Read Online AGU SCI 1: The Star Brotherhood by Thomas DePrima - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Thomas DePrima
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base previously, but he'd decided that he didn't want to return to either of the other places where he'd already had deadly altercations.
The restaurant had a moderate-sized lunch-hour crowd, but no one paid much attention to the two Terrans. If everyone in the room had run from the building, it would have been clear evidence that the city had become too dangerous for the team to remain.
The tavern was typical for the part of the town where it was located. It had the usual odors of stale ale and greasy food, and the shabby furniture had seen its share of brawls over the years.
After determining that the chairs were safe enough for sitting and that the table wasn't going to collapse under the weight of the ale, Vyx ordered two mugs of the dark brown brew. Over the next several hours Vyx and Byers sat in near silence as they waited for whatever was to come.
Just before the day shift was expected to begin arriving, Ker Blaswetta entered the tavern and walked directly to the table where Vyx and Byers sat.
"Good day, Trader. I was delighted, and perhaps a little surprised, to hear that you survived your encounter with Cillota and his goons. May I sit down and join you gentlemen?"
"Sure, Ker. This is my associate, Mr. Byers. He was just about to get himself another ale."
Byers took the hint and stood up, then moved towards the bar. From there he could watch the entire room, allowing Vyx to better concentrate on his conversation with the Wolkerron.
"I'm glad you were able to best Cillota and his men," Blaswetta said. "He was not someone I would have been equipped to deal with."
"You won't have a problem now."
"No, not with Cillota, but there's always another one willing and ready and to take the place of such— people."
"Why me, Ker? I haven't had anything to do with the Syndicate."
"I'm sure I don't know, Trader. Perhaps you angered someone."
"Come on, Ker. I know you know more than you're saying. If you want me to do business with you, now and in the future, I need to know what you know about Cillota's attempt to assassinate me. What else is coming my way?"
Blaswetta remained silent for several minutes. Vyx gave him all the time he needed and would only have acted if Blaswetta had gotten up to leave. He didn't.
"I only know the rumors I've heard. There are three. The first is that Cillota took it upon himself without first clearing the act with his superior. The rumor mill says he was looking to enhance his image in the eyes of his superiors by eliminating a dangerous threat to the Syndicate. It's known that you killed a Brotherhood enforcer and that you later spent considerable time in the Brotherhood headquarters, from which you emerged unharmed. Some believe the Brotherhood has retained you as an enforcer to fight for them if things continue the way they've been going lately. You're considered an extremely dangerous individual, a fact that you proved yesterday when you killed three of the Syndicate people in a setup of their making.
"The second rumor is that Cillota was supposed to recruit you to the Syndicate but feared you might be too difficult to control, so he decided to kill you while making it look like you started it.
"The third rumor is that there's a price on your head from a large Tsgardi family that has admitted they're unable to get to you now that Admiral Carver has sequestered them on their own planet. Since they can't get to you themselves, they're willing to pay a bounty for others to do it. The rumor says you've killed over twenty of the family members who have come looking to settle the score.
"Perhaps Cillota was hoping to settle all three issues with this one action. That's everything I've heard."
Vyx smiled. "I'd almost forgotten about the Tsgardi threat, although I've heard they never give up. We're over two thousand light-years from their home world and still they seek vengeance."
"Then there is a bounty?"
"They have sworn to kill me, and they've always been on the losing end when
The restaurant had a moderate-sized lunch-hour crowd, but no one paid much attention to the two Terrans. If everyone in the room had run from the building, it would have been clear evidence that the city had become too dangerous for the team to remain.
The tavern was typical for the part of the town where it was located. It had the usual odors of stale ale and greasy food, and the shabby furniture had seen its share of brawls over the years.
After determining that the chairs were safe enough for sitting and that the table wasn't going to collapse under the weight of the ale, Vyx ordered two mugs of the dark brown brew. Over the next several hours Vyx and Byers sat in near silence as they waited for whatever was to come.
Just before the day shift was expected to begin arriving, Ker Blaswetta entered the tavern and walked directly to the table where Vyx and Byers sat.
"Good day, Trader. I was delighted, and perhaps a little surprised, to hear that you survived your encounter with Cillota and his goons. May I sit down and join you gentlemen?"
"Sure, Ker. This is my associate, Mr. Byers. He was just about to get himself another ale."
Byers took the hint and stood up, then moved towards the bar. From there he could watch the entire room, allowing Vyx to better concentrate on his conversation with the Wolkerron.
"I'm glad you were able to best Cillota and his men," Blaswetta said. "He was not someone I would have been equipped to deal with."
"You won't have a problem now."
"No, not with Cillota, but there's always another one willing and ready and to take the place of such— people."
"Why me, Ker? I haven't had anything to do with the Syndicate."
"I'm sure I don't know, Trader. Perhaps you angered someone."
"Come on, Ker. I know you know more than you're saying. If you want me to do business with you, now and in the future, I need to know what you know about Cillota's attempt to assassinate me. What else is coming my way?"
Blaswetta remained silent for several minutes. Vyx gave him all the time he needed and would only have acted if Blaswetta had gotten up to leave. He didn't.
"I only know the rumors I've heard. There are three. The first is that Cillota took it upon himself without first clearing the act with his superior. The rumor mill says he was looking to enhance his image in the eyes of his superiors by eliminating a dangerous threat to the Syndicate. It's known that you killed a Brotherhood enforcer and that you later spent considerable time in the Brotherhood headquarters, from which you emerged unharmed. Some believe the Brotherhood has retained you as an enforcer to fight for them if things continue the way they've been going lately. You're considered an extremely dangerous individual, a fact that you proved yesterday when you killed three of the Syndicate people in a setup of their making.
"The second rumor is that Cillota was supposed to recruit you to the Syndicate but feared you might be too difficult to control, so he decided to kill you while making it look like you started it.
"The third rumor is that there's a price on your head from a large Tsgardi family that has admitted they're unable to get to you now that Admiral Carver has sequestered them on their own planet. Since they can't get to you themselves, they're willing to pay a bounty for others to do it. The rumor says you've killed over twenty of the family members who have come looking to settle the score.
"Perhaps Cillota was hoping to settle all three issues with this one action. That's everything I've heard."
Vyx smiled. "I'd almost forgotten about the Tsgardi threat, although I've heard they never give up. We're over two thousand light-years from their home world and still they seek vengeance."
"Then there is a bounty?"
"They have sworn to kill me, and they've always been on the losing end when
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