Rebel's Quest (33 page)

“No, sir,” Kellen replied, shaking her head. “No one is to sacrifice himself. We’ll have plenty of backup fire to divert the guards. Believe me. We’ll get out of this place.” She raised an eyebrow. “Unless anyone wants to stay?”

A resounding “no” echoed through the corridors.

“You convinced them, and that’s just what we needed,” Bellish murmured in Kellen’s ear. “Your status and charisma rallied them. Good job, Protector.”

“Call me Kellen, Bellish. We’re all equals here.” Kellen steadied a slightly wobbly Mikael, who stared at the crowd with moist eyes. “I need you on Bellish’s team, Mikael. Are you up for it?”

“Yes. Yes, of course. I want off this godforsaken asteroid right now.”

“Well, you may have to wait a bit longer,” Kellen said with a faint smile, “but you’ll see your daughter soon.”

“I pray you’re right, Kellen.”

Bellish and Corgan moved with impressive speed through the tunnels, with a group of other elders whom the others prisoners trusted completely. Quickly they divided the incarcerated rebels into two enormous teams. Everyone carefully avoided the security equipment near the exit tunnel, and Bellish told Kellen they could reach every part of the asteroid prison anyway, since it was built around a circular, multi-level corridor. “There’s just one more thing we need to take care of,” Bellish said, her face serious. “The prisoners on the minus three.”

“What?” Kellen didn’t understand. “What’s the minus three?”

“The cells there are locked. And as far as I know, sixteen people are there right now, on death by starvation.”

“Oh, Gods.” Kellen hadn’t forgotten about the cruel punishment, but somehow hadn’t thought to ask. “We need to rescue them and possibly carry them out of here when it’s time.”

“How do we break the doors down?” Corgan joined them, his expression worried. “We’ve tried before, but the guards punished all of us.”

Kellen thought about his words. “You mean, when you opened the doors, the guards entered the prison?”

“Yes.”

Kellen smiled broadly. “Then that’s just what we need to do. I had a different set of plans to get their attention, but rescuing the starving prisoners will do even better.”

“But, Protector, it’ll put you in danger.” Corgan shook his head. “I should go, and Doc—”

“Doc will go,” Kellen assured him, “and so will I. We need twenty more, young and strong, who can carry the locked-up prisoners to safety. Give me two minutes to collaborate with the Vaksses team.”

“Very well, Protector.”

“Doc, are you all set?” Kellen asked.

“Yes, and I’ll help find twenty volunteers. Come on, Corgan, you can show me.”

As the two men walked into the crowd, Kellen moved to the side and placed her left hand over her ear, to make it possible to hear the transmission. “
Henshes
,
O’Daybo. Kellen to Vaksses team. Come in.”

At first she heard only silence, not even static, but eventually a faint voice came through her earpiece, rerouted via the Merealian Mountain camp. “…to Kovos team. I repeat, O’Daybo to Kovos team.”

“Kellen here. We’re approximately forty-five minutes from achieving our first goal. How does it look at your end?” Kellen pressed her hand tighter to her ear to be able to hear, because of the poor quality of their connection.

“We have around six hundred people ready to go at a moment’s notice.” O’Daybo sounded sure. “One of Paladin’s team members helped us. The message is out, and we’ve devised a new plan to get the guards’ attention. Be sure to watch for infiltrators.”

“Affirmative, O’Daybo. Is forty-five minutes doable for you?” Kellen had to admire her performance so far.

“Yes, I believe so. Let’s signal each other in forty minutes and synchronize with Paladin and Jacelon.”

“Affirmative,” Kellen repeated. “I’ll get my people in position. Kellen out.”

“O’Daybo, over and out.”

Kellen waited ten seconds. “Kellen to Jacelon.”

“Jacelon here. Go ahead, Kellen.” Rae sounded as if she was standing right next to her, and the underlying love in her wife’s voice made her voice catch a little.

“I’m going to need MEDEVAC for at least sixteen, perhaps more, Gantharians once we commence operations, Admiral.”

“People injured already?”

“No. These are prisoners sentenced to death by starvation, Rae.” More emotion than she’d planned crept into Kellen’s voice.
It could’ve been me.
“I don’t know what state they’re in. We’ll carry them out, but they’ll probably need medical attention immediately. Which ship will serve as a medical vessel?”

“One of Paladin’s traders has the ability to provide for seventy-five injured people. All the other ships can take twenty-five with minor injuries, but from the way it sounds, we need to move Paladin’s ship to the front. Good call, Kellen.”

Kellen checked her chronometer, which she’d managed to smuggle in with Doc’s medical equipment, along with a small set of tools, which she relied on now. “We have thirty-eight minutes to get in place before we contact Vaksses again. We’ll also signal you when the time comes, so you can move into position.”

“I’ll take the fleet farther into the asteroid belt right away. We need to be as close as possible, but still avoid premature detection.”

“Very well.” Kellen squeezed her eyes shut. “Good luck, Rae. In half an hour, then.”

“Half an hour. Rae out.”

The silence in her ear ignited Kellen’s battle mode. She turned to Corgan, who stood a few steps away. “Let’s put our plans into action. We’re going to need several bottles of your powder and rocks to ignite it. They’ll give us another element of surprise.”

Corgan looked at Kellen with something that resembled admiration, and nodded slowly. “Yes, Protector. I’m beginning to understand your plan.”

“Good.” Kellen placed her hand gently on the man’s skinny shoulder. “It’s time to finally get you and the others out of here.”

*

Andreia ran down the corridor toward the heavily guarded exit. Blinking lights and alarms accompanied her flight, and she suddenly recalled similar circumstances in the Onotharian Headquarters. But instead of being chased by the guards, she was now leading several hundred rebels, and for a moment she feared she might trip and fall, and ultimately be trampled to death.

“
Henshes.
O’Daybo to Kovos’s team. O’Daybo to Jacelon! Move in! Move in!” she yelled, willing her earpiece to transmit her actions. “We’re going to break out in less than five minutes.”

“Jacelon here. Ships deployed. I repeat. Ships deployed!”

Andreia clutched a crude metal bar, broken off one of the beds, knowing they had less to work with than the Kovos team. They would have to use brute force to overpower the armed guards.

Owena ran next to her, with a grim expression and similarly armed. Her black hair fluttered behind her like the wings of a boyoda, and Andreia knew she would take out anyone standing in their way.

“Halt! Back off. I said, back off!” a guard yelled, panic in his eyes at the approaching crowds homing in on him from two directions. He fired at the ceiling, and smoke, as well as the smell of singed building material, filled Andreia’s nostrils. Next to her Owena growled, and before the young man could aim properly, the commander was airborne.

“Argh!” Owena slammed into the guard. His plasma-pulse rifle went off again, spraying an arc of fire along the ceiling and down the wall behind him. Owena pivoted and kicked out her right leg, and the weapon clattered to the floor. Owena grabbed for it and pushed him down with her arm over his throat. “Stay still,” she hissed. “Be a clever boy and just
lie there!
”

“Come on!” Andreia called, trying to project her voice over the noise. She let go of her bar and took the weapon from Owena. “I’ll need this.” Raising the heavy rifle, she aimed for the base of the arch that led into the exit tunnel. Noise at the far end of it indicated that the remaining guards were now on the move. Andreia fired twice, both shots accurate. The arch ignited in a cascade of sparks, and smoke billowed all around the exit.

Pleased, knowing the fire and smoke would confuse the approaching guards and also inhibit their vision, Andreia positioned herself between the enemy and the rebels behind her. Suddenly it was all so clear to her.
This is my fate. This is why I had to be Boyoda. I was meant to be here, this minute, this instant.
Andreia made sure the rifle was ready, set to heavy stun. If she could avoid taking lives unnecessarily, she would.

Carelessly, with the cocky attitude of being in total command for so long, the Onotharians barged through the smoke and into the larger area just inside. Andreia let the plasma-pulse beam touch them all, making sure it knocked all six guards unconscious.

Suddenly, a distinct tremor under her feet made her stumble forward. A series of muted explosions created a traveling roar, as if a mythical monster had launched an attack against the asteroid.

“Jacelon.” Andreia grinned. Their backup was right on time.

“Owena, Eosomas, hand the weapons you’ve secured to the less trigger-happy. Let’s move out.”

Andreia picked her way through the debris, which was all that remained of the arch, and proceeded into the tunnel. The small green light from her rifle lit the way, and she could vaguely make out the half-open metal doors in front of them. She kept her rifle raised and moved to the side, peering through the opening. She saw no one, but knew there were maintenance people who might well be armed. Prepared to take no risk, she stuck her rifle through the door and moved along the wall to avoid potential fire.

When it failed to come, she stepped through carefully. “Keep close and watch out,” she said to Owena and Eosomas behind her. “How are we doing with the ones that can’t walk? We need to evacuate Berentar.”

“Two trustworthy rebels are carrying him. Last I saw, he wasn’t doing too well, O’Daybo.” Eosomas sounded worried, but his eyes were sharp. “I think—”

“Not so fast,” a cold voice said next to them. “I knew you were up to something, but I didn’t think you’d have this much power.”

Andreia stared with dismay at the man from their room, the one who’d taken too many rations. He pointed a small, plump weapon at her, and she knew it would be all over for her if he fired. These illegal magma-blasters were common among criminals and easy to hide on one’s body.

“Damn! I should’ve trusted my instincts about him,” Owena growled. “I should’ve known.”

“Now we know.” Andreia lowered her rifle and bent over as if to place it on the floor. “How do you think you can hold hundreds of rebels at bay with one rifle?” She was deliberately scornful. “Some may be more than willing to sacrifice themselves, and then you’ll probably be lynched.”

“I can hold you long enough to move you back inside the door and lock it.” The man, obviously an Onotharian in disguise, looked suspiciously confident, with a smug expression that made her wary. Andreia was now almost kneeling and knew she wouldn’t get another chance. People might get hurt, but no way would she allow him to close the door on the rebels. It was made of an impenetrable metal alloy, and without knowing the codes, they might not be able to force it open.

Andreia gripped her weapon firmly, but instead of aiming at the Onotharian spy, she swung it against his now-stunned face. Hitting him hard, she made him drop his weapon before he could fire.

He cried out and fell to his knees, blood streaming down his face from his broken nose. As she’d anticipated, he hadn’t worked alone. Weapons sounded in the crowd farther back, and screams revealed that they’d hit their targets. Andreia knew she couldn’t do anything from her position other than make sure the door stayed open.

“Owena!” she yelled, and tossed herself forward, her rifled raised. “Keep an eye on this one.”

“Sure thing.” Owena stood with her weapon aimed at the Onotharian spy.

Andreia shot the control device on the outside panel, then gazed through the new smoke emanating from the door. Two metal chairs stood to the left, and she grabbed one. “We need to jam the doors!” Eosomas and another man seemed to understand her intentions and took the chairs from her, slamming them against the door to remove their legs.

“Shove them under the doors,” Eosomas gasped. “If anyone locks them, we’re doomed.” He bent down and pushed a chair leg under the left door, kicking it to jam it securely. “There.”

The loud, whistling sound of plasma-pulse fire still resounded within the tunnel behind them, but it had lessened, and Andreia could only hope there weren’t too many casualties.
Why didn’t I realize that if there were spies there must also be weapons stashed inside?
It wasn’t productive to second-guess herself, and she tried to shake her regrets.

Loud cheers echoed from behind her, and the message soon traveled to the front of the large group. “The infiltrators have been taken down,” Eosomas said.

“How many dead? Injured?” Andreia dared hardly ask.

Eosomas turned to the men farther into the group, repeating the question. After a moment the reply came, which nearly drove Andreia to her knees. “Twenty-six wounded—of them, eight badly. Four dead.”

“Gods of Gantharat,” she whispered.