"Bergmann's Team", Bk 2

"Where are you losing surveillance cameras, Ship's Captain?  That's where they are, of course," Guy added quickly. There was silence for a moment.  "They must be in the #4 Hold; the cameras are inoperative there," Far Batwing replied. "DJ, CJ do you have any weapons other than those air guns?" Guy asked.  "I'm going to use these nunchucks when I run out of darts," CJ said.  "You're going to start with the staff?" DJ showed him her spring baton: a telescoping hand weapon with a steel cylinder on the end of a spring. Guy nodded.  He took Nita's epee blade and using the hole in his pocketknife, broke the tip off so it would penetrate like a rapier.  He handed it to Nita, grip first.  He then snapped the tip off his epee and laid it by the front door.  He grabbed the ash staff, wishing he'd had time to do more training with it.  "I can't believe this is happening.  We're going to fight Banderat?" Nita looked at Guy with big eyes. He embraced her and then held her in front of him.  "Whatever it takes, Nita.  They won't know what hit them; they won't expect us to attack.  Get your glove on." Dawn Glider spoke: "I'll leave five troopers here on the roof with lasers; the other five go with us in the air, cloaked."   Guy nodded to Nita: "once we're out, lock the building as if for a hull-breach.  You let us in only when we tell you we're back. OK?  Let's do it!"  He kissed Nita quickly and they left.  He heard the door seals whistle behind them.  He spun the fighting staff twice to get the feeling in his arm and wrist muscles. They ran toward the Shuttle Bay.  "Have Rebecca and Gina watch, but keep them away from the windows so the Banderat don't see them."  Guy called as he ran, beginning to build adrenalin and fear of what would happen. It was eerie to see no one on these ‘streets’.  They reached the cargo door to the Shuttle Bay and had to wait as they watched Trader settling to the deck in vacuum.  The cargo door latch-mechanism finally clicked; they sprinted towards the shuttle's hatch.  Several Striver troopers landed around the hatch, facing outwards as the ramp extended and the hatch slid upward.  The Striver intern led four litters out of the ship on anti-grav pallets: each carried a small figure covered with a blanket.  The hatch cycled shut immediately; the ramp was withdrawn.  Trader was sealed against attack. The three Humans reached the litters and started them back towards Terra House. 

Dawn Glider spoke: "They're coming out of a service bay behind the Hotel!"  We can't go straight ahead, we'll run into them.  Follow me!"  He led them away from the cargo door they'd entered through.  They ran along the shuttle bay inner bulkhead to a service hatch.  He popped the dogs on the steel door, swung it open and motioned for them to follow him inside.  He left five troopers behind; they would close and dog the door.   "Count them, Nita; what weapons do you see?" Guy asked, jogging down the service tunnel behind Dawn Glider, breathing heavily. "I count seventeen.  They're dragging a Striver along with them!  Oh, he's got a laser!  One of the Banderat has a Striver laser!  The rest have short batons; they're almost here!"  Nita said. "We're in a service tunnel; we'll come up into the utility room downstairs.  We'll tell you just before we come in."   "Guy, they're got some kind of blue cloth wrapped around their heads; it extends halfway down their chest and around their back.  Is that important?" Nita asked. "That may be an anti-stun cape, Envoy.  If it's effective, we won't be able to stun them.  We will have to take out that laser or we won't dare close with them," Dawn Glider said.  "The Strivers up above are shooting beside them with the lasers.  Now they're holding the captured Striver up; one Banderat is holding the laser to his head."  Nita replied. "Nita, we're outside the utility room: un-seal!" Guy said.  The door swung open to their touch; they raced through.  They got the litters in the corridor and closed the door.  "OK, reseal it, Nita."  Guy raced up the corridor to the front of the building; through the windows in front of Rebecca's holocomp, he could see the mass of Banderat in the middle of the street milling around.  The Banderat couldn't see into the stairwell to their apartment from their position. "OK, we've got just enough cover to make it upstairs!  I'll take the first juvenile in my arms.  Spring Blossom, can you take one?  CJ, DJ, you each get one; Dawn Glider, you're our defense if they see us.  OK?  Nita, unseal now and open the door, we're coming in!"

He jogged out of the reception area, around the corner and up the steps into his apartment, the small Banderat in his arms.  He got her into the guest be