In the early hours of the morning after Asti was abducted Malena was
in the sickbay reassuring Zerrad that she would be perfectly safe
“I don’t like it” he said
“There’s nothing to worry about” she said
“I know Lyris remember” he pointed out “he’s reckless, that’s why I’m
worried”
“You also know Merri and she’s not reckless” Malena said “And the Doc
is coming too and he is the epitome of cautious good sense, ok? Now give me a
kiss”
So Zerrad complied with her demand and then watched her leave with a
heavy heart.
Already outside, pacing up and down, was Lyris Skeet, who didn’t
normally get involved in other people’s problems but since Merion and her crew
had put themselves in danger to save him and his brother he had changed his
philosophy, so he would have helped Asti even if he hadn’t fancied the pants
off her.
It was not normal behaviour for him to become infatuated in such a
short space of time and based on only a handful of very short meetings, but he
had done with her.
Not that he stood a chance because she was beautiful, classy, well
educated, feisty, funny and wicked smart.
He was after all little more than a reformed smuggler, and she was a
Princess, so he would never have made an advance towards her in fear of being
shot down in flames but now he had a chance to be her knight in shining armour.
All though it was 3am there were still as many people milling around
as there had been earlier in the day, in space, with no night and day, the
conventional clock didn’t really mean much in terms of waking and sleeping
hours.
With the exception of Zerrad, who was still confined to his sick bed,
and Pulsat and Vanzyl who were preparing the ship for departure everyone
gathered on the deck beside the Stroller and Merri addressed Bagg
“We won’t be needing the services of a Visitor this morning”
“There is always a need for man of God” he retorted
“We’re not looking for convert’s Brother” she said
“Nonetheless I’m coming” he insisted
“Alright” Merri said “But don’t get in the way”
So they boarded the stroller and drove to hanger 34 and parked up as
close to the Ghambran’s Scorpion as they could without drawing attention to
themselves.
“Right does everyone know what they have to do?” Merri asked and they
all murmured a response
“I want no gun play unless absolutely necessary” she added looking
directly at Lyris
“Why are you looking at me?” he retorted
“I wonder, Cowboy” she said “And Beefy, no attracting unwanted
attention”
Before Parse had chance to object she added
“Ok let’s go”
Once outside they stayed in the shadows and Merri whispered to Shiyne
“Is she still aboard?”
Shiyne closed her eyes and tuned her mind in and scanned the ship and
after a few moments she smiled.
“Well?” Lyris asked
“Yes she’s there and she’s as mad as a hornet” she replied and they
all laughed
“Ok settle down now” Merri said as she looked over at the ship.
There was one guard by the ramp but they knew there were others on
board
“Go and do your thing Shiyne”
The Vann telepath invaded the guards mind 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.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Parse asked
“No just stay here and pretend to be a soldier” Merri retorted
“I am a soldier” he pointed out
“Good you can guard Brother Bagg, Ok Doc we’re on” Merri said and she
Malena, Terrell and Lyris quickly joined Shiyne by the ramp, but out of sight
of the door
Once they were concealed Shiyne quietly said to the guard
“There is a problem with the port engine, call you friend, then go to the
engine”
Without showing any emotion he turned and called up the ramp in his
native tongue and then walked slowly towards the engine but after three paces
Terrell dispatched him with an injection to the neck and he crumpled to the
floor.
A minute later the other guard emerged onto the ramp and Shiyne immediate
took control of his mind and lead him to the same fate as his compatriot.
With the two guards safely unconscious Merri withdrew her sidearm and
gestured for them to follow and Parse and Bagg watched as they disappeared from
view.
Once inside the Scorpion they proceed quietly into the bowels of the
vessel.
“Where is she?” Merri asked
“Beyond the main cabin, in a sleeping berth, she’s bound and gagged”
Shiyne replied
As they pressed forward they suddenly heard footsteps above their
heads which then proceeded down the stairs and the owner of those footfalls was
Vint Reganus the smaller of the two abductors and the moment he set foot on the
deck Malena put a gun in his face and gestured with her finger for silence.
“Where’s the other one?” Merri asked adding her own gun to his already
nervous field of vision and he nodded in the direction of the main cabin.
Shiyne nodded her agreement so Merri gestured to Terrell who struck
with his needle again.
But before Vint hit the floor Malena touched his arm 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 when 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 rescue mission she chose to simulate her
clothes in case she needed to shift, it would have looked very odd indeed if
Vint Reganus was wearing girls clothes.
The necessity for her to shape shift was so she could get into the main
cabin without raising the alarm and distract Maxil just long enough for Shiyne
to paralyze him.
He was cut from different cloth to Vint and wouldn’t be so susceptible
to suggestion so she was going to paralyze his voice box and the nerve endings
in his neck so he couldn’t move.
But she had to be in close proximity to the target for that to work
hence the need for Malena to shape shift.
Malena opened the door and stepped inside without speaking and took
two steps forward before Shiyne stepped out from her shadow and although Maxil
opened his mouth to speak, no sound came out, and then Lyris, Merri and Terrell
rushed in behind them.
“Where now?” Merri asked
“This way” Shiyne said and lead the way
“Terrell, if he makes a move stick him with the needle” Merri said
“Pleasure” he retorted
Shiyne opened the cabin door and as she foretold, Asti was lying on
the bed with her hands tied behind her back and a gag in her mouth, then Lyris
pushed past her and took out his knife.
“Let’s get these bonds off” he said gently as the blade severed the
ropes, then he sheathed the knife and untied her gag.
“Are you ok?” he asked as she sat up and rubbed her wrists
“I am now” she replied and wrapped her arms around his neck
“Ok cowboy put her down and let’s get out of here” Merri said
First they returned to the main cabin where Terrell was still standing
with a needle to Maxil’s neck under the watchful gaze of Malena who had shifted
back to her former self.
Merri lead the way back the way they entered, followed by Malena and
then Asti who suddenly stopped and yelled
“You bastard” and spun round and delivered a roundhouse kick to Maxil’s
head and rendered him unconscious
“Sweet” Lyris said “Now let’s get out of here”
Outside on the deck Parse and Bagg were waiting anxiously for the
raiding party to return when another Ghambran guard approached and when he saw
his two countrymen lying unconscious beside the ship he drew his weapon and
started up the ramp.
“Shit” Parse exclaimed “Start praying Brother Bagg”
For a huge man Parse was incredibly light on his feet and he closed
the distance between himself and the Ghambran very quickly but not before he
had opened fire on the boarding party.
But the moment he reached him he knocked the gun from his hand and
grabbed him around the neck and in a matter of moments he had the man by the
throat and was holding him two feet off the floor, but what he couldn’t see was
a fourth guard who was approaching him on his blind side with a large curved
knife in his hand which he was going to thrust it in Parse’s back until Bagg
hit him soundly on the head with his staff rendering him unconscious and
bloody.
“Way to go Bagg” Merri said as Malena helped her down the ramp”
“You can put him down now Beefy, and pick me up instead”
She had a Pulsar strike on the thigh and couldn’t support her own weight
“Ok” he said and dropped the guard unceremoniously on the desk “And
scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the Stroller and Bagg and Asti
followed in their wake while Lyris, Malena and Terrell dragged the unconscious
bodies inside the Scorpion.
When everyone was aboard the stroller Terrell began attending to the
wound on Merri’s thigh.
“Ok let’s move it” she said through gritted teeth and held Parse’s
hand and winced with pain as Terrell cut the fabric away.
“How is it?” Malena asked
“Not good” Terrell said “So straight to sickbay when we get aboard”
No comments:
Post a Comment