by Trevor Gregg
“Oh dear, the Azorians are within weapons range, Kyren!” Benjam squeaked in terror.
“Hold on, keep shooting those damn eggs, Benjam!” Kyren commanded, beginning the next phase in the bot’s programming.
Benjam let out several small squeaks as he worked the joysticks, blasting eggs. Only a few left. He had to get them all. At least he had to try. He knew one would slip through, that was going to be unavoidable. But he had to get the others, all of them.
So he aimed and fired, spun and kicked, hit the thrusters and came down from above on them.
“Oh double dear, they’re charging their weapons, Kyren! They’re about to fire!” Benjam squeaked in terror.
“Skotty, how are the shields?” Kyren questioned urgently.
“Inoperable,” the AI replied.
Kyren panned the drones around and spotted a single egg tower in the distance. No time to reach it, he determined. That was the last one, or so it appeared. This was it, the end and the beginning, he realized. But there was no time to stick around.
He initiated his preprogrammed sequence and the bot turned and dashed through the warp portal that had just opened before it. With any luck, it’d execute its programming and would be waiting for them to find it, tucked away in a super-secret location.
“Any eggs, Benjam?” Kyren barked.
“Last one in flight is down,” he replied faintly, slumping over the control panel, tentacles going limp.
“Skotty, warp us to our pre-determined coordinates, please,” Kyren ordered.
The station winked out, leaving the angry Halifax fleet without an outlet for their fury. The screen continued to display the drones’ views. Although he was expecting it, his heart sank as he watched a lone egg streak into the sky, headed for the future.
“Benjam, Alis, get inside and get Tharox’s brain scanner installed. I’ve preprogrammed the data core with everything we need. Find the security control room and install it,” Kyren directed. “On your way back, destroy the fade gate that leads into this room. We need to cut the station off from the Halifax.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Alis assured him, hefting her wrench.
“Then meet back at the rotunda,” Kyren instructed.
Alis nodded, then disappeared through the hole she had cut through the wall, carrying the components for the scanner. Benjam squiggled through after her, pulling components through the hole behind him with his tentacles.
“Skotty, do you have full control of the station yet?” he asked quickly.
“Affirmative, I have infiltrated all systems.”
“Excellent. Download the details of the station’s primary weapon into the data core, once connected,” he explained, pausing for a moment before continuing. “How do you like your new home, Skotty?”
“It is marvelous, I have full access to a dizzying array of sensors. I can see like I’ve never seen before.”
“Good, remember that when we meet again.”
“I shall. Goodbye Kyren. Goodbye Leicara,” Skotty replied cheerily.
“What about us?” Leicara asked Kyren, helping him as he struggled to get free from the harness.
“We need to get this harness hauled over to the fade-gate to the pods. Then we need to buy Benjam and Alis enough time to get back.”
They dismantled the control apparatus and gathered up all the pieces they could carry. He just hoped they made it to the gate before the Halifax arrived.
“But they’ll come with full force. You won’t stand a chance, Kyren,” she pleaded.
“Tavador is not going to risk killing you, not when subjugating you will deliver what remains of your people into his hands. I’m counting on it.”
“What if he doesn’t want me alive? Then we’re both dead,” she responded, fear evident on her face.
“Trust me, he will. If he’s even half the asshole Dralok was, he will,” he assured her.
They scrambled through the compound, bearing their load of gear. They reached the rotunda room and deposited their load just as he heard the roar of starship engines approaching.
“Let’s go to your courtyard, it’s just around the corner. We’ll greet them there,” he decided.
He stood with Leicara in the center of the courtyard, rifle in his right, wrist blade on his left. Breathing deeply, he attempted to relax.
“Wait!” she said suddenly. “My pretties!”
Dashing to the far wall, she flung open the cage containing her serkins. They streamed out and began to furiously flutter around the courtyard. They were darting and weaving, flying faster than Kyren thought they could have with their delicate looking wings.
“Go! Be free serkins!” she cried.
As Leicara returned to his side, the thunder of engines came to his ears from over the horizon. A dragoon sped into view, flying low. Decelerating rapidly, the craft came to hover above them. After a moment, it touched down and a hatch opened.
Several reapers exited the craft, skittering into defensive positions. Next came several armed and armored Azorians. They were followed by a tall, smug looking Azorian, wearing crimson battle armor.
The Azorian spoke as soon as he emerged from the ship, “Leicara! You have lost your war. You are defeated. Surrender to me. Surrender your people to me. End this death and destruction.”
Surprising Kyren, Leicara spoke in a strong voice as the other Azorians approached them.
“Tavador! You killed my mother and you expect me to just submit?” she replied, surprising Kyren with her conviction.
“Your family is done, your line over, your rule ended. Even your disgusting interlopers cannot save you. Submit,” Tavador commanded.
“I’m not done, Tavador,” Leicara growled.
He reminded Kyren of Dralok, self assured to the point of egotism, arrogant to the point of blindness. Hopefully they’d be able to keep him talking long enough. It seemed Leicara was off to a good start.
68
Nabbed
“Kyren, do you copy?” Alis said, hoping she didn't sound as frantic as she felt.
They were working as fast as they could, and still it was going to be a while longer. There was no way to shortcut it, the connection to the station’s computer was intricate and delicate. Alis tried to focus but her mind kept drifting back to Kyren.
He was going to face off against the Halifax, with only Leicara by his side. She wasn’t as sure of their success as he was. She knew things had happened, things that had changed time. But that was no guarantee that they would make it. She knew there was still the risk of failure.
“Mmmm,” he grunted almost inaudibly.
“Okay, I’m assuming you can’t talk, so just listen,” she began. “We’re working as fast as we can but we need another fifteen minutes. Keep stalling.”
He cleared his throat in response. She kept the channel open and listened as she worked.
“I’m not ready to submit, Tavador. I’m here to negotiate your surrender,” she heard Leicara say forcefully.
“Baaahahahahahaha,” Tavador broke into booming laughter. “That is grand. Me, surrender? But your forces are decimated. I hold all the cards, Leicara.”
“No, you are wrong, Tavador. I still have the interlopers,” Leicara replied calmly.
“Leicara, do that thing you do. Now!” Kyren said in low tones.
And then the channel went dead. Several moments later, the audio returned. The shriek of energy weapons fire and the whine of high velocity rounds filled her ear. Shit! What had just happened?
The firing ceased and Leicara began speaking, “Shall I have the interloper execute your guards, too? Or will you surrender?”
“Never!” he responded.
“Shoot, Kyren!” she cried.
More weapons fire, then Kyren cried “Leicara, again!”
And the comm went dead again.
Moments later, communication was restored and she heard Kyren speak again, “I don’t think so. Again, I order you to surrender Tavador.”
“Never!”
The sound of more ship engines reached her ears through Kyren’s comm, as several more craft approached. Sounded like more dragoons. Which meant more reapers.
“Kyren, you need to get out of there!” Alis urged.
“I know,” he replied quietly.
Too late, she heard the ships landing.
“The serkins, they’re swarming,” she heard Leicara say. “They’re covering those reapers. C’mon Kyren, let’s go.”
“What about him?” Kyren asked.
“Let him live. He will know I held his life in his hands, and spared him. Maybe you will learn peace, Tavador.”
“I will live to see you and your interlopers dead, Leicara,” Tavador snarled back.
Alis heard Kyren and Leicara’s footsteps as he charged, at what must have been toward Tavador. She heard a crack, and then a thump of an armored form falling to the ground. Kyren must’ve just cracked him one, Alis thought proudly.
“Benjam,” she said into the comm. “We need to move now, we’re out of time.”
“The data core is now installed, I’m on my way,” he piped.
She bent to the last few connections, melding them to the scanner’s inputs with her wrench. She finished the last piece and bolted it to the wall. Now, when Tharox ran through this corridor, the panel would slide aside and his brain would be scanned and uploaded to the data core they were leaving for themselves.
Kyren’s programming would then upload Tharox the next time the core was slotted into Isa’s console. Kyren had also programmed the “platypus routine” that they would use to defend themselves from the Crevak who would capture the station.
She waited impatiently for Benjam. As soon as she saw him squiggling up the corridor she sprinted for the access tunnel leading to the hole into the bot control room. She transformed her wrench into the sonic emitter and held it before her as she crawled through the hole in the bulkhead.
The room was empty. Most of the control rig was gone, but Dralok’s corpse still remained, skewered like a strip of teriyaki. Alis took a quick second to flash a middle finger at his corpse. She crept to the exit and peered around the corner. The way was clear, but she waited for Benjam anyway. Moments later he squished through the hole and plopped onto the floor.
“Let’s go, Kyren’s going to be in trouble if we don’t get there, and fast,” Alis said with conviction.
She’d be damned if she was going to let anything happen to Kyren.
“Wait, we need to destroy the fade-gate,” Benjam said, placing a tentacle on her shoulder.
He was right. If they didn’t seal the entrance to Skotty station, the Halifax could get to it. That would change the future irrevocably if they took control of the station. What repercussions it would have, she had no idea, but it couldn’t be good.
She transformed her wrench into the laser torch and bent to the threshold to the room. Spotting the fade-gate’s circuitry, she began to cut and melt. Sparks flew from the floor and smoke bellowed. The portal into the control room vanished, revealing a blank stone wall.
Alis transformed her wrench back into the emitter and bolted for the street without a word. She sprinted across the compound, losing sight of Benjam despite his furious squiggling.
“Keep going, Alis, I’ll catch up,” Benjam said over the comm.
She nodded and poured on more speed. Her heart was thundering in her ears and her breath was coming in ragged gasps by the time she reached the northern side of the compound. Slowing her pace, she began to creep along, stalking forward, attempting to slow her breathing and calm her heart.
Her ears twitched as she picked up the sounds of weapons fire. Sounded like Kyren’s energy rifle. And possibly some reapers? Bad news, she knew. Didn’t matter, though. She’d face them if Kyren was too.
Following the sounds of battle, she picked up her pace. Rounding a corner, she came upon a group of Azorians, in battle armor and carrying Barish staves like Dralok had used. Their backs were to her and they began to whirl in surprise.
Not hesitating, she raised her emitter and depressed the trigger. The emitter bucked and thunder roared as the Azorian warriors went flying. She switched her emitter to her left and bent. Scooping up one of the staves, she bolted through the scattered Azorians.
One was attempting to stand, so she twirled the staff and locked it under her arm. As she dashed past she delivered a vicious whack to the Azorian’s head with the staff, dropping him back to the ground. She reached another corner and peered around. Two reapers were in the middle of the street, firing at the entry to the rotunda.
Kyren was in the doorway, firing back, but for the most part was pinned down. She hurled the staff like a spear and then raised her emitter and fired. The force of the blast accelerated the staff, driving its energized end into the reaper's back at tremendous velocity.
Unfortunately, the staff shattered, but the reaper staggered. They both whirled, opening fire. Alis was back around the corner mere microseconds before rounds shattered stone and blasted it into dust. She hunkered back, hoping she had given Kyren the opening he needed.
Sure enough, his weapon shrieked and one bot stopped firing. The other began to fire in the opposite direction. She was about to peer back around when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, expecting Benjam, but instead was met by an Azorian, noble Yal, clad in crimson battle armor, a bleeding cut above his eye. A look of fury crossed his face as he snarled. His staff came down on her head and she lost consciousness.
69
Rocket Man
Oh dear, I have to do it again! Benjam thought, desperately searching for a way to save Alis. He had come up behind her, some distance back. He watched the Azorian in the crimson armor creep up behind Alis. Then she went down, felled by a blow from his staff.
But the Azorian hadn’t seen him, at least there was that. So he rummaged in his pack, searching for something that might help. Tentacles wrapped around pistol grips, and he knew what he would do.
“Interloper! Come forth and face me, or your mate dies!” Tavador bellowed as he heaved Alis up by her neck, holding his staff to her throat.
Damn, he must have strength augmentation built into his armored suit. Benjam realized what was about to happen. As expected, he heard Kyren’s rifle clatter into the alley. Benjam withdrew the objects he had chosen and squiggled ever so quietly forward.
“You want me, Tavador? I’ll face you. Just leave her alone,” Kyren replied hotly.
“No, I want you both to die,” Tavador cried angrily, beginning to twist Alis’ neck.
“No, I want you to die!” Benjam screamed in a vicious falsetto.
Tavador began to whirl, dropping Alis and bringing his staff to bear on Benjam. That’s what he was hoping for, though. He aimed the first grappling hook and fired. The hook rocketed from the launcher, streaming straight at Tavador’s unprotected face.
Tavador dodged the hook and it sped past his head. But he hadn’t noticed Benjam’s second grappling hook, which fired a moment later. The hook shot out of the launcher and impacted with Tavador’s chest plate. It didn’t penetrate, but it did drill into the armor, microhooks essentially bonding the grappling hook to him.
Tavador looked down in surprise, but then laughed. Twirling his staff menacingly, he advanced on Benjam.
“Time to die, interloper!” Tavador barked, the ends of his staff flaring bright purple energy as he charged.
“Not!” Benjam squeaked in opposition.
Extracting the next part of the plan from his satchel, he clipped a sleek cylindrical device to the loop on the grappling hook’s handle. He punched a small button on the side of the device with the tip of one tentacle. It began to hum, vibrating in Benjam’s grasp.
Releasing the cylindrical rocket-shaped device, it shook violently and then streaked into the sky trailing a faint stream of smoke. Cable from the grappling hook played out as the device shot skyward. Tavador hesitated in his charge, glancing up at the receding rocket.
Then the cable went taut and Tavador was ripped into the sky, his staff falling to the pavement with a clatter. Kyren’s rifle barked and was answered by a burst of fire from the reaper. Benjam squiggled to Alis’ side. She had a terrible gash on her head where Tavador had hit her, but her breathing was stable.
Benjam scooped up Tavador’s staff and cranked the energy up to maximum. Shrieking a battle cry, he charged the remaining reaper that had Kyren pinned down again.
He watched Kyren lean around the corner and snap off a few quick shots before hunkering down again. It was the perfect distraction. It began to rotate as Benjam approached, but he was already to close. Holding the staff before himself like a lance he drove the crackling purple tip into the reaper’s midsection. Sparks bellowed and fire blossomed as Kyren vaporized the bot’s head.
“How high is that rocket gonna take him?" Kyren called from the alley, a look of amusement on his face.
“I don’t know, depends on how long the power source holds out. Could be minutes. Or weeks,” Benjam replied innocently, as he propped Alis up and began tapping her cheek.
Kyren crouched next to her and took her hand, “C’mon Alis.”
Her eyes fluttered and then snapped open. She looked around for a moment, bewildered.
“Relax, Tavador’s been dealt with. But we don’t have any time to waste. We still need to get out of here,” Kyren said, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.
“I’m fine, really. Just a headache,” she said sardonically, gingerly touching her forehead as she let them help her to her feet.
Benjam scooped up her wrench and handed it back, then helped Alis to steady herself as they made their way to the rotunda.
Entering, Benjam spotted Leicara standing in the center, surrounded by a swarm of her serkins. They were darting furiously to and fro, arcing and sparking as they zipped. She emerged from the cloud and staggered toward them. Kyren lunged forward and caught her with one arm, while keeping his other around Alis’ shoulders.