Sertian Princess (23 page)

He heard the faint "chuck" of the grenade launchers and watched as the canisters arced through the sky to land around the cars where the firing was fiercest.  Thin puffs of smoke appeared as the grenades exploded and the rate of fire slackened as the gas quickly spread amongst the defenders.  Those who stood and tried to run from the gas were cut down by Julia's sharpshooters.

The front car in the line began to move, trying to get out from under the gas cloud.  David saw Julia directing the fire of two of the assault teams against the moving car but the lasers were just bouncing off the heavy armour.  The rest of the bodyguard, wearing masks and breathing filters had now reached the line of cars but the gas had done its work and there was little opposition left.

David and Brianey sprinted across the open ground and dropped down beside Julia in the cover of one of the cars.

"Let the car go," he ordered.  "There's nobody on board.  No-one's come off the freighter yet".

Julia spoke into her communicator and the teams who were concentrating on the moving car, gave up and moved into position to cover the Palomar's airlock.  As they watched, the unloading ramp began to extend itself downwards from the open airlock door.  At the same time and obviously acting on a prearranged signal, the heavy car spun round on its axis and headed back at speed towards the freighter.

"Get ready," David shouted.  "They must be coming out."

As the car came racing in, the open airlock suddenly filled with men armed with heavy laser rifles.  Some spilled down onto the top of the ramp but instead of heading on down and making a run for it, the entire group just stood their ground and began firing at the assault team's positions.  The amount of energy being hurled at them was so great that most of the bodyguard were pinned behind the cover of the armoured vehicles unable to return fire.

There was a scream to David's left and one of the bodyguard collapsed to the ground, her once beautiful face now only a molten ruin.  Some of Julia's marksmen had crawled into firing positions underneath the cars and screams of pain from the direction of the freighter told that they were also incurring casualties.  But it seemed that as soon as one man was hit, another stepped forward to take his place and maintain the rate of fire.

"Keep your eye on that bloody car."  David spoke urgently to Julia.  "They mustn't be allowed to reach it."

But the men on the ramp showed no sign of moving down towards the car, staying instead on the highest part of the structure in order to direct their fire downwards onto David's position.  Suddenly the incoming car broke right and swung away from the base of the ramp, to curve behind the freighter.

Julia looked at David in surprise.  "What's going on?  Have they given up?"

"If they have, they've got a funny way of showing it," he replied as the blasts from the laser rifles continued to probe the wreckage of the cars.

"My lord."  Brianey touched his arm.

"What is it?"

"I thought I saw some movement round the far side of the freighter."

"Where?"  He peered round the side of the car but immediately ducked back as an energy bolt struck just above his head, turning the metal a dull cherry red and sending a shower of sparks cascading over them.

"What were they?  More ground defence troops?"

"I only caught a glimpse of them, my lord, but I don't think so.  The uniforms looked different.  And...."

"And what, Bri?"

"Well I can't be sure my lord, but I thought I caught a glimpse of a woman with them."

"Dammit to hell."  He snatched the communicator out of Julia's hand.  "Sam. Sam, do you read me?  Has that frigging freighter got another airlock?"

The reply was almost instant.  "Yes boss.  There'd be a small emergency airlock on the far side."

The car had disappeared behind the bulk of the freighter now but the fire from the ramp and airlock showed no signs of lessening.  He switched the communicator to the tactical channel being used by the Imperial Guard.

"This is David Held.  My group is pinned down behind the line of cars by the fire from the Palomar's airlock.  I need some support and I need it now."

There was a curt acknowledgement from one of the Guardsmen, David could not determine which, and then the channel went silent.  Energy bolts from the freighter were still hurtling down around them.  There was an urgent shout of alarm as the car two away to his left burst into flames, sending the team sheltering behind it scurrying for new cover.  Only one of them made it.  The other man collapsed in the open, screaming in agony and clutching a blazing wound in his leg where the laser had struck.

David touched the controls on his belt, turning his personal shield up to full power.

"Cover me," he yelled to Brianey.  Without waiting for a reply he ran across to the fallen man.  The first bolt hit him as he was still running.  He felt the tingling sensation as the belt screen absorbed the energy pulse.  The second and third hits came as he knelt by the head of the man who had by this time sought refuge in the shelter of unconsciousness.  He was getting hot now.  The belt could only handle so much energy in such a short space of time.

He hooked his arm across the chest of the unconscious man and began to drag him back into the cover of the cars.  Another hit and this time he felt the intense heat of the blast on his shoulder.  The tingling feel of the screen gradually spread the heat across his back and down his arm, getting weaker all the time.  Then the sensation cut off abruptly.  With his free hand David felt for the belt controls, but it was no use.  The screen had gone.  The circuits had finally overloaded.  The next pulse to hit would do some major damage to his body.

He was still several metres short of the shelter of the cars when the explosion occurred.  He stumbled and almost fell as he looked up to see the cause.  Then Brianey was there, taking the injured man's other arm, and together they dragged him to safety and the waiting medical team.  David lay back against the car, gratefully gulping in lungfuls of oxygen.  Gradually his mind stopped its exclusive concentration on his complaining body and allowed the changed state of his surroundings to filter through into the upper levels of his awareness.  Silence. There was almost total silence apart from the breathing and movements of the people around him.  The rain of laser fire had stopped.

David raised himself onto one knee and cautiously looked over the top of the wreckage.  This time, however, his appearance attracted no fire from the freighter.  The reason for this was clear for all to see.  Where the airlock had been before was now a jagged hole some five metres across and the ramp itself had completely disintegrated.  He could see bodies lying in the opening and, as he stood up, he could see more bodies lying on the ground below.  But there was no firing.

He allowed his circle of awareness to expand beyond the freighter. There was very little fighting going on anywhere on the spacefield.  He looked up startled as a shadow passed over him.  Prince Gerald and one of the guardsmen were there, hovering above the cars on their antigrav units.

"Where's the car that was behind the freighter?"  David shouted up.

Gerald touched one of the controls on his chest and shot up into the air.  He hung there for a few seconds and then dropped down to land by David's side.

"There's one car, moving away at speed.  Appears to be heading for one of the entrance tunnels to the Administration Complex."

"They're almost certainly in that car.  Stop it, delay it, do what you have to but don't damage it."

Gerald nodded.  "Sergeant Harrides.  There's a car heading across the field towards the Administration Complex.  Seal the tunnel entrance, and any other entrance they make for.  If they abandon the car, take them alive but don't attack the car otherwise."

He waited for an acknowledgement and then turned back to David. "That should hold them.  They have nowhere to run to.  The rest of the field is secure and under our control."

"Very impressive, Lieutenant.  So let's go and retrieve the hostages.  Brianey, see if any of these vehicles are still operational."

"Already done, my lord.  There's one over there that's warmed up and ready to go."

David climbed into the car to find Julia and three of the bodyguard already inside.  He looked back through the open door. "Lieutenant?"

"No, you carry on.  I'll leave Private Tegal here to cover the freighter and follow you on the antigrav."

Julia had the heavy car in motion even before Brianey had slammed the door.  The engine roared as it struggled to get the weight of armour moving across the field.  David opened a channel on his communicator.

"Sam, can you see the cars moving on the field?"

"Yes boss."

"Ok.  Scan the leading car and make sure that Zara's in there."

"Sure boss....  Yep, she's in there."

"Right.  Now can you hit that car with a stasis field and immobilise it until we get there?"

"Sure thing boss.  Just give me a few seconds to....  Dammit I missed.  I'll have to widen the field a bit.  And try again....  Got her.  She's stopped boss.  Seems to be suffering from total electrical failure on all systems.  I can't understand it."

"Ok, ok.  Thanks Sam.  And remind me to rebalance your personality response file when I get back on board.  You're getting cynical in your old age."

CHAPTER 23

Inside the stationary car, Zara tensed herself against the seat where she was crammed between Colonel Hendrick and one of the guards.  The time was nearly there, she knew, when she would have to take a more active role in the drama.  She gave a reassuring smile to Lynda who was sitting opposite her between two more of the Palomar's crew.  Then she slipped easily into the familiar and comfortable rituals she had long used to prepare her body for the stress of combat.

She carefully blocked out the furious demands which Hendrick was making for the driver to do something about the stalled car and concentrated, as she had been taught, on relaxing and making ready each part of her body in turn.  And when the ritual of physical preparation was complete she turned her mind to external problems.  They had only searched her perfunctorily when she had been captured, and had not noticed the moonstone, set amongst a pattern of other gemstones in an ingeniously designed bracelet.  She used the power of that stone now, to send her mind searching for the thought patterns of the Colonel sitting next to her.

Hendrick's thoughts were not hard to find.  Zara identified him first by the aura of fear which enveloped him.  Behind the furious bombast the man was terrified.  Delicately, carefully, so as to leave him unaware, she inspected the man's thoughts with a cold, professional distaste, and before retreating, left a mental tag there so that she could instantly find him again when the time was right.  Zara returned to her own body to wait.  It could not be long now.

"COLONEL HENDRICK."

The stentorian bellow seemed to originate from somewhere directly above them and the power of the voice filled the whole space around and inside the car.  The voice was obviously being amplified but more than that, various subsonics were being added to it which vibrated the body of the car despite the armour plating.

"COLONEL HENDRICK.  IN THE NAME OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, I CALL ON YOU TO RELEASE YOUR PRISONERS AND SURRENDER.  THROW OUT YOUR WEAPONS AND COME OUT OF THE CAR WITH YOUR HANDS UP.  IF YOU SURRENDER I GIVE YOU MY WORD THAT YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED."

Hendrick was staring wildly out of one window and then another, trying to identify the source of the voice.  There was another car now, stopped about 50 metres away but the voice had not seemed to come from there.  Zara caught a glimpse of David and the bodyguard as they tumbled out of the car, and then the Colonel's head got in the way again, blocking her view.

She switched her attention back to Lynda.  She had jumped with the rest of them when the voice had first started but was sitting there now, between her guards, with a little grin of recognition on her face.  Zara frowned at her, trying to make her wipe the grin away, but it was too late.  Hendrick looked up and saw her.

"What are you grinning about?” he snarled before the realisation dawned.  "You know who it is out there, don't you?"

Lynda shrank back into the seat, shaking her head.  The grin quickly vanished to be replaced by fear as Hendrick leaned across towards her with a heavy blast pistol in his hand.

"Tell me who it is, you little bitch."

Lynda still stayed silent, shaking her head until that movement was restricted by Hendrick jamming the pistol hard against her throat, under the chin, forcing her head back.

“Last chance bitch.  Who is out there?"

Zara saw the whitening of the flesh around his knuckles as his finger tightened on the trigger and tensed herself to make a lunge for his arm.  Lynda's head was twisted around and pushed back now as far as it would go within the confines of the cabin.  Zara could see a trickle of blood as the muzzle of the pistol cut into her neck.  Then Lynda cracked.

"It's Gerry," she gasped.  "I mean Prince Gerald."

"Well, well."  Hendrick sat back and switched his attention to Zara.  "So it's your brother out there is it?  Come to rescue his kid sister.  How very touching."

Opposite her, Lynda sat rubbing her neck.  There was alarm showing in her eyes now as she realised what she had said.  What if Prince Gerald thought it really was his sister in the car?  What would happen if he did not recognise Zara?

"It's all right Lyn."  Zara tried to reassure her.  "It doesn't matter.  He would have found out soon enough that it was Gerry out there."

"Yes but...."

"No buts.  I'm sure Gerry knows what the situation is in here."

"Shut up, the pair of you."  Hendrick snapped.  He almost seemed a different man now, confident again, as if knowing the name of his enemy would give him the sort of edge he needed.  There was a cunning look on his face as he sat back and calculated the possibilities of this new situation.

"COLONEL HENDRICK."

Hendrick signalled to the guard opposite to open the door a fraction and yelled in reply.

"I hear you, Gerald of Serta.  Can you hear me?"

"I CAN HEAR YOU COLONEL.  GO AHEAD."

"I have your sister in here, Prince Gerald.  It would be a shame if you force me to spoil her beauty.  How would you explain that to your father?  Now back off and hold your fire.  We're coming out."

There was a momentary silence before the disembodied voice replied.

"THERE WILL BE NO FIRING, COLONEL.  YOU MAY COME ON OUT."

Hendrick motioned to the guard to open the door fully, then turned and thrust the blaster right into Zara's face.  She recoiled back but the guard behind prevented her going far.  He leaned over and grabbed her by the hair, causing Zara to wince with pain.

"Right, your Royal Highness.  You go first and no tricks.  And you'd better hope your brother keeps his word."

"Prince Gerald will keep his word, pirate."  Zara put what she hoped was the proper amount of scorn into her voice.  "The word of the House of Serta has always been good."

He yanked Zara's head across sharply, twisting his fingers in her hair to get a better grip.

"Shut up and move."  He pulled her towards the door.

"Bring the other one," he ordered one of the guards.

Zara climbed across him and clambered out of the car, closely followed by Hendrick with his fingers still twined in her hair.  Once clear of the car he ostentatiously placed the heavy pistol against her temple and pushed her head sideways a little.

"You see your sister, Gerald of Serta.  Her life depends upon your actions in the next few minutes.  Now have your men lower their weapons and back away."

Behind him Lynda got out of the car.  One of the guards was right behind her with a laser rifle pressed hard into the small of her back.  The other guards followed.

"ALL RIGHT COLONEL.  WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"This car's dead.  I'm going to take that other one and go.  If you follow us or attempt to stop us again, I will damage your sister.  Is that clear?"

Again, a momentary pause.

"PERFECTLY CLEAR COLONEL."

"Right.  Now bring that car over."

"THAT CAN'T BE DONE.  YOU'RE IN A STASIS FIELD, COLONEL.  THAT'S THE REASON YOUR OWN CAR DOESN'T WORK.  IF YOU WANT THAT CAR, YOU'LL HAVE TO WALK OVER TO IT."

Hendrick swore furiously but recognised that he had no option but to comply.

"All right.  But stand well away from it.  We're coming over.  And remember, I've got...."

He broke off in surprise as his gun hand started moving, apparently under its own volition.  Slowly Zara forced it away from her head and farther and farther round until it was pointing directly at the guard holding Lynda.  The man's eyes were staring in horror as he took in the heavy pistol and then the beads of perspiration on his Colonel's forehead as he fought to regain control of the gun.

The crewman stood his ground a moment longer.  Then, with a shriek of terror he dropped the laser rifle and hurled himself back in through the open door of the car.  There was the flash of a laser from the other car and Hendrick screamed in agony as the pistol fell to the ground, still in the grip of a hand which was no longer connected to his arm.  The other guards quickly raised their hands above their heads as Imperial Guardsmen dropped from the sky to surround them.

Then it was all over.  Zara released her hold on the Colonel who dropped to his knees, still staring in disbelief at his hand on the ground in front of him.  Lynda gave a sob of relief and ran across to Zara, just in time to catch her as she collapsed in a dead faint.

"Zara, Zara.  What's the matter with her?"  She asked tearfully as David and the rest of the bodyguard arrived in a rush.

David knelt by Zara and cradled her head as one of the medics pressed a Diagnostic Unit against her arm.  He waited impatiently as the medic checked the read-out on the instrument.

"It's only shock."  He looked up at David.  "I'll give her a Stim shot and she'll be fine."

"Is she going to be all right?"  Lynda was standing now with Brianey's arm around her.  The great sobs had subsided but tears still coursed down her cheeks.

"Yes, she's going to be fine," David said gently.  "She was still inside Hendrick's head when I took his hand off.  That's all.  She's just absorbed a lot of his trauma."

The Colonel meanwhile, had lost consciousness as another of the medics staunched the flow of blood from his wrist.  In the background, the other crewmen from the car were being hustled away by the Imperial Guard.

Zara's medic loaded a Stim capsule into the injector and pressed it lightly against the inside of her wrist.  After a few seconds her eyelids fluttered, and then she opened them fully to see a cluster of anxious faces around her.

"Hello David," she said softly.  Then more strongly.  "What the hell took you so long?"

The laughter released the tension and David noticed for the first time the prickle of hairs on the back of his neck which meant that Sam was trying to attract his attention.  He opened the communications channel.

"Stop panicking, Sam.  Zara's fine.  They're both safe."

"That's great, boss.  I'll pass the word round the ship.

"Uh, boss...."

"Yes Sam."

"Can I talk to Zara, if she's there?"

"What's the matter, Sam?  You don't trust me?"

"No, no.  It's not that.  It's just that I've got some information that she asked me for."

"Well she's still a bit groggy at the moment, Sam.  Save it till we get back on board."

"I don't think I ought to wait that long, boss.  It looks urgent."

"Well then, give it to me."

"I'm sorry, boss, but I can't do that.  This data's been stored under Zara's personal key."

"Jesus H. Christ.  Whose bloody computer are you anyway?"

He handed the communicator to Zara who was sitting up by this time.

"It's Sam.  He's got some urgent information and he won't give it to anybody but you."

Zara looked a bit surprised but took the communicator from him.

"Hello Sam.  This is Zara.  What have you got for me?"

"Hi Zara.  You remember that research you had me do, on known assassins and the movements of Vostovian agents.  Well I'm holding the results under your personal key as you instructed and I think you ought to see them."

"Ok Sam.  Wait a minute."  Zara punched her private code into the communicator.  "Go ahead Sam."

"I identified three assassins known to specialise in mechanical accidents and whose whereabouts could not be precisely established at the time of Queen Serena's death.  All three of them were known to have had contacts with principal Vostovian agents at some time in the previous three months, but none of them had any known connection with Wolfram.  I filed the information as you instructed and didn't think any more about it until just now."

"So what's happened to change the situation?"  Zara prompted.

"There were two missing persons on board the Aldebaran after the attack: one of the stewards and one of the passengers.  Then two bodies turned up, hidden in lockers.  Nice and neat we thought.  One of them was positively identified as the steward and we all assumed the other one was the missing passenger.

"Then about an hour ago, I got another message from the Aldebaran. The second body didn't match the medical records of the missing passenger.  Out of interest I got the Aldebaran to send me the medical records of both the corpse and the missing passenger.  The passenger's records match exactly with one of the assassins on your list.  A man called Junius LeFevre and with a string of other aliases.  He's strongly suspected of being involved in the murders of several prominent people and in various acts of sabotage.  Nothing has ever been proved against him.

"But where was LeFevre?  I extended the parameters of your research a little and fed all the details of the operation on the Aldebaran and the subsequent killings into the main processing arrays. There was only one fact which showed any statistical significance."

"Get to the point, Sam."

"The second body was found in a locker near the rear, auxiliary airlock.  The launch from the corvette Cleopatra had docked at that airlock.  As we still can't reach the Cleopatra, I contacted the Star Base at Runnymede and requested the medical records of all the Cleopatra's crew.  One set of records matched.  The corpse had definitely been a crewman on the corvette."