Off in the distance he saw a figure laying half in the river on the bank up ahead. He rushed over to aid what appeared to be his grandmother. He sat his backpack and machete on the ground next to them. He needed to keep his weapons close at hand as he could feel danger looming nearby.
He rolled over the almost lifeless body only to discover it was indeed Helen.
“What took you so long, my grandson?” she struggled to say. Her limp body lay lifeless on the mud of the bank.
He shushed her to keep her quiet. “You need to lay still. Save your energy my grandmother.”
“I did it…” she slowly said, “I have killed that wretched woman.”
“Tell me later of this…” he said as he examined Helen’s injuries. “Where are you hurt?”
“It is my left wrist,” she said with pain in her voice. “I think it is broken.”
“Just hang on…” he said in a comforting voice, “I’ll get you outta here.”
Jhahnahkan looked up to see two adult Klendessa coming into view on opposite sides. The two beasts where nearly sixteen feet tall and were both male, as well as both very angry. They each looked at each other sizing one another up and then at the two below. They each wanted to be dominated and were very motivated by hunger.
The two Klendessa’s charged one another and locked their short, tri-claw arms. They swiped their claws at each other while gnawing at each other’s necks with their powerful protruding fangs.
Jhahnahkan and Helen were powerless with the presence of the two massive creatures. The tail of one of them brushed his machete into the river while the other had stepped on his backpack crushing his radio.
Jhahnahkan protected Helen by covering her with his body as he leaned over and spread his arms. He began to concentrate on creating a vortex in spite of the two massive creatures fighting above them, knowing that they both intended on using them as a meal.
* * *
Chapter 4
Escape
Leif Erikson
Shuttle Transport
En-Route to Ziton Moon Base Docking Station
Year: 2983
Soon after Jhahnahkan dispatched a special squadron to escort his brother from the Leif Erikson and to the courts on Ackturra, they departed for the Ziton Base.
The shuttle was equipped with double armor plating and an enhanced force field to protect the ship from attack.
Its engines were a modified V-5 technology to fit the smaller hull.
This little ship had slipstream capability so it could escape and run if there were issues when transporting their prisoner.
There was the North faction that, even though had agreed to the temporary ceasefire, they could attack the transport and take back Jhovahkan.
On board the armored transport were seven soldiers, an officer in command and his pilot. The soldiers were equipped with heavy armored breast plates, arm and leg coverings and a helmet complete with heads up displays showing them maps they could follow as well as communications and any other information that may be useful. They each carried a laser rifle which is also fitted with a grenade launcher.
The officer was equipped with a power crystal; temporarily approved by Qiaoshan to prevent any stealth attempts to interfere with the return of Jhahnahkan’s brother.
The shuttle entered orbit after successfully passing through the planetary shields. Pilot Phash was at the controls. He was chosen due to his great expertise with flying shuttles and fighters and getting them out of tough situations. Phash was known for his ability to think fast and to know when to take extreme chances.
Officer Dammoru was personally chosen by Qiaoshan as one of his closest security officers.
Qiaoshan knew full well that Dammoru would not let anything prevent him from completing any task assigned.
This assignment was no different to Dammoru. He stood in command of the transport, briefing his men even as they were en route. He was determined in ensuring his soldiers understood the task at hand. His career was in the hands of his men on this one, and he was not about to let this mission fail and dishonor Qiaoshan in his selection.
Captain Dammoru stood five feet six inches tall. His short, but stout, presence was offset by his large muscle bound arms and legs. His thick neck and short cut stubble hair, made him look angry all the time. He gnashed his teeth as he talked causing his jowls to pulsate and throb.
“Captain,” Phash said as he manipulated the shuttle into orbit, “we are on course to the Ziton base and will dock with the Leif Erikson in fifteen minutes.”
“Acknowledged,” Captain Dammoru answered in his gruff voice.
“Men,” he said to his troops. “This mission is no different than any other you have completed in your career; most of them under my command. I will not accept failure on anyone’s part.” He shouted at them as if he were a drill sergeant.
“Sir, yes, sir!” they all replied in unison.
“Everyone must remain calm and focused on the task at hand,” Dammoru continued. “You have all been briefed and know your part. You have all been chosen because you stand out above your peers… you are the best of the best.”
“Sir, yes, sir!” they all acknowledged with pride.
“Let me go over the mission one last time…” he said, putting his hands on his hips. “We will arrive and board the Leif Erikson at the Ziton Base at precisely fourteen hundred hours. You will march double file after the first soldier and myself who will lead the way to the holding cell. Once we have arrived and I have processed the prisoner for transport, the sergeant and I shall enter the outer area where I will use my power crystal to open a section in the holding field. Jhovahkan will be instructed to present his wrists to be bound. The rest of you will wait with your weapons charged in the entrance hallway. I will extract him from the cell and we will promptly return double file to the transport. The pilot will have the transport engines already powered up and pre-flight check complete. Once we have secured Jhovahkan to the specially fitted restraint station, the pilot will take off and return to the Ackturrian council where he will be escorted to his maximum security cell. There he shall await trial for his crimes.”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
“But our mission does not end there!” he again shouted ensuring that he had their attention.
“Sir, yes, sir!”
“We will be on watch around the clock before, during, and after trial.”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
“Sir,” Phash said almost interrupting his captain. “I have contacted the Ziton base and they are ready to receive us.”
The crew looked out the front of the shuttle to see the Ziton base roll its massive camouflaged doors open which exposed the Leif. Below on the landing pad, the Leif Erikson was ready and waiting for the transport arrival.
Phash adjusted his approach to line up with the shuttle bay entry doors on the Leif.
“Transport Shuttle,” the watch commander radioed. “You have clearance to enter the base… passing you over to the Leif Erikson docking bay. Please acknowledge.”
Phash returned his radio frequency and transponder codes to the Leif and waited for landing instructions.
The computer received the landing instructions and began to take over with autopilot.
“Not so fast computer,” Phash said as he overrode the controls, “I am taking her in manually.
There is nothing like piloting for myself.”
“Is it true?” Dammoru asked. “You never fly with autopilot?”
“There is a time and place for autopilot. However, I still prefer the feeling of controlling the bird for myself. A good pilot can sense when something is not right just by the feel of the controls.”
“Excellent,” Dammoru replied. “Then I can trust we are in your capable hands… bring her in.”
Phash finalized his approach and slowed the transport to docking speeds. He lowered the landing struts and ran through his pre-landing checklist. With everything in order he gently set the armored tra
nsport down into the landing bay of the Leif Erikson.
As he touched down the ship bounced up and then back down settling into position as the piston shock absorbers helped to control and stabilize the ship.
The engines were run down to idle but Phash kept them hot for a speedy get away. He looked up through the upper hatch above his head to see the Leif Erikson close them within the landing bay.
The Moon base watch commander had been instructed to not close down the outer doors and would take the small risk of exposing the base for just a few minutes as the team aboard the shuttle prepared to extract Jhovahkan from the holding cell. Dammoru had estimated a total time of fifteen minutes from landing to take off.
The landing bay of the Leif pressurized and the shuttle unlocked its rear exit lowing it like a platform they would use to march out from the shuttle.
The hatch cracked open with a snap and a whoosh as the air between the two air locks equalized in pressure. Captain Dammoru took charge and commanded his troops to fall into the tight formation they had been instructed to follow. He led them through the bay and into the main corridor of the Leif. His first sergeant led the pack using his heads up map which would quickly lead them to the brig where Jhovahkan was held.
The halls of the ship had been previously scanned and then cleared with force beams at each doorway keeping any and all unauthorized crew from accidently coming into the extraction path.
When they arrived at the brig, the captain punched in a pre-arranged security code to unlock the outer door. The door swooshed open to expose a large outer hall with one main control desk inside which was manned by two heavily armed guards.
Captain Dammoru approached the two guards, reached into his breast pocket and withdrew the electronic orders signed by Jhahnahkan to transport his brother to the High Council to face charges.
One of the guards seemingly to be in charge examined the forms on the screen. He turned to his assistant and gave the go ahead to open the inner door to Jhovahkan’s cell. No words were exchanged as each looked intently in each other’s eyes as if they both knew the severity of this mission.
After the two acknowledged the transfer was authorized, the main guard unlocked the outer holding cell with the pass code from his console. The door snapped unlocked and slowly rolled open exposing the holding cell.
Dammoru and his first sergeant entered the holding cell. The door slowly closed behind and the lights lit up the room.
Jhovahkan was sitting on his lonely bench behind the force shield. His legs were crossed and he appeared to be in deep thought or meditation. Jhovahkan noticed the officer and sergeant entering the room and he opened one eye to peer at the two. He stood from his meditation position and stepped over to the edge of the force field. He was so close that he could already begin to feel electrical discharges traveling all over his entire body.
“Well, well, well,” he said mockingly, “look who has come to pay homage. Captain
Dammoru, the high council security chief. How have you been?”
Dammoru only stared back at his prisoner as he reached into his coat and extracted the power crystal. This crystal was green in color and had the special ability to extend force fields and absorb energy. He held it out before him and caused it to begin to glow that all too familiar shimmer that Jhovahkan was so fond of.
“I see you have brought me a present…” Jhovahkan mused knowing full well that Dammoru would not let his crystal fall into the wrong hands. “Oh… what’s that you say?” he again mocked as he paused resting his hands on his hips, “You did not come here to free me? Oh… I know what you are here for!” he exclaimed. “Let me guess… ‘You are here to take me prisoner back to Ackturra.’ You are going to bring me before my brother who has now, somehow, taken over the high council.”
Dammoru only smiled as he grew upon the glowing crystal. He stepped over to the force shield and pointed the tip of his crystal at the shield and then moved it forward connecting the crystal onto the energy field. Two holes in the shield opened on either side of the glowing crystal. They were just large enough for a pair of hands to pass through.
“I know the drill…” Jhovahkan sighed as he reached willingly with his hands through the two holes.
The sergeant stepped up to the shield reluctantly and shackled his arms with two bands. He stepped back and pressed a few buttons on his waist controller causing a beam to engage keeping Jhovahkan’s arms bound.
“Yeah, you better step back boy,” Jhovahkan directed toward the sergeant, “I am a mean one ya know.”
Not impressed, the sergeant stepped closer just to annoy their prisoner.
Jhovahkan pulled back connecting his magnetic shackles to the force shield in hopes that the energy surge would short out the bands giving him a free moment to take advantage of the situation. Almost as fast as he connected with the shield, Dammoru terminated the energy now surrounding Jhovahkan. The field swirled and twisted around his body from the momentary surge.
Unfortunately for Jhovahkan, his actions only worsened his quick attempt since the energy surge over his body knocked him out cold.
The two looked at each other in disbelief and then chuckled as they shook their heads. “Well,” the sergeant said, “he is making our job too easy.”
They each lifted him off the ground carrying him to the shuttle. So far, Dammoru’s timing of the mission was perfect.
His small troupe of soldiers led the way into the shuttle bay where Phash was waiting in the shuttle cockpit, engines fired up and were ready to go.
When Phash was notified they were nearly at the shuttle bay, he roared the engines and then back down while quickly running through his flight checklist.
The team entered the shuttle from the rear door and secured the now dazed Jhovahkan. The sergeant placed his shackled hands into grooves on the table in front of the seat they had placed him in. He pushed a couple of more buttons on his waist controller, which caused the shackles to be locked down firmly on the table making it impossible for any prisoner to move.
The quarter master of the Leif Erikson’s shuttle bay began to depressurize the bay at the same time Phash sealed the shuttle rear door. A swoosh of air was heard as he shut and locked the outer shuttle doors while gunning his engines for takeoff.
The quarter master then rolled open the large landing bay doors above the shuttle and they lifted off and sailed out away from the Ziton moon base exactly fifteen minutes after they had landed.
Captain Dammoru was just about to congratulate the team on a successful mission, when he was interrupted by Phash.
“Captain, we have bogies on us. They came out from nowhere sir…”
“Evasive,” Dammoru ordered.
“They’re firing weapons, sir…” Phash exclaimed just before he could arm the shuttle’s shields.
“Return fire!” Dammoru shouted as he grabbed his crystal and energized a shield around his prisoner.
The weapons fire hit them, causing them to rock from side to side as Phash took evasive action just in time and avoided the second volley from the striking fighters. As they flew past each other, he swung around and returned fire on the five fighters, taking one of them out and damaging another before a third strike connected with them.
Dammoru sat in the co-pilot seat and assisted Phash with the weapons controls while Phash flew the shuttle down close to the Moon’s surface. He began to fly in and around the mountains of the Ziton moon giving his pursuers a run for their money as they tried to keep up.
“Ziton Base Command,” Dammoru said with panic in the com panel. “We are under attack… repeat we are under attack… request immediate assistance.”
Dammoru listened to static as he waited for a reply. He continued to fire all they had at the four remaining fighters that were once again hot on their tail.
“Phash?” Dammoru asked. “Do you think you can make it back to the Ziton Base?”
“There are too many of them… Phash almost screamed as his adrenaline took o
ver, “I do not think we can make it back,” he said, leaning over to Dammoru.
“Do you have a plan?” Dammoru asked.
“Yes…” Phash said as he continued to fly the shuttle with expert precision. “We can go out to the shuttle training ground… I know I can out run them if we go deep inside the moons caverns.”
“Have you ever flown a transport through the course?”
“No,” Phash said with trepidation in his voice.
“Hang on, everyone,” Dammoru ordered.
Jhovahkan shook his head and woke up from his shock. He scanned the area, assessing his situation.
“Get these things off of me before he crashes and kills me,” he ordered
He spoke up again, only even more irritated, demanding these shackles be removed so he could save his own life, but no one acknowledged anything he had to say at the moment.
Phash flew down and lined up to approach the cavern entrance, which was just ahead. He sped up even faster to gain as much distance from his pursuers. He needed as much space between them to take full advantage of the first fork after the entrance. If he could time it just right, Phash knew he could lose one or two more fighters if they took the wrong way.
Dammoru backed up in his seat as they quickly entered the small entrance into the cavern. The ship barely scraped the left rear fin, causing Phash to almost lose control as it bounced down and then back up. He quickly regained control and immediately swung to the left fork in the tunnel.
The first fighter banked right and traveled down the wrong tunnel that would eventually exit the caverns. He took the simple training route that would only take five minutes to travel while the left fork provided the more experienced pilots a real challenge with all of its twists and turns.
The three remaining fighters instinctively followed left after their target. The fighters were smaller and could afford a faster speed that enabled them to catch up to the speeding transport. Dammoru aimed the ships laser bank behind and up on the tunnel’s ceiling. He fired several blasts causing part of the ceiling to collapse. The falling stones took out the lead fighter by knocking the shuttle down onto the floor of the cavern. It exploded into thousands of pieces creating shrapnel, which damaged one of the two fighters left in pursuit.
Secret of the Crystal - Omnibus Edition Books 1-3 (Time Travel Adventure) Page 31
