Jinto turned to look, to find three enemies in pursuit on horseback. They must have learned from their example and struck a deal with some wandering steeds.
“I can’t manage all of them; you have my faith,” said Lafier.
“You say that, but...”
The improvised cavalry clearly weren’t trained for equine endeavors. Firing intermittent shots while also clinging so as not to get bucked off proved mostly ineffectual. That being said, they were closing the distance little by little.
Naturally, Jinto too had no training to guide him, and even so much as bringing his gun to the ready was fumbly in this awkward position.
Jinto tucked the gun into his armpit, and retrieved a phaser cartridge .
“Lafier, close your eyes.” He tossed it. Due in part to his unsteady position, it didn’t come close to the enemy.
Right before it dropped, Jinto shut his eyes and faced away.
A dazzling gleam.
When again his eyes opened, he caught sight of two of the enemies fallen from their mounts, rolling and clutching at their eyes.
“I told you, no littering!” the horse admonished.
“Sorry. I’m a rotten little brat.”
The single remaining enemy ceased in their tracks.
“There, see it? The exit,” said the horse. A row of about twenty glass doors lay open for them.
“I can’t go any further from this point,” it added, coming to a stop.
“Thank you!” Jinto jumped off.
“C’mon, Jinto!” Lafier launched into a sprint. It seemed as though this time, the sugar really had bestowed her the strength to go on.
“I look forward to seeing you ag—” Then the horse took a crusher-bullet right to the abdomen. Searing fumes shrouded its saddle while electric sparks charged through the air.
“Looks like I’m malfunctioning...” It slowly fell to its knees as its legs broke down.
“I’m so sorry!” Jinto gripped at his chest.
“Hurry!” Lafier picked off the last of the makeshift cavalry.
“Yeah, I get the picture.” Jinto dashed for the exit.
They came to a small sort of hall. It housed some shops and guide maps, and there were ten stopped escalators before them. Needless to say, no other people were present. Jinto searched the sides of the exit.
“What are you doing?” questioned Lafier, her voice severe, as she’d already stepped foot onto the escalator.
“Just give me five seconds.”
There was no guarantee he’d come across what he hoped for, but there they were: three buttons, the controls under the words EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF DOOR. Next to them hung a notice reading, “WARNING: Activating without just cause will lead to criminal charges.”
The controls were a tad difficult to work (probably in order to prevent mischief from prankster children). Jinto followed the instructions and pressed Button 3, then 1, then 2. The buttons glowed when pressed, and then they started blinking on and off.
“Warning. Activating the shut-off door without need will hold you subject to criminal and civil affairs liability. Please confirm the situation is an emergency...” came the robo-voice, but Jinto paid it no heed. There was no time. He slammed his hands against the buttons.
“Danger! The shut-off door will now close. Please get away from the door. Danger! The shut-off door will...” The glass doors closed shut at once. A steel door dropped down from above and caused the ground to quake with a THUD.
“All right, we’re good to go!” Jinto ran up to her.
The staircase was lengthy, with at least five stories’ worth of height in all. They rushed up them without pause, and panted by the door.
“Are you okay?” asked Jinto, concerned.
“Uh-huh.” She was pale in the face, but she had enough left in her to give him a grin.
“Let’s head into town again. We’ll go back into hiding. I bet you anything the Empire ’ll be back in no time.”
The exit was unmanned. They stepped through it into the open. The daytime sky was without a cloud. Outside the exit, the ground slanted in a slight incline, shining hazily. The path stretched about as wide as the small plaza, and at its top, it divided in two. But they hadn’t even reached that far before hovercars appeared from both ends to block their way.
“Police!” Jinto looked back, and witnessed the darting figures of police officers.
“Don’t move!” The officers fired warning shots.
Lafier’s right hand made to move.
“No,” said Jinto, grabbing her by the wrist.
“Why!? You want to surrender here?”
“Yep, we’re surrendering!”
They were flanked on both sides, and besides, the cops in front were hiding behind their cars. There could be no victory.
“Terrestrial citizens are better than the alternative,” argued Jinto. “Better than falling into enemy hands.”
“But what if they hand us over!?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. But if we fight here, we die. It’s that simple.”
Lafier bit her lower lip, and dropped her gun.
A man exited the hovercar at the center. A man with brown skin and a smoke in his mouth.
“Name’s Entryua, and I’m an inspector with the Lune Beega Police. Now, I’d like to hear from you two about a grand theft auto incident that occurred some five days back.”
“Are we under arrest!?” cried Jinto, glowering at the inspector.
“Oh, so you speak Clasbulian?” Entryua beamed. “That’s a relief. Haven’t studied Baronh since school, so I’m pleased as punch you and I can have a chat in Clasbulian. And to answer your question, you’re not under arrest. You’ll be coming along with us voluntarily for a bit of questioning. We don’t even know who you really are, so we can’t issue warrants for your arrest, see. Though we probably could just arrest you on the spot for property damage and unauthorized possession of weapons.”
“We plead self-defense.”
“Thought you would, which is why I didn’t throw murder on the list. In any case, I think it’d be in your best interest to take a ride with us.”
“And we’re NOT under arrest, right?” Jinto pressed.
“Nope. Not as of now, anyway. So no cuffs, and no straightjackets.”
“What about the property damage and unauthorized possession?”
“Well, to tell you the truth, we’ve got an arrangement or somesuch with the Empire , so it’ll be the court that decides. I know your extenuating circumstances. So believe me when I say that at the moment, I’ve no desire to arrest. Now have we understood each other?”
Jinto nodded slowly.
“Good, that’s good. Can I get you to ditch the gun?” he said gently.
He let it go, dumping it on the ground alongside the single remaining phaser cartridge .
Lafier still gripped hers.
“Now for the young Abh lady.”
“You can do it, Lafier,” Jinto said in hushed tones.
“I shall trust your judgment,” she told him, and she put it down.
Entryua, relieved, ordered a subordinate to take their firearms. “Now put your hands behind your head and come here. If you behave, we won’t have to get rough.”
Jinto did as he was told. Lafier also complied, albeit grudgingly.
“Don’t be naïve, Inspector!” Another man had exited the car, but this one was wearing a green-brown uniform. The uniform of a UH military officer.
“You tricked us!” Jinto tried throwing himself at the cop they’d given the guns.
In that moment, the tension ran high.
“Wait! You’ve got the wrong idea!” said Entryua. “Calm down and let me explain!”
Jinto froze in place.
“This is Military Police Lieutenant Kyte. He’s cooperating with us,” he rattled on. “Listen, we aren’t toadies of the occupiers. At the end of the day, I’m the one in charge here. So if you listen to what I say, there won’t be any problems.”
“Lunacy!” Kyte pressed a gun against the two. “There’s absolutely a problem. We haven’t even checked to see whether they’re totally disarmed yet! How can you trust them so easily?”
“‘Inspector Entryua ,’ was it?” said Lafier. “I don’t know whether it means anything to the people of the land, but I swear upon bar lupainec (the honor of the Abh) that I have no other weapons on me.”
“Yes, I trust you, I really trust you,” said Entryua in clumsy Baronh.
“NO!” Kyte disheveled his blonde hair. “Look here, Abh, if you want us to believe you, then remove all of your clothes and lie on your back. We’ll give you a thorough pat down.”
Jinto stepped in front of Lafier to defend her. “As if! We’re not here to humor your stupid power play...”
“Out of the way, you idiot slave!” Kyte suddenly pulled the trigger.
“Augh!” Jinto felt a searing heat in his left shoulder. His vision swam.
“JINTO!” Lafier caught him in her arms.
Fortunately, Kyte’s gun was a phaser . It hadn’t drawn much blood. However, he was assailed by intense pain, and beaded with greasy sweat. The light of the world dimmed for a moment.
“YOU WRETCH!” Lafier exploded with the wrath of a solar flare. “YOU SHALL PAY!!”