[Preview]Renegade Ravager Vol. 3 -- Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – 01738.086 AA

“Valeur Mineure,” Ramon said as the display showed a small, barren moon. “I have to say, I’ve infiltrated some tough places during my career, but this might be the biggest challenge yet.”

We were gathered back in the AI core three days later. Xarl and Victor had joined us, along with Captain Fernandez. If we were going to invade Republican space, I wanted their input.

Looking at the data streaming in my cybernetics, I could see that the broker wasn’t exaggerating.

The Republic had completely consumed the interior of the moon, turning it into a military fortress. Hundreds of defensive emplacements dotted its surface and even more sat in orbit.

The view zoomed out, showing that the entire Valeur System was full of stellar forts, picket lines, and observation stations. Valeur Prime, the planet the militarized moon orbited around, sported several spaceports and a large, orbital shipyard. At least one naval fleet was present at any given time.

“A frontal assault would be suicide, even with the Liens Lumineux,” Aggy concluded succinctly. “By the time we broke through their defenses, the Republic would be able to bring another three naval fleets to bear, along with four legions. We’d be overwhelmed.”

“What about hacking their systems?” Victor suggested. “Our technical resources far outstrip anything the Republic military currently possesses.”

“I’ve analyzed the possibility, but it’d be a slow, difficult process,” Aggy replied. “Huge amounts of data are collected and analyzed within the moon, and it’s thoroughly scanned for viruses and threats. It appears these systems are isolated from their secure network. We’d have to find a gap in their digital defenses and slowly exploit it before being able to strike at any sensitive systems.”

“What about sneaking in then?” Elspeth suggested.

Xarl paced around the display. “Our stealth capability far exceeds anything available in the Republic or the Hegemony. But for that option to succeed, we’d need to infiltrate the system, land on Valeur Mineure, breach the facility, and then locate the logbooks.”

When we had infiltrated the Diaspora Circus, we had used stealth suits to undermine and ultimately defeat the Hegemony’s security. But we had been able to waltz in the front door thanks to more practical subterfuge.

“Overall, it’s an option, but a dangerous one,” Xarl concluded. “One mistake, one unexpected variable, and we’d be caught in the teeth of their defenses.”

Iuno, Victor, and I shared a look. As légionnaires, we knew from hard-won experience that no plan survived first contact. Something would go wrong, and we’d find ourselves outmanned and outgunned behind enemy lines.

Captain Fernandez tugged at a short lock of hair. Since coming on board, she had received treatment for the burns that had marred her face and scalp. Her iron-gray hair had grown out, nearly reaching her ears.

“Might I suggest we abandon this mission,” she said sharply, before turning to address Josefine. “With all respect to the Horde Master, I don’t believe this is a worthwhile risk. I can understand her desire to learn the truth of what happened to her ship and her crew, but it’s not worth risking the Liens Lumineux.”

I took a deep breath. Fernandez spoke from a pragmatic, practical point of view, but I couldn’t help but be angered by her suggestion. I would never abandon my comrade, my lover, or her goals. Josefine had time and time again risked her life for me, I could not fail to do the same.

Aggy, seeing my reaction, held up her hand.

“Captain Fernandez, while I appreciate your suggestion, know this is not a course we can turn away from. The Horde Master has stood by our side in the darkest circumstances, and neither my Champion nor I shall abandon her cause.”

“More to the point, breaking into Valeur Mineure might be to our collective benefit,” Elspeth said.

We all turned to regard her.

“What I mean is, this place is just full of secrets, right?” she asked rhetorically. “It’s where the Republic goes to scrub their dirty laundry. Beyond figuring out what happened to Josefine’s crew, I bet we could dig up all kinds of juicy data, including information on the Saints.”

The albino engineer shrugged. “So yeah, breaking in is a huge risk, but the reward is probably worth it even beyond helping Josefine.”

Aggy frowned. I knew she was still troubled by the fact that she had learned effectively nothing from the memory modules we had recovered from Saint Charlotte. Those lost memories, those fragments of her past, might hold the secrets of her murder and how the Republic had become the twisted reflection of her dreams.

Iuno tapped her foot. “So if smashing our way in and sneaking is out, what other options are there?”

Aggy closed her eyes, thinking.

“I have an idea,” she said, “but it will require a deft hand, violent distractions, and a bit of performance on your part.”

Iuno pointed to herself. “Me?”

“You, James, Xarl, and Victor,” Aggy confirmed, opening her eyes and giving us all a grin. “I think I’m about to found a new legion.”

New Quest! – Infiltrate Valeur Mineure

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“This is insanity,” Iuno griped as the meeting broke up. “I have plenty of experience as a bandit, a gang leader, and a légionnaire, but an actress? Aggy expects way too much!”

“I don’t know, I think you’d make a fine actress,” Xarl laughed.

“You’re like a storybook princess,” Victor agreed.

I barely restrained Iuno from clobbering the both of them.

We were standing outside the AI core after the meeting. Aggy had retreated into her installation to think, asking Elspeth to stay behind to help her plan. Josefine had already returned to her greenhouse to prepare for her part of the ploy. She’d need to cultivate a small army of Yord along with the bioships to ferry them.

Captain Fernandez lingered as well, looking upset.

Xarl busted out of Iuno’s headlock to regard her. “You alright, Shannon?”

She blinked, then shook her head. “I feel like I spoke out of turn, insulting not only the Horde Master but Lady Agrippa as well.”

“Bullshit,” Iuno growled. “I don’t know Aggy super-well, but I can’t imagine she appreciates a bunch of sycophants and yes-men.”

My anger had cooled as well. “And don’t forget that Josefine was a naval officer as well. She understands.”

If she had been upset, Zoto would have tried to take a bite out of the captain. I kept that thought to myself.

Xarl put his arm around the woman’s shoulders. “Come on, it’s fine, really. Listen, let’s head back to my cabin. I managed to find a perfectly lovely bottle of wine while doing my last inventory sweep, we can share it.”

“Thank you, I would love to, Matthew,” she answered.

Victor and I stared in blank amazement as the pair walked off, arm in arm.

“Did you have any idea the two of them were an item?” I asked Victor.

He shook his head. “No, but you know I don’t pay attention to that sort of thing.”

“If it isn’t bound between a book cover, you don’t even know it exists,” Iuno snorted. “Xarl might look like a walking mound of scar tissue, but he’s always had a way with the older ladies.”

Before he could escape, Iuno grabbed Victor.

“Come on, you’ve been hiding with your books for way too long. I think it’s time you, me, and James get some training in!” She waved for me to follow. “How about a contest, whoever wins gets the first crack at whatever nutty plan Aggy and Elspeth come up with!”

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Infiltrate Valeur Mineure

Materials necessary to complete quest:

123x Republic Armor Plating

15x Hull Supports.

11x Plasma Crucibles

…

751x Scrap

I jetted through the ruined hulk, marking points for salvage. There were no signs of gremlings or other vermin, making it safe to send the drones in to pick the wreck apart.

Several arrived and began picking out the parts necessary for our quest. In the distance, I could see plasma cutters dissecting another ruined Republican vessel.

The Albrecht System featured several breaker yards, where old ships had been towed for salvaging. The operations had shut down decades ago, but there were still plenty of parts for us to nab.

Constructing a légionnaire courier ship from scratch was no small task.

Finishing my work, I jetted out of the wreck and back toward the Unfriendly Flier.

Once it had been a military cargo hauler, but Elspeth had radically altered the ship, rebuilding it from bow to stern. The boxy silhouette was gone, replaced by a sleek stealth material meant to foil enemy sensors. Bays along the underbelly could launch boarding craft, allowing us to assault enemy ships from the cover of stealth.

It was a dangerous ship, a bird of prey meant to catch foes unaware.

Reaching the airlock, I stepped inside.

The interior of the ship still featured copious cargo holds to help carry off plunder or smuggle materials to and from Harmony Prime. We still had to pay Ramon, parceling out priceless relics from the Liens Lumineux.

Approaching the bridge, I saw Elspeth ensconced in the captain’s seat. Data flew across the consoles as she directed the salvage drones, picking and choosing the best parts from the vast junkyard.

“You know, I’m starting to think this crazy plan might just work,” she murmured as I took a seat next to her.

“It better, it’s our lives on the line,” I answered.

Aggy’s plan was bold, an attack on several fronts that would hopefully leave Valeur Mineure’s defenders split and exhausted while Iuno, Xarl, Victor, and I launched our deception. If it succeeded, we’d have free run of the planet and its content.

If it failed, we’d be killed. Either way, we were tipping our hand to the Saints.

We had to assume they already knew Aggy had survived and that the Liens Lumineux had returned to the Milky Way. Ramon had confirmed they were surveying several sites where it had once been theorized that the Prométhée had been hiding. They were searching for us.

Destroying the Diaspora Circus and assassinating Saint Charlotte had been bold moves that had sent ripples across the galaxy. Even if we hadn’t been able to salvage much intel from the black ops ships, it was clear they were searching for us.

The Republic’s propaganda machine was treating things like business as usual. The news had sadly announced the passing of Saint Charlotte, but a new candidate had quickly appeared to take up her death mask.

Considering the monster that had dwelt behind her porcelain visage, we were unsure if the new Charlotte was just a body double or something more sinister. Had the Saint’s rantings about immortality been true?

“How’s Quartermaster Xarl doing?” Elspeth asked.

“Last I checked he was still applying the new enamel to our power armor,” I answered.

None of us were happy to wear another legion’s colors, even if the legion was make-believe, but it was a necessary part of the plan.

Reaching out over the comms, I checked on Josefine. She sent a quick message back confirming her horde would be ready. While disappointed that she couldn’t join us on Valeur Mineure, she understood her part of the plan was critical.

Outside the courier ship, Elspeth was already repurposing the autonomous ships into our pirate fleet. She was disguising them with piecemeal armor, welded hulls, and improvised weapon systems.

“You know, I’m starting to think this whole, crazy plan might work,” Elspeth said distractedly.

I chuckled. “You do realize it was dreamt up by a woman who built a solar empire with a handful of stolen ships and a crew of loyal followers.”

“Semi-loyal,” Elspeth responded. “While her bodyguards remained loyal, we know the Saints stabbed her in the back the first chance they got.”

Legion Zero had been Aggy’s bodyguards; we wore their power armor in memory of their service and sacrifice. I felt bad, defacing them with false colors, but Aggy swore they’d understand.

While I would do anything to discover the fate of Josefine’s crew and her expeditionary force, I knew my main goal would be digging up the secrets of the Saints and Republic. With the truth, we could finally reap our vengeance and cast down the bastards.