Ragnarok: Colonization, intrigue and betrayal. by Andrew Claymore (best book reader .txt) 📕

Theflight up to the highlands was delayed while they tracked down thechairman of the civilian government. They stood in the landing zone.Nobody felt like talking.

Witha doomed man sitting within earshot, small talk seemed wrong. Even ifhe richly deserved his fate.

Sushilcame jogging up to them with the warrior Mal had sent to collect him.Theyall climbed into the runabout for a flight into the highlands.

Oddly,the small talk suddenly became necessary. Everyone was eager topretend they weren’t sitting with a naked man.

TheDeathstalkeremerged from the mists looking like a gigantic, beached marinemonster. They descended into a clearing on the vessel’s port side.Stacked logs against the hull showed the area had been cleared atsome point.

Wonderwhere the bastard ended up?Luna realized she hadn’t asked yet but come on… Ifthey’d found his body, Gabriella would have said something, right?

Lunahad to admit she’d only just arrived. She frowned. Whydid they build a structure here?

Asmall structure, perhaps ten by ten meters, ringed with windows,stood in front of them. There was a proper landing pad as well with ashort carboncrete walkway leading to the structure’s door.

Gabriellaled them inside where two guards, one Marine and one of Mal’speople, came to attention.

Thefarhalf of the structure was a section of forest floor, enclosed onthree sides bylattice panels.There’ssomeone there,Luna realized, it’sa cage.

Thestructure was there to shelter the two warriors and theywere there to keep an eye on someone.

“Memnon,”Luna breathed, the hairs rising on the back of her neck.

He’dloomed large over the empire for so long. He’d taken over most ofSandrak’s holdings. He’d been a plague to her people, attackingthem at Babilim, killing her sister and taking her niece...

Hewasn’t looking so big now.

Heseemed to be locked in a semi-reclining position, held in place byhis armor. At first, she wasn’t sure if he was even still alive butshe reached out to see if his thoughts were still there.

Shegave a small cry of horror at what she found. He was alive but hefervently wished he wasn’t. He could feel the larvae burrowingthrough his flesh, growing ever more ravenous as they developed.

Shewithdrew from his mind, stepping away, mirroring his Quailu mind’sresponse to terror. She tripped over an equipment case on the floor,scattering the cards that lay on it as she fell on her ass.

Glebappeared in front of her, his face filled with concern. He spun,searching for whatever had affected her so badly.

“It’salright,” she gasped. “I just felt Memnon’s mind. That’sall.”

Shetook his offered hand and he pulled her back to her feet. “There’snot much left in there aside from a wish for death.”

“Youcaught him?” Gleb asked in awe. “How did you catch the bastard?”

“AllI did was crash the ship,” Gabriella shook her head. “He caughthimself when he jumped out of the wreck. We haven’t moved him atall.”

“Allyou did was crash the ship…” Gleb looked at Luna but she waswatching Gabriella.

Gabriellapulled a short staff from her armor.

Lunarecognized it when it became a short spear. It was anescape-and-evasion survival tool she’d come up with for her pilotsto use if they were ever shot down.

Herniece lunged at Kolm, who was standing at the edge of the deckingnext to the exposed jungle floor.

He’dbeen facing them, his back to Memnon, his hands secured in front ofhis body.

Whenhe saw the sharp blade coming for his abdomen, he let out a yelp andsprang back onto the leaf mould in front of Memnon.

Hekept his eyes on her, sidling to his right. No attack would come frombehind, not with that lattice separating him from the rest of thejungle.

Theattack, Luna realized, would come from below. Gabriella’s weaponwas just a ploy.

Kolmhissed as he put his foot down in the wrong place. Hetried to lift his foot so he could see what had pierced it but hestiffened and fell on his back.

“Youcan probably feel the larvae being injected into your foot,”Gabriella told him.

“Nodoubt you’ve landed on more spores when you fell,” she went onremorselessly. “They’re going to eat you alive.”

Lunafelt sorrow – not for Kolm, not even so much for her sister. As shewatched this execution, she realized how much her niece had changed.

Lifedoes that,she reflected during the ride back to Unity. Everybreath leaves us changed.She didn’t know how Gabriella would be able to settle back intolife in California, after all that had happened.

Asit turned out, the question was moot.

“I’mnot going ‘home’,” Gabriella said firmly, sitting next toVikram in the well-appointed gazebo he’d made for her on his roof.

Shedidn’t glare across at them with defiance. She simply stated it asfact and Luna couldn’t really say she had a right to oppose her.

She’dbe turning eighteen soon. In fact, by the time they sorted out thingshere and dragged her back to Cali, she’d have become old enough todemand they return her to Ragnarok.

Sheleaned back on the couch. “You’re staying here?”

Gabriellanodded. “Ineed to be here.”

Vikramlooked like he was trying to hide how pleased he was to hear this. Hefolded his hands together and concentrated on the coffeepoton the low table between them.

Lunawas staying out of her niece's head but she couldn’t help but feelthere was a lot being said with that sentence.

Shewas consumed with curiosity but she refused to take liberties withthe young woman’s mind. She nodded.

“Thefields look good,” Luna said. “Barring a disaster, we’ll bebringing a second wave of colonists within a year.”

“Ragnarokwill rate a planetary governor when that happens,” Gleb said,glancing at his wife. “Perhaps we should confirm the person who’salready filling the role.”

Gabriellawrinkled her nose. “Isn’t that nepotism?”

“Youmight recall,” Luna said, smiling at the face the young woman hadmade, hoping there was still some of the old Gabriella in there,“this is a feudal system?”

“Yeah,”Gleb added, “out here, ‘nepotism’ is just another word forgovernment.”

“Doyou have any idea how nuts this sounds?” Gabriella ran her freehand through her hair.

“You’vealready taken on the role,” the young man said to her.

Shetried to glare at him but she was clearly having a hard time of it.“Not you too?”

“Youfought for Ragnarok, you brought down Memnon’s cruiser and youbrought us together when we were busy banging our heads.” Heturnedtoput a hand on her shoulder.

“Folksare already talking about it. Maybe they’re