Breach of Faith Read online

  Breach of Faith

  Breach of Faith Book Two

  Daniel Gibbs

  Gary T. Stevens

  Contents

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  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Epilogue

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  Acknowledgments

  Breach of Faith by Daniel Gibbs and Gary T. Stevens

  Copyright © 2019 by Daniel Gibbs

  Visit Daniel Gibb’s website at www.danielgibbsauthor.net

  Cover by Jeff Brown Graphics—www.jeffbrowngraphics.com

  Additional Illustrations by Joel Steudler—www.joelsteudler.com

  Editing by Beth at BZhercules.com

  3D Art by Benoit Leonard

  This book is a work of fiction, the characters, incidents and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. For permissions please contact [email protected].

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  FREE BOOK: Read the story of Levi Cohen and his heroic fight at the first battle of Canaan in Echoes of War: Stand Firm.

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  Echoes of War

  Book 1 - Fight the Good Fight

  Book 2 - Strong and Courageous

  Book 3 - So Fight I

  Book 4 - Gates of Hell

  Book 5 - Keep the Faith

  Book 6 - Run the Gauntlet

  Breach of Faith

  (With Gary T. Stevens)

  Book 1 - Breach of Peace

  Book 2 - Breach of Faith

  Book 3 - Breach of Duty

  Prologue

  Gamavilla

  Lusitania, Independent System, Neutral Space

  16 August 2560

  The Plaza of the Republic—Praça da República—had barely half of its routine crowds. The police presence was triple the usual, and black-suited Republic Security Service members were ubiquitous. Some strolled along, as if having a pleasant day, and others sat at open cafés sipping at drinks, even eating small meals. But nobody was fooled. They were here to watch people.

  People like Major Abdul Rahman al-Lahim of the Terran Coalition Intelligence Service.

  A descendant of the Exodus Fleet's Arab contingent and a son of the core world New Arabia, al-Lahim was station chief for the CIS on Lusitania. From the capital of the planet, the city of Gamavilla, he managed a network of contacts and agents toward three purposes: saving Lusitania's democracy from its authoritarian and increasingly fascist "Estado Novo" government, cultivating connections to convince them to side with the Coalition, and counteracting the agents of the League of Sol trying to do the same thing.

  Now it looked like he might fail at all three.

  Al-Lahim's eyes ventured up to the hole in the side of the Parliament Building, where bombs had devastated the Assembly Chamber, killing four-fifths of the elected members, wounding most of the rest, and leaving the planet almost leaderless. President Emiliano Vargas was constitutionally restricted from acting without ministers, and so far, nobody knew if any of them had survived.

  In the wake of that attack, Gamavilla was on lockdown. Martial law was in force with a curfew that began at sundown. Anyone on the streets had to have an approved reason to be out and about.

  One barrio resisted the previous night, its denizens deciding to hold a street party. The military and police moved in at the instigation of the RSS. The result: ten dead, dozens wounded, four apartment blocks damaged, and two hundred people held in jail.

  Al-Lahim sipped at his coffee again, enjoying the smooth and creamy taste. It was the only pleasure he felt. He had other concerns, after all. The Shadow Wolf, the independent vessel he'd hired to pick up a former CIS operative in trouble, was overdue. The agent in question was a trainer he'd had in CIS, Miriam Gaon, who was marked for death by the League.

  He was worried about her. He thought of how the same ship was already late in returning to Lusitania due to an attack by Tash'vakal nomads, one he suspected was instigated by the League. He also thought about the merchant ship Miri had been working on, the Kensington Star, captured and stolen away, with only Miri slipping away by spacing herself with extra oxygen and a transmitter, in hopes of being rescued.

  The situation here on Lusitania, the ship disappearances—al-Lahim felt a deep, intuitive worry about it all. While it could all be coincidence, he doubted it greatly. The League of Sol combined inhuman malice with a pernicious mindset, and both events benefited them. That everything was happening while a League mission was already underway to Canaan for peace talks heightened his suspicions, even if God knew he wanted the war over.

  His commlink beeped. He picked it up and answered. "Hello."

  An accented male voice on the other end spoke softly. "That ship you asked me about. It jumped in-system five minutes ago."

  Some of al-Lahim's burden lifted. "Allahu akbar," he sighed. "Can you tell me anything else?"

  "They're still repairing and reported an engine short. But if you ask me, there's something else going on with that ship."

  "Have they been directed to one of the space stations?"

  "The captain informed control he was under government orders to return to Gamavilla. It checked out. They've given him landing clearance."

  "Very well. Thank you for your information." Given the proximity of government agents, al-Lahim refrained from saying more. Be careful, he urged his man in the System Traffic Control Center.

  So they'd made it. Not without some problems. What had happened? He'd have to find out.

  Al-Lahim stood and deposited his bill and a tip before leaving the establishment. He walked along the plaza, intent on returning to the embassy. Electronic surveillance was possible, as was a tail from RSS, but he kept himself secure from ambush and didn't mind being followed. This was part of his varied routine anyway. Neither the RSS nor League External Security would learn anything of value by following him.

  His commlink beeped. Keeping his legs in motion, he retrieved it from his pocket and checked the display. His eyes widened.

  I'm alive. - Garbo

  The League of Sol's approach to the people of Lusitania was ty
pical for that organization, to present themselves as the allies of the oppressed and representatives of a superior social system that would end poverty and economic classes. Their embassy choice reflected this, as it was erected in the heart of one of Gamavilla's poorest barrios. The external buildings were often rented to residents of the barrio, often for free, to hold community meetings and celebrations. Even the ambassador herself, Taley Salinas, often mingled with the poorest of Gamavilla's people, espousing the message of equality and peace under the Society.

  The inner building was different. Sophisticated security isolated it from the external structures of the compound. Armed guards manned watch posts. Here, the ambassador and her staff slept in safety—the cynical enjoyed noting this to their supporters among their neighbors, usually to much yelling and hostility.

  Their security was overseen by Chantavit Li, a commander of the League's security forces. He was assigned to External Security and posted here on Lusitania, which made him very important for the plan currently unfolding.

  A plan that still had a few wrinkles.

  The message on his screen was from his operative in system traffic control. A ship had jumped in and insisted it was on a mission from the ministries, and someone cleared its return. Given the lockdown, that was curious. When Li saw that it was the Shadow Wolf, he could see why.

  Li had an ally in the Lusitanian government. A few, actually, and all were part of the League's plan to inflict a double blow on the Terran Coalition. Unfortunately, the ally was not under firm control and had taken a course contrary to Li's wishes, which was why the traitor Miriam Gaon, responsible for the defeat of a possible war-winning offensive nearly a decade ago, was able to escape the planet Harron before his hired man could capture her. An effort at an interception in space failed as well. After that, Admiral Hartford, commander of this operation, sent his stolen fleet to do the job.

  Now they too had failed.

  That intrigued Li. The EMP cannon made such intercepts of civilian ships easy, especially when they didn't raise their deflectors in time to resist the EMP. It had to have been used on the Shadow Wolf—the ship's system failures, reported to traffic control, were consistent with the weapon—so how did they escape? Was there a vulnerability they exploited?

  Li had to find out, and more to the point, he had to bring Gaon into custody. Not only was she due to be justly executed for her crimes against Society, but her presence might also allow for reinforcement of their goal, with the right approach.

  He triggered the secured commlink and waited patiently. After five seconds, one of his key contacts appeared. "The Shadow Wolf is landing soon," he said. "And this is what we are going to do."

  1

  ISV Shadow Wolf

  On Approach to Lusitania

  16 August 2560

  James Henry moved through the half-lit corridors of his ship clad in a full softsuit—an atmospheric suit made of light materials that gave greater mobility than heavier, stronger hardsuits designed for full EVA. The lack of significant light cast long shadows into his helmet, which blended well with his dark skin and eyes. He felt the familiar fatigue of a post-crisis adrenaline crash coming on, which he resisted. The others were waiting for him.

  When he walked into the galley of the Shadow Wolf, he was met with silence. Much of his crew were here, save those who had the skills to get their regular plasma drives going again after the EMP weapon knocked out almost all of the Shadow Wolf's electrical systems. They were fortunate the inactive systems couldn't be affected by it, which was how they managed to flee: the usually inactive fusion drive installed into their rear holds, which gave them the engine thrust and electrical power to escape.

  Everyone was sitting at tables, all in softsuits. The one exception still standing was his first mate Tia Nguyen, once a resident of the oppressed world of Hestia, driven into exile by the defeat of the revolutionary movement she'd devoted herself to. She had a pale spacer's complexion and tanned yellow skin, since most of her distant ancestors hailed from Southeast Asia, just as most of Henry's hailed from Africa. Henry could see in her face how upset she was, with her gray eyes an excellent tone to evoke storm clouds. Her opposition to getting involved in this situation seemed all the more justified by every crisis they'd met since departing Lusitania to retrieve Karla Lupa, a.k.a. Miriam Gaon.

  Now they'd learned about the bombing, and the strong possibility both of their employers in the Lusitanian government were dead.

  It was Vidiadhar Andrews, "Vidia" to the others, who spoke first. "God care for their souls," he said quietly, his accent from the Afro-Caribbean-colonized world of New Antilla. "An' bring justice ta the killers."

  "What of our contacts?" The question came from the ship's Second Mate and only alien crewmember. Yanik S'srish was a Saurian, a species with militant cultures that once waged wars with the Terran Coalition before the Coalition's victory brought an end to its vicious expansionism. Now they were quasi-allies of the Terran Coalition while still being officially neutral in the war, and were the most powerful of the neutral governments. Yanik directed his yellow eyes to Henry. His tongue flicked inside of his helmet. "Do we have any employers left?"

  "I'm not sure," Henry began. "They're not saying who survived the bombing yet. State secret."

  "There's a complete news blackout, planet-wide," Piper Lopez added. Through her faceplate, her coppery-toned skin was pale, not just from the spacer life but from the shock and fear of their narrow escape from the League. Like Tia, she came from a neutral world, Sanctuary, named because it was the chosen homeworld for the Native American tribes that managed to put together the colony ships to flee Earth in the 22nd Century. Her light brown eyes were bloodshot. "None of the usual news organizations are transmitting. The government's ordered it all shut down until further notice. Planetary security."

  "Perfect time for a coup d'etat." Felix Rothbard's accent was nearly the same as Henry's. A former CDF officer like Henry, they'd grown up together on New Virginia in the town of Tylerville. Felix had the light-colored skin of a Caucasian, with his hair and beard a wheat-colored blond tone. "Nobody knows anything; most of the government's dead. All sorts of mischief can happen." There was a subtle shake to his voice, one Henry and a couple of others noticed. He was worried about Jules, his brother.

  Jules Rothbard was the primary reason they were in this situation. A Methodist minister and devoted to his faith, Jules joined the multi-denominational Faith Outreach organization. He was assigned to a mission in Gamavilla. As a Coalition national, this put him in the crosshairs of the nationalistic, fascist PdDN—Partido da Defesa Nacional, Party of National Defense—who attacked his mission frequently and assaulted him on occasion. Ultimately, he drew the attention of the PdDN's leader, the ruthless Cristina Caetano. She blackmailed Henry into bringing Miri to Lusitania, with Jules' freedom and life on the line if he failed.

  But for all Henry knew, Caetano was dead from the bombs. The same might be true of one of their best clients, Duarte Vitorino, the Minister of Trade and Culture, who also wanted Miri on Lusitania. If both were dead, though, who'd given them clearance to land on Gamavilla instead of one of the space stations? Their third employer for the "bring Miri to Lusitania" job, al-Lahim of the CIS, wouldn't have that kind of pull, even through contacts. Not in the lockdown the system was under.

  The thought haunted Henry. With the League hunting them, as were the Tokarev brothers, a pair of privateers from the colony Cyrilgrad, he felt harried and uncertain. Something big was happening, and they'd been drawn into the middle of it.

  "Everyone be careful when we get planetside," Henry said to the others. "At the very least, if both Vitorino and Caetano are dead, al-Lahim will pay us. I might be able to get some hazard bonuses from him too. If it comes down to it, we can replenish stores, deal with that hole Samina found in the stern holds, and get off-world ASAP."

  "Then head straight for Omega," said Tia, her voice low. "Trifid's too hot for us now."

  "Aye, I'
ll say," Cera muttered.

  "I'd still like to know just what the hell the League's up to," Felix grumbled. "For my own peace of mind, if anything."

  "Whatever it is, it's over our heads," Tia pointed out. "This isn't the CDF."

  "Yeah, but does this mean the peace talks are a sham? Or is it a case of their military and intelligence service doing their own thing against orders? This could be important." Felix directed a look at Tia. "Running for Omega won't do us a damn bit of good if the League starts swallowing neutral worlds left and right."

  "And what are we supposed to do about it, Rothbard?" Tia asked, her voice low and almost a hiss. "We barely escaped from a glorified Q-ship! We might not have if those pirates hadn't shown up. Pirates that are after us too, now!"

  With that, Tia's head turned to face Miriam Gaon, who was still sitting quietly in her softsuit. She had a faint bronze tone, paled by life as a spacer, and sad brown eyes. "Just what the hell did you do to piss them off anyway?"

  "Nothing, myself," Miri replied, her tone quiet and even. "But I wouldn't be surprised if the authorities think they attacked the Kensington Star. They're the ones who saved me, after all, and," she shrugged, "let's face it, few people believe in someone spacing themselves to escape anything, not unless they know help's coming."