Red Star Sheriff Chapter Eighteen ~The Calm Before The Storm ~ Part One: Story Time With Tim

Here we go with Act Three of my first MAJOR novel that I self-published a few years ago! I’ll be posting the whole work here with links to where you can find the novel on sale, to read completely, and author pages to check out all the other work I have available out there! Feel free to support the cause! Or just enjoy all the free reads I’m giving you. No worries. No hate. Just continue coming back and reading my work! I am Timothy Scott Purvis and THIS is Story Time With Tim!

Red Star Sheriff is a work inspired by several sources. First off, it is a sort of light homage to the Dark Tower series written by Stephen King. It doesn’t go overboard with the inferences, but the travails of a lead character who isn’t very emotional overall lends the weight to a protagonist who will go out of her way to get the job done. Secondly, this work was initially inspired by the video game series, Wild Arms. I had once considered this sort of an anime’ in literary form. A high octane lead character driven to become the best gunslinger in the solar system. Third, and definitely not least, I drew significant inspiration for overarching details from the show Westworld.

Many elements came together to make this work what it is. It is a long story coming in at just under 190 thousand words in total. Yet, it is a quick read, if I do say so myself with a lot of intense action and interesting characters. I’ll post links below for where to find this novel in its complete form so feel free to support the cause and check them out. I will also include links for prior chapters and postings throughout this venture so that it will be easy to keep pace of where the story has been so that the reader can keep up with the story.

Anyhow, Aidele Wilson is the lead protagonist. Her father was murdered so the story starts out with a quest for revenge. Then, a journal he’d written becomes the focus of a fast paced journey across the Wastelands trying to evade Union soldiers who want the journal for what lies within its pages: key technology specs that will alter the balance of power in all of the colonies.

Thanks for reading and read to you again next week! See you then.

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ACT ONE

RSS Chapter One Part One, RSS Chapter One Part Two, RSS Chapter Two Part One, RSS Chapter Two Part Two, RSS Chapter Two Part Three, RSS Chapter Two Part Four, RSS Chapter Two Part Five, RSS Chapter Three Part One, RSS Chapter Three Part Two, RSS Chapter Four Part One, RSS Chapter Four Part Two, RSS Chapter Four Part Three, RSS Chapter Five Part One, RSS Chapter Five Part Two, RSS Chapter Six Part One, RSS Chapter Six Part Two, RSS Chapter Seven Part One, RSS Chapter Seven Part Two

ACT TWO

RSS Chapter Eight Part One, RSS Chapter Eight Part Two, RSS Chapter Nine Part One, RSS Chapter Nine Part Two, RSS Chapter Ten, RSS Chapter Eleven Part One, RSS Chapter Eleven Part Two, RSS Chapter Eleven Part Three, RSS Chapter Twelve Part One, RSS Chapter Twelve Part Two, RSS Chapter Twelve Part Three, RSS Chapter Thirteen

ACT THREE

RSS Chapter Fourteen Part One, RSS Chapter Fourteen Part Two, RSS Chapter Fifteen Part One, RSS Chapter Fifteen Part Two, RSS Chapter Sixteen Part One, RSS Chapter Sixteen Part Two, RSS Chapter Seventeen Part One, RSS Chapter Seventeen Part Two

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RED STAR SHERIFF: ACT THREE: CHAPTER EIGHTEEN~THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM~ PART ONE

#

DURANTE STRUGGLE VALIANTLY to keep up with Aidele, but found her just too fast and angry. He had a good foot on her and longer legs, yet her determination to yell and scream at someone drove her on in a rage filled powerwalk. He couldn’t blame her, of course. After the previous night’s events, he would’ve been angry too. Or should’ve been given the circumstances. Right now, he was just confused. They’d spent most of the night trying to get the local police to look into Nielson’s assault (not to mention find someone willing to scrape him up off the floor). Yet, their response was what one could call alarming. They took down Aidele’s account, swore to meet up with Ms. Lynch and her family at the hospital, then told them to go home. That, if they had any further questions, they’d call.

  Apparently, they’d had no further questions.

#

WHEN AIDELE HAD called before all of that, Durante went to wake up Garret to tell him she needed their help. Panicked, Garret had taken the call where Aidele explained everything. He’d tried to reassure her everything would be alright, but to Durante, he seemed plain frightened.

  “Alright. Stay right there. No, we’ll alert the authorities when we near the Praetorium. Just, keep a cautious eye out.” After the call ended, Garret turned to Durante. “Get yourself ready. Once we’re certain we’ll arrive first, we’ll call the police.”

  “Why wait so long?”

  Garret shook his head. “So that we can be there should they arrest Aidele. Which seems likely given the situation.”

  Durante felt his blood drain and they hurried out. They called (well, Garret did) just before arriving and raced inside the Aquilan Consul Praetorium and found a silent scene. A grotesque scene. Durante immediately turned away and vomited all over the floor. Aidele stood near the most savaged body he’d ever seen.

  “Jesus Christ! Oh, Jesus Christ!” he stammered after he was done, keeping his gaze to the wall overlooking the stairwell. “What the fuck, Aidele!?”

  Garret had stomach enough not to turn away. But even he looked pale. “I… take it there was no other way to deal with this man?”

  Aidele shook her head and took up a position between what was left of Nielson and her grandfather, hands raised up as if in defense. “He was tryin’ ta kill us, Grandfather! ‘Sides, he was here fer that crackpot senator, Sonoros. An’ Asta’s daughter got caught up in it!”

  Garret was taken aback. “Sonoros? Why him?”

  “Fuck if ah know. All ah know is that Asta was in trouble an’ her family needed some help.”

  Grandfather frowned. “Yes, so you say. Interesting you and Ms. Lynch should become sudden allies.”

  “We had a common enemy. Well, have, I suppose,” Aidele frowned and lowered her hands. “Nielson was Berricks’ assassin. He sent him after Sonoros.”

  Garret took a step back and looked to the floor. “…Elien. He’s… he’s the one who set up your father’s labs in the Wastelands… Cooper and Mirra always suspected…”

  “Suspected what, Grandfather?”

  Garret sighed and looked her in the eyes. “That Sonoros was compromised. Working for the Union. I always told them that it was impossible. He was a good man working in the interests of Hinon. However, before the war, Elien had fought hard to avoid conflict with the Union. I just took it for a matter of peace. He was one of the founders of the current Council, after all. Blast it, Elien! Was it all a ruse?”

  Aidele’s face was contorted with an expression of shock. “Wait… are you suggesting Sonoros has been working with the Union all along? And mom and dad suspected it?”

  “Yes. But they could never prove it. Not conclusively. I said it couldn’t be true then. He was a bastard, sure. But he was a man of his people. However, if this assassin was sent to finish him off by Sam… I can draw no other conclusion than your parents were right. I’m sorry, Aidele.”

  “I…” she started then closed her eyes. “We can’t deal with that right now. We have a corpse to clean up, an authority to turn myself into, and… and I don’t know. It’s all against us, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Granddaughter.” Garret went in to hug her and she let him. “Let me make some calls. Why don’t you wait with Durante? Hopefully, we can get this settled soon.”

  “Who’re you gonna call?”

  “An associate who will have connections to legal council. The police should be here soon.”

  Garret went to the holointerface on the corner. Spoke to various people for nearly an hour (the police had yet to arrive), grew angry at the responses he was getting, then, eventually, called the police again.

  “Do you find it unsettling how long this is taking?” Durante asked Aidele doing his best not to look at the body on the floor.

  “A little bit,” Aidele replied with a frown. “It doesn’t feel right. None of it does, honestly. It’s got me more nervous than a long-tailed mesarat in a room full of rockers.”

  Within the next hour, the police finally showed up, took their statements, and said, “Thank you for your time. You may return home. We have your address and commlink. We’ll let you know our findings after our investigation. Should we require any additional information, we’ll contact you at your place of residence.”

  Aidele gawped up at the tall, uniformed Chuhukon with a crew cut of raven hair and dark, piercing eyes. He made a final note in the tablet in his hands and nodded.

  “Wait, you’re not going to arrest me?”

  The officer tilted his head. “Did you not say it was self-defense?”

  “Well, yeah, it was, but—”

  “We’ll verify the account with Ms…” he rechecked his tablet, “Asta Lynch who is currently in hospital. Should the investigation turn up more, we’ll be in contact with you.”

  “I…” Aidele was stunned, and the three of them left while the authorities closed off the foyer and called for a cleaning crew.

  The rest of the night went slowly for Durante. After that whole debacle, Aidele wanted to check on the waverider. She periodically fussed about needing to find a better name for it, but made no extended effort to actively refer to it by something else. Durante examined the vessel with her, he had some ideas about its functions he wanted to verify. Then she decided to wander around mumbling to herself. The docking bay was nearly deserted with only a handful of people landing or leaving. She stood staring out at the plasma shielding at the far end of the bay and he watched to make sure she wouldn’t have a nervous breakdown or something. There wasn’t much to see beyond the shielding save for a dark horizon and bright stars above and beyond.

  There was a certain sadness to it all, he reflected. It was regrettable that she’d been through so much and he knew it wasn’t over yet. Not by a longshot. However, there wasn’t anything he could change of their fate at that moment either and spent the rest of the night tinkering with the waverider.

  When dawn broke, he locked up the vehicle and wandered over to where she was still pacing and muttering to herself. He didn’t think she’d had any sleep in the last twenty-four hours, but knew she wasn’t likely to get any until after the Council meeting set for eight AM that Garret had set up. A meeting in which the old Chuhukon hoped that a private conversation would solve one of two problems (if not both): with the presence of a Union assassin, would they not consider action now? And why were the local authorities unconcerned about a potential homicide (not to mention shootout) in the Praetorium itself? This second issue because the Praetorium Guard, though alerted, had never deigned it necessary to arrive and merely left the matter to the local police to contend with.

  “Come on, we have to get some breakfast,” Durante said approaching Aidele. “You haven’t eaten since… shit, I don’t know when. Yesterday? Did you have any of that junk? Or did you leave it to me to see what would happen?”

  Aidele ignored his attempt at humor and glanced at him, her features showing exhaustion and impatience. “We have to see the Council! We have to know why the authorities here are so… gawddamned lackadaisical about crime! And, I’m worried. What if… they still won’t do anything? What do we do then?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” he sighed. “However, we won’t solve anything pacing the docks. You need to eat.”

  She grumbled but relented. “Fine. I’m not hungry but…”

  “We’ll figure something out, Aidele. I’m sure your grandfather will have some stern words for them.”

  “I hope so. If not, well, I’ve got plenty enough for all of us.”

  Durante smiled. “Ain’t that the truth?”

  They went and grabbed breakfast at a local diner not far from the Praetorium. He was exhausted himself having only taken a catnap of maybe two hours before Aidele had called the night before. Yet, he still felt some energy as the time came to meet with the Council (who’d graciously agreed to a brief gathering in the Great Hall itself with just three of the Council. But he knew one was for Aquila Mons and its affiliated territories).

#

NOW HERE THEY were, marching through the halls towards the amphitheater where the Council met. They passed the place of Nielson’s last stand. Say what you would about the governing capacity of the city, but their janitorial staff was second-to-none. The walls and floor were so clean and vibrant you’d never know some man was dismembered there the night before. Just the thought of that made him shudder and want to vomit again.

  They came to the end of a long corridor letting out onto the Council chambers themselves. Two Praetorium Guard, one to each side of the corridor entryway, stood watch looking towards one another like great stone statues of yore. Unmoving and unacknowledging. A sudden panic hit Durante. Aidele was still wearing her holster and revolvers. Fully loaded revolvers. Yet the Guard did nothing, said nothing as they passed. Not even when she began raging in that way of hers as she started down a downward slope between great swaths of senatorial seating and towards the great raised circular dais at the center of the chamber hall whereupon stood the three consulars speaking solemnly to Garret and the two senators they’d met before: Orros Calgary and Doan Pritchard. Both of whom stood at the base of the dais looking up to them like children being scolded by their parents.

  “D’ya care ta explain,” Aidele’s raised voice, filled with frustration, carried across the Great Hall where any and all could hear it clearly, “ta me why it ain’ ‘relevant’ if’n someone gits dead out in yer main foyer!?”

  Garret had earlier contacted them explaining the Guard had determined, along with the police, that what had occurred was indeed an act of self-defense and that any further filing of reports was an unnecessary and irrelevant action given the case’s closure. Aidele had not taken that well. At all.

  As she marched down the aisle decline, the three Chuhukon consulars glared at her, not so much menacingly, but more in a way that suggested they were already bored with this interaction.

  The middle of the three, a tall man with deep red skin and dark raven black hair folded up into the most perfect French twist every applied (not a hair out of place, even), clasped his hands together before him and raised a brow. To Durante, he looked like some sort of dark elf one might roll up in a solnet role playing game. Consular Dark Elf… Durante thought ruefully. The consular’s robes were long and elegant. A ruddy brown with ruby red trimmings. An indication that he was Aquila Mons’ representative consular. Just one of the thirteen domains that each consular represented.

  “And what response were you praying for, Ms. Wilson?” His voice was low and measured yet it thrummed in such a manner that it too commanded all in attendance to listen. “To be arrested on scene?”

  Aidele came to a stop a few feet from the dais but still between the bottom row of seating. She pointed, her face on the verge of contorted rage. “It woulda been a start! At least ah’d known then yer lawmen are serious! Ah woulda argued self-defense, o’course, but this complete lack o’response from ya’ll in yer own hall o’justice is jus’… jus’ outrageous!”

  “From what we’ve gleaned,” Consular Dark Elf replied, “this was a matter of dispute between yourself, Ms. Lynch, and Mr. Nielson. That it ended in bloodshed is unfortunate. That it occurred here in these halls, regrettable. However, it is not in our purview to dictate to citizens how to handle their affairs.”

  Aidele tossed her hands up, “And that Nielson was tryin’ ta kill one o’yer own senators!?”

  Consular Dark Elf shrugged, “Senator Sonoros’ business is his own. The Aquilan Law Enforcement Bureau made the final determination that it was self-defense. Should Senator Sonoros choose to file charges is his own concern. We’ve yet to hear from him on the matter. That his encounter with Mr. Nielson turned violent is distressing, but we found it was not pertinent to the operation of this assembly.”

  Durante took a position behind three seats to the right of Aidele as her face flushed a shade so dark he started to worry. However, before she could retort, Garret held a hand up and turned to the consulars above.

  “Surely, a Union assassin trying to kill one of our elected officials is grounds for at least an investigation?” Garret’s eyes pleaded with the men. “The Union has sent agents to sow discord in the domains, they burned down our home, assaulted Mr. Weiss and my granddaughter. They were responsible for my son-in-law’s death. And all of this to obtain a journal written by him containing schematics that, should the Union acquire them, would absolutely be used against our world and our sovereignty.”

  Another of the consulars, to the right of Consular Dark Elf, a man not as tall with paler almost yellow-red skin spoke. He was thin with sallow cheeks. Consular Goblin… Durante thought immediately. “You speak in hypotheticals. The people make the determination what laws will be made and upheld. We only act on those determinations. We cannot make them for them. There is no need for concern, though. The Union has upheld our treaties for the last thirty years. We see no reason why they should cease to do so now. If there is a disparate element causing these issues, your local governor will address them. It is he who you should speak with.”

  Durante could hold his tongue no longer. “I was born on Hinon. I’ve been a Union scientist for years now. And I can tell you, General Berricks has his sights on our world. He has a fleet at his command. With this technology, he would be a force against us and the Union. The Wastelands governor is ill-equipped to deal with this megalomaniac!”

  “This suggests you disagree with the notion that it is a Union operation in effect,” the heftiest consular said. He was the shortest. Whereas Consular Goblin sported a long robe of Azure with copper trimming, and long flowing blue-black hair, this consular wore robes of ochre with emerald trimming, and a hairdo with a warrior’s topknot. He reminded Durante of an ogre with olive-red skin. And here we have Consular Ogre… “A division in the ranks, it would seem. Causing me to wonder if you shouldn’t take this issue to your governor? Regardless, we can bring this matter before the senators yet again if the five of you so insist,” Consular Ogre glared at Doan and Orros who said nothing in response. They were the ones to hastily put this meeting together and Durante couldn’t pity them. This was all going south too fast. “Let me make this clear, though, my young constituents. The people of Hinon fought for independence to determine their own destinies. This Council was formed to ensure that independence is defended. We cannot just basely accuse the Union, or this General Berricks, of ill doing without evidence. Wastelands justice in our halls is just that, Wastelands justice. Whatever this Mr. Nielson did to you, is between you and he. And he is now dead. That matter resolved. We will bring the matter up in the next session. Should the senate vote to take the matter up further, then it will be brought before the people to determine if even further action is warranted. Should the people determine that indeed Union incursions, or some other issue involving Union personnel, is of concern, then we will take measures on their behalf. But not before then.”

  Aidele spun in a circle, arms out in the air, a growl in her throat. “Are ya tellin’ us if’n the Union attacked tomorrow, ya’d jus’ do nothin’ unless there was a vote!?”

  Consular Dark Elf scoffed. “Don’t be hyperbolic. Were the Union fleets, unlikely though it is, to strike, our self-defense fleet would be forced to engage them. It would be a direct violation of the War Continuance Treaty. Even if two warships entered our space, only one would be granted orbital permissions. As of the moment, only the dreadnought Invicta has permission to be in orbit. And they are here on a diplomatic envoy with Domain Astrum. We’ve already spoken to Consular Endoman about it. If, for some reason, they sent ground forces to lay siege to our territories, our defense forces would be activated immediately.”

  “They’re laying siege to the Wastelands as we speak!” Aidele tossed her arms forward, palms up.

  “No, they burned down a ranch and destroyed a building,” Consular Goblin replied looking annoyed. “And you responded with the force you deemed necessary. Governor Fenil hasn’t contacted us with any concerns of an invasion. As such, we cannot act against his jurisdiction without just cause.”

  Aidele tossed her hands up again and grumbled as she paced the aisle. Orros and Doan said nothing when Garret looked to them for help. They only gave sympathetic smiles. Garret sighed deeply. Durante took in a deep breath and grabbed the back of the seat before him. Then looked up to the consulars.

  “You’ve made it clear that if the Union attacks you would respond. However, an individual attack can be dealt with on our own terms, right?”

  Everyone looked to Durante. Aidele stopped pacing and stared at him. Consular Dark Elf seemed emotionless and undaunted as he replied, “Yes. What of it? We cannot intervene without a house vote on the matter.”

  “Precisely. Let’s suppose this is just a warped plan by General Berricks and he means to do us, in the Wastelands, harm. If we went after Berricks to bring Wastelands Justice, would that concern you?”

  Everyone looked up to the consulars whom looked to one another with only mild consideration. Consular Dark Elf looked to Durante and gave a slight shrug.

  “How you choose to handle your business in relation to General Berricks is your concern. You have the right to respond in any fashion your domain sees fit and allows.”

  Garret chuckled. “Even if that means bringing conflict between the Union and Hinon?”

  Consular Ogre waved a dismissive hand. “You keep raising these hypothetical conflicts we’ve yet to see evidence for. We would deal with such an insurgency with all due reciprocal force.”

  “Or if the people vote to respond to such a concern,” Consular Goblin added.

  “An’ how long would it take ta hol’ such a vote?” Aidele asked with a scrunched face.

  Consular Dark Elf offered up another shrug. “A month. Maybe two. Should the senate consider to take the issue up again, of course.”

  “The chances of that are incredibly slim,” Orros Calgary offered.

  Aidele stared slack-jawed for a long moment, then turned and marched back up the aisle. Durante looked in turn to each one and started after her. Garret shook his head.

  “Thank you for your time, consulars. It would seem we’ve taken enough of your attention. With your leave.”

  The consulars nodded and Garret turned to his friends. “Orros, Doan. Always a pleasure. We’ll speak again soon. I hope.”

  Doan nodded. “May the Spirits favor you, Garret. I regret we were not able to assist you more… thoroughly.”

  Doan glared at Consular Dark Elf who met the look with a grimace of contempt. Garret hurried to catch up to Aidele alongside Durante.

#

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Thanks for reading and hope you had fun! There will be more to come next week! Until then, have a good week!

~Timothy S Purvis

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Amazon Kindle Author’s Page–> Timothy S Purvis

Smashwords Author’s Page–> Timothy S Purvis

Red Star Sheriff On Amazon Kindle–> Red Star Sheriff Volume One Kindle

Red Star Sheriff On Amazon Paperback–> Red Star Sheriff Volume One Paperback

Red Star Sheriff On Smashwords–> Red Star Sheriff Volume One Smashwords

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I would appreciate if you have Kindle or even if you want some paperback goodies if you’d head on over to my page and maybe show me some love there. I mean, if you’ve been reading a while and see something you like, wouldn’t you like to have it in your personal library? I have some cool short stories available for cheap. Also Tales From A Strange Mind that collects my short stories (there’s also a Kindle edition but, for some reason, Amazon wouldn’t let me link them together) , Tales From A Strange Mind II which collects my old novellas, Red Star Sheriff (Which also has a Kindle edition but Amazon, am I right?) my first novel ever released, though, yes, it does have some grammatical errors and drags on for way too long, sigh. But I still love it and I will be writing a follow up sometime within the next few years. I have a collection of my poems called MisAligned: The Heart Waxes Poetic which collects my old poems but not some of my newer ones included those flash fictions! I’ll probably do that in the future as well. And if you love the perfectly inane, why not check out my Star Cloud scripts presented in book form? Star Cloud The Original Scripts. Another one where Amazon was being difficult with me in connecting the Kindle and PB versions. Still, the paperback they let me sale for cheap and it’s well worth a look if I say so myself. Or, if you don’t want to click on individual links (all of which will take you to my author’s page anyway), just click on my author’s page directly by tapping my name: Timothy S Purvis See for yourself what all I’ve published since I began this venture in 2016.

I mean, if you like my work, of course. No pressure. Just trying to find my way in this world without working menial tasks and suffering physical and mental issues as a result. If only I could merely stay home and write. That would be my most epic fantasy brought to life. Well, if you don’t want to do that, you could also donate to my cause down below after all is said and done. It would help. You know, if you liked what you saw and all. Up to you. I don’t have a lot of reviews on my materials because of low sales. I mean, very, very low sales. In the single digits. Right now, I have to rely on Pubby for reviews and those people only read your synopsis and recap it for a five star review. I want honest opinions. Not mean ones, but honest. So, if you ever find yourself buying some of my work, I’d certainly appreciate some feedback. Again, up to you.

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