Whisper & Fury: Eydulan Series Book 1 (9 page)

Gravan and her had been talking about heading to Raspiel, and finding his friends. She didn’t have anyone else in the universe other than Knox and Gale, so living on a planet with some friendly people would be a nice change of pace. Gravan had finally moved out of the medical bay, and into his own room. They had made a few short fuel stops and he had picked up a few things at each to put in his room.

Kat was waiting for Gravan to get to the bridge so they could talk about where they wanted to go next. Their plan for Raspiel was put on hold for at least six months. They wanted to file all the appropriate paperwork to get a piece of land. If they just went out there and squatted they could, but if the Guild were to find out it would cost them. With everything they had that the Guild wanted, the less conspicuous the better.

Gravan walks onto the bridge humming. “Hey Katrice, how about you and I go on a date?”

Kat turns her head sharply, “What!?”

“You know that thing that a man and a woman does, typically when the man is interested in the woman.”

She stands up and shifts her weight to one hip. “I know what a date is Gravan, we are hardly in the best situation to do that right now for starters. The second thing is, what makes you think I would want to go on a date with you?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that I saved your ass and you saved mine. That or all the time you spent next to my bed watching me recover.”

“How do you know about that?”

“Whisper told me.”

Kat’s rubs her palm into her forehead, “Of course she did.”

“I coerced it out of her a little.”

“Oh yea, how’s that?”

“I have a stash of money set aside I kept in case of emergencies, and I gave her some so she could download those romance novels she keeps talking about.”

“No wonder she’s been quiet over the last few days.”

Whisper says, “I heard that, and I will choose to talk when I choose to talk.”

“Whatever Whisper, you traitor.”

“I am no such thing. I just think the monkey that is talking to you has a point.”

Gravan raises his hands up, “I didn’t put her up to that.”

Kat glares at Gravan, “What do you mean Whisper, what point is he making.”

“That you need to blow a little steam off, get a little crazy. Let your hair down.”

“This isn’t one of your romance novels, and we are kind of trying to keep a low profile here.”

Gravan says, “Well that won’t be too hard, I promise to keep it low key.”

Kat sighs, “Alright fine, but afterward, we talk about this emergency fund you have. It’s raining like a Venus typhoon around here.”

…

“Do all your dates end up like this?” Kat says hiding behind a corner as bullets and blaster fire ring out all around her. Memories of the two of them behind cover, getting shot at come to mind. Something she was sure she didn’t want to repeat, but here they were.

Gravan says, “Not all of them. Just the special ones.”

“Great, I’m
special
.”

“Hey I didn’t know that Ryker was visiting this planet, of all places for him to visit.”

“Centel is his home planet. Gravan says. I figured there wasn’t going to be any chance to see him here, since we were so far out from the city.”

“Well that’s a relief. After hearing that I thought you were going to accuse me of setting you up.”

“That would be one long game to play. First have you convince me that your decent, then kill his newly betrothed bride to be, and lure me to his home planet to capture me. Seems like a great plan.”

“Now that you say it out loud, it does seem a little farfetched to think that.”

“So Mr. Man, you got a plan for us to get out of here. Since you asked me out on the date, I figured you knew what the next activities are.”

“I knew a fearless lady like you would want a little action on her date.” Gravan jokes. “So I just so happened to bring two blaster pistols with me.”

“Isn’t that nice of you.”

“You never know what you might run into.”

Kat could always tell rookies when she looked at them. Each of the bodyguards that were firing at them weren’t aiming in unison, or very good shots.

She jokes, “We do now actually, six wannabes and their boss.”

…

“Ryker Mallory, you’re someone that I never wanted to see again.” It was the first time that she used his name in a long time. And it was almost like she was saying something taboo. It was good to finally say it to his face, with him on the ground in front of her.

Ryker has a smug smile on his face as he sits against a broken brick wall. “I see you can finally use my first name. I guess Gravan told you about the Compel?”

“He did. He also told me about the explosives that you had implanted inside my new libs, after you took my old ones from me.”

“I really did start to like you, that’s why I eased up on the dose I was giving you. Then you had to go and search around. I knew then I had to deal with you.”

“Then why rebuild me, why not just kill me?”

“Because I wanted to keep you, I’m used to getting things my way. You had a way in bed that no woman could duplicate, what was it you called it again. That’s right…”

Kat interrupts, “Something that you will never know again.” She pulls out a mobile cutting torch, twisting the handle to light it. A stream of flame shoots out of the tip, and Mallory’s eyes focus on the blade of flame.

“What are you going to do with that?” Mallory asks, his voice drained of all the smug attitude that was once there.

“I’m going to make you like me.” She quickly makes an L shaped swipe, cutting of his right arm and both his legs. The heat of the torch instantly cauterizes the wounds. Mallory screams. His clothes are slowing burning inward across his body, searing his flesh.

“I will pay you back for this tenfold, do you hear me Katrice. I will hunt you to the end of the universe and make you pay for this.”

“I have one more present for you.” Spinning the torch in her hand to face the flame downward. Bringing the blade down into his crotch. He screams.

“You bitch, I swear I’m gonna kill you, ahh!”

Gravan whispers into Kat’s ear, “Aren’t you going to kill him?”

She turns to him and says aloud over his screams, “No I’m not going to kill him, he isn’t good enough to soil my hands on. I just left him a few reminders of who he’s dealing with.”

Gravan snarls, “Then I’m going to kill him.”

Kat puts an arm on his shoulder, and shakes her head, “No. That isn’t going to bring them back, and it taints their memory. This is enough, his limbs and manhood are enough.”

The fire in Gravan’s eyes die down a little as he looks at the burning lump on the ground. “You’re right.” He says letting out a deep breath.

“Whisper is on her way with the ship, should be just a couple of minutes. Let’s get somewhere out of the way to get picked up.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Gravan says, as Katrice and him turn away.

Ryker breathing heavily says, “Don’t think this is over Katrice. I will hunt down everything you love and crush it with the might of my company and the Conglomerate.”

Without looking back she stops and says, “The only things I care about are what I have with me, and my life. Find me again, and it will be your death not mine, remember that. Let’s go Gravan.” He nods gazing one more time at Ryker on the ground, and starts to walk away.

Kat hears a small shattering of glass, she turns and to see Ryker’s forearm breaking apart, revealing cybernetics beneath the skin. His skin flips, and metal replaces it, forming into a large cannon. He points it at her.

The barrel starts to glow yellow, and Kat can see Ryker’s smile warping in the light. She hears a shot ring out. Mallory’s body flops to the ground, blood pouring out from the newly made hole.

Graven steps up next Kat, placing his hand on her shoulder. “This was his choice, not ours. He knew what would happen if he attacked us, and I obliged him.”

“Honey, we’re getting close to Bexar Omega. Do you want to park at the usual place?” Gravan says while at the controls of Felicity.

Whisper says, “I am not your honey, ape.”

Gravan says, “Sorry Whisper, I was talking to Kat, not you.”

Kat walks into the bridge, “Sure that sounds good, Whisper contact Knox and tell him we’re almost there.”

“What about me Kat, can I rest now?” Fury asks.

“Yes Fury, you can rest now. We shouldn’t need the weapon systems online while we’re this close to Bexar Omega.”

He yawns, “That’s good. Night night.”

Gravan says, “I still can’t believe that AI’s need rest.”

Kat smiles, “These two are more like us than other AI’s we have run into. They sleep so they can process all the data they go through in the day just like we do. It keeps them from becoming cold and robotic.”

“I take offense to that.” Whisper snaps, “I am just as cold and robotic as the first day I was turned on.”

Kat laughs, “I would say your more sarcastic, than cold.”

“Yes, because a meat bag would be more than capable of understanding AI sarcasm and humor than I would.”

“I know you like us Whisper, even if you don’t want to admit it.”

Gravan adds, “I feel the same way. If you weren’t sarcastic, I would have to run a diagnostic on you Whisper.”

Whisper huffs, “I… I know what you fleshy things are trying to do. Trying to give me emotions, it won’t work.”

Kat and Gravan look at each other, and laugh.

…

Kat smiles as Knox comes into view. He is waiting right at the end of the dock, like he always does when they come back to Bexar Omega for a pit stop. She heads down to the airlock and breaks the seal the first chance that she can get.

She waves toward her father, “Hey Knox, thanks for taking us in again.”

“Anytime Kitty Kat, now that you’ve been cleared of everything by the Earth Empire, it makes things easier for me to supply you.”

“We still have the Guild, Conglomerate, and Mars after us, but yes it’s nice to be cleared from at least one place.”

Gravan says, “It’s a clear port we can land in, without having any problems.”

Kat agrees, “That may be true, but if the Empire gets any pressure from any of the others, they may hand us over. I think we should still stay…”

Knox interjects, “Yes Kat that may be true but for now you can rest, and it’s nice being able to.”

“Rest is good, you’re right Knox. I will try to take it easy.”

“Not too easy now, Ryker’s company has another bounty on your head. Nothing in the official channels, but it’s just as real and dangerous.”

“I just looked earlier today and I didn’t see any. How much is it this time?”

“One million credits dead, two if you’re alive.”

Gravan says, “I guess they’re still pissed about what happened a year and a half ago.”

Kat says, “I know I would be, and I still hold a grudge for what he did to me, so his company can go suck on bog root for all I care.”

Gale opens the door to the hanger and waves. “Kat, Gravan, how nice it is to see you two. Are you staying long this time?”

Gravan says, “Long enough for some of your cooking that’s for sure.”

Kat gives Gravan a sharp look, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing at all honey, I love your cooking, but I love Gale’s too.”

“Uhh huh, I’ll let you slide for now mister, but you better watch it.”

…

Kat was really looking forward to how they were finally going to setup shop next to Gravan’s friends. He had found them, and sent a few coded messages their way to know that we were coming. They replied how happy they would be to have the two of us out there. Their last year had been spent under the radar. Mars had teamed up with the Guild to find this rogue ship that was using their technology. Kat and crew had to take a few smuggling jobs here and there just to make ends meat. They always asked what the cargo was up front, and never took anything dangerous anywhere. It was mostly stolen medical supplies out to Frontier space. The Earth Empire and Conglomerate were starting to back out of some of the further reaches of the Frontier. A new kind of intelligent being had been found, and they were able to take technology far beyond theirs and know how to use it. They keep taking more and more space as they grow an army of salvaged ships. Some people have started to call them Gluttons, because they never seem to have enough.

It gave them work, and it was steady. More than they needed, and they were even able to put some aside to finally save up for the trip. Since the Guild was putting more resources than ever to locate them, they had to just realize they were going to head to Raspiel and squat. Hanna had given them their GPS location on the planet, and told them it was a safe zone. No sensors could find it in a quick sweep, it wasn’t reachable by foot unless you knew the secret passages, and there was no other Guild cities for almost a continent away. There were a few people there that Hanna and Jack trusted, and that was it. They were living in secret, with all the convenances of any other big city.

Kat asks, “Whisper, how are the supplies looking? We have a long run out to Raspiel.”

“Everything seems like it’s here. We should be ready for departure in about an hour.”

“An hour, that’s good. It will give me time to say goodbye to Knox and Gale. Do you know where Gravan is at?”

“The male monkey is on the bridge with my brother. They seem to be talking about weapons.”

“Alright, thanks Whisper.”

“Yes you’re welcome female monkey. Have the AI do all of the heavy lifting.” She says sarcasm rolling off each word.

Kat rolls her eyes, and heads toward the bridge. Opening the door, she catches part of the conversation, pausing to listen.

Fury says, “You want to do what now?”

“It’s been almost a year now, and I think it’s time.”

“I guess I could help, haven’t done anything like it before.”

“Anything you come up with is better than what I had, so just tell me when it’s finished.”

Kat swings open the door, “When what’s finished Gravan?”

“A new type of ammunition shell, like the one you used awhile back with Wrath.”

She lets out a little huff, hoping he was planing something for her. Their one year anniversary was today, but it doesn’t seem that he has anything planed.