New Dawn (Divine War Book 1) (2 page)

Glancing at Ausanne, he saw a tear trickle down her cheek, just one, and knew that she too knew that none of them would live to see another dawn. The Magi Lords didn't take prisoners. He, the captain, the princess, all would die here today, unless a miracle occurred.

Ausanne swallowed and opened her eyes.

“Thank you, Captain,” she said. “I hope only that our deaths are not in vain.”

Gundro again pulled himself to attention and saluted. “It's my greatest honour to serve you, Your Royal Highness.”

This time, Ausanne didn't dismiss him. With a trembling hand she returned his salute, holding herself still for a long moment before relaxing and exiting the bridge.

Somehow, the sure knowledge of their deaths, of what was going to happen, had cleared Ausanne's mind. Followed by a cursing Dan, she flew down the corridors of the ship. She had a mission, and she was damned if she was going to fail. What she needed was someone to deliver the package for her, and there was only one person who could do the job.
Well, ‘person’ is stretching the definition a little far
, she thought as she reached the door to her cabin.

Dan caught up with her just in time to catch her as she fell, the ship careering to one side as a huge explosion ricocheted off its hull. Again, Ausanne heard the men cheering. Her hands shaking, she managed to unlock her chamber and was still grasping the door as a roar echoed through the vessel and she tilted abruptly to starboard.

“Rammed,” said Dan, grimly.

Even as the dreadnought pushed itself into the smaller vessel, energy bolts began streaming through the ship, bouncing off walls or people. They exploded into small fireballs, and the cries of battle rang out through the corridors. Hastily, Ausanne pushed through the door, pulling Dan with her and slamming the cabin door closed behind her. They didn't have much time.

“Niku!” she cried, her eyes darting around the room but not seeing her beloved pet. “Niku!”

“Here,” said Dan, pointing at a small basket in the corner. “She slept through the whole thing.”

Ausanne glanced down at the small grey furball and shook her head in wonder. Niku was a Chamonkey and had been her soul mate since childhood. Ausanne hated what she had to do, but she knew that she had no choice in the matter.

“Niku, wake up,” she whispered, covering the small creature's body with her hand. “Wake up.”

The tiny animal sleepily opened large black eyes and stared up at Ausanne in confusion. “What's going on?” she asked.

“There's no time for explanations. We're under attack from a dreadnought.”

Niku's eyes opened wide in horror. “Magi Lord.”

“Yes, and Niku, I don't think we're going to survive this.”

The animal looked like she was about to speak, but Ausanne shook her head in irritation.

“I don't have time to argue with you, Niku. I need you to do something for me.”

Niku nodded, and Ausanne was already undoing the belt pocket and withdrawing the data disk. She pressed it into the Chamonkey's hand.

“Take this, find help to get home, and give it to Father. Let no one see it, and if you have to, destroy it. Do you understand, Niku?”

“Yes,” Niku said in a small voice. “I understand. And I will not fail you, my princess.”

Ausanne had to quickly blink away tears as she picked up the small animal and lifted her into the escape capsule that was mounted on the wall of her cabin.

“Godspeed, Niku,” she said as she closed the curved door.

Niku looked at her with wide eyes as Ausanne reached out to press the release button. And as the capsule detached and floated unnoticed into the ever-lightening sky, Ausanne whispered a prayer of safekeeping and sadly watched as her beloved Niku slowly flew into the dawn.

She took a deep breath and put her hand to the hilt of her sword, feeling the scream of metal against metal in her arm as she unsheathed it.

“And now,” she said, turning, “it's time for battle.”

Dan looked at his warrior princess and again felt the throb of failure deep in his gut. He knew he shouldn't speak, but he couldn't help himself. Rubbing a large hand against his lined, weary face, he gestured slightly to one side.

“There's another capsule, Princess,” he said quietly. “You don't have to fight. You too can go.”

He saw the fire in her eyes and knew that his battle had already been lost. But then, he'd known that even before he’d spoken.

“I will not dishonour my name,” she spat. “I will not leave my men here to die while I flee to safety. If you wish to insult me, Dan, then you shall be my first kill.”

She waved her sword threateningly at him, and he took a step back to dodge her quick weapon. Then he grinned at her.

“Very well, Princess,” he said. “Let us fight.”

He reached for the huge, double-bladed axe that hung from a rack on the wall, lifting it as though it weighed no more than a pillow. Hefting it thoughtfully, he turned to Ausanne.

“But I go first,” he said and activated the EM shield on the battle axe, which would allow him to parry off the energy bolt.

The corridor outside the room was charred and littered with bodies. To his satisfaction and pride, Dan saw that most of the dead were Black Knights, the feared soldiers of the Magi Lords. His men had done well here. An energy bolt whooshed down the corridor, skimming so close to them that they could feel its heat, before smashing into a wall and exploding. They could hear the cries of battle coming from not far away, and Dan braced himself before turning to the princess.

“Ready?” he said.

“Ready,” she responded.

And without looking back, he led her around the corner and into the heat of battle.

The ship's men were in phalanx, the front row of fighters equipped with portable plasma shields that could protect those behind from the searing energy bolts that flew around them.

“Men!” shouted Dan over the cries and screams and shouts. “To death!”

The phalanx parted, enveloping Dan and Ausanne into its dark centre, and the corridor vibrated with the cheers of the ship's crew.
Goddamn if they aren't enjoying this
, Ausanne thought.

She had never been in battle before, and the smells and stenches were unfamiliar to her. As too was the steady thrum of adrenaline through her body as she parried and stabbed and fought with the others to keep the phalanx moving forwards, to stop the Black Knights from getting past. Her arm ached with the weight of her sword, but still she pushed on, knowing that death was inevitable and welcoming it with every thrust of her weapon.

An energy bolt flew past her head, singeing her hair even as she ducked. And when she regained her balance, she saw that the bolt had hit the man to her left. Quickly, she sheathed her sword, catching him under the arms just as he was about to fall. The strict rectangular formation of the phalanx was already beginning to spread, as more and more Black Knights appeared, and it was easy for Ausanne to pull the young officer sideways and out of the line of fire.

Propping him up against a wall, she saw where the bolt had hit his armoured shoulder, and she knew that the armour itself was now super-heated and injuring him even further. Wrapping her hands in her cloak, she tugged at his armour, which ripped off with a sickening sucking sound that meant she had taken flesh as well as metal. Looking at the officer, she was grateful that he was still unconscious, but he wouldn't be for much longer. Desperately she searched the soldier's pockets for his pain annihilator, and after what seemed like forever, she found the small capsule. With hands slippery from the officer's blood, she managed to uncap the shot and plunge it deep into the meat of his thigh. When he woke up, if he woke up, he would feel nothing. And if the Gods were merciful, the Black Knights would think the man already dead and leave him to tell the story of the
Sanosis
.

Ausanne laid a hand on the officer's forehead, then took his bolt blaster from his hand. He had no use for it now. The bolt blaster had only five of the eight shots left. She searched his utility belt for extra energy cartridges. There were none. She would have to make do with the five and make them count.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Ausanne stood and surveyed the corridor. Dead soldiers from both sides were scattered around, and the phalanx had finally broken apart with too few men to sustain it now. Raising the bolt blaster, she fired through the open corridor, taking down five black-clad officers who were encroaching upon her men. One after another, the Black Knights fell; and, pleased that her marksmanship skills hadn't weakened, Ausanne tucked the blaster into her belt. No more men followed their fallen comrades, the flood of Black Knights seemed to have paused for a moment, and she saw Dan leaning on the handle of his axe. She was about to go to him when there was a flash of movement and a small silver ball rolled down the very centre of the hallway.

“Sonic grenade!” shouted Dan, jumping so that his axe clattered to the floor.

He sprang towards her, hitting her full in the stomach, pulling her down and rolling around the corner just as the grenade exploded. The sonic wave rushed down the hallway, crushing the internal organs of those unfortunate enough to be in the way. Those who had sheltered behind walls were rendered immediately unconscious, and Dan's last thought as he faded into blackness was that he had saved his princess.

In the wake of the sonic grenade, a new flow of Black Knights streamed down the corridor, slaughtering everything in their way and meeting no resistance. The princess's garb was unmistakable, and as soon as a Knight spotted her deep red cloak, they were upon her. But Dan was beginning to regain consciousness, and he felt the trembling footsteps of the Knights as they approached.

With bleary eyes he blinked, trying to make his synapses connect, trying to put the pieces together, until finally a picture emerged. Grabbing at the first weapon he could find, the bolt blaster tucked into Ausanne's belt, he stood, legs shaking, and faced the oncoming Knights.

His finger hovered over the trigger until he was sure he had a fatal shot, and then he pulled. And pulled. And pulled again. Only after the third time did he recognise the empty hiss of the blaster. The damn thing had no charge. It was empty. So. This was it. This was death. And a rush of manic energy overtook his body. Gods be damned, he was going to fight like hell and take the bastards with him. Laughing like a madman, he reversed the blaster in his hand, lashing out at the first of the Black Knights with the handle, beating at him, driving the blunt weapon hard into the man's skull. Blood dripped down his fingers, running down his wrist as he turned to see who would be his next victim.

But there would be no more victims.

At the end of the corridor, a tall, thin man in a long black robe pointed his index finger at the princess's bodyguard, and a jet of blue flame shot through Dan’s chest.

“No!” Dan said, feeling the energy drain from his body. “No, Magi Lord, no. Ausanne...”

His legs collapsed, and his energy pulled out of him before he even hit the floor. He fell with his princess's name on his lips. Paralysed, unable to move or speak, he could only watch helplessly as the Magi Lord slowly and carefully picked his way down the corridor, stepping over bodies, unhurriedly making his way towards Ausanne.

When he reached the girl he extended his finger again, a small blue flame glistening from the tip. And as he touched his finger to the girl's lips, she screamed in agony, her eyes flashing open.

“Awake, Your Highness?” he asked in a hollow, teasing voice that scratched through Dan's ears and rang through his bones.

Ausanne had never felt such pain in her life. It forced itself through every nerve ending on her body with no abatement, no let up, just constant burning pain so that the few seconds it took the Magi Lord to drag her up from the floor felt like an eternity. It stopped only when the Magi Lord flung her into the arms of the nearest Black Knight, as if the act of pulling his hand away from her pulled all the strings of pain out through her fingertips. She struggled against the hold of the Black Knight, kicking uselessly against his shins.

“We leave,” ordered the Magi Lord.

He turned, his robe swinging around, and strode back down the hallway, his Black Knights following him.

“Lord Hansola.”

The figure of Captain Gundro appeared at the end of the corridor in the blink of an eye, as though he had magicked himself there, though Ausanne knew that wasn't possible. The Magi Lord halted.

“Lord Hansola,” said Gundro again. “I do hope that you have not forgotten our agreement.”

And it was then that Ausanne knew that Gundro was the one who had betrayed her. For a second, anger overcame her fear; but the low, rumbling sound of the Magi Lord's laughter terrified her once more.

“I have what I came for,” the Magi Lord said. He turned to a Black Knight next to him. “Kill him. Sink the ship.”

Hansola swept down the hallway, his cloak stroking the faces of dead men. Ausanne's captor walked just slowly enough so that she didn't miss the hiss of the sword that cut her captain's throat. Slung over the Black Knight's shoulder, she looked at Dan, his helpless body lying in the middle of the corridor. He could only watch as his princess was taken from him.

“My Lord,” said a Black Knight, as the Magi Lord and his entourage crossed from the
Sanosis
to the dreadnought. “Someone has fled in an escape capsule.”

“Destroy it,” hissed Lord Hansola. “Destroy everything.”

And as the powerful thrusters of the dreadnought pushed the ship away from the
Sanosis
, Ausanne saw shot after shot fired at the black dot of the escape capsule, barely visible across the horizon. And then a brief orange flare exploded where the capsule had been, and Ausanne knew all hope was gone. She sank into a deep, dark dream and hoped that she'd never awaken.

*

She came to in an interrogation chamber, her body pressed against a damp wall, her wrists clamped into metal restraints, forcing her to hang, her feet just brushing the floor. The door creaked, and she realised that it had been the clink of the lock that had woken her. Two Black Knights entered, opening the door wide and then standing on either side of the doorway to allow the Magi Lord to enter the small cabin.