The Cyber Chronicles VI - Warrior Breed (27 page)

Several
officers glanced around, nodding, and Tronan inclined his head. The
Moth Ship now filled the screens, starlight glinting on its
filigree wings. A red laser beam shot across the gap, aimed at the
bridge.

"You have
broken the law, Trykons." The deep, distorted voice emanated from
the com-station's speakers. "The penalty for breaking an Overlord's
decree is death. Do you wish to speak on your own behalf?"

"Yes,” Atrel
said. “It was an engine malfunction, My Lord. We were on a training
flight, and the solar wings would not deactivate. We were about to
turn back."

After a brief
silence, the voice said, "You will come before me."

"I swear it's
the truth."

Atrel's bones
tingled, and he tensed. Nemesis' bridge vanished, and
blood-chilling cold engulfed him for an instant. His feet hit solid
ground, and he reeled as a wave of dizziness swept over him.
Regaining his balance, he glanced around at a vast silver and gold
chamber that floating globes and recessed lighting filled with warm
radiance. Two stern-faced soldiers in silver uniforms stepped up to
disarm him. Thin gold lines ran down their chests and sleeves and
encircled their cuffs, and tiny silver projectile weapons were
holstered on their belts. Atrel sensed a presence to his right and
turned to face a hooded, veiled figure clad in flowing black robes.
The Overlord stood on a dais a few metres away, his hands hidden in
his sleeves.

"Approach."

Atrel drew
himself up and walked closer, reminding himself of his clan's proud
heritage. Even an Overlord could not intimidate a Trykon.

"In the
decades since the decree, no Trykon has broken it," Ramadaus said.
"Now you would have me believe that an engine malfunction brought
you two hundred light years from Tryandia?"

"Yes, My
Lord."

Ramadaus
withdrew gloved hands from his sleeves and stepped down from the
dais. "Curious. Bind him."

The soldiers
beside Atrel gripped his arms and twisted them behind his back,
then clamped a pair of handcuffs onto his wrists. Another pair took
up position behind him, their weapons aimed at his back.

Ramadaus
removed a glove and laid his hand on Atrel's brow. "You're hiding
something. You lied. You're filled with guilt. What are you
hiding?"

"Nothing."

"You cannot
lie to me. Tell me the truth, or I shall destroy your ship."
Ramadaus withdrew his hand and replaced his glove, then tucked it
away in his sleeve again, stepping back.

Atrel searched
his mind for some way to tell the truth, or an acceptable version
of it, without betraying Sabre. "We were exploring. We've harmed no
one."

"Really. More
believable, but still a lie. Your hesitation betrays you." He
turned away. "Target the Trykon ship."

"No!" Atrel
stepped forward, but the guards grabbed him and held him back.
"Wait!"

Ramadaus
turned to face him again. "I'm waiting."

Atrel bowed
his head. If he lied again, everyone would die, including Sabre.
There was no choice. "Our commander ordered us to take him to an
unknown destination."

"Where is
he?"

"Hiding. He
claims you want to kill him."

The Overlord
stepped closer. "Indeed? What is his name?"

Atrel
grimaced. "Sabre."

"He is not a
Trykon."

"He joined our
clan two weeks ago."

"And became
your commander in a few hours?"

Atrel
nodded.

Ramadaus
walked back to the dais and mounted it. "So, fate has delivered the
abomination to me. Trent, scan the ship and transport him here to
me."

Ramadaus’
senior officer and aide, Commander Trent, a stocky, balding
middle-aged man with sharp brown eyes and a strong chin, spoke into
a com-link, and the men released Atrel.

"Why do you
want him dead?" he demanded.

"That is not
your concern."

"Will you
release the rest of us?"

"Yes. You will
return at once to Tryandia. Release him."

The guards
removed the handcuffs, and Atrel slumped.

"We've located
him, My Lord," Trent said. "Transporting in thirty seconds."

The tension
grew as the seconds ticked past, and Atrel wished he could leave
before Sabre arrived. The translocation beam appeared as a flash of
shimmering light and intense cold, and Sabre materialised a few
metres away, staggering a little, as Atrel had done. He recovered
more swiftly and turned to Atrel first, then glanced at Ramadaus.
Dozens of soldiers aimed their weapons at the unarmed cyber.

Atrel turned
to him, pulling off the golden torc. "He didn't believe me,
Commander."

Sabre nodded.
"I guess it was too much to hope for."

"He threatened
to destroy Nemesis."

"I
understand."

"I did not
want to betray you." Atrel held out the torc.

"I know. Keep
it; you're commander of Nemesis now."

"No,
Commander. This is yours. If we must return without a commander, we
will. You can't give back what you won. Your loss will be
mourned."

"I'm a
traitor, remember?" Sabre glanced at Ramadaus, then back at Atrel.
"It doesn't matter. Do what you will, but do one last thing for me.
Do as Tassin says."

"Your
ward?"

"Yes. Obey
her. She might be able to help me."

"She's a
non-com."

"Just do
it!"

"Enough of
this," Ramadaus said. "No one can help you. The Trykon will remain
to witness your execution."

Atrel tossed
the torc to Sabre. It hit the floor with a metallic chime and slid
to a stop at his feet. Sabre ignored it. "Not keen on facing
Fairen, Ramadaus?"

"Fairen will
not interfere."

"Why don't we
find out? Tell him you have me; see what he does."

"I would not
waste his time, or mine."

"You know
he'll come for me. You're afraid."

Ramadaus
snorted. "Fairen won't help you."

"He will, and
you know it. That's why you won't release Atrel. You're afraid of
what will happen when Fairen finds out."

"I merely wish
to spare him from being bothered with such a petty matter."

"I'm under his
protection."

Ramadaus shook
his head. "Not at the moment."

****

Tassin ran
along the corridor to the bridge, Tarl at her heels. Warriors
growled and buffeted her as she brushed past them, but their curses
fell on deaf ears. Her heart ached with anguish. Sabre had stopped
in on his way to the engine room to explain what was going on, and
she had insisted on going with him. Tarl had tagged along, too.
Before they had reached a shielded area, Sabre had vanished in a
burst of cold light, and now only one thought hammered in her
brain. She had to contact Fairen. He was Sabre's only hope. She
burst into the bridge, her breath coming in sobbing gasps. Looming
warriors turned to glare at her with flinty eyes.

"No non-coms
allowed on the bridge," the second lieutenant said.

"I need a
communication device, now!" Tassin said.

"Go back to
your cabin."

"Ramadaus will
execute Sabre. I have to summon help!"

"The Overlord
has the commander?"

"Yes!"

Tronan shook
his head. "Then no one can help him."

Tarl brushed
past her to get to a console, his eyes scanning it. "This is the
communications console."

"Do you
remember the frequency?"

"Yes, I -"

An officer
gripped the back of Tarl's jacket and hurled him against the wall,
forcing a grunt of surprise and pain from him. Tassin drew out the
laser she held behind her back and pointed it at the second
lieutenant.

"Let him use
the communications console," she ordered.

Tronan eyed
her, his lip curling. "A weakling weapon. How dare you threaten a
Trykon officer?"

"I'll do
whatever it takes to save Sabre, including blowing off your
head."

"You're a
non-com. The penalty for threatening a warrior is death."

"Sabre is your
commander. You have to help me save him."

"If he dies,
he'll no longer be our commander, and you'll no longer enjoy his
protection, little girl,” Tronan said. “Beware that you don't incur
our wrath."

"I don't
bloody care about your wrath! If he dies, so will I."

"Damn right
you will, and it won't be an easy death."

"Stand aside,
or I start blowing holes in you." Tassin aimed the laser at
Tronan's groin, and he looked uneasy.

Tarl climbed
to his feet and headed for the console again. The officer who had
thrown him against the wall stepped into his path, and Tassin
pointed her weapon at him.

"Stay
back!"

The officer
glanced at Tronan and retreated, and Tassin switched her aim back
to Tronan's groin. Tarl reached the console and pushed some
buttons, turning a dial.

"Okay, it's
set on the Overlord's frequency. Call him."

She sidled
closer to the console, not taking her eyes off Tronan. Waving the
laser at the rest of the crew, she herded them away from the
console. "Anyone tries anything, they die."

"Call him,"
Tarl said.

"Overlord
Fairen, this is Tassin Alrade. Overlord Ramadaus has taken Sabre.
He needs your help urgently. Please answer. Help us."

A faint hiss
issued from the console, and Tronan sneered, "Stupid non-com. No
one can summon an Overlord, least of all you."

"He'll come.
He might not reply, but he'll come." Tassin waved the laser at him.
"Stay back."

Chapter Seventeen

Sabre bent and
picked up the torc, slipping it onto his neck. "So, how do you plan
to execute me, Ramadaus? Suffocation? Poison? Drowning? Your
options are a limited. No quick, clean death available."

"I had
something a little more entertaining in mind. I have wondered how
you would measure up to a real cyber, and now I think I'll find
out."

Sabre
grimaced. "Didn’t you already try that?”

“
Then you were under cyber control, and this time it will be
against one, unarmed.”

“
How unpleasant."

"Indeed. But
then, executions are never nice."

"And if I win,
do I get to live?" Sabre asked.

"No."

"Might have
guessed."

Commander
Trent looked up from his com-link. "My Lord, we've intercepted a
communication on the Overlord frequency, from the Trykon ship. It's
from Tassin Alrade, and she's asked Overlord Fairen for help."

"So, your
sweetheart seeks to aid you,” Ramadaus said. “Fairen won't
come."

Sabre closed
his eyes and bowed his head as a wave of relief washed over
him.

Ramadaus
turned to Trent. "Send for my cybers."

Sabre raised
his head. "Why the rush? Afraid Fairen will get here before I'm
dead?"

"Even if he
does, there's nothing he can do."

"What if
Ravian comes, too?"

"The Spider
Lord is of no more concern to me than Fairen."

Sabre glanced
around as Ramadaus' two cybers entered, clad in full body armour
and helmets with tinted visors. They moved with the lithe, cat-like
grace cybers had, and he guessed that they were younger than him.
They were also, he noticed, armed with lasers, unlike Ramadaus’
soldiers. Evidently he flouted Overlord tradition where his cybers
were concerned, since they were most formidable when armed with
lasers. The soldiers took Atrel over to the wall, where he would
have a good view of the proceedings, but be out of the way.

Ramadaus
turned to the cybers. "Cyber One. You will engage the cyber before
me in unarmed combat, to the death."

The cyber
stripped off his weapons' harness and dropped it, then walked
towards Sabre, stopping a metre away. Sabre turned to face him, a
red warning light flashing deep in his brain, telling him that he
faced an A-grade. He glanced at the scrolling data, which listed
the attributes of the field of combat, including dimensions,
obstacles, possible weapons, atmosphere and other potential
threats, as well as his bio-status, which was ninety-four per cent.
Adrenalin coursed through him as he went into combat mode, making
his hands tremble and bringing with it a rush of tension. The room
seemed to brighten as his pupils dilated, sounds became louder,
smells stronger, and his heart and breathing quickened, making him
slightly dizzy.

"Begin,"
Ramadaus ordered.

Cyber One
dropped into a forward handspring, and Sabre let the control unit
guide him. He followed its tactical direction with flawless
precision, almost allowing it to take control. He flung himself
backwards, his boots missing Cyber One's head by a hair as the
other cyber jerked back. Cyber One dived into a second handspring,
and Sabre leapt over him, spinning to land a double-fisted blow on
his opponent's kidneys. The cyber whipped around and punched Sabre
in the side of the head, staggering him. His ear rang, and he shook
his head as lights danced in his eyes. Had he been a normal man,
his brains would have been splattered on the floor. He kicked Cyber
One in the chest, sending him sprawling, but he rolled to his feet
the instant he hit the floor. He moved closer with gliding grace
and leapt into a spinning kick. Sabre ducked under it, straightened
and punched Cyber One in the side of his helmet with brutal force,
making him reel.

Cyber One
moved closer and aimed a series of lightning-fast punches at Sabre,
who countered with equally swift blocking moves, adding a few
attacking blows that his opponent countered with ease. Their arms
moved in a blur, only the thud of fists on flesh telling of the
contact they made. Pain flared in Sabre's forearms from the blows
that would have broken a normal man's arms. The two control units
were becoming synchronised, and the speed of the exchange grew
faster as a result, but no real damage occurred. Cyber One lashed
out with a foot, which Sabre countered, taking the blow on his
shin.