The Shattered Empire (The Shadow Space Chronicles Book 2) Read online

  Lauren opened her mouth to protest, but he caught her arm and turned her around. “Don't,” Mason said, his voice low. There was a harshness to his handsome face, something cold and alien to his normal relaxed attitude.

  “What?” Lauren asked, “We need to meet with him, we can't afford to let him back-stab the Baron...”

  “Trust me,” Mason said, his voice low. “He needs us more than he lets on.” He sighed, “And if we went in there, we wouldn't come out. It was a message, of sorts.” His eyes went distant, “Almost no one came out of Rota Prison alive. The handful that did were shattered or mad.”

  “What about you?” Lauren asked.

  “I didn't come out, I broke out,” Mason said, his jaw clenched in memory. “And a lot of good men died with me on the way.” He closed his eyes and Lauren saw him take calming breaths as they walked. She wondered at that. The Tommy King of legend was a scourge: a man who had led pirate fleets against dozens of Colonial Republic worlds. There was little known about his past, some had said he was a renegade Amalgamated Worlds officer, others said he was the bastard son of Thomas Kaid, the former terrorist leader of the old Provisional Colonial Republic Army. The ones that didn't say he was a hell-spawned demon, she thought wryly. His pirates had looted and destroyed civilian shipping, smashed Republic Liberation Fleet task forces, and even plundered entire cities and colonies.

  Yet none of those rumors or myths spoke of the man behind the legend. She had seen that Mason had a history of regret, but also one of pain and loss. Whatever the cause, that pain had clearly sent him on a course of revenge.

  Mason continued to lead her by the arm until they were several blocks away. Only then did he release her arm. He looked at her, suddenly self-conscious, “Sorry about that.”

  Lauren shook her head. She knew that he had the lead on this and he hadn't hurt her, just confused her. “Not a problem. What's our next move?”

  He sighed. “Hotel Ramen, it's on the nicer part of town.” He sighed, “There's someone I need to talk with there, anyway.” He rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully, “There may come a point where I'll need to send you to talk with some people... not the kind of people that you might like to associate with.”

  Lauren raised an eyebrow, “Really? You think I'll flinch at some unsavory types?” She'd dealt with the rebels of Faraday, the corrupt security forces of Anvil, and her team had gone aboard the Peregrine to secure Admiral Mannetti after her betrayal at the Second Battle of Faraday. She wasn't afraid to deal with scum.

  “Not what you're thinking,” Mason said. His gaze went distant, “The folks that Tommy King associated with were... well, some of them barely qualified as human. If I need to assemble some kind of force, I'll be scraping up the dregs of humanity. People that would torture you to death to pass the time.”

  “We need people like that?” Lauren asked. She was familiar enough with the uncaring, methodical murder committed by the Chxor. She knew well enough that human monsters were common enough, but she wasn't sure where they would fall in on this.

  “We may,” Mason said. “And some of them are more useful than you might think. For that matter, some of the places this might go, some of them may be more useful than I want to think.”

  Lauren gave a nod, “Just tell me what to do, I've got your back.”

  The nod he gave her was solid, but she still saw the doubt in the back of his eyes. Mason was afraid. Not that she couldn't do the job, but that she would see the darkness in his past and that it would change their relationship. Maybe he should worry a bit more about what kind of relationship we have in the first place, she thought. She liked and respected Mason McGann, despite his past. She felt something of a partnership with him as well, to the point that she wanted to see if it could become something more. But Mason had yet to even suggest anything like that. For all she knew, he viewed her as a companion and little else.

  Mason gave her a crooked smile, “Don't get thoughtful on me now, Lauren. Let's get going, shall we?”

  Lauren gave him a nod and they stepped back into the crowds.

  ***

  Faraday System

  United Colonies

  July 25, 2403

  Baron Lucius Giovanni stretched and yawned as he finished reading through the latest reports. This one, thankfully, detailed some of the good work being done by the engineers and scientists who had come aboard the Dreyfus Fleet.

  Lucius marveled a bit at that, once again. Humanity had thought the Dreyfus Fleet lost for almost a century's time. Officially chartered to destroy the renegade psychic Agathan Fleet, the Dreyfus Fleet was built of some of the largest and toughest vessels humanity could build, during the era of Amalgamated Worlds. Besides those massive warships, it had a host of smaller ships to act as scouts and a screen. It had also had large number of transports carrying additional personnel, equipment, and supplies for their stated mission. The Dreyfus Fleet had left Earth and vanished and everyone had presumed it lost, along with everyone on-board.

  Unbeknownst to almost all of humanity, the Dreyfus Fleet was actually something of an ark, much like the biblical Noah, designed to preserve something before the coming catastrophe. Admiral Dreyfus, it's commander, had done so off of the warning signs he saw in Amalgamated Worlds, as well as the advise of a psychic precognitive. In his preparations, Admiral Dreyfus had recruited dozens of scientists and hundreds of engineers, doctors, and other experts and professionals. His fleet had sailed not just with the sailors and Marines, but also their families. Two million men and women, with the goal of helping to restart human civilization. Those transports also contained a host of machinery and equipment, some of it built during their time of waiting and others packed away until now.

  In the months since they had begun unloading some of that equipment, they had only now begun to construct some of it. The largest construct was also the one they had begun work on first and it was quite possibly the most essential one to their long-term success.

  He pulled up the latest progress report and stared at the imagery. The huge solar arrays were almost absurdly simple. The vast swaths of panels took up large chunk of space and they were extremely vulnerable, but the huge power yield produced by the tens of thousands of kilometers of solar array could be turned to something more valuable and condensed. The collider at the core of that construct could produce antimatter, enough to recharge the ships of their fleet and to build munitions for the same. Power was their one limiter and Lucius remembered his near panic when he'd learned that their power reserves were dangerously low.

  The ships of the Dreyfus Fleet had no need to stop and refuel their hydrogen tanks. They didn't carry bulk fuel. But they carried dense antimatter matrices, with antiprotons and protons locked away in magnetic binders, so close that a slight shift in the containment field allowed their steady combination to provide energy. Those energy matrices were almost empty, after eighty years at standby levels, despite the additional antimatter they carried just for that purpose. Admiral Dreyfus's engineers had estimated that they had another year before their reserves would become too low to allow their ships to function.

  At which point, Lucius thought, we would own the universe's largest target.

  There was a black market trade in antimatter. Various systems produced limited quantities of it and it was, very infrequently, naturally occurring. For that matter, the Centauri Confederation used it as the power source for their own vessels. Lucius knew that the Chxor also had a huge antimatter production facility. The issue was bulk. They needed enough to resupply an entire fleet.

  Thankfully, they had planned ahead and already had the collider packed away. Production of the solar arrays had taken more time, but they finally had enough that the first production had begun. Within a few months, they would have enough to begin resupplying the vessels in the most need.

  The downside being that the antimatter production facility was their logistical weak-link. A significant portion of their vessels and crews had to maintain a p
erimeter around it. Lucius had heard the arguments from multiple sides in regards to putting it in another star system. The issue, then as now, was their limited number of vessels and the importance of Faraday. Perhaps, as time went on, they would gain other worlds, expand their population, and they could split their essential resources out to a dozen star systems. Right now, however, they just had the one egg basket. The collider and its solar array were one of dozens of projects underway... and they all were vulnerable.

  So, the antimatter production facility lay at one of Faraday's Lagrange points, a vast, glittering, crystalline construction which slowly grew in Faraday's night sky.

  A baby's wail from the next room jerked his head up and Lucius gave a smile as the wail quieted almost immediately. He stood from his desk and moved into the next room. “She's awake?”

  His daughter Kaylee had needed a wet-nurse after her mother did a disappearing act. Nix's people had vetted a few dozen before selecting Emilee Stark. Emilee had lost her husband during the Chxor occupation of Faraday. She had a brand new baby of her own to feed, needed the work, and she had passed a number of loyalty examinations. On top of that, she was a calm, friendly woman, “Yes, Baron, hungry too.” She gave him a slight smile from where she sat. Lucius's recent fatherhood had forced him to choose a different residence, this one an apartment that had an additional pair of bedrooms.

  “Thanks, Emilee,” Lucius said. His face softened as he stared down at his daughter. “Let me know when she's done?”

  “Of course, Baron, I'm sure she'd love some 'daddy time,'” Emilee said.

  Lucius smiled and turned back towards his study.

  ***

  Anvil System

  Colonial Republic

  July 25, 2403

  Lauren answered the room's com-unit just as Mason slipped in from the hallway. “Yes?”

  “There is a Colonial Republic officer here to speak with Mr. McGann, shall I send him up?” The concierge's voice was nervous. “He says he is expected.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Lauren said. Mason stripped off the dingy leather jacket and scuffed boots. He pulled on his black leather boots and a black silk shirt as she watched. She had to admit, the sight was interesting... particularly with some of his scars. One in particular looked like someone had tried to write their name in his back, a jagged, crooked scar that trailed off his side.

  “Admiral Collae is on his way up,” Lauren said.

  “I know, I saw him come in the lobby,” Mason said softly. He stepped up to a mirror and ran a comb through his dark brown hair.

  “Find who you were looking for?” Lauren asked.

  “My friend was right where I left him,” Mason said and turned to give her a crooked smile. He settled his long, lanky form into a comfortable chair. “Better yet, he didn't take much persuasion to talk into helping. It seems the hotel business isn't as satisfying as he expected.”

  There was a sharp knock at the door. Lauren popped to her feet and drew her submachine gun. She cocked an eye at Mason, who gave a languid gesture, “Of course, Miss Kelly. Please, do show our guests in.” His voice was pitched just loud enough to reach into the hallway and he had adopted an even stronger lilt to his voice than normal.

  Lauren grimaced and moved to the door. She held her gun ready as she twisted the knob and jerked it open.

  The two beefy men in uniform in the corridor didn't so much as flinch at the sight of her weapon aimed at them. They both wore the gray uniforms of the Republic Liberation Fleet, but the insignia on their collars marked them as special forces.

  “I need to check the room,” one of the gorillas spoke.

  Lauren jerked her head to him and he lifted up a complex sensor device. Lauren recognized the model from her training, though she hadn't ever used one since. It was made by Tannis's Proximity Defense Incorporated. From what she remembered it could 'smell' explosive compounds and sense electromagnetic waves from bugs and a variety of detonators and initiators for bombs. She thought that the adapter she saw attached to it was the one that sensed nanotechnology, but she wasn't sure.

  The goon made a circuit of the room while Mason sat at his ease. After a complete circuit, he paused and spoke into his comm unit. A moment later, Admiral Collae stepped into the room.

  “Ah, Admiral, good to see you,” Mason said. “Sorry that I don't rise, but I've been indulging a bit, charged it to the room tab, I'm afraid.”

  “You've a habit of that,” Admiral Collae said, his harsh voice lacked any amusement. “But if you seek to get under my skin, I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that, Captain King.”

  “You keep calling me that,” Mason said. “But you keep naming me wrong.”

  “You can't have it both ways, Tommy King,” Admiral Collae said, his voice calm and measured. “Either you're playing with the big boys and you acknowledge who you are or you're a two-bit petty smuggler dicking around on a decrepit freighter.”

  Mason's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, “Say, for just a moment, that I'm not a two-bit petty smuggler... what message would you have for Tommy King?” Lauren could see that, despite his appearance of relaxation, Mason was tense, his whip-cord muscles ready to snap into motion.

  Admiral Collae took a seat in the chair across from him. “I've stated before, Lucretta Mannetti is a threat. More than that I could give you details of her operations.”

  “You're doing this out of your benevolence and kindhearted nature, of course,” Mason said, his voice sardonic.

  “No. Enlightened self interest would be a more apt description,” Collae said. “She blames me for her imprisonment, even though we both know full well that she planned to betray me as soon as she thought she could take the upper hand. She also thinks that she deserved a share of the Chxor vessels I acquired at Faraday.”

  “So you want us to knock her out before she comes for you,” Mason said, eyebrow quirked. “Yet I can't help but think this whole situation is a bit too convenient for you. Set one pirate to fight another and then swoop in to seize the credit.”

  Admiral Collae shrugged, “It makes little difference to me who gets the credit. I need Mannetti neutralized. If your associate Baron Giovanni would trust me long enough to hear me out, I would go directly to him with the information.” His harsh voice showed no sign of nervousness or any other particular emotion.

  “Amazing, how a little bit of betrayal goes such a long way,” Lauren said. She felt her knuckles clench on the grips for her submachine gun as she thought of how the rogue Admiral had betrayed her mentor. For that matter, the memory of her dead friend, Jessi Toria left a bitter taste in her mouth.

  “He betrayed me before I even had the opportunity to betray him,” Admiral Collae said. “He had additional ships positioned to capitalize on the victory and to cut Mannetti and I out, even if I hadn't planned to take advantage of the situation. Your Baron is not nearly so forthright as he pretends.”

  “Regardless,” Mason said, “I'm sorry, but I don't think this has much to do with myself and my associate.” He reached over and clenched Lauren's hand before she could speak. “Thank you for your time, Admiral, but Miss Kelly and I will have to decline to get involved... this looks to be a bit too cutthroat for a two-bit petty smuggler with a decrepit ship.”

  Admiral Collae grimaced, “Very well.” Lauren could see irritation in his dark eyes. He stood up and stalked out of the room. His two security goons followed.

  Lauren moved over and shut the door. She turned back towards Mason, “What was that about? We have to stop her or at least warn the Baron!”

  “I know,” Mason said calmly. He sat forward and straightened. “But anything Collae gives us will be a double edged sword. He could guide us away from his own interests while ensuring we attack those of Mannetti or his other allies.”

  “Other allies?” Lauren asked.

  “She's allied to Collae,” Mason said. “While I'd estimate they hold no real affection for one another, they aren't yet at one another's throats.”
He met Lauren's gaze with his own pale blue eyes. “From what my source was able to ascertain, Admiral Mannetti utilizes his resources and contacts within the Colonial Republic, he's her gateway to more legitimate figures within the there... and also to fences who can sell stolen goods further abroad. Admiral Collae uses her as access to more advanced munitions as well as for technology and engineers to refit his ships.”

  “Then why is Collae sending us against her?” Lauren shook her head. She'd heard that Admiral Collae was a devious man, yet she couldn't see his angle in betraying an ally. “Is he trying to cut her out of their partnership?”

  “They need each other too much, as yet,” Mason said. “Against the value of something like the Dreyfus Fleet, I could see that, but there's nothing near those stakes.” Mason shook his head, “No, there's got to be something else going on here... which is why I don't want to go into this on Admiral Collae's guidance... especially not as Tommy King.”

  Lauren nodded slowly, “Why send a broken down old pirate after his own ally...”

  “Thanks,” Mason said dryly. “You may have a chance to see if you can keep up with this broken down old pirate.” He let out a sigh, “I just don't trust this... especially how easily he left. But he knows that Tommy King wouldn't go straight at an enemy... not when he could pick them apart.” Mason's gaze went distant and his voice changed in pitch as he spoke, “The handful of times that Tommy King did that it was for good reason.”

  “Maybe that's it?” Lauren asked. “Maybe he wants to set you up to go straight at her...” She felt the blood drain from her face. “Maybe you're the prize?”

  Mason snorted, “That might be it... but I doubt it. Tommy King hasn't been active enough, of late. He's legendary, but so are a dozen others, and if anything, Mannetti and Collae are seen as bigger scourges these days.” He shook his head, “That might be a piece, but only a piece of a larger puzzle. We'll dig deeper and see what it is... but not as Mason McGann... and not as Tommy King.”