Amateur Author

‘Damn, I knew this wouldn’t be easy,’ the inspector grinded as he hid behind a large bolder. ‘Stay down, Octar.’

Jaydon had squatted down next to him, keeping his head out of the line of fire. ‘I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.’

Airsupport started firing on several positions to give the five squadrons of SWAT teams enough cover to slip into the stronghold. It had been build halfway into a mountain; it’s hallways, corridors, and chambers partially carved out of the mountain wall. At the back, there was a large hangar bay, which would need to be secured by several other squadrons. According to the information at the missionbriefing – which Jaydon had been allowed to attend – the old fortress must have belonged to a viceroy that had several of these bases when he kept the region in his grip several centuries ago.

A loud bang heralded the sucessful penetration of the front gate, blown to pieces by the SWAT’s demolition team.

The inspector jumped up from behind the boulder. ‘Wait until I give the `clear` signal. Until then; stay put,’ he ordered Jaydon, and then yelled to his men: ‘Let’s get these bastards, men! Remember that they have a hostage, and she should not be harmed!’

Jaydon also jumped up from behind the boulder, and bolted after the inspector. ‘Like hell I am! Emma is in there!’

‘I don’t have time to protect you, Octar,’ he snarled.

‘I know, I’m on my own!’ Jaydon hollered back, and dashed up the hill towards the gate of the stronghold, unarmed, but quite determined.

As he got there, he pressed himself against the wall for cover. The SWAT officers were dressed in full body suits, constructed of special material to prevent them from getting killed by a pulse blast. One of them had mentioned it still hurt like hell though. Jaydon had been given a vest with the same properties, but that only protected his centre mass. Automatic pulse rifles fired repeatedly at the cultists, who returned fire equally fierce. Casualties fell on both sides.

A squadron sergeant ordered his men to move forward after they had cleared the courtyard of the stronghold. Jaydon followed them in, much to the annoyance of the inspector, who really didn’t want to loose Jaydon to the combined misfortune of his stubberness, and a well aimed or stray pulse bolt.

As the seizure progressed, the police managed to penetrate deeper and deeper into the keep. One team had already secured the dungeon and was checking for Emma room by room. Jaydon figured that at the very least, the leader of the cult would have kept her close by, considering her appearant worth, although he still was fuzzy on the details. He had already figured out it must have something to do with her preminitions, but though they had proved their use in the past, so far, she only had them when in danger, and only seconds before the actual event.

The team Jaydon had followed in headed directly towards the throneroom. As the halls got wider, resistance grew. No longer willing to be a millstone, the young trader had grabbed a rifle from a dead cultist, and had also opened fire at anyone who took potshots at him or the men around him. His aim sucked, proving his innocence once and for all.

‘They are headed this way! Cut them off! Don’t let them enter this room!’ the overlord ordered the guards.

He would watch Emma himself. The Eluvians were still held down in a corner of the room by the microwave blaster set for automatic activation when they moved around to much – or tried to run.

Emma stayed on the throne, petrofied of fear by the overlord. His eyes now spat fire and rage, and his already earie appearance now looking forthright demonic.

The two guards were suprised by half a squad of SWAT agents, and a tradesman. They never got off a shot as they tumbled backwards to the floor, a large scourchmark center mass.

‘Behind us!’ Jaydon hollored, and rolled to the side.

The officers swirled their rifles around, and immediately opened fire on the cultists coming up behind them. They regrouped, and started to hold their position, which was all they could do until reenforcements arrived.

Jaydon heared a woman scream down the hall. ‘Emma,’ he panted, jumped up and ran towards the sound.

‘Where the hell is he going?’ one of the men asked no one in particular.

‘I don’t know, but we don’t have a man to spare to help him. He’s on his own,’ the squadronleader replied.

Jaydon ran down the hall, and nearly bumped into a cultist that was just as suprised to see him as Jaydon was. Without thinking, he swirled the butt of his rifle towards the head of the man, and knocked him out. ‘And stay down, you sick bastard,’ he puffed, and continued his scramble towards the throneroom.

‘Emma?’ Jaydon cried out as he entered the circular room, and looked around.

‘Jaydon?’ Emma cried out from the throne. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

‘Aaaargh!’ With a fierce battlecry, the overlord bolted towards Jaydon, pointing a sharp blade at his chest.

‘Jaydon!’ Emma cried, now panickstricken in stead of suprised.

He aimed the nossle of his rifle at the overlord that was heading for him. The yancked the trigger, and the weapon powered down. Jaydon looked down in astonishment, and mumbled ‘What the…’ Then he realized the overlord was still headed towards him at high speed, and with a drawn knife.

As he looked up, the overlord lept, and swooped the knife down. Jaydon swang the rifle upwards, holding it horizontally and parallel to his torso. He caught the knife several decimeters before it was rammed into his flesh, but lost has balance, and tumbled backwards, pulling the overlord with him.

Emma screetched.

The overlord managed to recover himself quicker then Jaydon did, and slashed down. Jaydon tried to roll away, but the overlord was sitting on top of him, limiting his movements. The knife ricochet off one of his ribs, leaving him with a shallow but painful wound.

Gasping for breath from the pain, Jaydon saw the knife already hovering over his head for a second stab. Ironically, his vest could stop a pulse bolt, but the material could easily be penetrated by a sharp object.

‘Hubby?’ a voice behind the overlord said cloyingly sweet.

He looked over his shoulder, blade still ready to strike.

‘Consider this a divorse,’ Emma growled and smashed one of the earthenware vases into the side of his head.

It broke into hundreds of pieces which were hurled into the chamber along with water and longstemmed black roses. The overlord was knocked out, and fell flat on his face.

‘Hi,’ Jaydon said, a bit baffled. ‘I came to rescue you.’

‘I thought they killed you!’ she cried out. She rolled the overlord off him and wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘Hi.’

They kissed pationately.

‘Octar!’ they heard the inspector holler. They looked up, and saw him bolt into the room, followed by at least two squadrons, who immediately started to secure the room. ‘I didn’t suspect to find you here alive, you little twit.’ He noticed the overlord, and random peaces of vase. ‘What happened to him?’

‘His face ran into a speeding vase,’ Jaydon grinned, laughed and immediately grabbed his side, clearly in some degree of pain.

‘Looks superficial,’ the inspector observed. ‘But those still hurt like hell. I’ll have a medic look at that.’ He turned his attention towards Emma. ‘You must be Emma. Are you alright?’ he asked, refering to her face, which was clearly brused, and a little swollen as well as her generic state of mind and body.

‘It’s just a little sore,’ she replied. ‘But thanks for asking.’

The inspector turned his attention back to his team. ‘Let’s round them up, men. Get those Eluvians to vessel twenty three, they have a lot of explaining to do. Divide the rest over the remaining paddy ships.’

Some of the more technical agents were already trying to shut down the microwave turret aimed at the alien medical experts.

‘Are you sure you’re alright?’ Jaydon asked, a bit worried.

‘You should worry about yourself,’ she smiled, poking his side.

‘Ouch, don’t do that!’ he hissed. ‘You look silly.’

‘I know,’ she grinned, glaring down at herself. ‘You sure can see a lot of me.’ She allowed him to lean on her a little, and helped him into the hallway.

Jaydon clutched his side. ‘What did you mean with divorse?’ he asked.

‘There was a wedding,’ she started to giggle. ‘I’ll explain later. I doubt it was even legitemate. Why don’t you tell me how you found me?’

‘I’ll explain that later too. Right now, all I want to do is lay down. I’m exhausted.’

‘Yeah, me too,’ she agreed.