by Scott Wale
“They won’t be foolish enough to retreat back down the ramp”, Grimtav advised. “Once you gain the position at the top, I want you to hold it. I imagine this pair of infiltrators will not simply retreat. Reinforcements will arrive shortly to engage them.”
“Yes, sir”, the shield bearers replied in unison.
A few more arrows released from Scourge struck the static shields, but eventually the volley stopped. Fenrit had realized that his efforts were fruitless and nothing was going to hinder the progress of the push. Fenrit also needed to consider his limited number of remaining arrows. Alejade popped into view of Grimtav and the shield bearers to witness the advance. Grimtav withdrew a sphor from his leather armor. He focused on Alejade while rotating the cold, spherical, metal object in his hand. He skimmed his fingers across the surface of the sphor until he felt of the grooves that encircled the button on the device. He ensured his fingers were safely planted in the indentations that existed on the sphor as means of a grip before pressing the button. Grimtav pressed the button with the snap of a finger and sharp extrusions popped out of the sphor. The innocuous looking sphor now showed its true appearance as a weapon of war. All three infiltrators were now retreating to the next intersection down. Grimtav drew his arm back and flung the sphor at his target. The sphor struck Alejade in the back with the momentum slightly knocking her forward. The impact had caused a shimmer of purple around Alejade’s body as the skin shield reset itself. The sphor had simply bounced back and fallen to the ground as if it had been thrown up against a wall. Alejade continued her escape unscathed and only mildly startled by the blunt force that had just been applied to her. The skin shield had successfully repelled the attack and Grimtav was left in disbelief. Grimtav caught a glance of the device as Alejade, Fenrit and Nevit turned the corner. Certainly, this must have been what repelled the attack, but how much protection did it provide?
All three infiltrators held up at one intersection down from the ramp where they were still able to hold a view of the top of the ramp. They awaited a further push from Grimtav and his guards.
“See, I told you they would give up their position”, Grimtav proudly declared. “I’ll head below to flush out any remaining infiltrators. You hold here as planned. When reinforcements arrive I’d advise them to be cautious to engage considering their protective device.”
Grimtav stared down the ramp. The surveillance from earlier had shown four infiltrators and simple math told him there was only one remaining below. Grimtav confidently descended the ramp knowing exactly what he was dealing with in the sole saboteur.
XXVII.
The access port contained just enough room for Tradok’s large stature to fit through. It was the kind of confined space that would set those who suffered from claustrophobia off in a panic. Tradok didn’t mind the close quarters, but he was concerned that if the need arose to hastily depart from the controller room his movements would be impaired by the space restrictions. Agility and finesse were not a Sauronoids strong suit and even less so under the pressure of time.
Tradok exited from the access port and laid his gear pack down before taking in the situation. He observed the layout of the room before moving about to get the full picture of what he was dealing with. The setup was not at all what he had expected.
The first unwelcome surprise about the room housing the controller was a design, which served to complicate dismantling the equipment. The access port simply led into an empty room with nothing more than some support beams that ran from the floor up to the ceiling. The floor was grated and through the holes Tradok could see that the controller had been housed below the grating. The floor grating itself was one solid piece that nixed the option of simply lifting it up to gain access to the controller. Fortunately, the grating was wide enough that an overloaded skin shield with the sliver of faunite affixed to it could be slipped through and placed right next to the controller. Tradok saw a single access port below the grate next to the controller. This was probably there for maintenance purposes, but the facility layout hadn’t shown this pathway for obvious reasons. Tradok had no idea where the other end of that access port came out, so any solution would have to come from his current position.
The second unwelcome surprise was the presence of shield generating units around the controller itself. They were currently deactivated and Tradok reasoned that they must have been connected to the same circuit as the shield that cut through the access port, which had initially blocked the entry to the room. Based on the shield generating unit’s position they appeared to add a second layer of protection that was ultimately a tight fit up against the controller. This meant the room itself could sustain considerable damage, but if these shields were activated the controller would remain unharmed. It wouldn’t take long for someone monitoring the events taking place in Prominence to recognize that the shield around the controller had been shut down. The physical barrier of the grating was one thing, but the problem of a potential presence of the shield needed to be alleviated before Tradok felt comfortable planting an explosive and then leaving the room.
Tradok ran through the options in his head. He needed a way to jam the shield generators just in case they were brought back online. His pack caught his attention from across the room where he had laid it underneath the access port. He began to mentally take inventory of the gear pack’s assets. It contained a few additional skin shields, his dataport, the sliver of faunite and some flash. The thought of the flash triggered an idea in Tradok’s head. Tradok could gum up the shield generating units by applying the flash directly on to the projectors. The projectors were visible, but unfortunately well below the grated floor. Tradok could stick his claw through the grate, but the projectors would still be out of reach and there wouldn’t be much mobility for making a tossing motion. It’d take a lucky shot to affix the flash to enough projectors to prevent the shield from activating. Tradok mused to himself that this would have been an opportune time for Nevit to crack a joke about the use of a prehensile tail.
Tradok took another survey of the room to determine what tools he had at his disposal outside of his pack’s inventory. The room felt even more barren than when Tradok had initially entered. He spun in circles as he examined each fragment of space in the room. The floors were free from debris and the walls and support beams appeared solid offering no loose articles that Tradok could use to his advantage. Tradok walked up to the nearest support beam and began a closer inspection. The beam was a single, sturdy piece and without a heat torch to splice off a chunk the beam would offer nothing of value. Tradok moved over to the wall where he pressed out his claw against the wall and examined the surface. The wall was just as sturdy as the support beam and seemed to offer no options. He began walking the perimeter of the room dragging his hand against the wall in an attempt to detect a change in the structure. He had walked along two edges of the wall when he came upon a section that jutted out ruining what would otherwise have been a perfectly rectangular room. Here he found an option.
The corners of the jutted wall had a thin strip of metal serving as trim that ran from the floor to the ceiling. Tradok dug his claws under it and noticed it had not been tightly adhered to the wall. Tradok continued to dig underneath the trim until he was able to remove a small portion from the wall. From here he was able to fit his fingers underneath the trim and get a solid grasp. Once he was satisfied with his grip he counted to five and on the fifth count he jerked the trim away from the wall with all his might. The trim failed to break, however, Tradok was successful in removing a larger portion that had been affixed to the wall. With enough slack Tradok was now able to fit both of his claws under the trim where he bent a section back and forth several times until it was eventually weak enough to twist and completely sever. He did this to another section creating a length of trim that was just slightly shorter than his legs.
Tradok headed back over to his pack and removed the flash. He applied the flash on one end of the trim and took hold of the opposite
end. He returned to the center of the room and began to orient himself so that he could slide the trim through the grating and apply the flash to one of the shield generating units. The thickness of the grating would prove difficult in trying to get the appropriate angle, but hopefully the elasticity of the trim would be enough to accomplish the task. Now a new challenge had been administered. Tradok’s accuracy and dexterity would be put to the test. Tradok thought optimistically to himself that there were at least several flash packets and more trim. This relieved his concern that he would lose his grip on the trim and it would fall down to the floor below. Just as he began to focus on the task at hand he heard footsteps from behind. He turned around and froze in astonishment when he saw Grimtav bearing his falchion and standing over his gear pack.
***
“We have to create an opening”, Fenrit declared. “Tradok will be stuck down there unless we get those guards to move. Ideas?”
“They don’t appear armed with anything beyond the static shields”, Nevit pointed out. “If we wait for Tradok to come back up, they’ll be forced to make a decision on which way to defend. That might be the exposure we need.”
“That assumes only two remain posted there”, Fenrit said. “Even Tradok didn’t seem to know how long it would take and the longer we wait the better chance there is that reinforcements show up. We’d be better off to dislodge them now if possible.”
Fenrit turned his attention to Alejade who was now sitting on the floor behind where Fenrit and Nevit were standing. Fenrit and Nevit had kept taking turns peeking out into the hallway to ensure that the situation had not changed. Alejade had sat down shortly after being struck and appeared to be in mild shock from the experience.
“Are you ok?” Fenrit asked of his sister.
“I believe so” Alejade replied. “I don’t feel any pain and the dizzy feeling that accompanies an active shield is still there. The shield must not be completely depleted. When that object struck me it felt as if I had been pushed from behind rather than pierced by one of those sharp points.”
“Too bad the static shields don’t eventually wear down like these skin shields”, Nevit commented.
“What happens when the skin shield has had all it can take?” Alejade asked.
“You won’t see that purple glaze upon recharge and you’ll instantly lose the dizzy sensation”, Nevit answered. “You’ll know it’s down and hopefully you’ll have the opportunity to avoid taking another beating.”
“Tradok said the force of the impact would determine how long the shield would last”, Alejade said in a tone that Nevit wasn’t quite sure if it was a question or a comment.
“It held up to a few thrusts with the cyphon when he tested it”, Nevit recalled.
“What would happen if it went up against another shield?” Alejade followed through with her thought process.
“I would place my bets on the static shield winning”, Nevit said realizing where Alejade was headed with her thinking.
“Maybe in the long run, but all we need is one burst”, Fenrit thought aloud.
“What’s the plan?” Nevit asked somberly knowing the risk would be greater than what he’d feel comfortable taking.
“Nevit and I will rush at them in an attempt to knock them off balance”, Fenrit began. “Alejade, you will follow closely behind and act as cleanup. The goal is to take possession of those static shields so we can hold the position at the top of the ramp. We’ll likely catch them off guard, so we’ll have that working to our advantage.”
“What do you mean by act as cleanup?” Alejade asked nervously.
“Whatever the result of the collision, you’ll need to focus on taking hold of one of those static shields”, Fenrit instructed Alejade calmly. “You’ll need to think quickly, but I know that will not be an issue for you. Don’t be afraid to use your staff.”
Alejade had almost forgotten about her staff after setting it down before seating herself upon the floor. She had never attempted to use it in a forceful way as it never felt natural. If the requirement was to use her staff as a weapon, then she really had no idea where to begin. Was there a proper grip she needed to use for the best mobility? Were there unspoken rules on what she could and couldn’t do to a foe? Alejade closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought of the Maker and how it had tirelessly battled evil during the dark days of Faunar. Alejade grabbed her staff and used it to leverage herself off of the ground. She nodded to Fenrit affirming that she was ready.
“You’ll want leverage, which means coming in low and pushing with an upward force”, Fenrit strategized to Nevit.
“I wouldn’t suggest putting any crucial body parts out there first”, Nevit recommended. “At least not anything you don’t want being numbed.”
“Agreed”, Fenrit remarked.
Nevit peeked around the corner one last time and then all three took a few steps back into the cover of the intersecting hallway. Nevit shot Fenrit a glance and then they both turned their heads to make eye contact with Alejade. Alejade once again nodded. Fenrit and Nevit turned their attention forward. Nevit rocked back and forth in his ready stance while Fenrit held completely still. Fenrit held up three fingers making sure that he caught Nevit’s attention. Fenrit bobbed his head once, then a second time and on the final bob he leaned back and then burst into a full sprint. Nevit fell a few steps behind at the start, but quickly caught up to Fenrit as they turned the corner. Nevit slowed himself to keep pace with Fenrit, so that they would strike at the same time. They both heard Alejade following behind. They stared ahead at the shield bearers who remained set in their position. Neither party had confidence about what would happen upon collision, but the shield bearers stood in a natural defensive stance while Fenrit and Nevit rushed ahead. Nevit and Fenrit lowered their center of gravity a few paces ahead of the impact and both threw up a shoulder just ahead of making contact. Fenrit was flung back, just as the sphor had done after striking Alejade. Fenrit’s victim stuttered, but quickly regained his stance. Nevit appeared to almost go through the static shield and managed to cause his victim to become unbalanced and fall over. Nevit had lost his shield protection and on the follow through his shoulder instantly went numb spreading down to his elbow and over to his chest. Nevit’s push had broken the line and the shield bearers no longer stood shoulder to shoulder. Alejade leaped through the opening and found herself behind Fenrit’s target and to the side of Nevit’s victim. Rather than panicking she immediately confronted Fenrit’s target and swung her staff into the shield bearer’s side. She repeated the action two more times before the shield bearer dropped the static shield and winced over in pain. Fenrit was quick to retrieve the dropped defensive weapon and wield it properly.
“Get behind me”, Fenrit cried out to Alejade and Nevit as the former shield bearer got up and retreated down the hall completely defenseless.
The two obeyed and now Fenrit found himself in a stare down with the remaining shield bearer. The shield bearer realized the vulnerability from no longer being protected by a defensive line however small it had been. He backed himself up against the wall and awaited the next move from his assailants. Fenrit looked over to Nevit and, realizing his arm had been impaired, decided to hand the static shield over to Alejade. The weight of the shield was more than Alejade had expected, but she had no difficulty in holding it upright. Fenrit pulled Scourge off of his shoulder and knocked an arrow bringing the standoff more in their favor.
“Drop the shield, run and I won’t fire”, Fenrit called out. “Or you can risk this ending another way.”
“How can I trust you?” the shield bearer pled.
“You’re outnumbered and ill equipped”, Fenrit responded. “Once again, you can take my offer or take your chances. Time is something I don’t have, so I ask that you make your decision now.”
Fenrit pulled back the bowstring on Scourge. The premalier had put all the pressure he could on the confrontation to drive a result. If the shield bearer refused to move, the
n Fenrit could potentially release an arrow and have it ricochet off the wall or ceiling. Even if it failed to strike its target, the ensuing pandemonium might create an opening similar to that of a few moments ago.
“Put down the bow”, Alejade instructed. “Let him go, but let him do so without the fear of retaliation.”
Fenrit snarled at the idea that his sister had intervened in a situation under his control. Combat was Fenrit’s realm of expertise and he hadn’t lived his entire adult life as a premalier by ignoring his instincts.
“Put it down, Fenrit”, Alejade instructed once again.
Fenrit fought every impulse in his body and slowly removed all the potential energy in the drawn bow string. He jerked his hands to the side and the arrow fell off of the rest and on to the floor. He let go of the bowstring and slowly knelt down to lay Scourge on the floor with one hand still on the grip. Fenrit left his hand on the grip while glaring at the shield bearer. He remained knelt down for a moment until he finally mustered enough willpower to release his grip on Scourge and stand back up.
The shield bearer promptly dropped the static shield and scurried down the hallway. Fenrit felt compelled to pick Scourge back up and release a precise shot into his foe even though that had never been his original intention. The shield bearer turned the first corner out of view ending the tension.
“Thank you”, Alejade said.
Fenrit remained speechless. He picked up Scourge and slung it over his shoulder and then he picked up the arrow, which he slid back into his quiver. Fenrit then walked over to the static shield and picked it up off the ground.