Read Online Muses of Terra (Codex Antonius Book 2) by Rob Steiner - Free Book Online

the command deck windows. Bright white plasma engulfed the ship as it collided with Reantium’s atmosphere. Cordus watched his tabulari as the ship’s inertial control and grav systems yielded to Reantium’s natural gravity field. This always made the ride into an atmosphere bumpier than it tended to be on more modern ships. Vacuna was state-of-the-art ninety years ago. Today, only the engineering skills of Dariya, Daryush, and to a lesser extent their Saturnist friends kept the ship flying.  
    The white plasma surrounding Vacuna dissipated, and the ship descended through the sparse clouds. Cordus checked his tabulari once again.
    “Re-entry complete, ion engines engaged, altitude 60,000 feet,” Cordus reported to Kaeso. “Should land at Tarpeius holdings in twenty minutes.”
    “Thank you, Trierarch,” Kaeso said. “And thank you for letting the ship fly.” He gave Cordus a small grin. “Lucia likes to fly it through the atmosphere. Makes for a bumpier ride. I hate it.”
    “Why don’t you tell her?”
    “Because it makes her feel in control of something that’s beyond her control.”
    Marcus Antonius leaned between Cordus and Kaeso, and Cordus jumped. “You see, we are not that different from each other,” Marcus said.
    Kaeso noticed Cordus’s flinch. “You all right, Trierarch?”
    “Fine,” Cordus said, though he couldn’t see Kaeso with Marcus between them. Cordus quickly rubbed his left eye. “A speck…”
    Marcus laughed. “You’re getting good at lying to him.”
    Why are you here? Cordus asked with his mind.
    “We’re always here, young Antonius. We’re part of you, remember?”
    Why are you taunting me then?
    Marcus affected a frown. “We would never taunt you. We have more respect for our master than humans ever did for theirs.”
    If I’m your master, then I order you to go away and not come back unless I call for you. Clear?
    Marcus bowed his head. “Of course, Dominar .”  
    Then he disappeared…to reveal Kaeso staring at Cordus with a raised eyebrow.
    Cordus blinked several times. “Damned speck.”
    Nestor spoke up from his delta couch behind Cordus. “You might have an eyelash. Do you want me to check?”
    “I’m fine,” Cordus said a little too forcefully. Then in a gentler tone, “I think it’s out now.”  
    He hoped he could make Marcus go away and reappear with a simple order. He decided he would test that later when he wasn’t so busy…or around people.
    Vacuna descended toward the Tarpeius holdings on a clear, sunny day. The ship sped over rolling green hills and vast crops of wheat, maize, and other vegetables and grains. Farming was Reantium’s reason for existence, and it had once been considered Roma’s “granary”. With Reantium’s independence, food prices in the Republic would now soar. Some outlying systems and colonies would even starve.  
    Cordus ground his teeth. Just one Roman warlord Legion could’ve stopped this revolt before it even began. And yet millions of citizens will starve because gluttonous senators fight over who gets to sit in the consul’s chair.  
    The hailing channel chimed. “ Vacuna , this is Tarpeius flight control. Please respond.”
    Cordus thumbed the com. “Tarpeius flight control, this is Vacuna .”
    “We have you inbound from the southwest at 200 miles out from Tarpeius spaceport. That port is no longer in operation. Please proceed to government-sanctioned Nascio spaceport at the coordinates I’m forwarding to you.”
    Kaeso frowned, then thumbed his com. “Tarpeius flight control, this is the Centuriae of Vacuna . What happened to the Tarpeius spaceport?”
    There was a noticeable pause. “Tarpeius spaceport has been decommissioned by the Reantium Liberation Collegium.”
    “‘Reantium Liberation Collegium’?”
    “Reantium’s holy government. Please proceed to Nascio spaceport where agents of Aulus Tarpeius will transport you to his villa.”
    Kaeso’s frown deepened. “Acknowledged, Tarpeius