The Celestials

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The Celestials Page 16

by Richard Wood


  Day Thirteen dawned. The crew had heard about Arjuna’s oath and was as worried as all his brothers were, especially as the whole army seemed to be discussing it, bets were being taken that he wouldn't be able to kill Jayadratha before nightfall. What was even more worrying was if it was common knowledge among the Pandava army then the Kaurava, high command knew it also. They would make sure that Arjuna had no opportunity to get near enough to Jayadratha and kill him while it was still daylight.

  This proved to be the case, try as he might Arjuna could not get near enough to Jayadratha to kill him; fifty warriors guarded him closely wherever he went, and kept well back from the front lines.

  Arjuna tried breaking through the lines with cavalry, elephants, and fire rockets, anything to get within arrow shot of Jayadratha, all to no avail, each time he was rushed to the rear surrounded by his bodyguard of warriors.

  As the day wore on the warriors, guarding Jayadratha began shouting insults at Arjuna, “HEY DOGS BREATH, IT IS THE FIRE TONIGHT FOR YOU. YOU SHOULD DALLY WITH THE HARLOT, YOU CALL A WIFE THIS AFTERNOON. AS TONIGHT, YOU WILL BE ON THE FIRE AND YOUR FIFTH OF THE COMMUNAL WIFE WILL BE COMMITTING SUTTEE. WE ARE TAKING BETS AS TO WHICH PIECE IT WILL BE.”

  Arjuna seethed with anger, but was powerless to stop the taunts; they will laugh on the other side of their faces soon he muttered to himself.

  During the afternoon, the sky started to cloud up until the sun became completely hidden, the whole sky looking leaden. Strive as it might the Pandava army could not get Arjuna close enough to Jayadratha for him to complete his oath and kill him. Soon, they estimated it was gone four p.m.; the medics and the clear up crews were now allowed onto the battlefield to rescue and tend the wounded and clear away the bodies. This was when Sahadeva, came to his brother with a sketchy plan.

  “Brother could you not disguise yourself as a medic and draw close enough to Jayadratha to kill him when his Kshatriya let down their guard as nightfall closes in,” he asked him.

  As they were discussing it the crew landed and entered the tent, as they listened to the plan Rogan interrupted them, “do you know there will be an eclipse of the sun in about an hour's time, and it will seem as if night has fallen slightly early tonight.”

  Sahadeva exulted, “that is perfect when his men put down their weapons thinking night has fallen you will be able to draw near enough to kill, that snake Jayadratha, and still keep your vow brother.”

  Bhima spoke “we will brief warriors to cover you directly you have fulfilled your vow on your retreat to our lines, by the gods we will bring this off brother.”

  Arjuna and Krishna put on cloaks, bow and arrows hidden beneath them, and mingled with the medics and the untouchables as they cleared the battlefield. Gradually, they worked their way towards the spot where Jayadratha and the bodyguards were drinking chai and taking bets on which part of her body Draupadi would sacrifice if any. Many lewd suggestions were causing roars of laughter, especially as someone vowed that twenty minutes with him would leave her smoking and ruined for any other lover.

  Gradually, it started to get dark and torches are being lit, when one of Jayadratha's bodyguards remarked that it was a bit early to be getting dark, but nobody took him seriously. Jayadratha stood saying, “Arjuna has failed its nightfall, and I am still alive, UGGHhhh.”

  The shaft of an arrow blossomed at his throat. His hands clutched at it as the blood cascaded down through his fingers like a black river, the darkness closed in. Pandemonium reigned among the bodyguard. Extra torches are lit. A cry of assassins filled the air as the bodyguard rushed around trying to find the culprits, and then they began shouting Arjuna had broken his oath and deserved death.

  Arjuna and Krishna were carrying a wounded warrior on a makeshift stretcher they had picked up on the battlefield and blended into the general movement back into their own lines, Bhima and his men were not needed as a rescue cover.

  They had just made it back to their own lines when the light began to return as the sun started coming out from behind the full moon, although all was still hidden behind the cloud cover.

  When they arrived back at Yudhishthira's tent, they were welcomed as heroes as the news of the slaying of Jayadratha spread like wildfire through the armies on both sides. All Arjuna would say about it was Abhimanyu has been avenged; it was left to Krishna to tell the assembled company all the details.

  “We had just crept to within fifty metres of his bodyguard who were sitting down drinking chai, when Jayadratha suddenly stood in their midst boasting he had beaten Arjuna. Arjuna took the opportunity for a magnificent snapshot that hit the snake Jayadratha in the throat, just as he finished boasting he was still alive. We lay prone for a minute after the shot as darkness fell fully, and then we crept back away from the hullabaloo toward our own lines. We came across one of our wounded warriors, so we made a stretcher out of spears and our cloaks and then carried him back to our own lines, without anyone noticing us.” Yudhishthira smiling called for his finest stallion to be brought to him, this, he duly presented to his brother Arjuna, “Brother take this, my finest stallion, let him be sacrificed that he may carry your brave son Abhimanyu during his journeys in the afterlife.”

  “Thank you brother for my son, I accept,” said Arjuna embracing his brother.

  Later, that evening with great ceremony before Yudhishthira, and the rest of his brothers, the crew and assembled Kings and dignitaries, and with the rest of the army looking on Arjuna lit the great pyre on which rested his son's body, then sacrificed the magnificent stallion Yudhishthira had donated to his son Abhimanyu.

  Those nearby heard him whisper, “until we meet again my son may the gods watch over you,” as the flames of the pyre suddenly took hold and began roaring skyward, the heat forcing the mourners back as the flames devoured the bodies of the son and the stallion.

  So ended day Thirteen.

  Day Fourteen dawned with news arriving of the destruction of the cities of Mohenjo-Daru and Harappa. The news spread like wildfire through the Pandava army, all the reports spoke of a celestial craft that dropped a weapon of celestial iron on them. It blazed like a thousand suns, and caused a pillar of smoke like a giant parasol as it destroyed both cities. In the aftermath, birds turned white and fell from the skies, all the food and grain for miles around was poisoned. Survivors were badly burnt, and sores and itching developed as warriors threw themselves into the river trying to wash off the poison, but the relief only lasted a short while, later peoples hair and teeth began to fall out. Both cities are utterly destroyed, what peoples that survived have fled, but are dying a horrible death from the poisonous cloud that the celestial weapons left behind.

  Yudhishthira called all the heads of armies together, to discuss how to persuade the Mohenjo-Daru and Harappa armies to stay and fight, and take their revenge on the Zedds and Kauravas by destroying them. Ancore was now convinced that nothing less than the full destruction of the Zedds at the earliest was called for. She had reservations about the ability of two Landers to knock out the Zedd disc and the five remaining pulse jets without losing the Landers in the process, especially as only one Lander had a rail gun, the other sporting a laser that couldn't deliver a fatal blow to the Zedd disc.

  Yudhishthira and his brothers along with Muktananda the King of Lanka called the Mohenjo-Daru and Harappa armies together and addressed them to try to divert them from packing up and going home, so they could search for their loved ones and confirm the destruction reports with their own eyes.

  “Brother Warriors, we have called you all together today because of the grave news that has reached us this day, of the total destruction of Mohenjo-Daru and Harappa by the allies of the Kaurava, the celestial Zedds. We are assured that they have destroyed the cities, no stone is left standing above another for miles around the cities, and beyond that, the poison cloud has killed hundreds of thousands more in a huge area of up to fifty kilometres from the city centres. The Zedds and the Kaurava between them ha
ve destroyed your homes, and your loved ones, now brother warriors is the time to wreak vengeance on them for the terrible wrongs they have inflicted on you all. We have a plan that with your help and the help of our celestial allies the Coorg will see the Zedds completely wiped out, and thus end this terrible war with the Kaurava army defeated. Give me your services for another five days, at the end of that time you will be free to return to your former homes or make a new life here. Either way you shall be well rewarded for your loyalty to us. What say you, will you stay for another five days and take your vengeance on the Zedds and their Kaurava allies, wipe them out once and for all time.” A huge roar of assent rolled forth from the two armies. Yudhishthira and his brothers had left nothing to chance having already bribed some of the men and officers to spread the idea of avenging their loved ones before going home.

  They began returning to their duties when a shock wave much diminished followed by a loud rumble assailed their senses; they all looked questioningly at one another wondering what had happened. Ancore went back to the Lander and called Adeeone on high cover.

  “I have been trying to call you captain, the Zedd ship and the pulse jets have attacked the Pandavan army on the far end of the front line. There has been a huge explosion and the Zedds have now returned to Hastinapura.”

  “Sorry Adeeone we were all engaged in trying to persuade the Mohenjo-Daru and Harappa armies to stay and fight, keep watch for the Zedds. I will send someone to sit by the radio, so we don't get caught out again.” Returning to Yudhishthira's tent she explained to them all that Adeeone had reported. Then sent Adeetoo to maintain radio watch while they worked on a plan to destroy the Zedds once and for all.

  An hour later, a galloper arrives from the other end of the lines where the Lankan and Kirati armies are stationed. The tale he relates is terrible in the extreme the Zedd ship, and the pulsejets had attacked and released Kapila's Glance on the helpless armies. The black disc had dropped a large device from a great height it went off when it was still very high above the ground and burnt to ash the warriors beneath it, at least fifty thousand men had vanished completely. And for nearly a kilometre around the area close to the blast were men torn to pieces, but farther out men were dead and the only tell-tale signs were blood from their ears, nose, mouths and anus. In all, nearly two hundred and fifty thousand men are estimated to be dead.

  Breen spoke to the assembly, “this weapon doesn’t sound nuclear it has all the hallmarks of a fire bomb. I think they have deployed a massive airburst firebomb. It was one of the most powerful weapons in our past history that was non-nuclear.”

  “Thank you Breen unfortunately knowing what they have used against us is not a lot of help at this moment,” Ancore answered.

  Breen replied, “It does mean that when we bombed their cave in the Himalayas, we did destroy their remaining nuclear weapons, which is why they have had to devise this weapon, Kapila's Glance.” Yudhishthira smiled and thanked him before he ordered relief columns, medics and supplies transported to the area immediately to search for survivors.

  They came together in Yudhishthira's tent all the brothers and the crew, plus the heads of the Mohenjo-Daru and Harappa armies to plan their next moves to rid themselves of the Zedds and the Kaurava dynasty.

  Ancore spoke first, “I do not want to go head to head with the Zedds ships against ours. The outcome would not be at all certain. What I suggest is a dawn ground raid against their base at Hastinapura, with our Lander craft used as a backup. We could be there ready to attack just before dawn, using explosive charges, we could knock out their pulse jets first then concentrate on knocking out the Zedd ship, if we can't get to it with our ground forces, then we can use both Landers to attack it.”

  Nobody had a better suggestion, so it was agreed. They would spend the rest of the day ferrying troops and supplies to a hidden spot as close to Hastinapura and the Zedd ships as they could get. They had a Kaurava warrior who had changed sides in exchange for his life, who would show them a spot close to Hastinapura where they could lay up until nightfall.

  “How many warriors will you need Ancore,” asked Bhima?

  “A hundred should be plenty. It will take us the rest of the day to ferry them all to the assembly point,” she replied.

  “We only have fifty laser hand weapons and no time to train the warriors to use them properly, I suggest we set up a target here, show the warriors how to use the lasers then pick the ones to go with us from the ones who seem to have a natural aptitude for the weapon,” said Rogan.

  Yudhishthira was nodding agreement, “I'll organise three hundred of the best warriors from Mohenjo-Daru and Harappa so that you can make a selection Rogan, and these warriors will have a vested interest in getting to grips with the Zedds.”

  Ancore turned to the rest of the crew, “Glaina, I would like you to pilot the Lander and ferry the warriors to the assembly point. I, Rogan and Breen will show the warriors how to use the lasers and pick out the ones who show the most aptitude, now we had better unload the weapons from the Lander and set up some targets,” she suggested.

  Yudhishthira had assembled three hundred of the two army’s finest warriors for Ancore, Rogan and Breen to put through their paces with the laser handguns, each time they picked out ten they are sent to collect their belongings and weapons and fill their water bottles, before Glaina ferried them to the assembly point. The crew spent most of that day picking out, then ferrying the warriors to the assembly point, and flying out provisions, water and blankets. Then when they were all at the assembly point with the explosive charge satchels safely stowed out of harm’s way, they could take stock of their surroundings.

  They were in a natural ravine, hidden from general view by the wood growing thickly over the top of it, the Kaurava palace and the Zedds were barely a kilometre away. It was an ideal place to layup for the evening and organise for the coming conflict. They spent the rest of that evening briefing the men and relaying the plans to Adeeone on high watch. They would go in at four a.m. The aim was silently to kill any guards around the pulsejets and place satchel charges on them, and then gather for the main attack on the Zedd ship. This would be led by the officer in charge of the warriors who went by the name of Tausiq, a fine figure of a man with flowing moustache and brown intelligent eyes, and very muscular, who had been one of Ancore and Rogan’s star pupils when they were teaching Kalarippayat to the emperor's army.

  Since his entire family lived, in Mohenjo-Daru, except one of his brothers who had held a high position in the Harappa civil administration and whose family lived there and had been on duty in the city presumably when the Zedds had destroyed it and Mohenjo-Daru. Therefore, he had a consuming hatred of the Zedds, as did all the rest of the warriors, who were thirsting for revenge.

  Ancore and the rest of the crew would be flying the Lander, and along with Adeeone in the other Lander would launch a concerted attack on the Zedd ship, hoping to destroy it on the ground, directly they receive the laser flash signalling the ground troops have set the satchel charges on the pulsejets. With the plan in place, they try to get some sleep as they intend setting off at two a.m.

  So ended day Fourteen of the war.

  Day Fifteen, started at two a.m. for Ancore’s forces, the ground troops silently filing out of the ravine heading toward the palace, in the distance, for Ancore and the rest of the crew it was now an agonising wait. Gradually, the sky started to lighten slightly, and they boarded the Lander in preparation for the laser signal.

  At last, it came, a single flash. Ancore took off staying at just twenty feet above the ground she cruised toward the palace as Adeeone brought the other Lander down from on high in a screaming dive. Just as they neared the palace all hell broke loose, laser beams were flashing from the palace toward the compounds then five explosions in quick succession came from the area of the compounds and the pulsejets. Missiles were tracking skyward towards Adeeone, also some seemed to be fired at the invading ground for
ce causing huge ground explosions, and then Ancore and the Lander came under attack Bleee Blaaah Bleee Blaaah. Rogan turned the missile alarm down and returned fire on the battery that had targeted them.

  The black disc was lifting above the palace when Rogan opened fire on it, Ancore was now jinking wildly all over the sky as missiles erupted from the Zedd disc and locked onto them Rogan started taking them out and any free second he had from knocking out missiles. He fired at the Zedd ship.

  Adeeone now joined the fight, which now halved the number of missiles aimed at Ancore as she fought to elude the missiles; Rogan now had a bit more time to concentrate fire on the disc. They were now nearing the army lines when Rogan hit the disc, at the same moment two missiles went off close to Adeeone in the other Lander, he pulled around and headed straight for the enemy disc, smoke now started to pour from the Lander. They all heard him say good-bye as he turned into the path of the disc, laser firing continuously the Lander ploughed into the disc upper works ripping a large rent in it before it careered off and plunged toward the planet’s surface leaving behind a huge smoking trail. Then it plunged into the ground and Ancore's Lander, and the Zedd disc was flung upward by the force of the nuclear explosion. The Zedd disc was now badly crippled, and smoke started coming from it although it was still firing missiles, Rogan knocked out the last three it fired. Then he lined up the rail gun for the killer shot and pulled the trigger nothing happened. It was then that he realised, they had no more discs left for the rail gun.

  “We are out of ammunition for the rail gun,” he called out.

  Ancore replied, “They have stopped firing luckily,” as she circled the disc it suddenly tilted and started swooping out of control toward the surface trailing a huge plume of smoke. Several hundred metres above the planet’s surface it levelled out somewhat and slowly flew toward the front lines before crashing in a shower of broken trees and vegetation coming to a halt in a clearing.

  Ancore quickly landed the Lander nearby shouting to the crew, “quickly grab lasers, we have to make sure that none of the Zedds get out of that ship alive.”

  Breen and Rogan were out first throwing themselves down behind a small ridge as they opened fire on a Zedd as he tried to exit the downed disc. He quickly drew back inside, “Ancore, we need to destroy this disc before the Zedds manning it can get out, Breen and I will keep them bottled up inside while you, and Glaina take the Lander and fetch back the resonant frequency sound weapon. We can destroy the disc with that.”

  “All right Rogan, take mine and Glaina's lasers we will be back as quick as possible,” with that they ran back to the Lander and took off disappearing swiftly toward Indraprastha. They could not cover the entire disc between them, but they could see over half of it from their position. Over the next forty minutes, the Zedds tried repeatedly to exit the disc only to be driven back repeatedly, suddenly though they came under laser fire from two Zedds, who had obviously found another way out, and were outflanking them.

  The laser blasts were getting too close for comfort, “Breen keep them bottled up in the disc. I will try to keep these two who are flanking us fully engaged until Ancore and Glaina return.”

  “I sure will Rogan, it shouldn't be too long before the Lander returns then we will give them something they never bargained for.”

  The wicked fizz of laser bolts filled the air as the battle grew fiercer, then they heard Ancore calling Breen.

  “Breen, we have the sound weapon lined up on the disc, but we need your key to activate it.”

  It was then Breen remembered the key around his neck. He called Rogan, “we'll have to disengage and pull back, I have one of the operating keys around my neck.”

  “We will try to cover you from here,” Glaina called to them.

  The pair of them disengaged and pulled back to the sound weapon, which the girls had pushed onto a small knoll, from where the weapon could be aimed at the disc. While they were pulling back, they kept up return fire but could not keep the Zedds bottled up as more of them came swarming out of the disc things were getting intense.

  Breen inserted his key in the lock Ancore already had hers in, they quickly counted to three and turned the keys together; the control panel lit up, and Ancore pulled the operating handle. For a fraction of a second, they heard a WHEee then silence; suddenly the very earth seemed to shimmer. Trees and shrubs shivered then everything looked normal for a few seconds. Suddenly, the disc started to collapse, and then the very earth started throwing up dust clouds as the ground around the disc suddenly turned into a consistency similar to water, the disc, Zedds and vegetation began sinking into the quagmire the earth had become. The disc had almost gone below ground when it happened.

  A laser blast from one of the Zedds hit the left hand wooden wheel shattering it. The sound weapon lurched then collapsed on one side causing the weapon to slew to the left and point obliquely into the ground at the side of the weapon. Glaina saw the danger immediately, “Quick we must get aboard the Lander and take off to escape the sound weapon,” she called to the others while racing for the Lander. They all piled inside behind her while Glaina took off, a couple of laser bolts hit the Lander then they were way up looking down.

  They could see a ring of dust spreading wider as the ground around the sound weapon shivered and turned into a substance that had properties similar to water, although it was still earth everything was sinking into it and disappearing. The last of the Zedds and their craft disappeared beneath the surface as they watched, but worse was to come as the sound weapon also disappeared underground still operating as could be seen from the ever-widening circle of dust rising and vegetation disappearing.

  “By the gods it's still working as it's sinking,” cried Breen.

  “We must stop it somehow it could continue sinking right through the planet's crust,” anguished Glaina. “So what, eventually it will be consumed by the planet's heat near the core, and then everything will be back to normal,” replied Breen.

  “No before that happens it will have weakened the planets crust in this spot, the pressure of the molten magma at the planet's core will erupt with unbelievable force reaching into the planet's upper atmosphere, boiling off oceans and altering the spin of the planet, destroying all life on it. We must stop it soon or everything will perish,” she cried.

  “Head for Indraprastha,” ordered Ancore, “push those throttles through the gates Glaina, we have to reach there and load up the last nuclear warhead. It's the only thing we have left that might save the planet.”

  They landed at Indraprastha as close to the armoury as possible, Breen Ancore and Rogan rushed out and disappeared inside. They reappeared five minutes later struggling with the last nuclear warhead between them. They had set the delay for four minutes hoping that would be enough time for the device to sink down far enough to knock out the sound weapon. While they struggled to fit the device to the bomb rail under the Lander and connect the release lanyard Glaina was consumed with impatience, they seemed to be taking hours, although she knew, in reality, it was only a few minutes.

  Suddenly, they were all piling aboard, “go, go,” cried Rogan the last one in.

  Glaina took off and pushed the Lander to its limits to get back in time.

  As they approached, the area, they could all see the dust circle had widened to almost half of a kilometre wide.

  “Drop it in the centre and then leave as quick as you can Glaina,” ordered Ancore, “we don't know if the sound weapon will set off the nuclear bomb prematurely or not, drop it and then put the throttles through the stops.”

  As Glaina passed the centre of the disturbance ring, she pulled the release handle then put the throttles through to combat setting at the end of the stops. The Lander leapt forward with a huge surge of acceleration, and they were away and climbing. Rogan had been monitoring the bomb, “it's struck dead centre and disappeared, he called.” setting the countdown clock on his console, three minutes and twenty seconds it was re
ading when Breen looked over. They went through the sound barrier after two minutes the speed only creeping up now, at four minutes the flash, radiation and heat hit them.

  Later as they slowed, the shock wave and the sound wave struck buffeting the Lander, the cloud climbing into the upper atmosphere. Soon, they were back at Hastinapura, there was no point in waiting to see if the explosion had stopped the sound generator, if it had, they would know later and if it had not, none would survive to worry about it.

  The battle was still raging fiercely although the attacking force is greatly reduced, by the remaining Zedds firing the missiles at the ground force from the palace roof where they were sited; they were using them like artillery pieces. Glaina had to land some distance away from the palace because they now had no discs for the rail gun, and the Lander was helpless if it was fired upon.

  They climbed out of the Lander each armed with a hand laser, “we need to find Tausiq and find out what is happening, come on follow me,” called Ancore following a path through the grounds. The main battle appeared to be taking place between the compounds and the palace.

  “It looks as though our ground troops are bogged down Ancore,” called Breen.

  “Yes we don't want to rush in and get bogged down with them,” counselled Rogan, “we are far more use, opening another front and relieving the pressure on Tausiq and his men.”

  They were now approaching a side gate into the palace grounds proper. Ancore eased the gate open. She could now see the palace properly, and the missile launchers sited on the flat palace roof. It was from here that the Zedds were firing down into the walled garden, which lay between the palace and the compounds. The compounds were still smoking so the attack on them must have been successful.

  However, it looked as though the Zedds had caught the Pandava ground force before they had managed to cover the ground from the compound to the palace. Now they appeared to be taking shelter in the garden area and were firing at the Zedds from the remains of the garden walls, which the Zedds had pounded by using their radar guided missiles as artillery firing down at the attackers demolishing a large part of the wall and over half the invading Pandava force.

  Ancore opened the door wider and let the others see what was happening, “I think we could reach the palace from here without being seen. All the Zedds seem to be up on the roofs, concentrating on the garden area.”

  “Yes if we go one at a time I'm sure we could enter the palace without being seen,” agreed Rogan. Ancore went first, sneaking through the bushes trying to get as close to the palace wall as possible when she was flattened against it, she gestured for Rogan to follow.

  When they had all safely negotiated the route to the wall of the palace, Ancore led them along to an archway that opened into the interior. They found themselves at a side entrance to a very large room with two rows of columns down its length, the stone stairway leading to the upper part of the palace was at the far end of the room, on their left.

  They flitted from pillar to pillar making their way toward the stairs no one seemed to be about as they started making their way to the upper floors, suddenly a servant appeared at the top of the stairs, with a look of surprise on his face. He suddenly about turned and bolted yelling at the top of his voice.

  The crew realised stealth was no longer important and raced up the stairs just as a Zedd appeared from a corridor, he and Ancore fired at almost the same instant the Zedd hit in the chest fell backward his laser blast warming Ancore’s cheek as it passed.

  Ancore ordered Glaina to hold the top of this flight of stairs as the rest of them raced onward toward the next flight of stairs that appeared to lead to the roof. Rogan was almost hopping along in his effort to keep up with Ancore and Breen. They had just reached the bottom of the next flight when they came under fire from the top of the stairs, quickly they scattered seeking cover. Ancore was the most exposed being in the lead she had thrown herself down behind a large stone balustrade at the foot of the stair, and was returning fire from there. The other two had split going to each side of the stair and were now firing back at the Zedds, Breen from behind a stone figure of a scantily clad female on a large plinth and Rogan from behind a mirror image of the stone female, on the other side of the staircase.

  “There appear to be two of them,” called Rogan to the other two, ducking back as a laser bolt hit the statue causing an arm to explode and cover him in stone splinters. He peered around the statue again in time to see Ancore and Breen returning fire. He saw a head and an arm appear briefly from behind a pillar at the top of the stair and took a snap shot that hit the Zedd in the arm. The arm fell to the ground still clutching the hand laser. A nerve must still have been twitching the trigger finger because the weapon was still firing randomly with laser bolts fizzing all around the upper landing suddenly the second Zedd bolted from his hiding place back away from the top of the stairs.

  “Quick called Ancore before he gets reinforcements,” and went charging up the stairs. The arm and laser stopped firing as she reached the top, thank the gods thought Rogan as he hurried to try to catch up with her and Breen as they disappeared over the top landing.

  As he reached the top of the stair laser fire fizzed passed him as he limped behind the pillar that the Zedd lay behind, the severed arm still clutching the laser, he peered around the pillar, Ancore and Breen were nowhere in sight the Zedd, who had lost his arm appeared to have passed out in shock. Rogan started to make his way across the landing toward the flight of stairs that looked as though it led onto the roof, when a noise made him turn around just in time to see the one-armed Zedd charging toward him brandishing a wicked looking knife. Reflex made him fall backwards the knife flashing in front of his face. He raised his legs as he hit the floor on his back the Zedd looming over him before he jerked his legs with all his might but his right leg gave way under the strain, and the Zedd went obliquely over the top of him and landed just past his right shoulder. Lying on his back partly winded, Rogan realised, he was still holding the laser and tried to bring it to bear on the Zedd, who was now struggling to sit up Rogan fired as the knife was raised to strike and hit the Zedd in the knife arm elbow. The Zedd looked at his arm in horror as it fell to the ground in front of him. Rogan did not give him the chance to bite him, as shot him in the chest killing him instantly.

  Rogan picked himself up and continued toward the last flight of steps onto the roof where he could now hear the fizz of laser bolts, he reached the top and was looking out over the roof toward a missile battery that had two dead Zedds lying beside it with Ancore sheltering behind it. Laser blasts fizzed about the battery from the other batteries where the remaining Zedds were trying to line up one of the missile batteries onto the one Ancore was hiding behind. They were obviously willing to blow the battery up with a missile to kill her.

  Rogan opened fire on them, the Zedds were now being fired on from three directions as Breen was somewhere off to his right also firing at them.

  Things were getting too hot for them, as they tried to make a break for it so fire from Breen hit one of them in the leg as he fell, he brought down one of the other Zedds before they could get up other laser bolts from both Ancore and Rogan hit them killing them instantly.

  The other Zedd had made it into the cover of a central temple like structure, composed of six substantial stone pillars holding up a wooden roof the other two missile batteries were on the other side of this structure.

  All three of them were now coming under intense laser fire from at least ten Zedds. Ancore looked at the wooden structure of the roof over the six pillars and started directing her fire onto it. Her plan worked admirably, and the roof of the structure caught alight the breeze fanning the flames and smoke toward the Zedds.

  “That should spoil their aim,” she cried jubilantly pouring laser fire into the last seen Zedd positions. Breen was trying to knock out the Zedd behind the pillar who was now in a precarious position as the roof started dropping streams of burning
wood and ash down it was getting a bit hot for the Zedd hiding behind the pillar.

  He was the wrong side of the smoke, and if he budged from behind the column he would be in view of at least one of the crew, as he made a desperate run for it his clothes smoking two laser blasts hit him in the back simultaneously. They threw him headlong into the missile launcher he was trying to get behind.

  The crew could hear the Zedds coughing and cursing the heat and smoke; it was at that moment that the Pandava troops under Tausiq came pouring up the stairs to the roof. “Rogan,” he cried, “I didn't know you were back. We thought the Zedds had caused a fire up here and had temporarily forgotten us, so we seized the chance and rushed the palace.”

  “We have been here about thirty minutes,” answered Rogan very glad to see them, “we saw you pinned down and thought it best if we entered the palace and tried to knock out the missile batteries pinning you down.”

  “Well you certainly managed that between you, our thanks Rogan, we took a pounding out there,” he replied.

  After taking stock of the situation Tausiq led his men onto the roof, where they fanned out taking cover until they could see the enemy properly, as the fire was burning itself out, the remains of the wooden roof fell to the ground with a loud crash in a huge shower of sparks. The remaining Zedds put up a huge fight to the death, no quarter was asked for or given, but eventually they were all brought down. The Pandava warriors took no chances and checked each body those that were not dead were quickly dispatched.

  When it was over Tausiq asked Ancore what the next move would be, after resting and talking out the remaining tension they decided that Breen would ferry the surviving warriors back to Yudhishthira's tent, for they would be well rewarded for the magnificent battle they had put up, in wiping out the celestial Zedds.

  While Breen ferried the Pandava warriors back to the front lines, Ancore, Glaina and Rogan made their way downstairs away from the carnage on the roof, looking for the kitchens for they were all very thirsty, and fancied a bowl of chai. They found a central courtyard where the servants made chai; there was nobody about, all the servants appeared to have left when the fighting started. Glaina put a pot of water on to boil and found some bowls that she washed, searching around she found the roasted leaves to make the chai in a large pot with a lid, also a wooden spoon.

  “We have the makings for the chai,” she burbled brightly. Both Ancore and Rogan just smiled politely, sitting down. They felt completely drained not even feeling like talking.

  It was some while later after the chai had done its work that they decided to go exploring while they were here They re-entered the palace and started looking in various rooms gradually they got separated.

  It was with a start that Rogan realised, he was alone in the room where he had been admiring a beautifully carved wooden elephant, with real ivory tusks, as he turned to find the others, he saw a shadow flit past an archway just on the edge of his vision. He made his way across the room toward the archway. A huge figure suddenly filled the opening.

  “Ravana,” the cry burst involuntary from Rogan’s lips as he struggled to pull the laser from his belt. As his hand came up holding the laser, a giant hand lashed out smashing it from his grasp, as it flew away behind him, he heard the rumble as Ravana spoke. “We have unfinished business little Coorg, terminal business.” As he was speaking, his soulless black eyes were glittering with hate, the hand that had knocked the weapon from his grasp returned, Rogan tried moving his head but was too late, stars flashed in front of his eyes and then a momentary blackness as he crashed to the floor several metres from where he had been standing. As he struggled to recover his senses and stand up Ravana picked him up by the back of his jerkin and effortlessly hoisted him aloft with one hand, “I will take great pleasure in smashing you to a pulp before I kill you,” he mouthed into Rogan’s face, his lips drew back in a rictus of hate. The other hand punched him in the chest. Rogan felt several ribs crack and the breath left his body, a black mist swimming in front of his eyes as he hung in Ravana’s grasp like a rag doll. Then another blow crashed into his body and he found himself rushing away from reality towards a spot of light that was being devoured by the darkness as he slid into unconsciousness, from a great distance, he heard Ancore's voice, then nothing.

  Ancore screamed with hate as she saw what Ravana had done to her Rogan, she whipped the Urimi from around her waist as she charged forward, the double-edged metre and a half long flexible sword whistled as she flashed it toward Ravana, who had spun around dropping Rogan at her scream. The lethal blade of the Urimi flicked toward Ravana’s body like a striking serpent. He jumped backwards with incredible speed, but Ancore was moving forward and the blade caught Ravana on the inside of his right thigh cutting through the flesh like a hot knife through butter.

  He must have realised at that moment, that retreating was not an option against this weapon, and lunged forward almost in a dive, both fists clenched in front of him. Ancore tried to dance backward but wasn't in time Ravana’s fists hit her in the chest, the force of the blow causing her to fly backwards for several metres before she crashed to the floor like a broken doll, completely unconscious.

  Ravana staggered forward blood pouring from his thigh wound, looking around wildly he spotted the large wooden elephant that Rogan had been admiring, he limped across and hefted it in his arms. It stood half a metre tall made of a very heavy jet-black wood. An evil smile writhed across his features, the soulless black eyes glittering in the reflected light as he moved across to Rogan lifting the elephant high above his head.

  “Now is your time to die Coorg,” he rumbled. It was the last words he spoke.

  Too late, he caught sight of the figure leaping at him. Huge hands outstretched one of them made of metal that shone as the light caught it before they wrapped around his throat crushing his windpipe. The force of Breen’s body hit him next knocking him off his feet, the elephant slipping from his grasp and crashing onto the floor behind him, as he fell, he grasped Breen’s belt and with super-human strength threw Breen over his head trying to break the hold on his throat.

  Breen's grip on Ravana’s throat was broken as he flew over Ravana’s head, Breen ended halfway across the room on his back. As he gathered his wits and sat up, he realised, he was minus his hand, looking back at Ravana, he saw the giant was purple in the face as he struggled vainly to tear the false hand from his throat. His soulless black eyes now red with blood and bulging from his head as he shuddered and died, hands slackening and falling away from the metal hand that gleamed eerily as it jutted from the dead neck.

  Picking himself up Breen examined first Rogan, then Ancore both of them were still alive although unconscious; he did not like Rogan’s breathing it was burbling. He thought that a lung might be punctured.

  At that moment, Glaina appeared and looked shocked as she took in the carnage in the room.

  “What has happened are they all dead?” She asked in disbelief at what she saw.

  “Only Ravana, but Rogan and Ancore are unconscious, Rogan’s breathing sounds very bad I think his lung is punctured,” he replied. Glaina checked them both, “I don't think we should move them, we need help, why don't you take the Lander and bring Adeetoo back here he will know what to do, meanwhile I will look after them,” she suggested?

  “I'll be as quick as I can,” promised Breen leaving the room at a run.

  Ancore came around first with a small groan she opened her eyes struggling to sit up.

  “Stay quiet,” Commanded Glaina bathing her head with a rag dipped in a bowl of water.

  “Ravana?” she queried.

  “Dead, thank you supreme being,” replied Glaina raising her eyes toward the ceiling.

  “Who killed him?” queried Ancore.

  “Breen's hand,” replied Glaina cryptically.

  Ancore suddenly sat up with a start, “Rogan!” she queried.

  “He is still unconscious and his breathing is bad
, Breen thought he might have a punctured lung and has gone to fetch Adeetoo, until then I thought it best he wasn't moved,” she answered.

  “Let me see him,” ordered Ancore trying to sit up, “give me a hand.”

  Glaina helped her to a sitting position and after a few seconds steadied her as she stood and walked across to where Rogan lay, his breathing laboured and burbling.

  “Oh my love,” she cried as she sank down beside him tears rolling unbidden down her cheeks and splashing into her lap, the terrible pain in her chest forgotten.

  She was still sitting by Rogan's head when Adeetoo arrived with Breen in tow, he immediately took over, stripping Rogan's jerkin off, he examined him then opened his bag and gave him an injection then applied a salve to his chest before binding him.

  “He has many broken ribs and the injection will help the pain along with the salve. We need to get him on a stretcher and out of here back to Indraprastha where I will be able to work on him at leisure. Now let me look at you Ancore, while Breen and Glaina find a stretcher, or make one.”

  He gave Ancore an injection and applied the salve to her chest also, “you have two broken ribs,” he pronounced winding an elastic bandage around her chest, “try not to cough,” he said helping her on with her jerkin. Breen and Glaina arrived with a homemade stretcher and with great tenderness, they helped Adeetoo load Rogan onto it then they took him to the Lander and manoeuvred him aboard.

  The flight back to Indraprastha took less than half an hour, there Rogan is gently transported to a room where Adeetoo busied himself sorting out Rogan’s chest, while the others are served a welcome bowl of chai.

  After a meal, all retired, it had been a long hard day and at last, the threat of the Zedds had been removed.

  So ended day fifteen of the war.

  ########

  Chapter Fifteen

 

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