glance.
“Those are no hunting rifles. They are Carduchian Banduqia. You want to stay away from them.”
Xenophon raised his right arm slightly in salute.
“We bring greetings from...”
“Why do you bring war to our domain?” the Carduchian asked in angry tones.
The other four lowered their weapons and pointed them at the group. Artemas ignored them and pushed ahead so that she was an equal distance between both groups. They exchanged words that were far from pleasant. The arguments went back and forth several minutes.
“What’s the problem?” Tamara asked, “I thought Artemas had authority.”
Roxana shook her head.
“Nobody has authority out here. Carduchia might be part of the Empire, but the Medes don’t control this place. Last time an Imperial army came through they vanished.”
Tamara looked up to Xenophon.
“And you think this is safer than the Core Worlds?”
Artemas looked back at them and sighed.
“They were warned by agents of the Empire before we arrived. The Great King has been calling on Satrapies to send their tithes to the Core Worlds.”
“Why?” asked Roxana, “Because of us?”
Artemas shook her head.
“I don’t know, and they aren’t giving up the information. All I do know is that he says ships from every corner of the Empire are assembling for something big.”
Glaucon nodded toward Tamara.
“At least we know we chose the right course. The Core Worlds would have been a death warrant. Do you know how many ships the entire Empire can raise?”
Tamara said nothing, giving little away. Xenophon moved closer to the Carduchian leader and then turned his head to Artemas.
“What’s his name?”
“Hakim, he would give me no other details.”
Xenophon’s brow tightened. Hakim was a common enough name in these parts, but it told him nothing of his background, family, or position. He looked at Hakim and did his best to size him up. The clothing and weaponry suggested he was a Carduchian warrior, but the way the other four were subservient, suggested he was one of their leaders, if not the leader of the outpost.
“I am Xenophon, second-in-command of this expedition. We are on our way home and seek food and supplies. We would also...”
Hakim snapped back at him with few words. Artemas stepped closer to Xenophon and whispered into his right ear.
“He says he will not trade with bandits and mongrels from Terra. They will not be friends with the mercenaries.”
Glaucon went to his side, and two of the Carduchians grumbled at the sight of the weapon on his shoulder. He purposefully kept one hand well away from the deadly looking device. Hakim muttered and then spat on the floor as Artemas explained what they were saying.
“They don’t like us, but they like you even less.”
He nodded to Artemas.
“Didn’t they fight against the Empire?”
Xenophon looked to his friend and then to Artemas.
“He’s right. They are hardly your friends, are they?”
Artemas spoke quietly so that only Xenophon and Glaucon could hear.
“The Empire maintains control over this region, but they have never stationed military forces out here. Ships and soldiers just disappear weeks after arriving. There is an unwritten agreement. The Imperium stays out of Carduchian affairs, and Carduchia grants free passage to Imperial forces and a tithe of warriors in return.”
Xenophon and Glaucon must have come to the same idea at exactly the same moment because both began to speak. Glaucon stopped and indicated for his friend to continue.
“Perfect, so we might have a friend after all.”
Glaucon nodded, and Xenophon looked back at the Carduchians.
“We have just fought a battle against Artaxerxes and Tissaphernes. We fought them and beat them. That is why we have so many of their ships, prizes we took in battle.”
He waited as Artemas translated. The very mention of captured Median ships put a smile on Hakim’s face. He looked to Artemas and spoke just a few words.
“He said to go
“Those are no hunting rifles. They are Carduchian Banduqia. You want to stay away from them.”
Xenophon raised his right arm slightly in salute.
“We bring greetings from...”
“Why do you bring war to our domain?” the Carduchian asked in angry tones.
The other four lowered their weapons and pointed them at the group. Artemas ignored them and pushed ahead so that she was an equal distance between both groups. They exchanged words that were far from pleasant. The arguments went back and forth several minutes.
“What’s the problem?” Tamara asked, “I thought Artemas had authority.”
Roxana shook her head.
“Nobody has authority out here. Carduchia might be part of the Empire, but the Medes don’t control this place. Last time an Imperial army came through they vanished.”
Tamara looked up to Xenophon.
“And you think this is safer than the Core Worlds?”
Artemas looked back at them and sighed.
“They were warned by agents of the Empire before we arrived. The Great King has been calling on Satrapies to send their tithes to the Core Worlds.”
“Why?” asked Roxana, “Because of us?”
Artemas shook her head.
“I don’t know, and they aren’t giving up the information. All I do know is that he says ships from every corner of the Empire are assembling for something big.”
Glaucon nodded toward Tamara.
“At least we know we chose the right course. The Core Worlds would have been a death warrant. Do you know how many ships the entire Empire can raise?”
Tamara said nothing, giving little away. Xenophon moved closer to the Carduchian leader and then turned his head to Artemas.
“What’s his name?”
“Hakim, he would give me no other details.”
Xenophon’s brow tightened. Hakim was a common enough name in these parts, but it told him nothing of his background, family, or position. He looked at Hakim and did his best to size him up. The clothing and weaponry suggested he was a Carduchian warrior, but the way the other four were subservient, suggested he was one of their leaders, if not the leader of the outpost.
“I am Xenophon, second-in-command of this expedition. We are on our way home and seek food and supplies. We would also...”
Hakim snapped back at him with few words. Artemas stepped closer to Xenophon and whispered into his right ear.
“He says he will not trade with bandits and mongrels from Terra. They will not be friends with the mercenaries.”
Glaucon went to his side, and two of the Carduchians grumbled at the sight of the weapon on his shoulder. He purposefully kept one hand well away from the deadly looking device. Hakim muttered and then spat on the floor as Artemas explained what they were saying.
“They don’t like us, but they like you even less.”
He nodded to Artemas.
“Didn’t they fight against the Empire?”
Xenophon looked to his friend and then to Artemas.
“He’s right. They are hardly your friends, are they?”
Artemas spoke quietly so that only Xenophon and Glaucon could hear.
“The Empire maintains control over this region, but they have never stationed military forces out here. Ships and soldiers just disappear weeks after arriving. There is an unwritten agreement. The Imperium stays out of Carduchian affairs, and Carduchia grants free passage to Imperial forces and a tithe of warriors in return.”
Xenophon and Glaucon must have come to the same idea at exactly the same moment because both began to speak. Glaucon stopped and indicated for his friend to continue.
“Perfect, so we might have a friend after all.”
Glaucon nodded, and Xenophon looked back at the Carduchians.
“We have just fought a battle against Artaxerxes and Tissaphernes. We fought them and beat them. That is why we have so many of their ships, prizes we took in battle.”
He waited as Artemas translated. The very mention of captured Median ships put a smile on Hakim’s face. He looked to Artemas and spoke just a few words.
“He said to go
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