Outlaws (The Slingers Trilogy, Book 2)

Chapter 30

Morticia stood in front of the council, who were all listening intently to her every word. As they all knew, the word of the Monarch was law, and anyone who disobeyed that law would pay the price. What price that was, would be left up to her. Morticia was quite satisfied with her current rule as High Monarch. She was the 47th in the line, and was proving to be one of the most successful in history. With this victory, she soon would hold the rest of the keys to achieving the greatest power in the universe, and soon afterwards, gaining control of it. She remembered back to when she had first heard of the legend of the Tablet, which held the secret to the Dorado Pieces, and how she had remarked on how all of her peers had ignored this. She noticed that they had cited it was only a legend, and an old legend at that. But, when evidence came into her possession that might prove that theory otherwise, she became intrigued. She had lead the first archeological team of one of the moons of Tyhpos, a spot from which the first of the hieroglyphs on the Tablet had been translated. After several weeks of digging, they finally managed to find what they were looking for. The ancient markings on the Piece had identified it as "The Cylinder". Or at least, that was the closest possible translation. Whatever it was, it had managed to unlock several advancements in technology for the GDF, which had given them the power to become more formidable than ever before. As Morticia was addressing the Council, a small video feed appeared on one of the left-hand screens. It was the Chief of Security within the building. She nodded at him, then turned to the Council. "Will you excuse me, one moment?" As she turned to the Chief, he spoke rapidly. "High Monarch, we have a situation developing down here."

Elicia felt the first of the bullets take down the soldier holding her arm as they were carrying her down the hall. He fell down next to her, and she turned around to see every member of the crew, including Andress, standing with weapons in their hands, looking at her. She breathed out a sigh of relief, but everyone could still see the look of loss and heartbreak on her face. Nolun was the first to walk over and put his arm on her shoulder. "Elicia...I'm sorry...there was nothing we could have done..." Elicia stared up at him with pleading eyes, brimming with tears. "But why did he lie? Why do it if he knew it would all be for nothing?" All of them were silent until Dante spoke up. "Your brother was a good man. But he was also a con artist. He can lie to people...but in ways that normally no one would guess." Andress looked at him, crossing her arms. "What do you mean?" Dante looked at all of them. "I'm saying he lied on purpose. He wasn't distracting them to make it so they wouldn't kill us. He wanted them to go back to the Renegade for a reason..." Then, Nolun and Andress looked at each other, and said the word at the same time. "Trace." Just as Elicia was about to as what they meant, alarms began to ring out across the facility, the halls flashing red. A loudspeaker blared overhead. "Attention all GDF forces. The crew of the enemy ship Renegade have escaped containment. They must be eliminated at all costs. Lethal force is authorized. Use any means necessary to eliminate them. Shoot to kill." They all recognized the voice as the High Monarch's, making them all shudder, but also, strangely more determined. They all stared at each other, then nodded, cocking their weapons. "Let's move out." Koil said.

The concourse was quiet before the doors to the maximum containment zone burst open with a large metal crunching sound, and out of the two steel doors burst a large hover vehicle, which floated with great speed across the main floor, being followed close behind by an open troop transport, which was much smaller and maneuverable, but carried two experienced men. Dante was driving, weaving the small vehicle around the hover truck, so they could take the front, while Nolun shot every which way with the rifle. Meanwhile, Koil and Andress were providing covering fire from the truck, while Bunker and Elicia sat in the front, more or less driving. They made their way into the crossroads, and took a left down the tunnel which they had entered the building in. Gunfire was raining down from almost every direction, with GDF soldiers and security taking potshots at the two vehicles, but not seeming to hit them, or at least getting close before being taken down by returning fire. Someone in the security booth radioed ahead to the tunnel exit to raise the barricades, in order to stop the two rapidly approaching vehicles. The two hover transports flew down the tunnel, then Dante managed to spot the raising barricade in front of them. He raised his hand and spun his finger around in a circle, motioning for Bunker to change positions. Dante moved to the back, while the much larger and more fortified hover truck acted as a battering ram, plowing head-on and right through the concrete barricade, scattering debris and GDF soldiers every which way. 

They flew up the ramp, and landed on the main road. Dante heard Andress speak to him through her comm. "Ok then, what's the plan?" Dante spoke to all of them. "We get back to the Renegade, find Trace, and get off this planet." Nolun interjected. "What about the Dorado Pieces?" Everyone was silent, until Andress spoke, as if almost directly to Nolun. "We'll get them back." As they were heading onto the road, they saw several GDF pursuit cars surround them, and then one of them produce a strange-looking gun. It flashed twice, then Nolun and Dante felt a shudder from their vehicle as both of it's engines cut out, sputtering and grinding against the ground. Nolun cursed and radioed to the truck. "Just go! We'll catch up!" Andress shouted back at him. "No! I'm not leaving you again!" Nolun gripped his fist on the seat in front of him. "We'll be alright. I promise." The truck accelerated, then turned onto an offramp, while Nolun and Dante ground to a halt on a bridge. Two pursuit cars pulled up behind them, and before they even stopped, Nolun was shooting out their windshields, and Dante ran up to one that was opening it's door, and slammed it hard onto the GDF soldier, taking him out. They both looked at their vehicle. There was no use in getting back and running now. They looked down at what was under the bridge, and saw the hoverway, filled with cars, and looked off into the distance, and could see the truck with the crew in it on the same hoverway. Dante and Nolun looked at each other. Nolun sighed and gave Dante a look of disbelief. "Seriously?" Dante nodded and put one foot on the edge. Nolun shook his head and did the same. "This is a bad idea." They both took a deep breath, and jumped.