Maniacs The Krittika Conflict

CHAPTER 9



They arrived at the town, and Andrews was treated to the finest of care, but Mason saw the fear in many of the locals’ faces when they saw the second member of his team injured. Andrews was laid out on one of the tables in Kaper's bar. They had now been given rooms there upstairs. Liu was leaning up against the front door, looking out at the town going about its business. Mason went up to him. He could see concern overshadowed the former detective, but Liu spoke first as he approached.

"They're scared, Max. Look at their faces. Frightful of what's coming next. They could be helping to reinforce and defend their town, but they have already resigned themselves to accept defeat. Doing what they always do is all they know how."

"How would you feel, Ben? We're a step behind them every time, and we may have given more than we got, but we can afford far fewer losses."

"And what about Mitchell?"

"We can't just leave him."

"Can't we? He’s a junkie and always will be. Maybe we're better off finding a new pilot?"

"No way, aren't you forgetting who saved our asses on Sharini?"

"Don't let that go to your head. Doing your job right sometimes, doesn't excuse your f*ck ups the rest of the time."

"You think you’re being fair? I know how you feel about his habits, but he's been clean a long time now. Either way, we aren't leaving him to their mercy, and that's final."

"They're just buying time to gather their forces," Viktor joined them.

They turned to see the hulking fighter had crept up on them and had been listening in. He lit up his pipe to a look of disgust from Kaper. The barman wouldn't speak out, but neither would Mason.

"Why?" asked Liu.

"Because by now he's probably realised who he's dealing with. I've heard of your crew before. The Captain's name was different then, but I know about a few of your ops. If I heard that along the road, Volkov will know it by now. Your reputation is for going in hard and fast. Surprised you haven't to be honest."

"Well, you aren't as dumb as you look."

He grinned at Liu and puffed smoke out from his pipe.

"But they could also be using it to draw our forces out of the town and secure it themselves," added Liu.

"Not likely."

"Come on, Viktor, you clearly know more than you’re letting on, so spit it out."

They both waited for him to answer, and he took his time, taking another puff and blowing it out calmly.

"Volkov only keeps a small troop around him at any time. He calls on the few militia stationed nearby when he has to, but if trouble really strikes, he has to ask for help from larger Alliance worlds."

"And you know this, how?"

"I know because I know, like I know lots of things. Like you used to be a cop."

"That's really f*cking observant," replied Liu.

"All right!" yelled Mason. "How many fighters does he have right now, and what do you think we can expect?"

"Maybe fifty that he will have called in. The other towns can't afford to give up any more than that. He won't want to call on the Alliance because then he'd have to explain this mess. So he'll bring in hired guns. That'll take a couple of days."

"We could strike now?" asked Liu.

"Long as you don't mind letting your pilot go."

"Why?" Mason asked.

"’Cos the Sheriff's department will have him off world by morning. That's how they work."

Mason shook his head. He was now torn between the two options.

"As I said, Volkov needed to buy some time."

Mason looked to Liu for answers. He looked as suspicious of Viktor as he had done the first time.

“He could be right.”

Liu tilted his head as if to ask, ‘really?’

“Take it or leave it. Drag your heels and your buddy is gone.”

“He’s part of your crew too,” stated Mason.

“Yeah, well I ain’t ever met him.”

Mason stepped up to Viktor and hauled him off to one side, though he only just moved due to his bulk. Mason leaned in to whisper.

“You signed up to this crew, so did Mitchell. We have a responsibility towards each other. You were a soldier, you must understand that?”

Viktor shook his head and sighed.

“You said you never fought in the war, and I can see it plain. If you had, you’d know how much bullshit that comment is. The war was every man for himself. There were as many enemies at my back as there were in front, and cowards and aplenty.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I don’t want your sympathy. Just don’t expect me to care about people like they were my brothers.”

Mason could see there was no convincing him.

“Well, if you won’t care, will you at least help?”

“It was already offered. It’s what I’m being paid for, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

They stepped back to Liu. He could see Liu hated everything Viktor was, but like Mason, he accepted the thug as a necessary element of their job.

“Right, let’s start this again. I want Mitchell back in one piece, so how do we go about it?”

They went silent.

“Don’t look at me. I don’t know this planet any better than you,” Liu said.

The silence was broken by shouts coming from outside. They rushed to the door and saw a column of three vehicles coming down the street. Armed gunmen were on top of the fore and aft vehicles. They were all heavy wheeled and with substantial armour, but the middle one was completely enclosed in mirrored glass.

“Liu, get to the roof.”

He stepped to the middle of the room.

“Looks like Volkov is incoming! Three vehicles coming from the east. Everyone to their positions!”

“Where’d you want me?” Andrews asked from the table he was lying on. He was trying to get up, but Erin held him down.

“Get yourself to the kitchen and watch the back door. Erin you stay with him.”

She wasn’t sure if they were being put into play or being sent to safety, and that made her uneasy, but she accepted anyway. Mason rushed back to the entrance and grabbed his rifle from the chair it rested on. He’d given his favourite rifle to Erin, as she’d grown attached to it. He was using a newer variant that he’d never got on with quite so well, but he always preferred pistols anyway.

The three trucks pulled up outside the bar in the middle of the road and drew to a halt. It was a clear sign that whoever was inside had information on their positions, and that made him uncomfortable. Gunmen leapt from the trucks, but they stood out front of the trucks without any attempt to search for cover, though machine gunners atop the two trucks were protecting them.

Mason was hunkered down at the doorway, only revealing enough of himself to see what was going on.

“What are they doing?” Viktor asked.

He was standing the other side of the doorway with a high calibre carbine.

“Where the hell did you get that?”

“You think I wear this long coat for fashion?”

“I just figured it was part of your whole badass image.”

“Thanks,” he replied, taking it as a compliment.

They watched the driver step out from the middle vehicle and open the door behind him, for what they could only imagine would be Volkov himself. The first thing they saw were boots with raised silver-plated heels hitting the ground. Then they saw him for the first time. He was of average height, though the boots lifted him a little. He wore a three-quarter length tan lightweight but formal coat. Over it was a dark green sash; he had a peaked cap of matching colour. It was a spectacle clearly intended to intimidate.

He was clean-shaven with a pipe in his mouth, which he smoked casually as if he had no care in the world. There was no obvious sign of a weapon on him, an arrogant and confident move in itself. His trousers were pressed with perfect lines, something rarely seen on a frontier world. His tie was the matching green pigment of his sash and cap, the same as worn by the local militia, and the official colour of the Alliance.

Volkov took a few paces towards the bar, stopped in the middle of the road, and stood defiantly smoking his pipe.

"Let's put a bullet in him now," whispered Viktor, raising his rifle to take the shot.

"No!" Mason ordered him.

"What the hell? He's right there. We could end this here and now."

"We aren't ready. We start a fight here, and it'll be a bloodbath, and where does that leave Mitchell?"

"F*ck Mitchell. He's one guy."

"And if it were you taken, instead of him?"

"I'd expect to get myself out of that shit."

"I'll call you to that when it happens."

"No chance," he replied with a grin.

Volkov finally spoke. His voice was confident and strong, and carried across the street and to the surrounding buildings.

"I am Colonel Michael Volkov! Am I speaking to Captain Mason?"

Mason lowered his weapon and stood up to join him.

"He'll gun you down."

"They shoot me, Viktor, you have my permission to riddle the bastard with everything you've got."

"I can hope."

I’m concerned. Viktor’s a wild card and will provoke a fight for just the enjoyment fighting brings him.

"All of our lives are on the line here. Don't do anything stupid."

"Don't call me stupid."

Viktor seemed to take surprised offence at the term and looked as if he were awaiting an apology.

"Just don't get me killed, all right?" Mason asked.

"I can do that."

Mason propped his rifle at the side of the door and strode out empty handed, but in a relaxed manner with his hands at his waist and his trigger hand just centimetres from his handgun.

"Captain Mason, I presume?"

"That's me."

"Ah, the man I have been hearing so much about," he gestured back towards Hunter, standing at the vehicles with a rifle. He gave a scornful look.

"Haven't heard much about you, only the lackeys who do your work, badly I might add.”

He smiled in response.

"Let me be absolutely clear. This is my town, my world. Whatever deal you have made with the people of this town is null and void, unless authorised by myself."

"These people are civilians. They aren't under your command. How they spend their money is their business."

"Yes, up to a point. But as the elected representative, I have a responsibility to uphold the law and quell any and all uprisings."

"Elected? I think some folk here might have something to say about that."

"You know elections are always about picking the right man for the job." He pointed to himself, "I'm the right man for the job."

Mason shook his head. He knew there was no point in pushing it.

"Now, I have a simple proposition for you. Return to your ship, where you can leave with no further consequences. Or, be charged with four counts of murder, and several more of assault. You will spend thirty years in prison unless you are killed during capture. Your crew will suffer a similar fate, except for that pretty girl I hear so much about, and your ship will be sold for scrap."

Mason was silent as he studied the man. He was growing angrier by the second, but his chief fear was that Viktor would be tipped over the edge and start shooting.

"Well, what'll it be, Captain?"

"Colonel, that's a real good offer there, but you see; ship’s broken, and my pilot’s missing. Till that's resolved, I ain't going anywhere, and seeing as that is the case, I intend to make some money while I'm on this world."

Volkov's calm smile turned to a frown. Mason could see he had grown used to getting everything he wanted, and it pleased him to see the discomfort he was bringing the bullying Colonel.

"I could have you shot dead where you stand," he spat.

Mason rose up proud and defiantly to stand tall.

"Likewise. One of my guys in there, he'd happily kill you even if it meant my death. Your men fire a single shot, and you won't live long enough to hear a second."

"What do you think this place is? Some circus where you can come in and make a handful of credits, and leave as you please?"

He looked past Mason to address the people of the town. Some were watching from windows in the shops and rooms above, but he knew many more were hunkered down in hearing distance as well.

"You made a big mistake hiring these guns! If you carry on down this path, I promise you will regret it. I have never used violence against the people of this town, but if you persist, I will have no choice. You will suffer death, imprisonment, and the loss of your loved ones!"

He turned to walk away but stopped after a few paces and looked back.

"Don't die for a cause that doesn't exist, Captain."

Mason didn't respond but only waited for him to leave. Volkov sighed. He hadn't got the response he wanted.

"I'll tell you what. You have twenty-four hours grace to think this over. I give you my word that we will not enter this town again in that time. But when I do, and find you are still here, I will kill you. Do you and your friends a favour, get out while you can."

"Good day, Colonel," he replied.

Volkov climbed aboard, and Mason's attention turned to Hunter. The Sergeant was now armoured up and ready for war, and he had wide crazy eyes that wanted to murder Mason, there and then.

"Listen to the Colonel, Captain," he said. "You don't want another beating, because next time you won't survive it."

He spit on the ground and climbed aboard one of the trucks. The column turned and left. Viktor stepped up to his side, still clutching his rifle.

"Should have let me shoot him."

"You know I couldn't."

"I really don't."

Mason lifted up his comms unit. "All clear, gather up, we got some thinking to do."

A couple of minutes later they were once again at the table in Kaper's bar. It seemed to have become their new home.

"Really think he'll give us twenty-four hours?"

"Yes, I do, Ben."

"Why?"

"Because he wants to avoid a fight as much as the next person, Erin."

"Yeah, right," Viktor grumbled.

"Hey, you might fight for fun, but we do it for money.”

"Your loss, Hughes."

"The Captain is onto something. Volkov is trying to muscle us out without a fight. He's done his best to intimidate us, now he'll want us to sleep and sweat on it. He's giving us as much time as possible to bug out."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" asked Viktor. "Just what you yellow VASI boys always want to do.”

Hughes launched himself across the table and swung a punch at Viktor. His head snapped aside from the impact, but he quickly recovered and hauled Hughes over the table, throwing him across the room into a couple of chairs.

"This is no good," Liu said.

Mason leapt between the two of them, but Viktor threw him aside, grabbing his holster from his side. Just as his pistol got level to fire, a glass thrown by Hella with precise accuracy hit his gun hand. It smashed over the hand and gun, forcing him to release his grip. The fragments cut dozens of surface scratches into his skin. He quickly turned to face off against Hughes when he felt the barrel of a gun touch the side of his head.

"Sit down!" Mason shouted.

Viktor turned around, smiled at the Captain, and slowly reached down and picking up his pistol, holstering it carefully and taking his seat.

"How the hell can we expect to beat this bastard if we’re fight each other?"

"We wouldn't have to if you'd let me take that shot on Volkov."

"There's more than one life we have to be worried about," replied Mason, as he holstered his pistol.

"We have limited time and two things on the agenda. One we have to get Mitchell back. Two, we have to get this town ready for the battle it faces."

"And if those two things aren't mutually exclusive?"

"We'll find a away, Hell. Viktor, you say Volkov is buying some time to get support here. Good, let's take that opportunity to do the work we need to."

"Or we could use it to go and blow his head off."

"No. We're on familiar terrain here, and I will not leave Mitchell to that fate. Where is he likely to be held?"

Kaper stepped up ready to answer, awaiting permission to do so.

"Spit it out," Mason snapped.

"The Sheriff's department has a holding facility about a hundred kilometres west of here. It's where all dangerous prisoners are taken."

"Dangerous?" asked Andrews.

"I meant..."

"We know what you meant, thanks."

"We're gonna conduct a rescue operation amongst all of this?"

"If it were you facing the sentence he is, Hughes, would you want us to try?" asked Mason.

They all went silent as they thought about his situation.

"Here's what's gonna happen. We've already seen the Sheriff and his deputies aren't up to much, so I should be able to manage this with minimal help."

"I'm in," said Hella.

He was surprised to hear anyone volunteer so quickly.

"I've spent enough time behind bars to not wish it on anyone."

It was a surprising comment coming from someone so young, but he didn't have the time or luxury to pursue the matter.

"You volunteer, you get the job," he replied.

"I'll go," said Liu.

"No, you're in charge while I'm gone. Hughes, it's your time to step up. Liu, you'll be down on numbers, so just protect what we got. When we get back, we'll start on the defences."

"We can do it."

"No, Liu, we may think the bastard is holding off, but we don't know. I want you all on watch until the moment we get back."

"And if they attack while you're gone?"

"Well then at least you won't be caught with your pants down."

They all said nothing; knowing there was no point arguing. Mason gestured for Liu to go outside with him. As soon as they did, Liu was at him.

"You're leaving me with that animal?"

He knew Liu was referring to Viktor.

"Have to. I need one of us in each place to keep charge. He might be an animal, but he's our animal. Control him like one, and I have no doubt he will more than prove his worth."

"I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it. You just have to live through it."

They looked out, and the streets were now deserted. Shops were locked up, and nobody wanted to be seen in the open. There was a grim feeling in the air that they would come under attack at any moment.

"Sure you can get Mitchell out with the three of you?"

"I figure I can."

"In this daylight? Not much of a chance for any stealth."

"No, then we're gonna have to use a different approach."

"Shoot your way in? Not like we have the vehicles to do it."

"Not what I meant."

He leant around the door and shouted to Kaper.

"Get Avery to send his truck over here and his driver, ASAP!"

"Shall I tell him what for?"

"Just get him here!"

Liu knew already what he was planning.

"Not a bad idea, but once you're there, you still aren't packing a whole lot of firepower."

"Enough of your negative waves, this is gonna work. Get to your positions, and be ready for anything."

Liu passed him by and headed for the roof.

"We leave as soon as our ride gets here, should be no more than fifteen minutes!" He looked over at Hella. She still carried no gun of any kind. He paced over to the table of guns they’d collected from the militia they had killed and passed one up to her, but she refused to take it."

"Guns are a dirty business."

"Well we certainly aren't in the laundry cleaning one."

"You show me a situation where I would have needed one, and I'll happily comply."

She took a seat as they awaited the truck.

"Kaper, three sodas!" Mason called out.

He sat down and threw his feet up on the table in front of him. He noticed Hughes was sitting in his lightweight wheelchair. He’d powered his exo-skeleton down to preserve the energy for when they really needed it. He never asked how he lost the control of his legs, but it hardly seemed worth asking a man who was clearly a soldier who had seen more than a few battles. He turned to Hella. She still fascinated him.

"So, we haven't had much time to chat since you joined us."

"Not much to say."

"But you surely have a lot to tell. You must still be a teenager, but you fight with expert training. Stealth, close combat skills, knife fighting, and you trained on Melian."

"Melian?" Hughes asked.

From his reaction, the former soldier knew of the planet and what went on there as well. Viktor picked up on it and listened in.

“All those skills and no interest in firearms. If I had to guess, I’d say you were trained as an assassin, but at your age?”

“Girl’s got to have her secrets.”

“Really?” Hughes was now more interested.

“Never heard of Melian, that over VASI side.”

“Yeah..it is,” Hughes replied sternly. He took pleasure in Viktor’s ignorance in the matter.

“So?”

“Why’d you want my history, Hughes? I don’t know yours, or any of you.”

“Career soldier, fought through the war, got hurt, medically discharged, and here I am.”

“Don’t go writing your life story anytime soon.”

“Why?”

“Because you won’t even fill a page.”

Viktor laughed at his expense, and Mason couldn’t help but find it funny. Hughes sat back and gave up, but it was Mason’s turn.

“You this broody and dark by nature, or did you train for it?”

She could see he was trying to hook her in.

“All right, I’ll bite. I was trained to kill, got pretty good at it.”

“Right,” Viktor replied sarcastically.

She kicked back her chair and approached him slowly but confidently. He turned and took a step until his back was against the doorframe. He didn’t know how to respond to her. She passed within his personal space until her body lay against his.

“You’re pretty handsome for a soldier, tall too,” she whispered seductively.

He smiled a little and couldn’t believe his luck. The others were fixated on her actions.

“That’s quite a gun you wear, can I see it?” she asked.

“Uhh… yeah,” he stammered.

He reached down to grip the pistol but found an empty holster. He looked down and saw it had gone. His eyes shot back to Hella. He froze as he felt her blade on his throat. Mason clapped as Viktor was still frozen, and for a second believed she might actually be willing to use the blade. Finally, she stepped back and handed him his Griswold. She sheathed the blade and went to sit back down. Viktor held his pistol in his hands and looked amazed.

“You know what they say about letting women near your money,” joked Hughes.

“Impressive,” Mason smiled.

“Oh…come on. Any pretty girl could do that, but would they if they knew I would fight back, no way! That rich kid could have done the same until you put it to the test against an opponent who wants to kill you.”

“You’re a bad loser.”

“Hell, yeah, I am, Captain. Just never lost before to know.”

The rest of them laughed.

“Okay, so maybe you are trained as what, an assassin? Or maybe you’re just a streetwise kid who’s learnt to get tough or else die,” said Mason.

“Maybe, you make up your own mind.”

Mason turned to Hughes who was still curious.

“You ever hear about VASI training up teenagers for this? Whatever this is. Espionage, sabotage, assassin, whatever.”

“Few rumours maybe, but you can’t believe a lot of that in the Army.”

“Figures VASI would have girls do their fighting for them. That’s about the first sensible thing I’ve heard all day,” Viktor said.

The room went quiet as they all thought about the possibility of what she could be. It was both shocking and intriguing to all of them. Erin had never seen or met anyone like her.

“Could you teach me?” she asked. “To use a knife like you do?”

“Why?”

“Knife fighting is rough work, men’s work.”

“Apparently not, Viktor,” said Erin.

Viktor grumbled and went quiet. It didn’t sit well with him that he had been humiliated in front of them all.

“You know all this is fine and dandy, but in a real fight, you learn to hit hard and take a few punches. You’ll live long and strong, like me.”

Erin shook her head.

“If I ever want to live a life of hard drinking, fist fights, and whores, maybe I’ll come and ask you for advice.”

“Wow,” Mason muttered.

“Hey, ain’t such a bad life,” Viktor smiled.

She recoiled in disgust. She knew he wasn’t joking.

“I’ll teach you to use a knife, but I don’t work for free, Erin. I heard you can shoot.”

“Better than most I’ve ever seen,” Mason joined in.

“Teach me to shoot like that, and I’ll teach you to use a blade.”

“You’re on.”

“Well isn’t this a merry f*cking day,” Viktor sneered.

They all chose to ignore the brash comment.

“All that specialist training and you never learnt to shoot?”

“Lot of things to a job, Captain. You can shoot, but can you fly?”

“Yes, just not very well.”

“Same here, but with guns.”

“You know how to fly?” asked Viktor sceptically.

“I do,” she quickly retorted.

He looked sheepish and turned away to look out to the street.

“Guess that told you, Max,” Liu said.

“You could really fly the Lady?” he asked.

“I can. I just wouldn’t want to. Flying isn’t my thing.”

“Your truck’s incoming!” yelled Viktor.

Mason got up and rushed to the door and checked with his own eyes. It was indeed Ryant’s well-worn heavy haulage truck that had delivered their components, in what now felt like an age ago.

“Hella, Hughes, haul ass!”

They got up to join him, but he could see Liu was still not happy with the situation.

“If they come at us in the next couple of hours, we’re probably f*cked,” he whispered.

“Can you never see the positive in any situation?”

“I can imagine ten million credits, Max, but I’m having a hard time working out how we’ll ever see it.”

“You just hold down the fort. Make sure Vik doesn’t do anything stupid.”

The truck ground to a halt, and Avery climbed out.

“Where’s Cayne?”

“Locked up safe, same as most of the town. I’ll drive you wherever you want to go. Hell, I ain’t doing any business till this is all figured out.”

“All right, I want you to take us to the Sheriff’s lockup where they take prisoners. I need you to fake a breakdown, a hundred metres from their position, and then go ask them for help. Once you and them get back to the truck, we’ll take it from there. Think you can do that?”

“And if they don’t care to come and help with the truck?”

“You tell them you’re delivering some parts for Volkov for a friend of his. You think that’ll work?”

“If they truly believe Volkov has ordered it, they will do all that I need.”

“Then you better work on your acting skills.”

“It’ll take a bit over an hour to get there.”

“Then let’s move out.”

He nodded for the other two to join him, went to the back of the truck, and climbed in. There were a few component crates in the back, but it was mostly empty. There were no comforts whatsoever, except for the canopy which kept the sun and dust off.

“Pretty simple plan, think it’ll work?”

“You just work your magic when they get to us, Hell, and we’ll be in and out in no time.”