by Caleb Selby
Fedrin sighed. “I’m going to have to talk with Commodore Kesler about obeying orders better.”
“To be clear Sir, Kesler obeyed your orders explicitly,” Tarkin spoke up.
“Oh? And how is that?” Fedrin asked, knowing he had given clear instructions that he was to come to the moon alone.
“Your orders were that you didn’t want to risk any more Namuh lives on this mission and since you didn’t know what you’ll encounter down here, you forbade anyone from accompanying you other than a pilot to drop you off. And since I am not Namuh and I am a pilot, Commodore Kesler ordered to me to fly you down and offer my assistance afterward.”
Fedrin reluctantly nodded, amused with Kesler’s ingenuity. “Thank you Tarkin. But please, be careful. I meant no disrespect when I said I didn’t want to risk any more Namuh lives. In many ways you are one of us now and you were included in my thoughts when I made the statement. I don’t want anyone else dying, Branci or Namuh.”
Tarkin shook his head. “Think nothing of it. I’m here now and that’s what matters. Now let’s do this!”
Fedrin nodded and the two companions disembarked from the shuttle and slowly approached the stone archway from behind a large ridge of sandy ash that provided an excellent cover from would be assailants.
“So what exactly do we do now?” Tarkin asked as the two reached the end of the dune and looked at the imposing doorway in the center of the plain.
Fedrin shrugged. “Let’s go for the doorway I guess.”
Tarkin nodded and the two were just about to set foot on the other side of the ridge when out of the corner of Tarkin’s eye, he spotted movement. Without speaking he reached in front of Fedrin and held him close against the sand hedge, watching all the while as the ominous figure emerged from behind a parallel ridge on the opposite side of the plain and made his way to the door.
“Its Defuria,” Tarkin whispered.
Fedrin nodded, knowing he had to act quickly but also knowing that challenging Defuria directly was the equivalent of committing suicide.
Defuria walked up to the door and removed a small pack from his back and reached inside, retrieving what appeared to Fedrin as a severed Namuh arm. Fedrin cringed at the grotesque sight. Defuria was just bringing the arm up to the door when Fedrin made his move, stepping out of the shadows and speaking loudly.
“Step away from the door, Mr. President!” Fedrin called out, knowing his current plan was among his worst ever, mostly because there was no plan.
Defuria looked up startled. Upon spotting Fedrin, he glanced up at the stars, chuckled and then shook his head. “They didn’t do it right I see. Fools.”
“Didn’t do what right?” Fedrin asked, keeping the distance between them fixed but prepared to run if he had to.
“My fleet was supposed to kill you and then be destroyed by Clear Skies,” he answered. “Incompetent to the last I see. At least they were consistent. That has to count for something I guess.”
Fedrin looked at Defuria inquisitively. “You knew your fleet would be destroyed? Then why did you bring them here?”
Defuria laughed and held up an empty canvas bag. “So I wouldn’t have to share any of my Grimsin with them. I’m not a good sharer, Admiral,” he added and then broke into a fit of sinister laughter.
“Grimsin?” bluffed Fedrin. “What’s that?”
Defuria looked up skeptically, surprised by the question but unsure of its authenticity. “Trab didn’t tell you? He didn’t tell you about the tree? He didn’t tell you about the power?”
Fedrin shook his head. “Not a word.”
Defuria shrugged. “No matter. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some fruit to pick,” he said, waving his empty sack once more.
“This doorway and the contents therein belong to the Namuh people!” yelled Fedrin, trying to sound strong and resolute but inwardly felt like crumbling. “And despite what you look like, you are most certainly not Namuh! Now I’m telling you once and for all, to leave!”
Defuria chuckled again. “Now believe me Fedrin, I don’t want to be here anymore than you do. So do us both a favor and get lost. Once I’m finished here, I’ll be gone for good and you can go back to whatever you call life...for a few more hours anyway.”
“That’s not how this is going to work!” Fedrin shouted out. “My answer is no! You cannot proceed through that door!”
“You cannot stop me,” said Defuria and then turned to reach for the door.
“Wanna bet?” the strong voice of Tarkin proclaimed from behind Defuria as he leapt from behind the dune and ripped the dead Namuh limb out of Defuria’s hands and threw it far across the plain.
Defuria’s eyes flashed with hatred and swung at Tarkin, narrowly missing as Tarkin scrambled back up the dune. Then, without thinking the matter through entirely, Defuria took several quick strides toward the severed arm, his key for the doorway, when he suddenly realized his critical mistake. He turned around just in time to see Fedrin at the door setting Trab’s severed hand into one of the spots in the frame and then thrust is own hand into the other. The massive door then suddenly shook and the sound of massive bolts slid out of their fastened position.
“Wait!” Defuria called out immediately, turning around to confront Fedrin. “We’ll split it! We’ll split the Grimsin! Three ways! Enough for you, the Branci and me! I promise, just let me go with you! Please!”
Fedrin wasted no time in ignoring Defuria’s lies by grabbing the handle and pulling hard on the door. The door slid open sluggishly allowing Fedrin to step in. Just as Fedrin was taking his second step however, Defuria grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back. Fedrin fought hard to press on but was no match for Defuria’s prowess. Defuria had nearly overpowered Fedrin when Tarkin once more joined the altercation, wrapping Defuria up momentarily in his mighty six arms and giving Fedrin the few extra seconds he needed to enter whatever lay beyond and shut the door.
“We have no choice!” Reesa yelled to Darion. “If we don’t pull back now, we’re all dead!”
Darion looked around the room, realizing Reesa was right. Krohns had secured several areas in the chamber and were effectively using them to launch devastating rocket assaults on the remaining defenders.
“I’m with her General!” Zane added as he ducked under a salvo of laser fire. “We’re getting butchered!”
Darion shook his head. “Alright, cover me!” he yelled as he crouched up on his legs.
Zane nodded and brought his rifle up. Reesa too set her weapons on the makeshift bulwark and readied herself. Darion took a deep breath and then ran toward the sealed doorway that led to the first super bunker. Shots hit along the floor and walls as he ran yet he reached his goal unharmed, diving into the alcove just as a shot narrowly missed him.
“All set!” he called out after punching the combination into the door. “Let’s move, move, move!”
The few surviving volunteers made a dash toward the open passageway, barely beating a pair of rockets that crashed into the floor that sent deafening tremors throughout the room.
“Reesa, lets go!” Darion yelled as he swung out from the alcove and fired several shots at a group of advancing Krohns. “Its over!”
Reesa slowly stood to her feet, firing as fast as she could pull the trigger.
“Go, Reesa!” Zane yelled as he placed a shot neatly through a Krohn’s eye, bringing the beast to quick end. “I’ll cover you!”
“Thanks,” Reesa said and ran toward the exit, dodging stray laser rounds until she reached the doorway.
“You ok?” Darion asked as he pulled Reesa in.
“I’m fine,” Reesa said gasping for breath. “I’m fine.”
Darion nodded and then peeked around the corner and spotted the last defender. “Zane, come on!” Darion yelled, realizing he had only moments to make his escape.
“Hurry, Zane!” R
eesa added, peering beneath Darion. “We’ll cover you!” she said bringing her own weapon up and squeezing the trigger.
Zane nodded and was just standing to his feet when two laser rounds from across the room struck him in the chest. He stumbled back and tried to lift his weapon but lacking the strength, dropped it where he stood.
Darion held Reesa back as she tried to run to him.
“Zane!” she screamed in anguish. “Zane!”
Zane lifted his head and glanced at Reesa. He smiled and then fell to the ground.
“No!” Reesa yelled as tears flooded her eyes.
“Come on Reesa!” Darion said as he grabbed her by the arms and dragged her into the bunker. “We have to go. There’s nothing we can do!”
Reesa relaxed and was just about to turn with Darion when suddenly she swiped Darion’s pistol from his holster and swung around the alcove and began firing blindly at the hoard of Krohns taking advantage of the fallen defenses and charging the doorway.
Shot after shot she released with many of them finding marks. She would have stayed until the end if Darion and several other volunteers hadn’t subdued and dragged her into the bunker.
“Hurry and help me with this!” Darion yelled as he tried to push the heavy door closed. Several men ran to his side and leaned into the door. It was halfway closed when several sets of Krohn talons reached through and began to slash at the defender’s hands.
“Reesa, help!” Darion pleaded as he pushed with his all his might against the heavy door while the stronger Krohns pushed back.
With no hesitation, Reesa grabbed her weapon from off the floor and dove to the doorway. With little regard for herself she stuck her arm out from beneath the contested door and fired up, piercing several of the armored reptiles in their softer underbellies; blood chilling roars and agonizing wails followed until the door finally latched closed, Reesa barely withdrawing her own arm in time. As the door slammed shut, the intense Krohn clamor was muffled to nothing more than droning whimpers and low groans, giving the defenders their first appreciable silence in many hours of desperate conflict.
Darion and two other volunteers immediately went to work cranking down on the manual bolts that secured the door. “That’ll hold them,” one of the volunteers said as he stepped back from the door, panting for breath.
“Only for a while,” Darion warned after a steady tumult of high-pitched rings began to beat against the door from the other side.
The volunteer looked at the door in trepidation. “We won’t be able to stop them if they get in here, will we?”
“We’ll just have to do our best,” said Darion as he knelt down by Reesa. “You ok?” he said as he gently stroked her cheek with his bloodied hand.
“Zane and I grew up together,” she quietly answered. “We lived a few doors down from each other on Voigt. We even dated for awhile,” she said and began to cry again.
“I’m so sorry,” Darion said and patted her back.
“He wanted to be a doctor,” she added between dabs at her eyes. “He wanted to help make people feel better. He wasn’t a soldier. He shouldn’t have had to die like one.”
Darion nodded knowingly before gently taking her by the hand and standing to his feet. “We have work to do. We need to set up some sort of defenses here near the door. But, please don’t forget to tell me more when this is all done and over. I want to hear all about him.”
Reesa wiped a few stray tears off of her face and nodded as she stood to her feet and followed Darion and the small surviving band of volunteers as they marched down the short access corridor to the first super bunker that housed more then fifty thousand refugees.
When they reached the bunker, Darion immediately busied himself with recruiting able-bodied men and women to fight while also directing locations of crude blast walls and chokepoints to be erected. He was truly living up to the title of General for the first time in his career as his small band quickly swelled to hundreds, drawn by his confident demeanor and experienced strength. Forming companies, drafting counterattack plans, and rallying the hopeless to his cause, he was a man anyone there could lend their life to in complete confidence. The manipulatable pawn of the preceding week was long since gone, transformed by profound experiences to becoming a valiant warrior in a time of desperate need.
“Are we going to die?” a soft voice spoke up to Darion from the direction of his knees. He looked down and spotted the six-armed Linea, her big brown eyes looking up unblinking, as the weight of her question echoed in his mind.
Amid the chaos of the rushed preparations swarming about them, Darion knelt to the ground and took hold of two of Linea’s hands, her other four finding their way atop his shoulders. He then looked intently into her eyes, moved by the profound sorrow and fear that they told of and lamented that any child should feel such a way. “You have nothing to fear,” he then said with such conviction in his voice that he almost found himself believing it. “These lizards are just about the dumbest things I’ve ever seen,” he added. “When they come through that door, we’re going to cut them down before they set their coldblooded claws inside. We’re going to be fine. I promise.”
As he finished speaking Reesa walked up behind him carrying Xander. “Come on, Honey,” she said patting Linea’s topmost shoulder. “We need to tuck you guys out of harm’s way.”
Linea nodded and was just standing to follow Reesa when she stopped and turned back to Darion. Without a word, she through her three pairs of arms around Darion’s neck and hugged him. “Be careful,” she said as she let go. “The lizards aren’t as dumb as you think,” she added and then turned to take Reesa’s hand leaving the General alone on his knees.
CHAPTER 20
Eden
The moment Fedrin crossed the other side of the doorway; he immediately noticed a distinctively different landscape from that of the barren and inhospitable moon. The place was dark but appeared to be a lush field. A dim light from somewhere far in the distance scarcely illuminated a narrow dirt path that lay before him.
After taking a quick reading of the atmosphere, Fedrin removed his helmet and breathing mask and set it beside the doorpost. He then withdrew his pistol from his holster and began to walk, not really knowing where but feeling compelled to press onward.
After covering some distance, Fedrin’s eyes started adjusting to the dim light and he could see his surroundings more clearly. He was in the middle of a lush meadow, evidently right before dawn. Tall grasses and wildflowers with sweet smelling blossoms flanked either side of the dusty path and gently flowed back and forth in the light morning breeze. In the not too far distance, he could hear the sounds of a small stream splashing on the rocks and banks as it went along its course. And even further in the distance, he spotted a mountain range sending majestic spires toward the sky as if yearning to be taller than they were.
It was the most beautiful place Fedrin had seen in recent memory. Even the glory of the Sion city that Trab had shown him could not compete with the innocent, tranquil beauty of this place.
With each step he took, Fedrin found new life and vigor with which to take another step and then another. The further in he went, the better he felt. His body began to have the strength and energy of a youth and his mind felt sharper and more alive than ever before. The feelings of vitality were everywhere and if he had wings, Fedrin felt that he surely could have soared with the noblest of the birds.
As he pressed on, his memories from the other side of the door began to diminish from his mind until it took his full concerted effort just to remember them, and after even more time had passed, even that wasn’t enough. Wars, Unmentionables, Krohns, Sions, Namuh Prime, Defuria, his wife and just about everything else that had ever happened on the other side of the door were all colliding in his mind’s eye into one very large yet vague disjointed dream. How could anything else be as real as this place?
He
walked and walked, losing all track of time as he went. Had he been there an hour, a day, a month? He didn’t know and he didn’t care. He felt better then he had ever felt before and would have been perfectly content to remain there forever.
He was still marveling at the serene beauty of the place when he came to the edge of a deep and fast moving stream. The water splashed loudly over the large rocks in the center and broke round the stony banks mightily as it made its way forcefully ever downward.
As he stood there gazing upon the moving water, Fedrin suddenly knew that he had to cross it. Something or perhaps someone on the other side of the churning water deafly beckoned to him and he was compelled to heed. Yet the stream was an impossible distance to jump and seemingly too treacherous to ford without risking life and limb. Fedrin therefore decided on walking downstream in search of a shallower spot suitable for crossing. He hadn’t walked far when he spotted the faint outline of a small footbridge not far from where he stood. Fedrin cautiously walked to it.
As he approached, Fedrin noticed a quaint booth with a thatched roof situated adjacent to the bridge. A figure that Fedrin could not make out at first, stood in the booth and motioned for Fedrin to come, which he hesitantly did.
“You’re late,” the figure said as Fedrin came nearer. “I figured you’d be here days ago.”
The voice was familiar and Fedrin tried to catch a glimpse of his face but a heavy cloak covered it.
“Who are you?” Fedrin asked, trying to catch a glimpse of the bridge attendant. “I feel like I know your voice.”
“I should hope so!” the man said with a chuckle as he removed his cloak.
“Drezden!” Fedrin exclaimed excitedly at the sight of his dear friend. “You’re here! You’re alive!”
“In a way,” Drezden said with a nod and a smile.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Fedrin asked with a light laugh. “You look just as much alive as I do!”
Drezden shrugged. “I don’t pretend to understand it, Fedrin. It’s all far too complicated for me. I’m just grateful I can be used by Him in any way.”
