Deathstalker Rebellion

'Wait just a minute,' said Gregor Shreck. 'These people have offered us unlimited financial support. What's one life, compared to that?'

'Right,' said Kit SummerIsle. 'I mean, she's only a clonelegger, after all. Every time one of them dies, the Empire smells a little better.'

There was a general murmur of agreement from the crowd. Owen looked to Jack Random for support, but he was chewing his lower lip and scowling thoughtfully. Owen's hand dropped to the gun at his side and then made himself relax. The Blood Runners were just holo images. They were no threat.

'Hazel isn't going anywhere,' he said flatly, glaring at the crowd. 'Anyone who feels otherwise is welcome to come here in person, and I will send him on to join his ancestors. Form a queue, no shoving.'

'I have to agree with Owen,' said Random. 'We are not the Empire. We don't sacrifice individuals for someone else's good.'

Scour stepped forward, his crimson eyes fixed on Hazel's. 'Then we will take her. You cannot escape, d'Ark. We have a teleport fix on you. You will come with us now. And we will take such pleasures from the mysteries of your flesh.'

A silver shimmering appeared in the air around Hazel, spitting static. Hazel tried to run, but the energy field hemmed her in, like an insect in a killing jar. Ruby Journey tried using her holo-breaker on the Blood Runners, but it didn't work. Hazel looked despairingly at Owen as he tried to get to her and couldn't. He hammered on the shimmering air with his fists, ignoring the pain as the energy field burned his human hand, but it made no difference. He still kept trying, until the field grew strong enough to throw him back. He glared across at the Blood Runners, who ignored him, their eyes fixed on Hazel. He knew they could have taken her by now. They just wanted to make a point.

There was nothing he could do, but he had to do something. Something. He turned back to Hazel, already almost lost in the shimmering field, and suddenly will and need slammed together in his mind and awakened something dark and terrible down in the undermind, the back brain, that part of him changed and strengthened by his time in the Madness Maze. Power blazed up in him, crackling in the air around him like fettered lightning, bent to his will, and he became more than human as he took his aspect upon him. His presence was suddenly overpowering, his very reality magnified and concentrated into something so perfect it was almost inhuman. Everyone in the Hall stared at him, unable to look away, their eyes held with the fascination of a moth for a lamp, and he was burning so very brightly.

He stepped forward, sank his hands into the shimmering teleport field, and ripped it apart. It collapsed instantly, and Hazel staggered toward him on unsteady legs. He took her in his arms for a moment and then gently pushed her away, handing her over to Random. He wasn't finished yet. He turned to face the Blood Runners, his face cold and hard, and they stared back at him, contemptuous and defiant.

'You think you're safe, don't you?' Owen said quietly. 'You're light-years away, at the other end of the Rim. But I can reach you wherever you are.'

He reached out in a way that was new to him, but was so obvious now the power was awake in him, and his anger fell upon Scour. The Blood Runner screamed once as blood erupted from his mouth and nose and ears and eyes, and then he exploded, spattering those around him with blood and shredded flesh. Owen Deathstalker smiled at their shocked and bloody faces, and then he turned and stared grimly out at the crowd that had been ready to sacrifice Hazel for their greater good. They shivered under his gaze, but still couldn't look away. Owen could feel the power surging within him, demanding to be used, but he clamped down on it hard. He didn't understand it yet, and he had a strong suspicion it just might have an agenda of its own. He concentrated, let the power sink back into the undermind, into the back brain, and became just a man again. Hazel pushed herself away from Random, and moved uncertainly toward Owen. Her face was composed, but her hands were trembling slightly.

'Thanks, Owen. I owe you one. I didn't know you could do that.'

'Neither did I,' said Owen. 'I think the Maze changed us more than we're willing to admit. The power's in you, too. You could have saved yourself.'

'Next time I will. We're going to have to study what we're becoming, Owen. What we're capable of.'

'Talk later,' said Random. 'We don't want to freak out our prospective new friends. I think it's better if they find out about us a little bit at a time.' He turned to look at the remaining Blood Runners. 'And you can get the hell out of here, like I told you. We're fighting this rebellion to put an end to practices like yours.'

'We will have her,' said one of the Runners. 'If not now, later.'

'No you won't,' said Owen. 'If I ever clap eyes on you again, you're history. Now, go back to whatever cesspit you crawled out of, and don't try to get in touch with us again until you're prepared to act civilized.'

The Blood Runners stared at him for a long moment, and then they were gone. There was a general sigh of relief from all present, followed by a low rumble of conversation in the crowd. Just a sighting of Blood Runners was rare enough, without seeing them get their ass kicked so convincingly. A number of people looked admiringly at Owen, but he couldn't help noticing there were just as many who seemed disturbed, even scared, by the power he'd wielded. Owen understood. It scared him, too. As the power within him grew, would he become more than human, or less? He looked around as Jack Random finally called everyone's attention back to him, and the crowd fell silent again.

'I think we've had enough excitement for one day,' Random said dryly. 'We can continue this meeting through the usual channels over the next few days. We'll meet again when we have something more concrete to discuss. Unless there is still some urgent piece of business that absolutely must be dealt with now…'

'There is,' said a deep, authoritative voice from the crowd, and once again people fell back as a tall, commanding figure strode forward to stand before Random. He was a head taller than anyone else present, well- muscled and devilishly handsome. His long dark hair fell to his broad shoulders, and he wore silver battle armor chased with gold as though he'd been born to it. He radiated strength and confidence, and wisdom and compassion showed clearly in his striking features. He held himself like a warrior, and his charisma outshone the overhead lights. Owen distrusted him on sight. No one had a right to look that good.

'And who the hell are you?' he said, not bothering how it sounded.

'I'm Jack Random,' said the newcomer. 'The real Jack Random.'

The crowd erupted into a deafening babble as everyone tried to talk at once. Random's jaw dropped, and for a moment he looked like nothing more than a tired old man who'd had one shock too many. He pulled himself together quickly, but a lot of people had seen the lapse. Ruby Journey moved in protectively close beside Random, but his old friend Alexander Storm stayed where he was, openly stunned. The newcomer stood before his namesake, arms folded across his great chest, his gaze level and challenging. Owen and Hazel looked at each other, but neither could think of anything to say for the life of them. Ruby Journey glared at the newcomer, one hand resting instinctively on her holstered gun.

'You can't be Jack,' she said flatly. 'You're nowhere near old enough, for a start.'

'I've been through several heavy-duty regenerations,' said the younger Jack Random. 'Which is why I've been out of things for so long. The Empire almost finished me. But now I'm back, better than ever, and I'm here to head your rebellion.' He smiled at Storm, who was still blinking dazedly. 'Good to see you again, Alex. It's been a while since we fought together on Cold Rock.'

Storm realized his mouth was hanging open and closed it with a snap. 'You look just like him,' he said slowly. 'Younger, but…'

'Well?' said Finlay Campbell. 'Is he the real Jack Random or not?'

'I don't know!' said Storm. 'I don't know what to think.' He looked at the older Random beside him. 'You look like him, too. Older, but… I can't tell.'

'I can,' said Ruby. 'I've fought beside the real Jack Random, and he's standing right here at my side. Anyone has a problem with that, they can step right up and be measured for a coffin.' She glared at the young Random, who just smiled back at her.

'Loyalty. I admire that in a warrior.'

'Oh, pardon me while I puke,' said Owen, not bothering to lower his voice. 'Doesn't it strike anyone here as odd that this perfect knight in shining armor should turn up out of nowhere, claiming to be the legendary Jack Random, just when we're starting to put things together? At best, he's deluded. At worst, he's a plant sent to divide us. I say we show him the door and boot him through it. As far as I'm concerned, we've already got the real Jack Random, and we don't need some poseur imposter. Right, Jack?'

'I don't know,' said the older Random. 'What if he's right? What if that is the real Jack Random, and I'm just a