348
Ripping the ambulance doors open reveals a bizarre sight - six creatures like giant ants, mandibles clicking in agitation, are backing into a honeycomb structure, their dull, red, compound eyes menacing. One shrivels as the white-hot plasma from your blaster hits home. The honeycomb is on top of a flyer, similar in design to your own and you both throw yourselves to the ground outside to avoid the Ion Drive exhaust as the flyer explodes from the front of the ambulance. You sense that the six Hiver beings who together are Lord Creche, the Renegade Lord, are flying back to their Time Machine, with one exception. The victim of your Thinkstrike had not reached his seat in the honeycomb. Toppling backward as the flyer took off, it was vapourised by the Ion Drive. Quickly you search the ambulance and find a small capsule. It is in Interstellar Code - a message from Agidy Yelov to the Creche suggesting that if the mission is aborted, they should effect a rendezvous on planet Hel. As quickly as you can, after checking that the Emperor's Imperial Guard are not advancing, you decide to follow the Creche. Turn to 161.