Star Raiders (11 page)

“Why my ship?” Damon protested.

“Because it’s the smal est and oldest one we have.” She grinned. “If it doesn’t come back, you can have Greyson’s.”

Chapter Seven

Greyson stood outside
Spitfire
as Eldin strapped the children into some makeshift seating. This trip was bound to be interesting.

Going to the outpost and seeing Kincaid again was a gamble. Though he knew Kincaid would see to the children’s welfare, the man had little reason to grant him any favors. Five years ago he’d testified at Kincaid’s hearing about the incident at the Largon colony. His testimony kept Kincaid from spending time in a penal colony and helped him maintain his rank, even if he was then posted as far from civilization as possible, but that didn’t mitigate the fact that Kincaid felt Greyson had betrayed their friendship.

At the time, Greyson had felt compel ed to reveal the truth, but time had a way of blurring the sharp lines of right and wrong. If he’d kept his mouth shut, kept the truth hidden, Kincaid might have walked away from the hearing without penalty, his career with ELF intact. Instead, because of Greyson’s actions, a good man and a bril iant soldier was reduced to running an unimportant outpost.

“I’m not going.” Brina’s voice jarred Greyson from his memories. “I want to join your crew,” the girl continued.

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” Shyanne said. The two women stood just out of sight, down the corridor and around a corner, but their voices were clear.

“We’re smugglers. Outlaws. Go back to a more safe, comfortable life. You’l prefer it in the end.”

Brina snorted. “I’m not a child. I know what I want. What life would you have me go back to? The one where I was a slave? Is that safe or comfortable?” Greyson heard Shyanne gasp in surprise. As he started to move toward the pair, Brina continued.

“That’s right. I was the senator from Regalus’s slave. One of my duties was to care for his daughter. She d-died in the attack.” The young woman’s voice broke for a moment, then hardened. “How warm do you think my welcome wil be when I’m returned?”

“Don’t you have any family?” Shyanne asked.

“I don’t know. My colony was raided when I was eight. It wasn’t a sanctioned Earth colony, and I don’t even remember its name. Please, let me stay with you. I’m a good cook and have some limited medical skil s.” Greyson heard Shyanne heave a sigh and then say, “Al right. You can stay with us until we can find your family or a place for you.”

“Thank you.”

Greyson couldn’t see what happened, but he heard Shyanne cough and the rustle of clothing being straightened.

“Go help Eldin get the children settled for the trip. Afterward he’l set you up with a cabin and some clothing.” A few seconds later, Brina rushed past Greyson into the ship.

Shyanne fol owed and stopped beside him. “You heard?” she asked.

He nodded. “You should have sent her with the children. Kincaid would have seen to getting her settled somewhere safe. Earth banned slavery ages ago. No one would send her back to Regalus.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Who knows what the Earth government might do to prevent that senator from making a fuss? I couldn’t take the chance.” As much as Greyson hated to admit it, she had a point. With the threat of C.O.I.L. intervention hanging over their heads, the fate of one girl wouldn’t amount to much.

Eldin and Brina came out of the
Spitfire
. Eldin eyed Greyson. “The children are ready. I gave them al a mild sleeping draught, so they shouldn’t give you any trouble on the trip. You’re sure your friend wil see to them properly?” Greyson nodded.

Eldin said to Brina, “Let’s get you settled in. I know just the quarters that’l work for you.”

As they left, Greyson turned to board the
Spitfire
. Shyanne’s hand on his arm made him pause.

“Come back,” she said.

“I didn’t know you cared.” Before he could control his tongue, the wisecrack slipped out, masking his real feelings. As much as he’d like to deny it, he wanted her to care.

She snatched back her hand. “I don’t. But without your assistance it’l be harder to take down Dempster. And if you’re not around to back them up, wil ASP

honor the pardons they promised? I’d hate to test that.” Knowing what he did, Greyson felt the same way.

A short time later Greyson docked at the ELF outpost. He took a deep breath and punched the control panel to open
Spitfire
’s hatch. Behind him, the children slept peaceful y.

The hatch swung open. After the dim il umination of the transport craft, Greyson squinted in the bright light of the docking bay. Five armed men stood waiting, their weapons leveled at his chest. He raised his hands and took a step down the ramp. The chil y air didn’t stop the sweat from trickling down his spine.

“Hold,” a familiar voice ordered.

Greyson blinked and the man came into focus. “Carter Kincaid.” Five years hadn’t changed his old friend. With long dark hair, swarthy complexion, scarred face and the dagger always strapped to his waist, he looked more like a pirate than an ELF officer. His disreputable appearance hadn’t won him any points with the judges during the hearing, but it was his disrespect for authority that real y sealed his fate. Few people who saw him would guess at his strong sense of justice. That same inner code was what had led him to disobey direct orders on Largon. And though his action saved lives, it had ruined his promising career and landed him here.

“Dane?” The barrel of the man’s laser rifle dropped a notch. “What in the blazing galaxy are you doing running with pirates?”

“Long story. Wil I have time to tel it?” Greyson gave the weapons a pointed stare.

“At ease,” Kincaid told his men.

Greyson let his arms drop, too.

Kincaid’s gaze narrowed as he glanced back toward the
Spitfire
. “Are there children aboard, or was that a ruse to gain access to this station?”

“No ruse. There are ten. Al have translator chips, so your medic should be able to track down their families. They’re asleep in the cargo hold. They’re Regalian nationals.”

“Nice of you to drop miniature bombs in my lap.” Earth relations with Regalus were strained. Regalus slavers regularly raided human colonies that refused to unite with Earth and acknowledge Consortium authority. Despite Earth’s protests, the Consortium hadn’t seen fit to intervene. As a C.O.I.L. member for more than six hundred years, Regalus had more clout in the council.

Kincaid heaved a sigh and ordered, “Dyson, go aboard and check.” One of his soldiers nodded. Weapon ready, he moved past Greyson into the ship. A few minutes later he reappeared. “Confirmed, and al clear, Commander.” Greyson waited as Kincaid touched his temple and spoke. A few minutes later, an older woman and two men dressed in medical whites entered the docking bay.

Without addressing Kincaid, the two men directed several automated antigrav stretchers up the ramp into Spitfire. The woman paused next to Greyson and asked, “What were the children given?”

“Meloton,” Greyson said, naming the mild sedative Eldin had administered. The woman’s stern look softened. She nodded, then fol owed the men inside the ship.

It took less than ten minutes for the medics to offload the children and whisk them away. After Kincaid dismissed his soldiers, he turned his attention to Greyson, who stood near the top of
Spitfire
’s ramp. Seeing the look in the man’s eye, Greyson wondered if he should make a break for it. He glanced from Kincaid to the open hatch. No. Even if he managed to get inside the ship, he couldn’t launch with the bay doors closed.

Kincaid cocked his head and grinned. “Not thinking of trying something stupid, are you? Come with me.” Raising his rifle, he motioned Greyson ahead of him.

Inside his office, Kincaid racked his rifle and plopped into the worn chair behind his desk. Greyson took a moment to look around. From his less than military appearance and general disregard for military protocol, no one would guess Kincaid was a neat freak, but like the rest of the smal station, Kincaid’s office was clean and wel organized if old and outdated. Behind the desk a large view screen showed an expanse of empty space, making the tiny office appear larger than it was.

“Sit,” Kincaid said.

Greyson complied. He’d known getting on and off this station wasn’t going to be easy. The confrontation between himself and this man was five years overdue.

But instead of bringing up the past, Kincaid leaned on his forearms. “What the hel are you up to?”

“The less you know the better. If it blows up on me, you don’t want to be involved.”

Kincaid looked surprised. “So, by-the-book Dane has decided to skip a page?” Some of the tension left his body, and he leaned back in his chair and studied Greyson.

“More like a chapter. Or two.”

It was an old joke, him being a stickler for the rules, and it made Greyson smile. When they were students together at the military academy, they’d spent hours debating the finer points of Earth and C.O.I.L. laws. They’d met at the age of ten, at primary school, and become inseparable, brothers in al but blood. Greyson was the privileged foster son of a wealthy businessman, Kincaid the son of an abusive drunk. With Greyson’s foster father’s assistance, Kincaid and Greyson both attended Earth’s finest military academy. After graduation, Greyson had opted for service in ASP, while Kincaid enlisted in ELF.

In hindsight, based on their personalities, their choices struck Greyson as odd.

With his looks and disregard for military protocol, Kincaid would have been a better fit for ASP’s undercover operations. And with Greyson’s need for order and discipline, serving in Earth League Force would have made more sense. Odd, how things didn’t always work out logical y.

Kincaid interrupted Greyson’s musing about their past. “Just give me the high points and let me decide whether or not I want to be involved.” Though Kincaid made no mention of their history, Greyson wasn’t fooled into believing he’d forgotten. The man knew how to hold a grudge. Apparently, however, he wasn’t looking to immediately exact revenge. He took a chance and briefly explained the situation.

Kincaid let out a low whistle. “You’re up to your neck in it, aren’t you, old friend?

I’ve heard of Shyanne Kedar and Simon Dempster. Of the two, I’d put my money on Dempster as the culprit, but al the recent evidence points the other way.”

“Evidence isn’t always reliable. And the truth is…often less obvious than it seems.” Greyson wished he could go back and handle the Largon case differently.

Kincaid’s mouth tightened but he nodded. “I’ve had years to think about the difference between evidence and truth. And, as much as I hate to admit it, because of you I haven’t had to think about it in an eight-by-ten cel .” Greyson shook his head. “If I’d kept the truth to myself, you might have walked away without censure. You’d probably be a general by now.” Kincaid laughed. “Unlikely. The next time I decided to twist the rules to suit my purpose, would you have been there to bail me out?”

“Your actions saved innocent lives.”

“And put others at risk.” Kincaid stood and turned to face the black void of space. “Only pure dumb luck kept that whole fiasco from backfiring on me.”

“You did what you had to do in a difficult situation. We both did.” Kincaid turned to face Greyson. “What do you need from me?”

“Need?” Greyson was taken aback. “Nothing. You don’t need to get involved.”

“If what you say is true about the Consortium sending in their troops, it’l affect every human in Earth space, and al those people in the outer worlds. I’m already involved, whether I want to be or not. And I want to be. So what do you need?” Greyson knew once Kincaid made up his mind, there was no swaying him. He supposed he should count his blessings.

“I could use remote access to ELF and ASP files.” When he’d left headquarters, taking what the director thought was a leave of absence, Greyson had been forced to sign off the system; otherwise his UTD—the undetectable tracking device instal ed in every ASP agent—would have showed his every move.

While on leave, a UTD stil recorded an operative’s movements, but no one monitored them. Only if the operative failed to report back at the specified time, or if the operative activated his emergency beacon, would those records be viewed.

“I’l set you up with a long-distance link. Anything else?”

“Cancel the emergency cal you made.”

“Already done.”

Greyson started. “When? How?”

Kincaid grinned. “Right after you docked. After I took over this station, I made a few modifications to the communications system. ASP and ELF overrides don’t work here anymore.”

“Stil playing fast and loose with regulations, eh?” Kincaid shrugged. “When it suits my purpose.”

“There’s one more thing—favor—I need.”

“What?”

“If this al fal s apart, do you have connections to get Shyanne and her crew out of Earth space and someplace where they can start a new life? Someplace safe.”

“Fujerking hel , if Consortium troops come knocking, I’l take them there myself.”

Chapter Eight

Pistol in hand, Shy awaited the
Spitfire
’s return in the docking bay. When Greyson exited the ship, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Too much could have gone wrong. The thought that he might not have come back bothered her more than she liked.

“Let me know when you make up your mind if you’re going to shoot me or not,” he said with a grin.

Anger at his carefree mockery burned away her softer feelings. “Don’t worry, you’l know when I decide. It’l be the last thing you ever know.” Holstering her pistol, she strode out of the bay.

He fol owed. In the lift, he started to speak, then fel silent.

She got them past the security measures and onto the bridge by rote. Able and Terle manned the helm; Eldin was stil helping settle Brina into her quarters. Though the engine could be control ed from the bridge, Bear liked to be down with it whenever they were under way, in case anything went haywire. His presence in the engine room had saved their asses more than once. The man was a genius with anything mechanical.