"I disabled it earlier," Liane briskly interjected. "Karic and his men must have followed a few horas later. It was all part of a plan."
"The Cat Man sent you in alone to destroy the alarms?" Gage angrily cut in. The fool risked your life!"
"Karic knew nothing of my plan to go it alone. I drugged him and all his men. He came after me when he awoke."
Her gaze shifted once more to Karic's prone form. "He'll be very angry at me . . . later."
"Yes, I imagine he will," Gage wryly observed.
Liane smiled. "Come," she said, motioning toward Karic, "we'd better bind him now."
The two men never had a chance. The bedchamber door burst open and in streamed eight men. Backlit in the sudden brightness of a fully illuminated corridor, the face of the group's leader was indiscernible but not so his voice, smooth and smugly oily.
"Well, well, what have we here?" Necator archly inquired, motioning for the chamber lights to be turned up. "My recalcitrant young Cat Man, traitorous little Sententian and," he drawled, glancing at the tracker, "the famous Gage Bardwin?"
As the room brightened, the forms of the seven guards, all pointing blasters at them, appeared.
"And you, my Lord Ardane," Necator continued, "what cause have you to conspire with these rebels? Do you realize that even now they run amok within my palace, battling to overthrow our government?"
"So I've been told," Teran cooly replied. "I only wonder what atrocities have been inflicted to drive these people to such a dire act. And now I hear talk of some machine of yours, capable of Imperium domination. Your treason appears of far greater import to Bellator than Domina Allador's will ever be."
Necator shot Liane a murderous look. "So you told him, did you?" he snarled. "That was foolish, but no matter. Lord Ardane's death was a foregone conclusion, as is now Bardwin's. With this subversive attack upon the palace, it'll be an easy task to explain how they became caught in the cross-fire."
He grinned wolfishly. "And I count myself fortunate to have found both you and the Cat Man here, too. It'll save valuable time in escaping, with you as my prisoners."
"I take it then the battle is going poorly for you?" Teran sardonically inquired.
His opponent momentarily glared at him, then catching himself, he relaxed, softly laughing. "Only for a time, Lord Ardane. A temporary setback, nothing more. Even now my men are loading the Guide into a transport craft. The Cat Men were only able to slightly damage it before we arrived. Some minor repairs and it'll again be fully functional. We'll return soon enoughand with a vengeance!"
Teran calmly eyed him. "You won't succeed, you know."
"Seems I've heard that somewhere before," Necator sneered, "and I'm still in power. But enough of this. Seize the femina. I've got special plans for her."
At Necator's words Teran tensed but controlled his impulse to leap at the guards. Liane was in the line of fire. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Teran saw Karic briefly stir. Better to buy time, Teran thought, and distract attention from the Cat Man. If fortune smiled, perhaps he would find some way to take Necator and his men unawares. It required two guards to subdue Liane who struggled fiercely, well aware of what was to come. She had to do something or Gage and Lord Ardane would be murderedand Karic. Karic would fall into Necator's foul clutches. Her own fate was of little import. It would not affect an entire planet like the lives of these three men would.
Her frantic efforts effectively engaged the guards long enough for them to lower their blasters. Suddenly, a flash of movement erupted from the floor. Karic flung himself at the two closest guards. It took the men by surprise. Only one managed to get off a stray gun blast before they all tumbled to the floor.
Gage tackled the other three guards, while Teran leaped at the two holding Liane. One was easily dispatched with a sharp blow to the jaw. The other, in too close contact to fire his weapon, used the butt of his blaster to strike Teran. He staggered back, nearly losing his balance. The guard swiftly took aim.
Liane wrenched the stunner from her pocket and fired. The guard toppled over. Teran grinned at her then leaped into the melee of Gage and the three guards.
It was over. Liane sagged in relief. Together, the three powerful men would easily overpower the guards. They were safe.
Necator. Where was he?
She started to whirl around when an arm encircled her shoulders. Before she could form a coherent thought, a dagger was placed against her throat. Liane froze.
"Don't move. Don't even breathe," Necator hissed into her ear.
Liane did as she was told. ''That's better, my pretty one," he purred. "Now, ever so carefully, give me the stunnerand don't try anything foolish. This blade's made of Nadrygen steel and can slice through flesh and bone like soft butter. I'd so hate to be startled into slitting your lovely throat."
In horrified slow motion, Liane watched Karic,Teran and Gage climb to their feet. The guards lay scattered about them. Liane considered forcing Necator's hand and goading him to kill her, rather than surrender the stunner and put Karic and her friends in danger. If she didn't do something, all could still be lost.
She took a deep breath as her glance met Karic's.
Forgive me
was the message in her deep blue eyes.
"Don't do it, Liane!" Karic savagely snapped. "Give him the stunner. Now!"
"KKaric," Liane stammered. "I"
"Do as he says, Domina," Teran softly ordered.
With a sigh she handed Necator the weapon. He fired it at Karic, then Teran and Gage, all three sinking to the floor.
With a gloating laugh Necator tossed the gun aside. "That ought to put them out for the next several horas. Time enough to get safely away with you."
The guard Liane had stunned stirred on the floor, and Necator eyed the man. "You set the stunner on light, didn't you? Well, no matter. It'll be long enough to see to my original plan."
He held Liane, the dagger pressed to her throat, until the guard revived. "Use the blaster on those two," Necator ordered the man, indicating Teranand Gage, "and make sure to finish them off. Afterwards, bring the Cat Man to the transport craft. Don't tarry. We leave for the secret rendezvous shortly."
The guard nodded.
Necator's free hand entwined in Liane's hair to steady her head, effectively trapping her throat against the razor-sharp blade. It pricked her tender flesh, and she bit her lip against the pain. Warm blood trickled down to stain the thin fabric of her tunic.
"There's nothing you can do for your friends," Necator snarled. "Nothing."
Liane fought back a surge of despair. He was right, she thought, eyeing the guard who was now in possession of a blaster. But if she didn't buy them time, time enough for the stunner's effects to wear off, her friends would be at the guard's mercy.
"Come along, sweet femina," Necator murmured into her ear. "Time to go." He jerked her forward by her hair.
Liane dug in her heels. "Please, my lord," she whispered. "I beg you not to kill my friends. You've still got the Guide. You still possess the power to overcome any who stand in your way. In light of that, how can their deaths possibly matter?"
"You test my generosity in sparing you and the Cat Man, and then you dare beg for Ardane and Bardwin?" Necator angrily demanded. "Their deaths are but another lesson to those who oppose me. And I dare leave no one alive with the power to influence the High King. Now come, before I forget my good intentions and finish you right here!"
He shoved her forward. Out of the corner of her eye, Liane thought she saw Karic move. Wild hope filled her. Perhaps, just perhaps, the stun effects were already wearing off. But had she bought them the time they needed? Had it been enough? As Necator began to drag her down the hall, Liane prayed that it had.
Karic heard the click of the blaster being cocked to fire. His head ached and his mind was still groggy from the stunner's effects, but the awareness of acute danger sharpened his Cat's responses. Before the guard could fire Karic leaped to his feet. He knocked the gun from its aim at Teran's body and slashed open the man's throat. With a gurgling cry the guard fell, blood spurting from a severed artery.
For a secundae Karic stood over the man, his chest heaving with savage emotions. He had killed yet again, and still it wasn't enough. It would never be enough to assuage the loss of thousands of his people. Even Necator's death wouldn't be enough. But if there were suddenly no satisfaction in revenge, what was there?
"Killing's never the answer," Teran softly observed, coming up behind him. "It may be a necessary evil at times, but ultimately it destroys not only the victim but his executioner as well."
Karic wheeled around, the whipcord muscle and sinew of his body straining with the effort it took not to turn the full force of his frustration upon the other man. "And what do you know about that, Bellatorian? Your people have never hesitated an instant in the senseless destruction of our people."
Teran calmly eyed him. "You are wrong, Cat Man. There
have
been a few with the courage of their convictions, who risked condemnation and exile rather than follow orders to murder your people."
He paused to help a now awake Gage to his feet. "But that's not the real issue here," Teran said. "Necator has Liane and the Guide. Let us help you rescue her and destroy that machine."
There was something in the tall Bellatorian's eyes that reassured Karic. He suddenly understood how Liane could come to trust him. Teran exuded a power and purity of spirit that bespoke of a higher calling than petty human considerations. And, when Liane had first met him, she'd still possessed her Sententian powers. She'd seen into his heart.
Karic retrieved three blasters and tossed one to Teran and Gage. "Do you know the way to the transport craft?"
Teran eyed him for a moment. "Yes."
Karic pursed his lips and silently whistled. In a few secundae Cat Men began to appear until a large group had gathered. Karic motioned toward Teran and Gage.
"These men are friends. They'll lead us to Necator and our final battle. Just have a care where you fire. The Lord Commander has Liane."
With a wave of his hand, Teran signaled them forward. It seemed an eternity of repetitious corridors and stairs before they reached the transport bay. As they paused outside the entrance, Karic stepped forward.
"Let my men and I go first. Our cloaking powers will give us the advantage of surprise. Stay behind until the battle begins. Then it will no longer matter."
Teran nodded. "As you wish." He laid a hand on Karic's arm.
The Cat Man cocked an inquiring brow.
"I wish you good fortune in your rescue of Liane."
"I'll need that and more," Karic growled, "if I'm to ever see her alive again."
Understanding gleamed in Teran's eyes. "We'll do what we can."
Gage grimly nodded his support, a fierce look of determination in his eyes.
Karic studied the two men for a brief moment more. Then, with a signal of his hand, he motioned to his men. As they crept through the doorway their forms faded from view. The warriors fanned out as they made their stealthy way across the huge bay. At that moment the transport crafts engines fired, and with a whir of sound, the exterior bay doors began to close. Take-off appeared imminent.
Karic fired his blaster at the two guards who stood outside the craft's main door, one toppling to the floor.
Suddenly the room came alive with the shouts of men and sizzling blasts of gunfire. The cloaking power could not be maintained during the heat of battle; it required too much concentration for that. Karic and his men were prime targets for the guards stationed on the overhead walkways. But they were prime targets as well.
The battle quickly rose to a fever pitch. Deafening noise and agonized screams mingled with gun blasts as bodies thudded to the floor. The stench of burning flesh assaulted Karic's sensitive nostrils. He shoved it to the back of his mind. Nothing was more important than reaching Liane, and he knew she was inside the transport craft.
The ship's remaining guard fired at him. Only a wild lunge to the side saved Karic as he dodged his opponent's blast, yet even as he fell he returned fire. The guard had his back turned, frantically pounding on the craft's opening mechanism. Karic's blaster hit not only the guard but the door opener as well.
It exploded in a burst of flame. The door slid open to be engulfed in a wall of fire. Smoke billowed into the bay as the fire quickly spread into the craft's interior. From within, Karic heard frightened cries.
There was no way to know how far or fast the fire would spread. It didn't matter anyway. He had to go in after Liane.
He backed off for a running start. His total concentration narrowed on the doorway, a doorway belching tongues of flame. Everything centered on his speed. Karic prayed the fire hadn't spread too deeply into the craft. His rescue attempt would be fatally cut short if it had.
Muscles straining to their utmost, Karic ran for the door, blinding himself to the surging flames, imagining only what he hoped lay beyondLiane. There was a brief, prickling sensation of heat, and then Karic was through. He landed on the cool metallic floor outside the main control room. He leaped to his feet and pounded on the room's opening mechanism. The large doors slid apart.