Between Flood and Flame (A Cat Among Dragons Book 6)

by Alma Boykin

  “Dare I ask what Minister Lord Daesarae said about my request, Captain?”

  The reptile snorted and swung his head side-to-side. “He said that if you break it, you’ll have to pay for it, and that the float-bladders don’t work as well as advertised.”

  The mammal’s shoulders rose and fell as he rumpled his tail. “He was warned. There’s a reason the Empire produces its own weaponry and armor, Captain. But of course you didn’t hear me say that.”

  “No sir. Deafness runs in my lineage.” The statement made no sense at first, but Saetee soon figured out what it meant. Lord Ni Drako dipped his head and walked up to one of the soldiers. The male wore very heavy armor that formed a shell over his back and flanks, extending from just under the base of his neck spines to just beyond the base of his tail, where it connected to more conventional armor. The green reptile’s non-standard helmet covered everything up to his jaw joints, with a tinted screen protecting his eyes. As Saetee watched, the soldier turned his flank to the mammal and captain, revealing panniers built into the matte-green armor and a weapon mounted along the crest of his back. The device looked like a much heavier version of the pulse rifles Saetee had trained with and he tried to imagine how the thing worked.

  Ni Drako inquired, “How did you sort out the firing mechanism?”

  Capt. Greyseer thumped his tail while making a forefoot signal. The weapon rose slightly and swung forward, the barrel clearing the seemingly motionless soldier’s head. The trooper turned his head and the gun’s muzzle followed. Then the gun returned to its original stowed position and the soldier went back to parade rest. Greyseer explained, “Neck spines as primary control and a gauntlet-mounted trigger as backup. So unless someone trained with the Dayblast, they can’t fire it without removing it from the mounts and firing by talon. And no other species can use it either.”

  “Very good! Captain Greyseer, your armorer is sneaky, vicious, and a credit to his lineage; give him my compliments. You and your troopers are going to cause quite a stir this morning,” and the mammal bared his fangs. “I won’t keep you any longer, Captain. Just try not to completely destroy Chae’s forces, please.” With those strange words, Lord Ni Drako turned and Saetee found himself trotting even faster to keep up with him. They were back at the Lord Defender’s shelter in time for the morning meal, which Lord Ni Drako insisted Saetee eat with him and his assistants. “You can’t run on an empty belly, Cadet . . ?”

  “Saetee, my lord.”

  “Cadet Saetee. Tell Sergeant Killee if you get hungry and he’ll get you extra rations to carry. You are going to spend a lot of time in motion, Cadet,” the noble warned around a mouthful of dawn stew.

  “Yes, my lord.” Saetee got a second bowl for himself. The others discussed the exercise and Saetee noticed that no one mentioned the heavily armored soldiers that he’d seen just an hour before. What was going on? He wanted to ask but knew that he should not.

  Events assuaged Saetee’s curiosity just before nooning. The Lord Defender opted to observe the exercise instead of commanding it himself and allowed Saetee to remain in the command shelter rather than staying outside with the other guards. The alien stood silent but attentive, so still that Captain Chae forgot that his superior remained in the same room with him. That was, until things went very wrong for the Defender captain.

  “Sir, the outwatchers have been overrun!” the video observer informed the Azdhag officer, his neck-spines starting to quiver with agitation.

  “Do you have a visual?” Chae demanded.

  Talons and forefeet moved and the images on the primary display screen shifted from a large animated real-time depiction of the battlefield to a detailed video view of the northern outwatchers. Chae stared, his tail starting to rise in surprise at the sight of his troops scattering under the weight of heavy incoming fire. The view shifted slightly and the observers caught sight of what appeared to be small armored vehicles. Then the image ceased abruptly. “Observer three is offline,” the video observer informed his commander.

  “Fewmets!” Chae rocked side to side, trying to make up his mind what to do. Saetee looked to the Lord Defender and did not like the nasty expression on the mammal’s face. His teeth were bared and the black things on top of his head had tipped towards the back of his skull. The black tail swayed lightly back and forth but otherwise the Lord Defender stood still. “Revert to macro,” Chae ordered the display technician, then growled commands.

  As the Azdhagi and Lord Ni Drako watched, the Defenders’ left flank began folding inwards, away from where the outwatchers had been surprised by the unknown attackers. Chae turned his attention to that part of the battlefield, trying to obtain information about the threat. His spines had come about halfway up, warning that he was losing control of himself in his worry about the new and utterly unexpected battlefield situation. Saetee had never seen an officer act like that and watched Captain Chae intently until the Lord Defender himself tapped the cadet on the shoulder with his stick and redirected the cringing reptile’s attention to the primary display. Saetee tried to see what it was that he was supposed to see. He could not tell what the Lord Defender had in mind because of the confusion of units in motion on the display. Then it hit him like a stunbolt: that was exactly what he was supposed to see!

  The cadet all but bounced in place with frustration. How could Chae not see it? Because the flank attack by unknown forces with unknown weapons had so distracted Captain Chae that he ignored the larger battlefield. He’d redirected his forces north, to stop the retreat on the north side. That left a weak area for the “invaders” to punch through, cutting the Defenders into three separate groups. Something else did not seem right and Saetee tried to think of what it might be. Something was missing from the “battle” and he could feel it lurking just beyond the tip of his tail. What was it?

  He looked around the enclosure, seeking inspiration, and found it sitting up on its haunches looking mad enough to take on a seadrinker with its bare talons. The lieutenant in charge of air support’s tail tip thrashed madly; a clear sign of frustration. Chae had not called in any air support, aside from shifting three more fly-spies from his southern forces in order to replace the one that had been lost on the north side. Oohh, this is bad, Saetee thought to himself.

  Lord Ni Drako remained silent for a few more time marks, waiting and watching. Finally Captain Chae seemed to take a deep breath and really looked at the primary display. “Oh fewmets, we’re screwed,” he groaned, tail going utterly limp. Saetee waited, but the captain did nothing more, just staring at the disaster unfolding on the screen. “We’re screwed,” he repeated at last.

  With that, the Lord Defender touched something on his belt with one forefoot. “Ground One to all units, cease fire. Repeat, cease fire. Exercise terminated.”

  “Blue One to Ground One, cease fire.”

  “Green One to Ground One, cease fire.”

  “Aggressor One to Ground One, cease fire.”

  As the participating units checked in, the Defender Air lieutenant stalked up beside Chae and snarled something very insulting. Before he could finish the full curse or a shocked Chae could reply, Saetee heard the sound of a blade clearing its sheath. “That will be enough, Lieutenant Tae-chee.” The Lord Defender stood between the two reptiles with his sword drawn, separating them. “You know the law. If you want a fight, do it outside.”

  The yellowy-tan reptile backed down. “Yes, Lord Mammal.” He returned to his place but did not apologize to the captain and Saetee knew that there would be a challenge at some point. He also knew that the captain had made several major mistakes, and the cadet felt very pleased with himself for seeing them before the captain did. As the units stood down, Captain Greyseer lumbered into the command shelter, radiating satisfaction. The big, pale gray reptile saluted the Lord Defender, who returned the courtesy but did not compliment Greyseer on his victory. Chae sounded polite but cool and Saetee knew that the officer had been humiliated.

  It was bad enou
gh that Chae had been soundly defeated, but he’d also lost physical control. Even Saetee hadn’t done that, and the cadet preened a bit more to himself. As he did, motion to his left side caught his attention and he looked up to see the Lord Defender studying him, the line of fur over his eye rising a little as the edges of his mouth turned down. The mammal made a disapproving forefoot gesture. Then he turned and left the command shelter, forcing the cadet to scramble to catch up.

  To his great disappointment, a senior sergeant relieved Cadet Saetee of guard duty before the staff officers’ debriefing. Saetee wanted to stay and see if Captain Chae was reprimanded, to hear what the Lord Defender would say, to learn if Lt. Tae-chee would renew his challenge, and to find out who Capt. Greyseer was. Instead Saetee returned to “his” squad and supervised their post-action inspection and equipment checks. Then Lt. Shreeker quizzed him on camp formations, leading him on a walk around the entire perimeter of his portion of camp and making him locate weak points and explain how he would correct them. Saetee tried to apply some of what he had seen during the maneuvers, but his brain seemed to be growing slow and fuzzy. He made enough mistakes that the officer tasked the cadet with writing out everything into a code file before getting his evening meal. No sooner had his head at last touched the sleeping mat then Saetee was shaken awake again and ordered to take his place outside the Lord Defender’s shelter. The reptile complied even as he wondered how he was supposed to function on so little rest! He knew that in a real battle there would be stimulants available, but that did not help him as he tried to stay aware and awake in the darkness.

  Angry growls interrupted Saetee’s contemplation of the wonders of sleep. “Captain, I said that I did not want Chae’s forces routed,” the Lord Defender stated calmly.

  “Neither did I, Lord Mammal,” Captain Greyseer rumbled. “I called half my troopers back after the outer wings of his formation fled and redirected them to the main attack. And damn but they cut through the heavy infantry like talons through a grain-ball! My lord, I’ve never seen our troops break like that.” Saetee thought the captain sounded furious.

  “Neither have I. Nor have I seen an officer of that rank fail so badly in so many ways, both during and after a training exercise,” the Lord Defender replied slowly and coldly. A long silence followed the mammal’s words and Saetee shivered, very glad that he was only a cadet and not one of the officers involved. But you will be, a little voice reminded him. And you will be responsible for your troopers.

  Instead of worrying about staying awake, Saetee began wondering if he was really cut out to lead in battle. He could fight, that he knew, and he followed orders well. But the Lord Defender seemed to want his officers to think for themselves and to act without constant orders. For a reptile used to doing what his superiors told him to, this was a troubling new idea and Saetee spend the rest of his watch thinking about what he’d seen and learned that day and night.

  Sergeant Killee had mercy on the cadet and sent Saetee to his shelter an hour before dawn. Saetee gulped some field rations and water, inspected his weapons and fell asleep in his armor on the floor of his shelter, not even bothering with unfolding his sleeping mat. As a result he woke up with bruises in some uncomfortable places from where the bandoliers had dug into his flanks. “Lord Mammal wants you,” the sergeant explained to the stiff and still-foggy cadet when the reptile emerged into the morning light.

  How did the Lord Defender function on so little sleep, the cadet wondered as he trotted at the mammal’s side. Camp seemed very quiet and Saetee tried to guess what was going on. He and Sgt. Killee flanked the Lord Defender as the mammal strode through the camp, moving quickly even though one of the noble’s hind legs seemed to be causing him difficulty. Saetee also wondered why the Lord Defender wore full armor, including his helmet and the clawed gauntlets of the Palace Guard, as well as carrying a rifle, blade, and side-arm.

  The answer waited on a platform in an open space near the landing field for the Defenders’ air support. Everyone not on patrol had gathered around the platform, their attention riveted on the soldiers in the heavy gun armor. Saetee was more interested in the officers standing on one side of the platform, including Chae. The other officers left a large space between themselves and him, as if he had a catching disease. The entire company came to attention with a rumbling snap as the Lord Defender stalked between the rows and then climbed up the three steps onto the temporary platform. “At ease,” the Lord Defender ordered and a thousand Azdhagi relaxed. Except, Saetee noticed, for Captain Chae.

  “Have you reconsidered your words, Chae?” Lord Ni Drako inquired of the big reptile.

  “Yes, and I stand to them, Commander Ni Drako. I accuse you of deliberately sabotaging the exercise in order to humiliate me and to make it seem as if the Empire still needs you. Which it does not!” Chae’s neck spines slammed up into full hostile display and his tail thrashed back and forth. In contrast, the Lord Defender could have been a carven image of a temple guardian, he held himself so still.

  “Too bad.” Ni Drako advanced towards the center of the platform and the other officers scattered out around the perimeter, facing their troopers. The mammal turned, making eye contact with all the soldiers. “Defenders, yesterday you saw the new heavy infantry weapons system. Intimidating, isn’t it?” He let the murmur run before continuing, “I think Imperial Captain Greyseer and his platoon provided a most,” he paused thoughtfully, “inspiring demonstration of its capabilities, and I look forward to seeing how you put the Dayblast to use.” The mammal called some junior officers and NCOs by name, commending their action or those of the soldiers in their squads and platoons. He also praised the pilots’ restraint in the face of great temptation. Saetee fought off a yawn.

  “Enough of this,” Chae growled, interrupting his superior and advancing on the mammal. “I did all the work of arranging these exercises and all you had to do was saunter in to claim the glory, mammal.” The reptile rose on his hind legs, still walking towards the Lord Defender and making the mammal look very small in comparison. “The Empire does not need you, Ni Drako.”

  “His Imperial Majesty disagrees with you, Chae, since he was the one to recall me from my other duties,” the Lord Defender replied. “Minister Great Lord Daesare also requested my return. And according to the files, Defender Seertar coordinated much of this exercise so that you could concentrate on your job of commanding the Defenders.” Ni Drako drew his blade and took a guard stance in a single smooth, graceful motion.

  “Honor challenge!” Chae snarled, drawing his own blade and charging the Lord Defender. He took three steps and dropped dead, his head shattered by a blaster bolt.

  Blade in one forefoot, pistol in the other, Lord Ni Drako inquired, “Anyone else?” There were growls but no takers and he holstered his blaster, then rested the tip of his blade on the platform and crossed his forefeet over the pommel. “Chae made mistakes, which your officers will be briefed over at a later date so that they can learn from them. Mistakes I can forgive. I’ve made enough of them myself, as your Ancestors will no doubt attest when I come before the Judges of Hell. But giving up and accepting defeat without trying to reengage and regroup, blaming subordinates for his own failings, and losing control of himself I will not forgive.” The mammal turned his head, silver eye meeting those of everyone he could find. “Is that clear?”

  “Very clear,” Lt. Tae-chee replied, as did Capt. Greyseer. A growl of approval rose from the massed reptiles and some thumped their tails. Chae had failed his duty to his Defenders by quitting before the battle was truly and utterly lost, then compounded the shame by not accepting blame for what was completely his fault. That was unforgivable for an Azdhagi soldier of any rank, let alone a Captain of the Defenders. The reptiles’ anger at the dead officer and their agreement with the Lord Defender were palpable: the Pack concurred with the execution. Saetee felt his spines rising in reply and brought himself back under control before anyone could notice.

  Ni Drako shipped h
is blade up in an elaborate flourish and salute before sheathing it. “Good. Imperial Captain Greyseer, my regards and please have your males brief the Defenders on our new weapon system. Lt. Tae-chee, Lt. Kiskay, carry on as briefed.” With that Lord Ni Drako turned, leaving the platform to the Azdhagi officers. Saetee and Sgt. Killee paced the noble back to his shelter, where he dismissed Saetee back to his unit. A few hours later the cadet heard the unfamiliar engine sound again and looked up from the noon meal to see the Lord Defender’s personal fighter rising into the cloudy sky.

  Lord Ni Drako arrived at the Palace-Capital of Drakon IV without fanfare or announcement. One moment he was not there, one moment later he stood beside Night’s Talon, waiting for the landing pad guards to notice him. Two general servants found his equipment bags and carried them to his quarters while the Lord Defender visited the Defenders’ section of the military wing of the Palace-Capital. Minister Great Lord Daesare was also on the throneworld and the two warriors vanished into the lesser throne room at the King-Emperor’s command. The three remained closeted in some sort of discussion for several hours before the doors opened and the military commanders went their separate ways.

  For once the servants’ grapevine failed to keep up with events. The four reptiles assigned to Lord Ni Drako were caught off guard when the outer door to his quarters swung open and he and Sergeant Tauk strode in. Fortunately, the quartet had just finished cleaning and repairing everything. Shlaer had decided to see how the oddly-designed necessary worked and in the process discovered that the plumbing had developed a major high pressure leak at some point over the past twelves of years. The good news was that they found the problem before Lord Ni Drako appeared. As the four quickly hid mops, water-chasers, and the last of the floor polishing mechanicals, the noble took off his weapons belt and hung it on the rack behind the two tables in the corner opposite the stove.