Heaven's Knights: Chapter 3

[Astrid Vogler]

Astrid was laying in her hotel bed reading a cheap romance novel someone had left in the lobby.

Guinevere leaned over the railing of her captor's ship. The waves crashed over the bow, as the lines hummed with the strain of full sail.

The salty sea breeze blew back her tawny mane in a most scandalous way. Even more scandalous was the fact that her bodice had been ripped beyond repair leaving her in her corset ans skirts, which did little to hide her swelling bosom.

Strong arms wrapped around her, and he forced a kiss upon her lips. Guinevere tore free of his grip and she slapped him across the face.

"You'll kindy keep your hands to yourself captain!"

He laughed, "Madam you are a...

A knock on the door drew her from the pages of the novel. Closing the book she padded barefoot across the room and opened the door.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you," Kim said with a sly grin. "Just got off."

"Of course come in," Astrid replied. Closing the door behind her

Kim circled the room, "I see why so many stay here. The Brat Pack as, Aunt Tasha likes to call them stay here a lot after drinking too much."

"Is everyone related on this planet?"

Kim laughed, "It sure seems like it. The Ryders are a huge family, and when you mix in the Sandovals, Talons, and Leis... well let's just say family reunions can get really out of hand. So, what werw you doing?"

Astrid blushed, "I was... well I was reading. " She held up the novel, with it's scantly clad heroine, and far too attractive pirate captain on the cover, and the words "Impetuous Pirate" in gold across the top quarter.

Kim laughed, "Man you are a cliche."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Kim shrugged, "It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Since what?"

"Sex you silly girl! Sex! Toe curling, screaming out loud, earth shattering sex."

Astrid smirked nervously, "And I expect you are going to set me up? Let me guess tall dark and handsome's friend taller, and bald?"

Kim laughed, "I was thinking someone considerably shorter, and with considerably longer hair."

"You?" Astrid exclaimed astonished. "You did not set off my gay-dar at all."

Kim shrugged, "I'm just good like that, I guess."

Astrid looked the other woman over in a new light, "And I suppose I'll get fired too. Is this some sort of test?"

Kin threw her head back and laughed, "No! Who I worship the Goddess with is no one's business buy my own."

"Goddess?"

"It's a long complicated explanation, but in short I am Wiccan... a witch to those of you who are not part of the faith."


Astrid frowned, "Great.... another religious zealot."

"No my dear. Your beliefs are your own," Kim leaned in and kissed Astrid. "I just found myself attracted to you. The whole mysterious stranger thing. How long has it been?"

"Two years," Astrid said and swallowed.

"For me," she said hesitantly. "It's been six months. When my wife was killed."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Astrid said with a frown.

"Don't be. She's in the Summerlands now. She's the one that brought me to the faith, and now I wish to honor her memory."


Astrid gave Kim a sorrowful grin and wrapped her in her arms. They fell into bed fumbling with clothes, and desire.

Several hours later Astrid was staring up at the dark ceiling. Kim's thigh was draped over her own, and she had that shallow breathing of someone dead asleep.

For the first time in ages she didn't have that infernal dream, yet something had woken her. Nothing told her that anything was amiss, but something wasn't quite right.

The she saw the first shadow. Without thinking Astrid exploded out of the bed hitting the floor in a tangle of sheets, and legs, a fraction of a second before she could hear a steel blade sink into tje mattress.

Still on the bed Kim screamed in agony. There was the telltale gurgle of blood in her lungs as she gathered herself and screamed something in a language Astrid had never heard. "Moragu!" Kim leaped into one of the attackers and they fell to the floor in fighting mass, both fighting to survive.


A large hand gripping her by the hair drug Astrid to her feet, "Come along girl, and maybe the prophet will show mercy, and it won't be the rack for you."

Astrid spat in the man's face, and landed a solid kick to the groin, which caused him to loosen his grip on his dagger, and Astrid tore it from his grasp. Aiming for his heart she put all her strength into the attack, and the to her horror the tip hit something hard and and skittered harmlessly down the side of the armor.

Her attacker grinned, "Big mistake girl. Now, you'll die like your whore." Astrid was suddenly aware that the struggle behind had started to quieten. A male throat growled with exertion.

[Arthur Talon]

Arthur was awoken by the scream. They had all chose to sleep their hangovers off at the hotel across from Leo's.

Instantly alert Arthur leaped out of bed in his underwear. He could hear Vin stirring awake. Grabbing his phaser her went to the door and cracked it open and peered out.

Empress Stormtalon was already peeking out from her room sword in hand, and naked as the day she was born. "The scream came from down the hall. I think there are half a dozen men around the corner," Llilith said. "I heard the footsteps before the scream."

Simon came out of another room his enormous bastard sword at the ready. "Who's screaming?"

"How the hell should we know," Livvy demanded brandishing her own phaser. "We were all asleep remember?"

[Diana Talon]

"That sounded like the new girl." Diana said as she hastily buttoned up a shirt as she followed behind Simon. "And... Kim... shit..." she said, her eyes going wide. "Run... don't walk..."

[Arthur Talon]

"Vin, Livvy, Simon; circle around and block the exit," Arthur commanded. "Let's go!"

The group ran down the hallway. The incongruity of it all. Arthur in his boxers, in his phaser belt. The Empress running with a yard long piece of vinbranium completely nude like some terrifying Amazon. Then there was his sister, whom out of anyone in this universe, there was no one he trusted more brandishing far more skin than he was comfortable with.

They rounded the corner in the center of the corridor stood six cloaked men. Two were peering into the open door to one of the rooms. One of the intruders turned to face them."Return to your rooms," he demanded. "Church business."

"Like hell I will," Arthur growled. "It sounds like you people are killing someone in there." As if to emphasize his point another lound scream erupted from the inside of the room in a credible approximation of the "Rebel Yell". The bone chilling sound sent chills down Arthur's spine.

The original intruder glanced into the room and back at Arthur, "Then you shall die." Drawing a long daggers the group of six closed in on them.

Arthur leveled his phaser and pressed the fire button... which did nothing, "They're wearing armor!"

Lilith shouted at the top of her lungs, "For Narla! for the Empire!" She charged them her sword a blur.

"Keep one alive. We need answers," Arthur demanded. Tossing his phaser to the floor he pulled his own dagger and jumped into the fray.

[Diana Talon]

Diana used the iljuna to retrieve his phaser. "Arthur! Stop throwing your damn phasers..." she chided and gestured with her hand and pushed two of the intruders together knocking them out. "IRIS, right hand." she said as she tapped her earring. Instantly a metallic gauntlet flowed from her fingernails and formed up to her forearm. "Get them away from the women... I got this." with a repulsing blast she shoved the intruders away from the door and forced her way inside. "Kim... oh shit... KIM!" she saw the blood and fired a transport dart at her. "Naval Medical ER. NOW."

[Astrid Vogler]

Adrenaline was the only thing that kept Astrid going. She was covered in blood from head to toe. Not all of it was hers, but most of it was. Her right shoulder had been sliced open to the bone, and the arm hung limp and lifeless. There was stab wound above her right breast where a blade narrowly missed her heart, but from the sound of her breathing the dagger had peirced the lung. "I don't..." Astrid swallowed a mouthful of blood. "I don't think she made it." She collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud, the commandeered dagger bounced once and skittered across the floor.

In the corridor Arthur dodged an attack, and came around with his own blade as it made contact with the neck. He twisted the handle and drew it free, as his adversary collapsed made one last galvanic twitch.

Lilith's blade was blocked, she shot out with her foot kicking the man in the groin. He stumbled back, leaving an opening to which she removed his head on one smooth motion.

The remaining two knowing there was no escape backed up to the wall where their fellows lay unconscious. "Throw down your weapons," Arthur commanded, "and you won't be harmed."

They hesitated, and then plunged their daggers into their helpless fellows, and theb turned theor blades on themselves cleanly killing each other.

Panting glanced at Lilith, "What the hell?"

The Empress shrugged.

"Sis? How's it going in there?"

[Diana Talon]

"I got Kim to the Naval Hospital, but Astrid's in rough shape too." Diane said as she walked over to her and touched her neck. "Art, I'm transporting with her. Get some clothes on and meet met here." she sighed and tapped her ear. "MIKI, two to beam to Naval Medical ER... and... armor me up, I'm not walking into the ER flashing beaver."

"Such a way with words Agent Talon." MIKI replied and a liquid metal armor flowed up from her toenails and eventually formed around her whole body in a matter of a couple seconds while the transporter beam took them to the ER.

[Astrid Vogler]

A doctor looked up from a clipboard as they beamed into the hospital. "Another one?" He asked with a mix of shock and horror. "I hope this one is in better shape than the last one."

With the help of several nurses they lifted Astrid onto a gurney. He pressed his fingers against her neck. The heart beat was thready and weak. It hesitated, and then beated again. A nurse hooked up a vital monitor, and the dissonant beeps punctuated what he already knew.

"On the plus side we don't have to cut their clothes off, as he did a quick examination. "Christ there's a lot of blood. Majority of the wounds were superficial which he ignored. He used some sort of gun shaped device that injected a foam into the wound on her shoulder and chest instantly sealing the wound and stopping the flow of blood.

A nurse grabbed Dianna by the elbow, "Come along dear. I have some questions for you."

[Diana Talon]

"Like what? They were stabbed with swords... actual swords... I guess it was those crazies that are running Earth now." Diana said as she glanced at the door. "Is... is Kim going to be alright? She's been like a big sister to me."

[Astrid Vogler]

"I assume you are referring to the first patient?' The nurse asked. She grimaced, "I'm afraid not. There wasn't anything we could do when she arrived. If you give me her name I can notify her next of kin if you'd like?"