by neetha Napew
The chief nodded and smiled. “Humans find joy and sorrow in any community, Nykkyo.”
* * *
A shaft of morning light fell across Nyk's eyes and he groaned. “You're going to have to lay off that stuff,” Nayva said.
“It's part and parcel of a council-of-elders meeting.”
“Think what you want,” Andra said. “I have some breakfast. Are you tired of inkroot yet?”
“I'm tired of whatever roast beast it is we've been served the past four days. It's beginning to taste a little off.” Nyk sat up and rubbed his eyes. He felt his face. His sparse beard was showing six days' worth of growth. “I'd give anything now for a sharp razor and a basin of warm water.” Andra handed him a bark tray and he began eating his breakfast.
The communicator chirped again. Nayva picked it up. “Lexal-One here.”
“Ah, Lexal-One. This is your rescue squad. We're dispatching a shuttle to the southern continent. It should be there shortly. Place your communicator into transponder mode and we'll home in on it.”
“Very good.” Nayva pressed a control on the device. “I can feel that hot water already.”
“Kyto would prefer we draw our rescuers to a spot away from the village. He doesn't want Abo's whereabouts widely known.”
“It's out of the bottle,” Andra said.
“I know, but let's adhere to his wishes. We'll take a hike to the top of that hill.”
* * *
Nyk and Andra huddled under a feather-pelt while Ylak showed Nayva how to shoot a blowgun. Nyk looked down at the valley. “Their village blends well with the forest. I wouldn't know it was there from this vantage.”
“Only when someone stirs the fire and sends up some smoke,” Andra replied.
The communicator began chirping. “They're homing in on us,” Nayva said.
“Watch the sky. We'll wave them in.”
The chirping became more frequent and intense. “They're very close now,” Andra said.
“Look!” Nyk pointed skyward. A craft circled overhead, leaving a double contrail. It began to lose altitude.
Nayva picked up the binoculars and peered through them. “They're quite high up -- I'm sure they can't see us.” She followed the craft as it circled. Then, she picked up the communicator and switched it off. “Run! That shuttle's Altian!”
Nyk started running toward the village. “Are you sure?” he panted.
“Yes! Altian shuttles have a distinctive twin-tail configuration.”
“We've been tricked!” Andra said. “The capital in friendly hands. Friendly to whom?”
Ylak ran ahead of them into the village. Nyk was greeted by Kyto and the chief.
“What is the trouble?”
“We've been tricked,” Nyk replied. “Or, perhaps we tricked ourselves, desiring rescue so badly. I'm afraid we've given our whereabouts to our enemy. We may have placed you in jeopardy, too.”
“It seems to me,” Kyto replied, “in such a situation, one has no choice but to hunt the hunters.”
“How would we do that?”
“With bait.”
The communicator chirped again. “Lexal-One this is rescue. We lost your signal.”
Nayva held the device to her lips. “Our communicator is having power cell problems. We're working on it.”
“Rescue standing by.”
“What do we do?” Nyk asked.
“We'll call a council meeting,” the chief said.
* * *
Nyk sat with the village men in a circle in the lodge. “What is it your enemies want?” the chief asked.
“They want Andra.”
“The white one? I don't blame them -- she's a very beautiful woman.”
“They want her dead. They believe she's the wife of ... the chief to whom we're loyal.”
The chief nodded. “You're a member of our village, Nykkyo. We can conceal you.”
“They know we're here, and they'll stop at nothing to find us. More will come with powerful weapons. Concealing us puts your whole tribe into danger.”
“What do you propose?” Kyto asked.
“If we could seize their vessel -- Nayva can fly it. She can draw their attention from you, and perhaps take us to safety. It's our best hope, now.”
The chief looked around the circle. “We will help you.”
* * *
Nyk followed Bek to a clearing some distance from the village. “This is a good spot.” He motioned to some village men, who began gathering firewood.
Kyto stepped forward with his fire stones and ignited the blaze. Andra sat alone on a log near the fire.
“Signal them,” Nyk said.
“Rescue, this is Lexal-One.”
“Rescue here.”
“We're turning on our transponder now.” Nayva pressed a control and the gadget began chirping. She set the device next to Andra on the log.
“I'm all set,” Andra said. She pulled the remnant from her gown around her shoulders.
Nyk retired to a spot behind some brush. He could hear the transponder chirps from the communicator.
“Patience is the art of the hunt,” Kyto said.
“Patience is something I lack.”
“You'll never be a good hunter, Nykkyo.”
Nyk fidgeted. Kyto placed a hand on his shoulder.
The chirping became a solid tone. Ylak pointed skyward and they saw the twin- tailed shuttle circling and then drop below the horizon.
Nyk started to jump up, but Kyto restrained him. “Our prey has sniffed the bait. We must wait until it's been seized.”
Nyk squatted behind the bush and watched.
Ylak tugged on his sleeve and pointed toward the horizon. An open skimmer was headed toward the clearing. Nyk looked into Kyto's eyes. The old man smiled and nodded.
Nyk could see about a half dozen troopers on the skimmer. One was carrying an Earth-style shoulder arm. The craft headed toward the clearing. “Now, Andra,” Nyk thought. Andra kept gazing at the campfire. “Now, Andra!”
Andra touched the black gem in her belt buckle. For an instant a shimmer surrounded her. She kept her eyes on the fire, warming her hands and rubbing them together.
The skimmer hovered about fifty metres from where she sat. The trooper lifted his shoulder gun and aimed. The silence was broken by the crack of its discharge. Andra fell backwards and lay still on the ground.
Kyto began to jump up, but this time Nyk restrained him. The old man looked at him and nodded.
Nyk could hear the corpsmen speaking in Lingwafloran. “Good shot,” one congratulated the marksman.
“Let's grab the princess's body and get out of here.”
“What about the others?”
“They can rot here.”
The skimmer flew to within a few metres of the campfire and touched down. The troops stepped off and headed toward Andra.
The chief gave the signal and the brush erupted with villagers loading and shooting their fireplant darts. In an instant the Altians were on the ground, dead or dying. Andra stood and switched off the shield.
Nyk embraced Kyto. “Thanks. I hope our paths cross again.”
“Nykkyo...” Kyto handed him the ancient journal. “Go with luck.”
Nayva climbed aboard the skimmer. “Come on!”
“I'll come with you,” Ylak said and climbed aboard.
Nyk helped Andra aboard and climbed on himself. Nayva took the controls and headed in the direction the troops had come.
“Where do you think the shuttle is?”
“There's only about one place they'd want to set down.” Nayva pulled back on the stick to gain altitude. She pointed. “There!”
Nayva piloted the skimmer directly over the shuttle and put it into station-keeping.
The shuttle pilot leaned from the craft. “What're you waiting for? Do you have the princess?”
“Yes,” Nyk called. “Get ready to give us a hand.”
The pilot stepped out of the craft. Ylak retrieved a thorn from
his pouch and loaded it into his blowgun. Nayva dropped the skimmer to the ground. The boy stood and blew the dart into the pilot's neck. The man reached for it, then fell to the ground in convulsions.
“Quick -- leave the skimmer here,” Nayva said. They clambered aboard the shuttle.
Nyk turned to Ylak. “You'll have no trouble finding your way back to the village?”
The boy flashed a broad smile. “No trouble at all.”
Nyk climbed into the shuttle, turned and waved at Ylak and gave him the two- fingered Floran salute. The boy turned and ran into the forest. Nayva closed the hatches and started prelaunch. The power cells whined as they spun up. “Do you still want to go to Floran?”
“Yes, yes! Let's see the Altians deny this.”
The shuttle headed skyward, and soon achieved orbit. Nayva operated the navigation computer. The sensors picked up other vessels orbiting Lexal. She set course to join them in formation.
“White, this is leader,” came a hail. “Do you have the princess? ... white, do you copy?”
Nayva switched off the communications system. “Prepare for subjump. We're not following their script.”
“Can they track us?”
“I'm afraid so.”
The viewport shutters closed and Nyk felt the jolt of the subjump. Nayva operated the navigation computer again. “Prepare for warp jump.” The ship shook. “One more -- subjump.”
The viewport shutters opened and Nyk looked down on his indigo homeworld. “That's a beautiful sight!”
“We're not done yet,” Nayva said. “Another vessel just came out of warp jump and is heading toward us. Hold on.”
“Head for Sudal. We'll hole up in the Residence until this blows over.”
“Is that the best place?” Andra asked.
“It's built like a fortress. Do you have a better suggestion?”
She swung the craft around to enter the Floran outer atmosphere belly-first, then oriented to fly as an aircraft. “I'm computing a trajectory toward Sudal. But, for now it looks like we're heading for Floran City. They'll have a harder time tracking us in the lower atmosphere, and this bit of evasion might buy us some more time.”
Nyk looked out the forward viewports and saw Floran City looming before them. “We're diverting to Sudal,” Nayva said. She pulled hard on the stick. The craft swung around and flew past the mons and toward the southern city.
Nayva switched on the communications system. “Sudal, this is Lexal-One requesting priority landing.”
“Lexal-One, acknowledged. Bearing one-eighty-two, left. You are cleared.”
“One-eighty-two, left. Acknowledged.”
Sudal appeared before them in the forward viewport. The shuttle lost altitude and velocity. The landing approach vector appeared on the nav display. Nayva trimmed their approach, dropped landing gear and touched down. She pulled the craft off to the side of the polymer concrete apron.
Nyk popped open the hatch and helped Andra out. “Are you coming?” he called to Nayva.
“I'll stay with the shuttle -- in case you need it.”
Nyk held Andra's hand as he ran to the groundcar lot. He picked one, popped open the cowl and climbed in. He pressed his wrist to the scanpad and selected Sudal University as the destination.
The cowl slid shut and the car headed to the south. Nyk switched off the automatic guidance. A unistick popped up from the floor. He grasped it and piloted the car by hand out of the city limits and toward the east. He pulled onto the access road running past the Residence and drove toward his childhood house.
13 -- The Assault
Nykkyo drove the groundcar up to the house, popped the cowl and helped Andra out. “Go inside -- I'll be along shortly.”
Andra headed into the house. Nyk rolled the car into the lower level, hopped out and headed up the spiral staircase.
He spotted Andra in an embrace with Senta. “Andra -- I'm so happy you're safe. I was so worried when I heard of the situation on Lexal.” Senta stepped back and regarded Andra - - her soiled and tattered gown. “What happened to you?”
“It's a long story,” Nyk said from near the house's main control panel. He pressed an actuator and the storm shutters slammed down. “I'm not sure we're safe -- we may be having uninvited guests.”
Senta moved toward Nyk. “Nykkyo! You would be behind this.” She threw a punch at Nyk but he ducked and stepped back. She advanced toward him and slapped his face.
Andra grabbed her arm. “No, Senta. Nyk came to rescue me. It was my idea to get involved.”
“No matter,” Nyk replied. “I'm sure the Altians will track us here. I hope this structure is strong enough to hold them off until help arrives. Now, I must make a call.”
Nyk entered Kronta's locator code. “The Altians have overplayed their hand,” Kronta said. “They've seized Lexal and now there's a pitched battle at the Sudal shuttleport. The stunners our internal affairs boys have are no match for those Earth firearms.”
“What's the HL's response?”
“We've been in contact with Wygann, who's in hiding somewhere outside the Lexalese capital. The HL has censured -- and muzzled -- the Altian and Deltan delegates and has offered to activate the strike force -- to help Wygann. He's refused.”
“Wygann refused the HL's help?”
“That's right.”
“Send that force to Sudal, and to the Residence. Andra and I are holed up here and we could use reinforcements.”
“I'll send the word.” The display went dark.
* * *
Nyk paced around his childhood home. “I hate being confined.”
Senta glowered at him. “How long do you expect it'll take them to find you?”
“Not long. No one can keep their whereabouts secret on this world.”
Andra picked up one of the handguns and tested it for balance. “I'll show you how to use this. Press the safety release with your index finger. The thumb-trigger is here.” She handed the pistol to Nyk.
“There's an update on Lexal on the vidisplay,” Senta said. Nyk and Andra stood behind her and watched as a mob marched on the ruined Lexalese palace. “Wygann's been recruiting Lexalese citizens and they're about to retake the palace.”
“How big is that crowd?” Nyk asked.
“Half a million,” Senta replied. “Maybe more. They're armed with tools -- kitchen knives, saws, farm tools.”
“Not a match for firearms.”
“But Wygann has the numbers. There's no more than a thousand or so of Vellod's supporters and Altian troops in the capital. It's unbelievable.”
A bang came from one of the storm shutters, then some pounding. “Quick, into the lower level,” Nyk said. He stepped to a vidisplay and placed another call to Kronta. “Where's internal affairs?”
“They have their hands full in Sudal. Two more Altian shuttles have landed.”
“We have commandos trying to break into the house.”
“They'll be there, Nyk.”
The pounding was joined by some scraping. “How long will that shutter hold out?” Senta asked.
Nyk shook his head. “I don't know.”
One of the troops taunted them through the shutter. “Janna, we know you're in there. We killed your pilot, now we're coming for you!”
Andra looked up at Nyk. “They killed Nayva!” She grabbed one of the handguns and headed up the spiral staircase.
“Where are you going?” Senta asked.
“I'm going to do something to discourage them. Maybe I can take out one or two of them in the bargain.”
Nyk picked up the other handgun and headed after her.
“No, Andra!” Senta shouted. “Don't!”
“We'll have the high ground,” Andra replied. “And, I'm wearing a shield.”
“You don't have a shield, Nyk!”
“I'll keep down.”
Nyk pushed open the trapdoor to the observation deck in the center of the Residence's domed roof and followed Andra. She pointed to a large skimmer p
arked on the bluff. Four commandos where leaning against it. Two of the troops were attempting to pry up one of the storm shutters. Another pair were standing back, watching the sky.
Andra pressed the gem in her belt buckle. She lifted the handgun and held it in a two- handed grip, her finger pressing the safety release and her thumb poised on the trigger button. She lowered the weapon and aimed at one of the commandos working on the shutter.
The weapon discharged with a dull poomph. The commando was thrown back and fell to the ground, blood oozing from his helmet. He convulsed for a moment and was still.
Andra turned the weapon on the second trooper and fired, knocking him to the ground. He stood and ran for cover behind some rocks. The commandos near the skimmer ducked behind it and shouldered their assault rifles.
“You'd better get down,” Andra said. “They're about to return fire.”
Nyk ducked into the trapdoor. The troops began firing at Andra, their rounds striking the shield with blue flashes, losing energy and dropping at her feet.
“I'm keeping them pinned down,” she shouted. “Got one in the leg. He's out of commission.”
One of the troops near the skimmer hopped into it and two others sat on its tail. The craft began to lift off. Andra turned and fired at it, hitting one trooper and knocking him off. He staggered backward and fell off the bluff onto the rocks below.
Andra fired at the skimmer. Fuel from its power cell began spraying. She fired again, and a spark from the round's impact ignited the fuel. The skimmer burst into flames, and Nyk could hear the two troopers screaming. “I denied them the use of their skimmer. It's down to four against one -- better odds.”
“You'd better get down,” Nyk shouted. “Every round that shield stops uses energy, and the power cells won't hold up forever.”
Andra ducked down and switched off the shield. The shooting stopped. “Now what?” Nyk asked.
“These boys will be a bit more careful, now.” Nyk and Andra knelt on the stairway beneath the trapdoor. “Maybe I should take a look,” she said.
