We reached the site without any interference.Nothing living showed on our scanners, and there were no bodies atall. The place looked more like a brand-new training mock-up thanthe site of a recent battle. The lack of weather helped to keepeverything exactly the way it had been set up. As soon as theKnights secured the camp, three of them went into the ship to getthe logs that I had requested.
“I do not like this at all,” said thesergeant.
“Me neither, it feels like a trap,” Isaid.
He nodded to this, but before we couldcontinue one of the men called out, “Sir, single target on theridge!”
I looked where he was pointing and saw whatlooked like an older man with a walking staff. I was just about tosend someone to retrieve him for questioning when he pointed thestaff at us. “What is he …?” I started to ask when a bolt of energyleft the staff and hit a group of the shelters nearby, completelydestroying them. The shockwave from the blast knocked me over. TheKnights’ powerful tails managed to keep them steady. “Return fire!”I called out.
As I got back up to bring my weapon to bear,I saw that our fire seemed to bounce off him. I grabbed a scannerand detected an energy field around him that I had never seenbefore. Before I could think this over, he aimed his weapon at theship. “EVACUTE THE VESSEL NOW!” I ordered over the inter-suitcommunications. I saw the three Knights dive out of the ship as theold man’s weapon blew a large hole right through it. “He has somekind of personal force field. All of you, concentrate your fire ona single point.”
As the Knights adjusted their fire he seemedto realize he was in trouble and dove for cover behind a rock. TheKnights did not let up their fire and completely destroyed thatrock, but he was nowhere to be found. I moved to the hole in theship and stuck my hand in it just to make sure it was real. “Somuch for them only having light arms. Where did he go?” Iasked.
“There!” someone called out, and almost asone all the Knights turned and opened fire. He then dove for coveragain, and disappeared like the previous time. This happenedseveral mores times; we were locked in a stalemate. “Sergeant, weare sitting ducks here while he waits for help. We need to move. Ithink we should make a run for the colony. He will not be able tofire such a powerful weapon inside without killing himself in theprocess.”
“I agree,” he said, and again acting as onethey moved into their wedge around me and began running for theairlock on the colony. This time everyone on the outside wascontinuously firing in all directions. Over my shoulder I saw theold man come out of hiding and take aim with his staff, but hecould not fire. If he missed he might rupture the airlock to thecolony. I lost track of him as we ran, but I was sure the Knightsknew exactly where he was. When we got to the airlock one of themquickly disassembled the lock, and with what looked like a simpletwist of a few wires opened the door. The airlock was large enoughto hold all of us and we quickly filed in. The Knights up frontdropped to one knee and pointed all their guns at the exit to theairlock. As the door opened a group of men rushed in, only to bequickly killed by fire from the Knights’ weapons. Once the area wassecure I moved forward to check the bodies.
There were no uniforms on them, and I did notrecognize their race. They looked almost like humanoid pigs withgreen skin. They did not have any guns; instead their weapons werewhat looked like knives and swords of various makes. Lookingclosely at the weapons, I noticed an oil-like sheen on them.“Poison,” I muttered. To my surprise the Dark Knights were stowingtheir guns and environmental suits, and pulling out their ownblades. The sergeant must have noticed my expression.
“In these close quarters blades are superiorweapons. If we did not already have our guns at the ready when theyrushed in, they would have killed several of us before we couldhave taken them out,” he said.
“Surely our body armor would stop a knife?” Iquestioned.
He did not answer; instead he picked up oneof the alien swords and swung it at the airlock wall. It burieditself deep into the heavy metal wall. “Okay, point taken. Well,all chance for a stealth hit is gone, so I say we push straight fortheir primary computer center and upload all the data to the DarkTalon to be relayed back to the fleet.”
“I agree. If we take this corridor down tothe tenth junction, then turn left that will put us on a directpath to our target. Speed is going to be our best defense rightnow,” responded the sergeant.
“Then take us. I will follow your lead,” Ireplied. This was completely his turf. I knew nothing aboutpenetration hits like this.
He then looked at the squad, and theyimmediately reorganized and we headed out. Four Knights were sentahead, and four trailed behind us to prevent any surprise attackson our main force. We were moving fairly quickly down the windingcorridor when we got a radio call from our vanguard.
“Sir, we have met resistance … looks like twohumans with smaller versions of that weapon we saw earlier. Theyare positioned to shoot anyone that comes around the bend,” was thereport over the radio.
“Hold there. We can assume they have the samepersonal shields, so wait on additional firepower,” replied thesergeant. The Knights all put away their blades and drew out theirrapid-fire phase pistols. The sergeant must have seen the look Igave him because he turned to me and said, “The secret of avictorious warrior is being able to adapt to an ever-changingbattlefield. We carry several different kinds of weapon so that weare always ready.”
When we reached the vanguard I noticed theyhad set up a movable shield wall and had it ready to slide out.This would give them something to shoot behind. With the sergeant’snod they pushed it out and stayed low behind it. Several bolts ofenergy flew over the wall and scorched the metal walls behind theKnights. Once out in the corridor they returned fire but the humanshad the advantage of not having to hide and were able to keep theKnights effectively pinned down. I remembered something from themap that I had studied, and saw a small access panel. “Sergeant,what is your next move?” I asked.
“Well, we need to break the stalemate,” hesaid and held up two photon grenades.
“Hold off on that. I want to get my hands onthose weapons, if possible. Wait here. I am about to do somethingreally stupid, and I do not want to be talked out of it,” I said asI removed the access panel and crawled through to anothercorridor.
I needed to move fast, but undetected. Thiswould be hard since I still was unsure how they had found us undercomplete stealth in orbit. Then I remembered what had happened inthe medical wing, how I dropped completely off all the sensors. Thecomputers, of course, thought the lack of a heartbeat or brainwavesmeant that I was dead, but in reality I was merely invisible to thesystems. What was it that I was doing …? Ah, yes! Of course! Thethought shield I used in puzzle-solving mode. I immediately put itup and ran down the corridor.
I came out around the bend just slightlybehind the enemy. I activated my suit communicator and said,“Knights, for the next fifteen seconds blast every gun you have. Itdoes not matter whether you hit anything; just create a blanket oflight. At fifteen seconds hold all fire and prepare to assist me.Start your fire … now.”
Right on cue the corridor lit up withblinding light. I was shielded around the bend with my back turnedand eyes closed, covered with my hand. Silently I counted off thefifteen seconds, and as soon as it was time I turned around thebend at full speed and charged the two humans from behind. Theywere still blinded from the light and never saw me spring into theair until I hit them both hard. They both went flying down to thefloor. I landed in a roll and prepared to get up when I saw thatone of them was already on his way up, so instead I pivoted my bodyon my shoulder and swept his legs out from under him. He fell backand hit the floor again but his partner was on his feet and movingto aim his weapon at me. I sprung off the floor leading with bothof my fists, hitting him hard in the center of his chest, throwinghim back into the wall and knocking all his breath out of him. Iturned to see what the first human was doing, just in time to seeone of the Knights pick him up and slam him into the wall.