Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

at the damaged faces of the watching clones and
    gestured for them to move back.
    "Look away," she said quietly. "You don't want to see this."
    And then the three robed Jesuits appeared suddenly before her and skidded to a halt, as though they hadn't been expecting to find her there. Beatrice showed them her broken bottle and tried hard to sound defiant rather than pathetic.
    "Well, come on then! You don't think I'm going to make it easy for you, do you?
    I'll make you kill me before I let you hand me over to that Investigator cow."
    "There seems to be some misunderstanding here," said one of the Jesuits mildly.
    He pushed back his cowl to reveal a warm face with a kindly scowl. "I am Alexander Storm, currently working with the rebels of Technos III. Might I inquire who you are?"
    "Mother Superior Beatrice," she said automatically. "Of the Sisters of Mercy.
    How do I know you are who you say you are?"
    "Well," said Storm, "the fact that we haven't tried to kill you should be a point in our favor. Do you think you could lower that fearsome-looking bottle?
    I'm sure we'd all feel a lot safer." He gave her a smile of unimpeachable charm, and she slowly lowered the broken bottle. Storm nodded approvingly. "Allow me to present my two associates: Ruby Journey and Jack Random."
    Beatrice blinked at the last name and watched intently as the other two Jesuits pushed back their cowls. The woman she didn't know from a hole in the ground, except by reputation, but everyone knew of Jack Random. He looked a lot younger than she'd expected, but it was definitely him. She relaxed suddenly, her breath going out of her in a rush as she finally felt something like safe again. "Dear Lord, it's really you. What the hell are you doing here?"
    "Freeing the clones," said Random equably. "Would you care to help? I get the
    feeling you'd be a lot safer in our company."
    "Damn right," said Beatrice. "I've got a bloody Investigator snapping at my heels. Someone high up wants me dead. But I can't help you. The Sisters of Mercy must remain neutral."
    "If someone's sent an Investigator after you, I think we can safely assume your neutrality has already been compromised," said Random. "Besides, can you just stand by and let this horror continue?"
    Beatrice looked at the watching clones in their pens, packed together like animals. "No," she said finally. "I can't."
    "Good for you, Sister," said Storm. "And don't worry. We'll protect you."
    "Is that right?" said Investigator Shoal. "Now, that I would like to see." They all spun around, to find her standing right behind them, her sword in her hand.
    She looked very relaxed and utterly deadly. "Good thing I tried to contact the Jesuits and smelled a rat when I couldn't get an answer. I started out after a rogue Sister of Mercy, and now I have three infamous rebels to kill as well, one of them the legendary Jack Random. God is good, sometimes, isn't he? Now, who wants to die first?"
    Ruby looked at Random. "Let me have her. I didn't have time to enjoy killing that Investigator before."
    "Sorry," said Random, "we haven't got the time now." He already had his disrupter in his hand, pointing at Shoal. "Say good night, Investigator."
    Ruby glared at him. "Don't you dare, Jack Random. If you kill her, I'll never speak to you again. I've always wanted to go one on one with an Investigator."
    Random started to shake his head, and Shoal's sword whipped around, the flat of the blade slapping the gun out of his hand. Random shook his tingling fingers gingerly, looked at the coldly smiling Investigator, and nodded to Ruby. "I
    never could refuse you anything, my dear. But make it quick. We've got work to do."
    Shoal laughed suddenly. "I don't know what you people have been smoking, but I'm pretty sure it must be illegal. Nothing else could get you this far from reality. Let's do it, girl. Then, after I've killed you, I'll kill your friends, and take back Jack Random's head as a trophy."
    "In your dreams," said Ruby. "Let's do it."
    They slammed together, head-to-head, blades flying, no quarter asked or given.
    They stamped and lunged and their swords clashed together, sparks flying in the still air. They were both supremely talented, trained to great skill by harsh circumstances, and the speed at which they came together and sprang apart was exhilarating. Ruby laughed breathlessly, her sword everywhere at once. This was what she lived for, when she felt most alive. She could have boosted, but didn't. She could