Zein: The Homecoming (28 page)

Tyson found Amelia struggling with her body armour, the fastenings just didn’t want to wrap round her to enable her to connect the shoulder protector to the main body armour.

‘Nervous?’ said Tyson with a big smile on his face.

‘Yes, a little.’

‘Are you saying you have never dodged radar on a clandestine mission on an unknown planet in the black of night and walked down a winding tunnel after climbing a steep mountain into a hostile city?’

Amelia laughed out loud. She was pleased to see a smile on Tyson’s face, realising it was the anticipation of rescuing his mother that was behind it. He helped her with her body armour and then gave her a quick kiss.

‘Ugggh, please get a room you two,’ said Bailey, putting on a jokey disgusted face. Just to wind him up more Tyson kissed her again.

‘Hey, you two, I have not eaten yet – please,’ shouted Hechkle, joining in the fun as he barged Bronstorm out of the way as they selected weapons to strap on around their waists.

Lieutenant Morrison stood back and took it all in. He knew they were simply diffusing the tension they felt but
he couldn’t but be impressed with the group’s attitude. His disquiet of General Corder’s attitude towards the group was eating away at him, through recent events they had clearly demonstrated what the combined force could provide once self-interest was pushed to one side.

Going with the group was Amelia with Gemma staying behind with Kabel. Both he guessed had never experienced real combat training. Knowing this he was even more impressed after he saw them practising their accuracy and fitness, especially Gemma with the support of her martial arts background. He knew Hechkle and Bronstorm were well trained and seasoned fighters; they even bettered some of the Navy SEAL officers in the duals, no small comparison; SEAL soldiers represented soldiers at the top of their game who could operate in any environment across sea, air or land, from which the acronym was derived from. Tyson and Bailey, you could see were the best of friends and when Tyson wasn’t causing issues at strategic meetings with his out of control temper, he came across as a straightforward guy. No Morrison’s concern was the statuesque Changelings. Zebulon did not take part in any training and simply stood to one side along with four of his men. They made him nervous and he just could not read them.

He looked across at his men, half SEALs and the rest US Marines, all tough and used to action with him countless times. In total, the party numbered thirty. He wasn’t a fan of taking civilians on such a difficult mission but General Corder was adamant. Morrison knew he just wanted Tyson away from the main action.

Kabel came by with Tate and Belina, partially to see Gemma. He didn’t want her to fight but Gemma was beginning to feel left out of things. Ever since the battle for the Aeria Cavern she was not party to the strategy
meetings and due to the request of Tate and Zebulon, found she was pushed to one side. Kabel, to his credit, didn’t treat her any differently and Gemma found she was looking for him more and more through the busy days. Gemma had fully moved on from her feelings for Tyson. She could see how much he loved Amelia and she knew acceptance of the situation was the only healthy course.

Kabel and Tate spoke to everyone, wishing them luck. Belina went to talk to Bailey.

‘Hey, be careful out there,’ said Belina.

‘I will, what are you planning?’

‘We are going to knock hard on the front door.’

Bailey laughed. ‘You keep safe,’ he said, reaching up and brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. Belina welcomed the gesture, pleased that Bailey accepted the situation with her and Tate. They parted and went their separate ways.

Kabel approached Tyson and held out his hand, his eyes riveting him to the floor. Tyson smiled and took the hand, at which point much to Tyson’s surprise, Kabel pulled him so his face was just inches away. The others paused in their goodbyes and Bailey went to separate them but was stopped by Zebulon, by placing a hand across his chest.

‘Leave them,’ said Zebulon, interested in what was going to happen.

Bailey stopped, ready to jump in if needed.

‘Brother, I didn’t know you cared?’ said Tyson, amused by the action. ‘Glad you brushed your teeth.’

Kabel didn’t smile. ‘Bring back my Delilah, kill anyone who gets in the way,’ he said through gritted teeth, the leader’s civilised veneer evaporating. Tyson stopped smiling. He knew this feeling.

‘I will Kabel, I will.’

Kabel struggled to hold back his anger and it was Tyson who, with his other hand, clasped his brother’s arm.

‘Kabel, don’t worry, no one is going to get in the way of getting my mother and your sister, and if they do then they will regret it.’ Tyson matched Kabel’s steely determined look.

‘Good,’ said Kabel and using the same hand that grasped Tyson to him the first time, he pushed his brother away from him. As he turned away from Tyson his smile returned and the others only saw the commanding presence of their Lord Chancellor. No one was fooled for an instant that what they had witnessed was naked aggression. Irrespective to what they had just seen, they fully supported Kabel.

‘Bring the prisoners back to me at all costs,’ said Kabel, to the wider group, ‘I have all my faith in you that you will.’

Wernion observed the interchange and caught Tyson’s eye. They swapped good luck messages. Wernion would be leading the Pod contingent with his father, Dominion, on the attack of the front gates. Since the events on Zein, Tyson had spent considerable time in the gentle giant’s company. Zebulon had also taken the young Pod to one side and provided some guidance on how to prevent the magics taking hold of him and convincing him that he was best keeping to his present body rather than turning into a Changeling. Wernion had agreed not to develop his magics further, much to his father’s relief.

Soon the group for the insertion was safely on board a transporter that would travel to the other side of the mountain in the deep of the night. They would fly under the Xonian radar and the transporter would drop them half way up the steep climb on a natural plateau of which Tian was providing the coordinates for.

The transporter lifted off and the powerful zinithium engines made short work of what would be a much
longer journey for any shuttle from Earth over a similar distance. They approached from the north of Quentine, hidden behind the imposing mountain behind the wondrous city.

The coordinates guided the pilot to the plateau where it landing safely. The insertion team exited the transporter, which in turn set off for its return trip, leaving the members watching the departing ship with just a little trepidation.

Morrison organised the scouts to go ahead of the main group and they headed off on the still steep climb. The air was cold and biting, they needed to move fast as the main attack was to be launched at dawn, when the sun would be in the defenders eyes, adding to the advantage of the attacking army.

Tian set off with the scouts looking for the entrance to a tunnel, which his ancestors had built to act as a doorway to the top of the mountain in the time where they had made animal sacrifices to their gods. The entrance led to a set of stairs that wound down the mountain. It was no longer used and only senior members of the royal household knew of its existence. The majority of the group would use this entrance to enter the Oneerion Royal Palace, secure the prisoners when the main attack commenced on the Skegus Plain and then escape via the attached Transportation building.

Morrison with four SEALS would skydive onto the top of the tall building, following the instructions of the message left by Leila, directing them to the communications room which needed to be disabled to prevent any outside chance of Xonian reinforcements from Oneerio. They would then meet up with the rest of the force.

Tian and the scouts made quick work of the climb and it wasn’t long before they reached a smaller plateau which had a stone altar in the centre, once part of an important
tradition where the great and good of Oneerion society would pay homage to the gods, but now covered in thick moss with cracks tapering up the sides. Tian ignored the altar and went straight to a pair of doors hewn into the cliff face, his long fingers feeling carefully around the centre of the doors. They found barely-there finger holds and he pressed hard with all his fingers and the stone block doors rumbled open just as the rest of the group made the second plateau.

Tyson, who was leading the following group, keen to get to his mother and Delilah, took one look and without hesitation made for the door.

‘Tyson wait,’ said Morrison, but Tyson wasn’t listening. He brushed past the two soldiers with Tian and started down the winding steps. Amelia and Bailey didn’t wait either and hurried past the protesting man mountain of a US Marine, followed by Hechkle and Bronstorm. Zebulon and the four Changelings brought up the rear.

Morrison, frustrated told his remaining men to follow them. He and his four men prepared for the sky dive onto the Oneerion Palace. He left two men on the door as he didn’t want the only manner of escape to be lost and once the fight was over they would be radioed to join them in the city.

Tyson was running energetically down the steps, which were many and seemed to go on for ever, curving this way and that, so that even the fittest of the soldiers found they were breathing hard. It was not so much the steps but the lack of fresh air, the limited air coming from ancient pipes hammered into the sides of the mountain. The light was poor with only flickering neon lights that had seen better days providing a hazy atmosphere.

Just when they thought it would never end the steps and wall hewn out of the stone turned into smooth marble.
The stairs also turned into a more manageable width; they were entering the section of the tunnel that was part of the Oneerion Royal Palace.

Tyson saw a pair of doors ahead of them and he reached out to pull one of the handles, when the big hand of Tian stopped him.

‘No my friend. Just in case our enemies found this passageway only a member of the royal household can open these doors. If anyone else tries to open the doors they are programmed to bring the roof tumbling down on you.’ He pointed to the roof and Tyson saw the beams holding back what must be a ton of boulders. He grinned ruefully and extravagantly waved the Oneerion ahead of him. Amelia smiled despite the tension she was feeling.

Tian’s hands ran across a panel near the door and a number of lights came on and then faded, He then reached out to one of the handles and opened carefully. Those that had heard about the booby-trap, kept their gaze on the boulders above their heads. No movement. You could hear some sighs of relief.

The room they entered was dark and their footsteps echoed on the floor, as they all filed into the room. Tian left them and walked across to the far wall. He switched on the lights and all were taken aback by what they saw. They were in what must have been the store room, but what a store room. They were standing on a white marble floor that matched the walls and high ceilings. On each wall there were floor to ceiling racks of food of every conceivable type. Hechkle took charge.

‘We stay here until the attack commences like we agreed,’ said Hechkle, directing the comments to Tyson who was pacing, glancing at the door that would take them up into the main palace, and to the main floors where they could rescue the prisoners.

Tyson glared at Hechkle but he had agreed to the plan, seeing the sense of drawing away troops from the Oneerion Royal Palace to meet the threat from the Skegus Plain. That didn’t make it easier because somewhere above him was his mother.

General Corder barked orders as
Elanda
came out of its hyper-drive. First the release of the transporter to Skegus and second, attend to the enemy.

They were in sight of the large Xonian battleship and even as his orders were given the enemy was launching its fighters…but they were ready.

The Cobras, led by Kabel and Lambert, fought with skill and precision as multiple dog-fights between opposite fighters erupted. Soon space was full of a choreography of explosions and colour as missiles found their targets. Kabel was calm and collected as he found the weakness at the base of the enemy fighters, which all the pilots, now found with impunity.

Enjoying yourself?
he asked Gemma as his zinithium guided missiles tore apart the plane in front of him, the screams of the occupants echoing in his mind.

Yep very therapeutic
, was Gemma’s reply as she manned one of the guns on the top deck of the
Elanda
, targeting a fighter that had broken through the Cobras.

General Corder leaned across the command desk, glad to be in the thick of the fighting, his disagreements with Admiral Koshkov pushed to the back of his mind. ‘Hit the main ship with two missiles,’ he ordered the young gunner. Two bright blue missiles screamed towards the hull of the large battleship, crashing into the force-field. The enemy force-field did its job but the power behind
the missiles was immense and the field flickered with protest.