Their reactions were sharper than those of the Illuminated Ones. They began firing before some of the enemy even began to move.
It was then that Dean saw Mildred, over the top of the barrier, come charging around a blind corner at the head of a party of Amazons.
DOC’S WAR WAS as he had expected. Hard, and a war of attrition rather than swift movement. Once out of the elevator, the party he was attached to dug into the corridor beyond, and were as firmly entrenched as their enemies. Blasts of laser fire and stray shots were exchanged, but a stalemate had been reached.
Doc was secreted behind a pillar on the opposite side of the corridor to Margia, and he looked across at her.
“My dear lady, I fear this will continue in stalemate unless someone finds a way to break the deadlock. I regret to say that I am bereft of both ideas and weaponry for this, but perhaps you are carrying something. A gren, mayhap, would scatter the enemy to the winds, and make them easier to deal with.”
Doc’s attention was focused on the bag of ammo, flares and grens that the blond armorer carried on her back, strapped to her shoulders. However, he realized from the sly grin that spread across her face that her mind had traveled along another track.
Margia unshouldered the laser blaster she had been cradling so lovingly since they entered the elevator some time before.
“Well, honey, if you think this is the right time,” she said in a teasing tone of voice to Doc.
He shook his head urgently. “No, that was not what I meant at all. I do not think—”
But he was cut off from any further comment as Margia swung herself out into the middle of the corridor, leveling the laser blaster and firing a beam into the heart of the opposing forces. She swept the laser rifle in an arc that covered the width of the corridor, the beam tracing from one side to the other, spreading a line of heat death.
She caught three of the defending party by surprise, searing into limbs and torsos, causing them to fall writhing to the floor in agony.
The confusion caused by the sudden appearance of one of their own weapons among the opposition caused the sec force to cease firing. Those who hadn’t been chilled or injured scattered, heading for the nearest junction and a chance to regroup and plan.
Watching them run, Margia cackled wildly before turning to her party. “Come on, sweeties, this is going to be piss easy,” she yelled before whooping triumphantly.
“I wish I could share such sentiments,” Doc muttered to himself worriedly.
THE MAIN QUORUM watched on monitors as their forces were ravaged by the attacking Gate war parties.
The main vid rooms on the highest level of the redoubt had long since been rendered useless, and were now past the area captured by the Gate. But on each level there were rooms where the ruling elite of the Illuminated Ones—whoever may be in that office at the given time—could observe an overall picture of the redoubt from a series of smaller screens that were in constant action. Many of these, representing the higher levels of the redoubt, were now blank, the casualties of war.
Simon Rack still stood with Jorgensen, acting as trained observer to point out anything the sec chief might miss. It pained him that the only things he could point out were disasters for the sec chiefs troops.
“What are we going to do, Al?” Rack asked, not wanting to point out another setback as the party led by Gloria and Ryan advanced farther into the redoubt.
Jorgensen shrugged. “What we should have done all along—immediate evac. I doubt if they could follow us through the mat-trans, especially if we use the fail-safe program. Should have done it straightaway,” he added softly, a note of sadness in his voice. Turning to the quorum, he said, “That’s my suggestion. Immediate evac. There’s no way we can beat them now. All we can hope to do is hold them back until evac is complete. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, Al,” said one of the quorum. “You did your best. That’s all we can ask. Hell, we’ve all been secluded here too long. At least we can learn that from this debacle. Well, you’re in charge in a situation like this, Al, so I guess it’s up to you to give the order.”