Part 11

Alec watched with a slight amount of fear and a great deal of dread as
the door buckled and gave with a shot from Jinx's frame and Sean's squad
entered.  He hesitated for a moment, gaining his wits before following
into the battle.

He was greeted by the steady sound of blasts from hand weapons and
frames.  His attention was commanded as the main controls were shot out
by a stray blast.  The resulting explosion was enough to throw the two
piloting Neos from their seats, quite dead.  The vessel tipped
dangerously forward throwing it's occupants off balance.  Alec was
tossed across the ship and onto his face.  Sean slammed hard into the
wall, knocking the air from his lungs and leaving him momentarily
addled.

"Commander!" Natasha called the warning in time for Sean to turn and
blast the Neo behind him who'd been gaining his feet, and his blaster.

Jinx and Tanaka were both backed against the back wall firing rapidly at
a large group of the neosapiens, who were ducking behind anything they
could use as cover.  Voodoo was still trying to recover his wits after
he'd been thrown into the control panel when they'd tipped.  If he
hadn't been in an e-frame, he wouldn't have had to worry about trying to
fight off the three Neosapiens that saw him as an easy target.  Alec
tried to help Ranson with the five or six Neos that were heading for the
back of the transport shuttle when he caught a movement to his left out
of the corner of his eye.  He spun just in time to see a Neosapien jump
out the door.

He swore under his breath, "Picasso, did you happen to get that Neo?"

"No, he headed for the trees."

"Sean!?" Alec didn't wait for a reply, "someone just jumped ship, I'm
going after him."

"Be careful, DeLeon," Sean blasted a Neosapien who was behind J.J., "the
other one was probably one of the generals.  There had to be heavier
artillery on this tub than just blasters, and they just may have it."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.  Just take care of things here and
I'll be back."

As he exited the transport, Alec looked around him.  To the right were
the trees Picasso had mentioned.  He wasn't sure how well his frame
would maneuver through the foliage, but he'd have a better chance of
beating the Neosapien if it came down to a fight if he was in hif
e-frame.  He brought his e-frame down nearly to the ground and ducked
into the greenery.  The trees reminded him of their short trip to the
forest in South America, "Where are they when I need them?" he mumbled.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Eve!"

Wolf looked around and then started toward the nearby hut.  His wife
emerged just as he came to the entrance, "You don't have to yell, I'm
right here."

He kissed her quickly, "Are you ready to go yet?"

She looked around, "Yeah, I guess I am.  I'll miss it here, you know. 
Especially the friends I've made."

"I'm sorry we can't stay a while longer," J.T. said from behind them,
"but there's an emergency at H.Q."

Eve nodded, "I'll be right there."

She ran over to where Corth and Ivy stood watching them.

Jade smiled as she passed the three of them and continued on to her
e-frame.  Kaz, Marsala, and Torres were already waiting to leave. 
Bronski and J.T. joined the four of them.  

"I hope everything's okay when we get back," Kaz said out of the blue.

"How much trouble could a few Neosapiens cause?" Torres asked, but her
tone lacked the conviction of her words.

Eve joined Marsala in his two-seater a few minutes later and they took
off for home.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Alec found the Neosapien easily enough.  He was running through the
forest like a scared rabbit.  Following him, on the other hand, prooved
to be more difficult.  Alec's frame made travelling through the trees
quite a task, not to mention trying to follow someone.  He was losing
ground quickly as the forest became more dense;  he had to do
something.  Taking a deep breath, he set his frame down and pulled the
blaster from his chest-holster, knowing the one at his side would be
easier to gain in a fight, and continued his pursuit of the Neo on
foot.  It was a risk, but he'd never catch the Neosapien in the
cumbersome e-frame.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Around them were the bodies, dead or wounded, of ten Neosapiens.

"So, where are all of the important guys?" Tanaka mumbled.

Sean stepped from his e-frame and looked over the demolished controls,
"This thing is gonna go down any minute..."

"Mr. Napier, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with me,"
Shiva emerged from a shadowed corner beside Sean, his blaster trained on
the squad leader's head.

Sean turned slowlly to face the Neosapien, meeting his orange eyes.

"Drop the gun, Neo; yer outnumbered six to one, there's no way yer gonna
get off this ship," Jinx growled.

"I cannot surrender; kill me if you must, but I will not go against
Phaeton's orders."

"It's your funeral, "Tanaka muttered.

Sean was staring at Shiva, remembering the words another Shiva had
spoken to him over a year earlier, I am a soldier, and, right or
wrong, Phaeton is my commander.

"Out of your frames and drop your weapons," he ordered the rest of the
squad.

"What!?"

"Do it!" his tone suggested that they didn't argue further with the
terse command.

Reluctantly, they stepped from their e-frames and tossed their blasters
to the floor.

"I'll go," Sean told Shiva, "and there won't be any firing from my
squad; you have my word."

He reached down and slowly unholstered his blaster, adding it to the
pile in the center of the floor.

"I mean it; one shot and you're all toast!"

Their expressions reflected a calm that not one of them felt.  The only
indications of their anger were clenched fists and eyes that glittered
dangerously.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Alec checked his surroundings carefully for any clues that would help
him to tell which way the Neosapien had gone.

He noticed a broken branch to his left.  After walking ten feet or so in
that direction, he found another snapped branch.  Alec frowned; the
break of the new branch indicated that the Neo had gone left.  That
would mean he was either going back the way they'd come from or...

Alec spun and fired on the Neosapien that had been sneaking up about
fifteen feet behind him.The Neosapien fell to the ground and Alec
cautiously approached, his blaster aimed at the still figure before him.

Standing warily to the side, Alec kekpt his gun trained on the Neo and
nudged his boot beneath him.  He lifted his foot, rolling the Neosapien
onto his back.

Alec's arm fell to his side as he stared at the face that greeted him. 
Memories flooded into his mind as he looked at Typhonus' unconscious
form.  The vivid images were enough to make him nauseous.  It almost
felt like it was happening all over again.  But then he was falling...

When his head struck the ground, he realized that an angry Typhonus
stood over him, his eyes were nearly completely black in his rage.

"You Terrans simply cannot accept the fact that we were created to be
genetically superior in every way.  It is only a matter of time before
we replace you as the dominant species and make you *our* slaves."

Alec opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.  He swallowed,
wetting his parched mouth and throat.  "Never," the threatening promise
came out in a choked whiper.

Typhonus laughed, although Alec had to look at him closely to make sure
that was what the cold, unfeeling sound actually was.  He could feel
Typhonus' weight leaning onto the foot the Neo had rester in the center
of his chest.

"Never.  Like the Terrans once said that they would *never* be surpassed
genetically?  Or like we Neosapiens would *never* lead a successful
uprising against our Terran "masters"?  Never is a very strong word. 
Perhaps one day you Terrans will realize how illogical it is to fight
against our inevitable domination of your species, but I sincerely doubt
it."

"Phaeton is a zealot...he'll never succeed..." Alec gasped as the aid
was crushed from his lungs.

"Even if Phaeton dies, there will be another to take his place.  We have
had a taste of freedom, do you think that we will give it up so easily?"

Unable to breathe and feeling his ribs begin to ache as they caved in,
Alec grasped frantically for the knife at his side.

Typhonus let out a startled noise as the knife was embedded in his
calf.  He stepped back, removing the restricting foot from Alec's
chest.  Alec wheezed as he gulped air greedily into his burning lungs.

The small victory was short-lived, however.  Alec was lifted and thrown
against a tree; held there by one hand while the Neosapien removed the
knife with the other.  He lifted the bloodied weapon and pressed the
point against Alec's throat just hard enough to draw blood.  The sticky
crimson liquid dripped slowly from the knife blade to the ground.

"You may be a fighter, a courageous one at that; but you are still only
a Terran."

Alec blinked at Typhonus' words.  Only a Terran.  But he wasn't.  As
much as he'd like it to be differently, he was part Neomega.  And, while
they didn't have the brute strength of the Neosapiens, they were still
stronger, by far, than the Terrans.  Alec had proven that fact many
times since he'd returned, along with a few other enhanced abilities
he'd gained.

He hesitated for a moment before looking into the eyes of the Neosapien
who had, less than a year before, been the cause of his death.  An
irrational fear gripped him when he met Typhonus' murderous gaze.

Alec couldn't...he wouldn't go through the pain; the tingling cold that
spread like ice through him body just before the numbness had set in. 
He wouldn't leave Maggie.  He couldn't stand knowing he'd never see her
again; never get to tell her how he felt about her.  Not again!

He didn't allow himself the tme to think about what he was doing.  He
simply reached up and grabbed the knife with a swiftness that threw the
Neosapien off for a second.  It was enough to allow Alec to jerk the
knife away and launch himself against Typhonue with all of his
strength.  They both fell to the ground, Typhonus sprawlingon his back
and Alec sailing over the top of him.  Rolling, Alec came up on one
knee, grabbing the blaster from his side holster before he turned toward
Typhonus.  

Two shots cut through the forest like a hot knife through butter.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sean watched the surrounding foliage more carefully than a hungry
predator.  He hoped he was right about Shiva.

They came to a small clearing about five-hundred yards into the foreset
and stopped.  Shiva turned slowly, looking around and listening
carefully.

"This way," he pointed with the muzzle of his blaster.

Aftera few more minutes Sean thought he heard footsteps.  His suspicion
was quickly confirmed when he heard Livia's voice, "Stop right where you
are, Terran."

"Phateon," Shiva began, ignoring Livia, "I bring you the leader of the
group of attacking Terrans.  And the former leader of the Earth
Resistance."

Phaeton stepped from the shadows, Livia at his side, "Very good, Shiva;
I comend you on the capture of Mr. Napier," and without so much as a
glance at Sean, "Now, kill him."

Shiva stared dumbly at Phaeton, "But...shouldn't we use him to get the
Terrans to agree to our demands?  He is no good to us dead."

"I wish to see Sean Napier dead, Shiva.  Kill him!"

Shiva turned to Sean, lifting his blaster.  Their eyes met and Sean saw
something he'd never seen in a Neo before--regret.  Sean waited for the
shot, but it didn't come.  At least not how he'd expected it to.  

Shiva turned, aiming his blaster directly at Phaeton.  Phaeton raised
his own blaster, but Livia had seen Shiva's intent and stepped in front
of him, catching Shiva's blast directly in the chest.  He fired again,
catching Phaeton in the arm holding his blaster.  A third shot sounded
and Sean watched Shiva fall.  Phaeton spared Livia a glance to determine
that she was dead and then picked up the blaster that had dropped form
his hand.  He turned to Sean, aiming the blaster with his wounded arm,
"I'd say at this range accuracy won't matter much.  What do you think,
Mr Napier?"

"I'm counting on it."

Sean looked up and Phaeton spun toward the sound of the voice.  But Sean
lived long enough to see who who it had been standing behind the
Neosapien.  Phaeton wasn't quite so lucky.

Sean looked at Alec, his blaster still raised.  He took a deep breath
and knelt next to Shiva, "I owe you one, DeLeon."

"Yeah, well, you can be sure I'll collect," Alec muttered.  "Is he
alive?"

"Just barely.  I don't think the med-tech could get here in time to..."

Shiva interrupted him, "Do not worry about me, Sean Napier."

Sean looked down at the Neo, his voice was soft when he spoke, "You
saved my life.  Thank you."

"It was my intent to kill Phaeton...from the beginning.  I used you to
get close to him with an excuse to have my weapon drawn.  I did not
think he would order you killed on sight.  I am sorry."

"Why did you do it?"

"Phaeton..." he stiffened in pain, pausing to catch his breath,
"...would have destroyed us all; Neosapien and Terran alike"

 Alec moved to his side, "Stay still, we'll get help."

"No.  I will not live.  I have a...favor to ask of you."

"Anything," Sean swore.

"Bury me...on Mars.  It is my home," Sean nodded slightly and Shiva's
eyes closed.

Sean watched as the Neosapien who had saved his life took his last
breath.  He bowed his head, shaking it slightly, "It shouldn't have
happened this way."

"None of this should have happened.  But there's nothing we can do to
change it."

"I know."  He looked up at Alec as he stood, noticing for the first time
the red stained scrap of fabric around his right hand and the blaster
burn on his right shoulder.  He glanced at Alec's blaster, still held in
his left hand,  "I didn't know you were left handed."

"I'm not," Alec replied succinctly.

Sean nodded, "I didn't think so."

Alec shrugged, "I guess that's what you get for grabbing the wrong end
of a knife and fighting with someone who's faster than you."

Sean nodded, "Is Typhonus..."

"Dead as a doornail."

"That took guts on yer part."

Alec didn't say anything, but his body language told Sean that it wasn't
an experience he cared to remember...or discuss.

"Come on, DeLeon; let's go home."

~Montage~