Read Online Muses of Terra (Codex Antonius Book 2) by Rob Steiner - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rob Steiner
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flight control. Vacuna out.”
Cordus entered the new coordinates into the tabulari. The ship’s automated systems obeyed the commands and brought the ship into a steeper descent to the Nascio land port seventy miles closer.
“So this is Tarpeius’s reward for staying out of the rebellion,” Cordus said.
“Or punishment. The ‘Reantium Liberation Collegium’ is likely bitter he didn’t use his considerable resources to drive the Romans out.”
“Should we be worried?”
Kaeso looked at Cordus wryly. “Just don’t tell anyone who you are.”
“Great.”
“The Centuriae is right,” Nestor said. “The worlds that rebelled against the Republic all wanted one thing: independence. Most desire membership in the Lost Worlds, so they try very hard to remain friendly to non-Romans. As long as we stick with our usual cover stories, we will be fine. The post-rebellion worlds we’ve visited so far have treated us like pontiffs.”
Cordus wished Kaeso and Nestor’s words reassured him, but they didn’t. Terrible uneasiness spread from his gut. He hadn’t felt this nervous since he escaped Terra six years ago. He noticed Kaeso also seemed tense. His brows furrowed as he scrolled through planetary news feeds on his tabulari.
This is what it’s like to be in danger. Get used to it.
Nascio flight control hailed the ship and then took control of their landing process. Cordus was already uneasy over the dead way station and change in spaceports, so letting an unknown flight controller fly the ship made him bite his lip.
Cordus looked out the command deck windows at the Nascio spaceport. Few ships were parked around the port, mostly shuttles and air flyers. Four block-shaped hangars with the iconic Roman red-tiled roofs were spread across the port, and a small control tower stood near the edge of the concrete landing pads.
Nascio flight control set Vacuna down on a pad with a slight bump. As soon as the ship landed, controls came back to Cordus’s tabulari, so he powered down the engines and the inertia/grav fields. Cordus felt lighter, as Reantium’s gravity was 0.95 T.
Should make self-defense a bit easier , he thought warily.
The ship’s external com chimed from a local voice network.
“This is Vacuna ,” Cordus answered.
“ Vacuna ,” a Germanic male voice said, “I am Uller Mus, chief slave in the House of Aulus Tarpeius. I have a ground car waiting to take you to my dominar’s villa. I am on the southeastern corner of the port and will be holding a sign with your ship’s name.”
Kaeso reached over and thumbed the “mute” button. He then tapped his collar com. “Blaesus, did you hear that?”
“I did,” Blaesus said, “and I know Uller Mus very well. He’s a dour man, though efficient and capable.”
“So you do recognize his voice?” Kaeso pressed.
“It certainly sounded like the grumpy old dog.”
Kaeso turned off the “mute” and nodded to Cordus. Cordus said, “Thank you, Uller Mus. We will meet you in ten minutes.”
“Acknowledged, Vacuna .” The transmission ended.
Cordus unbuckled himself from his couch. Kaeso did the same, still frowning.
“You don’t trust this Uller Mus?” Cordus asked.
“Not that,” Kaeso said. “It bothers me how easily Tarpeius gave up his spaceport to the new government. He has a private legion to protect his holdings and security systems better than even the Roman garrisons. They’d have no trouble fighting off a revolutionary mob. What made him give up so easily?”
Nestor had already unbuckled himself and stood near the command deck ladder. “The ‘mob’ overthrew the Roman garrisons, so maybe they’re more powerful than they seem?”
“Maybe,” Kaeso conceded. “But all the combined Roman garrisons on Reantium barely added up to a legion, and they were spread across the planet. A frenzied mob could take down individual cohorts, but not a well-supplied legion like Tarpeius’s.” Kaeso looked at Cordus. “Whatever
Cordus entered the new coordinates into the tabulari. The ship’s automated systems obeyed the commands and brought the ship into a steeper descent to the Nascio land port seventy miles closer.
“So this is Tarpeius’s reward for staying out of the rebellion,” Cordus said.
“Or punishment. The ‘Reantium Liberation Collegium’ is likely bitter he didn’t use his considerable resources to drive the Romans out.”
“Should we be worried?”
Kaeso looked at Cordus wryly. “Just don’t tell anyone who you are.”
“Great.”
“The Centuriae is right,” Nestor said. “The worlds that rebelled against the Republic all wanted one thing: independence. Most desire membership in the Lost Worlds, so they try very hard to remain friendly to non-Romans. As long as we stick with our usual cover stories, we will be fine. The post-rebellion worlds we’ve visited so far have treated us like pontiffs.”
Cordus wished Kaeso and Nestor’s words reassured him, but they didn’t. Terrible uneasiness spread from his gut. He hadn’t felt this nervous since he escaped Terra six years ago. He noticed Kaeso also seemed tense. His brows furrowed as he scrolled through planetary news feeds on his tabulari.
This is what it’s like to be in danger. Get used to it.
Nascio flight control hailed the ship and then took control of their landing process. Cordus was already uneasy over the dead way station and change in spaceports, so letting an unknown flight controller fly the ship made him bite his lip.
Cordus looked out the command deck windows at the Nascio spaceport. Few ships were parked around the port, mostly shuttles and air flyers. Four block-shaped hangars with the iconic Roman red-tiled roofs were spread across the port, and a small control tower stood near the edge of the concrete landing pads.
Nascio flight control set Vacuna down on a pad with a slight bump. As soon as the ship landed, controls came back to Cordus’s tabulari, so he powered down the engines and the inertia/grav fields. Cordus felt lighter, as Reantium’s gravity was 0.95 T.
Should make self-defense a bit easier , he thought warily.
The ship’s external com chimed from a local voice network.
“This is Vacuna ,” Cordus answered.
“ Vacuna ,” a Germanic male voice said, “I am Uller Mus, chief slave in the House of Aulus Tarpeius. I have a ground car waiting to take you to my dominar’s villa. I am on the southeastern corner of the port and will be holding a sign with your ship’s name.”
Kaeso reached over and thumbed the “mute” button. He then tapped his collar com. “Blaesus, did you hear that?”
“I did,” Blaesus said, “and I know Uller Mus very well. He’s a dour man, though efficient and capable.”
“So you do recognize his voice?” Kaeso pressed.
“It certainly sounded like the grumpy old dog.”
Kaeso turned off the “mute” and nodded to Cordus. Cordus said, “Thank you, Uller Mus. We will meet you in ten minutes.”
“Acknowledged, Vacuna .” The transmission ended.
Cordus unbuckled himself from his couch. Kaeso did the same, still frowning.
“You don’t trust this Uller Mus?” Cordus asked.
“Not that,” Kaeso said. “It bothers me how easily Tarpeius gave up his spaceport to the new government. He has a private legion to protect his holdings and security systems better than even the Roman garrisons. They’d have no trouble fighting off a revolutionary mob. What made him give up so easily?”
Nestor had already unbuckled himself and stood near the command deck ladder. “The ‘mob’ overthrew the Roman garrisons, so maybe they’re more powerful than they seem?”
“Maybe,” Kaeso conceded. “But all the combined Roman garrisons on Reantium barely added up to a legion, and they were spread across the planet. A frenzied mob could take down individual cohorts, but not a well-supplied legion like Tarpeius’s.” Kaeso looked at Cordus. “Whatever
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