James Somers - Warrior Rising

“We had hoped that it would provide a last stand defense, or an escape if the Vorn discovered us,” said Estall.

“They’re going to discover you eventually,” Tiet said.

“Estall, it’s now or never,” Orin said. “Your people are trained and the Vorn are at their weakest moment. But the opportunity will pass if we don’t finish this war and free our people.”

Estall considered a moment, looking at the other men with him. “Please allow me a moment to speak with my elders.”

“If it’s all right, we should take a look at the ship,” Ranul suggested.

“Of course. Millo will show you where it’s docked.”

Millo, one of the men with Estall, motioned for them to follow as he led the way down another corridor out of the chamber. Orin and Ranul fell in behind his lead.

“I’m going to locate some more weapons and meet you down there, okay,” Tiet said.

Orin looked out through the doorway where Dorian had exited then back at Tiet. “All right, but don’t linger, we still have work to do.”

Tiet turned and walked back toward the city center only to find Dorian standing near the large stone fountain. When their eyes met again they both smiled. Tiet walked over to the fountain, not exactly sure what to say next.

“I couldn’t help but overhear you need more weapons,” Dorian said.

She either had excellent hearing, or had been closer to the chamber entrance when he said it. “Well, as a matter of fact, I could use some help.”

“I’ll show you the way to the armory.”

“Thank you.”

The words seemed so difficult to get out, and he wasn’t sure why. After all, Dorian was only a girl. They walked down a passageway to yet another chamber. Dorian keyed in a code on the wall pad. The mechanical door slid aside into the rock, allowing them access into one of the Barudii weapon stores. What a sight, he thought as he surveyed all of the weapons left by his clan.

The walls of the long chamber were lined with blades and kemsticks on one side and racks of pulse rifles and pistols down the middle aisle. On the opposite side were combat uniforms with the Barudii clan insignia, a red ring with a sword running through it. They were fresh-looking in comparison with his own shabby gear. He and Orin had been forced to make due with what they had in an old transport and the cave they had converted into a home.

He walked through the rows of the armory, looking over various items, pausing at the dark colored uniforms. They were the same that Dorian and the other Aolene warriors were wearing.

“If you are going into battle, you should wear the uniform of your people,” Dorian said. She looked him over a moment then retrieved one of the uniforms from the wall.

“Here, I think this one should fit well,” she said, handing him the garment.

“Thanks.”

Tiet could hardly wait to put it on.

“Around that partition is an area where you can change,” Dorian said.

Tiet grinned like a child with a new toy as he walked around the wall and began to change into his new Barudii uniform. She’s quite nice after all, he thought.

“Dorian?”

“Yes?”

“I’m…I’m sorry about hitting you in the passage way.”

“It was a fight. I understand. After all, I was attacking you.”

“Yes, but for all you knew, the Vorn were coming in to harm your people. Anyway, I wouldn’t have done it if I had known-”

“Known what? That I was a woman?”

“No…I mean, if I had known you were so nice.”

Dorian smiled again, knowing he couldn’t see her.

Tiet as he emerged from behind the partition. “Well, what do you think?”

“Just as I imagined.”

“What do you mean…imagined?”

“Nothing. Just a statement.” Changing the subject, Dorian reached for one of the gadgets on a nearby shelf. “You should take one of these,” she said handing him the object. “It’s an electromagnetic shield generator.” She raised her forearm to reveal the same apparatus fixed upon her own uniform.

“It repels small arms fire,” Tiet said. “Orin has one. He’s shown me how to use it, but we only had one between us.”

“Well, you have plenty to choose from now,” Dorian said, smiling. “All of these technically belong to you, after all. We’ll load up this cart and take some down to the ship.”

“Do you think Estall will decide to attack the Vorn?”

“Personally, I think it’s time we took the fight to them. And many others feel the same way.”

Tiet nodded. They began loading weapons for the ship. When they had what they needed, Tiet pushed the cart back out of the chamber and up the passage they had come by. Dorian walked by his side.

“We’d better hurry before Orin rushes off without me,” Tiet said.

“I wouldn’t mind.”

The comment pulled a quiet smile from his face again. Tiet couldn’t remember smiling so much. He couldn’t remember having a reason to.

From his perch high above the public square, Vale scanned the identifying features of Castillian faces as the people congregated and moved through the area. The android had still not been able to locate his Barudii target. It was unclear who these humans were. The city was reported abandoned. However, their presence here, and apparent aid to the governor’s target, made them accomplices and therefore expendable under the governor’s guidelines. However, firing upon them now would be tactically unsound, as it would alert his primary target to his presence. Patience was the key.

The carved stone balcony he crouched upon had been easy to access and provided a superior targeting position from which to shoot. Person after person, feature after feature was scanned and rejected as negative matches. But wait, now one face continued to match as the features blinked into place like puzzle pieces. One of the men walking below matched all parameters. Only the garment had been changed from the image on the data clips. Vale had to act.

The android hoisted the pulse cannon up so it would clear the stone balustrade. Vale quickly shifted into the best targeting approximation possible for such a cumbersome weapon. Fortunately, its dispersal pattern was complimentary to the inability to precisely aim the weapon. He tapped the arming switch, causing the weapon to hum.

“Look out!” someone yelled.

Many in the square turned toward the direction where one woman pointed. Tiet also looked and found a familiar looking Barudii man, with a large weapon aiming into the city center. A wave of pulse laser fire showered down around them as Tiet turned to shield Dorian from harm. He caught her around the torso and pushed her toward the ground. Dorian’s electromagnetic shield pulsed several times intercepting laser blasts meant to take their lives. Rock sprayed away from the walls around them in great chunks.

As soon as Dorian was down, Tiet leaped away from her. If he was the target, then he wanted to draw the fire away from the girl. The strafing trail of pulse fire followed him as he evaded-leaping and twirling from object to ground to wall and away again.

Then the cannon fire ceased a moment as some of the Aolene men attempted to engage the culprit. Tiet saw the Aolene warriors firing blaster pistols at the balcony and hurling spicor discs toward the assailant. The android dodged the discs letting them explode on the walls nearby-each leaving behind a smooth semicircular cavity in the rock. Vale took several blasts to the torso and the arms as he repositioned the pulse cannon and began to spray the Aolene combatants with laser fire. Tiet used this brief respite to study their attacker. He had no explanation for the man’s appearance-he might be a clone.

Tiet saw an opportunity and quickly shattered what remained of the embattled stone balustrade with a concentrated blast of power from his mind. The heavy stone erupted upward against the man, catching his body between the large fragments of rock and the chamber ceiling. It all dropped down to the public square below becoming a heap of smoldering rubble.