Star Marque Vendetta [Chps 10-12]

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CHAPTER TEN

ACCOLADES

Ten hours until we reached Vectin-10.

I walked the corridor of Deck Three. I should’ve been resting, but the excitement of the starfighter battle raged through my system. Waiting forever wasn’t my style. I hated the time between space stations—the dull ache to get things accomplished burning me from the inside out. But in a fight? Everything happened so fast, and the thrill of coming out on top almost rivaled the excitement in the bedroom.

Nothing else was happening on the ship. Lysander had managed to deny the superhuman’s request to interrogate. All we had to do now was get back to Vectin-10.

Two enforcers headed in my direction, their chatting echoing through the corridor. The moment they spotted me, they smiled.

“Captain,” one guy said.

“Carry on,” I muttered, intent on going about my business.

“Oh, uh, is it true?”

I stopped and faced the guy—a man so tall, it looked like he had been stretched out. Even his Adam’s apple bulged, as though it couldn’t fit into his thin neck.

“Is what true?” I asked.

“We have a superhuman aboard the ship?”

I chuckled and shrugged. “Yeah. So?”

“We’ve never met a superhuman before.” The skeleton of a man elbowed the other enforcer. “Right? Not in person? Just on vids?”

The second guy, built like he was hoarding muscles under his clothes, nodded along with the sentiment. “Right. I’ve never seen one. What’s it doing on the ship?”

“Investigating,” I said. “Just leave her alone and—”

“It’s a woman?” they both asked in unison.

“—don’t go near her,” I finished.

The enforcers exchanged curious glances. I knew the excitement. Before I had joined the Star Marque, I had never seen one, either. Superhumans were weird, exotic—more creatures of legend than actual people.

After I had killed one and scrubbed his blood from my enviro-suit, the exhilaration of seeing a superhuman had disappeared.

“I mean it,” I said to the men. “If you see her in the corridor, great. Get an eyeful. But don’t go searching for her. Understand?”

They nodded.

“Yes, Captain,” the tall one said.

I patted the man on the shoulder and resumed my course. The last thing I needed was a bunch of enforcers trying to get a quick picture or vid with the superhuman. She’d cause a fuss, and I’d have to do something like throw them in the brig—Lysander would make me do it. I really didn’t want to do that to my own crew.

Wait.

I glanced over my shoulder. The two enforcers were marked as part of the ground unit. Weren’t they supposed to be in training? Why were they walking around the ship? I decided I’d solve this mystery by going to the source.

It didn’t take long to get to the training room for ground enforcers. The massive entrance door, constructed to allow for five men walking side by side, was set to remain open. Lysander typically ran the ground enforcers through drills, but today the room sounded empty.

I glanced in.

Cai stood near the back, his hands tucked into his armpits. Lysander was opposite him, glowering. None of the ground enforcers were in sight.

“Am I in charge, or do I need a babysitter?” Cai asked, sarcastic.

Lysander took in a breath—I knew his signs of irritation. “Captain Demarco may have asked you to start working, but you need to fall in line with our procedures.”

“I thought I was brought on to train these sad sacks in the art of bounty hunting? That’s what I was showing them.”

“We have tactics we run through. Teambuilding.”

“Bounty hunting doesn’t involve that paramilitary bullshit. Informants don’t talk to enforcer thugs.” Cai ran a hand through his short, black hair, combing it back. “Providing cover fire isn’t going to help our enforcers question the locals. Those are two vastly different skill sets.”

I strolled into the room. “What’s going on?”

They locked up as they turned to face me. I didn’t know Cai as well, but Lysander exhaled in relief.

“Demarco,” he said. “I’m glad you’re here. Before we have our new officers start working, I think we need to review procedures. That’s why I canceled the training.”

“You canceled it?”

Lysander nodded. “Officer Cai was attempting to teach the ground enforcers how to shake down a thug for information. His words, not mine.”

I had never been a ground enforcer. Even when Endellion had taken me on ground missions, I had stayed with her, or worked as a guard. One time, I had found a group of drug dealers for her, but that wasn’t anything special. I had just known where they had been.

“How do you shake down a thug for information?” I asked Cai. “Enlighten me.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “You make them think you’re searching for someone other than your target.” Cai smirked. “My go-to strategy involves getting a list of my target’s enemies—rival drug lords, smuggler captains, whatever. I make everyone think I’m hunting them, and I let my target find his way to me.”

Interesting. The target would want to help in order to get rid of a rival. Made sense, in a twisted sort of way.

Cai continued, “First I go into the area asking questions. Then I start offering credits and favors to anyone who has any information. Maybe I bust a few low-level thugs—to prove I have the skills to be credible. But I let a few go. The ones who give me a bribe. That way, everyone knows I’m willing to take a deal. Thugs like it when enforcers take deals. It makes those lowlifes think they can keep control of the situation with enough money. And once they’re confident they have control, that’s when the real information starts to flow.”

“This is fascinating,” Lysander said. “But not how enforcers should work. We keep the peace. We don’t stir up gang rivalries.”

I mulled over the information, practically giddy. It wasn’t a bad plan. It was a damn good plan, actually. I knew a lot of thugs back on Capital Station who would’ve fallen for it in a heartbeat. Sometimes people got so caught up in their own bullshit that they forget the bigger picture—that was when they started trusting famous bounty hunters to help them out.

“I like this,” I said.

Lysander snapped his attention to me. “Demarco?”

“Cai made a name for himself doing this kind of business. I think it would benefit the ground enforcers. Not all of them, mind you. I love everyone in my crew, but that doesn’t make them conversational geniuses.” I clapped my hands together once. “I got it. Let’s make a special taskforce for this bounty hunting operation. The rest of the ground enforcers will handle grunt missions. Easy stuff.”

“Do I get to pick the enforcers for the task force?” Cai asked.

“Of course. You’ll be in charge.” I motioned to the training room. “But you’ve got to keep doing Lysander’s drills. I’ve gone through them myself. They’re good. And everyone needs to know how to assemble and disassemble their plasma rifles.”

Cai narrowed his eyes. “Do I have to participate?”

“You’re the ground commander, jackass. What do you think?”

“Tsk.”

Lysander shook his head. “We can’t do this. We can’t be taking bribes from criminals just to prove we have street cred. It’ll come back to haunt us, I guarantee it.”

I had known enforcers who had done far worse. Since enforcers were granted the right to kill in the line of keeping the peace, often they would shoot first and ask questions later. Capital Station had the worst offenders, and everyone knew it was a risk interacting with them. Taking a few bribes wasn’t anywhere near that level of incompetence, but Lysander was right. It was a gateway.

“Having undercover enforcers will help,” I said. “And we can make rules and guidelines for them to follow. Some bribes in the line of work to catch high-profile thugs is worth it. We just need to curtail any major offences.”

“Who’s going to write up these rules?” Lysander asked. He pointed with a thumb at Cai. “This fine, upstanding gentleman?”

I shook my head. “You, Sanders. And once you’re done, I’ll go over with it you. We can set our own parameters, and Cai can teach our new task force how to make it happen. This can work.”

Cai chuckled. “Ha. Sanders. I’ll need to remember that.”

“It’s Vice-Captain Jevons in front of the enforcers,” Lysander said, his tone harsh. “I know this isn’t the Navy HSN Corps, but maintaining a strict sense of hierarchy is good for morale, organization, and efficiency. Our past captain was too loose with titles. I’m hoping we can correct that.”

“You were in the HSN Corps?” Cai asked.

“That’s right.”

“My father served.” Cai relaxed as he gave Lysander the once-over. “And it explains a lot. Nobody has posture like those naval officers.”

“Good posture also helps with morale, organization, and efficiency.”

“Heh. Yeah, my old man said it also helped with takin’ a deuce.”

“One of many hidden benefits,” Lysander sardonically quipped.

***

Two hours before we reached Vectin-10.

I still hadn’t slept. Didn’t matter. Soon we’d be back on schedule. I paced the bridge, giving serious thought to our next moves. How could I accomplish my goals in the shortest time frame possible? Growing a starship required more effort than I had thought, but it wasn’t something outside of my capabilities.

The comms screen blinked with an incoming message. I stopped my pacing and stared at the sender—Vectin-10 Judicial Command. They were the ones in charge of the warrants and writing my paychecks. What could they possibly want?

“Demarco,” Sawyer said over the ship’s intercoms. “This message is being sent through a priority channel. I think you should take it.”

I shrugged. “Fine. Allow it through.”

The guy at the communications station didn’t even get a chance to act before Sawyer had the screen light up with the vid message from Vectin-10.

Some wrinkled man in an enviro-suit stood on the screen, his hands behind his back. His body looked like someone had tried stuffing loose skin into a black pair of leggings. I tried not to cringe, but it was difficult.

“This is Captain Clevon Demarco,” I said. “What can I do for Vectin-10’s Judicial Command?”

The man frowned, his light blue eyes nearly the same shade of off-white as the rest of his eye. “Hello, Captain. I’m Lieutenant Laron. Our long-range scans indicate you’ve managed to capture the rebellion corvette. Is that correct?”

They could scan out this far? It surprised me for a moment, but just a moment. This entire area of space, from Vectin-14, the capital, to Vectin-10 had tons of orbiting scanners and ships. Someone had probably reported the ship I had in tow.

“You’re correct,” I said. “It’ll be docked in roughly two hours.”

“Did you manage to capture the rebellion officers?”

“Yes. Two of them are alive, but sedated. We’ll hand them over as well.”

Lieutenant Laron’s bushy white eyebrows rose to his disappearing hairline.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“It’s excellent news, Captain. The corvette was part of a trio of ships, you see. All three of them have been apprehended, but only you have captured any of the rebellion officers.”

I wouldn’t have gotten paid without them. Still, it made me curious. Maybe I should’ve used that superhuman’s excuse to interrogate them. I could still do it—say I thought there was still a threat to the ship—but I doubted it would work. Best to leave it.

“I’m glad I could help,” I said.

“You’ll be happy to hear the rest of my message then, Captain.” The lieutenant smiled. “Governor Voight has asked that all ships who have apprehended rebellion starships come to the parliament building for accolades and further career possibilities. We have an assembly schedule for the day after tomorrow. I’ll be transmitting the date and time in just a second.”

I caught my breath. After a moment of silent recovery, I forced half a smile. “Will the governor be there herself to offer these accolades?”

“Yes, Captain. The entire assembly will be there.”

There was no way.

Endellion wanted to meet me in person? No. It had to be a mistake. She probably didn’t know the Star Marque had been one of the starships chasing the rebellion corvette.

But what if she did? What if she was specifically calling me to this assembly? Why would she do that? What could she gain from this?

I rubbed my sweaty palms on my cargo pants, my thoughts going to dark places. What if I met her alone in a hallway, behind closed doors? What would I do then? Killing her in the parliament building would result in my immediate execution, no doubt in my mind. But was it worth it?

“Captain?” the lieutenant asked.

“Yes?”

“I assume you’ll be in attendance?”

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

“Fantastic. I’ll let the Dock Master know of your trajectory and expected arrival. We’ll have a detail of soldiers waiting to receive the rebellion traitors.”

Whatever. I didn’t care about that. I nodded and agreed to everything the old man had to say, my thoughts dwelling on Endellion. Maybe I could end this all quick. Then again, perhaps this was a trick. Endellion could just as easily get some thugs to murder me in a back alley—and then she’d pardon them or some bullshit, just to add insult to injury.

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” I muttered as I signaled for the communications guy to cut transmission.

The second the screens flickered off, Sawyer said, “I don’t think you should go.”

“I already told them I would. It’d be rude to back out now.”

“Demarco, you shouldn’t go anywhere near Endellion. She… isn’t the forgiving type.”

I knew that more than anyone. She was insane, and she’d stop at nothing to get what she wanted. But what did she want now that she was governor? To keep her governor status.

“Killing me would be suspicious,” I said. “And you know Endellion isn’t the reckless type.”

“But she is the type to scheme. If you go into her territory, you’re risking everything. Endellion can get creative when it comes to—”

“I can handle it,” I interjected.

“Demarco, please. I don’t think this is a good idea.”

I didn’t care. If Endellion wanted to face me, so be it.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ASSEMBLY MEETING

The parliament building on Vectin-10 was one of the oldest in the quadrant. Sure, it had been rebuilt a few times, but they had kept the same odd architecture choices as the original building. Unlike modern designs, which were sleek and mostly constructed from metal alloys, Vectin-10’s parliament building had an abundance of stone and glass. The computer consoles spouted tourist information nonstop.

“The building design was taken straight from the pages of our origin world ancestors. Everything from Rococo to Classical techniques were used.”

I really didn’t give a shit. Government buildings were where taxpayer money went to die.

Also, I had little love for our origin world ancestors. I didn’t know them, and they sure didn’t know me. Their accomplishments, while grand back in the day, were so far removed from my life that I found it difficult to care. All I needed to know was that they had somehow gotten us all to the Cygnus Sector on their mass transport ships.

I walked the halls with my attention set to the windows. The vast lawn and water fountains entertained me, especially considering Vectin-10 was a desert mining planet. Still—I had a fascination with all things nature. I would never grow tired of seeing a planet up close and personal.

The inside of the building had pale brown walls, red carpets, and black steel accents on the furniture and baseboards. None of it intrigued me. It felt old, in every sense of the word.

Lysander walked alongside me, his enviro-suit all the way up, including his helmet.

“Nervous?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I was born on the Ares Military Base. The one that orbits the planet. I suspect there’s a slight chance someone here might know who I am.”

“Your father’s a big shot, right?”

“If by big shot, you mean officer in the HSN Corps, then yes.”

I probably should’ve brought someone else, but the assembly called for captains and vice-captains only. On the up-side, Lysander knew his way around bureaucracy, a skill I lacked. As long as he wasn’t discovered, this was for the best.

The other captains and vice-captains littered the hallways. They didn’t offer any greetings—probably because of what I had done to the last captain who had crossed me—and it was probably for the best. These enforcer groups were in my way.

But their words and conversations caught my attention.

“Governor Voight will be giving the address,” one of them said, their voice as rough as jagged metal. “Isn’t that something?”

Another chuckled. “She’s already causing trouble. The superhumans hate her.”

“A real inspiration.”

“She’s got enough balls for the whole damn universe.”

“Humanity’s come a long way since the war. Maybe we can start buying land soon. Wouldn’t that be somethin’?”

They had nothing but admiration for her.

Their words got under my skin and crawled around. I wanted to grab the next guy to speak and throw him against the wall. These dumb fucks didn’t know what was happening; all they saw was a human in a power, and somehow—because they were human—this translated to their success as well.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Lysander turned to me, his enviro-suit mask hiding his expression. “Demarco? Are you okay? My readout says your heartrate went up.”

“I’m fine,” I said. “Let’s just get this over with.”

We reached the assembly room with the awe for Endellion following us like a shadow. The rational part of me knew these other captains weren’t excited for Endellion specifically. They were excited because her successes meant it was possible for others. Even with that reasoning, I still hated their logic. Sad sacks liked to delude themselves. Someone destined for greatness didn’t care if others came before them—they forged their own paths, no matter the obstacles. Anyone who needed to be shown the way, who needed an example to follow, had already failed the test of brilliance.

Everyone here wasn’t worth my time.

The assembly room, shaped like a half-circle, had stadium seating all the way down to the central podium and raised platform. Tables and computer terminals were positioned between each grouping of four seats, no doubt to provide accommodations to the planet ministers who regularly attended. There were no windows, but the artificial lighting kept the place evenly lit.

Today, the enforcer captains and their vice-captains were given the highest seats, while a few ministers took up the front, closest to the platform. Monitors were built into the walls, showcasing everything happening at the front of the room.

This place was large enough for a thousand people, yet only a couple dozen haunted the area. Some party.

Lysander and I took a seat at the back corner. It gave us a good angle on the assembly room platform and a large monitor. The others made their way inside, past the heavy locking doors and genetically engineered guards. We weren’t allowed projectile weapons inside the parliament building, but those thugs at every door had heavy plasma rifles. Although I didn’t think Endellion was out to kill me with this stunt, the weapons got me nervous.

The captains and vice-captains took their seats while the planet ministers discussed things near the podium. The planet ministers were mostly superhuman and taller than any of the humans in the room. To my surprise, military commanders also made up some of the people in attendance. Their advanced enviro-suits carried all the decorations of generals.

I kept my eyes on the central platform, not because I cared about the genetically superior politicians and their military brethren, but because I wanted to see Endellion.

She had yet to arrive, and every second that she delayed her appearance, I grew tenser.

Conversations echoed around the room. I ignored them. It took me a few minutes to realize my jaw hurt from grinding my teeth. I tapped my fingers along the edge of the small assembly room table. There was a button and a microphone built into the piece of furniture, no doubt to allow people seated in the back rows the ability to speak up during official assemblies.

“You should relax,” Lysander said. “You’re making me jumpy.”

“I can’t—”

Endellion walked into the room from a side door near the platform and I caught my breath mid-sentence. Like Lysander, she wore an enviro-suit with the helmet up, covering her face, but the insignia on the shoulder of her outfit marked her as the planet governor. I’d have recognized her regardless. She had a distinct gait—confident, powerful, and lacking in hesitation. And I recognized the curves of her body, as well.

I couldn’t believe it. There she was. Right there. But I couldn’t do anything. Not yet. Not here. Had she summoned me just to taunt me with her presence? I wouldn’t have put it past her.

When Endellion walked across the assembly room platform, everyone went silent. Some of the captains pointed and whispered, but otherwise, there was little commotion. Ministers stood and welcomed her, but the three generals barely acknowledged her presence.

Endellion took the podium and activated the audio and display for the entire auditorium. The monitors flared to life, the overhead lights dimmed, and the platform elevated slightly. The atmosphere of the whole building seemed to shift.

Lysander tapped my shoulder and pointed to the ceiling. “We’re being monitored,” he whispered. “Please, don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

I glanced up. I hadn’t noticed before, but the ceiling was covered in utility fog—a swarm of nanomachines that stayed connected through a static wave. Those damn tiny machines could do everything from regulating temperature to taking continual video footage. And they could move about with ease, almost as easily as mist. They looked like mist, too. They hung around like smoke with no scent.

“Greetings.”

Endellion’s voice reached the four corners of the room, dominating everyone’s attention. She spoke through her mask, her voice slightly artificial, but no one demanded that she remove it.

Why keep it over her face? It seemed like a faux pas, yet in my gut I knew the answer. The last time we had interacted, it had been a fight to the death. Both of us had gotten roughed up, and Endellion had taken a cut to the face.

She was scarred. I knew it.

Any normal person would’ve been happy to have their life after escaping a falling space station, but Endellion couldn’t tolerate her own imperfection.

She wore the helmet to cover the scar—so that no one would know it was there.

“I’ve summoned you today to discuss a bounty hunting proposition,” Endellion said, regal and authoritative. “As approved by the Vectin-10 governing board, and signed into effect under my rule, we will be paying triple the bounty on all rebellion outlaws in the Vectin sector.”

Triple the bounty?

The expressions on people’s faces spoke louder than trumpets. Some bounties for rebellion thugs could reach the millions, which meant cutting down specific terrorist leaders would result in an early retirement for some.

A few of the other enforcer captains tapped the buttons on their tables in order to speak. I saw the lights flash on the main monitor—at least seven of them had questions or comments.

A military officer, a human man slightly shorter than Endellion, stepped forward and raised a hand. “Hold your inquiries until the end.” He gave the command with irritation in his voice. Six of the lights on the monitor flickered off. One remained. “If you can’t follow instructions, you will be removed from the assembly!”

The bark at the end of his words screamed of a man who didn’t really have control over the situation. His bald head reflected the lights on the podium, making me hate him even more.

“Who’s that?” I asked Lysander.

“It’s Commodore Grayson,” he replied. “He worked for my father for many years, but later transferred to General Lone’s division.”

Commodore Grayson waited until the last light went off before shifting closer to Endellion. He stood behind her, with his hands behind his back, and a look of contempt on his flushed face.

I already hated the guy. He was Endellion’s dog, I could tell.

Lysander sighed. “The man’s quite full of himself.”

“Heh.” I rubbed at my chin. “He probably masturbates to a heroic degree.”

Normally, Lysander didn’t care for my crude humor—and he even tried to stifle his chortling—but I heard it through his suit’s speaker system nonetheless.

“There have been threats against my life recently,” Endellion stated, drawing me right back into her speech. “Rebellion assassins have been arrested at several space stations in this quadrant, and our intel indicates they’re becoming more brazen.”

Everyone in the room remained still and quiet. While the rebellion was a small organization, they had been known to kill prominent humans every now and again. They wouldn’t kill Endellion, though. No matter how hard they tried. I bet she didn’t even really fear them—so why call us all here?

Endellion glanced between each Homo superior in the room, and then to the Homo sapiens. “The rebellion hopes to cause another war for control of the Cygnus Sector. They see my accomplishments as a mending of old wounds, and they’d rather end the Federation as soon as possible. For the sake of stability, and prosperity for all humanity, no matter the genetic branch, it would be best if we stopped them.”

Ha! Turning this into a moral cause. How manipulative—just like her.

“I’ve summoned you enforcers specifically,” Endellion continued. “While the navy will continue their efforts to curb rebellion activity, I want smaller teams hunting down leaders and political influencers within the rebellion. Each one of you here has demonstrated a high degree of skill when it comes to handling rebellion insurgents.”

Commodore Grayson coughed and then lifted a hand. “If you have questions, you ask them now.”

One light flickered on, and Endellion transferred it through to the comms of the massive assembly room.

Some captain sitting in the far back spoke into his mic. “Even if you increase the bounty by three hundred percent, it still takes time to hunt down some of these bastards. I don’t have the resources to stop what I’m doing to prance around every space station in the quadrant. Fuel ain’t cheap.”

Endellion clicked off the comm before addressing the entire assembly room again. “Those concerns have already been taken into consideration. All enforcer ships that accept this long-term assignment will be given a quarterly stipend determined by the size of their starship and crew.”

That news set waves throughout the room. The captain and vice-captain sitting next to us even smacked each other on the shoulder, each smiling.

“I told you,” the captain said. “Look around. She only brought humans here for this special assignment. She’s trying to help us. She’s giving us lux jobs.”

His vice-captain, some short woman with a shaved head, smiled. “She’s giving us a chance to prove ourselves in front of those pomp military assholes.”

It did appear that way. I didn’t buy it, though.

“All those in favor can confirm through their computer terminal with their starship routing information,” Endellion said. “Once confirmed, any and all intel on rebellion leader whereabouts will be transferred to your navigation systems. It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway—any ships found in service of the rebellion, or aiding them in any way, will be convicted of treason.”

There weren’t many questions after that. One by one, the enforcer captains in the assembly room confirmed their participation through the computer terminals. Lysander turned to me, his expression still hidden, though his fidgety body language told me he wasn’t happy with the situation.

“What will we be doing?” he asked.

I tapped the button prompt to speak to the assembly. Lysander slammed his hand down on my forearm and squeezed tight.

“Don’t. You shouldn’t speak to her.”

I shot him a glare. “She knows I’m here. I just need to give her what she wants.”

Endellion clicked me through to the comms and the room went silent. I stood—my blood still hot, my muscles unbelievably tense.

“As captain of the Star Marque, I formally reject your offer.”

That got everyone’s attention.

Endellion, unfazed, replied with, “Formal rejections were not necessary, but if you have concerns, the assembly would like to hear them.”

I couldn’t help it. She had invited me to speak openly to her—daring me to say something.

“You can lie to everyone here,” I said as I fought with myself to keep my words precise. “But I know what you’ve done. I know what you are. If it weren’t for the justiciars, and the guards with their rifles, and these superhumans who are duty-bound to protect you… I’d rip every machine from your body until I reached that cold, black heart rotting in your chest. Get yourself another pawn for your games.”

An uproar happened the moment I had finished. The guards at the doors stepped forward, their weapons hefted, no doubt waiting for orders, but they didn’t walk over to me—yet.

“Archivist,” Endellion said, speaking to the archiving computer systems. “Strike Captain Demarco’s words from the record.”

The assembly room computer system beeped in compliance.

I slammed my hand back on the comm button. “Should I repeat myself? Because that’s my official fucking position.”

Some of the captains shouted slurs at me, no doubt disgusted with what they perceived as a slight to the human race. I couldn’t care less. They were ignorant blowhards who only saw what Endellion wanted them to see.

Commodore Grayson lifted both his hands and called out to the room. “Order!” When the ruckus quieted a bit, he snapped his fingers. “Threats against the life of the governor are punishable by up to twenty-five years in prison.”

“Goddammit, Demarco,” Lysander muttered as he stood. “This wasn’t necessary!”

The guards moved closer, and I knew I couldn’t fight my way out of here, but I was sure as hell going to try.

Endellion shook her head. “Stand down. There’s no need for threats. I won’t be pressing charges.”

“Governor?” the commodore asked.

“I’ve worked with Captain Demarco in the past. He has a colorful way with words due to his background. I’ll accept his rejection and allow him to leave so long as he does so immediately.”

I had hoped to sway at least some of the other enforcer captains and get them to reject as well. That wasn’t what had happened, however. Anger had gotten the better of me. If I had been smart, I would’ve articulated my exact displeasure with her—though any specifics would implicate me in crimes against humanity as well.

Still. I should’ve tried harder. Instead, I turned on my heel and headed for the assembly room door.

As I went, I noticed the military officers—the superhumans specifically—staring at me the entire way. They didn’t offer looks of disgust. The opposite, in fact. Some of them smiled and nodded, like I was the only hero in the room, and I needed acknowledging.

Odd. But I pushed it from my mind as I slammed my way through the doors and out into the parliament building’s long corridor.

CHAPTER TWELVE

ALLIANCE

It took until I reached the front steps of the parliament buildingbefore I felt calm enough to speak. Lysander didn’t bother trying to engage me in conversation. We followed the long walkway toward the gates, the pristine landscaping lush and green all around us. The sound of water trickling mixed with the harsh click of our enviro-suit boots.

Lysander’s steps slowed. I stopped and faced him.

“I’ll never work for her,” I said.

He also stopped. “The stipend would’ve been nice, but—”

“The last time I worked with that bitch, it ended with us trying to kill each other. I don’t need to be under her command a second time to learn my fucking lesson.”

“—but I agree with you,” Lysander drawled. “I’m just curious as to why she bothered to ask. Endellion must’ve known you’d say no. Why did she go out of her way? It only makes her look bad. The Star Marque was her old enforcer ship, and the new captain—her old vice-captain—rejected the first offer that came his way. I’m sure there will be word of it all over Vectin-10 within a couple hours. A political nightmare.”

We stood around for a few minutes while the hot wind rushed by. Every space station I had ever lived in had temperature-controlled environments. Planets, on the other hand, fluctuated wildly. I found it both fascinating and irritating. The heat made me sweat more than sex, and I swear it altered my mood.

Lysander remained quiet.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I’m curious about my father. He would visit the surface of Vectin-10 from time to time.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the soldiers by the gate. “Ask one of them if they’ve seen him lately.”

“You don’t want to hurry back to the ship?”

I rotated my arms, my muscles still tense. “No. I want to get rid of this excess energy before we return to the Star Marque.”

Lysander replied with a single nod. Together, we walked over to the gate. There were at least four human soldiers, two automated plasma turrets, and no doubt aerial surveillance. I wasn’t a fan of everyone carrying weapons when I had none, but now wasn’t the time to complain.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Lysander said to one of the soldiers. “I’d like to ask a question.”

The soldier, a woman in a reinforced enviro-suit, turned around and glared. Her helmet’s visor was clear, so we could see her face, and she offered us both a contemptable sneer.

“You may address me as Lieutenant Commander Swart, enforcer.”

I almost laughed, but I held it back and rubbed at my jaw to hide any hint of a smile. Humans who worked under Homo superior always got this weird complex—they needed everyone below them to know who they were, and why they were important. Superhumans liked to flaunt their status, after all. I was certain that habit rubbed off on everyone they fucked over.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant,” Lysander said. “I was just curious to know if you had seen Captain Jevons of the HSN Corps.”

“I’m a Lieutenant Commander,” the woman corrected.

And she didn’t answer the question.

The other soldiers glanced over, their helmets hiding their mouths, but their eyes told me they were just as amused. Was the lieutenant commander waiting for Lysander to say it?

I stepped around the soldier and grabbed Lysander by the upper arm. “Let’s go.”

The soldiers said nothing as we left the parliament building’s premises. It wasn’t a long hike to the mag-lev train. Halfway there, I slowed my pace and gave Lysander a playful shake of my head. “That was painful to watch.”

“What?” he asked. “The way those soldiers treated us?”

“No. You. No wonder you’re single.”

Lysander stutter-stepped to a halt and stared. His helmet visor—reflective and dark—didn’t reveal his face, but I could imagine the shock and incredulous expression.

“Are you serious?”

I shrugged. “You could’ve tried some verbal maneuvers on her.”

“I wasn’t picking up ladies at a bar, Demarco. I was asking about an officer in the HSN Corps. You realize there’s a difference, don’t you? Not everything has to involve your sexual organs.”

He was mad. His stiff speech gave it away.

I was thankful, though. It helped bring me down after the half-confrontation with Endellion. Riling up Lysander always had a way of making me laugh. The man was just an easy target to mess with.

“And aren’t you single?” Lysander asked as we started our walk again. “Perhaps you should mind your own business.”

“Heh. Sawyer and I have this awkward back and forth. She wants me—who doesn’t want me, am I right?—but she’s worried about something else. She’s never really told me.”

“Not everyone wants you.”

I hit Lysander on the shoulder. He cringed away. I chuckled and continued with, “Did I ever tell you I was genetically engineered with pheromones? If you weren’t such an icy corpse, you’d have loved a night with me. My thick musk would’ve guaranteed it.”

“Please,” he muttered as he dragged a hand across his helmet. “Never mutter the word musk in my presence again.” He motioned to our surroundings. “And do you really think this is the place to have such a discussion?”

We entered the platform station for the mag-lev train. There weren’t many visitors, just soldiers, transporters, and planet miners. The place had a utilitarian feel—it wasn’t for people taking a vacation. I didn’t care about the crowds. I wanted to feel like my old self again. Anything to distract me from Endellion.

“You’re too picky,” I said with a sigh. We stopped at the edge of the platform and waited for the next train. “That’s your problem, Sanders.”

“I see you’re going to force me to have this conversation against my will.”

“I mean, look at me. I’d be a vacuum-sexual if it meant getting my dick sucked. You need to lower your standards. Maybe we should hit a bar before going back.”

I laughed at my own joke, but I stopped the instant someone threw a hand down on my shoulder. Ice returned to my veins as I turned around. Maybe someone wanted a fight. I’d welcome it at this point.

Some human—a man, brawny, like me, perhaps genetically engineered—in a full enviro-suit, and carrying a plasma rifle, looked me up and down. “Are you Captain Clevon Demarco? Of the Star Marque?”

“Yeah. What of it?”

“Come with me.” He motioned to the security station. It took me a moment to realize the guy wanted me to follow him there.

“What?” I barked. “I didn’t do anything.”

Lysander stepped forward. “If this station has speech restrictions, we were unaware. The Star Marque is docked at the Vectin-10 Eastern Hemisphere Space Elevator, Dock 14-B, if you’d like to issue a fine. We’ll maintain cordial conversation from here on out.”

They were going to arrest me for my crude speech? Was that even a thing?

“That’s not why you need to come with me,” the man said, his voice gruff. “Vice-Admiral Valfive wishes to speak with you in private. He’s waiting in the security station.”

Valfive? That was a superhuman name, no doubt in my mind.

Although I didn’t like the thought of speaking to a random superhuman, I was also somewhat intrigued. What did he want to speak to me about? Perhaps he wanted to hire me for a mission.

I half-shrugged. “Fine. Lead the way.”

Lysander gave me a quick glance, his rigid mannerisms betraying his disapproval. Now wasn’t the time to act like a street thug—that was exactly what he would say. He wanted me to conduct myself with all the prim and proper authority of a starship captain.

He was right, so I used the short walk from the edge of the platform to the security station to calm myself.

The door slid open with a whoosh akin to a gentle sigh. We stepped in, and I marveled at the clean floors, high-tech computer terminals mounted on the walls, and guest counter that had an automated system for reporting crimes.

The genetically engineered soldier strode to the back door and held his left forearm to the scanner. It opened, revealing private offices in the back. Lysander and I followed.

Some of the rooms weren’t for pleasant meetings. They reminded me of the interrogation rooms I had seen back on Capital Station. They had chairs, tables, and anti-riot warnings on the doorframes, which meant the rooms could be blasted with high voltage to subdue anyone inside.

We didn’t enter one of those, lucky us. Instead, our quiet friend led us to the main office—the one fancy and meant for the superhumans. The moment we entered, it reminded me of the landscaped gardens around the parliament building. Lush plants grew in pots around the room. The plush carpets sprang back into position after each step, and the chairs had cushions on them with enough down to get lost in.

One of the Homo superior stood behind a desk, his scaled enviro-suit marked with the insignia of a vice-admiral. His metallic hair shone in the artificial lighting, and his two-toned skin, going from dark in the back, to light in front, had a healthy glow to it. Extra breathing holes—small black dots—lined the side of his neck and stopped just below the ear.

“Ah,” he said, his smile and teeth perfect. “If it isn’t Captain Demarco.”

I glanced around the room. Besides the guy who had led us here, there were two other soldiers, both genetically modified to be buff and tall, both carrying rifles. I returned my attention to the superhuman.

“Ah. If it isn’t Vice-Admiral Valfive.”

“You’ve heard of me? Good. This will make our meeting go a little faster.” He took a seat and motioned for me and Lysander to do the same. “You see, I didn’t want to attend our new planet governor’s meeting with a gaggle of enforcers. No offense meant to you, of course.”

I took a seat. Lysander sat in the chair next to me.

I leaned back. “Okay?”

“I did enjoy your speech,” Valfive said with a chuckle. “You made me regret missing out on all the fun. I would’ve loved to see Voight’s expression.”

“Okay. Why am I here, then?”

Unfazed, Valfive replied, “I’m sure you’ve already reasoned this out, but hiring a bunch of enforcers to handle rebellion threats is more a political move than anything else. If Planet Governor Voight had really been afraid of the rebellion, she would’ve used her newfound authority to command the military in the region to act.” He continued smiling—to the point that it grated on me. “But due to her suspect rise to power, she obviously believes the military will either drag their feet or publicly make a commotion over the matter.”

There were very few superhumans who had wanted Endellion to rise to power. She had allies, but none of them had ever been friends. Even Minister Ontwenty, the superhuman woman who helped Endellion secure her position as planet governor, had betrayed her at one point.

It wouldn’t surprise me to hear Endellion was afraid the superhumans would ignore her orders. It would be an embarrassment, and it would obviously diminish her perceived authority.

“It’s all a show,” Vice-Admiral Valfive said. “Especially her decision to hire Homo sapiens enforcers to handle the situation. You understand how this is a PR move, don’t you? Of course. You were the only one smart enough to call her out and leave the assembly room.”

Ah. It all made sense then.

He knew I hated Endellion, and now he wanted to strike some sort of deal.

Interesting.

I moved to the edge of my seat. “Go on.”

Vice-Admiral Valfive snapped his fingers. “Planet Governor Voight has been involved in some questionable activities. I don’t trust her, I don’t like that she has authority over me, and I’m intrigued that her previous second-in-command doesn’t want to play her games anymore.”

I gave his soldier-thugs another quick glance before returning my attention to the vice-admiral. “So, what do you want from me?”

“I want you to help me expose her for the fraud she is.”

“How?”

“Let’s say you’ll act as my special agent. I know people and places that’ll have information, and I want you to collect it. Also, I’d like it if you… helped out a few people that Governor Voight would disapprove of.”

At first, I was prepared to make a joke, but the seriousness of the situation kept me from being my sardonic self. Why did Valfive want this? Did he want the rebellion to get closer to Endellion? I supposed it wasn’t a terrible plan. Maybe an assassin would get lucky.

“I can pay you,” Vice-Admiral Valfive said. “More than the pathetic stipend Voight was going to offer you. You’ll only take orders from me and my superiors. No need for odd jobs—I just need you and your crew at your best.”

Lysander turned to me. When I stared back, it was at my own reflection on his helmet. I could see my own determination. Vice-Admiral Valfive wanted to fuck over Endellion’s political career. That didn’t interest me as much as her life, but it would be a start.

Then again, it was clear this asshole wanted Endellion gone because she was human, no other reason. He might’ve known about her past deeds, but not all of them. He just didn’t want to be a superhuman taking command from a lessor. It embarrassed him. I could tell by the eagerness in his voice to get this over and done with.

Did I really care about that, though?

“What do you say, Captain Demarco? Will you help me?”

I stood and offered my hand. “You’ve got a deal.”