“Understood control,” Lathiel replied before he ended the communication. They won’t find anyone aboard, he thought. Just corpses, which, while they are busy trying to find out what has happened I’ll be slipping straight out the front door.
The twinkling lights of the city of Prague were visible now as the transport gently glided on its final approach toward the platform.
Lathiel kept his eyes peeled on the viewer as he tried to make out the shape of the platform amongst the sprawl of buildings. Gradually it revealed itself; just on the outskirts of the city.
Quickly keying in some controls on the pilots console, five landing legs gently lowered from their positions secreted within the underside of the transports hull.
The small ship continued to slow and descend for its final approach to the platform. Lathiel keyed in the control to add reverse thrust as the transport came in, and gradually slowed the ship until it virtually hovered above the landing pad using just the power from its gravitic engines. He killed the power just as the transport came to rest on the pad. Lights from the surrounding buildings shone down upon the transports aged hull.
Lathiel, still in the guise of lieutenant Forrest, went to greet the cargo inspectors. Making his way through the tight confines of the ship and down towards the lower loading ramp on deck seven. He punched in a control and lowered the main ramp with a loud hiss of pressurised air. Once the ramp had finished lowering, three men came aboard. Lathiel acknowledged the men with a polite nod “Lieutenant Forrest, bringing in those medical supplies as requested.”
“Forrest, where the hell is the commander here, you’re three days early! We might have to turn you around, does he even know how much shit he is in! He’s damned well screwed up our schedule for the next three days.”
Another man spoke up, “There’s another transport due in on this pad in a few hours time and we’ll have to divert him, which throws the others out.”
“Just following my orders,” Lathiel said, trying to remain as blank as possible.
Two of the three men headed towards the command deck in an attempt to find the now dead commander, lieutenant Pryce.
“You can check through the inventory with me,” the third man said, he was a shade taller than the other two, with a rather scruffy looking unkempt beard.
“No problem,” Lathiel said with a smile, his chance had now come.
The Liberty closed in on Earth, just passing the moon.
“Get me E.D.F command headquarters on Earth,” Michael asked.
“Patching ye’ in,” Kinraid replied.
A young woman with long dark brown locks flickered up on the holoviewer, “greetings Liberty, what can we do for you.”
“I need full emergency landing clearance in Prague, preferably as close to the institute of Quantum mechanics as you can get us.”
“We have already been informed of the situation through E.D.F command, you intend to physically land a ship the size of the Liberty next to the institute?” She asked incredulously.
“Or as close as we can get,” Michael finished for her.
The woman consulted something out of view for a few seconds.
“There’s a park near to the facility that you might be able to land in. It’s called Stromoika park, I’ll arrange for the area to be cordoned off immediately.”
“Thanks,” Michael replied, “Liberty out.”
“Well here goes,” Kinraid said.
Vargev gave the commander a look of silent distain; he must be a newbie to come out with something like that.
“Everyone hold onto something, this is going to be rough,” Michael said.
That enticing sapphire blue planet, with gentle wisps of white cloud that was the Earth loomed large, the bright azure glow of its atmosphere was clearly visible as the Liberty began its entry.
The outer hull began to heat up rapidly, and the ship started to shudder, at first gently then increasing in violence as the winds in the upper atmosphere increased.
Michael preyed that the ship would make it through entry, she had taken a heck of a lot of damage, and it would be touch and go.
The Liberties hull trailed fire and smoke as it punched ever deeper into Earths atmosphere. The shuddering became almost unbearable; conduits exploded and crewmen were thrown across the floor. Small fires began to break out amongst the damaged circuitry, the fire suppression system was knocked offline again. Outside the ship it looked like a travelling inferno, parts of damaged hull plating were torn completely off the ship due to the immense pressure.
Even the huge form of Dalvosh was struggling against the unrelenting violence of punching deeper and deeper into the Earth’s atmosphere.
The shuddering had finally stopped, smoke still hung thick across the command centre, and the crew immediately went to work putting out the myriad of small fires. At length, the environmental systems came back online and started clearing the smoke.
Michael wiped the sweat lining his brow, “We made it!” Elated, a wide grin played across his face. It was all he could do to stop himself punching the air in delight, damn I love this ship, he thought.
The holoviewer cleared, showing the white blanket of cloud cover below them, the ship continued to descend trailing smoke and pieces of damaged hull plating from its incredibly hot outer hull.
“Status?” Michael asked as the rest of the command crew picked themselves up from the violence of entry.
“We’ve got severe damage to the outer hull; multiple hull fractures. Integrity is at eighteen percent and holding, minor injuries reported.”
“Well at least we made it through,” Michael said with genuine relief.
The Liberty quickly punched through the cloud cover, and flew over the landmass that was mainland Europe.
They descended quickly, and soon they could see the mountain ranges between them and the outskirts of Prague itself.
Lathiel silently approached the form of the man checking through the transports inventory, he had his back to him, consulting a handheld scanner. Before the poor soul even had a chance to react, the assassin grabbed his head, wrenched it backwards and savagely sliced the mans throat. The man staggered, coughing and spluttering on his own blood, Lathiel thought the man was making too much noise in his death throes so he rammed the mans head against a large shipping container next to him, instantly knocking him unconsciousness.
Carefully, he dragged the man’s body behind some other containers and activated his crodes gland again, pain ravaged the assasins body once more as he gradually took over the form of the inventory man, within seconds the transformation was complete.
The impostor searched through the bloodied, lifeless body, took the man’s I.D. card and wiped any trace of spattered blood from the card and his knife on the dead man’s coveralls. Silently, he left the ships hold.
As he made his escape down the ramp of the transport, out across the landing pad and towards the main building a small dark ship could just be seen overhead, trailing smoke. Its matt black hull and wedge shaped design resembled one of his own Krenaran ships, it seemed to be heading for the centre of Prague. However, its main weapon and torpedo launchers were completely different, deep indents in the sides of its hull gave off a bright electric blue light.
Lathiel recognised the ship as the Liberty, they must know of the plan, he thought, muttering a Krenaran curse; his job had just gotten that little bit more difficult.
12. A final reckoning.
Lathiel made his way calmly, yet quickly through the ten storey terminal building down the main elevator and out onto the busy roads outside.
He noticed a line of elaborately painted vehicles across the road. They all had signs above them with just one word, taxi, he wasn’t sure what that meant, yet he needed to secure some form of transport so headed towards them anyway.
The driver looked at him quizzically, as the assassin was dressed in the inventory man’s dirty coveralls, “do you have a destination.”
“The institute o
f quantum mechanics,” Lathiel replied with a smile, trying to act as naturally as he could.
“That’s only a few minutes drive from here, hop in,” the driver said.
Lathiel did so, and soon the unknowing driver was shepherding the assassin to his target.
The tall buildings of Prague whipped past like a blur as the battered form of the Liberty descended gradually towards its landing spot in the heart of Stromoika park.
“Deploy landing legs,” Michael asked.
“Landing legs down,” Eldathar replied.
Michael had hoped against hope that the landing legs were operational, otherwise the ship would slam front first straight into the park. Thank god for small mercies, he thought as the Liberty gently came in to land.
They could now see the wide open park, and the huge security cordon which had been hurriedly placed around it. The roads surrounding around the park had been blocked off and traffic had been steadily piling up, already the whole city looked largely gridlocked. The park itself was quickly cleared of any pedestrians, however a large crowd had gathered outside its confines to catch a glimpse of the landing of the most famous, or some would say infamous ship in the E.D.F.
The Liberty slowed almost to a standstill, then gently lowered itself onto its landing legs. It was a tight squeeze, the ship very nearly took up the entire length of the park. With a hiss of vented gas, the ship settled onto its legs and slowly began to power down.
“Eldathar, Dalvosh, Vargev, Kinraid, you’re with me, we don’t have much time.”
Logameier came onto the bridge at the same time, “you might need these.” He handed three Solarian scanners, one each to Michael, Vargev, and Kinraid. “They have been re-configured to be readable by humans.”
“Logameier, you are in command until we get back,” Michael said.
Lieutenant Johnson Logameier nodded his understanding, “good luck.”
Vargev touched his wrist comm. “Commandoes, green light has been given, form up with us outside the Liberty.”
The squad of E.D.F commandoes the Liberty had been carrying on its journey were ready. Vargev had briefed them earlier; they were nervous, this was not exactly the kind of mission commandoes were trained for. Nevertheless, Nikolai needed their raw skill and instinct for this most dangerous of foes.
The taxi had managed to make it to the rear of the institute, the driver turned in his seat to face him. “That’s as close as I can get you, they have set up some sort of road block up ahead.”
As the driver turned back to check his meter, Lathiel quickly took out one of his knives and rammed it straight through the drivers seat, impaling the taxi driver in the process. He slumped forward onto the steering wheel.
“That will be fine,” Lathiel said as he quickly wiped the blood off the knife and hid it back within his coveralls, before exiting the taxi, and walking along the periphery of the institute, trying to fathom some way inside.
An E.D.F soldier was just coming into view around the side of the building on his security patrol, one hand on his pulse rifle and casting an eye over the nearby streets and tall buildings with their ancient teal coloured domes and tall ornate spires.
Lathiel made sure he attracted the guards attention, doing his utmost to make out that he was lost.
The guard approached him, “this area has been sealed off, you shouldn’t be here.”
Lathiel had checked for witnesses on the guards approach, there were none.
“Are you lost?” the guard asked.
“Yes I appear to be, I’m looking for a freight terminal, I’m due to pick up a delivery very soon, and I don’t suppose you could point the way?”
The guard hesitated, thinking for a moment, “There is the….”
With a flash, Lathiel whipped out a knife and plunged it deep into the soldier’s throat.
The man toppled backwards, gurgling, gasping and clutching at his ruin of a throat, blood spurted out from the wound, splattering to the pavement below.
Lathiel relieved the doomed soldier of his weapon, and opened fire at point blank range, ending the man’s misery before dragging the body into a shadowed recess. Once he had dumped the body behind some bins he activated his crodes gland, once again acute pain ravaged his body, hopefully for the last time, he thought, as he gradually took on the form of the now deceased soldier.
Looking around this recessed area, he spied what appeared to be a fire exit. Using one of his knives, he managed, with a little effort, to push back the latch and open the door. Quietly he entered the institute, gently closing the door behind him.
Michael, Dalvosh, Vargev, Kinraid, Eldathar and the ten commandoes accompanying them, exited the Liberty and sprinted across the park towards the gigantic glass fronted building that was the institute of quantum mechanics, time was running out, they had to get to the assassin before he got to the president.
They each pulled out their new scanners as they approached, donated by some of the Solarian crewmembers onboard the Liberty. They were especially grateful, as it would be down to these things to help catch that killing machine.
Half a dozen E.D.F troops were stationed on guard at the main entrance as they approached.
“Halt!” Shouted a young stern sergeant, as the group raced towards him, the guards un-slung and readied their weapons.
“This is a secure area,” he said as he looked upon the towering onrushing form of Dalvosh with hate-filled eyes.
“Look, the presidents life is in danger, we need to get in there, it’s an emergency!” Michael shouted back.
“This is a secure area!” The sergeant repeated, louder this time.
Vargev came forward, together with his accompanying squad of commandoes. “Oh for gods sake, just let me through! You know who I am.”
The young sergeant, full of bravado and machismo as he was, would not dare take on an E.D.F commando, as he knew full well their reputation. “Okay let them through,” he said rather embarrassingly.
Vargev and the rest of the group simply elbowed their way past the guards, as he did so Vargev whispered vehemently to the sergeant. “If that president dies because you have held us up, I promise that no penal facility, no injury will come close to what I will do to you.”
“err, yes sir,” the sergeant said, his machismo evaporated.
The rest of the group all passed their new scanners over the guards, “they’re all human,” Eldathar said.
“Where is the president now?” Michael asked.
“In the main viewing area about to give his speech,” the sergeant replied.
Michael turned to Kinraid, “You and Dalvosh inform the president, and watch out, this Lathiel is dangerous, he could be anyone.”
“You sure that’s wise?” Kinraid asked, “Dalvosh here isn’t exactly te’ most liked person on the planet right now.”
Dalvosh nodded his agreement with Kinraid.
Michael knew the risk, however he also knew that, a Krenaran on earth, helping to save the life of the president himself might go someway to alleviate the intense mistrust and hatred humanity had of the Krenarans. “Yes I’m sure; go,” he replied.
As they entered the main lobby of the building, Vargev turned to his accompanying squad of commandoes. “Okay I want you to split up; groups of two, I want a floor by floor search.
The commandoes all nodded their understanding, and began to fan out throughout the building, their heavy armschlagers ready, looking for the slightest hint of suspicious activity.
Vargev readied his own armschlager and Michael charged his pulse rifle. Eldathar took the lead as the three of them crossed the lobby and entered a narrow corridor. Along its length various types of laboratories split off from the corridor itself, a small party of scientists passed by the group.
“All human,” Eldathar said as he scanned them. They continued on their search.
Lathiel made his way up a long steep flight of stairs, coming across a gantry above what appeared to be a series of gigantic magnets for an
experiment of some kind.
A soldier on patrol casually walked towards him. “Hi” The man said as he calmly walked past the disguised killer.
“hi there,” Lathiel replied as he continued walking across the gantry, this opened out into another corridor, as the assassin continued down it he came to a door that opened into a wide, yet small foyer.
Kinraid and Dalvosh had managed to make their way into the heavily crowded main viewing hall, they could see a large stage with a stand already prepared for the president.
The crowd gradually turned to look upon the towering form of the Krenaran that had come amongst them, and already the anger building in the room to this icon of hate was palpable. Dalvosh however ignored the insults and abuse hurled at him.
“There must be nearly five hundred people in here,” Kinraid said.
“The perfect place for someone like Lathiel to hide,” Dalvosh replied looking down at the Liberty first officer.
Cameras and equipment lined the periphery of the room, reporters spoke into them, no doubt capturing the big occasion for the various news services, some of the cameras swung in the direction of the giant Krenaran, standing head and shoulders above even the tallest people in the crowd. He stuck out like a sore thumb.
The two of them continued to force their way through the now hate filled crowd, the occasional bottle and other pieces of detritus was flung in the Krenarans general direction.
“I am not here to harm you, I am here to help!” Dalvosh shouted to the throng.
Shouts of, “tell it to the poor bastards you killed!” came flying back at him.
Eldathar, Michael and Vargev continued their search through the facility.
“Wait a second,” Eldathar stopped looking at his scanner. “I’m picking up a Krenaran lifesign.”
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