Read Online The Battle for the Ringed Planet by Richard Edmond Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Richard Edmond Johnson
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were farmers? I guess Father Jarlan missed that.”
“People coming, in a loose arrowhead formation...” Torian announced glancing at his Con as he walked over to a large Oak tree on a small hill near the river that spread its shadow over a large field of clover. He motioned for the blonde haired girl to follow him under the tree.
“Hunters.” She grimly sighed, “We can still make it back if we run.”
“Aye.” He gazed across the fields, “About 40, I can target only 25 at a time …” Torian dropped the navy blue back pack and pulled out Chang’s pistol and holster, fastening it to his utility belt so that he had a gun on each side. Then he manipulated the floating screens on his Con, “But with both pistols I can get them all.”
“You can shoot that many?”
“Yeah, a pistol can target 25 targets maximum. An assault rifle can target 50.”
“The leader is Lexor, the one in front with the long brown hair. He has a scavenged city weapon.”
Glancing at the Con holo, “A shotgun, old style projectile weapon, with only 6 shells, I’m going to target all the weapons, but I can’t guarantee that the plasma bolts won’t injure or kill.”
“Will the … um shield thing stop the weapon Lexor has?”
“A military prox shield is designed to stop low velocity projectiles, so yes.”
The group of armed villagers came into view through the tall grass beyond the clover field. They were clad for the most part in the same leather camouflaged shirts and assorted helmets that Torian and Siiri had seen on the first group at the Callisto wreckage. Almost all carried crossbows, though a few had normal bows and the leader, Lexor, a tall stocky balding man with long hair in the back, wielded the heavy shotgun.
Slinging his backpack, Torian started forward towards the group of men with Siiri expertly leveling her crossbow. The advancing group was fifty meters away when the off-worlder soldier halted halfway down a small slope. He quickly drew his right pistol and began to twirl it then slip it back into the holster. Then he drew his left the pistol, spinning it expertly and sliding it easily back. With both hands, he pulled out both Glock-Ruger 27 plasma pistols twirling them dexterously and easing them back into their respective holsters.
“What are you doing?” Siiri shot him an annoyed glare.
“Just … well, before space flight there were these guys, cowboys, or something …”
“Have you ever faced 40 armed men before?”
“Of course!” Torian turned the handles of each pistol out and folded his arms placing his hands on the grips, “In simulation ...”
“Simulation? You mean like a game?”
“And that, too.”
Siiri quickly gazed back at the entrance to the tunnel leading up the falls, maybe if she ran fast … but Lexor, the lead villager, interrupted her desperate thoughts, shouting, “Sky Demon!” Loud murmuring and suspicious glances directed at Siiri followed.
“Specialist First Class Torian McCallum, pleasure to meet you.”
“We’re going to pepper you with bolts, Sky Demon …”
“I wouldn’t do that …” He drew the pistols slowly, “I can kill all of you at once.”
Lexor leveled the shotgun, but hesitated, studying the two pistols meters away, while Torian continued, “And that Remington double barreled pump action shotgun won’t even scratch me.”
“We can test your claim …”
“Then you’ll all die. Maybe you can take me, but I promise you’ll all go down.”
The girl stepped forward and aimed her crossbow, “And no matter what, Lexor, I’ll get you right between the legs!”
Torian glimpsed over at Siiri with a puzzled expression.
“Demon Spawn!” Lexor hissed, “You brought the Sky Demon, just as the old warnings foretold!”
“I did nothing to this village, yet you did things to me when I was chained! Who’s the Demon Spawn?”
A few of the men gave him a curious look as Lexor growled, “I had to search you …”
“… By putting your
“People coming, in a loose arrowhead formation...” Torian announced glancing at his Con as he walked over to a large Oak tree on a small hill near the river that spread its shadow over a large field of clover. He motioned for the blonde haired girl to follow him under the tree.
“Hunters.” She grimly sighed, “We can still make it back if we run.”
“Aye.” He gazed across the fields, “About 40, I can target only 25 at a time …” Torian dropped the navy blue back pack and pulled out Chang’s pistol and holster, fastening it to his utility belt so that he had a gun on each side. Then he manipulated the floating screens on his Con, “But with both pistols I can get them all.”
“You can shoot that many?”
“Yeah, a pistol can target 25 targets maximum. An assault rifle can target 50.”
“The leader is Lexor, the one in front with the long brown hair. He has a scavenged city weapon.”
Glancing at the Con holo, “A shotgun, old style projectile weapon, with only 6 shells, I’m going to target all the weapons, but I can’t guarantee that the plasma bolts won’t injure or kill.”
“Will the … um shield thing stop the weapon Lexor has?”
“A military prox shield is designed to stop low velocity projectiles, so yes.”
The group of armed villagers came into view through the tall grass beyond the clover field. They were clad for the most part in the same leather camouflaged shirts and assorted helmets that Torian and Siiri had seen on the first group at the Callisto wreckage. Almost all carried crossbows, though a few had normal bows and the leader, Lexor, a tall stocky balding man with long hair in the back, wielded the heavy shotgun.
Slinging his backpack, Torian started forward towards the group of men with Siiri expertly leveling her crossbow. The advancing group was fifty meters away when the off-worlder soldier halted halfway down a small slope. He quickly drew his right pistol and began to twirl it then slip it back into the holster. Then he drew his left the pistol, spinning it expertly and sliding it easily back. With both hands, he pulled out both Glock-Ruger 27 plasma pistols twirling them dexterously and easing them back into their respective holsters.
“What are you doing?” Siiri shot him an annoyed glare.
“Just … well, before space flight there were these guys, cowboys, or something …”
“Have you ever faced 40 armed men before?”
“Of course!” Torian turned the handles of each pistol out and folded his arms placing his hands on the grips, “In simulation ...”
“Simulation? You mean like a game?”
“And that, too.”
Siiri quickly gazed back at the entrance to the tunnel leading up the falls, maybe if she ran fast … but Lexor, the lead villager, interrupted her desperate thoughts, shouting, “Sky Demon!” Loud murmuring and suspicious glances directed at Siiri followed.
“Specialist First Class Torian McCallum, pleasure to meet you.”
“We’re going to pepper you with bolts, Sky Demon …”
“I wouldn’t do that …” He drew the pistols slowly, “I can kill all of you at once.”
Lexor leveled the shotgun, but hesitated, studying the two pistols meters away, while Torian continued, “And that Remington double barreled pump action shotgun won’t even scratch me.”
“We can test your claim …”
“Then you’ll all die. Maybe you can take me, but I promise you’ll all go down.”
The girl stepped forward and aimed her crossbow, “And no matter what, Lexor, I’ll get you right between the legs!”
Torian glimpsed over at Siiri with a puzzled expression.
“Demon Spawn!” Lexor hissed, “You brought the Sky Demon, just as the old warnings foretold!”
“I did nothing to this village, yet you did things to me when I was chained! Who’s the Demon Spawn?”
A few of the men gave him a curious look as Lexor growled, “I had to search you …”
“… By putting your
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