New Alliance Read online

  He spoke my language with ease. “Dean Parker, is that you?”

  I was surprised he recognized my speech, but he likely didn’t know many humans. Terrance knew Sergo too, after the insectoid had spent some time on Haven during its early years, when Kareem had been around. It seemed the gangster often needed somewhere to hide out while his trail cooled off. It made sense that he’d chosen to come to Haven, seeking asylum once more.

  “It’s me. What did you take from them?” I asked, knowing full well what he’d done. I just wanted to see if he was willing to fess up to his crimes to me or not. My next actions relied on his answer.

  “I didn’t take much, I swear. They have mountains full of the stuff, I saw them with my own eyes,” Sergo said, his voice frantic. I could imagine his antennae flipping around his head in distress.

  “Do you still have the Relocator?” I asked, hoping there was a way I could secure it back. It had come in handy so many times, and it was far better suited in my hands than Sergo’s.

  “A barter, Dean Parker.” Our icons were close now, and I saw his ship approaching in the viewscreen.

  Terrance tapped the mute icon. “Weapons charged and ready for action. Be careful, Dean. As much as I like Sergo, he’s shifty. You can’t trust him.”

  I tapped the icon again, opening the channel. “Go ahead. What do you have in mind?”

  “Help me avoid the Inlor, and you can have it back,” Sergo suggested.

  I considered his desperate offer, and glanced at Terrance. “I don’t know if this device is worth having the Inlor angry with us at this moment. The best course of action is to let them take Sergo.” The hybrid was probably right.

  “Or we can hold him for them, handing him over when they arrive,” Suma said.

  “What’s it going to be, Parker?” Sergo asked, and I tapped the line open again.

  “Come aboard our ship. We’ll take care of you,” I said, not actually saying just what that would entail.

  “I knew you’d come to your senses,” Sergo said.

  Our two ships neared one another, his a sleek Skipper, like the one we’d first seen underwater when we’d found the young Motrill prince searching Fontem the Terellion’s hidden cache of antiquities. I used the tractor lance and it attached to the ship, creating a containment tube between the ships.

  “At least we don’t have to test the ionized particle blaster,” I said, knowing too much could go wrong experimenting with new technology right now.

  “I wanted to see her in action,” Slate admitted, and I laughed. This was working out smoothly.

  “I’ll bring Sergo in,” I said.

  No one argued, and I stood up, stalking to the back of the ship, where I tapped the ramp open to reveal the containment tube between the Skipper and our ship. Space lay beyond the thin layer of energy, and I took the precaution of latching a rope to the inside of the ship. I passed through the ship’s field and floated through the tube, where Sergo was coming toward me in his own Padlog armored suit.

  I noticed the gun in his hand right away. I’d been so distracted by everything, I hadn’t even picked up a weapon on my way to meet the rogue insectoid.

  “Sergo, put that down,” I ordered.

  He kept moving toward me. Soft green pulses shot from his suit’s thrusters and he grinned, his lipless mouth forming a strange semi-circle. “Dean Parker, it’s been far too long.” His slender gun latched to his hip with a click. He was dragging a large crate behind him, and it floated weightlessly.

  I relaxed and turned around when he was between me and my own ship. The tube extended forty feet between the two crafts, and we were almost back on board ours when Terrance’s voice cut into my earpiece.

  “Dean, you’d better come quick. They’re arriving,” Terrance said, and we hurried, moving into the cargo hold, our feet once again planting on the solid surface. I shut the ramp seconds later. “I’ve cut the beam. They won’t know he’s with us yet,” he added.

  Sergo stared at me through his helmet visor, bulbous black eyes searching for direction.

  “Get to the bridge, Sergo.” He was playing with the crate now, and I didn’t have to ask what was inside. “You brought it with you? Really?” He’d stolen the material from their world and put a target on his back. Now that he was inside my ship with the pilfered materials, I worried we’d made a grave mistake bringing him on board.

  “What would you have me do? They’ll destroy me,” he said, and I didn’t quite comprehend what he meant until we arrived at the bridge.

  “Boss, they’re charging weapons,” Slate said, sitting beside Terrance. His fingers hovered about our own weapon controls, ready to stand his ground should it come to that.

  “Hold your fire, Slate. They wouldn’t attack us, not after what we told them,” I said, hoping I was right. “You’re sure they didn’t see the tractor beam connecting us?”

  “I don’t think they were within reach yet. We should be safe,” Terrance said.

  Sergo spoke in his accented English. “What does that mean? How do you propose to deal with them? You are on my side, right, Parker?”

  I turned to him. “Why should I be? You tried screwing us over on Volim, and you threatened Leslie.” Terrance looked back, anger in his eyes. Leslie was his wife, but he knew the story already.

  “I only suggested I had her captive, but you and I both know I didn’t. No harm came to her. We are colorful characters, Parker. We sometimes have to embellish the truth to discover what we need, correct?” Sergo was grinning foolishly.

  I stepped in closer, our helmets almost touching. “First, you and I are nothing alike, got that? Second, I may have just ‘embellished’ the truth to get you on board.” I grabbed the gun from his hip so fast, he didn’t have a chance to react.

  “What trickery is this?” Sergo spat, and I moved a few steps away from him.

  “There’s no trickery, but we have to see what the Inlor say before we fight to keep you safe. I’m not starting another intergalactic war just because you can’t seem to steal anything without being caught,” I said.

  “But we had a deal! You said we’d barter.” Sergo was nervous, but I was okay with that.

  “The Inlor are closing in,” Terrance said.

  “Shields are up?” I asked, and Slate nodded.

  Something was off about Sergo, and I needed to know what it was before I talked with the Inlor about him. “You told me you had the Relocator to trade. Where is it?”

  He shook his head. “You don’t think I’m that stupid, do you? It’s in the safe I brought with me, among other things. If you kill me or give me over to them, you’ll never get it back.”

  He thought that was enough of a bargaining chip, but he was dead wrong. “How were you caught?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, shifting from foot to foot.

  “If you had the Relocator, why didn’t you sneak in, take the goods, then Relocate out? They wouldn’t have caught you,” I said, seeing if I was barking up the right tree.

  “So…” Sergo’s head dropped, and his shoulders lost all their posturing toughness. “Fine. You know. It’s broken. The stupid thing stopped working right there in the middle of the warehouse outside their mine on RXM8. I was lucky enough to steal a visiting Motrill vessel and stay alive for another day!”

  Suma spoke up. “And the haul of stolen goods, of course.”

  Sergo eyed her suspiciously. “I couldn’t go to all that trouble to leave empty-handed, now could I?” His gaze came to meet mine again. “What are you doing associating with a Shimmali?”

  I ignored his question. “If the Relocator is broken, what can you offer me to keep you safe?”

  “Riches! This metal is pure, the best there is on the market, straight from the source. It will go for more credits than you’ve ever dreamed of,” he said.

  The truth was, I didn’t want for anything in my life, and if Sergo really knew me at all, he’d know I didn’t care about possessions. But I played along. While
I didn’t personally require money, the colonies did need more materials than they’d been able to procure.

  “You might have said enough to start a conversation. Let’s see what the Inlor have to say.” Suma opened a line of communication, and I reached out. “Honored ones, we have... What…”

  I didn’t have a chance to finish my sentence. I was distracted by the incoming ships on the viewscreen. They were lava red, white lights pulsing along the edges of them. They were at least four times the size of our compact Kraski model, and I expected they outgunned us as well, even with our recent modifications.

  Proving my assumptions, fire erupted from the front two vessels, blasting into the Skipper with ferocity. The shields held for a few moments, but seconds later, the pulses hit the surface of the ship Sergo had arrived in, and Terrance was moving us farther away from it, trying to avoid the irrevocable damage.

  Sergo fell to his knees as he watched through the viewscreen. My heart was beating hard in my chest as we witnessed his Skipper exploding into a million tiny pieces.

  “Thank you for detaining the target. We will allow you to escort us to this Haven for further discussion,” one of them said, translating through our speakers.

  “Mute it,” I whispered, and Slate did.

  Sergo remained on the floor, for the first time utterly silent.

  “That was… unexpected,” Terrance said.

  “Boss, what do we do?” Slate asked.

  “We oblige them with an escort. They came to kill Sergo, apparently, and now they think they have. Let them believe that story. Unmute it.” Slate did. “Please follow us. The trip is short.”

  “Very well.” The communication ended, and Terrance turned us around before heading back toward Haven. Sergo glanced up at me, and I helped him to his feet.

  “Looks like you got lucky, pal.” I passed his gun to Slate, who took it with a smile.

  Sergo was visibly shaken, and I didn’t blame him. He’d stolen from the Inlor, and they hadn’t even tried to procure the goods before attempting to kill him. Instead, they’d sent five vessels to hunt him down and destroy him. I didn’t want to get on their bad side, and I knew it was going to be imperative to keep Sergo from interacting with them on Haven.

  Three

  We arrived at Haven, and Sergo was pacing a hole in the floor the entire trip.

  “You have to hide me. Maybe they know I’m here, Parker. How are you going to keep me alive?” His questions were never-ending, and after trying to placate him for the first few minutes, I gave up and ignored his rambling.

  “Geeze, boss, can you make that guy shut up, or do you want me to? I thought he was a tough thug type.” Slate looked pleased at Sergo’s reaction.

  “Listen here, you pale worm! I’m Sergo, one of the most feared…”

  Slate cut him off. “Most feared what? Mosquito this side of the Mississippi?” His joke went over the Padlog’s head, and they stared at each other, Slate laughing, and Sergo tapping his facemask.

  “Enough. Sergo, head into the bedroom, cover yourself up with a sheet, and keep your fly trap shut.” My voice was laced with anger. I was supposed to be introducing the members of the festivities in ten minutes, and here I was escorting some angry aliens to the surface, with the source of their wrath hiding on a cot.

  Sergo stalked away, out of the bridge and down the hall.

  “Dean, are we sure this is a good idea?” Terrance asked. “What if they catch wind he’s still alive?”

  “They’re not going to, because we’re keeping Sergo on board until they leave. Slate, go to the cargo bay and take the portable containment field.” I gave the instructions and Slate hopped up, running for the rear of the ship.

  “Suma.” The Shimmali woman’s snout twitched, awaiting orders. “Can you adjust the setting on the field to make sure no one can get in or out? I want Sergo trapped in that room, and I don’t want anyone near him. Is that doable?”

  “On it.” She hesitated, then smiled at me. “...Boss.”

  I laughed at her using the nickname Slate had given me years ago. Then I plopped into the seat vacated by Slate and leaned back. “Terrance, tell me everything is going to work out today.”

  Terrance turned and clapped me on the shoulder. “Whatever you say.”

  I tapped the console and advised E-Base that we were coming with five unexpected dignitaries from RXM8. I added that we might need extra security at the landing pad outside the city of Haven, and they acknowledged the instruction.

  “Think that’ll be necessary?” Terrance asked as we entered the atmosphere with the slightest of shakes to the ship. Only two of the Inlor ships entered behind us, and on the radar, I noticed the other three turning, moving away from the planet.

  “That solves that. Less of them to worry ourselves with,” I said.

  “Dean, where are you?” Sarlun’s voice carried through my earpiece as soon as we were close enough to receive domestic communication.

  “Sarlun, we had something come up. Do you remember the Inlor?” I asked.

  “I’ve read of them. We all have at some point, as Gatekeepers. What about them?” he asked, all the patience stripped from his words.

  “We have two of their ships coming to the surface with us.”

  “Wait, what?” he asked.

  “It’s a long story. We’ll be there in ten,” I said, knowing that wouldn’t go over well.

  “Dean, everyone is assembled, what do you want…”

  “Juggle for them or something, Sarlun. We’ll be right there,” I said, and cut the line. “I’m going to hear about that one, aren’t I?”

  Terrance nodded but laughed.

  We’d somehow managed to recruit Sergo, have his attackers think they killed him, and make it back in time for the ceremony. Sometimes, things worked out.

  ____________

  I stood at the front of the stage, wishing I’d had time to comb my hair. I was in my Gatekeeper attire, a crisp white uniform and polished black boots, and I was already sweating as I addressed the entire outdoor amphitheater.

  Thousands sat in the chairs, and thousands more crammed in beyond on the grass to get a view of the ceremony. I glanced over to the side of the stage, where Mary held Jules’ hand. They both waved at me, and I waved in return, unable to stop from smiling like a buffoon at the two most important people in my life.

  Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder to see Sarlun tapping his wrist. Since Shimmali didn’t wear watches, I wondered where he’d gotten the gesture.

  I tapped the mic attached to my uniform and turned my attention to the crowd. I’d never had a problem with public speaking, but today, after the last couple of hours, I was out of sorts and felt flustered. Mary mouthed the first line to me, and I nodded to her before I continued.

  “Welcome to Haven, everyone.” The crowd began cheering. We’d handed out translator earpieces to those who didn’t own them, and it was odd to think that, right now, my words were being converted into at least fifty different alien languages. I waited for the noise to dwindle before I spoke again.

  The stage was black and shiny, and the sun was high in the sky above, making the entire area a pressure cooker. I took it all in for a moment, while the various hoots and hollers echoed around the event grounds. I recognized some of the people in the crowd, but there were alien races even I’d never seen before. This was a one-of-a-kind occasion and, we hoped, the first of many celebrations for our ever-growing galaxy.

  “My name’s Dean Parker, and I’m here to introduce the newest members being inducted into the Gatekeepers.” More cheering, louder this time. I was always surprised to hear how many of them had heard of me, or knew anything about our history as a people. To them, it all began on the day of the Event, and though we had a long past before that, it was the day we were reborn as a race.

  “We couldn’t be happier at the turnout, and we know that by working cohesively, we can solidify our newly formed Alliance of Worlds. The
re won’t be a health issue, a logistics problem, or a border dispute that we won’t be able to work together amicably on ever again. The Gatekeepers are going to work as explorers, knowledge gatherers, and surveyors of this vast universe, and assist with clashes when necessary.

  “Because of this, we’ve decided to add in new partners to the ancient Guild.” I stopped and looked behind me, where a huge group of people in white uniforms began walking toward the front of the stage. I knew many of them and was surprised to hear there were over two hundred members of the Gatekeepers. Their missions often took them months to years to complete, using portal stones to explore distant uncatalogued planets. Even at that moment, there were twenty Keepers absent because they were on endeavors.

  Sarlun was at the lead, and I motioned to the group. “I give you the Gatekeepers!” I shouted, and the crowd erupted. Most of them had at least one of their kind in the Guild, and now we were expanding to five more races today. It was an exciting time for everyone, and it would only strengthen the group and increase their reach and resources.

  “We’re proud to invite the newest member, from our friends the Keppe, forward as we present Rulo Uli.” Rulo walked over to me, and I could tell how much she hated wearing sleeves over her thick armored arms. She bared her sharp teeth to me and smiled, pumping a fist for the crowd. The Keppe were a strong force, and I’d asked Lord Crul personally if they would join the Gatekeepers organization. He obliged after a few rounds of his favorite beverage.

  “Next, we have Polvertan, prince of the Motrill!” The young Motrill walked forward, far less sure of himself than Rulo had been. His eyes darted around to immense crowd and he lifted an arm rigidly, before following his Keppe cousin into line.

  The crowd was into it, and I found myself caught up in the excitement. It was a little more of a show than I thought necessary, but I was only following the playbook the entire group decided on going with. They wanted the people to be thrilled and optimistic about the Gatekeepers and our new foothold into the Alliance of Worlds.

  “We also have Dreb from the great and powerful Bhlat joining us!” The huge Bhlat stalked over, and I caught the Empress in the front row, flanked by guards. Her red eyes swirled in joy at seeing one of theirs in our ranks. It was a good thing they were on our side, because most races out there feared them. The amassed throng of creatures gasped as Dreb marched towards me, and I clapped him on his broad shoulder. “With the Bhlat on our side, we have no need to concern ourselves over past events. We can look forward, as partners with the great culture.”