Sertian Princess

by Peter Kenson

  First one of the streams of energy bolts wavered, and then another and another. Then, as they picked up their new target, swung quickly towards the shuttle. He waited, tensed, expectant, as the beams swung closer, then flung the shuttle aside as two pulses of energy collided in the space he had just been occupying. Now the game had changed. He flew the shuttle now in a zigzag series of evasive manoeuvres as the violet beams tried desperately to catch him.

  Slowly he allowed himself to be driven away from the spacefield. Two kilometres now. They had left it too late. Another few seconds and they would not be able to depress the lasers sufficiently to bear on him. He levelled out the dive now as the beams played harmlessly above him and swung round in a tight circle to make the fast low-level run across the field to drop off the Imperial Guard.

  ***

  From the safety of the Palomar's main airlock, Dak Hendrick watched the scenes of chaos on one of the viewscreens. Imperial Guard seemed to be everywhere. Logic said that there could not be that many of them but it was an assertion which was difficult to support from the evidence on the screen.

  His own Defence Forces were being cut to pieces and the survivors were falling back on all sides. Bodies lay in heaps on the ground outside the main barracks where their officers had tried to make a stand. The Control Tower had been reduced to a smoking ruin and the laser emplacements had been silenced.

  Across the field he could see a shuttle of a type he did not recognise, preparing to land. In its open hatchway he could make out the forms of yet more troops, getting ready to jump as soon as the shuttle touched ground.

  "I've got to get down there," he said, punctuating each word by punching his fist into the palm of his other hand.

  "It's too dangerous, Colonel. We daren't open the airlock at present. You'd be cut down before you reach the car."

  "Then what do you suggest," he snarled, rounding on the speaker. "That we sit here like pigeons, waiting to be picked off? I have to get down there and take charge."

  The young officer who had spoken, swallowed nervously and looked round at the other occupants of the airlock. Nobody else appeared ready to offer any suggestions so he went on hesitantly.

  "Well sir, we could..........I mean we could try to divert their attention."

  Hendrick swung round to face him. "Go on."

  "Well sir, it's a long run from here down to the cars...."

  "I can see that for myself," he snapped sarcastically.

  "......but it wouldn't be so far from the emergency airlock." He finished in a rush.

  "It's still too far," Hendrick said. "Nearer, but still too far."

  "Yes sir, but if you go down to the emergency airlock, when you're ready we'll open the doors here, drop the ramp and make as though we're about to come out."

  "Meanwhile, I open the emergency door and slip across to the cars. That's good. It might just work, particularly if we get one of the cars to edge in closer to the rear steps. Well done, Lieutenant.....?"

  "Browne, sir. Michael Browne."

  "Yes, Lieutenant Browne. Very well done." He looked round at the other officers. "At least somebody here is capable of thinking."

  He turned back to face Browne. "So let's make it happen. Lieutenant, you stay here and take charge of this airlock. I'll take the prisoners with me and go on down to the emergency airlock. I'll let you know when I'm in position."

  "Yes sir. Good luck sir."

  ***

  On the flight deck of the shuttle David was battling with the controls, trying to keep the craft level and provide a stable platform for the assault teams firing from the open airlock. Although the shuttle was designed for planetary operations, it was more manoeuvrable outside of a planet’s atmosphere. The aftershocks of the Salamander's arrival into the atmosphere above them were still rumbling around, and were added to now by the shock waves from the explosions occurring on all sides of the spacefield.

  Julia had gone back to take charge of the assault party at the airlock and spoke now on the cabin speakers.

  "Palomar's opening her main airlock. Looks like they're going to try and make a run for it."

  "Ok. I'm going down. Get ready to take the team out."

  The shuttle rocked as a stray laser blast hit one of the rear fins, swinging the tiny ship around. David cursed as he felt the immediate loss of response in the controls. He swung the shuttle back so that the open airlock was again facing the Palomar and the line of waiting cars. The controls were starting to feel heavy now as he edged down towards the ground. What was more worrying was the slight rocking motion he could feel. That last blast must have damaged one of the rear stabilisers. His hands moved with practised ease to adjust the other stabilisers to compensate and damp out the motion.

  Less than 10 metres to go now as he fought to keep the rate of descent under control. The shuttle was becoming more and more sluggish in responding to his demands. It must have been more than just a stabiliser that was damaged in that blast. Five metres. Two metres and he felt the shuttle lurch as the first of Julia's team baled out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them run out and drop into firing positions about 20 metres away, establishing a perimeter and providing cover for the rest of the group.

  Touchdown. He cut the drives and headed for the airlock with Brianey a step behind. Jumping to the ground he rolled left and lay prone for a few seconds to survey the scene. Two of the rearmost cars in the line were already on fire and burning fiercely, but the leading cars were obviously protected by some degree of armour plating. It was around these cars that the main resistance was concentrated.

  He heard the faint "chuck" of the grenade launchers and watched as the canisters arced through the sky to land around the cars where the firing was fiercest. Thin puffs of smoke appeared as the grenades exploded and the rate of fire slackened as the gas quickly spread amongst the defenders. Those who stood and tried to run from the gas were cut down by Julia's sharpshooters.

  The front car in the line began to move, trying to get out from under the gas cloud. David saw Julia directing the fire of two of the assault teams against the moving car but the lasers were just bouncing off the heavy armour. The rest of the bodyguard, wearing masks and breathing filters had now reached the line of cars but the gas had done its work and there was little opposition left.

  David and Brianey sprinted across the open ground and dropped down beside Julia in the cover of one of the cars.

  "Let the car go," he ordered. "There's nobody on board. No-one's come off the freighter yet".

  Julia spoke into her communicator and the teams who were concentrating on the moving car, gave up and moved into position to cover the Palomar's airlock. As they watched, the unloading ramp began to extend itself downwards from the open airlock door. At the same time and obviously acting on a prearranged signal, the heavy car spun round on its axis and headed back at speed towards the freighter.

  "Get ready," David shouted. "They must be coming out."

  As the car came racing in, the open airlock suddenly filled with men armed with heavy laser rifles. Some spilled down onto the top of the ramp but instead of heading on down and making a run for it, the entire group just stood their ground and began firing at the assault team's positions. The amount of energy being hurled at them was so great that most of the bodyguard were pinned behind the cover of the armoured vehicles unable to return fire.

  There was a scream to David's left and one of the bodyguard collapsed to the ground, her once beautiful face now only a molten ruin. Some of Julia's marksmen had crawled into firing positions underneath the cars and screams of pain from the direction of the freighter told that they were also incurring casualties. But it seemed that as soon as one man was hit, another stepped forward to take his place and maintain the rate of fire.

  "Keep your eye on that bloody car." David spoke urgently to Julia. "They mustn't be allowed to reach it."

  But the men on the ramp showed no sign of moving down towards the car, staying instead on the highest pa
rt of the structure in order to direct their fire downwards onto David's position. Suddenly the incoming car broke right and swung away from the base of the ramp, to curve behind the freighter.

  Julia looked at David in surprise. "What's going on? Have they given up?"

  "If they have, they've got a funny way of showing it," he replied as the blasts from the laser rifles continued to probe the wreckage of the cars.

  "My lord." Brianey touched his arm.

  "What is it?"

  "I thought I saw some movement round the far side of the freighter."

  "Where?" He peered round the side of the car but immediately ducked back as an energy bolt struck just above his head, turning the metal a dull cherry red and sending a shower of sparks cascading over them.

  "What were they? More ground defence troops?"

  "I only caught a glimpse of them, my lord, but I don't think so. The uniforms looked different. And...."

  "And what, Bri?"

  "Well I can't be sure my lord, but I thought I caught a glimpse of a woman with them."

  "Dammit to hell." He snatched the communicator out of Julia's hand. "Sam. Sam, do you read me? Has that frigging freighter got another airlock?"

  The reply was almost instant. "Yes boss. There'd be a small emergency airlock on the far side."

  The car had disappeared behind the bulk of the freighter now but the fire from the ramp and airlock showed no signs of lessening. He switched the communicator to the tactical channel being used by the Imperial Guard.

  "This is David Held. My group is pinned down behind the line of cars by the fire from the Palomar's airlock. I need some support and I need it now."

  There was a curt acknowledgement from one of the Guardsmen, David could not determine which, and then the channel went silent. Energy bolts from the freighter were still hurtling down around them. There was an urgent shout of alarm as the car two away to his left burst into flames, sending the team sheltering behind it scurrying for new cover. Only one of them made it. The other man collapsed in the open, screaming in agony and clutching a blazing wound in his leg where the laser had struck.

  David touched the controls on his belt, turning his personal shield up to full power.

  "Cover me," he yelled to Brianey. Without waiting for a reply he ran across to the fallen man. The first bolt hit him as he was still running. He felt the tingling sensation as the belt screen absorbed the energy pulse. The second and third hits came as he knelt by the head of the man who had by this time sought refuge in the shelter of unconsciousness. He was getting hot now. The belt could only handle so much energy in such a short space of time.

  He hooked his arm across the chest of the unconscious man and began to drag him back into the cover of the cars. Another hit and this time he felt the intense heat of the blast on his shoulder. The tingling feel of the screen gradually spread the heat across his back and down his arm, getting weaker all the time. Then the sensation cut off abruptly. With his free hand David felt for the belt controls, but it was no use. The screen had gone. The circuits had finally overloaded. The next pulse to hit would do some major damage to his body.

  He was still several metres short of the shelter of the cars when the explosion occurred. He stumbled and almost fell as he looked up to see the cause. Then Brianey was there, taking the injured man's other arm, and together they dragged him to safety and the waiting medical team. David lay back against the car, gratefully gulping in lungfuls of oxygen. Gradually his mind stopped its exclusive concentration on his complaining body and allowed the changed state of his surroundings to filter through into the upper levels of his awareness. Silence. There was almost total silence apart from the breathing and movements of the people around him. The rain of laser fire had stopped.

  David raised himself onto one knee and cautiously looked over the top of the wreckage. This time, however, his appearance attracted no fire from the freighter. The reason for this was clear for all to see. Where the airlock had been before was now a jagged hole some five metres across and the ramp itself had completely disintegrated. He could see bodies lying in the opening and, as he stood up, he could see more bodies lying on the ground below. But there was no firing.

  He allowed his circle of awareness to expand beyond the freighter. There was very little fighting going on anywhere on the spacefield. He looked up startled as a shadow passed over him. Prince Gerald and one of the guardsmen were there, hovering above the cars on their antigrav units.

  "Where's the car that was behind the freighter?" David shouted up.

  Gerald touched one of the controls on his chest and shot up into the air. He hung there for a few seconds and then dropped down to land by David's side.

  "There's one car, moving away at speed. Appears to be heading for one of the entrance tunnels to the Administration Complex."

  "They're almost certainly in that car. Stop it, delay it, do what you have to but don't damage it."

  Gerald nodded. "Sergeant Harrides. There's a car heading across the field towards the Administration Complex. Seal the tunnel entrance, and any other entrance they make for. If they abandon the car, take them alive but don't attack the car otherwise."

  He waited for an acknowledgement and then turned back to David. "That should hold them. They have nowhere to run to. The rest of the field is secure and under our control."

  "Very impressive, Lieutenant. So let's go and retrieve the hostages. Brianey, see if any of these vehicles are still operational."

  "Already done, my lord. There's one over there that's warmed up and ready to go."

  David climbed into the car to find Julia and three of the bodyguard already inside. He looked back through the open door. "Lieutenant?"

  "No, you carry on. I'll leave Private Tegal here to cover the freighter and follow you on the antigrav."

  Julia had the heavy car in motion even before Brianey had slammed the door. The engine roared as it struggled to get the weight of armour moving across the field. David opened a channel on his communicator.

  "Sam, can you see the cars moving on the field?"

  "Yes boss."

  "Ok. Scan the leading car and make sure that Zara's in there."

  "Sure boss.... Yep, she's in there."

  "Right. Now can you hit that car with a stasis field and immobilise it until we get there?"

  "Sure thing boss. Just give me a few seconds to.... Dammit I missed. I'll have to widen the field a bit. And try again.... Got her. She's stopped boss. Seems to be suffering from total electrical failure on all systems. I can't understand it."

  "Ok, ok. Thanks Sam. And remind me to rebalance your personality response file when I get back on board. You're getting cynical in your old age."

  CHAPTER 23

  Inside the stationary car, Zara tensed herself against the seat where she was crammed between Colonel Hendrick and one of the guards. The time was nearly there, she knew, when she would have to take a more active role in the drama. She gave a reassuring smile to Lynda who was sitting opposite her between two more of the Palomar's crew. Then she slipped easily into the familiar and comfortable rituals she had long used to prepare her body for the stress of combat.

  She carefully blocked out the furious demands which Hendrick was making for the driver to do something about the stalled car and concentrated, as she had been taught, on relaxing and making ready each part of her body in turn. And when the ritual of physical preparation was complete she turned her mind to external problems. They had only searched her perfunctorily when she had been captured, and had not noticed the moonstone, set amongst a pattern of other gemstones in an ingeniously designed bracelet. She used the power of that stone now, to send her mind searching for the thought patterns of the Colonel sitting next to her.

  Hendrick's thoughts were not hard to find. Zara identified him first by the aura of fear which enveloped him. Behind the furious bombast the man was terrified. Delicately, carefully, so as to leave him unaware, she inspected the man's thoughts with a cold, profession
al distaste, and before retreating, left a mental tag there so that she could instantly find him again when the time was right. Zara returned to her own body to wait. It could not be long now.

  "COLONEL HENDRICK."

  The stentorian bellow seemed to originate from somewhere directly above them and the power of the voice filled the whole space around and inside the car. The voice was obviously being amplified but more than that, various subsonics were being added to it which vibrated the body of the car despite the armour plating.

  "COLONEL HENDRICK. IN THE NAME OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, I CALL ON YOU TO RELEASE YOUR PRISONERS AND SURRENDER. THROW OUT YOUR WEAPONS AND COME OUT OF THE CAR WITH YOUR HANDS UP. IF YOU SURRENDER I GIVE YOU MY WORD THAT YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED."

  Hendrick was staring wildly out of one window and then another, trying to identify the source of the voice. There was another car now, stopped about 50 metres away but the voice had not seemed to come from there. Zara caught a glimpse of David and the bodyguard as they tumbled out of the car, and then the Colonel's head got in the way again, blocking her view.

  She switched her attention back to Lynda. She had jumped with the rest of them when the voice had first started but was sitting there now, between her guards, with a little grin of recognition on her face. Zara frowned at her, trying to make her wipe the grin away, but it was too late. Hendrick looked up and saw her.

  "What are you grinning about?” he snarled before the realisation dawned. "You know who it is out there, don't you?"

  Lynda shrank back into the seat, shaking her head. The grin quickly vanished to be replaced by fear as Hendrick leaned across towards her with a heavy blast pistol in his hand.

  "Tell me who it is, you little bitch."

  Lynda still stayed silent, shaking her head until that movement was restricted by Hendrick jamming the pistol hard against her throat, under the chin, forcing her head back.