Secret of the Legion (22 page)

"Gildron!" I shouted, my words strangely muffled by the buzz. "We are here!" He turned and peered at us, distracted, still listening to a comset in one hand as we approached.

"Welcome, Three. Welcome back, Eleven. You are both well?" I could read only concern in his features. He was wearing a great cloak. Several of the Taka around him were war leaders, well known to me. Others were people I had never seen.

"We are well, Gildron. Why are we here? Are the ConFree troopers closing in? How much time do we have?"

Gildron looked up to the stream of sunlight lancing down from the roof. He seemed perfectly calm, as calm and solid as a statue.

"It is past dawn," he almost whispered it. "We have only time. It is all we have. A billion years…two billion. All we need. Do you know what this place is?" He looked like a King, an Emperor, a God, looming above us all, his eyes aglow.

"No," I said. "I don't. Gildron, do you have the Star?"

"The Wanderers built this place," Gildron said, "long before the Thousand Years War. The Taka call it Mount Light now, but it was never a mountain. It is the mouth of the earth, and the gateway to the sky. It was built to channel and focus all the natural power of the planet. Observe—the sun has only risen, but its rays are already drawn in, to join the earth."

"Gildron…the Star. Do you have the Star?"

"The Star revealed it all to me. Without the Star, this would still be only a lonely mountain, covered by the forest. Observe." He walked into a narrow doorway in the central structure. I followed him in. Reflections from the sunlight lit up a small room with walls of blackened metal tiles marked with strange runes, unlike anything I had ever before seen. Gildron ran one massive hand gently over the tiles.

"I have barely begun to understand its power," he said quietly. "We are only toying with it now. Charging the atmosphere a little, blowing out communications, knocking out aircars. It is a pity we will not get to understand it further."

"Can you turn this on and off?"

"Yes. I will soon disable it. No one can understand it without the Star. How did you escape from ConFree?"

"We did not escape. They released us."

"Why?" He was not even looking at me. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"I told them we would give them the Star. Do you have the Star? You know it will bring death to the Taka if it remains here." Redhawk and Valkyrie were in the doorway, looking in. I detached the comset from my u-belt and handed it to Valkyrie. She snatched at her own comset and disappeared.

"And do you intend to give them the Star?" Gildron asked me gently. Ten was still in the doorway.

"Redhawk, any news of the
Tempest
?" I asked.

"It's still in orbit. We have no idea what's happening on board. There appears to be no active resistance from the Legion garrison. Of course…it's not much of a garrison."

"Is there some way out of this place? Can you get me to the top, or maybe somewhere on the side of the mountain?"

"Sure. Follow me."

"You have not answered my question," Gildron chided me.

"You haven't answered mine," I replied. "Do you have the Star? It's rather important. Could I borrow your comset?"

Gildron handed me his comset and accompanied us as Redhawk led me across the floor to a metal door set in one wall.

It brought us to the outside, to a narrow ledge hidden behind a crumbling stone wall in a tangle of foliage on the nearly vertical slopes of Mount Light. It was a cool wet morning. There was a breathtaking view past the vines and branches. The mountain loomed over a great forest, a primeval world that stretched to the horizon. A white sun burnt brightly just above the horizon. Air angels floated in the breeze. I could see no activity in the forest below, but I knew it was crawling with attacking ConFree and Legion troopers and defending Taka. We would be invisible too, to any observers. I raised the comset to my lips and switched the channel.

"Moontouch, Slayer. Please respond."

"Slayer!" she responded immediately, "You live! I thank the Gods of the Dead!" My heart was burning. How could I leave her?

"Moontouch, my only love. I had to hear your voice one last time. I have escaped from my enemies. I must take the Star far, far away, where it will no longer endanger your people. I promise I will return, my love, if I survive. Tell my son I love him. I swear to all the dead I will love you forever. I must go now, my love. Be strong! Tell Stormdawn to be strong!"

"Daddy!" It was Stormdawn, tugging at my heart. "Promise you will come back! Promise!"

"I promise."

"I love you, Daddy!" I broke the transmission. I couldn't stand it any more. Cursed by the Gods! Valkyrie appeared, looking out at the view.

"Are the comsets gone?" I asked.

"Cooking," she answered cheerfully. "What now?"

"Redhawk?" He handed me the fieldpak. I pulled out one of Tara's nova beacons, activated it, and hurled it off the mountain, as far as I could throw it. It airburst with a shattering bang and fell, burning with a bright, hot light, spitting sparks all the way down, finally disappearing through the forest roof.

I raised Gildron's comset and switched channels again. "
Tempest
, this is Supply Alpha, calling for pickup. Please note our area zero." I looked up at Gildron. He was examining me calmly. "Can you deactivate the defenses so the
Tempest
can drop in aircars?" I asked.

"It is done," he replied.

"ConFree will be on us as well," Redhawk said.

"Thinker," Valkyrie said thoughtfully, "I want you to kill me if it looks like the bastards are going to get us again."

"Certainly."

"Thank you."

"
Tempest
, Supply Alpha," I said into the comset. "Suggest aircars, repeat, aircars. Expect a hot zero. Alpha out." I know there would be no answer. I didn't want them using the shuttle—it was too big a target. But I had to let them know that aircars could now penetrate the Taka zone. Unfortunately, the bad guys would be listening as well.

"Do you think ConFree can hear us?" Redhawk asked.

"Probably," I replied. "I imagine they're listening to every word we say. We can assume they're on the way. Valkyrie and I will need E's."

"That's not a problem."

"Gildron," I repeated, handing the comset back to him, "Do you have the Star?"

"It is with me always, Three." He was looking sadly out to the rising sun. "We are all driven by secret demons. And mine is named Cinta." He raised the comset to his lips. "To my beloved warriors. This is Starmouth. The time we spoke of has arrived. I must leave, and I must bring the power with me so it will not destroy Southmark. Tell your brave soldiers to defend their Queen. There is only one order: Fight until the intruders are driven from your land. A thousand generations of dead warriors are watching you. Do not betray your heritage." He turned his face away from us. I knew it hurt him deeply, to leave the Taka in their hour of greatest need. It hurt me, too.

***

"Supply Alpha,
Tempest
Air Six Two, please nova your pickup zero, confirm." They were calling us! We were on the very top of Mount Light, picking our way through a tangled forest in the clouds, an eternal rain forest that covered the flat top of the peak like a great wet sponge. Cool misty clouds sliced through the trees, erasing them. It was quiet and spooky. Redhawk and Valkyrie were right beside me. Gildron was up ahead, and the area was saturated with Taka warriors. We were all heavily armed with E's and grenades. Redhawk and Valkyrie and I had our comtops on, and Valkyrie had a micronuke clipped to her A-vest. The tacmods were working perfectly, now that Gildron had shut down the power source. I tossed another one of Tara's novas off into the trees. It exploded with an ear-shattering blast and began burning brightly. It would guide the
Tempest's
aircar right to us.

"Novas going off all around the mountain," Redhawk reported. ConFree was getting in on the act.

"I can see the aircar!" Valkyrie said. I could see it too on my tacmap, a brilliant dot illuminated on my visor, approaching the mountain.

"
Tempest
Air Six Two, Supply Alpha," I said into the comset. "Have you ID'd us, respond."

"Attention! Three aircars approaching from the Southwest, masked Legion ID, as marked," my tacmod reported.

"Attention! Four aircars approaching from North, masked Legion ID, as marked."

"Damn," I said. ConFree had just realized that Taka country was no longer closed to aircars. It was Lowdrop, coming at us.

"
Tempest
Air Six Two, Supply Alpha," I said into the comset, "Intruders approaching. Hot zero. Request extraction if at all poss, respond." If it was not possible we were going to wind up dead or in the cage with Bobo, I knew.

"Stand by, Supply Alpha." Stand by! They were coming! A burst of pride shot through my system. Legion troopers, riding right into Hell, for us!

"Full auto x, gang!" I shouted. "Don't hit the
Tempest's
aircar!"

"They're all going to be dropping right in on our heads!" Redhawk exclaimed. It was true. Seven enemy aircars were going to be landing right on our nova.

"The
Tempest's
car is going to arrive first!" Valkyrie alerted us. I watched its progress on the tacmap. Valkyrie was right, but it was going to be close.

"Taka warriors, for your clans!" Gildron shouted into his comset. "The first manbird is friendly. The others are not. When the doors open, attack!" The forest was silent, but they heard. I know they did. I looked up. The trees danced gracefully against a misty white sky. There was a faint, rising whistle—the
Tempest's
aircar, coming right at us.

The forest erupted behind us, flashing like an exploding star, multiple detonations, multiple concussions, hitting us through the air. A quick glance back there, a sky full of shredded vegetation.

"Stunstars!"

Valkyrie tore the micronuke off her A-vest and activated it, clutching it tightly in one hand. Her eyes were frantic. If she dropped that, we'd all die. Another stunstar detonated, closer, rattling my teeth—not yet in range! The forest was shaking itself apart to our front. The
Tempest's
aircar was dropping right in on our zero, slicing through the forest like a great cenite fist, branches and trees snapping and exploding into dust before it. I caught a quick glimpse of two aircars, darts, flashing high overhead, wheeling. There was a sudden wild windstorm of flying twigs and leaves, and then it was there—a dull black aircar, floating like a cenite butterfly, darkened plex, muted Legion cross on the fuselage. The assault doors snapped open and a Legion trooper in a camfaxed A-suit leaned out, armed with a Manlink.

"GET IN!" A highly amplified voice, totally inhuman.

I started forward, my E up. "I confirm arrival of
Tempest
aircar," my tacmod informed me. Redhawk appeared to my right, advancing warily. Valkyrie was just to my left, her E pointed right at the car, the micronuke clutched in one fist. We were not a trusting bunch.

"Gildron, where…" The aircar detonated, exploding right in our faces, a mighty soundless flash and I was on my back trying to make sense of all the buzzing, sparkling stars that were swirling around me like angry bees. I struggled up to a sitting position. I was sitting in a burning forest, a mighty conflagration. Blazing white-hot wreckage was strewn everywhere. Before I could even get my thoughts straight a titanic blast shattered my ears and dazzled my eyes. There—micronuke, rising through shattered trees, an ugly mushroom cloud rolling into the sky. Valkyrie! Dead! An aircar shot overhead, firing chainlink, an eerie screech. I screamed and staggered to my feet, firing wildly after it, auto xmax hammering skywards. The forest was coming apart to my right, shaking itself to pieces. I whirled and charged at it blindly, crashing through burning palms, shrieking mindless rage. Another black aircar burst into view in a hail of debris, the assault doors snapping open. I ran right at them, my finger locked on the trigger, auto xmax, and a whole squad of fully armored Legion troopers leaped from the car, right into my line of fire, right into Hell. The x flashed and burst, blasting awful chunks off their armor, chopping off arms and legs and helmets, white-hot liquid cenite splattering wildly, the whole aircar lighting up, and they were on the ground spraying blood but I was still firing, auto x to end it all, auto x to end the universe. The aircar erupted, the whole squad caught in the blast, red faceplates reflecting only death, the forest around me going up, some of them firing. I switched to laser and sliced back and forth blindly and it was a knife from the stars screeching on their armor, crawling on my skin, burning, spitting. The aircar swung wildly right over my head but I ignored it, hunting down the living like a mad dog from Hell, stepping through a glowing charnel house of quivering, twitching death. One trooper was on his knees, screaming. He had lost both arms and his pitted, smoking armor was dripping with blood. I switched back to xmax and shot him in the face. The aircar floated past me, derelict. I fired flame into the open assault door and vaulted in, totally adrenalized, twitching, numb. There was movement from the burning cockpit. An A-suited pilot was struggling to get out—his armor was riddled. I fired auto x, blasting him apart, raw meat splattering on the walls. The car crashed into a tree and settled in at a crazy angle. I fell out the assault door onto a bloody field of glowing armor and burning corpses. Holy angels, killed on sacred ground. A whole squad of them had been shooting at me, and I was untouched. Evil Gods, watching over me. Gildron came striding out of the mist, a fearsome giant, his E at his shoulder. The forest was burning all around us. The sounds of battle were still popping in my ears. Redhawk knelt beside me, pulling me up. A couple of Taka warriors appeared, clutching their nerve guns.

"Thinker. Thinker! Deadman, what happened? What the hell happened?"

I seized him by the shoulders, my face twisted with rage. I was shaking uncontrollably. "They're Legion soldiers, Ten! Soldiers of the Legion! Just like you—and me! It's KCA! It's Two Four One! Those bastards did this! Not me!"