The Enemy's Lair (2 page)

‘Come on,’ Peri said. ‘It’s sorting-Otto-out-time!’

When they reached the door to the Bridge, Peri heard shouting. He caught Diesel’s arm. ‘It sounds like more than one voice.’

‘Maybe Otto’s listening to the Sonicwave System,’ Diesel said. ‘Perhaps that’s what Meigwor music sounds like.’

The doors to the Bridge slid open. Peri saw three huge Xion guards attacking Otto. They were dressed in black battle gear that made them look like giant insects. Each carried an electric mace in his clawed hands. They swiped viciously at Otto, who was dodging desperately, his crimson neck swaying from side to side. He fired a constant stream of laser blasts at the intruders. Every time a Xion guard was hit he staggered back and screamed, before returning to the attack. Otto was holding them off, but he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for much longer.

Peri and Diesel looked at each other.

‘How did they find us?’ Diesel asked.

Peri shrugged. ‘We’ve got their prince. We should have expected they’d track us to the ends of the universe.’

‘What do we do?’ Diesel asked.

Peri’s instinct was to fight the invaders. On the other hand, Otto did deserve a little punishment for kidnapping their prince.

‘Leave them to it,’ Peri said. ‘How did they get on board, anyway?’

As if in answer, a patch of air ahead of them began fizzing. The air crackled and started to swirl, then turned black and solidified into another Xion guard, swinging an electric mace.

Peri felt as if his guts had turned to iced water. There was no one at the controls. Otto was too busy trying to fight off the intruders. With nobody at the helm, the ship could hit an asteroid or a planet, or drift too close to a star and be sucked in by its gravity.

Another three Xion guards teleported aboard and dived into Otto’s scrum.

‘We have to go in,’ Peri said.

Diesel cracked his knuckles and curled his hands into fists.

Another four Xion guards teleported aboard, and this time they turned towards Peri and Diesel.

Chapter 2

Peri grabbed a handful of the Paralyside pellets and threw them at the feet of the nearest Xion guards. The pellets exploded with sharp
cracks
. Tiny flames sprang up where they landed. Coils of grey smoke swirled around the targets.

‘Switch on your Atmos-Filter!’ Peri shouted to Diesel. He touched the side of his Expedition Wear helmet. Nose-plugs were immediately inserted into his nostrils.

The two guards nearest Peri slumped to the floor. Peri lunged for the control panel, which slid the extra distance to meet him, as if reading his thoughts. Peri was half-bionic and programmed to work with the
Phoenix
. His fingers danced across the console as he set the ship to automatic pilot, bound for Meigwor.

Diesel hurled more Paralysides at the guards. They collapsed like Procyonian Nightbirds at dawn.

A pellet landed near Otto, who wasn’t wearing Expedition Wear. ‘Hey!’ he shouted. ‘Don’t chuck them at me, you –’

He swayed and crashed to the floor in a heap with all the Xion guards. Diesel stepped between the intruders’ limp claws and high-fived Peri.

‘That sorted them out!’

‘Yup!’ Peri said. He nudged the motionless guards with the toe of his Expedition Wear boot. ‘I know you can hear me. This is what happens when you come barging on to someone else’s ship without being invited. Now, about your prince. There was a bit of a misunderstanding, and –’

‘No misunderstanding,’ growled one of the Xions. ‘You take our prince, you die.’

‘They shouldn’t be able to talk, should they?’ Peri whispered to Diesel.

Diesel was examining the spent casing of one of the Paralyside pellets. ‘They’re only Level One Paralysides,’ he said. ‘Low strength. The effect only lasts a few seconds.’

‘Oh, that’s great,’ Peri muttered.

The guard who had spoken was already hauling himself to his feet. ‘Prepare for the ultimate punishment. For Xion!’

All the other guards were slowly getting up. ‘For Xion!’ they echoed.

Peri reached in his pocket for more Paralyside pellets.

He had only one left.

Diesel drew the duster from his belt.

‘Isn’t that a bit harsh?’ Peri asked Diesel.

The Xion guard who’d been the first to recover swung his electric mace at Peri’s head. Peri ducked. He heard the crackle and felt the heat as it passed just over his scalp.

Peri backed away and aimed his duster at the guard. ‘Look, I don’t want to shoot, but –’

The guard came towards him, jabbing with the mace.

Peri couldn’t bring himself to press the trigger. The Xion were only trying to rescue their kidnapped prince. Peri took the duster by the end and swung it at the guard.

The guard threw his arm up to protect his face. The duster smashed into his wrist, where he wore a band with a bright orange button. The Xion’s eyes widened. He grew blurry at the edges, fizzled, then winked out of existence.

Peri realised he must have hit the guard’s teleportation device.

‘Diesel!’ he shouted. ‘Hit their teleport buttons! On the wrist!’

All the remaining guards were on their feet now. They still looked groggy, but they meant business. Some advanced on Peri and Diesel while others pounced on Otto’s lifeless body.

Diesel struck at the nearest guard’s wrist. The guard fizzled and then vanished.

Another guard thrust his mace at Peri, who dodged out of the way. The crackling mace flashed past his helmet. While the guard was still off balance, Peri knocked his wristband with the butt of the duster. The guard disappeared.

That was three less to deal with. But it was still Peri and Diesel against eight Xion guards. Peri wished Otto would snap out of it and help them. Their only chance was to hit the guards before they’d fully recovered.

Peri’s arms tingled and his legs throbbed. He felt his muscles expanding inside his suit. His bionic abilities were kicking in. Moving at super-speed, he slid under the flailing mace of one guard and hit the teleportation device. Then he did the same to another, and another, in quick succession. Diesel, meanwhile, had managed to teleport one. There were now only four guards left.

‘Nice work, Diesel!’ Peri shouted. ‘Let’s just mop these last ones up.’

He ducked under the sweep of another guard’s mace and teleported him too. But at the same moment, the biggest and fiercest-looking Xion guard gave Otto one swift kick and then leapt up. He jabbed his electric mace at Peri, piercing his Expedition Wear.

Peri’s stomach felt as if it had been scorched with a flame-thrower. He shouted a wordless cry. The duster fell from his nerveless hand. He dropped to his knees.

‘Peri!’ Diesel called and levelled his duster at the Xion who had injured his friend.

Peri saw the towering guard ram his electric mace into Diesel’s duster and thrust forward, catching him on the arm. Diesel collapsed.

‘So fall all enemies of the mighty Xion!’ boomed the guard.

The electric mace had done something serious to Peri. He could feel it – not just the pain but a surge through his veins and wires in equal measure.
The electric shock’s messed up my circuitry
, he thought. There was a downside to being half-bionic and half-boy. Not only could you feel pain, but you could get short-circuited too.

‘Where is Prince Onix?’ shouted the biggest, fiercest guard. He wore a purple star on his chest, which indicated he was the general.

Peri could hardly turn his head but he slowly scanned the Bridge. Diesel was huddled on the floor next to him, but Otto was nowhere to be seen.

Typical Otto! He was only out for himself. Peri and Diesel had saved him from the guards and in return he’d left them in the lurch. Peri wished Otto had been the one to get hit with an electric mace.

‘You dare to defy me, General Dachkor, Xion warrior.’ He picked up Peri’s duster. ‘What is this? A duster? These are good. Oh, yes, you can do a lot with a duster.’ He pointed it at Peri. ‘If I press the trigger now, your head will crumble to dust. Tell me where the prince is and you shall live.’

But the anger in the general’s face, the way his finger twitched on the trigger, told a different story. As soon as the general knew where the prince was, he’d kill them. Peri was sure of it.

Another guard picked up the other fallen duster and pointed it at Diesel.

Peri saw that the strip of hair on top of Diesel’s head had turned a dull grey and was lying flat.

Peri managed to mutter to Otto: ‘Donut tell.’ His mouth wasn’t working properly. His tongue felt thick and clumsy.

‘I’ve got a good idea,’ said the general. He pushed the duster closer to Peri’s face. ‘I will get rid of you, and then your friend can tell us.’

Peri opened his mouth. If he could just explain that the kidnapping wasn’t their idea, it was Otto’s . . . But the words wouldn’t come. And the general would never have believed him anyway.

Peri closed his eyes and prepared to turn to dust.