Mission To Mahjundar (34 page)

Johnny moved fast to give Mike a steadying hand as he tried to rise. The sergeant restored the fallen fastlink enabler disk to its compartment and then the two men walked to the staircase, Mike leaning heavily on his cousin.
 

“Damn fastlink messes with my whole nervous system.” His words were slurred. Annoyed at his weakness, blinking in an attempt to focus his eyes, he said, “Good thing this is our last mission. I'm getting too old for all this.”
 

“You and me both.” Worried frown lines bracketed Johnny’s eyes as he studied Mike’s face. Eyes narrowed, he paused at the top of the staircase. “Something you want to tell me?”

Knowing he was debilitated by the drain from using his body’s resources to activate the fastlink, Mike opted to wait to share the result of his communication. “Help me get to the second level. It’s not what we hoped, but I’ll give everyone the bad news at the same time. I gotta sit before I fall.”

Johnny assisted Mike to the couch on the second level of the tower, where he slumped onto the cushions next to Shalira. Everett came halfway up the stairs at Johnny’s summons. Leaning against the cold stones to relieve the headache pounding behind his eyes, Mike took a deep breath. “Rush order on the adrenephix, cousin.”

Raising one hand to acknowledge the request, the sergeant dug his medkit out of the other kit bag, spreading it open on the floor to search for the inject Mike needed to speed his recovery.

Shalira reached for Mike’s hand with both of hers, leaning into his shoulder.
 

There was no use in cushioning the bad news. “The
Andy
isn't on station, folks.”
 

“What the hell!” Jaw dropping, Johnny sank back on his heels, abandoning his medical duty for the moment. “They promised us—”

“Nikolai told me he might have to pull out if there was a Mawreg incursion into the adjoining Sector while we were hiking down here,” Mike answered, free hand over his aching eyes. Rubbing his forehead for a moment, he swallowed hard, throat parched. “He couldn’t guarantee to sit parked in orbit and wait.”

“You're calm about it,” Everett said, eyes narrowed.
 

“I’m sorry, what does this mean?” Shalira glanced from one man to the other. “Who is Andy? And this Nikolai?”

“Not a who, a what. The
Andromeda
, or
Andy,
as we affectionately call her, is the battle cruiser that brought Johnny and me to Mahjundar. Nikolai Novikov, the captain of the ship, is an old friend of mine. He was supposed to stand by for my extraction signal. But now the ship isn’t in orbit.”

“Got a backup plan?” Everett asked.

“Working on it.” Sitting straighter, Mike hugged Shalira, kissing the top of her head. “We’re not completely abandoned. They left a small roboship on station in orbit around Mahjundar, set to send a drone to extract us on my command. Since they knew there was a remote chance we’d find survivors, the roboship and the drone are plenty big enough to take our party of five.
Andromeda
also left a message beacon in orbit to relay my transmission to Nikolai, wherever he is, but we have to get ourselves off the planet in the drone or wait maybe as long as thirty-six standard hours for the Space Marines to arrive.”

Face contorted in a scowl, Everett hit the unoffending wall with the butt of his blaster, chipping the paint with the force of the blow. “We can't hold out in this place, and you know it. We don't have enough blaster charges to repel a concentrated attack. The door downstairs is thick and all, but it ain’t gonna hold for a day and a half once those bastards start working on it.”
 

“I’m guessing you didn’t call in the drone, did you?” Johnny said, one eyebrow quirked. He stood, an inject in his hand.

Mike shook his head as his cousin walked to the couch and administered the adrenephix. Rubbing his bicep to ease the sting, he said, “Make the dose a double. We don’t have time for me to sleep off the fastlink detox.”

Johnny frowned, lips compressed into a thin line, but he complied, shooting a second dose of the meds into Mike’s arm.

“Why not call the drone?” Shalira was surprised.

“I can’t control its descent. All automated. It comes to where I am, homing in on the fastlink chip in my head and landing. Until I get inside to take command, that’s all it does. The AI running it is a low budget kinda thing, not prepared to maneuver, no guns. No one anticipated a combat situation on Mahjundar.” Mike continued with his list of the drone’s disadvantages in the current situation. “It can’t hover. I don’t think we want to put our faith in the temple roof being constructed to hold the weight of a six person shuttle. I don’t think we want to try fighting our way down the exposed side of the tower onto the roof to board, in any case.”

“We're in a good position to wait it out,” Saium said. “The only ways the enemy can get to us are through the door at the bottom of the stairs or they can come across the roof, through the window on the third level. When the guards try we’ll pick them off.”
 

“All right,” Mike said. “Until they mount an attack, I need one man on the tower roof, one man on the third level balcony, where the stairs start, and a guard at the door on the first floor. I want to be notified the instant anyone pokes their head onto the roof, or starts an assault on the front door. The roof commands a view of the city all the way to the main gate, so keep an eye on what’s going on, any unusual movement. We know the place is pretty deserted normally.”
 

“I'll take the roof,” Everett said. “I was locked in the damn hut for so long, I get the shakes being inside. Let me see the sky, and I’ll be fine.”

I understand where he’s coming from.
Mike nodded. “Roof’s all yours. The Nathlemeru initiate any activity of any kind, call out the news.” He surveyed his meager troops. “Who's taking the first watch on the third floor balcony?”
 

“Me for the balcony,” Johnny volunteered.
 

“You relay any word from Everett to us here on the second level, which will be my command post for now.” Mike gestured at the open kit bag. “Take our gear with you, while we’ve got some peace and quiet.”
 

“Right.” Johnny gave him a thumbs-up.

Mike looked at the last member of their small group. “Leaves the door for you, Saium.”

“I can handle it. I don’t mind being there by myself. There’ll be plenty of warning if the Nathlemeru try an assault.” The old man nodded. “I might be able to hear what they’re planning, if they talk loud enough.”

“I need to sleep off the effects of fastlink for an hour or two, if possible, even with a double dose of meds,” Mike explained for Shalira’s benefit as she continued to stare at him with concern. “Wake me if anything moves.”
 

“They might decide to do nothing, starve us out,” Saium suggested. “The delay could work in our favor while we wait for your Marines.”
 

Mike shook his head. “The enemy’s pride is going to force them to take direct action. After all, we've killed some of their people, including Three Feathers. They’ll want vengeance. The Nathlemeru can't afford the tremendous loss of face if they fail to attack. From what Shalira told us during the cart ride, the villagers chafe at being subject to the Nathlemeru. If the ruling class doesn’t end this standoff quickly and decisively, they might have more problems than the issue of our little band of escapees.”
 

His troops dispersed, leaving Mike and Shalira alone on the second level. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head against the cold stones, trying to get comfortable. Adrenephix coursed through his veins, like a wave of icy water, leaving his muscles and nerves tingling as the damage from the fastlink was repaired at a molecular level. Throbbing dully, his headache receded, but not fast enough. Holding one shaking hand out for the princess to see, he said, “I hope I’m not going to be called on for any action soon, because I’m not going to be effective in a firefight. Reflexes shot to hell for a few hours.” The trembling of his outstretched fingers emphasized the problem.

Shalira brushed his hair off his forehead and stroked his cheek. “I don't know what this—this fastlink is you spoke of, but I hear the exhaustion in your voice. We need you at your best when the Nathlemeru attack. I’d be happy to rub your shoulders, work out some of the tension? Let Johnny’s medicine do its job.” She scooted to the far end of the couch and patted the space beside her.
 

Worn out from two nights without sleep, not to mention the toll of the fastlink, Mike didn't argue. Putting his feet on the couch, he stretched out per her command, already drowsing as she massaged his tense neck and shoulder muscles, kneading them to undo the knots. Holding back the intense desire to sleep, he asked, “How are you doing? Vision still okay?”

“I’m fine, no need to worry about me right now,” she said. “I seem to have fully regained my sight, although I can’t help but worry a little that it may fade again with no warning. And I’ve no more herbs to take, if I even need them. I wonder about all of it but I’m trying not to question a gift from the goddess.”

 
“We’ll hope for the best,” he agreed. “I think it’s a good sign you’ve been able to see for so many hours now, despite the stress you’ve been under. But no matter what happens, we’ll cope together, right?”

“Right.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Stop fighting now and get some sleep while you can.”

 
Soon, the world faded away to blackness, and he slept.
 

As Mike began to snore ever so slightly, Shalira leaned her head against the wall and closed her watering eyes. As she told him, her vision remained fine, clear and in color, which was reassuring. She rubbed her hand across the large gemstone of the scepter, still marveling over the find. Amused at the irony, she wondered what Mike would think if she told him that with this in her hand she was Empress of Mahjundar. If she walked down the main street in the capital city holding this ancient symbol of authority, the people would proclaim her their ruler, such was the power of this emblem. Maralika would have to step aside.
The Princess of Shadows, vindicated indeed.
Shalira frowned, knowing even her father would have to vacate the throne, if he still lived. “But I’ve no desire to engage in bloody wars over the throne,” she whispered, rotating the scepter so she could stare into the ruby eyes of acherindor. “If you asked me to rescue you for that reason, you’re to be disappointed. I’m going off-planet to marry Michael. Have his children. Build a new life together, completely different from anything possible here.”

The sentience or force within the stone stayed silent. Studying it, she thought maybe there was a faint glow, deep within the faceted depths, but she couldn’t be sure. Apparently she was rescuing the scepter only to safeguard it for—what? Gooseflesh rising on her arms, Shalira set the emblem beside her.
Maybe I can donate it to a museum in the Sectors.
But she knew she’d never part with the symbol of the ruling dynasty.

“Better come to the door.” Johnny's voice woke Mike from a pleasant dream of home, but he reoriented himself to the cold realities of Mahjundar in no time.
 

Drawing his blaster, he got to his feet, automatically checking to make sure Shalira was okay. “How long was I out?”
 

Johnny checked his wrist chrono with a sideways glance. “Three hours. They’re trying to force the door. First attempt.”

“All right, let's go survey the situation.” Mike turned to the princess, curled on the couch, quietly listening to the exchange as she stifled a yawn. He laid his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently, leaning over to brush a kiss on her cheek. “I'll be right back. Keep your gun close to hand.”
 

Mike hastened to descend the stairs behind Johnny.
 

“Everett reported runners leaving the city gates and going in several directions,” his cousin said as they descended the stone stairs. “Probably warning the villages to be on the watch for us. Didn’t see any need to wake you for that piece of intel.”
 

Mike laid a hand on the wooden door, calculating the sturdiness of their defense. The portal vibrated under repeated blows, but didn’t budge.
 

“Fortunately the corridor outside is so narrow they won't be able to bring in a battering ram,” Johnny said. “The nice decorative metal sheeting on the outside will keep them from burning us out easily.”
 

“Saium, keep an eye on things. Let me know if there's anything new to report.” The restorative effects of some sleep and the adrenephix were deceiving him into believing he was a new man, despite the nagging pain in his rib cage telling him otherwise. Mike ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, Johnny on his heels. He walked to the couch, holding out his hand to Shalira and drawing her to her feet, hugging her for a moment.

“I want to move you to the third level now,” he told her. “I refuse to trust our luck that the door will hold until we're rescued. I want you to be out of harm's way from the start, okay?”
 

“Since my only contribution to our defense is not adding to your worries and a dubious ability with the gun you gave me, I’ll gladly go wherever you wish.” Shalira scooped up the scepter.

Mike took her by the elbow, escorting her to the third level. Johnny followed, brushing past them to go onto the balcony.