Squadborronfell (short story)

Squadborronfell was the fifteenth story in the Bernice Summerfield anthology A Life of Surprises. It was written by Nick Walters.

Summary
Benny leads an expedition to Farlorne, home planet of the long-dead Sydiasts, who were destroyed by an unknown foe. She and her assistant, Stefnie Vollier, are accompanied by a military escort.

It rains a lot on Farlorne. Benny and her team set up camp in an old fort on the battlefield of Squadborronfell. The soldiers set up a force field and take up guard positions. Benny and Stefnie explore.

As they wander through the mostly dark fort, they start to hear strange noises. Benny starts to theorise that the Sydiasts were attacked telepathically, but then a loud noise freaks her out and she runs. She finds some of the soldiers, dead from an attack, and notices that the force field is down. Someone hits her from behind.

Benny wakes in a cell, chained to the wall, with water slowly filling the room. She is in great pain and can barely concentrate. After a long while, she sees Stefnie coming down the ladder, and at first thinks she will be rescued. However, Stefnie claims to be the last of the Sydiast, and finds their presence on the planet a desecration. She has killed the soldiers and will leave Benny to drown.

After she leaves the cell, Benny despairs. She soon sees Captain Helsall descending the ladder. He unchains her and gives her painkillers. Once out of the cell, he shows her Stefnie's dead body, and tells Benny he faked being dead so that he could kill Stefnie. He explains that he too is a Sydiast, and that there were once two factions on the planet. After devastating war, the peace-loving faction used a virus to wipe out both sides. Helsall is from the warmongering faction, and he started this expedition to flush out the last of the peace-loving Sydiasts — Stefnie.

Though Benny can't agree with all of Helsall's actions, she is grateful that he saved her life.

Characters

 * Bernice Summerfield
 * Stefnie Vollier
 * Captain Helsall

Worldbuilding

 * Captain Helsall's ship is the Galatea.

Continuity
to be added