Without mercy, p.2
Without Mercy, page 2
“They have conquered a lot of Juttari territory,” Kevin said pensively.
“And slaughtered every Juttari they found,” Jon added.
“Can you blame them after everything the Juttari did to them?”
“No, I can’t. But we have to look to our own interests. Every Juttari system the Diakans take increases the size of the territory and jump gate network they control. That doesn’t matter if we’re friends, but what if that changes?”
“I see your point. But we have access to jumpspace now. Doesn’t that make jump gates irrelevant?” Kevin referred to the sub-region of space Jamie and Captain Pietersma discovered when the Guardian sent them to the other end of the galaxy. With a jump gate, one could travel a thousand light years instantly. Through jumpspace, one could travel thousands of light years, if not more. It might even be possible to visit other galaxies.
“They’ll be less important once we learn how to navigate jumpspace, but I think the jump gates will still be important. The discovery of flight didn’t make ships or their ports irrelevant. The jump gates will continue to have strategic value, which is why we can’t let the Diakans take them all for themselves.”
“So, we join their invasion.”
“Exactly.”
“The Diakans would have to agree. What if they say no? They control the Juttari jump gates and can block our access.”
“Then we use jumpspace,” Jon said. “Singh is studying the data the Vigilant brought back. I’m sure he will figure it out soon enough. When he does, we will simply use it to invade the Juttari Empire from the other side.”
“The Diakans will be pissed,” Kevin said.
“It’ll be their own damn fault,” Jon said. “The Juttari are our enemies too. If the Diakans are our allies, then they’ll welcome our assistance in the invasion and share in the spoils. In that case, we’ll reciprocate and share the jumpspace technology with them. If not, then they’ll try and keep everything for themselves, and we’ll do the same.”
“What about these other races Jamie discovered? The Sylian and the Mistraan,” Kevin said, referring to the new civilizations Jamie had discovered when the Guardian sent Captain Pietersma’s ship, the Vigilant, to the other end of the galaxy.
“Normally, I wouldn’t worry about them since they’re so far away, but they both know how to navigate jumpspace, which means they can show up at any time. The reports indicate that the Vigilant was not followed, so they don’t know where we are. With any luck, it will stay that way.”
“How do we know they weren’t followed?” Kevin said. “From what I saw in the reports, the ship’s sensors didn’t function well in jumpspace. If they were followed, they might not have noticed.”
“Good point. The Mistraan and Sylian have been using jumpspace a lot longer than us. They might know how to do a lot more than navigate it. Either way, there isn’t much we can do at the moment. We’ll just have to keep our guard up.”
“I don’t remember a time where we had the luxury of lowering our guard.
“True.”
A comm request interrupted the conversation, and Jon answered. A holographic display appeared over Jon’s desk, showing the face of a female UHSF officer. “Admiral, several vessels have jumped into the Sol system close to Earth. They claim to belong to the Raider Nation, and the leader has asked to speak to you.”
“That’s an interesting development,” Jon said. “Very well, I’ll speak with Supreme Commander Sato.”
“They said the leader was Supreme Commander Tai.”
“Durril Tai? Are you sure?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Damn. I thought he was dead. Alright, patch him through.” Jon leaned back in his chair and exchanged glances with Kevin, who sat across from him.
Moments later, Durril Tai appeared on the holographic display. “Admiral Pike, you don’t know how happy I am to see you.”
“I can imagine,” Jon said. “When I left your ship, Sato was in charge, and I thought you’d been killed. In fact, I saw you fall in the battle on the hangar bay.”
Tai waved a hand. “A mere flesh wound. I assure you I am very much alive.”
“And Sato?”
“Very much dead, I am afraid.”
“I’m sure you’re heartbroken,” Jon said sarcastically. “I’m glad to see that you survived and are back in charge.”
“Thank you, Admiral. I’m happy with how things turned out in the end. But I’m here for a different reason. You and I had a deal, remember?”
“Of course. I promised you and your people land on Earth in exchange for your jump gate’s coordinates.”
“And self-government. You promised us self-government.”
“That I did. The Raider Nation will govern itself however it sees fit, provided you do not engage in activities harmful to the rest of the planet and its population. You will eventually need to contribute your fair share in taxes, but we can discuss that once your people are settled.”
“I am happy to see you are still a man of your word, Admiral.”
“I am. I assume you will keep your end of the bargain and provide the location of your jump gate.”
“I will. That and much more.”
“What does that mean?”
“I have important news, Admiral, but I’d rather not discuss it over a comm. Can we meet in person?”
Jon raised an eyebrow. “Of course. I can send an escort to your ship and have you down here in a matter of minutes.”
“Does that require the use of your personal jump system?”
“It does. If that’s a problem, I can send a shuttle instead.”
“No, no problem. I’m eager to experience the technology.”
“Excellent. I’ll have a team pick you up shortly. Pike out.”
Kevin frowned. “What do you think that is about?”
“I’m not sure.”
Jon dispatched a team to retrieve Tai, and after a brief wait, UHSF Marines escorted Durril Tai into Jon’s office.
Jon greeted Tai and gestured to Kevin. “This is Vice Admiral Kevin St. Clair.”
“Yes, of course. I know all about the Vice Admiral. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Tai said, extending his hand.
Kevin took his hand with a questioning look.
“I’ve made it my business to be well informed,” Tai explained.
“Makes sense, given your line of work,” Kevin said. As leader of the pirates known as the Raiders, Tai was notorious throughout human space.
The men all sat down, and Jon said: “So what was so sensitive that you couldn’t tell me over the comm?”
“I had an opportunity to ask Sato some questions before he died,” Tai said.
“I’m sure you did,” Jon said with a smirk.
“As I just said, I make it my business to stay well informed, which is what bothered me about Sato’s coup. For him to pull something like that off without me catching on seemed inconceivable to me.”
Jon exchanged glances with Kevin but said nothing. With a man like Tai, it was difficult to know whether he was bragging or simply being frank.
“What I discovered was that Sato was in league with the Guide from the metal planet.”
“What?” Jon said, becoming more alert.
“It seems the Guide knew about our deal and did not want the Raiders to go to Earth. Instead, he wanted us to stay and guard the planet while the Maeficus woke.”
“Why would Sato agree to that?” Jon said.
“The Guide promised to make him ruler of humanity.”
“Of course, he did,” Jon said. “Sato was a greater fool than I thought.”
“There’s something else,” Sato said. “The Guide wanted him to go to a planet and retrieve an artifact. He said the Maeficus needed it.”
“What kind of artifact?” Jon said.
“An ancient one. It must be extremely powerful if the Maeficus needs it.”
“Perhaps.”
“Perhaps? Are you kidding?” Tai said in surprise. “We need to find this artifact before the Guide does.”
“The truth is, we don’t know what this artifact is or if it even exists. We’ve already established that Sato was a fool. Forgive me if I don’t have a lot of confidence in what he said. It could very well be some wild goose chase he concocted in hopes that you’ll keep him alive.”
“He wasn’t lying.”
“How do you know?”
Tai frowned. “Like you, I’ve seen many men die. I can tell when the difference.”
“Fair enough,” Jon said. “Let’s say this artifact is real. We still don’t know what it does. We might be better off leaving it where it is.”
“And what if the Guide gets his hands on it?”
Jon shrugged. “I don’t think he has a lot of options. If he did, why would he waste his time with Sato?”
Tai stayed silent.
“In fact,” Jon continued. “I’m starting to think that there’s a range to the Guide’s influence. Quarantining that planet seems like a better idea.”
“A quarantine is a good idea,” Tai said. “But I still think we need to at least see what is there.”
“Maybe. Give me the coordinates so I can see it on a star chart.”
“On one condition. When you finally decide to go get the artifact, I go with you.”
Jon rolled his eyes. “Fine. If we go, you can come along.”
Chapter 4
Jamie sat up in bed with a start and woke Anki.
“What’s wrong?” Anki said, looking up at him with bleary eyes.
“Arm yourself,” Jamie said, surging to his feet. He quickly got dressed, grabbed his sidearm, and rushed for the weapon locker.
“Comms are down,” Anki said from the bedroom. “I can’t contact anyone.”
“Your personal jump system won’t work either,” Jamie said as he slung a heavy energy weapon over his shoulder, grabbed a rail gun and some plasma grenades. “Neither will our cloaking devices.”
“You’re right,” Anki exclaimed. “Did you have a vision?”
“Yes, and we need to go right now before they get here.”
“Who are they?” Anki said, stepping up beside him and arming herself from the weapon locker.
“I don’t know, but we’re not safe in the house.”
Once both were armed, Jamie led Anki out the back door into the woods, and they both broke into a run, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and their house. As a Chaanisar, Jamie could run much faster but kept pace with Anki instead. If they had combat suits on, they could have hit greater speeds, and Jamie vowed to add powered armor to their weapons cache in the future.
They had decided to live in seclusion, as both disliked noise and crowds. In truth, with their comms and personal jump systems, they had access to anything they needed. They knew a determined foe could jam their comms but never thought their jump systems would meet the same fate. Whoever this was had access to sophisticated technology.
His vision had warned him of the attack but did not reveal who was behind it. Instead, all he saw were shadowy figures. He wondered if Colonel Harris and his team of Chaanisar mercenaries were involved. The man certainly held a grudge against Jamie and had access to cutting-edge weaponry. Despite that, Jamie’s instincts told him that it wasn’t Harris. This was an unknown opponent.
Jamie and Anki had not gotten far before a blast and weapon fire disturbed the quiet of the forest.
“They think we’re still inside,” Jamie said. “That’s good.”
“Not for long,” Anki said without breaking stride. “They’ll know we left when they don’t find our bodies.” Anki might not have the augmentation of a Chaanisar, but she was in peak condition and could run for hours without getting tired.
Jamie knew she was right. Their assailants would quickly realize that no one was inside the house and begin searching for them. He did not know how large the enemy jamming field was, but if they could put enough distance between themselves and the enemy, they might be able to use comms or jump away to safety.
The weapon fire stopped, and Jamie started scanning the landscape for defensible positions. The enemy had figured out that they were gone and may have already given pursuit. If they were augmented or wore powered armor, it wouldn’t be long before they caught up. Their only hope now was to wait in ambush.
“Over here,” he said, pointing to some fallen trees covering a small cavity in the hillside. They hastily gathered some branches and leaves and lay inside the cavity, covering themselves the best they could, and waited.
Jamie’s augmented hearing picked up their pursuers long before Anki. It also allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief. Their footfalls told him that they did not wear powered armor. That helped to even the odds but did not really make sense. The enemy possessed sophisticated equipment, as evidenced by the jamming field. Why, then, didn’t they have combat suits?
On the positive side, whatever they used to jam their equipment might do the same to the enemy’s equipment. If true, they could not jump in behind them, nor could they use cloaks to sneak up on them. If you ignored the fact that they were outnumbered, it was a fair fight. That changed things.
“Stay here,” Jamie said, crawling out from his hiding spot.
“What are you doing?” Anki said.
“Going on the hunt,” he said with a smile. “Be ready.”
Before Anki could protest, Jamie was off, running through the woods at his full speed. Whoever this was had gravely miscalculated, and Jamie was about to make them pay for it.
The sound of their movements became clearer as he closed in, though he was careful to keep enough distance so they did not notice his approach. They were searching for him and Anki and had spread out to cover as much ground as possible. That suited Jamie just fine.
He took a knee and used the energy weapon’s scope to target a nearby enemy. Jamie lined the man up, waiting for an unobstructed view, and took the shot. The energy bolt found its mark, burning a hole through the side of the man’s face, spinning him like a top before he thumped onto the dirt.
Jamie was on the move again, streaking through the trees. The commotion he heard told him his shot accomplished what he wanted. The flash of light from the energy bolt would draw them to his previous position, drawing them away from Anki. Their dead comrade should also sow some confusion and fear within their ranks. All exploitable outcomes.
There was one thing that troubled him, though. The man he shot was dressed like a Raider. What were the Raiders doing here on Earth, and why were they hunting him and Anki? Durril Tai had always been one of his best clients, and Jamie did not think he had ever done anything to turn Tai against him.
That would’ve made sense if Tai was still alive, but the last he heard, Tai had been killed in a power grab by Sato. So why did Sato want him dead? Or was this something different? Were they after Anki instead? Maybe as a way of getting at Jon? It was all speculation. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had to neutralize the threat first.
With more Raiders converging on Jamie’s previous position, Jamie circled around to their flank. Coming to a stop, he raised his weapon and quickly located two Raiders. He let loose two energy bolts, dropping both men, and raced away through the trees before they hit the ground.
The Raiders were becoming spooked, with some firing wildly into the trees, hoping to get lucky and hit the ghost that was cutting them down. Luck was not on their side, however, and Jamie now fired without breaking stride, taking out three more Raiders.
The panicked sound of the enemy, as they scrambled in confusion and disarray, encouraged Jamie. He pressed on, a phantom killer to his enemy, picking them off one by one. These were Jamie’s woods. The enemy had counted on the element of surprise, which Jamie now used to his own advantage. The Raiders thought they were the hunters. They now realized how wrong that assessment was. Jamie was a tireless, merciless foe who would continue hunting until they were all dead.
With their death toll rising, the Raiders came to understand the grim truth and sounded the retreat. Jamie pursued them as they fled, gunning down a few more before giving up the chase. He raced back to check on Anki, listening carefully for any sounds of pursuit. The last thing he wanted was to mistakenly lead the enemy to Anki’s position.
When he was certain that the Raiders had not followed, he continued the rest of the way, calling out to Anki when nearby so she would not fire on him.
“What happened,” Anki said, stepping out from her position.
“They were Raiders,” Jamie said. “They’re gone for now.”
“Raiders? What are they doing here? Did you do something to anger Tai?”
“No. I don’t think so. Last I heard, he was dead.”
“I don’t think it is so easy to kill that man,” Anki said.
“Agreed. At any rate, I don’t think we should return to the house.”
Anki nodded. “We should put more distance between us and the house and try to get out of this jamming field.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jamie said. “Lead the way.”
The two ran through the forest, covering several kilometers before escaping the jamming field. Jamie did not know whether they had outrun its range or whether the Raiders had ceased jamming, but it did not matter. They each activated their personal jump systems and stepped through the jump field onto Jon’s flagship, the UHSF Freedom orbiting above.
Chapter 5
Jamie and Anki stormed into the conference room, weapons drawn and pointed at Durril Tai. Tai’s bodyguards drew their weapons in response. The Marines standing guard responded in kind, pointing their weapons at the Raiders.
Jon surged to his feet and pulled his own weapon. Pointing it at Tai’s guards, he shouted, “Stand down. Everyone stand down.”
“Do as he says,” Tai said calmly, still seated. His guards obeyed and lowered their weapons, prompting the Marines to follow suit. “Jamie, I must admit that I am a little offended by your greeting. I hope you have a good reason for your actions.”
