It was getting light again when The Emperor commented "Isn't this about the time you arrived, Warlock?  Shouldn't those reinforcements be here?"
     The Warlock looked at his timepiece.  "Should be!" he answered.  "Damn!  I wish communications worked so we could talk to the ships!  It's been quite a while since they've tried to attack.  Maybe they've given up."
     As if in answer somebody cried "Boogies!"  and they were on them again.  This time, they seemed more determined than ever, and several of them broke through and actually got in among them!  During the melee' the Warlock lost his rifle, and proceeded to dispatch several of the boogies with the long knife that normally attached to its muzzle.  He had just done this with one of them, when he turned around to see an unoccupied boogie bringing its weapon to bear on The Emperor! 
     "NO!" the Warlock screamed.  He flung himself in the way.  The boogie fired, and the beam drove into the Warlock's protective vest, lifting him up and driving him into The Emperor!  Summoning his strength the Warlock brought his weapon up and hurled it.  It struck the boogie in the forehead.  It froze, its weapon slipped from its fingers, and it collapsed to the ground.  The Warlock muttered "Shit, that hurts!" and he, too, sank to the ground.  
     The Emperor ignored the carnage going on around him, knelt down, and began to furiously tear at the Warlock's burning vest until he ripped it free, and cast it away.  He then ripped at the smoldering shirt until it, too, was gone.  The Warlock's chest and much of his stomach was red and blistered, but not charred. 
    "They've retreated!"  somebody screamed, "They've fallen back!"
    "We need a physician!"  The Emperor cried.
    "Oh, damn!" a Hume remarked.  "Medic!  Medic!  We need a medic over here!  The Warlock's down."
     A few moments later a medic arrived and began to scan the Warlock.  "Burns aren't too bad, sir," he remarked.  "They must hurt like anything!"  He began to spray the Warlock's chest.  When he was done he went back to his scanner.  "But we've got another problem, sir!" he remarked, "You've got spinal injury.  Not too serious, if you take it easy 'til the doctors can get to it.  But don't go running around.  Be as still as you can."
     "If the enemy will permit it!" the Warlock answered.  "Get me a blanket will you?  I'm getting cold! Then run along.  Take care of the others."
     The medic obliged.  The Emperor continued to stand over the Warlock.  Some time passed and the Warlock continued to shiver.  The Emperor went over to where his peoples' bodies were, found the dead Commander of The Imperial Guard, and removed his jacket.  He came over. 
     "Come on, Warlock!"  he ordered, "Get up!  Let's get this on you.  It will be a little big and you've only got two arms, but it will keep you warm!"The Warlock obliged.  They had barely got him covered when someone cried "White flags!  The boogies are waving white flags!  They're coming out.  Hey, they've got a bunch of our people!  I see Warlock Rice!  She looks o.k.!  Some of the others look a little banged up, but they're alive.  One of the boogies is gesturing he wants to come over."
     "I'll go out and speak to him," Tampon announced.
     "NO!" The Emperor objected.  "The military commander should do any negotiations now.  Here!  Set the Warlock up here, gather around him, then let the emissary approach.  We will let them converse."

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