Deathstalker 03 - Deathstalker War

stuck together?"
    "We don't have the time to experiment," Giles said flatly. "The rebellion needs us now. I've put a lot of thought into this."
    "Without consulting us," said Ruby.
    "Right," said Random. "When was all this planning going on? The rest of us have been working our asses off on our missions."
    "I don't sleep much," said Giles. "Now pay attention, please. We need to split into the following groups…"
    "I'm not happy about this," said Hazel. "The last time we let the underground split us up, David and the SummerIsle went off on their own. Now David's dead, and Kid Death's joined the opposition."
    "I miss David," Owen said suddenly. "I never really got to know him, and now I never will, but I miss him now he's gone. I'm the last of the direct line. The last of the Deathstalkers."
    "That's not what's upsetting you," said Hazel. "You're just angry because since Virimonde's been destroyed, you can't go home again. You can never have your old life back. That's all you ever really wanted out of this rebellion, isn't it?"
    "I don't know," said Owen. "Maybe. I never wanted to be a warrior. I was happy, being a scholar and an historian, with no pressures and no responsibilities. But I wouldn't go back, even if I could. I've seen too much. And David… he was a pain in the ass, but he had potential. There was so much I could have taught him… and now he's gone. Murdered by Kit SummerIsle. The same smiling bastard who killed my father. Whatever happens down below, the SummerIsle is mine."

    "Good," said Giles approvingly. "You're starting to sound like a Deathstalker.
    You've come a long way, historian."
    "And if I don't always like what I've made of myself, whom do I blame?" said Owen. "Sometimes I think I've become everything I ever hated. A man of violence, driven by revenge. Just another pawn in my father's plots and schemes to bring down the Empress. Just another barbarian at the gates of Empire."
    There was an awkward silence, broken by an urgent chiming from the viewscreen.
    Giles switched to the new incoming signal, and Golgotha disappeared, replaced by Finlay Campbell, Evangeline Shreck, and Julian Skye, their faces filling the screen. They looked harried.
    "What's holding you people up?" said Finlay, not bothering with any amenities.
    "We need you down here now. Everything's gone to hell in a handcart in the Parade of the Endless, the one city above all we have to hold. We can't tell who's winning anymore, if anyone is. Our people are all out on the streets, doing what they can, but we need you to bring things together. Just your presence will help to inspire the fighters. You've become heroes, legends, not least through Toby Shreck's coverage, and people will follow you where they won't follow us."
    "Tell me more about the situation," said Giles, refusing to be pressured. "Who's on top at the moment?"
    "Depends on who you talk to," said Evangeline. "Things are falling apart in the governing bodies incredibly quickly, and we're doing all we can to take advantage of that, but then, it's all been precariously balanced for a long time. It only needed a spark to set the people off. If we'd known they were this close to the edge, we'd have provided a spark ourselves, even if we had to make one up. But there are still a hell of a lot of troops and Security people out in
    the streets, and they're a damned sight better armed than most of our people. So we need you. Your powers could be the turning point. God knows we need one.
    We're fighting on so many fronts it's hard to make any real breakthrough."
    "What about the Hadenmen?" said Owen, cutting in. "I've been worried about them.
    I woke them from their Tomb because we needed them, but after all, they were the official Enemies of Humanity before Shub came along. Are they behaving themselves?"
    "Surprisingly enough, yes," said Julian Skye. "Their ships are only taking out the targets we gave them, and their ground fighting has proved a blessing. They make great shock troops. Half the time, the army forces run away rather than face them. Not that I blame them in the slightest. But all in all, the augmented men have been behaving impeccably. We've even had reports they've been taking prisoners, rather than just killing everything that moves, which surprised everyone. Not least the prisoners. Maybe they found God, in their Tomb. So, one of your better ideas, Deathstalker."
    "Right," said Evangeline. "Now if you're quite happy, perhaps we could return to more