This couldn't be a coincidence. Especially since locals clearly have nothing like MANPADS or grenade launcher to shoot down "Darts." I also didn't believe in piloting errors. Means...
Literally a kilometer from me there was a "Dart" which noticing that two other ships disappeared sharply turned and headed to the crash site. At the same time it banked such a turn that any earthly pilot in an earthly fighter would have a hard time. But on space ships in this universe there are inertia dampers, so overloads during maneuvering the pilot and crew don't experience.
I have no plan how to act further, but now some outlines appeared. In particular, from scanners it was possible to understand that the Wraith pull all their forces to the crash area. Another three marks disappeared — judging by the jet trail that I managed to notice, in the forest someone clearly not with a bow and arrows hunted Wraith fighters.
Locals are far from such a level... Therefore I have only one thought about what's happening here. The Wraith hunt for someone important.
Seems the Wraith ancestors too often told them that you can't play with food... The kids grew up bastards cosplaying a satanic rock band. Pale skin, bare biceps, leather clothes, greasy long hair... And love hunting.
Sorry for the good guy who became their victim, however I can't help him. If I were a doctor, preferably a neurosurgeon... But even so — most likely no.
Maybe when I find the ZPM and risk seeing what guy became the object of the hunt. Maybe it's one famous Satedan... Unlikely. That would be monstrous luck.
But this all later. While the Wraith hunt for their stubborn goal, I have all chances to scan the surroundings. Especially since as I managed to notice local residents are no longer here...
*
Somewhere far to the east a powerful explosion sounded. Jensen almost flew head over heels when he heard it.
The inhabitants of Dagan, as Sudaria is now called, had no explosives — this he knew for sure. And he spent all his reserves of anti-aircraft rocket launchers to get rid of impudent "Darts." Possibly locals still deceived him...
And honestly he hoped for that. And therefore, ignoring fatigue, rushed in the right direction. Fortunately on the way he had the opportunity to pick up the hidden weapon.
Man adapts to everything.
Here already three months as Alvar Jensen adapted to be a Runner. So they called those whom the Wraith used as hunting fun. Or for training their soldiers.
Exactly unknown, but this didn't worry him. In a Runner's life there is only one rule — don't stop. Wherever you are, wherever you go — the Wraith follow. Can't escape from this. Can't save from this. He accepted such life not by his will — simply he was unlucky to survive in the Hive hunt on his planet's inhabitants. They took everyone. Only former soldiers left as Runners, allowing them to leave.
But first made so that they couldn't hide from Wraith on any planet in this galaxy. Alvar thought he could get rid of pursuit here. But didn't work.
Without slowing speed he jumped over a fallen moss-covered tree. Landing on his feet, Alvar almost without aiming released an arrow from the bowstring. The Wraith soldier appearing from behind a massive tree at a distance of a dozen steps from the Runner got the arrow right in the face.
The metal tip pierced the ugly mask and entered straight into the skull. The Wraith fell on his back, releasing the rifle from his hands. The man didn't even look at the dead enemy's weapon — he already has such. Alvar immediately nocked another arrow and continued his run. Despite having firearms and even energy weapon with him, he didn't use it to not demask his position.
Alvar Jensen, Runner.
Yes, the Wraith have a way to find him in any forest, but now they are somewhat busy. Surely examining the rocket launcher tubes he threw away to understand how he managed to shoot down so many "Darts." Pity such valuable weapon, but otherwise the "Darts" would simply take him aboard or adjust the search area.
Now he wandered into a dense thicket to complicate their pursuit. The Wraith tried to change the rules of the game and take him by "Dart," but he was ready for this. Nothing, let them run on foot, good for health.
Especially since in this forest he set many snares and traps... Possibly won't help, but he must understand how to oppose them.
As if in response to his thoughts, anti-personnel mine explosions he scattered in the forest a few hours ago when the hunt for him just began sounded. Having counted the explosions, he smirked — all three worked. Good, means enemies became a little less.
But none of the explosions compared to the one he heard earlier and towards which he now moved. This could mean that the explosion creators are already dead. And the "Darts" that flew over his head also didn't add confidence that everything will be good by the time of his arrival. But he had no other chances. In reserve only a couple of arrows for the homemade bow. Primitive weapon, but effective when need to save cartridges for the only rifle left to him. The Wraith stunner he also had wasn't suitable for killing, only to win time. Paralyzed enemies will rise again and continue pursuit.
While he had the opportunity to stock up on weapons from the home world, it was much simpler to fight back. But now... Seems the Wraith got tired of anti-personnel mines, machine guns and explosive cartridges.
His reserves almost came to an end, and he planned to replenish them, but didn't manage. The only option was to dial this planet's address and try to get rid of the "tail" forever. But failure seems much more favorable to him than its opposite.
A white-blue energy charge similar to a water clot whistled next to him. Without looking back, the Runner began to zigzag between trees trying not to allow hit. A Wraith stunner charge pierces with pain in one moment and forces muscles to relax. After that only death follows.
Clothes soaked with sweat, legs burned with fire, lungs prepared to burst outward any moment, but he didn't stop running.
Only after jumping into a ravine where he equipped a position, the man could briefly catch his breath.
Peeking from cover, he saw that a Wraith detachment approaches him. Five including dressed in long leather clothes commander. No other opponents visible, but this doesn't necessarily mean it will stay so further.
Having pulled out from under branches the hidden automatic rifle, he leaned against the trunk of a tree growing on the ravine edge and aimed the weapon at the enemy. Scouts without doubt noticed that he stopped and decided to surround him. Possibly this tactic will work, but definitely not today.
A short burst of powerful cartridges blew the enemy detachment commander's head like an overripe fruit. The soldiers immediately oriented by shot sounds, but he managed to shoot another two before the enemy soldiers opened fire from stunner rifles.
But they have big problems with accuracy — all charges flew into the tree. Actually for this Alvar hid behind it — to minimize the area of his own body hit.
A couple of minutes were needed to finish both pursuers. Wraith soldiers as he already understood aren't distinguished by mind. Many recruits under his command on the home planet were much smarter.
Though, he had nothing against the enemy remaining as stupid further. More misses of them — more chances for him to survive.
He entered firefights with Wraith another two times, but couldn't achieve the previous result. The enemy began to tighten the "noose" around him, so the only thing left to him — run.
And hope that ahead at the explosion site there will be those who will help him cope with the enemy. Too much hope on strangers, but such is life.
Possibly of course the Wraith will give him opportunity to rest and restore strength — they did so already a couple of times when he killed many of them. But if on the planet there is someone else who threatens them, hardly they will take a pause.
Absorbed in his thoughts, he burst out of the forest onto a vast clearing. Having looked around, understood that there are no Wraith here.
But there was a huge hole in the clearing center which undoubtedly went somewhere to the dungeon.
"I hope there are tunnels there," the Runner uttered.
The Wraith scanner with which they tracked his movement didn't have the ability to parse the road. Therefore he managed a couple of times on other planets to lure the Wraith into a swamp. Once more he led them into catacombs and got out shaking off pursuers lost in the stone labyrinth. But then no Hive ship hung over the planet...
Shots of Wraith flickered nearby again. The detachment pursuing him was fifty meters away and shot more at random than with real hope to hit the target.
There is opportunity to break away.
The Runner tore off the last remaining smoke grenade from his belt and threw it behind. He has ten seconds in reserve while the Wraith overcome the obstacle. They will surely decide to wait it out as in the past he trapped them with smoke in various ways.
And he will have time to escape into the pit and get lost in the catacombs.
Understanding that on open ground he is an excellent target, Alvar still rushed to run across the clearing. Shooting on the move, he estimated that only a few enemy fighters pursue him — one detachment. But the rest clearly nearby.
Not reaching a few meters to the pit, the former military noted that it represents not a detonation site but traces of a projectile that crashed into the ground, plowed some distance, and only after that detonated. And this trace represented a groove in the ground along which one could descend to the dungeon without fearing injuries.
Lucky find.
Already running up to the groove, Alvar saw a man crawling out from under the ground. Young, military short-cropped man, twenty-thirty years old. And suspiciously cleanly dressed for someone crawling on all fours on the ground. Light clothes catching the eye, unfamiliar cut of which seemed suspicious to him. The guy pressed to his chest some thing glowing with yellow light, and in the other held a strange-looking weapon. And rapidly looked around as if seeing something suspicious...
But not more suspicious than the piercing sound from which ears hurt as soon as the "Dart" switched to dive.
"There's nothing here!" the Runner shouted to the stranger understanding that he is knocked off by Wraith mental attacks. If not used to this, it seems that around some swift shadows, rustles... So the Wraith confuse their victims. "It's all illusion!"
The guy looked at him aiming the weapon.
And the Runner already knew what would happen next.
Without stopping he went down on one knee aiming the rifle at the place where the Wraith harvesting beam touched the ground.
"Stand where you are!" the stranger shouted to him.
"Out of the way, fool!" Alvar replied to him looking for the "Dart." The man also saw it.
Having raised his pistol, he shot several times at the Wraith fighter's side when it descended for its dirty deed. The machine avoided two energy charges — mostly due to the shooter's poor accuracy, but the third hit it in the nose part.
The "Dart" screeched louder, thick black smoke began to pour from the pierced hull. Hit after which it definitely won't return to service.
However it was already late.
The transparent similar to a water surface pierced by bright light rays Wraith harvesting beam plowed the area next to them, to the left of the stranger.
Wraith harvesting beam.
But its goal wasn't to collect both men, but on the contrary to land a Wraith detachment.
From the leader shot from the stunner at the stranger, but Alvar already opened fire using the hitch. With one burst he slew immediately two enemy soldiers closest to him. The enemy detachment commander and two other enemy soldiers aimed their weapons at him...
And at this very moment the stranger who fell after the shot to the ground un
expectedly rose, went down on one knee and raised the weapon directing it at the Wraith. Only their commander managed to react redirecting at the sudden threat.
His stunner fired but didn't harm the man — the white-blue charge splashed on the illusory green haze surrounding the man. The return shot blew the Wraith's skull.
Alvar shot another soldier when the stranger finished with the second.
"You have a shield!" Yenser understood approaching the young man.
The latter, squinting, shook his head.
"And looks like!"
"Didn't understand," the Runner tensed looking at the stranger.
"Everyone has their flaws," the latter replied aiming the weapon at him. Not expecting such the military reacted a fraction of a second later than the bright blue energy charge broke off from the angular crystal in the front part of the stranger's weapon.
Alvar didn't have time to think that now he'll die as he heard a nasty sound slightly behind — with such the Wraith died a couple of seconds ago from the stranger's shot. Turning around he saw how the commander of the detachment pursuing him falls to the ground with a hole the size of a human head in his chest.
But his soldiers left without commander opened indiscriminate fire. They were separated by fifteen meters, they just exited the forest. Seems the commander decided to sneak up to him and take the Runner's life that's why didn't shoot. And the soldiers were to cover him...
Overconfidence.
Together with the stranger Alvar coped with the enemies in a couple of seconds. The guy though hit one out of three but his protection allowed him to stand under enemy fire and ignore hits. And with the power of his weapon... Whether hit in arm, leg or head — holes in Wraith bodies remained such that no regeneration would help them.
But just in case Alvar charged each of them two cartridges in the head.
"Need to leave," he said to the stranger who picked up from the grass a golden thing similar to a large crystal.
No time to get acquainted — the Runner spent it usefully changing the empty magazine to a loaded one. The penultimate magazine by the way.
"Fully agree," the stranger spoke with an unknown accent. Roughly but enough to understand him.
"Get lost in the catacombs from where you crawled out," Alvar pointed to the hole in the ground and made a step there.
But the guy grabbed his arm because of which the green haze of the personal shield shone around the stranger again. And the hair on the Runner's arm stood on end reacting to the proximity of energy.
"I have a better idea," the stranger said nodding his head inviting to follow him. After which, without giving further explanations silently strode across the clearing. "Come with me if you want to live."
Hearing the howl of "Darts" Jensen wanted to warn the guy that need to get away quicker, not on a walk after all. But what he saw made him swallow the unspoken words.
The stranger making another step literally dissolved in the air.
"Here's the thing," with a shade of admiration the smirking Alvar said and ran after. Maybe this is the very chance about which he didn't even dare to think⁈
Exactly in the place where the stranger disappeared he made a step... And saw in front of him a dark green hull clearly built by people ship. The rear wall was open and on the sides working engines flickering with even white light were visible.
"Surprise on surprise," the man whistled.
"If you're not in a hurry anywhere, you can stay," the stranger suggested occupying the chair in that part of the ship which clearly was the pilot cabin. "Less hassle for me. And so nobility won't lead to good..."
Without thinking Jensen boarded the ship and plopped into the chair next to the stranger. Behind with a quiet sound of actuators work the entrance hatch slammed shut. The guy sitting in the neighboring chair grabbed uncomfortable-looking steering wheel grips and the ship soared up candle-like leaving the meeting place.
Let he was surprised by the technology quality Alvar didn't show it. But couldn't help examining the magnificent ship from inside. Something this design and patterns reminded him...
In front of the cabin glass a glowing picture arose on which the scheme of their ship was depicted. And a blinking red dot at the place where he sat. But the multitude of symbols next to it he still couldn't parse.
"Didn't work," the stranger pronounced.
"What about?" Alvar asked but deep down already understood what the conversation would be about.
"The transmitter that the Wraith implanted in you," the pilot said. "The camouflage field doesn't jam its signal. But worth trying."
"Have any thoughts in mind what to do next?" the Runner asked. While he had no ideas how the ship and its pilot can help but he wasn't used to dropping hands. Simply couldn't be that the owner of such a ship, such technologies had no ideas how to shake off Wraith from the tail!
"Misha," without tearing from control the guy extended his right hand to him. Alvar didn't wonder that he uses the greeting gesture only now and responded as proper.
"Alvar," he introduced himself deciding that the former stranger told him his name. "Your idea — to get acquainted? Couldn't think of anything better?"
The screen changed and now showed a huge number of red dots approaching their ship from all sides.
"Need to start from something," the new acquaintance sighed.
***
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