Fencer Read Online Free PDF Page A

once. The blade case flew off to one side and waited.
    She faced Kebril, her blade raised in salute. He engaged in the same salute, and with a nod, they engaged.
    Sparks flew as he pressed the advantage of height, but she was quicker, and she dodged his strikes, forcing him to waste energy in an effort to close in on her.
    “You are really quite good, Meena.” Kebril continued to advance with one arm tucked behind his back.
    She didn’t have a chance to take in his compliment. His sabre struck hers, and her weapon went flying through the air.
    She stood and blinked, stupefied. “What just happened?”
    The cool press of his blade was against her collarbone. “You lost. I have had a little more time to practice, and the nanites give me faster reflexes. I am afraid that you really have no chance against me until you bond to me.”
    Meena blinked again. “Why not?”
    “You aren’t a Genaran yet. My body repairs itself with every lunge, keeps acids that cause fatigue from building up, and because my system doesn’t degrade my reflexes, I always remain in peak condition.”
    “Are you spewing an advertisement for being a Genaran?” Meena laughed as he moved the blade to rest at his side.
    “Spewing lacks grace. I am merely pointing out the benefits. Now, shall we have breakfast?” He offered her his arm and whistled sharply. A bot picked up her sword and brought it to the box.
    He stowed their weapons and offered his arm once again. They walked into the crystal archway and through to an elaborate garden.
    Bots bustled everywhere with plates and covered trays. The swarm faded as Kebril led her to the table set up in the centre of the garden.
    “You are here alone?”
    He shrugged. “All Genarans make their own homes. The longer their lifespan, the more intricate their home.”
    She gave him a blank look.
    He grinned and shrugged. “I had some time on my hands.”
    “How do you make all this?” She gestured around her at the ornate arrangements of plants and rocks.
    “I enjoy gardening, and as for the other stuff, well, my brother is not the only one to inherit the extra nanite-producing gland. As the eldest, I was not allowed to engage in off-world daring, so I put my energies into my home.”
    “You did a wonderful job. It is beautiful.” The smells from the platters were teasing her. Her stomach made an alarming sound.
    Kebril grinned and reached out to take a roll, and as he broke off a piece and took a bite, she was free to eat.
    Protocol was annoying, but it was one of the first things that Meena had been forced to absorb when she left Earth. Dealing with alien races on a daily basis, knowing what was expected of her made her days easier and her transition to her new life very smooth.
    She reached for a roll and lifted one of the lids off the covered dishes while Kebril exposed the other two. Morning stew was popular with many races, and it appeared that the Genarans were no exception.
    Fruit, meat and mushrooms were paired with the rolls in a peculiar harmony. It took some getting used to, but if you were hungry enough, you ate it.
    Meena used fragments of the roll to pick up pieces of the stew, and she acknowledged that the blend of flavours reminded her of eating fruitcake with a taco.
    “You seem rather hungry.”
    “I skipped dinner. Drehl and Rhoda were loud, so I evacuated the area and spent time reading in the solarium.”
    Kebril chuckled. “Who sent you running, Rhoda or Drehl?”
    “Rhoda. She is very vocal.” Meena relaxed slightly as her body ceased clamouring for food.
    She was able to engage in a more decorous pace as she ate.
    “Yes, she is.”
    There was an uncomfortable pause, and Meena asked, “Did you program the bots?”
    “Yes. They are all crafted and run by my nanites.”
    She frowned. “How does that work?”
    “I send the orders, and they carry them out with my knowledge of geography and architecture with sensors that give them feedback to act independently.”
    Meena