Star Law: A Marshal Cole Series

Chapter 16 (c)

Goroshenko waited about ten minutes following Singh's departure as per instructions. He shuffled cards and performed complicated tricks that left Adisa and Adjani unimpressed. They found his antics juvenile and undisciplined. And they were.

What the brothers had no idea of is how Goroshenko came to be part of their number. Certainly his skills in apportation were unquestioned as were his talents as a thief but to them he was loud and unreliable. It was true he was loud but inaccurate at being unreliable. He got the job done... under complaint, under duress, under threat but always done. Money helped as well.

Goroshenko sneered at Adisa and Adjani's deference to authority and their rigid set of rules for themselves and for others. It was a mutual contempt borne partly of ignorance of one another. Neither side looked to correct that any time soon.

As a 16 year old, Petr Goroshenko had been conscripted into the CereRussian militia on Ceres in between Mar and Jupiter's orbit. The complicated development of the Solar system had left a real patchwork of national, religious and corporate interests until threats to humanity as a whole created the dynamic giving the Commonwealth more authority.

Still, there was a lot of jockeying around and outright war to strengthen positions as the Commonwealth assumed increased responsibilities particularly in security. Part of Ceres and been set up by the Russians and it was quickly discovered that the dwarf planet contained more fresh water than Earth itself. This had set off major skirmishes over the years resulting in a lot of death and destruction. However, the hardy Russians prevailed and established a worker's co-op that was the source of water and fuel throughout the belt. It was a hard life on a frozen planet with artificial gravity, heat and light but increasingly, it was becoming home and life was improving. That is, until a new Russian president decided that the co-op was illegal and awarded the concession to a corporation with connections to the administration.

Goroshenko's life then became that of a soldier. If there had been a time when bitterness and anger had not been part of his life, he couldn't remember it. He was assigned to Special Ops whose job it was to infiltrate enemy lines. Time and time again, he and his team were sent out and fewer came back. Finally came a time where he was the only one left upon the completion of a mission. He had no chance of exfiltration and waited to die. To pass the time, he closed his eyes and envisioned an impossible escape. As he was in the meditative state he apported for the very first time and found safety.

No one ever asked how or why he was able to get into and out of places. They just knew he could. He eventually was sent to Earth to deal with the problem at the source. He apported into the Russian president's quarters killed him and apported out. After that, he walked, his mission done.

A few weeks later in a casino in Monte Carlo, he met Gaulle. It came as a surprise that others had unique powers such as his. Goroshenko said straight up he was tired of killing and would not take part. Gaulle responded by saying "Good, we need a thief instead."