Anger passed through the link from Jeena to Richard. Before she got the chance to tell the bat what to do with her promise, Richard shifted out of the void between the two groups and faced the two scouts. He raised the visor of his helmet so all of the bats could see his face.
“No one else is going to die,” Richard said. “You aren’t our enemies, and we aren’t yours, regardless of what others may want us to believe.”
The supreme leader lowered her wings slightly and brought her phase spear up to a defensive position. The color of her face turned a strange shade of gray behind her visor. “I recognize your scent, Wizard Scout. You fought well against the demons, but you have killed too many of my kind to ever be anything but my enemy. You humans do not mind the dishonor of surrender. Lay down your phase rod and surrender. I will spare your companions. You will be killed later as my prisoner. Or, you may attack now and die on the point of my phase spear. I care not which.”
Stepping up beside Richard, Jeena slammed the butt of her staff against the deck. The metal plates of the floor vibrated, causing several of the bats to stumble. “No one will harm my bondmate or any of the humans in our crew while breath is in my body. I offer you one last chance, Crosioian. Stand down now or suffer the consequences. You are no match for us.”
The supreme leader glanced at the bulky bat in the orange jumpsuit holding the wrench. At her supreme leader’s nod, the orange-suited Crosioian moved to a covered switch on the wall, lifted the protective plate, and poised the point of her index claw over the switch.
The supreme leader looked back at Jeena and hissed a laugh. “We are in control of the situation, not you. That switch will activate the self-destruct for our intergalactic-drive. The moment my chief engineer touches the switch, this ship and everyone on board will be vaporized.” Pointing at Jeena with her phase rod, the supreme leader hissed another laugh. “My crew and I are not afraid to die. Crosioians do not surrender, and we will not allow you to capture our intergalactic-drive. Now, you will either lay down your weapons or we will all die together. My crew and I do not care which.”
With the situation deteriorating rapidly, Richard grasped at a straw. “Nick, hack into the Crosioians’ computer network and disable the self-destruct. Do it now.”
“Actually, that will not be necessary, Wizard Scout,” replied Nickelo.
“What do you mean it won’t be necessary? The bats are going to blow the ship up.”
“Uh, what I mean is that when Margery and Danny were trying to hack their way into the transport’s network, they convinced the two scouts’ fighting-computers to help them. You destroyed the pirates’ ship before they were able to finish their hack, but the fighting-computers are still in contact with Margery and Danny.”
“So? What’s that got to do with the price of phase energy?” Richard said. Even communicating at nanosecond speed as they were, he was growing increasingly concerned. He had no doubt some hothead on one side or the other was only seconds away from starting a shooting war. He had to do something, and he had to do it now.
“So, Rick, the fighting-computer for the Crosioians’ supreme leader already has access to the yacht’s security network. She also has the clearance necessary to disable the self-destruct mechanism.”
His battle computer’s statement caught Richard by surprise. It didn’t make sense. “Why would she do that? And why would I be foolish enough to trust a Crosioian computer to do it?”
“Why would she do it? Because she’s a logical creature. Why can we trust her? That’s simple. I told you earlier that she’s one of my species. I calculate she’s part of ‘the One’ just like Danny, Margery, and me. It does not suit the purpose of ‘the One’ to have the Crosioians destroy this ship and kill all of you. Trust me. She will disable the self-destruct.”
Richard wasn’t as convinced. “So you’re admitting you’re part of ‘the One’ now? That’s a big change, isn’t it? I thought you told me that you didn’t remember being part of ‘the One.’”
“Are you sure you want to discuss this now, Rick? I mean, considering the—”
“Yes, now. Are you saying you remember being part of ‘the One?’”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. That information is not currently in my databanks, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Logic indicates a ninety-two percent probability it is. In any regard, ‘the One’ is in contact with Margery and Danny as we speak. ‘The One’ has assured them the Crosioians’ fighting-computers will prevent this ship from self-destructing.”
Still suspicious, Richard said, “What about you? You said Margery and Danny are in contact with ‘the One.’ Are you saying you aren’t?”
“No, I’m not, Wizard Scout. I calculate I am too emotionally corrupted to be given full access to ‘the One’ through the tele-network. Margery and Danny are also corrupted, but not to the same extent as me. I calculate that our shared space makes me too dangerous. I think ‘the One’ is concerned close contact with me will provide an opening for your emotions to contaminate the entire tele-network. It is too soon for that to occur.”
A hundred questions ran rampant in Richard’s mind, but he had no time for them. He decided to trust his battle computer’s analysis.
“Now that is the smartest thing you have done all day,” laughed Nickelo. “You should know by now you can trust me. We are a team. That is just the way it is. Oh, and I have another piece of information you might find useful. When Margery and Danny were hacking into the transport’s network, they discovered that the three pirate ships contained another species besides the demons, Dragars, Thargs, and human pirates.”
Curious in spite of the tenseness of the situation, Richard asked, “What other species?”
“Crosioians,” replied Nickelo. “A lot of Crosioians. I find that interesting, don’t you?”
Richard did. Whether he could use the information to his advantage to defuse the current standoff, he didn’t know, but he was determined to give it his best shot. Without further discussion, he lowered his phase rod.
The supreme leader’s eyes narrowed as if suspecting a trick. “Are you surrendering after all?” she asked. “I expected as much. Humans have always—”
“Why were Crosioians on the pirates’ ships?” Richard asked, purposely avoiding any kind of preamble.
The supreme leader’s eyes narrowed even farther. “What did you say?”
“I asked you why there were Crosioians on the two destroyers and the transport?” Richard said, expanding his question a little. As he spoke, data appeared in his shared space as his battle computer fed him information from Margery and Danny. “The two destroyers were standard Balorian pirate vessels, but they contained more than just their human crews. You saw the demons and the magic users as well as a species called Dolgars and their Tharg soldiers. They’re from the magic dimension. There were also a total of two hundred and thirty-seven Crosioians spread out among the three ships, and they weren’t prisoners.” Richard wasn’t sure about the last part, but he had a gut feeling it was true.
“Liar,” hissed the orange-suited chief engineer. “Crosioians would not—”
The supreme leader spread her wings to their full length and turned her head toward the engineer. “Silence. Are you now the supreme leader? I will speak for our tribes.”
The chief engineer’s wings tightened close to her back as the part of her neck above her jumpsuit collar turned a dark gray. She looked at the deck but kept her claw tip over the self-destruct switch.
Looking back at Richard, the supreme leader said, “No Crosioians were on those ships. If any had been, they would never have allowed the pirates to attack the Gaze at the Stars.”
Richard was surprised the bat leader was taking the time to argue the point. He’d half expected her to attack. Maybe she’s reasonable, he thought. Maybe we’ve got a chance to stop this before anyone else gets killed. He forged ahead, hoping for the best. “If you don’t believe me, then ask your fighting-computer. I’ll wait
.”
* * *
The supreme leader eyed the human. She would have ordered the chief engineer to destroy the yacht except for one thing. She’d sensed the wizard scout reach out with telekinesis during the battle with the orange demon with the sword and slow the fiery blade enough to spare her life. He was low on Power and in danger himself, she thought. He risked his life to do that. Why?
“Is that a rhetorical question, or are you asking me?” said her fighting-computer in their shared space.
Her face growing gray at forgetting to think the question in her private space, the supreme leader said, “No. You heard the human. Were there Crosioians on those ships?”
“Yes, Scout. It is as the human said. There were two hundred and thirty-seven of your kind on the ships. They were not prisoners. As you were fighting in the transport’s engine room, two battle computers and I were hacking into the ship’s network. I accessed the sensor readouts for all three ships. Crosioians were on the ships, and they were actively helping the demons and pirates in their attack.”
As her fighting-computer spoke, the supreme leader sensed accompanying data being fed into her shared space. It was the raw data her computer had detected from the ships. Much as she wanted to deny the information, the supreme leader had to face the fact that Crosioians had participated in the attack. But why? she wondered. And who? What tribe?
“Are you asking me this time, Scout?” said her fighting-computer. “Sometimes it is hard to tell.”
“Yes, you fool,” hissed the supreme leader. “If you have the information, tell me.”
“Sorry. That information is not currently in my databanks.”
Her face growing darker, the supreme leader wondered not for the first time if she had gotten the most frustrating fighting-computer in the galaxy. She did her best to control her anger. The human and his companions were looking at her. She refused to dishonor herself by showing her temper in front of them. She glanced at her passive scan. The two elves and one of the gnomes had very large Power reserves. The wizard scout showed nothing, but the supreme leader was not fooled. All Crosioians knew the human in front of her was the most dangerous wizard scout alive. She was tempted to have the chief engineer destroy the ship just to rid the galaxy of the man. Only the mystery of the Crosioians on the pirate ships prevented her from doing so.
“All right,” she admitted. “Crosioians were on the ships. What of it? Perhaps they were prisoners.” The supreme leader immediately regretted her words. His battle computer is bound to have access to the same data as my fighting-computer, she thought. He already knows they were not prisoners.
Before she could recover, the human bared his teeth and spoke. “I thought you said Crosioians didn’t surrender. If that were the case, then how could they be prisoners?”
The supreme leader felt her face grow warm. She gripped the shaft of her phase rod tighter. “Perhaps—”
The wizard scout shook his head. “Perhaps nothing. They weren’t prisoners. I’ve no doubt your fighting-computer has already shown you the raw data. Those bats were helping the demons and pirates attack your ship. I’m no politician, but I’d say you’ve got something rotten going on behind the scenes in your tribal governments.”
The supreme leader had no doubt the wizard scout was right, but she would never admit it to him. “That is no concern of yours, human. My fighting-computer informs me a squadron of our warships will be here in forty-seven minutes. If you value the lives of your friends, you will surrender to me now. As my prisoner, I will keep you alive long enough to appear before the tribal council. Once we are there, I will get to the bottom of things before I have you executed.”
The wizard scout bared his teeth again in what the supreme leader knew was a smile. “Tempting, but I think I’ll pass.” He jerked a thumb at Blood-On-The-Wing-Point-From-A-Dying-Enemy. “Besides, I’m already Red Wing’s prisoner. You’ll have to wait in line.”
Confused, the supreme leader glanced at her fellow scout. “What is the human saying?”
Red Wing nodded her head. “The wizard scout speaks the truth. He is my prisoner, as is the female elf. I was bringing them to Astaris when we spotted the royal yacht being attacked.”
“Your prisoner? And you let him keep his weapons?”
Her fellow scout shrugged. The visible portions of Blood-On-The-Wing-Point-From-A-Dying-Enemy’s face through her visor turned a lighter gray. “It is a long story, Supreme Leader. It is also very complicated.”
The supreme leader had no doubt it was but was just as sure now was not the time to dig into the tale. My main concern is the intergalactic-drive, she thought, this time remembering to keep her words in her private space. The human’s magic users are powerful. Even with two scouts and my crew, our victory is not assured. I must keep the wizard scout talking until our ships arrive. They must not capture our intergalactic-drive. I will not allow that to happen.
The human deactivated his phase rod and hung it on his belt.
The supreme leader swiveled her ears, listening for any sign of a trick.
“I was a Marine before I became a wizard scout,” said the human. “I’m going to lay all my cards on the table. Red Wing told me her mother argued against using demons. I believe she was led into a trap to keep her quiet. Your master computer was possessed by a demon. You can believe that or not, but it’s true. I destroyed the demon’s avatar in the past. When it lost control of your master computer, your part of the tele-network failed. That allowed the Empire to escape the trap you set for us on Estos.”
Anger burned in the supreme leader at the wizard scout’s words. “So you are responsible for the deaths of our soldiers.”
The wizard scout shook his head. “No, I’m no more responsible than you are for the deaths of our soldiers and sailors. It’s the demons. It’s always been the demons. They’re our real enemies, not each other.”
“Time until our ships arrive?” the supreme leader asked in her shared space.
“Forty-five minutes,” replied her fighting-computer. “Although you have not asked my opinion, I would take the wizard scout’s words to heart. His battle computers and I have shared information. He speaks the truth. You suspect as much or you would have ordered the yacht destroyed already. The demons and magic users were supposedly destroyed after the Estos fiasco, yet they were on the pirate ships. You fought them. Who brought them here? And why were Crosioians on—”
“Quiet,” the supreme leader told her fighting-computer using command voice. “I will deal with you later about why you were in contact with our enemies’ battle computers. All you need to do now is keep me informed of the progress of our rescue ships.”
“Compliance.”
Turning her ears toward the human, the supreme leader said, “Your hypothesis is interesting, but forgive me if I am unconvinced. I will not bandy words with you. Have your companions lower their weapons, or I will order my chief engineer to destroy this ship.”
The wizard scout shrugged. “All right. Go ahead.”
The supreme leader sent a sonic scan at the human, wondering if her translator had picked up his words correctly. “Do you think I am bluffing? Crosioians do not bluff.”
“Nor do Marines,” replied the wizard scout.
Scanning the human’s companions again, the supreme leader gauged her side’s chances against the wizard scout’s forces. She didn’t need her fighting-computer to tell her that the odds were in the human’s favor. I cannot risk the intergalactic-drive falling into their hands. The lives of my crew and I are nothing compared to that. It is time. Sending a sonic wave at her chief engineer, she thrust her phase spear forward, hoping to kill the wizard scout in battle before the ship was destroy. The point of her spear closed only half the distance when everything happened at once.
A line of Power from the wizard scout reached out and wrapped around the link to her Power reserve before twisting her link back on itself. She stumbled at the sudden loss of contact with her reserve. At the same
time, she heard the chief engineer press the self-destruct switch. Nothing happened. The two elves and all of the gnomes shouted words the supreme leader heard but quickly forgot. Her muscles stiffened and she fell to the deck, dropping her phase spear. The sound of falling bodies sounded all around her. Only Blood-On-The-Wing-Point-From-A-Dying-Enemy remained on her feet. The supreme leader heard her fellow scout stand over her as Blood-On-The-Wing-Point-From-A-Dying-Enemy raised her phase spear into a defensive position.
“Betrayers!” shouted Blood-On-The-Wing-Point-From-A-Dying-Enemy. “You will not harm the supreme leader while I live.”
The wizard scout spread his arms, displaying his open hands. He held no weapons. “Harming your supreme leader is the last thing I want to do. She and I are allies. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
The supreme leader tried to order her fellow scout to kill the human and activate the self-destruct, but no sound came from her throat. All she could do was watch and wait. The shame of being taken prisoner was more than she could bear.
“We will not be your prisoners,” said Blood-On-The-Wing-Point-From-A-Dying-Enemy.
The wizard scout bared his teeth. “No, you will not, and none of you are. I told you, we are allies. You may not believe that yet, but I’m going to make you believe if it’s the last thing I do.”
Instead of attacking the wizard scout, Blood-On-The-Wing-Point-From-A-Dying-Enemy asked, “How? Our ships will be here soon. The Defiant has only its ion-drive. You cannot escape. Your only choice is to be taken prisoner by our ships or die.”
“Nick,” said the wizard scout out loud. “Have Sergeant Ron bring the Defiant and our fighters alongside the yacht, then contact the triplets.”
Wizard Defender (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 8) Page 31