Read Online Ascendant Sun: A New Novel in the Saga of the Skolian Empire by Catherine Asaro - Free Book Online
Authors: Catherine Asaro
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needed was a Key. A psion powerful enough to use the Lock.
A Rhon psion.
A member of the Ruby Dynasty.
Kelric considered Maccar. Hiring on with the captain could bring him enough funds to achieve his goals. He could buy a new identity, get offworld, begin setting up a power base, reach one of the Locks, install himself as Imperator, and find medical treatment. Most of all, he would have hope of seeing his family again. The knowledge that his parents and siblings still lived, albeit in captivity, kept him going. Time was his enemy; the longer he took to reach his goals, the more his health deteriorated.
But should he risk going into Trader space? Borders could close without notice. The Aristos could clamp down on their slave populations any time. Maccar's run might be safe today and a disaster tomorrow.
As Kelric debated, Maccar watched him. Despite the captain's mental barriers, Kelric felt his frustration. Maccar had invested a great deal in this run and now found it beyond his reach for mere lack of crew. Although an honest man, he had reached the point where he was willing to sidestep the law.
"Where in Trader territory would we be going?" Kelric asked.
"Sphinx Sector."
"That's well into Eube."
"We won't be there long."
"How long?"
Maccar grimaced. "As fast as I can get in and out."
"Fifty thousand isn't enough."
"How much is?"
"Two hundred thousand."
Incredulity surged in Maccar. Outwardly he just snorted. "The top spacer at the PA isn't worth that much."
"Maybe not. I am."
Maccar raised his eyebrows. "Why?"
Kelric turned his arm over so his palm faced the sky. He pulled up his wrist guard, uncovering a socket in his wrist. Although Maccar kept his face impassive, surprise leaked out from his mind.
"That's a psiphon socket," Maccar said.
"That's right."
"You a telop?"
"No. A Jagernaut."
This time Maccar whistled. "Can you prove that?"
"Yes." Kelric lowered his arm. "Link me into your ship's EI and I can defend your entire flotilla."
Maccar studied him, his face edged in harsh light from the lamps. "If you're an ISC officer, why don't you have ID? Zeld tells me you've no proof you're even a Skolian citizen. She ran a check on your DNA, and it says no record of you exists."
Damn. Zeld must have taken a lock of his hair or a scrape of skin. Legally, only ISC or the police could do a DNA scan without the citizen's permission, and even that law often came under criticism. But he had no doubt that buying a black-market scan right now was easy. He even understood Zeld's reasons; for all she knew, he was a mass murderer. However, if his gene map was in the Edgewhirl webs now, it gave him even more cause to get offworld.
All he said was, "I've no reason to have ID here."
"No?" Maccar raised his eyebrows. "Edgewhirl has two ISC bases. Zeld checked both the ASC complex up north in Bartanna Shore and the Whitecap Fleet base on the South Jadar continent."
"I'm J-Force. Not ASC or navy." He doubted a spacer with Maccar's savvy would confuse the Advance Services Corps or the Imperial naval fleet with the Jagernaut Force. The captain was probing.
"You AWOL?" Maccar asked.
"MIA."
"You don't look 'missing' to me."
"People don't like Jagernauts," Kelric said. Jag pilots were both revered and reviled, as avenging angels and human weapons. In normal times the monolithic presence of ISC protected them. But now? Who knew?
"You think you'll have trouble?" Maccar asked.
"It's possible."
"Why? You Jagernauts are heroes."
"Sometimes."
Maccar scrutinized him. "If you really are a Jagernaut, doesn't that make you a telepath?"
"I was."
"Was? Past tense?"
"Yes."
"Why? What happened?"
"Neural damage."
Maccar quirked an eyebrow. "Can you hear my thoughts?"
"No." Even with his mind whole, Kelric could only read simple thoughts, and then only if they came from nearby. They also had to be sent with enough strength for him to detect, which usually meant they had to come from another psion. He still picked up less
A Rhon psion.
A member of the Ruby Dynasty.
Kelric considered Maccar. Hiring on with the captain could bring him enough funds to achieve his goals. He could buy a new identity, get offworld, begin setting up a power base, reach one of the Locks, install himself as Imperator, and find medical treatment. Most of all, he would have hope of seeing his family again. The knowledge that his parents and siblings still lived, albeit in captivity, kept him going. Time was his enemy; the longer he took to reach his goals, the more his health deteriorated.
But should he risk going into Trader space? Borders could close without notice. The Aristos could clamp down on their slave populations any time. Maccar's run might be safe today and a disaster tomorrow.
As Kelric debated, Maccar watched him. Despite the captain's mental barriers, Kelric felt his frustration. Maccar had invested a great deal in this run and now found it beyond his reach for mere lack of crew. Although an honest man, he had reached the point where he was willing to sidestep the law.
"Where in Trader territory would we be going?" Kelric asked.
"Sphinx Sector."
"That's well into Eube."
"We won't be there long."
"How long?"
Maccar grimaced. "As fast as I can get in and out."
"Fifty thousand isn't enough."
"How much is?"
"Two hundred thousand."
Incredulity surged in Maccar. Outwardly he just snorted. "The top spacer at the PA isn't worth that much."
"Maybe not. I am."
Maccar raised his eyebrows. "Why?"
Kelric turned his arm over so his palm faced the sky. He pulled up his wrist guard, uncovering a socket in his wrist. Although Maccar kept his face impassive, surprise leaked out from his mind.
"That's a psiphon socket," Maccar said.
"That's right."
"You a telop?"
"No. A Jagernaut."
This time Maccar whistled. "Can you prove that?"
"Yes." Kelric lowered his arm. "Link me into your ship's EI and I can defend your entire flotilla."
Maccar studied him, his face edged in harsh light from the lamps. "If you're an ISC officer, why don't you have ID? Zeld tells me you've no proof you're even a Skolian citizen. She ran a check on your DNA, and it says no record of you exists."
Damn. Zeld must have taken a lock of his hair or a scrape of skin. Legally, only ISC or the police could do a DNA scan without the citizen's permission, and even that law often came under criticism. But he had no doubt that buying a black-market scan right now was easy. He even understood Zeld's reasons; for all she knew, he was a mass murderer. However, if his gene map was in the Edgewhirl webs now, it gave him even more cause to get offworld.
All he said was, "I've no reason to have ID here."
"No?" Maccar raised his eyebrows. "Edgewhirl has two ISC bases. Zeld checked both the ASC complex up north in Bartanna Shore and the Whitecap Fleet base on the South Jadar continent."
"I'm J-Force. Not ASC or navy." He doubted a spacer with Maccar's savvy would confuse the Advance Services Corps or the Imperial naval fleet with the Jagernaut Force. The captain was probing.
"You AWOL?" Maccar asked.
"MIA."
"You don't look 'missing' to me."
"People don't like Jagernauts," Kelric said. Jag pilots were both revered and reviled, as avenging angels and human weapons. In normal times the monolithic presence of ISC protected them. But now? Who knew?
"You think you'll have trouble?" Maccar asked.
"It's possible."
"Why? You Jagernauts are heroes."
"Sometimes."
Maccar scrutinized him. "If you really are a Jagernaut, doesn't that make you a telepath?"
"I was."
"Was? Past tense?"
"Yes."
"Why? What happened?"
"Neural damage."
Maccar quirked an eyebrow. "Can you hear my thoughts?"
"No." Even with his mind whole, Kelric could only read simple thoughts, and then only if they came from nearby. They also had to be sent with enough strength for him to detect, which usually meant they had to come from another psion. He still picked up less
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