One down, one to go, Richard thought.
Unfortunately, the remaining magic user was the stronger of the two. And he was good. The death of his companion didn’t distract the magic user. He completed his spell before Richard could react. With the last word of his spell, the magic user pushed his hands outward in a shoving motion.
Before Richard could form his Power into a defensive shield, a line of Power passed over his right shoulder and created a wall of Power to his front. Richard recognized the frequency of the Power.
Good old Tam, Richard thought as the magic user’s energy exploded against Tam’s defensive shield.
Boom!
Richard heard another blast to his right. He turned his head just in time to see an explosion erupt against an invisible barrier in front of Telsa and Liz. The defensive shield disappeared as Tam dropped her shield to conserve Power. Richard followed a trail of smoke from the blast back to the troll. It was standing with a four-barreled rocket launcher on its shoulder. Richard saw the troll turn as if seeking another target. The troll stopped its turn. Richard instinctively followed the troll’s line of sight. It led directly to the spot where Jerad and Trinity were in close combat with the Crosioian scout.
“Jerad!” Richard yelled as he pointed at the troll.
Trinity’s back was to the troll, but Jerad was on the opposite side of the Crosioian scout. Richard assumed Jerad must have seen him pointing because he sensed Jerad send a blast of pure Power at the troll. The rocket launcher on the troll’s shoulder belched fire. A rocket streaked out. When the rocket got to a point halfway between the troll and Jerad, it met Jerad’s blast of energy. Richard felt the shock of the resulting explosion thirty meters away.
The Crosioian scout took advantage of Jerad’s distraction. She unfolded a wing and spun her body. A long point at the wing’s joint swept towards Jerad. Richard’s friend bent backwards until he was almost bent in half. The Crosioian scout’s wing passed a hand’s breath above Jerad’s arched belly.
Trinity made a spinning jump into the air. Her phase rod flashed in the air as it sliced downward and cut off the Crosioian scout’s wing at the joint. Richard heard the scout scream. To Richard, the scream sounded more like one of anger than pain.
Richard turned his attention to the troll. It was moving its rocket launcher back towards Telsa and Liz.
Reaching out with his mind, Richard probed into the barrel of the rocket launcher. Everything, living or not, had an aura of Power. Richard sensed the aura surrounding the warhead of the rocket in the launcher. He wrapped the warhead with Power and squeezed with his telekinesis. He squeezed hard. Most warheads had a built-in safety to make sure it traveled a certain distance before it armed. However, the force of the telekinesis was too much for the warhead’s safety. The rocket exploded inside the launcher. The blast severed the troll’s head. It flew off in one direction while the troll’s bloody torso flew in several other directions.
Just then, Richard sensed a line of magical energy reach out from the remaining magic user towards Tam’s link to her Power reserve. The line of energy seemed to probe Tam’s link before returning to the magic user. Richard smiled and thanked his lucky stars for all the hours he’d spent lying in bed strengthening the weak points in his friend’s link to her Power reserve. Tam’s link was far from perfect, but it must have been enough to discourage the magic user. The magic user wisely chose not to attempt an attack on Tam’s link under such a stressful situation. Richard noticed the magic user didn’t bother trying to probe Telsa’s link.
Liz aimed her plasma rifle at the magic user and began firing. She fired in single-shot mode.
Definitely low on ammo, Richard thought. Their situation was getting even more desperate.
The noise of approaching sirens from several directions announced the pending approach of multiple security vehicles. They were all heading towards the DNA Center.
The sirens and what they meant must have spooked the remaining magic user because he turned and ran around a corner of the building. Although the magic user was no longer visible, Richard had a trace on him. A grim smile crossed Richard’s lips. The magic user could run, but there would be no escape. As long as he didn’t let the magic user get too far ahead, Richard was confident he could track him with his passive scan. Even a stealth shield wouldn’t help the fleeing magic user at this point. Richard had his scent.
At a dead run of his own, Richard quickly closed the distance to the spot just vacated by the magic user. When Richard got close to the corner of the DNA Center, he noticed the pieces of troll spread all over the ground. The pieces appeared to be crawling and squirming along the ground in an attempt to reach each other. Even the troll’s severed head was rolling slowly towards the largest piece of the troll’s torso.
Before he turned the corner of the DNA Center, Richard pointed and yelled over his shoulder. “Burn this stuff before it reforms.”
The battle was far from over, and Richard hated leaving his friends in such dire straits. The Crosioian scout was still alive, and from her life force reading, Richard knew her wing was already healed. However, the magic user had to be stopped. In the split second before the battle was lost from Richard’s sight, he noticed several rounds of green plasma energy striking the Crosioian scout in the back. Richard felt better. Liz had joined the fray. With her support, Richard had no doubt Jerad and Trinity could handle the bat-creature. His confidence level went even higher when he sensed Telsa moving towards the Crosioian scout as well.
As he ran, Richard kept a tab on his friends with his passive scan. Tam appeared to be heading for the location of the dismembered troll. Since the strange fireball spell cast by the magic user was still burning, Richard knew Tam wouldn’t have any problem finding a source of fire to destroy the troll.
Before Richard got another twenty meters, he heard the sound of security vehicles arriving at the battle behind him. A rapid series of booms gave little doubt the spaceport’s security teams were providing additional support in the way of their vehicle’s high-energy plasma cannons. Richard noticed the life force of the Crosioian scout drop dramatically. Richard felt much better as he continued to run after the magic user. His friends were going to be all right.
The magic user was only forty meters ahead of Richard, but he was running hard. Richard reached out with his mind and tried to probe the magic user’s heart. A line of energy from the magic user knocked his probe away. Another line of energy reached back from the magic user towards Richard’s chest. Richard knocked it away with a line of his own Power.
After a few more steps, the magic user drew Power from his reserve and formed it into magical energy. At the same time, Richard drew some of his own Power and prepared to throw up a defensive shield. The magic user shouted a word of magic and tossed his ball of energy over his back. A dense cloud of the blackest smoke billowed out in all directions. Richard held his breath and entered the cloud of smoke. His vision dropped to zero, but his passive scan served him almost as well. He continued to track the magic user as he twisted and turned in the smoke.
Richard heard the loud whine of several sirens to his rear. He also heard the roar of a nearby anti-gravity engine reversing its output. At least one security vehicle was close. Richard heard the shouts of the vehicle’s driver, although the sound was too muffled to make out the words. Richard wasn’t sure what the smoke from the magic user’s spell did, but it apparently affected sound as well as vision.
The life force which was the magic user changed course to the left. Richard changed his course accordingly to intercept. Richard’s lungs began to burn from his extended exertion. He started considering an alternative plan in case he didn’t exit the smoke soon.
I don’t want to breathe this stuff, Richard thought.
Just when Richard was sure he would have to shift into the void in order to escape the smoke, it thinned. A second later, Richard was in the clear. He took a big gulp of sweet tasting air.
An armored security c
ar flew by about ten meters overhead with its blue lights flashing. The car was close enough Richard could see the individual blades of its anti-gravity fans spinning furiously beneath the vehicle. A gunner manned the high-energy plasma cannon at the front of the security car. The gunner aimed at the running magic user and fired. Before the plasma rounds hit their intended target, the magic user stopped and waved his hands. Richard sensed the magic user’s Power convert into magic energy. It formed a shield between him and the security car. The plasma rounds ricocheted off the hastily-erected defensive shield.
The security car’s gunner continued firing as the driver tried to maneuver around the shield. Richard sensed the magic user draw more Power from his reserve.
Crap, Richard thought. His Power reserve must be ten times the size of mine. It figures.
Although he knew the battle might be over before he got close enough to the magic user to attack, Richard continued running towards his quarry for all he was worth. As his drill sergeants had repeatedly told him when he’d first joined the military, a marine never quits until the battle is over. Richard had seen others snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory too often in the past to take victory for granted.
The magic user completed his spell. A ball of energy left his hands and shot out to a point above and to the front of the moving security car. The car’s gunner was still firing as fast as his cannon recharged. The ball of magical energy spread out, and the air around it shimmered. As the security car passed underneath the shimmering area the air transformed into a large mass of ice. The ice crashed downward into the car slamming it into the ground ten meters below. Although the security car didn’t explode, the noise from its anti-gravity engines ceased immediately. Richard knew it was up to him now.
Richard continued running as he dodged broken-off pieces of ice. When he drew even with the downed security car, Richard reached out with his telekinesis and unsnapped the portable plasma cannon from its mount on the front of the car. He pulled with his mind. When the plasma cannon got within reach, Richard reached out and grabbed it. He cradled it in his arms and kept running. Although the cannon was heavy, it was still portable. Richard figured it would serve his purpose if he didn’t have to run too far.
A quick glance at the cannon’s isotopic battery indicated its charge was at twenty-two percent. The blood dripping off the plasma cannon’s stock didn’t bode well for the wellbeing of the previous gunner. Richard hoped its present gunner wouldn’t windup with the same fate.
The magic user changed course again as three more security cars closed in from his original path. A shiver ran down Richard’s spine.
He’s headed for the military terminal, Richard thought.
A sweep of Richard’s passive scan confirmed the presence of several hundred lifeforms in the terminal. He knew almost all of them would be unarmed. The soldiers and their dependents were just awaiting transfer to the starships orbiting overhead. No one was expecting trouble.
“No!” Richard yelled out loud. A vision of the magic user releasing a volley of fireballs in the crowded terminal flashed through his mind.
I’ve got to stop him, Richard thought determinedly. There are children in there.
Richard sent out another desperate call to the dolgars. Why don’t they come?
With only seconds remaining before the magic user reached the military terminal’s steps, Richard reached out with his mind and probed the magic user’s link to his Power reserve. At the same time, Richard stopped running and began firing in single-shot mode at the magic user. Richard knew he never be able to reach his opponent in time. He had to take the magic user out at a distance before he could reach the steps.
The magic user threw up a defensive shield. Unexpectedly, the magic user stopped running and spun around. He knocked Richard’s probe away and sent one of his own against Richard’s link. Richard countered and knocked the magic user’s probe away as well. Richard and the magic user sent a series of attacks and counterattacks against each other’s Power links. Neither of them gained an advantage.
A beep from the plasma cannon let Richard know its isotopic battery was below five percent. Since the plasma rounds were having no effect against his opponent’s defensive shield, Richard decided to try a change of tactics. He switched his aim to a light post near the terminal’s stairs. His first round gouged out a large chunk of metal from the base of the light post. A second shot severed it completely. The light post started to fall, but it was leaning in the wrong direction. Richard reached out with his mind and wrapped the top of the light post with Power. He pulled with his telekinesis. The light post was too heavy for him to lift outright, but he had enough leverage to guide the post’s fall towards the magic user. As it fell, the post picked up speed.
The magic user shifted his defensive shield overhead. The light post hit the shield and slid off to the side.
Richard cursed silently. Some defensive shields were attuned to energy. Some were attuned to physical attacks. And some shields protected the caster from both.
Figures, Richard thought. Just my luck to face someone who has a shield that does both.
Richard did get one stroke of luck. The magic user had left his flank exposed when he moved his defensive shield overhead. Richard took careful aim with his plasma cannon and fired a round at the magic user’s leg. The plasma round stuck true and tore the leg off at the knee. The magic user was knocked off his feet.
Richard didn’t fire again. He wanted to take the magic user alive if possible. Two security guards ran down the terminal’s steps with their side-arms drawn.
“Stay back. We need to take him alive,” Richard shouted.
The guards ignored him and continued down the steps. When they were about ten meters from the downed magic user, Richard sensed a flare of magical energy.
“Watch out!” Richard shouted.
The magic user exploded. Blood and pieces of meat flew in all directions. The two security guards were thrown backwards several meters. Richard made a quick probe with his active scan. The guards were shaken, but they were still alive.
Several security cars came hovering over the top of the terminal building. Their sirens were blaring. Even so, Richard heard a threatening voice come over one of the vehicle’s external speakers. “Put the weapon down, or we’ll fire!”
Richard carefully lowered the plasma cannon to the ground and stood with his hands raised.
Resignedly, he thought, I’ve a feeling I’m going to be fashionably late to the Fleet Admiral’s Ball.
Chapter 16 – The Goodbye
_____________________________________
The time display in the security building’s lobby registered 04:30. Richard yawned and stretched. It had been a long night. He felt as if he’d been grilled and debriefed by half the security people at the spaceport. It hadn’t helped that once the spaceport’s security people were done asking questions a new batch of security types from higher headquarters arrived and started the questioning all over again. On more than one occasion, Richard had felt like he was being treated as if he was one of the bad guys instead of one of the Empire’s military elite.
Finally, after twelve grueling hours the investigators must have been satisfied he wasn’t a Crosioian spy, because they grudgingly released him.
A fat lot of good that does now, Richard thought. The Fleet Admiral’s Ball ended hours ago. On top of that, I haven’t seen any of my friends in hours.
Richard was tired. He glanced around the lobby looking for any familiar faces. He spotted one. It was Tam. Richard wandered over to his friend. She was kicked back in an uncomfortable-looking plastic chair with her legs stretched out on a nearby table. The table was covered with hologram-magazines, but Tam had shoved them to one side to make room for her feet. Tam’s hat was pulled down in an apparent attempt to shield her eyes from the lobby’s bright lights.
“I thought sure you’d be on your way to Diajor by now,” Richard said. “I tried my best to pin everything on you.”
Tam reached up with one hand and slowly raised the brim of her hat. Her eyes squinted as she tried to focus on Richard.
“Yuk, yuk,” Tam said with a wide stretch of her arms. She yawned loud enough to wake several people dozing nearby. Tam ignored their angry stares.
“Have you seen any of the others?” Richard said. He specifically wanted to know if Liz was still around, but he hesitated to sound too interested. He needed to talk to Liz before she returned to the Blaze.
Tam glanced at the lobby’s timer. “Jerad and Trinity left about thirty minutes ago. Trinity seemed anxious to spend some alone time with Jerad. I told Jerad I’d wait for the rest of you.”
“Hmm,” Richard said. “I’m surprised Jerad left. He’s usually like a mother hen watching over her chicks.”
Tam raised both hands and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. When she was satisfied with the results, she gave another yawn which was even louder than her first. Two of the nearby dozers gave her more rude stares before they stood up and left for a quieter section of the lobby. Tam paid them no heed.
“Well, actually,” said Tam, “it took some arguing to get Jerad to leave. Trinity and I had to double team him. Sometimes he thinks he’s still a battalion commander, and we’re all his wet-nosed privates.”
“Yeah,” Richard said. “He’s a natural leader at heart. He’s a good leader too; for an officer.”
Tam laughed. “Actually, I don’t think much of either officers or non-coms. Our leadership structure in the mercs was a little more, how shall we say…, relaxed.”
Richard grinned. “I’ll bet it was, Tam.”
Sitting down in an empty seat next to Tam, Richard kicked his feet up onto the table next to hers.
Wizard Scout (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 3) Page 17
