The Wanted (Galaxy's Edge #19)

by Jason Anspach

It was coming. Keel was sure of it. Someone was out there. Preparing. Planning. Probing. Weakening a Republic already atrophied by its own selfish greed. What prestige that Republic now had, built on the shoulders of those who had fought hard to unite the galaxy under its banner, was rapidly being squandered by those who could think no further than how to keep their personal credits flowing.

“Listen, jump jockey—you don’t realize just how much bounty hunters can keep their fingers on the pulse of the galaxy simply by reading the contracts that come in. Especially once you’re good enough to get the jobs they won’t offer to the rookies.”

Zora clicked her rifle back together. “Point is, none of us are angels out here at galaxy’s edge. I don’t need to know what you’re doing. Don’t want to know. And don’t you ask about me.”

“And remember, every legionnaire knows to forget nothing. But there are other orders General Marks himself gave us. And one of those is don’t ever lie to another legionnaire. You can lie to whoever else you want, but the Legion depends on the truth to get the job done. The truth has always been our greatest weapon, and that fancy armor we strap on and go out and get killed in when we’re doing the stacking… that’s nothing compared to the truth. So this time, before we ever let the tyrants take control ever again, or become ones ourselves in the process, we are going to find out the truth of what really happened. Come hell or high grav. We are gonna know this time. “That’s the Adjudicators’ role, Major. You… your role is to protect your Adjudicator, even though he’s every bit the warfighter we are. Even though his armor has considerable upgrades and… hell, might as well call them powers. Dark Science Lab stuff that will blow your mind. Probably lifted from the Savages. Legion is still sitting tight on that vault discovered on Kima. That doesn’t matter. He’s a life taker and a heartbreaker. But he needs a… call it a praetorian guard, Major. And you need to find those he needs to question, because you’re going to find that not everyone wants to answer his questions. Not everyone wants the truth.”

Although he knew he was dealing with the MCR, Keel had nevertheless expected this particular group to be a bit more sophisticated than this. They had the credits and organizational know-how to acquire a KRS model war bot after all, plus Legion armor and weapons. But the shammers, the patrollers who’d picked up Zora, and now the castle security, painted a very different picture. The MCR had some brains and organization somewhere, driving this operation, but they clearly weren’t on this moon. It must be just a collection or support site—a place where the hijackers could cross-load any stolen freight and rest their boarding crews.

Chhun’s job was to use his hunter team to acquire the testimonies and information he needed in order that he and his fellow adjudicators would have a full and complete picture of what led to the downfall of the Republic, the rise of its brief, imperial usurper, and the unforeseen, catastrophic attacks of the Cybar and then the Savages.