Deathstalker 03 - Deathstalker War

was expecting anything."
    "I expect they just want to speak with these two," said Diana. "Make sure they got here in one piece."
    "No doubt, Mother. I'll just check."
    He got up and went into the next room, calmly puffing on his pipe. When he returned a few moments later, the pipe was in his hand, and the peacefulness was gone from his face.
    "You'd better come through," he said to Toby and Flynn. "They want to talk to you. Mother, call the boys in. We'd best prepare. Word is bad things are coming."
    Diana got up without a word and headed for the outside door. Toby and Flynn dumped their various cats and dogs and followed Adrian into the next room, where a large holoscreen covered half a wall. An unfamiliar face looked out of the screen at them, stern to hide his worry.
    "Shreck, Flynn, you have to leave, now. It's not safe for you anymore."
    "Why?" said Toby. "What's happened? Have the Dakers been compromised? Does the Empire know we're here?"
    "None of that matters anymore," said the face. "The shit is about to hit the fan for all of Virimonde, if it hasn't already begun. Leave, while you still can.
    Empire troops will be hitting ground anytime now, all over the planet. The Stevie Blues are already dirtside, to represent us to the local rebels. They should be heading in your direction; see if you can hook up with them. If not, try to get to the Standing. Maybe the Deathstalker can protect you till we can arrange safe passage offworld for you."
    "But why?" said Toby. "What's happening?"

    The face looked tired and drawn, as though all his strength was leaking out of him. "The Empress has outlawed David Deathstalker, for allowing his peasants to experiment with democracy. The entire planet is to be placed under martial law, by any and all means necessary. The populace is considered to be in rebellion.
    Every man, woman, and child on Virimonde is to be placed under constraint, and then tried, exiled, or executed. Not necessarily in that order. Three Imperial starcruisers are already in orbit over Virimonde. More are on their way. Troops are already landing. And the Empress has authorized extensive use of war machines. It's going to get hard and vicious and bloody, real soon now. Get out of there. Now."
    The screen went blank. In the kitchen the dogs were barking loudly, sensing the excitement and alarm. Toby and Flynn looked at each other. "Well," said Flynn, trying hard to sound casual. "So much for our trying to avoid a war zone. Do we head for the Standing?"
    "I guess so. The Stevie Blues could be anywhere, and the Standing isn't that far from here. Maybe we can get some good footage of the fighting along the way.
    Just so this mission isn't a complete failure. You know, just once, I'd like things to go the way I planned them."
    Flynn shrugged. "That's life. Our life, anyway. We'd better say good-bye to our hosts and get moving. We've no way of knowing how near the troops are."
    They went back into the kitchen. The dogs were running around excitedly. The cats were perched on high shelves, watching everything with wise, experienced eyes. Adrian Daker had pushed the heavy table aside and opened up a concealed trapdoor in the floor. There were wooden steps, leading down into a secret cellar. Adrian was emerging from the dark hole with an armful of weapons. He nodded calmly to Toby and Flynn, and dropped the weapons on the table, next to
    those he'd already brought up. There were lots of them, mostly projectile weapons and boxes of ammunition, with a few hand energy weapons. Set on a farmhouse table they looked pretty impressive, but Toby knew they were nothing compared to an invading army backed up by war machines.
    "Better get out of here boys," said Adrian. "It'll be getting noisy around here soon. It seems the rebellion's started a little early."
    "Will you be safe here?" said Toby.
    "Safe as anywhere," said Adrian, stripping guns of their protective coverings with quick, professional movements. "They'll need an army to storm this place.
    And with Mother and our boys beside me, the Empire will pay dearly in blood and suffering for the taking of our land. This has been Daker land for countless generations, and they'll not take it from us while there's a bullet left to fire, or a Daker left to fire it. Go, now, while it's still quiet. Head due north from here, and that'll take you to the Standing. You'll find a flyer in the stables behind the house. Energy crystals are a bit low, but they should get you most of the