Emrik: Lunar Uprising, #6

By Cyndi Friberg

Emrik's mission is suddenly in danger when a feisty reporter sneaks aboard his ship. There is no denying how much he wants her, but can he trust her with his heart?

 

Emrik, Lunar Prime's top covert agent, knows better than letting anything distract him from his objectives. And then he encounters Chloe Harlow. She is fearless, mouthy, and beautiful. He has never wanted anyone more. They seem to need the same things in and out of bed, but is she using their mutual desire to further her own agenda? They must figure out how to work together or the mission will fail and people will die.

 

Note to Readers: This book contains detailed descriptions of sizzling passion only suitable for mature readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cyndi Friberg
• Release date: Aug 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798224288267

Cyndi Friberg

Passionate Sci-Fi with a touch of danger and a whole lot of sass. Cyndi has written about rock stars, vampires, and cat shifters, but she’s currently focused on outer space. Her stories are fun, fast-paced, and seriously hot. Her books have made the USA Today Top 100, and frequently land on Amazon Best Seller lists. She is currently working on the Shadowborn Rebellion, a spin-off series set in the Outcasts universe.   She loves to hear from readers: [e-mail] https://facebook.com/fribergc https://twitter.com/Cyndi_Friberg

Book preview

Chapter One

Fighting off a gasp , Chloe Harlow pressed back into the darkened corner of the cargo hold and held perfectly still. The massive stack of medical supplies directly in front of her was being loaded onto a series of hovering carts. If she waited any longer to make her move, her hiding place aboard the spaceship would be revealed. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten this far. She was inside one of the domed cities on Lunar Prime, a location few humans had ever seen. Many would call her actions reckless, but any investigative reporter worthy of the title knew how to test boundaries and bend rules.

Her adventure began nineteen days ago when she started researching a program that found mates for lunar raiders, the mysterious inhabitants of Lunar Prime. She had never heard of the program, but her cousin Jenna brought it to her attention. Jenna had just been contacted by her mate and she was thrilled by the possibility of finding lasting love. Her mate used the program to locate Jenna, so Chloe was determined to learn everything she could about it.

After corresponding for several weeks, Jenna agreed to meet her potential mate. Chloe insisted on accompanying her cousin, but had been sick in bed the night of the date. Much to Chloe’s chagrin, Jenna went alone. And no one had seen or heard from Jenna since. Jenna’s family contacted the police and attempted to contact Lunar Prime, but no one took them seriously.

That’s when Chloe got involved.

A number of Chloe’s vlog posts had been about lunar raiders over the past eight years, so she had done extensive research on the subject. Everyone on Earth was fascinated by the hybrid warriors and the stories never failed to go viral. It was quickly apparent that this story was different than the others. The deeper Chloe dug, the harder it was to find reliable information. Her inquiries were blocked or simply ignored until she was convinced that the leaders of Lunar Prime not only knew about the disappearance, but was actively working to cover it up.

All the resistance Chloe encountered only made her more determined to learn the truth. Worse, she found evidence proving that Jenna was not the only young woman to disappear. Chloe wasn’t sure what else to do, so she decided to go undercover. She logged on to the website intending to submit an application and found a two-sentence announcement stating that the mate finder program had been put on hold until further notice. There had been no explanation for the sudden decision, no clarification of any kind.

Had Vosic, the prime commander, finally taken action regarding the missing women or was the project’s suspension unrelated to the mystery? Either way she was relieved that no other females would be put in danger, but what about Jenna and the other missing mates? The harder Chloe pressured her contacts for information the more evasive they became until two simply ghosted her.

The Morax, the alien race threatening Earth, had left the star system a couple of weeks ago. Everyone knew they would return, but the lull in hostilities was the perfect opportunity for lunar raiders to ramp up the mate finding program, not shut it down. Nothing about their decision made sense and no one seemed to give a damn about Jenna and the others.

The only thing resembling a clue that Chloe had uncovered was the name of an alien trader—Altizar. She wasn’t sure what he had to do with the disappearing women but there was a definite connection. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to connect the dots in any meaningful way, so she just stashed it in her don’t forget file and moved on.

Indirect action had failed to provide answers, so Chloe decided to try something more direct. She convinced her most dependable contact to secure her a copy of lunar raiders’ flight schedule for the next few days. Most were small shuttles or troop transports, but two flights immediately caught her eye. The first was the impending arrival of Altizar’s ship. The other was a cargo ship scheduled to pick up medical supplies at Brooke Army Medical Center and take them to Lunar Prime.

Her instincts would not shut up about Altizar, so she requested a complete log of his past flights from her contact. Reluctantly, he agreed to dig up the records.

Everything about the cargo ship’s errand seemed suspicious. BAMC was the largest military hospital in the U. S., and why did lunar raiders need medical supplies in the first place? They had molecular conversion technology that allowed them to print anything they needed. The crisis had to be something massive if their printers couldn’t keep up.

Chloe’s mother was a trauma surgeon at BAMC, which gave Chloe a believable reason for being onsite at the same time as the lunar raider ship. The opportunity was simply too tempting to ignore, so Chloe started making arrangements.

The second part of her plan was significantly harder to arrange than the first. Using a sizeable bribe, her contact convinced one of the crewmembers to sneak her aboard the cargo ship. She hated rushing into situations blind, but her contact assured her that the crewmember was dependable, and Chloe had worked with this contact for years.

She told her mother she was in town for a fictitious conference and asked if she would have time for a quick lunch the following day. Luckily, her mother agreed so Chloe hopped a redeye from Atlanta to San Antonio. If all went as planned, she would soon be on her way to the moon.

Always one to cover all her basis, Chloe sent a quick email to her aunt Lillian. She told Jenna’s mother that she was delving deeper into the mystery and her next action was a little bit dangerous. She didn’t specify what she intended to do. Aunt Lillian had enough to worry about. However, Chloe prepared a press statement and told Lillian who to send it to if she didn’t hear from Chloe within three days of receiving the message. Aunt Lillian knew Chloe well enough to understand her contingency plans. She wouldn’t worry about it unless Chloe didn’t check in, which Chloe would make sure she did.

Her contact sent her the flight info while she was on the redeye and she was able to match Altizar’s flights to almost all of the dates the females disappeared. How could the fools on Lunar Prime not have spotted this connection? There were only two possibilities. Someone was hiding the information from them or they were in on whatever the hell was going on.

The lunch had been more than just an excuse. Chloe hadn’t seen much of her mother since moving to Atlanta and it was nice to catch up. Still, they quickly ran out of family gossip and Chloe’s mind shifted back to the mystery on the moon. She casually strolled over to the window of her mother’s spacious office and looked down at the midsized cargo ship that had landed in an adjacent parking lot. The lot was empty of cars, the entrances blocked with barrel barricades.

What in the world are they doing down there? Is that a lunar raider ship? She tried to sound bewildered as if she knew nothing about the supply run. Lunar raiders have molecular conversion technology. Why would they need medical supplies? Can’t they just print whatever they need?

Her mother shrugged as she cleared her mouth with a sip of sweet tea. Vosic contacted Neil last week and asked if he wanted to barter. He gave Neil a long list of supplies and asked what Neil wanted in return. Neil told him programable medications and medical nanobots. Vosic agreed. The entire holo-comm took two minutes at the most. The raiders arrived about an hour ago to pick up what they were promised. That’s all I know.

Neil was a sergeant major, second in command of BAMC. He was also her mother’s lover so his information was usually accurate. Vosic commanded Lunar Prime. But that didn’t explain why the meeting had taken place in the first place. For the most part, human militaries dealt with disruptions and disputes here on Earth while lunar raiders took care of threats out there beyond the sky. One of the reasons their outpost had been established on the moon was to prevent confusion regarding their jurisdiction.

Did this explain why Vosic had hit pause on the mate finder program or why the disappearance of a dozen humans was not a priority? She wondered again if Lunar Prime was in the middle of a medical crisis. It seemed unlikely. Lunar raiders were immune to most known diseases and had nanobots in their bloodstream that eradicated viruses long before symptoms developed. That left injuries. Had there been a horrible accident or was Lunar Prime under attack? There had been no breaking news recently, so it had to be something Earth couldn’t monitor.

Chloe’s gaze narrowed as she watched uniformed raiders load pallet after pallet onto the waiting ship. Why do they need all of those supplies? There hasn’t been a battle in weeks. According to the internet, the Morax have left the solar system.

Her mother wiped her mouth on a paper napkin and rolled back from her desk. You can’t turn it off, can you? You’re always looking for your next big story.

Chloe glanced at her mother. She hadn’t told her about Jenna, so the reaction was understandable. That’s the nature of the beast, Mom. Investigative reporters are always investigating.

Well, you’ll have to go down there and talk to them if you want to know more. I have to get back to work.

This was the reason Chloe hadn’t bothered telling her mother about Jenna. It was likely that her reaction would have been the same. She would have patted Chloe on her hand and said, how horrible then promptly gone back to work.

They walked to the elevator together and Chloe gave her mom a lingering hug. You have to come to Atlanta next time. Her mother smiled and promised that she would. Chloe knew better. She’d moved to Atlanta six years ago and neither of her parents had ever set foot in her house. It was unlikely they ever would. Her parents had always been defined by their careers. Ambition and the need for acclaim were the forces that shaped their lives. Their priorities destroyed their marriage and alienated them from family and friends. Which was why Chloe longed for a devoted husband and a couple of adorable kids. The thought made her smile. She wasn’t doing a very good job of learning from her parents’ mistakes. She was pushing thirty and her longest relationship had lasted less than two years.

Chloe’s contact had instructed her to wait until the supplies were all on board to approach the ship. There would be a pause between when the last stack was loaded and the ramp was retracted so the hatch could be sealed. It was during the pause that the crewmember would sneak her aboard. The instructions had been relayed, so Chloe’s belly was tied in knots. She hated depending on people she didn’t know.

She strolled across an adjacent parking lot, getting as close to the ship as possible without being confronted by the armed guards. The last hover cart floated up the ramp and the guards strode onto the ship behind it. This was it. She looked around. No one, human or lunar raider, appeared to be nearby. She hustled toward the ship, heart pounding in her chest. The worst they could do was run her off. Lunar raiders didn’t shoot unarmed women. Still, not knowing if the bribe had been accepted or not was unnerving.

Hurry, a young male at the top of the ramp urged.

She ran up the ramp and ducked into the shadows of the stacked supplies. The crewmember retracted the ramp and closed the hatch. All clear, he called out to someone she couldn’t see. Then he led her to the back corner of the cargo bay. Sit down and stay out of sight, he whispered. If you’re caught, I know nothing about this. From this point on, you are on your own.

She nodded as he turned and left her there alone. She eased into the corner and slid down the bulkhead, making sure her feet weren’t visible if her legs were extended. The ship took off moments later and she released a long, low sigh. She was on a ship bound for Lunar Prime. The realization sent a giddy rush surging through her being, so she reined in her excitement. This was barely the beginning. Once she reached the outpost, she would not have much time to find out what was happening. Lunar Prime was a massive military outpost. There were very few women. She would not go unnoticed for long. That was fine with her. She would stealthily learn as much as possible, then demand to speak with the prime commander.

Left with nothing to do but think, Chloe’s mind drifted back to the beginning. It had been eight and a half years since the first group of aliens came to Earth. One sunny afternoon, the skies filled with Pylorian ships. The aliens had seemed so lost, so vulnerable during those first few weeks. They begged Earth’s governments for refuge, claiming that their ships had just barely survived the journey and they desperately needed to land. They insisted that offering them asylum would not endanger humans in any way. They also promised that their advanced technology would solve many of Earth’s looming problems. So reluctantly, Earth’s governments gave them permission to land and transform their massive ships into self-contained cities.

Shortly after the transformations were complete, the Pylorians admitted that their enemy, the Morax, was on their way to Earth. This meant they had approximately two years to prepare the planet for war. Human leaders were furious, but already the public had seen how much better life was with Pylorian technology. Forcing the Pylorians to leave wasn’t an option. Their ships were now incapable of flying. To pacify the enraged leaders, Pylorians cultivated an army of hybrid soldiers. They promised that not one human life would be lost fighting the evil Morax. Lunar raiders were the result of that promise.

Chloe couldn’t begin to understand the process that created lunar raiders, but she had learned as much about their species as possible. They were a complex combination of genetic engineering and cybernetic enhancements. Their biological components were drawn from the DNA of three different species, while their programming and integrated enhancements were specialized and specific to their assigned duties.

The army was divided into classes and each class had a different expertise. Infantry-class was made up of the frontline fighters. Munitions-class was similar to human special forces. They also improved and developed weapons. Medic-class and command-class were self-explanatory, but recon-class encompassed a variety of personnel. Programmers, engineers, researchers, and spies all belonged to recon-class. Chloe, along with most of the humans on Earth, found it all fascinating.

Ninety-six minutes later the cargo ship arrived at the sprawling, multi-city complex known as Lunar Prime. The hatch opened and the medical supplies were systematically offloaded. She sneaked glimpses outside as the workers walked on and off the ship. She spotted the crewmember who had smuggled her onboard, but he ignored her. They must be inside one of the domes or the workers would be wearing breathers. She couldn’t see much beyond a wide walkway just outside the ship.

The workers walked down the wide ramp with their load of cargo. When they returned, they’d remove the final stack. She slowly got up and crept toward the open hatchway. It was now or never. She darted down the ramp and ducked behind a shuttle situated next to the cargo ship. There were eleven types of ships, but most were too large to land under the domes. She didn’t know how many ships were in the fleet. There was a ton of speculation, but no one seemed to know the exact number.

Smaller ships lined both sides of the long walkway. An open tram ran perpendicular to the walkway and the hovering carts were shifting their burdens onto even larger mechanized platforms. The entire distribution process required very little humanoid effort. She found it all fascinating, but touring the warehouse was not why she was here.

A shuttle flew right through the dome and glided into a narrow opening between two larger ships. She looked back at the dome, confused by what she’d just seen. All of the images of Lunar Prime made the domes appear solid. Apparently, they were fields of energy. Or sections could instantaneously shift between matter and energy. There was so much about Pylorian technology that she couldn’t begin to understand.

Shaking away the speculation, she gathered her courage and darted from one ship to another heading closer to the end of the walkway. There were containers stacked everywhere, so there were plenty of places to hide. However, she needed to get on that tram and make her way to Lunar City Two. LC One housed the command headquarters. Main medical and the research labs were located in LC Two. Three was a massive barracks and Four, which was clearly where