Thurgood pulled Reynolds to his feet, and together they hobbled after Cason and Stendak as they made for the staircase that would take them down into the city.
21
The city of Kartoka, and most of Shandor, had been dusty before, but with the explosions and rebellion tearing apart countless mud huts, visibility and breathability in the city’s streets had been drastically reduced.
“This is a bad plan,” Antarius said. The captain had fallen to the back of the group as he helped Reynolds limp along.
Cason had heard enough of the kid’s whining over the years and he didn’t want to get into it right now. “We were sitting ducks on that wall.”
“I don’t mean the wall,” Thurgood said. “I mean all of it.”
“I’ll make you a deal, Anti. The next time I get captured and you’re sent to rescue me, you get to make the plan and I get to do the bitching.”
“Oh, that is a deal, Cason,” Antarius said as he caught up with the group.
Stendak stood close to him and spoke softly so only he could hear. “Do we have a plan, Case?”
“I’m working on it,” he reassured her. “Angel?”
The computer in his ear delivered the bad news. “Nothing yet. Best to keep moving?”
Cason agreed and signaled to the group that they would be heading out. He moved quickly, checking each alleyway and narrow street for signs of trouble before committing to that route. The others followed closely behind him.
They made it to the middle of the city without incident.
“We need to find a place to set Reynolds down for a spell,” Antarius said.
“Oh, come on,” Reynolds said. “I thought you were so strong.”
“I’m incredibly strong,” Thurgood said. “But I could use a rest from your breath. Oral hygiene is important, my friend.”
“I’ve been in a cell for—”
“There’s no excuse to skip a brushing. Strong teeth are just as important as strong muscles.”
Cason looked around. They had made their way to a relatively quiet part of the city and a rest wasn’t a terrible idea. It would give them time to make contact with the smuggler—if she hadn’t already been caught or killed. He stepped over one of the mud huts and peered inside. It was empty, so he motioned for the team to take shelter inside.
Reynolds winced as Antarius lowered him to the ground inside the Shandoran shop.
“Oh, please,” Antarius said, and moved closer to the door for some fresh air.
Cason looked at the ensign. “How’s the leg?”
“Shot,” Reynolds snapped. “Are there degrees?”
Cason turned slightly and showed Reynolds his own arm. The bullet had only grazed him and not affected its use. But the blood was soaking through his jacket now, and it was enough to make Reynolds look away.
Stendak helped Cason take his jacket off and examined the wound.
Her touch was welcomed. And it wasn’t just because of the aid she was rendering. He watched her work and had to stop himself from smiling. How many times had people asked him why he kept bailing the kid out of trouble? And how many times had he said it was because it was his job? He was a glutton for Antarius’s punishment. Every time the kid screwed up, he got to see her.
She knew what he was thinking. She always knew. Stendak flashed him a quick smile and asked, “Where are we headed, Mr. Maze?”
“I’m about to find out,” Cason said. “Angel, any update on our ride?”
The computer didn’t respond.
“Angel?” he said, raising his voice.
“I’m trying to reach her. Shouting isn’t going to help.” Angel made a few clicks and whirs so he’d leave her alone while she processed. “I’m not getting anything.”
“You don’t really have a plan, do you?” Thurgood said with a laugh intended to hurt. “Cason ‘the man with the plan’ Maze doesn’t have a plan.”
“No one calls me that.”
“Well, they certainly won’t now. Not with this stupid plan.”
“We’re safe here for the moment,” Cason said as he sat down against the wall. “We’re just waiting for our ride.”
An explosion struck the outside of the building and blew out a chunk out of the wall above his head.
“Haha. Wrong again, ‘Mr. I’m Never Wrong.’”
“What is your problem?” Stendak shouted the question at her captain. Cason knew better than anyone her frustrations with Antarius, but she’d always been able to hide them.
“Him.” Antarius pointed at Cason. “He’s my problem. He’s always showing up with a plan to save me before I get a chance to save myself. I don’t need saving.”
“You very much needed saving!” Reynolds shouted. “The one time you did escape, you ended up fouling a harem instead of rescuing us.”
“I fouled it several times,” Antarius clarified.
“Oh, shut up!” Reynolds said.
“I’d watch who you’re telling to shut up, Mr. ‘Help Me Walk Please Because I’m Stupid And Got Shot In The Leg.’”
“I cannot believe you!” Stendak said.
“Okay, I’ll admit the nickname could use some work, but—”
Stendak grunted. “I have stood up for you forever, and now, when things are at their worst, you prove that everyone was right. You are just a spoiled brat.”
Antarius wore a confused look and glanced at everyone in the room.
“You mean everyone here?”
“I mean everyone.” Stendak hit every syllable hard. “Every person that’s ever worked for you, met you or talked to you on the comm.”
“Well I hardly think that’s everyone,” Antarius said. “Everyone is a lot more people than that.”
“I’ve received messages of condolence from your old school teachers saying how sorry they are for me. Old commanders. Even your aunt. But I told them all they were wrong. I told them that you were a good man. Selfless despite appearances. And now I have to call every one of them back and apologize!”
Another blast collapsed the far wall of the hut. Their cover was gone.
“Time to move,’ Cason said as he got to his feet.
‘“Fine.” Antarius stood up and waved to Reynolds. “Come on, gimpy.”
“Maze?” The signal was faint in his ear. It repeated itself several times through bursts of static, but there wasn’t enough signal strength to make out the entire message.
“Priscilla?” Cason pushed on the earpiece as if it would help the signal. “Do you have a ship?”
There was only static in response.
Cason thumped the earpiece.
“Hey!” Angel shouted. “Don’t hit me. It’s not my fault you can’t hear her.”
”Sorry, Angel.” Cason scanned outside the back door and waved for them to follow him back into the streets. The fighting had moved closer to their position, and he took corners and intersections with more caution.
“This is such a bad idea,” Reynolds said.
“Priscilla? Priscilla?” Cason hoped that being outside would help the signal. “Angel, can you boost the signal?”
”With what?” the computer asked with more attitude than a digital assistant should have been able to muster.
Frustrated, Cason stepped around the next corner without paying attention. The trooper was just as surprised as he was when they bumped into one another. The enemy soldier brought his rifle up to fire.
Cason stepped in closer, grabbed the barrel and pointed it toward the sky as he spun. He threw the soldier over his hip, placed the barrel of his pistol in the man’s neck and fired.
“Damn, Case,” Anatarius said. “That was…”
Cason stripped the soldier’s comm system from his wrist and placed a spike on the casing. “How about now, Angel? Can you get into their system?”
“I can. I’ll work on boosting the signal.”
With Angel integrated into the invaders’ communications, her directions became much more accurate. She could also help th
em avoid hostilities as she now had access to troop movements and satellite feeds.
They kept moving through the narrow alleyways, stepping over fallen pink bodies and avoiding the conflict as best they could. The Shandoran army was fighting on all fronts now as the citizens had completely turned on their own. Bodies of all sizes littered the streets as Shandor continued to tear itself apart.
Static burst in his ear at a painful volume. But the noise was followed by a welcome voice. “Maze, you’d better come in or I’m leaving without you.”
“We’re here. Where are we heading?”
“Get your ass to the west side of town. I have a ship waiting, but I’m not sure how long it will be here.”
“How could you not know how—”
“Because I haven’t stolen it yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I steal it now, I’ll have to protect it. Trust me, it’s better if we steal it on our way out of here. Get to the hangar on the west side.”
An orbital blast struck a block away and rained debris down on the escapees as they dove against the nearest wall for cover.
Cason shook the dust out of his hair. “There’s a lot of war between you and us.”
“Oh, I’m sure you can do it.” Her signal cut out before he could respond.
Cason sighed and addressed the others.“ We have to get to the other side of the city.”
“That’s a terrible plan,” Antarius said.
“It’s the only plan we’ve got,” Cason said.
“You don’t have to carry Mr. Cripple here.”
“Hey,” Reynolds said. “Watch it with the names.”
“Oh? So, I guess you can walk now?” Antarius let go of the ensign and watched the man fall to the ground.
“That’s not what I–”
“Then shut it, cripple.” Antarius helped the man back up.
“This is our only option,” Cason said. “Angel, can you find us a way through this mess?”
“You’ve got a fairly clear route ahead. Most of the fighting is moving closer to the palace.” She continued to call out the locations of troops and skirmishes as Cason led the group through the city.
They moved from what appeared to be a predominantly residential section of Kartoka into another marketplace. The buildings were still mud, but fabric awnings were strung above the passageways and the common squares to provide shoppers some respite from the sun. That had been their intent. With the war, half of them were on fire and the other half were new obstacles blocking their own line of sight.
Cason reached for a fallen shade that blocked their path when Angel barked in his ear, “Not that way.”
Cason let go of the fabric but couldn’t stop Antarius from getting a hand on it.
“Quit dawdling, Cason,” the captain said as he pulled the canopy back to reveal a squad of alien soldiers. Antarius quickly swept the fabric back into place, patted it and then ran away dragging Reynolds behind him.
Gunfire ripped the fabric to shreds as the group ran back the way they came. Bullets chased after them as the enemy pursued them through tight alleyways. The party managed to stay one twist ahead of them until a sudden turn took them into an open courtyard full of Shandoran holdouts who were surprised to see the royal prisoners outside of their enclosure.
By the time the alien defenders had composed themselves and started shouting threats, Cason and the other prisoners had ducked into a nearby building as their pursuers rounded the corner.
Both parties opened fire at one another and the walls of their new hiding spot began developing holes at an alarming rate. The shop was filled with shelves and shelves of pottery, and the shattered clay began to rain down on them.
Cason looked at one of the larger pieces. The pottery was covered in pictograms. Many of them were fairly graphic. “What the hell is this?”
“Most Shandorans are still forced to write on clay,” Stendak said. “It looks like we’ve taken cover in the galaxy’s loudest bookstore.”
“Angel can you translate?” Cason asked, holding up a piece for her optics to see.
“I’d rather not,” she responded. “It’s dirty.”
“What is it?” Stendak asked.
Cason sighed. “It’s porn.”
“Oh great, Cason,” Antarius said. “Your plan has us getting murdered in an alien adult bookstore? Of all the times you’ve rescued me, this is the worst one yet.”
“Oh, really?” Cason said, and tossed the pottery to the ground.
“Really.”
“Even worse than Hicman Beta?”
“Yes! Especially worse than Hicman Beta.”
“So, this is worse than the time you got lost in the swamp for four days without any pants?”
“That was Candalac and you know that wasn’t my fault!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, was Hicman Beta the one where that woman’s husband had you strung up and was—”
“It was the one where I got eaten by the Gondark and you know it!” Antarius shouted.
“And I had to get you out through—”
“Yes! Its ass. Now, shut up!”
“And this is worse than that?” Cason asked.
“Okay, not worse, but it’s at least as bad.”
A piece of a rather lurid novel landed in Stendak’s lap. She turned the writing toward Cason, pointed to one of the pictures and smiled.
“Not now, Meena.” Cason had to push the earpiece deeper into his ear to hear Angel’s voice. “What’s happening out there, Angel?”
“Nothing good.”
“Priscilla? Are you there?” There was no answer. “Vides? Are you out there? We could sure use the cavalry right now.”
The firing outside stopped. The silence that replaced it was disturbing.
Cason strained to hear what was happening. “Angel?”
“The Shandorans lost the fight,” she said.
Gunfire tore through the shop’s wall. The lurid pottery exploded around them. Bullets and blaster bolts passed through the clay porn as easily as it did the walls. If the floor had not been dug below street level, they would have been ripped to shreds.
The group returned fire blindly out of frustration, but it did little to stop the attack.
An explosion ripped a hole in the wall and completely exposed their position. They were looking their attackers in the facemasks. There was a lot of shouting and threatening to shoot, but both sides held their fire.
The unit commander stepped forward and started barking orders toward the group. Angel did her best to translate.
“He’s saying to surrender or be destroyed. He’s being rather graphic about the manner in which they’d kill you. Do you want the full translation?”
“That’s okay.”
The blanket that served as a door drew back, and one of the soldiers stuck his head in the room. Cason blasted a hole through the man’s visor.
The squad outside resumed firing as everyone in the shop dove back to the ground and huddled next to what was left of the earthen wall.
Another blast tore a hole in the back of the building that matched the one in the front. It was a testament to the Shandorans’ mud skills that the whole building didn’t come crashing down on top of them. Every piece of literature in the shop lay in piles of shattered clay on the ground.
He felt Sendak’s hand on his arm and looked into her eyes as she spoke.
“I just want you to know that if I have to die by being buried alive in alien erotica, I’m glad it’s with you.”
He held her hand gently. “I feel the same way, Meena.”
“Okay, it’s time for my plan,” Antarius said as he brushed a large amount of the porn off of his uniform. “I’m going to surrender.”
“That is not a plan!” Cason shouted.
“Neither is this, Maze!”
The gunfire seemed to intensify. Had reinforcements arrived?
“There’s more to my plan,” Cason said.
“Well, where is it?”
A blue balloon drifted through the back wall of the adult pottery store. It hovered lazily in the middle of the shop long enough for Cason to see that it wasn’t a real balloon at all. It looked the part; it had a string trailing beneath it and it moved as if it was floating on a gentle breeze. It was painted a pastel blue, but it was also covered in scorch marks and scratches that revealed a metal layer beneath the paint.
Its appearance was enough to distract the enemy and create a momentary ceasefire. It wasn’t until the guns went silent that Cason realized the balloon was playing music. Brass horns were blaring an intro to a tune that felt familiar. The balloon drifted forward through the hole in the wall toward the soldiers.
“What is that thing?” Reynolds asked.
The squad commander drew his sidearm and fired at the balloon. The bullets ricocheted into Kartoka but did nothing to stop the balloon from drifting toward them.
It moved to the middle of the plaza and stopped in front of several soldiers while several more balloons in an assortment of colors appeared from above and behind them. They came out of alleyways and streets on unseen breezes and slowly came to a stop in and around the military force.
One of the braver soldiers tapped the balloon in front of him with a finger.
The music was faint at first, but it grew in volume as the balloons came to rest. It was a bold trumpet with a descending piano beneath it. The trumpet’s pitch increased with the volume and repeated.
Cason knew the tune now, but couldn’t name it.
“What song is that?” Reynolds asked. “I know it.”
The invaders began to inch away from the balloons slowly. No one wanted to look like they were afraid of a balloon.
The trumpets played once more. Louder. Higher. And at the end of the blare there was a pause. A horrific and haunting giggle echoed through the plaza and the primary tune to Entrance of the Gladiators began.
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