For a further ten minutes, Sabre humiliated Diarmad with infuriating ease, and Tarl's count reached twenty-four. The cyber had a counter move for everything Diarmad tried, making the Trykon warrior look like a bumbling fool. The Trykons watched with deadpan faces, and Tassin wondered what they were thinking. When a trickle of blood emerged from one of Diarmad's nostrils after a collision with the wall, Sabre raised his hand.
"Stop. You've had enough."
Diarmad looked reluctant, but nodded and walked over to his cronies, who patted his back in a consoling manner when he entered their midst. A thin film of sweat sheened Sabre's skin, but he breathed normally when he stopped in front of Atrel.
"Return to your posts, and stop watching me."
The first lieutenant turned and led the men out.
Sabre jerked his head at Tarl. "You too."
When they were alone again, Sabre sat down cross-legged and sighed, rubbing his brow.
Tassin sat in front of him. "You made him look like a fool."
"He was a fool, to want to spar with me. Tarl has more sense, but he'd be a better sparring partner. I'm sure he knows a few good tricks."
"Did you enjoy it?"
He shrugged. "I'm pretty sick of fighting, but yeah, it was invigorating, I guess."
Tassin moved closer and wound her arms around his neck, gazing deep into his eyes when he looked up at her. She smiled and kissed his cheek, then leant against him until he lay down, gripped his wrists and pinned them to the floor beside his head.
"I win."
He smiled. "Yeah, you win."
"Promise me something."
"What?"
"That you'll always let me win."
He chuckled. "That goes without saying."
"Really? Why?"
"Because I would never fight you."
"So I could do whatever I like to you?"
He gave a husky laugh. "What did you have in mind?"
"Perhaps... ravishment."
His brows rose. "Aren't you supposed to be a good girl?"
"Not that good."
"Then aren't you supposed to wait until we're married?"
"Oh, so you do intend to propose."
"Maybe."
She thumped his chest. "I'm getting tired of waiting."
"Ow." He sighed. "I thought you wanted a big wedding in Arlin?"
She released his wrists and ran her fingers over his chest. "I do, but sometimes I think we’re never going to make it back there."
"We will."
"I hope you’re right. I don’t want to wait forever."
He raised a hand and brushed a lock of hair from her cheek, his touch gentle, and his eyes filled with sadness. “I love you. I want you to know that. Never doubt it, okay?”
Her happiness drained away. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head, watching his fingers caress her skin. “Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. Tell me.”
He met her eyes. “I can’t go back to Arlin with you, or marry you.”
He blood turned cold. “Why not?”
“I’m a wanted man… cyborg… whatever. Myon Two will never stop hunting me, and if I stay with you, I’ll just put you in danger too, and that, I won’t do.”
“You’re wrong….” Her throat closed.
“No. I’m right. Kole said it, long ago on Rashid Four. I didn’t want to believe it then, either, but he was right. They’ll hunt me down no matter where I go.”
“No!”
“I thought we had a chance, but I’ve realised I’m just making you unhappy.”
“You’re not! I’m only happy when I’m with you. Don’t do this to me again, Sabre. You can’t give up on me now. We’re going to make it. We’ve got Fairen on our side!”
“He isn’t going to keep rushing to my aid, and he shouldn’t have to, just like you shouldn’t have to spend your life running and hiding because of me. I’m –”
“If you call yourself a broken killing machine one more time, I swear, I’ll put your lights out.”
He smiled. “I wasn’t going to. I think you know that by now. I thought I could be what you want, but Tarl’s right, I’m never going to be normal.”
“Bugger Tarl, and Kole! They’re wrong.” Her eyes filled with tears. “You’re everything to me, Sabre. I don’t care if you’re never normal or if we have to run and hide forever, I won’t let you go. I love you too much.”
The sorrow in his eyes made her throat tighten, and she swallowed a sob. He clasped her face and drew her closer, raising himself to plant a soft kiss on her mouth. A fresh wave of choking sorrow clogged her throat, and she slipped her arms around his neck. He lay back and pulled her close, holding her on his chest, her cheek against the side of his neck.
“Who wants normal, anyway?” she asked. “Normal is boring. You’re all I ever wanted.”
“Hush.” He stroked her hair.
“No, I won’t hush. You’ve got a nerve, you know that? How dare you just give up after everything we’ve been through?” She pushed herself away to frown down at him. “I never thought you were a quitter.”
“I’m not. I’ll give Cybercorp a run for their money, and Ramadaus, too, but I’m not dragging you with me. I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect you, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“If you leave me, you’ll be hurting me. You couldn’t hurt me more, in fact. I’d rather die with you than live without you.”
He shook his head. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. I want you to be safe in Arlin. You don’t know what you’ve got yourself into, Tassin. This is a dangerous game, and I’m going to lose it eventually. I’m up against a super-corporation that doesn’t ever give up, that won’t even listen to two Overlords, and an Overlord.”
“I don’t care! I want you to fight for us, so we can be happy together.”
“I will fight them, but that will only delay the inevitable, and I won’t let you throw away your life.”
“It’s my life, and I’ll do what I damn well please with it.”
He smiled and pulled her close again. “My little warrior queen.”
“You’d better not forget it.”
“How could I?”
“So don’t do this. Stay with me in Arlin when we get there. You don’t have a beacon anymore, so they can’t track you down.”
“They have cybers with scanners, who can spot me at two kilometres,” he said.
“I don’t care. We’re going to fight them together.”
“You’re fighting for a lost cause.”
“No I’m not. I’m fighting for the man I love, and I’m never going to stop.”
Sabre closed his eyes and hugged her. She laid her cheek against his with a sigh, revelling in the rare and exquisite opportunity to lie in his arms. A short silence fell, and she tried to pull away so she could see his face, but he held her close and murmured, “I’m not going to argue about it, okay? I know how stubborn you are."
"I have our future already planned, and you’re not going to change it now."
He stroked her hair, and some of the tension leaked out of him. "You're trying to turn a fighter into a lover. I don't even know if that's possible."
She raised her head to gaze down at him. "You don't have to change for me. I love you just the way you are."
He looked away. "I'm already failing."
"No you're not. Don't say that. Don't even think it." She gripped his face and made him look at her. "Don't you dare leave me, either. I’ll just track you down again."
He gazed at her with a mixture of tenderness and sorrow that made her heart ache, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair from her brow. "Okay. Let’s see what happens when we get back to Omega. If, by some miracle, Cybercorp and Ramadaus don’t come looking for me, I'll stay with you for as long as you want me."
"No. Don't do it because it's what I want. What I meant was, don't leave me because you think you'll disappoint me. Promise me that."
"Okay. If
you promise that if you get sick of me, you'll tell me."
She smiled, relief washing through her. "I promise."
"Good. Now I think I should go and have a shower."
"No, I haven't finished with you yet." She ran her fingers down his cheek. "I like having you at my mercy."
"So what did you have in mind?"
"There's still the question of ravishment."
He chuckled. "I think not, fair maiden. Not today."
She pulled a face. "Go and shower then."
Chapter Sixteen
Sabre jerked back as blood sprayed across his face. His sword cut through bodies like they were butter. Entrails spilt out over the bloody floor, and a man died with a gurgling scream. Blood dripped from Sabre's hands and reddened his arms to the elbows. It splattered the walls and slimed the floor. It rose in a mighty tide to engulf him, filled with twisted, screaming faces and flashing weapons. He cried out, lashed out with fists and sword, kicked unseen enemies that hacked at his legs. The scythe-like spike on a long alien tail sliced into his chest, spilling his blood into the melee. Shards of crystal flayed his skin, and his raw flesh pulsed fountains of blood. He lashed out as weapons hacked into him, and a distant voice called his name. Something touched his shoulder, making him shudder and gasp, then he was sitting up on his bed, panting.
Sweat ran off him, and his muscles thrummed with adrenalin. His eyes swept the room, searching for the enemies and blood that had been there a moment before. Tassin stood nearby, looking distraught.
"What the hell happened? Where did they go?" he demanded.
"Who?"
"The men who were fighting me... and the alien."
"There's no one here but us. You were dreaming."
He raised a shaking hand, searching for signs of blood. "Dreaming?"
Tassin nodded, glancing at the deep dent in the wall beside his bed, and he stared at in surprise. The door burst open and Tarl galloped in, pulling on his shirt and glancing around in alarm.
"What's all the ruckus about?"
"It's all right, Sabre just had a bad dream," Tassin explained.
Tarl turned to Sabre, his eyes lingering on the dent. "A dream?"
"Yes."
Sabre shook his head in confusion. "A dream is a pleasant vision of the future. That's not what I had. It was horrible, and I was asleep."
Tassin asked, "You've never had a dream while you were asleep before?"
"No."
Tarl rubbed his face. "Oh, boy."
Tassin frowned at him. "What is it?"
"This is bad."
"Why?"
"Cybers don't dream."
"Why not?"
Tarl sank down on the edge of the bed. "The control unit prevents it... prevented it. Seems like it's losing more control over his mind."
"Then that's good."
"Not in this case. Look what he did to the wall." He shook his head, running a hand through his rumpled hair. "There's a reason why cybers don't dream."
"Why is that?"
He turned to Sabre. "What was the dream about?"
"A battle."
"That's why. Dreams are caused by the subconscious working through problems while we sleep. Cyber designers decided to suppress them so hosts would always get restful sleep. It was probably the only favour they did them. What Sabre had wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare, and after what he's been through, he's going to have a lot of them."
"Oh." Tassin frowned at Sabre. "But maybe it will also help him to work through his problems. Perhaps it's a good thing. Maybe he needs to dream."
"Maybe. But it would be dangerous for anyone to be close to him while he's asleep now. What if your head had been where that dent is?"
She shuddered.
"It's also going to deprive him of a lot of sleep," Tarl said.
Sabre rubbed his face. "This is going to keep happening?"
"Possibly. Unless it was a temporary glitch."
"It was unpleasant."
"Maybe you'll have some nice ones too," Tassin tried to console him. "Dreams can be wonderful."
"If people have them, then I should have them, too."
Tarl grunted and headed for the door. "Good luck with that."
Tassin took his place on the edge of the bed, and Sabre glanced at the dent in the wall. "Perhaps it’s not such a good idea for you to sleep here now. Lucky I didn’t hurt you."
"I was in the bathroom, but I'll wake you up before it gets bad."
He sighed and lay back. "Do you have them often?"
"Not too often."
"Are they ever terrible?"
She lay down beside him. "Occasionally."
"I try not to think about my past, now it's going to come back to haunt me while I sleep."
"Is your memory completely restored?"
"There are still a few gaps, I think."
"Maybe things will get better when we're back on Omega. The peace and quiet there will soothe your mind."
Sabre drew her close and closed his eyes. "I hope so."
****
Fairen's commander stopped before the dais and bowed. "A report just in, My Lord. A Trykon warship has been sighted outside Trykon space, heading towards the Varga Sector in a super-light corridor. Complaints from commercial shipping have been lodged with several world leaders along their route."
Fairen shrugged. "If they haven't attacked anyone, I'm not concerned. Let someone else attend. I want to know what progress you've made finding the cyber."
Shrain shifted, frowning at his feet. "There has been no word as to his whereabouts, My Lord. No sightings on any of the planets where you have spies, and no rumours. He's vanished."
"People don't vanish, Commander. Find him."
"Yes, My Lord." He glanced down as his com-link beeped, and read the screen. "Overlord Ramadaus is attending to the Trykon warship."
"Good."
****
Atrel turned to Sabre, who sat in the command seat on Nemesis’ bridge, gazing out at the stars. "We've exited the corridor. Starting deceleration burn."
"Set course for corridor TWU306-795-54 as soon as we're sub light."
"Speed dropping to one hundred times light, inertia dampeners in full force, ship's attitude optimal."
Sabre nodded. "Your crew shows skill, Atrel. How is it that a race that's banned from leaving its space has photon ships?"
"A legacy from our space-faring days."
"A fortunate one, for me."
"May I ask where we're going?"
Sabre shook his head. "Not yet."
A mild vibration rattled the ship, and some of the officers touched their controls, correcting the imbalance. It abated, and Sabre leant back as the ship continued to slow under full deceleration. Tongues of flame swept past the forward screens from the massive engines. The inertia would have crushed all aboard if not for the inertia dampeners, which counteracted the vast force of the engines, filling the ship with a stasis field and making it hard to move.
"Slowing to sub light," an officer announced.
"Lay in a new course..." Atrel's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open.
Sabre followed his gaze, and his stomach knotted. A vast, moth-shaped ship filled the screens dead ahead. "Hard to port! Evasive action, full power burn! Get us back into the corridor!"
A couple of officers turned to gape at him, the rest did their best to obey, and Atrel shot him a disbelieving look. The starboard thrusters fired, and the ship started to swing away, then slowed so abruptly that Atrel staggered as the inertia dampeners failed to compensate.
"We're caught," an officer said, and another man touched his console, cancelling the now useless thruster burn. Nemesis drifted towards the massive Moth Ship.
Sabre rose to his feet and turned to Atrel. "That's Overlord Ramadaus, and he wants me dead. You must hide me, and my wards. Agree to do whatever he demands, which will probably be to return to Trykon space. Just do it." He pulled off the gold torc. "Here, put this on. You're commander until
he's gone."
"You know him?" Atrel looked thunderstruck.
"Yeah, we've met. Here." Sabre thrust the torc into Atrel's lax hand.
"Why does he want you dead?"
"Long story. I'll tell you when we're safe. Just do it."
Atrel looked down at the golden torc. "It's dishonest -"
"My life depends on it. You do want me to live, don't you?"
"Yes, Commander. But Overlords can tell when people lie."
"Only if you're close to them, and Ramadaus is a particularly bad empath. Put it on." Sabre glanced at the screens, where the Moth Ship blocked out the stars. "There's not much time."
Atrel pulled off his silver torc and handed it to Tronan, the new second lieutenant, then slipped the gold torc on.
Sabre gripped his shoulder. "Good man. I'm relying on you."
"What should I tell him when he asks what we're doing out here?"
"Exploring."
"But -"
"If you can think of a better explanation, use it. I must go; soon he's going to scan us."
Sabre cast a last glance at the Overlord ship and left the bridge, breaking into a lope in the corridor. He needed to find something that would shield him from Ramadaus' scanners, like trinium, a form of stone sometimes used in engine shielding. His scanners showed blank areas in the engine room that indicated the presence of an impervious material. Otherwise, the barrinium on his bones would proclaim him a cyber, and Trykons did not own cybers, so it might make Ramadaus suspicious enough to investigate. There was also a chance Ramadaus would not scan Nemesis, if Atrel was convincing.
****
Atrel stared at the Moth Ship, his mouth dry. The second lieutenant donned the silver torc, looking uneasy.
"The penalty for lying to an Overlord is death, First Lieutenant."
"I'm aware of that, Tronan. What would you rather do, betray our commander?"
"If an Overlord has sentenced him to death, he must have done something terrible."
"He's still our commander. Our loyalty lies with our clan."
The Cyber Chronicles VI - Warrior Breed Page 19