Convergence/Chapter 6

6
 The rain beat a staccato rhythm on the roofs of the archeological camp’s outbuildings. Corian took shelter under a small overhang and leaned against one of the rusting metal walls, ignoring the water seeping into the back of his shirt around the edges of his armor vest. The storm had stretched all the way back to the archaeologists’ camp near Draskar, but wasn’t as severe here. Lightning flickered frequently through ominous, roiling clouds, followed by crackles and booms of thunder, but the strikes were distant enough to not pose a major threat.

             A speeder from the military camp was supposed to pick him and the other dig site escorts up, but to his annoyance, it wasn’t there yet. He suspected he was one of the last members of the escort parties and most of the others had already gone back for hot chow and shelter. Another Human soldier, whom Corian knew as Sergeant Virmire, was standing several meters away, illuminated only by the faint glow of the cigarra tip he was puffing on. Corian recalled he was some kind of tech specialist, but beyond that, he didn’t know much about the man and had no inclination to strike up conversation. Jhiranae and her party had dashed inside the main tent and were talking excitedly with the expedition leader about the map and their other findings, but Corian had seen no need to involve himself. He could hear their voices only indistinctly due to the rain drowning out the conversation. Occasionally Jhiranae’s or Doctor Ostrada’s voice would cut through the noise and he’d pick up a word or two, but Corian didn’t pay attention to what they were saying. Let them have their fun. The sooner he was back at base, the sooner he could find hot food and dry clothes—and beer.

             He scanned the horizon disinterestedly out of habit, but suddenly stopped. A faint glimmer caught his eye. It might have been lightning, but he didn’t think so. There was too much of a reddish hue. The lieutenant wished he’d brought a pair of macrobinoculars, but he’d left them in the speeder. A faint red light flared for a second, almost invisible through the falling rain, and Corian stiffened.

             “Virmire, do you have macrobinoculars?” he called loudly.

             “Sure thing, Lieutenant,” the man replied, sauntering over and offering them.

             Corian’s gaze didn’t leave the spot he’d fixed in the distance. He took the device wordlessly and held it up to his eyes, thumbing it to night vision mode. Unsurprisingly, it was hard to see through the driving rain, but he pointed it in the direction of the red flashes. The soldier scowled. The rain and some kind of haze made it too hard to pick out anything that distant. The ridgeline was at least five kilometers away, but if his suspicions were right, that was plenty close. He withdrew his comlink from his breast pocket and thumbed it on. A squeal of static greeted him and he turned it back off. Yanibar’s weather and magnetic field were known to wreak havoc on comm signals, but that wasn’t the only possible cause.

             “See anything, sir?” Virmire asked.

             “No,” Corian answered gruffly. “See if you can raise the base.”

             The tech specialist tried his own comlink, a bulkier, more sophisticated model, but to no avail.

             “Nothing, sir. Probably this damned weather.”

             “Probably not,” Corian countered. “Yours has filter control, right? Filter out bands except between 1.4 and 1.9 MegaHertz.”

             “There aren’t any frequencies in that range that we use, sir,” Virmire countered.

             Corian glared vibroblades at the man.

             “That was an order, Sergeant,” he said. “It’ll confirm if I’m right, or just paranoid.”

             “Okay, whatever you say,” Virmire answered, fiddling with the comlink.

             The static continued for several more seconds as Virmire fiddled with the controls and then, as he attuned the filters, the static stopped and the unit was silent against the backdrop of the precipitation. Then, several distorted words issued from the speaker, spoken in a harsh mechanical voice.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Gren. Droi. Ja-dokla Two-Six. Ack Tren. Dribo-Tra.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “What is that?” Virmire asked. “Sounds like gibberish.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “It is, unless you have the appropriate decrypter,” Corian said suddenly, coming off the wall and scooping up his blaster. “Those are Grasp command signals. They transmit in short bursts using some words and frequencies people can hear.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Grasp? Here? No way, sir,” Virmire said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “It’s Grasp,” Corian stated bluntly. “They’re jamming our comms except on those frequencies. Get back to base and warn them.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             In any other type of organization, Virmire might have objected verbally, wasting valuable time. But the Five Worlds Defense Force was a true military, and Virmire had been in the service long enough to understand the importance of following orders, even orders he didn’t like from an officer he didn’t like.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Yes, sir,” Virmire said, throwing a lazy salute that barely made it above his patchy beard.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Slinging his blaster, the sergeant took off at a jog into the rain. Corian watched him go for a second, mentally calculating the speeds of Grasp infantry against the distance from where he’d seen the red flashes. Shavit. They weren’t here yet, but would arrive far faster than he wanted. With first-rate soldiers expecting trouble, successful defense was possible, but that was hardly the case here. While Captain Vanbarce was an experienced soldier, the troops under her command were inexperienced or reserve units not used to frontline fighting. They would be slow to react. Corian reviewed his mission priorities, then made a quick decision, hoping he wasn’t wrong.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             He burst into the central tent where Jhiranae and her team were still talking with the head archaeologist, the Mirialan named Ostrada.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We have to go,” he announced as they all turned to stare at him, halted mid-sentenced. “Right now.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Jhiranae was the first to recover.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “What do you mean?” she asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I’ve detected Grasp less than five kilometers from here,” he told them. “They’ll be here in ten minutes, fifteen if the weather slows them down too much.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “That’s extremely unlikely,” Doctor Ostrada countered. “What would the Grasp want with an archaeological expedition this far into Wild Space?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “You want to stick around and ask them?” Corian answered sardonically.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             This, in his view, was the weakness of civilian organizations. While they had a theoretical hierarchy, each person’s opinions counted for much more, which slowed them down in situations like this where sharp, sudden, coordinated action was needed. The worst part was that he was trying to protect them, but yet they would view him as an outsider until or unless he sufficiently persuaded them, which might take too long. Yet for all that they annoyed him, Corian knew these people were why he and the other soldiers were here. He couldn’t just leave them, even if a part of him wanted to.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “They’re jamming our comms. I’ve detected Grasp transmissions and seen their signal flashes,” he said as calmly and firmly as he could. “They’re already on their way, so if you want to live to see tomorrow—get all of your people out of here now.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “What about Captain Vanbarce and the others?” Doctor Ostrada asked. “Can’t they defend us?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “If they could, do you think I’d be telling you to get the hell out of here?” Corian shot back. “Grasp are too calculated for that.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Nihyal, I think Lieutenant Gonnard is right,” Jhiranae said. “We must warn the others. We must evacuate.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Comms are down, so you’ll have to do it in person,” Corian warned.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “All right,” Doctor Ostrada said slowly. “But where do we go?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “They were coming from the south,” Corian replied. “Their sensors are better than ours, so I would keep going until you get to the mountains—or farther.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “The shelter,” Jhiranae suggested. “We could hide there. Our sensors didn’t detect it. It might be safe.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I’m not eager to go back there,” Kanjai offered. “But if the Grasp are attacking, better there than here.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Enough talking,” Corian ordered gruffly. “Let’s go.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             They scrambled out of the tent. Corian at once set out for the south end of the camp, unslinging his blaster and checking the charge. It hummed to life satisfyingly and he smiled grimly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Where are you going?” Jhiranae asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “To buy time,” Corian told her.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             He broke into a trot and made his way through the rain to a rocky outcropping near the south end of the camp. Though a few straggly bushes provided concealment, the soldier valued the actual cover of the sturdy basalt boulders more. Many a soldier had learned the hard way: bushes don’t stop blaster bolts.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Lying prone in a position well-guarded by boulders, Corian dialed up his scope’s magnification to maximum and took aim. In the distance, metallic silhouettes of Grasp infantry were visible. He could make out the feline shapes of Relynxes, humanoid-looking Falscions, and even a handful of flitting Harnasps. Farther back, hulking Theutrons lumbered with ungainly motion across the rough terrain. Corian’s mind automatically began calculating the lead distance, elevation, drop rate, and other aiming factors. His thumb flicked the selector switch on his rifle to sniper mode as he sighted in on a Harnasp nearly three kilometers away. The flying droids weren’t well-suited to the weather, but Corian knew their sensors and mobility could be lethal in a chase. His aim point floated up as he adjusted, then his finger squeezed the trigger. A bright red blaster bolt lanced off into the night. Corian watched for a few seconds as the bolt sizzled through the rain to slam into the Harnasp’s shoulder. The impact sent sparks flying and the droid tumbled through the air, smoke trailing from one wing. ''Not completely destroyed, but also no longer useful as an aerial threat. Not bad for night shooting in a rain storm at three klicks.''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The soldier picked out his next target, a leaping Relynx, and fired again. His aim on the Harnasp had been off to the left by several centimeters. He compensated this time, hitting the leaping Relynx squarely in the head. The droid slammed into a boulder, twitching, and Corian smiled. Confident in his aiming adjustments, he began sighting and firing as quickly as he could. He didn’t have time to watch every shot, as every second was critical. The droids wised up to his attempts to thin their ranks and began maneuvering evasively, causing many of his shots to miss. Corian swore under his breath and kept firing. A section of the Grasp droids turned and made their way towards the encampment. Corian wanted to fire on them, but forced himself to keep shooting at the droids headed his way. The other soldiers would have to defend themselves. Picking off another Harnasp with several shots that burned holes from its legs to its torso and wings, Corian realized the droids were too close. The demolished war droid crashed less than a dozen meters from him, setting scrub brush on fire. He would soon be overrun.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Scrambling to his feet, Corian sprinted back to the cover of an outbuilding. Four Harnasps dove into the camp, firing missile launchers into the archaeological buildings. Explosions erupted from the flimsy shelters, sending streaks of fire into the night sky. Corian heard a scream from one of the buildings and swore.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Kriff! I told them to get clear!” he said, shaking his head over the stupidity.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> He fired again, taking down another Harnasp even as the droids raked the complex with blaster fire. The scarlet bolts blew holes in the buildings, starting fires and sending debris flying. Corian started to sight in on one of the Harnasps as it wheeled around, but a sudden noise off to his side drew his attention. He whirled to see a Relynx preparing to pounce at him, metallic claws primed and ready. The feline droid was crouched, red photoreceptors fixed on him, and Corian realized he was dead. Caught by surprise, he knew he couldn’t bring his blaster rifle to bear in time. The vicious claws would be the last thing he saw as they tore him open.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Just before it sprang, a stream of blaster bolts bit into the Relynx’s flank, staggering the droid and halting its charge. Corian needed no further encouragement, bringing up his blaster rifle and thumbing the selector to full-auto. Cutting loose, he sprayed the droid with hot energy until it was a smoldering hulk. Corian turned to see who had assisted him and saw it was Virmire. The man’s eyes were huge, his face pale aside from his thick black beard, but his blasterfire had been accurate and effective.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I thought I told you to get back to camp!” Corian shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I was able to get a line of sight message off halfway there,” Virmire explained, aiming at another Harnasp. “Once they were warned, I figured you could use the help, sir.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “You’re not wrong,” Corian said sardonically, firing at a Falscion that was pushing its way through the fence bordering the campsite.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The droid staggered but kept coming. As it raised its arm to fire, Corian grabbed Virmire, flinging both of them out of the way behind a building. The droid’s blasterfire scythed through where they had been standing. It struck a container of something flammable, sending a column of fire leaping into the night sky. Corian peered around the corner and fired again, this time dropping the Falscion for good.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Way too many,” Corian grunted.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “No kidding,” Virmire retorted.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The Harnasps came around for another pass, and Corian saw another fusillade of rockets bombard the camp, setting more buildings on fire. A wave of regret, followed by cold anger, filled him as he saw that one set of projectiles had struck a speeder. The burning vehicle veered off-course and slammed into the fence, its cabin ablaze. No chance of survivors there.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> He and Virmire aimed their rifles at the aerial droids, firing freely, but though they took a few glancing hits, the Harnasps stayed aloft. Their return fire forced both men to duck.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Come on!” Corian ordered, staying low and running over to what used to be the infirmary. A large hole had been blasted in its side by a rocket, but its walls were relatively thick and would stop blaster bolts. Thankfully, the interior was deserted, with no evidence of bodies or lingering archaeologists. Toppled shelves and boxes littered and obstructed the floor.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “There’s too many,” Virmire said through gasps of air. “We have to get out of here.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Corian grunted in acknowledgment, though he didn’t see a way out. There were dozens of Grasp droids, and just two of them. One thing was certain: staying here was a death sentence.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Heading for the door at the far end of the infirmary, Corian pressed himself against the doorframe, peering around for droids. A single Falscion was on the prowl outside, but its back was turned. No telling how long that would last. Corian kicked open the door and blazed away with his blaster rifle. The droid twitched and lurched as the blasts struck it. Falscions were tough; it ate six blaster bolts before falling in a smoldering heap.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             With Virmire behind him, Corian advanced, rifle at the ready. Fires burned here and there, though the droids seemed to have spread out rather than demolishing the camp systematically. Perhaps they were after the archaeologists more than the structures.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> A Harnasp swooped overhead. Corian ducked away from its stuttering blasterfire, then pivoted and aimed at the retreating droid. His flurry of shots largely missed, but one shot hit the repulsorpack and the droid plummeted to the ground.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Good shot,” Virmire told him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Corian nodded, then continued his steady advance, rifle held ready.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Stay on me,” he said. “Guard the flanks and rear.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The soldier was aware of his own heavy breathing, his heart pounding in his ear. The night was somewhat quieter than it had been during the opening assault. The droids weren’t firing at random, and aside from the crackle of fires, it was quiet. None of the intruders were close enough for Corian to hear them. He strained his hearing for the faint rumble of the Harnasp’s repulsors, and thought he heard something to the north.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Sweeping the skies with his night vision scope, he saw two of the aerial droids pursuing something. Flashes of light from their weapons illuminated their silhouettes. Corian thumbed the blaster’s switch over to sniper mode and, forcing himself to breathe steadily, sighted in. The droids’ flight was somewhat erratic and at this distance, he would need a direct hit to down one. One of the Harnasps swung around for another strafing run, right where he wanted it to be, and he squeezed the trigger. A single blaster bolt cut through the night sky to pierce the droid’s head. Without its guidance and control unit, the droid kept flying in a lazy glide until it slammed into a ridge.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Corian didn’t bother to watch. He was already searching for the other Harnasp. He found it seconds later, firing down at something on the ground. The soldier cursed again as he realized it was likely attacking a speeder. His first two shots, hurried by a sense of urgency, both went wide. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to steady his aim. This time, his patience was rewarded, as the Harnasp’s repulsorpack exposed itself. Corian’s shot knocked it from the sky, and he turned toward Virmire.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Nice job,” Virmire told him. “Now can we go?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Corian nodded and they set off towards the edge of the camp. Corian wasn’t sure exactly where they should head next.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Can you get me Vanbarce?” he asked the tech specialist. “Cut through the jamming?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Probably,” Virmire replied. “Cover me for a second.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> They ducked into the shelter of one of the dormitory buildings. Corian blasted another Relynx prowling around inside, then they knelt behind one of the cots. Corian kept his blaster trained on the entrance while Virmire fiddled with his datapad. Several tense minutes passed. Corian stayed alert, expecting a Relynx or a Falscion to barge into the infirmary. His blaster was set on full auto; he would need to pump out as much blasterfire as possible if that happened.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Finally, the tech specialist came through. He nudged Corian, passing him the datapad and trained his own rifle on the entrance. Corian took the device and ducked down behind a cot. A grainy image of Captain Vanbarce displayed on the datapad’s screen. She was clearly in their crude command center, which seemed a hive of activity. Her dark skin and close-shaved hair were bathed in sweat—though Corian couldn’t tell whether that was from heat or exertion. The officer gave him a stern glare.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “There you are,” she said. “We thought you were dead.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Not quite, sir,” he replied. “We’re at the archaeological camp. It’s overrun.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “And the archaeologists?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I sent them away. They lost a couple speeders for sure; maybe some got out.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “You’re in better position than we are then.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The image of the captain lurched momentarily as the command center was struck by a projectile. Sparks flew in the background. Corian could barely make out other people shouting and moving amid the tumult.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “What’s your status?” he asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “The camp is surrounded,” she told him bluntly. “We’re holding them off for now, but we’re outnumbered. Not sure what brought the Grasp this far out, but they’re here in force.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I can fight my way back to you,” Corian said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The captain snorted gently.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Don’t overvalue your combat prowess, Lieutenant,” she replied. “I’m sure you could reach here and die valiantly with the rest of us, but what would that accomplish?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> The lights flickered in the command center where Vanbarce was standing. She glanced off to the side for a moment, then her gaze flicked back to Corian.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Virmire and I could punch a hole through their lines, get you a way out of there,” Corian offered.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “No,” Vanbarce said. “There’s at least twenty Harnasps here. You’d never make it. You said some of the archaeologists got out?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I think so,” Corian answered slowly. “We took down the Harnasps here, but Relynxes might have gotten them.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Then I want you to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Vanbarce told him. “Your primary objective is protect the archaeologists and find a way to signal for help.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “That’s two objectives,” Corian pointed out.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             She smirked at him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Less candor, Lieutenant,” she said, her lip twisting in a wry smile. “Best get to it. We’ll hold them off as long as we can.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Corian nodded.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “They didn’t just destroy the camp,” he told his superior. “They’re after something. They’re targeting the archaeologists, but not all of the buildings.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “What does that buy us?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Beats me,” he said. “We’re not exactly on speaking terms.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Then it’s even more important that you link up with the archaeologists and find out what the hell they found that brought the Grasp out here. And then make sure they don’t get it!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Vanbarce’s eyes blazed fiercely with determination.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Now, if you’ll excuse me, we’re a little busy here.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Understood. Gonnard out.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Corian hit the button to terminate the conversation, turning back to Virmire. The camp was still quiet; no further Grasp droids had intruded upon them yet.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “What’s the plan?” Virmire asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Vanbarce wants us to stick with the archaeologists,” Corian told him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Don’t we have to find them first?” Virmire asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “One problem at a time.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Corian arose, readying his blaster.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “They headed north. We get out of this camp, find the archaeologists, go from there.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Grasp’ll have all the comms monitored.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Corian scowled.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “So we do it the old-fashioned way.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Virmire sighed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We’re going on foot to find people in speeders?” he countered.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “You have a better idea?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “We could get a speeder of our own.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “If you find a working one, I’ll take you up on that. But I didn’t see any dealerships.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             They emerged from the infirmary smartly. Corian, in the lead, immediately turned right, checking that sector while Virmire behind him covered the left. They moved steadily through the camp. Thankfully, it was small enough, with only a few buildings between them and the edge. The shelter of the rainy night combined with the rugged terrain would cover their escape.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             A Falscion surprised them by emerging from the ruins of the headquarters tent. Virmire and Corian dove aside, spraying it with blaster bolts. The sturdy droid absorbed the punishment well, but their combined fire took it down before its weapons could track them. An arm-mounted rocket sailed past Corian in a futile attempt at retaliation, splattering messily against the infirmary wall.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “That was close,” Virmire said, checking their surroundings for more droids.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Corian nodded, sweeping his sector with the barrel of his blaster. Once they were satisfied that no more droids were forthcoming, they set out again. They were almost clear when a loud crash ripped through the air behind him. Corian felt himself being shoved hard from behind and he tumbled to the ground. A metallic blur sliced through the air behind him, followed by a scream. Corian rolled over to see a Relynx atop Virmire, its claws plunged into the man’s chest. Bringing his blaster to bear, Corian jerked the trigger, stippling a pattern of scorch marks along the droid’s flank. It twitched, then collapsed with sparks and smoke spewing from its motivator. Corian scrambled to his feet and pushed it off Virmire. The man was still alive, but barely. Deep, bloody gashes marred his uniform shirt and his breaths came in unsteady heaves.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Virmire!” Corian shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Good shot, sir,” Virmire told him. “Sorry to. . . let you down.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Cut it out,” Corian snarled. “Always lying down on the job. You’re not getting off that easily.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Virmire coughed weakly.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Could’ve been you,” he said.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “I know,” Corian replied. “You saved me. I owe you one.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Don’t think. . . I can collect,” Virmire gasped.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             The man spasmed, then was still.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Come on, Virmire,” Corian urged him, slapping at his face. “Stay with me.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             However, it was no use. He felt for a pulse and found nothing. Corian was about to start chest compressions when he heard a loud, commanding female voice echo across the camp.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Drop the blaster!”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Corian whirled to see a tall female silhouette standing a dozen meters away from him, flanked by a pair of Relynxes. She bore no obvious weapon, but clearly was aligned with the Grasp and therefore an enemy. Corian gave no reply, but snapped up his blaster, firing precise bursts at the Relynxes, then at the woman. Both droids collapsed from the blasts, but the bolts fired at the woman glanced off some kind of metallic gauntlet she wore. She strode calmly toward him, and his fire was easily blocked. The lieutenant switched his aim towards her legs, but she sidestepped his shots with eerie speed. As she closed in, he could see she was wearing dark robes and a hood which disguised her face. Realizing he was outmatched, Corian started to retreat, keeping up his fire to slow her advance.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Foolish man,” she snarled, twisting one of her hands.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             Inexplicably, Corian felt himself being pulled toward her. He tried to dig his feet into the sandy ground, but they slid out from under him and he fell on his back, still sliding towards his foe.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">             “Shavit!” he swore, scrabbling at his side for a holstered vibroblade. As he approached her, he stabbed upward with the weapon. To his surprise, she caught the blade in her metal glove with no apparent damage to the device. She squeezed and the sharp, humming edge was crushed as easily as he might crumple a flimsiboard tube. Corian’s eyes widened in surprise and he dropped the ruined weapon. Before he could try anything else, the woman planted a heavy boot on his chest, pinning him in place and driving the air from his lungs.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> She drew back her arm to deliver a hefty blow when suddenly the roar of repulsorlifts rumbled through the night. Both the woman and Corian turned to see the glare of headlamps as a battered speeder crashed through the ruins of the tent. Before she could react, the speeder struck her at full force, sending her tumbling through the air. A head popped out of the driver’s window.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Get in!” Jhiranae called at him.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> Shocked at her sudden appearance, Corian jumped to his feet, heading for the aft compartment of the speeder. He ducked in to find several scared-looking archaologists, including Kanjai, Plaspek, and Doctor Ostrada looking at him. The soldier quickly found his seat.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “I’m in!” he shouted.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Good,” Jhiranae said. “This’ll be a little rough.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> She gunned the accelerator and the speeder shot off into the night. Jhiranae drove with reckless speed. They were nearly out of the camp when a Relynx dove from out of nowhere, latching itself to the driver’s side of the vehicle. The archaeologists screamed in terror. Corian fumbled for his blaster rifle, but it was awkward to bring to bear in such tight quarters. He grabbed for his pistol, but it was partially caught under his leg. Before he could draw it, the Relynx smashed through the window, driving a clawed arm right at Jhiranae’s head. Corian couldn’t even scream a warning, but somehow, Jhiranae’s left arm came up with her stun baton. She jammed it under the Relynx’s jaw with astonishing speed. Electricity arced from the tip into the automaton and the droid fell free from the speeder. There was a bump as the speeder’s rear passed over the wreckage. Corian peered around the front seat and was surprised to see Jhiranae’s head still attached and not completely smashed. The padded headrest wasn’t so lucky; it was more or less pulverized.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “How are you alive?” he demanded. “That thing should have killed you.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Thankfully it didn’t,” she said, looking scared but determined. “Quick reflexes, I guess.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"> “Or something,” Corian told her doubtfully. “Are you secretly a ter <span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">äs käsi master?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">She shook her head.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Just lucky,” she replied. “I barely ducked in time.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">“Okay,” Corian said, letting it go for now.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: .5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin">He didn’t fully buy that explanation, but she showed no hints of evasiveness or deception. More importantly, they were still alive—for the moment. Given that she was driving and there was still plenty of Grasp around, he decided that it was better to let her concentrate. Which was a good thing too, because Jhiranae kept them moving at the same breakneck speed through rough terrain, bouncing over gullies and barely careening around giant boulders for two hundred kilometers until they reached the dig site with the buried underground shelter. The archaeologists and Corian concealed their speeder as best they could behind a boulder, covering it with some sand-colored tarps that had been packed in the storage compartment. Then they scrambled into the shelter, hoping it would provide refuge against the relentless Grasp.

<p class="MsoNormal">   

<span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">