Of Terrorists and Territory (& Crumpets)

[Seth Karlo]

Harry stopped short in front of the door, sliding his blade from the body of the constable who had been standing guard in front of it. The body fell to the ground with a thud, and Harry winced as he predicted resistance from inside the room. He pressed his ear against the door, listening intently, but could hear nothing.

With a flick of his wrist, he pressed the door open button, and then almost lost his head as a rifle bolt sizzled past him, burying itself in the wall behind him. His eyes flicked across the room briefly, and then he threw himself into the room, rolling behind a desk as a second shot narrowly missed his thigh.

'So the BPA have one good shot' he thought to himself. He had used to be a BAF officer, he knew the BPA's tactics, and this person seemed to have thrown them all out the window. Someone was determined to see him burn.

A third shot, and the desk he was hiding behind sizzled as the metal was melted. These guys had some serious rifles.

Harry waited until he heard silence, and then launched himself to the next desk over, his sword singing as it whistled through the air. The rifle shot again, but this time Harry did not hide. He threw himself into the air, pressing a firm foot against the wall and using it to propel himself into the center of the room, changing direction so fast the mysterious rifleman couldn't keep him in his sights.

A split second later Harry was in front of the man, and with a roar the sword sliced upwards, cutting the barrel of the rifle in half. The man, some sort of officer, took a step back, and without hesitating flipped a pistol from its thigh holster, but before he could raise it, Harry's sword was underneath his chin. He let the gun clatter to the floor with a sigh.

Harry smiled and looked down at his body. There, along his torso, was a bloodied mark where the rifle shot had grazed him.

"You are the first man who has been able to hurt me, or anyone trained by the great Siona Kithe" he said. "It would be a terrible waste to kill such talent. No, until we meet again."

The blade slid, somehow collapsing, into the handle, and with a swish the officer was knocked unconscious. Harry smiled grimly, and then slid a memory chip into the main computer core. Two brief commands later, and all the information he needed was transferred.

He looked around the room a final time, then headed towards the landing pads.

"This is Harry" he spoke into a transmitter. "Get your men back to the ships, I have the info we need."

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Signature by Sleipnir.