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."Very silly.Draw from him, not yourself or you'll never be able to do anything.""I've stopped up the worst," Rachel said, weakly."I can do the rest later,when I'm recovered.Iwon't be you!""Then watch how heal them!" Conner roared, spinning her across the room tothe elf and extendingIa hand.He began to chant and light formed around all of the wounded."What are you doing?" Rachel asked, desperately."Stop it!" she yelled as, oneby one, the wounded began to shriek, encased in balls of light.Then theshrieking changed tones to hoarse bellows and when the light was gone fiveorcs were sitting up in the beds, snarling at one another and shouting cursesat theChanged elf.They cowered away from Conner when he glanced at them, though."I promised I wouldn't kill them," Conner said, maliciously."Take her away."* * *"Bloody hell," General Magalong said, quietly, as the cohort closed ranksagain to make it through the gate."Get the ballistas ready, we've got to getthem some room."New Destiny had taken the Fleet base and established a large fortified camp onthe north end of the peninsula.Even with all their forces they couldn't cutthe peninsula entirely, but they could do so for all intents and they had.Hehad sent the cohort, one of three, out to probe the defenses.He was gettingback less than two thirds.Besides the orcs that made up the bulk of the New Destiny forces there weremassive creatures scattered among them.Orcs could rarely break theshield-line of a well handled cohort but these things had simply smashed intothe line, soaking up the sword and spear damage to open holes that the orcspoured into.Three times the cohort had nearly been broken before theyretreated.The things weren't particularly smart or fast but they wereimmensely large and powerful; he had seen one pick up a trooper in eitherhand, while their fellows hacked at its legs, and throw them through the air.Another of the things made its way through the orcs, charging clumsily at theline of legionnaires.The general smiled faintly as the line didn't even bend,Page 194 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmljust kept up its steady backward motion, the troopers facing the thing likebattling automatons.There wasn't any percentage in turning to flee, thatwould just open up a bigger hole for the orcs to attack.This time, though, they were close enough for support and three ballistasfired at the thing.Two of them missed, one pinning a pair of orcs to theground in the front lines and another falling deep.But the third hit it onthe shoulder, spinning it around and off its feet, the shoulder nearlysevered.Despite the enormous wound, the thing got back to its feet, but itnever even made it to the legionnaire line, falling and crushing an orc as itfinally bled out.The legionnaires continued to shrink their formation, closing their gaps asthey filed into the camp.As they closed with the walls, defenders beganpitching pots of burning napalm at the orcs, slowing them up and keeping themfrom pressing on the legionnaires.More ballista bolts fell as well and boltsfrom some of the crossbowmen.Finally, a massed company threw their pilums andthe last of the legionnaires marched stolidly through the gates, which closedbehind them.The New Destiny forces pressed forward as well but the rest of the legion wasalready manning the walls and the attack was repulsed with bloody losses, thelegionnaires poking the orcs from above with their pilums and groups of themusing them to pincushion the larger monsters.After about fifteen minutes ofthat horns rang from the far camp and the New Destiny forces retreated,leaving a windrow of their dead under the UFS lines to stink up the morning.New Destiny was already starting siege operations against his lines as well.Attack trenches and parallels were going in, the earth being moved by moreChanged and a few local humans who had been unlucky enough to be captured.Thecohort's primary mission had been an attack against those.One that had notbeen successful.ABC Amber Text Converter Trial version,http://www.thebeatlesforever.com/processtext/abctxt.htmlFor that matter, he wondered at the preparations.New Destiny could simplyswarm him.If they threw enough bodies.There had been ten thousand, at least,in the invasion fleet.More would be coming in through portals.They had to beworried about time and they couldn't move until he was reduced.So why werethey starting an elaborate siege?"Send for Lieutenant Pedersen," the general said."I want his thoughts."* * *Rachel stepped back from the casualty as she finished suturing the artery."He's going to be in pain when he wakes up," she said, lifting one eyelid witha blood-covered hand and checking the dilation of the pupil."I'll write outan order for morphine.No more and no less, understand?" she said to theorderly.The man nodded at her, frightened, and called for stretcher bearersto move the officer out.Rachel had only been working on humans.The Changed were so numerous, and ofso little relative worth or so it seemed, that only their human officers weregiven treatment for wounds.Changed either survived them or died.Rachel turned on the spigot and ran her hands and forearms under the water.The one good thing about this camp was that New Destiny had installed runningwater in the hospital.On the other hand, it was cold and getting blood offwith cold water was a pain.She turned her head at a flicker in her peripheral vision, frowning at Connerwho, as always, was followed by his monstrous elf-thing."Pity you couldn't save the leg," Conner said, glancing at the casualty."I said you weren't going to get my best work if you pissed me off," Rachelreplied, coldly, turning her back and ignoring him.He wanted to see hersuffer.He could kill her, he could rape her, but she was damned if he wasgoing to see her sweat.There was another flicker in her peripheral vision and a distinctivePage 195 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"swish-thunk." She spun around and the Changed was just about done wiping hissword.The New Destiny officer's head had not even had time to roll off theblood-spattered surgery table.It did, as she watched, and struck the groundwith a sound like a broken melon."You SON OF ABITCH!" she screamed, picking up a scalpel and throwing it at him as hard as shecould.Conner leaned slightly to the side to let the wandering missile pass andsmiled maliciously as the elf-thing caught it in midair and stepped forward."No, Roc," Conner said, holding his hand up and laughing."Let her get itout.""Do not waste my time!" Rachel snapped."Do whatever you're going to do to me
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