STAR FIGHTERS BUMPER SPECIAL EDITION: Stealth Force (5 page)

‘Don’t worry about Selene,’ Peri said hastily, before Selene proved that she could fight by giving Gunner a blacker eye than he already had. ‘We’ve been in plenty of scrapes together and she can look after herself, I promise you. We just have to work out our first move against Wild Will and his gang.’

‘Are we really going to atta-atta-attack him?’ asked Spike.

‘Yes, but not head-on,’ Peri said. ‘That wouldn’t be smart. We’re outnumbered and outgunned.’

‘You got that right,’ Gunner said. ‘Wild Will’s gang have all the weapons in town.’

Peri nodded. ‘Right, but do you know what their strongest weapon is?’

‘Wild Will’s spring-loaded repeating rifle,’ Dexter said.

‘That rifle does sound deadly, but that wasn’t what I meant,’ Peri said. ‘Their strongest weapon is
fear
.
The townsfolk are too scared to stand up to Wild Will. If we can stop them being scared –’

‘How can we do that?’ demanded Gunner.

Diesel and Selene looked at Peri inquisitively. ‘I’d be kind of curious to know that too,’ Diesel said.

‘We have to stand up to the gang,’ Peri said. ‘We’ll see how tough they really are when the townsfolk aren’t scared of them.’

‘But the townsfolk
are
scared,’ Gunner said. He turned, flicked his tongue out and spat.

To Peri’s amazement, a globule of spittle travelled a huge distance, flying right across the road, hitting a cactus and making it wobble.

‘Wow – that was some spit, Gunner!’ Peri said.

Gunner shrugged. ‘I’ve spat farther.’

‘Let’s get down to business!’ Diesel said impatiently. ‘What’s the plan?’

‘We should spend some time training these boys to fight,’ Peri said.

‘We don’t have long,’ Diesel said. ‘The clock’s ticking down, remember?’

Diesel was right. Peri glanced at his Expedition Wear control strip again.

‘That’s the fanciest watch I’ve ever seen,’ Dexter said.

‘Don’t worry about that,’ Peri said. ‘We need to start training – and fast! Now, did you boys manage to get hold of anything that could be used as a weapon?’

‘Yeah,’ Dexter said.

From under their shirts, Dexter, Spike and Gunner pulled out the strangest-looking objects Peri had ever seen.

‘M-m-made them ourselves,’ Spike said.

The Star Fighters looked at the strange tubes for a moment, then at each other.

Peri grinned. ‘I think this might just work.’

Chapter 5

‘You can do this, Spike,’ said Peri.

The smaller of Dexter’s two friends was turning green – greener than he was in the first place. Selene’s chokehold on Spike was tight. Peri feared that the little Westrenian boy might pass out before he managed to escape.

Peri had structured their day’s training carefully. First up was spit practice. Using  their special, spiralled tubes, Dexter, Spike and Gunner spat stones across the desert, hitting every cactus they targeted. Gunner even hit one that was hundreds of metres away. Once their confidence was higher, Peri had them run escape drills, like the ones taught at the IF Academy. He and Diesel tackled or restrained the Westrenians, who dodged, jumped and wriggled free. Peri thought it was also a great refresher course for the Star Fighters. He realised he relied too much on the
Phoenix
and his bionic abilities. It was good to get back to the basics. These Westrenian boys were demonstrating that smartness, skills and confidence might just outwit outlaws and their weapons.

The last escape drill involved Selene applying the kind of chokehold that Diesel predicted bandits like Wild Will and his gang would use, and it was up to the Westrenian boys to escape. They struggled at first but, after a couple of hours, they were able to slip out of Selene’s grasp, sometimes even throwing her to the sand. Except for Spike, whose little legs had come right off the ground and whose little white cap had flown off. He kicked desperately, trying to get free, but Selene held on tight.

‘You can do this, Spike!’ Peri said again.

He saw the little alien’s black eyes narrow for just a moment, his lizard-tongue flicking out in determination. With a growl, he bent forward and threw Selene to the sand.

‘Ouch!’ the engineer cried.

‘Well done, Spike!’ Gunner said, slapping his friend on the back.

‘That was great!’ Peri said. ‘If any of
Wild Will’s men grab you, that’s how you should escape.’

‘I think I’ve got it,’ Spike said, reaching down to help Selene to her feet.

‘Good moves,’ Selene said with a smile. ‘You’ll be a match for anyone.’

Spike ran a hand over his bristly red hair, his black eyes dropping shyly. ‘I hope you weren’t letting me get the better of you, Miss Selene.’

‘That’s not her style,’ Peri said, giving her a playful punch in the arm. ‘Trust me.’

‘Selene hates losing more than Otto hates vegetables,’ Diesel agreed.

Dexter cocked his head questioningly. ‘What are vegetables?’

‘And who is Otto?’ asked Gunner.

The Star Fighters glanced at each other,  then Peri shook his head.

‘That doesn’t matter,’ Peri said. ‘All that matters is that we’re ready.’

‘I feel ready,’ said Gunner.

‘Me too,’ Spike said, shoving his cap on his head.

Peri turned to the sheriff’s son. ‘Dexter?’

Dexter grinned and half turned, lashing his tongue out and sending a globule of spit zooming towards an old, withering cactus tree. It took the tip off one of the branches. Peri watched, amazed, as the broken chunk of prickly cactus hit the ground and broke into pieces.

‘Oh yes,’ said Dexter. ‘I think I’m ready.’  

‘That’s just as well,’ Diesel said, stomping around impatiently in his cowboy boots. ‘Because . . . look!’

Peri followed Diesel’s pointed finger and saw a narrow dirt road that skirted the desert. Far down the road, on the horizon, a cloud of dust was rising. It was getting closer. Peri’s bionic eyes zoomed in on ten figures that were galloping towards them.

I bet they’re
Wild Will’s men
, he thought.

Peri was right – and they were heading straight for a herd of animals that were being shepherded by a small group of Westrenians, their lizard-tongues snapping in the air to encourage the animals to move faster. The animals were short, squat and four-legged. They looked like the cattle on planet Earth, except their skin was green with deep-red spots.

‘Hide!’ Peri instructed.

His new team obeyed instantly. Diesel and Selene dropped to the ground, while Peri and the Westrenian boys dived behind cacti and scrubby bushes.

Riding strange, horse-like creatures, Wild Will’s gang drew up alongside the herd, whooping and jeering.

‘Stop, or you’ll regret it!’ one of the bandits shouted.

Panicking, the cattle-drivers yelled at their animals, desperately trying to control them. Most of the cattle-creatures stopped, but a few made frightened, screeching sounds and trotted off in all directions as fast as their stumpy legs would carry them.

‘Should we do something?’ Diesel asked as he crawled on his belly to where the others were hiding.

‘We can’t let them steal the cattle,’ Gunner said, making to start forward.

‘Wait,’ Peri said, putting a hand on the Westrenian’s shoulder and pulling him back behind a prickly cactus. ‘I don’t think they’re stealing anything.’

Selene agreed. ‘They’re just scaring the cattle-drivers.’

The Star Fighters’ posse watched as Wild Will’s bandits fired their weapons in the air, spooking the cattle and causing them to stampede. Then the bandits wheeled their horses around and began riding away, shouting and laughing at the workers.

‘What did they do that for?’ Dexter asked, his tongue slithering over his lips. Peri could tell the boy was furious.

‘To show the townsfolk that they can push around anybody they want to,’ Peri said.

Diesel growled. ‘They’re just bullies.’

‘Too right,’ Peri said. ‘And the one thing no bully can handle is someone standing up to them. Come on.’

With that, he led the others off at a fast jog along a dry ditch, back towards Buckskinville. It was time for the Star Fighters – and their posse – to try to save the town.