Forging Alliances Snippet 1 and News

 Sitrep:

So, I finished PRI 4 "Building Intrigue" and it is off to Paul. PRI 4 is supposed to be the last book for me of the year. We shall see. I am poking at PRI 5 a bit and moved it up to the next book in line since the contents and characters are still fresh.

Cover:

 Anyway... In other news, I had a bad scare with my PC. Last Tuesday Edison shut power off for maintenance. I shut my PC off long before hand, and I have a battery backup anyway. But for some reason when I went to reboot when power was restored the PC was dead.

I tried all the tricks, (switch, disconnect peripherals, etc) then ordered a new PSU and Motherboard. Before I went to install them I tried the PC one last time...and low and behold it booted! So, crisis averted. I am now backing it up just to be on the safe side. (I do that every 3 months or so but I've been lax)

My desktop is 10+ years old and yeah, I'm running very old Windows. Funny, I write scifi but I'm a bit of a luddite with my own PC. Newer isn't necessarily better in my eyes, too much bloatware and spying crap.

I also sent Rea Forging Alliances over the weekend. I am hoping to get it to Goodlifeguide by next week and hopefully publish it by December 1st. We shall see.

So... oh, I'm trying to see if I can animate the cover to Forging Alliances. No promises. SeaArt is not really a good AI to do that. I may consult with older and wiser heads on that score.

And... on to the snippet!

Chapter 1

 

Antigua

 

"So, nothing?" Fleet Admiral John Henry Irons and acting president of the Federation asked. He wasn't happy with that answer but kept a professional mask. After all, he couldn't shoot the messenger if the other side had been too good at their job.

"Nothing we can use," Captain Fletcher stated. The AI didn't sound happy. He had spent a lot of processing cycles trying to find usable video footage of the perpetrators. None had been found. They either kept their heads down or used a scrambler to prevent themselves from being filmed. They hadn't even gotten anything from processing reflections. At best they had height and build and of course general species which in this case was human. Of course there were a lot of variations to the basic human form.

"Whoever did this was very good," General Craft, the Secretary of Intelligence stated. The Neogorilla's nostrils flared, showing his annoyance.

"Very good," Director Sati, the director of the FBI stated. She didn't look happy at the admission. "They had professional training. No DNA left behind, no prints, minimum video. Even the touch DNA had been contaminated by a commercially available cleaning product."

"So, the only clues we have are that they are professionals, very well organized, and that they wanted something that they knew was high risk. Someone," Admiral Irons stated with a look to the image of Bagheera McClintock.

A team of unknown people had attempted to abduct the black Neocat in his family's home. He had managed to survive and escape. One mercenary had been injured and killed during the escape. The perpetrators had managed to escape the authorities, much to the annoyance of those involved.

Since Bagheera was Shanti and Jethro's youngest son and had Cadre DNA, it was a major concern for all involved.

"Whatever they wanted they didn't get it," Admiral Nara Thornby stated.

"You are certain?" the Neogorilla head of intelligence asked.

She eyed him. "Yes general, I am certain. Bagheera might be a civilian but there are safeguards in his DNA and in the residence. It didn't do them any good."

"So, they will be motivated to try again?" Admiral Irons asked.

"Yes but they will have to try a different avenue. They have to know that we are aware of them and watching for trouble," Director Sati stated.

"Was it even a DNA grab? They were after the cat too correct?" the AI captain asked. Nara nodded grimly. "There are easier ways to get DNA. Methods that are less exposed to the public and authorities," the AI reminded them.

"The DNA was a fall back when they failed to corner and capture Bagheera," Nara stated flatly. Since Bagheera was a civilian the investigation was… complex. The FBI was insisting on jurisdiction. The local police had handed it off to them. The Cadre was protecting the family. Shanti was in transit from Epsilon Triangula and out of contact. Jethro was with the bulk of the Cadre on what might be a suicide mission against the pirates in the battle moon.

"I don't want a repeat of this. Find who did this and work together to protect our people," Admiral Irons ordered.

"We will do our best sir," the Director said with a look to the others. They all knew that for the most part the FBI investigated crimes after they happened. No law enforcement office was good on defense. With an almost total lack of evidence and a cold trail, the perpetrators had made a clean exit. That sucked. It meant that they could strike when and where they wanted whenever they wanted to do so.

<<(O)>>

"In and out clean. Except we didn't get the objective," Mister Smith said mildly as he sat across the table from the tall black human male.

"We got the secondary," Nigel Mosfet stated. He did his best to not appear defensive. "Considering the quality of the target, that is good."

"No, actually you didn't."

Nigel blinked. "We picked up every scrap of hair and DNA we could in the time allotted," the mercenary stated. He had read the report. The team had been very thorough and very fast. They'd had to be to get in and out before the authorities had arrived.

They had narrowly escaped the closing police perimeter. They had ditched their vehicles and had changed their disguises. The authorities would most likely still process every camera feed that they could but such things would take time.

Most of the assault team were already off planet. The rest were scheduled to leave in the morning.

If they'd just wanted DNA there were easier ways to get it. Inserting someone to a restaurant frequented by Cadre unit members would have allowed them access to their DNA off cups and silverware. But the client had wanted someone of the blood who could be examined along with their DNA to see how they tick.

"Yes you did. But the lab boys stated it is all useless. Most of the hairs were shed hairs and lacked a follicle which is needed for DNA. The follicles they did get were compromised. The DNA was scrambled."

"Damn. That's not on us."

"We realize that. Which is why you are being reassigned," Mister Smith stated. He was an envoy for their true boss General Ross.

"Oh?"

"This project has become too hot. It has been put on a back burner. We will look for another avenue of approach over time. If one presents itself we will reconsider. We have other work for you." He handed over a flash chip.

Nigel took the chip slowly. He was glad that the general and the client were not holding the failure against him. That was the mark of a true professional.

Of course that didn't mean he was totally out of the woods, nor the assault team. The mercenaries and the client were ruthless. If they had been compromised they would be quietly terminated and their bodies burned to ash.

"We have another DNA scoop. This one needs to be discrete given this failure. You'll get the details when you read the file."

"Can I ask where I am going so I can pack appropriately?"

"Agnosta. An ID packet is in the chip. I suggest you dress for warmth, as I understand it, it is damn cold where you are going."

Nigel hid a grimace. Instead he nodded as his fingers curled around the chip. He downloaded the contents into his implants and then triggered the self-destruct. The chip crumbled in his hands and he let the pieces fall out like dust.

"Do be more careful this time," Mister Smith said reprovingly as he indicated he could go.

Nigel nodded as he headed for the door. He knew he wouldn't be safe until he was in transit, and possibly not even then. But that was the world he lived in.

<<(O)>>