‘Tiran squad,’ came a gruff voice at the front of the group. Arthur looked to see who had said it. Standing in front of them was a tall, solid-looking fighter flanked by two others.
‘I see we have been gifted new recruits,’ he said. ‘How fortune favours us!’ He smirked at one of his companions, and stared hard at Sky and Arthur.
Arthur stared straight back at him and for a few moments they both fixed their gazes on each other. Breaking off, the Commander studied the other members of the Earth group.
‘I am Sorin! In Tiran squad we fight and we die as brothers and with honour! Show us that you have a right to be here and our fates will be shared. Show us nothing and your fate is your own. I hope I make myself clear!’
Sorin paused to gauge what effect his words had had upon his new recruits. Scowling, he continued.
‘Sentinel drones have engaged Solarian snatch squads not far from our valley borders. We will be moving out and patrolling the north quadrant before setting up an ambush on the Orsona Pass. Questions?’
Without waiting to see if there were any, Sorin turned and led the squad out of the brigade chamber into the vast Nira tunnel which led upwards into the mountain. They boarded a waiting shuttle along with several other squads and reached their destination a few minutes later.
The tunnel was well hidden and very well defended from the inside of the mountain. Passing through the cloaked entrance, their squad slipped out of the mountain wall and on to a narrow path that ran along the lip of the valley. This was the first time the Earth team had been up to the top of it since they had arrived, and Arthur couldn’t help but stop for a moment and stare at it, stretching out far below. Its lush green fields, some of which were in use to grow crops, were flanked by woods and copses. Through the centre, a river, fed by a large waterfall, twisted its way along the valley floor.
‘It doesn’t look so high from down there,’ whispered Sky, stopping with him to gaze at the view.
‘It feels very green,’ he said. ‘Especially when you compare it to what’s up here.’
From the valley’s edge the squad soon turned upwards into the mountains. A number of scout drones were launched to patrol the slopes and outcrops surrounding them. By the eighteenth hour of the day, the squad had reached their objective. It was a rocky pass which linked several mountain ranges together. Arthur had been informed that this pass was one of those likely to be used by the Solarians, and their squad was tasked with setting up an ambush. Arthur was paired up with Captain Schmidt whilst Sky joined the Major. Sorin issued instructions on how to set up the firing zone as he wanted it. When the squad was in place, cloaking devices were activated around each fire-position, making them invisible. Jammers were turned on to prevent Solarian scanners from being able to detect them through their cloaks. From that point on, they sat in silence and waited.
The Andarran sun, already low in the sky, was casting long shadows over the lower valleys while the jagged peaks and higher passes glowed in soft hues of orange and red. As Arthur gazed outwards at the darkening ranges, he wondered if maybe his father was out there somewhere. More than six months had already passed since they had landed on the planet, and even though they were now finished with their training and able to get out of the valley, he didn’t feel as though they were any closer to finding him. Arthur sighed and wished that the Arnac would allow him to glimpse his father again, like they had that time in the Osmari on Tresk. But that was the only time he’d been able to do it.
The Captain, sitting with his back against a large rock, was also staring off into the distance. Arthur thought that he looked sad somehow. After what had happened that night of the vote on Tresk, when he had voted against the idea of trying to rescue the crew, Arthur was still, even now, surprised that the Captain had chosen to stay with them instead of going back to Earth with the others. From time to time, Arthur had wanted to ask him why he’d chosen to stay, but each time he found a suitable moment, something inside him made him change his mind.
He looked across to see what Sky and the Major were doing. Seeing him looking at her, Sky smiled and pointed a finger skywards towards the mountain peaks far above them. Arthur looked up. There, circling the tallest peak, were two huge, birdlike creatures, their wings stretched out like large aircraft as they glided effortlessly on the mountain’s air currents. The cat, too, had being paying attention to them, and had wedged himself under a large rock with an overhang.
Though they were invisible to anyone or anything that might be passing by, the squad wore special devices that allowed them to see each other through the cloaking shields. Vijay and Margot had been teamed up with a member of the Argon brigade, while Yan sat near the Major and Sky, tinkering with something as usual. For Yan, the time he had been on Andarra had been one of endless fascination. Fond of taking apart everything he could get his hands on, he had even managed to offer a few improvements of his own to the portable cloaking devices that the Argon brigade used in the field. Although they’d quietly thanked him, the Andarrans had clearly been unhappy that an ‘off-worlder,’ as they were often known, had been able to improve on their technology.
As the late afternoon drifted into evening, the air temperature began to plummet. A severe cold set in once the pass had fallen into shadow. Arthur put on his thick coat and hat and for a while watched ice crystals forming in a pool of water in front of him.
‘It gets cold here quickly,’ commented Captain Schmidt, also putting on his coat.
Arthur nodded, trying not to let his teeth chatter. Shortly afterwards, the sunlight slipped off the peaks of the mountains and the landscape went dark. Arthur took out his night vision glasses and put them on. The world became visible again, as though a blue light had been switched on over it, revealing everything clearly for several hundred metres in each direction. He settled down, pulled up the collar of his coat, put on his gloves and tried not to think of the cold. More and more scout drones were being sent out in search of the enemy. Sorin had become visibly agitated.
It was halfway through the first hour of the next morning when a sudden commotion erupted and the ambush was hurriedly disbanded. Word spread that there had been an incident in a valley to the east of their position, and they were to go there with all speed.
‘That’s the Par valley, the one next to ours,’ said Sky as the group formed up and moved out.
’How do you know that?’
‘I can read maps, you know!’
‘No, I don’t mean that, I mean how do you know that’s where we need to go?’
‘Oh, I see. Sorin told the Major,’ Sky replied, a little awkwardly.
‘Did he say what happened?’
‘No, nothing.’
The Tiran squad moved quickly through the pass and down again into an adjoining valley before cutting across it and climbing up the very steep and narrow trail on the other side. Arthur’s legs burned under the strain, which was made even worse by the fact that the Andarrans were in no mood to stop and rest. They were used to this type of climbing, and soon a gap opened up between them and the Earth group.
‘They’re like mountain goats who’ve eaten too much sugar!’ puffed Margot as the Argon brigade disappeared over a ridge some way in front of them.
‘Let’s not worry about them,’ said the Major. ‘Let’s worry about getting to where we need to be going.’
‘By my reckoning, the Par valley should be the valley after this one,’ said Captain Schmidt to the Major. ‘It might be better for us to go around the ridge of this valley and not try to cut across it.’
‘I agree, Captain,’ replied the Major and changed course.
‘Uff… lucky escape,’ whispered Sky. ‘I don’t think my legs can take another valley!’
Arthur smiled.
‘Lightweight,’ he said and winked at her. Sky was about to thump him when Arthur suddenly froze mid-step.
‘Over t
here!’ He whispered, pointing beyond the ridge.
The Major stopped and looked at him enquiringly.
‘What is it, lad?’ He asked. ‘What do you see?’
‘Nothing,’ Arthur said. ‘I mean, I can’t see anything, but I can feel something’s not right over there.’
‘Major?’ asked Vijay.
‘Margot, you and Sky stay here, give us a head start and then bring up the rear. The rest of you, come with me. Arthur, you lead on.’
‘Um, I can stay here and protect the ladies if you want,’ offered the cat.
‘Nice try, Cat!’ said Arthur, and led the way in the direction he had been pointing.
They climbed as quickly and as quietly as possible up the slope, winding their way towards another pass.
‘I’m picking up heat signatures,’ whispered Yan. ‘About 500 metres ahead. But honestly, they’re unlike anything I’ve seen before.’
‘Meaning what?’ asked the Major.
‘Meaning that they seem to be made up of two distinct types of heat signature. One of them is definitely Andarran but I’ve never seen the other before.’
‘Solarian?’ ventured Arthur.
‘I don’t know – it could be, but it’s very strange to see them together.’
‘Captain, you, Yan and Vijay take the right flank.’ The Major pointed to higher ground. ‘Try to give us some cover. Arthur and I will take the left and see if we can get up close enough to see what’s going on.’
With that, the group split in two. Arthur and the Major advanced as fast as they dared, while keeping as close to cover as possible.
‘Weapons ready, lad. There is movement over there, do you see it?’
Arthur raised his rifle and looked through the sights.
‘Yes, I see them. Solarians… Oh no!’
‘Take it easy. You have seen them before,’ said the Major.
‘No, you don’t understand – I see Finna!’
‘What? The Commander’s daughter?’
‘Yes!’
Arthur was trying hard to keep his voice low. The Major lifted up his rifle and looked through the sights.
‘Not good,’ he mumbled to himself. ‘It’s not just her, there are several others, too. A Solarian snatch squad. How the blazes did they get them?’
Then, without warning, from the right flank where Captain Schmidt and the others had taken up position came a sudden burst of plasma fire. They had been spotted by a sentry drone which had opened fire on them, causing the Solarians on the ground nearby to engage them as well.
‘Well, that’s the element of surprise gone! Come on, lad, keep your head down and let’s show them how we do it on Earth. Engage on my mark!’
Rifles raised, Arthur and the Major raced forward up the slope. As they skirted closer to the Solarian raiders, a rearguard appeared to spot them. Without waiting to find out if they’d really been seen or not, the Major opened fire, felling the Solarian instantly.
‘They’re getting away with the prisoners,’ called out the Major as energy bolts hit the large boulder they had just dived behind, taking big chunks out of it. ‘There’s no way we’re going to be able to catch them up – they’ve got us pinned down!’
‘Major – if we can’t reach Finna, then we need to capture one of the Solarians alive!’ shouted Arthur.
The Major glanced at him in surprise.
‘Indeed we do! Thinking like a true tactician, lad!’ He said. Quickly he pulled out his communicator. ‘Schmidt, they’ve got us pinned down and I don’t see how we’re going to be able to rescue anyone from this mess. Let’s see if we can’t take one of them alive and try to convince him to tell us where they’re taking the hostages. Aim for their legs – I’m pretty sure they’ll be able to walk as well as we could with a hole in ours!’
He turned back to Arthur. ‘Use the targeting function on your rifle. In case you didn’t hear what I just told the Captain, go for their legs, understand?’
Arthur nodded and adjusted the rifle’s settings, engaging the targeting mode. This turned the rifle from a fast-repeating weapon able to fire fifty or sixty plasma bolts a minute into a single-shot rifle able to hit something accurately from far away.
He lay down behind the rock and switched on his cloaking device. Slowly moving his rifle into position around the side of the boulder, he slid himself round slightly. Arthur now had a clear shot in the direction the Solarians had been firing from. The problem, however, was that the Solarians had also turned on their cloaking shields.
‘I can’t see anything,’ said Arthur.
‘Damn!’ growled the Major. ‘Captain – we’re blind here, what’ve you got at your end?’
‘Major, we’re blind here too, but we think we’ve got a way to shift the balance in our favour. Yan told me he’s been working on a shield modulator which, he says, should be able to disrupt their cloaking shields. If he’s right, there will be a brief window when the shields will become transparent for several seconds every minute. We’ve been trying to make the link… okay, he thinks he’s finally got it… stand by…’
A few minutes later, targeting rifle shots rained down from Captain Schmidt’s position on to the enemy’s position.
‘We are go, Major!’ radioed the Captain.
‘You heard him, lad, watch for the windows!’
Arthur held his rifle firmly and concentrated on keeping his breathing steady as he looked through the sights and waited. At first there was nothing to see, and he counted the seconds in anticipation. Suddenly, the Solarian shields shimmered and became transparent. There in front of him, he could see figures hiding behind rocks. Arthur targeted one who was shooting back in Captain Schmidt’s direction. A part of his leg was visible. Remembering his training, he aimed, exhaled slowly and evenly, and fired. The figure jumped awkwardly and dragged its leg away behind some rocks.
‘Good shot, lad!’ called out the Major.
Arthur checked back through his scope, but the Solarian didn’t reappear.
‘Get ready to move,’ the Major said. ‘Okay, let’s –’
No sooner had they stood up and readied themselves than they were both thrown straight back on to the ground, as a powerful explosion and a fearsome fireball blasted the darkness apart around them. Arthur lay momentarily dazed, his head ringing loudly.
‘Argon brigade drones!’ shouted the Major. ‘Are you okay, lad?’
‘I’m okay,’ he replied, staggering to his knees and picking up his rifle. He pointed it towards where the Solarians had been. The entire area now lay blackened and smouldering. Two drones hovered in the sky above.
‘Cat? Are you okay?’ Arthur called out.
‘I would be if you would stop using me to break your fall!’ came the unhappy reply.
2
Banished
‘You have done well, considering your inexperience,’ said Sorin, surveying the area. ‘That one is still alive; don’t be fooled by his attempts to pretend that he is dead.’
Arthur looked at who Sorin was referring to. Two Argon fighters picked up a Solarian from out of the blackened debris and sat him against a rock. Arthur almost choked. The Solarian had a wound in his leg; it was the one he’d shot.
‘We may have need for him, so don’t let him out of your sight,’ said Sorin, before ordering his men to continue the pursuit. The group from Earth were left to guard the prisoner.
Arthur sat staring at the Solarian, who stared right back at him. From time to time, he appeared to grimace, as if in pain. Seeing this, Yan, who was sitting beside him on a rock, took out a flashing device like the ones that Sezan had used on the medical ship back on Tresk. He signalled to the Solarian that he was going to come closer to him with it.
‘For the pain,’ he said, walking slowly over and placing the device on the Solarian’s thick neck.
The Sola
rian offered no resistance, and Yan spoke to the group while he looked over his patient. ‘Apart from this device, which might work to reduce any pain he’s suffering, I have no knowledge of how to treat him, Major. He doesn’t appear to be bleeding out. In fact, his wound looks to have sealed itself already.’
‘I understand. Do the best you can,’ replied the Major.
‘Maybe we could try to get him back to the valley and find medical help there?’ suggested Arthur, careful to avoid mentioning the name of their valley.
‘That’s not our call to make, lad, unfortunately,’
At that, the Solarian burst into what could only be described as something resembling laughter, a sort of hollow, crackling sound. Everyone stopped what they were doing and gazed at the prisoner in surprise.
‘You are not from Andarra, are you?’ He said, groaning.
‘Why would you ask that?’ said the Major.
‘An Andarran would never concern himself with the life of a Solarian,’ said the prisoner, removing the device from his neck and tossing it onto the ground next to him.
‘I see,’ said the Major. ‘ No, we are not Andarran.’
‘Where are you from?’
‘From a long way away,’ Arthur replied, uncomfortable that the Solarian was still staring only at him and not the Major, even when the Major was the one talking.
The Solarian laughed again.
‘So many planets to choose from and you choose this one?’
‘We didn’t choose to come here. Our crew were captured by one of your ships and brought here,’ said Arthur.
The Solarian appeared to reflect on what Arthur had said.
‘All of this so that you can rescue your crew?’
‘And my father!’ Arthur hesitated for a moment, but he could not stop himself from asking: ‘Do you know anything about them?’
Arthur and the Andarran Rescue Page 2
