Rogue Stars

by C Gockel et al.

  Shima’s ears went back and her muzzle rumpled showing him her killing teeth. It was not a friendly gesture. “You think because we are no longer running for our lives that we are safe here? I don’t have time to play to your audience.”

  Shima turned away, not caring that Kazim followed her still filming. At least he was quiet about it. She went through every room checking doors and windows, familiarising herself with the layout and every conceivable exit. She took her time and was methodical about it, as if this was one of her projects and would need to pass oversight inspections.

  The front windows overlooked the grove that she liked. In the growing season, it would be very pleasant to meditate upon the Harmonies out there. The rear windows looked upon a park, and she was very pleased. It was no wilderness, but there was still plenty of cover if she needed to flee, and more to the point it was in the right direction. She was too far from the fighting to sense the Merkiaari now, but they were out there.

  She had always been very strong in the harmony given talents of her people, and that had given her an advantage today. Her father had taught her how to track and hunt; how to live and even prosper in the wilderness with nothing but a knife and piece of spark rock. Escaping pursuit even here in a city should have been easy, but it hadn’t been. The alien’s devices turned them into superlative trackers without needing the true skill of a hunter.

  Shima stared into those trees and wondered who was hiding in there, perhaps staring back at this very window. From the evidence of her eyes, Shima and Kazim were the only two people left alive in the district, but using the Harmonies she was able to find many others hiding nearby. The gentle pastel coloured mind glows of other Shan were soothing to her frazzled thoughts after watching the dark insane-seeming alien mind glows of the Merkiaari for so long. She could tell some of them were sleeping, probably because they planned to travel all night. Others were alert, perhaps guarding the sleepers. She would have planned similarly in their place.

  “Get some rest, Kazim. I will watch.”

  “I’m not tired,” Kazim protested.

  “We’ll be travelling all night. If you don’t sleep now, you won’t get another opportunity for a few cycles. A seg or two now will help. You’ll be surprised by how much.”

  Kazim hesitated, but he switched off his camera and flicked his ears in agreement. “Wake me if something interesting happens, Shima. I don’t want to miss anything.”

  “I will,” Shima lied smoothly. If she woke him, it would be because she was ready to leave or they were about to be discovered.

  Kazim fell asleep quickly after making a nest in the corner of the room with pillows and blankets. Shima watched over him allowing her thoughts to slow and be soothed by his sleeping mind glow.

  Tahar... oh Harmonies Tahar!

  Shima clenched her jaws shut preventing the wail of grief escaping. He must be dead by now. Her father dead, it didn’t seem real. He had always been there. He was timeless and unending... a foolish youngling’s fancy.

  Shima snarled, disgusted with her self-pity.

  He would tell her to focus on her own survival. He would expect her to be strong for Chailen. Yes, Chailen was what mattered. Shima had to survive to find and protect her sib.

  She should search for things that might aid her she decided. Shima realised she should have done that first thing. Her failure to do that earlier when she looked around was testament to how rattled she really was. Her extended run and inability to lose the Murderers had scared her more than she had thought. Such a simple thing as searching for supplies should have been one of the first things she thought of.

  She made up for her lack quickly and efficiently. Weapons, water, food in that order followed by luxuries. She had no plans to carry any luxuries, but perhaps medical supplies could be justified if small enough to fit on her or Kazim’s harness. She dared not encumber herself too much; her speed had been the only thing to save her earlier, but Kazim needed at least a knife and preferably a beamer or two as well.

  Shima did not find any weapons worthy of the name. Knives for cooking and other utensils could be used at a push, but she had two proper hunting knives on her harness along with her beamers already. She would give one of her knives to Kazim when he woke.

  She left everything as she found it and explored the other rooms. In one of the sleeping rooms, she discovered something useful in a cupboard. No weapons, the owners had obviously taken their beamers with them as they should, but like her, they had left the charger behind. She quickly swapped the energy cells in her beamers for new ones off her harness and inserted the old ones into the charger. She watched the indicators and nodded. It wouldn’t take too long to top up the cells to full charge.

  Turning slowly on the spot, Shima wondered if there might be more cells here, but decided after a moment they would have been kept either with the beamers or the charger as Tahar had taught her to do. No doubt the owners had taken them and were safe now in their assigned keep watching the news and waiting to learn what the elders planned to do.

  Shima’s whiskers drew down as if tasting something noxious.

  What could the elders realistically do? The Merkiaari were here on the surface in force, which meant the Fleet had been defeated already. That left only those in the warrior caste chosen to protect their people on the ground, or the permanent forces assigned to each of the keeps, to fight on. She had no doubt that everyone, adult or child, would fight when the time came, but that didn’t make them warrior caste. They had their beamers and the training to use them, but no experience.

  Real warriors trained constantly and fought each other in huge complex mock battles. Warrior caste lived for the time they would be called upon to fight for real.

  “Well, this cycle might seem like a dream come true for them, but I doubt they will think so tomorrow,” Shima said to herself. She took a last look at the charger’s progress, and left the room.

  Shima found little that she wanted to take with her. She could hunt for food once out of the city, so she made no effort to gather some to take with her. Instead she gorged herself upon the bounty of Shkai’ra she found in the cold room, putting some aside for Kazim to eat later. The tender meat was one of her favourites, and together with fresh fruits and vegetables made a feast. She forced herself to eat more than she normally would, gorging until uncomfortably overfull. She had burned a lot of her reserve fat since coming back to the city and needed to replenish it. If she didn’t eat more than her usual amount over the next few cycles, she would lose muscle mass.

  It was inconvenient but part of what it was to be Shan.

  Her people had evolved to survive lean times in a number of ways. One was by consuming vast amounts of food in good times and building a reserve in the form of fat, the other way was a type of hibernation. Shan did not sleep like Shkai’lon did in winter, but they could slow their metabolism so much that the difference was hard to determine.

  But there was a difference and an important one.

  Shkai’lon were completely vulnerable while they slept the winter away, Shan were not. With their bodily functions slowed, it left their minds free to ponder the Harmonies and allowed their senses to wander far afeild. Hence they were forewarned of approaching danger. The ability was how so many Shan had survived the last Merkiaari invasion.

  Shima spent the remainder of the cycle resting, readying herself for night and her escape from Zuleika. She forced herself to drink a lot of water and even managed a few more morsels of food when Kazim awoke to join her. She made him stuff himself and drink lots of water, and would not hear his complaints that he would not be able to run with such a full stomach. He would learn as she had just what a terrified Shan could accomplish when necessary.

  In the end the only things Shima decided to take were her weapons, her harness, and a small water bottle she had found in one of the rooms. She didn’t need anything else to survive the journey to the mountains, and if Kazim stayed with her, he wouldn’t need anything either. S
he could hunt for two as easily as for one.

  Shima was sitting quietly in the main living space in the trance-like state her father had taught her to use before a long hunt, when darkness fell. It was the best way to attune oneself with the Harmonies, and made her gifts easier to use. Stronger too. Her senses were always at their strongest when used this way. She noted the sleepers in the park and other nearby buildings were stirring, readying themselves to leave. Kazim had some ability with the Harmonies, enough to notice the exodus, but Shima said no when he suggested they go.

  “Not yet, they are too many and might attract attention. We will give them a seg to clear our path.”

  “We don’t know where they are going.”

  “True, but they will head for a keep and the nearest is in the Kachina chain. It’s safer for them and us if we spread out. The gunners on just one of those grav sleds could kill us all in two bursts if we don’t.”

  “Are you sure you’re not warrior caste, Shima? You sound just like those I have met.”

  Shima noted Kazim’s camera was active again, though he had tried to be discreet by holding it low in his lap. She said nothing. If his work comforted him, who was she to say no? She could wish for some comfort herself, but a gardener like her wouldn’t be needed for a long time to come... or ever? Shima shook off the sudden chill that came over her. She was a scientist not a superstitious fool who feared gloomy thoughts would encourage them to come true.

  “Not a warrior, sorry to disappoint. I’m a gardener.”

  “That’s not all you are. There’s more.”

  Shima’s tail gestured a shrug and her ears flicked agreement. “There’s always more. Scientist, agricultural geneticist, hunter, daughter of Tahar, sib to Chailen... the list is extensive for any of us.”

  “Interesting that you list hunter before daughter,” Kazim said. “Why is that?”

  “Tahar, my father works—worked on Hool Station. We spoke just before...” she waved a hand around. “All this. He was trapped up there with the others.”

  Kazim’s ears struggled half erect. “I am sorry.”

  “So am I, he was a wonderful person and father. Many fathers died when the Murderers came. I’m not the only one to lose family.”

  “No, but sadness is not lessened by having company.”

  Shima agreed.

  Kazim shifted and raised the camera. “Do you mind so very much?”

  Shima felt like asking what he would do if she said that she did mind, but perhaps he was in the right with this. If her people survived the Murderers a second time, wouldn’t it be a good thing to have a record of events? She couldn’t see how her actions could contribute to Kazim’s historical record of the second alien war, but who was she to say? Her youngling lessons had included trips to places like the Markan’deya where she was shown lowlier things than Kazim’s recordings. Perhaps in the future his films would be played in the Markan’deya dedicated to this new war, and younglings would watch and learn about the true horror of war.

  “I do not mind,” Shima said, “But we must find you a beamer. I would give you one of mine, but I suspect you would be too busy recording the aliens killing you to use it.”

  Kazim laughed. “You are right. When I heard what was happening I fetched my camera first thing. I did not even remember my beamer until after my car blew up.”

  Shima was secretly appalled by Kazim’s admission. How any Shan could be so lax when the Merkiaari breathed the same air with him was frankly incomprehensible to her. Everyone was taught Shan history. No one could be unaware of what a fresh incursion would mean to them, their families, and their clans.

  “I see I have shocked you.” Kazim said ruefully and Shima agreed with a flick of the ears. “Tell me the story of our meeting, Shima. Tell me of your father and how you heard about the murderer’s return, and I promise to kill the next alien I see before trying to film it.”

  Shima did.

  22 ~ The Wilderness

  Zuleika and environs, Child of Harmony

  “... and we stopped here to await the night,” Shima finished her recitation of events noting how dark the room was. “And now we go, Kazim. It’s full dark, time to leave the city.”

  Kazim did something to his camera and rose to his feet. “Do you think the others are far enough away?”

  “I hope so. I will look ahead when the time comes and steer us away from anyone I find.”

  “You are strong in the Harmonies, Shima. I noticed before but didn’t want to ask.”

  Shima knew what he wanted. “No, they did not invite me. My uncle is Tei, but my eyes...” Shima gestured ‘what can you do’ with her tail. “The clan-that-is-not has certain expectations and standards I do not meet.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s an old hurt, but seriously, I’m not sure what I would say now if they did invite me.” Kazim regarded her sceptically. “I mean it. I love my work; I would not want to give it up.”

  “You wouldn’t have to. As Tei your choice of profession is yours to make and no other can gainsay you, not even the elders have that right.”

  “Oh I don’t mean that, of course I would follow my heart and stay in my caste. No, it’s the expectation that as Tei I must lead the others. I would have no time for my own research projects.”

  “Hmmm,” Kazim said sounding unconvinced.

  Shima wasn’t surprised. Tei were honoured and held up before all as the epitome of ambition. But she had secretly held the view for quite some time now that it must be a very tiring way to live. People’s expectations could be draining. It would take a very strong person to live that way, which was yet another reason to admire them and venerate them.

  The word Tei meant ‘one who leads’ but the true meaning was farther reaching than that. Being Tei meant leading others by example, motivating others by one’s own actions to strive, to be better than they think they can be. The clan-that-is-not held a special place in Shan society, one that even the council of elders did not equal.

  “It’s time we were gone,” Shima said leading the way out the back and into the night.

  Shima didn’t hurry into the park. Stealth was preferable to speed now. She used all her skill to move silently amongst the trees, and tried not to sigh audibly when Kazim made a noise. He wasn’t loud but compared to her silence he seemed it. Her skill was her father’s, taught to her from almost the moment she could balance on two legs. Kazim could not be blamed for being lesser in this. He was competent, no worse than average, and all Shan were hunters by instinct. It was just that her instincts and skills had been honed to a fine edge.

  She said nothing.

  “Sorry,” Kazim hissed under his breath, sensing her tension. “It’s been a while for me.”

  “Nothing to be sorry over,” Shima whispered back. “I hunted often with my father.”

  “You are very good at this, all of it I mean, not just the silent stalk.”

  Shima did not answer. She supposed she was good at it in a way. She did not doubt her ability as a hunter, for her father would be remembered by his clan as one of their greats despite his demurrals, and she took for granted her harmony given gifts would not let her down. They never had before so why would they now? No, Kazim was right, but being good at it did not mean she liked the necessity right now.

  They travelled through the park and beyond into the last district of the city. Fires illuminated the streets, and revealed only the dead. The Merkiaari warriors had swept into the city via this district using the road from the port to speed their way. They had destroyed many of the buildings, though not all, and their targeting puzzled Shima. The buildings had no strategic value that she could see, they were just simple homes.

  Kazim was grim as he used his camera to record everything they saw. He almost seemed to will Shima to comment on the massacre of their people. She walked amongst their dead and said nothing. What was there to say? Should she say it was horrible? It was, but saying it did not change anything. Should she point
to this or that person, this or that dead youngling... and say what? Vow vengeance maybe. Perhaps Kazim was silently vowing it now, calling upon his ancestors to witness the oath. Swearing by his clan name even. Shima said nothing and vowed nothing, but she knew deep in her heart there would come a reckoning. Once Chailen was safe, surely it would not offend her father’s kah to come back and claim a little justice for his death. He would not approve of anything that put her in danger of course, but surely he would understand her need to fight. Any Shan would.

  “We need to move, Kazim.”

  Kazim nodded. “There is nothing we can do for them and there are too many to send to their ancestors properly.”

  “They will find their way to them, the Harmonies know their own.”

  Kazim followed as Shima chose a path. “You truly believe that?”

  “Yes. The ceremony is for those left behind, not the one journeying on. My father is with my mother and our ancestors now. I know it.”

  And she believed it to the core of her being.

  Tahar’s body would never be ritually cleansed or placed in the clan’s grove for three cycles to free his kah. He would not receive the honours due him, nor would his ashes be mixed with the ashes of their ancestors. None of that mattered. Shima had seen death; she knew Tahar’s kah would not really have been released by the rituals. Her gift had shown her they moved on very quickly after the mind glow dimmed, not lingering for even a single cycle let alone the three cycles bodies were customarily laid in the grove. Tahar was with her ancestors now, watching over Chailen and her. She knew it beyond question.

  Shima and Kazim studied the empty road from concealment of the trees, but there really was no option but to venture out and cross over into the country on the far side. It was a bit of a stretch to call the land wilderness—the word seemed to conjure an image of a barren land, which this was not, but it was wild in the sense it had never been settled or cultivated. There were no cities or even large towns between Zuleika and the mountains, so it was in its natural native state; heavily forested with open plains far to the south. A good thing, because the native wildlife was extremely tasty to hungry Shan, and there should be plenty on the hoof for a hunter to track.