by Reiter
Dungias’ eyes squinted. It was highly unlikely that the maneuver was just a show of force to see what the scout ship would do. No, this had always been a possibility, but the Traveler had hoped that the natural curiosity of the Human would override Ardrian paranoia. Apparently, the scenario of the scout ship being an experiment in stealth was a technology the Ardrians did not feel they needed.
“Kulrithe, maintain your objective,” Dungias commanded.
“Just tell me one more time what it means,” Ephaliun requested just before closing his eyes.
Teela sighed, shaking her head. “It means–”
“Not you!” Ephaliun barked, keeping his eyes closed. Dungias allowed himself a slight smiled before he spoke.
“Kulrithe is Liangu for a finely forged blade.” Ephaliun sighed and then darted out of the room. “Star, be prepared to scramble their signal. Bambi, drop your cover and go on the offensive. Show them the fury of a Battle Mage! Be sure to declare the following…”
The important thing in life is not victory but combat; it is not to have vanquished but to have fought well.
Pierre de Coubertin
(Rims Time: XII-4203.06)
“What do you mean, ‘he trekked across the black sky’?” one tribesman asked.
“He must walk with the Spirits!” another L’Konno declared.
“This woman in warrior-skins, how large is she?” yet one more tribesman inquired, and his question initiated conversation among the young male warriors who were suddenly motivated to start building lodges. A warrior woman like the sort Lauryll had described would be considered a very fine first stride to building a strong family home! Though very small, an argument started as to which man had claimed the woman first. The young women were not jealous. They spoke among themselves questioning if this woman was the sort to be claimed. There were several lodges named and maintained by women in the tribe, and the younger females knew all of this groundless talking was only carried on by those who were going to be claimed by a strong woman. Going outside of the L’Konno blood would spare them nothing.
“This is the soft and sweet before the rough and sour,” Black Tongue whispered to his twin sister. “They will come for her.”
“Who will come for her?” Neesara asked.
“All of those who cannot see the Sky-Strider… they will gleam her seeing him. The Spirits of our Fathers have told me that many seek him out, but their Seers are not permitted to see him. Lauryll possesses a gift they crave more than their credits!” Having spent time in several Terran cities, Neesara did not know how to picture such a desire, and it was not like Black Tongue to make a warning of an unimportant fact. That was not the way of the Spirits. Neesara lowered her head while keeping her eyes on her daughter. It would be difficult to reconcile her feelings about the matter, but it was a feat that did not concern her as much as how her husband would react to the news.
“Thank you for your words and your vision, brother.”
“Please forgive… what I said earlier, Neesara. I–”
“Have never been one to react well to being awakened too soon,” Neesara interrupted, grabbing and caressing his shoulder. She smiled at Black Tongue and he smiled in return. Neither of them was able to keep that smile as they both returned their respective gazes back to Lauryll. “Nothing has changed, my brother. Nothing at all!”
“RAH-HO!” F’Karoon yelled to silence the crowd. “We must wait, my people. Let us hear all that my daughter has seen. Then we may make inquiry of the things that are close to the trail but unimportant to its course!” Several tribe members cheered the Defender as they too wanted to get back to the telling of the viewing. Once it appeared that everyone had settled down, F’Karoon turned to his daughter. Their eyes met and he nodded for her to resume. Lauryll smiled as she looked over her people. She then looked back into the large fire before closing her eyes.
“The order had been given to destroy his vessel,” Lauryll recalled, and the fire seemed to dance in response to her words. “The greenskins warship was large, carrying at least a hundred warriors, and its star-lances were powerful!”
** b *** t *** o *** r **
“For Primus!” Teela cried, hurling her MannA bolt down the slender corridor. With little room in which to dodge, only those who abandoned the means of customary movement were able to avoid the blast, and the corridor was swept. “For the Inner Rim,” she screamed as she grabbed one of the fortunate dodgers. She pulled him down from the ceiling, banged his armoured body against each side of the corridor, and then, with the aid of her battle wand, threw him down the hallway.
“FOR THE EMPEROR!” Teela boomed, dropping down to one knee and summoning her armour, releasing a wave of MannA energy in all directions. She came walking out of the majikul light clad in her shiny black armour that had grown with her. She could feel its power coursing through her body and Teela came to experience what her teacher had warned her about.
“Have a care, Bambi,” he had said, “for the world you thought you knew is so far behind you that you will not be able to see it even if you look back. Delight in your new ability, but keep sharp your best weapon: your mind!”
“How, by a Truebreed’s blood, did an InvokeR get on board?!” one Marine questioned as he ran for cover.
“Who gives a shit?!” another screamed as he leveled his grenade launcher. “Bitches burn just like bastards! Fire in the hole!”
“Extend and grasp, Teela,” the Battle Mage thought, casting as she extended her left hand. The incendiary grenade started to explode against the palm of her gauntlet, but the blast and the flames were absorbed.
“Fall back!” the first Marine cried out.
“Convert and release!” Teela focused as she drew her left hand toward her chest. She could not see the bronze light flare in her eyes, but she could hear the gasps of awe and the screams of terror as she threw the large blue fireball. It exploded against the flooring and filled the corridor with powerful flames that melted wall and floor panels as well as armour.
“Uh oh,” Teela thought as she bent at the knees. “I felt that!” She jumped through an open doorway as the shoulder cannon of a two-man walker opened fire. The corridor exploded and the force turned her short leap into an arching vault. Teela grunted as she tucked her head and twisted at the hip. She extended her feet to the wall of the room and slowed herself as the panel gave under her weight and momentum. She hopped down to the floor and put her attention on the doorway that was still on fire.
“Gotta get back to that door!” Teela whispered as she turned, shifted her center of gravity, and jumped. She streaked across the floor, reaching the door as the walker reached the doorway. Teela put her shoulder into the face of the walker and it leaned back. Given the size of the corridor, it could not fall, but it was off balance, and Teela took a two-handed grip of her battle wand. It started to glow white and the light formed a see-thru metal club. Teela she squatted low and swung her weapon, knocking the feet out from under the walker. The underside exposed, Teela set her feet and consulted her training. The straight punch pierced the soft underbelly armour. Teela grabbed a handful of wires and yanked them out.
“Die, bitch!” a Marine yelled as he fired his rifle. Three shots were fired and all three hit Teela, creating bright sparks as the shells bounced off of her armour.
Teela extended her battle wand as she called out, “War Chain!” The mace image was lost and the wand became a long, thin, black chain that shot out and wrapped around the offending soldier’s waist. A slight tug was enough to snatch the man off his feet and into Teela’s grasp. “You’ll do!” she said as she pulled the pin off of one of his grenades. With one thrust, she quickly stuffed the man’s body into the hole her fist had made. She jumped up and over the walker, making another lunging leap after she landed. She reached an open section of the corridor, where it looked more like a catwalk, and she threw her legs over the side. She was a meter into her drop when the grenade exploded, followed by three larger successive exp
losions. Teela landed as alarms started sounding all over the deck.
“Satithe, have they fired yet?”
“Negative, Bambi,” Satithe reported. “That explosion rocked the whole ship and the commander is at the bridge ordering a damage report. “I think you bought Master all the time he needs.”
“Good! Put me down for heading to engineering!”
“We can’t destroy the Hard Charger, Bambi!” Satithe exclaimed.
“Right! I just need to make sure they don’t either!” Teela quickly returned. Satithe quickly checked historical logs to find taken Ardrian ships. The number was staggeringly low. It was customary, even expected, to destroy a ship before it could be taken away from the Ardrian people.
“Gentlemen, I am happy to report that the females of this team are well ahead of the curve,” Satithe stated. “I think it’s time for the others to ‘man up’!”
Dungias allowed himself a smile as he heard his computer engage in pushing all of Ephaliun’s buttons. The Star Chaser took the larger of his flechette modules out and configured it for a bastard sword as he phased through the doors to walk on to the Bridge.
“The blast was near the Barracks, sir,” the console officer reported. “We have a fire, but it is contained to that deck.
“We have weapons lock on the ship, Commander,” another reported.
“No you do not!” Dungias growled as he attacked. He dove to the side of the Bridge where the weapons console was. The operator barely moved out of the way in time to avoid the sword hack into his chair.
“It’s the InvokeR!” one crewman yelled as he left his station.
“Never seen a caster move like that,” the Chief of the Watch whispered as he drew his blaster.
“Yield, and no one else will have to die,” Dungias stated as he sidestepped a chair swung for his head. His blade cut across the back of the chair, centimeters from the fingers of the man who had swung it. “I am long on reason, but short on patience!” Dungias said, extending his hand and catching the laser bolt the elder officer fired. He fed most of the energy into Alpha, and Dungias could feel it did not want to be part of the fight after the kill orders had been received by the gunship. “Have you seen enough now?!”
“Close quarters!” the Chief of the Watch yelled as he flipped his gun to make it more like a club. He drew his knife as he advanced, and Dungias could hear other blades clearing their scabbards.
“So be it!” Dungias hissed as he swung his blade. There were few occasions where the Traveler allowed himself to use all of his strength, especially when he was augmented. There were no governors on his ability as his blade cleaved through blade, flesh, and bone. Three men fell screaming to the floor on his first swing, four died on his lunging follow-up.
“Computer, recognize Commander Aldrees Branthan,” the Commander cried as he leaned forward on his console. He took in a breath to give another order, but was knocked to the floor under the impact of a thrown body.
Two Marines remained, but they had placed their faith in their energy weapons and they fired rifles into the Traveler’s back which became his chest as he turned to face the two men. He threw his sword back over his shoulder and he could hear the outcry of a man as the weapon found its target. One lunging step forward and Dungias’ hands pierced the chest plates of both Marines. He lifted them from the floor and returned half of the energy they had fired into his body. Only charred bits of armour fell to the floor.
“My apologies for that, Commander,” Dungias said as he hopped up to the command deck. The man he had used as a missile weapon was unconscious, and the Commander was pinned to the floor with Dungias’ sword running through his shoulder. “I meant to be more expedient, but Ardrians are, for the most part, fierce warriors… truly a noteworthy fighting force.” Taking the sword out of the man and putting it away, Dungias drew Alpha out of its sleeve, touching it to Branthan’s head. The Traveler soon possessed everything he needed to properly operate an Ardrian Gunship. A harsh hook to the jaw knocked the Commander unconscious and Dungias tapped Alpha to the man’s chest to create a gravity lock to hold his body to the floor and in place. He then gagged the man. Touching Alpha to the command deck console, CK was able to assume control over most of the Hard Charger. Two divisions were beyond the control of the Commander’s Control Console: Engineering and Communications.
“Of course!” Dungias sighed before running for the door. “Satithe, Star, time to begin the show!”
“CK, you have your coordinates,” Satithe coordinated. “Match bearings and fire at will! And Master, hurry! The Communications Deck is transmitting the ship has been boarded.”
“Can Star give me four seconds?”
“She will!”
Dungias used his brace-com and his goggles, bending at the knees. He jumped, with Alpha giving a hefty boost to its creator. He flew at the precise angle to jump through the ship, phasing through three sections and two decks, and land in the corner of the Communications Deck. He landed on his feet and rolled with his cloak gathering around his body. One of the operators turned to see him and screamed in a high-pitched voice. Dropping to his knee, Alpha was stamped down to the floor and a gravity pulse was emitted that more than countered the artificial gravity of the chamber. Each man was slammed to the ceiling only to fall to the floor when the normal field was restored.
“Why did I not do that on the Bridge?” Dungias asked himself aloud.
“Perhaps you were more emotional at the time, Master,” Alpha suggested. “A condition with which I am familiar.” Dungias smiled as he patted Alpha.
“Uh, Teach!” Ephaliun called over the brace-com.
“I am here, Kulrithe.”
“No kidding!” Ephaliun screamed as he panted. “Cuz you sure as shit ain’t here!”
“Teacher, I’m in Engineering. I’m closer,” Teela notified.
“Negative, Bambi,” Dungias quickly said. “Maintain your position in Engineering. I will be with Kulrithe shortly.” With a quick gesture of Alpha, Dungias swept all the personnel to one side of the room and created another gravity lock. Touching Alpha to the console, CK was able to access and take control of communications. He advised Dungias that he was sending the message that the Gunship was moving in closer to verify the ship had been destroyed.
Dungias took two steps to his right and phased down through the floor.
“Just my fucking luck!” Ephaliun screamed as he jumped from yet another wall. Mini-rockets peppered the wall where he had been running, and the blast pushed him down the hallway. “The place I have to get to is right next to the Mechanized Infantry Hangar!” Without looking Ephaliun threw back a smoke bomb, leaving him with only two. He heard the device go off and several men swear expletives at him. “I can just hear him now. ‘Are you sure you will only need seven on any one particular outing?’ Argh! Why do I fucking argue with a Chief Engineer?!”
“I often ask myself the same question,” Dungias said as he landed on one of the powered armoured suits, phasing it halfway through the floor. When he jumped off the suit, it reintegrated with the flooring, killing the pilot instantly. Looking at the remaining suit, and therefore pilot, Dungias shouted, “Do you want the same?!” as a slight blue glow flared from his eyes.
“Come get some, freak!” the pilot yelled, powering up a smoking rotary cannon.
“No way he can absorb all of that,” Ephaliun whispered.
Dungias moved at the same time the man fired, and some thirty bolts hit Dungias as he crashed into the suit, lifting it from the floor. He shook the suit once and the pilot phased through the armour, falling to the floor.
“I appreciate the offer, but I have had plenty,” Dungias said, hammering the suit down on the prone man.
“Holy shit!” Ephaliun yelled.
“Hardly,” Dungias argued, dusting off his cloak.
“I guess it depends on your perspective,” Ephaliun reasoned. “I think I saw my gods a couple of times back there, and what I just saw made someone shit themsel
ves. If not me, then Fido before that suit came down on him. You do know those things weigh a half ton, right?”
“A little more with the customization,” Dungias clarified. “I trust you are not injured.”
“I got a little singed here and there” Ephaliun shared. “A couple of bumps and bruises, but nothing some ointment won’t cure.”
“That is good to hear,” Dungias said, lifting his brace-com. “Bambi, what is your status?”
“Who me?” she responded, sounding a little winded. “Just fine. I’m hanging out with some new friends.” The sound of blasters going off flooded out her heavy breathing. “Well… acquaintances, at any rate. How long before the gas is running?”
Dungias looked at Ephaliun who gave a quick two-fingered salute. “Sixty seconds, Bambi. Star, how are you faring?”
“She is unable to respond, Master,” Satithe notified. “The scout ship is nearly in position. Star is conscious and the debris field is still standing, but she cannot maintain this much longer.
“She will not need to,” Dungias said as he made his way quickly back to the Bridge. After absorbing the barrage of the rotary cannon, his suit’s power reserves were once again at maximum capacity. “I am opening the bay doors now. Satithe, initiate docking procedures. CK, I trust we are well within our timeline.”
“We are at that, Master,” the computer replied. “Headquarters wants a full report once we’ve scoured the debris field.”
“Advise them that the report is forthcoming and send a private text message to Andrea Branthan. It should read as just the number seventeen.”
“It shall be done,” CK replied.
As Dungias’ mask started filtering the sleep agent, he took a seat at the Commander’s station and brought up video images of the ship... where optics were still functional. He did not have the whole ship, but Ephaliun had done well in cutting off a route to the special equipment storage facility, though such a blockade had not been his original intention. The sleep agent rendered the rest of the crew and the contingent of combat Marines harmless. By the time CK was transmitting the findings within the debris field, Teela had declared the decks clear as she delivered the last half dozen to the forecastle.