The shuttle burnt fiercely. Thick black smoke plumed into the air, a clear indication of their location. Renewed worry twisted her gut.
Debris was scattered over the rocky ground. Alana was pleased to see how efficiently the women worked. Their ‘can-do’ attitude impressed her and she had no doubt they imitated the women they considered their leaders. But their unquestioning faith in her expertise troubled her. She knew they believed in her ability to keep them safe. They seemed to have no qualms she would somehow find a way home. Whilst Alana had no intention of never stopping to try to fulfil her duty as she saw it, she worried about if she would actually achieve success.
It was such a big ask.
Her track record wasn’t that hot so far.
“Hey girlfriend,” Jessamine said.
Alana hadn’t realised how deep in thought she was until her friend murmured her greeting.
“Hey.” Alana managed a brief tight smile.
In response, Jessamine reached out and hugged her. Tears burned behind her eyes and Alana was appalled she had to take several slow breaths to gain control.
“You’re wrong you know, Alana. No one blames you. And you’re sure not responsible for what happened here. It’s them. Their fault.” Her chocolate brown eyes glittered as she glared at the sky. “Just let me get my hands on them. And look out. They’ll know just how mad an UEC woman can get.”
“Yeah, I for one would not like to cross you.” Alana dredged up a smile. Warmth invaded her hurting heart at her friend’s support.
“Absolutely. They’ll get theirs, you’ll see,” Jessamine said. She linked arms with Alana and they strolled towards the women who were adding items to a mound of equipment. She indicated the area before them with one immaculate manicured hand. “See, we’re almost finished and ready to rock ‘n’ roll. Awesome thinkin’ about it, what you reckon?”
Alana looked her questioningly.
Jessamine gestured with her arm at the huge moon. “Well, who would have thought it? Here we are all livin’ in the middle of some olden day sci fi vid. It sure is scary—but hey!—it’s also pretty amazin’.”
“Truly amazing. So you’re not scared anymore?”
“I am fuckin’ terrified,” said Jessamine with slow emphasis. A cheerful grin split her face, showing a deep dimple in one smooth brown cheek. “But what a way to go. It sure beats my dreary advertisin’ job.”
Alana laughed. “You’re right. It’s one hell of a way to go.”
“There you are then.” Jessamine patted her friend’s arm. “Try not to take it so hard, honey. As I said before, we’re all in this together and we’re all gonna do our best to make it together.”
“Thanks, Jess,” Alana said.
Norman bustled up to them. “All good?” he asked.
“As good as it’s going to get, Norman, ” Jessamine sang out. “So, what gives with the other spaceship? It sure looked to me as if they were more interested in blastin’ us out of the sky than those warrior dudes.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking, Jess,” Alana said, once again impressed with her friend’s analysis. “Well, Norman ? Care to explain?”
The alien pressed a bony finger to the cut which sported a bandage, courtesy of Tina now busy tending to the minor injuries some of the women had sustained. “Most curious. It is something I cannot explain.”
”I can think of a reason.” Alana’s eyes narrowed. “It seems to me we have another enemy. Not just those Darkon warriors who want us for experiments, but also another lot who want to kill us.”
“I dunno. Perhaps they thought it was the Scaleen traders tryin’ to escape. Doin’ the dirty on them, too. They could have been after those traitors,” Jessamine pointed out.
“True. So that means, they either knew about us or thought they were firing upon the traders. And if they knew about us, how did they know? Why would they want to kill us? Let’s face it, we’re fairly harmless. No weapons, no intel—we’re flying blind here. I can’t see how they would think we’re a threat.” She tapped a finger against her lower lip and stared into the distance. “We were lucky to escape so easily.”
“Yep, and sure were lucky to have such great pilots,” Jessamine added. She pounded poor Norman’s back with enthusiasm. “Like Norman here.”
“Thank you.” Norman stepped out of her reach and clasped his hands together in humble supplication. His eyes glistened. “We had help though. The Darkon warriors engaged our attackers. They diverted most of their attention towards themselves.”
Alana shoved her hands into the pockets of her flight suit and scowled. She rocked on the balls of her booted feet. “Yeah, I noticed and I’m not happy to think we may owe them something in return. So who were these new blokes, Norman ?”
“It was an Elite battle cruiser.” Norman flapped his arms giving a good impression of an agitated stork about to take off. “They are the ruling military power of the universe. Their commander is the Supreme Ruler. Very nasty. I was very surprised they decided to ignore the Darkon cruiser and focus on our shuttles. I find it not acceptable they wanted to destroy the Scaleen traders. They are just that, traders and have no political significance. Most curious.”
“I sure think I’d call it somethin’ other than curious,” muttered Jessamine.
Alana shot her a look full of warning. “And these are the people who are at war with the Darkons?”
“Everyone is at war with the Darkons,” the alien said. “Perhaps, I should clarify as there are still some races that remain inactive and wait to see who will emerge the victor.”
“I thought you said the Elite Forces rule this universe?”
He wagged a finger. “Yes, but the Darkons fight on. It is not wise to underestimate their warlords. They do not know the meaning of surrender. Once, many cycles past, the Darkons were the Guardians of the Seven Galaxies. They alone held the power of Darkos. Now, the Elite Forces are in control.”
Alana pursed her lips in a soundless whistle, aware her friend was listening open mouthed in awe. “This war, how long has it been going on for?”
“For twelve cycles the Darkons have been at war with the Relics, which I have converted to equal fifteen of your earth years. Ten cycles past, the Supreme Ruler usurped the Council and joined forces with the Relics. If the Darkon warriors can wrest control of the Darkos mines back from the Elite Forces, then who knows what will happen.” He spread his spindly hands wide.
“Perfect, just perfect.” Jessamine shook her dark head.
Alana grinned at her friend. “Cheer up, Jess. Didn’t you say this was better than your nine to five job?”
“I had a momentary brain failure.”
“So why are the Darkos mines important, Norman ?”
“The energy spheres. The ultimate power of our worlds,” Norman said in a surprised I can’t believe you don’t know this tone. “Their moons are mined for the energy spheres without which there can be no long distance space travel. The voyagers and cruisers need the converted energy to traverse the wormholes. The Darkons still hold the secret of the conversion. A secret the Supreme Leader is keen to obtain.”
“This is really interesting intel.” Alana drew a deep breath. “Because it means whoever controls space travel controls the universe.”
Norman nodded.
“I’m lost,” complained Jessamine.
“I’ll explain later, Jess. Thanks Norman, you’ve certainly given me lots to think about. And, we’ll talk more about the energy spheres later.” Alana patted him on the arm and smiled. “It still doesn’t quite explain where we come into the scheme of things.”
Norman hunched his back beneath his flight suit.
“No doubt, time will enlighten us.” Alana grimaced with wry amusement. “Hello ladies, how’s our plan going?” she said to the small group of women approaching them.
“All done,” announced Elise.
Alana said, “Then we need to leave this area now. Jess, do a roll call and ensure everyone is her
e before we move out. Norman, we’re relying on you to lead the way.”
The alien puffed out his thin chest and nodded, an eager grin split his face.
It was a slow and painstaking trek picking their careful way through the strange landscape. The ground was littered with rocks and boulders. Here and there dry, brittle grey plants struggled for life and crunched under their feet.
The sun beat down hotter than anything Alana had experienced on Earth and she had been on a few missions to the worst deserts on Earth.
Apart from their small group, the bleak land offered no other sign of life. There were no birds, no animals, not even scaly lizards. No trees—just rocks and boulders and hard baked gravel. Not to mention the sand bogs, a type of quicksand where one could become trapped, then freeze to death should they be unable to free themselves, come nightfall.
The planet gave her the creeps. She scanned the landscape for any sign they were being followed but so far, the terrain remained empty.
They slogged their way over the difficult ground carrying what they had salvaged from the shuttles. Norman lectured the barren planet was used only by long distance voyagers, runners, sky pirates and traders as it lay at the very edge of the known universe. Here intrepid or desperate travellers used the sparse facilities it had to offer to stock up on what supplies were at hand and make repairs. With water scarce, the scattered outposts relied on water carrier ships which visited the planet intermittently. The few females who landed here were salvagers or runners who were as fierce as their male counterparts.
Alana sighed upon hearing this news. It was obvious she would need to source some weapons so they could defend themselves once she had everyone established behind walls. Another ‘must do’ to add to her list.
“At last,” huffed Tina at her side. The other girl pushed her black bangs out of her eyes. “It doesn’t look like much does it?”
“Mmmm.” Alana shaded her face with her hand. She squinted into the haze.
Structures rose ahead, rough and primitive. They appeared to be fabricated out of slabs of the rock which was so profuse on this planet. Each building had small, round, dark holes she assumed were windows. The tallest structure was three or possibly four floors high and the remains of a crumbling stone wall encircled the settlement. She noticed a clearing which stretched into the distance to the left outside the settlement walls. An immense low-lying building sprawled at one end, closest to the township. Here and there she saw the glint of metal reflecting the faint rays of the setting sun. “Is that a runway over there, Norman ?”
Norman bobbed his head several times in agreement. “For smaller craft. You can see transport ships parked near the hangar.”
Alana tilted her head up to the sky. The orange-brown moon had risen higher and the searing white sun had made significant progress to the far horizon. She wondered how much time they had before nightfall. She stared deep in thought at the moon and then froze.
The dark shadows she had spotted earlier and had taken to be craters were now in a different position.
Norman noticed her interest and followed her gaze. He squealed in distress. He hopped from one foot to the other. “The docking stations. If you look very carefully you can see the Darkons have escaped the Elite Forces. Their transport shuttles are heading towards the main docking station. Soon they will land here. The Elite Forces will not be far behind them. We must hide!”
“I can’t see anything. You sure have great eyesight,” Jessamine muttered as she squinted into the sky.
“Let’s go then.” Alana picked up the pace, urging the weary band of women quickly towards the buildings. “Norman, we’re relying on you to find us shelter. Once we have everyone safe behind doors, we’ll do a little reconnaissance.”
Shadows deepened, spread with the speed of storm clouds as night descended on the alien planet. Wafts of cold mist swirled near the ground further diminishing Alana’s vision. Droplets of ice were forming on the underside of eaves and awnings. The huge moon now hung low in the dark sky. An eerie orange glow illuminated the landscape and caused the buildings to cast grotesque elongated shapes across the rough ground.
With a thick hooded cloak thrown over her flight suit to ward off the insidious cold, Alana kept to one side as she hastened along the empty street. The rock surface crunched beneath her boots. The sound echoed down the winding road and bounced off the sides of the buildings. She grimaced.
So much for stealth.
In the dim light, she checked a rough hand-drawn map against her surroundings. She had to keep moving, in temperatures this low it was vital to keep the blood circulating through her body.
Up ahead, and next to a towering, crooked building lay her objective. She patted one of her pockets and the faint clink of metal reassured her. When Norman had handed her the small tokens, she had been a bit dubious but he had insisted the small metal coins were of considerable value. Sufficient to purchase weapons. Inside the small dark building, resided a Jurian who would sell her what she needed.
Hopefully.
On the back of the paper, Norman had also drawn crude pictures of the weapons which would be of best use to them.
She eyed the building. With its plain facade and primitive construction it resembled the insignificant bolt hole where she had left her friends and which she hoped would prove to be a safe haven for them. All of them were grieving and depressed. Even after consuming the dehydrated space rations salvaged from the shuttles they remained hungry, and they needed to rest after their gruelling day. She had instigated a rotation of watchers, had to trust it would be sufficient to ensure their safety. Before leaving on this mission, Alana had also organised a short memorial service for those they had lost.
The memory of the survivors’ vulnerable faces lingered in her mind. They were fighting a desperate war to survive and they knew it. It seemed each moment brought something new and frightening which had to be assessed and examined for danger. There was so much for them to learn.
And time was running out.
Frustration almost overwhelmed her and she stumbled as fatigue slammed into her. Remember the mission. Alana clenched her jaw, focussed and ticked off the points in her head.
First, purchase weapons, next locate a sky pirate (whatever that was!) who would be willing to risk his life and ship to get them to some place called ‘Aurian’. Norman insisted there they would find members of what he called the old Ruling Council, who would help protect them.
Then, of course there was just a little matter of finding the men and getting everyone home again. She flexed her shoulders and prepared to step out of the shadows.
Paused.
From behind her came the sound of tramping feet. The cadence was military. Damn! Elite Forces or those overgrown brutes! Either one was not good.
Alana cast a swift look about the street, reviewing her options. In the hushed quiet of the night she heard the faint clash of metal. Soon they would round the corner and be upon her. She had to move.
Alana left the safety of the shadows, darted through the mist to the dark doorway of her objective. She risked a quick glance behind and spotted the dim outlines of soldiers. The height of the approaching soldiers being similar to her made her believe they were members of the Elite Forces. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or otherwise.
Stones rattled under her boots as she raced across the open space. The slippery dampness sent her sliding sideways amidst another clatter of rocks. With difficulty, she kept her balance. A shout came from behind.
She lengthened her stride, fairly leapt the last few metres, landing with a thump against the hard wooden door of the Jurian’s shop. Ignoring her jarred shoulder, Alana grasped the handle but it was locked. No need for secrecy now as the sound of quickened marching feet assaulted her ears. She pounded on the door. No response. The mist swirled higher. At last some good luck, it should hide her exact location. She pushed against the door but it refused to open.
Annoyed, she stepped back and s
canned the small building. There were no lights gleaming behind the cracks of the closed windows. She sucked in a long deep breath, thinking quickly.
Options. I need options.
Perhaps there was a back door. But how to get around the building? The whole row of buildings on this side appeared to be wedged together with nary a hair’s breadth between them.
A door creaked open in the building next to her. A heavily cloaked figure lurched outside, then staggered down the street. Alana caught a quick glimpse of light, smelt a sour whiff of yeast, heard the subdued roar of jovial voices before the door crashed shut. A pub or inn or whatever they called it here.
There would be revellers inside.
With luck there would be a back door.
Her decision made, she hurried to the inn, pulled her hood over her face, jerked open the door and slipped inside. The pungent smell of stale sweat, unwashed bodies and rotting foodstuffs pervading the room had her reeling on her feet. Taking careful breaths through gritted teeth, she edged further inside.
The room was full.
Full of various alien forms and shapes which gave her pause, made her wish she had time to spare to analyse them for possible threats. Her eyes wide, Alana scanned the area, searching for an exit. Compared to the technology she had experienced on the traders’ ship, the interior was primitive. Lanterns set into crevices carved into the rock wall lit the crowded chamber with a flickering dull light. Fires crackled and hissed in several stone fireplaces and gave out a pitiful warmth.
She wrinkled her nose with distaste as a stench similar to burnt moss mixed with rotting eggs hit her nostrils. Some aliens were standing about in groups swilling tankards of frothing liquid and others were perched on low benches. There were even a few curled up on the floor, huddled under blankets. A metal bar ran down the full side of the building which Alana now saw was larger than she had first thought.
Darkness shrouded the far reaches of the room.
No one paid any attention to her as she slipped between the groups, her head ducked low to hide her face, her fingers grasping the edges of her cloak together over her chest to conceal her flight suit and her sex.
Legend Beyond The Stars Page 4
