Doctor Who_ Original Sin - Andy Lane [55]
‘Force wall,’ he said. ‘If we can find a way of deactivating it, we’ll attract quite a bit of fuss.’
‘You’ve created quite enough fuss already,’ a voice growled behind them.
Bernice turned, already knowing what she would find.
The four remaining Landsknechte stood behind them, guns raised. They didn’t look pleased.
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Chapter 7
‘I’m Evan Claple and this is The Empire Today , on the spot, on and off the Earth. Today’s headlines: controversy as the Rim World Alliance applies to leave the Empire. In a statement last night, Viscount Henson Farlander, aide-in-chief to the Empress, said that nobody leaves the Empire. An Imperial Landsknecht flotilla is already reported to be heading for the Rim. Also in the news today: the Tyled ambassador is murdered during an official reception at the Imperial Palace in orbit around Saturn, and fresh outbreaks of fighting on Allis Five, Heaven, Murtaugh and Riggs Alpha. Details after the break . . . ’
‘So,’ Cwej said with an unconvincing display of casualness, ‘what’s all this about hating the Falardi, then?’
They were standing at the end of the Goreki shuttle ramp, surrounded by Imperial Landsknechte whose weapons were, if not exactly trained on them, not exactly pointed harmlessly at the ground either. The shuttle itself sat forlornly upon Purgatory’s plasticrete landing surface, dwarfed by the Landsknechte ships around it. Its captain glared balefully at them from the cockpit.
Being a Gorekian, and having that race’s characteristic three glowing eyes, he could glare balefully better than almost anybody Forrester had ever met. He also had good reason. His ship was primarily a supply vessel on a short milk run. He hadn’t banked on having two extra passengers, and certainly hadn’t banked on being held up pending a refusal of entry.
As soon as they had landed the Adjudicators had asked to see the local security officer. The shuttle’s captain had been denied clearance to take off until Forrester and Cwej had been dealt with, and they had keen refused permission to leave the shuttle. They had pushed things as far as they could by standing on the edge of the disembarkation ramp, staring at the troops surrounding them. The sun glared down as balefully as the captain, so they had removed their robes and stood there, the light shining from their armour and into the Landsknechte’s eyes.
‘Don’t know what you mean,’ Forrester retorted. They were close enough to the edge of the spaceport segment that she could see the straight line separating it from the dusty red desert of whatever environment was next door.
Judging by the swirling atmosphere, it was fit only for bromine breathers.
95
Offhand, she couldn’t actually think of any races that breathed bromine, but she was sure that there must be some. Why train Landsknechte in a bromine environment otherwise?
A wry smile crossed her face. The Landsknechte didn’t need reasons for anything. If it was uncomfortable and unnecessary, that was reason enough.
Cwej had been speaking while she mused.
‘Sorry?’ she said.
‘I was just pointing out that you refused to talk to any of the Falardi on the ship. You let me do all the communicating.’
‘You’re so much better at it than me.’
He smiled in surprise. ‘Am I? Thanks!’
Rookies were so easy to please.
A formation of fighters roared high above their heads. Cwej turned to watch them pass, admiration shining in his eyes. With his golden fur, clear blue eyes and noble stance, he reminded Forrester of some of the Landsknechte recruit-ing posters from the war, although the moist black nose and erect, triangular ears spoiled the comparison somewhat. He’d have been too young to fight, of course, but she was sure that he wished he had. Unfulfilled dreams of glory: always a bad thing for a young man to have.
The fighters only reminded Forrester of the terror and the tedium of the occasional offworld raids on Earth during the Wars of Acquisition. She was still slightly claustrophobic as a result of too many nights in the deep shelters, and sometimes