Cluster Command: Crisis of Empire II by David Drake, W. C. Dietz Read Free Book Online Page B

gave a gentle squeeze. It began to play: “Senator Windsor will attempt to bring full equality to the Harmony Cluster. If he succeeds perhaps the Senate will follow.”
    Rankoo frowned as she squeezed the device off. Change usually brought with it an opportunity for profit. But this Windsor was a radical, and from the sound of it, a competent one at that. The combination could be very bad for business.
    She heard a soft footstep behind her. “Yes?”
    Coda’s voice was hoarse and gravelly. ‘It is time.” He was a big man, layered with hard muscle, wearing only a genital pouch and a pair of sandals.
    Rankoo nodded, swallowed the last of her wine and stood. She towered over Coda. Her body was slimmer than his, but thanks to DNA editing that had been necessary to survival on their planet of origin, equally muscular. She had wide shoulders, firm upthrust breasts, a narrow waist, and long muscular legs. Like Coda she’d been born and raised on the heavy gravity world known as “Lead.” On Lead it takes a lot of strength just to get up and walk around, so Augustine’s lighter gravity made them seem super human, a fact they’d used to good advantage.
    Like Coda, Rankoo wore nothing but a G string and sandals. She saw and savored the hunger in his eyes. As usual she’d make him wait. His performance would improve accordingly. “I’m ready.”
    He nodded and together they walked down a short flight of stairs, along the side of the villa, and out beyond the barn. As they approached the holding pen she saw there were four Hornheads penned up inside. The beasts weighed close to half a ton, were covered with overlapping plates of green armor, and had mean dispositions.
    Each was armed with three horns: a curving affair to each side, plus a lancelike growth which protruded from its forehead. All were razor sharp.
    Rankoo’s voice was calm and indifferent. “Four tonight?” In truth, four was a lot.
    But Coda liked to test his mate, assure himself of her strength and the status it conferred on him. His eyes were flat brown disks as he handed over the steel mesh gloves. “Yes. We’re running low on meat.”
    Rankoo pulled on the gloves and entered the pen without comment. She stalked the largest Hornhead, choosing to ignore the others. It would take the most strength, so she would kill it first. Personal kills were something her mother had insisted on. What your clan eats you must kill. To do otherwise was to avoid responsibility and invite speculation on your fitness.
    Some thought it an outdated hunting ethic, but it was one to which Rankoo chose to cling. For her, business was simply a complicated version of the hunt: the strong must kill, the weak must die.
    The animal charged. She grabbed its two outside horns and leaned forward, feet skidding in the dirt, powerful legs pushing with all her might. Slowly, reluctantly, the beast came to a stop. Its three-pupiled eye regarded her with limitless hate, and its foul breath filled her nostrils. For a moment they stood motionless, each trying to best the other through sheer brute strength.
    This was Coda’s favorite part: Nola’s naked strength against the brute force of the beast. He felt the familiar stirring between his legs and smiled. As usual she’d make him wait, but he agreed: it would be worth it.
    Slowly, almost imperceptibly, she turned the beast’s head. Then, with a mighty contraction of her shoulder muscles, she twisted it a half-rotation to the right. There was a dull cracking sound; the animal fell dead at her feet.
    The rest would be easy. As she grabbed the next set of horns and turned them, Rankoo was thinking of Senator Anthony Windsor.

Chapter 4

    Things began to happen the moment the cigar-shaped ship dropped into orbit around Augustine. Shuttles came and went, staffs conferred, and all manner of problems were discovered and resolved. Windsor disappeared into a whirl of meetings, receptions and parties.
    And of course so did Merikur. As senior