Never Surrender (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 16) Read online

  He had more than enough money in the cross solar system banks to continue this chase. Furthermore, it provided him an opportunity to get to see these new humans up close.

  Who knew? It might provide an opportunity to test his martial abilities against them.

  Third Outer Ring - Yollin System Space Control

  Third Shift, First Class Ships’ Controller Yri-Keva took another look at the ship’s information displayed on her ship registry for inbound craft. Her four legs still wrapped under her couch, she turned her torso to the right. “Turrel?”

  “Huh,” he grunted, going through the ships in this area of space, handing one of the larger commercial ships over to the second ring. The ship was slowing down, as it made its way towards Space Station One. They didn’t care about the names of the stations here in Space Control. You got a number, and you were good.

  Except for the humans. Their station was the Meredith Reynolds, or just the Reynolds if you were short of breath.

  “Check out ship one-one-six coming in from Commercial Gate Three,” she told him.

  Turrel confirmed his ship was passed off to Ring Two and flipped a screen, punching up Yri-keva’s area of responsibility. It took a second for him to recognize what she was pointing out to him. “A bounty hunter?” He punched another couple of buttons on his controller, “A good bounty hunter, a Shrillex.” Turrel reached up and scratched his right mandible.

  A tic, Yri-keva had figured out, it wasn’t because he itched, but rather because he was thinking and she thought he felt it provided an excuse not to talk.

  Finally, he turned towards her. “I don’t think the humans have any rules against a Bounty Hunter in our system.” His right hand tapped his monitor. “I’d say send him the rules, and then notify the Empress’s representative what we have.”

  “Yes,” Yri-keva turned back to looking at her screen and moved her controller around. “That is a good point. I wish I were a small insect on the wall of his ship when he receives the rules.”

  —

  The beep from the cockpit alerted Shi-tan that the ship had received instructions moments before he could feel the artificial gravity make changes as they veered from their previous course and aligned on the new one. He looked up at the slaved monitor in his room and was happy to see his requested space station had been approved.

  Then, his eyes narrowed as a little red flag caught his attention.

  He had received additional instructions. The red flag notified him they included rules not to break on pain of death.

  Shi-tan slowly wiped his hands dry, then confirmed the sutures holding closed the slice in his chest, were helping him heal properly.

  They weren’t caused by his quarry, but rather a random bar fight he had been in during his last night at his previous stop. He hadn’t started the fight, and once the video confirmed he hadn’t escalated the violence when he was attacked with a bladed weapon, they absolved him of the bar repair bills and the hospitalization charges.

  He looked in the mirror and smiled, his many sharp teeth lending an air of menace to what was, he thought, a very welcoming face.

  He winked to himself and tossed the towel over the holder as he made his way out of the room and up to the cockpit.

  Time to see what new rules the leaders in this sector of space had for him.

  ----

  Christina Bethany Anne Lowell hopped out of the executive pod and made a beeline for the exit. At the moment, her parents weren't any fun to be around. She could tell they were both frustrated and angry with each other as a result of how the operation had gone. And it had nothing to do with the success.

  They had received the money, and they had traded the nanocyte infested spices to the Yollins. However, Dad had gotten mighty upset when that maggot infested tapeworm had tried to buy her.

  Personally, she thought it was funny, and she’d be happy when she was old enough to get away with using some of the creative language being around Aunt Bethany Anne was teaching her.

  However, Mama had told her to go find whoever was working in All Guns Blazing and stay with them for a few minutes while her parents had, "a talk.”

  That was good enough for her, they had the best root beer in that place.

  ---

  Ecaterina closed her eyes, willing herself to remain calm. Opening them, she turned to her mate. "I understand that it upset you when the security person tried to buy our daughter. In the future, we will probably find this funny. And ... I know that he pulled a gun and armed it when both our daughter and myself were in the vicinity."

  Nathan, his teeth grinding in his mouth, worked to keep his anger out of his voice. "No, Ecaterina, I don't think you do understand. I had a family before, and I lost them. That was incredibly painful for me. And while I don't wish to bring up previous relationships, I want you to know, if something happens to the two of you, I doubt I will survive it."

  Ecaterina stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. "I get that, Nathan. But you need to understand that what we are doing is something that we are doing. I don't want our daughter left up here. If it becomes too dangerous, then we will all quit."

  Nathan turned to Ecaterina. "Too dangerous? How are we going to know what is too dangerous until it happens?"

  "Perhaps that will be your responsibility? Make sure that we don't get into something that's too dangerous, right?"

  Nathan turned his head to face forward, and then slowly beat his head back against the seat headrest one time for each word. "You - Don't - Under - Stand.” He stopped beating his head and turned to look at her. “Anything could happen, and we wouldn't be planning on it. We could be attacked just enjoying ourselves at supper sometime because we are known to be a part of this.” He whirled his hand around, “You are exposing our daughter to danger."

  "Our daughter is not a normal human. She is one of the most protected young people in this area of space. Who is going to get to her through us, through you for goodness sake? You just ripped off an arm and threw it against a spaceship, Nathan." Ecaterina chuckled a moment. "Okay, I hope the videotape shows that because it really was funny as hell. Our daughter can change shapes. She wears some of the most technologically advanced armor that Jean Dukes can provide for her. I would not knowingly risk our daughter if I didn't think she is safer with us than here."

  Nathan turned on her like she had just lost the argument. "See, there!" He pointed at her. "She would be safer here on the Meredith Reynolds then down there with us."

  Ecaterina's lips pressed together in thought, she considered his arguments and had to finally agree. While she didn't want to admit it, her greatest fear, at the second, was Nathan dying somewhere and she couldn't help him. "I'll tell you what, each operation we can decide how dangerous it is. If at some time it only requires you, only you will go. If it is so dangerous that Christina and myself need to stay on the Meredith Reynolds? Then you and I will have a discussion about whether or not it is necessary for you to go on the mission. Is that understood?"

  Nathan nodded his head in understanding.

  "Finally, I will bet you that she will do something that will still amaze you, that will make you admit she is useful in an operation,” she concluded.

  Nathan stared at his mate for a moment. "You think she is going to be useful in an operation? Like, can take care of herself or what?"

  Ecaterina shrugged. "I don't know. I just feel that she is going to surprise you. Hell, she’ll probably surprise both of us. You've said yourself that she is the most advanced Wechselbalg that you have ever heard about."

  When the two of them agreed on the bet, Ecaterina sure hoped that her mouth didn’t just run ahead of her gut feeling.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  "Scott, I am on my way to Jean's lab. I need you to cover Bethany Anne.” John took a right down a corridor, heading to get suited up. With Jean constantly talking about what they have accomplished in her group, he was aware there might be something new he could play with today.

 
And it seemed like this was his opportunity to have a little fun that wasn’t in the schedule.

  Provided the dumb fucks down on the planet didn't become wise and decide to throw down their arms.

  His friend replied right away. ”John, it’s Scott. I'm inbound on Bethany Anne's position and will be there in 15 seconds. What's up?"

  John took a left. ”Hope I didn't take you away from anything buddy. However, we have a situation down on the planet that is going to require some personal involvement. I told Bethany Anne I would go take care of it so she can continue the crap meeting she is in right now."

  Scott chuckled. "You told her you would take care of it so that she didn't leave you stuck in her place in the meeting."

  John smiled. "Well, I don't think they believe I'm qualified to run the meeting, but anything is possible. If I have to decide between option A which is staying up here and talking with a bunch of incredibly intelligent but charismatically lacking people. Or option B, going down to the planet and potentially getting to fuck up some people? I’ll go option B."

  "We would all choose option B, every damned time. Ok, I'm at the door, so have fun and see you back tonight?"

  "You bet. Jean and I are looking forward to taking you and Cheryl Lynn out for dinner."

  John arrived at the R&D facilities, typed in his security code and pressed his hand against the wall. EI Meredith viewed him from seven different directions to make sure it was, in fact, John Grimes. The door lock clicked, and the two guards stepped aside to allow him to enter.

  Yollin Planet, New Yollin Government Building

  Kael-ven was sitting on his couch behind his desk, going through different bits of information he needed to review as he, plus others, worked to keep the lid on planet Yoll.

  He paused, briefly, to watch as Snow demolished her new chew toy, once again marveling at the strength in her jaws.

  With all of the upheaval due to the information that people knew, and what everyone suspected, plus what everyone was lying about, there were so many holes in the dam that he didn't have enough appendages to plug all of them with.

  Whoever said revolutions would be easy had never tried to accomplish one with a minimum amount of bloodshed.

  He pulled up his tablet when it beeped and hit the button to speak. "Yes, ADAM?”

  “Kael-ven, I have been asked by Bethany Anne to give you an update about a physical confrontation in the town of R’Chkoklet.”

  Kael-ven put his hand on his face and ground his mandibles together. He wiped his eyes and then responded, "Okay, I'm going to assume it is upper-level caste idiots again. However, if you're talking to me, it must be more than what is normally happening with these jackasses.” He waved a hand across his desk. “In over a hundred and fifty different locations, right now?"

  ADAM responded, "Yes, this time there are deaths because of advanced weapons having been brought to bear. It is presently on the news if you care to see a reporter’s view?”

  Kael-ven’s shoulders slumped. "Damn, I was hoping it wouldn't get to this. Okay, I will take a few minutes and view the newscasts…"

  ADAM interrupted Kael-ven’s reply. "John Grimes is preparing to come down and have a conversation with them."

  Kael-ven jumped up off his couch and snagged his pistol, sliding it into the holster as he headed toward the door. He grabbed the small suitcase Jean had provided him to put on in the pod. "Why didn't you tell me John was coming in the first place? Shit, man, sorry. EI, AI, whatever acronym you are at the moment. John coming was the information I needed the most." Kael-ven pulled open the door and nodded to his two security men who stood outside. “We've got to go to a hotspot and try to talk some sense into some idiots."

  He stopped as Snow barked from his feet. “You can come in the pod, but you will need to stay there while I go talk to these morons.”

  Snow growled her displeasure.

  Kael-ven waved her through the door, “I know you’re brave and courageous, but you’re growing faster than Bobcat can drink beer. That’s why,” he held up the case he was carrying, “you don’t have any of Jean’s armor. Once you stop growing, so you’ll be able to wear something for more than 10 days before it’s too small, we’ll ask Jean to make you something. I care for you too much to have you hurt by some idiot who’s too stupid to know he’s dead if John has to talk to him.”

  Snow’s tail drooped as she went past her partner, but she didn’t voice any more objections. As much as she hated that he was right, getting shot wasn’t part of her immediate plans.

  One of the security men grabbed his door, shut it, and locked it behind them as they hustled to keep up with the Yollin leader.

  The security people ahead of Kael-ven were notified. Every single door between Kael-ven’s office and the Executive Pod Bethany Anne provided him for rapid transit across the planet had the doors open. The pod was even warmed up and lifted off the ground a foot as he and Snow strode across the tarmac and jumped in.

  Four other security men were inside the pod as the doors shut behind them and it took off blazingly fast. There were newscasters stationed around the building who noticed the quick, and speedy exit of the new Yollin leader. The fact that he was jetting somewhere was around the planet in mere seconds.

  Most assumed he was going to the latest hotspot.

  R’Chkoklet, Planet Yoll

  Pehl-eck got the news that the Yollin planetary leader was most likely inbound. She took a few moments to make sure she looked more than presentable. This could help her again.

  She had already interviewed him once before up at the King’s Palace, right after the Empress had killed the Kurtherian.

  Kael-ven had been good to his word, and to the Empress's word when they worked double-time to transform the palace into a museum. All the horrible and grotesque heads that had been on his walls had been buried with the plaque over them on the palace grounds, and each had a gravestone with their information.

  Before they buried the heads, they had created videos of the palace to show people what it looked like before they took some of the furniture and other valuables out. However, you can find the video of exactly what the palace looked like when the king died. Bethany Anne had been very clear that it should all be there, both good and bad, for future generations.

  It seemed but moments, even though it was thousands of miles for the Yollin leader to make it to the small town. The commotion down at the building three blocks away increased a little as everyone noticed the large Executive Pod with the emblem of the Yollin leadership next to the Etheric Empire symbol coming out of the sky.

  Pehl-eck was surprised that the idiots down at the end of the street didn't try to shoot at the pod. For all she knew, they assumed that they would be able to take it over and have their own transportation soon enough.

  Pehl-eck wasn't willing to bet against these aliens, nor Kael-ven.

  For a previously second caste individual, he seemed to be very wise and thoughtful as he tried to support their people.

  The rumor was that he was a slave of the Etheric Empire’s Queen for a total of seven years. However, a different story had it he had won back the punishment for his ship’s crew, who had already been repatriated to their own homes on the planet or the space stations up above.

  She fluttered her mandibles in indecision as she considered whether or not she and her crew should get closer to the building. Surreptitiously, she nodded toward the building and raised an eyebrow to her team. Her videographer shook his head negative.

  She nodded and decided she would do the interview if they could get one with him from here.

  When the pod came down, she grimaced. They wouldn't get an interview. He was landing much too close to the building with the upper caste fighters.

  She looked at her video man and whispered, "I hope you have a way to get the sound from here!"

  —

  Kael-ven had taken the short amount time on their trip over to research what was going on here in the city.

>   Bethany Anne and her group had already placed multiple satellites around the planet effectively providing more information than what was available even from the Yollin system. Since this situation blew up, they had even sent a small inbound missile with Nanites to get more information.

  A request came up from the front. "Sir? We're being asked how close we wish to land to the building."

  Kael-ven thought about it for a moment. "About a block and a half. That should be close enough to show that we don't fear them, and yet not so close that it incites them to shoot us right away."

  He waited the next few moments as the pod landed. While it was under the control of one of the EIs, it allowed for some clarification of movements from those upfront. As the ranking person on the ship, he had the ability to override the destination at any time just using his voice. However, most pilots didn't know this fact, and he had no desire to share that information with them.