Protector (The Vigilante Chronicles Book 7) by Natalie Grey & Michael Anderle

Author:Natalie Grey & Michael Anderle [Grey, Natalie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2018-12-16T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

A scattering of gunfire came from around the corner and Kelnamon grimaced in frustration. They had to get the government officials out of these bunkers. There was no telling what was being done to them while they were in there, and the knowledge they had could compromise the entire Brakalon infrastructure and population if it were tortured out of them.

He did not even want to think of the damage they could do as double agents, even unwilling ones, if they believed their families were held hostage.

Jotun turrets now surrounded all of the government buildings, and they had laser-targeting and almost instantaneous firing capabilities. There was no element of surprise when it came to them; one couldn’t burst out of cover and elude them.

Under any normal circumstances, Kelnamon would have ordered everyone to retreat. He knew they were going to take heavy losses as they pushed forward. Everyone knew it, and the fear was plain on their faces. Even Ferqar moved hesitantly in his biosuit and had been subdued lately.

Kelnamon was grateful for Ferqar’s help. Ferqar had shown that when a member of his own species, even a highly respected one, was doing something sadistic and immoral, he would stop them. Still, it was one thing to carry out vigilante justice on a single Naval captain, and quite another thing to be fighting a larger Jotun initiative.

Kelnamon had broached the subject with him some days ago. He did not want to take the chance of Ferqar having a crisis of conscience in the middle of a battle, so the discussion needed to be had.

“Have you considered that this might be a government initiative?” he had asked Ferqar. “That you might have orders, if you were on your ship, to come take over Kordinev?”

Ferqar had become slightly agitated, but Kelnamon was beginning to know him well enough to see that he wasn’t surprised by the question. He had thought about it.

“I wondered that,” he admitted. “We knew Huword was involved in something big. What if the Senate really was planning something like this? Or…I hate to say it, but what if the Navy was? I can’t see Admiral Jeqwar doing something like that, but it’s possible, isn’t it?”

Kelnamon didn’t know what to say to that. He’d always found the Jotuns insufferable, absolutely sure they were better than everyone else. He didn’t think it was in any way unlikely that their government would order another species subjugated.

Ferqar gave a mechanical sigh. Enough species had such mannerisms that the Jotuns had programmed similar sounds into their biosuits. “It doesn’t matter,” he said at last. “Whether this is some rogue faction or the whole government, it isn’t right. The Brakalons haven’t been our enemies; they haven’t threatened us. I can’t justify taking over Kordinev, even if the whole government is in agreement.”

“You know you’ll be branded a traitor,” Kelnamon told him. “You aren’t just failing to go along with it, you’re actively fighting them.”

This thought seemed to amuse Ferqar. “Everyone is being called a traitor these days,” he said between mechanical chuckles.

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