Secret War: Upon Blood Sands

Chapter 22

Attelus didn't hesitate to smash his heel into the back of the nearest stormtrooper, sending him sprawling onto his face. The next Stormtrooper spun around with incredible speed, but just in time for Attelus to use the chain of his manacles to send his aim off course. So the high yield las round burned through the back of the skull of another Stormtrooper instead. Attelus ignored the pain flaring through his shin as he kicked the Stormtroopers legs out under him. That'd happened all in less than two seconds.

"Get down!" Attelus roared as he stomped on the prone Stormtrooper's head and threw himself to the rockcrete less than a second before the Elbyrans and the Stormtroopers opened fire. He could only hope Adelana and the others had managed it too.

Attelus didn't see the death but heard the storm of las shots and the screams. The screams of those nearest eclipsed those of the many dying Elbyrans around. Attelus looked up, the Stormtroopers were already dead, but Serghar and his three agents were running west; they slaughtered countless Elbyran guardsmen as they moved. In flawless concert, they protected and flowed around one another, dodging and deflecting incoming fire. The blue power fields of their blades vaporised blood and gore in such permanence it seemed as permanent as the fields themselves. The screams of the dying guardsmen were almost deafening.

Attelus clenched his jaw; he wanted to, needed to charge them. To try to stop their dances of death. But he fought the urge. Even if he were armed, he wouldn't stand a chance against all four. Attelus doubted he even stood a chance just against his father. They needed him, but he doubted they would try to take him alive when in such a desperate flight.

"Attelus!" cried Adelana, forcing him to turn to her. She knelt over him, her brow furrowed in annoyance. Delathasi moved past a scavenged knife in hand, which she plunged into the throat of the stormtrooper Attelus had kicked the legs under as he was getting back up.

"We have to go!" Adelana yelled and pointed up to the Guncutter; it hung over them in the midst of landing. Attelus had been too ingrained in watching his father and his agent's slaughter; he'd failed to hear its screaming engines.

The sound of running footfalls stopped Attelus' reply, and he turned to find it was Tathe. In Tathe's right hand was his activated power sword; in his left was Attelus' own sheathed sword.

Attelus leapt to his feet as Hayden stepped beside him, a stolen las pistol covering the commissar.

But before the sniper could fire, Attelus forced his aim to the ground.

Attelus raised his hands to his face, and Tathe cut. The power blade sliced through the manacle's chain, then he handed Attelus his sword.

The commissar's face was a mask of utter determination; his eyes met Attelus'.

Attelus nodded.

"Come on!" roared Hayden.

"No!" said Attelus as he burst into a charge, Tathe just behind him.

But they were too late. Serghar and the others had already climbed the wall and were leaping out of sight. Leaving a sea of cut-up injured and corpses in their wake.

With great hesitation, Karmen, Vark and Verenth descended the ramp of the guncutter, and Attelus couldn't help feel a wave of relief at the sight of them. Relief mixed with worry at the absence of the others—dozens of weapons trained on the trio. The echo of the battle with the Sovrithians still thundered in the south, along with the screaming, crying of the injured from Serghar's slaughter, were being carried and looked after by the medicaes.

Attelus, Adelana, Hayden and Delathasi stood amongst the Elbyrans. All of them had their manacles removed but still had guns covering their backs. Tathe stepped forward, sword at his side, but las pistol raised.