Rogue Pursuit: A Space Opera Adventure (Shades of Starlight Book 1), page 26
Kel took his time answering. “I didn’t know how involved he was and decided not to contact him.”
“He said the Confed had info on the Network.”
“They almost did. Don’t worry, I destroyed it. You’re safe.”
Perrin’s shoulders relaxed. “What did they have?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said, steel in his voice. “That list of names won’t be getting out.”
Blood roared in Tai’s ears. One statement confirmed Kel had betrayed Confed, shattering any lingering doubt in Tai’s mind. All this effort, three governments after the names of conspirators, and Kel had probably deleted the intel the moment he read it.
But something had made Kel ask Perrin for help. Did that mean he’d found more than a list of names? Both sounded like they were watching what they said, not speaking freely, which could mean Perrin really didn’t know what was going on, and Kel had a reason not to explain in front of the others.
Or in front of Tai.
“Nice outfit,” Perrin said.
The female soldier took that opportunity to shove her way between them, studying them with narrowed eyes. “I’m surprised you knew about this operation. I didn’t think you were involved in this endeavor.”
“What can I say?” Perrin said. “I’m involved in lots of endeavors.”
Tai recognized her bluff when he heard one.
“I heard you never transported a weapons shipment.”
“Everyone helps the cause in different ways.”
“So you believe in our cause?”
“No, I just risk my life for fun.”
The woman’s nostrils flared. “I thought you were more of a lone wolf.”
“Wolves hunt in packs. I prefer to lead one.” Perrin’s pointed look said she hadn’t missed the fact that this lady just followed orders.
The woman scowled.
Tai wished, for once, that Perrin would rein in her tongue. No need to antagonize a merc. He experienced a brief flash of concern for her, before reminding himself he was more likely to be in trouble here.
“Lay off, Davis.” An undercurrent of steel backed Kel’s mild tone. “I vouched for her, and the boss seems fine with this.”
Perrin crossed her arms. “I can defend myself, thanks.”
Tai fought the urge to rub his temples. He would’ve thought over a year of dating had taught Kel his nice-guy habits didn’t mesh with Perrin’s fierce independence.
Thankfully, everyone continued the hike in silence.
The faint trail led to the first platform, a natural plateau on the mountain. The space held two ships. One was a transport large enough for two dozen people and supplies, and it had been fitted with fore-and-aft cannons. The other resembled the ship he’d rented, probably the one Kel arrived on.
Two soldiers stood guard, but Tai didn’t spot any cameras watching the platform. From this distance, he had no way to tell if the ships were locked. Good to know they might be an escape option. He could handle two guards, if it came to that.
The trail continued up until they reached a second platform. This one was larger, with rocks ringing the edges and small waterfalls cascading around them.
The mercenaries marched onto the plateau like warriors returning from battle.
Why hadn’t Kel outed him yet? Tai knew he couldn’t trust a single person here, not even Perrin, not anymore. Lying to protect him was a far cry from letting him complete his mission.
Complete his mission. Ha.
He didn’t know what Perrin was planning, but he expected resistance from her when he tried to bring Kel back. He just hadn’t decided what to do about it. Depended on how difficult she was, he supposed. Knowing her, very. Not that trying to arrest Kel was likely now.
He hadn’t planned on a squad of mercs.
Mercs joined by his old partner.
A small part of Tai had worried that seeing his friend might lessen his drive to clear his own name. That their history and concern for Kel might cloud his judgment. He’d been right. Tai couldn’t help but recall staying up all night playing vid-games. Watching grav-ball matches and admiring Cobalt’s pretty young star, Finley “The Flash” McGrath, cramming for exams, ordering cheap food delivered by bots in the middle of the night. He hated that he had to ignore that history. Had hoped this would end differently.
But Kel’s outfit silenced those regrets. Somehow, Tai would find a way to bring his former partner to justice for his betrayal.
His sole hesitation came from how he might do it without endangering Perrin.
The facility was made of pre-fab parts, so new that no dirt marred the shiny white panels. The structure reminded him more of a research outpost than a military facility.
They entered through the main door, which didn’t appear to have a lock, but did have two more soldiers posted outside. Where had these people come from?
Inside, the main hall led them past workrooms with scattered parts, several burnt out prism cores, charts he didn’t understand, and something he did—a large map of the galaxy, every planet and wormhole with notations next to many of them.
In the next room, the same information was portrayed in a huge holographic projection with dozens of spheres connected by colorful lines. He didn’t have the knowledge Perrin did, but he was fairly certain it was a three-dimensional image of the entire galaxy, with lines representing wormholes. Several of the lines glowed red, especially those close to the primary planets.
He didn’t have time to catch any more details as they marched past, but training and his gut told him those maps contained important information.
They moved into the largest room yet. Three civilians in lab coats surrounded a table containing a device two feet high, resembling a metal box with a small deflector dish on top. One more scientist typed into a comp-pad. Four additional guards were stationed around the room. That brought the count to fourteen.
Tai didn’t know the device’s purpose, but he did know nothing good ever came from top-secret facilities on remote planets.
He studied the scientists more closely. The group consisted of a woman of about sixty, a man and woman around his mom’s age, and a man a few years younger. The older man had a bruise under one eye. All had tense shoulders. Wary glances. Scowls. He wouldn’t be surprised if they were prisoners.
“Your timing is perfect.” The man continued addressing Perrin as if Tai was inconsequential, which was fine with him. “We’ve been tracking your progress and hoped you’d arrive in time. Knew you wouldn’t want to miss the big event.”
“Right,” Perrin said. “Wouldn’t want that.”
What in the shades was the big event? What were they planning? Did Perrin know, or was she playing along to find out? He thought he’d reached the point of knowing when she was lying, but she proved time and again he didn’t know her.
And though she stayed within a few steps of Tai at all times, she hadn’t made eye contact with him once.
The guy didn’t question her or show signs he doubted her.
Kel stepped forward. “Can we have a few minutes to find them a med-kit?”
The boss waved a hand toward the door.
Kel marched out, Perrin following, and Tai noticed the female soldier watching with narrowed eyes before he joined them.
Kel led them to a room and lingered at the door, motioning them inside. Once out of sight of the others, he turned a concerned gaze on Perrin. Kel wore the mercenary uniform easily. Like Tai, he’d been trained to blend in anywhere. His skill made Tai wonder how much of the last three years had been just another role. Who was he, really? The same person Tai had lived with for years or someone he never knew? Did all of Tai’s good memories mean anything to Kel? An itchy feeling prickled under his skin, bursting to get out, anger with a tinge of sadness.
Perrin hopped up and sat on the table. “So this isn’t awkward at all.” Her gaze met Tai’s, and he raised his eyebrows. “What? You know we’re all thinking it.”
Kel remained in the doorway. “Hey, partner.” Kel watched him through lowered lids, his shoulders tense.
Tai couldn’t blame him for being wary. Just his use of the word partner made the edgy feeling intensify.
“Kel.” The word came out as more of accusation than Tai meant it to. Or maybe he did.
They eyed each other. Tai couldn’t do anything. Not with Kel’s friends outside the door. His well-armed friends. He could demand answers, though.
“This is a lovely reunion,” Perrin said, “but can you tell us what’s going on here? Who are those guys?”
“They call themselves the Obsidian Force.” Kel’s answer came swiftly, as if he welcomed the safe topic, was eager to help. “They’re a division of the Onyx Network.”
“Since when did the Network start employing mercenaries? Are you working with them?”
Noting the official name for their underground movement, Tai crossed his arms and leaned against the end of the table, out of the way. She was asking his questions, and he suspected Kel would be more willing to answer if they came from her.
Kel shook his head, checked the hall again, kept his voice low. “When I got here, I didn’t know what I’d find. I had to play along to convince them I was on their side.”
“Whose side are you on?” Tai asked, that question refusing to stay in.
Kel studied him for a minute, like he was debating his answer. “Mine, I guess.”
Tai sniffed.
Perrin’s face remained blank. “Why were they watching me?”
“They were watching me. Everyone knows you and I—” Kel cleared his throat. “They saw you on Naxus and thought you might lead them to me. I made the mistake of telling Joseph about my mission before I knew what I’d find. When I found out about this,” he waved a hand, “and went silent, the Network decided to find out why I didn’t contact them again.”
Now it was even more clear to Tai that his mom should have given him the initial mission. Would’ve saved them all this mess.
Perrin leaned forward. “Why did you run? What’s their plan? And what happens today? I saw your message. The date you left is today.”
“That device is the reason I left.” The usual twinkle faded from Kel’s eyes, and his expression grew somber. “They’ve been messing with the wormholes. And that device is now fully functional.”
“What does it do?”
“It destroys wormholes,” Kel said. “Collapses them forever. And in a few hours, they’re headed straight to Ruby Prime.”
28
Perrin blinked, sure she had misheard him. “I don’t… What? The Network wants to destroy the wormholes? Since when? Why?”
The thought filled her with horror. Panic. Dread. A desire to race out the door and stun every single mercenary, like a dear friend was at risk and she had to save them.
“Start at the beginning.” Tai crossed his arms. “This Network. You’re part of it? For how long?”
“Don’t try your interrogation tricks on me, Tai.” Kel sounded tired. “What are you doing here, anyway? Are you guys…?”
Perrin didn’t know how he meant to finish that sentence. Working together. Together, together. “Travel companions,” she said, “with very different goals.” She stared at Tai, chin lifted, hoping he might contradict her. Hoping he’d change his mind and join her side.
He remained silent.
“You here to bring me in?” Kel asked him.
“What do you think? I don’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice,” Perrin said, stealing words he’d told her not long ago.
Tai gave her one of his patented neutral spy looks.
“This isn’t official, is it?” Kel asked. “Protocol would require the director to bench you. I am sorry about that. That’s why you’re with Perrin?”
Tai’s jaw twitched. “I needed a navigator.”
Kel checked the hall again, where sounds of voices and footsteps floated past. He focused on her. “Sorry I couldn’t wait on Naxus. I knew someone was onto me. I didn’t expect you to follow me all the way here.”
He should’ve known her well enough to expect it. “You said danger. He,” she jerked her head toward Tai, “said break from work. Like he said, start at the beginning.”
Kel sighed. “Yes, I was Onyx Network.”
He directed the words to Tai, but Perrin noted his use of past tense. What had changed?
“I’m sorry.” Kel’s sad, brown eyes remained fixed on his former best friend, who didn’t seem as susceptible to Kel’s puppy dog face as Perrin once had been.
Tai raised an eyebrow. “For lying to me for years? For living with me and betraying me that entire time?”
“For getting you in trouble. I’m not sorry for what I did.” Kel’s tone and what she knew of his personality told her he truly was sorry for the trouble he’d caused Tai.
“That story you told me, why you joined the Agency?” Tai didn’t appear moved by his friend’s remorse.
“It was true. Once I got there, though, the people I wanted to help weren’t the same ones you wanted to help. But that doesn’t make their lives and their problems any less valuable.”
Before Tai made Kel account for every minute of the last three years, Perrin held up her hands. “This is lovely, but can we discuss the wormhole-destroying device thing?”
Kel studied Tai a moment longer before his shoulders slumped. “For my first mission, I was sent to Triasus.”
Tai scowled.
Kel checked the hall again. “Agent Ryan had spent months undercover, learning about the Network. He’d managed to gather a fairly large amount of evidence. Names, bases, methods.” He glanced at Perrin, who didn’t have to ask to know where she fit into that picture.
She nodded at him to continue.
“He also discovered intel on a team of scientists researching the wormholes in the Amber Alliance. They were supposed to be studying how to stabilize them, how to reopen folded ones, even one day to create new ones. But all their experiments seemed to do was make things worse. Until they realized the device could be used to destroy a wormhole completely.”
Perrin winced.
“The Network had a man inside that research facility, and he alerted them to the discovery. The scientists wanted to hide the breakthrough, but a small cell of people within the Network saw their chance. If they had the device, they could control the galaxy. They could threaten, make demands of the Confed. And Amber and Cobalt. Rearrange trade routes. Cut off or limit access to certain planets.” Kel leaned forward now, with the fiery light that lit his eyes when he’d found a cause. “Imagine if Ruby Prime was only accessible from the Amber capital? Amber would do anything to get their hands on that tech. Anyone would.”
A chill descended on her like a wall of ice water as she imagined possibilities. Beyond the political implications, the idea of beautiful, unique wormholes being destroyed made her ill.
“Explains why you have three governments on your tail,” Perrin said, trying to keep her voice light to hide her dread.
“That’s why I had to run. Agent Ryan had a data drive with this intel. It could only be accessed at Agency HQ. I found him already dead, so I retrieved the drive and went home. As soon as I saw what it contained, I knew how dangerous that information was.”
“And instead of handing it over to your boss, you left?” Tai’s twitching jaw and dark eyes made eruption seem imminent.
She knew that’s exactly what he would do—hand it over to the Confed. And she hated to imagine what terror the government would unleash with that tech.
Kel stepped a few feet farther into the room and kept his voice low. “What would the Confed do with that info? After dismantling the Network and punishing the colonies, it would tip the balance of power. Could lead to war. No one should have control of a device like that.”
“Why call me?” Perrin asked, although she suspected she knew the answer.
“I didn’t know who else to trust. I’d never suspected the Network would do this and couldn’t know who was involved, so I didn’t want to contact anyone within the Network. But I knew you—”
“Would never be okay with harming wormholes, no matter what.” The thought horrified her. People she’d worked with, trusted, broken the law for, were now prepared to destroy one of the things she loved most.
Would they really consider such a move? Not only the outright uprising, but risking the one way of traveling through the galaxy? Closing just one wormhole, let alone several, would disrupt trade routes, keep colonies from receiving the goods they needed. It would affect her business. Could forever strand people like Tai’s father. Not to mention it would be like erasing works of art.
They had to get rid of that device.
“Exactly.” He ran a hand over his short-cropped curly hair. “I never thought it would get so out of hand. I’m sorry I dragged you into this. If I’d known how dangerous it was going to be, I never would have—”
“I would,” she said.
He nodded, unsurprised but likely disappointed. After all, that was why he’d broken up with her, wasn’t it? Her inability to say no to adventure. Her restlessness.
“When I—” Kel stopped as someone passed by outside before starting again. “When I couldn’t stay at the hotel, I never imagined you’d follow me.”
“That’s where Tai comes in. He’d heard of my amazing reputation and requested my services to help track down a dangerous criminal.”
“And she failed to mention she knew you,” Tai said. “Or her connection to the Network. Or basically anything important.”
“Yeah, because I was going to share my secrets with a total stranger who claimed to be a cop. I’m a smuggler, but I’m not stupid. I had no reason to trust you.”
She had no reason to trust him now. She wished she could believe he’d see her side, but had no idea what he planned to do about Kel or any of the information he’d learned on this trip.
Tai had resumed full-on spy mode, his impassive face revealing no memory of their friendly conversation or flirting or understanding glances.
