“They are called the Nukari.”
* * * * *
What is that feeling?
As the conversation continued, Mencari found himself drawn to the empty space around them. A tenseness ran across his forehead. Something was out there.
Varen said, “This ship was found dead and abandoned many eons ago by a tribe of Nomads. It was salvaged and claimed by them. We have used it ever since to continue our journeys.”
Mencari’s eyes scoured the darkness as a ringing started in his ears. He stifled a groan as he realized what was coming.
A headache?
Mencari winced before saying, “It was empty?”
“Not empty, but entirely dead. From what I was told, there were many bodies, inconsumable foods, and worthless supplies. The ship’s systems later revealed some type of radiation event, which caused the ship to be liberated. We were lucky enough to find it and restore it to full working order.”
Mencari noticed that Allia grinned. Perhaps she felt a kinship with Varen’s stance of ownership? Varen gave a curious glance at the scout ship.
The sensation increased, became a familiar pain that shot like a fiery energy between Mencari’s temples.
Be ready, echoed in his mind.
Not this, not now.
He panicked. Could the Nukari be close?
“If you don’t mind my asking, how was it that you were tracking us?” Varen asked.
The pain doubled, tripled. Whatever was out there would be there soon.
Liren motioned for Mencari, who struggled to form the words. “Your ship was … it emitted a specific type of engine waste that was traceable … volume … easy to detect.”
“We tend to be a private people,” Varen said. “We would appreciate if you could help us correct the issue, as to avoid this in the future. It’s very possible the attackers have used similar techniques to find us.”
Allia looked up, concerned. “Are you okay, Rhysus?”
“Liren,” Mencari said, still wincing.
Liren jerked as his hand covered his ear. Varen’s guards snapped into a defensive posture as Liren turned and looked at the stars.
“What! Where?” Varen said.
Liren’s expression held alarm. “There’s a ship approaching—fast—with a Nukari ion signature!”
They could hear steps echo from the corridor behind Varen. A man shouted from the other side. “Varen—the attackers have returned. We need to disconnect!”
“There!” Allia shouted, pointing.
A dark blur closed quickly and opened fire on the Nomad’s ship. Mencari bellowed, “Run!”
In a one-two punch, a second ship fired, taking down the Nomad’s shield with two massive blasts as it fired at the starwalk.
The volleys hit nearer to Ghn’en’s craft, ripping through the crystal structure. Mencari and the others were thrown as the structure shuddered. Though new crystals grew at an explosive rate, sealing the breach, this also cut off their way back to their ship.
A look down the tunnel told Mencari the field once separating them from the Nomads was gone.
“This way!” Varen yelled.
The scrambled back to their feet and ran toward the Nomad ship. Just before entering, Mencari saw two pods fire from the attackers. Despite continuous volleys from the Nomad and Be’Inaxi vessels, the pods evaded and continued forward undamaged. Fasteners appeared on the front of the pods moments before each collided with the hull. Sparks and debris flew from the area connected to the Nomad ship.
The bulkhead doors closed behind Mencari as the ruined starwalk was engulfed in a glittering rain of crystals. A rumbling echoed across the hull followed by thunderous booms.
One of the guards held a communicator up; a voice boomed through.
“Varen, one ship is already destroyed, the second is much nimbler.”
Mencari and Allia looked through the windows and watched the scout ship’s blasters charge and release orange balls of energy.
Varen grabbed the communicator and said with unusual calm, “The starwalk has been released. Friendly delegates have taken refuge with me.”
The communicator crackled back. “We’ve detected intruders two levels above you. Send your guards to join the containment effort. Quickly!”
Varen motioned, and the guards dashed down the corridor. “They’re on their way,” he responded.
“They need to bash skulls, I’m in,” Naijen said and followed the guards.
Mencari looked to Varen. “I’m sorry, no one can control him.”
“I will not stop you from helping to defend us,” Varen said.
“Then let’s go!” Allia shouted and ran after Naijen.
Not willing to let them go alone, Mencari followed. They ran through the corridors, collecting defense team members. With no warning, the corridor lights turned blood red and an alarm rang out. Mencari heard a guard curse under his breath.
“What’s happening?” Allia said.
“It means we have to hurry,” the other guard said and ran faster ahead.
They used steps to move to higher decks. As they ascended, shouts were snuffed out by the sound of laser fire beyond the security door. No sooner was it opened than guards in similar dress retreated through it.
“Make an opening,” Naijen bellowed at Mencari.
Mencari glowed, allowing his power to pool in his hands. With a quick exhale, he flung the power through the doorway down the corridor. Shrieks were drowned out by the explosion that ripped through the corridor.
“Thatta boy!” Naijen chided as he disappeared into the smoky corridor.
Varen peered at Mencari. “It’s fortunate you’re on our side.”
“Let’s go!” Allia ran with Ichini through the doorway. Mencari and Seigie followed the Nomadic guards. As they headed down the corridor, Mencari was drawn to a large vent, from where a muffled crying wafted. Through the grating he saw tiny coral colored fingers poking through, holding the vent cover in the wall.
“It’s okay, we’re here to help you,” he said.
More cries echoed out, followed by a commanding shush from another child’s voice.
Mencari made his tone gentle. “It’s okay, you can come out.”
“We’re not going to hurt you,” Seigie said.
“You don’t belong here, you can’t fool us!” a youth yelled before being scolded to silence.
Mencari looked down the corridor and saw Naijen, Allia, Ichini, and the Nomads pushing the invaders back. “Varen!” he called out.
The Nomad backtracked to Mencari, shocked by his find, and said, “Children, it’s Varen.”
“Varen?”
“It’s Varen,” another child cried.
“Come out, I can get you to safety.”
The vent eased outward into the corridor. Seven small children, one hurt, emerged. Each gripped various weapons tight. The largest of them stepped forward. “I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt us.”
“Indeed,” Varen said, amused. “Take the others two decks down. I’ll have others waiting for you there.”
With a nod, the eldest led the rest of the children away to safety.
Varen turned to Mencari. “Thank you—” An explosion ripped through the corridor.
“Let’s go!” Mencari said, already running in the direction of the blast. As they passed the bodies of the attackers, Mencari noticed a similar dress style to the mercenaries from Allia’s world.
Rounding the bend, they saw Allia and Ichini guarding the corridor. “There you are!” she yelled. “Naijen wanted me to make sure our backs were covered—in case something happened to you guys.”
One of the guards ran from behind Allia, toward them, and shouted, “Varen, they’re heading toward Engineering.”
“This seems too well planned.” Varen said.
Mencari replied, “Maybe they’re going to stop the ship. They don’t want to damage it—if they powered it down, you’d be helpless.”
“We’re not as helpless as
they must think. The attackers outside are already destroyed. The home platform sent reinforcements the second the enemies were detected again. We just have to contend with the rabble left.”
Mencari looked at him, puzzled, when a phaser beam buzzed over his head, hauling him back into reality.
* * * * *
“Keep driving, we nearly have them,” a guard shouted.
“They’re already inside Engineering,” a voice boomed through Varen’s communicator. “Two at the door and three inside.”
Naijen and Allia charged the peons at the door, who fell immediately.
Inside, three invaders worked on various control panels. One reached down and entered a sequence into the computer system. As the guards rushed the enemies, the three triggered devices on their bodies and blew themselves up.
Before the debris settled, a glow emanated from behind a passive power conduit. A panel slid open, unleashing a metallic behemoth. Its bulky form dwarfed Naijen. Lines of electric blue light pulsed along its body. Ancient gears ground as it began to move.
“Trouble!” Allia yelled.
Despite its size, it moved with speed and alarming agility. It rushed forward, its arms raised, and its hands morphed into flails of pure energy. Mencari and the others dove to avoid the buzzing tendrils. Wherever the ribbons of energy hit, deep ruts seared.
“Not very friendly!” Allia cried out.
The allies found themselves scattered and pinned down across Engineering. Behind cover, Mencari got a better look at the attacker. An ominous symbol was on its shoulders.
“Nukari—just like the outside of the ship!”
The robot tracked Mencari’s voice, and flung the energy ribbons in his direction. Allia screamed, trying to distract it.
Varen called out, “Can you stop this?”
Mencari yelled to Allia, “Just like Luon!”
She nodded as Naijen scoffed, “Wha’? I wasn’t there!”
“Combine our attacks!” Seigie clarified.
“Tha Amazon ain’t here!”
“Just attack together!” Seigie blurted in frustration.
Mencari saw golden glows wash over his allies as their D’mok attacks powered up. He looked out from his hiding spot, and fired a few blasts from his hand-phaser to draw the robot’s attention.
As it turned to attack him, the others emerged from hiding and pounced. The attacks ripped through the robot from front to back. The flails of energy extinguished while a shower of sparks and radiant gel geysered from inside it. The room shook as the rest of the gargantuan body fell motionless.
* * * * *
Toriko and Cerna transferred to the Nomad ship using a new starwalk. They joined Mencari and were escorted to Engineering.
“They disabled a whole section of your engine core.” Toriko looked up from a display, smiled and added, “Nothing I can’t fix.”
“They didn’t want you going anywhere, Varen,” Mencari said, concerned. “I’d keep a wide perimeter scan going, in case there’s reinforcements coming.”
Varen nodded, and relayed a message up to the bridge. Meanwhile, Toriko summoned her control cube and was off and hacking into the Nomad ship. The technology was more primitive than the enhanced Nukari devices that used the latest from the Bansa Corporation.
Within minutes the system was back up to full power. Making good on their promise, Toriko also took the opportunity to help reduce the emissions the ship produced.
“I think I can tune it even further with more time,” she added.
Varen thanked her, and said, “You can continue here while I bring the others to the greenhouse.”
Mencari’s forehead crumpled. “Greenhouse?”
“Yes, our land-tender is waiting for you there,” Varen explained. “He’s not originally a Nomad, but has been with us for some time now. I’m sure you’ll find him … unique. In fact, he’s the one who told us your ship was nearby.”
* * * * *
“They got this far?” Varen said to mercenaries and black clad Nukari soldiers that littered the corridor. Fellow Nomads were just begrudgingly starting the cleanup.
They entered the greenhouse to a gruesome sight. Bodies of dead soldiers hung suspended like peapods from thick, thorny vines. On the far end, a man tended the fertile soil around him as if oblivious to the strange alien fruit.
Varen looked with shock at the scene. “Why did they come here?”
“For me, I’d imagine,” the man called out, not breaking from his land-tending.
They approached the kneeling man, who reached for a twisted wooden staff stuck in the ground next to him. Ivy leaves entwined the staff’s length, and ended in a cluster of leaves on which sat a baseball-sized globe of crystal.
The man’s clawed hands gripped the staff, and used its support to make it to his feet. He rose to Mencari’s height. A simple swath of cloth created a hood and draped over his shoulders and upper back. Simple waist wrappings were all that covered the man’s lower regions. His thin, toned body was leathery and tanned, and covered in sweat.
Mencari noticed Cerna’s uneasy stare that seemed to be on the staff. The alien brushed back his hood to reveal wild orange and blond hair, and dark amber, lizard-like eyes. His serrated teeth pushed through meaty lips to create a ragged and disturbing grin. Yet, something beyond the alien’s creepy outward appearance made Mencari shift uncomfortably.
“Katen,” Varen said. His voice wavered.
“Varen, you may go,” the man said with absoluteness.
The eerily smooth and unnatural tone to his voice sent a shiver down Mencari’s spine.
Varen said, “But I should—”
“Be going, thank you. I trust that after all my time here, you would allow me to talk in private with our guests.”
Varen eased backward, abiding by the alien’s request. He paused and looked back to say, “I’ll be in the corridor if you need me.”
Katen half-bowed, then panned a cold gaze across the group. Tense, Allia moved behind Mencari. Ichini flanked her defensively. As the door to the greenhouse closed, a sinister smile crossed the alien’s face.
“You’re finally here. They said you were coming.”
Mencari took in the man’s flat tone. “Who said?”
The smile grew unnaturally. “They did.” Katen motioned to the empty space beside him.
A sick feeling crept over Mencari like a fog. The sensation grew until it filled the air with tension and knotted his stomach.
Behind him Allia whispered, “My stomach doesn’t feel so well.”
“Yours too?” Seigie said.
Allia looked up, unnerved. “Rhysus, I don’t like him.”
Katen’s head tipped to the side, as if his neck had lost all its strength. “You’re probably wise not to, child.”
It felt as if a small creature moved about in Mencari’s stomach, which ached to the point he was nauseous.
“Perhaps this is better?” Katen tilted his head to one side. His eyes fluttered as one who is chemically high. The sick sensation washed away from Mencari, replaced by a warm, comforting peace.
Mencari noticed Seigie’s suspicious gaze. “I know this feeling,” she said. “He must be …”
“D’mar?” Mencari completed the phrase.
Katen’s eyes returned to normal and flooded with pain. He forced a burdened laugh. “Am I … D’mar …” His head rocked with lazy motion from side to side. “A bit yes … a bit no.”
A cold twinge of pain shot through Mencari. He winced, but ignored it.
Naijen said, “No riddles … no useless talk.”
The pain returned, and lingered. The odd sensation seemed to have greater meaning. Thoughts seemed to swirl in Mencari’s mind, thoughts with a theme.
Katen looked at Naijen and motioned with his staff. “Oh, Fia’ra doesn’t like you very much.”
“Fia’ra?” Seigie said with distrust. “Who’s that?”
The pain dissipated, and the image of the D’mar emblem appeared in
Mencari’s mind. He said, “Who and what are you?”
“As you heard, my name is Katen.…” His face wrinkled with annoyance. His voice boomed with fury. “There is no more Ka’te-un, I am Katen!”
As he began to quarrel with himself, all but Naijen and Seigie took a step away from the crazed man.
“Ignore Fio’tro, he tends to be argumentative,” Katen said.
“Who is Fio’tro?” Seigie said, now exasperated.
Katen’s face unnaturally dissolved the scowl and replaced it with a forced smile.
“Ah yes, you asked what I am. I wonder that sometimes myself … run from that sometimes myself.”
As Mencari’s stomach knotted again, he found his hand bracing his temple, pain rising. Another headache?
A subtle but annoying thought clouded his mind. This time a new word occupied his mind.
Nukari.
As the word became clear, the pain began to diminish.
Katen looked around, his expression mournful. “All I wanted to be was a land-tender, here, in my ever-blooming greenhouse. It’s so peaceful here.”
Alarmed, Mencari’s unease grew beyond his comfort. “We should go.”
Katen’s head snapped to him, eyes piercing. “You don’t understand. They’re here. Like you are here. And something must be done, or everything we love will disappear. Again. It’s their way.”
“Who?” Seigie said. “These Fia’ra and Fio’tro people?”
“The Nukari,” Katen said as his head bobbed about. His face twisted again, as if sickened with anger. “Monsters, which spawn monsters …”
He looked down at his hands, as if fighting the urge to rip them from his body. “Monsters that track innocents … kind, benevolent people …”
Allia tugged on Mencari’s shirt. “Can we leave?”
Mencari moved Allia farther behind him, placing her out of Katen’s sight. The deep lines of the crazy man’s face were replaced with a solemn expression.
“Yes, Fio’tro, I will tell them.…” Katen forced another smile. “I don’t hunt innocents anymore, child. I am Katen … land-tender.”
“You don’t hunt?” Mencari said, disturbed. “Are you Nukari?”
“A bit yes … a bit no.”
D'mok Revival: The Nukari Invasion Anthology Page 60
