Thakur-na A Terran Empire story

Excerpt

Sandeman, 2624 CE

It was midafternoon before Dana's hunger overcame her excitement at being on Sandeman, hiking with her chosen lord—her thakur, in the Sandeman term she preferred—and trying to track a balik. She hadn't gotten within two hundred meters of the wolflike predator, and had finally realized she wasn't going to, so the two found a small clearing with bare rocks which made decent seating. Jason dug hot-cans of trail food out of his hiking pack, Dana did the same with cold-cans of fortified milk, and they sat eating and drinking in silence. They were putting the empty cans back in their packs when Dana began looking around, frowning.

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"I thought I heard something … brushing against branches, snow falling … but no other predators would invade a balik's territory, and it's probably kilometers away by now."

"Other tourists, maybe. Clan Torrance is supposed to have a hunting party in the area, but they aren't due till tomorrow noon."

Dana made a face. "I was hoping we wouldn't see anyone else till we got to the pickup point."

"So was I—but not even I can have everything my own way all the time."

"No," Dana agreed with a chuckle, "you just come close. Maybe if we leave now?"

"I think it's too late." Jason stood as half a dozen men entered the clearing. "Good afternoon, gentles."

"Not for you it isn't," the obvious leader said. "You don't go anywhere without a couple thousand credits petty cash, Mister Jason—hand it over."

"In the mountains?" Jason laughed. "Not even I carry cash where there's nothing to buy and no bodyguards."

"Like hell," the leader said pleasantly. "Hand it over, Jason, or we take it out of your hide."

"I told you, I don't have anything to hand over."

"Then we'll take what you don't have." The leader gave a hand signal, and his men surrounded Jason. He grunted and swore at them, his voice holding a mixture of disgusted anger and pain.

"NO!" Dana shouted, jumping on the back of one man and wrapping her left arm around his throat, her right hand against the back of his head, her left reaching for her right elbow for a neck-breaking hold.

She was pulled off before she could complete it, held securely despite her struggles while the attackers gave her thakur a fast frisking.

"Hell, he was telling the truth," the leader finally said in disgust. "No trace of a wallet or anything that'd hold that kind of cash." He backhanded Jason, almost casually. "You've been one hell of a lot of trouble, Jason, for no return. Want to try convincing us we shouldn't kill you for it?"

"You can't kill him!" Dana exclaimed, horrified. "He's— You just can't!" She took a deep breath; these men would need more than her emotions to discourage them. "Jason Interstellar's Security people wouldn't quit till they found you, and they'd make sure you were punished."

One of the two holding her fondled her roughly. "Maybe have some fun with the fem before we kill both of 'em, Ca—Boss?"

Dana was too angry to be frightened; she twisted to give him a scornful look, then glared at the leader, who gave her a frightening smile before he pointed to two of his men....