Any conversation with the other riders was impossible, as we flew under a fast moving cloud cover into the last rays of the local sun. The landscape was rugged and harsh below us as we rode down from the mountain range and flew over what appeared to be an endless plain.
The landscape did change, the grass of the plain below grew taller and the stems became bigger, forming a dense thick forest. I noticed the hulls and bodies of alien looking ship wrecks strewn about, some of them overgrown with grass.
The Togar warrior who had taken the lead was circling down and we followed him as he steered his bird between the tree sized stems. His animal touched the ground, ran a short distance on its clawed legs, while it tilted its wings to aide its rapid slow down.
My Gryther reacted to the slightest tug on the reins and landed right behind.
The Dai who was right behind me on the ground said. “Galactic spirit, you ride the wildest Gryther as if you were born on its back.”
The Togar who called himself Ninety said. “I am almost certain she is a Union Officer, their academy training is second to none in the universe.”
It was almost dark now and there was little light left here between the thirty or forty meter tall grass trees, but I could clearly see the a tunnel like entrance to an overgrown hull of a wrecked alien freighter ship. The men guided their animals inside and I did the same.
After the last one was in they closed the entrance with hinged doors. It was completely dark for a moment and then lumi-plates came on and illuminated the place in a weak yellowish light. The Gryther, I had guided behind me parted his huge needle sharp beaks and licked me across the arm. There was little talk. The men removed the saddles off the animals and guided them to individual boxes. I simply watched what they did and followed suit.
One of the Ithe pointed at an empty box and said. “That is where Thaah Gryther goes. It used to be Jerk’s Gryther; he was one of the men that got shot.”
“I did not do something wrong, did I?”
He moved his stalk eyes so both were looking at me and he said. “No, not at all, I am amazed the Thaah let you ride it. Black ones are very temperamental and hard to tame. Have you been here on Itheamh before?”
“No I have not.”
The Togar waved me towards a stair case and said. “Come, Human female, let us provide you with garments and weapons, with water for bathing, and food for sustenance. Then we will talk about how we will go about freeing your friends, sending as many Draks to the lowest Circles of Roguth where Rogramm the Devourer may punish them forever.”
They had showed me to a spacious room that once might have been the equipment storage of this alien ship wreck. Since the ship was lying on its side, everything inside was strangely out of proportion. The corridors were wider than tall, as well as the doors were sideways and to high up for simple access. So they had built make shift ramps to access the rooms and chambers.
The Togar pointed at a Fuel bulb that was cut in half and filled with water. “Water is precious on Itheamh and even more precious out here on the plains, where it has to be carried from the mountains.”
He took a big ladle from a hook and dipped it into the water and said. “Please do not use more than twenty ladles. There is the wash cloth and soap. I will send someone to get you garments to wear.”
“I understand.”
After he had climbed back to the door and left. I stripped out of the remnants of my heavily torn suit and I blushed as I realized much of my lower back side had been exposed the entire time. My mask was completely gone. Even though the effects of those mood affecting waves were no longer influencing me, I still wondered what happened. If they fired some kind of weapon from the sky, did it knock me out? But why did I have the axe and why was I not wounded? I was so certain the monster had crushed my lower leg. What power could rip Ultronit micro mesh and not injure the person wearing it?
Right now was not the time to ponder all this, but I had to find answers to this fast. I had to be accountable for everything I did. As a Captain I could not have black outs and do things I could not remember. I needed to talk to Cateria to check me out as soon as possible. Or better yet, I needed to find a way to talk to Narth Supreme again. He would know what I needed to do.
After I had used as little water as possible to wash away dried blood and grime, I was very glad that one of my remaining things was the small first aid kit. The soles of my feet had quite a few cuts.
Now I had the time to switch the empty magazine on my 45 with one of the two spare ones I carried in a pouch on the leather holster. I almost lovingly patted the ancient gun; it had become such a part of me that I never wanted to lose it. In my imagination it also carried some of the unexplainable strength of Admiral Stahl and reminded me of him.
Even, or perhaps especially in a strange situation like this, it was good to be reminded of the Eternal Soldier. I would do my best to make him proud.
A sound from the door made me whirl around, rack the slide of the Colt 45 and aim it. There at the top of the door ramp stood an Ithe woman and a human male, not much older than maybe sixteen or eighteen. He stared at me with wide open eyes and I realized that I was female now and completely nude. I felt exposed and angry at the same time and pulled the hammer of the gun. “Turn around or I’ll put a bullet right between those lusting eyes of yours!”
He gasped and turned.
The Ithe woman said. “I am sorry Captain Velvet, he is the only human here and has never seen another human. We did not know there are taboos in that regard.”
I grabbed one of the short towels and tried to use it to cover as much of me as I could.
“You know me?”
“Yes of course, you saved me and my children, I am Naroma.”
She carried a bundle and came down the ramp. “Ninety told me that you were here and he thought that Mel, the boy here would be best to assist you as he is human like you are and that it would be good for him to see another human.”
I was still holding the towel and said. “What happened and how did you get here?”
“We were attacked by the men of the village, who thought we were Drak spies. They were out there looking for the Shogotrz when they saw us. They ran before I could reach them. I saw you fight the monster. I was hiding behind a boulder watching you and I was certain you were done for.
I also noticed two Drak Mecha-Walkers coming up the path.
When I saw them I took my children and ran. Ninety found me and his men guided me to the plateau with the ride birds. It is then when we heard a terrible thunder like noise. Ninety was sure the Drak called to one of the Sky punishers.”
The human boy was still turned. He was lean but muscular and I estimated him to be about 190 centimeters tall. He wore baggy brown pants with several pockets sewn to it and a blue shirt of coarse cotton or something similar. His hair was unevenly cropped and some strands reached his shoulders. He carried a compound bow and a quiver of arrows.
Naroma held out the bundle. “I’ve seen your style and tried to match it as good as I could with the things that are here. We do not have these magical dressing machines and no one here wears those long shoes with the heel extensions.”
I took the items and said. ”I am sure it will be alright. I am not planning to go to a fashion show or to stay very long.”
She turned as well and I opened the bundle and found a pair of brown leggings that were made of leather-like material that had a soft shimmer to it. The top was dark grey and of the same material, but was definitely not made for a human female. It took some wiggling and effort to get my boobs situated.
At least it was so tight that I didn’t need a halter. While I dressed, I remembered the winter evening in the yard of our burg when I was sparring with Elena. My mind evoked her lovely rosy face and could hear her voice in my mind as she talked about her chest and said, I am talking about these. They bounce around a lot and it is not very comfortable I tell you. It actually hurts sometimes! Being female now for quite a while
, I whispered “I understand you now, Elena.”
Naroma turned and said. “You said something?”
The bundle also contained a belt, a pair of flat heeled calf high boots and a long leather coat of the same kind I saw the Ithe magistrate wear. I was adjusting the shoulder holster and said to her. “I was just talking to myself. I am ready now and we can go.”
The boy spoke for the first time and said. “I am sorry too.”
I slipped into the coat and said. “I was just startled that’s all. Maybe later you can tell me how you ended up here on Itheamh, but right now I am eager to get started. I don’t want my friends to suffer much longer in whatever prison they are.”
The Togar, the Dai, a dozen Ithe men and women and a Karthanian stood in a loose circle inside what I suspected was once main engineering of this wrecked freighter. They all stopped talking and looked at me as I entered.
The Togar said. “I am called Ninety and I was chosen to lead this cell. It may be the worst decision we made so far, but we all voted to help you get your friends out.”
“All I need is a communication device.”
The Togar pointed to Naroma. “She told me that you are not just an officer but a Union Fleet Starship captain and you have a ship somewhere in orbit.
I am sure you have the means up there to do whatever needs to be done. The individuals before you and I are willing to risk our lives to free your friends. However I am not risking the lives of the families, children and women hiding here to make a transmission. The Drak monitor the airwaves very closely and answer with a barrage of sky bolts to any unauthorized transmission. We do not have those marvelous instantaneous and undetectable GalNet Comm. devices your society has.”
I sighed and said, “Alright then, fill me in so we can get started. I fear my friends are not being treated very gently at the hands of these soldiers.”
While I was talking I stepped closer to the assembled circle of beings. The human boy did not take his eyes of me; I tried to ignore his staring gaze.”
An Ithe woman said. “Your friends are safe and currently held in Cryo stasis. The local commandant identified the armor worn by one of them as a genuine Dai suit of the highest order and he is afraid of your friend so he keeps him in stasis until the authorities from the city arrive tomorrow. They also can’t explain the scans of the other individual, several soldiers became raving lunatics trying to take off his hood. It was decided to keep him in stasis as well.”
I could not help but smile. “He is a smart man, that Commandant, but can I ask how you know all this?”
She pulled on a gray leather coat, just like the one I wore and said. “I am the Drak Section Commandant.”
Ninety put his big paw like hand on her shoulder. “She is a trusted member of the Underground and she risks even more than we all do. Not even all the Drak agree with the conditions.”
I said.” I have no doubt that this is so. I am afraid I know little about the local conditions in the first place.”
One of the Ithe mountain men said. “Maybe we find the time to rectify that. Your Union is far away and so lofty and mighty, if they knew what was going on here maybe they would change their mind and help.”
I did not want to dispel his hopes and tell him that there was nothing the Union could do legally as long as Ithe was not asking for membership with a united voice, so I said nothing.
The Drak Commander pointed at a metal shipping crate in the middle of their circle. On top was a selection of small boxes and objects arranged in a pattern. “This is a model of the Section command compound.”
She used a long thin knife to point at drink bottles places at each corner. “These bottles represent four watch towers. They are manned with two guards at all time. There are motion sensors and infrared optics. Each tower has a mounted bolter gun, a powerful search light and is connected to the guard house with hard line communications.”
She then pointed at a larger box inside the square. “This is the guard house, there are 200 Drak troops. They patrol the region during the day, but most of them are in the guard house during the night.”
The Dai pointed towards an upturned soup bowl. “That central building is where the prisoners are held. Your friends and the eighty Ithe they have rounded up today. The Ithe are held in cells on the ground level. Your friends are held in the high security interrogation lab tract two levels below”
The female Commandant said. “Make no mistake, Human Captain. If High Command suspects any problems they would not hesitate to level the place with bolts from the sky and declare all dead Soldiers heroes of Ithe.”
I looked at the model and said. “I see no fences, how does the surrounding landscape look?”
“The surrounding area is flat and any grass or place to find cover is bulldozed for 2000 meters around the compound. There are no fences but automated Laser sentry guns fire at anything that crosses the boundaries between the towers.”
Again the Commandant said. “There is a well-armed convoy of forty Drak soldiers and trucks expected to arrive just before dawn. We need to be gone by then.”
I said. “Do you know where that convoy is at the moment?”
The Commander said. “Yes they are at the Ootoe Springs with four water trucks to do the daily water run, as I said they are well armed.”
The Togar looked at me. “What do you have in mind?”
I said. “Water trucks could be used as Trojan Horses.” I had to explain to them what a Trojan horse is and I told them about the legend of the battle for Troy.
The Togar warrior said. “Let us hope we never have to fight the Union. You Terrans are sneakier than the Shiss when it comes to war.”
The Drak Commander agreed. “It is a good idea. The water detail doesn’t expect an attack. They never have been attacked before. I think we could overwhelm them at the springs and drive right into the compound. I must return soon, as I am officially in town and I am expected to be back.”
I said to her. ”Can you manage to deactivate the stasis field on the hooded human?
She looked at me. “Yes I can do that.”
I smiled at her. “If my friend is awake, everything will turn out fine.”
She buttoned her coat closed and put a helmet on her head. “I hope you will remember me and us, Union Captain. Itheamh needs friends out there, real friends that know what is going on.”
“I will do what I can, Commander. I have a feeling things will change on Itheamh.”
She walked past me and left.
One of the Ithe produced a map. It was not a projection but an actual roll of paper he spread out on the floor and said. “The Ootoe Springs are here at the bottom of the Oote Mountain about 300 Urbs to the north. The spring is inside a cave and feeds a small but deep pool. The Drak have a permanent small camp there, guarding it and a pump station to fill the trucks.
The convoy also brings the relief soldiers for the outpost camp.”
The Togar said. “We ride in one hour, so we will arrive there before the convoy and then we’ll figure out how we take the trucks from the soldiers.”
One of the Ithe men said. “I’ll send a messenger to the Oote tribe near the spring. They will help and they have catapults we can use.”
Ninety said. “Then let us eat. I prefer dying on a full stomach.”
I said. “Let’s not plan on dying, Togar.”
He looked at me and said. “I have no desire to do so, Union Captain, but 40 Drak soldiers are no easy prey. They have energy weapons and wear armor that can be shielded. We only have a few energy weapons and if we use them we become targets for the Sky punishers. Even if we are successful, some of us will not return.”
I followed them up a make shift ramp into another section of the wreck. There were benches and tables and the other side of this former engineering section was made into a community kitchen, with cooking fires burning in steel tubs with steel plates and grills suspended on chains. The smoke was funnelled into large pipes above. It smelled of
seared meat and smoke.
A gaggle of children of various ages were playing, while women and men prepared food. Others were already sitting at the tables.
Naroma said, approaching me. “Only yesterday I had a home and a husband and now I am here and like everyone we live in fear that this place will be discovered by the Drak. It is primitive but it is better than being shot or sold to the Smelter moons of the cursed Overlords.”
The Togar said. “Come sit with us and have a share of food. We do have a little time before we ride and I am eager to hear about the Union and if all the legends and stories we hear are true.”
I sat down at the place he pointed out and said. “And I need to learn more about this place and why a Togar and a Dai are among these Ithe.”
He placed his large frame across the table from me and sat down. “There are many non Ithe here. We managed to escape the smelter moons and found refuge here. On the smelter moons, race and origin mean nothing. You become a number, nothing more than a living robot that when damaged is tossed in the fires or made into food slurry.”
He looked over the tables and then back at me. “There are no open hostilities between the Togar Empire and the Kartanian conglomerate, but war looms close under the surface for many centuries. There are no treaties, no prisoner exchange programs. There is no trade and very little official contact.
The situation on the split planet of Kaliment does not help things either, but even if there would be a golden gate that would take me back to Togr and back to my family and my command. I would still chose to remain here and fight with my friends until I die or until this place is free and no slave dies at the smelter moons.”
Naroma placed a plate with meat pieces and something that looked like green mashed potatoes before me and said. “This is Nuktur stew and Gathr Seedling porridge. I hope it will be to your liking.” She then placed a second plate before the Togar and sat down next to me, before her own plate.
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 143
