Read Online Star Force: Penance (SF49) by Aer-ki Jyr - Free Book Online Page B

have their central dens here. Picking which one is the problem, along
with finding the right contact.”
    “So you’re saying we’re not busting down the door this
time?” Morgan asked sarcastically.
    “Knocking gently, then picking the lock,” Paul responded, still scouring their records on Scionate
society.
    “Why not pay a visit to both?” Kara asked, coming down
the ladder from above and standing on the small lower deck behind their seats.
    “Because they’re drastically different, and I’m not
sure which way we should go.”
    “Enlighten us,” Morgan said, swiveling her seat around
and leaning back.
    Paul sighed. “The first is Wennitan. They’re very
militant and have been at odds with the ruling bloodline over their reluctance
to claim a place on the front lines fighting the lizards, Skarrons, or anyone
else threatening the ADZ. We just killed a whole lot of their kin, so not sure
how happy they’re going to be about that.”
    “The second is Grisst. They’re brokers, playing
Davis’s game and playing it well. They’re in agreement with the defensive
assist policy that the ruling den has been using, preferring to wage war in the
ADZ economically and keep their military as an ace in the hole. They’ve been an
ally of Vensiol for several hundred years, but they’re considered to be the
wisest and most farseeing of the bloodlines.”
    “And the others?” Morgan
asked.
    “Less viable candidates, in my opinion, but you’re
free to look through the data yourself.”
    “I’ll take your word for it, but just remember that
our files aren’t going to be the best.”
    “I know , we’re going to have
to play this by ear and possibly work through several bloodlines before we find
an acceptable one. I’m just not sure where to start.”
    “Start with the ally,” Kara suggested. “That way we
can gage the level of discontent.”
    Morgan shrugged. “Sounds fine to me. I just don’t want to waste time sitting here discussing it.”
    Paul set the datapad down and pulled back on his black
armored gloves, clicking them into the arms of his body armor before grabbing
his helmet and sending Morgan and Kara the waypoint he’d already stored. “Let’s
go.”
    The three of them left the V’kit’no’sat gunship in the
middle of the city’s night cycle, making it much easier to move around without
attracting notice as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop with Kara keeping pace
with them rather than flying off to do her own thing. The trio quietly made
their way across the city to the location where the Grisst den was
located…which was a good hike away from where they’d landed, for it was located
in the densest part of the city and they’d had to park in a more industrial
section with less eyes around.
    The Grisst den was completely different than the
ruling one. Instead of a sprawling, low level facility this one was a thick
tower rising up above all the other buildings…save for three other similar
towers marking rival dens, none of which were built directly next to one
another. There were thousands of Scionate bloodlines, with most having their
central dens on the capitol world, so there were plenty of options for the
Archons to pick from, with Paul knowing they needed to talk to one that had
roots and a powerbase on planet rather than one of the more powerful
rivals/exiles that dominated other worlds in Scionate territory.
    “Kara?” Paul asked as they stared at the far building
across the city lights.
    “I see several options. My choice would be a window
two thirds of the way up.”
    “Not exactly a quiet entrance,” Morgan commented.
    “It will be,” Kara differed, “if you wait here for a
few minutes.”
    “Go,” Paul said, with her flying off across the night
directly towards the building with the other two Archons following her with
their HUD. She shrank to a dot that disappeared from view save for the zoom
function that Morgan was using to follow her, though Paul knew Kara’s