Spirit of Empire 4: Sky Knights (57 page)

Without warning, something pierced her scull. She shrieked and reached for her head as she fell. She could not feel a wound, but the severity of the pain reminded her of the
scree
. She lay still for a time, then forced herself back to her feet and stumbled off in the direction of the continuing screams.

Another piercing pain. She shrieked, but this time she knew it was not a physical thing. She kept to her feet and actually managed an awkward jogging run, holding her hands to her head. She did not know if she was holding the pain in or trying to keep more pain from striking, but she seemed to need the feel of her hands on her head. She shuddered to think about what was happening to her real head outside the net. Did these creatures have the power to cause physical harm?

She endured several more strikes, but she still had no idea where they were coming from or how to defend herself from them. Her only purpose here was to find the control panel described by Claire, the panel that would disable the super peicks’ ability to defend the net, but she was not even certain she was going in the right direction.

* * * * *

Josh and his squad of marines reached the corridor outside the bridge, and as expected, the blast doors to the bridge were sealed shut. The corridor was 40 feet long by 10 feet wide and joined another corridor on each end at a 90 degree angle. The walls and ceiling were made from a firm but cushiony gray material that mated to a harder, non-metal covering over the deck plates, materials that Josh knew from experience would create smoke when struck by blasters.

He spoke to the marine squad leader, Lieutenant G’ma, who then deployed half of his men to each side corridor. G’ma himself went to work shooting sensors in the corridors, doing his best to blind the super peicks inside the bridge. Josh set his explosives, G’ma double checked them, then Josh yelled, “Fire in the hole.”

Everyone covered up. The charges went off simultaneously in a sharp explosion, and the entry team of ten marines raced toward the door, ready to charge into the bridge. The door showed only minor damage.

Josh was shocked. “This was supposed to work. I only have enough for one more try,” he said. “Any suggestions?”

“Sorry, Sire,” G’ma replied. “The charges were set according to the book, but I think this door might have been built after the book was written. By design, there are no other entrances to the bridge. We need more explosives.”

“Josh looked at his timepiece and frowned. “We have to get inside the bridge within the next hour. Can you get to the armory and back in time?”

“I can. I’ll take half my squad with me and leave the rest here to hold the corridor for you.”

* * * * *

Aboard Galborae’s shuttle, he was mostly unaware of what was going on outside. He understood the tactics of fighting from a caravan, but fighting among ships in outer space was far beyond his ken and he knew it. His job and Limam’s, until reaching the cruiser, was to protect the pilots from any super peicks who might still be aboard.

Sergeant Roskov issued instructions to the other six shuttles. Without giving away details that might be overheard by the super peicks on the cruiser, he explained that their mission was to get Galborae on the cruiser at any cost. These marines had fought beside Galborae, some of them for years, and so respected was he that no one questioned the order. Aboard those shuttles, a flurry of activity ensued. Everyone suited up, including any marines on the lower deck, then the shuttles opened their ramps to space. They waited 15 minutes, then closed back up and restored pressurization and removed their space suits.

Roskov surrounded himself with other shuttles, then they all raced for the cruiser. Suddenly, the hangar bay doors on the cruiser closed and locked. Moments later, a single battery on the cruiser opened up on them and took out one shuttle with its first shot. The remaining shuttles split up and took evasive action.

Roskov made a snap decision and ordered everyone to head underneath the cruiser. Up and down had little meaning in space, but in this instance the pilots knew it meant to head for the side of the ship away from the guns. Roskov knew that one battery was bad enough, but clearly, the super peicks would have brought more guns to bear if they had them, meaning Weapons Control was not fully manned.

The shuttles closed on the cruiser, but when someone on the bridge got their act together and rolled the ship, the shuttles were again exposed to the guns. Powerful lasers reached out, but the shuttles evaded before the cruiser completed its roll, maneuvering to stay beneath its firing window.

At this point, the shuttles were too close to withdraw—the cruiser’s guns had excellent range, and anyone running away would be a sitting target. Roskov ordered everyone to move in tight on the cruiser. Getting close enough to a cruiser that its guns could not depress enough to fire meant getting inside its shield. Capital ships normally dropped their shields briefly when taking other ships aboard, but the super peicks surely would not be so obliging. The only way to comply with Roskov’s command was to bring the shuttles in close to the shield boundary, then very slowly sink through the shield, all the while rolling with the cruiser to stay outside of its guns’ firing window.

Only four shuttles succeeded. At Roskov’s command, each of them latched onto an external air lock on the cruiser. As soon as his own shuttle docked, he ripped the helmet from his head and raced down the stairs to the lower level. After fighting gleasons on Tranxte, the blood and body parts from Galborae’s battle did not slow him. He opened a hatch midway along the deck, exposing the shuttle’s docking port. He activated the controls and a heavy door irised open, but the door beneath, the outer hatch on the cruiser, would not move.

He turned and looked over to Galborae who had followed him. “I’m sorry, sir, but we can’t get in. The peicks must have figured out what we were up to and locked the door from the bridge.”

“Stand back,” Galborae ordered. He took Roskov’s place and looked at the lock mechanism. “I might be able to cut it. If I can, where do I cut?” Galborae asked.

Roskov looked at him, then at the sword in his hand. He had seen the sword in action, but this? He scratched his head, then leaned in beside Galborae. “If you cut a hole, the cruiser will have to be repaired before entering atmosphere again.”

Galborae stared at him without remorse. “The cruiser is dead. It will never land again. Where do I cut?”

Roskov showed Galborae the outline of the hatch. “Cutting here will be the easiest. If you go outside this line,” he said pointing, “it will be much thicker.”

Galborae nodded grimly and motioned for Roskov to stand back. He activated the sword and lowered it to the hatch. Sparks flew and a high keening noise sounded, but the sword went into the metal. He worked it slowly, afraid of the sparks. While he worked, he said to Roskov, “Any ship that opened its doors on the surface of Harac will be left behind. Please contact the frigate. It might be our only sanctuary when we’re done here. Whatever they do, they are not to come in contact with any other ship until ordered to do so by a Knight.”

Roskov scratched his head. “I’ll send the message, but they will not feel bound to obey a message from me.”

Galborae kept cutting, but he turned his head and peered hard into Roskov’s eyes. “Remember what I told you about the Leaf People. Today, your orders are given in the name of the Queen.”

Roskov returned to the bridge to send his message to the frigate. When he returned, Galborae asked, “Well?”

“Your reputation is wider than I knew. Captain Shlu didn’t hesitate to say he would comply.”

Cutting through the hatch took ten minutes. Just before Galborae completed the cut, Roskov called the bridge and ordered the pilot to increase the pressurization. Galborae felt his ears popping, but the trick worked—the hatch blew into the cruiser.

Galborae deactivated the sword and Roskov pushed past him with his blaster searching for anything that moved. The lock was empty. He called to the pilot, then went feet first through the hatch.

“Isn’t your place with your shuttle?” Galborae asked.

“No, Sire, it’s with you.
”
The pilot joined them and went into the lock, then Galborae went in and lifted his arms to Limam. She half stepped, half fell into his arms, and he lowered her to the deck.

“We’re going to the bridge,” Roskov said. “I imagine our guys are trying to break in, but they might need a little help. I like what you did with your sword. Are you ready to try it again?”

Galborae grinned. “I don’t know the way.”

“I do,” Roskov said, then turned to activate the interior lock controls. The lock failed to activate, and Galborae had to cut through that door as well. Ten minutes later they were through the hatch and headed toward whatever they would find at the bridge.

* * * * *

In sick bay, Tsarnov called Claire to his side. “Josh is having trouble getting into the bridge. Lady Akurea has been cut off from the net, so we know the peicks still control the net. The clock is definitely running.”

“If I can get Queen Atiana into the net, the peicks will know where we are and they will come if they can,” Claire replied. She looked into his eyes from inches away, both of them thinking the same thing—they had no other choice. She nodded once, then turned and went back to Atiana.

“Your Majesty, you might be the last one on the list of who can stop the countdown, and we’re out of time.”

Atiana nodded and reached for her helmet, but Claire stopped her. “Not yet. Lady Akurea told me an hour ago that the super peicks had gotten a strong foothold. By now, they might be in complete control of the net. I have no idea what we’ll encounter in there, but if they prevent your entry, the ship and everyone on it could be lost. Let me go in first. I’ll do my best to distract them.”

Atiana nodded, her eyes filled with worry for this young woman whom she barely knew. She knew Claire well enough to know that if Claire was worried, then she should be worried as well, though she had no slightest concept of what Claire was talking about. All she understood was that there would be danger and maybe some fighting. Well, she was a warrior. She would do her part.

Claire picked up the helmet but stopped with it half way to her head. “We programmed an off-response into the peicks’ DNA as a safety. There’s probably only one super peick in command of the net. If things get really bad in there, our job is to reach it and activate its off-response.”

Atiana looked at her in alarm. “I have no idea what you just said.”

Claire lowered her helmet and bit her lip. “If they’ve taken complete control of the net, the only way we can stop the countdown is to find a control panel. If we can enter the right code into it, the super peicks will not be able to keep us out of the net.”

“If they’re like peicks,” Atiana said.

Claire nodded in response. “Good! You understand. In case I’m not with you, I need you to remember this code: 9238#TJB45. You will have to input it on a virtual control panel.”

Atiana made no reply. She just stared at Claire.

Claire got the message and frowned, then nodded in understanding. “You said you’re from an emerging world. I’m sorry, but I have to ask—can you read and write?”

“I can in my own language.”

Claire’s lips compressed as she lifted her head and stared at the ceiling. She asked for Atiana’s pad and entered the code on a blank page. “Memorize this picture,” she said to Atiana. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be there to do it, but I can’t be certain. I’m going in now. Since I’m new to this net, it will take me a minute or two to get in.” Without delay, she placed the helmet on her head and lay on the deck beside a bed with her eyes closed.

Atiana stared at Claire for a moment, then studied the picture Claire had made on her pad. When she next looked to Claire, her eyes were clenched shut hard and her body was rigid. A moment later, tears began seeping from between her eyelids. Atiana knew it was time.

She lay on the deck beside Claire and placed the helmet on her head, knowing this net knew her and that her entry would be quick.

When Atiana got into the net, she was not in the dream, she was somewhere else. She sensed darkness at first, then she felt Claire’s presence ahead of her. A moment later, Claire’s virtual presence surrounded her, holding off horrors she could only sense dimly. She pushed her thoughts hard to Claire,  and her Rider, Stren, followed her example, both of them trying to give Claire added strength. She felt the horror backing off slightly. She pushed harder, then she felt Claire’s presence enfold her and her Rider. Though the light was dim, she felt herself lifting into the air. A yellow glow surrounded her like a bubble.

She realized she was floating through the air above a great swamp. Bright red streaks flickered here and there across the swamp as they floated along. She heard Claire’s thinking, though it was not addressed to her.

“It’s just mathematics and trons,” Claire kept telling herself. “Use the math, follow the equations.”

Suddenly a red streak reached up and struck the bubble around Atiana. Claire shrieked, then the shriek turned into a moan and the bubble dropped closer to the swamp. Claire kept talking to herself, telling herself it was just mathematics and trons, and the bubble rose back up.

* * * * *

Kas loped over to Lex and told him to look back and up. When Lex turned, he saw an amorphous, shiny, amber globe floating through the sky. It, too, seemed headed toward the red glow on the horizon.

As he watched, a red streak climbed up from the swamp and struck the bubble. He heard a shriek that might have been Claire, but he was not certain. What he was certain of, though, was that whatever was in that globe was the Knights’ means of forcing the peicks from this horrible net that was not a net.

A series of red streaks struck the bubble and it began falling. He called strongly to his men, his call clearly advertising their location to the peicks, then he leaped ahead. His men followed, drawing heavy fire from the peicks. That was a good thing. They returned fire, usually on the run but occasionally stopping for a better aim. Before long, red streaks filled the sky going in both directions. Cats and peicks alike shrieked with each hit, and each hit brought a diminution of strength. At least it did for the cats, and it was probably fair to assume it had the same effect on the the peicks.

Though the cats’ strength was fading, it was focused. Lex and his men knew their purpose now, and it’s what they did best—Protecting, in this case the bubble.

* * * * *

As Galborae, Roskov, and Imblee, the shuttle pilot, approached the bridge, bodies of marines and super peicks littered the corridor. Clearly, someone had fought a terrible battle here. Blood had pooled and spattered everywhere, and it was impossible to tell who had won.

Fearing what might be waiting for them, Galborae sent Limam ahead. She reported back that she had found people. He let Roskov and Imblee know, then he strode confidently ahead.

When he turned the corner and entered the corridor directly outside the bridge, Sir Josh was the only one still standing. Galborae motioned for Roskov and Imblee to guard opposite ends of the short corridor. He went to Josh and grasped him hard by the shoulder.

“You’ve had a bad time of it,” he said.

Josh hung his head. “I lost an entire squad, half of them here and half of them somewhere between here and the armory. None of them ever made it back. I can’t get through the door, and I’m out of explosives.”

Galborae stepped away for a moment of introspection. He had pushed his luck far beyond anything reasonable today. Did he have any more left? He was putting a lot of faith in these Leaf People whom he had never met. Did that make sense? He could not even imagine what a ‘Leaf’ person looked like, and as for how they knew the future and could communicate between stars with their visions . . . well, he didn’t get it, not at all.

But people he respected did believe in them, including Gar, every single Knight he had met, and the Queen and King of the Empire. He supposed that was enough proof for him, though whatever awaited him on the other side of the door might well cost him his life today.

Then he remembered: he had already died and was alive only because the Leaf People had sent Lady Krys to save him. He had come full circle. This was where he was, and this was where he would make his stand.

>Hormuth,<
he said to his Rider,
>I need to be Otis again.<

>You and me and Limam still make three.<

Galborae drew his sword and motioned for Josh to step aside. When he activated the blade, Josh gasped and Galborae realized that Josh had probably never seen the sword in operation. He brought the tip of the blade to the door, holding the sword in both hands, and touched the armor gently. The blade slid in, making a loud humming noise as it did so.

Josh stepped back, as amazed as he had ever been in his life. “Wait!” he called, holding out his hand for Galborae to stop. Galborae pulled the sword free in surprise. Josh stepped up to him and whispered in his ear. “Don’t cut all the way through. Cut deeply but not all the way through on the first pass, then you can finish it quickly on the next pass.”

Galborae nodded his understanding. He sent Limam out to patrol one corridor and went back to work, slowly cutting an opening through which a human could pass. Sparks flew, and Galborae was again concerned about burning himself, but the sparks did not seem to affect his suit of armor or his gloves. The first pass took five minutes, but the final pass would be quick.

Limam sent a mental warning of approaching danger, and Galborae alerted the pilots. Moments later, shots sounded to his right. Roskov fired round after round down the corridor on his end, then the pilot started up on the other end.

Galborae and Josh both knew this would be a fast, hard skirmish. There was nothing to provide cover, so they moved out into the middle of their corridor with their backs to each other, weapons ready. Galborae held a blaster in one hand and his sword in the other. Josh held a blaster in each hand. Limam crouched down behind Roskov.

Roskov suddenly screamed, followed shortly by screams from the pilot. Both fell to their backs kicking and fighting with their hands. Clearly, the super peicks had executed a simultaneous attack from both sides.

Limam leaped over Roskov, reaching down with her claws and teeth to grasp flesh. She ripped the creature from him and hit the deck rolling in a vicious fight for her life. Multiple slash marks made the super peick clearly visible as the two of them rolled entwined in each others claws out of sight down the side corridor.

Another super peick struck Roskov, killing him before he could get a shot off.

Galborae and Josh fired on the super peick attacking Imblee, but they could not get in a killing shot, and he, too, died. Galborae finished off the peick as it disengaged.

Josh caught the flicker of footprints in blood on the deck from another super peick and snapped a shot as the creature jumped up to the wall and leaped toward him. The single blaster wound was enough to aim at, and he continued firing. The creature fell dead just a few feet away from him.

Limam limped back into the fight, the peick she had disappeared with dead. She let out a warning snarl that another peick was moving on Galborae, and when he caught a shimmer high up on the wall, he fired without hesitation, then moved in with his sword slashing. The peick fell to the floor in pieces.

“I have
got
to get me one of those!” Josh exclaimed.

They waited, but when no additional peicks materialized, Josh checked on the men. Both were dead. Galborae went to Limam and knelt beside her. Bite marks bit deeply into her face, and though she was wearing her armor, she let Galborae know that underneath the armor she was badly injured.

He took her face in both of his hands and leaned close, kissing her between her eyes. “Stay here,” he mentally commanded her. “Do not follow.” She replied weakly that she understood and closed her eyes.

Galborae turned to make his last cut in the door when Josh touched him on the arm.

“When you’re done, do not enter. I will go first.” Then in a whisper, he added, “I will lead with explosives and smoke.” He opened a hand and showed Galborae three flash-bang grenades. “One more thing,” Josh said. He glanced at his timepiece and said, “I have to get into the net in the next ten minutes, no matter what.”

Galborae nodded, and when Josh nodded in return, Galborae whisked his sword along the deep groove, completing the final cut.

* * * * *

Despair settled over Akurea as she continued her jog across the uneven terrain of the swamp. She kept telling herself to keep putting one foot in front of the other, but there seemed to be no end to the swamp and no end to the horrible, piercing pain in her head. She kept going in the general direction of the red glow, but was that the right way? She had no way of knowing, though the screams she was following were still ahead of her.

Her Rider panicked.
>I’m sorry! can’t keep you completely healed,<
she cried.
>It’s taking a toll on me, too.<

>Just do the best you can. You know the stakes here.<

>I do, my friend. Look up. Something’s coming.<

Akurea looked up, and when she did she questioned her vision. A golden globe floated through the air with someone inside of it. Red streaks struck the globe on a regular basis, and she sensed those streaks weakening the globe just as they had weakened her.

Surely something so beautiful would not belong to the super peicks, and the shrieks sounded like they came from humans.

>We need to help them,<
she said to her Rider.

>How?<

>I’m not sure. We have to get up to them. I don’t know how.<

>You prefer physical things, things you can see and feel, but this is not a physical place. I wonder if we can get there by imagining ourselves up there.<

A series of streaks hit the globe and it began sinking. Akurea had nothing to lose. She stared at the globe, then wished with all her heart that she was beside the globe. She felt herself starting to float, and soon she was, indeed, beside the globe.

Because of the net, she sensed the purpose of the globe: Atiana had no concept of what a net was, but she could activate the control panel if she reached it. Claire was protecting her and guiding her to that control panel. Both of them were taking hits, but Claire was taking the brunt of them.

And Claire had no defense against the streaks.

Atiana and Akurea had Riders to limit the pain and provide physical repairs to their bodies, but Claire was essentially naked to the streaks. Nevertheless, she seemed to know where she was going. Akurea heard her talking to herself, continually reminding herself that they were just in a world of mathematical equations and trons.

Akurea had never looked at a net in quite that way, but it made sense. She reached out and touched the globe, then willed her energy to it. Her Rider added to that strength, and the globe began rising.

* * * * *

Red flashes became more frequent below them. Claire broke her concentration just long enough to speak to Atiana. “That red glow on the horizon is our destination. I need you to remember the picture I made for you. I might not be strong enough to do it myself by the time we get there.” Her voice faded, then they were struck by another red streak. Both of them shrieked again and their course faltered, but Claire brought them back up. Another streak struck, then another. They started sinking again, and Atiana felt her Rider, Stren, leave her to help Claire. Atiana sent the strongest thoughts she could to Claire, bidding her to hold at all cost.

Claire brought them back up, then another series of streaks struck. Atiana shrieked, the agony blinding her momentarily, but she did not hear anything from Claire.

She had been hurt before and knew how to shut the agony out. She corralled her agony and held it down, then focused back on Claire. They had drifted closer to the swamp again.

Suddenly she felt another presence, then another. Akurea and her Rider joined them, adding their strength to Claire’s. The bubble stopped its descent, but then more streaks struck. Akurea and her Rider both shrieked and Claire whimpered, but they held on.

They needed more power to sustain their progress. That much Atiana knew. The only power at her disposal was her mind, so she sent the most powerful thoughts she could: wonderful memories of her fathers, both of them, and the wonderful years prior to the gleasons’ arrival on Tranxte. Then she sent thoughts of the terror the gleasons had struck into her heart. Thoughts of terror might not seem to be what Claire needed, but she understood that Claire needed power, any power, and thoughts of terror could be just as powerful as warm memories.

The streaks became intermittent. When she looked below, Atiana saw that their frequency had not slowed, but they were directed toward someone else. She knew that whomever it was, they fought a vicious battle with no quarter.

“Please hold on,” she whispered to them.