“Is it possible more will make it off-planet?” asked the Incinerator’s commanding officer.
“I do not know the situation on the surface,” replied the colonel. “The locals developed some sort of jammer that kept our outposts from communicating with us. Based on that, I thought it prudent to get the queen off the planet.”
“As you should,” said the commanding officer. “We will give our troops a little more time to see if any of them are able to make it to a shuttle and get off-world. Then we will make the Sila pay for thinking they could rebel against our rule.”
“What are your intentions?” asked the colonel.
“I intend to make their planet burn,” replied the commanding officer. “We will nuke them from orbit until there are not enough left to think about developing technology for centuries. We will turn them back into subsistence farmers again. They will work…and they will work for us! They thought us harsh taskmasters before; they have not begun to see what harsh really looks like!”
“You will leave enough of the planet that we can restart the colony, of course?”
“Of course!” said the commanding officer. “She will never need to fear the air she breathes. We will start over on one of the smaller land masses. The capital, however, is going to be ash. Your men have another hour to get off-planet, then the bombs will start falling.”
“Sir!” called the radar officer, “I have a target coming up from the planet.”
The commanding officer nodded. “Very well,” he said. “Verify they are indeed the colonel’s men.”
“You don’t think the Sila could fly a shuttle do you?” asked the colonel.
“No, I don’t,” replied the commanding officer, “but when the queen is aboard my ship, I don’t take any chances.”
“The identification on the shuttle shows it is Shuttle Five,” said the radar officer.
“Thank you,” said the communicator. “I’m calling them now.”
Mark 17 Shuttle, Ashur Orbit, Unknown Date/Time
The radio came to life. “Shuttle Five, this is the Incinerator, over.”
“There is a ship called the Incinerator trying to call a Shuttle Five,” said the vizier.
“If no one answers,” said Calvin, “then we must be Shuttle Five. The next time they call, answer them.”
The radio crackled to life again, and the vizier answered. After a few back-and-forth comms, the vizier turned to Calvin and said, “They asked our cargo and intentions. I told them we were the last shuttle out, and that we had barely made it. I also told them we had six troops on board, and that we took fire that damaged our gear and some other systems.”
“Think they bought it?” asked Bob.
Calvin shrugged. “We’ll just have to wait and see…”
Bridge, Efreet Ship Incinerator, Ashur Orbit, Unknown Date/Time
“Sir, the shuttle confirms they are Shuttle Five and said they were the last ship out of the capital. They said they have six of the colonel’s men onboard.”
“It will be good to get some more of my men back,” said the colonel.
“I can confirm the shuttle launched from the capital, sir,” said the radar operator. “They are, however, flying a little funny, and their radar signature looks a little off.”
“They were damaged by local fire,” said the communicator. “One of their landing gear was broken, along with some other systems.”
“That makes sense with what I’m seeing,” said the radar operator.
“Did you have video of the pilot?” asked the commanding officer.
“No sir, audio only,” said the communicator.
“Call them back and get video of the pilot.”
“Yes, sir,” said the communicator. “Shuttle Five, please give me video of the pilot.” His video screen lit up with the picture of a male Efreet.
“Is there something I can do for you?” asked the shuttle pilot.
“No, we’re good.” The communicator turned to the commanding officer. “Video confirms the pilot is an Efreeti.”
“Understood,” said the commanding officer. “Pass docking instructions and welcome them aboard.”
Shuttle Five, Ashur Orbit, Unknown Date/Time
“They believed us,” said the vizier. “They just sent us docking instructions.”
“Awesome,” said Calvin. “Nice job everyone.”
Bob got out of the pilot’s seat and squeezed past Calvin. “I’m not going to get in trouble for impersonating an officer, am I?” asked the trooper.
“I won’t tell if you don’t,” said Calvin. He turned to Farhome. “You can turn him back to normal, please.”
“Aw, he looks better in black,” replied Farhome. “Okay, never mind,” he added, seeing the look on Calvin’s face. He reached over and touched Bob’s face, and Bob’s features changed.
His color faded from black to gray, and his face transformed from Efreeti to tyrannosaurus rex. Corporal Bobellisssissolliss, or ‘Bob’ for short, was a member of the Kuji race from Domus. The planet had joined the Republic of Terra the year before, and their troops had been serving with the Terran armed forces ever since. In addition to Bob, Corporal ‘Doug’ Dugelllisssollisssesss was also a member of Calvin’s platoon; several others had joined the space fighter squadron.
“Any problems?” Calvin asked the vizier.
“Not really…they just wanted to know why we were flying so badly.”
Calvin sighed. “Everyone’s a critic.”
Chapter 29
Jotunn Jail, 14 Herculis ‘a,’ Unknown Date/Time
“That’s not what I think it is, is it?” whispered K-Mart. The sole occupant of one of the prison wings, the silver creature uncurled from the ball it had been sleeping in. Its wings stretched, and its head soared to over 20 feet high. Golden eyes turned to look in their direction.
“If you think it’s a dragon, then yes, it is,” replied Rock. “Holy–”
“It’s a dragon who could hear you coming half a cell block away,” said the dragon. “And I could smell you from further. It’s a good thing the Jotunn are neither particularly intelligent nor observant, or I’m sure they would have found you, too, invisible or not.”
“But you can see us?” asked K-Mart.
“No,” said the dragon, “but I have been following your activities for a while and hoped you would make it up here.”
“Why is that?” asked Rock, as K-Mart pressed the button which made them visible again.
“Because I want you to let me out, of course,” said the dragon. “Why else?”
The Terrans looked at each other, not sure what to do.
“What do you think?” commed Rock. “He’s obviously an enemy of the giants.”
“True,” replied K-Mart. “Just remember an enemy of our enemies isn’t necessarily our friend.”
“But, he is also not your enemy yet either,” replied a third voice. “Freeing him from his prison would go a long way toward confirming your status as a friend.”
K-Mart looked back at the dragon. “A telepathic dragon?”
“Most intelligent beings are,” replied the dragon. “Are you not? How do you talk to each other without speech?”
“We have implants in our brains which allow us to,” replied K-Mart. “It is not something we can do naturally.”
“Well, of course not,” replied the creature. “You have to be led to enlightenment; very few individuals ever find it on their own.” He paused and then asked again, “So, are you going to let me out of here?”
“I’m reminded of a quote I saw on a t-shirt growing up,” said K-Mart. “It said something about not meddling in the affairs of dragons because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.”
“Do either of you have any ketchup?” asked the dragon.
“No, I don’t,” replied K-Mart.
“Then you are safe,” said the dragon. “I don’t have any either.”
“I will let you out of there,” said K-Mart, “but there are a f
ew questions I’d like to ask you before I do.”
“I don’t appear to be going anywhere,” said the dragon. “What are your questions?”
“Before I ask them, we haven’t been formally introduced,” said K-Mart. “I’m Lieutenant Dan Knaus, and this is Lieutenant Pete Ayre.”
“Yes,” said the dragon. “I know. K-Mart and Rock. I am Bordraab.”
“Why are you locked up here?” asked K-Mart.
“The same things great minds have always been locked up for, throughout all of history,” said Bordraab. “Subverting the masses, brainwashing children, et cetera, et cetera.”
“Really?” asked Rock.
“Of course not,” said the dragon. “I’m locked up because the Efreet came to our planet and took some of us off to give to the Jotunn, who wanted to use us in their arenas as victims of their sport. When they found out their best champion was not a match for even the weakest of us, they stopped putting us into the arena. When they found out we were telepathic and could coordinate a jailbreak without any indications, they split us up and sent us off-planet.”
“If you were so dangerous to them, why didn’t they just kill you?” asked Rock.
“Because they said they wouldn’t and, believe it or not, they are true to their word,” said Bordraab. “As telepaths, we knew their word was good when they said if 10 of us would return with them to their universe, they would spare our planet. They told us we would fight in their arenas, and if we survived, they wouldn’t kill us. So here I sit, not being killed by them…and yet, every day I feel my strength and health fading away.”
The dragon made a rumbling noise in his throat, and the Terrans realized he was laughing. “I, however, am under no such promise,” Bordraab added. “If you let me out, I intend to kill as many of them as my strength allows. Better to die in battle, rending my enemies, than to slowly waste away. And that is why I want to get out.” Bordraab’s head spun around to look down the hall. “Quiet!” he said. “They come.”
The Terrans went invisible as two Jotunn approached, talking to each other while they conducted their rounds. One carried something that looked like a cow’s leg the same way a human might carry a turkey drumstick at a county fair. The giant offered the animal leg through the bars to Bordraab. Recently severed, it still dripped blood.
“Here dragon,” the guard said. “Want a treat? It’s nice and fresh.”
When the dragon tried to seize it, the guard pulled it back out and took a bite. Both guards laughed. “Too slow,” said the one with the animal leg as they walked off down the corridor.
“That’s Plan B,” said the dragon once they were out of sight.
“Oh?” asked K-Mart.
“Yes,” said the dragon. “He does that every day, and every day my reaction has been slower and slower. They think it is because I am wasting away, which I am, but I have been feigning how slow I really am. Plan B is to take his arm off in the next day or two when he is the one holding the keys. I think I can get the door open before they can call for help; if so, I might be able to escape.”
“It is my intention to engineer a much larger escape than just you,” said K-Mart. “If you could be patient a little longer, I will return with aid and try to free everyone.” He paused, thinking. “You said you weren’t from this universe, correct?”
“That is correct,” said the dragon. “The Efreet brought me here in one of their ships. They used it to cross over to this universe. Why?”
“Because freeing you is only half the task,” replied K-Mart. “We also need to get you back to your universe, and I don’t think the device I have will transport something, I mean, someone as big as you.”
“Just a moment,” said Bordraab. He closed his eyes and laid his head on the floor.
The Terrans waited.
And waited.
Finally, when K-Mart had come to the conclusion that the dragon had gone to sleep, the golden eyes opened. “There is a device which will take me back to my universe,” he said. “It is on the level below us, not too far from here. There is also someone there who will use it to take me back to my universe.”
“He knows how to use it?” asked Rock.
“He should,” replied the dragon; “he built it.”
Docking Port #2, Efreet Ship Incinerator, Ashur Orbit, Unknown Date/Time
“Looks like there are five or six armed soldiers waiting for us,” said Doug as he looked through the airlock window. He waved. “I don’t know what they were expecting, but they seemed to relax when they saw me.”
“When they saw the ‘new’ you, anyway,” giggled Farhome. He had worked his ‘magic’ on the two Kuji again, and both looked like Efreet.
“I like being this tall,” said Bob as he looked out the window next to Doug. “Do you suppose we can stay like this when we’re done?”
“Enough chatter, knuckleheads,” said Night. “Focus.” He looked around the cargo bay. Everyone else seemed focused. “Just like we planned,” he said. “The Kuji go in, the Efreeti relax, and then we roll through and blast the shit out of them if they move. Any questions?”
There were none.
“It’s time,” said Bob as the airlock handle turned. The two Kuji filled the doorway as best they could, with the Terrans arrayed on both sides of the doorway out of sight.
The door opened into the larger ship, and Bob and Doug pressed forward, nearly knocking over the spacer who had opened the door. The Efreeti stumbled to the right and was knocked down by Night as he burst onto the destroyer. Wraith followed him to the right, with Staff Sergeant Zoromski and Gunnery Sergeant Bryant going to the left of the Kuji.
“Don’t move!” yelled Bob, who had been coached by the vizier on how to say it in Efreet. Five of the Efreet froze, but one tried to bring his weapon around to fire. Night, Wraith and Mongo all fired at the same time, and the Efreeti fell, hit numerous times. The rest of the Efreet held their positions, but the damage was already done.
Bridge, Efreet Ship Incinerator, Ashur Orbit, Unknown Date/Time
“Sir, the computer reports laser fire in the shuttle docking port,” said the communicator.
“Who fired?” asked the commanding officer. “What’s going on?”
“Unknown,” replied the communicator. “I have lost communications with the team you sent to meet the shuttle.”
“Have you ever lost communications with a team while inside the ship?”
“Never, sir.”
“Intruder alert!” ordered the commanding officer. He turned to the colonel. “Protect the queen at all costs.”
“Yes, sir!”
Docking Port #2, Efreet Ship Incinerator, Ashur Orbit, Unknown Date/Time
Green lights began flashing, and an announcement crackled from a loudspeaker mounted in the upper corner of the docking port. Calvin stopped in the doorway of the shuttle to look over his shoulder. “What are they saying?” he asked.
“The voice said there are intruders in Docking Port Number Two. On-duty security forces are to converge on this area and kill them…er, us. It also said that all off-duty security people are to report to the queen’s chambers to protect her. The message then repeats.”
“They seem very protective of the queen,” said Calvin. “If we could capture her, are they likely to do what we say?”
“Yes, very much so.”
“Where would we find her?”
“She will be wherever the defense is heaviest.”
“Which makes sense,” said Calvin. “If there are guest quarters for visiting dignitaries, that is where I would look first, followed by the captain’s cabin; they will be using the best rooms for her. Night, take the Space Force and the Kuji and go get the queen. We’ll hold the docking port.”
“I’d like to go with them,” said Lieutenant Rrower.
“Go ahead,” said Calvin.
“Are you sure you want to stay here, sir?” asked Night. “They know you’re here, and you can’t move. You’re a sitting target, and you’re go
ing to bear the brunt of their attack.”
“Someone’s got to watch out for our ride home,” said Calvin. “You go find the queen, and I’ll keep the light on for you.”
“If you say so, sir,” replied Night. “Master Chief, move ‘em out! Look for a schematic of the ship as you go and head for the bridge. The captain’s cabin will be somewhere near there. I’ll bet that’s where she is.”
“Wraith, Witch, you’ve got point,” said Master Chief. “Let’s go kill some ‘Freets. Move out!”
Night proved prophetic; it wasn’t long before the Efreet began arriving, and they arrived in force. Although the docking port only had one exit, the passageway outside extended to the left and right.
“Two on my side,” said Sergeant ‘Mouse’ Patel, firing a burst to the left.
“Movers on my side too,” called Gunnery Sergeant ‘Mongo’ Bryant, as he fired to the right. “Too many to count!”
“Back!” yelled Mouse. He grabbed Mongo and pulled him away from the doorway as a stream of fire burned past.
“This isn’t going to work, sir,” yelled Mongo. “They’re moving up behind the cover of the flamethrowers. They’ll be in the room with us real damn soon!”
A voice sounded over the ship’s public address system. “They are directing the forces defending their ship,” said the vizier. “They are sending more troops here.”
“Damn it,” said Calvin. “I see what Night meant. Not being mobile really limits our options.” He turned to the Aesir. “Landslide, we need to get out of here. Can you cut us a hole in the bulkhead?”
Landslide put a hand on the bulkhead and the other on the deck. “I can,” said the Aesir, “although it will take a while. The deck would be faster, but it’s still going to take a little time.”
“Go through the deck,” said Calvin. “We’ll hold them off as long as we can.”
“We will buy you some time,” said Cyclone. She led Captain Nightsong and Farhome to the doorway and spoke to the Terrans firing down the corridors. “We are going to the left; please do not shoot us,” she said. Cyclone made a motion like she was throwing a double handful of something into the air. The three Aesir flickered and vanished.
The Search for Gram Page 21
