by Josie Walker
***
As soon as I am led into the enemy’s fortress I see that it is quite different from Bocc-d’ar’s kingdom, which has always seemed like a medieval castle and village. It is also nothing like the city that I saw when I first arrived on Meturgia. Endingo’s people are technologically superior; too bad they’re morally defunct.
Massive guns that remind me of grenade launchers are mounted on the walls. A large spaceship and some more of the aircraft that we are riding in are parked just inside the walls. Many of the Hock-Ver stream outside to greet Endingo and the men with him.
I also see people of other races, but judging by their forlorn expressions I suspect they are all slaves. They walk with their heads low, and although their hands are free, on closer inspection I see that blue electricity forms a line between their legs. Am I looking at my future?
“WATCH CLOSSSELY TESSSA. LEARN YOOO MUST HOW SSSLAVESSS ACT FOR MASSSTERSSS. WE HAVE CONQUERED MANY PLANETSSS. EACH SSSPECIES HASSS INTERESSSTING QUALITIESSS. AND WE ALWAYSSS FIND USSSESSS FOR YOOO FEMALESSS.”
Something about that last statement makes my skin crawl. I really hope he isn’t inferring what I think he is, because I think I’d kill myself before I let one of those monsters touch me. My guilt weighs so heavily upon me that I wish he would just kill me and get it over with. He never stops talking, filling my ears with the numbers of his conquests. He tells me how they always run out of resources, and that they are always in need of new planets. He’s practically bursting with pride when he tells me how his rulers will reward him like a king for bringing them the news of three viable planets.
Left with no choice, I follow him inside a building. I see yet more examples of different species. They are all doing cleaning or some type of labor, and are kicked and shoved out of the way by my captors as we pass. So this is my future. If only I could go back in time and tell myself to stop being an idiot. I’d had everything, and I hadn’t appreciated it.
There are many screens on the walls, which appear to be monitors. Displayed on the screens I see views of different areas that I recognize. Some are of the grounds here, but other monitors show the area just outside Bocc-d’ar’s castle. I’m sure he has no idea that his enemy is watching his every move.
Endingo steps onto a circular platform and drags me up with him. His fingers fly over the console on a stand within the circle. An odd sensation comes over me, and I look down to see my body dissolving into a million particles. I scream as I feel myself drifting apart. Almost as soon as it starts I feel myself begin to solidify, only as my body is re-forming I realize I’m in a different place now.
I’m reminded of the “Beam me up Scotty” moments in all the Star Trek episodes I watched as a kid. Apparently that technology is real. I just got teleported!
Endingo steps off the new platform. “HURRY UP, TRASSSH,” he orders, jerking me down the hallway behind him. Two guards fall in place with us as we move. Then he pushes me into an unoccupied cubicle, with bars like a jail cell.
“SSSOOO HELPFUL YOOO HAVE BEEN . . .” Endingo taunts from the other side of the bars.
He takes the device from one of the guards’ belts, and uses it to release the bindings from my legs, arms, and tongue. I take a deep breath and rotate my wrists as they both step outside the door. The guard enters a series of keystrokes on the keypad on the wall, then the cell door closes, locking me inside. Sparks of electricity dance between the metal bars, prohibiting me from touching them.
I wonder if I’ll ever leave this cold, dark cell. I certainly don’t deserve to. I’ve just set in motion genocide on a level that would make Hitler jealous. I curl up in the corner of my cell and close my eyes. Misery washes over me, and I let it. I’m a monster.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Bocc-d’ar
I ride on Sca ’hlet’s back, and Kay rides her mate, the emerald. Like all of my men, I’m in battle form. My most skilled flyers are inside the small fighter craft, and Sa-br’wren is manning the large warship we built to transport the rest of the men.
“Bocc-d’ar, we should wait for the other forces to arrive,” Kay cautions as we near the Hock-ver camp.
“Endingo has my mate and I will not wait,” I tell him.
“You don’t even know if she is here,” Kay warns.
“She is here. I can sense her. Deep within his camp. She is so frightened.”
“Brother, I vow we will do all we can to save her, and annihilate our enemy. But you must know we have a greater chance of success if we wait for the rulers from the other kingdoms to arrive. They will have already taken to the air, and will likely be here within minutes.”
“NIK! She is terrified. We go now. I will not risk her. If I wait they will kill her, just like they murdered our women. We do not have time to wait for the other armies to arrive.”
Kay nods his agreement, surrendering against his better judgement to my authority. Using battle chatter, he communicates his orders to Sa-br’wren on the big ship and the others in the small fighter crafts. At the same time I use my mind talk to communicate with Sca ’hlet. We are both filled with blood lust. My mate and the missing Dar-Fnar eggs will both be rescued today.
Sca ’hlet tells me that just as I can sense TSSS inside, she can feel the pull of their unhatched young behind enemy defenses. She communicates her orders telepathically with the other Dar-fnar. In one orchestrated movement we approach the wall from every direction. They must have been expecting us because their explosive throwing guns swivel into position and track our movements.
A couple small fighter crafts explode into a million pieces, and I see that the enemy guns have struck down at least two of my men. I feel a pang of sadness, but I form a metal cage around my emotions. I will allow myself to grieve later for my fallen men. Now I must focus.
Sa-br’wren approaches from above and hovers in the air over their encampment. We have formed special weaponry on the underside of the ship, and my men inside aim their weapons at the enemy troops on the ground. They need to clear the area under them of attackers who are shooting at them so they can land.
For now the hull of our ship is withstanding enemy fire. The bigger threat is the Hock-ver’s massive weapons mounted on the wall. At the right angle I fear they could pierce the hull and destroy the ship and all inside it. It pangs me to risk so many of my men for my mate. But without her and the children she will give me, my people will soon become extinct. And so, she is worth every casualty.
Larger weapons are tracking us as we circle above, but they could change their target to the big ship at any moment. It does not have good maneuverability because of its size. A massive round explodes from one of the guns, and it’s aimed directly at us.
Mercifully, we are not hit. Sca ’hlet is far more agile than our fighter jets. Failing to hit the Dar-fnar, the enemy begins to shift its attention to the small fighter crafts instead because they have a better chance of hitting them. We must create a distraction and buy the crafts time to land.
I communicate my plans with Sca ’hlet and she instantly agrees. Those fire weapons are our target. Sa-br’wren can’t land with the troops until we take them out. She communicates the plan with the other Dar-frnar. Most of them continue to circle around the perimeter, but Sca ’hlet and her mate, the huge emerald, shoot straight up, high into the air. I hold on tight, as does Kay on the emerald’s back.
I know our maneuvers have caught the attention of the enemy’s guns when they swivel back upward, tracking us again. Sca ’hlet performs an abrupt ninety degree turn, before diving straight down. At the last second she levels out and soars directly above the wall.
She opens her mouth and molten lava bellows out. I hold out my trident, which shoots liquid Roktar Ore. In mid air the elements combine and explode, cutting a destructive hole in the enemy forces below us.
I continue to direct the flow of the explosive liquid down on the wall, and every
where our magic metals touch a path of fire follows. I glance to the side and see Kay and the emerald Dar-fnar doing the same thing on the wall opposite us. We both circle around spewing liquid fire and within minutes the entire wall is a jagged wreck, the once mighty weapons and any remainder of the men operating them are indiscernible from the carnage.
I circle the air on Sca ’hlet’s back, looking for any other weapons that might be trained on us. Sa-br’wren quickly lands the big ship on the ground. Meanwhile the Dar-fnar and fighter ships circle the air to protect them with our fire as the men evacuate the ship.
Vast numbers are pouring out of the Hock-ver’s buildings. I easily spot our enemies along the back, but in front of them is a group of beings that I do not recognize. They have no weapons, and they hold their hands in front of them as though they wish to surrender.
The pathetic creatures are being herded in front of the Hock-ver. That is when I realize that Endingo and his men are using them as a sort of shield. What I don’t understand is if they think to slow us down, of if they assume we will heartlessly cut our way through innocent creatures to get to them.
I use battle chatter to inform my men to not kill these pathetic hostages, not unless we are attacked by them first. I sense that they are not our enemy. I’m here for Endingo’s people. They are the ones who murdered our females. They are the ones who’ve taken my mate. As for the others, I will decide their fate another day, unless they force my hand.
Sca ’hlet and I fly past the distraction to the cowardly Hock-ver who are hiding behind these others. As we fly over them our enemy lifts their weapons and fires on us. These weapons are not as powerful as the larger guns on the wall, yet they are still quite dangerous. The Dar-frnar’s brilliant plating is beautiful, yet acts as a strong armor. I feel something hit my arm and look down to see that whatever they are shooting has grazed me.
Fortunately it has not penetrated to my flesh. I aim my trident at one of those weapons and shoot a stream of liquid metal at it. I smile as the weapon folds in half, but decide to not waste any more of my Roktar Ore when Sca ’hlet spews her molten death at the cowardly bunch of Hock-ver.
Her aim is lethal and incredibly accurate. The new creatures in the front are untouched, but behind them nothing remains of the cluster of Hockver but a pile of ash. The strange looking people in front raise their hands and scream toward the sky, but they make no effort to fight back. I feel I’ve made the correct decision, and that we have earned some new allies today.
As my men continue to file out of the massive ship, I wrestle with the decision of what to do next. We have secured the outer section. I know it would be safest to wait here for reinforcements to arrive. There may well be a trap waiting for me inside. But even knowing all of this I cannot keep myself from going in.
I must rescue my mate now, lest any harm befall her. Although I think they’re victims, I also don’t trust these unknown creatures at our back. So, I command my men to herd them back inside where they came from. They are docile and go willingly. I believe they understand that we are not trying to hurt them.
They have no weapons that I can see, and they have made no hostile moves. Their varied appearances tells me there are multiple species represented here. The strange creatures go back inside, and my men follow them with weapons raised.
Sca ’hlet and the emerald land, and Kay and I climb off their backs. They will stand guard by the ship, while the remaining Dar-fnar continue to circle the perimeter. They are much too large to fit inside and will be of the most assistance out here. I can communicate with Sca ’hlet where to send fire power at the building if needed.
I follow my men inside and my senses are assaulted by the oddness of this place. Flat squares with moving paintings line the walls, but I do not have time to analyze this strangeness because we are immediately engaged in combat. They have powerful weapons that we are not familiar with. Some use the fire-sticks, and I see that they can indeed pierce our armor.
“Strengthen your battle forms!” I order via battle chatter as I divert a portion of my energy to a stronger shielding. I wield my trident and am relieved to see that the molten metal from it incapacitates their weapons. I decide to ration my ore, and revert to using my trident to pierce the chest of one soldier, and then another.
They have other small, handheld weapons that I do not understand. They hold them out and threads of blue energy fly from the tips. When they shoot these at my men, they are suddenly unable to move and incapable of defending themselves. I do my best to stay clear of the blue fire boxes, and give orders to take out the Hock-ver who are welding them first.
I do not understand their language but it is clear that the ones in this room are screaming at their slaves. Yet the slaves stand still and do not move. I take this to mean that they are being ordered to fight, but refusing. Good. I wish to shed no blood but that of my enemy.
As the battle rages around me I send out my senses in search of TSSS. She is somewhere below me. I utilize a brief lull in the fighting to communicate with Sca ’hlet. Using our mind link she tells me that she can sense the eggs, and that they are also in the lowest level of this structure. I look around but do not see any stairs. How am I supposed to get down there?
Just then the most amazing thing happens. On a platform off to the right, I see a shimmering form that looks like a million disconnected specks. Then it solidifies and turns into a vile creature I would recognize anywhere: Endingo. At last that coward shows his face.
I do not know how he controls this magic, but I am not afraid of his strange tricks. I have powers of my own. He has taken my mate, and I will force him to take me to where she is being held. I hear the sound of thunder as reinforcements from the other kingdoms arrive, flooding the area with more of our people. Now we easily outnumber the Hock-ver.
“Kay, I’m going for my mate,” I say, gesturing with my trident at Endingo who stands on the platform. “You are in charge!”
“Be safe, you young pup,” Kay advises, as his long sword neatly slices off the head of the man he is fighting.
My eyes lock with Endingo’s across the room. “You are dead!” I roar, as I run toward him with my trident outstretched.
Endingo’s eyes sweep across the room and he instantly sees that his men are outnumbered, and losing the battle. There is fear in his eyes as I advance toward him. He hurriedly reaches to the small table on the platform, his fingers flying across the surface.
“No!” I scream, as his form begins to drift apart right before my eyes. The coward is running away! I leap onto the platform and am relieved to see that Sa-br’wren has also joined me.
I hold my breath as the three of us begin to disintegrate. I’m a bit surprised to hear Sa-br’wren scream like a little girl as his body disappears. Who could blame him? I yell my loudest battle roar, feeling this may be my last moment alive. Then almost as soon as it started, it is over. The three of us are once again solid. Stunned, I run my hands over my body, relieved that I seem to be wholly intact.
Endingo leaps off the platform and darts through a set of double doors. I’m preparing to jump down after him when Sa-br’wren grabs my arm, pulling me back. He clears his throat awkwardly, before speaking in a low, threatening tone. “Bocc-d’ar! You will tell no one of my screaming.”
“Of course not, my brave second in command,” I agree with a grin.
We both jump from the platform and bound after Endingo. I can sense TSSS in this direction, and Sca ’hlet has told me telepathically that the Dar-fnar eggs are in this general proximity. I will have my revenge, and my mate will be safe, for I can bear no other outcome.
“I will take Endingo. You find the eggs,” I order Sa-br’wren. “They are both near.”
We run down the hall where Endingo went. Dungeon cells line the hallway on each side. Some of the unusual people I saw above are incarcerated here in these cells. Does this mean they are dangerous to me
, or merely that they tried to fight back against our shared enemy? All questions flee my mind then, for I see her . . . my mate, my TSSS.
“Bocc-d’ar!” she screams, shooting to her feet.
“You’re too late,” Endingo says as he takes the small box from his belt.
Time speeds up, and before I have a chance to act he cranks a circular knob to the right before aiming it at TSSS. She screams as tendrils of blue light snake out from the box and wrap themselves around her body. Her arms and legs are tied up in it as it quivers and pulses. Her body jerks and convulses.
Rage seethes inside of me. I can’t describe the fury I feel over seeing her in such obvious agony. I raise my trident and molten metal flows from the end, hitting Endingo on the arm, causing him to drop his evil weapon. He killed my mother and my sisters, but he will not have my TSSS.
“I have enjoyed your mate,” Endingo taunts as he backs toward the box, which has fallen on the ground. “But now I think it is time for her to die.”
I know he is trying to make me upset so that I make a mistake. I take a deep, calming breath and remember my training. I risk another quick glance at my TSSS, and I wish I hadn’t because seeing her suffer is more than I can take. For both our sakes, I must end this quickly.
I rush Endingo, holding my trident out in front of me. He bends to pick up the box then bolts upright. He holds it toward me and triumph dances briefly in his eyes. But his mirth vanishes the exact instant that my trident connects with his abdomen.
“This is for my mother,” I shout, plunging it in so deep that the prongs sever his spinal column. His agonized scream fills my ears like sweet music. “And my sisters, and the Dar-Fnar.” I twist the trident, taking care to inflict maximum damage. He will not threaten me or mine again. “And this is for all the women you murdered.” I’m panting, but it has nothing to do with exertion and everything to do with finally avenging my people.
I pull back savagely as Endingo weakly tries to lift the box in his hand and point it toward me. Before he can bring it into position, I allow the sword I have melded to my armor to shoot out from my other arm. The time for talking is over.
