Galactic Champion, стр. 103
Pistols.
My eyes were drawn to an over-under double-barrelled pistol. Of all of them, it appeared to be the one most purpose-built. Its wooden housing, robust design, and finely machined parts told me that it wasn’t constructed the same way the others were and may have been captured when someone crashed onto the planet. But it was too small in my grip.
“Here,” I told Reaver, “take this one. It’s nice, but my hands are too big for it.”
She took it from me, tested the grip, and nodded. “Feels good. I hope it shoots.”
So did I.
I selected a pistol of simple construction that was a good deal less impressive than Reaver’s. It was a scrapyard copy of some energy weapon, painted black with a few accents that glowed blue. I wasn’t sure if the gun still had some juice left in it, but I hoped so. I noticed a small icon on each side near the trigger guard. It resembled a bird, maybe an eagle, but it didn’t mean anything to me. Again, it was probably just something captured from an unfortunate crash victim.
Skrew squealed with joy when he saw something on the floor. He lunged for it as if he thought someone else might grab it first. When he picked the object up, I almost rolled my eyes.
To me, it looked like a three-legged octopus some bored welder had made out of big ball-bearings and antennae. It was gold, tarnished silver, and what appeared to be roughly cast steel.
“Skrew,” I said, drawing his attention. “Find a weapon.”
“This better,” he whispered. He fingered the device and turned it over a few times in his hands.
“Will it kill?” I asked.
“It will kill,” he said.
Something about the way he said it made a shiver run up my spine. It was like he’d been waiting to kill someone with… whatever it was… his whole life. It was like a dream come true for him.
Everyone had a weapon. Except Yaltu. I’d seen her use a knife before, but I figured a firearm would be better against the king’s soldiers.
I went through the pistols and couldn’t trust any of them enough for Yaltu to use. I pushed aside the cabinet and found a rifle lying behind it. From a natural-looking pistol grip, it swelled outward before ending abruptly. It looked heavier than it actually was, and I thought Yaltu might be able to carry it. Three short pipes ended in an X-shaped piece of dark metal. As I gripped the weapon, I noticed a button near my thumb and flicked it upward. The rifle extended and began to hum, its three long pipes glowing purple with some unknown power.
“Take this one,” I said after I walked over to Yaltu. “I don’t want you to be defenseless. I’m not entirely sure how it works, but I bet this end gets pointed at the bad guy. Be careful not to shoot any of us.”
Yaltu studied it for a second, then reached for it apprehensively. I didn’t think she had zero experience with weapons, but she was no operator. The rifle seemed like a simple enough energy weapon without too much recoil, if any.
She inspected the device while the others made their way back to the hallway. “A Mark-1 Coupling Phase Rifle,” Yaltu whispered. “These are best for long-distances. I have never fired one, but I know what it is.”
I stared at her in shock. “Well… uh… good,” I managed to say. “We need to keep moving. It’s only a matter of time before a guard comes back, finds the doors barred, and raises the alarm.”
I’d just spoken the words when the telltale whine of approaching vehicles rattled the barracks. If I was feeling optimistic, I’d have said they were just here to kick back and relax.
But we couldn't take any chances.
“Sounds like hoverbikes,” I whispered. “We’re out of time. Let’s go!”
I took the lead, new pistol in one hand and Ebon in the other. I took point with Beatrix behind me as we approached the door I’d noted as out-of-place earlier. I kicked it open while Reaver provided me with cover. Inside, was a stairwell. I led my team down the crude stairs. An unfortunate vrak guard happened to be walking up at the same time. He hadn’t seen or heard us, so I raised my pistol while I continued to take the stairs two at a time and as quietly as possible. I waited until he looked up and gasped before squeezing the trigger.
The pistol worked as well as I hoped it would. There was no recoil, and its aim was true. A streak of blue light erupted from the muzzle and hit the vrak right between the eyes. He only had time to blink before his head popped like a balloon, sending brains and other bits of flesh several yards in all directions.
Skrew laughed. “Jacob shoot! Brains explode!”
I silenced him with a glare and resumed descending the stairs. I kept my smooth pace and covered the blindspots. We reached the end of the staircase when a hailfire of rounds sparked off the surrounding walls. Two guards were stupid enough to stand and shoot without seeking cover.
I shot one, and Reaver got the other, while Beatrix pulled Yaltu and Skrew to the relative safety of a stack of storage boxes near a door.
More hostiles made themselves known further down the hallway from where the two guards had appeared. They peeked out from behind wooden crates, only long enough to spot or shoot at a target, not both.
I shot the nearest offenders and dived for cover behind a pile of crates. Reaver came alongside me, and I took a rapid sweep to check my corners and get an idea of where we were fighting.
The room looked like a garage at least 50 yard long and almost as wide. The ceiling was dark compared to the rest of the room, but it