The Armoured Ghost

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Authors: Oisin McGann

BOOK: The Armoured Ghost
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Contents

Cover

About the Book

Title Page

Characters

Maps

Introduction

Chapter 1: On a Distant Planet

Chapter 2: Getting Clobbered

Chapter 3: The Bloodstain

Chapter 4: Stick Fighting

Chapter 5: Identity Discs

Chapter 6: The Investigation

Chapter 7: Deep Down Underground

Chapter 8: A Planet of Prisoners

Chapter 9: Don’t Make a Fuss

Chapter 10: Oddball’s Phone Call

Chapter 11: Alone in the City

Chapter 12: Armoured Combat

Chapter 13: An Old Enemy

Chapter 14: The Last Two

Chapter 15: A Bunch of Misfits

Chapter 16: A Desperate Message

Chapter 17: The New Generation

Chapter 18: The Beating Heart

About the Author

Also in The Armouron Series

Copyright

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.

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