When Araman could hear nothing he moved in stealth mode in the direction Paige had pointed. He looked through the opening into a closet like box. He stepped inside waiting for something to happen.
Ice blue eyes scanned the wall for its trigger. Araman could find nothing. He clenched his fists in frustration feeling Brea’s wrench on his aura readying himself for the tear. He felt his fingers wrap around the unit. He brought it up and looked at it.
Remembering the button, Paige told him to press, he hit it. The floor beneath his feet moved downward putting him off balance just as he heard another cry from his concubine. He felt the drag of her pulling but something was different.
It was weaker and less violent. Araman held his breath as he felt a fracture within Brea’s energies. A slow cold sensation ran through his body at the knowledge her chakkras were beginning to shatter. The thought of losing Brea sent his fist into the metal wall.
“Frigg! I promised her!” Araman said through gritted teeth. Putting the unit into his back pocket was the last sane thing he remembered doing.
The elevator stopped and the door opened. He stepped out to see Brea strapped to a table with various robotic probes hovering above her. Asereth stood with her back to Araman laughing at Brea. The blood in Araman’s head started to roar in his head.
“You poor little thing.” Asereth said with mock pity in her voice. “All you had to do was tell me why the Commandant and his Commander were on Orpheaus Six.” She shook her head at the woman on the table. “Instead you refuse the very ones who offered you protection.” A probe above Brea’s head started to spin in a circular motion as Asereth sneered.
“I…have…told…you.” Araman heard Brea force out. “I was…told…for…pleasure.” Her body went limp as his heart started to endure a stabbing pain. It was the beginning of the shatter for Brea. He could feel her aura diminishing within his. Araman knew he had to do something quick.
Wasting no more time, Araman crept slowly up behind Asereth. As he moved closer, he felt the heat of his aura swarming and expanding into a shield. He anticipated the fact that she was going to going turn around, and when she did his fist did the greeting.
The look of surprise wasn’t satisfactory enough for Araman after Frigg only knows what she had done to Brea. He reached down and quickly relieved the unconscious woman of her weapon. He turned his attentions to Brea failing in the attempt of straightening up. He fought the urge to kick the Sub-Mistress, raising his foot to step over her.
Brea was ashen and motionless on the table. Araman sent tentacles from his aura into hers injecting as much of his strength as he could spare. Her eyes fluttered opened and her eyes were such a pale green they looked almost white. His name barely brushed her lips as a hand reached for him.
Araman sent the spinning obstacle flying into the wall with a shot from the laser pistol. A series of sparks and flares traveled through out the mechanism disabling it into a pile of metal rods and wires. He pushed back from collapsing on Brea as it teetered above her.
“I’m here, Lyra.” He leaned over her releasing her from the bonds. Araman still held on to the weapon as he scooped her up into his arms. His back went rigid as the sound of a slight click and a soft whir happened behind him. He cast a glance to Brea who was looking up at him.
She glanced down at his weapon then slowly took it into her hand. She hid it with the folds of her dress while Araman turned around. Resting her head against his strong safe shoulder she closed her eyes. Asereth stood with another weapon facing Araman.
“Like I wouldn’t have a spare within reach.” She grinned then winced. “You pack quite a punch.”
“Not hard enough obviously, you’re standing” The words were dry from Araman.
“You know, I am really sick of you and your Commander’s sarcasm, Commandant and the insults.” Asereth spat at him.
“I would think by now you would be used to it.” He noted Brea’s grip on the weapon. “It seems to be something in your disposition that brings it out in us.” He kept her focus on him.
“I wonder what that could be. Maybe the sheer hatred for Olean egotistical males or just the hatred of a half-brother who should have died at birth.”
Brea without moving her head brought her hand out and pressed the trigger. Blasts of light shot out and hit Asereth directly in the chest before the woman could retaliate. She cried out in shock before crumpling onto the ground. Brea’s arm went limp and the weapon clattered to the floor.
He felt her body go slack in his arms. Araman wasted no time in getting Brea out of the so-called interrogation room and into the elevator. He struggled to hold her and reach for the unit in his pocket. He managed to hit the button by resting Brea on his knee as he reached behind. This time he was ready for the floor to move and push him upwards. Araman stepped off with Brea cradled safely in his arms.
The harsh sound of the warning alarm started to invade the ship as Araman met up with Santari and Paige. The petite blonde waved for him to join them as she peeked outside the entryway to see if it was clear.
“I think they know you might have escaped” Shouted Paige to the men. “This way.” She led them back to the cargo area along the metal walkway. A set of stairs put them onto the floor of the bay. Paige hurried along the bundled cargo to a hidden door.
“This leads to a docking bay.” She handed Santari a little metal bar. “Insert this into the console and the doors will open.”
“You aren’t coming?” Santari asked startled.
Paige shook her thick head of rich brown locks that bounced from side to side. “Not if we are to get rid of the extractor and save Novenian hide. You’ll need me on Oleander. Someone has to stay behind and clean up.” Her face turned over her shoulder and then back to Santari. “You have to go.”
“But...”
“Now!” She pushed him through the door then Araman and slammed it shut behind him. A troop appeared on the other side of the deck. Paige whipped around and ducked behind a sealed container before escaping up the stairs.
Santari settled into the captain’s seat of the console and popped the metal bar key into the opening. The computer’s lights blinked as they woke up.
“Code accepted,” a husky male voice came over the intercom.
Araman lay Brea down on the bench seat behind Santari. He looked around the cramped space. “An escape pod?” A thin band on the corner of the control board caught his attention.
It read, “Proudly made in Terra.”
“It was the only thing that didn’t have a guard and that we could access.” Santari hit a sequence of buttons on the pad.
“Araman…” Brea’s lilt called to him.
He was at her side within a heartbeat, taking her hand in his. “Shh Lyra. You need to rest.”
“Shinwa.” Her lips uttered before her eyes shut from sheer exhaustion.
“Can this piece of tin get us to Shinwa?” Araman bellowed at Santari.
“There and back. I was already ahead of you. Paige showed me how to input the co-ordinates. These keys here.” He indicated to the top row of the panel. Santari looked up to the screen now opening up. The bay doors were wide open.
“She needs a Cin’Goh.” Araman strapped her in for the take-off then himself beside his Commander.
“A what?” Santari pressed a key. The pod flew out of the bay doors and into the black of the universe.
“A healer.” Araman explained. “We need a miracle to get her there in time.” For the first time in his military life, he sent up a little prayer to who ever would be listening asking for the miracle.
“Well, seeing as we have company it might take us a little longer than it should. Would you mind taking the navigations?” He indicated with a square chin behind him to Brea. “I don’t think she is going to wake up any time soon.”
Araman flipped up the small clear navigational screen in front of him. Three dots appeared to be moving in one direction. “Three on the left.”
“This thing
has no speed. Scan for storms or fields. Anything that will cover us.”
Araman watched the screen. “Up ahead there is an asteroid field. Within twenty.…”
The pod jolted forward. “That’s better. Now we can give them a run for the money.” Santari smiled. “Where’s that field?”
“Co-ordinates are locked in.” Araman eyes scanned the screen. Three more moving objects were blinking. “Three to right and in a minute they will flank from behind.”
A beam of laser struck in front of the little pod. It flew threw the sparks as another one hit from behind. A fire broke out from behind Araman who got up to extinguish it but the pod took care of it itself with a blast of steam.
“Better sit down, the trip is going to get a little rockier.” Santari advised as a steering stick appeared from the bottom.
“Manual?” Araman strapped down again. “Aren’t you a little rusty?”
“You trust a computer to fly us through that,” he indicated to the screen rapidly filling up with the pieces of rock, “or me?”
“Fly away.”
More fire was shot at them as they entered the craggy terrain of space. Santari maneuvered the ship like an old Terrian carnival ride including the loops avoiding the Oleander ships and their weapons.
“They have lost four to the asteroids.” The pod took another hit this time damaging it. Araman watched the blot on his screen disappear. “Make that five.”
“Hang on.” Santari warned. He jerked the ship upwards avoiding a spiraling mountain heading in their direction. The console lit up with warning lights and alarms.
“We have to land,” he looked over to Araman, “or we will not make it past this field.” The pod lurched as if to emphasize Santari’s statement. “And I can’t guarantee a soft one either.”
“Frigg!” Araman swore looking down. He pressed a button on the pad under the screen. It showed a possibility of a site before the screen popped, fizzled, and went blank. “Son of a…” His fist met the console and the screen came back to life.
“Short range scan shows a life sustaining planet.”
“Distance?” Santari asked without taking his eyes off the flight path.
“Look out the window, it’s right there.”
The escape pod shot past the hurdling boulders into clear space and turned its direction to a little world orbiting a tiny sun. As the ship neared the color of the planet turned a deep green against the stark of white.
“Can we communicate?” Santari asked directing the nose of the ship towards the round marble.
Araman shook his head as he tried hitting the unfamiliar buttons in the attempt to find the communicator. The screen flickered out and the console went dead. Both men held their breath when they heard the engine go silent. One blue light flashed over Araman’s head.
“We still have life support.” Santari said just as the light dimmed. “Make that losing life support.” He frantically glanced around the console. “I can glide it in but.…”
“Try!” Araman ordered as he started to pull glass panels from underneath the console. He slid the cover back on. He looked above Santari. The blue light burned bright again.
“What did you do?” Santari asked.
“I haven’t a clue but if it keeps us alive until you land this thing, we can figure it out later.”
The pod jumped forward as the orb in the viewer enveloped the screen.
“We are now in the gravitational pull of the planet. If I do this right, we should just be able to coast in. Look for wide open spaces.” He rolled his shoulders in an effort to relax his tense muscles.
Fire blanketed over the viewer as the ship entered the atmosphere. It lifted and tossed the ship like a leaf caught in a windstorm. Santari pulled on the controls as he fought to keep the ship level.
Thick lush forests greeted the ship as it dropped from the outer layers. The ground below sparkled like millions of crystals catching the warmth of the rays from its sun. It fanned in front of the two men for as far as they could see.
“Water, sand or snow?” Santari asked as he fought to keep the nose end up and ride the air currents downwards.
Araman couldn’t tell. He closed his eyes and sent his energy to the ground to find the answer. When he opened his eyes he glanced over to Santari. “Sand but its unstable. Try near a ridge.”
“Easier ordering than following.” Santari fought the pod as it neared the white surface. “Make sure all trays are upright and your seatbelts are tightened.” His voice mimicked the computerized Terrian voice on their interplanetary space flights.
The steering control flew out of Santari’s hands and crashed against the console causing even more damage. The men crouched into crash positions as the front of the pod plowed into the ground tossing everyone inside in spite of their restraints. Compartments above their heads flew open and objects both hard and sharp rained down.
The vessel slowed to a stop. Araman raised his head peeked above the hissing deck and out the fractured screen. Thick as his fist, twines came down from above and snaked around the metal and lifted the pod gently upwards.
Santari popped his head up. “Why am I watching the side of a tree growing at a ridiculous rate?”
“You’re not. We are being lifted by those vines attached to us.” Araman removed his belts and stepped over to Brea’s side to ensure she was unhurt from the landing. His finger ran along the side of her cheek as he wished she would open her eyes. Just as his thoughts finished, Brea’s eyes opened slowly.
“Shinwa?” The question was as soft as a sigh. He stopped unbuckling her straps and looked at Brea.
“Not yet Love. We had to make an emergency landing.” He had her free of the safety belts. “The ship is damaged.” Araman cradled her in his arms.
“Commandant!” Santari called out. “There’s a greeting party and they do not look happy.”
In front of the escape pod stood a group of men in loin clothes holding spears at the foreign object. They were dark in pallor, spindly in frame and all wore a similar haircut. It was as if a bowl had been placed on their heads and an ax was used to chop their ebony black hair. They were talking to each other discussing the new found object. One was brave enough to stab his stick at it.
Araman stared out at the odd tribe and then glanced to the woman he was holding.
“Maybe they can help us?” Araman said quietly. “Open the door.” He instructed Santari.
“Uh, Sir, they do seem hostile.” The Commander’s voice was serious.
“I will be the diversion while you get this foreign piece of Terrian shit working. I can only support Brea for so long. Now open the door.” Araman turned to the side of the tin can and waited.
“Yes sir.” Santari released the hatch. A hiss escaped and the door flew open.
Araman stepped out holding Brea. Something he sensed about these odd little people that they would not turn him away with a sick woman in his arms. He took a step towards them. A hush fell as dark eyes peered at him. Araman moved still closer. They moved back in unison.
Santari watched as his Commandant did something that he had never seen before. Araman fell to his knees and held out Brea. He decided to concentrate on repairing the pod.
“Help me.” Araman asked hoping they would understand his plea. He shuffled on his knees closer. He gently placed Brea down and pointed to her with his palms towards them. “Please help her.”
Araman watched as a figure from the back poked and prodded his way through to the front of the warriors. He was as the others only he was crooked and bent using the spear in his hand as a cane. Around his neck he wore several lengths of beads in bright colors signifying his status among the tribe. He waved at Araman to move back then moved closer to the woman on the ground.
“Shinwa.” His voice was in awe.
“Shinwa.” The men behind said in harmony in reverence. They turned to one another smiling and nodding.
Araman watched the exchange in puzzlement. He had to convey someh
ow that Brea was in trouble. He took a deep breath and expelled it slowly, keeping his frustration and temper at bay. He nodded and forced a smile across his blond whiskered face.
“Shinwa.” Araman repeated still bobbing his head.
The elder bobbed his back with a smile revealing large white square teeth. “Shinwa dae na opiate sha bannu.” He spoke rapidly. After a pause he put his hand under his cheek and pretended to sleep including an exaggerated snore.
Araman shook his head when the questioning dark eyes opened. “No, Shinwa…” He put his hands to his stomach and tried to charade sick.
The little man mimicked his motions before drawing back shaking his head, “Shinwa et manno nana bay inso tanay bannu.”
“Sick.” Araman said.
“I think what the little guy is trying to tell that she is sleeping because she is wounded.” Santari’s voice called out. “I found the translator.”
The dark men looked around to see where the voice was coming from.
“Ask him if they can help her?” Araman instructed not caring about their reaction to the voice in the air.
Santari spoke to the computer and the unique language was projected through the external speakers. The strange little men looked up and around the sky for the body of the voice. The older bent warrior spoke to the sky. Araman wondered if it was in prayer.
“He wants to know what is broken within her.”
“Does he know about the web within?” The question was answered with a nod from the elder. “Her web is broken. Tell him.” The response was a rapid litany emphasized by hand movements and gestures.
“He says, to sum up, they cannot heal her but they can help splinter the wound until she reaches her own healer. She will have to be brought to the sacred life flow of the trees. Only they have the energy to help.”
The elderly warrior stepped forward and tugged on Brea’s skirt with a bony hand. He motioned with his head for Araman to follow. With a sigh, Araman picked her up and stood putting a little faith into the unknown.
“I’ll follow.”
Araman's Aria Page 16
