Deathstalker

Not all that long after, Owen sat quietly beside the dead Wampyr while Hazel fashioned a makeshift tourniquet around his left wrist. The wound seemed to have sealed itself, another legacy of the change the Maze had wrought in him, but Hazel wasn't taking any chances. Giles was talking quietly with Captain Silence and Investigator Frost, disarmed and under guard by half a dozen unsmiling Hadenmen. Jack Random and Ruby Journey lay side by side on stretchers, also talking quietly. The Hadenmen had got to them while sparks of life still remain in them both and then machines had repaired the damaged bodies with impressive speed. Ruby and Random were still very weak and would be for some time to come, but apparently they were expected to make a full recovery. Owen made the Hadenmen examine Moon, but they said it was too late for him. Owen told them how Moon had come back from the shores of death to give him the necessary codes to awaken them, and they nodded politely and told him to rest.

He'd half expected the augmented men to kill him when they first emerged from their Tomb, but for the moment at least, they couldn't do enough for their savior. They were tall and perfect and moved with inhuman grace, their eyes blazing like suns. They stopped the fighting in time to save Giles from the three remaining Wampyr. Hazel and Frost had practically dueled each other to exhaustion, and had to be almost pried apart, but the Investigator had still wanted to fight when she saw the Hadenmen. In the end, Silence had to order her to give up her sword. And as easily as that, it was all over.

Owen looked at the body of the Lord High Dram. Giles had gone to kneel beside it the moment the Hadenmen had led the three Wampyr away. He looked up when Owen joined him and said simply, "Grieve, kinsman. One of our Family is dead." He hadn't explained any further, and Owen hadn't pressed him. It could wait. Lots of things could wait now. He looked across at Ruby and Random as Random turned his head slowly to smile at her.

"Looks like we'll get to be part of the great rebellion after all. I wouldn't have put money on it. Still, think of the glory."

Ruby sniffed. "Think of the loot."

"That, too," said Jack Random.

Owen would have liked to laugh, but he didn't have the strength. Hazel finished fussing with the tourniquet and looked at him sternly.

"You should really dive into that regeneration machine of yours, or let the Hadenmen repair you."

Owen shook his head. "I don't trust that machine after what Oz had it do to us. Who knows what other mental traps he might have programmed into it, or us? And I'm not sure I trust the Hadenmen that much, either. My body will heal itself in time. I can feel it. Now help me up, there's a dear. I want to talk to the Captain."

Hazel got him to his feet, and he walked more or less steadily over to Silence and Frost. Giles nodded and moved off to stand by Dram's body. The Investigator glared at Owen coldly, but the Captain inclined his head slightly. The Hadenmen had repaired his nose, but there was still a massive dark bruise between his eyes.

"You're really not very impressive, Deathstalker, to have led the Empire such a chase."

"I'll try harder," said Owen. "Now pay attention. You and the Investigator are being allowed to return to the Empire alive for a reason. We want you to tell the Iron Bitch that the rebellion has begun. The next time she sees us, we'll be leading an army specifically put together to kick her off the Iron Throne. Make her believe it. Captain. I want her to have plenty of time to squirm."

"What about the Wampyr?" said Silence. "They're a bit strange, but they're still my crew."

"They're staying here. The Hadenmen are fascinated by them. Why did you destroy the Maze, Captain?"

"It was necessary. It was killing my people."

"You don't know what you've done. It was a place of miracles, of possibilities. The future of Humanity."

"What future has Humanity got if you lead the Hadenmen against the Empire?" Frost said harshly. "You might as well side with Shub."

"The Hadenmen… are not at all what I expected," said Owen. 'The Empire has lied about many things. Maybe it lied about them, too. But don't worry. I'll keep an eye on them."

"And what could you do to stop them?" said Silence.

"You'd be surprised," said Hazel. 'The Maze changed us, Captain. We're a lot more than we used to be."

"It's time for change," said Owen. "The Empire is corrupt from top to bottom. I can vouch for that personally."

"Think about what you're doing, Deathstalker!" Captain Silence took a step toward him, then stopped as everyone's hands went to their guns. He made himself speak calmly and evenly. " The Empire is currently under threat from two separate alien species, each of them possibly more technologically advanced than we are. Humanity itself is at risk. This is no time to fragment our attention and waste our resources."

"There'll never be a better time," said Hazel. "Who knows, maybe the aliens will side with us."

"You damned fools," said Frost. "I've seen one of the aliens. It made that creature the Deathstalker killed look like a wet-nosed puppy."

"Then we'll deal with it when it appears," said Hazel. "Tell the Iron Bitch we're coming, Investigator."

"And when you get there, I'll be waiting for you," said Frost. "I'll enjoy sticking your head on a pike, traitor."

Owen looked at Silence. "Is she usually this cheerful?"

Silence nodded solemnly. "This is restrained, for her."

They found themselves sharing an understanding look, while Hazel and Frost stared at them blankly.

"Don't judge us too harshly. Captain," said Owen. "We've been through a lot just recently. Lionstone has to fall. If it wasn't us, it would be someone else. Maybe even someone like you, Silence."

"Never," said Silence.

"Everybody stand exactly where you are!" said a loud shrill voice in all their ears. "This is Security Officer Stelmach, on the bridge of the Dauntless' main pinnace. I have the forward disrupter cannon aimed right at you! All rebels will give up their weapons immediately, or I'll open fire!"

"I wondered what had happened to him," said Frost.

"Can I just point out," Silence said reasonably, "that if you open fire on them, you will also kill me and the Investigator?"

"You're expendable," said Stelmach.

"Somehow I just knew he was going to say that," said Frost.

"You see?" said Hazel. "This is the kind of thing we've been talking about."

"Hold on just a minute," said Owen. "Who's this Stelmach? Did we miss one?"

"Apparently," said Hazel. "And as a result, we are now staring down the barrels of a whole bunch of disrupter cannon. Any ideas?"

"Don't hurry me," said Owen. "I'm thinking."

"I didn't come this far just to die now," said Hazel. "What say we rush him?"

"After you," said Owen.

"There's got to be something we can do!"

"I'm open to suggestions," said Owen. "We can't get at him, and he's got the big guns."

"Looks like your rebellion just came to a sudden halt, traitor," said Frost. "Hand over your weapons, and I promise you'll live long enough to face trial and execution on Golgotha."

"I'd rather rush him," said Owen.

"Relax, everybody," said a different voice in all their ears. "This is Wulf, on the pinnace. I've just taken control of the weapons systems away from the somewhat excitable gentleman who was in charge. He's currently having a little lie down."

"Who the hell's Wulf? said Frost. "Did we miss one?"

"Apparently," said Silence.

"All right, Wulf," said Owen. "What happened to you? Why weren't you killed when the Maze was destroyed?"

"I had my own way out of the Maze," said the Wolfling calmly. "I've been through it before. By the time I realized you were in trouble, it was all over bur the shouting. Luckily, I decided to see if there was anything useful on the pinnace."

"Well, now that our hearts have all started beating again," said Owen, "hand your prisoner over to the Hadenmen. I think you'd better stay aboard the pinnace until it's ready to leave, and make sure the fire controls are taken off-line before we let the Captain or the Investigator anywhere near it. I don't think I could stand another surprise at the moment."

"Understandable," said the Wolfling.

Owen sighed heavily and looked round to see Giles beckoning to him. He moved over, with Hazel at his side. Giles looked at him sternly.

"You still have a decision to make, kinsman. What are you going to do about the Darkvoid Device? Will you use it against the Empire? Will billions die again?"

"You created it," said Owen. "And you used it. What do you think we should do?"

"No," said Giles. "I won't make that kind of decision ever again. I can't."

"Then I say no," said Owen. "You can't fight evil by becoming evil. Too many have died already. If I've become a rebel and a traitor against the Empire, it's to save and protect lives, not to take them. But we won't destroy the baby, either. Let it sleep. And who knows, perhaps in years to come it will grow into something wonderful."

"Well done, aristo," said Hazel. "You finally got it right."

They smiled at each other, and then Owen looked away at the perfect Hadenmen emerging from their devastated city: last survivors of a previous rebellion. Things would be different this time. He was the Deathstalker, and he had finally found his true destiny. More or less.