<p>Previous chapters can be found at <a href="http://www.squidge.org/peja/cgi-bin/viewstory.php?sid=37198&warning=FRM">http://www.squidge.org/peja/cgi-bin/viewstory.php?sid=37198&warning=FRM</a></p><p>CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE<br>
</p><br>"Commander," Yama broke in. "I am detecting three intercepters approaching from sector five-oh-seven. They are in attack formation. Coming in fast. I strongly recommend bringing the battle computer online with all haste."<br>
<br>"Bring all stations to secondary alert," Dalton snapped, relieved that his suspicions had been confirmed, but also disappointed. The attack damn well confirmed his worst fears. "Yessenia, put those ships on the forward screen. I want a look at our enemy."<br>
<br>"The ships are on screen."<br><br>Dalton pivoted his chair forward, studying the fast closing ships. "Maximum magnification."<br><br>The image grew close enough to touch.<br><br>Dalton smiled darkly. "Just as I thought. Ian, do you recognize the insignia of those ships?"<br>
<br>Ian shook his head. "'Tis na' standard Coalition, for sure. As a matter of fact, they be na' of any affiliation I be familiar with."<br><br>"Anyone have anything else to offer? No? Yama, how about you? Do you have any information on those ships?" <br>
<br>"Negative, Commander. I have no data in regard to them."<br><br>"Well now, I'd say that is quite interesting in and of itself, don't you? Yessenia, how long before we're within their strike range?"<br>
<br>"At their current speed, twenty minutes."<br><br>"Dalton," Adric's voice, filled with desperation, filtered over the com link again. "Dammitall, man, acknowledge me. Are you reading me?"<br>
<br>Arissa quirked her brow. "Well?"<br><br>Dalton sighed, nodding. "Open the channel. Looks like I play our ace card."<br><br>"It also looks like you are properly vindicated," Yessenia breathed.<br>
<br>Dalton chuckled drily. "Yes, I suppose I am at that."<br><br>"Channel's open, Dal." <br><br>Dalton grunted, but his guarded gaze was locked on the sleek, triangular ships that approached them. There was something familiar about the general design of the ships. Something, almost recognizable, threatened to betray them, and yet it was not quite right. That subtle wrongness prevented him from knowing and that was getting to be a damn dangerous habit.<br>
<br>"Dal, I have Adric for you." <br><br>Dalton nodded, forcing his thoughts away from the ships. "Adric, if you want to come with us, now would be a damn good time."<br><br>"Now? You're leaving now?" <br>
<br>"Yes or no, Adric. We're a little busy up here."<br><br>"But we had a bargain, man." <br><br>"Bargain be damned, Adric. There are three intercepters coming in on our heading. I don't intend waiting around for them to catch us up."<br>
<br>"But the base...."<br><br>"The base isn't likely to be their intended target," Dalton snarled. "I'm willing to stake my life that they're after my ship. The signs all point to it. Now, do you come with us, or do we go without you? Decide quickly. Time's getting short from my point of view."<br>
<br>"Bring us up." <br><br>"Stand by." Dalton drew his finger across his throat, signalling the link be broken. "Paris, teleport according to the coordinates I have preset."<br><br>"But we're only locked onto Adric."<br>
<br>"Exactly. Do it. Now."<br><br>"Adric isn't going to like this," Paris grumbled as he activated the teleport.<br><br>A green haze filled the portal and Adric appeared, shadowed and illusive at first, then solid and alive and lividly enraged. "What the hell are you pulling, old buddy of mine?"<br>
<br>"You better grab a seat, Adric," Dalton snapped, then turned his attention back to the business at hand. "Yama, take us out of orbit. Heading, zero. One. Four. Level ten." <br><br>"Confirmed. Zero. One. Four. Level ten," Yama repeated.<br>
<br>"Dalton, have mercy," Paris groaned as the forced acceleration pressed them cruelly back into their seats. "This isn't a safe speed for exiting an orbit. Especially under test flight conditions. The pressure could tear...."<br>
<br>"Would you rather we waited," Dalton interrupted harshly, waving a hand in the direction of the screens still filled with the in-coming intercepters. "For them?"<br><br>"Well no, but...."<br>
<br>"There is an off chance I could have been wrong about their designated target. If that's the case, it's up to us to lead them away from the base and its people. By making a run at this speed, we should attract their interest. Force them to follow us. If that hadn't been what they meant to do in the first place."<br>
<br>"And if the ship doesn't hold together?" Yessenia demanded.<br><br>Dalton smiled. "Well now, child, we've cheated death many times," he purred, stroking the fingers of his left hand. "We're all living on borrowed time. It won't last forever."<br>
<br>"If it be any comfort," Ian glanced up from his terminal and grinned. "Lady Luck seems to have decided to pay a call. The ship be handling like a factory special. All systems are at peak and she's holding together under these unusual stress factors. 'Tis thinking, I am, our little Hellequin has acquired mega guts."<br>
<br>Dalton chuckled. "Not quite the same ship, is it?" <br><br>"What are you talking about?" Paris asked grumpily. "Of course this is the same ship." <br><br>Dalton sighed. "Yes, Paris, this is essentially the same ship, but if each of you will inspect your consoles you'll discover a multitude of renovations."<br>
<br>"Renovations?" Paris said. "When did you find time to make renovations?"<br><br>"While Hellequin was torn down Domani and I took certain liberties with her internal design. Her original compliment of weapons has been removed and replaced with weaponry better suited for our purposes. I think you will discover the Hellequin has been strengthened considerably." He waved a hand toward Paris. "You, for instance, Paris, will find a series of traction beams have replaced the single beam of before." A wicked grin transformed his saturnine features. "In fact, I think we have just been handed an entertaining situation for testing them."<br>
<br>Yessenia leaned over to study the new instrumentation in front of Paris. "Those do look interesting. I'm eager to see what they can do?"<br><br>"All in good time," Dalton promised. "For your information, Ian, I've managed to triple our power reserve while keeping to the same available space and mass." <br>
<br>"That will come in handy," Arissa remarked. "I don't like being low on power in a crunch. And we do seem to run low at the worst of times."<br><br>Dalton nodded. "I don't have time to give you a total rundown for obvious reasons, but the improvements are self-explanatory. I trust none of you will find occasion to blow us up if you happen to stumble on something I haven't mentioned."<br>
<br>"Commander." Yama flashed brilliant red, sending shooting pain through Dalton's light-sensitive eyes. "The intercepters have veered away from Euzkadi. They are in pursuit, giving chase at level twelve."<br>
<br>"Dal, their particle discharge is red-line. They're definitely exceeding their safety margins in an effort to intercept us." Yessenia met his cold eyes and smiled. "Looks like you called them right again. Don't you ever get tired of being right?"<br>
<br>"Only with the rest of you being consistently wrong," Dalton said. "Yama, how long now before we're in their range? And how long can they maintain their current speed without danger of self-destruction?"<br>
<br>"The Hellequin will be in range in four point five minutes," Yama droned. "The interceptors can maintain speed for thirty minutes, after that their engines will overheat and most probably explode."<br>
<br>"And there's no opportunity in that," Dalton mumbled.<br><br>"Increase our speed, Dalton," Paris whined, staring in an almost hypnotic state at the screen.<br><br>"Oh, I don't think I'll do that, Paris." Dalton leaned across the frightened man, registering several commands into the computer.<br>
<br>"What are you planning?" Paris demanded, dragging his eyes from the screen to read the commands. He made a choking sound as understanding dawned on him, and the color drained from his face. "Judes, do you mean to get us all killed?"<br>
<br>Dalton chuckled darkly. "Being killed isn't included in my plan, but I have allowed for it."<br><br>"Can't tell you how much confidence that admission instills in my heart," Paris sneered, scorn dripping from his words. "So why not explain this brilliant plan of yours to us all?"<br>
<br>"Simple, actually. I plan to lead them away from the base, as I've already explained," Dalton said. "We're trying to protect the base, remember?" He dropped his hand on Paris' shoulder. "Take over the science station. I want to try that little experiment."<br>
<br>"What you just preset? If they blow us out of space, how do we protect anyone?" Paris assumed the abandoned science station, casting a mutinous glance over his shoulder. "Besides, when did you start concerning yourself with the lives of others. I thought your own survival was foremost on your mind."<br>
<br>"It's a recent fancy of mine," Dalton assured the angry man. "And is only a temporary aberration on my part, I assure you."<br><br>Dalton dipped his head forward, shielding his eyes from the flashing alert beacons. "Dammit, somebody extinguish those blasted beacons."<br>
<br>The glaring lights died instantly as the computer responded to the command.<br><br>Sighing, Dalton dropped his hand. "Understand this, all of you. I expected the attack we're currently evading, but I was hoping that by bringing Adric into the danger zone I could buy us some breathing space. That whoever had set the dogs on us, would pull them back to keep him off the killing ground. It seems I misjudged his importance."<br>
He sought Adric's eyes. "I mistakenly imagined you might simply have been the bait to bring us to our death. I am now forced to assume you've always been included as one of the targets. I sincerely regret my mistake."<br>
<br>"And your suspicion?" <br><br>The dark dragon's smile tugged at his lips. "I never regret suspicion." <br><br>"No, I don't suppose you would. But for you to have figured this so accurately, you must have fingered someone." Adric said, a hunger burning his amber eyes. A hunger to destroy those who would harm him and his. "Who do you suspect, Dalton? Who do you think is trying to eliminate us?<br>
<br><br>end part 25<br><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>PEJA<br>The wwomb archive <a href="http://www.squidge.org/~peja/cgi-bin/index.php">http://www.squidge.org/~peja/cgi-bin/index.php</a> accepts all fandoms, all genres. Come create your personal page with us<br>
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