Tranquility in Darkness Pt. 10

by G. Lawrence

Though Grey grew up isolated on the moon under the guidance of Tranquility's computers, in the last few months he has gained friends and a girlfriend, but also many enemies. Enemies that will now be challenged.

A reminder, these are two stories; Governor Thomas McKinsey in 2046, and the lunar rebels in 2070 dealing with McKinsey's earlier actions. But the two stories will come together. All characters are over 18 years old. All rights reserved.

* * * * * *

Chapter 10

FINAL DESTINATIONS

Wednesday, March 7, 2046

"Are we ready?" McKinsey asked.

"Hell, Tom, I was ready last week," Juniper said.

Disembarking from their hiding place in the tractor, Juniper wore the rugged walker he used while rock climbing, a pickaxe hanging from his belt. McKinsey dressed in a khaki work uniform and carried a saw-tooth shovel. He would rather have had his Lassiter fine-point laser blaster, but such weapons were not standard equipment on prospecting vehicles.

"Are you sure you can find this place?" Juniper asked.

"No, I'm not sure of anything," McKinsey said, tightening his belt. "If we don't find the control center on the first or second try, we'll just have to keep looking."

"Or starve to death first?" Juniper said.

"Little danger of that with time running so short. Keep that ax ready. If we bump into Loam or Stater, we'll strike first and strike hard."

Juniper smiled grimly as they started toward one of the supposed exits. McKinsey cleared his mind, thought about where they wanted to go, and a corridor appeared. It led to Crystal's private rooms, which were empty. They tried again, finding a much larger and longer corridor that wound around in a big looping circle. It felt correct to McKinsey and he picked up the pace, soon finding themselves in the control center.

"What we're looking for is around here," McKinsey stressed, going to the largest of the visual screens. Juniper backed against the wall near the door holding the pickaxe.

"Quexitor, please speak with me," McKinsey requested.

Slowly, a faint illumination appeared in the screen. Nothing was said at first, but McKinsey felt the familiar presence.

"I'm here to stop you, Quexitor. Or whatever you are," McKinsey said, taking out a tool pouch retrieved from the tractor and looking for a way to open the control panel. "I'll even destroy you if I must, but I would rather settle our differences another way."

"You think highly of your skills, Thomas McKinsey," Quexitor replied.

"Perhaps you don't think enough of them?" McKinsey said, discovering nothing that looked like an access panel. Then he saw fingerprints in an area just below the main screen. He realized tools wouldn't help, but perhaps there was a better way. Suddenly his thought was interrupted.

"Thomas! Lord Stater is coming," Crystal warned, running in the room to stand near him. Juniper was startled. The young woman with long silver hair was attired in a revealing white dress and sandals, her arms and legs bare. There was an exotic, almost seductive look about her, the deep blue eyes captivating. He wondered at the way she clung to McKinsey but didn't give his position away.

Stater appeared through the entrance a moment later holding the stunning device Loam had used on them earlier. When McKinsey raised the shovel, Stater pointed the weapon.

"Here we see our civilizations in their true proportion," Lord Stater said. "I with my disabler. You with your primitive digging tool. Is there any doubt now whose is the superior culture?"

"Not yours, pal," Juniper said.

Lord Stater wheeled around to find Juniper standing behind him at the same moment the prospector buried the pickaxe in the top of Stater's head. Stater dropped to his knees. Juniper jerked the ax out, and as the body toppled over, blood and brain tissue splashed across the hard floor.

"Damn," Juniper said, staring down.

Just as shocked, McKinsey hardly had a chance to react when Loam suddenly burst through the door.

"Watch out!" Crystal shouted.

Juniper wheeled on the new opponent but raised his axe too late. Loam pointed the katal and fired, a vicious red energy stream ripping into Juniper's chest. As the big miner collapsed, his body fell through the beam, his upper torso bursting apart in tiny bits of bloody debris.

Too far away to help, McKinsey threw the shovel, striking a glancing blow that opened a cut on Loam's forehead. Loam turned to point the weapon at McKinsey. Crystal stepped into the line of fire.

"Don't Loam. This isn't necessary," Crystal urged.

"She-dog! Betrayer!" Loam spat.

McKinsey sought to move Crystal out of harm's way, but the woman was stronger than she appeared.

"Fear not, I won't kill her. She has better uses, and now that her treason is exposed, I will not be bound by conventions," Loam sneered. "But you will die slowly, Governor of the Moon. One eye at a time. One ear at a time. One limb at a time. But those are not the parts of your anatomy that will suffer first."

"You're young. Strong. Why don't you fight me man to man?" McKinsey challenged. "Have you no pride in your warrior heritage?"

"You think me a fool?" Loam answered.

"A coward," McKinsey said.

Loam laughed. "Should I rise to such bait? After being tricked once already by your harlot? A true warrior thrives by grants of wisdom. An opportunity you will never have again."

"Excuse me, Loam," they heard a voice say. Loam turned to see Kes standing behind him.

"Have you betrayed us also?" Loam asked.

"The difference between a hero and a traitor is found only in the history texts," Kes said. "And I rarely read much history."

Loam barely saw the flash of the dagger as it came from behind her back and buried itself in his midsection. He gasped for breath, trying to wiggle free of the blade. Kes stepped forward, gripped his collar, and pushed the dagger even deeper, ripping from side to side. Loam tried to swing his weapon around, but Kes was in too close. He struck her. Struck her again. Kes shook the blows off, and when his resistance began to fade, she pulled the dagger back and struck a final time, the blade burrowing into his heart.

McKinsey rushed forward to take the katal from Loam's hand, relieved the dying man lacked the strength to fire a wild shot. He looked at Kes, now drenched in Loam's blood, her expression no different than it had been when she entered the room. Calm and resolved. He hoped they would never be enemies. Then he glanced at Crystal and saw she was also holding a knife.

"I owe you my life," McKinsey said, initially to Kes. Then he turned toward Crystal and took her in his arms. "I owe my life to both of you."

"We are sorry your friend is dead," Crystal said.

McKinsey declined to say they had never actually been friends, and Juniper wasn't the first comrade to die on a dangerous mission.

"He will be missed," McKinsey said, walking back to the main screen with the katal in his hand. "Okay, Quexitor. It looks like things have changed."

"In what manner do you believe they have changed?" Quexitor asked.

"I see fingerprints on this panel here, and I've seen the power this weapon generates. I'm willing to bet I can blow a hole through this console, locate your energy source, and take this whole complex offline," McKinsey threatened.

"That is a high stakes wager," Quexitor replied. "If you are correct, you will have captured a unique and highly advanced complex. If you are wrong, your home planet will be destroyed. Is this truly a wager you wish to make?"

McKinsey paused. But a moment before, he had been supreme with confidence. Now he wasn't sure. He looked at Crystal and Kes, but they were simply observing, as if the decision had nothing to do with them. McKinsey lowered the weapon.

"Is it time for compromise?" McKinsey asked.

"We are willing to entertain a proposition," Quexitor said, the tone betraying no hint of anxiety.

"You're convinced these enemies are headed toward Earth," McKinsey said. "How soon do you expect them?"

"According to your Earth calendar, sometime between the summer of 2077 and the fall of 2079," Quexitor replied.

"Thirty years from now!" McKinsey exclaimed. "Jesus Christ! Why the hell are we fighting now? That's plenty of time to plan a strategy."

"Thirty years may seem a long time to you. It's a short time to measure the future of a people," Quexitor disagreed.

"My people deserve a future, too," McKinsey said. "I suggest a moratorium on your destruct policy. Give us a chance to organize a defense. We're just now building our first step-two variable reactor. If we can link it to an energy cannon, it would make a formidable weapon. And who knows what other discoveries we may make in the meantime? Tranquility is on the frontier of Earth sciences, and with the McKinsey Foundation to back us up, there's no telling how far we might progress."

"Your confidence is encouraging," Quexitor said. "Would you please give me a moment to confer with my watchers?"

McKinsey looked at Crystal and Kes, and though he felt uncomfortable about leaving the room without a resolution, he didn't see much choice. He smiled at the women, clutched the weapon close to his chest, and stepped into the hall. The entrance sealed.

"An opinion?" Quexitor asked.

"A decision need not be made now," Crystal said. "If Earth can stop the Arikhan here, in this solar system, who knows what the ramifications might be? Not just for our world, but many others."

"And you, Kes?" Quexitor asked.

"I see no reason for debate," Kes said. "It was three voices to two for destruction. Now two of those voices are stilled. That means two voices to one for delay, unless you dispute our decision."

"Very astute, my precious," Quexitor said. "Is that why you killed Loam instead of merely disabling him?"

"Of course," Kes admitted.

"Two voices to one, the destruct decision is reversed," Quexitor announced, a noticeable powering down shivering throughout the complex. "Yet I have no doubt this problem will be encountered again. Thomas McKinsey's optimism is not easily shared, but let that question be for another day."

"Will Stirwin be able to ensure our privacy?" Kes asked. "I would not have these moon dwellers invading our sanctuary."

"The problem has been corrected, and if we make our secrecy part of the agreement with McKinsey, we should have little fear of intrusion," Quexitor speculated. "What do you think, Crystal? Can he be trusted to keep his word?"

"Thomas can be trusted to serve his own interests," Crystal said. "We are not his only enemy, and if we pose no threat to him, he shall have no cause to betray us. That will be our protection."

"Then it is decided," Quexitor agreed. "You may allow him to return now."

"Master, could he have harmed you by entering the Celestial Chamber with the katal?" Crystal asked.

"Yes, my child," Quexitor said. "It is fortunate Thomas bluffs easily."

Friday, February 7, 2070

"Hi, Kes. How are you?" Glenda said, entering the brig wearing combat armor. Behind her, just as heavily armed, were Tamera and Nicholas.

"Quite well, my dears," Kes said, getting up from her bunk. "Is Kris with you?"

"She's a little busy now. We're almost out of time," Glenda replied.

"Oh, dear. That does sound serious. Are you here to guard me?" Kes asked.

"No, we are moving you to the lower tunnels with the other colonists. You'll be safe there," Tamera said.

"Safe? Safe from who?" Kes said, a wistfulness in her tone that seemed to indicate she already knew the answer.

"We have a meteor alert," Nicholas reported. "Everyone must stay sheltered until the danger is over."

"Is that why you've donned battle armor and those fearsome weapons?" Kes asked. "To fight the meteor?"

"We like being prepared," Glenda affirmed.

"That's nice, dear. For a moment, I thought you intended to fight those horrible aliens who kidnapped Tamera," Kes remarked. "And if you turn them back, which may be very difficult, then you will have the sad duty of going to Cauchy and claiming Grey's body."

"His body? What's happened?" Tamera questioned.

"Aliens?" Glenda said, glancing at Tamera for an explanation.

"I thought Kes was not supposed to know anything," Nicholas complained

"It sounds like she knows a hell of a lot more than I do," Glenda questioned, giving Nicholas an angry frown.

"We must tell Kris," Tamera urged. "Only she and I knew about--"

"About what?" Nicholas asked.

"About the Arikhan, Nick," Kes said. "Vile, leathery creatures. They kidnapped Tamera and Doctor Meriwether. And any moment now, they will attack this base. If the meteor doesn't get you first."

"Let her out, Nicholas," Tamera decided. "Glenda, take Kes up to the Loop. I'll tell Kris we have a breach of security."

As Nicholas went to unlock the cell, Tamera left the brig, weaved through the administration section, and ran up CA-3, pausing for breath when she reached the large interchange of tunnels and corridors. Kris was with Johnston and Roger finishing work on a fixed retractor emplacement.

"Tammy, you're back fast," Kris said. "This cannon's almost ready. The mobiles, too. With--"

"Kris, Kes knows everything that's going on," Tamera reported. "Everything. The aliens. The attack. Grey's trip to Cauchy. She said all we'll find there is his body."

"How could she...? Damn! Life Support! God, I wished I'd pulled the plug on that thing," Kris swore.

"But she couldn't have told Quexitor? Could she?" Roger asked.

"I'm not sure," Kris replied. "Damn it, I feel like crawling into a hopper and leaving for Cauchy right now. At least we might be able to warn Grey."

"And leave fifty colonists at the mercy of those monsters?" Tamera said, her eyes beginning to tear up.

"We've really screwed the pooch, haven't we?" Kris said. "Grey leaves for a few weeks, and now when he needs us most, we're stuck holding the fort."

"You couldn't have known," Roger said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Even Grey only had suspicions. And you know this is where he'd have put us. Defending Tranquility."

"Roger's right," Tamera agreed. "This is Grey's home. He would want us to fight for it. But that's not all. If Kes knows so much, maybe she knows more. Nicholas is bringing her."

"Security, have you been monitoring?" Kris asked, taking Tamera and Roger with her as she crossed the Loop toward the security counter.

"Affirmative," the Security Computer confirmed. "Defense reports an unidentified craft approaching from the north on stealth mode. ETA one hour, twenty-seven minutes. A hopper has just landed at the Crystal Caves Tourist Center. There isn't enough time to support the Governor and still defend this facility."

"Defense, can you knock that bogey down?" Kris asked.

"Negative, Captain Fairfield," Defense said, blue signature patterns sharing the screen with Security. "Northern approaches are compromised. Employing VLMs not advised."

"Why?" Kris asked.

"That's easy, Kris," Roger said. "Our whole plan is to draw these things into a trap. If we tip our hand, who knows what kind of weapons they might deploy? Besides, Tey or Grey might be with them. Probably are."

"Okay, but I want a hopper shaken out," Kris decided. "The moment we kick ass here, I'm on my way to Cauchy."

"And me," Tamera insisted.

"I, too," Kes said, entering with Glenda and Nicholas. "Without assistance, you will not find my base, nor be able to help Grey."

"Do you want to help him?" Tamera asked.

"That question is more complicated than you can imagine," Kes said. "But Grey is blood of my blood. Clan of my clan. I would never wish him harm."

"Blood of your blood?" Nicholas asked.

"Grey is the child of my sister, Crystal of the Blue Waters," Kes revealed.

"But that would mean...? Hell, I don't know what it means," Glenda said.

"It means I want to help, dear heart," Kes assured her.

"The invaders are turning into their approach pattern, Captain Fairfield," the Defense Computer warned.

"Okay, Glenda, get everybody up here right now. My team, your team, and Ronnie's. We're going to have a talk with Security," Kris ordered.

"Are we finally going to learn what this is all about?" Glenda asked.

"Glendy, even I don't know what this is all about," Kris conceded.

____________

Bonanza hovered for a moment over a wide platform adjoining the Crystal Caves Tourist Center, then landed near the cargo entrance. Grey let the engines wind down before activating the external scanners.

"The area is clear," Grey said. "At what distance will you deploy the weapon?"

"Even from the surface the thinasphere would have great effect, but it will perform better within the rock's lair," Vendar explained.

"How far away will we need to be?" Grey asked.

Vendar and Mordari clicked their tongues in amusement.

"The thinasphere does not affect such as us," Mordari explained. "We are not so exalted as the rocks."

"Do I perceive bitterness?" Grey said.

"Once the Arikhan occupied but a single planet," Mordari recalled. "Then came the rocks to change our world, as they had changed others. Seeking to infect our minds with their illusions."

"We rejected the colonial masters, and in the name of Sherra, reached out to claim that which is ours," Vendar recalled. "In revenge, the rocks destroyed the stargates connecting many planets abundant with life. Long have we sought justice."

"When we find the home planet of the rocks, then will our ancestors have eternal feast," Mordari said.

"Are your enemies so elusive?" Grey asked.

"They are close," Mordari said, her eyes darting toward the stars.

"Earth's strategic position should make your task easier," Grey suggested.

"This world is rich. Blessed of Sherra. The rocks will not deny us," Vendar swore.

"Amen to that," Grey agreed.

Grey sealed the internal environment of his lightweight spacesuit and climbed down from the pilot's compartment to the airlock.

"The rocks can observe this platform," he said. "I will move as the Governor moves and transfer the Quexelian walker from the cargo hauler into the hopper, then we will travel into the canyon."

"Attempt no escape," Vendar instructed.

"I hear and obey, Varbaran Leader," Grey affirmed, disappearing into the airlock.

"The food creature is indeed impertinent," Vendar complained.

"Always has it been so," Mordari concurred.

"It will not be impertinent much longer," Vendar assured.

Grey found the mineral hauler parked in the receiving bay, happy to find the damaged meteor suit in the cargo hold. He opened the suit to check the two-kiloton nuclear warhead hidden inside. He also found a fully charged Marsden, no doubt a suggestion from the Security Computer. He left the weapon behind. Within minutes, he had the meteor suit moved into the hopper's storage compartment.

"Ready?" Grey said, resuming his seat at the pilot's station.

He could hear the Arikhan preparing their weapons in the rear compartment as they lifted from the landing platform and dropped into the Cauchy Fault. He rotated the hopper south and hugged the steep portside wall, aiming toward the area Groundhog had penetrated a month before. The canyon grew deeper as they approached the crater, then hooked toward the end.

"Cal, what are you doing?" Mordari said as the hopper flew directly at the crater wall. "Cal! Stop!"

Alerted, Vendar was just coming up to the pilot's compartment when the hopper closed the last few meters, a momentary glint of panic in her eyes that Grey was sure to notice. Then the hopper entered a tunnel that hadn't been there a moment before.

"We have found it!" Mordari exclaimed. "The lair of the rocks!"

"Prepare the thinasphere," Vendar ordered.

The hopper slowed while descending a long narrow tunnel, then landed in a confined, dimly lit area. The Arikhan popped open the cargo hatch without using the airlock sequence and jumped out, placed their strange weapon on the floor, and struck the top with a heavy mallet. The spark activated a bright blue glow, followed by waves of rippling energy. Within seconds, the surrounding environment collapsed. The dim light disappeared, as did the feeling of confined space. Grey could tell something was different from his previous visits.

"Light," Vendar ordered.

A sustained flare was launched, revealing a huge underground cavern nearly five hundred meters in diameter and forty meters high. Three airlocks accessed the cavern from different directions, and despite the effects of the energy weapon, an atmosphere was being preserved. The walls and ceiling were made of beautiful crystal formations reflecting the light of the flare in amazing patterns. A second and then a third flare were launched, making most of the cavern visible. Somewhat near the center, a large metal hub rose from the smooth rock floor.

Grey disembarked just as the warriors formed into two groups of four, each unit in a diamond formation with a shield carrier in the lead and heavier weapons on the flanks. The rear Arikhan carried the formidable looking energy rifle. Mordari lingered back, a weapon in one hand and a carrying case in the other. With no weapon of his own, Grey was satisfied to follow from a distance.

The metal hub was clearly a spaceship. Grey theorized that the huge cavern was used as working and living space, maintained by the tricks of light, while the spaceship generated the necessary energy. No doubt a combination of holographic imagery and molecular manipulation, just as he had long suspected.

The Arikhan immediately advanced on the ship, then stopped and set as a series of fiery yellow energy spheres were discharged in their direction. Grey couldn't tell how the energy spheres were formed, or how dangerous a threat they posed, but they looked fearsome and made a noise that would startle the heartiest warrior.

The mysterious spheres exploded into the Arikhan ranks, bursting all around them, but the aliens stood firm, each defensive energy screen wide enough to protect the entire diamond. When a second wave of energy spheres emerged from atop the spaceship, Vendar ordered her diamond formations to link, forming a roughly shaped figure eight. The energy spheres struck with frightening force, but the Arikhan in the center used the long-stemmed rifle to ward off additional attacks and soon the entire group was running toward the ship in a disciplined charge. Grey and Mordari ran to keep up.

An open hatch led into the spaceship. Not more than twenty meters in diameter, the small craft was easily stormed. Grey entered a few paces behind the attackers and recognized the control center where he had spoken with Quexitor on many occasions. The monitors were dark, as was the main display. Grey glanced around for evidence of Red Room or an engine compartment, but the only adjoining hatch was sealed.

"Here," Grey said, pointing to a panel below the primary control station.

He knelt down, pried open the rectangular cover, and tried to enter the narrow crawl space. It was too tight for his spacesuit, so he backed up, quickly stripped down to his underlining, and slipped inside, dropping down into a chamber at the heart of the ship.

The chamber had all the appearances of an engine room. Power modulators. Sensor connections. Environmental controls. Poised in the center of the chamber, three long stem crystals were mounted on elaborately decorated pedestals. Grey glanced back but saw the Arikhan could not follow without removing their armor. Which they had no apparent intention of doing.

"Do not touch the rocks," Mordari said, her head poking through the opening above. She dropped a pair of insulated gloves down to him, then handed down the carrying case. "The rocks are still powerful, only their tricks are disrupted. We must isolate them."

Grey put the gloves on and moved forward, studying the arrangements carefully, then withdrew the center crystal from the apparatus, a glowing stem three hands high, white in color with traces of silver. He opened the carrying case and placed the crystal in one of three form fitting grooves. A bluish gray crystal went next, the process slow. Last, and with the greatest degree of reluctance, a red crystal was removed and put in the final slot. The small chamber felt quiet. Empty. Grey closed the carrying case and fastened the simple catch.

"The rocks are captured," Mordari called back to her waiting comrades.

Grey heard the clicking of their tongues over the limited transmitters as the Arikhan soldiers celebrated. He took a deep breath, then looked up through the hatch where he could see Vendar and Mordari.

"Varbaran Leader," Grey said. "Even through the box, I can feel the power of the rocks. Would it not be wise to seal them inside the Quexelian walker?"

"Cal makes a wise suggestion. We know little of their true strength," Mordari said.

"Bring the suit," Vendar ordered one of her subordinates. "Mordari, return to the small hive on the cliff and retrieve your sho'kar."

"The distance is several lengths," Mordari objected.

"Then leave at once least delay makes the mission longer," Vendar persisted.

Mordari seemed confused by the sudden instruction, but quickly obeyed, trotting from the control center toward an airlock at the far northern end of the cavern. Grey lingered in the lower chamber, not terribly pleased with the tone of Vendar's voice, and looked at the area's simple design while waiting for the walker. An engineer since childhood, he had no doubt which units were vital to the primary systems. A few minutes later, Vendar returned to the hatch.

"The suit is here. Bring up the container," she ordered.

Grey found shallow niches in the wall and climbed up to the control deck, pushing the container ahead of him. Just outside the hub, surrounded by the magnificent flare-lit cavern, Vendar and her soldiers stood in a semi-circle watching but not getting too close. The meteor suit was laying on the floor, chest section up.

Grey emerged from the main hatch, then knelt by the suit. After removing a protective glove, he tapped in the collar code to open the chest plate.

"What is that?" Vendar asked, pointing at a box inside the suit.

"A portable environmental station," Grey lied, the casing of the nuclear device designed to match his cover story. "I thought it might prove useful should the atmosphere fail."

He pushed the nuclear device aside, then set the container holding the crystals inside the suit, shifting everything until it fit. He grabbed a quick breath and glanced at the timer on the warhead as it continued to count down. Then, as he reached to activate the suit's collar code with his right hand, his left hand went to his breast pocket, retrieving the small white capsule. He slipped the capsule in his mouth, then activated the codes that would reseal the meteor suit.

"It is done, Varbaran Leader," Grey said even as he bit down on the capsule, his mouth flooding with a bitter taste.

He turned to look up at Vendar, only to see a massive fist crashing down toward his face. He didn't even have time to duck.

____________

"The defenses do not interfere," the Varbatro Leader said.

"I'm keeping my part of the bargain. I expect you to keep yours," Tey said, watching the spaceship drift to a soft touchdown near landing bay major.

Tey was impressed with the Arikhan vessel, which appeared to be an interplanetary craft. The bridge was small but efficient, laid out much like a naval vessel. Zendar sat in a raised chair while the rest of the crew stood at their control stations. Tey recalled the other sections she had seen, all organized for prolonged inhabitation. The sleeping quarters, more for hibernation than resting, were stacked within a lower chamber that served as a briefing room. Tey had been careful while counseling the aliens on the best route for approaching Tranquility, not wanting to end up in the cold storage locker just off the galley. A kitchen loaded with extraordinary utensils. She had no doubt the Arikhan took their mealtimes seriously.

"We understand our obligations," Zendar said.

"My codes will get you inside the landing station," Tey confirmed. "It's the night cycle, which means everyone will be sleeping on the lower levels. You'll have no trouble entrenching before discovery."

"The Varbatro do not entrench," Landar said. "The defenders will be crushed and the survivors herded into our cargo hold. When all of value has been plundered, the facility will be destroyed."

"Does our plan satisfy?" Zendar asked.

"With the crystals promised me by Cal and a shuttle to get home, I'll live in luxury for the rest of my days. Who could be unhappy with that?" Tey answered.

Landar clucked his tongue without commitment. Ryndari looked at Tey with longing, particularly her more meaty areas. Zendar preened with superiority. Tey couldn't ignore the fear simmering below her confident facade but took courage remembering how Grey had faced up to these creatures. She wondered how he was doing.

The Arikhan closed the visors on their armored suits, adjusted their colorful leather tunics, and disembarked to gather near one of the pedestrian airlocks. Tey joined them there, then pretended to enter a series of complicated codes when in fact no codes were necessary. Three chambers later, they entered a deserted staging area. Tey pointed to a wide ramp and led the way down to the ground floor of landing bay major.

Tey noticed all of the bay's vehicles had been drawn back into their storage cubicles and secured behind fireproof doors. Where a dozen ground crew units usually serviced the hoppers, only two outdated technical units were visible. The bay was lit, but not as brightly as it could be. She glanced at the nearest computer station and saw black signature patterns shimmering through the flux.

Zendar studied the tactical readouts displaying inside her helmet before motioning her command into position. Landar with three lancers formed a diamond on the left, Lancer Centro and three others formed a diamond on the right. Zendar, Ryndari and Tey were in the middle and somewhat back. Centro carried the battalion's energy rifle, holding a position more or less in the center of the two groups.

"The complex up ahead divides the two landing stations," Tey said, pointing to the second-floor hospitality suites and several maintenance alcoves underneath it. "The second landing bay is smaller than this one. From there you'll reach the airlocks and staging levels. A large tunnel just to the right leads down to the Loop. Straight through the Loop and down the biggest tunnel leads to the community level where the population dwells at night."

"Their defenses?" Landar asked.

"In an emergency, the meteor hatches will seal tight," Tey said.

"That is nothing," Landar boasted, hefting the long-stemmed weapon.

"And they have robots called securatrons. Small, turtle-shaped things," Tey said, looking around to see if any were in the area. "They discharge intense electrical bursts. Tranquility had seekers at one time, but the Governor destroyed them in a valiant battle."

"We have heard much of this governor," Landar said. "Is it such a warrior?"

"Cal believes him to be invincible," Tey related.

"Cal has much to learn about invincibility," Zendar said with grim amusement.

The battalion moved forward into the bay finding no opposition. Tey started looking for a place to duck out, but was forced to bide her time. After passing through a tunnel underneath the hospitality complex, they emerged into landing bay minor. It was quiet, too, with all the vehicles tucked as far back from the floor area as possible.

"What codes are still necessary?" Zendar asked.

"Only two," Tey said. "One to prevent surveillance in the airlock system, another to get us through the Loop."

"You serve us well, spy," Zendar said.

"I serve my interests," Tey responded.

They had just reached the middle of the landing bay when the first sign of unusual activity occurred. A lone, spindly ball-headed robot rolled from the shadows and stopped directly in front of the intruders, then blinked for attention.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the robot said. "I am the tour guide. For the last twenty-five years, with occasional interruptions, it has been my pleasure to show and describe the many wonders of the Tranquility Lunar Colony to visiting tourists, dignitaries, and invaders such as yourselves. Please set aside your weapons. Armed confrontations in the landing bays are not permitted."

"What does this mean?" Lancer Centro asked.

"It's a harmless communications device," Tey said.

"Destroy it. The thing annoys me," Zendar remarked.

"When a polite request is made by a unit of my unique specifications, it is proper to take heed," the tour guide said, the voice growing louder.

"Do not insult us. You will surrender or die," Lander said.

The boom of a mobile retractor was Tranquility's answer, the energy pulse crashing into the right diamond. Six securatrons suddenly emerged, firing into the left flank. Gunfire from the catwalk behind them caused Zendar to turn, seeing four humans in heavy armor firing laser weapons. The two diamonds tightened in the center of the landing bay while Zendar moved forward with Ryndari, assessing the enemy strength before responding. Then a second team of humans began firing from the catwalk to their right. A third group, formed in a square with energy shields as their only protection, emerged from an equipment alcove on the left flank.

"They attempt to surround us," Zendar said, thinking the humans both bold and foolish. There was a moment of apprehension until she was sure their defensive energy shields would hold, then Zendar waved to Landar, who began shifting the command into an offensive formation.

Amid the confusion, the tour guide blinked for Tey's attention and raced back toward the underpass below the hospitality complex. Tey followed the scurrying robot, running full speed only to be grabbed at the mouth of the tunnel by unseen hands.

"Oh, God!" Tey screamed, losing her nerve at last. But the hands that grabbed her weren't Arikhan.

"Easy, honey. Everything's okay," Roger said, pulling her deep into the passage.

Tey caught her breath and saw he was wearing body armor. The sounds of battle echoed from the bay.

"Are you all right?" Roger asked. "I... that is, we've been awful worried about you."

"I've never been better in my whole life!" Tey said, wrapping her arms around him. With its mission accomplished, the recently repaired tour guide beat a hasty retreat into a nearby maintenance alcove followed by the two outdated ground crew units.

"This is four score, but we've got to get out of here," Roger urged.

"But you've got them trapped," Tey said.

"The computers don't think we've got the fire power to stop them," Roger replied. "This is just a feint to feel out their tactics. Do you know where Grey is?"

"At Cauchy with another group of these monsters. And in terrible danger," Tey answered.

"Sounds like you know more than we do," Roger surmised, taking her by the arm and leading her rapidly toward landing bay major. They turned down a circular ramp and hurried to 100W, then backtracked toward the junction with EN-1.

In landing bay minor, Zendar set her battle plan in motion, the left wing rushing the securatrons while the right wing held the line against the retractor and the humans on the catwalk. The securatrons struck the Arikhan shields to no effect, then were decimated by overwhelming return fire, five of the six securatrons bursting into flames. The survivor turned to flee, only to be destroyed before it had traveled more than a few meters.

The mobile retractor continued to pound the right flank, the energy pulses bursting against the defending shields but inflicting little damage. Then Zendar ordered Lancer Centro to fire the long-stemmed rifle and a blaze of orange energy chopped into the cannon, blowing out the presentation plate and sending up thick clouds of billowing smoke.

On the catwalk above, the four humans began falling back toward SL-2, but Centro fired one step ahead of them, bringing the group to a halt. A second shot cut off the defenders' retreat, forcing them to stand and fight. It was a short battle. When a third shot collapsed the catwalk framework, the team spilled down into the bay, crashing in a pile on the hard floor. Lancers Maltro and Valtro quickly advanced, critically wounding one defender while the remaining three pulled him into a maintenance tunnel.

After seeing what happened to the securatrons, Glenda needed no warning. Her four-person square fired full laser pulses as they backed up, keeping their shield strengths at maximum, but the Arikhan hand weapons were draining the converters faster than the rechargers could replenish them. Then an orange energy blast tore through the ranks, breaking the square and knocking everybody down.

"Retreat! Retreat! Get the fuck out of here!" Glenda yelled over the com, staggering for a rear exit.

The Arikhan pursued, but suddenly their formation was hit by sharp red laser pulses. Glenda saw a seeker maneuvering in a steep curve, searching for an opening. Startled by the flying armored sphere, the offense stalled just as the seeker plunged into the Arikhan ranks. It wasn't a sentinel class seeker, however, but one of Tranquility's older nightwatcher series. It was destroyed in an instant.

From the central catwalk, Kris and her team were pouring everything they had down into the Arikhan formations, but the shields held by the rear guards were too strong. She saw Ronnie's team get hit before smoke obscured the far side of the bay and realized Glenda's team was in trouble, too. When firing ceased on both flanks, Kris motioned her team to pull out. A wave of hot fire from the floor nearly made the decision academic, the catwalk bursting into flames all around them. Kris dove into the hospitality complex dragging Tamera behind her, but another blast smashed through the wall, knocking them down. As smoke filled the room, Kris put Tamera on her feet, ducked through a rear corridor, and helped her down the ramp into landing bay major.

As the smoke cleared in landing bay minor, Zendar reassembled her strike force with muted satisfaction.

"The spy is gone," Lancer Centro reported.

"They knew we were coming. We must proceed with caution," Zendar said.

"What caution is necessary?" Landar asked. "Their weapons are dust. The humans flee like crawling vvleen. They have no strength to oppose us."

"They have opposed us. They will again. A warrior does not abide in arrogance," Zendar said.

"So be the will of Sherra," Lancer Centro reverently chanted.

"Replenish your equipment," Zendar ordered. "Ryndari, return to the sho'kar. Seek a report from the lair of the rocks. If all is well, order the Vendar Leader to join us here."

"They have but one sho'kar for transport," Ryndari said.

"It may take several trips, but I wish our ranks restored," Zendar instructed.

Ryndari immediately rushed back the way they had come, confident the enemy lay in the other direction. Ryndari was not wrong. In the elevator maintenance shaft far to his right, Tranquility's defenders were attempting to regroup.

"Tammy, you okay?" Kris questioned, helping her through the hatch.

"Only out of breath," Tamera said, rubbing her elbows. "Another two seconds and it would've been different."

"What about you, Glenda?" Kris asked.

"Not great. Half my team is down," Glenda said between labored breaths. "I think Nick got out okay. Ramirez took a hit, and I think Larkin is dead."

"You're hurt," Tamera observed, seeing blood running from Glenda's nose and mouth.

"Ribs are busted. I can walk, though," Glenda assured her.

"Don't try. A-4 will be here any minute," Kris said. "Soon as we've got our medic, we'll retreat through engineering."

Armor blistered, Kris said a small prayer and was relieved a moment later to see Nicholas reach the sanctuary. Tamera immediately jumped up to hug him.

"Are you okay, Nick?" Kris asked.

"I am not hurt, but Perez was less fortunate," Nicholas reported.

"Hurt bad?" Kris asked.

"Very bad," Nicholas confirmed. "His entire team was toppled into the bay. Jona is taking them to the medical center."

"Shit. What was that they hit us with?" Kris wondered.

"Some sort of eight-point energy wave," Glenda answered. "Never seen hand weapons generate that kind of power. Hell, our retractors don't pound out eight points."

"It is good the Security Computer was firm," Nicholas said. "If we had formed our squares on the ground floor like we wanted, all twelve of us would be dead or wounded."

"Instead of only six?" Glenda said. "Hell, Nick, with casualty rates like this, it's gonna be a very short war."

"We're not going to stop these Arik things in the Loop like we planned. Maybe not anywhere. What are we going to do?" Tamera asked.

"Security says we'll hold them. I pray to God its right," Kris replied.

* * * * * *

Two episodes to go.