Doctor Who_ Warmonger Part 3

'Dump that rifle and grab a crate,' ordered Peri. 'Anything.

We'll go with the others.' She tucked Hakon's blaster into the inside pocket of her safari jacket.

They s.n.a.t.c.hed up crates at random and joined the procession, following the curve of the perimeter corridor until they reached an exit gate.

A hara.s.sed-looking middle-aged officer commanded a guard detail at the gate.

He looked at them in astonishment. 'Who the h.e.l.l are you two?'

Kyrin s.h.i.+fted his crate to the other shoulder. 'Local civilian staff, sir. We was ordered to help with the evacuation.'

The officer rubbed his forehead. 'Didn't know we had any civilian staff.'

'We don't want to be here,' whined Peri. 'We were drafted in from the city. Something about freeing more troops for combat duty. When can we go home? We could get ourselves killed here.

Non-combatants we are, we're not supposed to have to work under fire.'

'This is an emergency,' said the officer sternly. 'Every one must lend a hand. Get that stuff over to the shuttlecraft then come back for another load.'

He waved them on.

They went down the short exit-tunnel and emerged into a mini-s.p.a.ceport, a floodlit open s.p.a.ce. It held half a dozen shuttlecraft with loading ramps down. Long lines of soldiers carried supplies up the ramps. There were no soldiers coming out again. The shuttlecraft, Peri knew, were designed to rendezvous with a mother-s.h.i.+p somewhere in s.p.a.ce. The enemy was in full retreat, evacuating men and supplies.

'Where now?' asked Kyrin.

' Not Not onto one of those shuttlecraft.' said Peri. She considered for a moment. 'Head for the most distant and we'll make for the perimeter fence.' onto one of those shuttlecraft.' said Peri. She considered for a moment. 'Head for the most distant and we'll make for the perimeter fence.'

The invisible energy blast of a laser-cannon rocked the base behind them and a section of the dome cracked like a shattered egg. 'Softening-up fire,' said Kyrin. 'Letting them know they're serious before they move in.'

Another blast toppled one of the nearer shuttlecraft, crus.h.i.+ng screaming soldiers beneath it.

Terrified, the surviving troops fled for cover.

'Like somebody kicked over an ants' nest,' said Kyrin with grim satisfaction.

'Come on,' shouted Peri. 'This is our chance!'

Dropping their burdens, they ran for the fence.

They almost made it.

Just as they reached the plastisteel wire barrier, a voice behind them screamed, 'Halt!'

They turned and saw Lieutenant Hakon behind them, clutching a laser-rifle. There was a vivid bruise across his forehead and he looked quite mad.

'Where did you spring from?' asked Peri.

'Someone came along and let me out. I picked you up right away, I've been following you across the base.'

Peri could feel the weight of the hand-blaster Hakon's own blaster in the inside pocket of her tunic. It wasn't well placed for a fast draw and Hakon was already covering them with the laser-rifle. If she could distract him somehow... She had to keep him talking.

'Why didn't you have us arrested?'

'I wanted us to meet somewhere quiet, somewhere with n.o.body to interfere. We've still got unfinished business. You first, little man.'

Almost casually he shot Kyrin dead, watching with a smile as he staggered back and fell. He swung the rifle on to Peri.

'And now for the piece de resistance piece de resistance!' He smiled. 'I have been looking forward to this!'

He paused, savouring the moment.

Peri tensed, poised to go for the blaster. She had no chance of course. Hakon's thumb was already on the firing-stud and he would shoot her as soon as she moved.

She needed another miracle.

The miracle came.

A bright light shone from the sky, illuminating the entire s.p.a.ceport.

A booming voice said, 'Your attention, please.'

As Hakon's head swung round, Peri s.n.a.t.c.hed out the blaster and shot him down. Ignoring his crumpled body, she knelt beside Kyrin and closed his eyes.

'Bad luck, Kyrin, you almost made it.'

She straightened up, the blaster still in her hand. She looked at it for a moment and tossed it down beside Hakon's body. She was sick of killing.

Oblivious to the little drama below, the voice from the sky repeated, 'Your attention, please. Your base is ringed with Alliance battlecruisers, armed with laser-cannon. We can annihilate this base and its s.p.a.ceport and everyone on it. You are being given one, and one only, opportunity for unconditional surrender... Will the senior officer please transmit his reply? You have five minutes...'

Peri remembered her thought at the hovertrain ambush or was it a premonition? Very soon, she'd thought, they would all be dead.

And now they were all except her.

Brand, Lon, Marko, Gina and finally Kyrin.

She'd led her devoted little band to their deaths.

She wondered what would happen to her now, and realised that she was too tired to care.

She turned and began walking back towards the dome.

Chapter Four.

Surrender The return to the dome was very different from her hazardous departure. This time the long grey corridors were empty, the attempt at evacuation abandoned. Presumably the soldiers had returned to their barracks to await an orderly surrender.

She pa.s.sed abandoned offices and open storerooms.

Supplies and files and computer disks were scattered everywhere.

Suddenly she realised that, for no particular reason, her feet were taking her back towards the Commandant's office. It was, thought Peri, as good a place as any to find out what was going on. Presumably her status had changed now that the Alliance had taken over. Besides, the Commandant was too decent a man to take a last-minute, petty revenge. Though it might be better not to mention killing Hakon...

As she neared the office, she heard voices. She saw that the door was ajar, moved quietly up to it and looked inside.

Some sort of ceremony was taking place.

The Commandant sat behind his desk. Behind him stood two grey-uniformed senior officers.

In front of the desk, their backs to Peri, stood two others, presumably officers of the Alliance Both were more or less humanoid, neither was human.

One was short and squat, with a dome-shaped head. The head was set on a short, thick neck.

The other alien was tall and elegant with an elongated skull.

The short alien wore battered s.p.a.ce armour, the taller one elaborate high-collared robes.

They were flanked by guards, ma.s.sive ape-like figures with long straggling hair. They wore leather jerkins and carried blasters the size of cannons.

Peri noticed that despite their different uniforms, all three wore identical shoulder-flashes a giant golden 'A', enclosed in some kind of laurel wreath.

Three different alien races, all in the same army, thought Peri incredulously. She'd heard that the forces of the Alliance were mixed, but this was extraordinary.

The tall, elegant alien was speaking. 'I am High Commander Aril, leader of the Draconian contingent of the Alliance forces.

This is my colleague, Battle-Major Streg, of the Sontaran Troop.'

'A Draconian and a Sontaran in the same army,' said the Commandant, echoing Peri's thought. 'Guarded by Ogron sentries. Extraordinary!'

Ignoring the remark, the tall alien produced an elaborate scroll.

'This is the Instrument of Surrender.'

The Commandant studied the scroll. He nodded, grim-faced, and signed it with an old-fas.h.i.+oned pen. He pa.s.sed the pen to one of his officers, who signed and pa.s.sed it to the other, who signed as well.

The Commandant rose and handed the doc.u.ment to the Draconian officer.

The Draconian took the doc.u.ment, studied it for a moment and then pa.s.sed it to the Sontaran. Both came to attention, as did the Ogron guards.

'Your surrender to the forces of the Alliance is accepted in the name of the Supremo,' said the Draconian gravely. 'You and your men are now prisoners of war. You will be honourably treated according to the Intergalactic Convention. If your government agrees to withdraw from the current conflict, you will all be allowed to return to your home planet.'

The Commandant looked surprised. 'That is a very generous offer.'

'The Supremo is merciful where mercy is deserved.'

The harsh voice of the Sontaran took over. 'However, I must warn you that any violation of parole, any attempt at renewed resistance, will be ruthlessly put down.'

Good cop, bad cop, thought Peri.

'Meanwhile, we will accept the parole of such officers as wish to render it,' said the Draconian.

The Commandant rose and saluted. His officers saluted. The Alliance officers returned the salute.

The Commandant and his officers moved around to the front of the desk, and the Alliance officers took their place behind it. The Draconian, evidently the senior, took the chair, and the Sontaran stood at his right shoulder.

Power had been transferred.

All very civilised, thought Peri. You'd never think the Commander had been prepared to shoot her not long ago, or that the Alliance officers had threatened to wipe out the base and everyone inside.

Soldiers were weird.

Peri could see the aliens' faces now. She studied the round, rough-skinned features of the Sontaran, the burning red eyes under bristling brows, the snout of a nose and the almost lipless mouth.

They made a strange contrast to the long, elegant face of the Draconian with its slanting green eyes.

Commandant Nadir sighed, looking suddenly weary 'If that is all, High Commander, I will return to the barracks and look after my men.'

The Draconian looked sharply at him. 'You give your parole?'

'I do, and so do my staff officers.'

The Commandant looked to his officers for conformation.

They came to attention and chorused. 'We give parole.'

'Very well. You may go, gentlemen.'

As the little group started to move, the Sontaran held out a spade-like four-fingered hand to stop them. 'Wait!' He turned to the Draconian. 'With respect, High Commander, there is the Enquiry.'

'Yes indeed, the Enquiry. Continue, Battle-Commander.'

The Sontaran's burning red eyes swept over the little group of captured officers.

'We are anxious to trace a missing human, originally from the planet Earth, recently reported by our Intelligence Section to be leading a group of guerrillas on this planet. If you have any information...'

The Commandant frowned. 'My men captured a group of guerrillas last night. Their leader claimed to be from old Earth.'

The Sontaran leant forward. 'Where are these guerrillas now?'

'They escaped when you attacked our base. Some of them were killed in the process. I've no idea what happened to the survivors, if any. They're probably all dead by now.'