Read Legion for Free Online Page A

sharpened by the digital overlay of the cryptogrammics, but there was no mistaking Honen Mu’s spiky attitude.
    ‘It’s not, uxor. Trust me and listen. I’ve got a body here. I’m pretty convinced it’s a Nurthene infiltrator, surgically altered. I think we’ve been compromised. Requesting your advice, stop.’
    A pause. ‘Give me more information to work with, Bronzi, stop.’
    ‘Uxor, I think this stiff needs to be examined by tech-adepts, a full work-up. We could be looking at a huge security breach. I’m thinking, maybe to scare up a lifter to my position, and I’ll baby-sit the specimen up to the fleet, stop.’
    ‘Stand by, Joker Lord, stop.’
    Bronzi lowered the speaker horn. ‘She’s wary,’ he said.
    ‘Can you blame her, Hurt?’ Soneka asked. ‘The number of pranks you’ve pulled over the years?’
    They were both beginning to sweat, despite the night chill. The massive voxcaster rig kicked out a fug of heat exhaust, and the air in the chamber was close.
    They waited for over five minutes, so long that Soneka began to pace. Then the vox cycled up again.
    ‘Joker Lord, Joker Lord, this is CR23, respond, stop.’
    Bronzi picked up the horn and waited until all five green lights on the console had re-lit, indicating full-strength cryptogrammics.
    ‘CR23, this is Joker Lord, stop.’
    ‘What is your position, Bronzi, stop?’
    ‘CR345, uxor, stop.’
    ‘Listen to me, Bronzi. I can’t risk an air extraction from where you are. There are some details I can’t go into, even via encrypt. Suggest you get transport and move fast and light. I’m checking the charts now… Yes, leave Tel Khat and head west along the Sarmak Trail. If you don’t mess around, you should be able to get to CR8291 by dawn. I’ll divert a cavalry squadron to pick you up there and escort you in. Did you get all that, stop?’
    Bronzi nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. ‘Understood, uxor, stop.’
    ‘Is this workable, Bronzi, stop?’
    ‘Absolutely, stop,’ Bronzi replied.
    The link leaked out an ambient hiss for a moment. ‘CR23? Bronzi? I need you to tell me who knows about this, stop.’
    ‘Say again, stop?’
    ‘Who knows the details of this incident, het, stop?’
    Bronzi frowned. ‘Me, the post commander, the duty medicae, maybe a couple of staffers, stop.’
    ‘Understood, thank you. I’m sorry, Bronzi, but we need to keep this close for now. Are you ready to move, stop?’
    ‘Yes, uxor. Joker Lord out.’
    The lights went out and the hissing died away. Bronzi threw the voxcaster’s power-down switches and got up.
    ‘All right then,’ he said.
    ‘Why didn’t you mention me?’ Soneka asked.
    ‘What?’
    ‘When she asked who knew, why didn’t you mention my name?’
    ‘Because you’re staying here,’ Bronzi told him.
    B RONZI HAD A few words with Koslov, and a pair of Crimean noncombatants were sent to bring a transport up from the hard standing behind the main dwelling cluster of Visages. Then Bronzi strode off to the billet he’d been given. Soneka followed him.
    ‘What do you mean I’m staying here?’ Soneka asked as Bronzi quickly repacked his haversack. ‘Don’t start.’
    ‘Bronzi?’ There was a warning tone in Soneka’s inflection. Bronzi stopped what he was doing and looked around at his old friend.
    ‘Was it just me, or did Mu sound seriously weird?’
    ‘She was just being wary. I said that.’
    Bronzi shook his head. ‘Something’s up. I need you to be my joker, Peto.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘My ace in the hole. If anything goes wrong, you’ll still know what I know. That’s why you’re staying here.’
    ‘Nothing’s going to go wrong,’ said Soneka.
    Bronzi laughed. ‘How many years have we been soldiers, Peto?’
    ‘Enough to know that covering your arse is never a waste of time,’ Soneka replied. He shook his head. ‘We’re worrying about nothing.’
    ‘No,’ said Bronzi. ‘We’ve found ourselves in a war of lies, disguise and dissembling. We’re