Broken Circle by John Shirley

Author:John Shirley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery Books

CHAPTER 13

* * *

The Refuge: An Uncharted Shield World

Strategy Hall

850 BCE

The Age of Reconciliation

Ussa ‘Xellus was just waking up, his first thought that today he must contend with the execution of the traitor ‘Crolon . . . and then attempt to ease any fears among his people, who had come to call themselves “Ussans.” He needed to make sure they remained unified.

Sooln came into the sleeping chamber, her eyes glinting with alarm.

“Ussa, ‘Crolon is gone!”

“What?”

“He’s gotten away!”

“When? How did this happen?”

“We are not sure—at some point as most of us slept. I don’t know how he did it.”

“Summon Enduring Bias.”

Minutes later, Ussa and Sooln were hurrying up to the storeroom they’d used as a jail cell. Enduring Bias was already hovering by the open door. “This is all quite interesting. But I should inform you . . .”

Ussa was staring at a small puddle of blood on the metal deck in the otherwise empty storeroom. “We had the door locked—a guard was stationed outside.”

“I merely wanted to say—” Enduring Bias began again.

Sooln turned to the Flying Voice, interrupting. “Can you show us what happened?”

“Yes. I have only just now retrieved the relevant data. This was recorded earlier.” The Flying Voice angled itself so its lens was focused downward and it projected a holographic image showing the exterior of the cell seen from near the ceiling. There was a sentry, a Sangheili Ussa knew as ‘Kwari, leaning on the cell door, half-asleep. When the storage room was selected for a jail, small holes had been drilled in the door to allow sufficient air for prisoners. ‘Kwari had removed his armored helmet and placed it on the floor.

Suddenly a thin metal blade, slimmer than a childling’s clawnail, thrust through one of the holes and into ‘Kwari’s hearing membrane. ‘Kwari shrieked in pain and fury and they heard ‘Crolon jeering, clacking his mandibles mockingly.

“Coward!” shouted ‘Crolon, withdrawing the blade. “That is what happens to the dishonorable!”

Furious, ‘Kwari did just what ‘Crolon must have hoped he’d do—he turned and unlocked the door, then started in, drawing his burnblade. “I’ll punish you for that! They’ll find just enough alive to execute!”

And then ‘Kwari screamed in agony, staggering backward. The slim blade had been driven into ‘Kwari’s right eye, all the way to the hilt.

‘Crolon wrested the sword from the dying sentry, severed his head, and sprinted away.

“That fool . . .” Ussa muttered.

“Where has he gone?” Sooln asked, turning to Enduring Bias.

“That is what I have been trying to tell you, Ussa ‘Xellus—he has gone to craft launching. He was there for some minutes before I detected it. I cannot watch everything at once, you know. I must access specific visual data before I can—”

“Craft launching!” Ussa burst out. Unconsciously, he drew his burnblade. “ ‘Crolon is an engineer . . . he could fly one of the smaller vessels! If he chooses the right one, it will almost fly itself.”

Something floated into the corridor near Ussa then, and slowed down. It was one of the flying freight movers, really just a shallow open box large enough for a moderate load of material.

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