+------------------------------------------------------+ | This work is licenced under a Creative Commons | | Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 3. 0 | | Licence. | | | | http://creativecommons. Org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3. 0/ | +------------------------------------------------------+ HOSTAGE A Terran Empire story by Ann Wilson Copyright (C) 1992 by Ann Wilson Nemra, 2555 CE The crash must've been more realistic than he'd planned, Ranger EstebanTarlac thought groggily as he regained consciousness. His head hurtwhere something had hit it, and his body ached in a pattern thatmatched the crash webbing's. But at least one thing was goingaccording to plan: he'd obviously been captured by the rebels, since hewas hanging by his wrists with his arms stretched painfully apart--andonly the rebels, on this world, would be willing to risk treating aRanger with such hostility. He blinked a couple of times, then got his feet under him andstraightened, taking the weight off his arms. A look around satisfiedhim that he was indeed a prisoner of the rebels--and on display in themiddle of their base. That detail hadn't been part of his plan, butshouldn't affect it adversely. Even from here, the base looked likethe large recreation area it supposedly was; if Tarlac hadn't beenfamiliar with sensor data that showed it was actually close to theequivalent of a planetary defense base, as far as equipmentwent--personnel were a different matter--he would have thought himselfat the main campfire site of a particularly prosperous commercial campingarea. "So Your Highness finally decided to honor us by waking up. " Tarlac winced inwardly at the sarcasm in the man's voice. It was thefirst time since he'd become a Ranger that he'd experienced openhostility, though he'd known from the beginning that sooner or later hewould. He looked toward the voice, immediately recognizing the olderman as Lord Robert Kaplan, second child of Count Jonathan Kaplan andthe reported leader of this rebellion. "Your hospitality leavessomething to be desired, my Lord. I hope you're giving my pilot andbodyguards better treatment than you're giving me. " "In a manner of speaking, " Lord Robert said. "They, at least, are inno discomfort. " "They're dead?" "I'm afraid so, " Lord Robert said. "Not that you would really care. " The rebel leader was mistaken there, Tarlac thought grimly. He didcare, very much, about the Navy pilot and the four Security DivisionMarines who had volunteered for the mission that had cost them theirlives--but he couldn't let those feelings show. "What do you plan todo with me?" "Trade you for rule, I think, rather than fight for it, " Lord Robertsaid consideringly. "That way, none of my people suffer. And I thinkI should be able to get . . . Oh, a Subsector at least for you. " In spite of his position, Tarlac had to laugh. Lord Robert wasdeluding himself if he honestly thought the Emperor would make thatsort of trade! "You must know better than that, my Lord. The Empiredoesn't make deals with criminals. " "I think His Majesty will make this one, Highness. You are, after all, his newest Ranger, and he is bound to want to keep you; Rangers, forwhatever reason, are scarce enough to be worth trading for an entireSector. " Lord Robert looked thoughtful. "Yes, a Sector would be evenbetter. Myself as Duke, my lieutenants as Earls and Counts, otherofficers as Barons--that would be just enough. " He scowled. "Theremay even be places for my beloved parents and sister, once theyacknowledge that I am truly the best of them, cheated out of what isdue me by the accident of being born second. " "You're welcome to try, but you'll be disappointed. " Tarlac remainedoutwardly impassive, though he was becoming convinced that Lord Robertwas, to use the Marine expression, firing from a dead powerpack. Well, he could manage to tolerate a couple of days like this while LordRobert called the Palace and tried to negotiate; then the time limithe'd given the colonel in charge of his ship's Marine forces wouldexpire, a company or more of power-armored Marines would land to pullhim out and take prisoners, then--if necessary, which he hoped itwouldn't be--his ship would destroy the base and any of its personnelwho chose not to surrender. "We'll see, " Lord Robert said, smiling. "In the meantime, I think yourcapture is cause for celebration. " His people evidently agreed; not long after he left, they began partypreparations, bringing out folding tables and loading them with foodand drink--mostly drink. Their festive mood didn't extend to the youngRanger, though; Tarlac found himself the object of curses, gloating, and comments about what most would like to do with the ranking Imperialofficer who was so totally in their power. Tarlac ignored curses and threats alike, since there was nothing hecould do for the moment, and since he was convinced that nothingserious would be done to him, whatever was threatened. He'd neverheard of anyone deliberately injuring or killing a Ranger, which wasn'tsurprising; the punishment was death, with no reduction of sentence ormitigating circumstances allowed. He didn't notice--and wouldn't havecared--that his disregard of their threats made the rebels moredetermined to break through the reserve that was so much a part of himthat he never noticed it. As dusk turned into night and the campfire was lit, the party got bothloud and violent enough that he couldn't disregard it any longer. Eventually, one of the rebels brought out an animal whip, suggesting itmight be fun to see if they could get some amusement out of the damnedImperial. * * * * * Somehow, Dave Scanlon thought, being held prisoner by a bunch of rebelsjust wasn't what it was cracked up to be. He wasn't even locked up, and his guard had won every one of their chess games so far! Oh, therebels themselves seemed to be having a good enough time--it soundedlike a fun party--but he was bored. Then he heard something odd, andlooked around. "Hey, Theo, what was that?" His guard moved a knight before replying. "Check. What was what?" Dave scowled at him, waiting for the sound to come again. "That, " hesaid when it did. "It sounded like a scream. " The guard listened for a moment, then frowned as the sound came yetagain. "Bad news, if it's what I think. " Dave shivered at hisexpression as he went on. "Don't do anything stupid while I'mchecking, kid. This could be serious. " "I won't, " Dave promised, impressed into obedience despite himself. He'd tried escaping a couple of times since he'd been foolish enough totry replenishing his supplies at what had seemed to be a commercialcamp, but he'd been recaptured quickly; now he endured his captivitystolidly. "Good enough. I'll be back as soon as I can. " Theo left the tent theyshared, with Dave following him as far as the entrance. It was dark, so he saw only fire-glow from the central area--but from here, he couldhear a slapping noise like something hitting flesh before anotherscream broke through the party sounds. It made him wish again that hewas back in his own tent, maybe five kilometers away. His parents hadlet him go camping alone to celebrate his fourteenth birthday, and thathad been a lot more fun than this . . . Moments later Theo returned, looking grim. "It's time for you to getout of here, kid. Lord Robert's gone beyond trying to kick out his bigsister; this ain't just a family fight any more, it's treason againstthe Empire. " He paused. "I'd get out myself, but maybe I can help theRanger by sticking around. Think you can slug me convincingly withthat lamp, then get the hell back home? There're grav-hoppers in theparking area just south of the camp, and it's drunk enough out that youshould be able to duck what guards're left. " "Ranger!" Dave exclaimed, horrified. "That's a Ranger--" He broke offat Theo's expression. "Yeah . . . I think I can. " Then he'd see whathe could do! "Okay. Do a good job; I'll need a fair-sized lump to convince hisLordship. " Theo turned his back to his prisoner. Dave picked up the lamp and hefted it, thinking. He and Theo bothwanted to help the Ranger, so he'd have to make his escape look real--buthe didn't want to hurt Theo, who'd been as good to him as possibleunder the circumstances. He took a deep breath, gave the lamp a coupleof practice swings, and then brought it down with what he hoped wouldbe the right amount of force. Without a sound, Theo collapsed. "Hey, it worked!" Dave exclaimed, a little surprised. Then he frowned as a sudden thought struck him, and he knelt besideTheo's limp form. A blow like that, he'd read, could sometimes kill!But thankfully this time it hadn't; he was relieved to find his guardstill breathing. Theo might play a mean game of chess, but for a rebelhe was okay. Dave started to leave the tent, but it occurred to himthat it would look better if he took Theo's gun. He did so, slipping the heavy disruptor pistol into his belt. He knewhow to use it; his mother had been an Imperial Marine, and had madesure her husband and children knew how to handle all the weapons she'dbeen trained on. He checked to be sure the area was clear, then leftthe tent. Everyone seemed to be near the main fire at the center ofcamp, but he kept to cover anyway. He knew he should leave withoutstopping for anything, but he couldn't. Not with a Ranger beinghurt . . . The cries of pain were weaker, and as Dave made his way toward thefire, he found himself hoping the Ranger would pass out. He wasgetting too close to stay on the ground, though; he climbed one of thetrees that ringed the campfire and made his way along a limb until hecould see what was going on through the leaves. Almost immediately he ducked back, half-sick and not wanting to believewhat he'd seen. He'd known it would be bad, the sounds hadn't left anydoubt of that--but knowing didn't make it any easier to watch anImperial Ranger being beaten, maybe to death. Dave's first impulse wasto start shooting, but even as he reached for the disruptor in his belthe realized that would do more harm than good. Firing into the rebelswould just get him recaptured, maybe killed, and that wouldn't doeither him or the Ranger any good. There were too many rebels, and itlooked like they were all mean-drunk. Where in Chaos were the Marines? Dave thought desperately. They shouldbe here, stopping this! In the holos, they always came to the rescue--butin his mother's stories, they were sometimes too late. He inchedforward again, horrified fascination making it impossible for him tolook away. The Ranger's cries had subsided to moans, his body jerkingat every impact of the whip the rebels were taking turns using on him. After what seemed like hours, even the moans ceased, and he hung limpin his bonds. With the entertainment over, the rebels lost interest in theirprisoner, and the ones who hadn't already been overcome by therefreshments wandered away, too drunk--or, Dave thought bitterly, tooconfident of the Ranger's helplessness--to bother posting guards. Hedescended from his perch, careful not to lose the disruptor. He didn'tdare use it now, it was too noisy, but it could come in handy later. Right now what he needed was a quiet way to cut the Ranger's bonds. Maybe one of the passed-out rebels carried a knife he could use--mostpeople did, in the wilderness. The dying firelight provided just enough illumination for him to findwhat he needed on the second rebel he checked. It was an expensivehunting knife, and he hesitated for a moment, feeling a twinge of guiltat taking it even from a rebel. But the twinge didn't stop him; he had to help the Ranger! He staredfor a moment at the limp figure in the torn and bloody forest-greenuniform, then moved toward the south. He had to get transportationfirst; he was strong for his age, but he didn't think he could carry ordrag that much dead weight--he shuddered at that thought--very far. The parking area was guarded, though it was obvious that the two onduty had been doing their share of drinking. Dave thanked any gods whomight be listening that the rebels didn't come at all close to Marinestandards; if they had, a fourteen-year-old civilian wouldn't have hada chance. Even as it was, he'd be lucky to get out. Not that he didn't have some things going for him, he thought as hestudied the layout of the parking area and the way the guards werenegotiating their patrol routes. First was surprise, since theywouldn't know he was free and wouldn't consider him much of a threat ifthey did see him. Add that he was armed, something else they wouldn'texpect--and, he thought grimly, that he had paid a lot of attention tohis mother's stories and teaching. He might be young, but he had asmuch theoretical combat knowledge as anyone who hadn't been through theAcademy, and he was willing to use gun and knowledge both to help theRanger. But right now, stealth was better than a confrontation. He made his way cautiously to an aidvan, finding as he'd half-expectedthat it wasn't secured; aid vehicles had to be ready to go at amoment's notice. He would have liked to take the van, considering theRanger's injuries, but he didn't dare; he needed something that wasboth more maneuverable and less noticeable. He also didn't have thetraining to make use of its resources, at least not enough to make itworth the tradeoff. But he could take things he knew how to use, likebandages, emergency blankets, a survival kit, and rations; he stuffedthose into a carrying sack, then went forward to check the controls. This was a rebel camp, after all, so the vehicles shouldn't requirepersonal ID to operate; if it was like most large fleets a single codeshould be able to activate anywhere from five to a couple of decadevehicles. And the aidvan ought to have one of the code cards in theslot, ready to go . . . Dave grinned in satisfaction when he got to the driver's position. Convenience, as he'd hoped, had overcome security, something his mothersaid disapprovingly even happened sometimes with Marine units; the cardwas in the slot. He took it, then grabbed his supplies and hurriedinto the next vehicle in line. He breathed a sigh of relief when the card proved to activate thisvehicle as well; he might have had to go through a decade or so. Nowto see if it had . . . Yeah, good. Lord Robert might be a rebel, withcreeps--well, mostly creeps, Theo was okay--for followers, but he hadgood equipment. This had variable coloration, which Dave promptly setfor camouflage, as well as convertible capability, a light-enhancingwindscreen, and a low-power setting that made the whine of null-gravengines almost inaudible. Making use of the last two, Dave took thevehicle carefully out of the parking area. Really good equipment hadits disadvantages, too, he knew, ; he'd have to get the Ranger, get outof camp, and find a hiding place fast, before the rebels realized whatwas happening and used the override the car almost had to have. Hewouldn't dare take enough time to get home, or to a town, and his campwas out of the question. Dave lowered the car's top as he guided it into the campfire area andnudged the passenger side against the Ranger's legs, then he clamberedinto the back and stood on the seat to reach the man's bonds. Theywere rope, so he wouldn't have to risk even low-power disruptor fire;he sawed through them, then laid the Ranger as gently as he could onthe back seat. The fabric he touched was sticky-wet; he wiped hishands on his pants legs before he got back in the driver's seat andbegan edging the car away from the camp. He kept the car on low power, traveling slowly, until he was almost akilometer away, then went to normal power and sped up. This part ofthe mountains was honeycombed with caves, so he decided their best betwould probably be to find a nice one and hole up until the Marinesfinally landed. Dave was confident they would; whatever had kept themfrom showing up right away surely couldn't keep them from starting tosearch when the Ranger didn't return when he should! It took him almost an hour, but he found a cave that would serve themas a decent shelter. It had a fairly level floor, as far as he daredtake time to explore, with enough turns and side passages to keep thewind out and maybe provide them with emergency hiding places or astronghold--if he could get the Ranger to them. And, best of all, oneof the side passages had a small spring overflowing into a stream thatled deeper into the cave. Yes, he decided, it would do nicely. He brought the car to the entrance and turned on the visible-lightheadlights long enough to unload his gear, arrange a makeshift bed forthe Ranger, and finally half-carry and half-drag the man inside andsettle him. Then he started to program the car to take it away fromthem, but hesitated, thinking. He'd gotten what he could carry fromthe aidvan, but there was a better than even chance the car itself heldsomething useful, this far from any settlements. He checked, findingmore blankets and rations, a military-issue medikit--and the jackpot, afusion lamp/stove combination. He grinned, lighting the lamp andstacking his fresh loot inside the cave entrance, then finishedprogramming the car and sent it on its way. It lifted off, climbing to well above treetop height, then orienteditself to a heading that would take it--if it didn't blow itself up orget shot down first--to the Planetary Palace an hour or so after dawn. Dave listened until it was out of hearing range, then carried his findsfurther into the cave and braced himself to check the Ranger'scondition. First he cleaned his patient's face, recognizing him assoon as he'd washed the blood off: Esteban Tarlac, newest and youngestof the Emperor's personal representatives and troubleshooters. Then hestarted pulling Tarlac's uniform shirt off, trying not to get sick asthe wounds were exposed. When he had it about halfway off, the Rangerstirred. Tarlac woke slowly, aware at first only that he was laying on somethinghard and that he hurt all over. He shifted, trying to get comfortable, but a hand on his shoulder restrained him. He opened his eyes, to seea young man--not much more than a boy, really--bending over him. "What--" "We're in a cave in the Webster Mountains, sir, " Dave told him. "I'mDave Scanlon. I was a prisoner too, but when they brought you in, myguard let me go so I wouldn't be involved. " He went on to describetheir escape and present circumstances. "I'm afraid it was the best Icould think of, " he finished apologetically. "There's nothing to be sorry for, " Tarlac assured him. The youngsterhad probably saved his life; he wasn't in any mood to quibble aboutdetails. "You might not believe how much I hate to ask this--but justhow bad is it?" "Uh . . . " Dave hesitated. "That bad?" "Well--not good, so far, and I've only checked your front. I haven'teven cleaned that yet, since the water's still cold. " Dave swallowed. "I'm no corpsman, obviously, and you need qualified medical attention, but I'll do the best I can for you. " "I'm sure you will. " Tarlac tried to sit up, unsuccessfully; Davecaught him as he fell back, groaning. "Is there any painkiller in whatyou brought along?" "I think so. " Dave rummaged through the medical supplies, brought outan injector of quidine. "Uh, what's your mass?" "Call it seventy kilos, that's close enough. " "Yes, sir. " Dave read the instructions, set the injector for theweight he'd been told, and triggered it into the side of the Ranger'sneck. "I hope that's right--there's only enough here for anothercouple of doses. " After a few minutes, Tarlac sighed in relief. "That's fine, Dave--alot better. Would you help me sit up?" "Of course, sir. " Dave piled up some of the blankets he'd collected, helped the Ranger to sit up, and shoved the blankets into position toserve as a backrest. "I'm not really sure you should be putting weighton your back--but I don't really think you should be putting it on yourfront, either, and you have to rest somehow. " He hesitated, then wenton. "I ought to check your back now, if you don't mind. " "Whether I mind or not doesn't matter very much, " Tarlac said. "Itneeds to be done, and at the moment you're the closest to a doctor I'vegot. Plus if I'm in as bad shape as it feels like I am, there's a goodchance that I'll be unconscious a lot of the time--and when I am awake, I won't know what's been going on, and I could very well not be in anyshape to make good decisions. Which puts you in charge, until we'rerescued. What do you want me to do?" Dave stared at the Ranger in bewilderment. "But--I can't give a Rangerorders!" he finally managed to get out. Granted that almost everythinghe knew about Rangers came from the holo, news and dramas, he waspositive that they gave orders, they didn't take them . . . Well, except from the Sovereign, of course. Tarlac grinned, reasonably sure what the youngster was thinking. "Wedo take advice, suggestions, and sometimes orders, from anyone whoknows more about a given situation than we do, or who's in a positionto handle it better. Right now, that's you--and you had the initiativeand resourcefulness to pull me out of the middle of a rebel camp; I'msatisfied to have you go on with the job. " "The kids at school will never believe this, " Dave said, as much tohimself as to the Ranger. "But okay, if that's what you want. Uh . . . I can ask you for advice, can't I?" "Sure, but you'll have to decide if it's worth taking or not. " "I promise. " Dave shook his head, still not quite believing what he'dgotten himself into. He knelt beside his patient, spreading out moreblankets and grateful that he'd been able to find so many. "If you'llroll over, then, I should check your back. " "Okay. " It took effort--he was weak from the combination of pain, shock, and loss of blood--but he made it. Dave cut away the rest of the Ranger's uniform shirt, then checked thewater he'd put on the lamp. It was warm enough now, so he used it toclean the caked blood away from the whip-inflicted wounds. He didn'twant to believe what he saw as he worked--you didn't use stingweed forany reason!--but the yellowish edges of the wounds were proof thatcouldn't be denied, and he used a swear-word he'd seen embarrass hismother once. Tarlac wasn't sure whether he should get worried or laugh at the boy'svirulent language, but on the whole it didn't sound promising. "What'swrong, Dave?" "The blankers soaked the whip in stingweed sap, " Dave told him, tryingto control his anger. "It can't have taken full effect yet, or noteven quidine could kill the pain--and it carries something like a crossbetween a fungus and a bacterium that nothing in a standard medikitwill touch. How long till your rescue party arrives?" Tarlac frowned; this sounded serious. "Is this Tuesday, or was Iunconscious longer than I think?" Dave checked his chrono, then nodded. "2243, Tuesday night. " "They should be landing in about two and a half days, then; ColonelKorda had orders to give me three days, then come looking for me. " "But we're not at the camp any more, and I don't dare use anything muchmore obvious than the fusion lamp, or the rebels will find us first. "Dave brightened. "Unless they blew up the car I used, when they foundout it was missing; then they'd think we were dead. " "True, but we can't count on that; it'd be best to assume they landedit, and are looking for us. " "Yeah, I guess so. " Dave hid his disappointment; the Ranger wascounting on him! "We've got to be awfully careful, then. They wereholding you hostage, weren't they?" "Yes--to get His Majesty to give Lord Robert a Sector" Tarlacchuckled. "The last I heard, anyway; by now, his Lordship may havedecided he wants to be Sovereign. " "He won't be, " Dave said positively. "No one who'd take a Rangerprisoner could possibly be qualified as Sovereign--even if PrinceForrest hadn't been elected Successor. " "True, but that doesn't keep some people from trying. " Tarlac shifted, bit back a groan. "I think the quidine's wearing off, Dave. Do youhave anything stronger?" "No--and I wouldn't give it to you if I did. " Dave braced himselfagainst the objection he anticipated from the Ranger. "Quidine'salmost too much of a risk itself, for someone who's been hit withstingweed. " Tarlac sighed. "You know more about it than I do; I won't ask again. " "Yes, sir. " Dave echoed his patient's sigh. Tarlac's acquiescencehelped--but this was not going to be fun! And the next couple of hours were hard, for both of them. As thequidine wore off and the stingweed poison grew stronger, Dave wishedhis patient would pass out--for both their sakes. Eventually, Tarlacdid; Dave made sure he was covered snugly, then turned down the lampand arranged the remaining blankets into a nestlike bed for himself. He didn't really think he could rest, with all the excitement andproblems going on, so he decided he might as well make what plans hecould. They had two days before they could expect rescue, and theRanger thought the rebels would know they'd escaped, rather than beingblown up. That meant he should try to make their cave defensible--hesnorted at the implausibility of one boy with a disruptor holding offwell-armed rebels, but he'd have to do his best--plus play doctor andnurse to a man who had about as much chance of living through hiswounds and poisoning as the two of them did of holding off the rebels. He opened his eyes to more light in the cave than the lamp had beengiving off. Scrambling to his feet, he grabbed the disruptor and movedcautiously toward the entrance--then dropped it to his side as herealized the light was morning sun, not rebel field-illuminants. Good, that would give them a break! He took advantage of the safety to relieve himself, then he went backinto the cave to check on his patient. Tarlac didn't seem to havemoved, which Dave thought was probably just as well; at least that wayhe wouldn't irritate his injuries. But he swallowed hard when hepulled the blanket away from Tarlac's back, then had to run outsidebefore he threw up all over their refuge. He'd read about stingweedpoisoning in his first aid and survival courses, even seen holos in hisfather's medical texts--but they hadn't prepared him for the sight andsmell of it in someone's living flesh. He wiped his mouth when he finished, the bitter taste in his mouth anecho of his bitter thoughts as he re-entered the cave. He'd have to dobetter than this, if he wanted to keep the two of them alive! He wentto the spring for water, put some on the lamp to heat, then bracedhimself and knelt beside his patient. Tarlac's wounds were oozingthick greenish-yellow fluid that would have to be cleaned off, as oftenas Dave could force himself to endure the sight and rotten-cabbagestench. At least the medikit had surgical gloves, he thought as he puta pair on, so he wouldn't have to touch the stuff or risk getting thepoison into his own system through a cut or hangnail. Tarlac woke to a smell so bad it made him gag, and eyes that felt gluedshut, so he couldn't see whatever seemed to be scrubbing his chest witha metal brush dipped in acid. He started to protest, trying to sit up, but the only result was a wave of dizziness and nausea. When he gaveup on that and tried to rub his eyes, the scrubbing stopped and handsgrabbed his wrists. "Don't--you'll just make it worse. " Dave was unpleasantly surprised athow easy it was to restrain his patient. "Your eyes are all crustedover--I'll need to soak them to soften the crusts. " He put a warm, wetcloth over the Ranger's eyes, then went on. "I'll finish cleaning youup while those soften. I did your back while you were asleep. " The scrubbing started again, and Tarlac let out a yell. Dave stopped. "I'm being as careful and gentle as I can, sir. I don'twant to hurt you, but I do have to get you clean. " He frowned. "Itwon't make you better, though. All it'll do is keep you from gettingworse as fast--but there's nothing else I can do. " Tarlac sighed, managing not to groan. "Your best is all I can expect, Dave. I'll try to be quiet about it. " "Yes, sir. " Dave went back to work, grateful that the injuries, bad asthey were, were limited to the Ranger's upper body. If Tarlac had beenbeaten all over with the poisoned whip, he probably wouldn't havesurvived the night. This way, he had a chance of lasting until he couldget real medical help. Not much of a chance, Dave thought grimly as hebegan cleaning his patient's eyes, but a chance. "There, " he said atlast. "You should be able to open them now. " Tarlac did manage, though it took most of his strength. His vision wasblurred at first, but blinking soon cleared it enough for him to seethe strain in his rescuer's face. Well, he probably wasn't looking toogood himself, he thought--and that stink! "What's the smell?" Dave grimaced, pulling a clean blanket up over Tarlac's shoulders. "Stingweed poison, sort of. You don't want to see what it looks like. "He shrugged. "It does have one advantage, though. It'll heep animalsaway, so that's one thing we won't have to worry about. " "I can certainly understand that, " Tarlac said dryly. "I'd certainlykeep my distance from a prospective dinner that smelled this bad. " Dave managed a slight smile. "So would I, actually. Especially sinceit's probably the only thing that'll keep away any owner of a cave thisnice. " He hesitated, then decided he might as well go on; they were inno position to worry about luxuries like privacy. "The medikitinstructions say the poison may not let you go to the bathroom--but youshould try, if it feels like you have to. " "I don't. " Tarlac thanked the impulse that had led him to go on alow-residue diet over the last week, though he was less grateful for therebels' refusal to give him a drink of water. "It says you should try to drink, at least, and eat if you can--do youwant to try sitting up?" "Yeah. " Tarlac made the effort, groaning, but he needed Dave's help, and was gasping by the time he was propped semi-erect. He was too weakand dizzy to hold the cup Dave offered him, and had trouble forcing acouple of swallows down a throat that felt raw and swollen. He wincedat the pain, but made himself drink more. Whether his kidneys had quitfunctioning or not, he knew he'd lost blood and was feverish; hecouldn't afford to let himself get dehydrated, too. Food was out of the question, though, he discovered when Dave tried tofeed him some stew made out of survival rations. It wasn't bad stew, and he knew he'd need whatever strength it could give him, but hesimply couldn't get it down. He shook his head, immediately wishing hehadn't when the dizziness got worse. "Dave--what can I expect?" Dave put the stew down. He didn't want to answer, but a person had aright to know the truth. "I've never seen a case before, so I can onlytell you what the book says. " He took a deep breath. "Massivestingweed poisoning--and you've been given as bad a case as I've everheard of--starts off by making you sick and feverish. " "That fits the way I feel, " Tarlac said dryly. "Go on. " "The fever'll get worse, " Dave said reluctantly. "Bad enough to makeyou delirious. They you'll go into a coma, and if you don't getfirst-class medical attention, you'll die. " "I've heard better news, " Tarlac admitted. "Just what can you do aboutit?" "Not much, I'm afraid, " Dave said. "I don't dare give you any drugs, even ones as simple as a fungicide or antibiotic, because they're likepainkillers--too unpredictable on stingweed cases. I don't have eitherthe equipment or the skill to monitor you, or take corrective action ifyou should have a bad reaction, and I sure don't want to make thingsworse. I can keep the wounds clean and use cold water to help keep thefever down, and . . . Well, I'll do anything else I can think of toslow the poison down. But it won't be a whole lot. " "I appreciate the honesty. " And, Tarlac thought, the fact that he'dbeen lucky enough to be rescued by someone who could appreciate thefact of his own limitations! Not too many people of any age, in hisexperience, had that much judgement. Too bad Dave's assessment was sonegative--but from what he'd said, Tarlac was able to take grimamusement in the fact that he wouldn't be worrying about it muchlonger. This mess would be a lot harder on the youngster than it wouldon the one who should be in charge-- He broke off that pointless lineof thought. "Just keep me breathing till Friday morning, if you can--the Marines will be landing as soon as it's full light, and there'll beNavy mediteams with them. If they can get me into a lifepod, I'll havea pretty good chance. " "I'll do what I can, of course. " Dave frowned. "That's less thanforty-eight hours . . . The rebels'll be looking for us too, but Idon't think they'll get to us very fast. " "Don't be too sure, " Tarlac cautioned. "Lord Robert is a fanatic, andhe thinks I'm his key to ruling at least a Subsector. He'll be afterme, and I'm willing to bet his people have the equipment they need tofind us. " Dave shook his head. "It's not as easy as you make it sound, sir. People who've wanted to be found have been lost in these mountains forweeks. We don't want to be--and we're in a cave, which'll make it thatmuch harder for them. " He hesitated, a thought surfacing. "Unlessthey search on foot, and happen across us. If they do, I guess it'llbe up to me to decoy them away. " Tarlac didn't like that idea, but he also didn't have Lord Robert'sconvenient ability to ignore unpleasant reality. A Ranger was, to putit bluntly, far more valuable to the Empire than any youngster. It wasa hell of a note, he thought sourly, that he had to look at it thatway; Dave had saved his life once already, and it would be his doing ifTarlac lived through the next couple of days. The fact that Dave wouldget a substantial reward if they made it out wasn't a lot of help;dammit, part of his job was protecting Imperial citizens! Still . . . "I'm afraid it will. " To his surprise, Dave grinned. "That shouldn't be too hard. Thoserebels're city people; they don't know what real mountains're like. Chaos, I don't think they'd even know to avoid something as simple as atrapper vine!" "This is no holo show, " Tarlac cautioned him. "If they do find us, we've bought it. " "I know--but Mom was a Marine for thirty years and never even saw alive Ranger. I go on a camping trip, and end up helping one, against abunch of rebels!" Looked at that way, Tarlac conceded with some amusement, it did havesomething in common with a holoshow. And maybe having Dave treat thisas an adventure wouldn't hurt--might even help, by keeping his moraleup. It was a good bet the youngster would need all the pluses he couldfind . . . He damnsure wouldn't be one! The way he felt, he wouldn'teven be conscious much longer. Which would be a definiteimprovement . . . * * * * * Dave spent the rest of that day alternating between caring for theunconscious Ranger and watching rebel aircars crisscross the sky inwhat seemed, from the little he could see through trees, to beever-widening search patterns. The rebels did think they were alive, then, but didn't have enough of an idea of where they might be to mounta concentrated search. So far, so good--though if things stayed thisway, it would work against them later, when the Marines landed and theywanted to be found. That was more than a day away, though, he thought as the sun began toset. He rigged a door out of blankets, to block any lamplight thatmight get past the turns in the cave. He should have done that thenight before, he told himself, but it simply hadn't occurred to him; itwas just luck that they'd gotten away with his lack of foresight. The night passed, but more slowly than he'd realized would be possible. Tarlac was delirious for several hours, and Dave spent most of thattime wrapping him in cold-water-soaked blankets, wiping his face, andtrickling water into his mouth. Shortly before dawn, to Dave'scombined relief and worry, delirium deepened into coma and Dave'sfatigue forced him to take advantage of the silence for a nap. When he woke, he heard aircars again. They sounded closer than theyhad the day before, and worry turned into fear. The rebels might notbe wilderness experts, the way Nemra's Rescue Service people were, butit didn't take that kind of expert to tell the difference between amountain-prowler's yowling and a sick man's fever-induced cries. He'dbeen concerned about that all night, but hadn't been able to doanything about them--and now it looked like the rebels knew at leasttheir general location. Only the general location, he hoped, sincethey were still searching from cars. That was standard procedure forthe Rescue Service, at least, so he tried to ignore them while he caredfor his patient. He'd gotten used to the smell, for which he was grateful. That and thefact that Tarlac was beyond the reach of pain were the only good partshe could see. The poison was spreading steadily, but--as long as hekept the oozing fluid cleaned off, and kept Tarlac's temperature as lowas he could--slowly. Maybe slowly enough that he'd live through thenext twenty-four hours, if Dave could keep going that long. And if hedidn't have to leave the Ranger alone to play decoy. He frowned, thinking as he worked. Playing decoy if the rebels gotclose had been his idea, and he was still pleased that Tarlac hadthought it a good enough one to agree with. It still would be, and itwould work, Dave thought, if Tarlac were strong enough to be leftalone--and preferably were able to defend himself, just in case. Buthe'd put Dave in charge precisely because he wasn't able to do forhimself! It was scary being responsible for someone else's safety, Dave wasrealizing. Especially when you were a commoner, the someone else wasroyalty, and a powerful noble--a crazy, traitorous noble--would stop atnothing to recapture him. Dave glanced across the cave to the smallledge where he'd put the disruptor--out of the way, but easy to getto--and shivered. The only alternative he could see to playing decoy wasusing the cave as a fort if the rebels found them, and that didn'tsound much better now than it had the first time he'd thought of it. One disruptor without even a single spare powerpack wasn't much tobuild hopes on. He'd do what he could, of course, but he stillcouldn't help wishing he hadn't ventured into Lord Robert's camp andgotten himself into all this! He sighed. He had gotten himself into it; now, if he could, he'd getboth of them out. The first step was to get the Ranger to as muchsafety as the cave held--which meant the spring. Good thing it wasn'tfar! Half an hour later he'd filled his emergency containers with a day'sworth of drinking water and settled Tarlac as comfortably as possibleinto the runoff stream. It wasn't ideal, but at least it would keepthe fever down and the injuries mostly clean while he did what he couldto make the cave defensible. He discovered quickly that he could do very little. Wood from fallenlimbs and whatever brush he could cut with the stolen hunting knifewould provide little protection from stunner fire, and none at all fromthe blasters or disruptors he thought the rebels were likelier to use. And there wasn't enough loose rock--in sizes he could move, anyway--toblock the cave entrance. He supposed he could use his disruptor toenlarge that crack in the wall just inside the cave mouth, but thatwould be asking for trouble; the rebels couldn't possibly miss thatkind of energy release. And he didn't dare waste his firepower onthat; he didn't have much to begin with. He'd just have to hope therebels didn't find them, and retreat to one of the side passages forshelter if they did. He spent the next few anxious hours alternating between Tarlac and thecave entrance. The Ranger was doing as well as Dave had dared lethimself hope, but rebel cars were moving by more often, and seemed tobe centered closer to the cave. Once, he could have sworn he glimpsedan Imperial Marine troop lander, but decided that had to be wishfulthinking; if the Marines were getting ready to land, the rebels shouldbe running for cover, not continuing to search for escaped prisoners. A little after noon, what he'd been dreading happened. Half a decaderebel aircars descended, and moments later he heard shouts and thesound of people forcing their way through brush. He checked thedisruptor one last time, then moved back to the side passage he'dchosen. He wasn't as frightened as he'd thought he would be in such asituation, even though he was certain he'd be dead soon. He was moreangry at the unfairness of the whole situation than anything else, andhe intended to make the rebels pay as heavily as he could for their twolives. Waiting for the rebels to get to the cave entrance, Dave had a vividmemory of his mother's amused disgust at war holos. "In combat, theidea isn't to play fair, " she'd said more than once. "The idea is tostay alive while killing your enemy. You don't let yourself be seen ifyou can avoid it, and you certainly don't warn your enemy that you'regoing to shoot!" Well, he had the best cover he could get, and hedidn't plan to issue any warnings. All he needed now was a target . . . Light flooded the cave, and someone called out. "They're here! I seebloodstains--" That was as far as he got; Dave fired toward the light. It went out, and there was a sharp "crack" as air imploded where the rebel had been. There was a brief silence, then someone cursed, and half a decadeblaster-bolts seared past Dave's hiding place, about chest-high. Hedropped to the cave floor and fired back without looking. The exchange of fire continued for several minutes, with the onlyresult Dave could notice being that the cave was getting uncomfortablyhot. Then he heard yelling, and the incoming fire stopped abruptly. Moments later, an amplified voice called out. "You in the cave--thisis Captain Heidi Chiun, Imperial Marines. Come out with your handsup. " Dave started to obey, then hesitated. He thought he'd seen a trooplander, yes--but he wouldn't put it past the rebels to try trickinghim, since they hadn't yet managed to kill him. "Send one of yourpeople in here, " he called back. "If you're really Marines, you'll besafe in power armor, and I wouldn't shoot anyway. " "Hold your fire, then. " Dave heard crunching steps, like somethingmassive moving, then the light from the cave entrance dimmed. "I'minside, " another voice said. Dave risked a look around the corner, then stood with a sigh of relief. The person at the entrance was wearing power armor, which satisfied himthat she was what she was supposed to be. "I'm tossing the gun out, "he said, doing so. Then, raising his hands, he stepped out of cover. "Boy, am I glad to see you! Ranger Tarlac needs a medalert team, witha lifepod. " "He's here?" "Yes, sir--I'll show you. " "Wait one. " Dave couldn't hear what she said next, but what hismother's stories had led him to expect was confirmed when she said, "They're on the way. Let's go. " Dave led her to his patient, not at all surprised when she sworebitterly before picking up the unconscious man. "The team'll meet usoutside--they'd never get a pod in here. " "Yes, sir. " Dave led the way again, blinking as he emerged from thedimness into bright afternoon sun. A couple of decade Marines in powerarmor were guarding the perimeter of a new clearing, while several morein camouflage battledress held a number of rebel prisoners at gunpointnear one edge. The medalert team had obviously been in readinessnearby, because a lander with medical markings was already settlingtoward the clearing's center. An armored Marine with captain's bars and "Chiun" stencilled on herhelmet gestured the one carrying Tarlac toward the medical lander, thenturned her attention to Dave and stood silently looking at him forseveral moments before she removed her helmet and smiled. "You'd beDavid Scanlon, then?" When he nodded, surprised, she gave him a half-bow--people in powerarmor didn't offer to shake hands--and said, "Captain Heidi Chiun. Pleased to meet you. Now that we have Ranger Tarlac safe, an assaultgroup will be hitting the main rebel camp. The Empire owes you somepowerful thanks, young man. " "My pleasure, " Dave replied, wanting to be polite though he wasn'tquite sure which statement he was responding to. Then curiosity tookover. "How did you know me? And why're you here now instead oftomorrow?" "Two questions, one answer. " Chiun frowned. "One of the rebelsreported the torture and rescue to us, through the local IntelDivoffice. Unfortunately, we couldn't get him out; he was killed while hewas still on the screen. That's something we don't intend to havehappen to you; His Majesty invites you to stay on the Empress Lindneruntil it's safe for you to go home, probably sometime after RangerTarlac recovers and holds a Tribunal on this mess. " The rebel who'd been killed had to be Theo, Dave thought. That was toobad--but right now, at least, he couldn't seem to feel much except mildregret. His own problems were more immediately interesting. He hadn'texpected protective custody, although when Chiun mentioned it herealized he should have; it was common enough on the news as well as inholoshows. He'd never heard of it being phrased as an invitation fromthe Emperor before, though! The effect was the same, but it was nicerthan being put under arrest. Even if he'd rather be going home . . . "I accept the invitation, of course. Can I call my folks and let themknow?" "As soon as we get to the ship, " Chiun promised. "Ranger Tarlac willbe taken up first, then we'll ride up with the prisoners. " "Okay. " Not that he had any choice, Dave thought. And he admitted tohimself that he didn't mind all that much; it would be pretty exciting, being His Majesty's guest aboard one of the tremendous Imperial BattleCruisers. He'd have to get something to prove it, though, or the kidsat school would be certain he was making it up. "Uh . . . He will beall right, won't he?" Chiun gestured toward the lifepod, now being loaded aboard the lander. "He was alive when they got him in the pod, and an IBC has damn goodmedical facilities. I think it's safe to say he'll be fine, yes. " * * * * * Her prediction was accurate, though Tarlac would carry scars from thebeating for the rest of his life, and they were still an angry red whenhe held the Tribunal. Tarlac didn't mind; at least he was alive tohave scars, thanks to Dave Scanlon. And it had been no problemdeciding on a reward for the youngster; as Emperor Davis had pointedout, Imperial law made provision even for something so unusual. Tarlac found himself looking forward to that part of this Tribunal. Punishing the guilty was necessary, but he didn't enjoy it; he muchpreferred to reward the outstanding, something he had less occasion todo than he liked. Especially to this degree, or with a subject whosefondness for holodramas would make it just plain fun--and even moreespecially with Dave's parents and the local newsies in attendance. The expression of satisfaction on Dave's face as the convicted rebelswere led away made Tarlac want to grin, though he managed to keep hisown expression carefully solemn. "That concludes the unpleasantness, gentles. But don't leave; I have a far more enjoyable conclusion forthis Tribunal. " He rose, going to stand in the area before the judges'bench, which had been cleared except for a small covered table. Itwould probably be best for Dave if this could be postponed for a fewyears--it involved responsibilities, as well as privilege--but justicedelayed, whether punishment or reward, was damn near as bad as justicedenied, and the Empire would help Dave cope with his new status. "While I could do this on my own, " he went on, "my personal involvementled me to seek His Majesty's confirmation, and I am pleased to say hegave it. To use his words, 'Saving a Ranger's life is certainly acritical service to the Empire, and Mr. Scanlon certainly put himselfat extreme personal risk to do so. The fact that you're that Rangershould only make giving him his reward more enjoyable. ' And it will. " Tarlac found it even harder to keep a straight face as he watched Davebegin to understand the personal implications of the legal phrasing, "critical service to the Empire at extreme personal risk. " The onlyreward Dave had mentioned wanting, when asked, was an appointment tothe Imperial Military Academy--which was a part, though a small one, ofwhat he had earned. Tarlac removed the cover from the items on thetable beside him, and now he allowed himself to smile. "David MarkScanlon, stand forth to receive your Sovereign's accolade. " Dave obeyed, feeling a little dazed. Forget what the kids at schoolwould think; he wasn't sure he believed this! He'd seen the ceremonyin enough holos that he was able to get through the noble's fealty oathwithout stumbling, but it still seemed unreal to have a Ranger puttinga surcoat on him, embroidered with arms that were his from now on, thenbuckling a gunbelt around his waist. He checked the gun almostautomatically, not too surprised to find it was the disruptor he'd usedin the cave, fully charged, then he re-holstered it. "Good, " Tarlac said with a quiet chuckle. "You'll do fine, Dave. " Hesettled the starstone-gemmed coronet on the newest Imperial noble'shead. "Though from now on, you know, it's 'Your Grace'. " "I'm really a Life Duke?" Dave asked. Hereditary Dukes ruled ImperialSectors, and Life nobles outranked their hereditary counterparts--whichmeant he ranked just below the Rangers themselves, now! "You really are, Your Grace, " Tarlac assured him. "You earned it; nowenjoy it. " END