Asteroid Return: An Arek Lancer Novella Read online

  Jessups leaned away from the screen, giving it a nod. That was the message. Nothing else. I could tell by his posture that it was all delivered.

  It took me a couple seconds to figure it out, which was all the time Jessups gave me in the message. He started speaking again.

  “I am stationed at the new colony if you would like to get together to raise a drink to old friends. I will be there for a month.”

  The message ended and I opened the data packets.

  Anyone that intercepted the message would know that Jessups had given me some coded phrases. There was no way to hide that. They’d comb through the packets, dissect them, looking for whatever information Jessups would have passed on to me. They wouldn’t find anything. There was no information.

  Everything Jessups had to pass on, he had in the message.

  Just four simple words.

  The rock is active.

  But there was so much more in the message. Jessups was always a fan of hiding messages in plain sight. The intelligence division wanted to be tricky, always coming up with new and complicated ways of passing information from one source to another. Jessups, and myself, we preferred the simple ways.

  He used the plural ‘we’ when saying that the first reason, the deaths of my old unit mates, and the second were connected. This meant that it was the 2Es that thought it. The intelligence division more than likely.

  ‘New colony’ meant that he was on Rewe, a frontier world and Earth’s newest colony. There was a sizable Expeditionary Forces base there. The ‘raise a drink’ meant that he wanted to meet with me, face to face.

  I skimmed the packets. Each was an obituary and news article on the death of three men. Jon Herrin, Harald Devry and Stuart Thoms. Three good soldiers. Three good men. Each had died from various accidents. Also in each packet was a file, more details on their deaths. Police reports. Skimming those I quickly realized that none of the deaths was an accident.

  Made to look like accidents, but they weren’t. They were assassinations.

  I knew what those looked like. I’d done my fair share during the Spec Ops days.

  It really didn’t shock me. Aside from Devry, the other two had still been active duty. There was a cold war going on with the Tiat. After the truce and the end of the Third Galactic War, we had settled into an uneasy peace with them. That didn’t stop either side from still trying to wipe the other from the galaxy. Some of my missions had been against Tiat operations. The Tiat were bastards. We were as well, but nowhere near as bad as the Tiat. Reprisals, from both sides, were common.

  What was surprising was the frequency of the deaths.

  I had been right. They were all recent and pretty close together. Not a coincidence. They had been targeted. Which was odd, as one was retired and the other two weren’t that high up the food chain with the 2Es. Not high value targets.

  Not worth the effort.

  There was also the fact that all their names, including mine, would have been redacted and not on file. Not supposed to be anyways. It was information that no one should have had access to. But if it existed in some computer, someone could always get at it.

  That was one of the reasons I tended to keep to the area of the galaxy known as Deep Space. Out on the fringes and away from all the activity. Keeping a low profile. Trying to anyways. Because of Kaylia I knew I was probably on the Tiat’s radar but did they connect the freight hauler with the 2Es soldier?

  Jessups had said that it was assumed the deaths were connected to the other part of his message and I knew he was right.

  The rock was active.

  There was only one rock he could be talking about. One place that the three dead men, Jessups and me would have been connected.

  An asteroid located just a few systems, and hops, from Tiat controlled space. It had been used by them as a development factory. Lots of nasty stuff created there. Thankfully none of it had been used.

  Thanks to Jessups, Devry, Thoms, Herrin and myself.

  *****

  I thought about ignoring the message. Going deeper into the fringes and staying there.

  I wasn’t a soldier anymore. Not my fight. I could defend myself if the Tiat came hunting. Getting involved would just put me fully back on their radar and in their sights.

  Low profile.

  Tuyo Minor came into view. Half the size of Major but with twice as much nastiness. More valleys, more inhospitable. But the mining was better.

  We had a job lined up. Quick delivery to a system a few four to five hour hops away, the Youtin system. Not much in the way of credits, but it was money.

  Youtin would also put us that much closer to a hop to Rewe. It would still be a couple days and more time without a job or income.

  Just more reasons to not go.

  As I followed the coordinates from Minor’s Dock Control to the landing pad I was already doing the calculations that would take us from Youtin to Rewe and already angry at myself.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The white of wildspace became the black void of space with nothing visible ahead of us. We’d hopped into the fringes of the Rewe system. It shared the same name as the only inhabited planet. A colony world with a small population of natives.

  It had been discovered about ten years ago by an Expeditionary Forces vessel and us earthlings, Terrans, had laid claim to it. It had taken about four years of skirmishes and battles before the claim had been solidified. Three gas giants, one desert and one earth like planet with one lifeform that was near civilized. At least as judged by the standards of the galaxy. The native Rewens had never really advanced far or grown in population. Which was odd. No one had yet been able to find out why.

  Really, no one cared. It was essentially vacant and the system was the edge of known space so a perfect jumping off point for exploring further into the galaxy. The planet didn’t boast many natural resources so unlike the other colony worlds, or moons, Rewe’s real purpose was as a staging ground. Sure there were colonists, people setting up settlements across the planet but Earth’s government tried to ignore them. They only cared about the 2Es base.

  I’d been to the system a couple of times. First was before it was a true colony world, during the height of the claim fighting. Some deliveries but the funnest had been about two years ago when I helped out a friend in the Territorial Protectorate with a pirate problem.

  Well not really fun. The pirate part wasn’t the fun but the couple days after were. I hoped that Kristin was still stationed on Rewe.

  Kaylia stepped onto the bridge and my thoughts drifted away from TP agent Kristin Higareda and to what I was doing. This was a mistake, I knew it. And the kid’s presence, taking her seat in the co-pilot’s station, reminded me of it. My main goal in life now was to protect her and coming to Rewe was not going to do that.

  But I had to do something.

  Those men that had been killed, they were brothers. And I needed to know why they had been killed and what that could mean for me.

  And Kaylia.

  *****

  A nice and green world, lots of bodies of water, Rewe was very flat. No hills or mountains, which made for a constant wind across the plains. Pretty in its way. Very small, fourth from the sun, the climate was pretty moderate. Lots of rain though.

  Last time I had been here, there had been no cities of any size to be called cities. Just collections of buildings scattered across the plains. But in just a year or so a real city had grown up. Population of a hundred thousand or so. Made up of two and three story buildings, utilitarian, not much to look at. It was a true frontier world. Lots of different species came here to mingle with the human colonists. Most came to get away.

  The largest structure was no longer the spaceport. It was the 2E base.

  But I wasn’t getting a look at either. Or the planet.

  This trip I was stopping at the space station in orbit.

  The larger ships don’t have the ability to enter a planet’s atmosphere so they can’t land on that plane
t. To allow for these ships, the systems that could afford to ended up building giant space stations at the edges of the systems. A side benefit was it kept the in-system traffic down. The stations all basically followed the same designs to make them easier to use. All to make commerce better. Credits made the galaxy run, in space and on planet. Everything was done to make the transfer of credits easier, not the lives of the billions of people.

  The Rewe station was different. Not a place for merchants, it didn’t follow the standard design. This was a military station and that was how it looked. Unlike the merchant stations, which were long cylinders, this station was squat. Kind of globe with the top and bottom flattened. There was a docking ring around the middle but it wasn’t as big as the merchant stations. Two large gun platforms were mounted on the flat parts of the globe with smaller emplacements along the docking ring.

  It hadn’t been built the last time I was here and wasn’t as big as I thought it would be. The crew wasn’t large so there wouldn’t be a need for much in the way of creature comforts. The planet and all it had to offer was close enough for that.

  The ring was empty, as I figured it would be, except for one large ship. A Kry made vessel, heavy freighter that looked pretty beat up.

  I transmitted the Wind’s ID codes. Didn’t bother with calling the station’s dockmaster, I knew I was expected. Sure enough, without any questioning I got landing authorization. A couple bays down from the Kry freighter. If this had been a merchant station, I might have let Kaylia do the manual dock but not here.

  We got closer and I turned the ship so our aft end was facing the docking ring. The Wind was a giant wedge in shape with the aft end having slight angles on the two decks. The lower one had the ramp with a smaller door in it. Multiple cameras gave me a good view of the airlock now extending out from the docking ring. Using the thrusters I slowed the Wind and adjusted it so the airlock fit around the ramp.

  There was a bump, the ship moving slightly, as we connected with the airlock. The maglocks engaged, the black gasketing resting tight against the ship’s hull, and we were secured.

  I hit a couple buttons and put the Wind into standby.

  “Let’s do this,” I said to Kaylia and got up from my seat.

  I just knew I was going to regret this.

  *****

  Didn’t take long to regret it.

  I opened the Wind’s hatch and came face to face with blaster rifles. All pointed at me by six armored 2E infantry soldiers.

  Somebody must have forgotten to tell them I was invited.

  I felt Kaylia grab my shirt and shift so she was fully behind me. I kept my arms out to my side, palms turned towards the grunts. Good thing I’d left my weapon in the bunk.

  Not much had changed in the standard 2E uniform in the last five years. Dark green with black lines down the sleeves. Black blaster resistant armor pads at the knees, upper and lower legs along with the lower arms and elbows. The same chest covering tactical armor with various pieces of equipment attached to it. Pretty empty right now as these were on-station soldiers. I knew there would be clips on the back straps for other equipment to be connected. Things like environmental tanks. They all wore the green helmets with dark visors. Couldn’t see in but they could see out along with lots of other useful information on the helmet’s heads-up displays.

  “Hello,” I said with a smile.

  None of them moved but I did watch someone walk out from behind the soldiers. He was in a base uniform, clean and crisp and also unchanged over the years. About six foot, brown hair, clean shaven. Dark green pants, matching dark green jacket that was closed. Black trim down the long sleeves and down the front along the zipper. Patches depicting rank and unit were on the arm. Belted to his waist was a standard issue blaster.

  An officer.

  Even worse, a non-combat officer.

  He stood there, just off to the side, hands clasped behind his back.

  “Captain Lancer,” he said in greeting.

  “Hi,” I replied and nodded at the weapons. “Can you?”

  “No,” the officer replied. “You are authorized but she is not,” he said and pointed at Kaylia who still hid behind me.

  I rolled my eyes. Ridiculous.

  Kaylia was just a kid, what were they expecting? This was the response I would expect from a visiting Tiat. I mean, Kaylia could be dangerous, but this was an overreaction.

  “Okay,” I told the officer and turned back towards the ship, taking the kid by the shoulders and steering her into the hold. “We’ll just leave then.”

  I heard the airlock door open behind the soldiers and didn’t bother turning. I had a feeling I knew who it was.

  “Lieutenant,” a voice said. One I recognized. Full of command and annoyance. “What are you doing?”

  I turned around, trying not to smile. I still held Kaylia behind me hough.

  Colonel Jessups looked the same as the last time I saw him in person, over five years ago. Just older. Lots older. He looked worse then he did in the video. Very worn out, tired and old.

  “Sir,” the officer said snapping to attention. “Just following protocols. Captain Lancer brought an unannounced being on board the station.”

  Jessups sighed.

  He stood straight, arms clasped behind his back.

  “I will personally vouch for Captain Lancer’s associate,” he said in a tone that dared the officer to argue.

  The officer had the right to argue and by all the rules of the 2Es, he really should have. Kaylia was an unvetted non-human that was not part of the 2E. But he was young and Jessups was old, a colonel and a living legend. Sometimes the most important lesson a person could learn was when to back down.

  “Sir, yes sir,” the lieutenant said.

  “Back to your stations,” Jessups said.

  The officer turned on his heel and walked out the airlock. The soldiers all stood, adjusted their weapons to at-ease, and followed. In seconds it was just me, Jessups and Kaylia.

  “Not much has changed I see,” I said.

  “Davin is a good officer,” Jessups replied. “A little too by the book but the 2Es need those just as much as they need the ones that don’t follow the book,” he finished and smiled towards me.

  That was a reference to my time in the 2Es.

  I extended my hand and shook his.

  There probably wasn’t anyone in the galaxy that I respected as much as this man. More than anyone, he was responsible for who I was today.

  “Hello Kaylia,” Jessups said turning to look behind me at her, extending his hand.

  She tentatively reached out and shook it.

  He stepped back and moved his fingers in sign language. I could feel Kaylia’s laughter as she was still leaning against me.

  I shouldn’t have been surprised that Jessups knew she communicated through sign language. The colonel seemed to know everything.

  *****

  Jessups led us through the corridors of the station. I hadn’t asked him what it’s official name was. The 2Es liked to name their capital ships after former world leaders and the stations after major battles. There was a lot of those to choose from.

  They may not have even had a name. Lots of secret 2E installations around the galaxy, in Terran controlled space and some in territory controlled by others.

  It was too big to be a secret station. Rewe too well known and occupied. This was an official installation.

  This station was pretty empty and had the new station smell. I could see some areas still under construction. Besides the uniformed soldiers there were workers, including some Europans.

  That was different. First time I’d ever seen non-humans working on a 2E station. Visitors, sure. But working there?

  And Europans? They were from the largest moon of Jupiter in the Sol System. The same system that us Terrans were from. It was very rare to find a Europan anywhere outside of Sol. The furthest most of them ever got was the Sol Station at the edge of the system. But there were a half dozen
or so working, moving some beams.

  Kaylia stopped in an open doorway to watch them.

  Seven or eight feet tall, one long furry body. Short legs, wide and flat tail. Long arms. Their heads were part of the body, just bent forward. No neck, just a flat head. Small eyes, large mouth. Different shades of tan and grays.

  “Europans?” I asked Jessups. “That’s new.”

  “They were bound to start leaving Sol,” the Colonel said with a shrug. “They started joining the 2Es about two years ago.”

  “Hadn’t heard about that.” I was no longer part of the Expeditionary Forces but I did get some news now and then. Europans joining the 2Es should have been galactic news.

  “It’s been kept fairly quiet,” Jessups said as he motioned for us to continue.

  Interesting.

  We continued down the corridor and after about fifteen minutes or so stopped in front of a sliding door. It was unmarked and a small waiting area was set up in the wide hallway. A couple chairs and couches, table and vidscreen. It looked pretty hastily put together.

  “Kaylia will have to wait out here,” Jessups said.

  I was going to argue but she tugged at my sleeve.

  It’ll be okay.

  “You sure?”

  She nodded.

  I still hesitated, thinking back to the soldiers in the air lock, but she was essentially under Jessup’s protection and I would be right inside the room. She was safe enough.

  Nodding I gave her a quick one armed hug.

  Jessups inputted a code into the keypad. The door slid open and I could see a long conference table, vidscreen on the far wall and a couple people sitting. Not good enough to see who they were yet.

  “I should warn you,” Jessups started as I got a better view of one of the men in the room.

  Sitting on this side of the table, standing up and smiling, was Planetary Council Ambassador Frank Coulson.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  I should have turned around and left.