The two crewmen watched in a mixture of dumbfounded shock and awe.
“Who the hell are you?” asked Fued.
“Hey, what were you just saying?” replied Artemas with a barely concealed grin.
Xenophon pointed at the discarded carbine now lying on the ground. In the darkness, he couldn’t make out the exact type, but it hardly mattered. It was a weapon, and he wasn’t planning on fighting a war. They just needed enough firepower to break in the brigs and command deck.
“Grab his weapon. We have less than ninety seconds before the Chief cuts the lights and artificial gravity.”
Fued grabbed the carbine and quickly searched the fallen man before holding up his prize, a brace of standard issue Arcadian pistols. He thrust one into his belt and threw the second over to Bradford. Both men pulled the slides and ensured the safeties were off. Xenophon watched with a satisfied look as they went about their business. At least it looked like they could handle the weapons; it was a start.
“I’m going up,” said Artemas. “Follow me.”
She moved up the flimsy looking ladder to the hatch. She made no discernible noise and reached the wheeled clamp that held it shut in seconds. She looked down one last time at Xenophon to find him watching her move. She was unfazed by the attention and turned back to the hatch.
“Keep your eyes open and off me for a minute. We go...now!”
She grabbed the wheel and twisted for a half turn. With a clunk, the lock released and swung downwards to reveal a lightly lit room. Before she could move any further, a head appeared. She reached out to grab the man, but Xenophon reached her first and held onto her leg, stopping her from moving any further.
“No, that’s one of Xenias’ men. They must be holding them in there.”
She said nothing and lifted herself inside the room. Xenophon did the same, and the two crew moved in behind them. They loomed about the open space to find two men lying on worktops with considerable blood around them. Xenophon started to speak, but one of the hidden figures put a hand over his mouth and stepped closer.
“Ssh, they have guards not far from here.”
Xenophon looked around. It was clear these were not prisoners, so they must have hidden in this part of the ship following the uprising. He counted the silhouettes and came up with seven people plus the wounded.
“We’re going to take back the ship, you up for that?” he asked.
There was no response, just stunned silence. Artemas leaned in, her cheek almost against his. He could see her dark, close fitted clothing that looked almost like a renaissance bodice. Her hood was now pulled back and revealed her pale face and dark hair. He almost choked before speaking; he had never seen her equal before.
“We don’t have much time. In less than a minute, the gravity will be out,” she whispered.
“Gravity?” said one of the men. “That could give us a chance.” He pulled out a pistol from his belt and pulled back the slide. It made a gentle hiss sound as the pulse charge activated. Three other did the same, but each carried nothing more substantial than a military sidearm.
“Get ready,” said Xenophon as he moved to the door and looked through the tiny gap in the frame. It showed little, but he could definitely tell they were in the right place. The lighting at the far end indicated they were on the same level as the command deck.
“Now!”
He slid the lock to the side and pulled the door inwards to reveal the short corridor ahead. It was blocked with discarded storage containers and broken equipment like many of the empty parts of the ship. He moved ahead with Artemas right behind. The two crew plus those that wanted to join them followed until they reached the better lit section.
“Thirty seconds, we need to reach the brig, and fast! When the power goes, just keep them all busy. We’ll do the rest!”
He didn’t wait for a response and leapt out into the corridor. It was wide enough for three or four people to walk down side by side. He turned right and sprinted for the wider section near the entrance to the command deck. A short distance away was the crossroads section that split off into two smaller side passageways. The improvised brigs were on the right if he remembered correctly. There were only two guards, and both of whom were chatting near the doorway. Xenophon contemplated slowing down, but there just wasn’t the time. He made it to the crossroads and turned right. Artemas made it shortly behind him as well before they were finally spotted.
“Hey, what are you...” shouted the first guard but was quickly silenced by three quick shots fired by Fued. He continued around the corner to leave Bradford and the small contingent they had just met.
“Don’t let anybody through!” Xenophon shouted over his shoulder. At the end of the short passageway were three doors and he quickly recognised the one from the bug feed. It was sealed from the outside with the traditional wheel lock that could be accessed from one side only. He and Fued spun the wheel together and ripped open the door. As it opened, a fist came out that Xenophon narrowly avoided. A broken chair struck Fued and threw him onto his back. Artemas lifted her carbine but restrained herself in time for the others in the room to show their faces.
“Xenophon?” called out a woman’s voice.
More gunfire erupted from behind them as Bradford and the others encountered resistance. Glaucon, Tamara and Roxana emerged from the darkness as well as other familiar faces. Xenophon was shocked to see the bulk of the Dukas appear. He was bloodied and bandaged but still standing. Before any of them spoke, the lights flickered and cut out completely. Only the lights carried by Xenophon and Artemas gave them any clue as to what was happening.
“Good work, the lights, what next?” asked the Dukas.
As if in response, a dull thump spread through the ship and the artificial gravity deactivated. A solid clump sound from the mag gear used by Fued, Xenophon and Artemas kept them firmly on the ground.
“This is our only chance. Take these,” explained Xenophon, handing over the small assortment of weapons they had accumulated. It was only enough to arm another three people, but it was better than nothing.
“Now we hit the command deck, and fast!” said Artemas.
They stomped along the metal flooring with one or two people holding on to each of them. Glaucon and Roxana stayed with Xenophon, but Tamara managed to hold onto the walls, dragging herself just as quickly, even in the zero-g environment. Once they reached the corner, they stumbled into an unholy mess of a gun battle. Two bleeding men drifted in a deathly spin while everybody blasted away from behind any cover they could hold onto. Into this inferno of blood and flashing muzzles pushed the only four with mag-boots. The entire ship shuddered, but from what wasn’t clear. It may have been due to external influence, or more likely from the Chief Engineer trying to help with the diversion. Either way, it made it easier to move as everybody was thrown about.
They moved on and took up position around the door. Streaks of flame from a dozen pulse weapons ripped through the opening, making it deadly to enter. Tamara dragged herself into position above the door and pulled out what looked like a military issue fighting knife. Xenophon glanced at her with an odd look. She smiled back at him, saying nothing. One of the men from inside tried to jump out and join in the fight, but the lack of gravity made him slow and easy to hit. Tamara grabbed him by the neck while keeping her legs locked around the ceiling grab handles. She called out as he swung up and hit the ceiling. Tamara ripped his pistol from his hand and pushed him away to the waiting crew in the corridor.
The ship rocked again just as before. Artemas took it as an opportunity to break away from the deadlock. She threw herself inside the doorway and into the command deck. Seeing her move, Xenophon chased after her and managed to get inside just as a volley of pulse rounds hit around the metal framing. There was a scene of total confusion inside the command deck. The lack of power and gravity had sent most of the crew and guards scattering. But more importantly, with the gravity gone, it would take time for others to reach this p
art of the ship. Three men were holding onto computer desks so they could use their firearms. The rest, including the Komes, were still trying to get access to the computer systems.
“What the hell is going on? Where are my communications?” shouted Andronicus, totally unaware that his enemies were now in the same room. With no light other than the occasional flash from the pulse weapons, Xenophon and Artemas were easily able to sneak around this part of the ship undetected. Even Tamara managed to pull herself along the ceiling and then drifted down behind one of the larger displays. The three waited, but the gun battle continued around them. Xenophon lifted up slightly and glanced about the room. The command deck was large, and there was still no power, but there was light coming from two new points. The first came from a portable comms unit and the second from one of the computers being used by Andronicus.
“How is he getting power?” asked Artemas.
Xenophon shook his head.
“I don’t know, but we need to stop him before he calls for help.”
“Done!” replied Tamara, and without checking she pulled herself up the wall and disappeared into the darkness of the ribbed bulkheads that ran along the ceiling. They were partly there to reinforce the innards of the ship; and also to function as a secondary surface following a loss of gravity. Luckily, unlike the crew of the ship, none of Andronicus’ men seemed to have undergone any zero-g training. Xenophon had a brief flashback to his cadet training prior to joining the Navy, but his head being shaken by Artemas brought him back to the present.
“No daydreaming, we have to end this, quickly!”
She looked down at her pistol and moved to the right of the display unit. Xenophon moved to the left-hand side and waited for her move. He looked carefully and counted six distinct muzzle flashes coming from the deck. He could definitely take out two before they turned on him. Assuming Artemas did the same that would still leave them with two plus an unknown number of assailants who could not be seen in the blackness. He lifted his pistol and took aim at the targets furthest away.
“Ready?” whispered Artemas.
“Now!” he replied.
He squeezed off three rounds and ducked down. Artemas, on the other hand, emptied her handgun in its entirety. Her delay cost her, as the return fire must have clipped her. She leaned back, but her boots anchored her to leave her body swaying like a reed. Xenophon grabbed her, pulling her down out of the line of fire. The weapons fire had already dropped, and from the sound of the shouting near the entrance, something had changed. He looked back and spotted a dull glow of light with shadows moving inside.
They are through, he thought.
“This is over, drop your weapons, all of you!” came the booming voice of Xenias.
Two more firearms continued their deadly battle, but as more of the crew pulled themselves inside, it was clear the mere few traitors remaining were trapped and without a chance. The shadowy figure of Andronicus turned from his computer display and laughed towards Xenias.
“This isn’t over, you fool. I’ve already alerted my men, and the power is coming back on...about...now.”
Almost on cue, the emergency lights activated, their dull red glow spreading through the command deck. Xenophon lifted his hand to cover his eyes but luckily, the low level lighting wasn’t too bright. A gentle hum of computer systems indicated that the main power was also returning to the internal systems. Andronicus stood facing the newly arrived Xenias who was flanked by his crewmen, as well as Glaucon and Roxana, who were armed and all pointing their weapons at Andronicus. The traitors appeared to have only two more men left, and both were a distance away from their leader.
“Drop it, or we drop you,” ordered Xenias.
Andronicus laughed at him but kept his weapon trained on the Dukas.
“No. One move from any of your people and Xenias gets a third eye, understood?” he barked.
Xenophon lifted himself up slightly for a better view, but Andronicus spotted him and fired, forcing Xenophon back into cover.
“I’m warning you, any funny stuff, and he gets it right between the eyes. You know how serous I am. Now, put down your weapons and end this.”
Xenophon stayed low, eager to not to antagonise the deranged officer. Artemas lay huddled on the ground, nursing her wound. In the low light, he could see dark patches on her shoulder and chest but nothing more. He started to move closer, but she indicated for him to look to the ceiling, near to where Andronicus was stood. He leaned over and moved slowly to the side to get a look. At first he saw nothing, but then he could see the figure of Tamara in the shadows, directly above Andronicus. In her right hand she carried the military issue combat knife.
Don’t be stupid, just get down and stick that knife where it needs to go, he thought. His heart now pounded at concern for both her and the rest of them if she failed.
Without warning, he felt a harsh pull on his body and had to reach out to avoid smashing his head on the display unit. The artificial gravity was fully activated in less than a second, but that was enough for Tamara to lose her hold and fall from the ceiling. She landed in a heap on the floor behind Andronicus. He turned to see her lifting herself to her knees and started laughing. Xenophon aimed his pistol, but Tamara and Andronicus were right next to each other; it was too risky a shot.
“I warned you!” muttered Andronicus, and with a slow movement of his hand, he started to pull the trigger. Tamara burst forward with surprising speed and jammed the dagger into his throat. The impact was savage and snapped him backwards. His pistol blasted ineffectually, and the pulse round embedded in the metal wall, narrowly missing both Roxana and Xenias. As he fell down to the ground, Tamara jumped onto him and held onto the blade as he desperately tried to withdraw it. Roxana ran over, closely followed by Glaucon, and between them they prised her off the wounded man. Xenophon moved over to help, but Tamara spotted him and lurched at him to grab him.
“You crazy minx!” he laughed, just glad she appeared unhurt after all the excitement.
Xenias commanded the centre of the room, his bulk and voice demanding attention.
“Get all systems back online. I need full control and communications, fast!”
His crew split up, each heading to their old stations. Fued and Bradford stayed near the entrance and watched for signs of the inevitable reinforcements. Glaucon and Roxana were busy trying to halt the blood loss from their new prisoner.
“Damn, you were bloody lucky there,” said Roxana as she examined the deep wound.
“Yeah, just another few millimetres and you’d be in a coffin, you bastard,” muttered Glaucon in a far less conciliatory tone. He looked over to Xenophon who was working on one of the few computer units that was undamaged and still functional.
“The Chief is initialising propulsion and navigation. Comms are up already,” he said with obvious relish at the expense of Andronicus.
As they spoke, Roxana ripped off the man’s tunic and used part of it under his neck to support his head. As she was tying it, the main lights flickered on, bathing the command deck with bright light. All of them experienced mild discomfort for a few seconds as their eyes adjusted to the drastic change. It was then that she noticed the tattoo.
“Dukas, look at this!” she called out.
Two of the crew helped the wounded Xenias over to her. He bent down and examined the markings on the man’s collar. Normally, they would have been hidden from view, but now it was plain to see.
“Eleusinian Disciples, how the hell did they get on our ships?” he snarled.
Artemas walked over, her hand still holding onto her bleeding wound.
“We heard rumours they were trying to infiltrate ships in the Boeotian contingent. This group must have slipped aboard when the fleet was assembling.”
Xenias turned and looked at the woman. At first he saw nothing but the elegant shape of a scantily clad and very attractive woman. Then he spotted her pale face and distinctively elfin bone structure.
“Medes?” h
e muttered rhetorically.
Xenophon spotted the confrontation and moved beside her.
“Yes, she is an agent working for Cyrus.”
Xenias’ face changed at the mention of the Medes noble who was funding their operation. For a moment, Xenophon thought he might lurch forward into an attack, but instead he waved to one of his men. The dekarchos approached and saluted.
“Secure the main hallway. Nobody else gets anywhere near here.”
He then turned back to Xenophon.
“What do you know about the Eleusinians, then?” he asked. Before Xenophon could reply, the Dukas answered himself.
“They are a band of black marketers, cutthroats and mercenaries. They have been banned from every single civilised system colonised by man. They steal or kill for the highest price, no scruples, no honour and no loyalty to anyone but their bank accounts.”
He thought to himself for the briefest of moments, as if he was remembering some past event with this band of cutthroats. He shook his head, looking back to Xenophon.
“So, you’ve been in touch with the Chief?”
“Yes, he was below, on orders to redirect control of various sub systems to here so they could be controlled by one man.”
Xenias nodded closely.
“Makes sense, I’ve been thinking of doing the same. These old cruisers were built with some odd design ideas. Anyway, get him up here fast. I need this old bird clamped down tight.”
He then turned to Artemas.
“As for you, I see you have played your part in regaining control of this ship. That buys you time, for now. I suggest you join the others out there and help with the defences.”
Black Legion: 02 - Assault on Khorram Page 16
