Deathstalker 07 - Deathstalker Return

King is a broken man, and the House is Finn's lapdog. You're on your own, Sir Deathstalker. How bad is the situation here? How long can you hold out?"
    "Every member of Clan Deathstalker is here, in the Standing," said Laura. "We thought they'd be safer here. We never thought…"
    "We're safe in here, Mother," said Roland. "Let that bastard Finn send his armies. They don't have anything out there that can break this castle. It has only ever fallen once, in David's time, and that was because of a traitor within, who opened the gates to the enemy. That won't happen this time. We can hold off pretty much any attack for months; we've got guns and food and drink for all. But somehow I don't see Finn being ready to wait that long. No, he'll have some other way in mind to get at us, when the obvious one's failed."
    He paused then, as a message came in through his comm implant, over a private channel. He scowled, and then turned and activated a viewscreen on the wall above the great fireplace. Lola Martinez's face filled the screen. Her green eyes were very bright, and her smile was unnaturally wide.
    "It doesn't matter that we can't get in," she said flatly. "Because you're going to come out. I want every man, woman, and child in Clan Deathstalker to throw down their weapons, come outside, and surrender to me. Because if you don't, Finn Durandal will give the order to activate the transmutation engines currently orbiting your planet. And every living thing on this world will melt down into undifferentiated protoplasm. It really is that simple. You surrender; or your world dies. Either way, we get what we want.
    You have one hour. And then we withdraw, and the engines start their work."
    The viewscreen snapped off. Roland and Laura looked at each other. Nina moved in close beside Emma.
    "He wouldn't really do it, would he?" she said quietly. "I mean, this is Virimonde! Owen's homeworld!
    Even Finn wouldn't dare touch it. Would he?"
    "You saw his broadcast, blaming the Deathstalkers for the loss of Heracles Four," said Emma. "The mood he's got people worked into, I think they'd let him get away with anything. A lot of them would even cheer as Virimonde was broken apart for transmutation."
    "I told you he'd have another plan," said Roland. "The Paragon is right. We have no choice. We have to surrender."
    "If you go out there, he'll kill you," said Emma.
    "Yes," said Laura. "He probably will. Because we're a symbol, and have to be brought down. Because Finn can use our deaths to hurt Lewis. Or just because he's a spiteful, vindictive little shit. But what matters is that the Clan will go on. Lewis will return to lead the family, eventually, and he will avenge us."
    She smiled fondly at her husband. "We have had a good life together, my dear. Let's not spoil the end of it by groveling before Finn's people."
    "Wouldn't dream of it," Roland said gruffly. "Wouldn't give the little turd the satisfaction."
    "The Clan goes on."
    "Yes."
    Emma frowned. "You really think you can trust the Durandal to keep his word?"
    "We can trust him to kill everyone on Virimonde, to get his own way," said Laura.
    "Then we came all this way for nothing," said Emma.
    "What are you talking about?" said Nina. "We're covering a great story, live and uncensored, as it happens! Finn won't dare break his word in front of an audience this big!"
    "You're so young," said Laura.
    Emma and Nma stood in the shadows of the great mam gates, and watched silently as the whole of Clan Deathstalker filed out of their Standing and onto the great open plain, to face their enemies. Roland and Laura led the way, holding hands, their heads held high. They'd left behind their armor with their weapons, but they still looked like warriors. The army stood assembled in ranks before the castle, with Lola Martinez at its head, watching coldly, still smiling. When the last of the Clan had assembled outside the castle, Lola gestured to her troops, and they marched forwards in perfect formation, breaking apart at the last moment to surround the empty-handed Deathstalkers. Emma stirred uneasily. Lola came forwards to stand before Roland and Lewis.
    "You're all traitors. Finn Durandal names you all outlaws, and enemies of the new order. Every single one of you is hereby sentenced to death, for crimes against Humanity. Sentence to be carried out immediately." And while Roland and Laura and the rest of Clan Deathstalker stared at her, she laughed in their faces, turned to her troops, and