Free Warrior Chronicles 4: Warrior's Wrath by Shawn Jones

can lead a small team to the Core. If there is any transition data available, I can retrieve it.”
    Cort didn’t question why Speral would assist in the desecration of the holiest site on Nill. He was just thankful that she was willing to. “Okay, how many people do you need?”
    “No more than four. And regardless of what he says, you must promise me that you will not allow Jeffrey to be a part of it. I do not want him involved in the coming war. If the people who enter the Core with me are caught, they will be branded as enemies of Nill. I would wish that you could be a part of the team, but you do not appear to be able to join me.”
    “I’m working on that, Speral. And I promise you, I won’t allow Jeff to go.”
    “How soon will the team be ready?” she asked.
    “Just a moment,” Cort said, and activated a comm. “Nurse, get my docs in here. And have my wife come in too.”
    A minute later, Kim and two doctors entered the room. Cort turned to Speral and said, “Can one of the four be my HAWC?”
    Speral remembered the day she met Cort, years before on Mars. He had been wearing the ten-meter tall HAWC power suit. It was months before she learned he was a normal-sized human inside a power suit. “Yes. In fact, that would reduce the number necessary for the attack.”
    Turning to the doctors, Cort said, “Okay, when I was recovering from the Atlantica invasion back on Mars, I strapped into my HAWC suit and used it to function while keeping my body immobilized. Miles Verne didn’t like it, but it worked. Can I do that now?”
    The female doctor said, “Tell us about how the HAWC suit works, sir.”
    “When I am in the suit, my body is paralyzed. The suit is jacked into the Atlas interface on my neck. Autonomic functions are maintained, and I can still move my head. The rest of my body is secured in form fitting couch and is completely protected. The suit would have to be destroyed for me to be hurt inside it.”
    “We would need to see the couch, sir.”
    Calling Lex into the room, Cort ordered the Colonel to make the HAWC specs available to the doctors. The three of them left the room and Kim turned to Cort. “What’s going on?”
    “Speral is going to get us into the Core. If the transition data is there, I am going to use it to go get our son.”
    “ We are going to use it to go get our son,” she corrected.
    --
    “My Poppa is coming to get you,” Dalek said to the ape that brought him dinner. Bazal told him to say it, or a phrase like it, every time one the monkeys came into the room. Bazal was always with him, keeping him company, playing games with him and asking questions about where he was. Often, when Dalek cried, Bazal would sing to him or tell him that they were close to finding him.
    On this day, Bazal was telling Dalek about how many Marines were looking for him.
    “Awe they going to come and kill the bad monkeys, Bazal?”
    Thousands of them are waiting to do just that, Little Warrior. They are all mad and they want to see you in your new uniform. They will be there soon.
    “Will Poppa come with them, Bazal?”
    Yes, Little Warrior. Your Poppa will come for you, and your mommy wants to come too.
    “Poppa won’t let Mommy come, Bazal. She’s too pwetty.”
    Yes she is, Little Warrior. But your mommy loves you so much that I am not sure even your Poppa can keep her from coming with him to get you. Now it is time to rest, though. What song would you like me to sing you?
    “Do you know Poppa’s songs, Bazal?”
    I know some of them. Which one do you want to hear?
    “Hewoc used to sing me Tupelo Honey. Can you sing it, Bazal?”
    Bazal reached into Dalek’s mind and pulled the song from it. I should have known she would sing you that song, Little Warrior. I think I can remember it.
    --
    Kimberly, he is happy today. He wants me to sing Tupelo Honey to him.
    “Thank you, Bazal. Tell him I love him and we will see him soon.”
    Of course.
    --
    “Do we have any idea how they got on