In the 5th or 6th grade (circa 1995/1996), I wrote a sci-fi novel(la) entitled Renegades. It is more or less a blatant rip-off of any sci-fi or action movie or book I had consumed up until that point in my life. It definitely reads like the work of a 5th-grader, and I’m fairly certain I introduce a new character with a semi-unpronounceable name every few paragraphs, only to kill them off shortly afterward. Having recently recovered this work of art from floppy disk (!), I plan to serialize it here over the coming days. Enjoy (?).

RENEGADES

… Continued from Part 1, Part 2.

Part 3

IVATIA

Rian Broman had returned to Ivatia at last, and was not very happy, Decartier had escaped his grasp and was no somewhere he did not know. He was there for that reason to, Laxatium, the city that is always busy and dark, and the main spaceport and exchange from the eight known systems. He had arrived there on one of the Co3 Giants, a ship that carries cargo, but as big as the Comachen Spaceliner. He had arrived there on time too, noon, at Port 034-B, one of the largest ports and a great rendezvous point. The port was domed but barely any windows, throughout the dome there was small ports for the ships to enter.

The deck was hard and steel, craft of all sorts were parked there with their pilots standing in line before him, those were his recruits. They were the best bounty hunters and assassins in the known systems. Some wore Comachen uniforms, others high-tech war gear and others, were casual street assassins. The first one he saw ran up to him and gave the salute. He was wearing a yellow vest and camouflage underneath covered with grenades and daggers and a flight helmet in his arms.

“I am Nicolai Berzerac, your second-in-command.” The man said under his thick, black mustache and a Russian accent.

Broman didn’t care, he walked on to his recruits and stared at them one by one. The first was a Comachen Lieutenant and covered in weapons and artillery. The second was also Comachen, but the third, yes the third, was now standing before him, he had a feeling about this one, something… The man was wearing casual, but surely, this must be one of the greatest. He had black hair and sharp, brown eyes.

“Name?” Broman demanded.

“Roman Denthra.”

“Who ya’ working for?”

“No one in particular.” Surely this man was going to be very stubborn and wants to go his own ways, but he might be of use.

The next man was short compared to the others, and very young, only about twenty years of age. “Daniel Preian.” The boy said at once without Broman asking.

“I’m sorry, kid, but you’re a little bit young to get shot or to shoot, okay.”

“Sir,” The kid asked. “I don’t care how young I am, but just look at my shooting technique, and you’ll change you’re mind.”

“All right, Shoot the middle of that door on the other side of the port.” He said pointing to a door with a very small round, emblem on it. Broman handed the young man a pistol. “Shoot it and you’re in.” Broman added.

He armed the gun and made sure it was loaded. The room was suddenly silenced. He aimed, and his finger was tight around the trigger. Gunfire echoed, and so did clapping and cheering.

“You’re in.” Broman said. Daniel Preian had made the shot…

*  *  *

SORTAK PRISON

The prison cell was cold and dry, water was sent through out of a pipe in small jugs three times a day as well as food packets. This was not the deepest floor though, the floors lower were oubliettes, a forever resting place of a prisoner, never to be seen again, and the prisoner would only make it three days. He had know learned his cell-mates names, the young, brown-haired Alderian engineer was named Isaac Fairthorn and a wanted war criminal named Minstrel Gregorr but known as “the mosquito”. The one Jonathan had met on the bridge way was Lieutenant Timothy Cassen of the Alderian border space patrol. The last one of the group was a very shy pick-pocket named Paul Wallin, why was he here? Somehow, he had traced a rich guy to his mansion and stole a lot of something he wasn’t sure it was, and it turned out to be something very important. Jonathan sat in the corner by himself, as well as Paul Wallin in another corner. Timothy Cassen stood in the center where the light was greatest and the fan blew the coolest air.

“Jonathan, what brought you here?” Isaac Fairthorn’s young and light voice asked from the other side of the room lying on the cold, dirt floor.

“Let’s just say they are pursuing me for their information that I don’t even have.”

Isaac grinned. “An information hijacker.”

“A what?” Jonathan asked.

Isaac was still looking at the ceiling into nothingness. “Oh, it’s a hacker, I just call it something else.”

John sighed. “Well I’m not a hacker, my brother was. I just helped him out.” Jonathan now had a lump in his throat. “And now he’s gone, and their after me now.”

Isaac was then silent.

* * *

ALDERIA

It was midday and it was cold as the dead of night. The immense parliament stood before the rioting crowds, it was silent but there were of course guards. President Amuel Spara was somewhere inside, probably not caring about his empire or it’s destruction. The crowds were fighting back too, trying to get to the President. But the crowd control Alderian police held them back with their billy clubs and shields. Automobiles raced overhead the parliament and the riots. some were military, other civilian cars flying over the capital city of Origna. The president watched in disbelief from the tower room on the top floor, he sat in his housecoat sipping coffee in his favorite leather chair looking at the falling empire, he just knew it, the Alderian empire would not make it another five years. The maintenance droid behind him was polishing the bar top, it made a lot of annoying racket that the president disliked in his favorite place on Alderia. The hexagonal room echoed as the elevator arrived and the vice-president Harri Elton was the first to enter.

“Mr. President-”

“I will talk to the public.. today.” the president interrupted.

Elton was surprised by the courageous president. ” All right, then will you tell them to get out of our sight and go home?”

“Be patient Mr. Elton, I will tell them of our problems and good reasons to go home but I will not force them.”

Harri Elton did not like the way the president always disagreed with him. “Will you tell them now?”

The president sighed. “Yes.”

* * *

The crowd was sent into fury when the president arrived and yells and screams were sent up in the air. The president was surrounded by three dozen guards and Harri Elton.

“Draat!” The man in black whispered loudly. He was totally covered in a black Comachen uniform and was trying to find his target with his propeller Gatling gun. The president was surrounded in guards and his very orders were to take out the president and no one else, quickly. He lay there cursing at the guards and the president and the whole enemy empire, the crowd was starting to quiet very slowly and that gave him more time to concentrate.

“Black spider…” Came a voice on his com-link – It was his spy and  commander. “He is beginning, cut him off at the end.”

“Copy.” Came the rough voice in return.

The president cleared his throat. “People of the empire.” He addressed them and the crowd was sent into cheer again. “Trouble has come to hand, the Comachen empire is closing in on us and our country is failing, we must continue to work our way through these difficult times and protect our nation, our people, our lives! Now go home and be brave, for war will come, and one side, will win!”

The crowd went into cheer again chanting. “Us! Us! We will win this war!”

Sweat rolled down the assassins face and his finger was set on the trigger, the president was in view.

“That is all I have to say.” the president finished.

Now!

The president fell from the five story-balcony and on his back before the gate. Some of the crowd in shock, others gathering the body. He was dead.

The spy tried to look from the balcony for the assassin and a chance to reward him, but he knew… Black Spider, assassin of President Amuel Spara, was gone…

The ongoing serialization of “Renegades” will continue in the coming days. Please stay tuned.

Read Part 4.