Retribution, p.1
Retribution, page 1
Table Of Contents
What Reviewers are Saying
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
About the Author
Contact Mike:
Coming Next
Other Books by This Author
What Reviewers are Saying
“This is the second book I’ve read by author Michael J. Farlow, and I’ve come to the realization that he has a knack for crafting well-written space military tales that transport you to alien worlds that any sci-fi lover will relish. Retribution is an action-packed tale … There is a genuine sense of camaraderie between Nick and his crew that makes you want to root for them in every scenario… I very much enjoyed Retribution. Recommended to space opera fans and readers who love action-packed military thrillers.”
Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite
“The plot in Retribution by Michael J. Farlow is complicated and exciting … fast-paced and full of action … I could not put it down. The characters were excellently developed … I felt as if I was part of the crew in this sci-fi world … very powerful”.
Alma Boucher for Readers’ Favorite
“In Retribution: Records of the Argos by Michael J. Farlow, expect space-tech savvy, and intuitive and strategic manipulation of events at every step ... The dialogue between the captain and the AI is most certainly entertaining … Michael J. Farlow understands surveillance, armory, and robotic intelligence since his descriptions of these mechanisms are apt but he harmoniously wraps them up in a plausible yet adventurous way.”
Bryone Peters for Readers’ Favorite
“Michael J. Farlow gave this suspenseful science fiction story every element needed for a thrilling plot… The Argos’ artificial intelligence system, Wizzy, made me laugh. I have never read a book where the ship had an attitude and made smart-aleck remarks… The twists in the book added suspense, and sometimes I couldn’t figure out whether someone was an ally or an enemy. Retribution kept me glued to the pages with all the action … This book is perfect for fans of science-fiction stories full of conflict and colorful character personalities.”
Stephanie Chapman for Readers’ Favorite
“… a fine story based on strong characters, first-person presentations, and encounters that neatly juxtapose action and intrigue … a story about subterfuge, ploys, and plots that keeps the events fast-paced and the interpersonal revelations in line with not only past events but with the development of Nick’s crew.
Fans of military sci-fi and space opera will find Retribution an excellent saga of justice, redemption, and intrigue that paves the way for yet another in the series.”
Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Retribution
Records of the Argos
Copyright ©2022 by Michael J. Farlow
First Edition: November 2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, redistributed, or transmitted in any form by any means, including photocopying, recording, digital scanning, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial used permitted by copyright law.
For permissions requests, please address Wolf Press, LLC, 8000 IH-10 West, Suite 600, San Antonio, TX 78230.
ISBN: 978-1-7327306-6-3 Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-7327306-7-0– eBook (ePub)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022942489
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Published by Wolf Press, LLC
San Antonio, Texas
Cover and Interior design by: Streetlight Graphics
For new books, blog updates and to sign up for the newsletter, please go to
www.michaeljfarlow.com
Acknowledgements
As always, my principal editor Tammy Salyer has been a godsend. I thank her for our many years of working together and wish her well as she returns to writing again. I also continue to be grateful to Mike Peterson, Jim Aldrich Jr, and Carl Johnson for their reading skills and insightful comments leading to the finalization and launch of this book. Writing is not a thing to be done alone.
Prologue
Orders for: Captain Hall
This order comes as a backup and confirms a later change to our verbal discussion. You are hereby ordered to the area of space in which Azel is the only inhabitable planet. As in the Tye mission, Argos will present itself as a trading ship, this time in agricultural machinery. Samples have been stowed in the cargo bay. You have been provided with an adequate supply of rare materials such as gold to use as payment for supplies and possibly other cargo.
The Consortium has limited intelligence on Azel and its system. We know that the planet was a considerable resource for the Arkon before the war, housing sites for major operations of manufacturing, agriculture, shipbuilding, and even mining for the Arkon war machine. In the two and a half years since the war, very little has been discovered about what might or might not be left of the Arkon on the planet. We suspect the Arkon are gone or at such a reduced level of strength that they, as an organized force, are not currently a threat to the Consortium and its allies.
As always, the standard mission of the Argos is to obtain knowledge of the status of the planet and its countries, determine threats, if any, to the Consortium and the welfare of the planet’s peoples, and report your findings to the Consortium through me. You will not allow the ship to fall into non-Consortium hands and will deal with the unexpected as appropriate.
As we discussed, it would not be good to get as deeply involved as you did in the Tye system. You are one ship, not a fleet.
We learned from the president of Tye that the new member of your crew, Tiana, was part of the royal family of Azelius before the Arkon took over the planet. That could present a challenge for her, and you, should you visit that country. Be reminded that she, by her own agreement, is part of the Argos’s crew now and, as such, a part of the Consortium and of the Guardian Force. Her potential interactions with any remaining royal family members will be solely as a member of your crew, under your orders, and nothing more.
A recent development has resulted in a new prime goal for the Argos beyond intelligence gathering. The government of Tye, now part of the Consortium, has verified information that General Gurko, an Arkon Red, and his superior, Berzalius, an Arkon Blue, are currently in the Azel system. They may be the force behind the disappearance of several ships from the old and new Consortium countries that have not been heard from after going there. Based on their heinous crimes against the Tye people, the Tye government and the Consortium wish to have these two captured and returned to Tye for trial. You and your crew will assist in fulfilling the Tye government’s wish as a priority. Call it retribution if you like.
Finally, we have provided small but powerful communications relay stations that you will deploy to maintain a communications link to me via the Tye stations currently being set up.
Good luck.
Stan Walters
Commodore
Chapter 1
There was none of Sif’s combat training today in FTL. Sif, an Arkon Red warrior, joined us in the last mission. A fierce fighter and former commander of hundreds, he was left homeless after the Arkon War. A perfect trainer for combat tactics.
We were one day out from the Azel system. I was in the galley having the first Coca-Cola that I could remember having in months, maybe years. My stepmother, Rose, sent some with the New Horizons just for me. I had to carefully ration them. As I savored the taste, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“Nick, I thought you and Amini would be in Sif and Tiana’s combat training or in the gym,” said Doc.
I turned to look at the older man as he poured himself a cup of cacha, a form of coffee that seemed to be favored on more than one planet we knew of. I’m not a coffee drinker, but from what I could remember, coffee on Earth tastes nothing like cacha. I wasn’t sure which was worse—I stay away from both.
“Take a seat, Doc. No training today. We exit FTL tomorrow, and we have some time to ourselves.”
Doc blew on his cacha to cool it down. Some things don’t change, even between planets. He took a seat opposite me at the shiny metal table.
“So, how are you doing, my young friend?”
I had grown used to this kind of question from this man. He had apparently decided to take an avuncular approach to Amini and me when he had the time.
“Pretty good right now. I didn’t get fired or court-martialed when we met New Horizons. And we all got to stay together and receive a new assignment. To me, that was a win.”
Doc blew on his cacha again, took a sip, and put the cup back on the table. “Those are all pluses, I’ll admit. You should feel good about it. What’s the plan for this next mission?”
“That’s what I want to know,” came the voice of Amini as she entered the room followed by Sif and Tiana. The two women got a cup of Zarminian fruit juice and sat at the table. Appearing not to care, Sif pawed through the cooler looking for something to eat. He did that a lot. To keep up his strength, he claimed.
“Well, I …”
Wizzy’s cartoon avatar of a young Albert Einstein appeared above the table with his red hair rippling and his green lab coat billowing. “Yeah, me too, oh mighty leader. What’s the plan, Stan?”
I knew that was a vague reference to some ancient guy named Paul Simon, whoever he was.
“Well, I …”
“I knew it! That gray sack of mush you call a brain doesn’t have a plan.”
“Wizzy, can it!” I shouted.
“Ah, okay,” the AI said meekly, not used to humans being so harsh, especially to him.
“As I was beginning to say, and as a reminder, we have two objectives outlined in our orders. The first is similar to our mission in the Tye system: collect intelligence on Azel in general. The second is to keep our eyes open for signs of the Arkon Red, General Gurko, and the Arkon Blue, Berzalius. If we find them, we capture them and return them to Tye for trial.
“Tomorrow, when we exit FTL, we’ll proceed to collect information from all the available sources. Got that, Wizzy?”
“Yes, Captain.” Being scolded seemed to have positively affected the AI, at least for the time being.
“We’ll look for more detailed information when we do our trading, just like on Tye. As the commodore noted, I remind you that the complication will be that there are four continents to assess rather than just one as on Tye. Based on our assessment of the planet now, I want us to visit one of the smallest continents first, Orkanus, which is also a country.”
I could see disappointment growing across Tiana’s face as her stripes faded to near nothing. She had probably hoped to go to Azelius first, where she was born.
“Why there?” Amini asked.
“Based on our intelligence, our cargo should be best received there. I’m also counting on the relatively small size of the country to make our visit easier. We’ll be less likely to encounter the overly complicated visitation restrictions of larger, more complex countries.”
“Who will go to the planet?” Sif mumbled with a mouth full of food.
“Myself, Amini, and Doc on this visit. Amini is our best negotiator, and Doc can be valuable in assessing the degree of medical skills and technology there. Sorry, Sif. Until we know more about the planet, I’m concerned that seeing an Arkon warrior might intimidate people there and limit our access to information.”
“Umm,” Sif grunted, swallowing a bite of something green. “I agree. But I will remain ready to fight if necessary.”
“Thanks. Tiana, I’d like you to assume command of the Argos while I’m gone.”
“Not a problem, as you Earth people say.”
“What about me?” came the still-subdued voice of Wizzy.
“You will be busy helping Sif with sensors, continuing to collect intelligence, and keeping track of the ground team.”
“That’s all?”
“I don’t think keeping track of the ground team and assuring their safety is a small task. It’s one of the most important.” That would appeal to his oversized, electronic ego.
Wizzy perked up. “Oh, well in that case, I will be especially vigilant.”
Sif wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his jumper. “One last question, Captain Nick. When we find Gurko and his Blue friend, can’t we just kill them and say we had no choice? I know Tye wants to put them on trial, but it seems like it would be easier and save many people much trouble.”
I smiled at the hulking warrior. Leave it to him to reach the simplest solution.
“No, Sif. Our orders are clear. Capture if possible. That’s the preferred choice for Tye and the Consortium.”
Did I see a twinkle in the warrior’s eyes? I was sure he was taking the “if possible” language as his guide for the future. I’d have to watch him closely when the time came.
The next day, we exited FTL about two hundred and fifty thousand miles out from the planet Azel and proceeded under standard power in stealth with shields up. We could have maintained FTL longer based on the charts given to us by Stan, but we wanted to see what we were heading into, especially the first time. There were no visual cues when in FTL. It was like fishing for the first time in shallow water.
My real mother and one of my uncles took me fishing several times in Santa Rosa Sound, near Pensacola -an area of shallow water we first visited when I was ten. At first, we traveled slowly, keeping watch on the bottom, looking for rocks and shallow areas we might get stranded on—the latter was called “running aground” in the Earth wet navy. Later, when you knew what the place was like, you could zip all over and be safe, like we did in the last mission.
We knew there were no significant planets or other obstacles between Tye and Azel. We weren’t familiar enough with this next area of space, however, to go zipping around. Besides, as intelligence collectors, it often paid to slow down and take in the view. You never knew what you might find or see. In our case, that was fortunate, as we discovered a cargo ship approaching Azel. It appeared to be headed for the planet but was halted, its way blocked by two gunboats.
“Wizzy,” I called out. “Can you tell what’s going on here?”
“Of course. We are headed for Azel. Has your mush brain failed you?”
“Not on this ship! What’s with the cargo ship and the two gunboats ahead?”
“Oh. Why didn’t you say so? Hmm, it appears that the cargo ship—her name is Vena, by the way—is from a place called Saba, a system far, far away, as you apes like to say. It has trading cargo for the Azel country of Azelius. Looks like manufacturing materials and tools. The two gunboats have offered to escort them to a different place, Volarix, but the cargo ship has declined.”
“And?” I asked impatiently.
“And what?”
“And is the Vena going to Azelius?’
“Oh, no. Not now. The gunboats are not giving the crew the option anymore. They say that the Vena doesn’t have the proper permissions to be here, and they will use force if the Vena does not comply.”
“We have to stop them,” Tiana said after hearing Wizzy’s last report. This was, after all, Tiana’s home planet and the first time she had shown such an emotional attachment to anything.
“No, we can’t,” I reminded her. “We don’t know what’s happening here or why the ship is being diverted. Besides, no fire has been exchanged.”
“I thought you were the one who said there were no rules of engagement in space?” Doc added.
“I did, and there aren’t. However, we just got here and don’t know the world’s situation. As long as the gunboats are refraining from applying force, our hands are tied.”
“Ahem,” came an annoying sound from Wizzy. “Don’t look now, but one of the gunboats just fired lasers on the unarmed Vena. Now what are you going to do, smarty-pants?”
He had me there. I had to intervene but still keep our identity secret.
“Sif, are we in range with our own laser fire?”
“Yes, Captain Nick, and I have both gunboats locked in.”
“Remain in stealth and give both gunboats a couple of blasts to see what they do. Don’t destroy them; just scare them.”
