(eng) Michael Cobley - Humanity's Fire 02 by The Orphaned Worlds

Author:The Orphaned Worlds [Worlds, The Orphaned]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

KUROS

After dark, the assassin, one Natalya Petrenko, got as far as the rear of the ambassador’s villa before Ezgara bodyguards caught her. They could have stopped her in the streets outside the compound but the appearance of vulnerability both justified harsh security methods and played well with the domestic audience. Inside the villa, Ambassador Kuros was kept invisibly appraised by his AI mind-brother General Gratach while entertaining several high-ranking guests from Iseri. Hacclon Adzarv was brother to the commander of the Skypalace guard and thus prosperous and well connected, and many of his accompanying family members were of an equal social stature. Kuros made no mention of the drama going on outside until later in the evening as the guests were boarding their opulent shuttle for the return journey to the Purifier. On hearing the bare details from their own mind-siblings, Hacclon and his wife approached him seeking clarification. He assured them that no one was ever in danger from a lone terrorist, no matter how fanatically determined.

‘Yet you elect to remain here in these frontier conditions,’ Hacclon said. ‘Dealing with these ungrateful primitives.’

Kuros smiled stoically. ‘The responsibilities of my vocation and station, noble Hacclon. Loyalty binds, duty commands.’

‘You are an example to us all, Ambassador,’ Hacclon said. ‘You may be certain that I shall speak highly of you on our return.’

Kuros answered with a bow of the appropriate depth and watched from the villa steps as the guests finished boarding, and the shuttle rose and climbed into the night sky.

Satisfactory, he thought and went to view the prisoner.

In the guard annexe, the Human female had already been sedated and podded for transportation. Gratach was with him as he considered the restrained form within the translucent pod.

‘What weaponry this time?’ he subvocalised.

‘Two projectors, a silenced slug thrower and a compressed-air needle gun; a thinblade; two lengths of garrotting wire; and a variety of pellet grenades.’ Gratach grinned. ‘Well armed, for a female, and sign of your importance in the eyes of our enemies.’

‘Background, family, associates?’

‘Former service worker, de-employed. Family untraceable, except for a younger brother who died in custody two weeks ago. Associates, thought to be seditious elements centred on Gagarin and Invergault.’

‘Your recommendation?’

‘Trial and execution, in public. Lessons must be spelled out so that they may be learned.’

Kuros allowed himself a thin smile. ‘I admire your consistency, mind-brother. But our superiors permit no wastage, however appealing. If this Human had known contacts of interest it would have been worth turning her with the Dust – instead, she will go to one of our therapeutic establishments in the Yamanon.’

Returning to the villa, he looked over a couple of procurement forms on the way to his private chambers and countersigned his approval. His vesture assister replaced his formal evening wear with heavier, more sombre attire to suit the imminent visit to Giant’s Shoulder. And on his way to the courtyard, where his personal flyer waited, he approved an equipment replacement request but denied a civilian-authority plea on behalf of a detainee.

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