Read Online Judge by Karen Traviss - Free Book Online Page A

the link through to the main screen, but the icon was blank, just faintly crackling dead air. “Who’s that?”
    â€œMr. Michallat,” said the voice. “This is the office of President Michael Zammett. Can you talk? We’d like some independent input…”
    For some reason, Eddie was disappointed that it wasn’t News Desk.
    Â 
    Australia, Earth: St George landing site.
    Â 
    â€œThat was just insane,” said Shan, but she seemed to be concentrating on the screen of her swiss and cursing to herself as she walked along the main passageway of the ship. Ade Bennett followed her with that fixed lack of expression that indicated he was agitated. “Jesus, why provoke them? You could have waited a few days before starting a shooting match. So maybe we could unload the bloody Actaeon crew without this becoming an international brawl.”
    Esganikan had the feeling of being in a post-cryo haze from which she hadn’t fully awakened; the present was there, but overlaid by an almost visible mesh of translucent images. When the hatch opened and the ship’s ramp extruded from the bulkhead, she saw flash-frames of a city she didn’t recognize, gray and square.
    â€œI’m not bound by Earth’s internal borders,” she said.
    Is this dreaming? I thought humans did this in their sleep.
    Eqbas didn’t dream as such, but these images, a whole random sequence of them, had begun intruding on her thoughts within a day or so of the c’naatat organism entering her bloodstream. They were memories of experiences she was certain she’d never had, and she was beginning to feel real fear about what c’naatat was doing to her.
    â€œThere’s such a thing as not making more trouble than you need,” Shan said, clearly angry even if her scent was suppressed. “It’ll save you time in the long run.”
    Children. Human children. Whose? No, I can remember being one…
    â€œYou’re too attached to Earth,” Esganikan said flatly, making an effort to concentrate on the solid world in front of her. “I treat Earth no worse than Umeh, and you went along with that, did you not?” She turned to face Shan, and at that moment she couldn’t tell if this was a woman with whom she had everything in common or potentially her worst enemy. “In fact, I showed much more caution. I merely flew over the European outpost and I fired no shots even when fired upon by that ship. If you recall, I destroyed a military base on Umeh for firing on us. That demonstrates my restraint.”
    â€œWell, the bloody warning flare ruined the pilot’s fucking day, I can tell you that. ” Shan was furious, but totally devoid of scent. It always struck Esganikan as devious rather than diplomatic that Shan used her ability to suppress her signaling, even if she understood her unwillingness to emit jask. “The poor bastard had to eject. He’s probably injured.”
    â€œHe flew too close. He clipped the shield.” Esganikan couldn’t understand Shan’s reaction. A vessel of war had behaved aggressively. Did she think humans would be treated any differently from isenj? “The FEU is not your ally, nor mine.”
    â€œThis is about using an appropriate level of force. Why the hell did you want me along for the ride if you’re not going to listen to advice from your tame monkey?”
    Esganikan didn’t fully understand the retort, either, and had more pressing things on her mind. She couldn’t seek advice from Shan about c’naatat : Shan didn’t know that Esganikan carried it, and neither did the crew—yet.
    It was an alien thing, this need to conceal facts. Wess’har didn’t lie. But something in Esganikan said that she had to.
    Shan will turn on you.
    Your crew will not, but the Skavu will despise you for it, for being an abomination, and then you won’t be able to command them.
    Esganikan heard