The Way Back (Champions of the Crystal Book 4)

Chapter 3.1

"We should avoid pairing Miahns too," Sabrina said. "They're more easily incapacitated by the psychic interference. Major, you go with the prince; Scotty, you go with Lady Aurora; and I'll take Lieutenant Lndor. Scotty, first let's have a look at the scans and see if the layout's changed much."

"Here," Ford said, punching up a scan of the palace. "I can't stabilize any lifesigns, but the palace itself is easy enough to map."

"Looks the same," Scotty said.

"Yes," Sabrina agreed, "though I can't say I had any coherent idea of the layout the first time. We were mostly lost."

"The lab's still there," Scotty said, "and the throne room, and those are the important spots. One of the teams should hit the lab right away. I think another one should go here, at the other end of the complex, and the third can start there. I think that's Emalicia's old room. Remember she held us in a room just off that? She might be keeping Mara or Tirqwin there."

"Right," Sabrina said. "I'll flip you for the lab."

"Nuh uh," Scotty grinned. "It's mine, sis."

Sabrina started to protest, then realized that if someone on Stanos had secretly revived or recreated the psychic creature, they would not have been able to do it in the laboratory, which Homeworld's observers certainly knew about. "Okay, fine. Ford, you and the Major take Emalicia's room." Another room Homeworld knew about, and therefore probably disused as well. "Lieutenant Lndor and I will start with the storage areas underground."

Scotty nodded, satisfied, but Ford was looking suspicious. She needed to hurry them all on their way before they got bogged down arguing, she thought. "We'll just have to hope our comlinks will work within the palace. Ford, how are we all going to get down there?"

"It can't be simultaneously," he said. "I'll program the transport capsule to return after ten seconds. If whatever room you're transporting into is too dangerous, that will give you enough time to get back in and come back here. I'll have to go last. And since communications will be uncertain, I'll have to leave the capsule on the surface until one or all of us are ready to come back to the ship. So if you need to get away, the capsule will be in our transport location. Just send it back down once you're up here so the rest of us aren't trapped."

"What if one of the Stanosians sees it?" Lndor asked.

"It'll be cloaked," Ford said. "All you need to do is say the code word while standing within two meters, and it will uncloak. The code word is Rudolf."

"Right. We're first," Scotty said, checking the charge on his blaster and picking up his helmet. He glanced at Aurora, who, though pale, looked calmly determined. "Ready, Lady Aurora?"

"Yes, quite ready," she answered, checking her own blaster.

"Miah guide you," Ford said as they got into the capsule. He worked at the console, and the capsule vanished. It returned ten seconds later, empty.

"Now you, cousin," Ford said.

Sabrina donned her helmet with a sigh. She would rather have gone last, but it only made sense for Ford to do the programming. "Good luck," she said as she and Lndor got into the capsule. "Be careful down there."

"We will be," he promised. "Miah guide you."

The capsule door swung shut. When it opened a moment later, Sabrina was looking at a dark, dusty room. "Looks safe enough," she whispered, stepping out. Lndor followed, and they switched on the lights built into their combat suit sleeves, at the lowest setting.

"It looks like a pantry, but it hasn't been used recently," Lndor replied softly, nodding at the thick dust on the floor that showed only their footprints.

Sabrina called up the map on the tactical display on the inside of her helmet faceplate. They were in the storage area furthest from the kitchens, on the lowest level. She had been betting the Stanosians would use this inaccessible space as their secret laboratory, but evidently she'd been wrong. She realized suddenly just how many assumptions they'd been making.

"I'm getting clearer lifesign readings down here," Lndor said, his voice hushed but excited. "I think—yes! I've got a non-Stanosian one. I can't identify whether it's Miahn or not though."

"I'll take it," Sabrina said. "Where?"

"About a hundred meters to our left, and up one level."

"Right. Let's go."
——————

Scotty looked around the abandoned laboratory in disgust and dawning anger. "Aw, man! How'd she know?"

"Who? And what?" Aurora asked, looking around curiously at the devastated room. The roof had been inexpertly repaired, but the ruins of the vat were still there, along with various pieces of shattered equipment. Anything usable had been long since removed, though, Scotty noticed.

"My sister! I should've thought of it. Of course they couldn't use this room again, not when Homeworld was watching them. I thought she gave in too easy! Well, come on, let's hit the throne room. It's not far, and there's bound to be some answers there."

Aurora didn't respond; she was turning in a slow circle, gazing at the ruined room. "There was a great evil here," she said softly.

"You have no idea," Scotty agreed. The vat drew his gaze irresistibly, reminding him of the final terrible struggle. First they had failed to prevent Emalicia using King Qazhan's life energy to bond the creature to Varla; then Tirqwin had tried to destroy the creature by exploding the vat and nearly himself. Sribarak had saved them in the end, only to be killed by the creature. They had failed at almost everything here, he thought.

But Mara and Tirqwin had had ninety-two years to grow and learn. Mara ought to be at the top of her form by now. Not a kid anymore. He couldn't suppress a grin. She must be incredible. I can't wait to see her. "Come on," he said to Aurora. "Old evils aren't what we're here for. It's the new ones I'm worried about. Let's go find them before they find us."

Aurora looked at him, cocking her head. He couldn't see her expression behind her faceplate, but her voice sounded faintly amused. "Indeed. Ever forward, Captain!"