Inhalt
Titel
Copyright
Note from the author
Glossary
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
Kidnapping Keela
Lords of Arr'Carthian Book 1
by Cathy McAllister
Science Fiction Romance
Kidnapping Keela
Cathy McAllister
English Edition 2014
German Edition 2013
copyright © 2013/2014 by Cathy McAllister
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/McAllisterCathy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/McAllisterCathy
Translation: Louise Sweeney
© Cover Art by jdesign.at
Fotos: bigstockphoto.de
Note from the author
Dear Readers,
‘Kidnapping Keela’ is a Sci-Fi Romance and you will therefore come across unusual names, unknown races and planets, as well as things that I have simply invented.
To make it easier for my readers, here is a short glossary, in alphabetical order, to help you.
‘Kidnapping Keela’ is the first in my new series, so do not be concerned if not everything is fully explained, as some things will not be further developed or solved until the later books.
I now wish you much enjoyment and hope that ‘Kidnapping Keela’ will give you a several hours of reading pleasure.
Cathy McAllister
Characters in this book
Abziarr
King of the house of Arr'Verkuzzi – shoulder-length black hair, brown eyes
Alic
Younger brother of Abziarr
Amano
Captain of the Carthians and Marruk‘s Cousin – Latino-Type, long black hair, brown eyes
Amber
Keela’s friend – brown hair, brown eyes – nurse
Ayakala
Fellow prisoner on Xevus3
Bajaja
The Carthian magician
Balda
Carthian warrior
Bebenile
Fellow prisoner on Xevus3
Berka
Marruk‘s Bruder – long, blond hair, turquoise-coloured eyes
Bobus
Auctioneer at the slave market in Betzlawk
Ceyla
Intelligent computer system in the Arr'Carthian palace
Charly
Keela’s friend – red hair, green eyes, freckles – computer programmer
Dunba
Carthian warrior
Ellyod Allegrass
Notorious space pirate
Jeffe
Carthian warrior
Jukuzala
Ayakala’s daughter
Jusabor
Carthian warrior
Keela
Main protagonist – light blond hair, green eyes – survival trainer
Kemal
Carthian warrior
Kerretin
Carthian warrior
Knirrgn Arghagn
Ormka warrior
Kolisz
Navigator on the Cordelia
Kordan
Carthian General and Marruk’s cousin – short blond hair, icey blue eyes, two meters twenty tall
Kovin
Guard at the slave compound on Xevus3
Lamick
Master of security at the Arr'Carthian palace
Lamiha
Carthian warrior
Lomkas
Abziarr’s close confidant
Lory
Keela’s friend – black hair, blue eyes –
FBI-agent
Lurruk
Carthian warrior
Luvoka
Officer on the Cordelia
Maara
Intelligent computer system in the Verkuzzi castle– sensitive and a little moody
Malaka
Guard in Marruk‘s castle
Mangan
Guard in Marruk’s castle and spy for Abziarr
Marruk
Main protagonist – long, brown hair, turqoise-coloured eyes – Heir to the throne in the House of Arr'Carthian
Marsael
Abziarr’s magician
Moreena
Queen of the House of Arr'Carthian
Morika
Marruk‘s first mate (deceased)
Mortociar
King of the House of Arr'Carthian
Niminita
Ayakala’s daughter
Olchak
Kolisz‘ son
Polchin ab'n Kuzarr
The man who bought Keela, Amber and Solima and right-hand man of the space pirate Ellyod Allegrass
Quartar
Carthian warrior
Solima
Marruk’s daughter – long, black plaits, turqoise-coloured eyes – ten years old
Trinko
Carthian warrior
Ulhgrang ign Ifzarghn
King of the Ormkas
Races
Carthians
The race of the main character, Marruk – royal lineage of the Arr'Carthian – cheetah shifters – lives to the south of the Jade Mountains
Mesuthoms
Morika’s race – Royal lineage of the Arr'Lothian – Wolf shifters – lives to the east of the Carthians
Moliws
A race living in seclusion – royal lineage of the Arr'Dragon – dragon shifters – lives to the west of the Carthians in the Mountain of Wisdom
Ormkas
Giant species from the planet Kergnirr9 – mainly pirates, slave traders, weapons dealers or drugdealers
Spurk
A humanoid race dwelling on Xevus3, but who originated on a planet that was destroyed several hundred years ago
Verkuzzi
The race of Abziarr – Royal lineage of the Arr'Verkuzzi – tiger shifters – lives to the north of the Jade Mountains
Further key words
Arr'Carthian
Royal lineage of the Carthians
Arr'Verkuzzi
Royal lineage of the Verkuzzi
Betzlawk
Capital city of Xevus3
Black Guards
Clothes maker
Police unit of the United Galactic Federation. They control all main trading towns and space ports on the planets in the Federation.
A machine that automatically produces and fits clothing.
Cordelia
Desert koloch
The Carthian space ship
Small lizard-like species on the desert planet Xevus3
Federation Time
7067 years ago the planets in the United Galactic Federation agreed upon a common division of time, as follows:
The Federation year has 11 months, each with 34 days.
1st Month – Dezeno
2nd Month – Farris
3rd Month – Kindur
4th Month – Jakus
5th Month – Manao
6th Month – Ferras
7th Month – Lumino
8th Month – Gablas
9th Month – Kunes
10th Month – Jenebe
11th Month – Finales
One day consists of 25 standard hours
A standard hour consists of 50 minutes
A standard minute consists of 50 seconds
Glider
The mode of transport on the planet Karrx7 is about as wide as a jeep but twice as long. The vehicle looks like a sledge with a g
lass roof and has three rows of seats and a large luggage compartment at the back. It can be driven hovering above the ground or flown high in the air.
Jade Mountains
A mountain range lying between the Carthian and the Verkuzzi regions.
Karrx7
Home planet of Marruk. A planet, that is largely wooded with several big mountains and lakes. A third of its surface is made up of the sea.
Kondorr
Marruk‘s pergamo
Luvr6 Moon
A moon on which shady characters spend time. A place for all possible types of illegal businesses and pleasures.
Mananao7
A planet in the Y-Quadrant – seat of the High Council of the United Galactic Federation
Medical unit
A small room containing a regeneration bed. In
the medical unit all illnesses and injuries can be automatically recognised through scanning and they can also be treated. The medical unit contains various independantly functioning machines, lasers and monitors to watch over, operate on and treat the patients.
Pergamo
Animal similar to a horse with a horn on its forehead that changes in colour according to its mood.
Poku
Carthian ball game, similar to football.
Rennmokus
A fast animal on Karrx7 – round, furry body with six legs – long, bald neck and bald head.
Shanika
Snail-like animal on Karrx7
Sillinge
Long, small fish – prefers shallow streams – yellow meat, high in protein and low in fat.
Tajaka
Refreshing drink containing wine and various fruit juices
Trommy
Solima‘s pergamo
Uluah2
Home planet of Ayakala, Jukuzala, Niminita and Bebenile
United Galactic Federation
Union of planets – seat of the High Council situated on the planet of Mananao7
Wakazabu
Card game played with high stakes
Xevus3
Desert planet in the Kanavirius System
Chapter 1
Somewhere in Montana, USA
15th May 2027
Keela pushed back against the trunk of the huge oak tree behind her. She took a tighter grip on the hunting knife that her dad had given her for her twelfth birthday. It was a good blade but it was going to be impossible to kill all of these creatures with it. She may manage to kill one of them but there were definitely far too many. She could not believe that she had not brought her gun. It would have certainly helped in this wretched situation rather than uselessly lying around in her cabin. But what was the point of beating herself up over her lack of fore-thought? She could not change things now. If there was one thing that she had learnt in life, it was that you cannot correct all of your mistakes. And the way things were looking this was going to be the last mistake that she ever made in her life.
“Go away! You wretched beasts! One of you is going to die before I do, be very sure about that. You disgusting creatures! Down! Go away.”
The beasts growled threateningly. The sound went right through Keela. The hair at the back of her neck stood on end and her breathing came heavily and irregularly. It was her anger that stopped her from collapsing. Even if she had no chance, she was not going to go down without a fight.
“Yes, that’s right! I’m really angry that you’ve ruined my evening and when I’m angry I can be very unpleasant. So, do yourselves a favour and go away! GET LOST!”
The four pairs of yellow eyes staring at her through the dusky light of twilight seemed to be unimpressed with her little burst of outrage. She heard growling again and the beast to the left of Keela was baring its long, yellow teeth. The beast’s mangy fur was standing on end and it had assumed a crouching position, lying in wait. Keela had already worked out that this must be the leader. If this beast attacked, then his companions would follow. She thought she could actually smell the beasts’ anticipation. She could not see a lot in the twilight, but she was certain that saliva was already dripping from their jaws.
Keela had been in her boss’s little hunting cabin for two weeks, trying to recover after her separation from her fiancée, Jake. They had already fixed the wedding date when this pig suddenly decided to fall in love with her best friend. So now she was no longer her best friend! May she be happy with this cheating, lousy, lying son-of-a-bitch. Other mothers had nice sons, too. Right now she was not thinking of trying again, though. Men could keep right away from her for a while. And anyway, it looked as if this was not going to be a problem any longer: she was not going to survive this, so there was no need to worry about men now. If only she had not come here. Instead she could have accepted her friend Susan’s offer and spent two weeks with her in Miami. But she had not been in the mood for sun, beach and beach boys.
Here, in the seclusion of the mountains, she wanted to find herself again. She had taken a four-week holiday from her job as a survival trainer for bored managers. Her boss had been very understanding about her emotional state and at the moment there was not a great deal of work on anyway. So he had offered Keela the chance to recover a little in his solitary cabin. She was an outdoor type and she knew how to cope alone in the wild. At least she thought so – until now. It had been silly of her to leave the cabin so late, more or less unarmed. She should have known better than to do something that she had always warned her clients against: never make the mistake of feeling too safe!
She knew that there were wolves here. But she had just wanted to fetch something from her car that was in the shed a good half a mile below the cabin. Normally the wolves did not come this close to it. On the way back she had been aware of movement to her right and to her left, but she was exactly half way back: no matter which direction she chose, she would not be able to escape from the beasts. Her only chance was to protect her back with the thick oak tree and try to defend herself with her knife.
Who are you trying to fool, Keela? You don’t stand a chance!
As far as she could work out, there were four wolves - too many to expect to survive. Strangely she felt no fear - only anger - anger towards Jake because she had only come here because of him - anger towards herself because she had left the protection of the cabin without a weapon - and anger towards these disgusting beasts who had chosen her for their dinner.
“GO AWAY! GET LOST!” she roared at the top of her voice. “I’m going to make wolf stew out of you!”
Suddenly the beasts started whimpering and pulled their shaggy tails down. With a howling they disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Keela could hardly believe it. Had she really driven the beasts away?
“Ha! If I’d known that you’re cowardly bastards!”she shouted after them.
A growling behind her, quite different from that of the wolves, made the hairs on her neck stand on end. Her stomach knotted and this time fear crept with icey-cold fingers over her tensed body. Now she could understand how some people wet themselves in situations where they were scared to death. She only hoped that she would spare herself that humiliation.
“Oh, shit!” she whispered in horror.
Part of her wanted to turn around to see what sort of beast was after her this time, but another part of her did not want to know. It sounded too terrible. She had never before heard such a frightening sound. No animal known to her made such a sound. It was not good. It was not at all good!
The undergrowth cracked behind her and she could now hear strange hissing and growling sounds that almost sounded like a language. There were clearly several creatures, and it sounded as if they were talking. Her heart was pounding and her knees shaking as she turned to look behind the trunk of the oak. What she saw made her blood freeze: three huge, terrifying creatures were coming towards her. They were built more or less like humans, but with only a vertical slit for a nose, red eyes and pointed teeth filling their mouths. Their long, felt-like hair looked more like a lion’s mane and wa
s a greyish-blue colour. The beasts must have been two and a half meters tall and built like fighting machines. They were wearing a type of uniform and carrying strange weapons.
“Oh! My! God!” cried Keela.
Please let this be a dream - or make me unconscious.
But nothing of the sort happened. The creatures were real and her damn body could do nothing but simply stand paralysed and wait. She could not even close her eyes to the horror. What she was looking at was either the result of some experiment by the US army or these were – she did not even want to consider this possibility – aliens!
***
Somewhere in the far reaches of the universe
Keela’s head was thumping horribly and she was groaning in pain. She was freezing and she felt strangely giddy, as if she had drunk too much. What had happened? Had she had an accident? Where was she? She tentatively opened her eyes and whimpered as bright light blinded her. She turned to the side and saw a young woman sitting opposite her on a plank-bed, smiling at her pitifully.
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