Lyris Skeet released the mooring clamps and
the Spider Hawk and the Tornado parted company.
“We have separation” Lyris said
“Let’s get it done then” Merri said and Lyris
employed the thrusters and they raced towards Soman, while and the Tornado continued slowly on its original heading in
the opposite direction towards Zenden with Zerrad in the left seat and a
pensive Asti Alegionaris beside him.
No one aboard were
comfortable with their thoughts after their comrades went their separate ways,
the Sciberran Healer Terrell Vorton busied himself in the sick bay preparing
for the worst and hoping for the best.
Engineers Pulsat
Rad and Vanzyl exorcised their tension by working on the
ship and Visitor Parham did the two
things that he did best, as a man of God he prayed and as Bagg the cook he
baked.
Lyris had got to
know Soman very well and in particular Golbolt Interstellar
Freight Distributors, and their Operations Manager, Oshwin Lemik, who was a
former comrade in arms of the Skeet Brothers during the Shaxson rebellion.
Oshwin had reserved a landing space for the
Spider Hawk that was adjacent to where the Ghambran’s Scorpion was parked and
Oshwin had was also made sure both craft were in a very poorly lit area.
Lyris landed softly
in the space provided and immediately killed the engines and the lights.
It was 3am when they disembarked from the
fighter and stepped onto Soman.
There were still a few people milling around
despite the lateness of the hour so Merri and the crew crept stealthily through
the darkness until they had a good view of the Ghambran’s Scorpion and they
concealed themselves in the shadows so as not to draw attention to themselves
and waited.
This was not the first occasion that they had
prepared to board that particular ship.
The last time was on Delta 500 where they
boarded the ship to rescue Princess Asti Alegionaris whom the Ghambran’s had
abducted.
Staying in the shadows Merri whispered to
Shiyne
“How many are aboard?”
Shiyne closed her eyes and tuned her mind in
and scanned the ship and after a few moments she replied
“Three”
“Are Weltz or Reganus among them?” Merri asked
and she closed her eyes again, it only took her seconds to scan them and reply
“No”
Maxil Weltz and
Vint Reganus where the Ghambran agents who abducted the Princess on behalf of
Prefector Collis.
“Right does everyone know what they have to
do?” Merri asked and they all murmured a response
“Remember we have to get on and off without
them knowing we were there so definitely no gun play”
The last time on Delta 500 she was shot in the
thigh as they made their escape, and she winced at the memory of it and rubbed
the site of the wound.
She had been looking directly at Lyris when
she mentioned gun play and he retorted
“I don’t know why you’re looking at me, I
didn’t shoot you”
Merri smiled at his reaction but in truth she
would have been more than happy to have him at her side on any action, but his
job on this mission was to stay at the controls of the Spider Hawk and be
prepared for a quick getaway if necessary.
“Be safe” he said simply and slipped back to
the ship
“Ok beefy” she said to Parse “I’m counting on
you to save me if it goes wrong”
And before he had chance to object she kissed
him and added
“Ok let’s go”
Parse remained hidden from view and was tasked
with covering their retreat should they be discovered and watched Merri, Shiyne
and Malena creeping from shadow to shadow.
Once they were as close to the Scorpion as
they could get without breaking cover, they could see that there was one
visible guard by the ramp but they knew there were others on board.
Merri whispered to Shiyne
“Go and do your thing”
Shiyne was a Vann and all of the Vann were
telepaths, by varying degrees, and many of them left their home world at some
point to use their gifts to earn a wage.
Those at the zenith of their talents worked as
corporate negotiators or in the justice systems of the Legion.
Shiyne was a Vann with mid-range capabilities
and she could read most species to some extent, her skills were limited with
the more sophisticated or complex brains, lesser minds were easier for her to
explore.
In addition to reading minds she could also
implant thoughts and the suggestions would stay in place longer with someone
who was more intellectually challenged.
The Vann telepath closed her eyes and tuned
her mind in and invaded the mind of the guard and when she had control of him
she stealthily crossed the open ground and stood to one side of the ramp, then
under her control he stepped towards her.
“You are very tired, you must sleep now”
Shiyne quietly said to the guard
“Here on the floor”
Without showing any emotion, the guard lay
down on the floor and curled up in the foetal position and immediately began to
snore.
The second guard was just inside the ship so
she stepped onto the ramp and Shiyne immediate took control of his mind and
dealt with him in the same manner as his compatriot.
“You are very tired, you must sleep now”
Shiyne quietly said
“Sit down and sleep”
With the first two guards safely dealt with
she set about dispatching the third as she stood with her eyes closed and brow
furrowed.
It was taking too long so Merri withdrew her
sidearm thinking the worst.
“I can’t get him, he’s not as dumb as the
other two” Shiyne said
“Where is he?” Merri asked
“Beyond the main cabin, in a sleeping berth”
Shiyne replied
“Ok then Malena it’s your turn” Merri
instructed and Malena touched the arm of the guard sleeping on the floor and
she instantly transformed into the Ghambran and she was an exact copy down to
every blemish and flaw, pulled thread and tarnished button.
As an Obgaronian shape shifter she could
transform at will, but she could only shift into a being she had touched.
Only the briefest moment was required and then
it was in her memory banks and could be recalled whenever required.
She could also manipulate that memory and add
or subtract from it, for example in her everyday life she chose to take the
form of a 27 year old human, whom she met on a remote mining colony when she
first entered Legion space, but she chose to be the human girl and wear clothes
on that form but it wasn’t necessary and that night for the mission she chose
to simulate her clothes in case she needed to shift, it would have looked very
odd indeed if the Ghambran guard was wearing girls clothes.
The necessity for her to shape shift was so
she could get into the bowels of the vessel without raising the alarm and
secrete the leather bundle containing the Crown Jewels somewhere out of sight
for the Legion Commander to find later.
Once she had shape shifted she proceeded alone
deeper inside the Scorpion and moved in the direction of the main cabin with
Shiyne close behind her.
She had been in there before and she had in
her mind’s eye the perfect place to conceal the bundle.
Shiyne scanned the room and tapped Malena on
the shoulder and then she quietly opened the door and stepped inside.
As Shiyne had indicated the room was empty and
Malena wasted no time in seeking out the place she had selected.
When she had encountered him in the main cabin
on the last occasion she was there, Maxil Weltz was seated in his chair looking
very self-important so she thought that his throne would be enhanced by the
addition of some Crown Jewels, so she quickly crossed the room while Shiyne
looked on from the door way.
Once she had reached Maxil’s chair she knelt
before it and using her shape shifting skill she was able to flatten her hand
and forearm and inserted it between the seat pad and back rest and secreted the
bundle well out of sight.
Just as she was getting to her feet she
suddenly heard a door open and close, followed by footsteps.
“Let’s get out of here” Malena whispered as
she tiptoed out of the room and quietly closed the door, then she and Shiyne
headed for the ramp where Merri was waiting with weapon drawn.
“Done?” she asked
“Done” Malena replied
“Let’s get moving then” Merri said and the
three of them ran down the ramp and then crossed the open ground much less
stealthily than before and re-joined Parse in the shadows.
While an adrenalin high Merri kissed a very
relieved Parse, Shiyne closed her eyes and undid her handiwork on the guards
and then opened her eyes again to see them wake up and stretch before they
sheepishly returned to their guard duty.
“Nice job you two” Merri said hugging her two
friends “Now back to the ship”
The four Tornado crew members reversed and
retraced their earlier route and as soon as they got back aboard the Spider
Hawk Merri announced
“Phase one complete”
“Excellent” Lyris said “I’ll let Oshwin know
and he can initiate phase two”
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