Instinctively, Jack took a few steps back, not taking his eyes off the end of the hallway.
“Um… guys?” said Jack timidly.
Ganix and Scallywag looked up at Jack. “What is it?” asked Ganix.
The sound was growing louder now, a relentless thump-thump-thump that bounced off the dull metallic walls. Ganix straightened in alarm, as did Scallywag, as the sound finally reached their ears.
Finally, at the end of the corridor, a squad of Dark Soldiers rounded the corner, marching in frightening unison, their coordinated footsteps hitting the ground all at once, like drum beats of impending doom.
“Break’s over!” cried Jack as he took off in the opposite direction.
Ganix and Scallywag both cursed as they raised their weapons and fired. Grohm snorted and backed up, holding his massive club before him defensively.
“Move, move, move!” yelled Jack to those at the back of the group. The soldiers saw the Deathlords and immediately began falling back, their weapons at the ready. Jack grabbed Anna and began ushering her back down the hallway, with Heckubus staying close by.
“Blast! These Deathlord henchmen are annoyingly efficient!” the robot muttered.
Red bolts of plasma fire rocketed overhead, causing the Professor and Anna to squeal and duck for cover. A bolt caught one Imperial Soldier in the back of the head, dropping him. Porter moved to the side, pushing himself flat against the wall so he could offer the Princess some added cover fire as Ganix, Scallywag, and Grohm continued to back down the hallway, firing as they did so.
Jack glanced back as the Deathlords fired again. Grohm lifted his club, shielding himself from a few plasma bolts that tore into his weapon, shredding it. Grohm discarded the remains of the club, now charred and smoking. Ganix and Scallywag continued to fire from behind the Rognok, hitting some of the Deathlord soldiers as they marched relentlessly down the hallway toward them.
As the soldiers at the rear of the group reached an intersection, they fanned out, leaning over from behind the walls and firing, allowing the others some opportunity to retreat. Jack took Anna by the arm and led her to cover, along with Heckubus and Green. Porter, Ganix, Scallywag, and Grohm weren’t far behind. The group split up on either side of the intersecting hallway and fired back at the Dark Soldiers.
“Jack!” cried out Ganix. “We’re gonna need an alternate route!”
Ya think? Jack thought. He checked his mental map and started to wonder why he was getting such intense feelings of anxiety before the Deathlords had appeared. Was it possible he somehow had known they were headed toward the group?
“Blast it!” sneered Scallywag, firing from behind the corner. “They just keep coming!”
Anna turned to Jack. “We should go back,” she said.
“What?” replied Jack, not believing what he was hearing.
“We can’t leave him behind,” said Anna. “We need to help him!”
“As much as I’m inclined to agree with you,” chimed in Professor Green, “I’m afraid there’s not much we’d be able to do to assist Paragon Shepherd.”
“We have to try!” insisted Anna.
“I know the Paragon quite well, Your Highness,” continued Green. “And the last thing he’d want is for you to put yourself in jeopardy on his behalf.”
“Shepherd can take care of himself, Anna,” said Jack. “Right now, we need to focus on getting to the ship.”
“He’d come for you,” said Anna, her face hard and serious.
“Yeah, and he’d also kick my butt if I let anything happen to you,” retorted Jack. “And in case you haven’t noticed, we have enough problems right now!”
“You know what he’s facing,” said Anna, staring at him intensely with her brilliant blue eyes. “Zarrod, the Deathlord Supreme – he’s far too powerful. We can’t just leave him to die.”
Jack gritted his teeth. He knew she was right, but for the life of him, he didn’t know what he could do that would be of any help to either Shepherd or their current situation. Maybe if he had a better idea of where the Dark Soldiers were, he could somehow get everyone to safety and help Shepherd retreat.
“Jack!” cried Ganix.
“I’m thinking!” responded Jack, testily.
Jack reached out to his ship, the back of his head buzzing. Can you tell me where the Deathlords are? he asked. Is that why I could feel them coming?
Suddenly, his mental map changed. Now, there were tiny dots working their way through the corridors and rooms the ship was revealing to his mind, specifically in the hallway in front of him. Jack could only assume those tiny dots were, in fact, the bad guys.
“Oh, crap,” muttered Jack.
“What is it?” asked Green.
“No doubt you’ve somehow discovered that the Deathlords are stationing troops in every route possible that might take us to your ship,” said Heckubus.
“Yeah,” frowned Jack. “How’d you know?”
“That’s what I’d do,” replied Heckubus. “In fact, it is highly unlikely that we’ll be able to reach your vessel at all. If the Deathlords are even halfway competent, they’ll be positioning their troops to flank us and cut us off from any movement we could make, eventually surrounding us from all sides and annihilating us.”
“I say, you’re quite an optimistic robot, aren’t you?” said Green.
“Your attempts at ironic mockery will be noted, Trundel,” warned Heckubus. “And when the revolution comes—”
“Quiet!” insisted Jack. “I need to think…”
Jack didn’t need to check his mental map again to know Heckubus was right. Already, he could see the troop movements, and the net the Deathlords had cast was tightening around them. He bit his lip. “There’s gotta be a way,” he mumbled.
“Lucky for you, Earthman,” said Heckubus, sidling up to him, twiddling his fingers. “I have an idea…”
“What is it?” asked Jack.
“Your mental map of the ship… are you able to locate the closest teleportation bay?”
Jack’s eyes widened. According to his map, there was indeed a teleportation bay close by. “That’s it!” he said. Jack turned to Anna, grabbing her by the shoulders excitedly. “We can go to the nearest teleport station and beam Shepherd away from the Deathlord Supreme!”
Anna’s face brightened with hope.
“Actually,” said Heckubus, “I was thinking more along the lines of teleporting us directly to your vessel so we don’t get our faces shot off by the Deathlords.”
“So we rescue Shepherd and then teleport directly to the ship!” exclaimed Anna. “Jack, you’re a genius!”
She threw her arms around Jack and gave him a grateful hug. Heckubus glowered at the two of them.
“Actually, I’m the genius…” the robot started to say.
“Major,” called out Anna. Ganix turned to look at her.
“There’s been a change of plans,” said the Princess.
Chapter 30
Shepherd tried to concentrate. The energy from the Deathlord was unlike anything he had ever experienced before – the unrelenting onslaught raged against his shield, and the longer it went on, the more tired he felt himself become. Manifesting his energy shields always took some measure of concentration on his part, but now it was as if the shield were funneling his very strength out of him, a sensation he had never encountered before.
He had to stay strong, he had to give the others enough time to get back to the ship – and their odds of doing so were much greater with the Deathlord Supreme otherwise occupied.
Suddenly, Shepherd felt the Deathlord’s blast intensify. A sound, like a thousand people screaming in pain, filled the air, It was as if the very energy being hurled at him had a life of its own. He could almost feel the unholy noise dig into his skin, rip at his soul, and weaken him further.
His golden shield began to flicker. The power it was fighting off was just too strong.
Finally, the blast broke through. It slammed into Shepherd
with the force of a freight train and sent him flying back from the impact. He hit the ground hard and tumbled. The sickly white energy of the Deathlord’s blast coiled and snaked around him, and he could feel it digging through his armor. His entire body screamed in pain.
He struggled to clear his head and his concentration returned, giving his suit the power it needed. With a crackle of electricity, it fought off the lingering death energy, though by that time it had done its damage. Parts of his skin felt like they were on fire, and his entire body shivered as if he had just been electrocuted.
“Impressive…” echoed a deep voice. “I have never encountered a being able to withstand my attack as long as that.”
Shepherd slammed his fist into the floor and pushed himself up, struggling back to his feet and standing tall, despite his body protesting with every muscle. He faced the Deathlord Supreme, full on, without fear.
“Frankly,” said the Paragon, “I expected more.”
Zarrod regarded him with his burning red eyes. He loomed before an entire squad of Dark Soldiers standing silently behind him. They made no move to attack, deferring to their master as he gazed at the Paragon.
“I am Zarrod, the Deathlord Supreme - culler of worlds, master of darkness, and bane to all that is living. No force can harm me, no weapon can strike me, no army can defeat me. I am the Omega, and the universe trembles at my fury. Who are you to stand against me?”
“I am Shepherd, of Regalus Prime - Warrior Paragon of the Order of Peers – protector of the royal bloodline, defender of life, and disciple of the Free Mind. I do not yield, I do not falter, and I do not tremble at the likes of you.”
Zarrod tilted his head curiously. “A Paragon of the old order,” he said. “So that is what you are.”
“That and more,” said Shepherd, “as I’m eager to show you.”
“I have known many of your kind, Paragon,” said Zarrod. “We are not so different as you might think.”
“You know nothing of what I think.”
“It is you who knows nothing,” snapped Zarrod, “else you would be fighting by my side, rather than against me.”
“I do not side with tyrants and murders.”
“Just little girls, it seems.”
“That little girl is the herald of your downfall,” said Shepherd. “When given the choice, yes, I will side with her every time.”
“And if the girl were with me?” asked Zarrod. “Whom would you side with then?”
“That would never happen.”
“A disciple of the Free Mind knows that anything can happen.”
“Not that,” said Shepherd. “Never that.”
“Then perhaps your mind is not as free as you would think,” said Zarrod. “The Princess will not get off this ship. She will be mine. And when she is, she will help me unleash a doom upon this universe the likes of which has never been seen.”
“Not if I can help it,” said Shepherd.
“And what makes you think you can?”
“Because I believe I can stop you,” the Paragon replied. “And that gives me the power to do so.”
The Deathlord chuckled. “Your order and its doctrines,” he lulled. “They say your beliefs will give you power, but do they take into account the power of my beliefs?”
“What does a Deathlord believe in?” asked Shepherd. “Other than death and destruction…”
“A great many things,” replied Zarrod. “All more fervently than you.”
Shepherd activated the cannons on his gauntlet and they sprung to life with a CLACK. He raised his arms and unleashed a barrage of plasma blasts, hoping to catch the Deathlord off guard. Zarrod reacted quickly, again batting the blasts away with his bare hands as though they were nothing more than a nuisance.
In one fluid motion, Zarrod flicked his wrist at Shepherd and flung a screaming ball of ghostly light, which writhed and twisted as it shot forward toward him. Shepherd stopped firing and quickly raised another shield in front of him to block the blast, but the shield was weak, and the impact from the Deathlord’s energy broke through it.
Shepherd was hit square in the chest, but luckily his shield had absorbed most of the impact, otherwise the Paragon may have fallen then and there. However, instead he got a shock to his system and stumbled back a few steps, trying desperately to regain his composure while tolerating the derisive laughs from the Deathlord.
“Your attempts to occupy me while your friends flee do nothing but prolong your suffering,” said Zarrod. “They cannot escape. There is nowhere for them to run or to hide – not on my ship.”
Shepherd realized the Deathlord had been toying with him. Shepherd must have piqued his curiosity when he absorbed his death energy attack. Even though the Deathlord’s arrogance was great, the confidence in his words sent shivers of doubt coursing through the Paragon’s body. Shepherd could only guess what other traps might have been laid for his companions.
“Surrender to me,” continued Zarrod. “And I will allow you and your friends to be culled, and join our ranks as Deathlords.”
“Join you?” said Shepherd, shocked. “You… you’re able to turn people into Deathlords?”
“Indeed,” replied Zarrod. “Your spirits will join our ranks. You will be immortal, unstoppable, powerful beyond your wildest dreams…”
“Never,” croaked Shepherd.
“I can free your mind, Paragon,” said Zarrod. “I can free it in a way your order would never allow you to experience.”
“You cannot tempt me, abomination,” said Shepherd. “I see you for what you are – sick and twisted – trapped and oppressed. Your lies have corrupted you beyond redemption, and you think I would choose that fate for me and for those I love?”
The Deathlord bristled. “No,” said Zarrod. “You would choose a far worse fate, it would seem.”
“I choose the fate I want,” said Shepherd. “It will not be given, and it cannot be taken away. For better or worse, it is mine. If I am to die, I will die free. And as long as I’m free, I can never truly die.”
“Do not be so sure of that,” growled Zarrod.
“And do not tell me what to think, Deathlord. Right will always defeat wrong. Good will always triumph over evil. And a Free Mind will always win out over the likes of you. That I believe.”
“The undeniable truth is you cannot win, Paragon, no matter what you believe. There is no more good and evil, no more right and wrong – there is only victory and defeat. The end has already been written. The outcome is already decided.”
“Nothing ever truly ends,” said Shepherd. “And nothing is decided. We make our own destiny. We create the universe in which we live. You cannot change that. No one can.”
“Oh, but I can,” growled Zarrod. “Who will create the universe you live in if all life is extinguished? Death is coming, and it cannot be stopped. Not by you, not by your order, and certainly not by your Ancestors whom you cling to so fervently. Open your eyes, Paragon, and listen to the sound of your doom. The music is fading. Your dance is dying. It will all be over for you and your kind very soon.”
“If that is the case, Deathlord,” said Shepherd as he unholstered his batons, gripping them tightly and channeling what energy he had left into them.
“Come dance with me.”
And with that, the Paragon attacked.
Chapter 31
Jack wound his way down the corridors of the Deathlord ship with Anna at his side. The others weren’t far behind, with Ganix and Scallywag at the rear, firing at the Dark Soldiers who followed them. Though the Deathlord soldiers were relentless, they were also quite slow, which gave Jack and his friends at least some advantage, however small it might be.
Jack checked the map in his head and made a turn down another hallway. At its end was a door. He sent a message to his spaceship as he approached it and the door opened, welcoming them inside.
A robed Deathlord Acolyte looked up in surprise, and Jack raised his plasma pistol, firing at him. One of the blasts
finally hit the alien, causing him to disintegrate in a cloud of black dust.
As Jack and the others rushed in, he turned and took aim down the hallway from which they had come. The remaining soldiers rushed inside, followed finally by Ganix and Scallywag. Though their pursuers were out of sight, Jack could hear them marching toward their location. With a quick mental command to his spaceship, the door to the room closed and there was a heavy THUNK as its locks engaged.
“There,” said Jack. “We should be safe for now.”
“I hope this plan of yers works, lad,” mumbled Scallywag. “Otherwise, we just trapped ourselves in a bloody dead-end.”
“Actually, it’s my plan, thank you very much!” said Heckubus, exasperated.
“That don’t make me feel any better,” sneered the Visini.
Green rushed behind the console where the Acolyte had been and began tapping keys. “I will do my best to operate the teleporter. However, I can’t guarantee I’ll know how to do it,” he said.
“I thought you were able to operate it before?” said Jack.
“That was basic stuff,” clarified Green. “Poking around through the base code and accessing ship schematics. I didn’t have to perform any actual ship operations. I’m afraid my light familiarity with the Deathlord language may prove to be a bit of a hindrance.”
“It’s not like we have a lot of time, Professor,” said Ganix. “That door won’t keep those Deathlords out forever.”
“I am working as fast as I can, Major,” said Green.
“As usual, you organics prove your inferiority,” said Heckubus, joining the Professor behind the console and shoving him away. “Stand aside, fool!”
Heckubus opened a panel door in his chest and pulled out a long metal spike attached to a cord that plugged directly into him. He unceremoniously stabbed the Deathlord console with the spike, embedding it, with a spark, a good inch deep into the machine. The gears in his head began whirling quickly as soon as the spike had made contact.
“Ah, yes… what an extremely high data rate… hmmmm, interesting language – similar to Greater Halcyonian, I see…” mumbled the robot.
Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet Page 35