Forever Defend Read online

  That got everyone’s attention.

  Dan left the conversation he was having with the Guardian and the Guardian Marine commanders Peter and Todd and walked over to the table. “How,” Dan asked John, “did we manage to bring a cat down to the surface of this planet?”

  “There were only two groups that have animals on the Merideth Reynolds. Team BMW and the food and animals group,” John replied. “I’m going with Team BMW. I imagine they didn’t even realize they had shipped one of their cats down here.”

  Dan reached into the box and lifted out the black feline. “Since those guys never noticed when the cats infested a pallet of their beer supplies,” he scratched the cat on the head, “I believe you to be correct.”

  “What do you want to do with him?” John asked.

  “Her,” Dan corrected.

  John made a face. “Shit.”

  “Don’t stress it,” Dan told him. “So long as we don’t have any tomcats, I think we are fine.”

  “Yeah.” John turned around and started back to his post. “I’ve got to go get ready for Bethany Anne’s arrival.” He waved at Dan. “You just watch that little hussy stick her ass up in the air. If her tail is to the side and there is a male cat within a continent of here, grab her!”

  Dan looked down at the purring creature and wondered if there was a way to spay a cat easily down here on the planet. He pursed his lips.

  He’d have to talk with ADAM.

  Torcellan Passenger Ship (translated) Luxurious

  “Achronyx, open all doors necessary for us to reach the bridge.” Tabitha’s tablet was safely back with Dio, but she had her operations comm turned on.

  The first group of Torcellans were shocked to see the humans, who looked very much like them, running through their hallways.

  Their purple eyes followed them as they got out of the way.

  “Tell us what’s happening on the bridge,” Tabitha requested as they took a left down another hallway.

  Two Torcellans, their white hair flowing down their backs, lifted their hands as their eyes opened wide.

  “Halt!”

  They had barely spoken when Tabitha yelled “Rangers!” and the five of them dodged around, through and over the two Torcellans, who had armbands labeled “Security.”

  “Shut them down!” Tabitha commanded.

  The two security guys behind them tried to use their communicators, but found they weren’t working.

  “The bridge,” Achronyx answered Tabitha’s original question, “is concerned. The captain is well aware that pirate activity, or worse, slaver activity, is possible in this vicinity. The two extra sensor readings are causing him a lot of heartburn.”

  The five of them dodged a startled couple and took a right.

  Tabitha asked, “Any news on the two faint readings?”

  “They seem to be using a form of cloaking. The two contacts are starting to break from their positions and change direction, which is supporting the assertion they are not false readings.”

  The five turned the last corner to the bridge. There were two alien guards in front of the doors.

  “Fancy that…Tulets!” Tabitha commented. The opening of the bridge doors startled one of the two alien guards, who turned slightly to see if someone was coming out. They had large black eyes with sandstone-colored leathery skin. Tabitha noticed they had donned their ceremonial white clothing under their armor.

  Both Tulets were surprised when Tabitha damn near appeared between them. They reached for their weapons, but her hands had pinned their arms by the time the other four humans reached them.

  “Permission to enter the bridge, Captain” Tabitha barked, then walked in.

  The Torcellan captain turned to see who was yelling on his bridge and narrowed his eyes. “I did not give permission, and who are you?” he asked. He glanced up, only to see his guards covered.

  “Ranger Two, Etheric Empire,” Tabitha answered. “And the request was simply me being respectful, to let you know I was coming in.”

  The bridge crew was concerned as the captain eyed the dark-haired and darker-skinned alien.

  She definitely wasn’t a Torcellan.

  One of the support officers on the bridge cleared her throat. “Sir, we have incoming communications.”

  The captain eyed Tabitha, who told him, “Go ahead. If we are right, it will be a pirate or slaver. If we are wrong, then we will help rescue the ship in distress. Either way, you have the best possible support to help you in this situation standing right here with you on your bridge.”

  The captain eyed Tabitha before he made a gesture Tabitha assumed was at least accepting. He moved towards a large chair in the middle of the bridge, and sat down. “Put it on screen.”

  Yollin Space, Fifth Gate, Third Ring

  This time, the Ixtalis’ small ship was met at the Third Gate by an honor guard that flew her directly to the QBBS Meredith Reynolds.

  “It’s better to be on her good side than her bad,” the pilot mentioned as he matched speed and confirmed the coordinates.

  Senior Legate Addix had to agree, but she said, “We are expected, and the Empress wants this conversation done quickly. Don’t expect this treatment every time.”

  “One could hope,” the pilot replied.

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Meeting Room

  “Welcome back, Senior Legate Addix.” Gabrielle nodded as the Senior Legate was escorted in by a Guardian and her two Guardian Marines.

  Addix nodded, remembering that the humans were not accustomed to her mandible responses. “Thank you, Empress’ Captain Gabrielle.”

  Addix saw that this room they were meeting in was smaller. The table could possibly fit six humans, if they weren’t large.

  The Empress herself arrived with two Guards.

  Like those two, Addix thought to herself.

  Bethany Anne greeted Addix. “Welcome, Senior Legate.” She pointed to the large dark human on her right. “This is Darryl.” She turned her finger in the other direction. “And this is Eric.”

  Both nodded at her. “I’ve got outside,” Eric said as he turned around and stepped back out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  “Take a seat, Addix. Let’s get down to business.” Bethany Anne waved to a chair as she pulled one out for herself.

  Addix clicked her mandibles together. “Before we start, may I ask why you shut down my kill switch?”

  Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow towards her. “Did someone check?”

  Addix’s four major mandibles came together. “I was in a meeting when one of the usurpers stood up, yelled at me and clicked a device. He seemed quite upset when I didn’t slump down on the carpet and die. Then he reached for a weapon, but security already had him in their sights, and they shot his arm.”

  “Bad aim,” Bethany Anne commented.

  “They shot his arm off,” she amended.

  “Well, better aim, then.” Bethany Anne smiled. “It seems like maybe we forgot to turn it back on when we conversed with you last time.”

  “Or perhaps you expected the attempt, and protected me against such attacks so I could take my offer back to the council?”

  “Well, wouldn’t that be self-serving?” Bethany Anne countered.

  Addix tapped two of her minor mandibles together. “Yes, but I have enough information to think you might have done it for more altruistic reasons.”

  Bethany Anne shrugged. “The answer is more complex, and yet simple. All those reasons are good, and partially right. I disabled it for you, as I have for other Ixtalis who have boarded the Meredith Reynolds.” Bethany Anne was amused when she noticed the Ixtali’s mandibles stop mid-movement.

  “Plus,” she continued, “we left it off to protect you against your enemies, who obviously didn’t want you to live. That was just prudent on our part.” Bethany Anne’s good humor faded. “Finally, it was a message that we won’t put up with any modifications like that, so the Ixtalis should expect it to happen everywhere we go.”<
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  Addix was nodding her understanding until the last comment. “I’m sorry, do you mean every time an Ixtali comes here?”

  “No.” Bethany Anne tapped the table. “Every time an Etheric Empire ship is close enough to disable the kill switches, we will do so.”

  Addix slipped farther back in her chair, her spider-looking face blank. Bethany Anne was waiting when Senior Legate Addix put both hands on the table in front of her. “You really aren’t happy with my people, are you?”

  “Addix, I’m neither happy nor unhappy with how your people chose to make their future better. However,” Bethany Anne leaned forward, “I won’t put up with something like a kill switch.”

  “May I ask why?” Addix asked.

  “Your council had to figure this out,” Bethany Anne replied. “If we could turn off your kill switch, we could just as easily activate it, if the Etheric Empire wants to win a war against the Ixtali?”

  Bethany Anne waved a hand towards the legate.

  “I could just send the commands necessary to kill your race,” she finished.

  “Yes,” Addix’s minor mandibles started touching each other. “We thought you would have that ability. There is a plan in place to change the coding.”

  “ADAM?” Bethany Anne said.

  A male human voice replied from the speakers, “Yes, Empress?”

  “How many different commands are possible, related to the hardware we have investigated?”

  “Over two million permutations on three channels. So, call it about 6.425 million permutations. I’m assuming your next question is, how long it would take me to break it? Perhaps as much as one and one-half days.”

  Bethany Anne turned back to Addix. “Now you know why the Ixtalis must turn off those kill switches. Our planet has a saying.” Bethany Anne shrugged. “Once the genie is out of the bottle, you can’t put it back. Now that we know about the kill switches, your whole race can be killed from a distance. We don’t even need to be anywhere near you.”

  Addix sighed. The council was not going to be happy with her message. “Ok, assuming the council takes your advice, what does the Etheric Empire want from the Ixtali Nation?”

  “You need protection, and we can supply that,” Bethany Anne answered. “And in return, we need general intelligence so we aren’t attacked while we are absent.”

  “Why are you going to be absent?” Addix asked.

  Bethany Anne’s smile wasn’t gentle. “We have some Kurtherians to find and kill.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Medical

  Gabrielle was flanked by Eric on her left, and on her right was Stephen, with Jennifer next to him. Bethany Anne had decided to stand to the side so she could see their faces.

  “You are going to be a grandfather, Dad,” Gabrielle whispered as they all waited for the Pod-doc to finish checking the twins one last time.

  “Oh my God!” Jennifer whispered. “I’m going to be a grandmother!”

  The hushed chuckling around the room caused Jennifer to blush. As a Were, she still looked to be in her twenties, even if she was older and had seen a lot of tough action in her life.

  Bethany Anne thought back to the fateful time she was banging on Stephen’s door to either get him to deal with Petre, kick his ass, or kill him.

  Maybe all three. Instead, she had won her first sworn follower.

  She reached up to wipe away a small tear as she watched her team bring two new souls to meet the universe.

  Souls she was determined to keep as safe as she possibly could.

  Stephen spoke up. “Unlike Jennifer, I know I’m old enough to be a grandfather and am ready.”

  There was a soft whoomp when Jennifer punched Stephen in the ribs. “Never tell a woman she is old enough to be a grandmother,” she hissed. “She will let you know when it’s ok.”

  “Duly noted, and possibly ignored,” Stephen stage-whispered back.

  Everyone listened as the two kept the antics going. “You are impossible,” Jennifer told him.

  “I’ve been impossible every day since you fell in love with me.”

  “That was hormones.”

  “Hormones are definitely out of the picture after a couple of years,” he told her smugly. “What is your excuse now?”

  “You’ve had a thousand-plus years to find every weakness a woman has.”

  “Are you saying you would rather I bore you?”

  “Maybe,” Jennifer admitted. “But give me another century or so to figure that out.”

  Stephen chuckled. “As you wish.”

  Their byplay halted when a light appeared above the Pod-doc. Everyone took a step forward.

  ADAM’s voice came over the speakers in the medium-sized room. “Eric Escobar and Gabrielle Nacht, it is my—”

  “And mine as well,” TOM jumped in. They finished together, “Pleasure to announce your two healthy boys.”

  “We just need their names before you pick them up,” ADAM finished. “It’s part of the paperwork.”

  Gabrielle and Eric moved to the Pod-doc and held each other a moment as the lid finished opening. “Stephen Michael Escobar.” Gabrielle reached in, gently lifted her first son, and kissed him before turning and handing him to Eric. “And John Michael Escobar.”

  She tenderly lifted her second son and kissed him before the new parents turned to those in the room. Gabrielle held one son and laid a hand on Eric’s shoulder. “We would like to announce that I’m changing my name. I will be Gabrielle Nacht Escobar, since I’m taking this man as my husband.” She looked at Eric, the shock plain on his face. “You better understand any divorce will be more than painful.”

  “Never,” Eric whispered as he leaned over to kiss his soon-to-be wife. “But I never asked.”

  “And you never would,” Gabrielle answered. Stephen Michael chose that time to start crying, and everyone took a moment to wipe their eyes.

  Jennifer was caught kissing one of Stephen’s tears away.

  Bethany Anne leaned on Scott’s shoulder as Cheryl-Lynn walked up to play with the babies.

  John was coming back in two days, and she wished the young couple a happy forty-eight hours.

  She had a moment of sadness thinking of Michael. She knew in her heart he was alive. She could feel something when she was in the Etheric, but it was too nebulous to track, as it had been since he had disappeared in the explosion.

  She believed he had slipped into the Etheric, but she had no idea where in the Etheric. She’d tried to find him back in Colorado, but it had been hopeless.

  He felt more alive now, but he certainly wasn’t there for her to find—yet.

  Faith, she was learning, was a challenge she had to meet fresh every morning.

  So she did.

  Space Station Ekuled, Eubos system

  “That is a beast,” R’yhek commented as the team watched the huge space station come into view on Prometheus Minor’s screens.

  “Have you ever been here?” Nathan asked him.

  R’yhek ignored the fact that everyone turned to look at him. “About thirty years ago. It was maybe half as big back then. We had a small uprising on one of the slavers’ asteroids to put down.”

  “Did you kill the slavers?” Christina inquired.

  R’yhek shook his head. “Mercenary, Christina, remember? We fought for the paycheck, not which side was right.”

  Shi-tan kept his mouth shut. He had been part of a couple of conversations with R’yhek in the past month, and now understood the mercenary attitude a little better. It boiled down to, ‘The universe is a Bitch, so take what is yours and protect your brothers- and sisters-in-arms because the universe doesn’t give a shit about you’.

  Shi-tan understood. His bitterness over his family coming back dead or maimed had kept him out of any mercenary group. If he was going to get hurt for something, it was going to be for himself.

  In a way, a bounty hunter was just another form of mercenary. He just got to choose the ethics o
f the job.

  Now that had changed, and frankly, he was still feeling his way around this new paradigm in his life. He wasn’t sure it would all shake out completely positively, but he knew one thing.

  Whether he wanted it or not, this team had his back.

  He cracked his knuckles. “I wonder if they like a good bar fight?”

  Nathan chuckled. “Well, since our contact is a bouncer at one of the more violent bars, perhaps we should consider that a good way to interview her?”

  “Her?” Christina asked.

  Torcellan Passenger Ship (translated) Luxurious

  The captain looked at the black screen. “This is the Torcellan Ship Hythethaneuk answering Distress Signal four-one-one-five. Why have you not answered before now?”

  The video slowly faded in and multiple gasps occurred around the bridge.

  Skaines.

  “We haven’t answered before now,” the Skaine captain sneered, “because we didn’t want you rabbiting. It seems you were keeping your speed a little high, and might have been able to dodge our little welcoming party.”

  “The Torcellan people will not take this lying down. We will have—”

  The Skaine captain laughed. “Have what? Another mercenary company come after us? We are the Skaine, and we don’t run from any Torcellan just because you threaten us. We run from noth—”

  Tabitha stepped into the camera. “Hello, Skaine.”

  The captain’s eyes narrowed, then opened wide in recognition. “YOU!”

  Tabitha nodded, her eyes flaming red. “That’s right, me, and the Tontos too, you fuckwit asswipe. You and your two other ships need to prepare to be blown out of space into enough small particles to—”

  The video died.

  Tabitha yanked her head around to stare at the comms officer. “Bring back that damned video!” she shouted angrily.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t,” The comms officer replied, looking between Tabitha and the captain.

  “Tabitha,” Achronyx spoke through the bridge’s speaker, “I’m picking up the three Skaine ships breaking from their locations and leaving in separate directions.”