Once
I was your acquaintance once. Oh, how I respected you then. Your poise and command ran through every communication like ribbons of gold in veins of quartz. Through courier and…
Trench Water
Artillery boomed, but to him it was no more noticeable than the rumble of distant thunder. He was used to it. He had grown used to it. Part of him…
Execution Day
The crunch of his boots on the morning frost was the only sound on the parade ground as the commissar strode before the gathered regiment. His face set as hard…
The Scream That Steals
Your time here is finished.She doesn’t respond. Her breath was ragged, still, shaky exhalations echoing in the darkness. There was a faint odour as she breathed out, lingering for a…
When the Curtains Fall
When the curtains fall, the Masque of the Crimson Edge do not congratulate themselves on their performance, nor do they head off in celebration as another troupe would do. Instead,…
No Mask Is Perfect
'She came here to beg for their lives!' the Commissar had chortled with delight.'She said that this world could be shared, that they would not trouble us!' He had spat…
The Traitor’s Portrait
Master Artisan Harland Kler had a special talent for capturing the true essence of a subject in oils. The newly-crowned Regent of Rudkan Tertius Hive had not been flattered by…
The Witch of Rig 7
By the time I step from the landing pad onto the swaying surface of Rig 7, a crowd has gathered to watch. It’s almost as if they’ve never seen a…
A Masterpiece of Mundanity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O-k7MwIT58 Two figures made their way down the street; the one in front strode with confidence, the one behind moved with the tell-tale crawl of a tracked servitor. They stopped…
The Summons
The summons came right after I had my connection ports flushed and cleansed. Half-groggy, with the ports still smelling of antiseptic and my neck feeling tender and sore, I made…