Read Online Spirit of Empire 4: Sky Knights by Lawrence White - Free Book Online
Authors: Lawrence White
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studied Galborae, his eyes boring into the dark pools of Galborae’s eyes and missing nothing. His gaze moved down, taking in the neatly trimmed beard, so out of place here, and the blaster and stunner strapped to the man’s waist. Amazingly, Galborae’s old sword and belt crisscrossed beneath the standard weapons belt. His eyes took in the meld, Limam, then he turned and continued walking, motioning for Galborae to fall in beside him. Both men moved gracefully on heavy frames, but Galborae still listed to the side from old wounds.
“I know your story, but I don’t know you. We need to talk,” Havlock said.
“On the way to Tranxte?” Galborae asked hopefully.
“No. We’ll move as quickly as we can, but I will not rush things. I have to give serious consideration to what supplies we bring. Once we leave here, we’re light-years from support.” He looked to the ceiling, calculating, then said, “We’ll be ready to go in three weeks.”
He saw the glazed expression on Galborae’s face, but he misinterpreted it. “The time won’t be wasted.”
Galborae shook his head. “You don’t strike me as one to waste time. That part I understand.”
Havlock blinked, confused. He ran a hand through close-cropped dark hair that had recently begun turning a premature gray and asked , “What don’t you understand?”
“What’s a light-year? I get the impression it’s far.”
Havlock paused, his hard gaze softening as his eyes moved once again up and down Galborae’s body. “I’ve seen you on the firing range but we haven’t talked. Your aim is good and your stamina is acceptable considering your wounds. I think it’s time we got to know each other a little better. Actually . . . a lot better. I’m in command, but you have to show us around once we get there.”
“We’ll start with my home if I can find it,” Galborae answered with a frown, his eyes betraying an inner doubt.
“You don’t know where your home is? How did you get here?”
“I was rescued by a great warrior who was in service to a Knight. Until meeting them, I’d never been farther from my town than a gorlac could travel in one month.”
Havlock’s eyes went to the ceiling again as a hand rubbed unconsciously across the stubble on his chin. He was one of those unlucky people who always looked like he needed to shave, even right after shaving.
He lifted a communicator to his mouth and spoke . “Zac, I’m volunteering you for a new assignment. We’re shipping out. I need to see you.” He took Galborae’s arm and led him to a side office and waited while Limam crowded in with them. “Let’s talk,” he said. “Tell me about yourself.”
“I’m a knight. I answer to my liege lord, thence to the King.”
“How many knights are there?”
“When I left, just myself. Gleasons killed the others.”
“How many before the gleasons?”
“Three. Each of us had a squire, and we all had gorlacs and melds.”
“Melds?”
“Like Limam here,” he said, running his hand through the cat’s fur. “They mind-meld with us.”
“So only three knights on the planet?”
Galborae jerked visibly. “No! There were three knights in my town. Most towns have at least one knight. My king commands 72 knights. I’m told some kings command more, but I have not seen it with my own eyes.”
Havlock’s eyes narrowed. “There’s more than one king on your world?”
“There are. Probably many. I can’t speak with certainty. Until the Knight took me aboard her ship, I had no idea how large our world was. I still don’t fully grasp it. What I do understand is that gleasons are everywhere. We will have to kill each and every one of them, not just the ones near my town.”
Major Lebac found them. Havlock introduced Galborae to him and added, “I’m taking an advance force of 20 squads to Tranxte. Want to fight gleasons with me?”
Lebac’s jaw dropped in shock. “We’ve been gearing up to do it, but these are gleasons we’re
“I know your story, but I don’t know you. We need to talk,” Havlock said.
“On the way to Tranxte?” Galborae asked hopefully.
“No. We’ll move as quickly as we can, but I will not rush things. I have to give serious consideration to what supplies we bring. Once we leave here, we’re light-years from support.” He looked to the ceiling, calculating, then said, “We’ll be ready to go in three weeks.”
He saw the glazed expression on Galborae’s face, but he misinterpreted it. “The time won’t be wasted.”
Galborae shook his head. “You don’t strike me as one to waste time. That part I understand.”
Havlock blinked, confused. He ran a hand through close-cropped dark hair that had recently begun turning a premature gray and asked , “What don’t you understand?”
“What’s a light-year? I get the impression it’s far.”
Havlock paused, his hard gaze softening as his eyes moved once again up and down Galborae’s body. “I’ve seen you on the firing range but we haven’t talked. Your aim is good and your stamina is acceptable considering your wounds. I think it’s time we got to know each other a little better. Actually . . . a lot better. I’m in command, but you have to show us around once we get there.”
“We’ll start with my home if I can find it,” Galborae answered with a frown, his eyes betraying an inner doubt.
“You don’t know where your home is? How did you get here?”
“I was rescued by a great warrior who was in service to a Knight. Until meeting them, I’d never been farther from my town than a gorlac could travel in one month.”
Havlock’s eyes went to the ceiling again as a hand rubbed unconsciously across the stubble on his chin. He was one of those unlucky people who always looked like he needed to shave, even right after shaving.
He lifted a communicator to his mouth and spoke . “Zac, I’m volunteering you for a new assignment. We’re shipping out. I need to see you.” He took Galborae’s arm and led him to a side office and waited while Limam crowded in with them. “Let’s talk,” he said. “Tell me about yourself.”
“I’m a knight. I answer to my liege lord, thence to the King.”
“How many knights are there?”
“When I left, just myself. Gleasons killed the others.”
“How many before the gleasons?”
“Three. Each of us had a squire, and we all had gorlacs and melds.”
“Melds?”
“Like Limam here,” he said, running his hand through the cat’s fur. “They mind-meld with us.”
“So only three knights on the planet?”
Galborae jerked visibly. “No! There were three knights in my town. Most towns have at least one knight. My king commands 72 knights. I’m told some kings command more, but I have not seen it with my own eyes.”
Havlock’s eyes narrowed. “There’s more than one king on your world?”
“There are. Probably many. I can’t speak with certainty. Until the Knight took me aboard her ship, I had no idea how large our world was. I still don’t fully grasp it. What I do understand is that gleasons are everywhere. We will have to kill each and every one of them, not just the ones near my town.”
Major Lebac found them. Havlock introduced Galborae to him and added, “I’m taking an advance force of 20 squads to Tranxte. Want to fight gleasons with me?”
Lebac’s jaw dropped in shock. “We’ve been gearing up to do it, but these are gleasons we’re
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