by Andrew Gates
Jallah had no idea how long it all lasted. It felt like just a few minutes, but they probably spent close to an hour practicing with their translators. By the time everyone was comfortable with their chips and had determined that there were no issues with the procedure, Jallah and the other humans gathered together in the center of the room. They hugged and smiled and shared in the excitement.
Everyone had the same thought: it worked. It really worked.
Margery patted Jallah on the shoulder. He turned and stared into her beautiful eyes.
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you too,” he replied, before sharing a kiss.
Chapter Fourteen
Vezaria
Sup-Chief. Kho Ikharus
Kho Ikharus felt his eyelids droop low. His vision grew blurrier by the second. He dared not move his muscles. It was deep into the night after a full day of uninterrupted excitement. And in a few hours, it would be morning again. Ikharus and Kreed Scion must have been awake for at least 20 hours by now, though he was not entirely sure. It certainly felt like longer than that. All he knew was that he wanted only to lower his head and let sleep take its comforting hold.
But even if he dared allow himself to fall asleep, Ikharus was not sure he even could. With the thoughts weighing on his mind of an unknown enemy, of the slaughter in space, of all the lives lost, it would likely take him hours to fall asleep anyway.
The ship jostled as it passed through an area of turbulence, forcing the exhausted Supreme Chieftain to pay attention to the world again. Ikharus braced himself against the wall with his claw, keeping his scepter leaned against his seat.
“Behold. Our destination is near,” Ukhrani, their pilot, said in a weary voice through the onboard speakers, prompting those in the cabin to sit up and pay attention.
Ikharus peered out the window. It was too dark to see anything clearly, but he trusted Ukhrani’s words. If she said they were almost there, then they were.
“Any sign of rebel hostilities?” Jakhu asked through the comm as she placed her helmet on her head. She stood up from her seat. Unlike the others in this cabin, Jakhu was the only one who seemed undeterred by the hours of non-stop activity.
“Not yet. I detect a few heat signatures, but those could be coming from animals. I see nothing resembling plasma cannons or artillery. I surmise that the darkness hides our approach, for now,” Ukhrani’s weary voice replied.
“Good. Let us hope it stays that way,” Jakhu replied.
The squad leader turned to face Ikharus and the members of Kreed Scion, who all quickly stood up from their seats and placed their helmets on their heads. Within seconds, Ikharus was the only one who remained seated.
Evirak made one last check of his supply of explosives. Kozakh felt the weight of the retractable spear in his claws. Ezenkharam double-checked that the helmet was secure upon her head.
Everyone had their last-minute routine. It was all so familiar. If Ikharus were still part of the squad, he no doubt would have taken this time to make one last look at the data on his HUD. Watching these soldiers before him, he could not help but recall the first mission with his Kreed only a few months earlier. It was strange to consider how much had changed in such brief time.
“Kreed Scion,” Jakhu began as the transport flew through another area of turbulence, “I am proud to see these faces before me. I welcome us all to our first real mission united as Kreed Scion. May we succeed where others would fail.” Jakhu paused for a moment, but Ikharus remained quiet, as did the rest of the cabin. After a few seconds, she continued, “You all know how important this mission is. Kholvaria has been attacked by an unknown enemy. If we are to defeat this enemy, we need to know who it is and how to defeat it. There is a chance Soh Saratti may know who this enemy is and how to defeat it. For that reason, re-capturing him from the rebels is of the utmost priority. The fate of the Chiefdom may rest in this mission. Is that understood?”
“Understood,” the replied the members of Kreed Scion. Even Ikharus joined in on the choir. Just saying the word helped energize him with a much-needed sense of reinvigoration.
Jakhu placed a holodisk onto the floor of the ship and powered it on. The shining image of a facility built into the side of a mountain lit up the dark room.
“Kal Ezenkharam’s data tells us that Soh Saratti is being held in this facility,” Jakhu explained as she motioned to various points on the projection. “Of course, the rebels may have moved him, but this will be our starting point. If he is not here, we will find out where he has been taken and we will not stop until we locate him. Our mission is to find Soh Saratti and bring him to T’Dakho, all while keeping rebel casualties to a minimum whenever possible. Recall that these are still Kholvari we are fighting, as misguided as they may be.”
“Understood.” Once again, the room replied in unison.
“Good. May you be swift and efficient in your efforts, Kreed Scion.”
With those words, the hologram faded away and Ikharus felt the ship begin to lower.
“We have reached a suitable landing site, a clearing downhill. I will put the ship down here,” Ukhrani said through the speakers.
“Understood, Kal Ukhrani. Kreed, at attention!” Jakhu said to her squad.
Ikharus stood up now with the rest of them. He picked up his scepter from against the seat and held it tightly.
Thud, thud, thud!
“What is that banging noise?” Evirak asked, wondering the same thing on the top of Ikharus’s mind.
“Hostiles! They have found us! They are firing ballistic weapons, rudimentary tech, but still powerful. Prepare for an uneasy exit!” Ukhrani answered.
Ikharus stepped toward the rear door.
“Supreme Chieftain, you may wish to stand behind one of us for safety,” Ezenkharam said, pulling Ikharus back.
“Excuse me, Kal Ezenkharam, but I can fight. Have you already forgotten that I was once a soldier like you?” Ikharus asked.
“I have not forgotten this, but you are without a powered suit of armor like the rest of us. Not to mention, you are the Supreme Chieftain. When they see you, you will be the first these rebels choose to fire upon. You are both vulnerable and valuable.”
“I do not wish to challenge the will of a hierarch, but I must concur with Kal Ezenkharam,” Jakhu said, jumping in before Ikharus even had a chance to reply. She stared at him through her helmet. “Kho Ikharus, stay here until the area is clear, then proceed only when it is safe. Is that understood?”
Ikharus was surprised to hear anyone give him orders so boldly, but he supposed he was in no place to argue with her. After all, this was her mission to operate. And more importantly, she was not wrong.
“Understood,” he replied, nodding. He slowly moved to the back of the pack, such that he would be last to exit.
“Good,” Jakhu said just as the ship touched down on solid ground. She pulled a plasma cannon from its wall mount and held it forward as she stepped up to the door. “Kal Ukhrani, open the door now!”
As soon as the door opened, a barrage of ballistic weapons fire, not unlike the weapons used by the evolved-ones, blasted into the cabin. Ikharus ducked, wondering if these rebels were using stolen weapons from the old evolved-one’s cache Kho Veznek had spoken of.
Jakhu, closest to the exit, was first to jump into action. She hopped through the doorway before the door fully opened, blasting away at enemies without a second’s hesitation. With the thermal imaging on her suit’s HUD, it must have been easier for her to see the rebels than for the rebels to see her in this darkness.
One by one, the faction fighters fell to their knees, brought down by scathing burns and blown off limbs, but nothing fatal. They dropped their weapons in shock or injury, allowing Ikharus to safely stand up and watch the battle.
Evirak calmly tossed several shock grenades around the enemy emplacements and walked out as the blasts exploded around the site. Within seconds, the rebels were frozen still in their suits, unable to mo
ve a limb.
It was all so easy. The rebels were subdued and Scion had hardly exerted itself.
“Area clear!” Jakhu declared, assessing the scene with her thermal imaging. She turned to Evirak at her back. “Excellent work with those grenades, Kho Evirak.”
The soldier nodded back to his superior.
Ikharus and the others exited the ship. It felt good to finally step on soft dirt instead of a cold metal floor. The sound of insects and blowing leaves filled the quiet air.
Kozakh walked around and collected the enemy weapons from their frozen grasps and brought them to the ship. Just as Ikharus predicted, these were the rudimentary firearms used by the evolved-ones.
“Behold, Squad Leader,” Kozakh said as he presented the weapons to Jakhu. “The rebels are using foreign weaponry. Why would they do this?”
“They do not give out heat readings like our cannons do. It makes these weapons harder for our sensors to detect,” Ukhrani explained as she exited from the front of the transport and met the rest of Kreed Scion at the rear of the ship.
“Kal Ukhrani, we need a pilot to stay with the ship,” Jakhu said to her as she approached.
“But, Kal Jakhu, I am needed in the mission.”
“I understand your eagerness, but someone must stay behind. We cannot afford to lose this ship.”
“I understand your concern, Kal Jakhu, but I must make my case. Among this Kreed, I am the only one fluent in the Sorrevahni tongue. If the need arises to speak with Soh Saratti, my skills will prove invaluable.”
Jakhu paused for a moment, as if contemplating Ukhrani’s request.
“I was not aware that you could speak Sorrevahni,” she eventually replied. She calmly nodded her head. “Very well. At last, I see your point.” She turned and motioned to Ezenkharam. “Kal Ezenkharam, remain here and guard the ship. Kal Ukhrani shall join the infiltration team instead.”
“Understood, Squad Leader,” Ezenkharam responded, nodding. Unlike Ukhrani, she would not argue against staying behind with the craft.
“What about them?” Kozakh asked, motioning to the frozen rebel soldiers gathered around them.
“Their armor will be stuck in this manner for a considerable while longer,” Evirak explained, “but in case they unfreeze early, I will leave a few extra grenades behind with Kal Ezenkharam.” He walked over and handed her a few more explosives, which she quickly accepted.
“Good. Then we are ready,” Jakhu said. She turned to face uphill. The world was dark, but Ikharus was able to make out the sight of an ascending slope in the light of the moon. “Kreed Scion, your Majesty, press onward.”
With those words, the team moved out. The Supreme Chieftain walked cautiously, but quickly, navigating the terrain to the best of his abilities in utter blackness and using his scepter to feel what was before him. Even without his sight, Ikharus could sense gnarled tree branches extending like outstretched arms above and around him, twisting and tangling with other branches nearby. Thick patches of wild grass surrounded the trees at their bases. Animals scurried across the forest canopy and leapt from one tree to the next. Without seeing the creatures, Ikharus could not help but fear a ruor or tyran wolf at first, but he would relax when, each time, he realized that the sound was coming from something small and nonthreatening like a squirrel or bird.
With their advanced tech, the members of Kreed Scion were able to see much easier than Ikharus. For that reason, he stuck to them closely, careful never to fall too far behind.
Throughout the hike uphill, no one said a word. Not even Evirak muttered a joke or quip. The team was laser-focused, just as they should be. That or they are too weary to speak, Ikharus thought, hoping that was not the case. They were Kreeds after all. They should have been prepared for any situation.
Finally, they came to an area of the forest illuminated by artificial overhead light. The team slowed its pace and proceeded cautiously. Jakhu held out her left claw, motioning for the others to halt. They all did, allowing her to go on ahead.
Jakhu crouched low and peered around a thick tree branch, then rounded it and parted some leaves of a bush before stepping out into what appeared to be an open field ahead, keeping her cannon with her.
Ikharus slowed his breathing and watched the scene unfold as best he could without being spotted. His heart beat nervously.
Suddenly a loud boom echoed through the air, followed by another, then another. Birds scattered in every direction. Before he knew it, blasts of old-fashioned evolved-one weaponry lit up the world.
Jakhu returned fire, blasting away with her plasma cannon at enemies Ikharus could not see from his vantage point. He simply remained hidden and hoped that no one would find him as Evirak, Ukhrani and Kozakh quickly darted forward and joined the fight. But by the time they arrived in the open field, the enemy blasts had died down. They had nothing to do but stand there next to their victorious squad leader.
“Hostiles eliminated. I detect no more enemy heat signatures on the infrared scan,” Ukhrani reported as she studied the area.
“So much for minimizing casualties,” Evirak quipped.
“I had to act quickly. They had me pinned in the open,” Jakhu replied.
“You did what you had to,” added Kozakh.
Ikharus stood up straight and slowly made his way toward the illuminated field now. As he moved forward, he could make out the sight of the large facility built into the side of the mountain. It looked just like it did in the hologram.
“Kho Prekhon, I know you are watching us!” Jakhu shouted as she took a step toward the entrance to the facility. “We have fought through two lines of your soldiers with naught but a scratch to show for it. If you have any sense, you would do well to take notice of this fact. Heed my words when I say that I have no desire to hurt you or your people. My request is this: allow us safe passage to Soh Saratti and we shall leave you unharmed.”
A long silence followed. For a moment Ikharus wondered if Prekhon was even listening at all. Perhaps he was not even there. Kreed Scion stood ready, waiting all the while for a response. Then, at long last, Ikharus heard a faint shuffling coming from the trees around them along with the squeak of what sounded like wheels. This time, the noise was not that of any squirrel. It was large, whatever it was.
“Do you hear that?” Ikharus asked.
Nobody answered.
A holographic projection suddenly glowed in the darkness above the entrance to the facility. The familiar face of Kho Prekhon filled the nighttime air. His massive holographic eyes glared down at Ikharus.
“My, my,” the imposing voice began. Ikharus was not even sure where the speakers were, but wherever they were, the sound was loud and powerful. “Do my eyes deceive me or does the usurper stand before my very gates?”
“Gates? I do not see gates. I see a Kholvari military prison filled with misguided rebel squatters,” Jakhu responded.
“Prison?” Prekhon laughed. “It was a prison. That was back when your foolish Chiefdom laid claim to it. Yes, it still has cells and yes it houses prisoners, but now we call it home.”
“Grant us entry and no one has to get hurt,” Jakhu said.
“You speak boldly for a traitor.”
“We are not traitors,” Ikharus replied, stepping forward.
“So, at last he can speak,” Prekhon said with a grin. The glowing face leaned down, as if studying them closer. “But you shall not be speaking much longer. It brings me joy to inform you that this is the last you shall see of me and I of you. Goodbye, usurper.”
With those words, the projection went away. The world was suddenly dark again.
“What was that?” Ukhrani asked.
“I do not know,” Jakhu replied, “but stay sharp.”
Suddenly the overhead lights began to go out one by one, all but the one in the center that lit up Ikharus and Kreed Scion. Soon they were the only things illuminated, like performers standing beneath a spotlight.
“What is this?” Evirak asked.
“They are lighting us up,” Jakhu responded.
“We are being presented like bait to fish,” Kozakh finished.
“Then where are the fish?” Evirak wondered.
The faint squeaking of distant wheels stopped. A moment later, Ikharus heard the sound of thick sheets of dirt quickly falling, followed by loud monstrous shrieks. Metal clanged. Chains shook. Then some sort of hinges sprung open.
“By the Chiefdom,” Ukhrani muttered, piecing it all together. “He was just stalling.”
“What is it? I do not understand,” Ikharus said.
“It… it is a trap! Do you see? The rebels have captured them! They kept them in cages!” Ukhrani replied through nervous breaths.
“Kept what in cages? What are you talking abo-” Ikharus started in panicked words, but before he could even finish his question, he soon discovered the answer for himself.
The demonic monstrosities sprinted into the thin illuminated circle. Their mangled faces and shriveled bodies were clear and just as horrifying as ever. They came from seemingly every direction, an infinite horde of savage killers flowing like an unstoppable ocean wave.
“Ruors!” Jakhu shouted, instantly firing away with her plasma cannon, sending bursts of white light this way and that through the darkness. “Kreed Scion, form a defensive position around Kho Ikharus!” she ordered over the loud blasts of her weapon.
“Understood!” the Kreed replied as Ikharus soon found himself at the center of the four soldiers.
Unlike ruors normally found in the wild, these ruors had cuffs and chains around their necks like pets. Ikharus wondered how long the rebels had been collecting and housing these killer creatures, just waiting to spring them from their cages onto unsuspecting intruders.
Evirak tossed grenades into the swarm of monsters, real grenades this time, not the non-lethals he used earlier to freeze the rebels. Large balls of fire erupted with each explosion, sending limbs, tissue and mucusy fluids in all directions. When at last, the enemy came too close, Evirak could no longer toss grenades into the crowd. He lifted his claws before him and engaged the monsters one by one with nothing but his brute strength.
