Salvage Search: A Salvage Title Universe Novel by David Alan Jones

Author:David Alan Jones [Jones, David Alan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Theogony Books
Published: 2023-10-23T16:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

Chapter 17

Symeon woke wrapped in a net hovering a meter and a half above the deck. The net, made of simple nylon, hung suspended between a set of gray and white poles—hover rods—that buzzed like insects. Someone was pushing him through a dark, unfamiliar passageway. His comm interface still glowed red with the words NETWORK CONNECTION LOST flashing in his vision. He blinked it off to one side. He wouldn’t be sending a distress call to security anytime soon.

Straining, he twisted his neck far enough to spot Kavya likewise bungled into a floating net, her face a study in blue rage. She noticed his gaze and shook her head.

Is she warning me not to fight? Symeon thought.

More likely she’s saying it’s no use, Yudi replied.

Symeon remembered his melee with the man and woman dressed as members of the Bobcat’s crew. He had scored a flash knockout against the man, but the woman had shot him with a stun gun before he could react. Stupid. He had spotted the gun at her hip, but the man had been closer. He should have gone after her first.

The man pushing Kavya’s net walked with a pronounced limp, and his left cheek was swollen with an angry welt. Symeon grinned. Kavya had put up a good fight. Like Symeon’s two opponents, the man appeared Luxing.

Which probably means he’s Wuxia, Symeon thought. I wonder how long those bastards have been planning this?

Probably since the moment you went through the gate. Fang isn’t the sort of man who throws away a good 500-year plan on a whim.

And here I thought we got away clean.

Yours was the first ship to ever traverse the Bith gate. I doubt the Grand Duke’s navy missed that even with a war on.

Good point.

“Where are you taking us?” Symeon asked, raising his voice to the injured man.

The man said nothing. In fact, he never so much as looked at Symeon.

Symeon started to ask again when a now familiar sound filled his ears—the clak-clak-clak of a stunner. Searing pain bloomed in Symeon’s back and up his shoulders. Electric current convulsed his stomach muscles, his neck, his fingers and toes. He screamed involuntarily and jerked in place, trapped by the net, and unable to escape until the sound quieted, and the pain withdrew.

“Speak again,” said a woman’s voice, “and I’ll set this thing to max. You didn’t seem to like that very much the first time.”

Ah, said Yudi, Kavya was trying to tell you to keep your mouth shut.

Thanks, I never would have figured that out on my own. Symeon gritted his teeth and waited for the sharpest pain to abate. He couldn’t see the woman who had shocked him—she was walking somewhere above his head—but he was certain she had her eyes on him. He didn’t like fighting women as a rule, but he wouldn’t have turned down the chance for one good right hook to her face at that moment.

Did you happen to notice she was speaking Shorvexan? Yudi asked.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.