doesn't sound like they expect to hold the city.'
Kale was concerned now. His brother was heading into an attack against overwhelming forces and probably would not survive it. He had to do something, even if Tiet hated him.
The two soldiers still weren't paying any attention to him, but his eyes were fixed upon them intently. After a few moments they both collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. The hand of one of the men raised in the air away from the limp body which began to be pulled across the floor toward the security scanner to Kale's cell. The hand glided through the air dragging the soldier underneath, and planted itself on the scanner. The computer responded by lowering the security field to the cell.
Kale quickly moved across the room to the storage locker where his weapons were and broke open the lock kinetically. He removed his own weapons and his blade, then using the hand of the other soldier nearby, he opened the chamber's main security door.
When he stepped into the hall, he found Wynn Gareth standing propped against the wall about ten feet away. He froze, not sure of his next move.
'That was faster than I expected,' said Wynn sarcastically.
Before he could respond, Wynn held out a security code key. 'You'll need this if you're going to get to the hangar and take my personal fighter to Thalidi.'
'How? How did you know?' asked Kale
'I'm the one that fed the information to the monitor in there. Tiet hasn't allowed me to be there to watch out for him-but he can't stop his brother, can he?'
'You'd better get going,' said Wynn. 'And Kale? It's not too late.'
Kale gave him a thoughtful look as though he was surprised at Wynn's insight into the situation, as well as grateful for it. Then he turned and made his way quickly toward the hangar bay. Wynn watched him go before he looked in on the two unconscious soldiers.
He sensed they were unharmed and left them there asleep. To wake them now would set off the alarms to Kale's escape and the battle at Thalidi would be underway all too soon. Wynn wanted the young king to have a watchful older brother on hand to help him stay alive.
XIII
THE Esyia careened around several Baruk ships, firing its dispersion cannon at the targets. With the weapon able to adjust to varying shield frequencies the damage was now mounting. Still, the flagship of the Baruk remained distant to the battle, but Ranul was watching it from his science station.
He had noticed the vessel remaining away from the main group while the others made great effort to intercept any of the Vorn cruisers trying to get near it for an attack. He was conducting multiple scans on the vessel, but one piece of information continued to puzzle to him.
A very unusual waveform was emanating steadily from within the ship somewhere. It was more biological than mechanical and it seemed to envelope not only the Baruk ships, but also the surface of the planet near the Twelve Cities.
The Esyia shuddered as blaster fire blazed across its shields again. The few remaining Vorn ships were holding their own now against the Baruk. A number of enemy vessels had already been destroyed with multiple direct hits from the dispersion cannons, but they were still outnumbered three to one.
Ranul shifted as the ship quaked, then continued on with his observations.
'What are you doing? I haven't heard anything out of you recently,' said Estall.
'Why, did you need something?' he asked without looking away from his data screen.
'Helmsman, head for that group on another attack run,' he said as he climbed from his own chair to join Ranul at his science station.
Few things could have caught his full attention during a full on space battle with their lives at risk, and he wanted to know what it was that could be so important.
'What is it?' he asked as he braced himself against the bulkhead next to him.
'I'm not exactly sure, but I think I might be picking up some sort of coordinating signal being used by the Baruk.'
'What?'
'It's a signal, I think biological, and it's coming from that Baruk flagship. I can't decode it at all and it seems focused on the movements of the Baruk only. It could be telepathic in origin.'
'Telepathic? Do you mean something on board is controlling the Baruk forces?'
'Well, I can't be sure,' said Ranul, 'but it would make sense; at least with the data I have. And if we destroy that control source we might be able to disorient the Baruk long enough to win this battle, especially on the surface.'
'Transmit what you've got to Control on the surface. Let them know we're going after the flagship with everything we've got,' said Estall. 'Helmsman, plot a new course for the flagship of the Baruk. Notify our remaining ships to concentrate all firepower on that vessel.'
'Command being transmitted to the remaining ships, sir!'
The Esyia came around, setting her course for the Baruk flagship. The dispersion cannon rotated on its base as the gunner set up the targeting information.
'Fire dispersion cannon at selected targets,' said Estall.
The first volley of cannon fire struck the shields of the flagship. The cannon compensated for the appropriate shield frequency within milliseconds and the blast penetrated to strike the ship. A large portion of the hull on the port side was vaporized with the hit. Within moments a heavy firefight issued forth upon the Esyia from other Baruk ships coming to the aid of their flagship.
'Where are those other ships?' shouted Estall.
'Sir, they're being engaged too heavily to aid us at the moment. The Baruk ships are attempting to ram them now!'
'Estall!' shouted Ranul from his station. 'The signal I've been monitoring, it just increased its intensity tenfold in the direction of the Baruk ships.'
'Then it is some sort of control signal.'
'Almost certainly,' said Ranul. 'Whatever is aboard that ship wants to be protected even if it means using the other Baruk ships to ram into us.'
'Sir, more Baruk ships coming at us on collision course!'
'Evasive maneuvers!' shouted Estall. 'Fire the cannon at them.'
'We've got to destroy that signal source!' shouted Ranul.
'I know, but we can't do it if we're dead,' said Estall. 'Helmsman, keep us adrift. Look for any way to get near the flagship again.'
'They're forming a perimeter to protect it,' said Ranul as he watched the data screen.
'Tell the other ships to keep trying to break through. I just hope they can hold out on the surface until we can succeed out here.'
TIET watched as his forces moved throughout the suburban area of the city of Thalidi, outside of the shield wall. The shield was operational with the old thick alloy wall standing behind it. He wasn't optimistic that even that defense could hold the city.
The soldiers moved quickly and quietly in and around buildings as they set up positions from which to ambush the Baruk. They were well-armed and well-trained despite the limited time the new army had been in operation. As he watched them deploying, Tiet wondered how many would be going home after this was all over; even wondering if he would.
He pulled his long range lens to his eye and peered out toward the valley of Usai. He could see the Baruk forces approaching already. The range was five miles. Their projected speed would put them in contact within twenty minutes. The image was obscured by an increasingly large cloud of dust being churned up from the valley floor by their army; making it difficult to get much detail on exactly what they were going to be up against.
