A waypoint appeared on my HUD, marking the largest member of the three parasites. "Forty sheks on that guy doing the warm-up katas," Kar said gleefully. "They call him Naj-Zero, I hear. Cocky scrof. Zindal says he's already had a piece of the big guy."
I waited a heartbeat before answering. "What about Lieutenant Galdis?"
"No problem there. He went back to Skyrholm for the evening to visit his family. Just relax and enjoy the show." Convenient, I thought. "OK," I said after pretending to think it over. "I take the big man. He want revenge. Like me."
"Good choice. He's a mean one. Been doing our job for us, keeping the butchers in line."
Habit took over. I triggered my armor's onboard camera and patched it into my Command Circuit to record the fight. "We watch it again," I sent to Kal. I'd be able to analyze it at my leisure later, meaning I could enjoy it to the fullest right then.
"Brilliant, Bax! I'll route the feed into some of the other CCs. I bet a lot of us would enjoy watching these guys tear each other up."
The fight started a couple of minutes later. The defiant one fought well, and his smaller friend was surprisingly fierce. But they were outnumbered and outfought. They went two to one on the smaller one and beat him while the Pig fended off the defiant one. This seemed to drive the defiant one mad. He attacked the Pig like a demon and managed to get around him and strike at the other two. He fought with an unorthodox style, one I hadn't seen used by any of the Starwolf. Neither of the other Blood Eagle used it. Whatever it was, it was effective. He laid the two men out on the ice with dispatch and bent to help his friend, who I knew was probably beyond saving thanks to a broken neck.
It was a fatal mistake for this "Naj-Zero." The Pig kicked him down and seized him. They struggled, but the big one was clearly the stronger. One of the other two parasites staggered to his feet and moved in for the kill. The third parasite didn't move.
I approved. The Command Circuit was active with yells and bets traded back and forth. I almost felt genuine cameraderie for Kar and my fellow guards in that instant. They had given me the opportunity to witness Blood Eagle infighting technique firsthand, which satisfied my genetically programmed curiosity, though I still wanted to see more of that circular technique the defiant one had used.
But then the girl ruined the moment. A female warrior in peltast armor dropped right into the middle of the camp, jets flaring. Before any of us could react, she swatted away the second parasite and ordered the Pig to let the defiant one go.
The Command Circuit exploded in chatter and shouting as guards moved in to clean up the mess. Disgusted, I muted everyone and cut the recording. I felt cheated.
Apair of turbograv transports came out of the sky to hover at a respectful height. The girl stiffened and snapped to attention as everyone else herded the Blood Eagle prisoners inside. Kar jetted over and landed next to me a few minutes later, his expression tense.
"Are we in trouble?" I asked, not really caring.
He hissed angrily, a gout of vapor frosting the air between us. "Dark, yeah, but not as much as that idiot newblood over there. By the Great Wolf, her friends say she has a soft spot for butchers! Can you believe it?"
I let a growl rise from my gut. "Stupid girl!"
"Yeah. Ah Dark, here comes the hunchin' CO. Now the disk is gonna blow."
The Lieutenant entered the camp riding a grav cycle and wearing immaculate Hoplite armor that shone a dazzling ice blue as he swung off the cycle and strode over to where Sergeant Zindal doubtless wished fervently he were far away on the other side of Ymir. Explanations were made, the Sergeant pointing here and there as he related what had happened. Kar and a few others wanted to eavesdrop via the CC, but nobody wanted to risk Gandis's wrath.
Finally, Gandis nodded curtly.
"Warrior Bax, front and center," his dry voice ordered in my ear.
I jumped down and over to him on the bounce. He turned to face me. His face looked sour. "I understand you were not involved in arranging this...hunch-up, Warrior. Correct?"
"Yessir. But I made a bet." I let my face hint at a hangdog expression.
"So did half the muster from here to near orbit," he said. "I'm not concerned about that right now. It seems all the excitement has gotten us noticed. We have received an unusual request from on high."
"Sir?"
"Yes, it seems we're to pull out the two principals in this brawl and equip them with Blood Eagle SCARABS. Then we send them up the gravity well."
"What? We let 'em go?"
Gandis sounded bitter enough to spit acid. "Hardly. It seems they have a personal invitation to 'spar' with the Ur-Warlord."
Spar? By the Bloodsoul, if the stories were true about DiVaragas and her private duels, those two Blood Eagle were dead meat! I was flabbergasted, but the opportunist in my makeup leaped at the opportunity. If I could get close to DiVaragas herself--!
"I escort them, sir!" For once, my enthusiasm was completely honest.
He smiled tiredly. "That's what I had in mind. It's a chance for you to get out of here for a couple of days but stay busy. There'll be a couple of softshells along, though you shouldn't need them. The B-E suits will have inhibitor bolts placed until the 'sparring' begins."
His face darkened. "I'll send that fool newblood girl along, too. She might learn something from you."
A smile crept out. I couldn't help it.
First Ursula DiVaragas, then the Starwolf girl. For dessert.
