Dark Angels Rising by Ian Whates

Author:Ian Whates [Whates, Ian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Space Opera, Military
ISBN: 9781912950591
Google: UvFjzQEACAAJ
Publisher: NewCon Press
Published: 2020-05-05T23:00:00+00:00

Drake sat in ops, nursing a bulb of fresh coffee. Leesa occupied the other pilot’s chair beside him, sipping a bright orange viscous-looking fruit juice. It was early morning and no one else had surfaced as yet.

“We need to decide how we’re going to play this,” Drake said.

“Coming into Barbary, you mean?”

He nodded. “We’ve already been caught out by the Blue Angel ident once.”

“Yeah, and we both know how the Barbary authorities will react to any ship they catch trying to sneak in under a false ident.”

The dubious nature of many of the vessels and crew that habitually docked at Barbary meant the authorities were warier than most and sensitive to any deception. The last thing they wanted was for a snatch team to infiltrate the place with a view to spiriting away some infamous scoundrel to face justice – a not unknown occurrence in Barbary’s early days as a safe haven. For the sake of their reputation and credibility among the shadier elements that frequented the spaceways, those who ran and profited from Barbary’s lucrative status took measures to protect it. These measures included a network of automated defence platforms, which now orbited the planet. If not exactly a fortress world, Barbary had become a place no one ventured to lightly.

“Shoot first and ask questions later,” Drake agreed.

“On the other hand, if we go in openly as the Ion Raider…”

“Word will get out. Everyone on the planet will know who we are long before we touch down.”

“Crowds to greet us,” Leesa said, “either adulation or a lynch mob, depending on how many of the folk we’ve pissed off in the past are around. Maybe a mixture of both – competing mobs, all eager to claim a piece of us. After that, liggers, anyone still nurturing a perceived grudge and doubtless the authorities, all watching our every move. We won’t be able to go anywhere, won’t be able to sneeze without it being observed and reported.”

Drake nodded “And if there are any agents of Saflik hanging around on Barbary in hope of snaring a former Dark Angel or two, we’d make an irresistible target.”

“Bearing all this in mind, is it such a good idea to go to Barbary at all?”

“Unfortunately, I reckon it is, despite the risks. We have to trust Cloud’s judgement. Doing so has worked for us so far, and if she says this is the best place for us to be right now, I’m willing to back her up. We just need to figure out the best approach.”

“Okay, so going in as ourselves beats going in as Blue Angel but is still far from ideal, which leaves…?”

“Option three.”

“Which doubtless you’re making up on the spot, but let’s hear it anyway.”

“Raider,” Drake said, “what was the name of the ship we used as false ident when we needed to in the past?”

“The Lion of Lincoln,” Raider supplied.

“That’s the one.”

“Not so sure option three was worth the wait after all. Our use of the Lion of Lincoln was featured in that ridiculous holodrama they made about the Dark Angels.

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