After that I began to look over the battlelogs for some indication of where all those ships had come from,but something was wrong with the logs. “Tactical, can you check thelogs? My screen does not show any enemy craft at all.”
“Sir, there must be something wrong with thecomputer. My logs show the same,” he replied as he franticallyworked at his station, trying to find the problem.
“Okay, wake up your crewmates …” Istarted.
“Sir! Fifty Peregrine-class ships are cominginto range!” called out tactical as I felt the fear weapon hitus.
“Do not break stealth, do not engage.” Thismade no sense at all. I just could not believe there were this manyfighters here. Just as I finished that thought the fightersdisappeared from my screen. “Of course!” I called out, “DarkKnights, we know the Magi can sow fear, so why not hallucinations,too? Those fighters are not real; once you realize that they willdisappear. That is why we have no record of fighting them, becausethe computers are not subject to the hallucination. Pilot, bring usto the landing site of Lieutenant Tom’s squad. If there is anythingleft of their ship I want to read its logs.” At first the DarkKnights seemed uncomfortable with that order, but one by one theyseemed to get it. “Once you have beaten the hallucination, wake upyour crewmates and train them to fight the fear weapon and thehallucinations.”
Chapter Twelve
While we traveled to the landing site, Istudied the most recent maps we had of the colony. Clearly the Magiknew we were there, and that meant we would have a fight waitingfor us. One could only guess what other tricks they had up theirsleeves.
“Sir, his ship is coming into view now,” saidthe pilot.
“Odd, there is no sign of a fight of anykind,” I remarked. The shelters were up just like Zalith hadexpected but the entire site was in perfect condition. “Unless … ofcourse! That explains how they were defeated. They did not knowabout the fear weapon when they landed, nor the hallucinations.Land us as close as you can. As soon as we are down we will move totake Tom’s camp. For now, assume the Magi hold it even though wecan detect nothing. Pilot, I want you to set the Dark Talon toreturn to orbit under full stealth once we are off. Program theautopilot to return to the fleet in twelve days. Bring atransmitter with us when we leave the ship. I want every bit ofinformation we collect to get back to the fleet should we fail toreturn. That hallucination weapon is far more deadly than the fearweapon. I shudder to think of the bloodbath if they merely confuseour fleet into attacking itself!”
I let that somber thought sit in the air aswe began our final descent. The Dark Knights were rechecking alltheir weapons and gear. They carried a wide variety of light andheavy arms. I followed their example and rechecked my pulse rifle.It was a fairly slow-firing weapon, but with extreme range andaccuracy. It was not the best choice for this kind of raid, but itwas my best weapon. At the Academy, I actually earned the name" One-Shot" with it because I was the only ensign who could hit mosttargets with a single shot.
The Dark Knights all put on theirenvironmental suits in preparation for the landing. The planet hadlittle to no atmosphere and we would be dead without protection.With the addition of a helmet my body armor would work well as anenvironmental suit on the surface of this barren world. Onceeveryone was geared up, they depressurized the craft. This wouldeliminate the need to cycle the airlock, which would be dangerousif we met resistance at the landing site.
Within seconds of the Dark Talon touchingdown the airlock was opened and we rushed out to secure the area.Once we were all out the pilot used his wrist computer to order theDark Talon back into orbit and we ran to Tom’s ship. The Knightsformed a wedge and put me in the center as they ran. I realizedthey were intentionally running slower so I could keep up. Theirlonger, more powerful legs and stabilizing tails allowed them toget much closer to the ground and move much faster than any human.The squad’s sergeant was in the front of the wedge running at hisfull height, attempting to shield me.
We reached the site without any interference.Nothing living showed on our scanners, and there were no bodies atall. The place looked more like a brand-new training mock-up thanthe site of a recent battle. The lack of weather helped to keepeverything exactly the way it had been set up. As soon as theKnights secured the camp, three of them went into the ship to getthe logs that I had requested.
“I do not like this at all,” said thesergeant.
“Me neither, it feels like a trap,” Isaid.
He nodded to this, but before we couldcontinue one of the men called out, “Sir, single target on theridge!”
I looked where he was pointing and saw whatlooked like an older man with a walking staff. I was just about tosend someone to retrieve him for questioning when he pointed thestaff at us. “What is he …?” I started to ask when a bolt of energyleft the staff and hit a group of the shelters nearby, completelydestroying them. The shockwave from the blast knocked me over. TheKnights’ powerful tails managed to keep them steady. “Return fire!”I called out.
As I got back up to bring my weapon to bear,I saw that our fire seemed to bounce off him. I grabbed a scannerand detected an energy field around him that I had never seenbefore. Before I could think this over, he aimed his weapon at theship. “EVACUTE THE VESSEL NOW!” I ordered over the inter-suitcommunications. I saw the three Knights dive out of the ship as theold man’s weapon blew a large hole right through it. “He has somekind of personal force field. All of you, concentrate your fire ona single point.”
As the Knights adjusted their fire he seemedto realize he was in trouble and dove for cover behind a rock. TheKnights did not let up their fire and completely destroyed thatrock, but he was nowhere to be found. I moved to the hole in theship and stuck my hand in it just to make sure it was real. “Somuch for them only having light arms. Where did he go?” Iasked.
“There!” someone called out, and almost asone all the Knights turned and opened fire. He then dove for coveragain, and disappeared like the previous time. This happenedseveral mores times; we were locked in a stalemate. “Sergeant, weare sitting ducks here while he waits for help. We need to move. Ithink we should make a run for the colony. He will not be able tofire such a powerful weapon inside without killing himself in theprocess.”
“I agree,” he said, and again acting as onethey moved into their wedge around me and began running for theairlock on the colony. This time everyone on the outside wascontinuously firing in all directions. Over my shoulder I saw theold man come out of hiding and take aim with his staff, but hecould not fire. If he missed he might rupture the airlock to thecolony. I lost track of him as we ran, but I was sure the Knightsknew exactly where he was. When we got to the airlock one of themquickly disassembled the lock, and with what looked like a simpletwist of a few wires opened the door. The airlock was large enoughto hold all of us and we quickly filed in. The Knights up frontdropped to one knee and pointed all their guns at the exit to theairlock. As the door opened a group of men rushed in, only to bequickly killed by fire from the Knights’ weapons. Once the area wassecure I moved forward to check the bodies.
There were no uniforms on them, and I did notrecognize their race. They looked almost like humanoid pigs withgreen skin. They did not have any guns; instead their weapons werewhat looked like knives and swords of various makes. Lookingclosely at the weapons, I noticed an oil-like sheen on them.“Poison,” I muttered. To my surprise the Dark Knights were stowingtheir guns and environmental suits, and pulling out their ownblades. The sergeant must have noticed my expression.
“In these close quarters blades are superiorweapons. If we did not already have our guns at the ready when theyrushed in, they would have killed several of us before we couldhave taken them out,” he said.
“Surely our body armor would stop a knife?” Iquestioned.
He did not answer; instead he picked up oneof the alien swords and swung it at the airlock wall. It burieditself deep into the heavy metal wall. “Okay, point taken. Well,all chance for a stealth hit is gone, so I say we
push straight fortheir primary computer center and upload all the data to the DarkTalon to be relayed back to the fleet.”
“I agree. If we take this corridor down tothe tenth junction, then turn left that will put us on a directpath to our target. Speed is going to be our best defense rightnow,” responded the sergeant.
“Then take us. I will follow your lead,” Ireplied. This was completely his turf. I knew nothing aboutpenetration hits like this.
He then looked at the squad, and theyimmediately reorganized and we headed out. Four Knights were sentahead, and four trailed behind us to prevent any surprise attackson our main force. We were moving fairly quickly down the windingcorridor when we got a radio call from our vanguard.
“Sir, we have met resistance … looks like twohumans with smaller versions of that weapon we saw earlier. Theyare positioned to shoot anyone that comes around the bend,” was thereport over the radio.
“Hold there. We can assume they have the samepersonal shields, so wait on additional firepower,” replied thesergeant. The Knights all put away their blades and drew out theirrapid-fire phase pistols. The sergeant must have seen the look Igave him because he turned to me and said, “The secret of avictorious warrior is being able to adapt to an ever-changingbattlefield. We carry several different kinds of weapon so that weare always ready.”
When we reached the vanguard I noticed theyhad set up a movable shield wall and had it ready to slide out.This would give them something to shoot behind. With the sergeant’snod they pushed it out and stayed low behind it. Several bolts ofenergy flew over the wall and scorched the metal walls behind theKnights. Once out in the corridor they returned fire but the humanshad the advantage of not having to hide and were able to keep theKnights effectively pinned down. I remembered something from themap that I had studied, and saw a small access panel. “Sergeant,what is your next move?” I asked.
“Well, we need to break the stalemate,” hesaid and held up two photon grenades.
“Hold off on that. I want to get my hands onthose weapons, if possible. Wait here. I am about to do somethingreally stupid, and I do not want to be talked out of it,” I said asI removed the access panel and crawled through to anothercorridor.
I needed to move fast, but undetected. Thiswould be hard since I still was unsure how they had found us undercomplete stealth in orbit. Then I remembered what had happened inthe medical wing, how I dropped completely off all the sensors. Thecomputers, of course, thought the lack of a heartbeat or brainwavesmeant that I was dead, but in reality I was merely invisible to thesystems. What was it that I was doing …? Ah, yes! Of course! Thethought shield I used in puzzle-solving mode. I immediately put itup and ran down the corridor.
I came out around the bend just slightlybehind the enemy. I activated my suit communicator and said,“Knights, for the next fifteen seconds blast every gun you have. Itdoes not matter whether you hit anything; just create a blanket oflight. At fifteen seconds hold all fire and prepare to assist me.Start your fire … now.”
Right on cue the corridor lit up withblinding light. I was shielded around the bend with my back turnedand eyes closed, covered with my hand. Silently I counted off thefifteen seconds, and as soon as it was time I turned around thebend at full speed and charged the two humans from behind. Theywere still blinded from the light and never saw me spring into theair until I hit them both hard. They both went flying down to thefloor. I landed in a roll and prepared to get up when I saw thatone of them was already on his way up, so instead I pivoted my bodyon my shoulder and swept his legs out from under him. He fell backand hit the floor again but his partner was on his feet and movingto aim his weapon at me. I sprung off the floor leading with bothof my fists, hitting him hard in the center of his chest, throwinghim back into the wall and knocking all his breath out of him. Iturned to see what the first human was doing, just in time to seeone of the Knights pick him up and slam him into the wall.
“Well done, sir. Seems that the reports aboutyou being a timid bookworm were unfounded,” said the sergeant.
As they restrained the two humans I picked uptheir weapons from the ground. They looked like bone wands withazure writing on them. It was like something out of a video game. Iturned to one of the men and said, “Now you are going to talk, oryou are going to wish you did.”
He laughed, and wriggled free enough to puthis hand on the other man and said something under his breath thatI could not make out, and then vanished.
“What happened? Where did they go?” Iasked.
“There, sir!” said one of the Knights as hepointed down the corridor.
How did they get down there? Before I couldverbalize anything the man who had laughed raised another wand andsaid, “Fools! We are the Magi! You are pathetic, trapped in yourmachine-controlled world. Your pitiful empire has reached the endof its wasted life. Now die!” With that he pointed the wand at usand called out in a loud, clear voice, “Rawrathania!”
Around me the Knights dove for cover, but Idid not join them. Acting purely on instinct I raised my own wandand repeated his call a mere instant after his. A bolt of energyleft my wand and collided with the energy from his wand with a loudexplosion. Both bolts were completely consumed by the explosion. “Idon’t think so!” I called out.
“Impossible!” was his yelled reply.
Then two more humans came running down thecorridor behind him, only to be met by a volley of fire from theKnights. Two of them were killed quickly and the other twovanished.
“Good, it appears their shields only workwhen they are stationary,” said the sergeant. He then waved thevanguard to move out, and turned to me and asked, “How did you knowthat their shields would not stop your attack?”
“It was a lucky guess. We have limited energyshields like these in labs back in the Academy. None of them stopsphysical matter, so I assumed these would be the same,” was myresponse. The truth was I had not thought it through but reactedinstinctively. With that, we moved on. I maintained my thoughtshield; I planned to keep it up at all times now. It would justtake some practice.
We did not get very far down the corridorwhen our vanguard again reported that they were under attack, thistime by overwhelming firepower. They were wiped out before we couldreach them. As we got close the Knights again deployed their mobileshield wall. As we rounded the corner behind it we saw six humanswith wands, all firing very rapidly. The Dragon Knights returnedfire and used the shield walls to slowly inch forward. We now knewthe way to beat them was to close the distance between us and them,and the Knights would not be deterred. The humans were in a badsituation because if they stood to retreat their shields would falland they would be gunned down, but if they stayed put we wouldeventually reach them and make the fight hand-to-hand. No humanstood a chance against this squad in hand-to-hand combat. I thoughtwe had a sure win here when we got a call from our rear guard.“More of those green humanoids are coming fast down the corridor,at least fifty of them in view and more coming.”
“Rear guard, abandon your position and returnto the main group,” was the order from the sergeant.
About half of the Dark Knights turned andkneeled, preparing to open fire on the first sight of the rearattackers. The rear guard quickly reached us and dropped to do thesame. As the green creatures came around the bend the Knightsopened fire, but the enemy was holding some kind of shield in frontof them and they charged forward, undaunted by the heavy fire. Ipointed the wand weapon and fired it into their line. The bolt ofenergy smashed right through their shields and opened a hole intheir defenses, which the Knights immediately took advantage of.This did not even slow their charge; they just kept coming. Theysoon reached us and the Knights drew their own blades and took themon hand-to-hand.
I moved to the front line of our defenses andadded my wand to our firepower, knowing that I could not compete inthe rear line. The humans down the corridor did not let up theirfire and seemed not to care at all if their weapons hit their ownmen behind us. I do not know how long we fought there b
ut it wasnot long before I realized we were hopelessly outnumbered andoutgunned. Knights were dying on both sides of me, and more humanshad arrived to assist the wand group in front of us. I was reallyhoping the sergeant had some trick up his sleeves to get us out ofthis. We managed to kill what seemed like hundreds of the greenhumanoids, but they just kept coming. I was about to grab somegrenades off a dead Knight’s body when someone grabbed me frombehind and dragged me into a dark room. They put a cloth over myface and as I passed out I saw a very large explosion hit thecenter of the Knights. The last thing I heard was, “Sorry to dothis, sir, but we have to get out of here …”
Chapter Thirteen
When I awoke I was lying on a hard, coldfloor. It took a few moments to work my way out of the stupor leftover from whatever they used to knock me out. Even after Irecovered I did not open my eyes right away. I did not want to giveany indication I was awake just yet, but I did put up my thoughtshield. If I got a chance to make a break for it I did not want tobe tracked. Then I heard a gruff human voice say, “Sir, you can getup. There’s no use in pretending you’re asleep. You just droppedoff our sensors.”
I decided to cooperate for now and see what Icould learn, so I sat up and looked around. I was not at allprepared for what I saw: four men and two women in Imperialuniforms. Granted, their uniforms looked like they had taken a lotof abuse, but they were still recognizable. Then I noticed thepatch on their sleeves. “So I finally meet the Black Adders,” Isaid.
“Yes, sir. I am Major Jerran, ranking officerof what is left of the Black Adders,” said a tall and burly-lookingman. “Sir, we have to move. The Magi will notice that you’vedropped off their sensors and move in on this location as fast asthey can to get us. We can fill you in when we get to a saferplace.”
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