Chronicles of a Space Mercenary 3: Vengeance (19 page)

“For once you may have you
r science right.” Serrath said as her hands dropped and what I knew was going to happen happened. Those blasters cleared leather as Serrath stood there resolutely on the balls of her reptilian feet, primed to move but not before those blasters would speak. If I knew anything about Serrath it was when she’d had enough. I got away from her as quickly as I could. The avenue separating the reptile and Serrath magically reopened and both her blasters were belching raw energy.

I dove and rolled and came back to my feet facing the opposite direction.
Serrath’s blasters were a continuous roar though without having to look I knew she would be on the move. To remain stationary would be an immediate death sentence. Put as much distance between us as possible and split our firepower. Turn one target into two. I came up firing because I had spotted the next amidst the mass of panicked reptiles- it wasn’t running in the opposite direction so I took that to mean it was an enemy- and no wonder these reptiles got moving when the weapons came out. I took at least a dozen innocent bystanders along with the one I had spotted in my first double blast and then
I
was moving again. Only too soon, I had been spotted.

Yellow balls of energy flashed past me and the
world rocked as I dove for the hard ground, the explosions erupting just beyond where I had been standing. If my unseen enemy had targeted the ground at my feet the contest would now be over but the reptile had been headhunting. It was a deadly and final mistake. As the ground behind me erupted in a blistering yellow fireball, the concussion of the explosion knocked me out of my roll and sent me skidding me across the hard packed ground, but then I was on one knee and raking my blasters along the whole line of panicked reptiles in the general direction from which the fire had come.

I
raked my blasters across the entire crowd in front of me, the blasters auto-firing, bucking in my hands and taking down everything standing. Hundreds of innocent bystanders, six vendor’s carts and one permanent food stand along with at least a dozen of my enemies- though I’ll admit I didn’t stop to take the time to count them- whatever and whoever was unfortunate enough to be in my way this day. Then Serrath I and were running once more, every single one of our enemies
probably
vanquished but we not hanging around to make sure. We had just murdered hundreds of innocent civilians and severely injured hundreds more- who was to know which among the injured masses now surrounding us might have the last bit of energy required to lift a blaster. We weren’t hanging around to find out.

“I think you’re leaving more
undead enemies behind yourself.” I told Serrath as we ran.

Chapter 46

“This way!” The Fsyth said from a darkened doorway ahead of us as we cautiously continued on our way. The darkened doorway was one of many in this block-long rundown tenement building. We were now in the outskirts of the city-proper and the last thing I was expecting here was a friend- Fsyth or not. I was immediately on-guard but Serrath straightaway followed the Fsyth. The Fsyth did not seem surprised at our willingness to follow him because I was right behind Serrath who was at least acting like she knew what she was doing. We followed him into the darkened building to what Fate I could yet only guess.

“You’ve struck a terrific blow for the cause.” The Fsyth said, his
pheromones expressing praise, admiration and something more I couldn’t really put a meaning to- hope possibly I thought. “Twenty-four of the Vaes’ top enforcers in one blow.” It said.

“
We watched with satellite surveillance.” The Fsyth added as he halted before a hardened-carbon security-door. “Incredible bravery.” He couldn’t seem to shut up. Some unseen operator behind the door immediately activated it and it pulled back into the room and then slid to the side behind the interior wall. It was an expensive security measure which meant these reptiles had dangerous enemies. The servo-motors were faintly detectable as they worked. What I noted was the thickness of both the plas-steel walls which the security-door was set into and that of the hardened-carbon door itself. It would take a large assault to breach these interior rooms. Of secondary interest the electricity in the otherwise powerless building. We went in.

“The weapons-locker.” Serrath said as I followed her in. The first room was racks of b
last-rifles. Hundreds of them and they were all the same size- just light enough to carry. There was enough firepower here to take over the planet and that wasn’t lost on me either. These reptiles were planning a war.

Serrath snatched one of the blast-rifles from a rack and threw it to her shoulder. The weapon was larger than she was and probably weighed more as well. She put it back but there had been no reaction from our guide- Serrath’s purpose of course. See where a reptile stands.
Apparently we were going to be welcome here.

“
I wouldn’t shoot those things inside the building.” I noted judiciously. “At least not while I’m in it.”

“We were hoping you brought news of
more reinforcements from the Queen.” Our guide said as he led us out of the weapons-locker and into another room. This large room was filled with tables and chairs and every chair was full. The reptiles which would bear the weapons we had noted in the weapons-locker. They were all Fsyth. They all heard the question which was posed us as we walked through the doorway and now all eyes were turned upon Serrath and I in eager anticipation of good news.  Good news meaning these reinforcements that none seemed sure were coming but by their expressions were clearly in need of. The note of how important the destruction of the twenty-four Vaes’ enforcers had not been lost on me. These Fsyth were outnumbered- but what was their game?

“We came here to rescue my sister.”
Serrath said. “We know nothing of what occurs here.”

“It’s not all bad news.” A Fsyth
with a regal military bearing said. He was the only Fsyth who was standing other than us and our guide. This would be the Commander. “You killed twenty-four of the Vaes and you are here now.”

“We came to rescue my sister and that is our only concern.” Serrath reiterated.

“Who holds your sister?” Our guide asked knowingly.

“She was kidnapped and taken to the mines.” Serrath replied before I even had time to d
ecide if telling the truth was such a good idea. It was a risk to be certain but it was a risk that for once didn’t result in blaster-play.

“Then our purposes coincide.” The
confident Fsyth said as he approached us. The handles of his blasters were well polished, I noted. This one would be quick and deadly. “We have been charged to take this holding for the Queen. Your sister isn’t the only Fsyth who has been press-ganged into the mines by the Vaes and we will abide no such transgressions against our brethren. The mines themselves will make a fitting trophy as compensation for the Fsyth who have been wronged and you will have your equal share of the reward from the Queen.” The Commander went on;

“
We have been slipping fighters and weapons on-world for several months now and you aren’t the first Fsyth who has been waylaid coming in recently. You
are
the first that has gotten through in the last half-moon. You were the first Fsyth to make the attempt in the last quarter-moon; we weren’t expecting any new reinforcements.

“
I think that now we can be absolutely certain they are aware of us, at the very least suspect our intentions and that that there are more of us here than we have allowed to be seen. The bulk of us have remained hidden here, we have drawn no attention to ourselves but we suspect the Vaes have become aware that Fsyth are entering the city and then disappearing. We no longer have the time to wait for more fighters. We’ll have to make our attack now. Are you with us?” The reptile asked.

“We’re in.” Serrath answered for the both of us.

Chapter 47

Four hundred and fourteen very pissed-off Fsyth moved ghostly through the Stygian streets of the night. We were spread out over a ten block radius in groups of ten, each ten on its own until all reached the mines. None really thought we would actually
get
to the mines before the fighting commenced but Commander Bherlon had given the command to charge. The troops had gathered and we were now moving stealthily forward through the city. I think I can speak for both Serrath and I that both were sure the fighting would start sooner rather than later. I was sure the Fsyth secret hideout hadn’t been quite as secret as they may have thought. On high alert our group of ten moved forward as quickly as reptilian legs would carry us.

Here and there
feeble light spilled from random windows high in the tenements above but only a few of the locals in this section had electricity and only a weak stray ray once in a while reached the depths of the street to illuminate our way. Luckily Fsyth are endowed with superior night vision and once I had adjusted found I could see quite clearly in the near total darkness. If there was a moon or stars above I couldn’t tell through the thick fog that had rolled in and covered the city after dark and which was now descending into the streets around us. I wasn’t sure if the fog would be a blessing or a disaster in disguise.

The near total darkness did not mean the place was deserted. Fsyth weren’t the only reptiles with good night vision and
the city was crawling with them. If the Vaes weren’t yet aware of our movements soon they would be. We were drawing a lot of attention to ourselves and that fact was most noticeable because the streets in front of us were suddenly deserted. A reptile with a good healthy love of his life did not stick around to antagonize large groups of highly armed and obviously hair-trigger tempered assault teams clearly intent on murder.

“This is going to get ugly.” Serrath said as we hurried through a lighted spot. There were more lights now
coming from the windows above and further ahead the city shone like a beacon. It would be within the lighted area of the city that the Vaes would attack- that we
would
be attacked before we reached the mines was now a foregone conclusion, as far as I was concerned. All that remained to be learned was the time and place of the attack. That prickly sensation at the base of my neck foretold that our coming had been noted and stiff resistance could be expected. I had never known that prickly sensation to be wrong- that sensation that somebeing meant me harm- and Serrath had felt it as well. On that level Serrath and I were very finely attuned. Call it whatever you want- ESP, precognition, whatever you like- I call it good old common sense and it was screaming at me that I was carrying myself to almost certain death. I didn’t doubt it for a moment.

B
ehind us other groups of ten moved forward under the cloaking night but none were visible when I glanced back. We were the lead team on this street and we would take the first brunt of the attack when it came. We would then be on our own until further groups could reach us to assist us, if they weren’t already busy. On top of that I had no hard logistics detailing the force we faced. If the Vaes had suspected a buildup of trained Fsyth fighters it would have been only logical that they would have imported sufficient fighters and military grade weaponry to repel us. I held up my hand and brought our group to a halt.

“You’re right.” I told Serrath. “We’re sitting ducks
bunched like this.” I turned to the rest of the reptiles in my group. “We’re separating or they’ll take us all with one blast. Scatter and skirmish.” I ordered and then relayed the command through my wrist-bot to the groups under my command behind us on my street. Bherlon could run his street and the other Commanders theirs, however they wanted, but I was running mine my way. I would be no reptile’s cannon fodder. I only further scrutinized the reptiles of my own group a moment longer but I could see these weren’t stupid reptiles. Serrath sprinted across the street at that moment, the massive blast-rifle light as a toy in her hands and I took that as my cue to follow while the rest of the group came to a mutual conscious decision and every reptile went in a different direction.

Serrath didn’t mean to give up point however and by the time we had raced
six blocks up the street- it seemed only to take a moment- all hell had broken loose behind us.

Chapter 48

We came to a skidding halt to glance back at the firefights which had erupted up and down the long street and to assess our position but it appeared we had outpaced the attack. They probably watched as we ran right through but had waited for the bulk before attacking. That meant they wouldn’t be far behind if the battle back there didn’t go well for our team. Like fireworks in the night and accompanied by the usual thunderclaps the battle raged for ten blocks straight- and that just what was visible on this street alone. This was more a war than an act of piracy but it was an undeclared war so the participating Monarchs could still smile in each other’s faces and pretend the two races were friends.

I
n that brief pause we watched a dozen or more Fsyth target the base of a twenty-story building from which withering fire was raining down on the streets below. They continued firing into the building until the entire structure began to give way- a matter of moments only- and with its main structural supports blown away began to collapse. It came down with a roar and shaking of the ground beneath our feet felt clearly though the Fsyth coordinated attack had already switched to the next target as the first building had begun to come down. The second wouldn’t be long following the first, and so on and so forth, but I had places to be and didn’t have the time to watch the show. The Vaes were not faring well, at least not on my block. “Let’s keep moving.” I said as I moved.