by Reiter
“Ki-Aegis,” a voice replied and Dungias smiled, breaking into a run toward his opponents. The first Athun smiled, casting away the net launching gun. He reached to his back and unsheathed a short sword that was single-edged and highly stylized. The second Athun made it through; the doors were now opening as they should have. It was clear his gun was heavy and Dungias could hear it charging as it was lifted toward him. The first warrior chuckled and stepped to his left to give his colleague a better avenue through which to fire.
“Clever combatants,” Dungias thought, maintaining his running gait. “This may be more difficult than I estimated.” He took to the air again, holding Ki-Aegis up in front of him. He could feel the impact of the energy burst and it nearly jostled Dungias enough to spoil his dive. Landing on his fist and shield edge, Dungias was once again thrown in the direction of his dive. Neither of his opponents was prepared for the increase of speed. He landed a foot in the chest of the first two Athun fighters. The power of his attack lifted them up and over the approaching Athun. Their bodies slammed hard against the wall above the doorway.
The third, fourth and fifth combatants into the room already had pistols drawn and with their fellow warriors out of the way, they took aim on Dungias as he landed from his flying kick, feeling something very different about the room all of a sudden. The triggers were pulled; each gun clicked and sparked, but none of them fired.
“My thanks, Taas,” Dungias thought, leaping toward the three men. He tackled the group, driving them to the ground. As he expected, he was grabbed and lifted from the three. Dungias spun around, his forearm smacking away the hands that had a hold of him. A broad swipe with his shield struck three more, two in the face and one in the chest.
“He is mine!” Ejdren shouted as he lunged forward, shoulder first. He rammed into Dungias’ side and knocked him away from his people, deeper into the hangar. Ejdren roared in triumph, drawing a blade from his side. Dungias was still off balance and beginning to believe that the Athun worshipped more than Nyx’Zynkor. Ki-Aegis blocked the downward swing of the blade, but Dungias was forced to give ground from the power of the attack.
“Dear Vu-Zai, he is strong!” Dungias realized, watching Ejdren set for another swing. Hopping back, the blade was easily avoided, but Ejdren was quick to swing back. Dungias ducked under the swing and planted his right hand on the ground. He swung his feet around and kicked Ejdren’s legs out from under him, but it did not fail Dungias’ notice the way his opponent fell to the floor. It was more of a controlled roll than a damaging fall, and he was standing at the same time Dungias did. The Athun fighter’s powerful leap was faster than Dungias could have anticipated. Again, the shield blocked the blade, but the man’s body weight drove Dungias back. The other Athun were beginning to circle around Dungias, and the young Traveler wanted them to believe that such a formation was the last thing he wanted so he broke into a run, racing them to the far wall.
“There is no escape!” Ejdren shouted, lunging forward and swinging his blade for Dungias’ head. The act of ducking took the young Traveler out of contention in the race for the rear of the room. Spinning and swinging his shield, Dungias was impressed when his weapon was caught. Ejdren smiled as he twisted the shield, forcing Dungias to release his hand grip. The Battle Pack Leader then planted his foot into Dungias’ side and pushed. The young Malgovi tumbled away from him, but Ejdren kept the shield, throwing it over his shoulder.
“You are worth more alive, boy,” Ejdren said, pointing his blade at Dungias as he quickly got to his feet. “I tell you now that maimed is still alive.” Dungias said nothing as he clutched at his ribs. “Take him!”
Dungias caught the wrist of the man to his left with his left hand. As he twisted the arm, he threw his head back into the face of another Athun. A sharp tug to his right and he hammered the grasped man into a charging combatant coming from his right. The young Traveler then felt a simple calling, a soft summons in the back of his mind.
“And, as it seems that you are working in concert with my Alpha…
“Ki-Aegis!” Dungias cried, extending his left hand. His discarded shield flew to his hand and was then swung into the face of the only other Athun still behind him. He ducked low under Ejdren’s blade and charged forward. As expected, Ejdren stood his ground and Dungias ran up his chest, jumping off the powerful Athun’s shoulders. He flipped twice and Dungias heard Ejdren’s blade just miss his tumbling body.
“You think you can fly, boy?!”
“You tell me,” Dungias muttered, glaring at Ejdren. “Now, Taas!”
With only a soft tone and flashing light above the access-way serving as any warning, the hangar bay doors quickly opened and the pressure in the area turned the hangar into a cannon. The downed and stunned Athun immediately rolled and flew out of the room. Ejdren caught himself after tumbling once. He looked up at Dungias who stood on the floor, his cloak blowing all around his body. With a flash of a very cold smile, Dungias released his gravity hold on the floor and flew forward. He tucked his head, rolled forward and drove his feet into the chest of Ejdren. The blow was a powerful one, and the Athun leader lost his blade from the impact. Dungias could hear Taas screaming his name as they entered the Void of the Realm Astral.
“What will you do now?” Ejdren said, taking hold of Dungias’ right ankle.
“I was thinking… this!” Dungias kicked with his left foot, and while he managed to close the left eye of his opponent, Ejdren did not release his grip.
“I have you!” Ejdren claimed and a knee lift to his chin made Pack Leader grunt, but he took hold of Dungias’ left leg after he was struck.
“And we have contact,” Dungias thought as Alpha reacted to the touch of the Athun fighter.
“You cannot fly away!” Ejdren shouted and Dungias delivered a sharp jab to the middle of Ejdren’s face, balancing his body with his other arm. What should have been a telling blow was easily shaken off. “What will you do, boy?!”
“Remind you of physical science,” Dungias said as Ejdren’s back collided with the hull of the Athun ship. Dungias used Ejdren’s body as a landing pad and rolled to keep himself from harm. He rolled away from Ejdren who was at last stunned to the point of showing weakness.
“Our guns work again!” one man cried, looking at his weapon. Dungias was amazed that he had managed to hold on to it through the short flight.
“So they do,” Dungias muttered, sliding his feet apart. He prepared himself to absorb the energy from the weapon, but instead began to absorb an electric shock that came from the hull of the ship. All of the Athun were stuck by the energy wave as well, and cried out in pain until the current was deactivated. Dungias’ body dropped to the hull and remained motionless as doors opened on the side of the ship. More Athun came out and started picking up their comrades. Two in particular walked directly to Dungias and picked him up, carrying him toward the open door.
“I have to admit,” Dungias said, reversing the grips on his body and placing both Athun men in arm bars. “… I had not worked out how I was going to get aboard your ship. Thank you!” Dungias threw both men and dropped to his knee. As he expected, the hull weapon was once again activated. He allowed the energy to course through his body and into Ki-Aegis which was glowing when the pulse exhausted its duration.
Jumping into the airlock, Dungias stopped for a moment as the doors leading into the ship and the one leading out of the airlock closed and locked. Leaving behind his shield and all of his collected weapons, Dungias phased through the doors ahead of him and into the ship. He activated his stealth field as he could already hear people approaching quickly. Examining the wiring of the immediate area, Dungias knew the direction he would need to go to reach the generator, but it was the Bridge he sought. Flying through crawlspaces, Dungias could hear the ship go into alarm status, with Athun running in all directions. Electricity coursed throughout the ship in various places, and it became clear that stopping Dungias was their priority, as not all areas were cleared of per
sonnel before they were stuck with the punishing current.
“I saw four ships during the little jaunt from the hangar,” Dungias thought. “And according to the memories of Ejdren, there are three more on the other side of Kiaplyx.
“Oh, but that is not the most important thing to know, is it?” Dungias whispered as more of the Battle Pack Leader’s memories flowed through his mind.
Dungias activated his PC and sent out a signal for Taas. He knew she would not be able to receive it until he dropped the intangibility field, but he had doubts he would be given time to use the PC the moment the field was deactivated. He also noted a need for an improvement to his communication system.
In the ducts under the Bridge, Dungias checked his systems. With the recent absorption of energy, the stealth and intangibility fields had plenty of power reserves, but Dungias calculated there was a strong possibility he was running low on time. The Tohgrunn were capable warriors, but they did not fight too well in groups. That might have been simply because Zaylo was a horrid leader, but Ejdren was not. His fighters had moved well together; they enjoyed fighting side-by-side, as was the stated will of Nyx’Zynkor, the five-armed deity of the Athun. Two of its large hands held a variety of barbed and stylized archaic weapons, one was locked in the forearm grip of another fighter, and the fifth arm, which folded between the two wings on its back, held a child. The Athun would fight to the last man and would not retreat unless they were given the order. If the group that had taken to dealing with the Tohgrunn were led by someone like Ejdren, that command stood little chance of being given.
“Remember your list,” Dungias whispered as he came up through the floor in the middle of the Bridge. Before rising completely, he signaled Ki-Aegis to release most of its stored energy. The explosion rocked the ship.
“My Leader, the ship is under fire!” one of the bridge crew reported.
“It is not,” Dungias proclaimed in their language, Tylfrun, becoming visible and tangible again. It was a challenge to think of what he wanted to say, project it to Alpha, and then speak the translation. Away from the ship, the translator program was not available to him, but he did not want that to get in his way. “Not yet. If you do not sit down, I can make so all gun of my ship turn on your fleets!”
“Dungias, I’m reading you,” Taas reported. “… but I’ll be damned if I know what you’re saying or what you’re up to.”
“That is all right, Taas,” Kiason stated. “I understand the language and I believe I know what he is trying. My link with Ki-Aegis remains. It will have control of the main computer in fifteen seconds.”
“Where the Kylios did you learn how to do that?” Taas asked.
“You taught me,” Kiason replied.
“The Order of the White Star finds your god, the fury known as Nyx’Zynkor, to be impressive power and much compassion!” Dungias barked in a haughty voice.
“What is he talking about?” Taas asked Kiason.
“Quiet, Mulru,” Kiason said in a hushed voice. “We are on an open channel!”
“But his followers,” Dungias continued. “… they are big travesty!”
“Ki-Aegis, see if there is an override procedure in the Athun ships,” Dungias thought. “… and if there is, use it to access all Athun ships. I need them all to hear what I am about to say. Flicker the lights if you find such programming, and dim the lights once you have achieved it.
“You weak!” Dungias proclaimed.
“Blasphemer!” one Athun yelled as he moved from his seat, lunging at Dungias. He stumbled as he passed through the Malgovi’s body, slamming into the wall.
“Your hands not fit touches me!” Dungias claimed. “The Athun are meaning to proud be warriors of honor and some vigilance.”
“We are, Traveler!” a female cried out as she stood up from the Captain’s Chair. Her name was Adelfa Cingree and she was First Sherar under Ejdren, commanding in his absence. She did not know this alien apart from what she had been told, but already there was conflict. They had been told that he was a ravager, a destroyer, a coward, and spoiler of the innocence of children. The Athun had been only too happy to return him to his keeper. But such a thing would not announce himself in such a manner. He had the advantage of being a ghost, but he did not use it to take the Bridge. Where was this coward? “Give name to your god and ask for its embrace! You are about to see your precious White Star!
“Who are you to question us?!” she asked. “And we know the tongue of the Traveler, you may speak as such.”
“I am the one you seek so that you can claim your precious bounty,” Dungias answered in K’Vo, finding the woman’s tone and the wording of her question intriguing and somewhat of a relief. Most eyes lifted to the ceiling when the lights flickered. “Where is the honor in this act?” There was an obvious pause in most of the personnel on the Bridge, causing Dungias to look at the two who did not look surprised or dumbfounded. One was seated at a console, and from the way the lights flashed on the hardware, it was a computer interface. The second stood behind the Captain’s Chair. He was the most elderly Athun Dungias had seen, but still of a very impressive physical stature. “But perhaps the truth has not yet been revealed.
“You,” Dungias said, pointing at the console technician. “You have knowledge of this endeavor, yes?” The technician looked at the Leader and Dungias turned to see her reaction. It was obvious she had very little love for Dungias, but the claim he had made, followed by his display of ability, gave her pause. She looked back at the crewman and nodded for him to answer.
“I possess knowledge of what transpires,” the crewman said.
“Then guard well your impulse toward fallaciousness,” Dungias said, taking hold of the young man’s face. “What am I in the words of Ejdren O’Gruu?”
“He knows of O’Gruu!” one crewman whispered.
“His god is strong!” another commented.
“Answer!” Adelfa commanded. Her voice was powerful enough to shake the young man and he closed his eyes before he spoke.
“You are a murderer and the taker of children,” he said.
“And is this true?” Dungias asked, turning to face the female commander.
“He is armed and obviously adept at combat,” Adelfa thought, and Dungias thought better of telling her that her mind was an open book to him. “His eyes do not waver… his voice does not tremble. He is outnumbered and he shows no fear of his position. Even a ghost would fear Nyx’Zynkor… given he had reason to!”
“It is not,” the crewman said, his head falling to his chest.
“Have him prove his worth!” a voice came over the radio. It was a soft voice, female and slightly scratchy. It was the feeling, however, which came with it that forced Dungias to take notice of it. It was a strong and wary mind that came with the voice and it scanned over Dungias.
“You feel me,” he thought.
“I do… now,” the voice responded in his mind. “Forgive this foolish leader who has entrusted far too much to her Pack Leader. Ejdren has become lost. We shall see to his rediscovery of our way.”
“Prepare the arena,” Adelfa commanded. “My Leader, who shall the stranger face?”
“It was Ejdren who brought the matter to the Alrabri Tribe, and it is his honor that is in question. It shall be the Battle Pack Leader who will face the stranger.”
“Is this how we shall do things?” Dungias inquired, feeling as if he was being asked to do all of the heavy lifting.
“I have the strongest feeling that you are one to whom I need not explain the benefit of having an outsider administer justice,” the woman replied. “I do as I feel myself led, son of Z’Gunok.” Dungias did not know how to take the fact that this woman knew his name, but it was enough to insure he would hear her out. “Your being is teeming with the touch of many gods… ones of fire… ones of stellar light… ones of immense power and vision.
“And if nothing else, one such as you can appreciate a simple manipulation,” the woman projected and Dung
ias laughed. He laughed loudly and sought a console to lean on to keep from falling. “I am Ushava Tentra,” the woman projected. “I lead the Alrabri Tribe. We were the Alrabri Pack in our own stars, but circumstance brought us to the dark stars and white skies. Should you find a means of besting my best Battle Pack Leader, we will be well met!”
Dungias nodded as he continued to laugh, eventually regaining his composure. He turned to face Adelfa and gave her a slight bow. “I believe I will need to be shown the way to this arena.”
“You will be taken to a place where you can prepare to meet Ejdren in combat,” Adelfa said, signaling to the man who stood behind the Captain’s Chair.
“Anyone but him,” Dungias insisted. “As he is one of the conspirators, I would prefer not to be in his company.
“And speaking of company, what of your forces that remain on my ship?” Dungias asked.
“They have taken to defendable positions and they will not engage unless they are engaged,” Adelfa replied. “If you prove yourself in combat then their position will be for you and our Leader to discuss.” Adelfa signaled the crewman manning the weapons station. He quickly responded by nodding and standing up from his chair. Adelfa looked to Dungias for his approval of her second choice of escorts and the young Traveler bowed. Adelfa nodded to the crewman who took his leave of the bridge.
“I look forward to the discussion,” Dungias said, following the crewman.
“And know one thing, stranger,” Adelfa quickly added. “No weapons are allowed in this contest. You will find your war garb in the chamber.”
“But of course,” Dungias said without breaking stride.
“This is… unexpected,” Dungias said, looking at the decorative loincloth he had been told to don in preparation for his fight with Ejdren. He slowly removed his cloak and folded it before placing in on the empty shelf.
“What’s the play here, Dungias?” Taas asked.
