by David Drake
"What about the crew? Do we gather them over here with us?" demanded Ancelott.
"If it looks like the best way to handle this," said Sventur, adjusting her weapons belt. "I want all of you to keep low, stay close to the brush. Approach the ship from the north, and go in the rear entrance. That's the one that's least likely to be damaged." She lowered her helmet and put the lenses on full power. The fading shadows of night vanished and the Suidotal lay as if bathed in bright floodlights.
Beside her, Lauy-Rei pulled her stunner and moved the setting on full.
Very slowly, Sventur led the way to the edge of the brush, taking care to stay in the shadows as much as possible. She ducked and bobbed as she moved, hoping this would make identifying them more difficult for anyone watching. As they reached the edge of the wreck, she motioned all the Petits to crouch. "One at a time," she whispered, knowing that their helmets would pick up her voice. "Partners two strides apart, ten strides between pairs. Everyone, be ready."
There was a brief silence as the rest made a last check, then she heard the two tongue-clicks that served to signal ascent.
"Lauy-Rei, here we go," she said, and broke from cover, keeping her head down. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lauy-Rei come after her.
They reached the aft vane of the Suidotal, and pressed the emergency code into the exposed plate.
Lauy-Rei came up beside her, weapons at the ready.
Nothing happened.
Sventur pressed the code a second time. There was a metallic groan, but the hatch remained firmly closed.
"Pog it!" Sventur whispered, and coded the over-ride emergency series, which triggered the explosive bolts on the hatch. She ducked back, and pulled Lauy-Rei down beside her.
Seven seconds later the hatch flew off, clanging away into the brush.
"So much for our unannounced arrival," said Lauy-Rei in an undervoice.
Mondragon and Thorgemann had reached them now, and were hunkered down at guard.
"Ready to go in?" asked Sventur, and before she could think about the danger too much, she reached up, grabbed the edge of the hatch, and vaulted inside the ship, coming to rest in a huddled ball at the side of the main corridor.
Lauy-Rei was right behind her.
The whump and sizzle of disruptor fire came almost at once. There were two muffled screams in the brush.
"Pogging sperks!" whispered Lauy-Rei.
The two of them crouched in the bent corridor, waiting for a response from the ship.
Cautiously Sventur rose, her helmet magnifying the low light in the corridor to moderate brightness. She found the nearest comm-patch on the wall, and tried to code in.
"I don't think it's working," whispered Lauy-Rei beside her.
"No, neither do I. It looks as if the whole ship is on subsistence power only. What a pogging mess." Sventur glanced around as Mondragon dropped into the corridor.
"Thorgemann was hit. Outside. He can't make it inside." Mondragon was pale and shaken, but he did not cave in. "That blast. The disruptor beam caught his arm."
Sventur heard this out in silence, then cursed. "His suit still working?"
"He's sealed off, if that's what you mean. The shock isn't too bad, not so long as the suit is doing its job. Hoad's checking him out." Mondragon scowled. "What about the rest?"
"We'll have to see," said Sventur, and started forward.
She passed two motionless Bunters on the way, and had a moment of distress as she realized they could not be made operable, not with the ship on subsistence power only.
There were two emergency hatches secured across the corridor, and each one had to be blown open by coding the explosive bolts.
By now there were six of Sventur's party inside the Suidotal. There were two casualties—Thorgemann and Tsabuki—outside the ship, and two—Godwendo and Ancelott—were guarding the rear along with the injured Petits. Which left Sventur, Lauy-Rei, Crozzer, Hoad, Mondragon, and Porree to bring out the entire remaining crew of the Suidotal.
Suddenly the ship lurched as a disruptor beam struck the top vane, rocking the Glavus violently.
The rescue party scrambled for footing, hands lifted to protect their heads from impact as two of the ceiling panels fell with a nerve-rattling crash that echoed through the ship like the tolling of tuneless bells.
"Is everyone all right?" Sventur asked when the ship was still again.
All five reported themselves all right.
"Let's keep going, then," said Sventur, hating the sense of doom that hung over her.
"Can't you signal the bridge, to let them know we're coming?" inquired Porree.
"Not with the ship on subsistence power, no," answered Sventur, and got ready to blow the last set of bolts. "As soon as we're through, go to your areas and check the ship out. Make sure you record everything."
With that, she programmed the third hatch's explosive bolts.
As the hatch ripped into flying sections of metal, four Petit Harriers appeared in the passage beyond, weapons at the ready.
Sventur stepped forward very carefully, her hands partly raised. "Magnicate Alliance Petit Harrier Group Line Chief Leatris Sventur of the Daichirucken, here to collect you."
The nearest officer lowered his weapon at once. "Executive Officer Khirmian TeRoumei, Group Line Chief. And very glad to see you." He signaled the other three to put their stunners aside.
"Same here, Executive Officer," said Sventur, motioning to the others. "How bad is it?"
"Not good," said TeRoumei. 'We haven't been able to get the ship's systems working at all. We've only had subsistence power since the crash. Which means no Bunters and no ship's services."
"Casualties?" asked Sventur as her rescue party came up beside her.
"More than we'd like," said TeRoumei. "We had three fatalities when we went down, another four since, and there are a dozen injured from broken bones to concussions to cuts and bruises." He pointed toward the bridge. "Group Line Chief Hsuin is waiting for you. He has a broken leg."
"Great," said Sventur, thinking of the difficulty they would have getting him out of the ship and back to safety. "Any other casualties?"
"What do you mean?" asked TeRoumei. "What land of casualties are you talking about?"
"No . . . murders?" she asked diffidently, doing what she could to make the question less troublesome.
"Murders? Plural?" repeated TeRoumei. "You mean there have been more?"
"Unfortunately, yes," said Sventur, and motioned her squad to follow her. "Lets get this rescue going."
The entire ship rocked again as another disruptor bolt shuddered the frame of the Glavus. The rescue party crouched but TeRoumei hardly bothered.
"Have you had to put up with much of this?" Sventur asked when the Suidotal was still again. "You don't look as if the ship has taken many hits."
"We haven't been attacked. Not until this afternoon," said TeRoumei, and with a shove opened the hatch to the bridge.
Group Line Chief Hsuin Xanitan sat with his splinted leg propped on one of the stools. Beside him the Mromrosi waited, a soft mauve color, his single green eye bent on the new arrivals.
The rest of the bridge crew looked exhausted but in reasonable shape. Only Tech-Leader Wharton's station was empty, and by the way the rest avoided looking at it, Sventur assumed that Wharton had been one of the casualties.
"We're glad to see you, Sventur," said Hsuin. "What took you so long?"
"We couldn't find a place to park," Sventur replied in the same exaggerated coolness of manner that Hsuin used.
"Then it's going to be a hike?" he asked, looking apprehensive behind his bravado. He indicated his leg. "I might need to be picked up later."
"Sorry, but it looks as if you're going to have to run for it with the rest of us," she declared, then indicated her team. "We'll get you out of here when it's good and dark."
Hsuin shook his head. "I don't think so. We've been under lights since we went down, on full all the time. The Bastan'gal are du
g in around us."
"So we assumed," said Lauy-Rei. "But keeping you in the light—isn't that a little extreme?"
"It is most untypical," said the Mromrosi suddenly, rocking back on six of its eight little heels.
"You mean they don't usually put a downed ship in bright lights?" asked Sventur, a cold feeling spreading through her. "You're saying that only the Grands do that?"
"It is a pattern with them," said the Mromrosi.
"Yeah," said Sventur, and noticed how many of the Petits exchanged angry and uneasy looks.
"So we're in a difficult situation," said Hsuin in his best laconic manner. "And I don't know how we're going to get out, not with the Grands after us."
"You don't know they're after us, not for sure," said Communications Leader Alik Ammir. His face was pale and his eyes had deep rings around them, suggesting long, sleepless hours.
"Yes, we do," said Sventur directly. "There's no doubt."
Hsuin made a fatalistic gesture. "So where does that put us? Other than in the line of fire?"
"That's it," said Sventur, and saw how disheartened the rest looked. "But there's one thing in our favor—they aren't expecting us to do anything. They think we're not up to taking them on."
"How can we?" asked Hsuin, looking around his bridge. "If we get out of here, they'll pick us off. And they can blast us to fractured atoms while we're here, any time they want."
"Exactly. So we might as well try to turn the tables," said Sventur. "What have we got to lose?"
"You have a point," Hsuin conceded.
They had improvised a sling between Group Chief Miya Maht and Navigator Betness Gos-Raidan that allowed them to carry Group Line Chief Hsuin standing up, hands free to aim.
"I wish we had a couple Bunters working," said Hsuin as the two women steadied him between them.
"Worry about that later, when we get back to the Daichirucken," advised Sventur.
"I still think we should have let the Yamapunkt know what we're doing. If they get here and find us gone . . ." Hsuin rubbed his face with his free hand. They're going to have to face the Grands and the Bastan'gal on their own."
"If they get here," said Sventur, motioning toward the emergency hatch in the vane. "And one look ought to discourage them." There were two steep ladders that had been lowered and now they were starting out of the stricken Glavus.
"You think they'll be attacked?" asked Ammir, following Porree up the nearer ladder.
"It's a possibility," said Sventur.
"But you think it could be something else, don't you?" asked Lauy-Rei in her steady way. "You're convinced there's a Grands agent with us."
"Somewhere in the mission, yes," she answered grimly. "And so do you."
"True," Lauy-Rei admitted as she started to make a place for the Suidotal crew to gather to leave. "We're going to have to move fast once we're out."
Above them TeRoumei and Hoad worked on the hatch to release it, both cursing as they struggled.
"It is a surprising effort you have made, Group Line Chief Sventur," said the Mromrosi, coming back from traipsing along beside the wounded and injured as they approached the bridge. He was a brilliant shade of raspberry. "It is unexpected. It is daring."
"It's part of the job," said Sventur, her face revealing little emotion. She did not entirely trust the curly alien now that they were as cut off as they were. "You better get up the ladder, in case you need help."
"Oh, it is no difficulty for me," said the Mromrosi, sounding amused. He hopped forward, grabbed the lowest rung by one of his eight feet, and swung himself vigorously upward, seizing the next rung. He looked like an enormous pom-pom swaying up a huge pair of shoelaces.
Sventur stared at the Mromrosi, for she had never seen one climb a ladder before. She heard the others chuckle, and nodded her approval; anything that improved morale was important now. She signaled the assembled crew members of the Suidotal. "You know what you have to do."
"What about the two who are too badly wounded?" asked one of the Bio-Techs as more than a dozen of the Suidotal's crew started toward the ladders, ready to climb.
It was a question she did not want to answer. "You know what regulations say."
"But they're part of our crew," the Bio-Tech protested.
"They're not supposed to be taken captive," said Sventur, wondering how she would feel if she were one of those who would have to be left behind, painless, lethal capsules ready to be put to final use.
"But they don't have to—" the Bio-Tech said. "Wouldn't the Grands take them? What's wrong leaving them to the Grands?"
"It's orders, and we're under disruptor fire," said Sventur more firmly. "We don't have a lot of choice."
The Bio-Tech accepted this scornfully. "Sure, Group Line Chief. Makes lots of sense to me."
"It's orders," Sventur repeated.
"Right," said the Bio-Tech, and started up the ladder. "I'd carry them on my back if I could."
"And you'd die with them," said Sventur, knowing it was the truth.
As if to underscore her words, another disruptor bolt slammed into the side of the Glavus, rocking it dangerously, sending those waiting to leave tottering into one another.
"You're wasting time," Sventur warned the Bio-Tech, and motioned to more of the Suidotal's crew to move.
"They're just teasing us," said Lauy-Rei softy as she came up to Sventur. "They could turn this whole ship to slag in one shot if they wanted to."
"I know," said Sventur with a nervous frown.
"They could be waiting to round us up outside," Lauy-Rei pointed out.
"I realize that. But what else can I do? We have to get out of here if we can." Sventur put her hand on her stunner and looked around the steadily emptying bridge. "If we don't—" She stopped, then made herself continue. "If we don't do what Fleet Commodore ordered, we're going to be in more trouble than ever. So we've got to try."
"If that's what you want," said LaUy-Rei, willing to obey in spite of her doubts.
"It's the only course open," said Sventur, watching as the escape continued.
"Do you wonder," said Lauy-Rei softy, "why they didn't try to get out on their own?"
"Not with those disruptors out there, no. I probably would have done the same thing—kept my head down and waited," said Sventur, although now that it was mentioned, she did wonder. "Better order a check of the ship's computers from the Reiwald—after we get away."
Lauy-Rei nodded and started toward the ladders. More than half the crew of the Suidotal was out of the ship now, and those who could leave were ready to go.
"I don't like the way this place feels," Sventur admitted to Lauy-Rei, glancing around uneasily "And I don't mean the disruptors. I mean—"
"No; I know what you mean," said Lauy-Rei. She indicated the line of immobile Bunters at the rear of the bridge. "They're spooky."
"That they are," Sventur agreed, and very nearly shuddered as she watched them, unable to shake the sense that the cyborgs were about to move.
When the next disruptor bolt detonated, a portion of the forward surveills shattered, splintering all over the bridge as the bow of the Glavus buckled.
The Petit Harriers on the ladders clung to them desperately as the ship juddered.
Their aim is improving," said Lauy-Rei, concealing her fright with sarcasm.
"They know we're getting out," Sventur said, and motioned to the rest to keep moving. "And I'm worried."
"You're afraid they'll pick us off?" asked Lauy-Rei.
"Or round us up, or who knows what." Sventur thought again of the wounded about to be abandoned, and she concealed her trembling.
That's part of the risk," said Lauy-Rei. "But what else can we do?" With that, she started toward the ladders where the rest of the rescuers waited. "Group Line Chief?"
"In a couple seconds, when the rest of you are out," she said, and made a last circuit of the damaged bridge. She noticed that the greatest destruction was to the computer units, leaving little behind but fused
silicates.
Another disruptor blast wrecked what little remained of the undercarriage of the Glavus, and as a result the ship canted farther onto its side, throwing the few Petits remaining on the bridge into confusion and disorder.
"Hang on!" Sventur shouted. "Everyone! Hang on!"
The order was needless, for that was precisely what all crew members were doing. Two hung from their arms at the top of the ladders, clinging to them as they swung their legs attempting to find purchase.
"You better get out of here," said Sventur to Lauy-Rei. "I want you to get everyone under cover as fast as possible. I've got one last thing I have to do."
"The remaining wounded?" said Lauy-Rei.
Sventur winced. "It's their option." She straightened up, thinking of what she would do if she were in the place of the stricken Petits. "There's a good chance the Bastan'gal will attack when they think they can."
Once again the remaining members of the rescue team were gingerly picking their way up the ladders, headed for the damaged hatch, weapons within reach.
"If they haven't done it already and are just stringing us along," added Lauy-Rei.
"Spoken like a true Protocol Officer," said Sventur.
"Yeah. Well." Lauy-Rei went to the nearest ladder. "It'll hold a little longer if they don't fire again."
"It ought to," said Sventur. "Get everyone under cover," she repeated.
"How long do I wait, if I have to wait?" asked Lauy-Rei as she resigned herself to Group Line Chief Sventur's orders.
"Give me five minutes. If you don't see me or receive my signal, start back. Keep watch for the Yamapunkt. We were supposed to have help from her before now."
"That's Fayrborn's ship," said Lauy-Rei as she started up the ladder.
"It's Boro Omerrik's ship now," corrected Sventur. "And he's good at his job."
"Unlike Fayrborn," said Lauy-Rei, making good progress up the canted ladder.
Sventur turned away and headed back down the corridor toward the little sick bay where the most dangerously wounded lay. She carefully made herself think of other things than her mission with the wounded.
They were still, most of them no more than partly conscious. They were monitored by small machines. Sventur could see the capsules in their hands. She paused in the open door, watching them.
