“Those in training need to stay focused. I’m sure you understand that.”
“No. The Sahhrain have killed thousands of my people. I watched my father nearly beaten to death by Lord Vikor Shakrim. The Sahhrain are a bunch of ruthless killers!”
Protectively, Drom took a step forward, pushing his chest out, his fists clenched. “How dare you speak to—”
“Step back, Drom,” Elder Pauli said, resting a placating palm on Drom’s arm. “She has every right to be upset.”
“My people are in jeopardy; have been for months … or years. I’ve spent time here when I should have been protecting my own people. You’ve made me into a traitor.”
The elder maintained a bemused smile. “Listen to me, Boomer. You are not a traitor. That, I know, is something you could never be. Listen to me … not all Blues have forsaken their commitment to peace. Not all Blues are ‘chummy,’ as you put it, with the Sahhrain. The massacre today at Capital City will be proof enough that the Sahhrain, as well as our own Tahli ministry members, are rooted in the ways of darkness … of ruthlessness and deceit.”
“Well, I want to leave. Now … this minute,” Boomer said.
Elder Pauli considered that for a moment, then said, “Do you want to leave, or do you want to help those you love?”
“What do you mean?”
Elder Pauli let out a breath. She walked over to the balustrade and gazed out at the darkening landscape beyond. “You have been one of … if not the most proficient warrior we have ever trained here. You have mastered the skills of Kahill Callan to the point you have improved the very martial art itself … injecting new and innovative methodologies. But while that aspect is true, you have failed to grasp the equally important non-physical side of true mastership.”
Boomer didn’t like being called a failure. If she was a failure, then why was she standing here—the new Goldwon—and not Drom or Carmotta?
Elder Pauli continued, “Sometimes things happen for a reason … for a reason that is not always apparent. I want you to let go of your anger for a minute and consider something else … something, perhaps, even supernatural. I want you to consider that others foresaw what happened today. That the convergence of destiny and fate and much patience were at work.”
“The elders … you foresaw this?”
She didn’t answer.
“Why didn’t you say something! So many died—”
Again, Drom’s body became rigid.
“What happened today was horrible. Horrible, but necessary, too. It was our gift of far-sightedness, our clairvoyance, which kept us from doing what you have suggested. Stopping the massacre today, as wonderful as that would have been, would lead to millions, perhaps billions, of Blues, and many humans, massacred later on.”
Boomer thought about that, wanting badly to protest against everything she was hearing. Her mind flashed back to that morning, when explosion after explosion blasted within the ancient arena; scorched and dismembered bodies lay everywhere.
“You were brought here for a reason, Boomer. And it wasn’t to become a great Tahli Master or even become the Goldwon. You were brought here to save us … and to save your own people.”
Boomer made a face and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but that’s simply crazy. I’m only sixteen. I don’t even know things most other sixteen-year-olds know. My sister is already in college; she’s so much smarter than me. My mother was the interim President of the United States. My father is Omni of the U.S. fleet. They are true leaders. And my sister, too, will become a great leader someday. But me? I don’t know anything … I’m not educated. I’m not smart like they are. Sure, I know how to fight, but that’s not enough. So, Elder Pauli, you can’t place the entire responsibility onto my shoulders.”
Elder Pauli pulled Boomer’s hands out from beneath her chest and held them in her own. She looked into Boomer’s eyes for a long moment. “Boomer, we all have a purpose. Your purpose was clear since you were a little girl. You have always been the defender of what is right. You have always been willing to sacrifice everything, even yourself, for the ones you love. You came here for training for that same reason, although you may not have realized it at the time. You did not know what you actually do know on a much deeper level … what the elders had foreseen, you did so as well.”
Boomer did her best to blink away the tears in her eyes. Was what the elder said really true? Had she come here for reasons other than mastering Kahill Callan? Deep in her heart, she suspected that was so.
“We have little time, Boomer,” Elder Pauli said quietly.
Noting the tension in the elder’s face, Boomer refocused her attention. “Time for what?”
“The Sahhrain … Lord Zintar Shakrim won’t make a move until he has opened a gateway to Rom Dasticon. He will not repeat the mistakes of his brother. Only with Rom Dasticon by his side will Shakrim make his big move to defeat the Alliance, along with Earth’s powerful U.S. fleet. The gateway into Rom Dasticon’s dark realm must never be opened. Never.”
“So how do you stop him?”
“Zintar is currently searching for all four won effigies. One of them you possess, hidden in your satchel. We suspect that he, too, may possess one of them already.”
Boomer’s mind flashed back to the hundreds of Sahhrain warriors searching the arena—she understood now that they were searching for the Goldwon.
“There are three others: the Palwon, the Nordwon, and the Lortwon. All are similar effigies, made of Glist and other compounds, and all are said to be indestructible. Listen carefully, Boomer … the being who possesses all four wons, and connects them together properly, will have the capability to open the gateway into Rom Dasticon’s realm. A bridge that can be traversed either way, like a portal. That can not be allowed to happen.”
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t. Not really. But you will, young Master Tahhrim Dol. You will come to understand why you were brought here; why you’ve learned what you have learned; why you perfected the unique skills that only you possess. The Goldwon Trials were created to be insurmountable. And that is why, year after year, most fail and so many die. The trials prepared you for what is to come.”
“What is it I must do?”
“She just told you,” Drom said.
Boomer scowled up at Drom. Why is he being such an ass? “I know, Drom … find the other effigies. But how? Where do I go?”
“This is for you. It must never leave your possession, is that understood? You will die before you will let another being take it from you.” Elder Pauli pulled a small scroll from her sleeve, untied its attached leather thong, and unrolled it. “This was copied from a two-thousand-year-old stone tablet. Only two such maps were ever created. The original tablet no longer exists. Lord Zintar Shakrim possesses the other map. They are nearly identical … but not quite identical. Ultimately, owning both would be best. The hidden locations of all four won effigies are depicted on this map; specifically, where each may be found. You need to venture to the other three locations, and retrieve those effigies.”
“But you said so yourself: Lord Zintar Shakrim probably has possession of one of them.”
Elder Pauli and Drom exchanged a quick glance. “That may indeed be a fact. If that’s the case, you will have to take it from him.”
“It may be on his command ship,” Drom added.
“That huge thing that fired on the arena?”
Drom shrugged. “Could be.”
“We’d need an army to do that, and time to train.”
Elder Pauli said, “We’ve trusted only a few with this information. There will be six of you, of course all Tahli warriors. Drom will be one of them.”
“And a ship?”
“Your travels must go unnoticed. You will move about the Dacci system aboard a trader barge.”
Boomer continued to stare at Elder Pauli, then at Drom, with utter disbelief.
“Others are looking for the effigies … both foes and friends alike. They m
ay think they have accurate maps, although they do not.”
“What friends?”
“That does not matter. Complete the task, then hide them in a place only you know about.”
“No, you should have them. And this one too,” Boomer said, releasing the satchel strap from around her shoulder.
“No! Listen to me, Boomer … trust no one. Find the won effigies and hide them where no one can find them. Either that, or die trying to do so.”
Chapter 19
At least the ship’s unrelenting spinning had finally come to an end. Nothing else mattered but that. Jason willed his mind to ignore the stench from their heavy retching, and the fouled air from Hanna and Billy’s vomit. The planet’s gravity forced all floating-in-the-air chunks to fall to the deck. He looked down at his legs, also splattered with the muck, and thought, terrific! He then glanced over at Billy, still sprawled on the deck, but attempting to sit up.
Billy looked green. “I thought I had a sailor’s cast iron constitution …”
Orion looked down at Billy with an expression of disgust, then back at Jason. “We’re still in one piece, Cap. I’m not picking up any structural damage to the Stellar.”
Jason hailed Ricket.
“Yes, Captain.”
“Good, you obviously survived the battle … the spinning. How soon can you get started on repairs, Ricket?” Jason leaned forward to peer out the forward observation window. “I’m not so sure that we’ve phase-shifted into the most friendly of places,” he added.
“It is too early to provide you with an accurate time estimate, Captain. Would it be possible to provide me with some assistance?”
Frustrated, Jason thought about Boomer. Another obstacle in the way of finding his daughter. “Let me check on how the others are doing. Maybe Rizzo can join you back there.” Jason cut the connection and stood, scanning the outside landscape. They were situated within a lush green jungle. Startled, he saw something black fly past the window in a blur.
“What the hell was that?” Leon asked, craning his neck to peer up into the trees outside.
“Ask me that after Ricket makes the repairs,” Orion said, shrugging. “Sensors are down.”
“Okay … let’s all exit the bridge. I’ll send Mollie’s droid in here to clean things up.” Jason was the first to leave the bridge.
Mollie was just stepping out from the DeckPort when Jason entered the passenger compartment.
“Dad! Where are we? You know, there’s something out there!”
“What happened to your head?” he asked, moving her hair back from her face, after spotting a bloody scrape on her temple. “Mollie, you need to get yourself into the MediPod.”
“I’ll live, and the pod’s going to be occupied for a while—with the prince first, then with Traveler—if I can find a way to squeeze him into it. They each broke a limb due to all that spinning in space.”
Jason thought about poor Aqeel, who’d just gotten out of the pod. “Hey, can you fetch Teardrop? Bridge needs some … maintenance.”
Mollie made a face. “Teardrop’s in my cabin. I’ll go get her.”
Jason nodded and watched her re-enter the DeckPort. Her? He tried to remember if Mollie had always referred to the droid that way.
He saw Rizzo and gestured him over. “You OK?”
“I’m good, Cap.”
“Can you help Ricket? He’s in the Engineering hold space, making repairs.”
“I’m on it, Captain. Um … no offense, sir, but you really reek,” Rizzo said apologetically, hurrying off toward the rear of the compartment.
Traveler sat alone on one of the couches, cradling one broken arm in the other.
The Stellar shook and those on board reached for something to grab on to. Jason staggered over to the wraparound window and peered out. The cabin went quiet as he leaned forward, trying to make sense of what he was seeing: Big black tree trunks. Furry tree trunks?
“Are those … legs?” Orion asked, her words barely audible.
Her question immediately became moot when the black legs moved and the Stellar was jolted again. Then the craft was tossed high into the air and Jason felt stomach bile rise to his throat as the ship pitched back and forth as though on a turbulent sea.
Instinctively, Jason reached for his SuitPac and initialized his combat suit, as the others around him did the same. Jason scanned his HUD readings, simultaneously hearing Billy’s voice come over his comms.
“Look at all those life readings!”
Jason had already done that. In addition to the ginormous beast that had grabbed the Stellar, there were countless other equally large life forms in the all too close vicinity. This was obviously a planet where the scale of organic life was massive.
Movement.
Taking his attention off his HUD, he refocused on whatever existed outside the Stellar. Two enormous green eyes stared back at him.
Suddenly, multiple screams blared over his comms, coming from Mollie and Hanna.
“Everyone, if you haven’t done so already, initialize your combat suits,” Jason ordered, primarily thinking of Mollie, still below deck.
“He drops us and we’re screwed,” Billy said, over the open channel.
“Ricket … can we phase-shift again?”
“Only combat suits, Captain. The Stellar won’t have that capability for at least another thirty minutes.”
“Okay, then you and Rizzo keep on doing what you’re doing.”
The face of the beast was now in clear view and Jason gasped. It was like nothing he had ever seen—more swine- or wild boar-like than either ape or bear. It had a flattened, panting snout, with four moist quivering nostrils; a row of six yellowed, curved, tusks protruded just above its thin black lips. Suddenly, yellowed fangs appeared, and Jason heard a rumbling snarl penetrate in through the Stellar’s outer hull.
A flash came off to his right and Orion appeared, holding four multi-guns. “Hope you don’t mind that I raided your armory.” She handed them out to Jason, Leon, and Billy, keeping one for herself.
“Hanna, I want you on the bridge. Stay on the open channel,” Jason said, then noticed Traveler was up, wearing his combat suit.
“With that busted arm you best stay here, Traveler.”
“I am fine … I have fought with far more serious injuries.” Jason had earlier spotted the fracture, halfway along Traveler’s left forearm. At least it wasn’t his hammer-holding arm.
“Fine. Then let’s go see if we can get that thing to put the Stellar down gently … somewhere.”
Mollie, with Teardrop close behind, nodded once toward Jason, then headed into the bridge.
He used the group setting on his suit’s HUD to phase-shift the five of them to the surface.
* * *
In a flash, the group appeared thirty yards away from the two hoofed feet. Looking all the way up, Jason got a full, head-to-toe, view of the beast. Easily fifty to sixty feet tall, the two legged, two armed, swine beast, was holding the Stellar in both hands—which were more like three-fingered claws. The Stellar was as large as the tall beast, which spoke to the strength of the awesome creature. It was hefting up many tons of dead weight that appeared to take minimal effort.
“What’s your plan here, Cap?” Billy asked.
“Maybe it’s intelligent,” Orion said. “Perhaps we can simply ask it to put the ship down.”
“Yeah … now there’s a great idea for you,” Billy muttered sarcastically.
Fully aware that his daughter, and several others, were still on board the craft, he was willing to try anything. He adjusted the external audio volume settings on his combat suit, then phase-shifted to the top of the Stellar’s fuselage. The bright white flash must have startled the beast and Jason felt the ship waver beneath his feet. He was positioned midway between the bow and stern atop the gentle curve of the hull. He was finding it more and more difficult to keep his balance. Staring up at the massive face, he looked for some semblance of intelligence behind those
forest-green eyes. He too was being appraised, and Jason considered the thought that he, possibly, was being considered for his next meal.
A sudden flash and Ricket appeared, standing to his right. “Captain, I apologize for showing up unannounced, but you do not have the translation capability necessary to speak to this species.”
“And you do, Ricket?”
“Yes and no, Captain. Beatrice has a vast language database,” he said, referring to his own internal AI, named Beatrice.
“Well, don’t just stand there—hurry up, ask the beast to put the ship down!”
Ricket, his attention on the looming face above them, rattled off a mixture of squeals and whines that Jason didn’t understand. The swine’s eyes widened and its large head tilted both left and right. What emanated from its mouth next was deafeningly loud and Jason and Ricket protectively turned their heads off to the side. Jason raised his multi-gun—readying himself, if necessary, to fire.
“Captain,” Ricket said.
Jason looked down at the small Craing and saw fear in Ricket’s face. “What did it say?” Jason asked.
“Two words: intruder. And kill.”
Both Jason and Ricket lost their balance as the beast frantically began to stomp around. Jason hoped the team below had enough good sense to get the hell out of the way.
“You ready to drop that big pig, Cap?” came Billy’s voice.
Before he could answer, an influx of even louder noises surrounded them. More nearly identical creatures had joined the fray. He turned, noting Ricket was now gone. He’d either slid off the fuselage or phase-shifted away. The gyrating motion of the ship had made it impossible to stay here. Jason phase-shifted down to the surface and saw Ricket was there and getting back up to his feet. Around them were a dozen or more swine-like beasts. Open mouthed, he watched as the Stellar was tossed around among them. Flipping end over end, the vessel was nearly dropped. Sounds of screeching filled the jungle air as their game of catch continued.
Boomer (Star Watch Book 3) Page 11
