Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor

the whole colony falls with us. We don’t have much of an army, just security guards and a whole bunch of volunteers, mostly refugees from settlements that have fallen. We can’t even arm all of them.
    We’ve never needed an army before. We were always too busy fighting the weather to fight each other.”
    “How has your army done in the field?” said Random. “I take it there have been direct clashes, army to army?”
    “Some,” said Savage. “We go out when there are lulls in the weather. People die, but nothing gets settled. We have the numbers and the training, but they have Shub. It’s all been… very inconclusive.”
    “Why hasn’t Golgotha sent you reinforcements?” said Random, frowning. “We asked,” said Savage.
    “They sent you two. Apparently we’re not very high on the priorities list. Everyone’s screaming for reinforcements right now, and we’re just another mining planet with a relatively small population.” “Just the two of us against an army of Ghost Warriors,” said Ruby. “My kind of odds.”
    “The trouble is, she’s not joking,” said Random. “Ignore her. I do, whenever possible. How much farther to the Council chambers?” “We’re almost there, sir Random.”
    “Anything else I ought to know?”
    Savage hesitated, and lowered his voice. “Watch yourself. The city Council has always done what it considers best… for the Council.” They walked the next few blocks in silence, each considering their own thoughts. Finally Savage stopped before an ugly, squat building apparently no different from any of the others, and led them through a series of surprisingly stringent security measures. Random was impressed. He still refused to give up his sword and gun when asked, though, and so did Ruby. No one was stupid enough to press the point. Savage knocked diffidently on a door with two armed guards, and a voice from within invited them to enter. Savage opened the door and then stood back to allow Random and Ruby to enter first. Random immediately strode in like he owned the place. He’d learned a long time ago never to appear polite or intimidated by local politicians. They just took advantage. Ruby was right there striding at his side, but in her case it was just natural arrogance. They found themselves in a reasonably large room that had been decorated by someone with an extensive budget and absolutely no taste. Ruby felt right at home. Random had no interest in his surroundings. He took one look at the five men sitting rather pompously behind the long ironwood table at the far end of the room, and came to a sudden stop. Ruby immediately stopped with him, one hand dropping automatically to her gun. Random glared at the man sitting in the middle of the group, and when he spoke, his voice was cold as death itself.
    “Andre de Lisle! What the hell are you doing here, you son of a bitch? Last I heard, you were rotting in a prison cell!”
    “It’s good to see you too, Random,” said de Lisle calmly. “It’s been a while since Cold Rock, hasn’t it?”
    A low growl of anger burst from Random’s lips, and suddenly he was surging forward across the gap that separated them. The guards that had followed him in went for their weapons, but Ruby had already turned to face them, gun in hand. They stood very still. de Lisle barely had time to shrink back in his chair before Random had crossed the room, hauled de Lisle up out of his chair, and held the big, muscular man dangling before him, his legs kicking helplessly in midair. The other Councillors made shocked noises but didn’t interfere. They weren’t stupid. Ruby made the guards drop their weapons and line up against a wall, while Random effortlessly held de Lisle aloft, glaring coldly into the man’s reddening face.
    “So,” said Ruby dryly, glancing over her shoulder, “I take it you two know each other.”
    “Oh, yes,” said Random, his voice cold and level and very dangerous. “This piece of pond scum used to run the mining interests on a planet called Cold Rock. Treated his people like shit. Paid them the lowest wages in that sector and dealt with any protests through whippings, brandings, and the occasional mass execution. He lived the good life while children starved. When I brought my rebellion to Cold Rock, he funded the army that opposed me. Not surprising. He ruled Cold Rock in all but name. After I was betrayed and captured, and my rebellion collapsed, he saw to it that my cell contained a