Sunlord (52 page)

"Forget that!" cut off Loakar. "Put the droids on
hold. I want you to close what hatches and links you can and draw
the Urisa as close as possible." Seeing Treah's incomprehension,
the Force Master continued. "The Federation ship is circling around
and coming for us. They may be no weaponry aboard but I don't want
to take any chances; arm the cannons and deflector shields. The
Urisa is to be defended at all costs."

Treah responded affirmative and closed the link.
Loakar turned back to the radar operator.

"Have you a heading and vector?"

"Uncertain still."

"Keep at it." Loakar turned to the class three droid
at his side. "Notify the Kingdom that the Federation has discovered
the critical point. The time for stealth is past - order the entire
fleet to our aid. Until the Royal Fleet arrives we shall hold
L/Cn-41a."

"Keep it loose," breathed Lockhart almost to himself.
"Keep the course drifting a few degrees to shake off their fire."
The Scoipre started to vibrate and the floor beneath shook and
lurched as they skimmed atmosphere.

"Missile detected sector four!" shouted the tech
officer.

Lockhart leant forward in the chair. "Evasive action.
Drop us lower!"

The agile craft responded immediately. Captain
Lockhart felt his stomach lurch as they plummeted downwards like a
rollercoaster, the walls around him clinking metal on metal. There
was a sudden slamming force from port side as the missile shot
past, missing the worn hull of the Scoipre by mere centimetres. The
Scoipre pulled up, recovering her initial course and pulling out of
the steep descent. The planet was close now, hanging upside down on
the viewports ahead of them as the scout craft executed the final
leg of its manoeuvre. In approximately three minutes they would be
back into space, their speed increased threefold due to the
slingshot effect.

Lockhart spoke firm and authoritatively. "Engage
stealth systems as soon as acceleration drops below minimum level.
I want all engines and non-essential equipment closed down for
silent running."

His command was accepted and relayed into the
computer system. As Lockhart sat in the chair he felt an increase
in temperature. Thinking it first to be due to his own adrenalin
rush, it took him a few minutes before he finally became conscious
of the fact that his cheeks were burning. It was at that precise
instant that a warning trill sounded over the comm systems. Tech
Officer Waterly gasped and tore the headphones from his ears.

"Engine leak! Engine one has overheated and is
verging on meltdown!"

Captain Lockhart bowed his head, cursing inwardly to
the god that had twisted this horrible mess about them. It was with
sudden anger and determination that Lockhart snapped his head
up.

"Seal off engine one," he commanded. "Fire control
systems activated."

Watching the seconds tick past Lockhart held his
breath as numbers on the digital pad climbed. Then Scoipre was free
- blasting through the emptiness of space on two of its three
engines as the planet fell behind. The sleek craft rocked as if it
were an aircraft through turbulence as invisible bolts of laser
fire cut through their path. More than once the Scoipre's superior
computer system proved its worth as it detected incoming beams and
moved to avoid them, but it could not avoid everything and systems
were going down all over the ship.

Captain Lockhart watched the rear display monitors as
the two Hartrias motherships dwindled into the distance. "They
didn't attack," he breathed. "We were lucky." They still had a tail
of Sova-1's and I-T fighters that sped closer.

It would be a battle to see which craft could
accelerate quickest. Lockhart's bearish fingers clenched about cold
steel for he knew it would take only a few more minutes before
their larger ship had enough inertia to shake off her pursuers.

A few minutes which they simply did not have.

Chapter Seventeen

A Clash of Blades.

Our life was but a battle and a march

And like the wind's blast, never-resting,
homeless,

We stormed across the war-convulsed heath.

- Friedrich Von Schiller.

Shaun regained consciousness slowly, picking up the
rags of his thoughts as a flood of pain blotted his mind. His first
instinctive reaction was to try to move, and after long moments of
wrenching found that his legs were trapped. He tried to move his
toes experimentally, panic rising in his chest. Numb below the
waist, he pushed his hands against wreckage, lifting and twisting
in an effort to free himself. As his vision cleared he saw the
interior of the escape pod was a chaos of broken machines and
buckled steel; braces and sheets jutting all angles like the debris
of a collapsed skyscraper. The roof of the pod had been cloven
clean open as if it were the gut of a fish, and through this jagged
opening Shaun saw a green and purple canopy of trees and soft rays
of sunlight.

"Shaun? Are you in there?"

Startled, Shaun looked around, but could see nothing
in the cramped confines of the wreckage. He drew in a breath and
called as loud as he was able.

"I'm here. Damn it - I'm stuck!"

There was silence for a few more minutes. Shaun could
do nothing but wait as sounds of someone clearing away debris came
closer. He felt his head start to swim as the noxious fumes of the
spatial-fuel began to affect him. There must be a leak in the
tanks, he thought. It would only take a single spark for the whole
thing to go up in a ball of flame. Steadily the level of fuel grew
deeper as the tanks emptied themselves into the cabin. Trapped and
immobile, Shaun watched and waited as pools of the murky liquid
grew, a fine bead of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Ashian! Hurry up for God's sake!"

There was no reply. Shaun tried again to prise his
legs free but he could not get an inch of leeway. If only he could
move his arms around, but the wreckage seemed to have collapsed
about him like a coffin. Only that narrow gash in the roof kept him
calm for he was able to stare out and watch the gentle swaying of
the tops of the trees, keeping a lid on his claustrophobia. It
seemed a generation before the tinkling and scrapping of the rescue
party finally broke through. Four small fingers edged into view and
pulled back a panel of steel, freeing the way for a small insectile
to peer through.

"Ashian," breathed Shaun with relief. "What's kept
you?"

The native looked weary and beaten. A cobweb of fresh
bright red blood stained his cheek and his hands were bruised and
cut in a thousand places. Despite his ailments Ashian did not wince
as he shuffled his feet through the twisted remains of the pod's
floor and started to free Shaun.

A painful jab of pins and needles coursed through the
veins of Shaun's legs as the wreckage was lifted. Shaun could not
help but curse and clench his fists as the strangely excruciating
sensation continued with limitless magnitude. It felt as if both
legs were being jabbed with countless tiny knives that wrenched at
his flesh. Were pins and needles a good sign? Shaun didn't
know.

Gradually the pain began to subside and he was able
to move. With Ashian's assistance he was able to slide forward on
his belly to finally free himself. They wasted no time in
clambering back out of the ruined pod, and although Shaun found
movement pushed pain levels sky high he forced himself onward,
thinking only of getting out.

He was surprised and relieved when they finally
half-fell, half-rolled down the fire-blackened side of the pod and
splashed into a shallow swamp. The thick mat of growth cushioned
his fall and Shaun regained his footing soon after, the muddy water
only knee deep. Coughing and spluttering he wiped away the tendrils
of knotted wet hair that had fallen forward over his eyes and
blinked hard a few times. The smells and sounds of the forest hit
him at once, overpowering him. Strange birds flew overhead,
twittering alien tunes. The air was cool, fresh and somehow
refreshing after the choked confines of the escape pod.

Shaun turned.

"Thank you, Ashian."

The currach smiled weakly, shrugged, and lowered his
eyes. The wound on his cheek had opened up and now seeped fresh
blood that mingled with the mud covering much of the native's face,
and his clothing was no more than a collection of rags. Apart from
the physical fatigue Shaun thought he saw something more in those
eyes - as if something had touched Ashian deeply, making him pull
back into his own personal shell.

They were heading for a nearby embankment, not unlike
an island in the grey weedy swamp. Through the thick swirling mists
Shaun saw two figures were already on the bank, and it was only
when he got closer that he saw it was Capac and Myshia. Exhausted
and covered in mud they leant with their backs against a swamp
tree.

"Impressed by my landing?" inquired Shaun as he waded
closer, limping and cradling a thousand minor abrasions, his head
tilted to one side and his breathing ragged. When a reply was no
forthcoming Shaun looked up, and froze as he saw the look of
surprise that blasted across Capac's face.

"Get out of there!" Capac's scream was hoarse and
loud as he scrambled to his feet, motioning vigorously. "Get out
get out!"

Ashian was as surprised as Shaun. Both looked at each
other dumbly, too exhausted and confused to do anything.

"Behind you!" bawled Capac, diving into the shallow
swamp.

There was a sudden movement and splash. Shaun
instinctively threw himself to the side. Something hard and heavy
caught him across the torso, spinning and driving him under the
water. The swamp suddenly boiled with motion as Shaun found his
legs were pushed over the top, forcing him to curl into a
somersault and involuntarily gasp a mouthful of brackish water.
Muddy sediment smashed into his face and for long panicky moments
he did not know which way was up. Then he was above the surface,
retching a lung full of swamp water and stumbling awkwardly.

"Ashian!" Capac was close now, a heavy branch above
his head. Shaun fell back before the foaming water as something
huge thrashed with powerful motions. With a wild hoarse cry Capac
leapt into the fray, plunging the length of wood like a spear.
Things moved too fast for Shaun's eye to follow; there was a flash
of a green as a crocodile-like creature rolled, tumbled and fought
for it's prey. Then Capac threw himself free, Ashian across one
shoulder. It took Shaun valuable moments before he finally pulled
the minigun free of his belt and cocked the heavy mechanism. He did
not see the creature he was shooting - he simply aimed at the mass
of boiling water and fired. Round after round shot from the compact
machine gun, empty shells spewing from the side. Shaun held the
minigun at arm's length, a grimace across his face, raking the foam
until the thrashing finally subsided.

The minigun held skywards Shaun waded forward and
helped Capac.

"What...the hell..." Shaun paused and drew in a
shaking breath. "...was that?"

Myshia waded closer, tightening the group. "Pyron,"
she muttered, her eloprin features suddenly very distinctive as her
thin brows furrowed over her compulsive green gem-like eyes. "They
are a deadly swamp creature."

"They feed in packs," added Capac, drawing together
his senses and pooling the last of his strength. "We've got to move
before blood attracts more of them."

"Looked like a crocodile to me," cursed Shaun.
"Biggest and ugliest mother I've ever seen."

Ashian's head moved in a full circle, searching for
any sign of another pyron. "We've got to get away from those
things," he said nervously.

"Then where?" Shaun too had his eyes on the rippling,
muddy water. It was impossible to see more than five metres ahead
through the dense mist.

"We climb a tree," said Capac. "That's the only place
pyron's can't go."

"Then by the Fifty Star Systems find one!" splurted
Shaun. "I don't know about you, but I'm not too keen about wading
through this soup for much longer."

He still had the minigun at the ready when they
finally stumbled to the base of a large, smooth barked tree, its
roots snaking in and out of the water like great tendrils of rope.
There were closely spaced branches overhead enabling Ashian and
Myshia to pull themselves up.

"Over there!"

Capac spun with Shaun's cry. Sure enough, the
telltale arrowhead ripple showed a submerged pyron approached.
Capac knew the creatures could swim faster than a man could run,
and he also knew that the pyrons attack was swift and deadly.

Shaun's bullets pockmarked the water, striking where
the arrowhead ripples emanated. Then sudden the massive creature
drove out of the water, thrashing in rage.

"Get up the tree!" Capac yelled.

Shaun did not hear. His eyes narrowed as his finger
squeezed harder still on the trigger, catching the reptilian pyron
with countless bullets, staining the murky water red with blood. It
was almost too late when Shaun realised that two more pyrons had
circled around. He cursed as he saw that the first pyron had
provided a distraction while the others closed in. Shaun spun
about, minigun spewing a wide and ineffective arc. There was
nowhere to run!

"Shaun!"

He looked up at the shout and saw Capac had scrambled
onto the branch overhead. Shaun grabbed Capac's extended arm, his
hand clenching with the native's. Shaun pulled in his legs and
swung them up onto the branch just as a pair of powerful jaws
snicked below.

They wasted no time in climbing further up. Ashian
had waited for them and Myshia still visible as she climbed on
upwards.