'I thought you might say that.'
'You take the weapons console up front.'
'Aye, Captain.'
The canopy came back down again as Kale fired up the engines and other systems came on line. Emil placed the targeting lens on his head and adjusted it to his eye. The targeting icon blinked to life as the forward cannons began to track his head movements.
'Here they come,' said Kale looking toward the access door from the house.
Soldiers began to file through it with their weapons trained on the ship.
Emil activated one of the wing turrets which immediately tracked with the lens toward the soldiers. The cannon blazed to life with fast repeating laser blasts from the rotating barrel assembly, cutting the soldiers down in a moment.
'Let's get out of here,' said Kale as he raised the ship off of the platform and began to move it toward the hangar opening ahead. A Vorn troop transport came into view ahead of them, trying to come into the garage bay.
'Shred it!'
'I'm on it!' said Emil as he activated the forward cannons.
Rapid laser fire filled the troop transport's cockpit causing it to burst outward. The transport dropped out of the way as Kale moved the Whiplash out of the garage bay and punched it-they sprang away from the area fast.
'Where do we go now?' asked Emil.
'We'll head for Wynn's and see if he knows where Father is and what's going on.'
WYNN heard a familiar engine sound as the airbus continued to carry him toward the Soone home. He could see Tiet's ship blasting away from their home fast. The Whiplash came around hard and sailed by overhead as Wynn flailed his arms to flag them down. Apparently they did not see him.
The airbus brought him into view of the hill where the Soone home was and he could see smoke billowing off of a smoldering pile of wreckage just outside of the garage bay entrance. It appeared to be a troop transport or what was left of it. Must have got here too late, he thought.
It was likely that Tiet was coming to see if his home had come under attack as well. He needed to get back and meet up with him and find out if he knew what was going on.
Wynn sent a thought to open the bus door as he grabbed the ledge along the roof and swung down and inside. The driver looked surprised as Wynn adjusted his garments and produced a transit card to slide along the reader.
'Sir, this bus has been commandeered by the military,' said the driver meekly.
'What?'
He turned to see a group of soldiers, both Vorn and Castillian, beginning to rise with their weapons drawn as they realized who he was.
'Oh, you've got to be kidding.'
Laser flashes erupted between the soldiers and Wynn as he intercepted several blasts with his kemstick. With a thought he sent all of the soldiers crashing out through the airbus windows. They fell a hundred feet down to the pavement below the airway lanes; leaving only Wynn and the shocked bus driver on board.
'Alright sir, turn this bus around and head back to these coordinates,' said Wynn punching them into the driver's navigation system.
'Y-yes sir.'
Wynn sat down in one of the chairs as the driver brought the large vehicle around and headed back toward his home.
DAOOTH waited as the intercom chimed for Teman's reply to his message.
'Yes?'
'Councilman, I was informed something has happened to Councilman Licoure; what's going on?!'
'Your king killed him. I told you he was no good, but you wouldn't listen. We'll be lucky if he's not already organized the Horva against us.'
'That's absurd!'
'And yet Licoure is dead; killed with Tiet's own blade.'
'I can't believe it, there must be another explanation.'
'Believe it, Daooth. Estall has arrested him and put him into a special containment chamber. He's not going anywhere until he is tried by the Council.'
'When is that taking place?'
'The Council will be meeting in emergency session in several hours to decide what action to take.'
'May I be present at that meeting, Sir?'
'If you want. But don't expect to sway our decision by your love for the man. We will have justice in the matter. Be at the council chamber in two hours; the meeting will be a closed session.'
The transmission was cut by Teman before he could reply further. He immediately punched in the transmission code for Wynn's home. The screen returned a 'No Reply' signal. That was odd. He knew that Wynn was supposed to be at home this evening and he hadn't said anything about Tiet's involvement in the murder when he had talked to him hours before. He tried the secure band that fed to Wynn's personal com-link.
On board the airbus, Wynn's com-link beeped at him from his collar pin.
'Wynn here.'
'Wynn have you heard what's happened to Tiet?!'
'I know our troops have turned on us. I was just attacked by a full squad at my home.'
'Councilman Teman told me that Tiet has killed High Councilman Licoure, but I don't believe it.'
'Of course he didn't, but where is he now?'
'Teman said that Estall has arrested him and placed him in a special containment chamber of some sort, but I'm not sure where.'
'I know where it is. But why did the council order the attack on me?'
'I'm not sure; Teman didn't mention anything about you at all. Something is happening, Wynn, something behind the scenes.'
'When I was under attack I sensed what I believe was the presence of the symbiotic creature that inhabited the Baruk years ago. I wouldn't trust anyone at this point. Anyone associated with the council or Estall and the military should not be trusted; in fact I think we should meet up at Nagon-Toth until we can decide what to do.'
'How could those things have survived? I thought we wiped out the Baruk?'
'I don't know; it just doesn't make any sense.'
'I have a meeting with the Council in two hours; they say they're going to decide what to do with Tiet.'
'Skip it. It's not safe to be around them now. It could be a trap. They know you are affiliated with Tiet. Just meet me at Grod's compound as soon as you can.'
'Alright, Daooth out.'
Wynn wasn't going to the detention facility now. He had no chance of breaking in or out of it with the military guarding Tiet and looking for him. He needed Grod's help. He had one device that could get them in and out without a problem.
'Driver, change course. I want you to head for the compound at Nagon-Toth.'
'But that's where the Horva are!'
'It wasn't a request,' said Wynn leaning to the ear of the driver.
'Yes, Sir.'
XVII
