Empire & Ecolitan Read Online Free PDF

paint—old-fashioned watercolors. You know what these are…can I paint now? Sculpture, but it’s not the same.
    â€œNo, that bastard had to use lasers, had to. The Serianese threw high-speed torps. Dubnik put the screens back up. Didn’t tell the laser battery chief. That was me.”
    In spite of himself, the younger man winced. “You still here?”
    â€œYou see me, spacer. But you don’t. Half flesh, half synth. Better than not being here. Dubnik…he didn’t make it. Still spineless musclehead. Torps never even brushed the screens. Serianese couldn’t shoot then. Can’t now. That’s why they belong to the Fuards.”
    The spacer did not look away, but had nothing to say.
    The lock door had opened, and the first passenger out was a young woman in a Republic Interstellar glide chair guided by a man in the uniform of a steward, light gray, with green stripes down the sleeves and trouser seams.
    â€œShe’s a grav-field para,” announced the ex-technician.
    â€œAnything you don’t see, chief?”
    â€œNot much. Don’t call me chief. Call me anything; call me Arto. Hell-fired pun, but it’s my name.”
    â€œWhat about that woman sitting on the end over there, with the case by her feet? She really that muscular?”
    â€œLegs are. Shoulders, too, but she’s got something wrapped around her middle. Not much density. Sort of like rope, I’d guess.”
    â€œCernadine rope. Ship scan will pick that up.”
    â€œWon’t do anything. Cernadine’s legal on Haversol. Empire doesn’t care much about it anyway.”
    â€œDoes seem that way.” A hint of bitterness tinged the spacer’s words.
    â€œFor now, spacer.”
    â€œStow the spacer. Name’s White. Flitter driver—till I told a Special Op suicide wasn’t my department. His maybe.”
    â€œAnd you’re still here?” asked the older man ironically.
    â€œHe was easy on me. Lots of bruises, concussion, and a month in rehab. He didn’t like suicide either. Went off and did it, though.”
    â€œHim or you?”
    â€œI was out cold. He went. Didn’t come back. None of them did. Teryla two episode.”
    â€œHeard about it. Two men cashiered. Rest dead; one casualty before the drop.”
    â€œMe. Casualty. Career and respect.”
    â€œSounds like Haversol is just a transfer point.”
    â€œDoes, doesn’t it?”
    The last of the departing passengers left the Morgan . The door to the lock closed.
    â€œEmbarkation on the J. P. Morgan will begin in fifteen standard minutes. In fifteen minutes, those passengers holding gold status accommodations will be embarked.”
    â€œWonder how many of this group rates gold?” asked the younger spacer.
    â€œTo Haversol? Not many.”
    â€œWhat about the blonde? Sorry…the thinnish woman in the middle of the second row, the one sitting taller than the others?”
    â€œBuilt like a Special Operative herself, under all that fluff. Muscles like yours, just not quite as obvious. Has a plate in her shoulder, and some sort of metal behind her left eyes.”
    â€œProbably is a Special Op with all that.”
    â€œNot Imperial,” answered Arto. “Empire makes sure their boys got no metal anywhere. All plastics, if anything. Second, never saw a female Special Op. Fuards, Halstanis, Serianese—everyone else uses women. Best we do is commando corps. Should be the other way around. Bulk counts for commandos, doesn’t count near as much for undercover sneak and thief.”
    â€œWonder who?”
    â€œWith all those muscles and height, probably Halstani. One of their flamed sisters.”
    â€œCould be. Won’t the lock scanners catch her?”
    â€œSure. But the Empire’s not at war. So the crew just forgets she’s there. Just like the Fuardian and the Halstani flag lines forget about our ops, unless there’s