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Hundred Three - PLANET BYRON
The Dodvalian knew that the question was a matter of form and shook his head. "No, but thank you for asking. May I be blunt?"
"Please", Doug Douglas replied fervently. "You can't imagine how good that sounds. Tell me something - anything - so long at its true". No wonder it was this human who beat us, Xian Karrh thought to himself. He thinks as we do. "It shall be as you suggest", the Dodvalian said out loud. "A cabal consisting of certain humans, the Clone Hegemony, and the Midvalians are working to weaken the Confederacy, circumvent its powers, and confiscate worlds under its protection. Earth was first... others will follow. Some belong to the Dodvalian people".Doug Douglas sat bolt upright. "Can you prove that?" "Yes", the Dodvalian said grimly. "I certainly can". It took the better part of two hours to review the data that the Dodvalian had intercepted and decide what to do with it. When Xian Karrh left, DoRelated chapters
HALF BREED Hundred Four - PLANET BYRON
Six stared into the Midvalian's compound eyes. "All three of which belong to the Dodvalian.""All three of which were taken by the Dodvalians", Vaano countered, "after the slaughter of their indigenous populations".Six could almost see the events unfold. Ambassador Xian Karrh would protest, hearing would be scheduled, and the process would last for years. Meanwhile, the Midvalians would colonize the worlds, and once in place would be nearly impossible to dislodge.The situation was hopeless. He wondered if the Triad of One knew about these machinations, concluded that they must, and wondered why his instructions remained unchanged. Could there be a schism of some sort? A disagreement at the highest levels? That was the weakness of tripartite leadership - the need for eternal consensus.Ishimoto-Seven saw the look in his brother's eyes and smiled. "So, Stanley, what will it be? Will you give the speech? Or take a fall down a ladder? The choice is your".
HALF BREED Hundred Five - PLANET BYRON
The chamber was packed to overflowing with politicians, all happy to vote on something popular, all primping, preening and posing for the various cameras, eager to show constituents how effective they were.He was originally slated to speak following eighteen of his more senior colleagues, but Stanley Ishimoto-Six suddenly found himself in slot number three, right after the representative from Byron. Vaano had influence, a lot of it, and knew how to use it.Though known for his long and often convoluted oratory, the first speaker seemed unusually brief, as was the senator from Byron. He participated via holo and extolled the virtues of low taxes, low unemployment, and low tariffs for manufactured goods. Especially his.That's when Six heard his name, managed the walk to the podium, and looked out onto an ocean of snouts, tentacles, and a considerable number of optical organs - two of which were black and belonged to Senator Vaano. Ishimoto-Seven, along with Sandral Usmos, s
HALF BREED Hundred Six - PLANET BYRON
A pair of security guards fastened shock cuffs onto the Midvalian's pincers and prodded him with their stun guns. Vaano had just descended the stairs and started up the aisle when Governor Sandral screamed an obscenity and tried to break free. A baton caught the human on the side of her head. She dropped like a rock.Ishimoto-Seven yelled, "Long live the Hegemony!" and Six went quietly. Yes, he was innocent, but they would never believe him, and it could be dangerous if they did. How much support did Seven have, anyway? The brig was preferable to a death sentence."Please consult your data terminals", Rackoon said as the prisoners were carried or led from the room. "A considerable amount of data has been downloaded to your terminals. I would appreciate your full and undivided attention as we review the facts".The presentation lasted the better part of two standard hours. It covered all the information uncovered by Xian Karrh plus that gathered by An
HALF BREED Hundred Seven - EARTH (DIVIDED)
A front moved in off the pacific, and rain fell on the city of Los Angeles. Not just a sprinkle or two, but a torrential downpour that flooded dry river beds, triggered mud slides, and boiled toward the sea.Water thundered along the top of the bus, streamed down the windows, and turned the streets to black glass. Brakes screeched as the autobus came to a halt.The other passengers didn't even look as Mary stood and headed for the door. It hissed open. She descended the steps, tucked the purse under her coat, and dashed for home. It was half a block to her apartment, a ground level unit with a door on the street. The palm plate felt cold. The eternally vigilant household computer unlocked the door, activated the lights, and waited for her to ask the question. "Message?""You have two messages", the computer intoned. "One from your mother, and one from an anonymous caller"."Caller ID?""Blocked"."Play number two", Mary said, as she draped her coat on a
HALF BREED Hundred Eighty - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Satisfied that most of the real police had left the building, Dom keyed his radio. "Palo? You there?"Palo looked down through dirty plexiglass. The yellow exoskeleton stood 126 feet tall and resembled a giant stick figure. He used an enormous grasper to place a half ton pallet of electroactive wallboard on the third floor of the quickly growing office complex, straighted his durasteel spine, and turned the machine's torso toward the east. Tiled rooftops stretched into the distance.The police station was two blocks away. He could see Dom and the others in the roof across the way. "I'm here.... Are you ready?""Ready and waiting", Dom replied. "Come on over".Once in place, the cranelike exoskeleton rarely moved its enormous podlike feet. That being the case, they were locked into position. Palo released the safeties, assured the machine's onboard computer that he done so intentionally, and stepped out onto the street. His right foot snagged the top of a steel fe
HALF BREED Hundred Nine - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Something, Huvy wasn't sure what, was definitely wrong. But before he could turn the car around, a heavily visored military police man waved the educator over and motioned him out of the car. That was when the nightmare began.The militiaman, a human in this case, examined Huvy's ID, checked his name off a list, and led him onto the school's grounds. A group of smooth faced robots stepped out of the way, and that's when the principal saw the fifty foot lengths of chain, the small ankle bracelets, and realized who they had been made for. The military policeman gestured to the shackles. The tone was casual, as if a matter of routine curiosity. "How many children can we actually expect? About five hundred or so?"Huvy started to answer, thought better of it, and closed his mouth.That's when the military policeman stepped in close, grabbed the front of the educator's shirt, and jerked the smaller man up onto his toes. "Listen, you little shit... which would you prefer? To answ
HALF BREED Hundred Ten - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Kenny sent a swarm of fly cameras to cover the event and ran it live. Citizens not only saw the video, but made their way to the express way, and lined both sides. Frantic parents responded as well. Many walked beside the road, or tried to, since abutments, on-ramps, and other obstacles made it difficult to do so.Others climbed the fences and ran out onto the express way itself. The militia had been waiting for that. An aircar swept in from the east, braked, and hovered above. Machine guns rattled, the civilians fell like wheat before a scythe, and blood stained the road.Children screamed, batons crackled, and the march continued.* * *Leshi Quinn stood at the center of the pit. The spotlights pinned him in place. The meeting had been called by old man Zuon. "... And so", the industrialist continued, "not only have we failed to see much return from this arrangement, our expenses continue to soar. Please explain".Quinn was standing there, wondering wh
HALF BREED Hundred Eleven - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Staff Sergeant Vista shouted, "Ten-hut!" Thousands of legionnaires crashed to attention, and Marco did likewise.Luton's voice boomed through the cavern's PA system. "At ease. We are gathered here to welcome a new commanding officer. Colonel Dooley Marco".An audible gasp was heard, servos whined, and Staff Sergeant Ward bellowed into the mike. "You are at ease! No talking. Corporal, take that soldier's name!"Nobody could tell who the sergeant had yelled at, and it didn't matter. What mattered was discipline, and it was intact.Luton continued, and as he spoke, Marco realized the comments were prerecorded. "Some of you are angry. You were betrayed by society, by the Independent Government, and now by me."Not because I doubt our ability to win, or the quality of our cause, but because we were wrong. If the a Legion is to be our country, it must be a just country, based on the rule of law and dedicated to more than its own survival".Luton paused, his v
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- HALF BREED Hundred Fourteen - EARTH (DIVIDED)
- HALF BREED Hundred Thirteen - EARTH (DIVIDED)
- HALF BREED Hundred Twelve - EARTH (DIVIDED)
- HALF BREED Hundred Eleven - EARTH (DIVIDED)
- HALF BREED Hundred Ten - EARTH (DIVIDED)
- HALF BREED Hundred Nine - EARTH (DIVIDED)
