“What did we learn?”
“Two main things.” Tanis looked down at a sheaf of plas sheets. “Firstly, that they never did meet the person that hired them—not that surprising. Secondly, that his name was mentioned once or twice, and it was Trent.”
“Your nuke buddy from the Dawn .”
“It not being him would be the coincidence of the century.”
“I assume that you’ve tried to find the man in their org that arranged the deal,” Evans said.
“I’ve got Terry working on it. She has a team looking at each prisoner’s every move for the last year. She’s also got a financial forensics expert trying to trace the money, but he’s hit a bit of a dead end.”
“How dead?”
“It appears that the money came from Tau Ceti.” Tanis scowled.
“They’re what, nearly twelve LY out?”
“Yeah, and I don’t think anyone planned this little visit twelve years ago.”
“I can’t imagine that being the case,” Evans agreed.
It went without saying ; the list of corporations or governments with enough liquidity to send large sums to another star system, launder it, and send it back to sit in a slush fund for the day they felt like storming a colony ship was filled with powerful names.
“Well, it must narrow down the possibilities.”
“Yeah, from billions to mere millions.”
“Hey, if your job was easy, then a mere commander could do it.”
Tanis smiled. “You did OK. At this stage even I’m not going to be enough. I’m going to need to bring in the big guns.”
INTERLUDE
STELLAR DATE : 3227165 / 07.31.4123 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: Stellar Comm Hub #10.A.459.B.230.C-934
Trent sent the message over the private Link.
Strang’s reply was terse.
Strang was growing less pleased by the second.
Trent replied. Trent didn’t like where this was going. Frustration seemed to fill the time lag.
CHAPTER 6
STELLAR DATE: 3227170 / 08.05.4123 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: Gustav Expanse, New Africa, Venus
REGION: Terran Hegemony, Sol Space Federation
The whine of railguns charging sounded nearby and squad one rushed forward to take cover behind a low concrete embankment in the equipment yard. Moments later bits of rock and dust sprayed up into the air as the pellets from the rails smashed into the cement.
Staff Sergeant Williams threaded a scope over the barrier and took stock of the si tuation. The enemy was slowly advancing behind large CFT shields which absorbed and refracted the Marine’s lasers. The enemy’s railguns, on the other hand, would chew the concrete cover apart in just a few minutes.
“Chang! Where’s those heavies?” he hollered back to squad two, which was moving past several trucks on squad one’s right.
“Thirty seconds, Staff,” Chang replied.
Williams reported to Lieutenant Grenwald on the combat net. Grenwald signaled his
“Two main things.” Tanis looked down at a sheaf of plas sheets. “Firstly, that they never did meet the person that hired them—not that surprising. Secondly, that his name was mentioned once or twice, and it was Trent.”
“Your nuke buddy from the Dawn .”
“It not being him would be the coincidence of the century.”
“I assume that you’ve tried to find the man in their org that arranged the deal,” Evans said.
“I’ve got Terry working on it. She has a team looking at each prisoner’s every move for the last year. She’s also got a financial forensics expert trying to trace the money, but he’s hit a bit of a dead end.”
“How dead?”
“It appears that the money came from Tau Ceti.” Tanis scowled.
“They’re what, nearly twelve LY out?”
“Yeah, and I don’t think anyone planned this little visit twelve years ago.”
“I can’t imagine that being the case,” Evans agreed.
It went without saying ; the list of corporations or governments with enough liquidity to send large sums to another star system, launder it, and send it back to sit in a slush fund for the day they felt like storming a colony ship was filled with powerful names.
“Well, it must narrow down the possibilities.”
“Yeah, from billions to mere millions.”
“Hey, if your job was easy, then a mere commander could do it.”
Tanis smiled. “You did OK. At this stage even I’m not going to be enough. I’m going to need to bring in the big guns.”
INTERLUDE
STELLAR DATE : 3227165 / 07.31.4123 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: Stellar Comm Hub #10.A.459.B.230.C-934
CHAPTER 6
STELLAR DATE: 3227170 / 08.05.4123 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: Gustav Expanse, New Africa, Venus
REGION: Terran Hegemony, Sol Space Federation
The whine of railguns charging sounded nearby and squad one rushed forward to take cover behind a low concrete embankment in the equipment yard. Moments later bits of rock and dust sprayed up into the air as the pellets from the rails smashed into the cement.
Staff Sergeant Williams threaded a scope over the barrier and took stock of the si tuation. The enemy was slowly advancing behind large CFT shields which absorbed and refracted the Marine’s lasers. The enemy’s railguns, on the other hand, would chew the concrete cover apart in just a few minutes.
“Chang! Where’s those heavies?” he hollered back to squad two, which was moving past several trucks on squad one’s right.
“Thirty seconds, Staff,” Chang replied.
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