Good evening, and happy week before book reveal! I’ve officially hit 32,000 words in Steel Praetorian, so I’m almost to halfway of my normal book length. Yippie! Remember, pre-orders for Iron tribune are available through Amazon and Smashwords until Friday! And be sure to sign up for my awesome Facebook Release party this friday!
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Chalbys put up his hands in mock surrender. “Very well, Corbus, as you wish. I still say we remove her. Especially when she spends all her time with Janus anyways. Not like that man’s an open book, but what on earth could they be talking about?”
“I’ll leave you to figure that out, somehow.”
A sudden commotion off to the port side halted their discussion. A crewman raced to a speaking tube. He removed the stopper from the tube and shouted something down it. The words were snatched by the wind before Corbus could even move a dozen steps to hear them.
“What’s going on?” He shouted at a different crewman. The grizzled airman gave him a considering eye, before pointing at something in the distance.
“That’s an Imperial Patrol Vessel! They’re coming our way, at speed. The cap’n must decide whether to fight, run, or risk a boarding party.” By Pluto’s luck. He cursed silently before turning to inform his friends about their situation.
“All it takes is one nosy loyalist officer poking his head through those bundles of supplies to find the coins…We’ll be captured and probably dragged off to the nearest Imperial base for questioning… and execution.”
The same grizzled airman who had answered Corbus’ questions earlier came back over. “The cap’n wants you on the bridge, Domino Soca. Immediately.” With a sigh, Corbus tilted his head in thanks and headed below.
“What on earth have you brought down on me?” Captain Lombartio nearly shouted at him. Airmen raced this way and that, pulling out panel that disguised various arms lockers and portions of the ship. In no time at all, the wood and steel hallway had become a straight metallic surface, no room for hidden panels or compartments. The heaviest ballistae were disassembled and hidden below the floorboards, packed with bolts of cheap cloth to keep them from rattling. IF the situation hadn’t been so dire, it would have been fascinating to watch.
“You had better hope that this is an officer I’ve dealt with before. Or that your merchant story is true, domino Soca.” His look said volumes about how much he trusted Corbus. “Stay in your quarters until I have need of you.” He turned, dismissing them. There was nothing to do but wait like he said. Even Corbus knew that any Imperial airship larger than a postal courier would technically be able to out-fight a standard transport vessel such as the Avius. With all the upgrades, Corbus hadn’t been so sure, but by the captain’s attitude, fighting was the last thing on his mind.
Modern Papyrus 