Dragon Defense (Heirs to the Throne Book 3) (31 page)

Jarrack was true to his word.  He got Fremont to send Drako a small shuttlecraft, replacement parts, and now a load of plasteel.  Trenton disliked the idea. 

It felt too easy.

The supply barge moved slowly past defense sensors as Trenton manned the guns of his new shuttle, hand poised over the controls.  His mind raced, considering every possible deception, every area where concealed weapons or men might hide.  He scanned the ship for the third time.  Life readings looked minimal and radiation readings appropriate.  Apparently, the cargo was harmless and the metallic content low. 

Instrument readings should alleviate his worry, but the trapper inside him doubted the scans.  He itched to blast the barge out of the sky and ground his teeth.  Wiping sweat out of his eyes he squinted at the data, searching for proof until he noticed Ryan gawking.

Trenton forced a genial smile.  “Enjoying your first trip into space?”

Ryan swallowed.  “I’d rather see inside that thing.”

“One wrong move and I’ll open its guts.  Then you’ll get a real good look.”  Trenton sounded angry.

Ryan blanched.  He scrutinized the barge and he muttered, “You think they hid soldiers on board?”

“I can’t prove it.”

“Still, you believe they’re inside.”

“Yes.”  Trenton watched the ship pass the barriers and reactivated the planetary defense system.  “I hoped they’d try to sneak through while the system was down so I could blast them.”

“No reading on eight,” Ryan said.

“That hole’s closed.”  Trenton relaxed but stared at the lad.  “Maybe they plan to hit us when the barge leaves.  We’ll ride on their tail all the way to Asbohar.  Maggie’s anxious to get her plasteel.”

Ryan eased the controls forward and the shuttle dipped smoothly toward Drako.  Trenton felt surprised at how fast the boy took to flying, a natural pilot.  He sensed wind currents and used them like he’d been born with wings.  Trenton watched the cumbersome ship drift toward the sapphire blue ocean as Ryan maneuvered their craft.

“Get us closer so I can check that spot.”  Trenton’s fingers clicked over the keyboard and cursed his slow display.  “They fussed with this equipment to make it hard on us, but they can’t fool me.”

Ryan approached the barge, and Trenton craned his neck to get a visual.  “You see that seam?” Trenton asked.  “Go slower.”

Ryan eased back to slow their descent.  Their shuttle drifted underneath the barge and blocked the glaring sun. 

Trenton chuckled and pumped his fist. “They hid men and weapons behind the bulkhead, but they can’t attack until it lands.”

“How do you know?”

“You see this?”  Trenton pointed to a radiation scan.  “Their hand weapons emit low radiation, not normally enough to alert the sensors.  They figure we can’t defend ourselves with swords, arrows, and lances.” 

“Can we?”  Ryan looked worried.

“They may have more firepower but we’re more clever.  I’m glad that we figured out what kind of tricks they planned.  Land this thing and we’ll discuss our options with Donovan.”

*****

Maggie supervised her crew on the platform.  The mullah’s men responded to her orders.  They respected the small woman dressed in silver.  New priests recorded every lesson in their notebooks as if the very gods spoke through their mentor. 

Maggie chose students by asking odd questions and making them memorize strange words.  Pious priests and brave warriors failed the tests.  She picked misfits, the ones who vexed previous teachers with deeds of mischief and cunning.  Some failed the final test.  If a candidate couldn’t fit into one of the ancient silver suits, they were dismissed.

Commoners lined the roofs watching the ship’s engines roar with fire.  Maggie shouted orders and her students formed a line as the barge settled onto a sandy landing pad.  Giant grapples attached massive hooks to the ground as priests connected silver tubes to openings.

No one seemed to notice suited figures emerge from the ship and join a steady flow of workmen.  The intruders disappeared into the building.  Maggie grinned and flipped the switch on her communicator.  “I spotted three new suit sizes that might fit my recruits.  It’s nice of the Institute to send us a special delivery.”

Trenton watched the infiltrators approach the reactor chamber.  He nodded at his archers and closed the door.  Twenty razor-sharp barbs slipped through special slots in the wall as Trenton spoke into the intercom.

“Welcome spacers!  We’re glad you accepted our invitation to Drako.  Our welcoming committee will relieve you of those weapons.”  A spacer fired his laser.  An arrow twanged and the man fell clutching a shaft in his chest.

“Is that proper behavior for guests?  Lasers won’t penetrate radiation shielding, so don’t waste your energy packs.  Kindly deposit those guns in the receptacle and remove your suits.  We don’t want holes to mar such valuable fabric.  Interviews will commence in your prison cells.”

Trenton felt proud; the archers’ nerves held steady under fire.  The blackened wall was inches from Catherine, but she fired and reloaded without flinching.  The captives followed orders and were soon locked in cells.  Trenton strode off to the radio room.

“Round one victorious,” Trenton reported to Donovan.  “Maggie’s pouring plasteel.”

“We’re not out of danger, so get back here pronto.”

“Can’t I spend one night with my wife?”  Trenton pleaded.

Donovan laughed. “You know Maggie won’t take time off until her reactor’s repaired, so you might as well wait like the rest of us.  That’s an order.”

“You’re a blasted slave driver.  I’ll be there at 0300.”

*****

After the bungled attempt to smuggle soldiers in the hull of the barge, Trenton only allowed small shuttles through the planetary defense system.  The shuttles were barely capable of hauling the machinery for the new Transfer lab. 

Dr. Alexander examined each piece, wishing Trenton might permit the barge one more trip.  He signed the invoice and listened to the pilot complain about the piecemeal delivery schedule. 

Krystal opened the bag and held up a brown mendilium crystal.  “This one’s junk. It’s contaminated with an odd foreign substance.  Where’d they get this stuff?  Certainly the mines aren’t producing substandard crystals.”

Alex shook his head.  He remembered when his scientific team first discovered mendilium crystals and learned to harden them.  It took months of experimentation but they finally discovered the process to manufacture the hardened crystals.  No other crystal could absorb the mind of a patient and survive the high energy to place that mind inside a clone.

“Did I lose you, Alex?”  Krystal gazed into his eyes.

He nodded.  “I was remembering days before the Institute took over.  We noticed deterioration in the quality of mendilium years before our exodus, reflective of poor standards within the Institute.”

Krystal felt shocked.  “Lives depend on good work!”

“There’s no incentive to maintain quality.  Scientific discovery kindled enthusiasm but over the centuries science became mundane.”

“How can we work with substandard material?”

“We agreed to supply quality crystals in exchange for our equipment.”  Dr. Alexander examined the crystal with his long fingers.  Would he prefer to go back to civilization and work in the Institute labs again?  There was always the chance he’d find a way to change things from inside.  No.  They’d lost control over the Institute spans ago, and now he had sick patients who needed his help to survive.

“I’ll send a message to Maggie.  She must increase the electrolysis time and strain out impurities.”

Krystal shoved the brown crystal back into the sack.  “She won’t appreciate the drain of energy.  I’d better fly this load to the vats at Asbohar.”

“Send Brandon and Jordan with the youngsters and dragons they’re training.  I need you to run tests on these components.  We’re near completion, and we can’t get stuck with inferior equipment.”

“I’ll get to work.”

Alex peered at the circuitry through a large magnifying glass, following the thin wires to make sure there were no missing connections.  “I’m sorry to make you perform such tedious work.”

“It keeps my mind busy.”  Krystal saw that Alex tuned her out.  She carried the sack into the storage room and summoned Brandon and Jordan.

*****

Shariel watched the dragons and her family interact, feeling a warm glow in her chest.  She imagined them building a town near the dragon cliffs and wondered what it should be named.  Chacka approached with a dark gray wolf at his side. 

Shariel thought,
Do you finally bring your mate to meet me?

He is not a mate, Shariel.  We must travel with a designated host, who is prepared to take our ancestor minds upon this body’s death.

She felt disturbed and gazed into the gray wolf’s light eyes. 
Are you sick?  I never thought…

No.  It is a precaution, but battle looms and we wanted you to meet our next host.

Do you have a name?
  She bent down to meet the wolf at his level, trying to memorize the face who might later carry Chacka’s mind.

The gray wolf licked his muzzle. 
We take no formal name until the hosting, but my litter mates call me White Tip.

He wagged his tail and Shariel saw the white end. 
That’s a good temporary name.  I’m glad to meet you White Tip, but I hope it’s a long time before you claim the name of Chacka.

The wolves turned their heads toward the dragons.
 
You have new protectors and we cannot follow you into the sky.  Kriegen calls us back to the pack to prepare for duty.  We enjoyed guarding you, Shariel.

What?  You can’t leave now that we’re going to fight the spacers.  We might need help.
 
Shariel’s chest burned and it felt hard to breathe. 

Chacka licked her hand and a glow of happiness spread through her body. 
We stay nearby and will come if you need us.
 

They both heard White Tip’s low whine and Shariel knew parting wasn’t easy for the wolves.  Gazing down at Dazzle, she realized a new life awaited her.  Shariel scratched Chacka’s ear with her right hand and reached over to scratch White Tip with her left hand. 
I’ll miss seeing you every day.  Stay safe and visit whenever possible.

She watched the two wolves climb over the ridge with tears threatening to spill.  Her heart ached.  Brandon plopped down next to her and said, “Jordan and I must fly crystals to Havenshire.  Will you miss me?”  He curled an arm over her shoulder but she shrugged him away.

Unable to share her sorrow, she averted her gaze and said, “I’ve got plenty to do here.  Have a nice trip.”  She stomped down the trail without looking back to see Brandon’s pained expression.

*****

Maggie frowned at Dr. Alexander’s message.  “Impurities require longer electrolysis.  Doesn’t he know that melting these crystals causes a massive power drain?  Now he needs longer electrolysis!” she grumbled. “What if the Institute fires a missile and our shield doesn’t hold?”

Brandon tried to look invisible until the small woman’s tirade passed, but Tessa smiled at the woman she’d always called her aunt.  They weren’t related by blood, but Maggie and Trenton had raised her and felt like family.

“Don’t grumble.  Dr. Alexander won’t be happy unless we give him what he needs.”  She cast a devious look at Jordan and Brandon.  “Since there’s more work in the making, you two just volunteered to help!”

Maggie eyed Tessa and grinned.  “Good idea!  More hands make a quicker job of it.”  The small woman gestured at the bags.  “Take these to the north chamber but don proper suits…unless you want to risk your fertility.”

Brandon’s eyes widened with horror.  “Does she mean we could be…?”

Jordan grimaced.  “I think that’s exactly what she means.  Where are those suits?”

Tessa led them to the changing room and left, avoiding further embarrassment. 

Brandon watched Tessa walk away.  “This sister looks quite comely. Perhaps I should get to know her better.”

“Forget it!”  Jordan frowned.  “Lance is a lot bigger than you.”

“Lance?”

Jordan pointed at the tall man in the control room.  “He’s big,” Brandon whispered, “but not much for looks.  Perhaps I’ll change her mind.” 

Jordan said, “I thought you were interested in Shariel.”

Brandon nodded.  “I try to act like a proper gentleman but she doesn’t notice.  Today she nearly told me to look elsewhere.  I’m doomed to spend my life alone.”

Jordan grinned behind Brandon’s back.  Maybe his sister heeded his warnings after all. “That’s too bad, Brandon, but there are plenty of pretty girls at Havenshire.”