interests of Big Pharma, battle with masters of dark Vodou, and make their last stand against both vampires and the Riders of the Apocalypse. Armies fall. Zombies roam the street, and no one is safe. The world is close to its final Judgment. What can a handful of souls do against the powers of the heavens?
Book 1: https://www.books2read.com/NightsFavor
Book 2: https://www.books2read.com/NightsFall
Book 3: https://www.books2read.com/NightsEnd
Glossary
Acceleration Couch Crew couches support crew members during high-G maneuvers. They are fitted with gimbals allowing free movement. Their dynamic gel system supports all points of the body in both positive and negative G, providing some protection against grayout, blackout, redout, and G-LOC (G-force induced Loss of Consciousness). They remove the need for G-suits in modern spacecraft, although many space suits are still equipped with anti-G technology anyway.
Artificial Gravity Artificial gravity is generated through use of a configurable energy density field of positive mass at the defined base of the ship. It uses the same technology as an Endless Drive, except in reverse (Endless Drives use negative energy, whereas positive is needed to simulate gravitational effects). Artificial gravity can be used in any situation where a significant power source exists to create a configurable energy density field (typically a reactor, although large yield capacitors and fuel cells have been known to work for brief periods).
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