The Cyber Chronicles VI - Warrior Breed (29 page)

"Yes, My
Lord."

"Reverse
thrust; prepare to ram him again."

"There is
extensive damage to the main arms -"

"Did I ask for
a damage report?"

"No, My Lord.
But another impact like that will seriously damage this ship. It's
not designed for this."

"When I want
your opinion, I'll ask for it, now do as I say!"

"Yes, My
Lord." Shrain tapped his com-link.

A moment
later, tongues of fire sprouted from the bow of the ship, and it
began to move back with majestic torpor, shuddering as its deeply
embedded arms tore free of Ramadaus' ship.

"My lord,
Ramadaus' ship has suffered severe damage to her forward
compartments, she's venting atmosphere. Her crew is at risk."

Fairen
frowned. "Bring the tail gun to bear, aim at the Moth Ship's
wings."

"The tail gun
is a planet killer, My -"

"That's why I
want it aimed at the wings, Shrain!"

"Yes, My
Lord."

****

Commander
Trent gaped at the screen, shooting an incredulous glance at his
Overlord, who straightened in his chair.

"He's bringing
his tail gun to bear, My Lord."

"I'm not
blind, Trent. He's bluffing."

Trent
consulted his com-link. "No, My Lord, scanners show that the weapon
is powering up."

"Has he lost
his mind? He won't talk to me, so how does he know I won't release
the damned cyber?"

"He's tried
twice to lock a translocator onto us, but our shields are up."

"So, he wants
to come over himself. The boy is mad. Power up the main forward
guns."

"But My
Lord..."

"I'm calling
his bluff. Let's see what he does."

"Yes, My
Lord."

The crimson
ship moved away, dragging with it the mangled remains of its
forward arms. The long tail had started to curl up over it, the
needle-sharp point turning to aim at Ramadaus' ship. Glancing at
the fighters, Atrel winced as Sabre performed a backflip and kicked
his opponent in the face, sending him reeling back. Ramadaus turned
his head to watch them, then raised an arm and pointed at
Sabre.

"Cyber Two,
kill him."

For a moment
Atrel was frozen with horror, then he surged forward, taking his
guards by surprise. "No!"

Cyber Two drew
his laser and fired at Sabre, missing by a hair as Sabre leapt
sideways to evade the bolt, which struck a soldier on the far side
of the room. Atrel wrenched free of his guards and charged Cyber
Two, laser bolts flashing past him. The soldiers chased him, but he
reached the cyber before they could catch him and aimed a
roundhouse blow at his head.

The warrior
ducked under it and punched Atrel in the side of his chest with a
dull crunch of breaking ribs. Atrel was sent sprawling, sliding to
a halt at the feet of his pursuers. They grabbed his arms and
dragged him to the comparative safety of the wall. Those who were
in Cyber Two's line of fire had already moved out of the way,
leaving two dead and one wounded. Atrel clutched his ribs and
gasped with pain, watching Sabre.

Sabre now
fought his opponent and evaded the laser bolts at the same time,
but the odds were stacked against him. A blow from Cyber One made
him reel, and a laser bolt clipped his arm. Bright blood flowed
from the wound as he spun and leapt. He knocked Cyber One down with
a kick and ducked under a bolt simultaneously. Cyber One regained
his feet with a peculiar twisting movement and dived into a forward
roll, bounced to his feet in front of Sabre and leapt into a high
spinning kick. Sabre ducked and rolled sideways, but another laser
bolt hit him in the chest.

Atrel glanced
up at the screens, where the Scorpion Ship's tail was now curled
all the way over its back, and the tip had taken on a green glow. A
beam of light spat from it, followed by a burst of brightly glowing
crimson energy, which Atrel thought could only be super-heated
plasma, and Ramadaus' ship shuddered.

Ramadaus
cursed. "That bloody idiot!"

"One of our
secondary wings has been hit. The damage is extensive, My
Lord."

"Drop the
translocation shields. Let him come here and I'll deal with him
myself!"

"Yes, My
Lord." Trent keyed his communications box. "Shields down."

Sabre
staggered sideways as Cyber One landed a kick on his ribs, and
another laser bolt hit him in the thigh. His leg buckled and he
went sprawling, yet he lashed out with his good leg as Cyber One
tried to kick him again, sweeping his legs out from under him.
Sabre leapt up and raced towards the wall, soldiers scattering from
his path, Cyber One in hot pursuit. Laser fire crackled around him
with vicious, hissing reports, one shot hitting him in the calf.
Reaching the wall, he ran up it and kicked himself away, performed
a backward somersault and landed on his feet behind his opponent.
Cyber One performed the identical move, only Sabre was waiting for
him when he came down. Cyber One rolled sideways, evading Sabre's
kick, and another laser bolt hit Sabre in the shoulder even as he
spun away to avoid it.

A flash of
light jerked Atrel's gaze away from the fight, and a wave of cold
followed it. A young boy stood a few metres away, looking a little
dazed. He glanced around.

Ramadaus stood
up. "Fairen!"

The boy strode
towards the fighters, his face set in grim lines.

"Fairen, no!"
Ramadaus shouted, stepping down from his dais.

Fairen reached
the fighters just as a number of Ramadaus' soldiers rushed towards
him. Cyber One whipped around and swung his fist at the young
Overlord's head. Sabre kicked the cyber's arm, deflecting the blow,
and gave him a shove that sent him staggering back. Cyber One
brushed against Fairen, and the boy’s face went slack. A laser bolt
hit Sabre in the back, and he stumbled, falling to his knees. Two
more shots hit him in the back, then Fairen's face came alive
again, and he flung himself at the cyber and embraced him.

"Cybers,
stop!" Ramadaus bellowed.

Cyber One
froze with his leg poised to kick Sabre, lowered it and stepped
back. Cyber Two holstered his laser. The soldiers retreated as
Ramadaus strode up to Fairen. Blood ran from the wounds in Sabre's
back, shoulder and thigh. He closed his eyes, his breath coming in
harsh gasps. The brow band blazed with flashing red lights, and he
slumped, sliding to the floor while Fairen struggled to hold him
up. Blood soaked the boy's shirt when he released Sabre and turned
to glare up at Ramadaus.

"Call your
medics."

"No. Let him
die."

"No!" Fairen
pulled off his gloves and clamped his hand over the wound in
Sabre's thigh, slowing the bleeding. "Call your medics, or I'll
order my ship to fire again. Your primary wings are now targeted,
and my tail gun is recharged."

"What is this
lunacy?" Ramadaus gestured. "You don't touch people."

"Only him. I
can touch him. He's not filled with corruption and deceit. His
heart and mind are pure. Get your medics, now!"

Ramadaus
signalled, and Trent keyed his com-link. "All right, they're
coming. Do you know how much trouble you're in?"

"I don't care.
I swore to protect him, and I keep my word. Let them strip me of my
title and powers, I hate them anyway."

"All this for
a broken killing machine. The repairs to my ship alone are going to
cost millions and take months. You endangered all of us, for
him."

"He's my
friend, and I owe him my life. Twice now, since he stopped your
cyber from killing me."

"Only a fool
walks into the middle of a cyber fight. You risked your life. You
can't do that."

"I do as I
please." Fairen turned to gaze down at Sabre. "I told you to leave
him alone. I warned you, and you tried to kill him anyway. You're
responsible for this."

"Get up. An
Overlord does not kneel in the blood of a cyber."

Four
white-clad men entered and ran to kneel beside Sabre and open boxes
of equipment. Fairen removed his hand, and a medic clamped his over
Sabre's thigh wound as the young Overlord stood up. His youth
amazed Atrel, for he was no more than a boy. He stared at his
bloody hand, then raised his head to glare at Ramadaus.

"You've made
an enemy of me. Those are the abominations." He pointed at the
cybers. "Have you ever bothered to read them? It's like being
sucked into a bottomless screaming pit. They're suffering. I touch
Sabre and I get peace. I touched one of them, and I got unspeakable
pain. Take off that bloody hood and show me your face!" Fairen's
eyes glinted, and his pale skin was flushed with fury.

Ramadaus
hesitated, then pushed back his hood, revealing a thin, intense
face with a beaky nose and dark eyes.

Fairen
glowered at him. "You're a pitiful excuse for an Overlord. You
barely have any power, and you pursue petty issues as if they were
important. How did you find him?"

"Purely by
chance. He was aboard the Trykon warship that strayed from their
space."

"The Trykon
warship," Fairen repeated, shaking his head and glancing around. "I
should have answered that call. He's just trying to get home. Where
are his companions?"

"I have no
idea."

Fairen turned
to look down at Sabre, whose eyes were open now, his breath still
coming in quick gasps. The medics applied pressure dressings to his
wounds. Fairen knelt beside him again, making Ramadaus grimace and
rub his brow.

"Are you all
right?" Fairen asked.

The cyber's
eyes flicked to him. "Peachy. I just love having the crap beaten
out of me."

Fairen smiled
and placed a hand on Sabre's shoulder. "You're going to be
okay."

The boy
started to rise, but Sabre's hand flashed up and gripped his wrist.
"Fairen."

The young
Overlord sank down again, looking concerned. "Yes?"

"Thank
you."

Fairen nodded,
apparently at a loss for words. Sabre released him, letting him
stand up and turn to Ramadaus again. "One of your cybers tried to
kill me. He must be destroyed."

"It was a
defensive reaction. You should not have interfered."

"There is no
excuse for attempting to kill an Overlord. Must I call for a vote
on the matter?"

"How can you
blame a machine for doing what it was designed to do?"

"If it cannot
differentiate between an Overlord and a foe, it's dangerous. In
that case, they should both be destroyed."

"You can't
force me to do that."

"No, but if
the others agree with me, you'll have to, and they will."

Ramadaus'
scowl deepened. "What about your attack on me? What do you suppose
the others will say about that?"

"I don't care,
I told you, but I believe they will agree with me on that matter,
too. I was saving an innocent."

"You call him
an innocent?"

"You should
read a man before you condemn him."

"He's not a
man!" Ramadaus threw up his hands. "Why am I arguing with you? You
won't see reason. You always do as you please, and the others let
you. They call you the Wild Child, but none will stand up to
you."

The medics
finished bandaging Sabre's wounds and called for a stretcher, but
he thrust them aside and stood up, swaying a little. His skin was
ashen and he looked thinner, as if he had burnt up a portion of his
mass during the gruelling fight. Blood stained his trousers below
the bandage on his right leg and reddened his back, arm and
shoulder. His nose and one side of his face were swollen, and one
eye was half-closed by swellings above and below it. Red marks
mottled his chest and arms.

He faced
Ramadaus. "All I want is to be left alone. Is that so much to
ask?"

Ramadaus' eyes
narrowed. "How long will it be before you lash out in anger? How
long before someone dies because you lose control of your
emotions?"

"You're more
dangerous than I am. You could wipe out entire civilisations on a
whim."

"But I
wouldn't."

"Neither would
I."

Ramadaus' lip
curled. "You were bred to kill. That's all you know."

Sabre shook
his head. "I hate killing."

A pregnant
silence fell, then Ramadaus gave a growl of anger and frustration
and swung away, striding back to his dais. "Get off my ship.
Fairen, you were not invited, and you're not welcome."

The boy pulled
a com-link from his pocket and started to tap on it, but Sabre
said, "Wait. Atrel, come here."

Atrel shrugged
off the soldiers who held his arms and strode over to Sabre,
averting his eyes when the young Overlord turned his piercing gaze
upon him. Fairen typed on the com-link, and the intense cold of
translocation gripped him. He staggered as solid ground hit his
feet, a crimson and black chamber spinning around him. When he
recovered, he found that Sabre had sunk to his knees.

Fairen bent
over him, looking concerned. "What is it?"

Sabre shook
his head. "I'm okay. Could you send me back to the Trykon ship, or
bring Tassin and Tarl here?"

"I'll bring
them here. You should be in hospital." Fairen signalled to a man
who stood in the shadows. "Commander, have our guests taken to the
hospital."

"Yes, My
Lord."

Chapter Eighteen

Tassin looked
up as the cabin door opened to reveal Tronan, wearing a thunderous
scowl. Several men in sleek crimson and black armour waited behind
him, their faces deadpan.

After she left
the bridge, she and Tarl had not got far before several warriors
waylaid them and disarmed her, then locked them in Sabre's cabin.
Tronan stepped aside, and the foremost of the strange warriors
moved forward.

"Tassin
Alrade?"

"Yes?"

"Overlord
Fairen requests your presence, and that of Cyber Technician
Tarl."