Randolph Lalonde - Spinward Fringe Broadcast 08 - Renegades Page 5

  “Thank you so much,” Soren repeated. “Aren’t you going to take your ship?”

  “Nope,” Alice replied. “I’d have to explain why I’m taking a starfighter out in my off time.”

  “Okay, right, thank you again.”

  Alice was already getting tired of hearing him say ‘thank you,’ and couldn’t help but offer a snide reply as she left him behind in her apartment. “Just stay here, don’t talk to anyone. Order some ramen from the concourse, I’ll try to be back with your bots before delivery’s at the door.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Bargaining

  “You won’t have any wild nights on the town with me, I’m afraid,” Donner, the British Alliance Security Forces agent told Jacob Valent. The rain around them was mixed with light hail, and darkened the falling twilight.

  “I didn’t think that was standard procedure for liaisons,” Jake replied, bringing up a tactical map of the area. The image appeared in his mind’s eye, along with the deception detection and early warning systems tied in with his scanners. He wasn’t worried about someone overhearing them; they communicated using an encrypted channel, talking behind blacked out faceplates. Jake wasn’t sure about the new agent’s skill, however. If he was a glorified file keeper, or supervisor rusty in the field, he could have people tracking him, and he wouldn’t know it.

  “No, it isn’t procedure, and her extracurricular activities with you while she was aboard the Warlord weren’t an assignment,” Donner chuckled. “She found you fascinating and I suppose she followed that fascination to the utmost. The final report is quite popular, but most importantly, I can tell you there are no hard feelings. To be blunt, she compares her short romance with you with an amusement ride. Thrilling for a short trip, but too dangerous for a journey.”

  “Glad to hear it was memorable. I’m guessing her objectivity was compromised, so they passed my case off to you,” Jake said. He watched the agent closely. The man was barely disguised in a loose blue and red armoured jacket that cascaded down to his knees. Beneath his casual spacer clothes he wore a layer of second skin armour, its hood covering his head and containing his voice. None of it looked new, so he could pass as a casual traveller or merchant. He still looked British to Jake, there was no mistaking it, but the build up to war had brought many similarly garbed mercenaries to the sector. Enough so a British Alliance Agent could blend in.

  “You’ve misunderstood the situation. I’m her superior officer. We’ve finished checking the information you and your Wing Commander have provided, and are satisfied that we want to move ahead with this trade. If what you’ve shared as a peek is only the tip of the iceberg, then we need everything you have on offer.”

  “Good. It’ll cost you,” Jake said.

  “Just to verify,” Donner said, taking a step closer. “You’re saying you have the Regent Galactic and Order of Eden story going back to Vindyne days? As well as evidence and scans of a new, hidden leader behind the Order?”

  “With more supporting evidence than you could imagine, from more than one perspective,” Jake said. “And we’re still willing to be your agents in the field as long as we can gain along the way.”

  “The intention of my department is to keep this deal simple. We are interested in working with you and your people after we’ve finished our trade on a mission by mission basis, even on the bounty system, but we can address all that later. We’re anxious to close this deal for the compiled data you’re offering. So eager, in fact, that we’re willing to keep Haven Shore, the Carthans, and everyone else in the Seven Sectors out of it.”

  The Seven Sectors, it was becoming a well known name thanks to the Order of Eden’s activities. Jake knew that the Order, along with Regent Galactic, were active in twice as many sectors, but most navigators knew of seven where the Order presented a serious danger to anyone not running under their colours. The term stuck, probably thanks to old pirate films and newer period pirate dramas. It looked like everyone, including that agent, would refer to the fog of war surrounding the Order of Eden’s operations as the Seven Sectors. “I’m surprised. I thought your people were more interested in maintaining relationships with your allies. Falling in line with how I’m running my war could cost you. Using this data operationally could cost you more if your government finally commits to this war.”

  “We are fully committed. It’s only a matter of time before war is declared against the Order of Eden for a second time, a final time, and if this information-“

  “History,” Jake corrected. “We’ve put all our evidence in context, you can follow it on a solid timeline.”

  “That’ll make for easy viewing, and the history you provided will factor into the British Alliance breaking the treaty we signed with the Order. I’ll be the first to say not everyone agreed with the Frontier Treaty: we signed it in the dark because the parliamentary majority were afraid of what war would mean while we’re rebuilding. We’ll use this, and we’ll share parts of the package we’re buying from you, but only after we’ve completed our analysis. But before we go forward, I need your assurance that we’re not buying something you’re selling to every government you can find.”

  “Only five people know about this project, and we’re not double dealing. You have my word. Before this goes further,” Jake said. “I need you and your government to know that I don’t trade in sentients - this is an exception wide on the outside.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll treat him according to his level of cooperation. If he’s easy to work with, he’ll have an enviable lifestyle.”

  Jake stifled his laughter before it became more than a snicker. He was unable to imagine Kipley cooperating with the British Alliance. He was sure Kipley wouldn’t experience that ‘enviable lifestyle’ for a long time, if ever. It was time to move the meeting along, the Warlord was waiting. Their next target was waiting. “Were Xanna’s traces right? Did Wheeler pass through here?”

  “They were, and he did.”

  “How long ago?” Jake asked.

  “About a hundred and three hours ago, but the trail ends at the system’s outer port. He stole a recently refurbished Joon-Lasun freighter from the sorting dock. We’re watching for it to turn up somewhere upspin, but hopes are slim. He has a few nihilists with him who might be easier to track if they serve as crew long enough.”

  “He’s going to dump that freighter or sell it on the black market then move on to another ship; his crew will probably get dumped along with it,” Jake said, controlling his frustration. He was so close, just days behind. If he could break away and hunt him down instead of serving larger interests, he’d have him in days, or weeks at the most. “I need the British Alliance to put a bounty on him. That’s going to be part of the deal, or I’m going to start shopping for a new buyer.”

  “No need to go to those lengths,” Donner said. “Xanna didn’t have the rank to promise that our Security Forces would act on your behalf, but I do. I only need one favour from you in return, and we’ll issue a five million credit bounty on your old friend, Wheeler.”

  “Twenty million, and you spend real galactic credits on advertising with all the networks,” Jake told him. If this agent was about to ask for another favour, then his people already wanted the Warlord in their good graces. It was time to push.

  “If it were only money I may be able to help you, but advertising on mainstream nets? That’s-“

  Jake didn’t start turning away from the British Alliance Agent, he did a complete about face. He was already several steps away and almost around the corner when he said; “We’ll leave the current deal as is – a trade for all our intelligence for the work your shipwrights already did on the Warlord, a link to your military database and thirty five million. Count us out for favours.”

  “Wait!” the agent called after him. “I’ll put an eight million galactic currency bounty out on him and target mainstream nets near his projected destinations. That’s the best I can do.”

  Jake stopped and turned towards t
he agent. “Maybe I should wait until they assign me your superior?”

  “It’s not a matter of how much pull I have with the Agency, it’s how much of our operating budget you and your crew will be eating up.”

  “We’re worth it,” Jake said. “Wheeler’s a hard target, put ten million on his head and maybe you’ll motivate the real hunters to go after him. People who would stand a chance against me if I were the target.” The thought of hunters who wouldn’t work for less than ten million on a target pursuing Wheeler was more than amusing, it was thrilling. Hunters like that made Jake nervous, and he was happy the Order of Eden was no longer offering a bounty on him. There was always a chance that they’d increase it to over ten million, then Jake would be facing the most effective hunters in the universe, people who made him look like an ill-equipped amateur.

  “All right, ten million, and we’ll advertise on the most popular nets from here to the core along his projected travel routes. I’ll also put the word out on the secondary nets, the Stellarnet and such.”

  “Good. What’s this favour?” Jake asked.

  “Thank you, Captain Valent,” Donner said with a sigh. “There’s a Regent Galactic Governor that’s been causing a great deal of concern for us. He’s reaching further and further out from his solar system using subcontracted transport and militia companies. We’ve even found a few nano-probes aboard supply ships coming into our forward posts collecting data, which suggests he already has an agent collecting that data.”

  “Governor Tate,” Jake said. He was the Governor of the Codis Solar System and supervisor of a large portion of the Iron Head Sector and interests near the Rega Gain System. “I haven’t run into him before, but from the information we’re gathering, I know the day is coming.”

  “We’d like that day to come sooner rather than later. We want you to put the fear into people looking to work with, or sign up with the Order of Eden. He’s recruiting faster than anyone we’re aware of, and quickly rising in the Order of Eden ranks, as far as we can tell. If someone doesn’t slow his recruitment efforts, we’ll have an army millions of souls deep by the time the British go to war, and the first confrontation could be our last. Our parliamentary membership are too distant from the war to appreciate how devastating Order supremacy would be in this area. If our first engagement incurs too many casualties, they’ll lose their nerve. Ideally, we need you to inspire new recruits in the Order to abandon their posts.”

  “Put us on the record,” Jake said. “If I’m going to pick a fight with this Governor, I want the British Alliance’s endorsement.”

  “I saw this coming,” Agent Donner said with a little chuckle. “You finish this trade today and we’ll give you full license to act as a privateer for the British Alliance. Just a little bonus I negotiated for on your behalf.”

  “Today,” Jake said, pondering. “You have the credits with you?”

  “No, but I can have them delivered to the Triton today. Our people are standing by in the Rega Gain System.”

  Jake thought of the grief Kipley was causing his crew. The main reason why he allowed several members to serve aboard the Triton instead of the Warlord was because of the morale deficit that man caused just by being aboard. The only reason why they kept him close was to pump him for information, and Jake was fairly sure they’d wrung him dry. “How large is the British Alliance’s share going to be in this license?”

  “Fear is what we want, Jacob,” Donner said, “People are still paying their way into the Order of Eden, even though they have dropped the cash requirement to sign up. Their new recruits are giving away their worldly possessions for the most minor privileges in the organization and extra training. We need people to see that joining the Order of Eden in this sector is a death sentence, a death sentence that the Warlord carries out. We don’t care about a share of what you take as long as you don’t trade slaves on the black market or start spy hunting in the British Alliance ranks.”

  “So, we sell our captured materials to anyone and the British Alliance doesn’t want a share?” Jake asked, it wasn’t something governments did unless they were desperate.

  “Exactly. The British Alliance doesn’t want to profit from the work we’re asking you to do.”

  “I’m only going to warn you once, Donner. If you want fear on that scale I’ll need your support when one of the British Alliance’s allies accuse me of going too far. You’re asking for blood and terror,” Jake said.

  “You’ll have our support. This isn’t my request, it comes from someone well over my head. We only have to finish our deal today, and you can start ripping a piece out of the Order.”

  “I can deliver Jack Kipley in five minutes.”

  “What?” Agent Donner said, visibly startled. “You’ve actually kept him nearby?”

  Jake pointed down the alley to the broad entrance of Alt-Mecca across the street. “He’ll be coming through those doors any second.”

  “We can have a retrieval team here in less than a minute,” Agent Donner said. “You transmit your intelligence files to me and allow us to take your living proof and we’ll have thirty five million galactic credits in the hands of your representative aboard the Triton before the day is out. We can honour the rest of our deal when you arrive in the Rega Gain System.”

  “You’ll transmit our privateering license today.”

  “Yes,” Agent Donner said. “Absolutely.”

  “Then we have a deal,” Jake said. He watched as Jack Kipley stormed from the doors of the entertainment complex with Minh-Chu not far behind. With a thought, Jake overrode the controls to Kipley’s suit and ordered it to restrain the crewman. With a startled wail, Kipley fell over.

  “He’s all yours,” Jake said.

  * * *

  To Minh-Chu’s surprise, Kipley’s light vacsuit armour stiffened, snapped the man’s arms to his sides and clasped his legs together. He watched in amused silence as the man cursed and toppled over. “This isn’t funny! I was kidding before, but now I’m really going to kill you!” Kipley shouted.

  “I didn’t do it,” Minh-Chu said as he pulled Kipley’s sidearm out of its holster. He moved on to his left arm to unlock the man’s command and control unit. “You know, if you had better people skills, maybe Jake wouldn’t have sold you.”

  “What? What the hell are you talking about?”

  Minh-Chu pocketed Kipley’s command and control unit and moved on to the survival kit attached to his left thigh. “You just couldn’t help but talk about Wheeler, and everything you saw aboard those Order of Eden ships. Helps that you downloaded everything you could from those computers too, it really helped us round out the intelligence package we’re selling today.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You never caught on,” Minh-Chu said, kneeling down so Kipley could see him from where his face was half pressed in the mud. “Frost and I piss you off, wind you up, and you go cry on someone’s shoulder, like Stephanie, or Kadri, or whoever else was in on it. Ever notice that so many of those conversations turned towards things you saw while you were with Wheeler?”

  “I didn’t tell anyone nothin’ about nothin’, man!” Kipley protested.

  “Doesn’t matter now,” Minh-Chu said, standing up as he saw the lights of descending combat shuttles. The crowd that was starting to gather began taking steps backwards.

  “All high-and-mighty, with your old wisecracks, and you’re just a goddamned slaver!” Kipley shouted. He breathed in enough water from the puddle forming around his face to send him into a coughing fit.

  “Here’s one for you,” Minh-Chu said, standing up and taking a step back. “‘If you can wish all your enemies well, you may someday only have friends.’ I don’t know if that’s true, but good luck just in case. I hope you find all the happiness you deserve.” Minh-Chu found it impossible to suppress a grin as he watched a half dozen armoured British Alliance soldiers drop from the shuttles, attach a harness to Kipley’s stiffened form and disappear w
ith him into the belly of the combat shuttle in a quick, orderly fashion.

  CHAPTER 6

  A Disturbance In The Council Chambers

  “Commander Ayan, Military Liason and Chief of Haven Shore Structural Development,” the automated record keeper announced to the council members as she entered their modest chambers. Ayan glanced at the silver lettering over the doorway just as she passed under it.

  FOR COMMON SAFETY, WELL BEING, AND HAPPINESS, it said. It was a goal that was proving more difficult to adhere to than Ayan could have ever imagined. Lacey Rosendale was right behind her. The automated system announced her entire title as well, “Lieutenant Lacey Rosendale, Aide to the Military Liason and Chief of Haven Shore Structural Development.” Ayan could almost hear the woman sneer at the announcement. Lacey hated all the time the automated announcer wasted by spouting her over-long title as she entered the room.

  Liam Grady stood at one end of the ten person conference table in his old fashioned cotton blue robes. The red belt at his waist bore impressions from Earth, the Triton, and Haven Shore. Along the sides of the tables stood Victor Davis in a grey Haven Shore security vacsuit, Iloona Murlen, her big brown eyes conveying worry from under caramel and black furred brow, and Cory Greene didn’t look at her at all, the delicate jewellery chains crossing the chest of his formal Carthan uniform jangling as he adjusted his coat cuffs.

  On the other side of the table stood Mischa Konev in loose skirts and uneasy poise. It looked like she had been crying. Beside her was Sunny Zinnes in his navy blue British Fleet uniform, a sensible garment that was much like Freeground’s vacsuits, but with a discernable pant and closed jacket. He was watching without being intrusive, and his assistant, Nuto Yann, an Issyrian who lived in a slim containment suit at all times, stood stiffly behind him. It was impossible to find out what he was feeling without asking directly, but his presence was always made known by the gentle sounds of his gurgling suit.