Jahn Dhoe looked behind him to the squad that was following him down the street. All were armed with automatic slug-firing rifles, carbines or pistols along with any other weapons the had been able to come up with. All around them the deserted city streets were littered with debris and burned out hulks of ground cars. The opposition had been fierce, the the debtors and mudders that were with him had managed to drive the Vondumian Judicial Forces back. The sheer numbers were just too many for the small army to handle.
Jahn himself carried a slug-throwing pistol in a holster strapped to his left thigh, but in his right hand he carried an unsheathed vibro-sword. Since he had found it in Eli Dipsatch private cache of weapons, he had somehow felt more comfortable with the hilt than with a gun stock. He hefted it, comforted by it's balance and weight.
"Commander, we're nearing our target... another few blocks and we'll be home free," the man standing next to him holding a paper map and an assault carbine told him.
"Thank you, Dael," Jahn replied. Suddenly he had a bad feeling and spoke louder so all his men could hear him. "Keep your eyes open for hostiles."
Gunfire broke out to their right. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, yet leaving him free to move. The big man sidestepped the incoming flight path of the projectiles, then pushed Dael out of the way of another. He watched as his team began diving for cover, but saw they weren't going to make it.
He acted on instinct. Moving toward the slugs he began weaving his way into the barrage and using his vibro-sword to deflect their paths. It took only moments, but Jahn's squad made it to cover and began to return fire.
Rage coursed through his body, infusing him with the raw power that seemed to energize him and fuel his supernatural abilities. Instead of taking cover with his men and women, he charged toward the snipers, using the Power to enhance his movements.
Over the last few weeks since he had killed Dipsatch and taken over the pudgey man's criminal empire, his ability to call on the Power became almost second nature and although it still worked best when he didn't think, but let it come instinctually instead.
It was a good thing too because Eli Dipsatch's captains and lieutentants took a bit of convincing at first. Jahn had only to kill a few of them in the presence of their cohorts for them to warm up to the idea of freeing the debtors. Soon Jahn Dhoe had put Dipsatch's entire criminal network to good use, contacting and organizing the mudders and other debtors, some of whom were treated in atrocious manner, kept in squalor and filth and fed just enough to keep them working at mass production jobs, sewing or operating huge machinery in poor working conditions.
Once the idea caught hold, it had spread like wildfire and the debtors had rallied to Jahn.
The government had also responded quickly, but in a different manner, sending in their Judicial troops to try to enforce the law and return the debtors to their jobs.
The confrontations had quickly escalated to violence as Jahn publicly promised that he'd crush the existing government and bring forth justice whether they liked it or not.
Rumor had it that the debtors had begun referring to their champion as "King Jahn," and his bride, "Queen Jael." The newly weds laughed about it in the little time they had together. "When this is all over we'll get away for a while, just you and I, your Majesty," Jahn had promised her, and they both laughed.
At the moment, Jahn had more perilous things to worry about. His crew covered him as he sprinted across the intersection toward and over turned ground car. The gunfire was coming fom behind it.
When he was still several meters out, Jahn launched himself into the air using the Power to propel his body higher than even he had thought possible. In the air, he twisted himself and landed in a crouch, his sword held wide at the ready.
The shocked looks on the faces of the three Judicials told him this was not what they had expected. To confirm it, they dropped their weapons. "We surrender," one of them said as the others nodded.
"Very well," Jahn said, then ended their lives with three lightning quick slashes.
He reached down and grabbed a scarf from the neck of one of them and wiped his blade clean. "Should have thought about that before you started shooting at me," he said under his breath.
His squad moved up to his position and saw the bodies. Dael looked at his commander. "Sir, I've never seen anything like that... I mean, you deflected those slugs then jumped the ground car. I simply can't believe it... and I saw it with my own eyes." The rest of the squad nodded in agreement.
Jahn didn't answer. He was already thinking about what was to come. They had to move quickly if they wanted to take the Prime Minsister's Palace. Currently, all that stood between them and the end of this coup was the lightly armed Judicial footsoldiers and troopers they had been dealing with.
That wasn't the problem. They could handle the troopers. The debtors vastly out numbered the judicials and had been making steady progress across the city in squads of ten to fifteen, all taking different routes, forcing the Judicials to split up and defend and there just wasn't enough of them to do it.
What Jahn was worried about was the intel rumors which said the Vondumian Elite Troopers had been summoned. They were heavily armed and well trained and if they were to get into place before Jahn and his troops could take the Palace then the chances of successfully taking the Prime Minister's Palace would be slim indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment