Dominion Read Online Free

identifying marks, even down to the chips in their skulls. Paul believed them to be allied to the Corps—probably Securitats, the security police who did most of the Corps’ dirty work.
    But back then these killers had been hiding themselves, disguising their advanced craft as rust buckets held together with scavenged parts, just as they had discarded any uniforms or insignia before commencing their assault. Now they had emerged from concealment: their ships were no longer flying under false colors, and they had attacked and destroyed Melos, the most important Military base in the Illyr system. If this was the work of the Corps, then civil war had surely broken out in the Illyri Empire. Paul just wanted to know for sure.
    Alis had already tried contacting the alien ship, but to no avail. Now Paul asked her to open a channel to the Illyri vessel trapped in the alien net.
    â€œThis is the Nomad ,” said Alis. “Calling unknown vessel off our stern. Identify yourself.”
    There was no reply. Paul took over from her.
    â€œThis is Lieutenant Paul Kerr of the Military Brigade vessel Nomad ,” he said. “Requesting formal identification of unknown Illyri craft, and confirmation of mission.”
    Now came contact, but it was not verbal. Two Illyri words, transmitted by the other ship, appeared on the cockpit screen. Paul’s Illyri was good enough to be able to understand the message, helped by the fact that it wasn’t very long, but he wasn’t sure if the other humans on board were fluent enough to translate it. Alis looked at Paul enquiringly, and he nodded.
    â€œSir, the message reads ‘Mission: Destroy.’ That is all.”
    â€œWell, that was helpful,” said Thula. “I’m glad we could clear it up.”
    â€œThey’re not very talkative, are they?” said Rizzo.
    â€œI think they still believe there might be a way out of this for them,” said Paul. “If I was their captain, right now I’d be trying to reroute the ship’s systems away from the central computer, and put as much of them under manual control as possible. Then as soon as that net, or whatever it is, comes down, I’d make a break for the wormhole.”
    â€œSo why aren’t we doing the same thing?” asked Thula.
    â€œBecause it has no hope of succeeding,” said Paul. “And also, I want to meet whatever is in that big alien ship.”
    â€œI’m guessing aliens,” said Thula. “Maybe big ones.”
    â€œSee?” said Paul. “You’re already becoming quite the expert.”
    â€œYou think they might be friendly?” Rizzo asked Paul.
    â€œThey haven’t killed us yet.”
    â€œBut nothing that entered this wormhole has ever come out again. Now I think we know why.”
    â€œYou see all the things you’re finding out?” said Thula to Rizzo. “Bet you’re glad you came now.”
    Rizzo threw a clipboard at him, but Paul didn’t notice. He realized that Syl had been quiet for a long time. He saw that she was standing close to the starboard hull, her right hand braced against it.
    â€œAlis,” said Paul. “Give me a view of our hull.”
    Alis brought up the outline of the Nomad on the screen. It showed four raised bumps where the alien scanners had locked on to the exterior. Syl’s right palm was directly beneath one of them.
    â€œSyl?” he asked.
    Syl lifted her free hand, signaling him to be quiet. Paul found the gesture more bemusing than irritating. He wondered if he should simply surrender his authority to her and go back to being a grunt. It would certainly make life a lot easier, and he’d have someone to blame when everything went wrong. He moved to her side, standing close but, as before, not touching her.
    Syl risked another mental exploration, reaching out to the alien ship ahead of them as the Nomad drew closer and closer to it. She did so cautiously, for the