The Dragon Circle (45 page)

Konner tried frantically to think of a way to distract the IMPs long enough for Dalleena and him to run away. But where would they run to? How could they run with her ribs still paining her?

She seemed to have fallen asleep. He hated to awaken her for any reason until she healed.

He was about to give himself up and hope the enemy would settle for him, without looking further for her. Then the skies opened up. Huge drops of water pelted the IMPs.

M'Berra cursed in a dialect full of fluid syllables Konner did not recognize. His tech screeched something about drowning. The scattered footsteps of the rest of the squad returned.

“We're screwed, Lieutenant Commander.” Was that Ross Duggan's voice? “The changing air pressure and temperature is fouling up all our readings, sir. The rain and cold are dulling our own senses. We need better gear to do more than exist in this climate.”

“We are Marines deployed with the Imperial Military Police, Sergeant. A little rain should not deter us.”

“The crew are not acclimatized, sir,” Corporal Paola Sanchez interjected. “In our haste to recover Lieutenant Lotski's patient, we left most of our foul weather gear behind.”

Konner almost laughed out loud at how his new allies sabotaged their own people.

“With your permission, sir, I'd like to take the men back to our landers and equip them with rain and cold weather gear,” Duggan said. “The quarry cannot go far in this weather. The female is severely injured. Lieutenant Lotski was surprised she could even walk beyond the hut.”

“We'll find them faster with rain gear and shields for the tech equipment,” Sanchez finished.

“Very well. Sergeant, recall the crew and return to the lander in close formation. No strays. I'll take the point.”

More rustling and stamping and uncomfortable mutters. Then a few moments of silence.

“Wherever you are, get out now. I figure you've got one half a metric hour at the most to disappear into thin air,” Duggan whispered. Then his footfalls retreated.

Konner waited. He counted one hundred heartbeats. He was about to speak to Iianthe when the dragon lifted his wing. Konner crawled out from beneath its shelter. Immediately, the rain drenched him. He shivered and clutched his arms close against his body.

“We need a better hiding place,” he said.

(
Help comes.
)

“My brothers?” Hope remained dormant. The IMPs would hear the shuttle and open fire with the heavy guns aboard their lander.

(
Irythros!
) a second dragon voice chimed in. This one was brighter, higher in pitch, and more enthusiastic.

“Konner here.” He looked up into the pelting rain against the gray sky. He saw no shimmering form outlined in red. He saw nothing but more gray clouds dumping more cold rain on his face, clinging to his eyelashes and dripping in chilly runnels down his back.

The sound of a large splash blended in with the rain dropping into the creek. Konner peered in that direction. Only a few meters away and he still could not see much detail.

The splashing continued. Eventually, Konner detected a pattern in how the water cascaded around a bulky form.

“Are you here to take Dalleena and me to safety, Irythros?” he asked, still peering through the rain.

(
Yes. I love flying against the weather.
) He almost chortled.

Konner was reminded of a puppy he'd had as a kid. All feet and ears, the dog had much more enthusiasm than sense.

(
Awaken your lady, Konner,
) Iianthe said politely. His deep bronze bell of a voice sounded much more mature. Perhaps his pain added weight to his years.

All of their problems seemed trivial compared to getting Dalleena to safety where she could mend in peace and quiet.

And what of his appointment with his son, Martin. He needed to leave today if he was going to make it to Aurora on time. He prayed the shuttle had enough fuel to get him back to
Sirius
and the crystals had finished growing. Would his brothers ever forgive him for deserting them at this terrible time?

In short order he managed to hoist a reluctant Dalleena aboard Irythros' back. She seemed more alert this morning and moved with more ease. But she still walked stiffly and cautiously.

“What about you, Iianthe? How will you fare, grounded and alone?”

(
I am not without defenses, Stargod Konner. Go. Keep your lady safe. I respect her courage and your dedication to those you love.
) A curl of steam snaked out of the dragon's nostrils.

“Farewell, friend. Take care. I hope our next meeting is less fraught with danger.”

(
Danger will always follow you, Stargod Konner. Take care that you defeat your enemies with honor.
)

Now what did that mean?

Konner did not have time to reflect on it. Irythros pranced down the creek, splashing through the rain until he had enough momentum and lift for takeoff.

He flapped his wings vigorously until they were secreted among the thick clouds. The air was a little drier up here. But not much. Thoroughly soaked and chilled, Konner clung to Dalleena and the dragon for warmth. He clenched his teeth so they did not chatter.

Soon Dalleena began to shudder violently in the cold. Konner wrapped his arms tighter around her, letting her draw what little warmth she could from his body. He clamped his knees tighter against the dragon's back, hoping for a smooth flight and gentle landing.

(
Understood,
) Irythros said. He sounded more sober and mature than Konner remembered. Had he curbed his youthful energy out of concern?

Konner sensed more than felt the land rising beneath them. He presumed they headed south, toward the clearing. The clouds and the cold deadened all of his other senses.

And then they lost altitude abruptly. Dalleena swallowed a yelp of surprise. Or was it dismay.

Konner's stomach flipped and his balance distorted. He dropped one arm from around Dalleena to clutch the dragon's spinal horn. The clouds stayed with them until they were barely fifty meters above ground. Irythros circled lazily. Dalleena spotted a fire and pointed it out to Konner. The stolen IMP lander came into view. He made out Loki's and Kim's red hair among a scattering of people.

As promised, Irythros landed slowly, gently, working his wings to cushion them.

“Where's the shuttle?” Konner shouted to Loki before Irythros had fully settled.

Loki's face looked grim. Kim's looked just as bad. They told him in blunt terms of Kat's escape, her sabotage, and her theft of the shuttle. They had few rations and were far from help. The IMPs would come and find them as soon as Kat revealed their hiding place.

Even if Konner could get the lander up and running he wasn't sure he could get past his own booby traps aboard
Sirius
with any vessel other than
Rover
.

“Forgive me, Martin. I think I'm going to miss your court date and our one chance to be together.”

K
AT PARKED the shuttle out of sight and weapons range of the camp. No sense in being shot down by her own people in a notorious smuggler's vessel before she could explain herself.

“Where is Captain Leonard?” she asked the first guard she encountered on the perimeter of the village.

Her feet ached from wearing the too thin and too large boots she'd found thrown into a locker aboard the shuttle.

The guard shrugged and gestured with his head toward the cluster of cabins and huts. Kat proceeded. She asked everyone she met where to find their captain. No one knew.

“Captain is still aboard
Jupiter
. She's vowing to remain aboard until we find the crystals or until the ship's orbit decays beyond repair,” Josh Kohler, the navigator, said. “M'Berra's out chasing an injured native kidnapped by one of the outlaws. Guess that puts me in charge as senior officer.”

“What about Pettigrew?” Kat did not like to think about the self-righteous Marine in charge of the mission. They needed level heads and careful plans to capture her brothers and reclaim the king stone.

“Lotski has him doped up and pumped full of antibiotics. She's ordered bed rest until she's certain his wounds do not infect.”

“Wounds from what?”

“He claims that a dragon dropped him onto ancient razor wire soon after first landing.” Kohler worked his cheek muscles to keep from laughing out loud.

Kat did not see the humor in the situation. She knew from personal experience just how big and dangerous a dragon could be.

“The man is delusional.” Kohler sobered. “But then we all knew that before this mission. Can't have him charging into the fray and possibly damaging one or more of the crystals in his enthusiasm.”

“He'd likely do that.”

“Yeah. Pettigrew wants revenge. Been raving about it for hours. Word from the latest batch of refugees is that the enemy sneaked back aboard
Jupiter
with a bunch of bushies. All armed to the teeth. They killed a bunch of people who opposed them and stole the rest of the crystal array.”

Kat's knees grew weak. She did not want to believe the three men she had met capable of the atrocity of murder. Bad enough that they deprived animals of life to feed themselves. But to kill another
human!

Somehow, the legendary exploits of her brothers did not match the image she now had of them.

“I know where the O'Haras are hiding,” Kat blurted out before she had time to rethink her plans. “But we have to move fast if we are to capture them and recover the crystal array.”

“I think we need a superior officer, Kat,” Josh refused to look her in the eye.

In that moment she knew he'd never move much higher than navigator. He was good at that job, but he did not have the self-confidence and initiative of an officer of the line.

Kat had no intentions of letting this man hold her back just because he outranked her by one degree and had two years' seniority on her.

“Fine. I'll fetch M'Berra. Where did he go?”

“That way,” Kohler pointed vaguely to the south and west. “He took a squad out before dawn, as soon as Lotski discovered her patient missing.”

“Dalleena, Konner's lady. The middle brother hadn't returned to the hiding place as of two hours ago. I bet he stayed behind to grab her. He's the only one who could correct the sabotage I left behind. We'll leave Konner to M'Berra. Our first officer will keep the man busy and away from the clearing. Best to strike the others while they are divided. They have Ms. Baines.” She hoped the last statement would spur Kohler to action. He'd been watching the diplomatic attaché with lustful eyes for weeks.

“My orders are to secure this compound at all costs. Unless M'Berra counters his own orders, or Captain Leonard tells me otherwise, I and the people under my command will stay here and prevent the locals or the O'Haras from stealing the stores or burning the place down.” Kohler bit his lip and refused to look Kat in the eye.

“Very well. I'll get Captain Leonard's orders to move out. Where's communications?”

“Uh . . . James is missing. His escape vessel must have landed in a different sector. Our communications are rudimentary, just what Brewster could cannibalize from a lander that's out of action. Some local bacteria is eating away at the cerama/metal.”

Kat did not like what she was hearing. Not one little bit. Disorganization, lack of leadership. Fear. Why had they all evacuated? The ship should still be manageable, even without the king stone.

“We'll need a mechanical genius to get that lander in the air again.”

“Just don't let Konner O'Hara near it,” she muttered. “Any other vessel that comes within hailing distance will have to be dunked in the saltwater bay to kill the bio-gunk in the upper atmosphere. Otherwise, we'll lose them all.” She captured Kohler's gaze with her own until he nodded. “Permission to contact Captain Leonard aboard
Jupiter
, sir.” She saluted smartly. At least she'd make it look like she proceeded through proper channels.

“Permission granted, Lieutenant Talbot.” Kohler returned her salute. He stepped back and began scanning the horizon with a FarSight® sensory visor. The infrared detectors would reveal more than his eyes peering through the gloomy clouds. At least the rain had let up a little down here in the valley.

Kat sloshed through mud churned by too many boots toward the largest hut in the center of the village. A mess sergeant had managed to boil up some grains for a cereal breakfast.

He shook his head and grumbled. “First salvage trip back to
Jupiter,
I want the hydroponics tanks and all of the food stores. First priority. No questions.” He pinned Kat with his gaze. “Growing food in the dirt is most inefficient. If these grains had been tanked, I could feed twice as many people on half the amount. This planet needs civilizing. Fast.”

“I'll do what I can,” Kat replied. She grabbed the next bowl of mush and chowed down. No telling when she'd eat again and she'd had nothing since last night's meal of roasted vegetables—she had refused the rabbit so proudly caught by one of Loki's warriors.

From the chow line, she made her way to the largest hut. She figured she'd find communications there.

A harried Sergeant Brewster sat at a collapsible table with six handheld communicators and pieces of the lander's more elaborate system configured to beam data among them. Eight other noncoms crowded around her with demands to contact this person, that officer, a love interest.

“Silence!” Kat cut through the jumble of people with the authority of her rank, her training, and her superior height.