Pancake Night 8: Storming The Castle

by Seven


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.



Note from Author:    On request...



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"Da'an's being what?" Lili asked as Liam nudged her with his elbows. She climbed into the shuttle's cockpit and began to enter the coordinates.

"Apparently the Embassy is being mobbed by fanatical Taelonists," Liam replied from the ground, hopping up and down in his orange straitjacket.

"They're not all fanatical?"

"Not this bad," Liam shouted. "Lili, I can't move my arms. How am I supposed to get up there?"

****

Da'an looked up as a straitjacketed Liam raced into the room, face red and slick. "Sorry it took so long," he gasped, doubling over. "Lili had to find ropes to... never mind. Come on down to the shuttlepad, we have a shuttle waiting."

"Liam, are you all right?" Da'an asked, putting his hand on Liam's shoulder.

"This thing doesn't breathe," Liam wheezed. "In a few days, I'm gonna be unbearable."

Da'an wisely chose to be silent, then stopped and turned around, walking back to his chair. Liam watched him, moaning a little. "Da'an, what are you doing?"

Da'an waved the datastream into view.

****

Zo'or watched with satisfaction, as Sandoval walked onto the bridge in a fresh suit. He wasn't entirely certain how Sandoval had attired himself in a new outfit without going back to Earth, but he also wasn't inclined to ask.

"An incoming transmission," one of the Taelons droned.

Da'an's face appeared on the datastream, looking tense and worried. Sandoval ducked behind Zo'or's chair to hear everything. "Zo'or, the Taelonists are invading the Washington Embassy," he said urgently. "Liam is about to take me-"

"Da'an!" screamed a voice from offscreen. Da'an glanced to his side. "They're storming the castle!"

Zo'or's face went blank. "What?"

Da'an looked back at the Synod leader, frowning, a scream and a faint "Ow" was heard offscreen. "They appear to be scaling the walls. Please rendezvous with us in Baltimore." He shut off the datastream.

****

Like insects, the Taelonists were creeping up the side of the Embassy. Grappling lines now lined the outside of the walls.

****

"Da'an!" Liam yowled, looking out the window. "They're storming the castle!"

Da'an glanced at him briefly. Lili dashed through the door, and slammed straight into Liam with a little scream. Liam pitched over onto his face, unable to catch himself because of his arms tied to his torso. Face pressed against the floor, Liam mumbled a muffled, "Ow."

Da'an waved the datastream away and walked over to Liam. Lili rolled him over. "Thag you so buch," Liam said faintly, wiggling his noise painfully.

"Sorry," Lili said, slipping her arms under his back and pulling. Her blue eyes widened and bulged. "Oh--ow, that hurts. Considered losing weight?"

"You wish," Liam said, struggling to his knee and then to his feet. "Okay... Lili, we'll meet you in Baltimore... hold it." He glanced at Da'an, standing beside him. "Lili needs to come with us," he said urgently. "Look at my arms, I can't pilot." He flapped his elbows in frustration.

"All right," Lili said, pulling Da'an and Liam to the door.

"Carefully... on the wrists," Liam protested.

"Why bother, the thing is indestructable," Lili retorted, releasing Da'an but continuing to yank Liam by the elbow to the shuttlepad.

"It is not."

"It is so."

"It is not."

"It is so."

"I haven't tried using shakarava yet."

****

As the shuttle lifted off from the pad, a Taelonist clinging to the outer wall launched himself at the shuttle and caught onto one of the engines. The shuttle glided in conventional drive, with a robed fanatic clinging to the side.