Cutlass Sharpened (51 page)

“
Because I outrank you
Captain Stav.” Oliver said and absorbed his glove to show off the
tooth glowing in a clenched fist.

“
An elder, eh? I don’t think
I’ve had the pleasure. How do you know me?”

“
I don’t. I saw you on the
news as well it’s displayed on your left breast.” The captain
nodded. “I’m High Elder Void and this is Stone Callicko, class one
Hunter and his companion Satellite.”

“
Very well, I’ll take your
word for it because I don’t have time to verify.”

“
Also, be aware, another
shuttle will be coming soon. Renee Dorgen, our ship’s medic will be
accompanying us.”

“
Dorgen? She wouldn’t by any
chance be related to
Jake
Dorgen would she?”

“
That is his
daughter.”

“
So the monster king finally
spawned another. Damn, the files I’ll need to report will take all
week. Oh well, I can’t deny a medic for any Hunter willing to head
into that. I just ask you make sure she doesn’t level the
place.”

Oliver chuckled. “Sorry, I cannot make that
promise. How many are inside the factory?”

“
Twenty three scientists are
unaccounted for and with the barrier field up, we cannot gain any
scans inside to see where Took is holing up. We’ve come to believe
he’s in the very back servers. We’ve allowed in only two other
Hunters inside from different entrances, but one was escorted out
by security drones just like the troops I sent in.”

“
Any deaths?” Satellite
chirped.

“
Not to current reports. But
with hostages we can’t put too much pressure on Took or he may
finally snap. Negotiations have failed, he won’t budge on his
earlier demands, but anything over a billion credits will take
weeks to scrape together. And he wants ten. We have no idea as to
his mental condition and don’t know if he’ll wait.”

“
Anything else pertinent we
need to be aware of, Captain?” Oliver asked seriously.

“
Just know that at the push
of a button he can turn security stunners to kill-bots. If you can
free the scientists, we can go in with our elite tactical teams,
but if you find Took, don’t hesitate to end him. The worst could be
that Took is not working alone. He is a genius after all and was
well liked before he killed seventeen assistants in cold blood. He
could have sympathizers under him so be aware. Our intel is spotty,
but if you can successfully offer aid, I cannot deny Hunter help. I
did after all, issue the need to the reporters.”

“
Ah, here she comes.” Oliver
said as he looked up.

Captain Stav said through his com “Stand
down. I’m allowing this shuttle to land. Let her through.” The
blockade moved aside and before long the ship’s landing gear slid
out of the boat’s hull and touched down.

The cargo door lifted and out came Renee in a
white, skintight flight suit identical to the standard issue all
medics wore. Beside came Sparky wearing tactical black plated armor
that covered his entire body except for his wings. He was
exceedingly more impressive and fierce looking. Renee lithely leapt
into the leather seat made into the armor. The captain groaned
softly, seeing Jake’s features in her. Beside them followed Rose,
but she was unarmed. They came forward and Renee asked “Is the
place shielded, I couldn’t get a readout on my way down.”

“
It is.” The captain of the
troops admitted.

“
Then I shall be the link to
the outside through my mate.”
Rose told the
group.

This made the soldier sigh. “I would be very
grateful, Lady Drake.”

“
Call me Rose. Sparky, be
safe.”
Sparky ran his rough jaw down her
long neck as a caress.

“
Ready or not, here we
come!” Renee said.

Oliver drew his sword and his helmet grew on
completely in readiness for battle. Stone did the same and Renee
cast a kinetic barrier around herself and Sparky as he took off
hovering over to the wide entrance.

The grand double doors displaying ‘GALICOM’
didn’t open automatically as would normally happen to customers and
Stone’s activated hatchets spun, shooting off four slicing waves
which cut open a large square which Oliver leapt at and double
kicked to make an entrance Sparky could zip into. Unlike most
buildings, this starship factory was made of steel and concrete
with minimal crystal integration. Fiber optic cables ran throughout
the corners to give off light. Red lights flashed down the long
entrance hall, but didn’t wail as someone had let the emergency
alarms get cut, but left the lights functional. The air was cooler
than outside and Oliver took the right side of the entrance while
Stone took left. Satellite flew ahead with caution to gain intel on
what lay ahead. Sparky didn’t fly anymore as the entrance wasn’t
wide enough to dodge. Renee though threw up a visible electrical
barrier around the two of them as they followed further behind.
Renee’s eyes were lit constantly.

The moving walkways were disabled as the two
Hunters proceeded with weapons ready. Satellite’s talons grabbed a
vent before disappearing into the narrow ventilation system. He
didn’t get far before dropping out and telepathically having Stone
relay “He can’t sneak through the vents. The security system is
active and lasers would cut him to ribbons. He’s going to find us
safer paths.”

“
Hold on.” Oliver said as he
heard something ahead. He knew Hunter hand signals and told Stone
to hold back. The large black man did just that.

Oliver slid his back along the wall to the
corner and peeked, but saw nothing except a wall three meters in
and stepped around.

The barest of ‘zzzst’ sounds came out of
nowhere and was so close had Oliver bend his knees and spring
backwards, arching his back to rotate his body and flipped around
to land in a crouch. He saw the barest of translucence movements
and threw himself forward to swing his sword at whatever it
was.

Stone, seeing a blue-white glow intensifying
out of thin air, aimed directly at Oliver’s exposed back had him
move from his hidden position and chopped down just behind the
light. He then kicked randomly where a body would be and connected
to something heavy and solid.

A humanoid sentry robot, when severely
damaged, loses its ability to go invisible like Phantoms. Oliver’s
swipe sliced his opponent from hip to shoulder and was followed by
a second, which made its head go flying. Stone’s opponent was
chopped from crown to groin when he could see what he dealt
with.

Davin Took watched from the monitors to
swallow thickly as he saw the two Hunters so easily destroy two of
Galicom’s most advanced robotics with no hesitation. Despite the
fear these two men instilled, he connected to the intercom built
into the head of the robot Oliver’s separated from its shoulders.
“Not bad. I see someone called in the professionals, but you don’t
understand…”

“
No one cares what you
think, Asshole!” Davan looked at the screen as it zoomed in on a
fierce looking redhead with eyes showing she had immense power. He
did a facial recognition search and found her name was Renee Dorgen
and groaned as he saw her personal files to realize not only who
her father is, but of her own history and prowess as a top ranking
Phantom graduate and field medic. “You’re fucking with things that
are upsetting lives.”

“
You want to talk about
upset lives? Really? Are
you
accused of murdering people you thought of as
family? I loved those I worked with. They were all I had in life
and they were stolen away from me. Now not only has my research and
reputation been flushed down the drain, but I lost dear
friends.”

“
Oh Boo Hoo, get over
yourself. I don’t give two shits about your problem since you
fucked with mine. Just give up before you regret making us kick
your ass out.”

“
Renee, I hope you don’t
mind me calling you Renee, but I’m not going anywhere before my
name is cleared or I get my… credits. If you try getting in any
deeper you’ll face more than invisible sentries. I’ll throw all
this factory has at its disposal after you.”

Of all the things she could
do, Davan never would have guessed she’d smile. “It won’t be
eee
nough.” She lilted
sweetly.

Oliver noticed a terminal for guests visiting
the factory to see how starships are made and moved straight for
it. Stone backed him up so he could work. Oliver spotted a crystal
port for secure file transfers and willed his vambrace to access
it. A tendril plugged right into the port and instead of
transferring data to his brain he began to see holographic displays
through the eyelets of his helmet that only he could see, much like
Renee’s chip. He stole buried blueprints and integrated them into
his suit, willing it to show the way to Davan Took’s location, but
the area in question was blacked out and Oliver said “I can’t
bypass his control myself. The lines have been likely severed from
remote control. I have though found where he’s most likely located
and to access him means we’ve got to go through restricted
areas.”

“
What of the hostages? Did
you find them?” Stone prompted.

Oliver was quiet for a few minutes as he
stayed plugged in and searched though twenty camera views that
flashed faster than the human eye could follow. Eventually he said
“Got ‘em! I found only two scientists. One is unaccounted for…
Damn, three are badly wounded from kinetic burns. The others are
helping…”

Hearing of injuries had Renee atop of Sparky
commandingly say “Where are the injured?”

“
In the second most secure
vault in here… and it’s far from Davan. We’ll get the hostages
first…”

“
No, Sparky and I will go to
them. You and Stone take care of the stupid genius. Just tell me
where to go.”

Worry for her safety tugged at his heart, but
knew that tone and would be pointless to stand in her way. He
unplugged from the terminal and aimed his right arm at her. A thin
tendril shot and passed through her constant shield to connect to
her bracelet. Her eyes shut and her armor turned black and silver,
growing into battle-mode and spiking. Data copied to her and she
saw the last image of the wounded people he located and a display
showing the most efficient path to reach them. “Thanks, Olly. Kick
the bastard’s ass. Sparky, fly!” four green wing’s spread and
carried them out and into the tunnel to get hit by a barrage of
kinetic beams that didn’t put a dent in her erected shield.

“
Stone, how long can you
throw up a shield around us?”

The shiny, practically new helmet turned to
him saying “If I pace myself I can keep it up for twenty minute
intervals with five minute rests in between, but I won’t be able to
fight. If I do then it will drop to five minutes with ten minute
rests.” The armor cleaning program Oliver made allowed battered
armor to be shiny once more.

“
Then watch my back and
intervene when you must. My armor is versatile. Especially against
their pseudo kinetic blasts. I can take a few hits, but if I get
surrounded you better get back before I unleash a wave.”

“
Satellite says he’s had to
hole up by the inner door leading to the final assembly hall and is
pinned down. We need to go now.” But what Stone didn’t say was he
never liked leading. As a Hunter he was aggressive and preferred
solitary hunting, but in groups he preferred others to take lead.
He was one who stood back to analyze a situation before diving into
battle, it kept him alive so far.

Oliver charged down the intersection opposite
the one Renee and the armored Sparky soared down. He relied on the
twirling motion he had been practicing as a dozen or so points of
light charged up in midair to release the charged gun’s energy. Two
hit his shoulder as he dodged the bulk, but the output was set to
stun and didn’t even tingle so Oliver used the one weakness to
select where to swing his sword. Being invisible is good, but the
weapon system in place gave it away.

Stone took several minor draining hits,
unable to move with the inhuman jerky motions Oliver was capable of
doing. In the lower gravity, Stone was far from helpless, but
continuous fire on his psionic shield covering his body weakened
him with each connection. His hatchets buried in passing, keeping
up as Oliver cleared the bulk of the sentries blocking the way.
Stone couldn’t run on the walls and ceiling like Oliver, but he did
use them similarly to mostly avoid the defenses.

“
Two minutes.” Stone called
out and Oliver knew what it meant. Oliver accessed the building’s
layout and located a storage room with one vent and one door. He
turned them to it and cut down only one robot he could detect and
cleared the room before Stone went in and lowered the barrier
around himself to sit down immediately and breathe with eyes
closed.

Oliver heard a scraping sound of metal on
metal from in the vent, but before a drone could drop down it was
destroyed by a starlit cutlass.

In four and a half minutes Stone got back up
and nodded he was ready and they ran further. Steel grates lined
this area of the building and clanged no matter how softly they
ran.

“
Glad you guys could show
up. I was afraid I’d molt and grow my feathers back before I could
see your ugly faces again.” Satellite chirped from deep in a very
small hole. The falcon exited and walked up onto Stone’s
arm.