Free Vigilante Series 2: Nebula Vigilante by T. Jackson King Page A

chuckled against his chest pulse-Doppler radar pack. “She is . . . nicely friendly to me, even if I think her Barbarian Queen look is too blatant.”
    Matt smiled, then stood away from Eliana and focused on the approaching humans. The brown-skinned woman named Sarah Vasiliades led the crowd of around a hundred adult humans, with only a few teens and adults occupying the attention of the children in the back of the lounge. Good.
    “My fellow humans, I am Matthew Raven’s-Wing Dragoneaux, late of the human colony Thuringia at  Pl-3 Orion.” The approaching people slowed, becoming a wide arc focused on him and Eliana. “Eliana has told you of my reason for destroying the casino, of the death of my love as we sought escape from this place’s Owners, and how I came to become a part human, part cyborg Vigilante in my effort to bring justice to a few peoples in our part of the galaxy.” He paused, noting that most faces showed worry mixed with impatience. “Enough of history. This casino will be destroy ed in thirty minutes time as part of the lesson I am teaching to Anarchate conglomerates and to its Combat Command about the wrongness of owning people. You will be shuttled to my starship, there to remain in personal roomsuites until we exit this system. After consulting with Sarah and other leaders, I will seek a colony world to which I can take you. Take care of your children, leave any weapons behind and be prepared for handling by my personal AI, Mata Hari. She appears now,” he said, gesturing to his left.
    Mata Hari, using the entertainment emitters of the Arrival Hall, took form in a large holosphere. Dressed in her white lace Victorian dress, with a neck choker of pearls, her black hair piled atop her amber face, she nodded at the crowd, then smiled. “Welcome to starship Mata Hari and to my company. We will work to accommodate you. My sensors are everywhere, so if there is a need, just call my name and a part of me will respond,” she said. Then she looked to Matt.
    With a nod to the refugee humans he told Suit to bring his combat helmet down, though with a clear faceplate. “While we are in-system and under threat, this is how you will see me. Once departed in Alcubierre Translation, I will be dressed in more normal fashion. Now, we depart! Follow!”
    Matt turned with a helmeted Eliana and headed for the slidedoor and the three shuttles that stood ready to transport this crowd. A voice called from behind him. “What about the two human Owners? Where are they? Will they also be rescued?”
    A male in his sixties, his hair just showing grey, had spoken. With a minor thought he had Suit tag the human as someone to watch. Activating Suit’s external speakers, he answered.
    “The human Owners are slave owners through contract bondage. They will leave with the other thirteen Owners, after every other lifeform is safe in orbit or headed out for the heliopause. Follow.”
    Everyone followed him and Eliana. The holo of Mata Hari, Sarah Vasiliades and 151 other humans of all sizes, shapes and ages followed behind, most carrying a briefcase or large suitcase, as instructed by Eliana during his absence. Matt led the way to the three shuttle boarding tubes, then took himself and Eliana into and through a service airlock. Looking up at the purple-black of the starry sky, he called for a lift.
    “Mata Hari, please bring us up via tractor beam. I wish to be on the Bridge before boarding.
    “Complying, Matthew,” she said.
    Within Suit Matt felt the gentle pull upward of one of starship Mata Hari’s tractor beams, a beam strong enough to rip apart the casino dome. They were on their way to escape, and likely to a new Anarchate confrontation. Sighing, Matt hoped his decision to bring refugees aboard the starship would, in truth, give BattleMind some degree of understanding of organic lifeforms. He had some exotic plans for his future war campaign that needed more than rote responses from a very smart, very dangerous,