THE Esyia careened around several Baruk ships, firing its dispersion cannon at the targets. With the weapon able to adjust to varying shield frequencies the damage was now mounting. Still, the flagship of the Baruk remained distant to the battle, but Ranul was watching it from his science station.
He had noticed the vessel remaining away from the main group while the others made great effort to intercept any of the Vorn cruisers trying to get near it for an attack. He was conducting multiple scans on the vessel, but one piece of information continued to puzzle to him.
A very unusual waveform was emanating steadily from within the ship somewhere. It was more biological than mechanical and it seemed to envelope not only the Baruk ships, but also the surface of the planet near the Twelve Cities.
The Esyia shuddered as blaster fire blazed across its shields again. The few remaining Vorn ships were holding their own now against the Baruk. A number of enemy vessels had already been destroyed with multiple direct hits from the dispersion cannons, but they were still outnumbered three to one.
Ranul shifted as the ship quaked, then continued on with his observations.
"What are you doing? I haven't heard anything out of you recently," said Estall.
"Why, did you need something?" he asked without looking away from his data screen.
"Helmsman, head for that group on another attack run," he said as he climbed from his own chair to join Ranul at his science station.
Few things could have caught his full attention during a full on space battle with their lives at risk, and he wanted to know what it was that could be so important.
"What is it?" he asked as he braced himself against the bulkhead next to him.
"I'm not exactly sure, but I think I might be picking up some sort of coordinating signal being used by the Baruk."
"What?"
"It's a signal, I think biological, and it's coming from that Baruk flagship. I can't decode it at all and it seems focused on the movements of the Baruk only. It could be telepathic in origin."
"Telepathic? Do you mean something on board is controlling the Baruk forces?"
"Well, I can't be sure," said Ranul, "but it would make sense; at least with the data I have. And if we destroy that control source we might be able to disorient the Baruk long enough to win this battle, especially on the surface."
"Transmit what you've got to Control on the surface. Let them know we're going after the flagship with everything we've got," said Estall. "Helmsman, plot a new course for the flagship of the Baruk. Notify our remaining ships to concentrate all firepower on that vessel."
"Command being transmitted to the remaining ships, sir!"
The Esyia came around, setting her course for the Baruk flagship. The dispersion cannon rotated on its base as the gunner set up the targeting information.
"Fire dispersion cannon at selected targets," said Estall.
The first volley of cannon fire struck the shields of the flagship. The cannon compensated for the appropriate shield frequency within milliseconds and the blast penetrated to strike the ship. A large portion of the hull on the port side was vaporized with the hit. Within moments a heavy firefight issued forth upon the Esyia from other Baruk ships coming to the aid of their flagship.
"Where are those other ships?" shouted Estall.
"Sir, they're being engaged too heavily to aid us at the moment. The Baruk ships are attempting to ram them now!"
"Estall!" shouted Ranul from his station. "The signal I've been monitoring, it just increased its intensity tenfold in the direction of the Baruk ships."
"Then it is some sort of control signal."
"Almost certainly," said Ranul. "Whatever is aboard that ship wants to be protected even if it means using the other Baruk ships to ram into us."
"Sir, more Baruk ships coming at us on collision course!"
"Evasive maneuvers!" shouted Estall. "Fire the cannon at them."
"We've got to destroy that signal source!" shouted Ranul.
"I know, but we can't do it if we're dead," said Estall. "Helmsman, keep us adrift. Look for any way to get near the flagship again."
"They're forming a perimeter to protect it," said Ranul as he watched the data screen.
"Tell the other ships to keep trying to break through. I just hope they can hold out on the surface until we can succeed out here."
TIET watched as his forces moved throughout the suburban area of the city of Thalidi, outside of the shield wall. The shield was operational with the old thick alloy wall standing behind it. He wasn't optimistic that even that defense could hold the city.
The soldiers moved quickly and quietly in and around buildings as they set up positions from which to ambush the Baruk. They were well-armed and well-trained despite the limited time the new army had been in operation. As he watched them deploying, Tiet wondered how many would be going home after this was all over; even wondering if he would.
He pulled his long range lens to his eye and peered out toward the valley of Usai. He could see the Baruk forces approaching already. The range was five miles. Their projected speed would put them in contact within twenty minutes. The image was obscured by an increasingly large cloud of dust being churned up from the valley floor by their army; making it difficult to get much detail on exactly what they were going to be up against.
Tiet spoke into his communication mouthpiece. "Fire the cannons at will."
Above him, from positions on the defense wall, large pulse cannons began to rain down a firestorm out upon the approaching Baruk. He looked at them through his oculars again. Multiple blasts were erupting from their location, but it was difficult to tell if they were doing much damage or to what number.
Tiet moved with those near him to their positions as they drew their pulse rifles and prepared to wait for the Baruk.
Kale watched his brother from behind a nearby wall. He had made it this far with Wynn's help, now he just had to keep Tiet alive. It was hard to believe that Wynn had helped him to escape.
Wynn must really care for Tiet and believe that Kale would actually follow him here and try to protect him. The man was quite insightful, and Kale was determined to give his life for his brother if necessary. He would never betray him again.
Wynn had apparently thought this out and had provided a uniform to allow him to blend in with the other soldiers. He activated his own data-scope lens and watched the image as he scanned out to where the Baruk were approaching from.
Flipping through several different image perspectives, he noted something odd. The main group was apparently approaching under some sort of large shield that went before them like a barricade. It appeared to be automated, and put off an easily recognizable power signature. But something else was showing up ahead of their formation.
Kale tapped his wrist pad for an analysis of the odd signature that was showing up as multiple trails heading in their direction.
Insufficient data, said the computer display.
Looking with normal vision he could see nothing. No dust trail, no visible anything. The trails continued on a steady pace along the ground as the Baruk began to close in on the outskirts of the suburban housing area. The area at that point began to slope upward toward the perimeter defense wall behind him.
Kale noticed the others getting ready to fire and Tiet's voice came over his headset. "Lock on your targets and use multi-burst setting. Fire on my command."
That was smart, because the symbiotic creatures that provided the exoskeleton for the Baruk could take several direct hits before allowing a burst penetration. The multi-burst would likely get shots through the living armor.
The large shield dissipated as the Baruk came into closer quarters in the housing area, as did the cannon fire from within the perimeter wall. They were too close to be hit by it now.
There was a town square with a fountain and an open area that lay between themselves and the Baruk. Tiet had given an order to wait for the enemy to reach it before firing; and only on his command. Kale could see the forces that opposed them more clearly now, and they were fearsome indeed.
It was mostly infantry but they had large carrier vehicles that carried supplies for the troops as well as large projectile cannons that were mounted to the top with various other arms. A number of large alien beasts were mingled among them as well; they all looked like the kind of mutated ravenous brutes that the Baruk were known for.
The Baruk were fanning out through the streets below, and all of them were rapidly making their way toward the defense wall. It looked like there had to be at least five thousand warriors storming toward the city and the hidden Castillian army. Kale readied his own pulse rifle and looked over his weaponry.
He was well-armed, with spicor discs in rows along his chest attached to magnetic bands. His two kemsticks were magnetically clipped to each thigh and his blade was safe within his scabbard across his back. They would need every bit of this firepower and it probably still would not be enough.
The enemy forces began to pour into the town square and come around the fountain as they advanced. Kale heard the command from his brother, "Fire!" and the battle was on. All of the Castillian soldiers blazed to life from their hidden positions, as a massive wave of pulse laser fire erupted down the slope against the advancing Baruk. Immediately they scattered and sought cover from the onslaught. Many were cut down as the multiburst laser fire punched through the symbiotic exoskeletons.
Kale noticed once again the strange signature of moving lines as he peered through his data-scope lens. They were moving very close to their position now, almost as if they were underground! But the thought occurred to him too late. Just as he raised from his position amid the return projectile fire from the Baruk warriors, the Hurutai erupted from beneath the ground.
Kale had seen them one time before, but had only vaguely remembered the capabilities of the huge worm-like creatures. They moved very fast and as their heads pushed upwards through the surface they caught the Castillians completely off guard.
Around the neck area of the creatures were hundreds of six inch spines that shot forth in every direction from the vesicles that produced them. Kale could see about ten of the worms emerging among the troops as he leapt behind a barrier to escape the spines. Soldiers all around the creatures were hit by the spines which contained a fast acting neurotoxin.
That was what Kale had remembered the most; the Hurutai paralyzed the voluntary skeletal muscle functions of their prey so that they could feed on fresh meat without a struggle. He had seen one eat up to ten men at once, holding them within its long wormy body for a slow digestion over several days.
As he peered back at his previous perch he saw it pierced with poison needles all around. He remembered his brother then and searched visually for him amid the chaos.
TIET fired his pulse rifle at every target he could find. The multiburst setting was allowing them to penetrate the Baruk armor; which looked like some sort of exoskeleton. Suddenly something blew up out of the ground nearby.
He turned from his crouched position to see a huge worm-like head pushing through the ground. He had never seen anything like it.
His men fell in every direction as needlelike spines erupted away from a colored ring around the creature's head. Tiet raised his weapon to fire at it but his own arms began to go limp.
He looked down as the pulse rifle fell out of his hands and he saw a spine fixed in his lower left abdomen. He pulled it out as his vision went blurry and the buildings and terrain began to spin. He felt the ground smash hard into his face as he tumbled over helpless. He tried to cry out for help, but could not.
The beast reared its head around and slammed into the ground as it brought more of its body out on the surface. It opened up a huge orifice allowing long tentacle like tongues to issue forth across the ground. It latched onto various Castillian soldiers lying on the ground and quickly pulled their paralyzed bodies into its own hulking mass, consuming their paralyzed bodies.
Tiet could see it all, but could not move. He tried to use his kinesis, but he was too dizzy and disoriented to concentrate. It looked like this would be his end; eaten alive by this monster of the Baruk.
Around him, soldiers he had trained personally from among the Castillians and the Vorn were being pulled into the gullet of the creature. He would have wept for them if he could, or risen to save them, but it was no use.
He could see pulse fire still being exchanged with the firepower of the Baruk and other creatures like this worm that were spraying their venomous darts at his forces as they tried to fend off what was quickly becoming a slaughter.
In the near distance he could see the approach of the Baruk as they made their way up the slope. If the worms didn't take him, the Baruk certainly would.
A coiled tentacle swept over his body as the creature moved its head in his direction. The horrid appendage latched onto his leg and began to pull him toward the gaping maw of the creature. It leveled its head to his position as the tentacle pulled his limp body through the dirt.
This was it. It was over. A brand new coalition of Vorn and Castillian people working together for peace and safety, his reign as King on the family throne once occupied by great men, including his own father, and now it was going to end.
The Baruk were winning. They had lost most of the Vorn cruisers trying to prevent the ground war that now was probably going to destroy the Twelve Cities, and he was ultimately responsible as their leader.
A flash of light blazed across his visual field and suddenly the tentacle was hanging from his leg, severed. From above the head of the great worm beast he could see a lone figure coming down on it with an ignited Barudii blade that was quickly driven straight into whatever brain it might possess.
The creature reared up as the soldier drove it deep again. The beast gave up the fight quickly and the head crashed with tremendous force into the ground near Tiet's paralyzed body.
Without warning, this person picked him up somehow, almost as if he had levitated up to him. And then they were off and running. He heard a voice as the scenery kept changing before his fixed eyes. "Don't worry; I'll get you out of here, brother."
It couldn't be. Kale? But he was in detention at Baeth Periege. And suddenly with the realization, he felt no anger, only relief that somehow and for some reason his brother was here to save his life.
He could hear Kale as he called for a retreat to behind the defense wall. "Abandon your posts and return to the city immediately, by order of the King!"
Tiet was glad Kale was taking charge. The men were getting slaughtered and he would have called the retreat himself had he been able. Hopefully, the remainder of the civilian population had been able to get behind Wynn's ten mile front by now. They had been nearly out by the time the defense cannons were set to auto track and left running as long as the Baruk were within target range.
Kale joined other soldiers who were now in full retreat from the advancing Baruk. They had to reach the access portals quickly to get inside the wall before the enemy caught up with them. Fortunately it appeared that the creatures were busy still feeding, leaving only the Baruk warriors on their trail.
The clatter of their projectile weapons could be heard all around, as the metal shells pounded the surrounding buildings and took down more of the Castillian soldiers retreating toward the defense wall. Of five hundred elite warriors that had come to the battlefield with their king, fewer than a hundred remained standing.
Kale tried to put as many structures between himself and the advancing Baruk as he could to block the storm of shells swarming around them. He found them easier to detect mentally than pulse blasts that traveled much faster, but it was still difficult to evade all the gunfire with his brother limp across his back.
He was supporting the majority of Tiet's weight kinetically, but his movements were still cumbersome. With the masses of Castillian soldiers dying all around him all he could think of was getting his brother safely behind the defense wall up ahead.
Some of the other soldiers had already reached the wall and accessed one of the portals through. One of the Vorn was standing at the doorway waving other Castillian warriors inside. Kale followed the others through the passageway that took them beyond the defense wall into the city. Several of the soldiers guarded the portal until they could see no other Castillian soldiers; then they followed the others through, sealing the doorway behind them.
The Baruk were locked outside of the city now. As Kale came into the open city he spotted a place where a med station had been set up and left for anyone that might be wounded in the battle. The other soldiers were congregating around several of the stations that had been set up while the city's population was being evacuated to Baeth Periege.
Kale laid down his brother and examined him. He passed a med scanner across his limp body and determined that he was alive and well despite the neurotoxin that kept him paralyzed. He took one of the needle leads from the scanner and pushed it into Tiet's deltoid muscle. It may have still hurt him but he needed to do a cellular muscle scan to determine how best to treat the poison. The scanner began to run through a series of tissue and function tests over several minutes. When it had finished, a series of instructions came across the screen to instruct Kale on what medication combination would be effective in reversing the paralytic effect of the Hurutai neurotoxin.
The gunfire beyond the wall was quickly quieting down, which disturbed him; they were up to something. He rummaged through the med box in the station tent looking for the prescribed drugs called for. Only two were needed, but the dosage had to be precise. He located more supplies to mix the concoction and went to work. Tiet remained seemingly lifeless on the ground.
Beyond the med station tents something was happening. The men were yelling and then he heard the screeching of the Hurutai. He went to the tent door to look out just as a spray of Hurutai spines pierced the flaps. Kale jumped back and could see several of the spines in his body.
He had the injection in his hand called for by the med scanner and immediately jammed it into a vein in his arm and pushed it systemically. He quickly began to get dizzy, but within moments the effects of the neurotoxin appeared to be prevented.
He went to work mixing another dose for Tiet. He could hear more than the just the Hurutai outside now. Kale fixed his mental senses on the area around him and found the Baruk warriors coming through the Hurutai tunnels into the city. Gunfire was erupting again as the remaining Castillian warriors tried to defend themselves against the steady stream of Baruk warriors pouring through the tunnels.
Kale worked fast to get the mixture prepared and when he had it he injected the medication into a vein in Tiet's arm. He could sense the Baruk closing in on where they were now and he didn't have the time to wait for the paralysis to be reversed on his brother. He quickly lifted him up kinetically and moved to the rear of the tent, where he sliced down the cloth wall with a kemstick and plowed on through to the outside.
The battle was raging again but there were hardly any of his comrades left alive as the Baruk began to capture the area the Castillians had been recuperating in. Kale ran for cover toward the large buildings ahead, but the Baruk were closing on him fast.
He could feel Tiet beginning to shift on his back as the paralysis wore off.
Ahead in their path a Hurutai worm erupted through the surface, leaving the brothers with no where to go. Kale dropped to the ground fast with Tiet as the reflexive spray of toxic spines sprayed away from the beast and sailed over their heads. Tiet was moving on the ground now, trying to regain his own muscle control as Kale drew his blade to defend as best he could.
Suddenly a flash of light appeared between the Hurutai and the buildings behind. Kale could see what appeared to be a huge window, to another place, materialize with the figures of men coming through it into the city. He could begin to make out the people as Horva warriors, and General Grod was leading them through.
They each wore a metal glove with wires trailing along the length of their arms to a small pack across their backs. The gloves were being held before them as they ran into the area, alerting the Hurutai to their presence. Streams of plasma energy shot forth from the gloves; some of them hitting the Hurutai. The creature screeched in pain and within seconds it fell over dead.
The Horva were running straight at him and Tiet, who was still trying to stand for battle. Kale raised his blade as he ignited it and prepared to fight the Horva coming at them. More streams of plasma energy issued forth like lightning from their fingertips, but the attack passed them and hit the advancing Baruk head on.
He was dumbfounded as the Horva warriors ignored them completely to fight off enemies behind him.
General Grod came right up to the pair of warriors as they stood there exhausted from the fight they had already faced.
"Come with me, we need to get you to safety," he said speaking directly to the young king.
Tiet responded now, appearing to realize more of what had just happened than Kale did.
"I knew it, Grod," he said weakly as he tried to catch his breath. "I knew you were a man of honor."
Tiet could still barely stand and Grod helped Kale support the young man as they made their way back toward the energy portal standing in mid air.
"My warriors!" said Grod into his own communication headset. "Return to the transgate!"
Grod, Kale and Tiet all proceeded through the portal and found themselves immediately inside the fortress at Nagon-Toth.
"SIR, we've been unable to confirm how many troops have off-loaded inside the city since the other transports began landing," said Sergeant Corbin.
"What about the power?" asked Wynn. "Have you had any success getting to the main supply conduits?"
"No sir. The Baruk are still fortifying that area very heavily. We can't get through."
"It's been two hours now and nothing from Tiet or anyone from the preliminary team."
"With all due respect sir, it seems clear that no one survived and the Baruk have the city now; how could they possibly have made it?"
"I understand the circumstances, Corbin, but I don't want to give up hope. And don't start that rumor among the men. It won't do anything for morale, and our fight is far from over. Now get the units mobilized, those Baruk aren't going to remain in Thalidi for long."
It was a fact, the Baruk were mobilizing their ground forces for the inevitable push toward Baeth Periege. For an hour they had seen troop carriers coming down from space into Thalidi. The defense wall was still in place and the Baruk were sitting safely behind it for now.
Somehow they had gotten into the city without disabling it and had apparently decimated the entire team that Tiet had taken to ambush their army. It looked like Kale had failed to protect his brother and considering the circumstances, it really wasn't a surprise. The Baruk were mounting a formidable ground force behind that wall and he wasn't sure whether they could stop it or not.
Frustrated, Wynn tapped the communication panel that was locked in with the Esyia. "Estall, what is your status up there?"
"We're trying to hold our own up here, Wynn, but we still haven't been able to blast that flagship," said Estall.
"We've been seeing a lot of troop carriers landing inside Thalidi…"
"I know, but we're completely outnumbered up here," said Estall. "We just don't have the ability to guard the surface and try to get to that flagship!"
"I understand Estall. I don't mean to accuse, I know you're doing everything you can," said Wynn apologetically. "Bad news. We may have already lost Tiet."
There was a pause for a moment before he answered. "Are you sure?"
"No. I can't be certain, but it appears the whole unit was wiped out as the Baruk made their way into the city. We've not heard any word from them. I don't want to believe it, but…"
"I understand. Let's just keep up the fight and hope we can manage to drive them back. It's all we can do…" said Estall.
Wynn tapped the communication panel again. The scans of the city were still inconclusive. The Baruk were jamming them somehow to hide their next move.
"Sir, the units from the other cities have arrived at the staging area," said Corbin.
"Good. We'll need all the help we can get. It looks like this is where our future is going to be decided."
IT had been several hours since they had come through the portal into Grod's compound and they were still being confined to the medical lab under guard. Tiet had been relieved to see Grod's aggression aimed at the Baruk, but what was his intent now? He wasn't sure. Kale was pacing and examining the room discreetly, looking for a way of escape.
They had not spoken since their arrival and neither seemed to know what to say to the other. Kale had been the last one he had expected to see coming to his rescue out there against the Baruk, but he was glad to have him.
After all that he had said and after trying to kill him inside his confinement cell, Tiet was unsure what he could say at this point to even begin a dialogue with him.
"How's your equilibrium? Your head hurting?" asked Kale suddenly.
"It's fine. Thank you for saving my life out there."
Kale stopped his pacing and just seemed to be listening, like the words were something he had wanted to hear but never expected to.
"Look, Kale, I'm sorry for what I said and did when you were in confinement. I just don't know what to make of all of this. I mean, you betrayed us…our parents, our people…how am I supposed to react to that?"
"I know. Believe me, I wish I could undo all that I've done. I would gladly give my life now to undo it, but I can't. You are my brother and I only want to have you forgive me. It's all I have left."
"I'm sorry. I just don't know if I can give that to you right now."
Kale looked at him now, there was great pain behind his eyes that Tiet partly wanted to see and partly wished he could relieve, but he just couldn't find it within himself.
Then Grod came into the room flanked by several warriors. They were still outfitted for battle.
"Grod, I'm glad you changed your mind about what we talked about," said Tiet.
"We can discuss that later," said Grod. "Right now, gentlemen, we have more pressing matters. Follow me."
He turned and led them out of the medical lab and down several corridors to another larger room full of data screens and all manner of technical equipment. Tiet immediately noticed a huge window on the far side of the room and walked past the General to see it.
He could see that it opened up beyond to a huge dome that looked increasingly familiar as he stared. It was the same room to which he had been brought to fight, when he was captured by Grod months ago, but now it was full of various equipment and a huge gateway of some kind that seemed to lead to nowhere; only the other side of the dome could be seen beyond.
"General, this room looks familiar," he said accusingly.
"You're right, it is the same battle arena where you killed my Teragore," said Grod matter-of-factly. "A very impressive display, young Master Soone," he continued without any note of remorse. "Come look at this information."
He joined Kale and Grod before the main tactical view screen in the room. They were surrounded by Horva warriors who were performing data retrieval and sorting.
"Here you can see what is left of your ships still in orbit as they battle the Baruk," said Grod as he pointed to the display. "We've been monitoring your progress for some time now and there are very few ships left. We noted that a number of them retreated at once while the remainder has taken to trying to attack the Baruk's main battle cruiser.
It appears that they were able to somehow get through the Baruk shields using a random frequency generator to fire your dispersion cannons; most ingenious, by the way. But you don't have the firepower to take out that ship, and it is essential that you do so.
We know that the Baruk are telepathically controlled by their leaders, known only as The Three. They will be aboard the flagship."
Kale listened carefully, but he did not volunteer what he knew about the Baruk leaders. The Three were much more than just telepaths. Lucin himself was embodied in those men. It was the Wicked One who controlled the Baruk.
"Grod I don't have any more ships to throw at them," said Tiet. "If you have ships to aid us, then we would be happy to coordinate an attack, but otherwise…"
"I don't have any ships like that here, but I do have something else," said Grod as he looked to the window and the chamber beyond.
Kale and Tiet looked at each other puzzled as they followed Grod to the window.
"That apparatus down there is called a transgate."
"Is that how you appeared in Thalidi?" asked Kale.
"Exactly," said Grod. "We had been working on it to attack your people by surprise."
"Great," said Tiet with a roll of his eyes.
"But now we can use it to get a strike team into the Baruk flagship," said Grod.
"You mean that thing will transport us inside that ship, even through their shields?"
"Yes, but we have one problem: the transgate draws a huge amount of power and we can't send a large force without draining our power reserves past the safety point. We're already down from the mission inside Thalidi," said Grod.
"Well, I'm glad you did," said Kale. "What can we do now?"
"We have enough power to send two or three people through the gate. If we can get inside then perhaps we might stand some chance of destroying their leaders and cutting off the ground army from their coordinated mental control."
"Without their leaders, we have a real chance against the Baruk," said Tiet. "I'm in."
"I'll go with him, General," said Kale.
"I will also go. I may not be a Barudii, but I can still fight the Baruk. If you're ready to go, then we don't have any time to spare."
"We're ready. Just lead the way," said Tiet.
"I know my way around that ship," said Kale. "I should probably lead the way once we get on board."
Tiet looked at Grod who nodded his own approval.
"Then let's go."
The three men made their way quickly down to the domed chamber. They each noted their own weaponry on hand as one of the Horva prepped the portal for power up. Grod was wearing one of the plasma glove weapons they had seen the Horva using during the rescue in Thalidi.
"What is that thing anyway?" asked Tiet.
"The glove channels plasma energy from this pack on my back and targets by way of this targeting laser located in my data-scope lens," said Grod. "They're good; we've worked hard on these weapons."
"Oh, we noticed," said Kale. "Your men fried those Hurutai with no problem."
"The weapon is similar to throwing a bolt of lightening," said Grod.
"I'm glad you've decided to be on our side," said Tiet. "It sounds like you've been monitoring our every move lately."
"Well, it helps to stay informed, doesn't it?" said Grod jokingly.
The tech signaled a lock on the Baruk flagship when they were ready. "Sir, we can't get an exact scan on what you'll face up there," said one of the men operating the control panel at the gateway.
"We don't have time to waste, we'll just have to deal with whatever we find," said Grod. "Activate the transgate."
The gateway came alive with energy before them. An image began to coalesce as the transgate brought the chamber at Nagon-Toth into direct contact with a location somewhere on the Baruk flagship.
"Gentlemen, it's time."
WYNN was watching the last of the pulse cannon fire emanating from Thalidi's defensive batteries. Tiet had been wise to set the front for this defense at ten miles out from Thalidi's perimeter.
The Baruk had been trying for nearly twenty minutes to use the city's cannons against them but the range was not great enough to reach. It appeared they were giving up on that tactic now and Wynn wondered if they might emerge soon for a face to face fight with his forces. He didn't have long to wait.
The sixth gate began to open on the defense wall as Wynn watched through his data-scope lens, which magnified the image. They were coming; on a fast march toward their position. From his grounded angle it was impossible to tell how many, but it looked like thousands. With all of their new recruits, Wynn still only had five thousand warriors to face the Baruk. It wouldn't be enough. The Baruk were strong runners and within an hour they would be locked in combat.
THERE were no warriors anywhere in sight when the trio stepped out of Nagon-Toth's domed chamber into the Baruk Flagship. Kale studied the location for a moment and recognized where they were.
"Tiet, we're near the core of the ship. That means we could easily access the power stream for the gravity bomb containment chamber."
"What in the world is that?"
"Gravity bombs are large super dense alloy spheres that produce a gravitational field powerful enough to crush a ship's hull like an egg. If we can disable the special containment field that prevents them from destroying this ship, then-"
"Then this ship will implode around them," said Grod quickly.
"What do we have to do, Kale?"
"The coolant system would be the easiest to disable from where we are. If you and Grod could make your way down this corridor, you will come to an overlook for the containment chamber. You'll be able to see a series of yellow colored conduits running from above the chamber; these are the coolant conduits. I'm not sure how many there are, but if you can blow out at least two of them then the coolant pressure will rapidly fall to zero; after that it will take about ten minutes to lose the containment field altogether."
"What about you?" asked Tiet.
"I'm going after the Three. They'll need to be distracted or killed while you two attack the coolant conduits. That area is heavily guarded, but they can pull many more warriors to stop us if someone doesn't distract them."
Grod and Tiet eyed one another. "I think it's a good plan," said Grod. "Anyway, what else do we have? But if we are not back through the transgate before the ship implodes, the gravity could threaten Nagon-Toth-and of course, we won't survive either."
"Then we'll meet back here at the transgate," said Tiet.
Kale watched his brother and General Grod as they headed down the long corridor. He would have liked to agree on meeting back at the transgate, but he did not plan on leaving the ship.
Given the power of Lucin, he would have to remain to prevent him from escaping when the containment failure alert sounded all over the ship. If they survived, then this effort would be wasted and the war itself would likely carry on to the inevitable end with the Baruk dominating the entire planet. Kale was determined to give his brother the chance to be the king he could never have been himself.