The Guns of the Argent (Starship Expeditionary Fleet Book 3) by Shane Lochlann Black

Author:Shane Lochlann Black [Black, Shane Lochlann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Palace in the Sky Productions LLC
Published: 2019-12-09T22:00:00+00:00

Eleven

Sergeants Alexander and Dupree were doing a magnificent job of blending in. Despite the fact they were both highly trained military specialists, they had no problem pretending to be less-than-highly-trained humans on the verge of being lost on an alien world. Even though they were heavily armed by civilian standards and keenly aware of what was going on around them, their mannerisms and gait were distinctly “tourist looking for someplace to spend money.”

Commander McGrath, on the other hand, looked and moved like a hungry panther. While she wasn’t drawing any undue attention to her own concealed weapon, it was clear by the look on her face she wasn’t in any mood for nonsense. Erin McGrath was an accomplished fighter pilot and a squadron leader. She not only had the attitude and swagger of the subordinate hotshots in the 118th, but she had the commanding air of a relatively high-ranking Skywatch officer to go with it. If Sergeant Dupree were in charge, she wouldn’t have tapped the commander to lead what was almost certainly going to become a long series of boring conversations. Once the shooting started, on the other hand, Dupree was pretty sure a pilot with the call sign “Lilith” would come in handy.

The streets in the northern section of the settlement were a little bit better organized than the “junkyard with walkways” motif in the southern district. There were more than a few permanent structures and it seemed the Sarn separatist government had begun an initiative to upgrade technology along the larger “streets,” such as they were. Lighting had been improved considerably and there was evidence of new energy production along the edge of what appeared to be a privately operated industrial complex. There was even a water purification plant, which was likely one of the key reasons M-Ceti Four had attracted so many off-world visitors and residents. Sergeant Dupree wasn’t all that impressed with the color scheme, however. Everything was done in shades of “dirty sand” and “grease smudge.”

A large outdoor patio stood next to what looked like a popular eating establishment. It was full, even though it was only halfway between breakfast and lunch. Some of the patrons were busy with various table games. All were drinking enthusiastically, something which everyone in McGrath’s group noted and prepared themselves for. An empty table waited on the fringes of the gathering. Alexander claimed it. Sable waited patiently, tail wagging. McGrath and Dupree took their seats and listened carefully to the nearby conversations.

Roughly 90 seconds later, one of Doverly’s look-down probes drifted overhead and updated Sergeant Alexander’s handheld tactical display.

"117 people. Not a bad late breakfast crowd,” he said as he snuck one of the free mash chips to Sable and flagged down an exhausted-looking server.

“I’d sample their menu, but something tells me I’d have about a 50/50 chance of it ending up in a sink,” Dupree replied.

“Well, if we’re going to flush out the word on the street, this is the place to do it,” McGrath said. “Wonder if the night life around here is safe.

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