AMP Siege Read Online Free Page A

been a smart-ass this whole time. I've been dealing with one of those all morning."
    Ashley replied, "How is Frig?"
    I shook my head. "As sarcastic as ever. And I will have to admit that I liked it!"
    The Duke spoke. "This Frig is your friend, Don Grange? Friends can sometimes be a thorn in your side in the name of comedy. I believe the translation of comity was somehow transposed. I have found it an interesting trait in many cultures."
    I looked at the Duke's head and replied, "Somehow I don't see you as one who has had many friends, Duke. You are too polite. The one thing I am sure of with you is that you are always working an angle. You are a difficult ma... head to trust."
    The Duke spoke. "I will let you in on a little secret, Mr. Grange. I am not a Colossun. The Colossus Empire is of my doing, but I am not one of them."
    I replied, "We figured that out when your escorts bled and you didn't. You always seem to be in the planning mode. When we kicked your fleet’s butt back there, I couldn't help but think we were somehow playing into your hands. I haven't figured you out yet, Duke, but the wife here, she is good at figuring these things out. I look forward to hearing what it is that she can squeeze out of you."
    The Duke smirked. "I look forward to the interrogation as well. The questions asked will be very telling of what your intentions are in this galaxy, Mr. Grange. I will have to say, though, I am very excited by what I have seen!"
    The Duke's eyes wiggled as a current was applied to the newly attached probe.
    Dr. Touchstone spoke. "Hmmm. I think we found the visual-motor link. Mr. Grange, could you attach this to the plug on that probe? I would like to see how much control we have over what the Duke sees."
    As I plugged in the small connector, the Duke’s eyes were looking up and to the right at me. There was no sense of worry or angst in them. Only an undeniable look of curiosity.
    The Duke spoke. "What is it, Mr. Grange? What troubles you?"
    I replied, "You just seem too eager for someone who is in for a long bout of poking and prodding. It isn't a natural reaction."
    The Duke smiled. "I am an open book, Mr. Grange. I look forward to seeing exactly how the good doctor gathers and makes use of the information I have to offer."
    I shook my head. "That is exactly what I'm talking about, Duke. Responses like that are not normal. They are just creepy. How about we change the subject. Tell me about how you came to be in power over the Colossuns. And don't gloss it over either. I want the down-and-dirty details."
    The Duke’s eyes again wiggled as another low-current signal was sent to the probe. "The Colossuns were a promising species at one time. They had conquered a dozen star systems through diplomacy. It was an unusual approach to empire building that I had not seen as being successful. I thought with a little molding, the Colossuns would be a formidable species. As it turns out, they have a docile side to them that is dominant. They are fierce warriors when they want to be, but they prefer quiet negotiations."
    Ashley stepped up. "Wait. This empire was not built in six hundred years or however long you say you have been living. Thousands of years is more like it. So, you lied about your age?"
    The Duke smiled. "Very good, Mrs. Grange. And yes, I have been around much longer than the Colossus Empire. I will leave it at that, as I wouldn't want to give away too much too soon."
    I spoke. "Those Verna you showed us pictures of, were they real?"
    The Duke replied, "They were very real, Mr. Grange. I suppose you are interested in how they came to be?"
    I replied, "We are very interested in that, Duke. You are aware of our own beginnings. Tell us about the Verna."
    The Duke was silent for a moment. "The Verna, Mr. Grange, were occupied by a species called the Serians. They were a warrior breed, but they were not altogether good at war. Their tactics were horribly inadequate for this galaxy, and it showed when they met