Cluster Command: Crisis of Empire II (22 page)

The silence was broken first by Bethany. “Have you lost your
mind?
Why should she accept? They’re beating us. And if she does accept—she’s a monster. She’ll break you in half. Besides, her forces would never honor the deal even if by some miracle you won!”

“Oh, she’ll accept,” Merikur replied. “Rankoo is not just a monster, she’s a
lunatic
monster. She’ll think the lost time is a cheap price to pay. The chance to tear me apart in front of an audience will be irresistible.” Despite himself Merikur shuddered slightly. “She’s paying. We’re buying. Time.”

“Time for what?” asked Eitor.

“Time to breathe,” Merikur replied. “Time to resupply the forward bunkers. Time for hope, maybe.” He turned to Bethany, who had turned inward on herself. “Hey, you know, maybe I’ll give her a surprise. Could happen.”

Speechless, Bethany smiled bravely, falsely, at her second lost love.

The speaker snarled back to life. “General Merikur, I accept your offer of personal combat. On my home world, disputes are often settled in this manner. What weapons will we use?”

Merikur thought fast. Bethany was right. Rankoo could probably break him in half. In fact, she was probably counting on it. Repulsors were out, chances were they’d both wind up dead; and any sort of edged weapon would give her a bigger advantage. “Why, none, Manager Rankoo. I understand you stay in shape by practicing unarmed combat. I do likewise. We should be a perfect match.”

He used his free hand to hold the field glasses. “There’s a large bomb crater a hundred yards forward of your present position. I’ll meet you in the middle of it in five minutes.”

“Understood,” Rankoo replied and she was gone.

Orders were passed and, moments later, both outgoing and incoming fire dwindled away to nothing.

“I still don’t like it,” Bethany said desperately. “There’s got to be a better way.”

Merikur shrugged and placed a hand on her shoulder.
I love you, too.
Aloud he said, “Maybe so, but I’ll be damned if I know what it is. We’ve got the time we need to resupply the forward bunkers.

“Eitor, contact Major Fouts. I think she’s inspecting the western perimeter. Tell her what I’m doing, and tell her Rankoo agreed too easily, she’s up to something. I want her to find and stop it.

“Bethany, keep that lunatic Cado from shooting me in the back.”

“Count on it,” Bethany replied grimly as she worked the action on her auto repulsor. “All he has to do is
breathe
funny.”

“Good,” Merikur replied, stripping off his body armor and shirt. “See you shortly.” He gave her a salute, which was a good deal more jaunty than he felt, and strode off in the direction of the bomb crater.

The sky was cloudy. The raindrops felt cold as they splattered against his bare chest. Every sound, every sight, every smell was crisp and clear. After days in the command bunker, it felt good to do something himself instead of working through someone else.

By now, his marines had heard about the coming contest and were filtering out of their bunkers and fox holes in twos and threes, all drifting towards the crater. Merikur didn’t approve, but he’d have to let Fouts handle such matters.

As he passed through the marines, a cheer went up and he found himself smiling and nodding in response. This was something he hadn’t anticipated, a partisan crowd, and one which wouldn’t forget his performance, good or bad.

There were other spectators as well. Looking towards the far side of the giant crater, Merikur saw Rankoo and, behind her, a crowd of security troops also eager to see the match.

As he approached the edge of the crater and descended its steep sides in a series of short jumps, his AID said, “Well, your generalship, you’ve really done it this time.”

“Done what?”

“Been sucked into a no-win situation.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. As the old saying goes, if you don’t have something positive to say, don’t say anything at all.”

“Or as another old saying goes,” the AID replied, “bullshit. You don’t realize it yet . . . but I’m your secret weapon.”

Both were interrupted as Merikur reached the center of the crater and faced Rankoo. She wore a brown cape and a golden replica of the Haiken Maru logo at her throat. She reached up to touch it and the cape fell away. Rankoo wore an olive-drab bra and a pair of shorts under the cape. She was a beautiful woman, with breasts that were full, but not overfull, a narrow waist, and long slim legs. But Merikur barely noticed. All he saw was rippling muscle, a long reach, and steel-shod boots. Beating her wouldn’t be easy.

Not that it mattered. His troops didn’t need
him,
they needed ammo for the next round. And they’d have that ammo even though their late general lay in a bomb crater with his back broken . . .

A cheer went up from the security forces and was quickly matched by an answering cheer from the marines. The crater had become an amphitheater with seating all around the rim. Where the two groups came together bets were placed, insults were shouted, and rough laughter followed.

The carnival atmosphere would make a wonderful distraction for some sleight of hand. Merikur hoped Eitor and Fouts were paying close attention to the rest of the base. And then such thoughts were gone as Nola Rankoo claimed all of his attention.

“Prepare to die, General,” Rankoo said casually. It was clear she had no doubts about the outcome.

Merikur smiled, opening his mouth slightly as if getting ready to speak, and trapped her eyes with his. By the time she saw the kick, it was too close to avoid. Merikur’s right combat boot hit her in the stomach.

It was like kicking a cement wall.

Rankoo staggered backwards but didn’t fall. The marines cheered, but Merikur knew better. All he’d done was make her mad.

Rankoo came straight at him. Nothing subtle, nothing tricky, just a straight charge. Merikur went in to meet her and soon regretted his decision. She hit him three times before he was close enough to respond. Then, after his single ineffectual blow, she picked him up and threw him down. The impact knocked the breath out of him and blurred his vision.

Rankoo didn’t even bother to follow up. Instead, she stood there enjoying the cheers from her troops and the moans from Merikur’s marines.

“Nice moves,” his AID said cheerfully. “I assume you’re trying to make her overconfident. Keep it up. I think it’s working.”

“Screw you,” Merikur growled as he rolled over and got to his feet. Rankoo was about twenty feet away. He ran the first ten feet and dived into a series of forward somersaults just as Eitor had taught him. It had the desired effect.

Unsure of how to meet this unorthodox attack, Rankoo did nothing, which gave Merikur the opening he needed. He landed in front of her and clapped his hands Cernian style. Pain lanced through her head.

Rankoo brought her hands up towards the source of the pain. Merikur delivered two quick blows to her stomach and jumped back out of reach. A loud cheer went up from the marines.

As Rankoo moved forward, her eyes narrowed. Most opponents never hurt her at all. She didn’t approve of Merikur’s methods, but she was willing to wait. He could somersault all he liked, but eventually he’d tire, and then she’d break him in two.

###

Cado drifted along the edge of the crater like a ghost, stopping occasionally to watch the fight, but always moving on. Somewhere along the rim, he’d find the perfect spot. Finally, he found it, a place where a thick gathering of Haiken Maru security forces would shield him from view and where he’d have a good angle on Merikur. No one thought it unusual when he set up the tripod-mounted telescope. He was just another officer using his rank to get a better view of the fight.

###

Encouraged by his success, Merikur tried the same attack again. This time, Rankoo was ready for him. She accepted the twin blows to her head, grabbed him, and crushed him against her chest.

For one split second, he thought it was funny and then he began to suffocate.

“So hot-shot,” his AID inquired, “how are you doing now?”

“Just great,” Merikur subvocalized. “She’ll give up any second now.”

“Right,” his AID replied dryly. “Meanwhile, why not hurry things along? Go limp, then try for a head butt.”

Having no better idea, Merikur did as the AID suggested, going limp and lunging upwards as Rankoo loosened her grip. The top of his head made a solid thumping sound as it connected with her chin. Her eyes were slightly out of focus as she fell over backwards.

Merikur sucked oxygen and wondered if her jaw ached as much as his head did. If so, she was really hurting.

However, his AID was quite cheerful. “A successful ploy, was it not?”

“Yeah,” Merikur grunted under his breath, “a few more successes like that and she won’t need to kill me. I’ll kill myself.”

Both combatants edged through the rough floor of the crater. After two minutes of this, neither had closed to grapple.

Knowing he was there to buy time, Merikur was grateful for the big woman’s hesitation. Then, as if on signal, Rankoo’s actions became more determined.

###

Bethany had covered her body armor with a nondescript rain poncho. Gradually, she drifted away from the cheering marines and into the mob of security troops. By now a few marines had done likewise. No one gave her a second glance.

It took a while, but eventually she found Cado looking through his telescope and pretending to cheer. Fading into the surrounding crowd, she surreptitiously checked her auto repulsor and watched him from the corner of her eye.

###

“Watch out! She’s throwing a rock!”

Merikur dived to the side as a heavy object passed through the space he’d just occupied and thumped into the dirt beyond. It was a piece of bomb casing rather than a rock, but under the circumstances, Merikur decided to be magnanimous and ignore the AID’s mistake.

When Rankoo roared her anger and charged, he was still trying to get up. Her heavy boot caught him in the side and flipped him over. He rolled away and scrambled to his feet. The searing pain down his right side suggested broken ribs. If so, he was in deep trouble. No more trying to buy time; he needed to end the fight, and end it fast.

Rankoo charged once again, but tripped on the piece of bomb casing she’d just thrown and sprawled forward.

“Jump her!” the AID urged, and Merikur obeyed. He placed a knee on her spine, grabbed her hair, and pulled her head back. Rankoo tried to throw him off but failed. A little more pressure and her neck would snap like a dry stick.

###

Cado’s lips were drawn back in a snarl as he placed the cross hairs on Merikur’s back and armed the laser. The instrument in his hands was more than a fancy telescope. It was an industrial spot welder designed for situations in which the operator couldn’t or shouldn’t get too close to his work. It would slice through a man as if he weren’t there.

Bethany’s auto repulsor touched Cado’s right ear. “Hold,” she said, “or die.”

Cado’s finger was tightening on the firing stud when five shuttles roared in to hang over the compound. The sound of their drives nearly drowned out the voice which boomed through their external speakers.

“Attention below. This is Captain Von Oy, Pact Naval Forces, Cluster Command. By order of Governor Anthony Windsor, all Haiken Maru forces will lay down their arms and surrender. The alternative is death.”

###

Captain Yamaguchi’s wardroom was full to overflowing. A long buffet table was loaded with rich food. The bar was open and the buzz of conversation filled the air. Uniforms, both human and Cernian, dominated the room, but there were lots of bright civilian garb as well. Now that the battle was over and Windsor had won, the civilian population was eager to court the governor’s favor. They surrounded him like a flock of colorful birds vying to display their plumage.

Merikur had his own group of admirers. Some were genuine and some were false, but all smiled with equal enthusiasm. What with that, his uncomfortable dress uniform, his aching ribs, and his hatred for social situations, Merikur could have been quite unhappy. But he wasn’t. Much to his own surprise, he was having a good time. He’d won.

And then there was Bethany, a radiant presence at his side. She wore a gown of shimmering white and was easily the most beautiful woman in the room. In her, he had found the friend and lover he’d been waiting for all his life.

So Merikur was a happy man, though his eyes were a bit glazed, as Yamaguchi’s executive officer droned on about a recent control rod realignment to the ship’s main drives. Out of self-defense, Merikur’s mind drifted elsewhere, reviewing his present happiness and how it had come about.

Captain Von Oy had started work on the relief force as soon as Merikur’s ships emerged from hyperspace and radioed Augustine. By working his staff around the clock, Von Oy managed to round up three hundred marines, plus four hundred members of the local militia. They were loaded aboard a small fleet of ships and were ready to go within a few hours. Then, with Windsor pacing restlessly back and forth across the bridge of his flagship, Von Oy had blasted for Teller.

Faced with a fleet of warships, the Haiken Maru transports surrendered without firing a shot.

The subsequent arrival of Von Oy’s shuttles over the firebase was part luck and part Fouts. While Merikur fought Rankoo and Bethany watched Cado, Fouts worked on the assumption that the Haiken Maru had a trick up its sleeve.

Having carefully limited the number of marines allowed to watch the fight, Fouts ordered the rest to search the compound. Outside the razor ribbon, Jomu’s rebels did likewise.

It was the rebels who’d found the hidden shuttle and the company of Cernian regulars, moving in on the east side of the base.

The Cernians were badly outnumbered. The survivors surrendered after a brief fire fight.

Meanwhile, Von Oy’s fleet had dropped into orbit. Seeing a chance to end the conflict with an overwhelming show of force, Fouts requested five shuttles. The shuttles burned every reg in the books as they dropped through the atmosphere and swept in over the jungle.