Syndicate's Pawns by Davila LeBlanc Read Free Book Online Page A

Our slipdrive has suffered a critical malfunction and requires repairs. We are no longer capable of starflight. Requesting any available ships to home in on our coordinates. Necessary part specs will be uploaded on this tight beam. Infinite guide you. Morwyn Soltaine out.”
    Morwyn had been worried that he would not be able to maintain his command without the help of his former mentor Commander Eliana Jafahan or his closest friend Private Beatrix Jarent Dreck, both of whom were presently in carbon sleep. They were not necessary crew, and now that Jessie Madison had been awakened the option to wake either of them was no longer available to him. It hadn’t mattered as he had found everyone, Phaël excluded, to be agreeable with him.
    Rousing Jessie Madison would not have been his ideal choice, but then again, he had not expected her antiquated sleeper tube to short-­circuit either. It had been a miracle that the thing had remained functional for the time that it had. It had been even more fortunate that Marla Varsin had just finished inoculating her before the malfunction in the first place.
    â€œWhat are you thinking about?” Lizbeth’s tone was more familiar than he would have expected.
    â€œJessie Madison.” Morwyn sat himself down on one of the seats on the bridge and leaned back on it. “I did not consider it at the time, but now that we have nothing but time on our hands . . . well.” Morwyn gave his scruffy chin a scratch. “What are we to do with her? She has no legal papers, no citizenship, nothing.”
    â€œNot to mention, she is incredibly unique,” Lizbeth added.
    â€œA fair point. I would not wish to make a decision for her. But I have no idea what Patrol Command or Covenant officials will want to do with her once we’ve returned to Central Point.” Morwyn realized that being the only living Ancient Human made Jessie Madison an incredibly valuable prize for many less than scrupulous individuals. Which was why he had not mentioned her in his message. It was better, in his view, to deliver her personally to Central Point and make sure she was in the hands of ­people he knew he could trust.
    â€œUntil I make my official report, if anyone asks, we suffered a malfunction during a failed rescue operation. We need to keep Jessie Madison’s existence hidden.”
    â€œWe are fortunate then, Captain.”
    â€œHow so?”
    â€œApart from us, who else knows about our newest passenger?”
    â€œI count that as a blessing, Lizbeth.” Morwyn dug into his breast pocket and pulled out a small silver flask, he unscrewed it open and took himself a stiff sip of his brandy, his one and only vice. “A blessing indeed.”

 
    CHAPTER 5
    DOMIANT
    Nothing is ever impossible. Fortune favors both the prepared and the ambitious alike.
    â€”­Common Zerok saying, origins unknown
    17th of SSM–11 1445 A2E
    â€œH umping Green lovers should just concede that tech won the war for convenience.”
    Niko Taem was an abomination in the eyes of both Domiant and the Living Green. A former privateer for the Galasian Khans, his body was a patchwork of high-­tech and low-­tech augments, all of them no doubt harvested off the victims of pirate raids. For instance, there was no mistaking his left arm as anything but artificial—­jet black, shiny and grafted onto the shoulder of his massively muscular frame. His right arm was covered in black metal buttons. His eye colors, one a dark purple, the other sky blue, were mismatched, and the irises were octagonal instead of round.
    â€œBig words from someone who gave up his life’s essence to be turned into a monster.” Sopherim sneered at Niko when she spoke the words.
    â€œI’ve told you before, dog, we speak PaxCom around here or nothing at all.” From across the Althena ’s tiny kitchen table, Niko glared back at Sopherim. His nose was crooked and he sported a