Freeforce: The Gryphon Saga

by L. E. Horn

  If the plasma cannon were operable, we would not still be here, Kesar knew. The cannon would have obliterated his entire army. But he lost communications when the shield went down, so he could not confirm his suspicions. It might just delay the inevitable, but we are still alive now. And where there is life . . .

  As he ran, he scanned the sky for the Tlok’mk ships he knew would come. Drones or manned fighters—either will wreak havoc. The Gryphon could not repel an air invasion. Any hope of them winning this war had vanished with the shield.

  The surrounding warriors carried lasers they salvaged from the retreating Tlok’mk army. They would be lucky to reach the closest valleys in time to help evacuate their people. Even if they did, their ground forces and laser cannon emplacements would have little impact on the ships in the sky.

  Kesar knew his son’s soldiers traveled somewhere behind, cutting straight through the disbanding Tlok’mk army and using the canyon as the quickest route to the valleys. Karn’s soldiers were the swiftest Gryphon warriors; they might even catch up to the main army before they reached the valleys.

  As long as they get to safety before the ships come, Kesar thought. If they are not clear in time, the Tlok’mk will slaughter them.

  KARN’S ARMY FLEW ACROSS THE canyon floor. The ground beneath them revealed numerous impressions from the clawed feet of his father’s warriors. Karn knew they were gaining on the main army. First, get everyone clear of the canyon. Then we will split up.

  They followed the wide swath of tracks until they were beyond the canyon walls. Ahead lay the mountains, and to each side, a Gryphon home valley. The main army had split up at this point, heading to the two valleys within reach. As planned, Karn’s army also divided, sending the swiftest runners to the more distant valleys. Karn and a handful of his warriors stayed on course, heading for the mountains.

  Fanned out on each side of Karn, Roz and three swift scouts carried human burdens clinging to their broad backs. Karn knew that the bulky object strapped to his back might seem inanimate to a casual viewer. By turning his head just a little, Karn could keep an eye and ear on the figure wrapped in a blanket. With each bounce of his stride, he could see the feverish gleam of silver eyes peering from the cloth’s folds, focused on the mountains beyond.

  EWTK’FISK REMAINED GLUED TO HER portal. The datapad in her claws flashed with a time and place, but she was riveted by the drama unfolding before her.

  As if they attempted to camouflage against the backdrop of space, the monstrous Motherships within her view sat unnaturally dark. In the velvet blackness, huge doors ratcheted open in their bellies, and from them dropped the subjects of nightmares.

  Tlok’mk fighters appeared insectoid, with viciously pointed leg-like structures jutting out at irregular intervals from the bulbous cockpit head to the powerful drives projecting from the back end. Each fighter towed two others destined to pick up their pilots on the planet’s surface.

  The personnel carriers followed the fighters. They were the least organic looking of the Tlok’mk fleet, rectangular with a few branch-like protrusions housing weapons and powerful engines within the tail fins’ framework.

  The last to disgorge were the massive battle cruisers. One from each Mothership, they dropped free and lumbered forward. The cruisers resembled giant beetles with hunchbacked bodies, stubby wings, and tail fins enhanced by fork-tipped weapon extensions. The bows projected into jagged jaws functioning as launch tubes.

  The ships formed up in their battalions before dropping toward the planet.

  For a few moments, Ewtk’fisk watched them go. Then she turned and left her quarters, still clutching her datapad. She hoped she wouldn’t be too late.

  AS SOON AS THE BATTALIONS moved clear of the Motherships, Lianndra’s crew picked up the sinister yellow blips on their monitors. The five Gryphon ships entered Tarin’s atmosphere and headed for the mountain range forming the natural home of the Darkon.

  The pilot said something to the copilot who transferred the message over the comm to the other four ships. They split up, and as each disappeared into the mountains Berr swung her ship into the shadow of an enormous cliff and put it into hover mode.

  “What about the valleys?” Lianndra asked. I understand the need to protect the Darkon, but the advancing force will decimate the Gryphon’s homes.

  The pilot and copilot looked at each other.

  The engineer replied. “They are on their own. We must protect the mountains.”

  “The mountains? You mean the Darkon?” Lianndra sensed the little creatures’ glowing eyes on her and a slight humming in her head.

  “Not just the Darkon.” Berr glanced at her. “These mountains hold something else just as precious.”

  Images from the Darkon flashed into her brain. Images of Gryphon playing in the snow. They looked different from the Gryphon and miniGryphon she now knew. They were undersized, and their proportions were different. As they ran, they spent much more time on all six limbs, something the Gryphon seldom did.

  Children. Gryphon children.

  She didn’t know she’d spoken it aloud until Berr confirmed it. “When the war began, we moved our children, along with their caregivers and teachers, deep into the mountains. They are our best-kept secret. The future of our people.” She turned to Lianndra. “We will wait until the Tlok’mk come to us and then take out as many as we can.” Her face appeared so grim it was frightening. She doesn’t think we will survive this, Lianndra concluded as the miniGrypha continued. “There are laser cannon placements forming a protective barricade around the mountains. Shiev Virra will have them activated, but they are designed for ground defense. Their effectiveness against ships will be minimal at best.”

  Lianndra nodded her acknowledgment. “Just point us at them.”

  Berr gave a humanlike smile, and in the cockpit’s dim light, it looked as though she bared her teeth. “We will need all you have and more.”

  Lianndra sat back in her seat and closed her eyes, reaching for the connection to the Darkon. The little creatures joined with her, and she realized they’d been anxiously waiting. She sensed their grim determination and focus. She also sensed something else, something she couldn’t identify. It differed from the connection she’d come to expect from them, and when she reached for it, she couldn’t nail it down.

  Just the feeling of having our backs to the wall, she thought. She tried to let the connection flow, to make it as strong as possible as the enemy descended.

  KARN’S SMALL GROUP OF WARRIORS were burning up.

  They pounded through the foothills and into the mountain pass. Their spikes glowed so red hot they steamed as the Gryphon moved into the cooler mountain air. Their human riders dared not touch them as they thundered along.

  Heavily built and carrying more weight, Karn snorted steam, his claws so hot he left smoldering footprints in the leaf litter. Sheer willpower kept him going.

  Roz labored to one side of him, each breath clearly audible. His size meant he struggled to keep up. They all knew speedy delivery of their cargo to be their part in this latest and most desperate plan.

  We will not fail, Karn thought.

  They closed on their destination: a high mountain valley. The ground beneath them turned to snow, and each Gryphon footstep sizzled and spat. Crashing through the tree boughs cascaded ice that hissed when it fell on their glowing spikes.

  The valley opened before them, a shallow bowl carved high into the mountain’s side by an ancient glacier; the bottom of the depression housed a turquoise lake. The Gryphon paused on the gravel shore to allow their passengers to dismount. Andrea and Drake were closest to Karn, and they ran to untie the ropes binding Michael to the Gryphon’s broad back. The big man tried to stand as he slid off but his knees buckled. It took three to support him to a nearby rock.

  The two biggest Gryph, suffering heat exhaustion, slid down the shallow embankment and into the frigid water, as did the other Gryphon mounts. There they shuffled belly deep while cre
ating their own fog. Karn dunked himself several times before emerging to stand on the gravel.

  He worried about Michael, who looked terrible as he sat hunched in the blanket, his midriff wrapped in a blood-soaked cloth. His sunken eyes stared from their sockets and the bones of his skull were prominent beneath gray skin. Karn watched as Michael waved Andrea away when she tried to check beneath his bandage.

  “The Darkon live in these mountains?” he asked Karn.

  Karn nodded. He spikes steamed and his thin nostrils flared wide as he gasped for air. “Home. Cliffs. Lots here.”

  Andrea paced along the stony beach. “It might help if we can sit in a circle,” she said.

  Hannah nodded and selected a spot close to where Michael sat on the boulder. The three Healers brushed away the snow and settled close enough to each other that their crossed legs touched at the knees, enabling them to hold hands.

  Karn watched them silently and cast his gaze skyward. The Tlok’mk will rain fire down on us. If Michael’s idea doesn’t work, the Gryphon may not see another sunrise.

  DRAKE SETTLED ON THE ROCK beside Michael, cradling his laser rifle and surreptitiously examining the big man for signs of total collapse. His own legs shook with exhaustion, and despite a tight makeshift bandage, a long cut along his ribs streaked blood down his waist and leg. I’ll hold up fine, Drake thought. It’s shallow. But Michael . . .

  Michael’s entire attention focused on the Healers sitting at his feet, and he seemed oblivious to the blood still seeping from the cloth around his abdomen. Although his entire frame trembled, he ignored the blanket, letting it pool around his waist.

  Hannah raised her head to look at the big man, her eyes full of questions.

  “Just close your eyes and try, Hannah.” Hoarse with pain, Michael’s voice remained gentle. “I know this is a lot to ask, but we must do this.”

  Hannah looked to Andrea, who nodded. “I’m terrible at connecting with them, but I know how to do it. Of course, we need direct physical contact and . . .” The redheaded Healer trailed off and looked at Kate. “I’ll talk you through it. First, let’s see if you and I can connect.”

  They all fell silent, brows furrowed in concentration.

  Drake shifted on the boulder, looking from Hannah to Michael. He saw Michael’s jaw clench, and frowned in concern. The big bloke is in terrible pain. He’d no idea how the man remained upright. The Healers stopped the worst bleeding, but there’d been no time for a proper healing. Drake knew Michael relied on his natural healing ability to keep him going. This is a serious wound, and he’s exhausted. Plus, if Lianndra is dead—he may not wish to fight. If it were Hannah, would I?

  Drake’s thoughts skated away from that possibility. His eyes slid to Karn. Strapped to the big Gryph was Michael’s Vertraax sword. Karn’s warriors fanned out around him; they all panted as they watched, their spikes steaming in the fading afternoon light.

  Holding a hand to his side, Drake looked skyward. The attack would descend on them like bats out of hell.

  We’ve been through so much, he thought, I can’t believe it will end like this. If there is a god on this world, surely he or she will help us pull a rabbit out of the hat.

  THEY DROPPED OUT OF THE sun, swift and deadly. Once within the atmosphere, the battalions split up. The battle cruisers, as well as most fighters and carriers, headed to collect needed personnel from the Tlok’mk barracks in the jungle. The remaining fighters split into two groups, some heading to clear out the canyon while a few escorted personnel carriers toward the mountains.

  Lianndra rode a steep learning curve as she interpreted the dots on Berr’s monitor. Tracking the Fang ships’ movements, the dots changed color as the ship’s computer analyzed and identified them. Lianndra could see the colored dots from her seat, most small and red. The Darkon presence buzzed at the back of her brain, while they hummed aloud around her.

  The incoming ships dispersed.

  “Those are the fighters,” the copilot said, pointing to the red dots on the screen. Most arranged in phalanxes around five large, green blips.

  “Battle cruisers,” Berr grimaced. “Headed to the jungle, probably to collect Tlok’mk crew. The smaller blue blips are personnel carriers.”

  Lianndra noticed most carriers accompanied the battle cruisers toward the jungle. A few blips—blue and red—headed their way. They’re coming for the Darkon. Lianndra closed her eyes and gathered energy. The Darkon crowded along her arms and she hardly noticed the tiny claws penetrating her flesh. The hum rose in intensity, and she opened her mind. She experienced each as individuals and yet also as one entity. Something tickled at the edges of her consciousness, just as it had when they first entered the mountains. She made a mental grab for it, but it eluded her.

  Berr waited until the Tlok’mk ships were almost on top of them before darting the ship out of its hiding place. Lianndra saw the carrier through Darkon eyes—three insectoid fighters flanked it. Sleek and agile, their Gryphon ship swung into the Fang carrier’s path, giving them a clear view of the boxy craft. Intent to reality took a microsecond, and the carrier flew apart into millions of tiny pieces. The diffuse edge of the Darkon beam clipped a fighter, disintegrating a wing and sending it careening into the mountain.

  The other two fighters rallied, lasers firing. Berr evaded the blasts, whipping the ship up and around a mountain peak before flipping the craft end over end to face the oncoming fighters. Merged with the Darkon, Lianndra barely waited for the pilot to bring a second fighter into the viewscreen before she disintegrated it to bits.

  Lianndra rode a wave of intoxicating power—no longer one entity but sixteen. Surely the energy contained within them could take on the universe and win.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY THE Healers concentrated, struggling to connect with one another.

  The Fang personnel carrier and its three fighter escorts hurtled by overhead. Michael saw Drake raise his rifle, but they were too fast for him to bring his laser to bear. The ships vanished into the mountains. Seconds later there came a loud, metallic, wrenching explosion, and lasers fired.

  In the distance, something sleek and shining rose above the mountain peaks before descending once more out of view.

  Karn snorted in surprise. “Gryphon ship!” Struggling with the English words, he saw the lack of understanding on the faces of his human companions. “Ours. Destroy cannon. Destroy Tlok’mk.”

  Comprehension dawned. A ship sent after the plasma cannon is here in the mountains! Michael sat up so fast he flinched, clutching at his midsection on a wave of nausea. Lianndra! Is she alive? If one ship made it, others might have as well. The sudden surge of hope flooded him with urgency. We must help her!

  As those thoughts flashed through Michael’s mind, more fighters rocketed by. They headed straight for the Gryphon ship.

  As the Healers stared after the fighters, Michael slid down the boulder and forced his way between Andrea and Hannah. His legs folded under him and he could no longer feel them. He grabbed their hands.

  “Focus—focus on me. I need you.” His gaze flashed gold at them until they nodded. Michael closed his eyes and bowed his head. I’ve never connected with the Darkon, but we are out of time. If we are going to help Lianndra, we must do it now. Eerie silence fell on the valley. Michael sensed the women beside him; their hands warm in his. How do they go within? I have to try. He concentrated, forcing his consciousness through their linked hands to penetrate their skin. He instantly became disoriented, lost in the morass of blood and tissue. But they met him along the way with tentative warmth, forming featherlight energy presences in his mind. He knew the Healers were unfamiliar with connecting in this fashion. It wasn’t telepathy, but rather a connection of their telekinetic selves within their bodies. Their contact with him remained fumbling, unsure.

  Michael called upon the rare moments of intense clarity he shared with Lianndra when they were intimate. Shifting his grasp up the Healers’ arms increa
sed the skin contact, and he gathered his energy to reach for them with his mind. It seemed to strengthen the bond. As they gained in confidence, he sensed their warm presences within him as they traced a path to touch his mind. With an almost audible click, their energies merged. A resistance prevailed on one side of Michael: Andrea. The tall Healer struggled to trust. He sensed her fear, and it stopped the flow of her energy as effectively as a dam holds back water.

  Michael tried to send a pulse of reassurance to her. Patience came so hard, but he needed her cooperation now. He grabbed her hand and extended his arm to contact Kate. As he leaned forward, a wave of pain and physical weakness made him sway, but Hannah’s grip on his other arm remained firm. Kate grasped his fingers along with Andrea’s, bridging their energies beyond the tall Healer. Freed from the pressure, Andrea offered a steady, small trickle of power past her blockage to the link itself.

  Bond established, Kate and Hannah merged with Michael. Michael gathered their energy, focused it around a single image in his mind and flung it to the surrounding mountains.

  All remained silent and still, even the large, steaming aliens who stood watching. Have the explosions from the ships frightened them all away? Or awakened them to something being wrong? Michael used his desperation to add energy to his mental call. Keeping himself immersed in the bond, he cracked an eye to scan overhead.

  A moment later, they heard a soft trilling sound and a single, small, dark form hovered over the circle of humans below.

  The merest whisper of a query in his mind, like the feathery touch of a moth’s wings on his skin. Michael concentrated on images of fleeing Gryphon; the Fang ships chasing and firing; the small, sleek Gryphon ships rising to meet the enemy; Lianndra with Darkon on her arms; and the Darkon beam of destruction shattering the Tlok’mk ships.