The crew of the Jordan met in the briefing room after they had taken the time to eat

and relax. Harry studied the planet through the projector screen. They needed a gate

to Junior to fully succeed in their project.

Ten million dollars would be enough for him to retire on if his quartermaster was

pulled.

“One of us is going to have to jump again,” said Harry. “Then that contractor buys a

gate to Junior. Then we can start expanding outward from his area of operations.”

“Why not all of us?,” said Yema.

“We don’t need all of us to jump,” said Harry. “And I think that Junior will like it

better if I am the one that shows up.”

“There’s a lot of xenos trying to get at him,” said Garry. “Jumping into that is crazy.”

“I think the long guns are helping clear the proximity,” said Harry. “The main

problem is those flying xenos are fast. They might be able to pick me out of the air

before I hit the ground. I doubt Junior could protect me before I hit the ground.”

“I think a group of us going would be a better option,” said Yema. “Detrac and I have

enough to buy gates.”

“And my armor will be more firepower to clear the sky and the land,” said Howitz.

“Guys,” said Harry. “Your part in the mission is done. You can’t risk everything here

when you have your own spaces to go back to where they need you now that the

primary objective is accomplished. We got Xin and Hei out of trouble, and this is a

one man job.”

“I think that you want to take the demon of death’s title,” said Milla. “I will not have

it.”

“I do not have any designs on your title,” said Harry. “I just want to keep the deaths

to a minimum. You guys survived a one in a million thing. Why push the luck?”

“What did the review board say, Harry?,” asked Har. He rested his giant frame in a

chair designed for his species.

“It’s on hold pending the decisions made,” said Harry. “They don’t want me to use

the antimatter bomb I used to clear the temple. They are afraid I’ll use it back home.”

“I see,” said Har. “I think you should sit back for a moment. You have done some

things, but they do try to look out for the planets they contract from. They may see

you as a possible danger.”

“Which he is,” said Delmar. He shrugged at the looks that came his way. “Let’s not

sugarcoat it. All contractors are dangerous. I’ve been watching the mana trackers

from up here. You guys cleared a huge hole that turned into a moving worm on the

screen. Junior is keeping his spot clear right now, no matter how many monsters come

at him. Imagine one Junior in a city back home. A lot of people would be killed

before he could be shut down.”

“We would also like to join in,” said Xin. “The amount of points to be made would

do the both of us good.”

“Have you called the PDO on Earth to let them know we extracted you?,” asked

Harry. “They might not want you to take part in this.”

“We will ask,” said Xin. “I am sure we will be allowed to help with this since we are

already here.”

“Are we doing this?,” asked Harry. “I think you should go home and let me handle

this, but I could use help.”

“It will be fine, Harry,” said Detrac. “I think we have enough expertise between us

to attack and create a perimeter around Junior to give him more of a breathing space.

He only controls miles but he can’t shoot the enemy fast enough.”

“All right,” said Harry. “We can land in a bee inside Junior’s control area. Then we

can set up a push, and set up a gate for other contractors to land. I doubt anybody else

would volunteer for this.”

“There are still star whales and other smaller xenos in orbit,” said John. “I can bring

the Jordan back in and take shots, but I don’t think we can one shot the bigger guys

with just our guns. We might need help from Junior to knock them out of the sky.”

“We need cover for our push,” said Yema. “The Jordan should sit back behind a

screen of smaller vessels and use our guns to attack bigger targets while smaller

vessels harass the smaller enemies.”

“I like that thought,” said Harry. “John, how are we on ship support?”

“We are still putting together fighters together,” said John. “We have a corvette ready

to go. It’s at the dock at the edge of the system.”

“All right,” said Harry. “This is the plan. We get some rest, down time. Howitz’s

mech gets repaired and back up to full speed. Xin and Hei get their clearance to go

with us. We probably should have ten times the support when we attack. Jordan, open

a channel to Junior.”

“Working,” said Junior.

“Junior, this is Harry,” said Harry. “We’re coming down to visit for a bit, maybe

install a gate. Right now, we are putting together a naval force to help out. What does

it look like down there?”

“Operating at optimal standards,” said Junior. “Location is secured from the enemy.”

“All right,” said Harry. “We’re putting together that force to swoop down and cover

us when we jump. The gate should take a few seconds to buy and place. Any

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

preference where it should go so you can keep doing your thing?”

A map of the compound appeared. A spot was marked in the original building the

group had cleared while Harry was on his lookout.

“Have any of the xenos been able to make it over the fence?,” asked Harry. The

buildings there should block some of Junior’s shots. Maybe he was shooting through

the building.

Some of the energy weapons Harry had bought were capable of punching a hole

through brick and concrete like nothing.

“Negative,” said Junior. “Lesser units are keeping enemies from the fence at ground

level. Aerial support is helping with airborne enemy forces.”

“What about the sun guns?,” asked Harry.

“I have asked them to coordinate on larger targets when possible,” said Junior. “They

are denying areas of operations for the enemy.”

“All right,” said Harry. “If the situation changes, call us. We will drop the Jordan

down to do what we can to help you.”

“Assistance is not required,” said Junior. “I’m optimal.”

“I know,” said Harry. “But we are setting you up as support for other contractors and

a place to relax during lulls in fighting.”

“Guests are welcome,” said Junior. “Should I select sites for more settlements?”

“I think we’re going to need an eventual spread as contractors come in,” said Harry.

“I’ll ask Nick to look at it and pick some places where contractors aren’t instantly

killed trying to expand out from under your umbrella.”

“Understood,” said Junior.

“Is Junior getting the info from the mana trackers on the moons?,” asked Delmar.

“Did you get that, Junior?,” asked Harry.

“Yes,” said Junior. “I do not have access to any tracking other than my weapons

systems.”

“Jordan, forward the mana tracking data to Junior,” said Harry.

“Sending imaging,” said Jordan.

“I’m going to leave the channel open, but we’re breaking up our meeting,” said Harry.

“If you need anything, let us know.”

“Yes,” said Junior. “I will continue operations until you arrive.”

“Let’s get our stuff together,” said Harry. “As long as the xenos don’t leave orbit, we

should be able to circle the system and put our fleet together. I would like to make

sure Junior has support before we are called to fix some other problem.”

“We could give him air support like Fort Honey,” said Le Roi. “Those airplane bees

of yours could take the pressure off so he doesn’t have to shoot constantly.”

“I like that,” said Harry. “Let’s get some dinner. You guys should think of anything

you want to see if Junior would take. I think he would like some drones to use, or

something. We’ll run it by him and see what he likes.”

“All right,” said Le Roi.

“I think I would like an army of mobile mechs like mine,” said Howitz.

“Put it on the list,” said Harry. “We’ll prune it down to something useful when we

land.”

He smiled as he headed out of the briefing room. He needed to sit on his bed and

close his eyes. A few hours alone would be enough for him to depressurize. When the

time came to jump, he would be ready.

“Do you think Junior needs us?,” asked Nick.

“Not really,” said Harry. He walked down the halls to his room. “I think he could

keep fighting for a long time before he breaks down from overuse.”

“What is our overall goal other than winning the pot?,” asked Nick.

“We need to set up a cleared area for other contractors to come in,” said Harry. “I

have to imagine the xenos are shipping out from here to other planets. If we can get

rid of them, they’ll have to use some other stage. I didn’t think there would be so

many. It’s like we kicked over an ant hill.”

“If we can set up to build battleships, we can hold this system from their space fleets,”

said Nick. “There might be some back and forth over these planets for a good long

while.”

“There’s nothing we can do about that,” Harry said. He entered his quarters and laid

down on his bed. “We have to concentrate on what we can handle. If we can clear the

planet for others to resettle, we can move on to the next planet that needs to be

cleared out.”

“If we make a mistake, the review board will put you out to pasture without a

quartermaster,” said Nick. “I think that overwhelming force will not be as well

received in the face of what you have already used.”

“I’m surprised they haven’t said anything about Junior to be honest,” said Harry. “I’ll

take what I can get.”

“The board are fair enough about things like that,” said Nick.

“I’m glad about that,” said Harry.

“You’re going to be all right,” said Nick. “Using the bomb might have been

something you shouldn’t have done, but it was necessary. The board will think about

it before they call you back.”

“Hopefully we can seize the planet and cut off the supply of xenos,” said Harry. “It

would be great to cut this off at the source.”

He thought about things with his eyes closed.

“Seven guys went bad and destroyed their planets,” said Harry. “What were they

thinking?”

“According to the other contractors that intervened, they wanted to make their planets

capable of taking over from us, and leading the war against the xenos while making

sure other planets in our union recognized their superiority,” said Nick.

“The agents went bad too?,” asked Harry.

“They thought it would expedite the war,” said Nick.

“I guess everyone is afraid that I will go off the rails and you will help me,” said

Harry.

“Maybe,” said Nick. “We both know that won’t happen. You’re not the type of person

who thinks that everyone should have a gun and do what you say. You prefer to be

in front and away from anyone who will try to get in your way.”

“I don’t think you can prove that,” said Harry.

“I don’t have to,” said Nick. “John already did for the review board. His honest

assessment of you was enough to sway their opinions to give you a chance to clear

the planet just like Wallens.”

“That’s a lot of faith in a man with no pinkie toes,” said Harry.

“I want that agent of the year trophy,” said Nick. “Now get out there and get

it for me. I have a beautiful spot on my desk waiting for it.”

“You don’t need another trophy with me as your contractor,” said Harry. “I can retire

after my talk with Junior and let someone else clear the planet.”

“I will still hold the money,” said Nick. “It doesn’t say I have to cash it in all in one

go. Savvy?”

“You’re going to hold my retirement fund hostage?,” said Harry. “You’re

despicable.”

“We have to show the review board that you can be trusted, and I can be trusted by

extension,” said Nick. “Don’t ruin things for me, and I might expedite that check.

Otherwise I will pay you a dollar a day for the rest of your life.”

“That is some shady dealing there,” said Harry. “How did you get to be an agent?”

“Shady dealing,” said Nick. “I’ll wake you when things look good enough to go.”

“We could drop more docks while we’re trying to build up our forces,” said Harry.

He thought about putting more resources out to build up his automated army.

Ships built faster could be the thing they needed to clear the air space over Delgas.

“I’ll talk to John about it,” said Nick. “Turn in and get some sleep. We will have

work to do in the morning.”

“I’ll be ready to go,” said Harry. He closed his eyes. “What would have happened if

the review board voted to get rid of me?”

“You would be out on your ear, put back on Earth without the quartermaster, and

we might have to take back everything you bought but shouldn’t be able to use like

your legs,” said Nick. “But things haven’t gone that way yet, and you should try

to make sure they don’t. Savvy?”

“I understand,” said Harry. “As long as I get my money, I’ll kill a passel of xenos for

you. But if I don’t get my money, I’ll ship Junior home and set up as a sailor with him

as my boat.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” said Nick.

“Take everything, give nothing back, Captain Jack,” said Harry. “Savvy?”

“We’ll see about that,” said Nick.