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The strange delta-winged craft skimmed low over the monochrome dunes. Lazy desert winds buffeted the ship and the light from three moons played along the silvery hull. Here and there black paint picked out words of an alien language on the pockmarked surface, most of it heavily scored by sand storms. The craft's name, "Leel Elma", had been freshly repainted on either side of its nose under the eight panels of the windshield. On the bridge of the ground effect craft, slumped in the worn pilot's chair, sat the rotund figure of Jeer Tikis, ship's captain. Behind him to his left was Storne Austis, his so-called executive officer, dozing fitfully on the narrow bunk beside his control panel. Tikis liked to watch the dune sea as it flashed beneath his ship. The cool greys and blues of the desert at night were very calming. It helped him to focus during these dogwatches that stretched into the small hours. There was no real reason for him to be awake - the Geco's onboard computer was piloting the ship just fine. But tonight, five hours out of Karbala, Tikis felt restless. He had been unable to sleep and one thing Tikis had learned in his twenty-three years traversing the dunes was that you ignored your sixth sense at your peril. Sure enough, after a few minutes he saw a small flashing red light a few clicks away - what he assumed to be a navi-light on another ship. Shouldn't the proximity alert be sounding? 'Austis! Wake up! Trouble...' The younger Yahanan rose slowly form his bed, swinging his feet to the floor in slow motion. 'Out there,' Tikis lifted a vague hand in the direction of the windshield. 'Another ship. They must be blocking the proximity detectors,' he announced. Austis' mouth twisted into a frown of concern. 'Must be Buliseye. How…' He trailed off as he caught sight of the other ship, picked out in every detail by the moonlight. Austis slipped into the co-pilot's seat, clipped his restraining belts into place and started tapping at a keyboard. 'Switching to manual,' he intoned. Tikis wrenched the control stick hard to port, causing the "Leel Elma" to veer violently away form its pursuer. In unison with his friend, Austis increased speed and then turned to the radio transceiver and set the dial to the secret wavelength they had been given for emergencies. Tikis shot him an 'I-don't-think-that-is-going-to-work' look, but the XO tried anyway. 'This is "Leel Elma". We have been detected by Buliseye. Co-ordinates 231.458; course bearing 210 degrees. Attempting evasion. Please advise.' There was silence for a couple of seconds and then a clipped voice came over the Geco's audio relay, but it was not what the two Yahanans were expecting. 'This is Buliseye Patrol craft "Amal". Please reduce speed and stand by for boarding.' Tikis and Austis exchanged glances. 'Prepare to jettison the hold,' said Tikis, increasing the ship's speed to maximum. 'What about the emphazine?' asked Austis. "Have you lost your mind? Seth himself… ' 'Seth himself isn't here!' growled Tikis. 'We are.' 'We should have stuck to moving heavy machinery,' complained Austis. 'Pharmaceuticals is a far more lucrative business.' 'You mean drugs,' Austis said, his bitterness plain. 'Stop acting like a child!' shouted Tikis. Without warning the craft gave a sudden lurch, slewing to port. A dull thud echoed through the ship as a sand torpedo hit its target. Held in their seats by the restraining belts, the two men jerked around like puppets. Somehow their hands remained locked on the control panel, desperately trying to get the "Leel Elma" back under control. A second explosion tore through the ground effect craft, this time catching the turbo prop engine amidships. The Geco immediately careened to port, losing what little altitude it had. Ahead a large dune loomed like a half-submerged whale. The "Leel Elma" was going down, screeching in a dive of gravity-propelled power. 'Brace! Brace!' Shouted Tikis above the noise. He and Austis threw their arms up in front of their faces. The craft tobogganed up the dune and soared back into the air at an acute angle. Unbalanced by the collision the ship began to turn over. Tikis cursed as one wing angled towards the sky; the other pointing at the desert. The port wing hit the ground and was torn off, sending the Geco cartwheeling back to earth. This time the impact with the ground was full on, crumpling the flight deck and killing both pilots. The "Leel Elma" bounced four times, before finally coming to a shuddering standstill. In severe contrast, the ship that had identified itself as a Buliseye craft performed a graceful landing beside its target. Maroon clad commandos spilled from its belly and moved purposefully towards the stricken craft. |
