A/N: Not much to say this time around. :) Hope you're still enjoying this.




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Chapter 11: Power Play


Outside Military Base (Unknown Location): Perimeter

6:42 PM


"So how we gonna do this?" Syl asked as she crouched down behind the tall weeds at the outskirts of the base. They hadn't been spotted by the guards, who all seemed to stay quite close to the building. Technically, they weren't even trespassing... yet.

"I'm not sure... This is going to be tough. We don't know where in the base they are..." Zane was studying the hand drawn map he had made of the compound's layout, "The security seems pretty light. Looks like the base is only meant for temporary use... And they don't seem to be expecting any trouble... Which is good for us."

Syl chewed her lip thoughtfully, "The explosives we snagged should make a good distraction, but after that..."

"Yeah, I know..." Zane sighed and folded the map up, "We don't know what's on the inside... I think we might be able to take out the building's transformer - disrupt their power supply..."

"What if they've got back up generators?"

"I doubt they'll do much more than supply the emergency lighting... and maybe the surveillance system..."

"That'd suck..."

"No kidding..." Zane rubbed his jaw, "With all the corners they've cut everywhere else, I really don't think the generators would be hooked up to security... Like I said, they don't seem to be expecting any trouble."

"Especially not OUR kind of trouble," Syl said with a grin.

Zane couldn't help but laugh, "So true, little sister..."

"Well... We know how we're getting in... What do we do once we're there? Do we split up to search?"

"It'd be faster that way... but more dangerous. We don't have any way to communicate," Zane sat back on his heels, "No... I think we'd better stick together."

"When we get out... We should head to the vehicle storage... They've got our van and equipment in there..."

"Good idea..."

"Zane...?"

"Yeah...?"

"Do you think its true?"

Zane was silent.

"Do you think he could be...?"

"No. He's not. He can't be. We have to believe that."

"Okay..." Syl forlornly watched the sun as it began to descend behind the hills at the far side of the base.

"Don't worry, sis... We'll get them back... All of them."

"It'll be nice to be a family again..."



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Unknown Location: Infirmary

8:23 PM


"I believe this belongs to you."

Logan looked up, not expecting someone to be speaking to him. He recognized the young man who had so effortlessly disarmed Geb the day before. In his extended hand was perhaps one of the most welcome sights Logan had seen in a very long time - his spare battery pack.

//Sebastian, I owe you one... or another one rather...//

Gingerly accepting it, Logan eyed the guard, "Where'd you get this?"

He shrugged, "Your van. At least, we've assumed it was yours since none of the equipment is standard. That's quite a set up you've got in there."

Reaching behind him, Logan carefully set the new battery in place, feeling for the mechanism that locked it in place. It went in with a satisfying click. Logan pressed the power switch and listened to the faint whine of the servos warming up. He gently bent his right leg as a test.

//Thank God... At least something's working right.//

"Satisfactory?"

"Yeah..." Logan looked him up and down for a moment, "Do you mind if I ask your name... It's comforting to know who you're talking to."

"Lt. Moris, at your service... so to speak." he said with a smile.

"I'd tell you mine, but somehow I get the feeling you've already been briefed," Logan glanced over at the bed that Lydecker had vacated several hours ago, being towed off by several soldiers, "Am I allowed to ask what's going on, or is it one of those 'need to know' deals?"

The young soldier smiled again, "Colonel Lydecker and Captain Roarche are discussing... strategies. You don't have anything to worry about. You should relax."

//Yeah... Easy for you to say...//

Logan shifted his weight a bit and slid carefully forward till his feet touched the floor, "Is it all right if I chat with my friend?" He pointed to Krit who had been very still since overhearing the previous talk with Roarche.

"Not at all..." Moris stepped politely out of the way as Logan headed past him.

"Hey, Krit... You holding up okay?"

"'Bout as well as can be expected," the X5 favored him with a wan smile, "Are you okay? You're walking a little stiff there..."

Logan chuckled but quickly wished he hadn't. The bruises he had received from being tossed out of the van and struck by Jared were complaining... loudly, "Yeah, I'm fine. I've had worse."

"I'll bet..." Krit looked away, staring at the ceiling for a moment, "Do you think... Do you think that Warren was telling the truth?"

Logan wracked his brain for something comforting to say but came up empty-handed. Instead he just remained silent, which was nearly as bad as if he had confirmed it.

"Zack can't be dead," Krit swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat, "He's too tough for that. They'd never..." His words trailed off as the lump took over again.

"You're right... Zack is tough," Logan put emphasis on the present tense, "They were probably just trying to shake you."

Krit studied Logan's face carefully, looking for any sign that his words were not one with his thoughts, "They told the truth about Max..."

"They tell the truth only when if they can benefit from it," Logan said firmly, "We both know that."

"But Warren... He's one of us..."

Logan began to feel uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny of the young man. It was as if Krit thought HE knew what the truth was and just wasn't sharing it, as if he was hiding something from him, "I know..."

"He might... he might have done it... for Max. He always takes care of us. He'd do anything..." the X5 turned back to studying the ceiling tiles, "He's always been 'big brother'..."

"I know..." //What else can I say...?// Logan cleared his throat and made a decision to change the subject, "Zane and Syl are still okay, though."

"Yeah..."

Running a hand through his blond hair, Logan grimaced. This was not going well. The last thing they need was a despondent X5. How was he supposed to deal with this? He had only as much information as Krit did.

Something inside him, though, whispered that it was probably true. Logan had seen how Zack looked at Max. There was definitely more there than the usual 'brotherly' affection. He had never liked Zack much. He found the young man abrasive and overbearing. Logan supposed that he couldn't really blame Zack for his personality problems, though... Having been trained as a soldier from birth couldn't have done much for his social skills. And Logan also knew that Zack would do anything to protect Max...

The sound of a distant explosion drew Logan's attention as the lights flickered and went out. He could hear the sound of the guards' confused voices as the dim emergency lighting came on a moment later.

//Damn... I hope this is what I think it is...// Logan glanced down at Krit who was suddenly very alert, eyes scanning the room.

"Please come with me, Mr. Cale..." Lt. Moris took Logan's arm to steer him out the door.

"Hey wait!" Logan protested, "What about him?" He looked back at Krit who was watching them.

"Don't worry, Mr. Cale. Everything will be taken care of," Moris applied more force to Logan's arm, nearly dragging him now.

"Like I'm supposed to trust you?" Logan pulled back.

Irritation crossed the man's face, "Just do as you're told, Mr. Cale."

Being rapidly and involuntarily propelled towards the door, Logan cast another glance at Krit who was now surrounded by guards and being hauled to his feet. Krit had an odd smile on his face and winked at Logan.

//What the hell is he...?//

With an effortless flick of the wrist, Krit smashed the back of his hand into one of the guard's faces, knocking the man out cold. The others quickly tried to restrain him, but didn't seem to be fairing well. Moving faster than the eye could see, Krit dropped all of the remaining guards.

By now Moris had noticed what was happening and thrust Logan off to the side, "Stay here if you want to keep breathing," he warned as he ran towards the X5. The lieutenant aimed a blow for Krit's mid-section but missed when Krit threw himself to the side. The two struggled for a moment before Moris managed to get the X5 in a choke hold.

Logan watched until it was clear that Krit was at a severe disadvantage from his bonds. Desperately scanning the room, Logan spotted a gun that one of the unconscious guards had dropped. //How convenient...// He snatched it up and aimed for Moris's leg.

"Argh!" Moris gave a strangled cry as the bullet tore into his knee, and he fell to the floor. Krit wasted no time in disabling the distracted soldier with a quick blow to the head.

He glanced up at Logan and grinned, "Nice shot."

"Thanks... Now let's get the hell out of here..." Logan spun towards the door followed swiftly by Krit. He paused and scanned the dimly lit corridor before choosing a direction, "We need to find Lydecker..."

"Hang on a sec..." Krit paused and bent down. Taking the chain that linked the ankle cuffs together in both hands, he struggled for a moment before one of the links gave way, "That's better... Let's go."

"I wish I knew where the hell we were going," Logan muttered as they sped down the empty hallway.

"You and me both..."

Logan rounded the corner and came to a full halt. Krit, who was directly behind him, only barely avoided a collision, "What are you...? Syl!" His face practically lit up with a broad smile, "Zane! I knew it was you guys!"

"Hey... Small world!" Zane said, "This was easier than I thought it would be."

Syl was helping Lydecker up from the floor where six guards were sprawled out. He grunted and waved her away with his good hand as he stood. Moving over to one of the bodies, Lydecker bent down to retrieve a gun from the soldier's holster. //Never waste an opportunity...//

"As much as I love family reunions, we need to haul out of here," Zane motioned for Krit and Logan to follow as he started down the other direction, "The garage is this way... Let's nab us some transportation..."

"What about the guards?" Logan asked as he ran after the X5.

"They're busy trying to fight an electrical fire," Syl said with a very unrepentant smile.

"Nice..."

Zane paused at one of the fire doors that had automatically closed when the emergency power had come on. He quickly punched the access code he had seen a guard use at another check point into the key pad before continuing through the now open doors, "These things are a pain, but at least they put them in more than one place..."

"Any idea how far?" Lydecker asked.

"Not too far... We have to pass through the confinement cells here and we should be..."

"Zane?"

He slid to a stop and turned towards the voice, "Warren?"

Peering through the tiny hole in the cell door, Warren smiled faintly, "Hey... Didn't think I'd see you again, brother."

Zane hesitated, "Do you wanna come with us?"

Logan frowned, "Are you sure that's a good idea...?"

Syl sighed, "He's family... We can't just leave him here."

"You know I won't help you," Warren said flatly.

Lydecker rolled his eyes, disgusted with the delay, "Look, Roarche is here to destroy Manticore. He'll kill every last one of the X series if he has his way. If you want any part of Manticore to survive, we're the only chance." Warren's face was unreadable as he considered his options. "We don't have time to stand around here. Make your choice," Lydecker ordered.

"Not much of a choice..." Warren grumbled, "Can you get this thing open?"

Krit grinned, "I knew you'd come around."

"Right..." Syl studied the door lock for a moment, "I think I can handle this." Using the palm of her hand to smash open the box that housed the key pad, Syl rapidly tore out some of the wiring. Her deft hands manipulated the wires until there was a definitive click, "They just don't make 'em like they used to," she quipped.

"Let's go... NOW," Lydecker insisted.

"All clear," Logan called from the end of the corridor where he was standing in the door way.

"There's our van!" Syl ran towards the vehicle and looked around inside, "Awe, great... They've pretty much taken everything apart..."

"Anything we can salvage?" Logan asked as he came up beside her.

"Looks like the headsets are still here..." She picked up the small ear pieces from the shelf and put them in her pocket, "Not much else..."

Logan rummaged for a moment before hopping back out of the van, "I think this is pretty much it..."

"Well, if there's nothing left in there, let's get some better wheels," Zane was inspecting a camouflaged jeep, "Looks like armored plating... Sweet..."

Lydecker rolled his eyes again, "Hurry up!"

"Can you hot wire that thing?" Krit asked as Zane climbed inside.

Zane gave him a 'what do you think?' look before bending down to get to the wiring.

"Better hurry," Syl said as she moved back towards the entrance, "Sounds like they've found you guys missing..." Krit helped her push the massive metal doors closed, "That won't buy us much time, but it's better than nothing.

Warren glanced nervously from Zane to the door as the sounds of soldiers outside became apparent, "Are you getting anywhere?"

"Almost done... There..." The engine roared to life,and Zane got into the driver's seat, "You guys staying here, or what?"

"Very funny..." Lydecker muttered as he got in. Logan, Krit, Syl and Warren took the remaining seats just as the doors burst open. The tires squealed against the concrete surface as Zane mashed the gas pedal to the floor. A rain of bullets peppered the jeep, but bounced harmlessly off the armor.

Roarche was standing in the door way shouting orders at the soldiers. He watched in frustration as the jeep sped out of the garage and off into the distance. Furious, he slapped his open hand against the nearby wall. It was unthinkable - impossible!

"All right!" Krit was grinning ear to ear as he fought with the chains that held his wrists, "I can't believe you guys pulled that off."

"Hey, we PLANNED!" Zane said defensively.

"Besides, you'd be surprised how much damage a blown transformer will do," Syl spoke up from the back.

"I think getting out was the easy part," Logan murmured as he sorted through the equipment he had taken from the van, "Now we need to get back to Manticore... We'll be fighting a two front war now."

"Not really," Lydecker said, "Roarche isn't as interested in us as he is in Manticore. He and his crew might actually do us a favor."

"What do you mean...?" Warren asked uneasily.

"They'll be one hell of a distraction," he said simply.

"Before we discuss any more plans, maybe we should have a chat with our new recruit," Logan suggested, eyeing Warren.

"You in or out?" Syl leaned in towards her brother who seemed very uncomfortable at the moment.

"I... I don't know..."

"You'd better decide quick."

"Maybe you should tell me what the objective is first," Warren shot back.

"We get Max and Zack out."

"Syl..." Krit tried to keep his expression neutral.

Warren shook his head, "I already told you... Zack... is dead..."

"Maybe I don't believe you," Syl's eyes narrowed.

"What reason would I have to lie now?" Warren sighed, "He was my brother too."

"You're Manticore. You'd say anything they told you to," She hissed.

"Syl..." Krit said again. She shot him a savage look, but fell silent.

"You in or out?" Zane repeated Syl's initial question.

Warren fidgeted, "You're just going to get Max out... Right?"

Lydecker decided to take control of the situation, "Roarche and his crew are going to do a lot of damage, Warren. They want to raze the place. That means they won't be taking any prisoners. If you go back, you'll just be caught in the fire fight."

"I could warn them..." he proposed weakly.

"There isn't going to be enough time for them to prepare for that scale of assault," Lydecker snapped, his patients wearing thin, "It doesn't matter what Manticore does now. Roarche is going to hit that place like a tornado. The men he had at the base were only a small part of the force he's got to draw on."

"You think he'll go ahead with the plan even though we escaped?" Krit asked.

Lydecker nodded, "He has to now. Otherwise he risks letting Manticore pull out or call in reinforcements."

"Damn..." Zane muttered.

Warren rubbed his eyes, "All right... If it's the only way to save Maxie... I'll help... But... What about the others?"

"We can't really help them," Lydecker admitted, "They won't LET us help them."

Zane's grip on the steering wheel tightened, "We have to do something..."

"We should warn them," Warren insisted, "At least they'll have a some kind of a chance...."

"They won't believe us," Lydecker said.

"They won't just ignore us either," Logan pointed out

Lydecker seemed to sag, "All right... We'll warn Manticore... But not yet. If they seal up the base too tight, WE won't be able to get in either."

"Good... It's decided," Logan affirmed.

"Hey... Mind if we score something to eat soon...?" Zane asked, glancing at the others in the rear view mirror.

"What? Now?" Krit stared at his brother.

"Give me a break! I haven't eaten since yesterday... I'm starving..."

"I'm kinda hungry too..." Syl complained.

"Oh geez..." Warren rolled his eyes.

"Actually... I could stand some food too," Krit decided.

Lydecker sighed and settled back into his seat. //Par for the course...//

Logan merely shook his head and smiled, marveling at their ability to change their focus so completely. //Got to pick your battles, I suppose...// He turned his head to look at the scenery that was flying by. //Good advice... Maybe I should take it...//


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A/N: Sorry if this was choppy or weird. I'm really trying to get this stuff out on paper... or not really paper... Anyway...

Next up: What's happening with Max back at Manticore?