Deathstalker 01 - Deathstalker

made it out of the Maze?"
    "There haven't been any others," said Dram. "You two are the only ones. What happened in there?"

    Silence shook his head, trying to force his thoughts into some kind of order.
    "Some kind of esp attack. People went crazy. The whole Maze is one great booby trap."
    "Were the espers any protection?"
    "No. They were the most susceptible of all."
    Dram nodded. "Next time I tell you not to take espers somewhere, do as you're told, Captain."
    Silence looked at Dram. "Did you know this was going to happen?" he said softly.
    "No. But I had my suspicions. Now, what do you suggest, Captain? You've used up all your marines and espers, but we still have to get past the Maze to reach the rebels."
    Silence glared at the Maze. His mind was clear again. "Get everyone back to the main pinnace. Have the pilot power up with special attention to the weapons systems."
    Dram raised an eyebrow. "Are we going somewhere, Captain? May I remind you of your orders, and the urgency of our mission…"
    "I don't need reminding," said Silence. "I know what I'm doing." He moved away from Dram to rejoin Frost, who was back on her feet again and looked more like herself. She nodded shortly to Silence.
    "Thanks for getting me out, Captain. Things got a little fraught in there for a while. Give me a few minutes to catch my breath, and I'll take another stab at the Maze."
    "That won't be necessary," said Silence. "We're not going through the Maze again. I've got a better idea. Now come with me back to the main pinnace. And before you ask, no, we're not going anywhere."

    "Very well, Captain. May I ask who it was murmuring sweet nothings into my ear while I was recovering?"
    "Valiant Stelmach, as it happens."
    "Ah. I really must thank him, when I have a moment. And also make it very clear that if he ever talks of it to anyone else, I will kill him." She looked at Silence steadily. "We're the only survivors, aren't we?"
    "Yes. The others are all dead. If they're lucky."
    Frost nodded slowly. "This is going to be one of those days, I can tell."
    It didn't take them long to get back through the forest to the main pinnace. The Dauntless had used its banks of disrupter cannon to blast a way through the frozen atmosphere and the planet's surface to reach the hidden interior of the Wolfling World. After that it was simple enough to fly the pinnaces down the new tunnel, so they could blast an opening into the ancient caverns below. Silence led what remained of his people back through the dark forest to where the pinnaces lay waiting and ordered them aboard the main pinnace. The long narrow ship was already powered up, all systems online, and Silence felt a grim satisfaction as he ordered the pilot to move the ship slowly forward.
    The pinnacle's engines murmured threateningly as the craft rose a few feet into the air and then edged forward foot by foot. Silence sat stiffly in the bridge command chair, his eyes fixed on the viewscreen. The dark forest filled the screen, ancient and awesome. Silence studied it for a long moment, and then personally took control of the pinnacle's weapon systems and blasted a path right through the forest. Most of the trees disappeared in a moment, blown to nothing by disrupter cannon firing at point-blank range. The ship moved smoothly forward, hovering a few feet above the scorched earth, A few burning trees still stood at the extreme edges of where the forest had been, but nothing else
    remained between the pinnace and the Madness Maze.
    Silence brought the ship right to the edge of the Maze, only a few feet short of the first shimmering steel walls, and held it there. The Maze looked back, silent and arrogant, holding within itself the blood and ghosts of murdered men.
    Silence sat back in his command chair, smiling coldly at the viewscreen. Frost stood silently at his side. Silence's hand moved to the fire controls. He might be too late to save his people, but he could still avenge them. The Empire scientists would be furious at the loss of such an important alien find, but Silence couldn't bring himself to give a damn. He grinned coldly and opened fire.
    The Maze was swept away almost instantly, its metal walls curling up and disintegrating like leaves caught in a flamethrower. Silence shut down the disrupter cannon and listened intently as his bridge crew gave him the new sensor readings. No trace of the Maze remained, leaving the Hadenman city beyond broken and shattered. Air and temperature