WAR IN THE FRINGE
PERILOUS ALLIANCE – BOOKS 3.5 - 6
BY M. D. COOPER
& CHRIS J. PIKE
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
DECISIVE ACTION
FOREWORD
PREVIOUSLY…
CLEAR AND PRESENT
HARD DAY’S NIGHT
AID
ATMO TOWER
MEANWHILE, IN HEAVEN
THE SHADE
WELCOME TO HELL
AN UPGRADE
MAN WITH A MISSION
OUTSIDE
THE PINCER
TO GROUND
STRAND
AN OLD FRIEND
TOWER DEFENSE
CRASH AND BURN
FINAL FAREWELL
IMPACT IMMINENT
FOREWORD
PREVIOUSLY…
THE TWO FATHERS
HUBEI
DINNER AND A FIGHT
ORDERS
CHIMIN-1
THE CHIEF
EVIDENCE
THE CAT
KARAOKE NIGHT
RED HANDED
BREWING TROUBLE
GOATS AND SCAPES
CIRCUMSTANCE
THE MISSING
RE-SEARCH
GELATIN
GOOD KITTY
COLD STORAGE
BREAKOUT
FACILITY 99
STORM
RECRUITING
HOSPITAL
CLOSET
EXPRESS
SANDWICHES
BOTTOM
THE HOLE
REJOINDER
SHOTGUN
THE CLIMB
ERROR
VECTOR
RECRIMINATION
BETTER
SOLUTIONS
THE DEAL
DEFENSE
THE QUEEN
GIVE ME LIBERTY
RESTITUTION
FAREWELL
SIGHT
CAPTAIN
GRAYSON
CRITICAL INERTIA
MAPS
LITTLE FREIGHTER THAT COULDN’T
THE SCORE
IMPRISONED
THE MAN IN CHARGE
DEPARTURE
THE CAVALRY
A LONG TRIP IN THE DARK
BETTER AND WORSE
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
LOST IN THE FOG
SANDWICH KING
CLOSE QUARTERS
A LONGER TRIP IN THE DARK
GEONOVA
MEETINGS & DISTRACTIONS
DATE WITH AN EMPRESS
FRIENDS AND FOES
LONG TIME COMING
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
DANGEROUS ALLIES
THE RUSE
THE HYPERION
WINTER’S PLIGHT
DISBELIEF
ARRIVAL DAY
FATE
STALWART HERO
FAMILY SQUABBLE
CHECKMATE
IF BY FORCE
LAST CHANCES
MISSION GUARD
CHECKING IN
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
CONFIRMATION
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
PURSUIT
CAREFUL BALANCE
BYE ASSHOLE
THE ACE SHOT
LAST CHANCES
DIE ANOTHER DAY
ESCAPE
REKINDLING HOPE
GROWING PAINS
THE BARBARIC QUEEN
BEST SERVED HOT
ALL HANDS ON DECK
THE EMPRESS’S NEW CLOTHES
HOME
IMPULSE SHOCK
MAPS
RETURNING HOME
DELIVERY
TARGET
SECRETS
CELEBRATION
PLANS
VISITING
THE ROCKET
BULLETS AND WINE
DIVERGING VIEWS
COFFEE
REPERCUSSIONS
FAMILY COMPLICATIONS
VISITING DAY
THE PLOT
BACK DOWN
A WELCOME RESPITE
THE RUSE
MORNING AFTER
METAL ASSHOLE
CROSSROADS
THE STING
BEER!
TESTIMONY
DEAL
RETURN TO DEL REY
ESCAPE!
FIGHT!
EXTERMINATE
REVOLUTION
NOT AGAIN!
ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS
MORE SECRETS
THE BOOKS OF AEON 14
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
DECISIVE ACTION
PERILOUS ALLIANCE
BOOK 3.5
BY M. D. COOPER
& CHRIS J. PIKE
Special Thanks
DECISIVE ACTION
Just in Time (JIT) & Beta Readers
Scott Reid
Timothy Van Oosterwyk Bruyn
IMPACT IMMINENT
Just in Time (JIT) & Beta Readers
Jim Dean
Marti Pannikar
Lisa Richman
Steven Blevins
Manie Kilian
David Wilson
Timothy Van Oosterwyk Bruyn
Gene Bryan
CRITICAL INERTIA
Just in Time (JIT) & Beta Readers
Jim Dean
Scott Reid
Marti Panikkar
Gene Bryan
Timothy Van Oosterwyk Bruyn
Steven Blevins
David Wilson
IMPULSE SHOCK
Just in Time (JIT) & Beta Reads
Scott Reid
Steven Blevins
Gene Bryan
Marti Panikkar
Jim Dean
Cover Andrew Dobell
Copyright 2016-2020 M.D. Cooper & Chris J Pike
Aeon 14 & M. D. Cooper are registered trademarks of Mal Cooper
All rights reserved
FOREWORD
I’ve wanted to write this story for some time, to come back to Montral and spend some time on its dark and gritty streets.
Gedri is an interesting star system. A large, orange star, with a low-mass red dwarf named Townsend orbiting it. The planets are spaced widely enough that Townsend is tucked in amongst them, making the star more like a planet.
And in orbit of Townsend, we find Jericho. A planet that had been—mostly—terraformed in the past, but due to a poor foundation and neglect, has regressed back into a near-lifeless rock.
The surface cities have been domed over, and few people live beyond their protective shielding.
Ancient riverbeds, crevasses, and canyons are the only places on Jericho where life remains, hardy species of plants engineered to thrive even in thinner atmosphere. We encountered one of these in Collision Course when the Dauntless crashed on Jericho.
I spent a lot of time crafting this setting, and I have a strong urge to write more stories here. We’re going to meet some new characters in this book, denizens of Montral, the capital city on Jericho, and perhaps we’ll see some of them get their own books. Maybe a gritty noir detective type of story….
We’ll just have to see where the characters take us.
M. D. Cooper
Danvers, 2019
PREVIOUSLY…
Decisive Action takes place roughly in the middle of the Perilous Alliance series, directly following the events of Strike Vector and Collision Course.
If you recall, at the end of Strike Vector, Kylie was forced to help Maverick become president of the Gedri Freedom Alliance (the local government in the Gedri System). Upon receiving the title, Maverick promptly declared Gedri’s independence from the Silstrand Allianc
e and declared war on Silstrand.
Though the Silstrand Space Force had a fleet present in the Gedri System, many of those ships were recalled to the Silstrand System to defend the capital against the Revolution Fleet, led by Kylie’s father.
A few SSF ships remained in Gedri, falling back to a half-dozen stations that were far enough from Freemont and Jericho—Maverick’s two major power bases.
Unbeknownst to Maverick, the SSF—along with help from the Intrepid Space Force—defeated the Revolution Fleet at Silstrand, and joined Tanis Richards’ alliance. The Transcend’s Field Marshal has mandated that Silstrand take control of the Fringe systems between Scipio and the ASN. If Gedri falls to chaos, then the SSF will have no hope in securing the Fringe.
Tanis knows this, and tasks two of her ISF destroyers to escort a fleet of ships into the Gedri System to take control of the situation there before it devolves further into chaos.
After his exemplary performance—and aided by Tanis’s recommendation—Colonel Grayson is given command of the SSF fleet, a command he is all too eager to have, for one reason only: it puts President Maverick squarely in his crosshairs.
But Maverick has an ace up his sleeve. Grayson’s former AI, Jerrod, has been shackled and placed in Maverick’s mind, giving him direct access to everything he could ever want to know about the Silstrand Space Force….
CLEAR AND PRESENT
STELLAR DATE: 09.26.8948 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: GFS Satisfaction, en route to Jericho
REGION: Gedri System, Silstrand Alliance
“Francis!” Maverick called out from the low couch where he sipped his wine while watching the slow-motion dance still unfolding around Freemont and The Futz.
The battle with the SSF and the opposition forces was over—for the most part. A few ships were still taking potshots at one another, a lot more were looting any hull not capable of putting up a defense, and still others were chasing off the remaining Silstrand Space Force ships, hoping to disable and capture one of the military cruisers.
Idiots, Maverick thought with a laugh.
There were few ships in Gedri capable of going toe-to-toe with a Silstrand Space Force cruiser while it was surrounded by a destroyer escort. The scavengers chasing after the SSF fleet would only meet with destruction.
The time isn’t ripe yet to make that sort of strike.
Of course, the composition of the pursuers was entirely of his design. The ships he’d sent to chase the enemy out of Silstrand all belonged to interests that he wished to weaken. Everything was a game, every faction, ship, and even person in Gedri a pawn for him to move about the board.
“Yes, Mister President?” Francis gasped breathlessly as she appeared in the room’s entrance.
“What the hell took you so long?” Maverick asked in annoyance, not bothering to glance at the collared woman.
“I’m sorry,” her eyes were cast downward as she walked forward slowly. “I was just coming back down from the bridge. Captain Lawrence says we’re on time for our rendezvous with the Icapus.”
“Good,” Maverick replied. “And Sylvia is aboard? With the package?”
“Yes, Mister President. I confirmed it personally.”
He nodded, flicking his gaze to her for a moment, taking in her lithe body. She was—for the moment, at least—his favorite girl, which meant that she ruled his brood of women. It was a task to which she was well-suited, though it also made her dangerous.
He’d watched how effectively Francis commanded and corralled his other slaves, yet she could turn those airs off in a moment and be totally subservient to him—which meant her obedience was an act. She was biding her time, waiting until the perfect moment to strike out at him.
That, as much as anything else, was what made her his favorite.
Today, she wore a skintight, pink bodysheath that complemented her lavender hair. Her feet were perched on heels that held her feet en pointe, and the collar around her neck held her head high. The corset she wore drew her waist down to a circumference he could almost wrap his hands around, the restriction causing her to constantly be out of breath.
It was also impossible for her to sit down in the outfit, though she could perch on stools and the edge of tables. Not that he ever let her do so in his presence.
Another part of the game. Let her rise up above his other slaves, but remind her at every turn that she was his creature. She would never be free—not until he was done with her. Then death would be her final release.
She’d reached his side, standing on the tips of her toes with expert precision as she waited his pleasure. Years ago, when he’d first forced her to wear shoes that held her feet that way, Francis had barely been able to walk, often crying from the pain as she minced about.
But over time, she’d gotten used to it, and now lorded her ability to walk on her toes over the other slaves. He suspected that she’d bribed someone for surgery at some point to re-enforce her toes, but he didn’t care enough to investigate. If she’d managed that, then it was a small enough reward that he’d let it slide.
She’d proven herself useful enough for that.
Thoughts of useful slaves brought to mind Harken and Kylie, two women who had once held positions similar to Francis’s. He’d made the mistake of uncollaring both of them, removing his ability to inflict instant and excruciating pain.
He regretted granting either of them any measure of freedom. Both had ultimately rebelled, a testament to the mistake of granting any woman freedom.
Grasping creatures.
While Harken was dead, Kylie still lived. Somewhere out there, she was hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. How the bitch could be so ungrateful was beyond him, but when the time came, she’d beg to be granted a fraction of the mercy he showed Francis.
As he thought of her, the woman at his side shifted, and the rage he felt at Kylie intensified, needing an outlet.
“Why can’t you stand still, bitch?” he muttered, glancing at the pink-clad legs that were now frozen half a meter away. “Should I just cut those things off? Put you on a little hover board?”
Francis sucked in a breath and shook her head. “No, Mav—Mister President. Please. It would impact my ability to carry out your orders.”
He snorted. “You always say that about everything I propose. Still, it’s about time I reminded you who’s in charge around here. I can’t have you getting a big head.”
The slave didn’t respond, though he could see her knuckles whiten as she clasped her hands tightly together.
“Maybe I should take your voice?” he suggested. “Seal your lips shut. You can use the Link to talk.”
“If you wish,” Francis nodded as much as her collar would allow. “Though not all of your servants and slaves have the Link. How would I instruct them?”
He snorted a laugh. “I’ll give you a little voice box. Make sure it sounds robotic. What do you think of that?”
Her lips pursed for a moment, but she replied dutifully, “If you wish.”
“I mean,” he continued as though she hadn’t responded, “I could take your eyes, but I really like the way they glint with rage when I beat you.”
At his words, her gaze shifted, darting from the floor to his face, and he saw the anger she’d been working to hide.
“Yes, just like that. I certainly wouldn’t want to deprive myself of that final spark of freedom you have.”
Her stance shifted, widening slightly, and he snapped his fingers. “Of course! I know what would be perfect. You pride yourself in turning my punishment into a victory, the way you can now walk on your toes. I wonder how well you’ll manage if you can no longer bend your knees? That should be fun to watch.”
“My knees, sir?” she stammered. “What are you going to do?”
“I’ll have them fused. I can only imagine what your strut will look like then. Maybe we’ll do your elbows, too. You’ll look like some sort of malfunctioning automaton.”
A ragged
sigh escaped Francis’s throat. “As you wish, Maverick. Should I report to the autodoc?”
Coarse laughter filled the room as Maverick rose and strode toward Francis. “Yes, but not until after the Icapus docks with the Satisfaction. I want you mobile—as much as you are—until then.”
He stopped centimeters from her and placed his hands on her shoulders, running them down her sides to wrap around her waist and then cup her ass, pulling her close.
“And then I’m going to beat you every day for being too slow. How do you like the sound of that?”
“I love it,” she said, her voice a perfect mixture of obedience and fear. “I love everything you do to me, Maverick.”
He stepped back. “Of course you do. Speaking of things I do to people, is Mercedes finished with her procedure?”
“Soon,” Francis replied. “The collar is fitted, now the doctors are working on splicing the control systems into her pain receptors. Then she’ll be fully under your control, like she should be.”
“Good.” Maverick turned and walked back to the couch, collapsing onto the cushions. “Then we’ll find out if she shared everything she knew of the former president’s plans. I still think she might be a plant from Scipio. If that’s the case, she’ll be exceptionally useful.” He glanced at Francis. “Maybe more useful than you.”
She paled slightly, but nodded. “If that is your wish.”
“Don’t presume to know my wishes,” he said, waving a hand at her in dismissal. “Now get the fuck out of here. Let me know if there are any delays with the Icapus.”
“Yes, Mister President.”
With the woman out of the room, Maverick began drawing up orders to disperse amongst his ship captains. Their time as rag-tag pirates and privateers was over. Gedri’s space force would require order and discipline if they were to hold out against Silstrand in the long run.
* * * * *
Francis sagged against the bulkhead, her breath coming in shuddering gasps that were fueled by a mixture of fear and rage. That Maverick would inflict more torture and humiliation on her after all she’d done for him was enough to make her see red.
She’d hoped that by proving to be indispensable, she could earn the same freedoms he had granted the others, and then she’d be able to escape his sickening clutches.
That hope was dying a slow death.