them any more.
I was just a helpless bystander to these momentous events that were being played out before my very eyes. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks but I smiled, for they were not tears of sorrow but tears of joy. I just said to myself, “My work is now done.” By now this particular skirmish was over. Its outcome was never really in any doubt as the Kaytons had been outnumbered by more than two to one and, of course, the freemen had the initial element of surprise on their side, which they had put to good effect. No prisoners were taken. Such was the ferocity of the fighting that all the Kaytons in that room had been killed, right down to the last man. The freemen had exacted their revenge. I suppose, when you had been separated from your loved ones and enslaved for God knows how many years, with your home planet and people being mercilessly ground down, then you could expect no other reaction. Not like my home country of England; that had not been successfully occupied since 1066. We could afford to follow the Geneva Convention.
You could tell that the freeman who had killed Drakos had been a leader of men on his home planet by the way he directed the others to set up a defence perimeter as well as sending out patrols to ascertain the progress of the rebellion generally. Then, with six of his comrades in arms, including the seven-foot guy who I had christened the Big Fella, he began to approach me very slowly. The six, who still wore their helmets, removed them, dropping them on the ground. It was just like Freema had said, each one of them had noticeably deep blue eyes. All, to a man, were Vogarans from the planet, Tau Seti. They all formed up just in front of me, smiling at me as they did so. I returned the compliment in kind.
The one who shot me in the arm said, “Please forgive me, Guardian, for what I did.”
“I won’t hear of talk like that,” I replied. “You were only doing what you had been programmed to do. In fact, I think you are the bravest group of men I have ever met in my life, my little band of heroes. And by the way, from now on you call me John. Tell me your name, soldier.”
He told me his name was Crixas and that he had been a Captain in the regular army of Tau Seti. After the Kaytons overran Tau Seti he led a resistance band of fighters until he was captured and turned into a Drone. He told me the names of his men gathered around me but he did not know the name of the man I called the Big Fella. They called him the Big Man. Crixas thought he had been so traumatised at witnessing his family being killed by the Kaytons that he had lost the power of speech, but he was by far the best fighter they had in their group.
He then began to dress my wound, first by tearing away the material of my sleeve and then he produced a dressing from a pouch on his belt. He applied what looked like a square plaster to the wound. Oh, it was nice and cool and really took the edge off the pain I had been experiencing. It was like a gel which partially melted into the wound, while the upper part formed a transparent outer covering.
After completion of that minor task, Crixas said, “We had better try and get you out of here, John. The Kaytons will direct the remainder of their forces to eliminate you for what you and your friends have done. Ask your Guardianship if he can now Transport you out.”
“I will try,” I replied. “Kev, can you Transport me now?”
“I’m sorry, John,” Kev replied. “The Transdamping barrier is still in operation. I can’t even move you to a safer part of Tyros.”
“Thanks for trying, Kev. Notify me as soon as you are able to Transport me.” I turned to Crixas. “Just concentrate on saving your men, Crixas. You’re going to attract too much heat by trying to protect me. I will get by somehow; I’ve got this far.”
All of them looked me straight in the eyes as Crixas then said, “There is not a man here who wouldn’t gladly give up his life to protect you, John. We are all going to fight our way out of here, get a ship and get off this rock together.”
“You all humble me with your selfless bravery,” I replied.
“No,” said Crixas, “you put us all to shame with the sacrifices you and your friends have made to free me and my people from slavery.”
I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Can you move okay, John?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Then we had better make our move now. I will contact other groups by radio and see if we can get Transport ships to pick us up in the clearings just outside the Citadel so that we can get off Tyros.”
I got up and we all very gingerly made our way out of the bunker complex and back on to the surface proper. Of course, for me it meant passing a certain place again that had caused me and two very dear friends so much hurt and pain, which will be etched on my memory for the remainder of my days.
Twenty-four
In the S.I.S command complex on Sontral, most people, apart from the old diehards like Horace or those like Freema who so much wanted to see me back safely, had just about given up hope. Most had their heads down as depression and despondency began to sink in and then, like a bolt from the blue, the screen in front of the main consoles lit up. It was Raygel with an incoming transmission. Everyone was invigorated again and woke as if emerging from a deep slumber. This at last was the moment they had all been hoping and waiting for.
“Put it on speaker,” Commander Vadoran said.”
The operator complied as she said to the agent on Raygel, “Please give your verification code.”
He replied, “Verification code Oscar Bravo Tango Zero 9471.”
“Verification code accepted,” the operator said. “Go ahead.”
“Unbelievably, the Drones have turned on their Kayton masters. A massive insurrection is now underway.”
At this, a huge cheer rang out from everyone in the command centre. At last they were on their way; the end was now in sight.
The agent continued, “I can only assume that you have managed to jam the signal. I am going to help organise the rebellion more effectively. I hope to be back on Sontral very soon.”
Before he signed off, the operator explained what had transpired before leaving to complete his task. Then, one by one in quick succession, the other screens began to light up as they, too, had momentous news to convey.
At that precise moment, Commander Vadoran shouted to the floor supervisor. “Transmit now to all our agents and resistance movements in the outer systems. At least it will give them a little time to organise and prepare for what’s coming their way in a few minutes.”
The Prime Minister managed to catch the Commander’s attention briefly and said, “Well done.”
The Commander nodded in acceptance and then resumed his direction of his staff to the job in hand.
Then the deputy floor supervisor approached the Hellertron Ambassador. “Mister Ambassador, would you follow me, please? We have got you a direct and secure link to your government and high command on Rueatarn.”
He needed no encouragement. First he made formal contact with his people by giving his own unique verification codes. Now, considering he was a diplomat who was used to sweet-talking people and rambling on forever with no concern for the passage of time, on this occasion at least, he wasted no time and came straight to the point.
“Guardians have knocked out Drone Command Bunker on Tyros. Recommend immediate implementation of Verenfunken with all our available armed forces. And I hope you show them the same mercy as they have shown our people.”
The Prime Minister was in discussion with his military and civilian leadership and began with General Siliax. “Notify all ground force and battle fleet commanders to initiate operation Marita immediately. I want to end the war as quickly as possible with minimum losses to ourselves.”
Now, as had been mentioned before, something had been playing on General Siliax’s mind. Now the time had come to speak out and voice his concerns. “Mister Prime Minister,” he began, “I must strongly insist on an immediate and full strategical missile strike on the ten Kayton battle fleets before we engage them with our own fleets.”
“Exp
lain,” asked the Prime Minister.
The ratio of Drones to Kaytons on their ships is about fifty-fifty, not like their ground forces of which seventy percent are made up of Drones. So you could have a situation where up to half their fleets remain under Kayton control, which is totally unacceptable. My boys have been through hell. I want them to be given the maximum advantage possible before they engage the enemy.”
The Foreign Secretary then intervened. “We can’t attack with our missile force. We could be hitting ships that have already been seized by their former Drone crews. How am I, as Foreign Secretary, going to explain such actions to those people’s governments? The situation could become intolerable.”
“I agree,” the Chancellor said, “and don’t forget, the former Drones will have the element of surprise on their side.”
The Minister for War Production also interceded. “I agree with General Siliax; our people on the home front would never forgive us if we didn’t do everything in our power to keep our losses to a minimum. Especially at this late stage of the war when victory is so close. Nobody wants to be the last man to die. Let’s end this whole sorry business as quickly as possible.”
The Prime Minister paused for a moment to carefully weigh up all the options and then, when his mind was made up, he said, “After authorising Adema, Kronos and John to carry out such a dangerous