There Before the Chaos by K. B. Wagers

Author:K. B. Wagers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2018-10-08T16:00:00+00:00

22

After lunch, Johar and Alba headed back to the ship while I headed for the section of the facility devoted to the 5th Space Recon Group. The classified-research side of the HCL facility was heavily shielded, and my smati cut out as we passed through the first of several locked and guarded doors. It made me twitch a bit, my claustrophobia flaring up as the final door closed behind us with a sinister hiss.

Gita stepped forward to greet the GIS agents, giving me the moment I needed to compose myself.

“The Farians set up a colony on a world right on the outer edge of the Solarian Conglomerate, Your Majesty.” Agent Has Dougan was a pale man with wild red hair. He’d bowed solemnly in greeting, but I’d spotted the complicated handshake he’d shared with Gita. Their interaction had been playful and familiar, not at all like his formal demeanor now.

“With the telescope power available here, we’ve gathered a decent amount of data, not only on the colony itself but on the Farian ships,” Agent Luis Paez, the other man on-site, picked up where Has left off. “There’s been a lot of movement lately that we suspect has something to do with the recent Shen attacks. Most of the outer colonies would have to be nervous that they’re next on the list.”

“I don’t blame them.” I’d gone over the reports on the attacks before leaving Pashati, trying to make sense of an adversary that would burn a colony to the ground on one hand but steal ships without killing a single person on the other. Meeting Aiz in person and hearing his proposition threw that further into doubt. What if he was telling the truth about the Farians?

“Luis, you don’t have eyes on any of the colonies that were hit, do you?” I asked.

His eyes unfocused as he consulted his smati. “Three of them are on the other side of the Solarian Conglomerate, closer to where we think Faria is located, so they’re completely out of range for us. The outpost that was hit was a little closer to home.” He trailed off and then crossed the room to the bank of screens set against the far wall. I followed, holding in my questions as he brought up a menu on one of the screens and began swiping through files.

Has leaned in, apparently understanding exactly where his partner was headed. “That one,” he said, pointing.

“That’s two days prior.”

“I know, but it was on this side and we were moving the telescope. There might be a chance we caught the tail end of it before it fell off screen.”

“Hmmm.” Luis nodded. “It’s possible. Majesty, we’ll have to do some looking. Anything we find will need to be enhanced anyway; it’s not something I can just pull up for you.” He smiled in apology. “I can’t even guarantee we’ll find something, but we’ll do our best.”

“That’s all I need. Send Gita anything you find.” I clapped him on the shoulder and he looked up at me with a grim smile.

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