by C A Ardron
Jay jerked in surprise and fear when there was movement at the ramp but it was the Predgarians. Lion appeared with a winged warrior and Jay gasped again. He remembered him from Lister Road, but he was injured, blood pouring down his back.
Lion swore through his helmet as he laid his friend down and Jay swallowed. Was the winged warrior going to die?
Seeing the bronze warrior in such a state made him think of Falcon again. He looked out of the cockpit anxiously but couldn't see her.
The two Feline women entered, followed by the white warrior and finally, the large Canine hurried in, carrying Falcon in his arms.
Jay let out a long breath of relief and stood, going to her side as the grey-armoured warrior deposited her in a chair.
‘Karen?’ He winced at her laboured breaths. Her eyes were closed. It didn't seem like she could hear him at all.
Lion passed by and sat in one of the pilot's seats. ‘Wolf, I need you.’
Wolf nodded and turned, sitting next to him at the other navigation helm.
‘Tiger, Leopard, get to the cannons, we might need them,’ the captain continued.
The women obeyed, stepping around their injured comrade and the white warrior who was looking at his wounds.
‘Jay, sit down,’ Lion commanded.
Jay belted himself into the chair across from Falcon so he could at least see her.
‘Dove,’ Lion said as the ramp started to ascend. There was a solid clunk as the door of the diver slid shut. ‘Will Hawk make it?’
Lion's voice was terse, and Jay realised the captain was really worried about his friend, he just hadn't been showing it before.
‘I'm not sure, Lion,’ Dove replied. ‘His wounds aren't reacting properly to my healing. He's lost a lot of blood, we need to get him to the Centre.’
‘Falcon's injured too,’ Wolf told her as the diver rumbled backwards and submerged quickly.
‘Falcon,’ Dove said, still trying to heal Hawk's injuries, ‘How bad are you? Where are you hurt?’
The healer looked up sharply when Falcon gave no reply.
‘She seems asleep,’ Jay mentioned, trying to be helpful.
Dove was already on her feet though and by the injured woman's side. She laid one hand on the side of Falcon's head and then shook her gently. ‘Falcon, Falcon!’
Jay sighed with relief when Falcon's eyes shot open. She gasped in pain, her face contorting.
‘I need you to disarm.’
‘What?’ Falcon's voice was a raspy breath. ‘You can't be serious.’
‘I know it will hurt, but I need to get to the wound. Trust me, Falcon, I won't let you die.’
‘Die?’ Lion asked, turning to look at them briefly. ‘What's wrong with her?’
‘The old scar on her stomach's been opened. I need to touch it to heal it effectively.’
Falcon took hold of her silver medallion in one shaking hand. Jay couldn't help but gape as she was surrounded by a glowing, silvery-grey light.
He squinted as it brightened the whole of the diver. When it faded, and the darkness around them was illuminated only by the green lights of the diver again, he could see his friend as he remembered her.
Falcon hadn't changed one bit. She still wore her denim jeans and jacket and that black leather vest. Even the bloody patch was still on the arm of her jacket from the knife wound she'd received from Jackal's thugs.
He gasped in dismay when Dove lifted the Unician's shirt, revealing the blood welling up against her stomach. There was so much of it!
Not seeming to care about the mess in front of her, Dove placed one hand over the spot, her entire body starting to glow. When she took it away, the blood was still there, but Jay could tell Falcon was breathing much easier. Her face was no longer wracked with pain and her eyes looked about her with more rationality.
‘I'm sorry, Falcon,’ Lion apologised, keeping his focus on the watery tunnel they were travelling through.
Jay was wide-eyed as he watched through the window, it was so dark. He swallowed as he thought about how deep underwater they might be.
‘I wouldn't have left you if I'd realised you were injured.’
‘It's all right,’ she replied, her voice tired. ‘Jackal has a nasty Alpha Punch. He knows I can't hold out against him for long once he hits me with them.’
‘So he recognised you,’ Wolf remarked, his voice tinged with worry.
‘Yeah,’ she sighed. ‘I wasn't really given much choice once he started goading Lion.’
‘What's this?’ Wolf asked Lion.
Lion laughed. ‘I feel like a complete idiot to be honest. Jackal threw me a load of garbage and I actually believed him. It wasn't until Falcon stepped in that I realised it was all show. Jackal was going on about how they never kill gold warriors but handed them over to the Black Emissaries.’
‘What?’ Dove asked, looking up from where she was hovering over Hawk protectively. ‘But they do, Lion.’
Jay saw the captain jerk in surprise.
‘What?’
‘I'm sorry,’ Falcon sighed. ‘I didn't know what else to do. I didn't think to mention it before we went in there, and I could see that Jackal had you frozen.’
‘You mean, if we'd lost...’
‘Then you'd have been on your way to Avergask by morning.’
Lion didn't say anything, he seemed shocked.
‘What's Avergask?’ Leopard called from the back where she was sat in her weapons pod.
Falcon didn't bother to turn around but did raise her voice. ‘The most closely guarded secret amongst the Sarpiens. It's where the nine black sclithe dwell. All orders concerning the sclithe invasion on this planet come from there.’
‘Where is it?’ Wolf asked, sounding grim.
‘I have no idea. Only the Black Emissaries know where it is.’
‘Falcon, I've been meaning to ask,’ Tiger called. ‘Why are they called Emissaries? Do they deliver messages?’
‘No,’ Falcon replied, her voice turning cold. ‘They deliver death.’
Jay swallowed in the long silence which followed. He glanced at Falcon, she seemed so serious, and so strong. He didn't know what was going to happen now but he felt that he could face it. If Falcon was with him, he could face anything.
‘It doesn't look like Trine sent any pursuit after us,’ Wolf spoke into the quiet.
‘I'd have been surprised if he had,’ Dove responded with a smile. ‘I imagine they all have their hands full with their prized machine blowing up in their faces.’
Lion nodded. ‘Falcon, do you think they'll rebuild it?’
‘I've got no idea, I've never even heard of such a thing before. There's no telling what kind of resources Cobra had to get together to construct it.’ She turned to Dove. ‘How's Hawk? I saw him go down.’
‘He's badly injured, Falcon,’ Dove told her. ‘My healing is slowing the bleeding but I can't seem to close the wounds. I'm not sure what the problem is.’
‘It's the Ligaments, they're made of the same stuff as the sclithe themselves. I'm afraid that Hawk's recovery will be lengthy.’
A deep scowl marred Dove's face. ‘No wonder my healing's not having much effect. I've heard of Ligaments, but I didn't realise they had the same properties as a sclithe.’
‘That explains why my laser rifle wasn't doing anything to them,’ Wolf noted. ‘Horrible things, weren't they?’
‘That's one way of putting it,’ Leopard grunted from the back. ‘Almost skewered me a couple of times.’
‘Dove,’ Lion spoke up. ‘You'd better contact the Pharollin as soon as we're in range. Tell them we're out and that the mission was a success.’
‘I will, Lion.’
***
Jackal watched the Predgarians flee, unable to do a single thing about it. He'd wanted Jay to be rescued and out of the tunnels, at least until he'd been able to get rid of Cobra's new toy, but not like this.
He hugged the wall of the cavern as the flames roared, thankfully, out of his range. Who knew where
his Elite were.
Jackal scowled deeply at the explosive mess in the heart of Trine's domain. Karen,,she was alive. He called himself several different types of idiot. He knew better than this. He should've checked, should've made sure.
After everything they'd been through together, he should've known there was the possibility. She always survived.
Jackal's body shook, thinking about his old accomplice. Even Mantis couldn't kill her. Now she'd given him a reminder of who she was. With a medallion and team of warriors, Karen wasn't a person, she was a nightmare. Even worse, she was a nightmare working for the other side.
Now he had to try and salvage this. Jackal looked over at the pool in the very centre of the cavern. How had they got through? He'd only lowered the barrier on one of the escape routes. They shouldn't have been able to get the diver through, not from there.
He sighed heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow as the flames finally started to die down. Well, this day couldn't get much worse, at least.
Jackal's blood froze as through the flames he saw his master at the entrance to his lair. His sinister eyes were looking straight at him.
Actually, things could get a lot worse. He noticed Cobra staring at his fallen invention. Jackal couldn't recall where he'd left his helmet so he shrugged and went to the most likely enraged sorcerer.
‘Cobra,’ he called. At the very least, he was going to make sure no one found out he was to blame for this.
Cobra turned, his face a thunder cloud, but he'd make time for his general whether he like it or not.
‘Give me your thoughts.’
‘I don't think you'd like my thoughts on this matter, General.’
‘Probably not, but I'll have them anyway. I want to know how this could've happened.’
Cobra removed his bronze helmet, revealing his lined face and short black hair. ‘What do you mean? I thought that would be obvious.’
Jackal held his breath. Did he know? He couldn't, surely?
‘The Pharollin,’ Cobra said to Jackal's great relief. ‘I re-routed the shields and that, of course, meant power would be diverted from some of the lesser-used entrances. Who could have foreseen an allied strike by Pharollin and Predgarians - in a Darphon diver no less.’
Jackal stared at him. Of course, the arcane cannons. They'd re-routed the power to give them time to retaliate against Blue Phoenix's War Marks.
The Pharollin line of attack had very neatly covered any chance of finding evidence against him. Jackal quickly moved on in case Trine decided to read his thoughts. Thankfully, the brush of a sclithe's mind was not subtle, Jackal would know if Trine was browsing through his head.
‘You're the one that suggested re-routing the shields.’
‘Yes,’ Cobra replied, a thin smile coming to his lips. ‘And you're the one which acted on it and gave the order.’
‘I find your actions in this matter highly suspicious, Cobra,’ Jackal told him, raising his voice unnecessarily. ‘Re-routing the shields is one thing, but to re-route the ones guarding Lord Trine's escape? One might think you had some ulterior motive.’
Cobra's eyes widened and he glanced over at the giant sclithe outside his lair. His dangerous, spiked tail was twitching. The reptile's gaze had shifted from his general and onto Cobra.
Jackal smiled grimly at the bronze warrior. ‘If I'm going down for this then you're coming with me.’
Cobra's eyes narrowed. ‘Well then, we'll have to make sure neither of us is going anywhere, won't we?’
‘Jackal,’ Trine's voice invaded the chamber, echoing all around him.
Jackal swallowed and turned towards his master. He gestured for Cobra to follow and they both went down on one knee before him.
‘You are the Red Jackal,’ Trine rasped. ‘I purchased you for myself because you were general to Gavelgash, last purple of the Sskyllesce. You were Elite to Rhaijout, the red, and the most prized warrior of Sjergel, the blue. Explain yourself, Sarpien.’
Jackal decided that trying to excuse himself was not an option at this point. He was the Bloodrunner, after all.
‘I make no excuses,’ he told Trine, his voice bold. ‘I have failed you. We had guarded against any possible incursion by the Dakkonin, knowing they would seek to stop us if any word of the Power Converter reached them. An attack from the Pharollin however, was unexpected. An alliance of Pharollin and Predgarian forces, even more so. The five Orders of Light are not on good terms and rarely work together in common purpose. I promise you, my master, if you so allow me, I will seek out what led to this alliance and will offer swift and bloodthirsty retribution for this impertinence!’
Trine regarded him in silence. After a while Jackal began to sweat. He had no idea what kind of decision Trine might make.
‘I will think on this,’ the great sclithe said eventually. ‘Leave me, my Sarpiens.’
Jackal and Cobra hurriedly rose and left his presence, not slowing until they reached the top of the cavern steps.
‘Nice speech,’ Cobra complimented him with a slimy grin.
Jackal glanced at him wearily, deactivated his armour and went to find his bed.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Jay was relieved when the diver rose up and bobbed in the water of the river Sceir. He was out of the Sarpien tunnels, and out of that black, inky water. When Lion allowed the ramp to lower onto the grassy river bank, he almost leapt out into the open air.
Jay had no idea what time it might be, but it was very dark, with no lights in the area at all.
‘What are we going to do with the diver?’ Wolf asked.
All the others had exited the vehicle and Wolf was the last, carrying the unconscious Hawk in his arms.
‘I guess we just leave it,’ Lion told him. ‘The Darphon were fairly underhanded in the manner they gave it to us. They'll probably prefer to pick it up without having to speak with us.’
Wolf nodded. ‘Seems right. Shall I go get my car? It'll be easier to move Hawk.’
Lion nodded, looked around at everyone gathered. ‘Right, this isn't going to be the most popular decision ever, but there's no one on patrol.’
Jay looked at the warriors quickly as there were groans from several directions.
‘I know,’ Lion told them, ‘I'm tired too. I'll gladly take the night patrol, but I need one other person to come with me.’
There was a lengthy pause before Tiger finally raised her hand. ‘I can't believe you're making me do this.’
‘He isn't,’ Leopard pointed out to her partner. ‘You just volunteered.’
Jay could hear Tiger's teeth grinding.
‘Falcon,’ Lion said, turning to her now that the patrol was sorted. ‘Will you fly Jay back to the Centre? The others won't be long catching up with you, but we should get Jay to safety as soon as we can.’
‘Sure.’
Jay jumped as she turned on the spot to face him. She lit up their surroundings as her medallion activated. Jay blinked his eyes, trying to accustom himself to the darkness again.
‘Hope you're not afraid of heights, Jay,’ she told him.
He wasn't, as far as he was aware, but didn't get a chance to say so. She picked him up quite suddenly. He heard the flapping of great wings and felt the rush of wind as they soared upwards into the sky.
He couldn't see much during their flight together and he sorely wished it was daytime so he could have seen West Sector properly.
The flight wasn't really that long, and Jay regretted its end. ‘Flying's really fun, isn't it?’
Falcon grunted non-committedly as she opened the door to the Predgarian Centre for him. She gestured for him to go inside and heard Falcon behind him as she sought about looking for light switches.
She eventually found some and again gestured for him to follow. Jay looked about under the bright lights, finding himself in a large kitchen.
‘What is this place?’
‘The West Sector Predgarian Centre,’ Falcon replied, deactivating her medallion once more. ‘T
he place we were trying to go before Jackal caught up with us.’
Jay's breath caught as he remembered. ‘I thought you were dead,’ he told her in a small voice.
Falcon was busy with cups, kettle and tap water. She turned briefly to smile at him. ‘So did I. Dove has great power though. She managed to keep me alive.’
She set the kettle to boil and started to prepare tea for them. ‘I don't want to use food without permission,’ Falcon told him, ‘but I doubt they'll mind me getting you something hot to drink.’
‘Thanks, Karen,’ he mumbled.
‘What's wrong with you?’ she asked, as blunt as ever.
It made Jay smile. ‘I just...I'm just happy. I can't believe you're actually alive, and a Predgarian too. You're amazing, Karen.’
Falcon didn't look at him as she deposited a couple of teabags in the cups on the side, ready for the hot water.
Jay started to worry, she looked so sad. ‘What's wrong?’
Falcon shook her head. ‘Nothing. I'm just tired.’
Jay wasn't sure how to respond so he decided to sit on one of the chairs at the table. They were surprisingly comfortable despite being all wood.
Falcon finished the drinks and brought them to the table, seating herself halfway down it. ‘It hasn't been mentioned yet, so I thought I'd give you a heads up.’
‘What do you mean?’ Jay asked.
‘Either tonight or tomorrow, Lion's going to ask you to become a Predgarian.’
Jay went absolutely rigid. ‘What?’ He asked when he could get his mouth to work.
Falcon laughed softly. ‘Well, not exactly. He wants to take you on as a Predgarian candidate, which is different to an actual Predgarian.’
‘Oh.’ His head was spinning. Him? A Predgarian? That was crazy.
‘You don't want to?’
‘What? Oh, no it's not that, I mean, maybe, I don't know.’
‘Even without the Power Converter,’ Falcon told him, ‘Jackal will want to make use of your gifts. Lion wants to protect you from that. So he intends to train you to fight and control your fire.’
‘Will that stop Jackal from coming after me?’
‘No.’
Once again, Jay was struck by just how honestly blunt she could be.