Shades of Gray (27 page)

Constantly scanning ahead, Kusac held up his arm and abruptly halted them.

“He’s just beyond the junction, with a hostage. There’re half a dozen other civs with him. Banner, set for wide-angle stun. Take them both, and as the hostage falls, I’ll kill the guard. J’korrash, M’yikku, cover us. Single shots, kill anyone who looks threatening. Noolgoi, stun any Prime civs who get in our way. We can’t let him get onto the Orbital.”

Slowly, carefully, they inched their way to the junction, hearing the curses of the remaining guard and cries of pain from his hostage.

Anger filled him, but he controlled it, lifting his arm to signal to the rest of his team.

Moments later they erupted into the corridor. The large guard towered over the Prime civilian, who, face cut and bloodied, was being dragged toward the air lock. Several other Primes beyond them were attempting to block his way by their sheer presence alone.

“Duck!” yelled Banner as he fired, his beam overlapping his targets and catching a bystander.

A split second later, as the hostage began to fall and the guard stiffened, Kusac shot using a sustained burst.

It caught the guard’s upper chest, the splash hitting him on the neck and face, flinging him into the midst of the fleeing Primes and sending them all sprawling.

Following, Kusac stood over the charred remains, making sure the warrior guard was dead before reaching down to easily flip him off the two civilians trapped beneath.

“See to your injured,” he ordered. “The hostage is only stunned. There’re three bodies back in the cargo bays—bag them all, and get this one down there with the others.”

Flipping channels, he called Q’almo. “Red One to Base. Mission accomplished. What’s Blue’s status?”

“Blue’s mission accomplished also. They have the guards restrained and are bringing them in now.”

“Negative on that, Base. I ordered termination of all guards. We do not have the facilities to restrain them effectively.”

“Guards are unconscious. They’re being taken to
Kz’adul’s
detention facility.”

Kusac snarled softly to himself and grabbed one of the Primes. “Take me to the detention area now!”

 

“Alive, the collaborators can release them,” he said to Banner as they hurriedly followed their guide to the nearest elevator. “I’m taking no risks.”

“I said nothing,” said Banner.

“Didn’t need to, I read you loud and clear.”

“Tactically, I agree with you, but killing them in cold blood . . . kinda sticks in the throat.”

“How often do you get second chances in this game?” he asked.

“Point taken.”

 

They met up with Tirak outside the detention block. One of the guards, a large leather-clad one, had just come around and was putting up a ferocious struggle against the two U’Churians holding him.

Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, Kusac sidestepped them and pulled out his sidearm, pressing it just below the male’s ear.

For a moment he stopped struggling to look at Kusac.

“You mean to frighten me with that toy, little vermin?” the Prime warrior asked, baring his teeth in a manic grin. “I laugh at your threats!”

“No, I intend to kill you,” Kusac said, then pulled the trigger.

“Was that necessary?” asked Tirak as the sound of the muffled shot died away and Sayuk and Nayash eased the limp body to the ground.

“Yes. Primes like him you will kill on sight, as you were ordered to do,” he said, closing the distance between him and their other captive. “We haven’t the strength or resources to take them captive. They aren’t worth your compassion. Those they’ve beaten, tortured, and killed are.”

“He’s unconscious and not one of them, Captain!” objected Mrowbay, trying to stop him as he again held the gun to the captive’s head.

“Do as Captain Aldatan says,” said Tirak. “This is his show, not ours.”

Kusac held his fire only long enough to answer Tirak’s medic. “He’s been implanted with that device on his skull—as I was,” he said, his voice cold and inflectionless. “He can be controlled remotely by K’hedduk or anyone with a controller. He dies now, as they all do.”

He felt no shred of remorse as he shot the Prime. These, the old Imperial Guard, were volunteers, not victims. Until the City and Palace were once again in sane hands, they died. Then the decision wouldn’t be his to make.

Holstering his pistol, he turned to one of the civilians cowering near the air lock, trying to help those who’d been injured.

“When the casualties have been seen to, take these bodies down to the rear cargo bays,” he ordered. “We’re not here to harm you, only to release you from K’hedduk’s rule.”

“We know, Captain,” said the Prime, standing up and meeting his eyes. “We don’t fear you or your people. You’re the Sholan allies of our Enlightened One, Prince Zsurtul, May His Name be Revered Forever.”

Kusac nodded. “Good. Tell all your people they did a fine job, and we regret that any were injured.” He turned away to speak to Tirak.

Zsadhi . . .
The whispered word was no louder than a sigh, so quiet he wasn’t sure he’d even heard it.

“We need to get to the Bridge now, Tirak,” he said, dismissing it from his mind.

“Follow me,” said Tirak.

 

“Why such concern over them, Banner?” M’kou asked quietly. “These altered Primes are worse than the M’zullian half-breeds. Terminating them is the surest way to eliminate their threat.”

“I’ve no problem with that,” said Banner.

“You just didn’t expect it of your Captain. There comes a point where one realizes compassion is best kept for those who deserve it. Didn’t your Brotherhood perform assassinations in your recent past?”

“Yes,” he said shortly. Damn, M’kou was just a little too astute and knowledgeable at times.

“Ah, it’s because Captain Aldatan was originally a telepath that it worries you.”

“I already told you I don’t have a problem with his decision,” he said, quickening his speed till he caught up with Jayza and Khadui. “Stay alert. There could still be collaborators on the loose.”

“Aye, Lieutenant,” said Jayza.

 

On the Bridge, they were greeted by relieved Primes led by Commander Q’ozoi and Shikku, anxious for news. Kusac had them patch through to Kaid’s shuttle so Prince Zsurtul could address them himself. When he’d finished, Shikku contacted the other three ships, informing them the Orbital was expecting an in-bound shuttle with readings from the approaching asteroid shower.

“When we sever comms between all the ships and the planet below, it’ll be up to you to contact the other craft and try to subvert them the way we did here,” said Kusac, preparing to put his helmet back on. “Or to get them to leave orbit to go after the larger asteroids.”

“Won’t be easy,” said Q’ozoi. “The crews of the
Zasho
and
Shazzu
are predominantly military. The majority of the old Imperial Guard is on board, and some of the implanted M’zullians like these we’ve taken prisoner. Only the
Zh’adak
, our brother science ship, is civilian.”

“The
Zh’adak
is the same size as this, with the same weapons, so it presents the largest danger. Try it first. We want to avoid fighting them if at all possible.”

“But we can’t do that!” exclaimed Shikku, shocked. “Shoot our own kind?”

“Then they’ll shoot us, and we’ll die as we try to retake your Palace for you!” Kusac said harshly. “So make your arguments persuasive!”

 

Back on the Orbital, they found Q’almo updating Kezule. Once he and Kusac had engaged in a spirited exchange, then fine-tuned the remainder of the two missions, the General signed off, and they waited for word from Kaid. Timing was crucial now. They only had a window of twenty minutes left before they had to take off in the
Profit’s
shuttle for the surface of K’oish’ik.

Kusac and Tirak had decided to leave the Cabbarans and Thyasha on the Orbital to ensure all went as planned. Tirak and the rest of his crew were to accompany them down to the planet, then rendezvous with the remainder of the main force once they’d dropped to the planet’s surface. Banner and Jayza would leave with Kaid for the Touiban drop ship,
Soohibo
.

“Alpha One requesting docking permission from Orbital Port Office.” Kaid’s voice.

Smiles broke out among those waiting in the office.

“Granted, Alpha One. You’ve been allocated the shuttle dock in Bay 3.”

“Copy that, Port.”

Kusac pushed himself up off his seat. There was no point in delaying the meeting. “Jurrel’s with Kaid,” he said to Banner. “Shall we go? M’kou, you’d better come too.”

Banner’s smile lit his eyes as he stood up and grabbed his helmet and gloves. “Be good to see him again.”

He followed Banner and Jayza out, tightening his mental shields while mentally reciting any Litany that came to mind in an effort to prepare himself for the ordeal he knew was to come. This would be far worse than the row he’d had to engineer with Kaid before leaving Shola, because for Vartra knew how many weeks, he’d have to see both of them every day.

They waited in the cargo area for them to cycle through. Finally the air lock opened.

Six suited figures, three of them obviously Sholan, three humanoid, stood in a tight group in various stages of removing their helmets.

M’kou was the first to move forward.

“Enlightened One,” he murmured, bowing to Zsurtul. “We’re relieved to have you safely here.”

“Did you doubt it?” the Prince asked with a wide grin, reaching out to draw Zhalmo to his side. “These are my friends, M’kou. Your sister you know, of course.” He indicated the others. “Kaid, Carrie, Jurrel, and Valden. This is Lieutenant M’kou, son of General Kezule and Zhalmo’s brother.”

“Welcome to K’oish’ik Orbital,” M’kou said. “I wish these were happier times.

Kusac ignored the exchange. He’d glanced at Kaid, unable to prevent his ears from tipping slightly backward when he did, but now he only had eyes for Carrie as she removed her helmet, letting her long blonde hair spill incongruously over the gray metal of her Prime-made battle armor.

It hurt, Gods but it hurt almost more than he could bear to see her standing so close, smell her scent, and be unable to run to her. With an effort, he turned back to Kaid and found it no easier to look at him.

“We must get Prince Zsurtul up to the weather platform immediately,” he said. “The asteroids are nearing us now and will soon begin to penetrate the planetary atmosphere.”

Kaid nodded. “We can talk on the way up. Jurrel, no need for you to come.”

As he turned to leave, Kusac saw Banner bounce over to his sword-brother and embrace him, the gesture instantly returned. He envied them the simplicity of their relationship.

“So the
Kz’adul
is ours,” said Kaid, his voice calm and measured, as he fell into step beside Kusac. “Rather ironic, considering our past. Any problems?”

Kusac was relieved that Kaid was prepared to put personal matters on hold for now. “None. As soon as the Prince changes the weather patterns for us and the ships are isolated from K’oish’ik, the crew on
Kz’adul
will try to subvert the other three ships to our cause. The
Zasho
and
Shazzu
are only 1,000 tonners, formidable enough, but the
Zh’adak
is the same size as the
Kz’adul
, with the same firepower.”

“Will your team be taking those ships too?”

“No. Thyasha, Tirak’s new comms op, will remain with the four Cabbarans. They’ll do it, along with the help of the Primes from the
Kz’adul
.”

“Let’s hope we get them all.”

Kusac nodded to Sheeowl, standing guard at the first elevator. “If we don’t, the
Kz’adul
takes off, supposedly for the asteroids, in another twenty minutes. In fact, she’ll rendezvous with Kezule and the
Tooshu
behind their moon. The Touibans will transfer enough soldiers to man the weapons and then, if the threat of the large asteroids doesn’t draw them off, the
Kz’adul
and the
Tooshu
can engage the remaining Prime ships while Kezule leads the drop mission from the
N’zishok
.”

Kaid raised a surprised eye ridge as M’kou punched the call button. “You persuaded the General to stay on board? I’m impressed.”

Kusac shrugged. “Wasn’t that difficult,” he murmured. The opposite had in fact been true. They’d had a fierce interchange until Kusac pointed out that he needed the General out of the combat zone to liaise with all the various elements of the mission and guide them through the Palace by means of monitoring their helmet vid cams.

“You’re the General, Kezule. Do what you do best—organize us all into one integrated attack force. We can’t risk both you and Zsurtul on the ground,”
he’d said.

The elevator door opened, and suddenly he was crowded in face-to-face with her. She smiled, and he had to look away, but not before he saw the hurt he was causing.

“It’s been a long time,” said Kaid quietly. “You look thinner.”

“A little,” he said, readjusting his rifle, searching for something—anything—neutral to say. “You’re the same.”

“No. None of us are. Are we?” Kaid said it so quietly he barely heard him and looked up in surprise.

The elevator stopped, the door opening, spilling them all out onto the main control level. He backed away from them and turned to lead the way to the next elevator.

“I need to see to the
Profit’s
shuttle,” he said to Kaid as they reached it. “M’kou can handle this. You don’t need me.”

Kaid’s hand snaked out and grasped him, his powered glove uncomfortably tight around his bared wrist.

“We have remotes for you from Toueesut on our shuttle. Don’t leave without them, Kusac. They can sense any new traps in the tunnel. And we need to talk,” he added.