'To what end?' Rhiannon was wary. It sounded like a revenge scheme Cadwaladr would hatch himself.

'That fusion bean is designed to hit conductor rods that are vast distances away. At this close range, it could do some serious damage to Shamash's vessel.' Cadwallon stared at his son, accusingly.

'I'm just telling you what Maelgwn told me. He said that you,' Cadwaladr referred to Cadwallon, 'ought to be able to do this, with some help from ... Floyd?' Cadwaladr recalled the name, then shrugged to imply he didn't know if the message would mean anything to them.

Rhiannon moved to the headset to speak with the said fellow. 'Brunanburh to Mission Control. Have you been advised of a new directive?' She listened as Floyd said that Boadicea had just arrived there with the same instruction Cadwaladr had just given her. 'Well then, I guess we turn this baby around.' Rhiannon held out the headset to Cadwallon.

By the time Shamash gave the order to finish off the army of immortal warriors that he had turned to stone upon his arrival in the Middle East, Maelgwn's people had surrounded the transporter beam that operated from the belly of the docked ship.

Maelgwn, Tory, Ethan, Talynn, Neraida, Hero, Cadwell and Thais, turned several waves of Shamash's troops to stone before the invaders ceased their fruitless attempts to retake the runway.

The rocket ship's thrusters burst into life and the runway lit up. As the huge vessel moved off, the small rebel band gave a triumphant cheer.

'Well, that was easy,' Ethan commented to Maelgwn as they began freeing their comrades from the stone they were trapped by.

Maelgwn was still wary; 'We'd best get these people conscious and under cover in a hurry.' He looked over at the collapsed entrance to the landing base that Talynn had demolished with an explosion. 'We'd best get Shamash's men dug out of there. They are not immortals, and will surely suffocate before too long.'

Ethan gave Maelgwn a wave to say he'd get right on it.

'Hey, Grandpa.' Cadwell wandered over in a rather concerned state. 'It just occurred to me that they might be of the mind to launch an aerial attack ... it's not like Shamash to retreat that quickly.'

Maelgwn looked to the horizon to see the ship leave the landing pad. 'Indeed they might.' His gut instinct told him Cadwell was right. 'I want everybody who has a craft in the air now. Everyone else is to get to shelter.

Neraida ...' Maelgwn waved her over. 'Get to your communications room, and rally any of the Chosen who have fighter aircraft. Tell them the war of the sovereign is here and now.'

'Maelgwn.' Tory approached him cautiously, knowing he was not going to like what she was about to suggest. 'If Shamash has just given the final attack order, Inanna could not have gained control over him.'

What's that you say? Dumuzi arrived just in time to catch the end of the comment.

Tory put him off a second, staying focused on her husband. 'You must stay and fight. I, however, do not have a craft, and I am not going to sit this out in a shelter.'

'And you are not going after Shamash, Tory. Forget it! If Inanna couldn't subdue him -'

I shall go, Dumuzi cut in.

'And I shall go with you.' Tory took up his hand and was gone before Maelgwn could argue.

'No, stop -' Maelgwn decided to save his breath, though he had a sudden urge to hit something.

'Commander,' Vanora called to him as she climbed into her craft. 'The fight is up there, but if you don't move your arse it is going to be down here.'

It was not easy to put his fears aside, but what choice did he have?

Once he had activated his craft, Maelgwn climbed inside and took the pilot's seat. As he breathed deeply in an attempt to ease his worry, the voice of his old mentor was heard to say: Heed the call to battle, Dragon, the time of the Gathering is upon you.

Sons of Bedi arise, and reclaim thy rightful inheritance.

The Chosen, by the power of air will fulfil my age old vow ...

I saw Maelgwn battling, the host acclaimed him.

To him they gave their blessing, to regain his Eden lost.

Maelgwn closed his eyes, comforted to know Taliesin was still with them. Keep Tory safe, he requested quietly, as he fired up his craft.

Haven't I always, the Merlin replied.

30.

RETURN TO EDEN.

Cadwaladr, Cadwallon and Rhiannon watched in horror as Shamash's vessel lowered its primary weapon.

'He is going to use it. We have to destroy him now!'

Cadwaladr appealed, but Cadwallon refused.

'Not until Maelgwn gives the word.'

'And what if he's tied up right now?' Cadwaladr persisted.

'Cadwallon's right,' Rhiannon had her say. 'We don't know who might be on Shamash's craft.'

'Oh, well there's a surprise, you agreeing with him.'

Cadwaladr was enraged by their complicity.

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, and was about to get into an argument, when she thought of a more constructive form of criticism that might serve her better.

'Cadwaladr, think. You're the brilliant criminal mind.

There must be something else we can do?'

Cadwaladr took another look at the weapon. Now that it was fully extended from the ship he noted the single metal arm that secured it to the vessel.

'We'll just blast it off,' he announced.

Cadwallon gave half a laugh at the suggestion.

'That's a damn small target. What if we miss?'

'It's no smaller than the host station conductor rods on the moon and Earth that we align the beam to hit every day.' Rhiannon seconded the idea.

'You're both insane.'

'Aw,' Cadwaladr waved his father off, 'you always were a wimp. Come on.' He motioned Rhiannon to follow him. 'We'll use the targeter in the fusion station.'

'Hey, I wasn't the one who lost half of Britain.'

Cadwallon raised himself into the air to follow them to the reactor control room.

'No, you just conveniently died in the middle of a war, and left me to deal with it.'

'Truce, guys!' Rhiannon urged strongly.

'Armageddon. Remember that?' She propelled herself along in front of them, motioning them after her.

Dumuzi and Tory found Inanna petrified in rock. Beside her sat Shamash in a hovering, control chair. In one hand he held a Cracker, which was aimed at his sister's frozen form. The God's other hand rested comfortably on a telekinetic control panel on the arm of his chair.

Lamamu, Shamash pronounced upon sighting her.

My sister's earthly counterpart, who, like Inanna, is as beautiful as she is dangerous. And my brother-outlaw. His delight changed to boredom as he looked to Dumuzi.

Disappear, lover boy, or your wife is dust.

Dumuzi faltered, having made an unspoken promise to Maelgwn to stay with Tory.

Do it now, Shamash ordered, digging the weapon's head into his sister's belly.

Dumuzi turned to Tory, torn between loyalties.

'Go,' she bade him.

Forgive me. He faded from her sight.

'So, I get to stay do I?' Tory had her weapon aimed at Shamash. If he decided to shoot her, he'd be stone before he could finish her off.

I find a victory is not the same without some poor victim to share it with.

'Your morbid humour will be your undoing, Shamash. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you to stone right now?'

You are at an impasse, I'm afraid, he explained. Your battle and your little planet are lost without me.

'Yeah, that's what you think.' Tory made a habit of never believing anything she was told. 'Call off your fighters, or you're stoned.'

Make me, he dared her. But I must warn you ... I have set the Great Cracker on its own time schedule and it will fire unless I override the order.

'How much time do we have?' Tory questioned down the barrel of her weapon.

More than a second, less than a day. He smiled, admiring her form. You know, some of you Earthlings really aren't that badly put together. If you are as smart as you are valorous, I'm sure you could figure out a way to extract from me the information you seek.

Tory smiled, though on the inside she was fuming.

'We'll figure it out without you,' she assured him, taking aim.

Now all you have to do is figure out how to shoot both of us at once.

A chill crept over Tory, and she sensed a presence behind her.

Dumuzi appeared in the co-pilot's seat of Maelgwn's vessel. The sky was filled with fighter craft engaged in battle, and although Dumuzi could see that the Dragon had his hands full he also felt he had a right to know what had happened.

Ah, Commander?

Maelgwn peeped beneath his headset only long enough to make out who addressed him. 'Dumuzi! What are you doing here?'

Shamash persuaded me leave.

'You left Tory alone with him?' Maelgwn grabbed for the God to extract an explanation.

I had no choice. He has turned Inanna to stone, and was threatening to finish her. Watch out! Dumuzi warned of an oncoming craft, which Maelgwn promptly avoided. Drive, man, drive. That's why you have controls.

'Well, you're disturbing me!' Maelgwn endeavoured to steer them away from the heavy fighting.

Hold on. Dumuzi noted another incoming wave of craft. They are the fighter craft of Horus, Ningal and her brother Nergal.

'Nergal, the head of the Pantheon is here?' Maelgwn wanted to confirm this before he got too excited.

Yes, the markings are unmistakable. Dumuzi gave a cheer, as the reinforcements began taking out Shamash's fighters.

'And not before time.' Maelgwn aligned his ship with an oncoming enemy fighter. He retrieved his Cracker and gripped Dumuzi's wrist, willing them to Tory.

You're a maniac, Dragon! Dumuzi watched with horror as the approaching fighter ploughed into the ethers and vanished in a blaze of light.

It was not like Tory to give up without a fight. She kicked out behind her, knocking Shamash's weapon from his hands, but he grabbed for her weapon. As she struggled to keep her Cracker from Shamash the clone that was still seated in the control chair attempted to get a clean shot at her.

Well, Shamash prompted his double. What are you waiting for? Shoot!

A pellet came speeding past Shamash's body to plant itself in the clone's third eye. The God witnessed himself freeze, before turning to confront Maelgwn's fist.

Shamash went flying backwards, to land in a heap on the ground. When he recovered from the blow, he glanced up to discover three Crackers were aimed at him. He chuckled as he raised himself, pressing a pendant on his chest.

An alarm sounded. All the doors in the room were flung open and a mass of soldiers entered.

A bunch of outlaws are not going to seize me on my own ship!

Perhaps not, but I certainly can.

This was the voice of Nergal, supreme ruler of the Pantheon, and Shamash trembled at Nergal's intonation.

All Shamash's soldiers knelt in reverence to their high lord's presence. Maelgwn and Dumuzi bowed, but Tory remained as she was.

Nergal was tall and slender and light radiated from him - especially from his large, violet eyes. As with his sister, Ningal, his hair was dark and cut short to accentuate his angel-like features. His fine robes were adorned with jewels. Here was a very imposing figure of a God, despite his youthful appearance.