Smugger's Virtue (Lathos Galaxy Chronicles Book 2) (5 page)

A day later, after being assured that Xandra was well on her way to a full recovery, Matt was back on Earth, sitting in a jail cell. He was startled when he received an unexpected visitor. "General Brian Weathers," he said to the tall, bald, African American man sitting on the other side of the force field that kept Matt confined. "This is a surprise. What brings the head of the PDF himself to my humble cell?"

"Your father was the finest officer I ever had the pleasure of commanding," the man said. Brian Weathers was pushing seventy but still looked like he could beat Matt to a bloody pulp if he wanted. His muscles were still firm, and his hazel eyes were as sharp as Matt remembered from when he was a kid. "He would be embarrassed to see what you’ve become, but that isn’t why I’m here."

"Is Xandra okay?" asked Matt, jumping to his feet in alarm.

"Miss Torin is doing just fine," General Weathers assured Matt. "The surgery was a success and she should be back to full strength in a few days. She’s already insisting that we release you and that as soon as she talks to her father he will demand the same thing. Why a woman like that would ever vouch for scum like you is beyond me."

"What can I say, General?" Matt said. "I grow on people. Is there any chance that you’re here to tell me you’re granting her request?"

"No chance at all. You will stand trial for the crimes you’ve committed. Because your father was such a good man and because Miss Torin seems so adamant, I was inclined to put in a good word to try and get your sentence reduced, but that was before everything went to hell."

"General Weathers, what’s going on?" asked Matt, confused.

"That’s what I’ve come to talk to you about," the man said. "I’m hoping you can explain why I have an entire fleet of ships heading for Earth even as we speak under the command of some General Kellenar Ragen of Lathos demanding that you stand trial there for kidnapping, murder, and assault. He’s also demanding that Xandra be given over to his custody as well."

"How much time do you have, General?" asked Matt with a heavy sigh. "This is going to take a while."

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Smuggler’s Final Conquest

Lathos Galaxy Chronicles

Luke Darko  

Table Of Contents

Chapter One
: Ramscoop Virtue

Chapter Two
: Sentience

Chapter Three
: Posthuman

Chapter Four
: Sapient

Chapter Five
: Matt’s Avengence

Chapter Six
: The arc

Chapter Seven
: Lofstrom loop

Chapter Eight
: Fate

Chapter Nine
: Meatspace

Chapter Ten
: Esper

Chapter Eleven
: Sphere

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General Brian Weathers sat back and shook his head. Matt Britton had just finished telling the story of how he had met Xandra Torin, and how the daughter of the Chancellor of Lathos had come to be here with him on Earth. The look the man gave Matt was unreadable as Matt waited for a response that was a long time coming.

"If anyone else had tried to feed me this line of crap, I probably would say they were crazy," the burly African American man said as he scratched the top of his bald head. "Only Matt Britton could be that self-centered."

"Yeah, I do have a way about me," Matt agreed as he shot the general a toothy grin.

"This is not a joke!" the general snapped, locking his hazel-eyed glare on Matt. Matt’s blue eyes refused to blink, but he knew the man was right. He ran his hand through his curly black hair and dropped his head to his chest before responding.

"I’m sorry. I just never thought anything like this could ever happen."

"That’s been the problem ever since your parents died, Matt," said the general. Matt thought his deep voice sounded almost tender. "Look where we are, Matt," he said, spreading his arms and looking from side to side. Matt didn’t have to look. He was in a dank jail cell with gray walls. A sink and a toilet protruded from the wall to his right, and the cot attached to the wall where the two men were sitting was the only furniture. Matt was wearing a gray prison jumpsuit a shade or two darker than the walls. "This was always going to be your destiny."

"I know that," said Matt. "I think I’ve always known. I deserve this, but Xandra doesn’t deserve any of it. Just promise me that you won’t let that maniac take her." He was referring to General Kellenar Ragen of Lathos. According to General Weathers, the man was currently leading an entire armada of ships directly to Earth. He had already contacted the leaders of Earth’s General Assembly and Brian Weathers. Ragen was demanding that the leader of the Planetary Defense Force turn Matt over to stand trial for crimes against the Lathonian people, including the alleged abduction of Xandra. He was also demanding that Xandra be returned as well, to be taken back to Lathos.

Matt knew that if Xandra stepped foot on Ragen’s ship, she wouldn’t live long enough to ever see her home planet again. As he had explained to General Weathers, Ragen was planning to assassinate Xandra’s father, Maxall, and have himself named Chancellor. To do that meant he also had to get rid of Xandra, since she was next in line for her father’s title. Matt had brought Xandra to Earth in hopes that she would be safe.

"It isn’t as simple as that," the general reminded him, "and once again we have you to thank for that."

"Oh, come on,General! Do you really believe I kidnapped Xandra?"

"I have to admit that seemed a little much, even for you. Even if she hadn’t been here to back your story, I would have had a hard time believing it. But you did beat her security guards to a pulp, and you did kill a soldier on Ragen’s ship. You just sat right there and told me all about both incidents."

"I told you that both times I acted in self-defense," Matt reminded him.

"Yes, but Ragen doesn’t see it that way. He’s demanding justice and threatening to start a war if we don’t give him what he wants. Since what he wants is you, I see no reason to put the good people of this peaceful planet though any extra grief. You could have been a different person, Matt, a better person. On your father’s name alone you would have been accepted into the PDF academy and had a chance at an honorable career. Instead you became a criminal."

"Fine," said Matt, "give me to Ragen. At least he’ll kill me quick rather than throwing me in a cell and leaving me to rot for the rest of my life. Just don’t let him get his hands on Xandra."

"As much as I would like to say it is, none of this is up to me. The General Assembly has been called into emergency session to decide if they’re going to agree to Ragen’s demands. They’re all politicians and they don’t much like the idea of some blowhard from the other side of the galaxy coming here and issuing ultimatums. In the end I think they’ll do the smart thing and give you up. Even though the number of ships he has at his disposal isn’t enough to win any sort of battle against Earth in our own solar system, he can still cause a lot of grief and kill a lot of innocent people. Frankly young man, you just aren’t worth it.

"As for Miss Torin, I don’t think the Assembly much cares what happens to her. She’s an alien, too, and her plight doesn’t mean much to a bunch of men and women, most of whom had never even heard of her planet until a few days ago. That’s the screwed up nature of politics. They’ll spend days debating whether to protect a no-good criminal as long as he’s one of their own but don’t care a lick about an innocent lady from light years away."

"General, go to the General Assembly and tell them I'm willing to go with Ragen as long as they agree to allow Xandra to stay here," said Matt desperately.

"I doubt they’d go for that," said Weathers. "It still comes down to the fact that she’s Lathonian, and while the GA might at least make a show of not giving you up so easily, they won’t risk a fight over her. There’s also the fact that she’s saying she wants to go home and talk her father into demanding that all charges against you be dropped. For some reason I can’t explain, she seems to think she’s in love with you."

"Yes, well, she’s seen a side of me you haven’t."

"Son, I’ve seen every side of you there is to see. If I could have my way, I’d put you on a shuttle and deliver you to Ragen myself, if for no other reason than I don’t even think you’re worth the time and effort of a trial here. I’d also line up every PDF battlecruiser in the solar system and reduce his so-called armada to scrap metal if he tried to touch Xandra Torin. But I can’t hold her here against her will.

"For the time being, I’ve been able to stall the man by telling him that not only is Miss Torin still recovering from surgery, but her testimony is needed so that the GA can make a final decision on your fate. If Xandra were to ask for asylum, I would make a personal plea to the General Assembly that they grant it, but so far she seems set against it. I think you need to prepare yourself for the fact that everything may turn out exactly the opposite of what you want."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean it may turn out that you end up staying here while Xandra is sent back to Lathos. From what you say, she’s the one the general really wants. If the GA insists you stand trial here, then Ragen may not make a big stink about getting his hands on you as long as we return Xandra. In the crazy world of politics, I can see that happening."

"General Weathers, that can’t be the way this ends," Matt insisted softly. "Xandra can’t be the one to pay for my mistakes."

"I guess you should have thought about that before you put her in this position in the first place," the other man said. "You’ve always been so good at saving your own skin, but you’ve never given much thought to what your actions could mean for others. Now, all that is coming back around to you. I hate to sound like a looped recording, but this might be out of my hands. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try and change that. I’m going to try one more time to talk some sense into Xandra Torin."

"Please do that," said Matt sincerely. "Tell her that the last thing I want is for her to risk her life for mine."

"I’m going to tell her that you aren’t worth the effort. Maybe when she hears all about your life, she’ll believe me." Without another word he stood, had the force field dropped so he could exit Matt’s cell, and made sure it was raised again once he had.

Matt slumped back on his cot in misery. He knew that every word General Weathers had said about him was true.

Xandra Torin absently chewed a bite of apple as she stared out the window. The sun had been shining all day. It was an amazing sight. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen a full day of sun on Lathos. Earth was truly an amazing planet. She just wished she could enjoy it. With Matt locked in a cell and Kellenar Ragen threatening war if she and Matt were not returned to his ship, she couldn’t find much joy in anything.

She swallowed the bite she had been chewing and set the apple back on the table. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the exotic fruit. She actually found it more tasty than anything even remotely similar back home. One way or another, she knew the chances that Matt would ever be a free man again were slim. Nothing else mattered to her right then.

Matt Britton. Until a few days before, she had thought his name was Roger and that he was a captain in Earth’s Planetary Defense Force. As it turns out, he was nothing more than a criminal, a smuggler wanted on nearly every world between Earth and Lathos. A woman like her had no business loving someone like him, but that was precisely how she felt.

She knew that Kellenar Ragen would most likely kill her long before they ever reached Lathos if she set foot back on his ship, but she was willing to risk it if it meant saving Matt’s life. The thought of him spending the next twenty or thirty years in prison here on his home planet wasn’t a comforting one, but it was better than having him killed by Ragen. She would gladly return to Lathos if the general would agree to let Matt stay on Earth.

It wasn’t that Xandra wanted to die. She was no martyr. She couldn’t care less about the politics of Earth or Lathos. The two worlds could tear themselves apart for all she cared, as long as she and Matt could be together.

That wasn’t entirely true, of course. The thought of General Ragen starting a war was all the more reason for her to agree to go with him. The thought of Earth’s PDF destroying him in a fiery battle had some appeal, but Xandra didn’t think she could live with the thought of innocent lives being lost in a fight that she had the power to prevent, even if it meant her own life would be forfeit. Besides, she had a hard time believing that Earth’s governing body, this General Assembly she had been told about, would allow her to remain there anyway. Not with General Ragen pointing all of his weapons at their planet. She would gladly do as General Weathers had suggested and request asylum if she thought it would solve anything, but she knew it wouldn’t. No matter which way she looked at it, Ragen was going to win. The best she could hope to do was make sure Matt’s life was spared.

She moved away from the window to look at her reflection in the mirror. The color was starting to return to her skin. She brushed her blonde hair away from her sad gray eyes and wondered if she would ever see Matt again. She went back to the table and took another bite of the apple. It really was quite good.

A buzzer sounded to let her know someone was at the door. The apartment that had been arranged for her was simple, yet comfortable. She had a lovely view of Earth’s capital, a city called Paris. She had a soft couch to sit on and a view screen that provided access to entertainment and news. The latter had been mostly about her, Matt, and the Lathonian Armada bearing down on Earth, so she mostly left the view screen off. She had a comfortable bed and a food dispenser that provided anything she wanted. The only thing she was lacking was Matt. She knew it wasn’t him that was at the door now, and the video sensor next to it showed that General Weathers was waiting. She touched the panel below the monitor and the door slid open to admit him.

"Hello, General," she said as she showed him to the couch and forced a smile. "How nice to see you again."

"It’s nice to see you too, Miss Torin," he said. Xandra genuinely liked the ebony-skinned man. In many ways, he reminded her of her grandfather. She just wished they could have met under better circumstances. "Are you getting everything you need?"

"At the risk of sounding ungrateful, no, I’m not," she admitted. "What I need most is to have all the charges against Matt dropped so that the two of us can leave. That would solve Earth’s problem. General Ragen would come after us and forget all about you."

"Miss Torin, we’ve been through this," said the general with a slight sigh and a soft smile. Xandra’s grandfather used to give her the same expression when he was about to explain to her why she couldn’t have her way about something. "Matt Britton is a criminal. There are men and women coming in from at least a dozen worlds who want to testify at his trial. The only way he won’t stand trial here is if the General Assembly decides to give him over to your people."

"It would be as good as a death sentence for him if they do."

"Miss Torin, I know you say you’re in love with Matt," said the general, sounding exasperated, "but I’ve known Matt his whole life. He’s a liar and a thief. His life hasn’t amounted to much of anything. His actions are why all of us, including you, are in this mess in the first place. He says he’s willing to give up his life for yours. I say let him do it. I’ll go before the General Assembly and insist my soldiers be allowed to escort you back to Lathos. Once you’ve arrived safely you can explain everything to your father."

"General Ragen would never agree to that," Xandra said. "Once we left Earth, he would just attack your fleet and kill me anyway."

"He might find that harder than he thinks."

"Even so, it would still cause a war. Unless you can come up with a solution that keeps me here, gets Matt out of that cell, and guarantees no loss of life for your people or mine, I’m afraid I’m going to have to get on Ragen’s ship. Whether you care to see it or not, my actions are just as much to blame for everything that has happened as Matt’s. I can’t allow any further loss of innocent life if I can avoid it."

"I guess you leave me with no choice," the general said, shaking his head. "I’m going to have to go to the General Assembly and demand they not turn Matt over to Ragen and that you be held here until we can verify that you are indeed the daughter of the Lathonian Chancellor. That will keep you alive for at least another week or two."

"General, did you not hear anything I just said?"

"I heard it all, Miss Torin, if that really is your name," he said with a broad smile. "With Lathos being so far across the galaxy, I have no way to contact them from Earth directly to find out if either you or this Kellenar Ragen is telling the truth. Knowing Matt Britton, he paid you off to tell this story and get him out of some trouble he found himself in."

"General Weathers, that is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard," said Xandra, pressing her fists against her hips as she regarded the man.

"Yes, well, as much as I hate to say so, I know a thing or two about politicians and the way their minds work. There’s a pretty good chance the General Assembly will be confused by my tale just long enough for me to figure a way out of this mess."

"You say you don’t think much of Matt, but this makes me wonder how sincere you are about that."

"I thought the world of Matt’s father, and as saddened as I believe he would be over what his son has become, I know he wouldn’t want to see his son’s fate be placed in the hands of an alien general of questionable integrity, but that isn’t the reason I’m doing this."

"Then why?" asked Xandra.

"Let’s just say that I’ve seen enough in our brief time together to understand why, after everything he’s done, Matt Britton is willing to give up his life to save yours. Now come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"I’m taking you to see Matt."