《A Mixed Bag of Shorts》 Jalaya - Part 1 of 5 Michael looked down at the town in the sand. Red, flat roofs of clay interspersed by the elegant, wooden gables of buildings from northern climes, still stood in a basin of protective hills. From where he stood, the rotting boards were invisible, as was the sand that swirled along the unkempt streets. He tried to see the town as it had been ten years before. There had been trees standing inside walled islands of stone dotting the center of the main streets, and the sweetly scented jalaya flowered beneath them. There had been window boxes full of color clinging to the walls and the town had been white, the color of snow and light-hearted purity, not red, the color of old blood and war. Caroline had danced in the streets with him on the first day of the new year, and the unseen rains had made the river roar with power as it rushed between the white stone walls of the canal. That had been ten years ago, just before the Scorpions had first attacked, and the town had emptied shortly thereafter. Caroline¡¯s family had disappeared in the melee, along with his son, but Caroline had refused to grieve them. They were safe, she insisted. His son was safe, she said, but he had to take their daughter. Michael had had no time to argue or grieve, but instead had clung to her promise. His son was safe. His daughter would be safe with him, but of his bride-to-be¡­ Caroline had refused to go. She had said she had duties that must be attended. She had asked him to stay, but Michael had possessed other duties, other responsibilities that had forced him to leave her behind, so she said she would dance the streets on the first day of every new year in his memory. When he had protested that the day was no longer safe, she had promised to dance them at night. Michael had begged her to come with him, to wed him in the desert, but Caroline¡¯s eyes had glistened with tears. ¡°I have to stay,¡± she¡¯d said, and insisted the reasons secret until they married and united as family. She had said she would not take him from his duties, hugged him fiercely tight, and then fled swiftly away. Michael studied the deserted city below. Caroline would dance again tonight, and again without his arms to hold her as she wound her way through the streets. She would raise her voice in bittersweet song, her body clad in the white of a bridal gown that had never seen a wedding day. And Michael would watch her from his place upon the hill. Once, during all her dancing and serenade, Caroline¡¯s steps would bring her to the edge of the town. She would stretch her arms toward where he sat, folding back towards herself as she waved to him, beckoning him with her body and her hands. She would pause there, the song momentarily silent, as she waited for his response. When Michael did not answer, she would swirl away, dancing back along the empty streets, her voice returning in a song of mourning as she grieved her loneliness and the duty which prevented her leaving the town to join him. He would watch her as she floated between the buildings to the empty riverbed, listen as she wound her way from one ruin of a dock to another. He would hear her naming every dock and each boat that had ever tied up there. He would hear her naming other things, as well, but it did not worry him. It was just her way. She had conducted a similar ritual when they had been dating. It had been a family tradition, but she had never told him why. It was a secret that could only be shared once they were wed. Caroline knew the name of every boat that had plied their trade on the river: the old ones, the new and the sunk and mostly forgotten. Her father had taught her, and she had grown the habit of being at every launch or decommissioning. Now, without her father to supervise, she summoned them. She completed her tour of the docks as midnight approached, ignoring the midnight spirits ruffling her dress and pulling at her hair. When the litany was over, she would cry for her father and throw dust in the air, and then she would cry for Michael. That was the hardest time, when her voice lifted his name above the rising wind, and the dust she hurled into the air reached him still scented with her perfume. Michael always tried to snatch a handful of it, a piece of her, to see him safely through the rest of the year. He always wept when the fine particles sifted between his fingers and she was lost to him once more. ¡°Papa?¡± Michael looked away from the town, unaware of the tears that had dampened his cheeks until a soft hand reached up and brushed them away. ¡°Michelle.¡± She had been named for him, born early and out of wedlock but not in shame, proof of the fecundity of the woman he had pledged to marry and an advance blessing on the union they had planned. Her little brother had been a second blessing, one Michael hoped was not lost forever. Perhaps, when this was over, Caroline would reveal where her family had hidden. Aware of more tears following the first, Michael brushed the other cheek dry, then took his daughter under his arm as he turned back to the town. She spoke as they gazed down at the empty streets. ¡°The tribe is moving. There have been Scorpions seen on the western fringe.¡± Michael¡¯s disappointment was so great he could not answer, could only gesture helplessly at the clustered buildings while the tears wet his face once more. Michelle¡¯s arm, about his waist, tightened in sympathy. ¡°The headman says even dusk will be too long.¡± For a long moment of silence, Michael stared at the town. Now that he was looking for them, he could see the empty spaces where doors had once hung, and the brief scars left by bullets in the sandstone walls. This time he allowed himself to notice the broken stumps of the trees still standing in the center of the stones that had failed to protect them. The sight of their shattered trunks strewn in the streets almost broke his heart. He sighed. ¡°I will need to fetch the jalaya. She will think I have abandoned her if I do not.¡± ¡°I brought it. The headman did not let me forget.¡± Michael turned to stare at her. ¡°How much time...?¡± Michelle was wearing her fatigues. They were blotched and mottled, the color of the sand across which they would travel. They were tinted red. ¡°He says we have to reach the first river by nightfall.¡± There was no more time, but she handed him the jalaya bloom she had brought, and gently pushed him towards the ruins. ¡°Be quick, Papa; I need your protection more than she does.¡± His daughter was right. After their first wave of attacks had emptied the town, the Scorpions had avoided the ruins as if afraid they were haunted. They had not even stopped to loot the undefended buildings. Michael stepped away from Michelle, his boots sliding on the scree. Halfway down, he hesitated, looking back. ¡°I have brought your fatigues,¡± she called. ¡°I will wait for you here. Don¡¯t be long.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Caroline¡¯s inside the hotel, Michael thought as he picked his way down the slope. She had sung that she retired there because it reminded her of him, of the good times they had spent there when they were able to be together. He loved the hotel, too, knew exactly where it was, but there was no time to find her, and it would do no good if he did. He could feel the tears again, gathering at the edges of his eyes. He forbad them. Later, he promised. When the jalaya was delivered, and he was back with Michelle. Obediently, he felt the tears subside. Nine times previously he had left the jalaya at the edge of the town. Always, when he returned, the flowers had been gone. He did not know where Caroline took them, was not even sure that she found them. It was something he chose to believe over the possibility that the desert creatures had come before her and taken the blooms, leaving her with the impression she had been abandoned once again. On those years, the months had seemed longer as the time for her dancing drew near and it was only her white-robed figure that reassured him his gift had been received. With the scree of the slope behind him, he began to run. This time he did not look back to see if Michelle still waited on the hill. This would be the fourth time he had left the jalaya. He hoped Caroline¡¯s forgiveness extended that far, that she did not subscribe to the old adage. Nine times spurned; a tenth time, hated. Michael pushed the thought from his mind. It was she who had refused to accompany him, to leave the town against her father¡¯s orders. He felt his fingers tighten, then remembered the tube he held in his hand. If he crushed it, there wouldn¡¯t be time to return for another; the fact Michelle waited with his fatigues was testimony to that. The first river by nightfall was an impossibility, but they would try. He wondered how long it would be before the Scorpions arrived. The town loomed before him, the red dust coating it losing some of its bloody look as he came closer. Beneath the relentless scouring of the wind and the fine layer of scarlet particles from the hills, the walls were still white. An irony, Michael thought, since the Scorpions had long ago robbed the town of its purity. It was fitting, then, that there were no flower-filled window-boxes; for the raiders had also torn the light-heartedness from the townsfolk and never given it back. Michael paused beside the first house. It was at the end of the street where Caroline beckoned him, and he hoped she did not think he had come to join her. He called her nonetheless. ¡°Caroline!¡± His voice rang off the walls of empty buildings, becoming hollow and booming its way into the town¡¯s heart as the echoes bore it. He did not doubt that she heard him calling. ¡°I will leave the jalaya, if you do not wish to go with me.¡± He froze, listening, trying to quiet the thrumming tenseness that rattled like static in his brain. ¡°Caroline?¡± His voice broke. ¡°Please come.¡± He strengthened it and tried again. ¡°Please come! My heart breaks without you. Caroline. Please¡­¡± Michael¡¯s shout died to a whisper, ended on a choked-back sob. He waited for her response, the jalaya clutched in one calloused hand, hoping he would be able to give it to her himself, wanting to wrap his arms around her once again. When she did not answer and she did not come, Michael put the flowers on the windowsill. There was a bracket there. It had once held a lantern. Now it held the soft, whiteness of his wedding pledge. He had not forgotten, nor given it up. His fingers lingered on the outer surface of the tube. The jalaya quivered within. Suddenly, impulsively, he stooped and kissed the tube, then spun on his heel and ran for the hill. The kiss haunted him. He had never done that before, had never felt the need. He laughed at himself as the first scattering of scree slid beneath his feet, forcing him to slow down and concentrate on not tumbling back down the slope. There is no way she will know of the kiss, he thought and was comforted by the fact that only his daughter had seen his folly and she would not comment on it. She loved her mother, but hated her for her abandonment. The girl would not speak of her unless she had to. Michael didn¡¯t see how the red dust settled over the small taint of moisture he¡¯d left on the tube¡¯s outer coating, and there was no way he could know of the mark that appeared in the centre of the bloom as the dust mark shadowed the jalaya¡¯s heart in the sun¡¯s last light. By that stage, he had pulled on his desert-toned fatigues and was running, with his daughter, toward the camp. The headman greeted him amidst the dust and confusion of the dismantling camp. ¡°I need you on our back trail, Defender.¡± Michael nodded. ¡°Who did you send on point?¡± he asked. ¡°Hawk Mark.¡± ¡°Good. I will take fifteen men from the Sun¡¯s Mark. Where were the Scorpions last seen?¡± ¡°First from the Ibex Rim in the north, crossing the plains. Our scouts report the raiders stopped to camp at the foot of the Rim itself. They sent back a messenger on first sighting, then waited to see the direction the Scorpions travelled. Last report places them twenty miles north of the Northern Rim.¡± That put the raiders not far from the town. Michael¡¯s eyes clouded and his voice, when he next spoke, was harsh. ¡°When do you leave?¡± The headman gestured around them. ¡°Defender, we are leaving now.¡± Michael let his gaze followed the gesture, and this time, he noted the order of things. Vehicles carrying families and hastily packed personal possessions were already lined up and moving south. All that was left were those carrying the emergency power plant, the barracks and the base communications. Michael knew that, somewhere ahead of the families, the vehicle carrying the mobile comms-unit was leading the way to safety. Again, impulse took him and he reached out to clasp the headman¡¯s shoulders between his palms. Briefly he looked into the man¡¯s eyes, then bowed his head and released him. It was the only way he could show his gratitude for what had been done. ¡°I gave you what time I could,¡± the headman told him, his voice rolling low so only the two of them could hear. ¡°It was all that I could do.¡± ¡°You honor me,¡± Michael replied. ¡°Now I will try to ensure your people stay alive long enough for me to lecture you on waiting so long.¡± The headman nodded, his smile hidden in the false beard he wore. ¡°Go,¡± the man ordered him. ¡°Do your duty, Defender, and teach your daughter her trade.¡± He tossed something in Michael¡¯s direction as he turned away, and sudden excitement lit. Michelle¡¯s face. Michael plucked the headman¡¯s gift from the air, rejecting the temptation to curse the man in spite of his gratitude. His daughter was beside him when he opened his palm to see what lay there. ¡°Oh, Papa,¡± she said. ¡°Oh indeed,¡± he muttered examining the emblem in his palm. It gleamed at him, polished stone the color of fresh blood, covered in duralloy stronger than glass and more transparent. The stone was set in duralloyed gold, with the red ostrich plumes of a hereditary warrior encased at its center. Michael did not need to look at his daughter to know the delight on her face, nor did he need to examine the badge that clung to the front of his tunic to know the two pins were identical. He reached out to fix it in place just as the distant rattle of gunfire reached his ears. A second burst followed shortly after, and his movement lost its gentleness so that he hastily pushed the badge into place as he turned to look in the direction of the sound. He heard Michelle gasp, and realized what he had done. The badge was pinned in the old way, through the uniform and into the soldier beneath, blood and honor mixing to celebrate the occasion. His daughter regarded him with shock mingled with grateful pride. This was the first time he had truly acknowledged her right to take the place of the son who should have stood at his side. The red cloth of her uniform was stained a darker shade, against which the newly-pinned badge glistened with malevolent pride. ¡°Sun¡¯s Mark to me!¡± he roared. Michelle waited at his side. ¡°Who¡¯s out there?¡± he asked the first man that skidded to a halt beside him. ¡°Lion¡¯s Mark,¡± was the reply. ¡°They¡¯ve been out there a week.¡± ¡°They should not be engaged in combat,¡± Michael snapped. ¡°As you say, Defender,¡± the man replied. Michael glanced at him. It was Simeon, leader of Sun¡¯s Mark. ¡°Get out there and relieve them. Send Shumra to fetch the restorant, and Alamis with him. My daughter and I will plan the delays.¡± ¡°Our lives are in your hands, Defender. If we must give them to defend our people, so be it.¡± They were words that exonerated him should he need to send them to die. ¡°Gods guide your hands and your aim. You protect our heart.¡± Michael said the words in staccato, his attention already on the gunfire and the terrain. He was aware when Simeon left, but his mind was already on the task at hand. The two Marks might not be enough, but they were all that could be spared. Hawk¡¯s Mark led the caravan. Ibex Mark guarded it. After a few minutes, he turned to Michelle. ¡°Fetch the sandrunners. Make sure they are fully loaded.¡± She was gone, even as Michael activated the part of his mind that allowed him to float on the wind current over the sands. Observing the battle, he saw the Scorpions had outflanked the Lion¡¯s and Sun¡¯s Marks, that the raiders were coming in hard from the south-east. He drifted a little more, finding something odd about the battlefield, but not quite able to pinpoint what it was. He circled again, unaware that the science behind his power orbited the earth and was rapidly drifting out of range. The anomaly on the battlefield became apparent just as the power fizzed to a snowstorm blankness. An ambush! The Scorpions had hidden behind a bunker of sand, using the red-colored weight of heavy canvas to conceal them from the approaching Suns. There were scant seconds before the entire Mark was pincered between the two forces, and Lion¡¯s Mark was too weak to be of any help. Michael lost no time wondering where the Scorpions had found the skill for such an elaborate trap, but reached for Simeon¡¯s mind. It was like using a radio, save there was no sound and very little delay. ¡°Simeon. Scorpions left on flank. Body of main force breaking back towards you,¡± he sent an image of what he had seen just before the power of the wind had failed him. Jalaya - Part 2 of 5 Simeon did not reply but Michael could sense him responding to the new threat. Sun¡¯s Mark might survive. He could not be sure of the Lions¡¯ fate. ¡°Papa!¡± Michelle¡¯s cry of sudden fear brought him out of his reverie. She had brought the sandrunners. They were many-legged droids that looked like nothing more than over-sized centipedes. Red-carapaced and blue-headed, with pincers that glistened ebon-bright in the hot sun, they were a bioengineering marvel, but it was their capability to lay latent globules of explosive that made him love them. One of the creatures had raised itself before him and was waiting, but that was not what had frightened his daughter. It was the sandrunner that had lifted itself from the sand and swayed before her that had come near to panicking her. The beast clicked its mandibles at her, demanding the same information from her that the one waiting for Michael was looking for. A battle plan. He hesitated. He had not seen what the headman had already recognized¡ªthat Michelle had inherited the same battlefield abilities given him, and those abilities were now mature. He did not understand it. It was supposed to happen once every five or ten generations, not pass directly, and never to a female child. The sandrunner rattled its jaws at her again and she looked toward him for guidance. He reached for her mind, just as he had reached for Simeon¡¯s before. She was not one of his commanders, and he shouldn¡¯t have been able to touch her. When he did, the startlement on her face matched the shock he felt. He forced himself to be calm. No need for panic. He cast a glance at the sandrunner. It knew, must have sensed the newly awakened nanotech before anyone else could register. ¡°Peace,¡± he instructed. ¡°Do as I do. Do not panic and you will live. After this I will explain.¡± He could hear the sound of men dying as he knelt in the fine, red sand. The sandrunner reared, waiting as he held up a hand to stay it. He sent his daughter the data she needed and felt her mind grasp what it was the sandrunner sought, then he lowered his hand. The sandrunner closed its mandibles around his head. It was a frightening feeling to have those jaws wrap gently around his skull, but he had been trained to repress the urge to struggle. There was an almost inaudible click as the tips of the ¡®runner¡¯s jaws found the junction points on his temples, a nano-second¡¯s pause as it downloaded the battle plan, then another click as it released. He twisted his head to see how his daughter was faring. Her hands were fists where she gripped the desert sand for comfort, and tear-tracks streaked her face, but she had remained still as the ¡®runner took what it needed, so she still lived. Michael felt something unwind within his chest as he watched the bio-beast scuttle away from her. When she looked towards him, he nodded at her, letting her see the pride on his face as he pointed at the others. The other bio-droids had congregated around the two that had received the battle plans. One would lock its jaws onto the head of one of those with the plans, pause as it received the plans itself, then scuttle away so that another could take its place. Once the receiver was clear of the first plan-giver, it settled itself so that another ¡®runner could take the information and share it. When they had all received the plans, the ¡¯runners burrowed into the sand forming ripples that wove and underwove the desert¡¯s surface. Together, they laid the mines needed to ruin the Scorpion¡¯s pursuit. Michael¡¯s instructions ordered them to cover the desert sand, since there was little hope of retrieving the beleaguered Marks, and no hope they¡¯d try to escape back the way they had come. Those who successfully disengaged would flee away from the direction the settlers had taken in the hope the Scorpions would follow. The raiders rarely did, having tired of that trick long ago. Michael looked towards Michelle. ¡°Welcome, Defender,¡± he said and saw her eyes widen in surprise. He could see that she had more questions than she could ask, and was grateful that she justified his pride by concentrating on the battle at hand. ¡°Will the sandrunners be enough?¡± Michael shook his head. ¡°The Scorpions have flyers now. We will need the discs.¡± ¡°And the sky-lightning?¡± His eyes darkened with the remembered sandstorming of the picture from the winds. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it will answer me this time. I cannot ride the winds.¡± ¡°Forever?¡± she asked. Michael shook his head. It was only a matter of time before the winds answered his call again. ¡°At least two hours, too long for this battle.¡± Perhaps too long for him to save his people. He reviewed what he had seen of the battle, recalling the wind images and scouring them for hope. When he saw none, he ran projections, trying to predict the battle¡¯s course. Too short. Even with the discs and the sandrunners, the Scorpions would be clear of his delays within a half hour. ¡°Chelle,¡± he said, ¡°Come here. I have to show you something.¡± She was young, but no younger than any other defender newly come to the trade. Unlike other defenders, however, she was not going to have months to learn unlock her powers herself. ¡°When I close my eyes, I catch the wind and ride it above the battle field. There is probably more to it than that, but the knowledge has been lost to us over time. Sometimes the wind is available, but at other times it is not. For now, it is not. ¡°Once I have seen the battlefield, I can remember exactly what I have seen as I saw it, and I can try to predict where the battle might go. If we had more time, I would have you try to catch the wind and learn these abilities for yourself. But now, I must show you.¡± Michelle nodded, and he touched his mind to hers. This time, he passed her the images he had gleaned from the wind and showed her how he created his projections. She grasped the concept, and he released the mind touch. She needed to try to activate the ability on her own, and his presence would only distract her. Her abilities would not work in exactly the same way his did, but they would work. Michael waited. If they were lucky, she¡¯d be able to use his method of accessing projections to work out how to do it for herself. If she couldn¡¯t, he¡¯d need to enact the next part of his plan on his own. His patience was rewarded with a short ¡®ah ha¡¯ of success, then silence as she extrapolated for herself. ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it,¡± she said, moments later. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Michael nodded. There was no way the villagers could make the first river. The Scorpions would overrun them long before they reached it. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°We call them back,¡± Michael said. ¡°But surely there¡¯s some chance?¡± ¡°Run it, again,¡± Michael ordered. ¡°They won¡¯t make the river, and they can¡¯t make the Rim. There¡¯s only one place we left to go if we hope to stand and fight.¡± Michelle did not answer. She was running the projections again. When she spoke, her voice was filled with resignation. ¡°You¡¯re right, sir. Shall I call them?¡± ¡°No. The radio will alert the Scorpions. I will mind-touch the chief. Pray I am not too late.¡± ¡°What will Caroline say?¡± Michael did not rebuke her. Michelle had refused to call Caroline ¡®mama¡¯ since the day Caroline had sent them away. He did not blame his daughter for her anger. ¡°She might be glad of the company,¡± he said, and his answer brought a smile to his daughter¡¯s face that lifted his heart. In spite of the danger, they would be together. If it was to be their last night¡­ He pushed the idea away. There would be no time. He forced his mind to the matters at hand. ¡°Leave the disks,¡± he ordered. ¡°We¡¯ll take our equipment into town now and set up.¡± ¡°The Marks?¡± ¡°There is nothing we can do for them,¡± Michael said, ¡°and we¡¯ll need some discs to keep the Scorpions busy while others guide the villagers back.¡± ¡°Do we know where the caravan is?¡± ¡°Keep a look-out. I¡¯ll link to the chief, pass the coordinates to you. Look inside your mind. See if you can find the maps you need. You can calculate the way back and program a disc to fetch them. I¡¯ll tell the chief to expect it.¡± Michael realized his daughter was staring at him. ¡°Do you think you can give the plans to the discs?¡± Michelle blinked, thought about it, and nodded. Michael tried to reach the headman. Just like linking on the radio, only faster and more secure. ¡°Bring them back,¡± he said, without preamble. He¡¯d linked to the man before, and expected the chief to remember his mind-voice, but his order was met with a sense of confusion. ¡°Who¡± ¡°Defender. Bring them back.¡± Silence greeted him. Michael repeated his order, expanding it, addressed the man by his title. ¡°Headman, turn the caravan around and head for the town. We cannot hold them. You have five minutes. No more.¡± If he was honest, they had closer to ten more minutes. If the Marks could hold. He brushed Simeon¡¯s mind once more, but the man was too deeply engaged in the battle to risk contact. Michael slipped Simeon the idea of retreating to the town, once the Mark was clear of the raiders. He tucked it in the furthest corner of Simeon¡¯s consciousness, knowing it would surface when the Mark commander wasn¡¯t so hard-pressed. He tried to do the same for the commander of the Hawk¡¯s Mark, but could not reach him. The man was either dead, or out of range. When he was sure he had done what he could to ensure at least some of the two Marks survived, Michael linked to the chief once more. ¡°I need your location,¡± he said. ¡°We will send discs to guide you.¡± The chief was in the radio wagon. While Michael had been trying to communicate with the two Mark commanders, the chief had brought the caravan to a halt and recalled the communications car. Michael had the coordinates in seconds. ¡°I will send the disc shortly. Be ready to follow it.¡± ¡°Chelle,¡± he called. ¡°Here.¡± His daughter had unpacked seven discs, leaving the remainder boxed up on the buggy for later use. Michael kept his pride to himself. He had taught her well, but she was anticipating the battle and its needs without him. And with a speed and clarity that couldn¡¯t be taught. Linking again, he sent her the coordinates. ¡°They turned around?¡± she asked. ¡°They will be.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send two. One will be lit up. The other will be stand-by. It will fly dark and high unless the first one becomes non-functional. I¡¯m sending these five against the raiders. They might give the Marks enough time to break free.¡± ¡°Show me.¡± This time it was Michelle¡¯s turn to send her father the battle plan. He reviewed it, suggested four minor tweaks to tighten it and sent it back. When she agreed, he started programming the battle discs, leaving her to set the two disc-guides in motion. Once they were finished, he helped her throw the remaining equipment into the buggy and kicked the small machine into life. As he did so, Michelle drew her side-arm, turned, and fired four rapid shots into the sand over his shoulder. ¡°In! In! In!¡± he yelled, resisting the temptation to see what she was shooting at. She was in the buggy as he floored the accelerator, but she was focused on the dunes around them, and already firing again. ¡°Buckle up!¡± It was all the warning he could give her. The slope into town was hazardous on foot. The buggy ride was going to be a doozy. The safety harness would stop them being thrown clear. With a snarl of frustration, Michelle slung the automatic and yanked the harness over her shoulders. As soon as it was secured, she snapped goggles over her eyes and started firing once more. The buggy hit the edge of the slope and became airborne. Michael held his breath until it touched down, knocking the wind out of him. Michelle gave a shout of protest as she lost her grip on her sidearm. The buggy hit hard and bounced. Michelle¡¯s sidearm flew out of her hand and into the dune, disappearing in sand and the fading light. Night coming faster than the raiders. When the buggy hit again, the slope had flattened. The little vehicle bounced until all four wheels found traction and it slewed almost out of control. Michael fought the wheel and straightened it out, swerving around the rubble encasing one of the town¡¯s long-dead palms, and racing to put some of the ruined buildings between them and the raiders on the ridge. ¡°That¡¯s going to complicate things!¡± he shouted, but the roar of the engine drowned him out. Michelle peered over the back seat, scanning the ridge behind the town, and they both fell silent. Michelle focused on their back trail, and Michael concentrated on driving through the ruins. Neither spoke again, until he slid the buggy into what had been the service lane beside the hotel. It was choked with fallen bricks and uncleared rubbish half-way down, but Michael was able to park the buggy under a fire escape. He cut the engine, and scrambled out, signaling Michelle to follow. Unloading the last two crates of sandrunners and discs, he stacked them. Together, they unclipped the rifles and stubby machine pistols from under the buggy seat, and then each took one end of the crates. ¡°Let¡¯s get these inside,¡± Michael said. ¡°Front or back?¡± Michelle asked. Michael visualized the town in relation to the ridge, figured the front of the hotel would be sheltered from anyone still on the ridge, wasn¡¯t sure how long they would have before their pursuit caught up with them. ¡°They stopped on the ridge,¡± Michelle said. ¡°No idea why.¡± That settled it. ¡°Front,¡± Michael said, and led the way. Caroline was waiting, dressed in the yellowing white of her wedding gown. She met them at the entrance, holding the doors open while they lugged the crates inside and chivvying them into the manager¡¯s office. She was not surprised to see them. ¡°It¡¯s the strongest part of the place,¡± she explained, pulling the office doors closed behind them. ¡°Scorpions are coming,¡± Michael said, trying to remember not to stare at her, all too aware of Michelle¡¯s brooding anger in the background. Caroline¡¯s expression was gentle as she reached out and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. ¡°Of course, they¡¯re coming,¡± she said. ¡°They were bound to come, eventually. The miracle is that it¡¯s taken them this long.¡± She peered behind him. ¡°Where are the others?¡± Michael glanced over his shoulder. ¡°We sent discs to guide them, but there are Scorpions on the ridge. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll get through. We were going to make a stand here, but¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it, but Caroline understood anyway. She laid a hand on his arm and then pulled him to her. ¡°I have missed you, Defender of my heart.¡± Michael pulled her to his chest, engulfing her in a hug that had been a decade in waiting. ¡°I have missed you, too,¡± he said. ¡°Words cannot say.¡± They stood silently, for a long moment, before drawing slowly apart, aware of Michelle in the room with them, no matter how hard their daughter was trying not to intrude. When the quiet grew uncomfortable, Caroline spoke again. ¡°I might have an answer to your problem,¡± she said. Michael turned. ¡°It was offered ten years ago,¡± Caroline added, ¡°but the councilors were in no mood to listen.¡± ¡°The ceremony?¡± ¡°The one I perform every year, but never complete.¡± ¡°You never complete it?¡± ¡°Not since my parents left.¡± ¡°What does it do?¡± ¡°It opens the shipping lanes.¡± ¡°To where?¡± ¡°To far Beershaba,¡± she replied. ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t think all the boats came from upstream?¡± Michael had indeed thought that, until he recalled how it had been before the river dried up, remembering how many had questioned why some boats visited all year, and others came only in the spring melt or autumnal peak when the waters rode high. Gates, huh? ¡°We opened them in the foothills so no one would know. We were forbidden to reveal the truth, as were the traders and their crews.¡± The part of Michael¡¯s mind connected to the wind clicked and a map appeared. Alongside it, a small window opened, giving a brief description of interstellar gates and the nan-tech that ran them. Controllers, too. People similar to him who could talk to the gates like he talked to the wind. Michael read the explanation, then looked at the map, locating Beershaba in relation to the town. He ran it once, then ran it again. After he¡¯d run it a third time, he still could not believe it. Jalaya - Part 3 of 5 ¡°But Beershaba¡­¡± ¡°¡­is worlds away,¡± Caroline confirmed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us? We could have evacuated the town.¡± ¡°We tried to. The councilors refused my father¡¯s offer. They didn¡¯t believe him, either. By the time they were prepared to take the chance, it was too late. We could not risk the raiders getting through the gates, or taking control of them.¡± ¡°So you stayed.¡± ¡°I insisted. Father was against it, but mother pointed out he was the only one with rank enough to force the shipping guild to keep the gates functional until it was safe, once more.¡± ¡°Or until you could convince the elders to accept your offer of rescue, and the raiders gave you enough time to execute it,¡± Michael finished for her. ¡°Yes, or until then. In the end, he had to let me stay, but he insisted on taking his grandchildren with him.¡± She looked over at Michelle. ¡°I couldn¡¯t reach you in time,¡± she added. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Michelle opened her mouth to reply, thought better of it, closed her mouth again and shrugged. As casual as the gesture was, Michael still glimpsed the hurt in her eyes, but Caroline laid a hand on either shoulder and pressed her forehead against his. ¡°If the villagers agree, I can open the gates.¡± He stilled, closed his eyes, and sifted through the questions clamoring in his head. He chose one, opening his eyes to meet the plea in her gaze. ¡°How long will it take?¡± Michael asked, remembering staying whole nights on the ridge, just to watch her dance. ¡°It¡¯ll take less time now that I don¡¯t have to go right to the edge of town.¡± ¡°How much less time?¡± Michael demanded. ¡°An hour.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°To complete it? Yes.¡± Caroline said. Michael was baffled. ¡°Then why did it take so long before?¡± Caroline blushed, her glance toward him, full of shy mischief. ¡°Before? It took so long before, because I danced for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡°I did not want you to forget me.¡± Michelle snorted, and Caroline glanced towards her. ¡°I did not want you to forget me, either,¡± she said. ¡°You left me.¡± Michelle¡¯s answer was clipped just shy of outright rudeness. ¡°How could I forget that?¡± ¡°I had no choice,¡± Caroline told her, ¡°And I remembered your birthday every year. I dedicated weeks to remembering you.¡± At Michelle¡¯s look of disbelief, Caroline rose from her seat. ¡°Come.¡± Michelle cast a questioning glance towards her father as Caroline moved towards the inner door. He shrugged and indicated she should follow, and after another moment¡¯s hesitation, the girl trailed in her mother¡¯s footsteps. Michael gave them a short head start, before trailing in their wake. He was curious to see what Caroline had planned. He followed as Caroline led Michelle up to the second floor. It consisted of twenty rooms, arrayed along a single corridor. Michael hesitated at the head of the stairs and let the two women reach the end of the first corridor before taking the final step to the landing. Moving ghost-quiet, he stepped into an alcove, listening to Caroline as she spoke. ¡°This was for your ninth birthday. You¡¯d wanted a doll. I left the money on the counter of Cale¡¯s Trading Post and took it. You liked butterflies, so I painted you a picture.¡± Michael heard Michelle gasp, and then Caroline was moving, giving their daughter no time to comment further. ¡°Come, you can take your time to look later.¡± Michael pulled back into the alcove as he heard Caroline cross the floor to the door. When she exited the room, she merely walked to the next one and unlocked it. Michelle followed, pulling the door to her ninth-birthday room closed behind her. ¡°For your tenth birthday, I thought long and hard. I wanted so very much to surprise you, but with the trade routes closed, but this was the best I could come up with.¡± Peering round the corner, Michael saw his daughter hesitate before following her mother through the door. He waited for a heartbeat, and then Michelle gasped. ¡°It¡¯s perfect, mama. I would have loved this, when I was ten¡ªI love it now.¡± There was a muffled sob. Caroline, Michael thought. ¡°I missed you so much,¡± his fianc¨¦e murmured. ¡°I knew you were mad at me, just as I knew I couldn¡¯t leave. I love you and your papa so much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mama. I didn¡¯t know. Papa never told me.¡± And now Chelle, he amended, listening for Caroline¡¯s answer. ¡°Your papa never knew,¡± Caroline said. ¡°He never came this far.¡± ¡°Oh, I thought¡­ I thought¡­ He was gone so long, all night. I thought he went to you. I would ask him if he¡¯d seen you, and he always said yes. I thought he left me behind so he could visit you, every year.¡± Caroline laughed, but it was a sad sound. ¡°He saw me every year,¡± she said, ¡°But he would never come down off that damn hill of his.¡± ¡°I wish I¡¯d known,¡± Michelle said. ¡°You were mad at him, too, huh?¡± ¡°I was mad at you both,¡± Michelle said, ¡°So mad. I couldn¡¯t understand why.¡± ¡°Neither could your papa,¡± Caroline said. ¡°I never told him why. I still can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Not until we¡¯re married. Only then will it be safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to find you a priest,¡± Michelle said. ¡°I can¡¯t stand the idea of leaving you behind, again.¡± Caroline laughed, a happier sound this time. ¡°Come. We cannot keep your papa waiting. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll become tired of standing outside the door soon.¡± Michael jumped. How could she know? He¡¯d been quiet enough. ¡°I could always sense your presence,¡± Caroline replied, leaving the room. ¡°I always knew when you were safe and when you were in danger. Those times almost drove me insane.¡± Michael wanted to say something. He opened his mouth to protest, or apologize, or try to explain, but Caroline just smiled a gentle smile and laid a finger to his lips. ¡°There is no time,¡± she said. ¡°You have your secrets, and I have mine. On our wedding night we will share them, but for now I have a dance to prepare, and you must ready your people.¡± Michael was thinking that, as important as their secrets were, he could think of something better to do on his wedding night, but a sudden sense of urgency struck him, and he hurried to the end of the corridor to stare out the empty window. The sound of lightning was carried on the wind, and explosions thundered and roared from the ridge overlooking the town. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Michelle came and took his hand, pulling him further into the hotel, toward the stairs. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stand so close to the window,¡± she scolded. ¡°You know this.¡± ¡°And I must go,¡± Caroline said. ¡°If I am to have any chance of opening the portal in time, I must go now.¡± ¡°I will come with you,¡± Michael said. ¡°You cannot,¡± Caroline told him. ¡°I¡¯ve told you more than I should by explaining what I have, but even though you are the highest-ranked representative of your people present, and permitted to know of the portals. I may not reveal the ceremony. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It is a bridal secret,¡± Caroline said, ¡°but if you want to save your people, I have to dance from the High Dock to the Low on my own, and you must meet me at the Low Dock with all those you want to preserve.¡± She kissed him lightly on the cheek and fled into the night before he could respond. ¡°What did she mean when she said she could not reach me in time?¡± Michelle asked. ¡°It was my fault,¡± Michael answered. ¡°You were sleeping over at Nela¡¯s house. Your mother hadn¡¯t wanted you to stay home, but I said you¡¯d done nothing wrong and shouldn¡¯t be punished. She couldn¡¯t argue with that, so you went. You weren¡¯t home when the time came to leave. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Michelle grimaced. ¡°I remember. At the time, I thought you were the best of fathers, and she was the worst mother in the world. It¡¯s you I should have been mad at, not her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m mad enough at me for the two of us,¡± Michael said. ¡°Now come, Defender, let¡¯s get the discs up and see if we can bring our people home. We need to clear those raiders off the ridge.¡± As he spoke, rifle fire sounded from just beyond the outskirts of the town. They ran for the stairs. To their surprise, Caroline was still in the hotel. She had opened both crates and laid the remaining discs and sandrunners in two orderly rows. Glancing up as they burst through the door, she stood, dusting her hands against the wedding gown¡¯s tattered folds. ¡°I did not want to leave without saying goodbye,¡± she said. Michael just stared at her. ¡°Why are you wearing white?¡± was all he could think to say. ¡°Because I love you, and our wedding is long overdue. Besides, tonight is special. I don¡¯t want to wear just anything.¡± ¡°But, what if¡­¡± Caroline laid a finger on his lips. ¡°I know it¡¯s ten-years¡¯ old, and I know it¡¯s no longer white, but it¡¯s the best thing I have, the one thing that reminds me most strongly of you. And it¡¯s enough to remind my father of our pledge before he kills you, when we get to the other side.¡± Michael just stared at her. ¡°You surely don¡¯t think you¡¯re the only one to feel mad about me staying behind, are you? Father is going to want answers, and our son¡­¡± She stopped, tears glistening in her eyes. Another staccato burst of gunfire came to them. Caroline laid her hands on Michael¡¯s forearms, and squeezed gently. ¡°It will take an hour and the raiders are close. I have to go, now.¡± Michael had no more words. His fear of losing her was a tangible thing, a night-beast waiting to pounce, a raider¡¯s bullet seeking her in the dark, a sand eater¡¯s retaliation. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the Lower Docks,¡± she said, and before he could protest, she had slipped out of his embrace and hurried to the hotel entrance. To his surprise, she drew back from the door, just before a blaze of light illuminated the threshold. When it was gone, she slipped into the night, leaving Michael staring after her in awe. More gunfire had Michael on the hotel porch before he knew what he was doing. He came to his senses and ducked low into the street, relaxing only when he saw the familiar white blur of Caroline¡¯s figure hurrying towards the river. ¡°She¡¯s okay,¡± he said, returning to Michelle. His daughter just nodded, her face pale, her eyes showing desolation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say goodbye,¡± his daughter whispered. ¡°She just left me again.¡± ¡°Oh, sweetheart,¡± Michael said. ¡°Come here.¡± He hugged his daughter, while she silently wept, releasing her when she gave one final sniff and pushed on his chest. ¡°We only have an hour,¡± she grumbled, but Michael saw her protest for what it was. One hour to bring their people to the Lower Docks. One hour to hold the Scorpions. One hour for the fleeing Marks to return to the town and gain safety. ¡°I¡¯ll recall them,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk leaving them behind.¡± ¡°The Scorpions won¡¯t follow them anyway,¡± Michelle said. ¡°They haven¡¯t for months. That might buy us more time. If the Marks head for the town, maybe the Scorpions will look toward the Rim, or swing for the river.¡± She had a point. ¡°Let¡¯s see what the discs are doing.¡± They checked the discs leading the villagers. Both were intact, the lead disc keeping to a pace the caravan could follow, the back-up disc flying high and dark, tracking the enemy and the progress of the caravan below. Michael widened its scan and stayed tapped in. He¡¯d be able to keep an eye on the villagers¡¯ progress, while he checked in with the discs harrying the Scorpions engaging the Marks. Two of the attack discs were down, but Sun¡¯s Mark had almost broken free. Michael felt a sense of grim satisfaction at the sight of the Scorpion bodies littering the sands mined by the runners. He found Simeon heading south. ¡°Turn to the town,¡± he ordered. ¡°You know they don¡¯t follow us anymore.¡± He felt Simeon¡¯s acknowledgement, heard the order being issued. ¡°Hurry. You have three-quarters of the hour before the evacuation begins.¡± ¡°I have the Lions,¡± Simeon replied. ¡°I will bring them, too.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± The battle must have been very close indeed, if the Sun¡¯s Mark had been driven close enough to the Lions to amalgamate. Michael wished the wind would answer so he could see their position. Instead, he lifted one of the discs at his feet, activating it with his fingers, and accepting the sharp click of contact, when it extended a thin metal tube to the junction point in his temple. He ordered it to fly high and dark, scanning the fleeing Marks and their surroundings. He ordered it to overfly the ridge and outskirts of town on its way out so he could see what the raiders were doing there. When it had downloaded his instructions, he released it through the office window. Michelle was waiting for his orders when he was done. Hearing more gunfire from the ridge, and seeing muzzle flashes in the scan from the disc overflying the villagers, Michael touched his daughter¡¯s mind and sent her the battle plans for the discs at their fleet. Her eyes widened, but Michael saw her turn inward, running the alternatives and finding nothing better. At last, she nodded and activated the first disc. Seeing the machine dock with the junction point in Michelle¡¯s skull, Michael turned to the first of the sandrunners. He could program them to mine the ridge and the outskirts of the town. With a timer to delay them until just after the villagers had passed, the runners would lay their mines in time to halt the Scorpions¡¯ advance. If the villagers were delayed¡­ Michael shuddered, hesitated, added a kill code to recall the runners for fresh orders. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t regret it. Tapping into the disk overflying the villagers, Michael saw the Hawk Mark outriders approaching the ridge. He tapped the disc he¡¯d sent to monitor what was left of the Sun and Lion Marks and saw a ragged line of men staggering towards the uppermost section of town. Simeon answered the moment he linked in. ¡°Defender?¡± ¡°Is the river still dry?¡± ¡°Yes, Defender.¡± ¡°Follow the riverbed to the Lower Dock. Caroline will meet you there.¡± ¡°The caravan?¡± Exhaustion crept along the edges of Simeon¡¯s contact. ¡°Chelle and I have them covered. We will meet you at the Lower Docks.¡± Michael linked out before the Mark commander could protest. It was up to Simeon to bring what was left of the Lion and the Sun Marks home. He looked across at his daughter as a rattle of gunfire signaled the Hawk Mark¡¯s first contact with the raiders. ¡°Ready?¡± She waited until the last disc had disengaged from her head, and nodded. ¡°Then set them loose.¡± Michelle pulled back the window blinds and slid the glass panel aside. With a blink of her eyes, she gave the order and the last twelve discs rose from the floor. Small, but powerful, propulsion systems kicked in and they zipped out into the night. Michelle scooped her rifle from where it rested against the wall and followed her father out into the night. Michael linked to the headman. ¡°Head straight into town. Order Hawk Mark not to engage or deviate from a direct run to the town. Any who do will die. The discs can¡¯t differentiate.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Headman, I already have.¡± Michael cut the link, cutting off the headman¡¯s angry response. He re-linked with one more instruction. ¡°Chelle and I will meet you on the edge of town.¡± ¡°Defender, people are going to die.¡± ¡°I am sorry. It cannot be undone.¡± He led his daughter through the town, using the ruins to cover their approach to the edge of the scree. Using short hand movements and a rapid uplink to signal her to take position, he tried to reach the Hawk¡¯s Mark commander. Above them the discs hovered, temporarily leashed until Chelle gave the final order. ¡°Head straight into town. Chelle and I will cover you. When you reach our positions, you can cover the caravan.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Run! Commander!¡± Michael repeated the command, reinforcing it with a mental image of the route to his position, and slamming the battle plan into the man¡¯s mind as hard as he dared. ¡°Run!¡± He broke away from the Hawk commander, and touched Michelle¡¯s mind. ¡°Go!¡± She unleashed the discs and settled into cover, scanning the ridge for her first target. Michael activated the last of his powers. It was short range, but allowed him to scan all the allies inside a thirty-foot radius, mapping them across a grid of known terrain if one was available. All else was shadow. Chelle had taken up a position similar to his own¡ªin a second-floor room overlooking the steep slope which provided the only viable access into one of the town¡¯s main streets. Mimicking her action, Michael settled to scan the slope for a target of his own. Above them, the discs began to strafe any living thing not moving towards the route into town. Just beyond the crown of the ridge, a five-man team of raiders avoided the first deadly overflight by racing towards the scree slope. Michael took down the first two, but Michelle¡¯s reflexes were faster and she finished the other three. The next team of raiders missed the initial strafing run, only to be caught by the second as they set an ambush just under the ridge¡¯s skyline. Eight of the Hawk Mark fell to their Defender¡¯s plans. They refused the orders to break from combat, or embark on a fighting retreat. Two continued pursuing raiders into the desert, three chose to stand and hold against a greater force instead of falling back before it, and three others stood still to shepherd the convoy forward instead of moving with it. The discs struck with precision and a deadliness that did not discriminate. Any who stopped to watch them became victims. All who did not move toward town died within seconds. Twelve villagers lost their lives before the message got through. Move toward town if you want to live. Michael could not have chosen a more effective way of getting them to obey. As he and Michelle waited for the villagers to reach them, they took out any raiders trying to get ahead of the caravan. The villagers weren¡¯t the only ones to get the message. More than a few of the surviving Scorpions also saw and understood the discs¡¯ pattern of death. They fled toward the town. Real bullets were more deterrent to them than the rumors of some crazy woman¡¯s ghost. At the sight of the first Hawk¡¯s-Mark¡¯s men crossing the ridge, and half-sliding, half-running down the scree, Michael jerked his barrel up. The bullet he was about to fire fled in a wild arc into the sky. A second round went wild as Michelle mirrored his action. Michael signaled the Hawk¡¯s men in, but instead of ordering them to take defensive positions along the town¡¯s edge, he gathered them before him. ¡°You need to secure the Lower Docks,¡± he said, ¡°and make sure the road is clear.¡± The Hawk commander stepped forward, rifle slung, fist cocked. Michael straightened, faced him down. ¡°There is no time.¡± Jalaya - Part 4 of 5 He had to make the time, dodging the first swing, and driving a fist sharp and hard into the man¡¯s midriff. When the commander doubled, Michael set a boot against his shoulder and shoved him butt-first into the dirt. ¡°Later,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t make their deaths in vain.¡± Two of the man¡¯s remaining Mark grabbed their commander, dragging him back even as they helped him to his feet. ¡°Later,¡± the man snapped, shaking himself loose. Turning to his men, he barked the orders to get them moving, and headed further into town, his men in tow. The caravan appeared not long after Michael had resumed his second-floor position. This time he did not let them stop. Signaling Michelle to join him as the trucks and jeeps jolted carefully down the scree, he jogged into the street ahead of the lead vehicle. ¡°Headman, follow us,¡± he ordered, afraid that if he let the caravan come to a halt they would not reach Caroline in time. As it was, she would soon complete the ceremony of opening, and he did not want to miss the rendezvous. They had lost ten years already. ¡°Wait,¡± the headman said, then, out loud, ¡°Wait!¡± Michael ignored him, jogging ahead of the caravan down the wider streets, trying to pick the route easiest for the vehicles to negotiate. Caroline was waiting. He had almost forgotten the sandrunners when the first of them skittered past him toward the hill. ¡°Headman, tell your people to get off that hill. Tell them now!¡± he demanded, stopping to send an image of the sandrunner across the link. From the back of the caravan came a startled shout and the sound of sudden hard acceleration. Michael tensed, waiting for the sound of an explosion that did not come. More sandrunners scuttled past him, mandibles clacking in warning at any of the villagers who came too close. Down the center of their segmented backs ran two rows of pulsing light. Red, blue and yellow, the lines formed a trio of parallel ribbons leading from the sandrunners¡¯ tails, to where they divided at the skull and ran individually to the tip of each antenna. Their multi-faceted sensor arrays, usually a midnight black in the light of day, glowed a dull cherry red in the gathering dusk. Most people stepped away as they approached. Knowing his people were clear of the runners and the slope, Michael turned and began jogging toward the Lower Docks. Behind them, under the shale and sand of the ridge overlooking the town, the sandrunners laid their mines, creating a barrier the Scorpions would not be able to pass without cost. As Michael jogged, he linked to the Hawk Mark leader. ¡°Route?¡± ¡°We¡¯re clearing it as we go.¡± The commander sent him a map of the path they had taken. To Michael¡¯s relief, it was the route he had chosen, He studied it, looked for a faster route and found none. ¡°Good work, commander.¡± He rounded a corner and patched through to Simeon. ¡°Report,¡± he ordered. Simeon was too tired for words, but he sent Michael his coordinates, along with an ETA for the docks. The Lions and Suns would reach the Lower Dock, but they would come in later than the caravan. The gamble had paid off, and the raiders had broken off their pursuit shortly after the Marks had changed course for the town. Whether the Scorpions believed it was another diversion to lead them away from the caravan, or whether they possessed another reason, Simeon didn¡¯t know. He was just relieved the shooting had stopped, and he could bring his men to safety. Michael resisted the urge to tell the commander to step up the pace. He was sure the Sun¡¯s Mark commander was doing his best to reach the rendezvous on time, which left the caravan as his sole focus. Simeon would not thank him, if he lost the villagers, now. The low rumble of engines grew louder as the caravan entered the street behind him. Turning, Michael waved to catch their attention, and signaled the headman over. ¡°I have the route,¡± he said. ¡°Hawk¡¯s Mark is clearing the way, but Chelle and I have to secure the meeting point.¡± ¡°Meeting point?¡± ¡°We have a way out of here.¡± ¡°Caroline?¡± ¡°She will meet us there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true then? The offer was real?¡± Michael shoved his anger aside, forced the resentment at ten years¡¯ needless separation to one side. Some of it must have registered in his expression for the headman looked apologetic. He drew in a breath, but Michael shut him down before he could speak. ¡°There is no time. You need to get your people to the meeting point. Here is the route.¡± He sent the man his map. ¡°Chelle and I will try and keep Caroline safe, and the portal open until you arrive. I should not have to tell you to hurry.¡± Michael didn¡¯t wait for a reply. Signaling to Michelle, he jogged away from the caravan, deliberately taking a path too narrow for any vehicle to follow. Staying close to teetering walls, and keeping as much cover between himself and the ridge, Michael hurried towards the river and the Lower Docks. Caroline would be nearing the end of her dance and the ridge wasn¡¯t the only route into town, just the quickest. Once the Scorpions worked out the ridge was mined, they¡¯d find other ways to reach them. As if in answer to his thoughts, a dull crump boomed out from the ridge. Its echoes skittered and bounced through the town, not fast enough to avoid the echoes from the second and third thumps, which rapidly turned into chain of noise that rolled over the deserted buildings like thunder. Dust blew in on the desert breeze, and shards of stone fell like sharp-toothed rain, clattering on rooftops, or the bare-to-sky floors of buildings that had fallen to disrepair long ago. Cover was no longer important. The explosions would provide a diversion, and the brief storm of sand and debris would reduce the visibility long enough for him and Michelle to reach their goal. Michael broke into a run. Michelle kept pace beside him. They could move more quickly, now they could take to the wider streets. Michael leapt a fallen tree trunk. Michelle followed. Together they turned into the last street, a drunken street sign reminding them of its name: Wharfside Avenue. Dodging darker patches that signaled unrepaired pot-holes and washouts in the pavement, the pair ran toward the last dock on the lower side of town. This had been the only dock at which the big ships could safely berth. It was situated on the deepest part of the river, where the water had once flowed wide and deceptively slow, concealing the dangerous currents that sped beneath its surface. The water had dried up long ago. The Lower Docks stood closest to the mountain valley lakes, the High Docks closest to the narrow cliff-edged rapids leading through the foothills to the sea. As it passed through the town, the river grew shallower, picking up speed until it hit the waterfall and the gorges below town. Traders from the coast had always braved the desert. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Caroline was nowhere to be seen when they reached the Lower Docks. The only sign she was anywhere near was the faint glow seeping out from under the door of a building that stood opposite the dock itself. The building was barely wider than its door, and appeared to have been wedged between a ground-floor tavern and a popular restaurant. Apartments on its upper floor gave both buildings greater height, making the space between them easy to overlook. Michael slid up to one side of the door, while Michelle took the other. From inside, came the sound of singing, a lullaby Caroline had used to sing both her children to sleep. Michael eased open the door, surprised to find it led to a space that ran the full length of its neighbors. Banks of computers lined the walls, and somewhere above them a generator hummed. Here and there a screen displayed read-outs related to the touchpads at its base. Caroline sat in an alcove to one side, her face partially shielded by the screens hanging before it. Michael hesitated. ¡°Come in, Mike, and close the door behind you. The raiders will see the lights if you don¡¯t.¡± He entered, Michelle following closely behind, and pulling the door shut as she cleared the threshold. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything.¡± Caroline settled back in her seat and closed her eyes. Around them, screen displays changed and lights flickered. The whir of power increased. Light seeped under the door, belying the night outside. When it reached an intensity that was almost painful to watch, Caroline opened her eyes, and slipped out from under the screens. ¡°It won¡¯t remain open for long,¡± she said. ¡°We haven¡¯t the power. Tell me your people are almost here.¡± Michael tried to touch the headman¡¯s mind, but felt only static. The flare of white noise had him opening his eyes and shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ll need to go outside,¡± he said and indicated the light coming in beneath the door. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to worry about the raiders noticing this place with whatever is outside.¡± ¡°No,¡± Caroline agreed, ¡°they¡¯ll just have to follow the portal to find us. Still, I¡¯ll lock up and hope for the best.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me to set charges?¡± Michael asked, allowing her to usher him outside. ¡°No. If the guild wants to destroy the station, they can do it from Beershaba.¡± Michelle slipped past them, finding cover in the shadow of a stack of crates, as she glanced up and down the street. ¡°How long do we have?¡± his daughter asked. Another series of explosions rumbled down from the ridge. ¡°If they blow the mines instead of going the long way round, they¡¯ll be here in half an hour,¡± he said. ¡°Going ¡¯round, they¡¯ll give us an hour and a half.¡± ¡°How far away are your people?¡± Caroline repeated. Michael closed his eyes and reached for the headman¡¯s mind. ¡°Ten minutes,¡± he answered, after speaking to the village chief. ¡°He says thank you; they can see just fine now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet they can,¡± Michelle muttered, looking around the boxes at the half-moon of light hanging at the end of the dock. It glowed silver-bright, illuminating the streets and the town, completely obscuring the view of the other bank. Another series of explosion came from the ridge. ¡°They¡¯re not going to take the long way,¡± Michael said, and reached for Simeon. ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked. ¡°We can see the light.¡± ¡°How far out?¡± ¡°Ten, fifteen minutes, but¡­¡± Michael glimpsed the injured in Simeon¡¯s mind, caught a touch of the heartbreak the man faced. From the end of the street, he heard the rumble of engines. The villagers had arrived. ¡°Give me their position,¡± he ordered. ¡°I am coming.¡± ¡°Michelle,¡± he said. ¡°Defender. Stay here. Make sure the villagers and the gatekeeper get through. Send Hawk¡¯s Mark through first to secure the other side. Do not wait for me.¡± He did not wait for her to protest, but laid a hand on her shoulder, before kissing Caroline lightly on the lips. ¡°I will try to be back in time.¡± Michael was downloading the coordinates for Simeon¡¯s wounded as he hurried toward the headman. He almost didn¡¯t hear Caroline¡¯s soft response. ¡°Don¡¯t make me wait for you, again.¡± The sadness in her voice made him want to weep, but he refused to look back. There was no promise he could make that he could guaranteed to keep. Instead, he hurried to where the chieftain was walking with the Hawk¡¯s Mark commander. Both men looked up as he approached, so Michael wasted no time. ¡°Chief, I need the lead car.¡± When the man hesitated, Michael added, ¡°There are wounded.¡± He didn¡¯t need to say more. The men in the vehicle were out of it before the chief could speak. Michael made a brief gesture towards his daughter. ¡°Defender Michelle is in charge. She is with the gatekeeper.¡± He didn¡¯t give them time to argue or protest, but swung into the driver¡¯s seat and pushed the accelerator to the floor. The dry river bed was his best hope of reaching the coordinates Simeon had sent. Michael took the nearest boat ramp with a speed bordering on reckless. Simeon had delegated those fit enough to move to his second in command, and refused to leave the injured. Michael passed the incoming soldiers as he found the trader¡¯s fjord five clicks north of town. He almost rolled the headman¡¯s jeep making the turn, but managed to get it to drop back onto four wheels in time to take the next. It took him ten minutes to find Simeon, five for them to load the wounded and strap them in. Michael wondered if they could just drive the jeep through. He¡¯d ask Caroline when they returned. Simeon had driven his troops to exhaustion, and taken himself beyond it. In spite of that, he climbed in the back with his men. Michael started driving as soon as the Sun¡¯s commander was inside. This time, he drove more carefully, trying to minimize the amount of bouncing while going as fast as he could. ¡°They¡¯re coming.¡± Michelle mind-touched him as soon as she saw the jeep. ¡°Keep driving.¡± He disobeyed, of course. While the villagers had disappeared, presumably through the portal¡¯s shining surface, the men from the Sun and Lions¡¯ Marks had obviously only just arrived. Michael pulled the lead car to a swift halt. ¡°Simeon, you need to drive,¡± he called, and ran to where his daughter was directing the others through. Stopping had been a bad idea for the exhausted soldiers. With safety a scant few meters away, more than a few of them had collapsed to the ground. Michael ran to the first one. Behind him, he heard Simeon giving orders, then the jeep¡¯s engine growled and the vehicle edged into the light. The rest of the Mark parted to let it through, then followed after. Michael looked down at the soldier, and then pulled him to his feet. ¡°Come on, mate. You can¡¯t stop there,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not safe.¡± When he¡¯d gotten the man stumbling forward, Michael let go of him and reached for the next one. ¡°Come on. Up you get. Make sure your mate gets through the gate. Come on. Up then.¡± With the second man up and moving, Michael turned to the third. He had just noted the blood pooling around the man¡¯s torso, when he felt a presence by his side. ¡°Shit.¡± Simeon¡¯s voice was quiet with disappointment. ¡°He never said he was hit.¡± ¡°Get him up,¡± Michael ordered. ¡°He¡¯s going to need some help getting through the gate.¡± Instead of obeying, the Sun leader, peeled open the man¡¯s shirt to find the wound, then ripped a self-adhesive dressing from a pocket on his fatigues and slapped it over the injury. He didn¡¯t bother closing the shirt, but lifted the man across his shoulder and ran with him to the gate. ¡°Can I get back?¡± he asked. Michelle shook her head, and Simeon hesitated clearly torn between taking the injured man to safety, and seeing to the rest of his Mark. ¡°Go!¡± Michael shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll see to the rest of your men!¡± ¡°But I¡ª¡± Simeon started to protest, but Michelle came at him from the side and shoved him into the glow. He was gone with a startled shout. ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± Michael yelled, pulling at the next man until he stumbled forward at a run. His daughter echoed him, slapping the next man on the back. Slowly, too slowly, they got the men moving and through, helping the wounded to their feet and supporting them to the gate. The town, the Scorpions, all were forgotten as the Defenders worked in concert, chivvying exhausted men through the shifting surface. When the colors grew watery, the pair only moved faster, determined that not one of the Mark would be left behind. Not on their watch. Ripples were running through the gate¡¯s surface by the time Michael lifted the last of the soldiers and draped him across his daughter¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Take him through,¡± he ordered. ¡°I¡¯ll follow.¡± He did not tell her he had seen shadows moving amongst the buildings, that the Scorpions had arrived with their hounds, but she hesitated when he unslung the headman¡¯s sub-machine gun. ¡°Go!¡± Michael shouted. ¡°Get him through. I¡¯ll cover you.¡± Michelle made a face as if to protest, but remembered her duty and obeyed, carrying the soldier out along the dock and up to the swirling pattern of light. Michael heard her parting words as she stepped backwards. ¡°Mama is going to kill us both.¡± He would have laughed, but he was watching the shadows¡¯ approach, seeing them coalesce into individual men and beasts. He willed his daughter to hurry and wished he¡¯d had time to place explosives where the dock joined the wharf. But he hadn¡¯t. Approaching the portal¡¯s threshold, Michelle shifted the man¡¯s weight as though thinking of throwing him through, but her burden was too heavy. She hesitated, catching Michael¡¯s eye as he glanced over his shoulder to monitor her progress. ¡°I love you, too,¡± he said, bringing the subby up and firing a short burst at the darkness between an old fishmonger¡¯s shop and a pub. A yelp, a shout of dismay and silence rang back. He¡¯d bought more time. ¡°Go,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll follow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± Michelle replied, and he sensed her leave. The dock behind him felt surprisingly empty, the night a sad place now all those he loved were on the other side of the portal. Michael glanced back at it, noted the pallor of its colors and the instability shaking its surface. He shifted back the last few paces to the gate¡¯s brink and went to his knees.