Tamika lowered herself so he would not see her looking through the window. Jhovahkan again turned his focus back to Luanren.
She lifted up again and looked at the two. Once again, he broke off his stare and focused at the windows. She could feel his mind probing for her. She only had one course of action; she would have to confront the two of them. She could not keep him from sensing her presence any longer.
Tamika concentrated one last time to maintain her veil and hoped that she was strong enough to resist the powerful mind manipulation of her brother.
She came around to the front and boldly entered the front door with full expectation that his mind manipulation over her mother would be interrupted, giving Tamika the edge over the situation.
Jhovahkan lowered his hands and turned toward her, “My dear sister, Tamika... So good of you to come to us tonight. Where did you disappear to today? We were all concerned for you, my dear.”
“I left with everyone else,” she said with a blank stare and an emotionless voice, “You must have missed me. It was a very large crowd.” Tamika attempted to change the subject, “I enjoyed your speech today, my brother. It was…edifying.”
“Oh come now, my sister,” Jhovahkan said, cutting Tamika off in midsentence, “do you take me for a fool?”
“No, my brother, I do not take you for a fool. That is one thing I can say about…”
Jhovahkan interrupted his sister one more time, “I know why you left. I know why you wanted to get away.”
“You do?” Tamika asked with a slight waver in her voice.
“Yes, my sister, it is all right. I completely understand,” he said with confidence.
“My brother, I do not mean to disrespect…”
“Sister!” he said abruptly, “Why of course you don’t. You see, you are sad and frightened about losing your power crystal. You thought I would be angry with you for not being able to stop Jhahnahkan from killing our father today.”
“Jhovahkan!” she began to shout.
“Now, now, my dear,” he said with a calming tone, “you did what any loving daughter would have done. I do not hold that against you, my sweet sister, Tamika.”
Tamika started to speak again. Jhovahkan reached up with his first finger and pressed it to her lips. “Shh, hush now,” he said softly. “There is no need to be frightened. We will correct this problem.” Jhovahkan reassured her, “Tomorrow, at first light, we will meet at the council chamber, where I will send you to the Crystal Mountains. There, you will find a new power crystal, one that will be yet even more powerful than the last.”
Tamika faked a smile back at his brother and threw her arms around her brother, giving him a squeeze, “I am so glad you understand, my brother. I was afraid you would not have understood my predicament.”
“Yes, my sister,” Jhovahkan said, returning her embrace, “all will be restored to you. We will forge ahead with my battle plans.”
“Yes, my brother,” she said with full assurance that she had hid the truth from her brother.
“Tomorrow, after you have claimed your new crystal, we will fit your ship, the Crytore, with one of the very first crystal tuners,” Jhovahkan said as he pulled away, holding his sister by her shoulders.
Tamika continued to stare straight ahead. Jhovahkan stared deep into her eyes one last time, looking for something in her that might not be right. Confident that she was telling him the truth, he turned from his sister and returned his gaze at Luanren.
Her blank stare was enough reassurance in her eyes that he turned, reached into his cloak, pulled out his master crystal, and held it out before him.
Jhovahkan focused for only a moment before a vortex opened in front of him. He turned and looked at the two one last time, “Until tomorrow,” he said as he stepped through the vortex, which abruptly closed behind him.
Tamika turned to her mother, who was still standing in the center of the room with that blank stare on her face. She grabbed her mother by the shoulders and shook her in hopes that she would come out of the trance. With no effect, she stepped back for a moment and said, “Mother, forgive me. This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.”
Tamika swung at her mother with her fist and struck her with an uppercut. Her swing would have made any fighter proud. The blow caused Luanren to fall to the ground unconscious. Tamika searched her mother for the power crystal within her garment. Taking it out, she removed the crystal from its black cloth and held it.
She stood over her mother and looked at the power crystal, “You will not hold my family under your power any longer!”
Tamika raised the crystal high over her head and threw it to the ground with a powerful force. The crystal smashed into what seemed like a thousand pieces, and a loud crack was heard followed by a thunderous sound that resonated in the air as it split apart. The fractured power crystal fragments lay on the ground and began to lose its glow as it slowly faded into a dull pile of useless glass.
Tamika went over to where her mother lay on the ground. Luanren began to stir and was still dazed and confused.
“Come on, Mother, we need to get out of here before my brother discovers what I have done.”
Helping her mother to her feet, the two stumbled out the door as they made their way into the night.
* * *
Palace Launch Pad
Tamika led the way to the flight launch pad where her shuttle was parked. The sleek low-profile design of Tamika’s shuttle made it easy to help her dazed mother into the cockpit. She fastened Luanren with the shoulder straps and tightened them down just a bit tighter than usual.
“Sorry about that, Mother. I think this may be a bit of a bumpy ride tonight,” Tamika said to herself quietly.
She quickly climbed into her seat, fastened down her restraints, and turned on the power to the control panel. She flipped switches and pressed buttons, which closed the canopy over them, and the sound of rushing wind was heard as the cockpit sealed shut. The shuttle’s systems powered up, the lights came on the dash, while Tamika flew through the preflight checklist.
“I really do not have time for this,” she exclaimed as she decided to forgo the rest of the flight check. Tamika powered up the ship’s engines and lifted the nose up into the air and sent the small craft hurling into the night sky.
She clicked on the microphone, “Base Control, this is Lady Tamika of the high council. Please give me shield access codes.”
“This is Base Control,” the radio squawked, “Good evening, Madam Tamika. Please state the purpose of your business.”
“Our high council leader has requested that I prepare the Crytore for my crystal tuner tomorrow. I am personally going to inspect my ship for our readiness,” Tamika said in a convincing voice.
“One moment madam. I need to verify your access.” The radio fell silent for a few moments. Tamika began to worry if they were going to be granted access when the radio suddenly came back to life, “Access codes have been authorized. Stand by for download.”
Tamika gave a sigh of relief as the access codes began to program her shuttles path through the planetary shields. The shuttle began to pitch and yaw as the access code programming corrected her flight.
“Computer,” Tamika commanded, “prepare to switch to space flight control.”
The computer chimed in, “I am sorry. Unable to comply. Our current flight path is not set for orbit.”
“Explain where we are going then?” she exclaimed.
“We are on approach to Base Control docking station three,” the computer answered.
“Ah no!” she shouted, “I was afraid of this. Computer, disengage autopilot and purge access codes.”
“Access code deleted,” the computer complied.
“Computer, switch to manual control and power up weapons!”
The computer made some bleeping and whirring sounds as the shuttle’s computer followed its pilot’s instructions.
Tamika continued on the current course without deviation as
to not alert Base Control of her plans. She flew closer and closer to the control hangar while she scanned the base of the huge control platform’s structure for one of the main shield generators.
“Aha,” she said with a smile, “I found you. Looks like I was right about the bumpy ride, Mother.”
Tamika broke her flight path and headed straight for the shield generator, “Hold on. Here we go!”
She pressed the firing trigger on her main weapons array and fired a stream of laser blasts at the shield generator. The laser blasts made contact in just the right spot, causing the generator to explode. A small hole was detected by Tamika’s computer as the planetary shield’s power drained.
“There, our exit point. Computer, give me full power to the rear shields. Switch to space flight,” Tamika said with excitement, “Fly in defensive mode and plot a course to the Crytore.”
The computer took over with autopilot and followed its instructions as she flew the shuttle through the small opening in the planetary shield, narrowly missing the huge base station as they flew by.
“Now that is how it is done!” she said to herself. “Computer, open a channel to the Crytore.”
“Channel open,” the computer replied.
“Crytore, this is Lady Tamika, come in,” she barked.
“This is the Crytore. What in the blazes is going on over there?” her first officer asked.
“No time to explain. Fire up the power drive and leave orbit. Prepare for slipstream drive and open the shuttle doors. I am going to be coming in hot.”
The computer interrupted her communication, “Several fighters approaching on an intercept course.”
“Evasive maneuvers. Increase to emergency speed!”
“Warning,” the computer reported, “exceeding recommended hull specifications. A hull breach may occur if we continue beyond maximum safe speed.”
“Override!” she shouted back. “Boost the shield output. She will hold together,” Tamika ordered with confidence.
As she approached the Crytore, she saw the hangar bay doors open ready to receive them as the huge battle cruiser powered up its engines and began to move away from the planet. The fighters began to lose distance and fired their missiles at Tamika’s shuttle, and then they broke off their attack.
“Warning! Incoming missiles,” the computer alerted.
“Fire all countermeasures,” Tamika ordered as she continued toward the Crytore.
The computer fired all the shuttle’s countermeasures, and they exploded behind her just in time to prevent the attack. The shock wave of the exploding missiles rocked the shuttle back and forth and made a loud groaning sound from within the cockpit as the limits of the shuttle’s hull reached critical stages.
The rocking of the shuttle was enough to awaken the slumbering Luanren. She opened her eyes and let out a slight scream of panic, not knowing where she was or how she got there.
Tamika took notice of her mother regaining consciousness, “Hello, Mother, glad you could make it to the party.”
“Wha—what is going on? Where am I?” Luanren exclaimed.
“I do not have time to explain now,” Tamika answered quickly.
“We are in a bit of a situation.”
Looking over at her daughter with panic on her face, she answered, “I can see that.”
Realizing her mother was no longer under the power of her brother’s mind manipulation, she instructed Luanren to take the weapon’s control. “There is another group of fighters approaching on a new intercept course. I need you to fight them off while I try to land this thing.”
“You got it, honey. With pleasure,” Luanren answered with enthusiasm.
“I am glad to see you are back. Do you remember anything?”
“Yes,” she answered, “everything, including being punched by my daughter.”
With the new squadron of fighters approaching, Tamika flew her shuttle with erratic movements in hopes to shake them off their tail. Luanren began to fire the laser blasters, knocking three of the fighters into exploding debris.
“Good job, Mother! There are just a few left!” Tamika shouted.
“Yes, I got this,” Luanren shouted back as she took aim for the remaining fighters.
The laser blasts came from both fighters and shuttle as they weaved in and out and all around as each side attempted to navigate the spray of lasers.
Two more fighters were hit, causing them to break off the attack. Now with only two left, the fighters closed in on their target. Luanren made another direct hit, taking out one more fighter, leaving only one more approaching fighter, which continued to fire upon the now-fugitive shuttle.
“We are hit!” Tamika exclaimed. “Number 2 engine is down. We are going to have to use the booster to power us the rest of the way!”
The approaching Crytore was spinning just ahead of them and now within the firing range of the behemoth vessel.
Tthe last fighter broke off its attack in order to save themselves certain death.
“Mother, I need you to help me stabilize us.”
The Crytore’s rotation appeared to begin to slow as they began to match the shuttle’s approaching spin.
The intercom once again came on. “We are matching your approach vector. We have prepared the hangar bay for an emergency landing.”
“Thanks. I think it is going to be a rough landing. Hang on!” Tamika shouted over the intercom. The crew of the Crytore could hear the screaming voices of two really panicked women as the shuttle flew into the landing bay. The emergency restraint system caught the shuttle and, with a violent jerk, stopped the small ship as it banged and pitched the craft, bringing it to rest on the floor of the hangar. The huge bay doors began to roll closed, and the pressure returned to a normal atmosphere.
The two made their way quickly to the bridge of the Crytore. The crew looked back and saw the approaching Telenian, Jhahnahkan’s ship now commanded by Panru.
The first officer stepped over behind the helm. “We had better get that slipstream engaged and soon.”
The Telenian, with its engines blazing, closed in on the Crytore.
* * *
Chapter 6 – Relationships
Earth: Year 1983
Katie finished dressing Jhahnahkan’s head wounds and asked him his name again. “So ya never told me your name, mister.”
Jhahnahkan began to lift up off the table, and Kate abruptly pushed him back down flat on his back.
“Not so fast there. You need to lie down and rest a spell,” Kate said with a commanding voice.
“Ya better listen to what she says there, ma friend,” Rex added. “You’ll regret it if ya don’t.”
“Rex,” Kate said, looking up, “why don’t you go out and make sure them Russell boys haven’t come back and then check with Glenda to see if she needs anything.”
“You got it, ma’am,” Rex said as he got up from the chair he was sitting on.
Kate waited for Rex to leave and then looked around the corner to make sure he wasn’t in earshot. Then she returned to her patient’s side.
“So you really need to tell me about who you are,” Kate said as she leaned down close to Jhahnahkan’s face.
“My name is Jhahnahkan of the house of Sö’,” he said with a startled look on his face. “Do not ask me how I know that. I only am starting to remember some things.”
“Hmmm, Jhahnahkan,” she said with a puzzled look, “people around here don’t go by such exotic names. Let’s call you John for now, huh?”
“That will be fine,” Jhahnahkan said, wincing slightly with pain.
“Oh, and another thing, haven’t you ever heard about using contractions?”
“Contractions? I do not know what that is.”
“You know, instead of do not, you say don’t, haven’t instead of have not. That’s what a compound word is. You need to start sounding like you are from around here or you might find yourself in a heap of trouble with the locals,” Kate said as she smiled at him.
“I will try. I’ll try harder, Kate.”
“Hey, you’re a quick study,” she said as she took his hand in hers and gently caressed it. “I hope you don’t mind. I just want to help you feel better.”
“Yes, that does feel nice,” he said, looking into her eyes.
“Do you have anyone special from wherever you come from?”
“If you are referring to a companion, then no, not that I remember.”
“Hmmm,” Kate said with hope in her voice, “well, that is surprising to me. You are kind of cute.”
“Hey,” Jhahnahkan said with a half smile, “no contractions? What ever happened to you’re and that’s?”
“Ah, you caught me,” Kate said with a laugh. “It does grow on ya, you know, not using contractions. I will remember that from now on.”
“I think you’re making fun of me, Kate.”
Kate just looked into his eyes and smiled, which led to a moment of awkward silence for the two. She squeezed his hand slightly and then patted the back of his hand.
“We really need to find out who you are and where you came from, Mr. Jhahnahkan of the house of Sö’.”
“I am starting to remember a few things. I have a brother and a half sister. I know this will sound very strange to you, but I do not come from Earth.”
“I figured that out after I saw your performance in the back parking lot.”
“I don’t mean to scare you.”
Kate interrupted Jhahnahkan. “Don’t be silly. I think it’s intriguing. Besides, you’re not the first extraterrestrial I’ve ever met.”
“What do you mean, Kate?”
“I mean, there is this strange woman that showed up here a few years ago. She lives in the desert, just east of Phillmore. Stays to herself for the most part. Most people leave her alone. I befriended her. Guess I’m the only one in the town that has. She’s told me some pretty weird stories,” she said then paused. “And she talks a lot like you.”
“I think I really do need to meet her. I feel she may hold the key to my memory,” Jhahnahkan said.
“There is one more thing,” Kate said with a slight hesitation in her voice.
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