Preacher Man

by r. a. Ben Miller

He pulled Jim toward one of the small blast walls that Tristan had built earlier that day. All around them, small knots of stunned soldiers attempted to resist the attacks. Zeer and Jim grabbed as many Legionairres as they could and formed a perimeter around the Barge. Using their fire as cover, Zeer crawled through the half open door and looked through the smokey interior for survivors. Anyone that he found, he dragged to the opening. Jim reached in and hauled them out. If they could shoot, they were propped up and added their fire to that of their comrades.

  Finally, crawling through the smokey darkness, he felt something slimy. An explosion outside lit up the interior through a hole in the bulkhead. He recognized the Viceroy among a pile of dead, young females. They were all covered with green, sticky blood. The females must have taken the worst of the blast as the walls had caved in. They all smelled too bad for Zeer to check much closer.

  Crawling backward, he pulled the Viceroy by his collar. Reaching the iris, he called to Jim. The Frog looked like a baby in the huge paws of the Mage as he gently lifted him out. Zeer jumped out behind him. "Come on lads, fall back. This ship's gonna blow any tick!"

  Zeer ducked down for a look around. More rifle men moved up and formed around their position. As gun companies formed, their officers began to organize the men and create firing patterns. Against hardened, organized Imperial troops, the pirates were being beaten back. Using war wagons as forward positions, cross fires were used as an advantage as the disciplined Legionairres quickly routed the undisciplined pirates.

  A major crab walked over to where Zeer and Jim were hiding. The Major saluted when he saw the tiny load that Jim was carrying, "General Dimo's regards, Mage. A path to the hospital cave has been established."

  Jim nodded and knelt for a moment behind the wall as pellets and lasers flashed around them. "By Your command, Sedi, on yer mark!"

  Major Sedi turned to the troops behind him. "Let's get the Viceroy to the hospital, boys. A roar swelled from the ranks and their fighting redoubled. Within a few ticks a path was opened to the fort. Jim took a small gun patrol and headed for the hospital.

  The fight seemed to leave the Pirates. They could see that this group was too disciplined for a quick kill. As quickly as they had come, the pirates broke off and faded into the smoke and dust of the canyon traces.

  By the time they had fought their way to the cave opening, the fight was nearly over. A defensive perimeter had been hastily established. All of the pirate’s gun mounts were destroyed and pirate combatants had disappeared. Jim just kept running back into the darkness of the cave.

  In her new Command Post just inside the front edge of the cave, General Dimo had one arm in a sling, a bloody bandage half way down her face. "Cardinal, that was a brave and stupid thing you did."

  "It was nothin', General. If we lose him, we may as well pack up and give this planet over to the Pirates."

  "Quite right. Pulling those troops together and setting up safe forward positions saved a lot of butts, including my own and the Viceroy's. So, I'm thankin' ya." And she stuck out her good hand.

  “Mage MacGregor and some of your well trained Legionaires did all the work, I just got a little slimy going in after the Viceroy," he said softly, embarrassed. She turned back to her comm board.

  "Uhh, Dimo?"

  "Yes, your Grace?"

  "That barge's gonna blow... I smelled ozone…the Q generator’s over cookin’!"

  "Right." and she yelled into her mike, "Clear the flight deck! All wagon's that can move...MOVE!!! The Viceroy’s Clunker is gonna blow any tick!"

  All across the flight deck people and machines got as far from the Royal Barge as they could. Wagons that could fly dragged disabled vehicles to the far side of the clearing. Zeer sat in the shade of the wall and rested, listening to the reports of how the pirates had simply vanished.

  Suddenly, with a huge flash, the Viceroy's barge lit the afternoon sky. Bits of men and machines flew around the command post. The corner of the stone wall saved the Preacherman and the General. The terra plast walls all around them splintered as huge chunks flew over Zeer's head. The radio console, the General, and a Tritonian radio-tech landed in his lap. The order of landing probably saved Zeer and Dimo's life. A huge, jagged piece of Plexan sliced through the private and buried itself in the radio desk.

  People came from all sides. In a tick, the rubble was pulled off of the survivors. The cave mouth was a lot bigger as most of the near wall was gone. Across the wide plaza, a major section of the fort nearest the barge was also missing. Zeer helped carry a survivor to the hospital.

  By the time Zeer reached the hospital hallways far inside the cave, Little Jim was coming out. He looked at his friend for a moment, "So? What was that noise?"

  "The Viceroy's Barge blew and took out half the canyon. Just made little pieces out of the big pieces the pirates left. How's the Viceroy?"

  "He's alive. As soon as he's stable, we gotta blow this canyon. We're sittin' ducks here."

  "Aye, me son, that's a fact."

  Just then, a miner ran by, recognizing the Mage, he slid to a stop, his chest heaving. He gulped some air and blurted out, "Little Jim, most of the Hall of Justice's missing. It got a direct hit from the Viceroy's boat. Teddy’s missin’. We cain't find him any wheres!" He ran off to get more miners.

  Zeer and Jim ran toward the area. The corner of the fort where the office of the Fra had been was reduced to piles of Terra plast chunks. They moved from one pile of rubble and bodies to another pulling people out. As they approached the office the piles were smaller and less of anything was left.

  "Preacher man?”

  "The Viceroy's boat blew up. We are searching for Teddy!"

  "I know, ma sweet. He's alive. One of the Askirabim said that they know he’s stuck in the corner."

  He went to the farthest corner. Quieting his mind, he heard Teddy’s panic. Digging a bit, Zeer heard some moaning. He motioned to Little Jim, and they grabbed some larger chunks. With other miners, they lifted a large section free. Under this, they found an air space. There, they saw two legs so covered with dust that they could not see if they belonged to a male or female. Jim pulled on one and Zeer pulled on the other and hauled the person out. In an instant, Jim let out a whoop and jumped around in the dust lifting his brother high. Zeer grabbed him, "Jim, me son, he may be hurt."

  "Oh, I'm sorry, Father. Teddy, are ya hurt?"

  Teddy sat on a rock. "Not until you busted mah ribs,”

  "How did you survive?"

  "You know I could never resist the need to hit the little Fra's room," they all laughed. Ted took a drink and continued, "The shower you shipped in from Derizon after you found that giant Quallite chunk fell over me and held up the wall while I was...well...you know...busy."

  Jim slapped his brother on the back, "That shower cost me half a year's diggin's. And you didn't want me to buy it."

  Teddy reached over and touched his brother's arm, "Yer still coverin' mah butt, big brother."

  "It is a blessing to serve thee," he bowed hugely.

  Ted roared and bowed with him, "It is a blessing to be served by thee," and they all laughed quietly.

  Their merriment was brought to a screaching halt by the emergence of other bodies from the same pile as Ted had come from. Two deputies and a secretary were carried silently toward the death station.

  Little Jim was sobered. He touched the sleeve of the Preacher man, "Pray for me, Father. I am a black hearted soul."

  They knelt together, "In the eyes of the Master, we are lights that shine for all. Shine on us, Master. Forgive us our joy in the midst of all this sorrow. Thank you for Teddy’s safe return. We are sorry. Omain..."

  "Omain..." and they went to the hospital. While they were waiting for the doctors to get done with Teddy, Zeer saw General Dimo sitting at the next table getting stitches in her forehead from the last blast.

  Zeer went and sat by her, "Dimo, we must evacuate this mine. Little Jim was Fra here for cycles. We fear we are sitti
ng ducks."

  "We have already started Father. The first load, hauling moveable wounded has already left. At this pace, we should be out of here by dawn."

  "I should have known that thee would know best. Please let us know when we are to leave. And, Dimo?"

  "Yes, Sir?"

  "Please see to it that me wife is in the first boat out."

  The weathered face of the old general cracked into a wide grin, "Yes, Sir. She will accompany the Viceroy. His surgery cannot be done here. He is now stabilized and set to depart in seven ticks."

  "A thousand blessings on thee."

  She touched his arm, " And thee, Cardinal. We are blessed by your presence."

  "We all do the Master's bidding."

  At that moment, the Viceroy went by them on the way to the flight deck. All indications that this was anyone special had been removed. It could have been a child being air lifted out had Zeer not seen his wife, "Thee."

  She looked up for a moment. "And thee," she thought.

  "Father," said a CPO.

  "Yes, daughter," he said staring after his wife. "The Mage was scheduled to jump out. He wants to go out on the last wave of boats with his brother. All moveables are on this load. That means you, Sir."

  He smiled at her, "Yes, Chief. Moving it Sir! Uh… Ma'am!" She chuckled and moved on, finding other riders for the next load out.

  In a cave, not far away, a meeting was going strong. "You bastard, MacTarn!" said a burly Tritonian female.

  "Where's our Verdollium, Patchie?" said Zarla, a little too sweetly. Her arms waved nervously. She had lost nearly all of her men in the attack. She had counted on the attack to get the Verdollium so she could get out of there and retire to raise the thousands of eggs growing in the egg sac in her belly. “You said that fort was a knock over. What gives?"

  The red head was down. Seventeen out of twenty of his best men were dead. Doggy, his last friend was dead. He stood,"You bastards! There's Verdollium alright! Doggy died fer it. Most of my men died fer it. Here...“ He poured the wooden box out on the table. The green stones, fell out onto the floor. The pirates scrambled like children after candy, fighting each other for each tiny rock.

  When they looked up, he was gone. During the fight, he had hobbled to his flitter and blasted out to his hideaway. The rest of them scrambled to their communication centers. These few stones would gather the largest criminal armada ever collected. They were frustrated when they tried their comm links. All communications off of the entire planet was scrambled from subspace. Zeer did not think they could defend against the pirates they had. He knew if this got out, they were all dead.

  At dinner that evening, Zarla showed up in her finest coloring. Her voice had a low, sweet tone. Wearing no clothing at all, she held the men spellbound. Where once there had been fourteen pirate captains, now, there were seven. Six were dead, their companies reforming at the highest bidder's forces.

  Deke Karut was the new leader of the Orions. He had heard the stories about her. She went to him and took him to her side, "Come... strong men are needed for a good meal." Several of the other captains nudged each other. Deke did not get the joke, but he would.

  As she ate, one of her four hands was always touching or rubbing him. The older men could barely contain their laughter as they watched the huge, but barely bearded young man barely able to eat while trying to hide the lump in his pants. Finally, Zarla and Deke left together.

  After about forty five ticks, she returned, and he did not. Those that knew her habits also noted that her lower abdomen was smaller than it had been. She looked at the others, "With the addition of the Orions to my band, and in the absence of Capitain MacTarn, I have the largest company left. As such, I will claim the..."

  "Chair...MY chair... dear Zarla?"

  All eyes were instantly on the burning orbs of their old Chieftain. In his hand was a hand laser dangling lightly from a loose finger. Her sexual frenzy had drained her. She was not prepared for the return of MacTarn, "Damn," she said to herself, “once again my hormones betray me. Oh, well...at least the babies have a new home."

  Shannon shuddered to think of who was in a back corner of her caves, more dead than alive filled with maturing eggs. Would he live long enough for the hatchlings to eat him alive. He hoped not, but he had other fish to fry.

  She smiled, "Why, Patchie, I meant just until your return. You know I would follow you into the jaws of the Master's dragon."

  "Yes, dear...thank you for looking out for my interest."

  The Tritonian, Stiv, mumbled, "Well, this better work better than the last plan did..."

  Ignoring her, he moved to his huge carved chair. "Sit, please...I have gone to space to communicate with my other base. I am bringing up my reserves. Beor..."

  Again the little woman began to lay out the maps.

  Chapter 26