"Understood." she replied faintly much to his delight and relief, they had contact, it was weak, but it was established, he could give her a little warning, even if it was an order to fire blind down the length of the gorge.
Maulik crouched lower and squeezed himself deeper into the foliage, the ship had sunk below the level of the cloud and now hovered over a wide plain at the foot of the gorge, light flickered across the wide and heavy belly and small dark dots materialised in the faint shadow cast by the hovering bulk, with a sinking feeling Maulik realised Kressa's plasma trail hadn't dissipated as quickly as he had anticipated, the signature must have lingered over the area, not enough to pinpoint their location, but sufficient to give their aggressors a starting point.
"A landing party just transported down on the plain," quickly he counted the dots as they spread out in small teams, "About twenty," he estimated quickly, "And five heading this way." Kressa's reply was very faint and he focused all of his concentration to hear her. "When I say, fire one pulse straight ahead," he called, "But don't fire until I say."
"OK" he caught a very faint reply, "Just say when."
"How long before regeneration is complete?" he prayed to the Gods she was close, forced to open fire they would instantly alert the Drakan to their position, one strong blast from orbit and they would be history.
"Twenty three minutes." she replied, Maulik groaned silently, they would be in the gorge long before she was prepared. His mind raced, weighing options. The option that made most sense felt like suicide, it was suicide he understood, but not only was Kressa at great risk if he didn't act, the entire system would be doomed to death or slavery. Somehow the Drakan invasion plans had to reach the Senate, or even Go'an, he admitted reluctantly, and without wasting precious time thinking he began to run back down the track and into the gorge.
"I don't have time to argue or debate with you," he shouted as he reached the bottom of the ramp, “So just listen, I'm going to the foot of the gorge, I'm going to draw their fire, hopefully long enough for you to finish regeneration... when you have finished," he paused before taking the leap that would ensure the cloners on Terrillia would have another hatchling to create, "You have to leave, Kressa don't argue, we don't have time." He sensed her anger and frustration bubbling, "It's more important for you to get the invasion plans back to 7, the Senate or High Council will know what to do, please Kressa, you have your freewill now, you don't need me, just do as I ask."
"But," she began, and with a feeling of intense pain in his heart Maulik severed their connection and began to run.
Kressa called, and growled, the connection to her friend was blocked, she hissed and spat with the pent up fury of her kind, but she knew if she had a heart it would be breaking, his sacrifice was as much for her as the plans she held, that was clear to her and her anger faded to be replaced by a feeling of intense sadness.
Maulik sprinted as he had never sprinted before, in his mind it was imperative to reach the mouth of the gorge before the Drakan troops, if he could hold them off just long enough to give Kressa a fighting chance of escape his sacrifice would be worth it, even if he was hit by a massive plasma pulse from orbit he would be far enough away from Kressa to avoid any damage to her systems. After what he judged to be five minutes he began to slow, his sprint dropped to a jog as he began to sense their presence. They were still distant, but too close to continue his headlong charge, the last thing he wanted to do was run into them at full speed. His plan; to tuck himself behind solid rock and with a series of rapid pulses he would hopefully stall their progress, "They don't know what a lousy shot I am." he laughed nervously, "For all they know I'm a crack Colonial Marine, a trained killer."
The gorge began to widen as he slowed to a cautious walk, "Here," he told himself, "This is as good a place to die as anywhere else." and stopping he began to search for a secure position to lie up and await their arrival.
The Gods must have been with him he decided as he spotted a large boulder part way up the right hand wall, he dashed up the slope and dived behind the solid rock taking cover. The boulder was larger than it had looked and he pressed his hands against the solid security.
"This should deflect rifle fire," he decided with more hope than certainty, he was an ex gunner and could strip a pulse cannon with his eyes closed, he could reel off the capabilities and specifications without thinking, but pulse rifles were not cannon, they were in the grey area of his knowledge, it was all guesswork, maybe the boulder would disintegrate at the first strike, he didn't know, the only surety he had was he was about to find out... very soon.
Nervous seconds dripped away into minutes, how many minutes he wasn't sure, but he reassured himself that every second that they didn't appear in his sights was a second bought for Kressa. The gas in his suit tasted sour, fear he guessed and considered venting in an effort to clear the foul taste, the air outside was worse he remembered and settled his mind to watching again.
He didn't have to wait long before the first of the Drakan troops crept into view, they were professionals he appreciated by the way that they were spread, he'd had a vain image in his mind of spotting them huddled together presenting a wide target, one shot would wreak devastation and he could race back to Kressa leaving five smouldering bodies crumpled on the gorge floor, his hopes of a quick solution and ultimate survival withered and forcing his shaking hands to steady he took careful aim and fired.
A split second later his lousy aim was confirmed as the shot he had so carefully placed on the advancing Drakan's chest sheared off his legs just below the knees, the soldier dropped instantly but the scream of pain that Maulik was anticipating never occurred, the damaged soldier struggled onto his chest and fired directly at Maulik's position, in the split second before he ducked for cover Maulik saw the flicker of electrical shorting in the severed legs, a mechanoid he realised instantly and his heart sunk.
"Discount fear," he told himself as he quickly re-evaluated his position, "Mech's don't register fear, they are programmed to be disposable... which means I have to improve my aim and take out their power source with the first shot, or I am fried."
Splinters of shattered rock rained down on his suit as the damaged Mech kept up a steady barrage of fire on the boulder, "So much for me keeping them pinned down." he laughed with resignation as he realised that not just one but three of the mechanical soldiers were firing a steady stream at his hiding place, "They are keeping me stuck here while the other two are circling round to come at me from the side and finish me." the realisation made him feel a deep nausea, "At least the new me won't have a scar, or be covered in burns." he laughed trying to find a positive before his impending and inescapable demise, that thought almost lifted his spirits until he realised the new Maulik would have no knowledge of Kressa or their unusual friendship, for Maulik that thought signalled the greatest waste and deepest regret he could envisage, he felt his heart aching, “Such a terrible waste,” he sighed and stood up firing his rifle wildly at any target he could pick through the blurring caused by his deep sadness, a sudden courage swelled deep inside and rather than wait for the final blast as he had intended he remembered he was supposed to be buying time, quickly he dived aside into the thick undergrowth and rolling quickly onto his stomach he took aim and squeezed off a pulse, to his delight the damaged Mech exploded, the head disintegrating seconds before the body slumped releasing the rifle to clatter on the stony ground.
"One down." he screamed before leaping away from the damp brush just as a volley vaporised the spot where he had been lying a second before. Without conscious thought or decision he raced further uphill, kinking left and right as the pulses exploded around him, he spotted one of the Mech's that had circled high to flank him and through reflex alone he raised the rifle and fired, his spirits soared as the shot struck perfectly on target and the mini reactor nestled inside the chest cavity spluttered and sparked, he didn't wait to watch it fall but raced on higher. A plan began to form in his racing mind, "They
have tried to flank me, so why shouldn't I flank them?" and clinging to that thought he shot sideways across the side of the steep bank and struck a wide animal track, glancing down into the gorge he spotted two of the Mech's striding towards his original hiding place, halting he quickly dropped to his knee and aimed, the shot was hurried and wide and served no other purpose than highlighting where he was, diving to the ground he heard the deep thwump of discharge moments before the trees around him splintered and exploded in gouts of blue flame.
"Well, at least I got two of them," he told himself as apathy flooded over him, "Two lucky shots." he knew he couldn't rely on getting lucky again, "It's just a matter of time now." he told himself as another tree exploded showering him with sparks and burning leaves, the felled giant crashed down at his side sending shock waves through the ground and into his chest. Maulik slowly raised his head and peeped back into the gorge, the Mech's were still approaching but he suddenly noticed they were not handling the slippery and steep bank with any great efficiency, "Just a couple more lucky shots." he begged the Gods, and resting the rifle on the tree trunk at his side he calmed his nerves and aimed.
The shot was guided by the Gods he decided, he had quickly adjusted the gain to maximum as he took steady aim, he knew that once fired the rifle would be useless for at least a minute while it recharged, but considering he rated his chances of survival at considerably less than zero if he missed, he was finished anyway, he wouldn't get another shot even if the rifle held any residual power.
The massive pulse smashed the butt back into his thin shoulder and he cried out in pain at the impact, a moment later his cry of pain turned to a shout of victory, the leading Mech exploded and the force of the pulse smashed through the metal body with sufficient energy to spare to disrupt the reactor of its partner, with a mental sigh of relief Maulik watched the second Mech spark as its knees bent and it crumpled to the ground.
"That's four." he counted as his hopes began to resurface, maybe he could survive to tell the tale, a second later his heart sank as he heard the ominous and very familiar hum of a rifle charging directly behind him, and deciding to face the final shot rather than take it in the back he rolled over just in time to see the Mech levelling his aim.
***
Chancellor Go'an woke slowly from the nightmare, in his dream he had been aboard his private transport returning from talks with the Su'al. Na'ta had taken his hinted advice and despatched a squadron of Kressa into Su'al space, but his brother hadn't restricted himself to military targets, the Kressa had wiped out the small fleet of fighters quickly and efficiently before turning their attentions on the base ships, the families of the fighters, the supply ships, the small flotilla that was the heart of the clans society. Na'ta had wiped out all trace of the Su’al’s second largest clan. An action that had opened eyes in the galaxy, and caused dissent in the High Council. It had created a diplomatic headache for Go'an, but it had also brought the scattered Su'al together, fear of the Kressa had driven them as a united race to the negotiating table, they sued for peace. Go'an demanded loyalty and obedience, the Kressa threat was too real for pride to stand in the way of sense, so the Su'al had knelt before him and sworn allegiance.
He opened his eyes a little wider and searched his memory, where was he?
The nightmare began to take shape again. He had been in his transport, the talks had gone well, the Su'al had added another three thousand star-fighters to his growing fleet, he was feeling particularly pleased with himself... but something had happened to crush that happiness... but what? he searched his mind.
"Alarms sounding," he suddenly remembered, "Attack." The memories began to clarify, he had been relaxing and joking with Na'ta, it's wasn't strictly protocol for them both to be on the same transport but Go'an was a law unto himself, his advisor's had pleaded but he had ignore their advice, the missiles had locked on and his fighter escort had raced to shoot them down, his pilot had dived sharply, a steep rapid dive that had forced his stomach up into his throat, he remembered clearly now, the impact, explosion, pain upon pain and disbelief as he saw the ground racing up to meet him through the gaping hole in the floor where his feet had been seconds before.
"My legs." he cried out attempting to sit up, the lights above his bed were bright, too bright he began to complain as he blinked against their glare, faces crowded over him, shading him from the intensity, it was a relief, a sharp pain in his arm drew his attention from the illumination, he turned his head to see a needle being withdrawn, "What?" He stammered, "Happened?" darkness closed around him and the nightmare began again.
***
The Watumian High Council gathered in closed session and a nervous excitement rippled through active minds, none there wanted to start the debate yet there was a sense of hopeful anticipation hovering in the air, Senator Gu'lan took the chair and brought the meeting to order.
"It is a sad day," he shook his head and carefully assessed the mood, "We are faced with a dilemma my brothers, today we lost our Vice Chancellor, and our beloved Chancellor Go'an clings to life by the most slender of threads." again he paused, they were all waiting for his word, six months of Go'an's leadership had been a strain on them all, loyal supporters and opposition alike, Gu'lan saw his opportunity but chose a different path.
"This act of terrorism strikes directly at the heart of Watuma." he cried and bared his fangs, "And it must not go unpunished." the council members stirred uncomfortably, the meeting was not supposed to take this route.
"This member agrees completely, the perpetrator of this act must be hunted down and executed, but surely honourable members of the council, we have a more pressing issue to debate, our intelligence agencies will bring the guilty to justice, of that we can be assured... but," Senator Vi'an paused for a moment, "But, my dear brothers, Watuma is now a ship without a captain, if Chancellor Go'an survives his terrible injuries it will be many months before he will be fit to resume his duties, we have no Vice Chancellor to administer on his behalf..." he left the question hanging, waiting for reaction. Vi'an was the leader of what was left of the opposition, officially Watuma operated a two party system but Go'an had introduced a new style of government, opposition was tolerated but expected to agree with his policies, "To disagree showed a lack of patriotism." he had warned and all members had understood the thinly veiled threat.
The High Council had finally settled itself to the acceptance that they were secondary in the destiny of their planet but it was better to be an ally of the Chancellor than face expulsion or worse, for six months he had led them down the path of militarisation as he prepared for a war only he was convinced was actually going to happen, they had seen budgets cut to non-essential ministries and extra funds diverted to the military, Go'an was almost out of control, yet suddenly their salvation had been handed to them courtesy of terrorists, all they had to do was grasp the chance and act.
"Well spoken brother Vi'an." replied Gu'lan, "You have indeed clarified our current dilemma, truly Watuma has been robbed of its captain." The seasoned and wily Gu'lan seized the opportunity that the less experienced Vi'an had opened for him, if Go'an survived it would be Vi'an's head that rolled for suggesting a change of leadership, Gu'lan would have simply been reacting to the demand.
"May I suggest that we adjourn for one hour, possibly an hour of prayer and quiet contemplation while we all consider who should lead our people as "acting" Chancellor until our beloved and respected Go'an has recovered."
"I vote for Gu'lan," a lone voice called from the rear of the chamber, "I second that." cried another, Gu'lan smiled and raised his hand.
"Thank you for your confidence in me brothers, but deliberate for a while, do not make hasty decisions, take this hour to pray for strength and wisdom, and ask the Gods to deliver our Chancellor back to us soon, fully recovered."
Gu'lan closed his mind but listened carefully to the thoughts of the other members, his supporters had played their role well, calling his name had pushed him to the foreg
round as the next possible Chancellor, and he felt his support mounting.
The High Council was called back into session exactly one hour later and it was no great surprise to Gu'lan that he won the vote by a huge margin.
"I am honoured by your faith and trust in me." he had told them in his first address as acting Chancellor, "And my first duty will be to name my Vice, as you know it is traditional to appoint a member of my own party, but I wish to mend divisions that have been forming, therefore I appoint Senator Vi'an to act as my Vice Chancellor." a ripple of surprise raced around the chamber, Gu'lan sensed open hostility from within his own party, he simply smiled, Vi'an was perfect, young, inexperienced and very gullible... the perfect scapegoat.
***
Ka'lan settled himself into the comfortable chair beside Go'an's bed, the old rogue had been conscious for only a few minutes but he was prepared to wait, he enjoyed seeing his enemy so helpless.
"Our ally." he corrected himself with a small chuckle. News of the attack had come to him as he had been travelling to Terrillia, just as the Watu had hidden their Kressa fleet the Diurians had not revealed their latest advances in FTL travel, their new improved anti matter drive had reduced a journey that had previously taken weeks to only a matter of hours. As a diplomatic gesture he had detoured, he had also brought a gift.
Go'an stirred into semi consciousness and groaned, the light cover that was draped over his body clearly emphasised the Chancellors condition, his barrel chest appeared as a mountain, but the mountain tapered away to nothing as the eye travelled south, flat sheet lay where his legs should have been.
"They are a short race before any accident," he chuckled, now he doubted Go'an would even reach the level of his knees, "But my gift will repair that deficiency."
"Wake up Go'an, you fat animal," he signalled, "I have travelled a long way to talk to you." but the Chancellor remain unresponsive, in his sedated mind the nightmare continued, and at the side of his bed stood a shortened and widened Diurian exoskeleton.