The Armoured Ghost
Read The Armoured Ghost Online
Authors: Oisin McGann
Contents
Chapter 1: On a Distant Planet
Chapter 7: Deep Down Underground
Chapter 8: A Planet of Prisoners
Chapter 10: Oddball’s Phone Call
Chapter 15: A Bunch of Misfits
Chapter 16: A Desperate Message
Chapter 17: The New Generation
About the Book
THE ARMOURON
Elite warriors who banded together centuries ago to fight for justice and for freedom.
PLANET EARTH
Under the control of a huge corporation, led by the power-mad Chairman.
THE CADETS
Trainee gladiators at the Nu-Topian Academy – where something is very, very wrong.
SALT
The grizzled old master of the armour workshop, with a secret in his past.
It’s time for a new generation of the Armouron.
Time to buckle on the armour and take up the challenge . . .
But beware the awesome power of the robot-creature known as the Armournaut . . .
The new generation of the Armouron
Rake
Armouron title: Templer, the Fearless
Role: Strategy and Offence
Tea-Leaf
Armouron title: Balista, the Shadow
Role: Spy and Scout
Oddball
Armouron title: Sappar, the Inventive
Role: Scavenger and Engineer
Hoax
Armouron title: False-Light, the Trickster
Role: Deception and Misdirection
Snow
Armouron title: Alida, the Shieldmaiden
Role: Protection and Evasion
The Armouron master Salt
Armouron title: Claymore
Role: Master Craftsman and Teacher
The Armouron Code:
Honour, Duty, Compassion and Justice
For centuries, an order of knights worked to keep the peace across the galaxy. Mighty warriors, the Armouron Knights fought for Honour, Duty, Compassion and Justice. They battled organized crime and helped defeat cruel dictators. They prevented wars. Life in the galaxy was not perfect, but people knew justice and peace.
Then, on one planet after another, huge corporations began to seize power. They wanted to control the entire galaxy – and only the Armouron Knights were stopping them. The corporations spread lies about the knights, turning people against them. They sent their private armies to defeat them. Terrible battles were fought but, one by one, the Armouron Knights were captured or killed.
Now the last of the Armouron are scattered around the edges of the galaxy. Not many are left, and they are getting old. A new generation is needed. Planet Earth is controlled by the Perfect Corporation. They call it a Perfect World, but in truth, it is a prison. Here, on Earth, one of the last knights has come to find some new recruits and train them as warriors.
Because the galaxy needs the Armouron more than ever . . .
Chapter 1
On a Distant Planet
THE OLD KNIGHT
knew that this would be his last battle. He was already badly wounded, his red armour battered and cracked. He hobbled down the deserted street, moving as quickly as his injured legs would allow. Whatever happened, the monster must not get the medallions. Ahead of him was a stone temple, dark against the evening sky. It was shaped like a pyramid, but with a wide square top. It was as old and rundown as the empty, ruined town around it.
Heavy footsteps followed the knight. The thing did not hurry. It thought it could take its time. But it was wrong.
The knight backed up against the wall of the
temple
, taking wheezing breaths, glaring at his enemy. He had wounds in his shoulder, his side and both his legs. His left arm was broken. But his spirit was still strong. The giant figure stopped in front of him, its shadow falling over him.
‘YOU HAVE FOUGHT WELL, OLD FOOL,’ the armoured robot said in a cold, mechanical voice. ‘STAND ASIDE AND I MIGHT LET YOU CRAWL AWAY AND DIE IN PEACE.’
‘I’m not dead . . . not yet,’ the knight growled at the machine. ‘And I’ve beaten monsters like you before.’
‘YOU’VE NEVER FACED ANYTHING LIKE ME,’ the robot told him. ‘WHY DO YOU KEEP FIGHTING WHEN YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T WIN?’
‘That’s the difference between us,’ the knight said, gritting his teeth. ‘There’s more to me than a suit of armour. And it takes more than strength to win a fight. But no walking kettle will ever understand that.’
Wincing with pain, he lifted his sword to swing it at the monster.
‘Now, come on! Fight me, you clockwork piece of garbage! Come on!’
The robot attacked, its sword-strikes crashing down on the knight’s blade like hammer blows. The old man was shocked by the machine’s power and skill. It snarled at him like some kind of animal, grunting as it hit out at him. Robots weren’t supposed to do that. He blocked and deflected as many strikes as he could, stabbing at the robot’s heavy armour. Then his sword broke and only his own armour saved his arm from being cut off.
Hoping his terror did not show on his face, he held up the stump of his sword, roaring his battle-cry.
‘Armouron!’
But it was hopeless. The fight did not last much longer. With a final howl of despair, the knight was smashed against the wall, slumping to a silent heap on the ground. The robot reached down to pull the medallion out of the knight’s armour. It gave a low hiss as it realized that the totem was fake. There was no power in this useless piece of metal. It tore the old man’s armour apart, searching the body. None of the medallions were there. The knight had tricked him.
