Alliance of Serpents (25 page)

He made no attempt to hide his dislike for
the idea. "No! Absolutely not! I didn't train night and day for the
duration of this journey just to run and hide at the first sign of
danger!"

"As much as you've improved," Damien said,
turning toward him, "you have no idea what we're up against. You
may have stood a chance against Kindel while you were under Truce's
control, but without that programming, you would be easy conquest
for him."

That made Arus' mouth drop open. Even
Kitreena gave an incredulous look. "Damien!" she exclaimed. "You
aren't suggesting that we use the implant to control—"

"Of course not," Damien said, raising his
hands. "I apologize for the reference. I have no interest in
repeating Truce's mistakes. I was merely trying to explain that
Arus isn't ready to meet Kindel in battle."

Arus clenched his fists to his chest. "I want
to fight!" he growled. "If you take me from the battlefield, I lose
any chance I may have had of preventing this," he tapped the
implant with his steel finger, "from happening to anyone else!"

"On the contrary," Kitreena responded,
"locking you away may be the
best
chance."

He said no more, but he ground his teeth and
turned away in a stiff movement. Kitreena patted his shoulder
softly. Behind them, the lift doors opened to admit Commander
Naelas. A sturdy man in his middle years, his age was betrayed only
by the white wisps of hair streaking back from his temples. He wore
the standard brown uniform of the Alliance, though his was adorned
with numerous tassels and pins across the breast of his coat
indicating his rank. A narrow jaw framed his smooth face, and eyes
of soothing green held years of experience in battle strategy and
combat operations. As the commanding officer overseeing the
movement and deployment of all soldiers aboard the
Refuge
,
it was his knowledge and expertise in which Damien was most
interested.

"Commander Naelas," the Zo'rhan said with a
nod, "we find ourselves in a bit of a pickle today."

"That much is certain," Naelas responded. A
usually reserved man, his attitude became all-business whenever
duty called. "I confess that I am not sure how we're going to
squeeze out of this one."

"Securing Arus is our top priority," Damien
said. "Even if the rest of the ship is completely destroyed, we
must ensure Arus' safety and survival. Kitreena has suggested
placing him in the vault."

Naelas shrugged. "Such a move would slow
Thorus only. It will buy us time, but not completely prevent the
Armada from getting their paws on him."

"Time is all we need," Kitreena put in. "We
just need to survive long enough for reinforcements to arrive."

Damien raised a finger. "But, as you said,
Kindel can simply teleport inside the vault, grab Arus, the
teleport back to his ship."

"Then we'll line the interior with soldiers
skilled in the use of magic," Naelas told him. "If they create and
hold a magical barrier around the vault in the same way that the
guards in the prison level have been keeping Truce's men from using
their abilities to escape, it should prevent Kindel from
teleporting inside. If he wanted to get to Arus, he'd have to crack
the security codes on the hatch."

"
If
he even thinks to look in the
vault in the first place," Kitreena put in. "I'd say it's our best
plan at this point."

Lieutenant Meni's voice put the emphasis on
her point. "Three minutes, Sir."

Finally, Damien resigned himself to the idea.
It was really the only option they had. "All right, here's what
we're going to do. Commander, I want you to prepare the troops to
repel intruders. Position squads at every possible boarding point.
Prepare all pilots for combat and come up with some sort of plan to
hold the Armada back while we wait for assistance. And send the
necessary soldiers to the vault to create the energy barrier. Make
no aggressive moves until I've ordered so. If, by some miracle, I
can manage to keep this peaceful, I will."

"Yes, Sir!" Naelas said with a solid salute.
Damien looked to Kitreena and Arus as the commander returned to the
lift.

"Kit, get him down to the vault. Make sure
that he's secure before coming back." Arus finally faced him again,
and Damien placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your hard work and
determination will serve a great many people one day. But today,
you must allow us to do what is best both for you and for the good
of the universe."

Arus' nod was solemn, though he clearly knew
that Damien was right. "I know," he murmured. "I just wanted to
make a difference. I'm tired of everyone fretting over me. I want
to be a help, not a burden."

Damien smiled in spite of himself. "You will
have your chance. Don't be overzealous; that can lead to disaster.
Sometimes patience can be more important than any kind of weapon."
The boy nodded again, albeit reluctantly, and followed Kitreena
toward the lift with no further objections. "Kit," Damien called,
"that goes for you too."

She shot him a look as the doors closed that
said she wasn't in the mood for a lecture, but in many ways, she
had just as much to learn as Arus. Hopefully, she would have the
chance.

"Sir," Merille Tears called from the
communications array, "we are receiving an incoming communication
from the
Black Eagle.
It's Kindel Thorus."

With a heavy sigh, Damien headed over to the
terminal. "Here we go," he muttered. "Connect us."

"This is Kindel Thorus of the Vezulian
Armada," the calm voice announced over the speaker. "With whom do I
speak?"

"It's me, Kindel," Damien responded.

"Ah, Aldoric! I was expecting one of your
peons." Damien caught Lieutenant Tears' frown at that comment. "I
assume you know why you find yourselves in this predicament."

"Whatever you want, I won't give it to you,"
Damien said. Every minute gained was crucial. "You'll have to
destroy the
Refuge
before I'll submit to your demands."

"A pity you would volunteer such an option so
easily. I wonder if your comrades know how disposable their lives
are to you."

On any other occasion, Damien would've
refused to allow Kindel to draw him into a verbal confrontation.
The officers of the Aeden Alliance accepted the fact that they
might one day be forced to lay down their lives for the good of the
galaxy, though most did not look forward to such a time. Damien
certainly didn't want to sacrifice the
Refuge
and her crew,
and he couldn't fathom making the decision to send them all,
Kitreena included, to their deaths. But with the way things were
going, it was quite possible he'd be faced with that very decision
quite soon. "My people know how valuable they are," he said
quietly. "But they also serve the good of the universe, and they
won't cower to your demands any more than I."

"And many have already paid with their
lives," Kindel answered with a bit of amusement. "The Aeden fleet
protecting your little base up ahead has suffered considerable
casualties. It can be stopped, of course. You have the power to
give the order for my ships to withdraw at any time. I simply ask
that you hand the boy over to me. Once he is in my custody, the
killing will stop."

"I will not," Damien growled, trying to rein
his anger. "You speak as though Arus is a child looking for a
father, an innocent toddler with no control over his future. I know
that you care nothing for his well-being; you're simply after the
implant. But I will not allow his free-will to be trampled upon.
Regardless of what technology he holds, he is a sentient being
capable of making his own decisions. And he has decided to remain
with us."

"He is a child with no idea of what he is
doing!" Kindel snapped back. "A Zo'rhan child is not even remotely
ready to make decisions for himself until at least the age of
ninety, and humanity is a race far inferior to—"

Damien raised his voice to drown out
Kindel's. "Your comparison holds no water. Humans and Zo'rhan
differ in too many ways to be expected to grow and mature the same
way."

A moment of silence passed, no doubt as
Kindel tried to regain his outwardly peaceful facade. "In the end,
it makes little difference," he muttered. "We will be within firing
range in mere moments. Either I will have my hands on that boy, or
no one will. The choice, my dear brother, is yours."

The stiff click from the speaker indicated
that the communication had been severed. Damien ground his teeth as
he turned back toward the viewport to the two starcruisers blocking
the way forward. "Helmsman Tradek, throttle the forward stabilizers
to full and prepare to engage main engines on my mark. Get us over
these bloody cruisers."

"Aye," Tradek responded, his fingers zipping
across the control panel. "Forward stabilizers to full."

Through the viewport, Damien watched
impatiently as the nose of the
Refuge
began to rise, angling
the starship's trajectory above the Vezulian ships. The enemy
cruisers remained stationary for several moments before powering
their own stabilizers in an attempt to block the path once again.
Damien opened his mouth to order the engines to full when Harold
whirled around from his position at the sensor array.

"Sir, the
Black Eagle
is within firing
range, but it isn't slowing down! Their current flight path will
take them right over our heads!"

"They're going to try to block us," Tradek
acknowledged with a frustrated groan. "Awaiting your orders,
Sir!"

Damien unconsciously balled his fists. "Main
engines to full, Jindar!"

Tradek nodded and pushed the main throttle to
maximum. The stars stretched briefly as the ship leapt forward, but
the proximity alarm flashed beneath a small red light on the sensor
array, and the
Refuge
came to an instantaneous halt.
Lieutenant Meni tapped away at his control panel frantically. "Too
late," he grumbled.

Damien, along with the rest of the crew, was
already looking up. The shining black hull of the
Black
Eagle
sat dangerously close to the
Refuge
, blocking the
path above the two starcruisers. "Full power to rear stabilizers!"
he ordered. "Go underneath!"

"It's too late, Sir," Lieutenant Meni
reported. "The
Falcon Mist
is moving in below us, and I'm
tracking an assortment of astrotroopers launching from the hangar
of the
Black Eagle
."

Astrotroopers,
Damien thought as he
rolled his eyes.
Just want I need.
The elite soldiers of the
Armada had been trained in interstellar combat using little more
than protective spacesuits with miniature propulsion units built
into their boots. Practically useless in a starfighter battle,
their primary function was to board enemy starships and assume
control. They used whatever means necessary to gain access, from
entering through waste disposal ducts to cutting holes in the hull.
Perhaps the vault had been the best idea after all.

Lifting his communicator, he activated the
craft's intercom. "Attention all soldiers. We have astrotroopers
incoming. I want all hull turrets manned and every disposal duct
and ventilation shaft on this ship guarded. Starfighters are not to
launch until I see enemy fighters in the air. Kitreena, please see
that our guest is secured in his assigned location. When that is
finished, return to the bridge. We will—"

The air began to ripple several feet in front
of Damien, and a white light grew from its center. A blinding flash
forced him to cover his eyes momentarily, and when he looked up,
Kindel Thorus and his two bodyguards stood before the bridge.

"Greetings, Aldoric," Kindel said with a bow.
"I've come to discuss the terms of your surrender."

*******

"Three, two, one, now."

Simultaneously, Kitreena and Naelas turned
the tan keys in the control panels on either side of the vault's
large hatch. Two red lights illuminated above, signaling that the
room was secure. Kitreena removed the key from her console and
slipped it into her pouch. It pained her to leave Arus in there,
especially with the fighting spirit he possessed. And the thought
that she might never see him again terrified her.
No, I can't
let that happen. Thorus will
not
win! He can't.
She
ground her teeth and forced herself to turn away from the door.
Naelas was there, trying not to let her see his sullen expression.
He slipped the second key into his own pocket as Damien's voice
blared over the intercom.

"Attention all soldiers. We have
astrotroopers incoming. I want all hull turrets manned and every
disposal duct and ventilation shaft on this ship guarded.
Starfighters are not to launch until I see enemy fighters in the
air. Kitreena, please see that our guest is secured in his assigned
location. When that is finished, return to the bridge. We will—"
The communication ended abruptly.

Now Naelas looked at her. "Better get moving.
I've got to get our troops in position."

Kitreena nodded and patted the key in her
pouch. "Keep it safe," she told him. "Whatever the cost."

He gave a quick salute before hurrying down
the hall. Kitreena raced off in the opposite direction, snatching
her communicator from her belt as she ran. "Damien, this is
Kitreena, come in." No response. It was possible that the Armada
was trying to interfere with their communications systems or that
something more important had come up on the bridge. "I'm on my
way," she said into the device before returning it to her belt.
Thoughts and concerns filled her head until she thought it might
explode. There was no need to go over the dangers of failure; the
stakes were quite clear. Damien's safety weighed on her heart in
spite of his capabilities. The Zo'rhan were born to fight; they
were bred to be noble warriors of honor and valor—
most
of
them, anyway—and Damien had proven himself in that regard time and
time again. It wasn't his skill or strength that made Kitreena
worry. It was the underhanded tactics of his opponent that kept her
stomach churning.
Hang in there, Damien. I'm running as fast as
I can!