by C. Litka
01
Our elaborate retreat route took us along the cliff and then into the jungle on the other side of the island. We sailed through the jungle, leaping and diving tree to tree, vine to vine and then up into the rough handle half of the island, keeping to underbrush filled ravines.
Naylea was grimly silent, Py, bright and cheerful. He apologized for running long, but explained that he wanted to make certain everyone understood that the Order was not challenging the Temtres. It was hoped it would protect their lives - as well as those of the SaraDal islanders. And as long as they were willing to listen, he felt it was best to explain this as clearly as possible. And, well, they didn't seem threatening at all...
Our elaborate escape route worked as planned - we were either not followed or if we were, we lost them quickly. Nevertheless, it proved to be our undoing - the hour long trek gave them time, and they used it.
We were nearing the end of our escape - walking up a narrow, steep-sided canyon within a hundred meters of our hideout - when a ship's boat drifted over the edge of the canyon, its little steam engine thumping, its cowling enclosed propeller whining softly. Tilted on edge to us, we saw its large crew. And they, us.
'There they are!' yelled several of the dozen Temtres on board, pointing down at us. All let out a savage roar, swinging their springer rifles towards us.
Naylea had already crouched and sprang for the boat, drawing her darter as she did so. Py followed, a half second behind her - leading with his staff. Reaching the boat they grabbed hold of its gunwale - Py wielding his staff to knock springer rifles pointed at them aside while Naylea efficiently went about silencing the crew one by one with her darter. Ex-spaceer Litang managed to get his darter in hand but found no clear shot before the boat disappeared beyond the canyon wall.
I scampered up and out of the canyon in time to see Naylea and Py tumbling into the boat as it sailed on over the rugged mountainside, now out of control. I set out in pursuit.
Temtre boats are large - some eight meters long and broad beamed. A small-bore rocket launcher with a steel shield on either side is mounted at its bow. The deck is enclosed by wide spaced ribs that arch high over it to a thick keel running over the top from stern to the bow rocket launcher. A heavy net, secured in a roll along this upper keel frame, could be rolled down to secure passengers and cargo aboard during abrupt maneuvers. This open frame allowed the boats to be used as cargo lighters as well as making it easy for a boarding crew to swarm aboard rival ships when the opportunity arose. DeKan was killed aboard one such boat leading just such an endeavor.
The netting hadn't been unrolled so Naylea and Py quickly climbed on board, pushed its inert crew out of the way to make their way to the tillers and take control before the boat collided with the looming cliff. She swung the boat back around towards me. Py had his hands full, keeping the inert crew on board as the boat swung about. She cut steam to the motor, allowing me to leap, grab the gunwale, and pull myself aboard.
'Can we use this to get home?' she asked, even before I swung myself in.
'Give me a moment or two,' I muttered, and made my way aft, dodging the inert bodies to examine the engine and take inventory of the boat's fuel and food supplies. The engine proved to be a well looked after Akino engine - smaller than the one on the Vantra boat, but Akinos are know for their reliability. It could be run constantly for months - if you had enough fuel and water. I rummaged through the fuel bunker and food hampers set in the hull alongside the engine, and stretching forward for several meters. The fuel bunkers were all properly filled with black-cake packed in wicker baskets for easy handling, and the food lockers filled with water, rice, and dried meat and vegetables. Everything was shipshape. We'd have enough food to last for weeks with a crew of five.
'Well?' she asked impatiently as I had finished my inspection. She and Py had finished rolling down the netting on each side to keep the former crew on board for the moment.
'The boat could get us home. The fuel supply won't,' I replied, slowly, thinking out loud. 'It's stocked to get you to a decent sized island, not to cross an endless sea. The Wind Drifter had its sails set almost the entire voyage which suggests that we'd be sailing against the prevailing air currents, so we couldn't rely on its sails getting us home if we ran out of black-cake. Having taken the Phoenix to the Outward Islands, we're looking at maybe 5,000 kilometers just to reach the Outward Islands, and another 5,000 to cross the Donta Sea?
'We'd need to lay in a good supply of peat moss or dry wood here and again in the Outward Islands, to get us home.'
'But it can be done?'
'Yes. With luck. We'd have to survive crossing the Outward Islands...'
'Do we have a choice?'
'If EnVey can send a boat back for us, we do. But if not, well, no,' I admitted.
'Right. Let's get this boat under cover. We'll use it as our hideout. Once the Assembly breaks up, we'll have plenty of time to provision it. Take the controls, Litang, and circle back over our camp. We'll collect our gear, dump the crew, and get this boat hidden in the jungle. Unless you have a better idea, Brother,' she added, turning to Py.
He laughed and shook his head. 'No.'
'Right. Let's get a move on it. This probably isn't the only boat they have out searching for us.'
And as if on cue, another boat soared over a ridge line not a 100 meters off.
'Get down, Py, wave and hail them. Litang!' she ordered briskly.
We did as she ordered and they altered to close with us, getting within 25 meters before they sensed something was wrong - likely from the stillness and awkward angles of the former crew. Still, it was close enough for Naylea who, was resting her darter on the gunwale, to take out the boat's pilot and then the rest of the crew, one by one, without giving them time to return a single shot.
'Put us alongside that boat, Litang.'
I opened the steam valve to the engine, bringing it chugging to life, and swung the tillers around to chase after the pilotless second boat. I didn't have to chase it far, since it quickly hit a cliff with a loud thump that sent its inert crew surging into the cliff wall. The boat swung broadside to it with enough force to smash in the propeller guard, shattering the wooden propeller with grinding whine. As I brought our boat alongside, Naylea jumped across, carrying a line. I followed her to open the boiler's escape valve before anything untold could happen.
Naylea looked about, searching the sky for more boats. No more were in sight.
'Someone has acted very promptly down at the encampment,' she said. 'They didn't wait for DinDay to revive. I gave him a full charge again.'
'Perhaps they're searching for us because they want to hear more of what we have to say,' said Py.
Both Naylea and I gave him a glance to see if he was kidding. He didn't seem to be.
He smiled and shrugged. 'We didn't give them a chance to ask questions.'
'No, Brother, we didn't,' said Naylea. 'But we'll be around to answer questions, if that was their intent - once we secure our escape. Now, Brother Py, could I ask you to jump down and collect our gear from our hideout? Litang and I will shift the Temtres to this boat and shift its fuel and food to ours. Will double the fuel and supplies give us enough to reach the Outward Islands, Litang?' She was in an all-business mode.
'It might,' I replied as Py disappeared over the side. 'I'd like a fatter reserve, but let's get it on board. We can make our plans later.' I had a feeling we'd not have a great deal of time. It could be that these boats were manned by the more hot headed of the Temtres, but I wouldn't count on them being few in number.
I started digging the wicker hampers of black-cake out of the second boat's lockers and hastily stowing them aboard our boat while Naylea dragged our sleepers over to the damaged boat. We worked fast and had almost finished by the time Py reappeared bearing all of our kit bags. So far, so good.
'Now let's get this boat under cover,' said Naylea, stepping aboard. 'We'll need to put some distance between us an
d this boat since it'll be the center of their searches once they find it. Open her up, Litang. I think ditching this in the jungle is our best chance of keeping it.'
'Aye,' I said. Standing and looking about, I tried to orient myself. The encampment and savanna were hidden beyond the uneven ridge lines of the mountainous handle of the island that surrounded us. Calling on my memory of where our hideout lay as my reference point, I swung the boat slowly about and set my course, shoving a couple more of the charcoal cakes into the small firebox and twisting the steam valve to the engine full open. I followed the rising and falling of the terrain a closely as I could to keep out of sight. The big boat was not particularly nimble, so that I needed at least 10 meters of clearance for maneuvers over the rough terrain.
'I think this course should take us around to the jungle side, angling slightly for the foothills and jungle, so we shouldn't have far to go by the time we reach the other side.'
Nevertheless, we didn't get even that far. Several minutes later, as we cleared a ridge line, we ran straight into a long staggered line of boats crowded with Temtres. I could see half a dozen of them before the line was lost in both directions around the close horizon of the island. One boat was coming almost directly at us. There was no way to avoid being seen.
'Down again, Py. Stay out of sight!' I said, and looked to Naylea standing beside me. 'Do you still have a few 5mm darts?'
She didn't answer, but stared intensely at the boats.
I'd seen what those darts could do the last time we were here - they had blasted gaping holes in boats. With her pirate piece darter we could easily put any and all boats out of action. However, once you start firing 5mm darts into boats packed with people, people would likely get killed.
'Ready to fight or shall we try running?' I asked once more, as we quickly closed with the Temtre boat ahead.
She sighed. 'My vows forbid me to use lethal force. I am allowed to disable, but not to kill, if I can help it. They don't have radios, so if we can run past and out race them, we may still have time to duck into the jungle. With so many more people aboard their boats, we should be able to outrun them? Right?'
'We should,' I said. Whether or not we could get enough of a lead to hide the boat if they pursued us, was another matter. But that wasn't my choice. With the boat before us less than 50 meters ahead, we didn't have time to turn about and run away. We could, of course, shoot up and away from the island, but that would likely cause a great deal of suspicion. Our best course was to continue on to see if we could bluff our way past them. Even if we couldn't, they'd need to turn the whole line around to pursue us - assuming they didn't kill us as we passed by. I changed our course ever so slightly to pass through the approaching line boats as far from them as possible.
We didn't bluff our way past. I suppose being so lightly manned and heading the wrong way we looked suspicious. The boat ahead hailed us as we closed with it. It was our bad luck that it had a clan-chief on board who ordered us to come alongside. I didn't recognize his name, but I'd no intention to coming alongside (and expending more darts) - with half a dozen other boats in sight, and so we just waved as we sailed past them, while I called out we were going back for more reinforcements. I doubt that we were actually recognized, but our actions spoke for us. The clan-chief ordered us to stop, and when we didn't, angrily ordered the boat around to chase after us, with the rest of the boats following suit once they saw and heard what was happening.
With only the three of us aboard, and despite our doubled supplies, we were able to sink our pursuit out of sight behind the curve of the island within minutes - but not before they'd sent several volleys of their little rockets streaking by us, trailing tails of smoke. Unguided rockets fired from moving boats are not very accurate weapons, so that hitting a boat, stern on, would be pure luck, and in this instance, at least, luck was on our side. The closest one hissed by within five meters of us before we managed to get the island between us and them. If we could put them far enough astern, I thought, we might still have time to ditch the boat in the tall jungle - and at least make our escape.
Our luck, however, only extended to being missed by rockets. Five minutes later, as thinly jungle-clad foothills of the mountains just started rolling into view, another long line of boats appeared over the curve of the island. And, half a kilometer behind them, a full sized Temtre ship drifting up over the horizon as well, its large propeller ticking over lazily on the thin head of steam it had time to build up.
I cursed softly, as I think Naylea did as well.
Py shook his head sadly and said, 'I fear I have failed. They seem not to have taken the message in the spirit the Order intended it to be understood.'
'Keep out of sight,' I said. 'Every second we can fool them into thinking this boat is still manned by Temtres, the safer we'll be.'
We were now nearly trapped between two lines of boats. We could perhaps, run through the second as well, or shoot up and away from the island, but the big ship behind it made both courses iffy. If they recognized us, or when they met the pursuit behind us, we'd be under rocket and springer fire from several dozen boats and the big ship as well.
'It appears we've stirred up a quite a hornet's nest. Still not ready to use your 5mm darts?' I asked Naylea.
She shook her head "no" so I swung the boat away from the new line with the idea of running between the two lines for as long as possible. We now seemed on course for the savanna side of the island and if the Temtres had turned out every ship's boat, we might be able to get lost in the swarm of boats likely overhead. It takes time to raise steam, even on a little boat, so that the bulk of them were likely still rising over the encampment.
'If we can't reach the jungle unobserved, we're going to have to get clear of the island,' I said as I settled into our new course.
'For the Outward Islands?' Naylea asked.
I shrugged. 'With luck, only as far as they chase us. Hopefully it's not too far. Once they give up, we'll slink and hang off the island until they sail. When they're gone we can land and supplement our supplies before setting out. That is, unless you have a better plan.'
'I don't,' she said listlessly.
'Anything to add, Py?'
'No. Is there nothing I can do? I feel rather useless huddled here under the netting and amongst the supplies. I'm missing all the fun.'
'With any luck at all, you'll not miss much more,' I replied, shoving another black-cake into the firebox. 'Neb! These Temtre launches are sluggish!'
We were still ahead of the new line when the savanna appeared beyond the curve of the foothills. I found that we were actually running along the narrow edge of the island. The savanna and ship-city appeared to the starboard under a cloud of steam and smoke. As I suspected, a great swarm of boats was slowly rising from the encampment. It looked as if the Temtres had manned every boat in their fleet. If only we were seen as part of the swarm, we'd have a chance to slip under the edge and reach the jungle without attracting more attention.
'They seemed to have learned their lesson from the last time we were here,' I said over the whirling of the propeller and thumping of the engine. 'They're out quickly and in force.'
A grim Naylea shrugged listlessly and said nothing. She was taking their response hard - not so much for our sake, but because it looked likely they'd ignore the Order's warning and risk paying a very steep price for that.
Glancing back, I saw the two lines of pursuing boats had converged a kilometer behind us and that they'd now swung about in pursuit. Still, with the better part of a kilometer behind us, we had a good lead - given the sluggishness of the boats. Plus it was a lead we could continue to expand, assuming the boats over the encampment paid no attention to us. I continued along the edge, angling down to pass below the savanna to the jungle side. If worse came to worse, we still had clear skies to run away from the island.
The pursuing boats weren't about to let us slip away unnoticed. They started sending rockets our way, not with any hope o
f hitting us, but to alert the hundred boats over the ship-city. Even the big Temtre ship sent several of its much larger rockets screaming at us. The rockets succeeded in drawing attention and I saw dozens of the nearer boats in the swarm swing about in our direction. I swung our boat more sharply "down" to quickly put the edge of the island between us and the boats over the ship-city. Having time to find a hiding place in the jungle was now looking unlikely.
I felt a touch on my shoulder and looked up to Naylea. She pointed towards the edge of the island ahead. Two Simla dragons were frantically swimming out towards us - friends and shipmates. You don't leave shipmates in the lurch, so I swung the boat towards the island to meet them - and the dozens of boats now headed our way. I had to shut down the engine and drift, or we'd have run by them. As we drifted to a stop, I stood, dividing my attention between Siss and Hissi and the boats behind them. The dragons were swimming rhythmically - their tail feathers spread out wide to give them the most thrust possible. Still, we were giving up much of our lead, but Naylea, beside me, had her darter out again, waiting for the approaching boats to get near enough for effective fire.
And they did get near enough - for both her darts and for the Temtres to begin launching rockets that flew screaming by the now sitting boat. All missed, and I could see the occasional blue flash of Naylea's darts as one exploded against the steel shields of the bow rocket launchers. She was still firing 1 mm non-lethal darts, hoping to pick off crew member that dared to lean out from behind the rocket launcher shields to fire on us. Still, she didn't intimidate the Temtre - their rocket fire didn't slacken, and their boats bristled with springer rifles vying to send slugs our way as well. A rocket sizzled by from our old pursuit. We were now in a cross fire.
I told myself that we'd have to be very unlucky to be hit. But luck is a fickle lover, and she may have been the Temtres' in this affair?
A rocket tore through the boat's netting, a meter over the deck, exploding 10 meters beyond us. I couldn't decide just who luck was loving with that one.
I threw open the steam valve and jammed the tillers around as the two exhausted dragons slipped under the netting Py (who had given up hiding) was holding up. They gave a rather breathless bark of greeting as the boat slowly swung about and got underway once again.
'Stay down, Py, girls,' I said as I glanced back. 'There's going to be slugs flying around soon.' The lead boats were now that close - no more than 100 meters.
With no chance now of finding concealment on the island, I pointed the boat's bow to the empty sky and twisted the steam valve wide open.
A slug pinged off of the propeller cowling, and another took a chip out of one of the overhead ribs as we slowly started to pick up speed. Naylea stood beside me, leaning against the propeller cowling picking off the Temtres who, in order to take a springer shot at us, ventured outside of the rocket launcher's shield. With a dozen boats in springer range, her darts did little to slacken their fire.
A second Temtre ship rose slowly over the encampment on a bare minimum of steam and slowly turned towards us. I could see its crew clearing the canvas covers from its rocket launchers. They'd have to fire through their own boats, but I didn't count on that discouraging them. If they had a clear line of fire, they'd take it. I angled the boat "down" a bit more to try to get the island between us and the ship.
Despite the occasional ping or thump of a slug, the whole drama was being played out in slow motion. The boats were no jump-fighters - so our relative positions changed so slowly that time appeared stuck in an invisible morass. Only the rockets, launched with muffled bangs that went streaking by, their tails of smoke etched against the bright sky, seemed immune to the morass.
As we ran from the island, I noted that there were boats over the jungle as well, so we never had a chance for shelter there. Indeed, a third Temtre ship was slowly edging around the far edge of the island's jungle side as well. We were now running the only way left to run. And I'd a feeling we were running away from the Saraime since glancing around, the sky seemed to look brighter beyond the island. Not that it mattered, I told myself - we'd only run until they lost interest in the chase. That was my plan, anyway.
In the meanwhile, we slowly pulled away from the more heavily manned boats. The slugs and rockets dwindled, and then ceased, as we crept out of range.