Juni called a couple of hours after I got to sleep. She said she'd be out of touch for two days, but if she didn't call me by 1700 on Thursday then I should get as far away from Liberty as I can. She sounds scared, and I...I'm not crazy enough to try and reassure her. She's the one in this relationship who does the reassuring right now. Maybe if we were in Bretonia, that'd be different.
Did tell if she needs me I'll come running. That...actually did improve her mood, which is probably a bad sign. I went back to sleep for a couple more hours and then picked up a short-term escort contract from Planetform, Cali Minor to Los Angeles and back. Splashed two Rogues over Los Angeles clearing the way for the transports to land; the other two escort flight guys never even got into the fight in their Startrackers. Got hit by a pair of Lane Hacker Daggers on the way back. They did not expect a Defender as part of the escort; I blew off one guy's right wing and he decided to bug out. The other guy...well, he decided the correct answer to my not cruise-disruptoring and killing his buddy was to put a missile through one of the Planetform Startrackers' cockpit. The Lane Hacker lived about fifteen seconds after that.
I've flown a few more escorts since, but we haven't been bothered much. One of the execs on the project just turned up looking for me, though...
Apparently a Lane Hacker stole some critical project data. They want me to go get it back, because they think I'll survive the attempt and their own pilots wouldn't.
Made intercept over Mojave. There were half-a-dozen Rogues and a police wing (that's a bloody first!) tangling when I arrived, spotted my target when he arrived about fifteen seconds later. Near-run thing. He tried to jump to cruise but didn't make it, and didn't survive the head-to-head. I tractored the stuff and rolled in to help the police wing, though they had things pretty well in hand.
Planetform's handed out a few strike ops, basically, against Rogue ship groups. At this point I think it's fair to say that that the problems between me and the Liberty Rogues have reached the scale of vendetta, so I took them. I've probably added twenty kills to the record running these missions, and the escorts I'm on are noticeably more quiet than they should be according to the transport drivers.
Juni ought to be calling real soon.
Juni was early by six hours. She's definitely scared. She said to meet her on Manhattan and not delay. Outbound from California Minor. Rogues better not be over Mojave again; I don't have time for them.
They weren't. A miracle that is.
Something's up. There's a lot of Navy activity over the gate, and I'm being followed. Bounty Hunter ship, and I think I know who. Saw her around the bar a few times on California Minor. I'd say she looked like an ex-Outcast, with her tats, but there's no such thing as an "ex" Outcast. They need Cardamine like they need air; the drug's altered their biochemistry so much that if they go into withdrawal they'll die.
Lot of Navy activity over Manhattan too...don't normally see that, police wings, trade groups, yes, Navy...no. This is the heavy end of the hammer, right here. I can feel it. It's hovering. I'm going to willingly stick my head under it.
I'm a fool.
Juni was waiting at my landing pad. Secret Agent Lady indeed. In fact, her ship was there as well...lucky guess? No. Not with her. She arranged this. She's also wearing a gunbelt and holster. That's new.
"Juni, what's going on?" Her LSF jumpsuit doesn't look like it's been cleaned in awhile. The big bulky vest, which I've always suspected is actually body armor dressed up nice, isn't as dirty. What the hell does that mean?
"Over here." She moves us to a place between her ship and a pile of crates, out of easy view from anywhere. Definitely worried. Moving fast too.
"What's wrong?" I pat my side; the Detroit Arms gun is still there. If I have to go through customs I can't take it, but I haven't yet.
"Nothing. Something." A pause, frustration and something else. "I don't know yet!" Ouch. Snappish.
"You needed me for something." Keep her focused. She's on the edge, and looking close she's got makeup under her eyes; first I've seen her wear, aside from lipstick. Juni's not been sleeping and is trying to hide it.
"Ashcroft's missing! He was on a Liberty dreadnaught in a maximum-security cell surrounded by armed guards. Trent, you don't escape from that! After our last assignment and the Rheinlander fracas I had more questions for him about his Rheinland connections. When I got there, he was gone."
"Not transferred by your higher-ups? Things have been weird, Juni." I remind her gently.
"Every record of his arrest, how it happened, it's all gone. The entire attack on Pueblo, nothing. The wing of four LSF pilots who died at Pueblo before you got there never existed! And it's worse, Walker's gone."
That got my attention. My stint with Planetform clued me in to a lot of things about that area of space. Walker's actually a big deal; he's turned down a battleship command twice to stay with his cruiser group. He's lead multiple successful operations in the Border Worlds, including one op where he went sixteen-for-zero against a Corsair attack group. That takes real skill; it also takes big brass balls. "That's impossible. Naval captains don't vanish. Especially not ones like Walker."
"Neither do their ships! The Utah is listed as having been lost, Trent. Not recently; five years ago. People around us are disappearing."
Son of a-There's the hammer, and it is definitely coming down. "We're here. What's our play?"
"Find Walker. He never left California, so that's where we start." I'd prefer if the answer was to get out of Liberty, but it looks like no. Still...I know where at least one Jump Hole out of California is. If the worst happens, I know where we run to. "Watch the ships. I've got to take care of a little business; shouldn't be more than five minutes."
"Watch your ass, Juni." I warn.
Dude's wearing an IMG overcoat, and he's saying my name. "Mister Trent! It's very important that you and I speak."
Yeah. Sure it is. That accent; he's Bretonian, no big surprise from an Independent Miner's Guild guy. I take a couple of steps forward and undo the holster flap on my gun. "Why would that be?"
He backs underneath Juni's Defender. "Because we're the last two." Also makes a come-here gesture. I don't take the suggestion; catch me going somewhere not easily seen with strangers? Now? Yeah right.
"Last two what?" I know this guy from somewhere. Back in Bretonia? I never hit the big IMG bases in the Omega systems or the Hood. But there are always some of them around Leeds and Cambridge.
"Freeport Seven survivors, Mister Trent. We're the last ones in Liberty. Everyone else is either dead, or missing."
Ah...yeah, rescue ship. He was watching me and Rowlett play cards. "So talk."
"I'm a thief, Mister Trent. They were looking for something. I came to Freeport 7 to deliver something; an object wanted very badly by a person." Well, at least...wait. If it was worth blasting a Freeport, then whatever this guy stole is worth a whole lot. Maybe not fate-of-nations lot, but still. You don't kill six thousand people for the hell of it. "Apparently they weren't alone... It's about this." Artifact. Egg-shaped, purple, brass setting around the middle.
"I'm working with the LSF. This isn't very smart, telling me." Hand close to the holster. You don't draw; the holster rotates. It's not supposed to be accurate; it's supposed to make the guy stop while you get the gun out. Outcast trick supposedly.
"You're a Freeport Seven survivor. You have a ship. To who else should I turn. We need to get as far away from here as possible-" His eyes go wide. He turns and starts moving and I start moving after him when-
Son of a bitch, that's a gunshot. I can't see, I don't have a hope in hell of turning and outdrawing the guy behind me when he's already got it pointed at my back. Hands in the air. "I can explain."
"I have my orders." Glance over the shoulder...Liberty Navy. Alone? I think he's alone. "Eyes front!"
"Freeze soldier! This man is a freelancer working on assignment with the Liberty Security Force." Oh thank god, it's Juni.
"I found him dealing in illegal artifacts!" Can't see. Don't dare turn my head again, this guy's hopped up on something good. Maybe it's his own adrenal response but seriously, he's as twitchy as I've ever seen somebody get.
"Then arrest him." Oh thanks Juni.
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
"Soldier, you are bound by Liberty Code to uphold the law. If he's a suspect, take him into custody. The law ensures his safety and a fair trial." Oh! Thanks Juni.
"Not anymor-" A shot. I'm not dead; I spin around, drawing, down on one knee. Juni's still up. The guy's going down at my feet.
"He was going to kill me!" Juni doesn't comprehend. "He was going to kill us. Who was that guy?" She gestures to the thief. I don't know his name. Somehow it seems important I should know his name, but I don't.
Irrational thoughts there me. Oh, that hammer, it's getting real close... "Juni, I don't know, but he's dead. We're going to be dead too if we stay. We have to get out of Liberty."
"What about Walker?" She's protesting. I'm not surprised. Juni's a patriot too; she believes in her nation, as she probably has to so she can do her job. The fact it's turned on her hasn't set in.
That's gonna be a mess when it happens. "We're no good to him dead, and that goon wasn't alone I bet. We need to grab some time and some distance, stick together to sort this out."
"Okay." She's not sure about this but it's hard to avoid the logic. "I know a place." Now we hope the Navy isn't about to drop on our heads as we launch...