| Phase 47 ~� Lyn, are you all right?� She looked over, frowning slightly. � Yes, but . . . I�m just getting an awful feeling about this, Roni, that�s all. Someone . . . Someone is going to die.� � A lot of people are going to die.� � No, I mean . . . someone close to us. Maybe even you or I.� He hugged her. � You�re just nervous. We�ll all make it through okay, you�ll see.� He gave her a gentle kiss as reassurance. � I suppose you�re right.� She pulled away and climbed up into Axyl S240�s cockpit. � See you after the battle!� He smiled and boarded Andvari, then directed the Omnigear out to do some scouting. All was quiet for a while. Then the Gear shook from a sudden attack. � Damn! An ambush!� He fought off the nearest Solarian Gears and looked to the side screen. � Lyn, are you all right?!� The cockpit was bathed in red light, all the screens blank because of S240�s Wing Shield. Lyn, held only by the harness that cut back into her shoulders and chest, shook her head slowly and looked up at him in mild confusion. � . . . I . . . I�m all right.� She regripped Axyl�s control stick and had the wings uncurl themselves. Checking several screens, she said, � Roni, we need to save power. I don�t want to, but we have to win. They�re playing for keeps this time.� Though he was loath to do so, Roni gave his agreement. � All right . . . But as soon as this is truly over, you and I will return to Bledavik and you will be my queen.� She smiled lovingly. � Of course.� He waited a while longer; looking at her, committing her beautiful face to memory. For this might be the last time he ever saw her . . . No. Mustn�t think of that. They cut the visuals at the same time, but he still felt a tingle on his lips--as he always did when she kissed him. He gave a small smile to the now blank screen. � Desert Goddess,� he breathed quietly. He resumed fighting, having Andvari do periodic checks on Axyl. Just a few moments after one such check, Roni felt a searing pain in his stomach. It distracted him so much that he only narrowly avoided an attack. He frantically tried to establish contact with his fiancee. � Lyn?!� There was no answer. The audio/visual COMs were dead. Static. Once he had some space, he looked down the front line. � It . . . can�t . . . be . . . Lyn!� Axyl was suspended over a Solarian Gear, impaled through the chest cavity. She was limp, though her wings beat weakly. Roni couldn�t believe what he was seeing. It just couldn�t be. Lyn couldn�t be dead. He remembered what she had said . . . //� I . . . I�m just getting an awful feeling about this, Roni, that�s all. Someone . . . Someone is going to die.� � A lot of people are going to die.� � No, I mean . . . someone close to us. Maybe even you or I.�// Andvari blazed down the front line, taking out any Solarian Gear within the range of his whips. He stopped and one whip wrapped around the Solarian Gear�s neck and tightened, popping the head off easily. The other whip sliced cleanly through the Gear�s middle, killing the pilot and dropping Axyl to the ground. Roni had Andvari reach into Axyl�s cockpit and retrieve Lyn. The dangerous clawed hand gently withdrew a mangled, maimed body that was barely discernable as Lyn, there was so much blood. Frantically, he opened the cockpit and all but snatched Lyn from Andvari�s hand. He desperately searched for some sign of life, but in the end, the truth stood out . . . He hunched over her still form, shoulders shaking. � My queen . . .� No one outside knew exactly what happened next. All they saw was a bright white light come from Andvari and level the land within ten kelts. Every last enemy was destroyed. The allies were spared, but only barely. Lacan and Sophia were the only ones who heard it. The forlorn cry of a distraught friend. And in that one moment, they knew what had happened. Lacan began to cry. � Lyn!�~ I released the wings and took to the air. I circled around behind Andvari to stay between it and Weltall, using them as cover. Hey, I�m not stupid enough to fight Neo-Etones in my condition, much less let them beat up on me. Those things pick out anybody on foot on purpose. But even as Weltall and Renmazuo attacked, Andvari didn�t move. I looked at the silent Omnigear and went back over what Lyn had told me about them. Once I had a pretty good idea of how Andvari was controlled, I connected to the normal core power of the Omnigear and then flung out my left arm. Andvari�s left arm shot out and the whip slapped one of the Neo-Etones, knocking it over. It got back up, severely damaged. Despite the pain, I brought my right arm up as I swung my left arm again in a wide arc. The right whip smacked the Neo-Etone back and the left cut it neatly in half. Both halves disintegrated. Weltall and Renmazuo took out the other Neo-Etone right after. Like the coward he is, Shakhan ran. Once I was sure it was safe, I let everything go and fell to the floor. *>*<* Bart stepped out of Andvari�s cockpit, carrying a half-conscious Margie. He noticed a twisted form on the floor and focused on it. � Kris?!� He leapt down and carefully set Margie on the floor, keeping her back propped against his knee. He reached down and cupped the left side of Kris� face gently. � Kris?� Sigurd approached and knelt on Kris� other side. � I�ll get her.� Bart gathered Margie and stood as Sigurd picked Kris up. He turned to the Omnigear who he had not been able to control from the inside, but Kris had been able to control from the outside. � You go to the Yggdrasil.� Andvari crossed his arms. [I want to kill Shakhan!] � Well so do I, but making sure Margie and Kris are okay is even more important!� He glared up at the Omnigear and shifted his cousin to one arm, pointing vaguely in the direction of the ship. � Now go!� [But---] Bart sensed Roni�s presence behind him and knew the other was pointing just like he was. � Go!� came the chorused command. Andvari moved as if to object, but heaved a sigh instead. [Fine.] He lifted up and out of the skylight, heading for the Yggdrasil. They left Fort Jasper and returned to Nisan, where Margie�s injury was treated quickly. Bart was relieved and showed it by immediately getting irritated. � I swear, Margie, you�re going to get yourself killed one day!� She brushed it off like she always had, knowing he was just worried. � I�m sorry. I was just trying to help.� Kris, as usual anymore, was just barely clinging to life. Fei and Bart were hovering constantly, but nothing more could be done than what already had been. It ended up with Sigurd all but chasing them out, telling them that sitting around would only help Shakhan. As expected, and planned, Bart got angry and decided to hunt Shakhan down and take him out. � It�s so easy to tick him off,� Sigurd remarked as Bart stormed out the door with Fei and Maria in tow. He looked down at Kris and made sure she wasn�t getting a fever. � One must know which buttons to push,� Citan agreed. � Doesn�t take much with him. Just pick something that stirred him up before and it�ll do the same thing again, even years later.� Analore laughed. � Sounds like you, Sigurd.� He snorted. � I�m most certainly not as bad as Bartholomew.� � I didn�t say that,� was the defensive reply. In the meantime, Bart was talking with Andvari. [How is Krista-Lyn?] � She�s going to be all right.� It made Bart even more relieved every time he said or heard it. � So how do you work, exactly?� [You don�t know?] Bart hoped the Omnigear wouldn�t always be this difficult. � No, I don�t know! How do you expect me to when I haven�t been told anything about you?!� [All right. Sit down. Tell me where we�re going and I�ll explain on the way there.] � We�re going to the first Gate.� [Oh, okay. I know where that is. Now all you have to do for now is relax and pay attention.] *>*<* Sig had confined me to my room, saying that I wasn�t to leave it except for food. Despite how harsh that sounds, I was glad. Being shot four times and then having to move around like an old lady wasn�t my idea of fun. I was rearranging my room when I heard the buzzer. � Enter.� The door opened and I looked over, smiling. � Bart!� My smile faded right away. His head was down and I knew that something was wrong. � What is it?� I was totally unprepared for what he said. � Kris, I . . . I . . . I want . . . an heir.� I put my hand on the bureau to steady myself. � F-From me?� He nodded quickly, still not meeting my eyes. � Now?� More nodding. And it finally came to me that this wasn�t a joke. Bart is never this serious for a simple joke. � Are you sure?� Still more nodding. � . . . All right.� I went over to him and the closer I got the more I saw the state he was in. He was shaking almost violently and his breaths were very harsh, as if he was only staying alive by a sheer force of will. I touched his arm and lowered my head to look up at him, brushing his face with the backs of my fingers. � Princeling?� I asked quietly. � What happened?� He shook his head. � I was . . . scared. Death was right there in front of me, waiting. It�s never been so close before . . . How can you . . .?� Oh. That . . . � I see.� I grasped his hand and led him to my bed and had him sit while I took off his jacket and boots. Then I laid down, directing him to lie between me and the wall. He complied and I moved him so that his head was laying on my chest, his ear over my heart. It had always comforted him before and as soon as he heard it, his entire body seemed to sink into the bed. His shaking died to a small tremble and even that eventually quit. I stroked his hair and throat and made the customary soothing noises, knowing he�d calm down even more. He put his hand on my stomach and just ran it over my skin. It tickled, but I didn�t say anything. He was pretty out of it and I didn�t particularly care what he did as long as he didn�t get forceful about it. We began to talk; I don�t even know what it was about. I was half asleep because of his ministrations and trying to stay awake, so remembering what I said wasn�t high on the list. I do know that when the conversation was finished, he got up on all fours over me and kissed me softly yet meaningfully. I understood and submitted, giving myself completely. Our hips pressed together and we both gasped in surprise at the sudden jolt of familiarity. As if we did this regularly, which we didn�t. He kissed me again, more hungrily this time, and then began nipping down along my jaw and neck. I tilted my head away and went for his neck, biting gently. We went on like this for a few minutes until he pulled away. He smiled lovingly. � Thank you, Desert Goddess. You�ve really helped. And it doesn�t matter what they all may tell you; you�re not a traitor and you�re not being controlled. You�re doing this yourself. This is our love.� I flushed and smiled in reply and drew him down for a hug. � Thank you.� *>*<* Sigurd glanced at his watch. �That boy is late again. Ugh! Why do I put up with this? It would serve him right if I just---� The door opened. � So what did you want to tell me?� He didn�t bother to say it, opting instead for a scolding. � You�re late. You said five minutes. You�re going to get yourself in a lot of trouble when you�re King if you don�t learn to be punctual.� There was an embarrassed pause. � Well, I . . . I kinda lost track of time.� Sigurd briefly glanced up from his clipboard. � . . . Exchanging love-nips with Kris?� He didn�t even have to look up to know that Bart was blushing. � Shut up! Like you don�t do the same thing with Kiree?!� Well, he wasn�t denying it, was he? � As a matter of fact, I don�t.� � Bullshit!� Sigurd fumed. � That�s it!� The clipboard and pen fell to the floor with a clatter of metal on metal and he lunged at Bart, who met him head-on. They landed on the floor and rolled back and forth, trying to strangle or beat the other. The bridge crew turned their chairs and watched, a few even placing bets. <--Phase 46 Phase 48--> |