Crisis at Garmil's Gate - 07

The dozen red-armored men formed a circle about the gold-armored Sir Ramsey and Sibley. Standing back-to-back, the duo denied their enemies an easy opening. Iser stood just outside the circle, waiting for his men to do his will for him, turning now and again to look outside when something exploded.

"A good response, Paladin." Iser said, "But even your skills are hard-pressed to overcome superior numbers, especially when they hold a superior position. Once my men secure your ship, even that will not avail you."

"Did you hear that, Sibley? They haven't secured our ship yet."

Sibley laughed. "Well, that settles this now, doesn't it?"

* * * * *

Creton ran through the takeoff sequence, recognizing what was certain to come next. Following long-drilled instructions, he spun up the Baden-Powell's engines. As he did so, markers appeared on the viewscreen revealing the locations of his father and Sir Ramsey, followed by an update describing the rioters as hostiles as well as Master Iser and his guards.

"It's a trap! Just like Father said it would be." Creton said as he spun up the guns and lifted the ship off the landing pad.

Three of the armed worker mecha sped up the ramp to the landing pad. "Attention ship! If you resist you will be shot down. Give up and prepare to be boarded." they declared over their speakers, and one of them fired a warning shot to show they meant it.

Creton rolled the ship on its horizontal axis to bring the turret to bear, and then he returned fire. The lead mecha exploded with a single hit, and then Creton fired on the second one behind it. It too exploded when hit, its skin offering no resistance to cannon fire of the sort that a proper military vessel could wield. The third unleashed all of its remaining rockets upon the ship, but did nothing of consequence: the shields held.

"Call up the heavy guns!" the pilot said as the turret's guns fired upon him, "The cannons and rockets do nothing!"

The pilot heard no reply because he died the instant after he cried for aid, his mecha blown apart by the volley of cannon fire, and then the ship rose in the air to bring its guns to bear on the battle below. During this window of opportunity, Creton took a moment to fire upon the location where his father and master stood before returning to the mecha below vainly trying to shoot the Baden-Powell out of the air.

* * * * *

The men probed and jabbed at each other, trying to provoke an opening, but neither the two nor the dozen would drop their guard. The many red-clad men seemed sluggish, or skittish, in their attacks as if intimidated. The few gold-clad warriors soon saw that they held an advantage.

"You lot know that you can't take us." Sir Ramsey said, "If you thought you did, we'd already be dead."

"Aye!" Sibley said, "You're all as good as dead if you don't surrender now."

"And how do you expect to leave this room alive?" Iser said.

Sir Ramsey glanced outside and saw the Baden-Powell's guns turn their way. "This!"

The first blast shocked the red-armored enemies, and that's when Sir Ramsey and Sibley pounced. In a split second, they cut down three men each without so much as a cry out in pain from the slain. In the moment after that, the two gold-armored warriors thrashed through the weakened guards of the other three enemies each faced, pushing them back to the edges of the room and smashing through those guards to hack them down in turn.

Two more blasts blew open a hole in the wall and exposed the room to the elements outside. Now Sir Ramsey and Sibley stood against Iser alone. "Are you satisfied with my answer, Master Iser?" Sir Ramsay said.

Iser went on his guard. "I underestimated you, Paladin."

"Go on Sibley. I have this." Sir Ramsey said, "Put down this revolt."

"Aye, Sir Ramsey!" Sibley said and he leaped out the hole in the wall to the ship waiting just outside. As he entered through a hatch, Sir Ramsey and Iser crossed swords.

"You can't respond fast enough to turn this around." Iser said, "Even with your experience, you haven't the means."

"I've heard that before, Iser."