Deathstalker Honor

distract herself.

'Beats the hell out of me,' said Owen, still studying the data scrolling past him on the viewscreen. The data was moving far too fast for normal eyes to follow, but neither of them mentioned it. They were used to small changes like that. 'He's reinforced the Standing's shields. I'm not picking up anything useful. Which is in itself significant. He shouldn't have access to anything strong enough to keep out Hadenman-designed sensors. So who's been supplying him with tech?'

'We'll have to ask him,' said Hazel. 'When we get down there.'

'Too many questions,' said Owen, finally shutting down the viewscreen. 'Too many unknowns. Why did he return here? Why did he take over my old home? What did he hope to achieve here that was so important he was willing to risk me coming after him?'

'He's here for a specific purpose,' said Hazel. 'Has to be, or he couldn't have persuaded so many people to come here with him. And somebody must have paid for all that fancy equipment he's supposed to have with him. If you ask me, it's something to do with drugs. Everything with Valentine turns out to be something to do with drugs.'

'Or revenge. He's a Wolfe, after all. And Oz says his security systems are advanced far beyond anything he should have access to.'

Hazel looked at him sharply. 'You're still hearing voices, aren't you?'

'I do wish you wouldn't put it like that. And it's only one voice.'

'Is that supposed to reassure me? At this rate you'll be saying you only overthrew the Empire because the Devil told you to. That's going to go down really well with the general populace.'

'It's just my old AI!'

'Then why can't I hear it on my comm system? Why can't anyone else hear it? And you were very definite you'd killed the bloody thing after it betrayed us on the Wolfling World.'

'I thought it was dead. But I'm not as sure about a lot of things as I used to be. After all, you and I have been through a lot of things that should have killed us. Haven't we?'

Hazel had no quick answer to that. So they stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence for a long moment, until they were suddenly interrupted by all the yacht's warning sirens going off at once, the floor rocking under their feet as something really powerful hit the ship like a hammer.

'Oz!' yelled Owen. 'What the hell's going on?'

'You can't say I didn't warn you,' said the AI calmly. 'Valentine's security systems have finally broken through our cloaking shields, and the armed satellites are currently throwing everything they've got at us. Which is actually quite considerable. Main shields are holding. For the moment. Do I have your permission to return fire?'

'Of course you bloody do! Blow the nearest satellites out of the sky and then get us dirtside as fast as you can.'

'Landing coordinates?'

'Not too far from the Standing. Walking distance.'

'About time you got some healthy exercise,' said the AI approvingly. 'You've been putting on weight.'

'Well?' said Hazel. 'What's happening?'

'Valentine knows we're here. And the voice in my head now thinks it's my mother. I'm bringing the ship down fast. Grab onto something and pray for a soft landing.'

'Hell with that,' said Hazel. 'I want to get some shots of my own in first.'

'Why bother? The ship's fire computers are perfectly capable—'

'God, you're a wimp sometimes, Deathstalker. It's the principle of the thing.'

And off she went, up to the bridge to plug herself into the fire systems. Owen let her go. That was Hazel for you. Never happier than with a gun of some kind in her hand, causing destruction and devastation and ruining someone's day. He strapped himself into his chair and waited patiently. At least the Sunstrider II had decent guns. The original Sunstrider had spent most of its short life being chased from one world to another, often shot up and on fire, until it finally crash-landed in the deadly jungles of Shandrakor. When Owen had the new yacht built around the salvaged engines of the old, he had insisted the Hadenmen install as many state-of-the-art weapon systems as the craft could hold. He didn't like having to run. It wasn't in his nature.

And then the ship lurched again, as something really nasty slammed through the energy shields and impacted on the reinforced hull. The lights flickered briefly, and Owen tensed, waiting for the shrill warning of a hull breach. It didn't come, but Owen decided his proper place was on the bridge, after all. Defense computers could do only so much. He ran all the way, but still had enough breath left when he got there to demand of Hazel what the hell was going on.

'Damned if I know, Deathstalker,' said Hazel briskly, eyes fixed on the control panels before her. 'I've never encountered firepower like this. At least, not from any human tech.'

Owen dropped into the seat beside her and quickly studied the tactical displays. Main shields were still holding, but they were taking a hell of a battering. There was some damage to the outer hull, mostly superficial. The Hadenmen knew how to build a ship. 'This shouldn't be happening,' he said finally. 'The Hadenmen assured me we could stand off everything up to and including an Empire starcruiser.'

'Should have got it in writing, stud,' said Hazel, smiling briefly as one of Valentine's satellites exploded under her guns. 'Maybe Valentine made a deal with the Hadenmen too. Or he's been talking to Shub. Or even the aliens. Selling out all Humanity for simple personal gain is exactly the kind of thing you'd expect from Valentine Wolfe. Either way, we are in over our heads and sinking fast. Suggestions of a practical nature are urgently invited. Also prayers.'

'To hell with trying to fight it out,' said Owen. 'Throw as much power as you can into the shields and get us down fast, Oz. Hopefully the satellites are only programmed to hit things in a predetermined area. Once we've dropped below their response level, they should leave us alone. And then let us all hope Valentine hasn't also invested in some ground defenses.'

'Sounds like a plan to me,' said Hazel. 'Can I make the landing?'

'No,' said Owen firmly. 'Let Oz do it. I've seen your landings, Hazel.'

'Spoilsport.'

The Sunstrider II plunged screaming through the atmosphere, wreathed in flames, until finally it fell out of range of the satellites, and the attack cut off. Owen and Hazel braced themselves for ground responses, but there were none. Apparently Valentine had expected his souped-up satellites to be all that was needed to discourage visitors. With any other ship he'd probably have been right. Oz finally eased off the steep descent and searched out a landing spot not too far from the Standing. Owen allowed himself to relax a little.

'It would seem Valentine has powerful new allies,' he said thoughtfully. 'I wonder what other surprises he has in store for us.'

'Something nasty, no doubt,' said Hazel. 'Knowing Valentine. But we can handle it.'

'Don't get cocky,' said Owen. 'Valentine hasn't survived this long by leaving anything to chance. He must have known I'd be coming after him once he set up shop here. He must have made… preparations.'

'There's nothing he can throw at us that we can't throw right back at him,' said Hazel calmly. 'I could have handled those satellites eventually, if you hadn't chickened out. Nothing can harm us anymore, Owen. Not after all we've been through.'

'Cocky,' said Owen. 'Definitely cocky. It'll all end in tears—'

He would have said more, but navigation chimed discreetly, alerting him that the Sunstrider II was coming in for a touch down. Owen and Hazel studied the short- and long-range sensor displays carefully, but the ship landed without incident. Oz made them wait while he ran through his landing checklist.

'Air quality, tolerable. Cold for the time of year, but within acceptable limits. No life signs. All right, it's now officially safe to disembark. For old times' sake, I've put down at the exact spot where Hazel first encountered you, Owen. Just call me a silly old sentimentalist.'

'Shut up, Oz.'

They made their way down to the airlock, and then Owen waited patiently while Hazel weighed herself down with a few more guns and ammunition belts. For all her claims of invulnerability, she still never felt really comfortable about going out in public unless she was carrying more guns than the average armed patrol group. Owen leaned against the steel bulkhead and remembered how things had been the first time he'd met Hazel