Giles Kurns_Rogue Operator Page 11

  Arlene could see he was fussing with the seal of the cuffs against his gloves.

  She chuckled. “Look at us!” she remarked. “Out in the middle of nowhere. No atmosphere. Trying to raid a tomb. Possibly moments from a hostile encounter with the tomb guards, and we’re bitching about our fashion!”

  Giles stopped and glanced across at her. She could see him chuckling behind his helmet. “You make a good point, Ms. Bailey. Am I right in thinking that you’re suggesting we get on and get inside that tomb?” he inquired comically.

  Arlene grinned back at him. “Now that you mention it, it’s not a bad idea,” she said casually. They quickened their pace as much as they could comfortably, with the heavy boots they wore.

  It took several minutes to get close to the only structure they could see for miles around. “This must be it,” Giles announced when they were close enough to see the sand colored brick work. The bricks were large, but probably small enough for a man, or Zhyn, to carry one at a time. Except, they seemed to be galvanized by some kind of finishing paint that gave the temple a sheen.

  Giles put his hand against a wall of the structure. “No way we could have spotted this visually had Scamp not parked us right next to it,” Giles admitted, trying to figure out what the structure was made of.

  Arlene touched the sloping wall of the pyramid. “You’re not kidding. We’re right on top of it and I can barely make it out against the landscape.”

  The structure was like a pyramid except the front and the back had two pillars and a facade across the top.

  The pair wandered around to one side, assuming there would be a door or some other entry into the structure.

  Giles stopped in his tracks when he rounded the pillar. Arlene almost bumped into him. It took her a second to navigate her way around him and see why he had stopped herself. “There’s no door,” she stated.

  Giles glanced across at her giving her his most sarcastic look possible from behind his helmet.

  She slapped at his arm. “Alright!” she said, laughing at her obvious statement. “Let’s head round the back then.”

  They trudged round to the back and found that it was exactly the same on the other side.

  Arlene glanced over at Giles before stealing her eyes back to examining the sides of the temple. “You’re not thinking what I’m thinking, are you?”

  Giles put his gloved hand on the brick work again, looking up along the painted surface. “Depends what you’re thinking,” he replied.

  Arlene turned away from the temple. “That this is looking an awful lot like the fake temple with no entrance over on Ramachandra?”

  Giles sighed, bringing his gaze back to eye level but still studying the surface in front of him. “It had crossed my mind,” he admitted.

  Arlene had stopped, and was looking out into the space behind the temple. She squinted, trying to see through a haze that lacked breathable air.

  Giles noticed and turned to look at what had caught her attention. “What is it?” he asked.

  Arlene narrowed her eyes some more and craned her neck forward. “I’ve got a funny feeling there is an opening over that way. A cave or something.”

  “A feeling?” Giles repeated.

  She turned her head to look at him for a microsecond before turning her head back to look straight ahead. Before she had even replied she was marching off down the steps of the raised temple and off into the sand.

  “Hang on,” Giles called after her. “We have limited oxygen in these things, remember.”

  Arlene waved her hand. “I won’t be a minute,” she assured him.

  Giles hurried after her. “Scamp,” he hailed through their shared channel. “We’ve spotted something behind the temple. Just going to take a moment to check it out.”

  “Okay,” Scamp replied. “I’m hooking Beno’or up to the communications channel too.”

  Giles frowned as he trudged across the sand. “He doesn’t have an implant though?”

  “He’s got a Zhyn implant. I think I can adapt it. It will certainly help when he doesn’t have to stay on board at least.”

  “Okay, sure,” Giles responded.

  He switched channels and caught Arlene up, just as the mount of rock ahead of them became apparent.

  “So Scamp and Beno’or are bonding?” Arlene smiled as Giles came up next to her.

  “Yeah,” Giles confirmed. “Can you imagine?”

  Arlene raised her eyebrows under her helmet. “Well, that Beno’or can be charming. I’m not surprised he’s winning Scamp over so easily.”

  Giles raised an eyebrow and glanced at her sideways.

  She grinned. “Come on, tomb raider,” she said, tapping him playfully across his body with the back of her forearm. “Let’s go see what’s inside the creepy-looking cave behind the sealed tomb!”

  Giles shook his head. “If ever there was a recipe for disaster,” he muttered.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Aibek Moon, Orn System, Guardian Settlement, Computer Room

  Naldrir hurried into the computer room where the others were assembled.

  “It’s not good,” he reported. “The force field is offline. I have it rebooting, but I needed to replace a breaker. They managed to overload it.”

  There was a hushed murmur through the room. Koryss looked to see if Gagai was going to respond, hoping that he wouldn’t have to make the call on this one. He was relieved when Gagai got up from the computer and turned to question Naldrir some more.

  “I take it they’re on their way down then?” Gagai asked.

  Naldrir nodded. “More than likely. They’ve dropped off the radar.”

  Koryss stepped forward to join the two in the conversation. ”Aye, they have,” he confirmed. “Just now.”

  Naldrir looked concerned. His hands were covered in dirt and oil from his rummaging around in the innards of the main force field projector. “Well, if their tech is anything to go by, this is going to be the least of our problems if they make it into the temple.”

  There were nervous shuffles from the others in the room.

  Gagai heaved a sigh, contemplating their options. “We need to get out there and stop them from getting to the temple,” he decided. “Everyone to the transport. We leave immediately,” he ordered.

  The room erupted into obedient activity. Even Jendyg kept his thoughts to himself and hurried off to get onto his bike.

  “Koryss, you take tactical,” Gagai called over the hubbub.

  It didn’t take long before they were all assembled at the main gate, waiting for the atmospheric force field to be lifted. As soon as the gate was open they were out and through, the barrier closing behind them, keeping the air seal intact.

  The six of them rode out on their antigrav bikes in an impressive line across the rock. As they passed dust blew up beneath them, marking their advance from a distance as they cut their way between their habitation and the temple they had sworn their lives to protect.

  As soon as they had cleared the gate and were up to speed Koryss began delivering tactical instructions. “As per our alpha drill our primary directive is to prevent the intruders from reaching the temple by any means necessary. This, I need not remind you, includes the use of deadly force. Do not hesitate. I repeat: do not hesitate.”

  The comm line cracked with interference from radiation as they rode forward.

  “Ignore their vessel for now,” Koryss’s commands continued. “We haven’t the manpower to tackle it and our priority is to protect the temple. Their tech is an issue. They took out the force field so there is no telling what else they may be capable of. This is the biggest threat to the mission we’ve ever seen, so treat it as such.”

  Ammo tried to interrupt. As Koryss drew a breath he saw his chance. “Brother,” he interjected.

  “Yes?”

  “Are you suggesting we leave the canyon unprotected?”

  Koryss answered immediately. “Affirmative. The canyon isn’t vulnerable and the short-range trackin
g has their vessel at the temple entrance. In all likelihood they’re unaware of anything else.”

  Ammo’s question answered, Koryss continued. “Once inside the caves we need to track, isolate, and kill. They will likely send reinforcements. We don’t know how many bodies they have on the vessel, or other vessels in the vicinity. Our secondary objective is therefore to secure and defend the caves.” He paused. “Confirm mission details,” he concluded.

  Each of the other five acknowledged receipt of their objective and then the line went quiet. They rode in silence for another minute, until they slowed their approach around the space-going ship that had appeared on their terrain. Keeping their distance, they continued on to the temple, approaching in a wide circle from behind.

  Koryss’s voice came over the intercom as they each dismounted and powered down their bikes allowing them to settle directly on the rock. “Weapons on full power,” he told them. “Remember, deadly force is required. This is the most serious threat we’ve faced.”

  The Zhyn guards jogged into the cave that Arlene and Giles had found, moving as quickly as they could manage in their atmosuits and heavy-set form.

  Aibek Moon, Orn System, Temple Caverns

  The ship’s channel linked up again. “Giles, Arlene, this is Scamp again. I’m afraid you have incoming.”

  “Incoming?” Giles asked. “From what?”

  Arlene turned back away from the cave’s entrance and looked at Giles, watching his reaction for more information.

  “Six Zhyn guards, on antigrav mopeds,” Scamp explained. “Heading right your way. I estimate they will be here before you can get back to the ship.”

  Arlene looked at Giles for a second, and then made a decision. “We’ll take shelter in the cave. If nothing else we can pick them off as they approach from here.”

  “Very well,” Scamp acknowledged. “Shields up. If they try to interfere too much with the ship I’ll be forced to take off and hover around. Final protocols and all.”

  “I understand,” Giles confirmed. “Do what you need to do, Scamp. We’ll be okay.”

  Arlene turned and headed into the cave. Giles followed quickly. Back on the private channel, Arlene’s tone was a little less decisive. “Did you believe that when you said it?” she paused. “That we’ll be okay?”

  Giles moved slowly as his eyes adjusted to the low levels of light in the cave. “Well, yeah. When I said it I did.”

  Arlene didn’t seem impressed. “We’re going to need more than handguns, tranqs, and a good vantage point to take these guys out,” she told him.

  Giles didn’t respond. There was nothing they could do about how much weaponry they were carrying now. They were cut off from the ship.

  Head down, Giles traveled deeper into the cave, Arlene following quietly behind him.

  Eventually it split into two passageways.

  Giles stopped and looked back to Arlene, then signaled to the break off. “Is this the bit where you say we’ll be safer if we split up?” he asked grimly.

  Arlene turned and looked back at him. “You’re fucking kidding me. No way are we splitting up. You don’t get off that easily!” she hissed over the intercom. “Let’s take this one,” she decided, taking the lead down one of the channels.

  Giles followed compliantly. “And what’s to just stop them from following us in?” he asked not more than two paces in.

  Arlene smiled, and turned back to him, the light of her helmet illuminating his face, and his, hers. “Well statistically we’ve probably just got rid of half of them at that last junction,” she grinned smugly.

  Giles chuckled. “Ah ha. And the others? And when they call out for their friends?”

  She turned and kept walking. “I don’t know,” she responded, her face no longer visible to him, but her serious expression had returned.

  ***

  A few paces further down, the tunnel opened up into a ledge. Beneath the ledge there was a drop. A small amount of light filtered down from the cavern above, illuminating the vista just enough for them to see the tunnel continuing on the other side of the crevice. The crevice with the deadly drop.

  Giles stepped out onto the ledge next to Arlene. “Great,” he huffed. “Just our luck.” He looked up and down the ledge for another opening or a way over.

  “There!” Arlene pointed.

  A few hundred yards down a path there was a rope bridge that would take them across to the other side where they could pick up the tunnel again.

  Giles gave her his “one-more-adventure” look as he squeezed past her. “Okay, let’s do it,” he agreed, leading the way now.

  Arlene followed. “So we could do with a way of sealing ourselves off from them, if we can.”

  Giles dreaded the idea of what she was going to propose. “And if the bridge is our only way back?”

  “I wasn’t thinking of destroying it, exactly,” she shared with a glint in her eye, knowing what he was thinking. “Have you noticed anything special about this moon since we got down here?”

  Giles thought for a moment. “You’re thinking it has land energy you can draw on?”

  She nodded. “Exactly. I tried channeling it when we were walking. It seems legit.”

  Giles stopped on the ledge and turned to her. “So what? A protection spell for the bridge? To stop them from crossing?”

  She nodded. “Except it would also stop us from crossing back too, until it wore off.”

  He scratched at his head, wondering. “And would they know that? Would they know to wait for it to wear off?”

  Arlene shrugged. “Hard to tell,” she said. “This kind of magic doesn’t seem to exist in Zhyn culture or folklore from what I can tell, talking with Beno’or. But then, there are devout believers and skeptics in every culture.”

  Giles’s eyes turned heavy and concerned. “Yeah, and when you give someone the job of guarding a sacred and mystical talisman, I’m guessing you’re going to be pulling from the pool of believers rather than the skeptics.”

  Arlene could tell he was torn and his brain was churning to figure a way out of this. She shrugged. “Or not,” she offered. “Warriors aren’t always believers. I mean, often they believe in a higher power. And their purpose and allegiance to that power. But that doesn’t include any knowledge or acceptance of magic, necessarily.”

  Giles looked off into the distance. “At this point,” he said, “we’re fast running out of options. I promised Reynolds I wouldn’t start an inter-planetary war, so avoiding the killy-killy would be a good way to go if we can.”

  Arlene nodded solemnly. “Okay. Don’t worry. I got this. Now,” she said, her tone a hundred times more determined than before, “let’s get across this bridge and get this spell cast.”

  Giles felt himself perk up a bit. He hoped it wasn’t just the adrenalin, junkie though he probably still was. Somewhere deep inside he wished for it to simply be hope, or a healthy desire to get out of this alive. But at the same time, realistically, he knew it was just the thrill of being on the edge.

  Quite literally this time.

  They arrived at the bridge. Giles offered to step on it first. It was a lot sturdier than he had hope. He walked a few paces then called back in a loud whisper. “It’s good.”

  Arlene joined him on it, and step by step they carefully made their way across.

  “Don’t do it,” Arlene called forward to him.

  He turned to her.

  She had a serious look on her face. “I knew you were thinking about it. Just don’t!” she reiterated.

  Giles frowned as he clung a little tighter to the rope hand rail as he stood turning back at her. “You knew I was going to try and look down?” he asked.

  She nodded, and he started walking again. He shook his head. “You’re still as creepy as ever,” he muttered to her.

  She grinned. “It’s worse when there is power in the ground,” she admitted.

  “Yeah, right,” he grumbled, a little resentful at his complete transparency to her
now. “I bet you still sit in meetings on the ArchAngel and read the thoughts of everyone there.”

  Arlene shook her head. “Honestly, what would be the point in that? Half of them are thinking about their to-do list, and the other half are thinking about how to get a tactical advantage from the situation they’re facing.”

  “So you do then!” Giles teased her, diligently keeping his eyes fixed on the rock face on the other side of the bridge.

  She chuckled quietly and they neared the other end of the bridge. Once they were safely on the ledge on the other side they turned back and looked back at the space they had come across.

  Giles leaned across to Arlene and nudged her shoulder with his. “Okay. You need any help?” Giles offered.

  Arlene thought for a moment. “It wouldn’t hurt if you wanted to tap in and give it a boost.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “When was the last time you did any magic?”

  “Of this variety?” he qualified, his eyes searching the past in the back of his mind. “Rather than in the… kitchen?” he said, quickly changing his question from bedroom to kitchen.

  Arlene caught it and smiled. “Yes, of this variety,” she specified firmly.

  Giles raised his eyebrows and started to pretend to limber up his shoulders for the imminent activity. “Ah, you’d be surprised how often it comes up that I need to throw down a bit of Estarian witchery,” he winked, completely avoiding the question.

  “So, not since we stopped dating,” she concluded.

  Giles shrugged. “Pretty much,” he admitted comically. “Though it has got me out of a few tight situations now and again.”

  Arlene had already started to attune to the bridge. She closed her eyes and put her hand out in front of her, palms facing the length of the bridge. Giles joined her and did the same.

  Within a few seconds he could feel an energy pulsing from his hands, and a kind of feeling like two magnets close together but repelling each other, all around his arms. The pulsing intensified to a climax and moments later he felt the same magnetic repulsion off his palms as if a wall had been erected.