Gorgoroth (Haladras Trilogy Book 2)

by Michael Karr

  “So, you thought it would look more convincing if we were actually frozen to death?”

  “I thought it was just a tad better than all of us getting caught and executed, yes.”

  “Next time, warn us before you toss us into a blasted refrigeration compartment.”

  “Believe me,” said Kendyl, “there was no tossing involved.”

  A part of the plan which Skylar had not thought about was that Endrick and Grüny would have no clothes to wear once they awoke. All that covered their bodies were the white wrappings. But these would begin to unravel as soon as Endrick and Grüny started moving. Though Skylar had no desire to see either companion walking about in the buff, he sickened at the thought of Kendyl being exposed to it. Consequently, after Endrick woke up, Skylar had gone in search of something on the ship. In a supply closet, he’d found several sets of military suits. Of the two largest he found, Endrick managed to coax his bulk into one of them.

  “A perfect fit,” Endrick had said, “so long as I don’t bend over, or move, or breathe. Now I know what it feels like to be a sausage. Speaking of which, where’s the food on this vessel?”

  Now that Grüny was awake, Skylar offered the other suit to him. Grüny scowled at it.

  “What, you think that’ll fit me? You have gone mad. I don’t need clothes to fly this bucket anyhow.”

  “If Grüny doesn’t wear any clothes, I’m getting off,” said Kendyl.

  “Me too,” added Endrick.

  In the end, Grüny compromised by wrapping the blanket about his middle. It was not suitable attire for action, but then all Grüny wanted to do was sit. Sit and eat. Endrick had already found and helped himself to some of the stores on the ship. He grudgingly shared it with Grüny, who ate but wouldn’t touch anything which resembled meat.

  “What these people call meat and what I call meat, are not the same thing,” he said with revulsion.

  Their original plan was to hijack the ship after dark. They hoped that fewer soldiers would be walking about the landing fields during night hours. Several hours remained until sunset.

  Skylar decided to see if he could find a military suit that fit him. It might come in handy. He found one which fit reasonably well in the same supply closet where he’d found Endrick’s suit. The suit was warmer than he expected, made of a thermally insulated material. He grabbed one of the accompanying helmets and fitted it on his head.

  “That’s cute that you want to match Endrick.”

  Skylar spun around to find Kendyl standing in the portal, grinning at him. He pulled off the helmet.

  “There’re more suits here,” he said. “You could match us, too.”

  “I prefer what I’m wearing. That doesn’t look very comfortable.”

  “It’s not. Too, hot. But it might prove useful.”

  He looked down at the helmet, suddenly feeling awkward at what he wanted to say next. “I was going to go over by the hatch and watch for approaching soldiers from the windows.”.

  “Good,” she said, drawing out the word as if she wasn’t sure why he was telling her.

  “I thought…I mean…if you want to watch, too…with me…”

  Skylar cringed inside at how pathetic he sounded. After all they had been through together, why was this so difficult for him?

  She shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe.” Then she turned and strode away.

  “So…what does that mean?” he muttered to himself.

  For the next two hours, Kendyl and Skylar sat together, keeping watch for any trouble outside. But none of the passing guards ever gave it more than a casual glance. The pair talked for most of those hours. Of all which had transpired since the Trackers found him on Haladras, Skylar recounted, sparing no detail. Of Grim’s death, he even spoke, though it still pained him to speak of. From Kendyl, he learned more about the death of her father, of the terrible woman who had taken Kendyl in.

  “She forced me to quit the Academy and my apprenticeship so that I could do work for her,” she said, her voice shaky with emotion. “She claims she doesn’t have the money for my tuition, and instead needs me to work so that she can support both of us. I know it’s all a lie. She just wants to make money from me. Every day it’s the same. She forces me to forage in the desert for food. Mostly for locusts. She sells them in the poorer districts of Kaladra. I spend so many hours in the desert, Skylar. I come home each day without an ounce of strength. And then she demands that I clean.”

  “I hate her!” she added with considerable force.

  “I’m sorry,” Skylar went on. “For everything that’s happened to you. I was so blinded by my own troubles…I promise I’ll fix everything if we ever get back. You won’t have to live with that woman anymore. You can even work in the mines if that’s what you want.”

  “Sorry to intrude,” came Grüny’s voice from behind, “but I think it’s time we got this bird off the ground.”

  Skylar glanced up. Outside the window, darkness blanketed the landing field. Night had crept up on them unawares. A guard might have easily done the same. Skylar scolded himself.

  Some watchman I proved to be.

  Scrambling up from his cozy spot next to Kendyl, Skylar met Grüny.

  “Are you ready, then?” he asked.

  “More than ready.”

  Skylar felt a rush of excitement. Were they actually going to get off of this planet? Until that moment, it had not felt like reality.

  “Take us home, Grüny Sykes.”

  Thirty-five

  While Grüny readied himself at the controls, Kendyl and Endrick fastened themselves into a pair of launch seats.

  “What? Have you gained so much weight, you’re not going to bounce away when this thing blasts out of here?” said Endrick when he saw that Skylar was not taking a seat.

  “I think I should watch as Grüny initiates the takeoff. I know we’re going to bring a swarm of soldiers on us. But how many, and how soon…”

  “Fine. You watch, so you can tell the soldiers to stop coming if they get to be too many.”

  Skylar honestly didn’t know what he was going to do if the situation outside grew too intense. Likely, there was nothing he could do. But he couldn’t endure the thought of sitting blindly, wondering if at any moment their shuttle was going to be blasted out of the sky.

  As he peered out the same window he and Kendyl had sat by, he watched for signs of life on the landing field. Amber lights marked the perimeter of the myriad of launch pads spread about the field. From the tops of each shuttle, a single blue beacon pulsated slowly. A torch-wielding sentry walked along an invisible route, making his usual rounds. A shadowy clump of soldiers made its way between two outpost buildings. A calm night at camp.

  Beneath his feet, the ship began to rumble. The ship’s engines. A low, rising hum joined the strengthening rumble. Skylar braced himself against the bulwark. Within seconds, the hum had grown to a roar.

  He looked back out the window. As he knew would happen, they had drawn attention to themselves. Given the blare of the engine, he expected to see half the empress’ army come charging from their tents, blasters screaming. Instead, he saw only a handful of guards moving toward the ship. Further out, shadow-drenched figures peered from tents or outposts, watching, curious.

  Skylar’s hope rallied inside him. A handful of soldiers would not stop them. And there was not a blaster cannon in sight. He wondered if he should even fear that. Would they shoot down their own shuttle—the empress’, no less—without knowing for certain who occupied it?

  The rumble beneath his feet intensified. A familiar pressure deep in his gut told him they were leaving the ground. From the cockpit, Skylar heard the radio come to life. A landing field controller was demanding to know what was going on. Grüny ignored it. The ship rose higher. They were going to make it.

  A sudden lurch of the shuttle sent Skylar tumbling to the floor.

  “Great Yurik!” cried Endrick. “What was that?”


  Skylar scrambled to his feet and rushed back to the window, expecting to see some explanation for why the ship had lurched. But the scene outside gave no indication. Had they hit something, or something hit them?

  He stumbled to the cockpit.

  Grüny’s bald head was as red as a firebrand. A stream of curses flowed from the pilot’s mouth.

  “What happened?” said Skylar, raising his voice to a near shout to be heard above the roar of the shuttle and Grüny’s curses.

  “We’re anchored down, that’s what happened!” yelled Grüny. “Didn’t you think to check for tethers before you got on this ship?”

  No, the thought had never crossed his mind.

  “Can’t you break them? The ship must have enough upward thrust.”

  “Depends on the cables, and how many. Be a miracle if I can do it without slamming us onto the ground.”

  Grüny said all this between gritted teeth, as his arms fought with the controls to keep the ship steady.

  “You and Endrick,” he said, his voice strained. “Get to the ship’s cannons.”

  “No, that won’t help,” Skylar said. He saw clearly what must happen. “I’ll get us free. As soon as the ship’s free, I want you to blast out of here—no matter what.”

  “What the blazes are you planning—”

  “That’s an order, Grüny Sykes!”

  Without another word, Skylar turned and rushed away. Still struggling to stay on his feet as the ship pitched and swayed, he made his way as quickly as he could to the supply closet where he’d found the suits. Endrick appeared in the portal, demanding to know what was happening.

  “The ship’s anchored to the launch pad,” said Skylar, as he scoured shelves and cabinets for what he wanted. “I need you to man one of the ship’s cannons.”

  “And what are you going to do?”

  Too distracted to respond, Skylar threw open another cabinet. There is was! Several coils of strong cord. He grabbed the largest, looped it over his shoulder, and headed out of the supply closet.

  Endrick barred his way.

  “And what are you going to do?” Endrick asked again. Skylar shouldered passed him.

  “Get us out of here,” he said with impatience.

  An iron hand caught his shoulder. Skylar pressed his lips into a thin line as he turned to look back at Endrick. His eyes were full of something Skylar rarely saw in him. Concern. Skylar struggled to remain unfazed by it. This was not the time for letting emotions get the better of him.

  “Get to the cannon, Endrick,” he said, calmly. “You’re to see Kendyl gets safely back to Ahlderon.”

  “My duty’s to you,” protested Endrick.

  “Then follow my command. You’re to stay on the ship, no matter what.”

  There was a movement to their right. Kendyl had come to see what was happening. He looked at her, holding her gaze with his eyes as he would have loved to hold her in his arms, soaking up one last whiff of her beauty. Then he turned and ran to the hatch.

  Tying a quick knot he learned while working at the docks on Haladras, he lashed one end of the cord to a nearby hook in the bulwark. Then he activated the release button for the hatch. There was a hiss, followed by a gale of wind as the hatch folded open. Hot air assailed his face. Grabbing the helmet he’d left lying on the floor, he crammed it onto this head.

  The ship was higher off the ground than he originally thought. Not too high, though. Steeling himself, he took the cord in both hands and leapt out of the shuttle.

  The cord slid rapidly through his gloves as he descended. A third of the way down, he managed to wrap his leg around the cord to slow his descent. Only a second or two later his feet slammed into the ground. His knees buckled from the force. The jet-hot torrent of air from above, the roar of the engines, the darkness all bombarded his senses at once.

  He did not know where the anchors were, or how many. He quickly scanned the launch pad. Lights at each corner dispelled some of the darkness. Though, if he wished to avoid being shot at by the soldiers, he needed to stay far away from them. The darkness and his black suit were a friend as well as foe.

  Near one of the corners of the launch pad, he saw an angular device protruding from the ground. With his gaze fixed on it, he detected a faint gray line extending from it. An anchor cable.

  Skylar started as a piercing cry rent the air. He whirled around to face the advancing soldiers. Chunks of earth exploded in their midst as streaks of blaster fire struck the ground in front of them. The ship’s cannon. Under the barrage, the soldiers were forced to move back.

  “I owe you one, Endrick,” he said aloud, as he dashed for the anchor.

  His eyes had not deceived him, the device he’d spotted was an anchor. Though the mechanism was new to him, he readily comprehended how to operate it. Removing the safety pin, and standing clear of the cable, he slammed his boot down on the lever. It snapped to the ground. The released cable whistled as it sliced through the night air, invisible to his eyes. Above him, the ship rocked dangerously to one side at sudden release of the anchor. It only teetered for a moment before regained its balance. Grüny was too expert of a pilot to allow the shuttle to crash.

  The ship didn’t fly off into the sky, however. It still showed signs of straining against an unseen force. There were other anchors still holding a grip on it. Reason told him there must be one at each corner. Immediately, he set off running for the next corner. The second anchor was there. Repeating the same steps, he released the anchor, then set off for the next corner.

  He looked up as he ran. Endrick’s cannon fire was holding steady. But there were more soldiers now, coming from different sides. He suspected it was only a matter of moments before the enemy’s own cannons came rolling in. Endrick could not stem the growing tide of soldiers much longer.

  He reached the third anchor point and released it.

  Just one more.

  He took off for the last anchor. Inside his chest, his heart hammered against his ribs. Sweat streamed down his face. He knew he could make it to the anchor and release it. But could he make it back to the cord dangling from the shuttle’s hatch in time? Even before he had jumped from the shuttle, he knew the chances were beyond slim. Still, he hoped.

  A screech deafened his right ear, as a sudden blast of fire careened past him. Then another struck near his foot.

  They’ve spotted me.

  Without hesitation, he dropped the ground and crawled like a sand lizard toward the anchor. Though several shots struck near him, spraying dirt into his face, none met their mark. Within a few seconds, he reached the final anchor. Drawing out the safety pin, he lifted his hand to strike the release lever. He paused. On his belly, as he was, he had even less of a chance of making it to the cord before it rose out of reach.

  He gritted his teeth. Thrusting upwards with both hands, he planted his feet on the ground. Then, stomping on the lever with his foot, he burst toward the center of the launching pad. His arms pumped, and his legs burned as he forced his muscles beyond their limit. The heavy, protective suit worked against him

  The red streaks of blaster fire sailed past him. He ignored them, keeping his eyes scanning the horizon for signs of the cord. Above him, he could sense the shuttle rising swiftly into the night sky.

  Then he saw it. Faint, but definitely the cord. Enough slack still remained that he could make it.

  He was going to make it!

  Just a meter away, the end of the rope lifted off the ground, ascending rapidly.

  With a final burst of speed that felt like it would rip his muscles in two, he leapt forward. Arms outstretched, straining to pull him closer, he seemed to pause midair, yearning for the cord. Everything moved slowly in his mind. Moving closer. The cord rising higher.

  At the last possible instant, his right hand latched onto the end of the cord and held on with a death grip. His left hand quickly took hold. Above him, he saw Endrick standing in the opening
of the hatch, reeling in the cord. He was going to make it.

  Suddenly, a piercing shriek exploded in his ears. A jab of intense pain ripped through his back. Red blots flooded his vision. The pain seized his body. His hands let go of the cord, and he fell.

  When he struck the ground, he was only partially aware of it. For several moments, he writhed in pain, as his back felt it was being bored into with a red-hot iron spear.

  Through his agony, he forced himself to peer up. High above, the lights of the empress’ shuttle streaked across the night sky.

  “Good job, Grüny,” rasped Skylar to himself, “good job.”

  “Well, I don’t think it was a good job. Shouldn’t have left us on this accursed planet,” groaned a voice near him.

  Skylar was in too much pain to turn over. The pain in his back flared up again. Through clenched teeth, he said, “Endrick, is that you?”

  “Half of me, anyway,” replied the First Knight. “I think I broke both my legs.”

  Skylar’s heart sank.

  “You’re terrible at keeping orders, you fool. Now we’ll both be killed.”

  “They wouldn’t kill a man with two broken legs.” A moan of pain escaped Endrick’s lips.

  “Can you see?” asked Skylar. “What are the soldiers doing?”

  His final hope, though dim, was that soldiers would leave them for dead. Perhaps he and Endrick could crawl away after the soldiers cleared out.

  “A few are coming toward us,” said Endrick. “Lie still and maybe they’ll mistake us for logs.”

  Even as Endrick spoke, Skylar could hear the voices of the soldiers. A light flashed on them. And he knew they were caught. They were as good as dead.

  Thirty-six

  Part of Skylar wished the soldiers had shot Endrick and him on the spot. He didn’t know what the empress would do with them, but he knew it wouldn’t be merciful. Already the blaster wound in his back had inflicted severe pain, and the throbbing showed no sign of letting up. Endrick’s legs were of no use to him. And his face showed that he, too, was suffering.