Read Online AGU SCI 1: The Star Brotherhood by Thomas DePrima - Free Book Online
Authors: Thomas DePrima
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man's body and fired repeatedly into the side of his opponent's chest until the grip relaxed.
As Vyx rolled free, the other enforcer flung the table out of the way and moved towards Vyx while attempting to draw his weapon. Vyx raised his pistol and fired at the area where an Uthlaran's heart is located. The man's face registered the shock of knowing he was looking at death without chance for reprieve. He dropped heavily to the floor and moved no more.
Fearing that other Syndicate people might have entered the tavern while he was busy, Vyx raised himself up on his left arm and scanned the room with his pistol ready to repel anyone who might want to join the battle. But all he saw was stunned and frightened faces. He took a deep breath and then stood up. Believing no one in the room was going to join in the attack, he replaced the pistol in his holster and picked up the three lattice pistols that had belonged to the Syndicate enforcers. After straightening his clothes, he held up a one hundred credit note so the bartender could see it. "For the broken chair— and the mess," he said, as he tossed the money onto the nearest table before heading for the door.
Vyx paused to scan the street before leaving the relative safety of the tavern doorway. Seeing no obvious signs of a threat, he stepped outside and headed for the Scorpion .
Vyx wasn't surprised to find that the security device preventing unauthorized access to the ship was still set when he reached the Scorpion . It was early afternoon, so his fellow agents were undoubtedly still doing their best to collect information in various locations around the city.
After disabling the explosive device, he entered the code that would unlock the hatch and entered the ship. Reaching the lounge, he pulled two of the lattice pistols from his front waistband and dropped them on the table. He then removed the third pistol from his waistband at the small of his back and added it to the other two. Feeling substantially better without the three pistols digging into his body each time he moved, he dropped onto one of the sofas.
While always alert for danger when in a hostile place and prepared to respond with deadly force in an instant, he really didn't understand the most recent attack. Until now he'd had no contact with the Senesim Syndicate and would have expected at least a reasonable attempt at discussion before they endeavored to assassinate him.
Vyx was still sitting on the sofa, reviewing everything that had occurred since they'd arrived on Bleadalto a week earlier, when Nelligen and Kathryn arrived back at the ship.
"It appears you've been adding to our collection of lattice weapons again," Nelligen said when he saw the weapons on the table.
"I ran into a little trouble with some Syndicate people today."
"The Syndicate?" Kathryn echoed. "Why?"
"I don't know. I've been going over everything we've done here since we arrived. It doesn't make sense."
"Who were they?" Nelligen asked.
"Two were just muscle."
"And the third?"
"He said he was the Syndicate boss for this sector of the city."
"Oh boy," Kathryn said.
"Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't. I really don't know. It could have all been a bluff."
"Why a bluff?" Nelligen asked.
"Perhaps he thought I would relax my guard if I believed he was only there for a discussion. But when he reached for his pistol, I shot him."
"Are you sure he was reaching for his pistol?" Kathryn asked.
"Uh— pretty sure. If I was wrong I'll be happy to apologize."
"To whom," Nelligen asked, "his widow?"
"When you're in an intense situation, you have to announce your movements in advance if they're innocent. He should have known that."
"That still leaves the why question," Kathryn said.
"If they really were Syndicate people, and I have no way to verify that right now, then they must believe me to be a threat."
"And that will apply to us soon enough as well," Nelligen said, "simply from association."
"Possibly. We'll have to be a lot more
As Vyx rolled free, the other enforcer flung the table out of the way and moved towards Vyx while attempting to draw his weapon. Vyx raised his pistol and fired at the area where an Uthlaran's heart is located. The man's face registered the shock of knowing he was looking at death without chance for reprieve. He dropped heavily to the floor and moved no more.
Fearing that other Syndicate people might have entered the tavern while he was busy, Vyx raised himself up on his left arm and scanned the room with his pistol ready to repel anyone who might want to join the battle. But all he saw was stunned and frightened faces. He took a deep breath and then stood up. Believing no one in the room was going to join in the attack, he replaced the pistol in his holster and picked up the three lattice pistols that had belonged to the Syndicate enforcers. After straightening his clothes, he held up a one hundred credit note so the bartender could see it. "For the broken chair— and the mess," he said, as he tossed the money onto the nearest table before heading for the door.
Vyx paused to scan the street before leaving the relative safety of the tavern doorway. Seeing no obvious signs of a threat, he stepped outside and headed for the Scorpion .
Vyx wasn't surprised to find that the security device preventing unauthorized access to the ship was still set when he reached the Scorpion . It was early afternoon, so his fellow agents were undoubtedly still doing their best to collect information in various locations around the city.
After disabling the explosive device, he entered the code that would unlock the hatch and entered the ship. Reaching the lounge, he pulled two of the lattice pistols from his front waistband and dropped them on the table. He then removed the third pistol from his waistband at the small of his back and added it to the other two. Feeling substantially better without the three pistols digging into his body each time he moved, he dropped onto one of the sofas.
While always alert for danger when in a hostile place and prepared to respond with deadly force in an instant, he really didn't understand the most recent attack. Until now he'd had no contact with the Senesim Syndicate and would have expected at least a reasonable attempt at discussion before they endeavored to assassinate him.
Vyx was still sitting on the sofa, reviewing everything that had occurred since they'd arrived on Bleadalto a week earlier, when Nelligen and Kathryn arrived back at the ship.
"It appears you've been adding to our collection of lattice weapons again," Nelligen said when he saw the weapons on the table.
"I ran into a little trouble with some Syndicate people today."
"The Syndicate?" Kathryn echoed. "Why?"
"I don't know. I've been going over everything we've done here since we arrived. It doesn't make sense."
"Who were they?" Nelligen asked.
"Two were just muscle."
"And the third?"
"He said he was the Syndicate boss for this sector of the city."
"Oh boy," Kathryn said.
"Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't. I really don't know. It could have all been a bluff."
"Why a bluff?" Nelligen asked.
"Perhaps he thought I would relax my guard if I believed he was only there for a discussion. But when he reached for his pistol, I shot him."
"Are you sure he was reaching for his pistol?" Kathryn asked.
"Uh— pretty sure. If I was wrong I'll be happy to apologize."
"To whom," Nelligen asked, "his widow?"
"When you're in an intense situation, you have to announce your movements in advance if they're innocent. He should have known that."
"That still leaves the why question," Kathryn said.
"If they really were Syndicate people, and I have no way to verify that right now, then they must believe me to be a threat."
"And that will apply to us soon enough as well," Nelligen said, "simply from association."
"Possibly. We'll have to be a lot more
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