Night Song (The Guild Wars Book 9) by Mark Wandrey (best ereader under 100 .txt) 📕

“My brothers and sisters brought a ship with enough firepower that it could have finally tipped the balance in this contract, and you didn’t follow protocol, ruining that opportunity. Are we just letting that happen?” Nillab’s voice was dry even before the translator got a hold of it. The younger Zuul huffed something close enough to a laugh that it took everything in him not to snarl.

The Vergola didn’t like displays of emotion. It was in his interest to avoid an unhappy Vergola. Nobody knew what a mad Vergola was like. Legends spoke of the results, though. A shadowy race capable of untold violence was the rumor. He’d linked the fate of Valiant Rage, his clan, to the riches and power promised by the Cartography Guild. So if this Vergola must remain pleased, he would do his best to see to it.

“If there is nothing of tactical importance to be discussed, I suggest we each return to our own quarters. Should something change—for instance, should you come up with the plan I have asked for to end this situation—by all means, we may gather together again.” The Vergola turned fully toward Nillab, leaving its back open to Meesh. He fought the urge to slash. That wouldn’t lead to credits and power either, shove it all into entropy.

“If the Humans have anything of interest to say, we expect it immediately. Otherwise, we look forward to your plans for taking the dwarf planet now that you have some…reinforcements. This has taken entirely too long.”

Nillab gestured her understanding and turned on her heel, her tail held low and insultingly still. Meesh pictured himself ripping it from her body and strangling the Zuul with it, which made him feel mildly better for at least a few minutes.

The Vergola, curse it that he couldn’t read its reactions, regarded him for a moment, then left with a sweep of its robes. Their ad hoc base, 100 kilometers from the Engineering Guild’s facilities, was well beyond the horizon and beyond weapons range. Their positions were relatively safe and static. The little planet provided just enough gravity to make the Vergola even more ethereal in its motions. He snarled in disgust at a being who would waste so much effort to just appear…delicate. The thought made him shudder in disgust.

“We should kill them all and take this world,” Skeesh hissed low under his breath.

Meesh glanced at his strike leader, considering. He was the oldest cub from his second mate, and well placed within the nominal overall clan leadership. Who was he kidding? The Pushtal hadn’t had anything resembling a cohesive leadership since the MinSha had stolen their home world. Pirates and thieves, that’s all we are. Maybe I should quietly look aside while Skeesh kills his way through these mewling kittens? Then he realized the strike leader could possibly succeed. That would be good for them, but bad for him.

The next thing would be for Skeesh to challenge him for leadership of Valiant Rage. Whether Meesh wanted to admit it or not, Skeesh was younger, a bit bigger, and would probably win. A lot of a Pushtal’s claim to leadership revolved around prowess in battle. If Skeesh defeated him in a challenge, he’d have to fight again, probably within hours. Since the MinSha betrayal, all the big clans had fallen to just that sort of inner power squabble. He himself had been with a boarding party of another clan’s cruiser that had not responded to hails. The inside was a charnel house of slaughter. Only feral kits were left, feeding off the rotting remains of the adults.

No, he didn’t need it to go that way. However, if his timing was right, and he waited patiently until the fighting was over…Once they had won the day, it would be simple to remove the surviving Zuul and the blasted Vergola. He smiled, showing long, yellowed, razor-sharp teeth as he considered Guildmaster Meesh. He liked the thought a lot.

* * * * *

Chapter 9

Classified Engineering Guild Holding—E’cop’k System

“Oi, Zuul of Silent Night!” A cheery voice echoed down the hall, too Human and too bright to startle.

Sonya turned, jaw dropping slightly, and even Drake next to her didn’t snarl.

“Corporal Chelsey,” Sonya replied, her tail waving behind her before she stilled it.

“Heard I missed a right proper shitfest when you came in. Was out on patrol with some Lumar luminaries, you know how it is.” Small even for a Human, the corporal bounced on her toes, an old habit that made for a particularly odd effect in the minimal gravity of the planet.

“Wasn’t the warmest welcome we’ve ever had,” she allowed, her calm answer undercut by Rex’s snort.

“That’s saying something.” Chelsey was enough older than Sonya and her siblings to have been pressed into babysitting services more than a few times, and they’d found her stronger than she looked and overflowing with love for them. Mercenary training and experience hadn’t changed her too much, though by all reports, she’d stopped trying to adopt every other alien they met off-contract.

“Too right,” Shadow said with something that approached a laugh. “Did you hear we hired an elSha?”

“WHAT?” Chelsey’s eyes rounded until they nearly doubled in size. “We’re finally branching out! Who? Where? Are they here?”

“Freena, and…” Shadow’s ears drooped, and none of them looked at each other. “She was in the guts of the Paku when we evacuated. She didn’t make it to our dropship.”

“Well, the ship you came in on looks to have survived, if barely.” Chelsey grinned her brightest and shrugged. “Can’t wait to meet her. And I swung by med on my way in; looks like Ripley’s taken to the nanites and should be awake soon.” She stopped bouncing to deliver that, steadying herself on a low handrail, which emphasized her seriousness. Then she was all smiles again. “You all look