Sunlord (19 page)

"She will live," concluded Shaun firmly after a
though inspection. "I am reluctant to use the Hartrias medicines on
her, for I don't know how your alien anatomy will handle it. I
think she will recover in a day or so. How did she sustain this
wound, Capac? She must have fallen upon a rock and grazed it,
looking at those nasty grazes."

"That's what's so weird about this. I could have
sworn she was shot."

Shaun shook his head firmly. "No, definitely not. A
shot from a Scavala would have torn her arm off. Okay, it seems we
survived that little skirmish. Ashian, you stay here and care for
Myshia. Capac and I will go and inspect what remains of our android
friend to see if we can salvage any weapons."

* * *

Lights on the console blinked erratically. Blocker,
his mind racing with sudden panic, tapped commands into the
keyboard.

The machine responded with a scrolling list of
subdirectories that flew past too quickly to read. A whining alarm
sounded overhead.

Captain Mahaur was alerted to Blocker's flurry of
activity and rushed to the astrogator's side.

"What is it?"

Blocker did not take his eyes from the screen as he
was aware of the captain at his shoulder. His fingers tapped
quickly and without pause at the keyboard, trying to find the
source of the computer's disorder. In moments he had brought up a
3-D display of the star system surrounding the battleship. Red
points flashed, warning of a nearby presence.

Captain Mahaur's voice was hoarse and quiet with awe
in Blocker's ear.

"My God! But how? We're still in jumpspace?"

A thin red line of script had appeared below the
display.

HOSTILE FORCES IN SECTOR.

The Captain whirled on his heels and strode to the
command chair. He did not seat himself but instead reached across
and pulled a microphone to his lips.

"Enemy approaching!" his voice bawled over the
loudspeakers throughout the vast space cruiser. "Red alert, I
repeat, red alert. All crew into position and prepare for
engagement."

Nearby, the tech controller had sealed all emergency
doors and activated the weaponry systems. His face, like those of
all the others, reflected confusion. How could they be under attack
during jumpspace? They all knew that in jumpspace the ship's
shields were inoperative; they were sitting ducks to any fire.

Astrogator Blocker's attention fixed to the console
before him, his thoughts turning to the situation he suddenly found
himself in.

The Sarthchild was an interstellar battle cruiser of
the human Federation. Although somewhat dilapidated, she was built
before the war and as a result made to last. Fitted out with huge
rocket and laser turrets that were controlled by a sophisticated
computer system she had earned respect in the battles against the
Hartrias.

The Sarthchild was a stout and heavily armoured
craft, her length just under two kilometres, her breadth a massive
two-hundred metres. In her hold she carried crates upon crates of
personal lasers, disassembled impulse cannons, land-to-space
missiles and much needed spare parts. Her objective was to reach
the frontier colonies, and with this new hardware ensure their
survival.

The huge warpdrive, taking up near a quarter of the
massive ship, carried them through jumpspace. And in that
nothingness of jumpspace they had been attacked. It was a physical
impossibility.

Blocker's fingers flew over the keyboard, trying
desperately to fathom the mystery.

"Hartrias fighters closing!" shouted the radar
operator's voice. "Class four Sova-1 fighters...holy shit..." The
operators voice trailed off for a minute until the Captain's
command broke his reverie. "Hartrias Mothership closing fast!"

"Shields up!" demanded Captain Mahaur.

"Negative, sir. We've just dropped out of jumpspace
and shields are still inoperative-"

The voice was cut off sharply as the floor jolted
beneath them. A jet of white hot plasma streaked through space from
the ports of the Hartrias battleship, delivering death to the many
aboard the Sarthchild. The Federation battleship's flank rippled
with electricity and fire as a chain reaction expanded through the
decks.

Chaos reigned. The Sarthchild's hold shattered like
eggshell with another blow from the Urisa mothership. The
Sarthchild's spin about her axis was halted and the crew found
themselves in sudden weightlessness.

Astrogator Blocker leapt from his chair, shielding
his face from the spewing smoke that had suddenly filled the
control room. He knew everything was lost.

The Hartrias Sova-1 fighters separated from the main
craft and accelerated towards the stricken battle ship. The small
fighter craft consisted solely of a huge engine with powerful
lasers on either side, a canopy stuck on top for the single pilot a
seeming afterthought. The instruments of death arced around and
drove twin furrows in the decks of the Sarthchild.

Multiple escape pods shot from the Federation
battleship, but did not last long before the Urisa's cannons picked
them off in burst of yellow fire.

The Captain's voice rang through the steel
corridors.

"All craft commence defensive manoeuvres! Launch all
fighter craft!"

Red Eagle fighter pilots leapt into dark blue, almost
black, helicasuits. Upon their helmets was the insignia of the
Human Federation of Worlds - red upon black.

Great shudders passed through the Sarthchild's deck
as machinery whirred and snapped into place. Most pilots never
escaped the hangers as fire exploded at their feet and steel
girders snapped overhead. A bare handful of Minnow fighters emerged
from the flailing battleship.

Captain Mahaur bawled into the com link.

"Delta wing, report in!"

The radio crackled into life as a dozen of the pilots
registered. The Captain's voice was brisk.

"Flightmaster Harker, defend the starboard flank
until we can get the cannons up and running. The Hartrias seem to
be concentrating their attack on that sector."

There was a slight pause as the transmission was
relayed before Harker's voice came back.

"Roger that. Delta wing in defence formation."

Astrogator Blocker gasped suddenly as a group of
shadows appeared on radar.

"Captain, Sova-1 fighters closing on the Delta
wing!"

Blocker's words were like those of a prophet. A split
second after his words the radio hummed with sudden static. A brief
blip of voices emerged from that sea of chaotic static.

"...I've been hit, thermal reactor's shut
down..."

"...need immediate cover fire. Repeat, Delta Leader
to bridge cannon-"

The Captain swirled to the tech officer. "Cannons
up?"

"Negative, we've come out of jumpspace way to fast.
Give us fifteen seconds."

Captain Mahaur slapped his fist into the palm on his
hand in sheer frustration. He ignored the calls of the flight
engineer reporting the string of damages they were suffering.

"Arm cannons and fire at the Hartrias mothership as
soon as they come online." Lights and warning beeps flashed about
the control bridge, the deck beneath the Captain's feet trembling
with vibrations as they rippled along the hull. "Astrogator
Blocker, set a course into jumpspace - we can't take this
punishment."

Blocker was almost speechless. "I...I don't
understand it, Sir. It seems all routes in jumpspace are somehow
jammed..."

"Don't be stupid, man! Set a course immediately or
you'll find yourself spending the rest of your life in the blocks
for insubordination!"

The Flight Navigator came to his aid. "He's right
sir. All available jumptunnels are blocked."

The tech officer interrupted. "Cannons stand-by."

"Full power, maximum dispersion factor," ordered
Mahaur. "Fire!"

The once massive battleship gathered its power
together and armed its large bow cannons. In a final desperate
effort a beam of yellow light sliced through space, disintegrating
everything in its path.

Less than a kilometre from the Urisa's side the beam
stopped, to be harmlessly dispersed over the Hartrias'
electro-shielding.

"Blow deflected, Captain. Cannons re-arming..."

The tech officer spoke no further as a massive jolt
shook the entire crew. The Hartrias ship delivered several raining
blows from its plasma ports, the ultra hot gas rippling and
destroying the hull of the Sarthchild.

Seconds later a torpedo spun lazily through space on
a death-course to devour the powerless Federation vessel. It was
the traditional Hartrias technique; stun the enemy with lasers then
finish it with slower but more powerful ordinance. A terrible
grinding jolt went through the ship's superstructure as the outer
hull plating tore from the superstructure, almost ripping the
Sarthchild in two. More fire followed, and the minutes remaining
saw the last of stout old Federation battleship, now reduced to a
husk of steel, the fires and explosions quickly lost and smothered
by the void of space.

Chapter Seven

Respite.

Two things fill my mind with ever-increasing wonder
and awe, the more

often and the more intensely the reflection dwells
on them: the starry

heavens above me and the moral law within me.

- Immanuel Kant.

She awoke to find Ashian's face overlooking hers, the
light swimming into focus as if she were underwater.

In that instant the memories hit like an avalanche.
In a moment of sheer horror the Currach's face suddenly became that
of the creatures that had beaten and whipped her. Memories of a
childhood distant, tucked away in a dim recess of the mind.
Unpleasant memories that surfaced, rearing their ugly heads like
terrible beasts...

Myshia struggled out of her catatonic state as Capac
shook her roughly by the shoulders. She closed her mouth, realising
the banshee wail in the background had been her own screaming.

"Is she all right?"

Capac did not spare Ashian a glance. "She's coming
out of it, now. Scroch, she had me scared."

"Where are we, and what happened?" asked Myshia. Her
voice was hollow, sleepy.

"We're on our way to the landing ground, Shaun says
we may be able to get aboard there."

Myshia nodded. "How long have I been out of it?"

Capac shrugged. "A few hours, no more. Oh, and don't
worry about that shoulder - it'll soon heal."

Myshia raised her head and found herself in a bed of
furs, Capac's hunting cloak thrown over the top of her. Thankfully,
they were in deep forest once more and away from the cursed
mountains.

Capac continued to explain their situation to Myshia.
"We found a device on the android that Shaun fried. What was it...?
Some sort of locater. He says we may be able to summon a Sunlord
starship that will take us to the mothership."

"And once there - what then?"

Capac paused, then turned to Ashian. "Well,
city-dweller?"

Ashian lowered himself tenderly to the ground into a
cross-legged position. "I've been thinking," he began, "about what
Shaun has told us of the Sunlord computers. It seems they control
the ship - it is the very essence of the Sunlord army. If that
could be somehow taken out..."

"No chance."

The natives turned as one to see Shaun step into the
small clearing. The Earthman dumped the armload of firewood he
carried down in a heap before elaborating. "It's been tried before.
Sure, cracking in is not a worry, but the security on that baby has
got to been seen to be believed. Yes, you're right about how it is
the keystone to the Sunlord's operations, and that is why the
Sunlords keep it jealously protected. Besides, to get mainframe
access you need to get into the nerve centre - practically under
Avatar's nose."

"Avatar?"

"The name given to the Sunlord computer. It's so
immensely intelligent it almost has a soul. Almost."

Ashian shivered with the thought. "A thing of metal
and electricity can never inherit the blessing of life from the
almighty Abas."

"Hey, I don't want to get into any theological
arguments here," countered Shaun. "Besides, I stress the almost,
for that beastie is too ruthlessly efficient to have emotions."

Capac spoke. "Are you saying if this Avatar goes
down, the whole lot goes?"

"Pretty much so, but if that's your battle plan be
careful. Avatar has eyes all over that ship."

"You're still not going with us?" questioned
Myshia.

"No, way, I've done my duty according to the reg's.
My job now is to get back to the Federation. Besides, sneaking back
on board the craft I just escaped from after two years of captivity
is not my idea of a good time. It's suicidal."

They sat over the remains of their dinner, plucking
every morsel of available meat from the bones of the beast Capac
had trapped. It was a small creature and its flesh tough, but it
was enough to keep the resilient natives going. Shaun had popped
the lid of a vial of tablets taken from leg pocket of his
helicasuit to supplemented the alien food. With water, the pills
alone could sustain him for weeks.

The night was cold and clear, the stars overhead
distant cool specks of light. The large moon hung on the horizon,
white and bloated, just above the treeline.

They rested in the shelter of the jungle, their small
fire keeping the numbing coldness at bay, the wet wood burning with
a feeble flame. It was with great difficulty that Capac managed to
keep it going by using those branches high in the trees had avoided
the thin blanket of snow laying over the land. But it seemed the
blizzard was over as the snow grew dirty as it soaked into the
humus of the forest floor, green shapes emerging from white. It
promised to be a very cold night, the light wind chilling to the
bone.