Seeker's Light

by N. I. Snow

  As Zaharak walked her back through the hallways they had traversed earlier, once more she couldn't help but ask, “Salianos, is he really…”

  Zaharak answered her question before she finished, “Indeed he is.”

  Emma went silent, no wonder Kahluna abandoned Tazal. Emma thought of her own parents and couldn't imagine what it could have been like for the former Seeker to have Salianos as a father. When they entered the boarding room, Zaharak entered the code for the ladder. After the ladder had reformed and dropped within their reach, Emma began climbing with Zaharak following closely behind. The young girl found that it was much easier climbing up both ladders than it had been climbing down.

  At the top she didn't wait for Zaharak to walk her to the cell. Sitting down in the center she waited for the Seeker to activate the barrier. She was surprised, though, when he removed the cuffs from around her wrists before he walked over the control panel. Tossing them aside, he activated the barrier before closing the opening in the floor.

  “What about you?” she asked the Seeker as she watched him secure the room, “Any happy family members?”

  Zaharak ignored her sarcasm as he headed for the single hall. “Kahluna is the only Seeker to have discovered her heritage.”

  Emma leaned forward, “You must have some idea, after all you are the ultimate Seeker.”

  “I could easily find them right now if I wished. Only I have no care about my heritage.” With that he vanished into the dark hall.

  “How sad,” murmured Emma.

  The young girl lay down on the floor of the cell as she felt the ship shudder. It was the first time in what seemed like an eternity since she knew what was going to happen next and it left her a window for her to wonder and worry about where Jonah and her parents were and whether they were all right.

  A loud metallic screech told her that Zaharak's ship broke away from the larger warship. She had no idea how far Tazal was from Earth, but she did know she most likely would never see her home planet or Jonah or her parents again. She held back the tears that started to form in her eyes. When would the nightmare end?

  Seven

  Kahluna sat up slowly. Her head spun as she ran a clawed hand through the tuft of green hair on her head. Looking around, she saw she was in the lobby of a half-collapsed building and that Jonah lay on a dust- covered bench nearby, dead asleep. The former Seeker stood woozily, head pounding and with searing pain running up from her tail. The dream-memory of the near-deadly encounter with Salianos still played in her head.

  Long before Salianos had tried to kill her, she had trained herself to stop her own heart beat. The trick had been enough to fool Salianos, though not permanently. A few years later Kahluna had spotted a Seeker near her hiding place on Tandian. The Seeker had been unable to identify her ship as it left the atmosphere, but she was sure the report of it was enough to make Salianos suspicious. After that Kahluna was forced to fly from one planet to another, changing hiding places every standard year. She even sold her Tazalian cruiser and changed it for her current Lydonian frigate.

  It had been a hard life. She had to find planets with sentient creatures who could provide her with fuel for her ship as well as food. She, of course, would have to work for both, having no money, cardonan or otherwise. Due to her former life as a Seeker, she was often hired to assassinate one being or another. However, she only did these jobs if the target deserved death. She had washed her claws of working for the corrupt. And then, she stopped taking these jobs when rumors of the noble assassin began to spread. She couldn't feed the flames of Salianos's probable skepticism about her death.

  After the rumors started Kahluna fled again. She searched out planets that provided the resources she needed and offered other forms of work she could perform. On one of the planets she had scouted out, she ran into the young Zaharak. The fledgling had followed her curiously at first. When he identified her from the database of past Seekers and more importantly recognized her as a traitor, he tried to capture her in hopes of raising himself further in the Seeker ranks. He had been no more than a cub to her at the time. Even though by then he was already deadly, skilled as he was, he had much to learn. His attempt to capture Kahluna only resulted in his fleeing with a broken arm courtesy of the former Seeker.

  After her encounter with Zaharak, Kahluna did not have any more run-ins with other Seekers. No doubt Zaharak's arrogance prevented him from reporting his encounter to Salianos. Nonetheless, Kahluna fled once more. That was when she found Jensola and its homely inhabitants. Her ship's fuel cells were dangerously low, forcing her to land near one of the many patches of farmland that dotted the varying landscapes of Jensola. Forests, deserts, and prairies ran from one end of the small planet to the other. She had been fortunate to land in a prairie region.

  When she had stepped out of her ship, she had been greeted by a pair of elderly lilac-skinned Jensolans. The aging humanoids stood only a meter tall, yet they had shown no fear of the towering Tazalian. They had three eyes on their round wrinkled faces, two eyes were set at either side of their button-like noses and the third sat in the center of their foreheads. Each of their eyes was a different color. The female had blue, brown, and red eyes; and the male had violet, green, and blue eyes. The tiny female wore a ragged-looking brown dress over her tiny figure while the male wore a torn white shirt and brown trousers. Neither of them wore shoes on their calloused feet.

  Upon seeing them, Kahluna knew what she could do to earn her food and money for fuel. She offered her help around the farm, which the two Jensolans did not hesitate to accept. To them Kahluna was a whole army of farmhands. The former Seeker learned that the couple farmed a type of plant used in many different remedies. In a single harvest they could make more than enough to live easily. However, that season they had been unable to find a farmhand after their last had left. They were in jeopardy of losing their harvest since they were too old to do all the work themselves.

  The blue-green Tazalian quickly picked up the trade. The equipment used to cut and sort the plants was easy for her to handle. Her combined training in speed and precision was more than enough to finish the harvest in a quarter of a time it would have taken a Jensolan farmhand.

  Gradually as she spent time with the kindly old couple, Kahluna felt different. At first the kindness of the two Jensolans had no effect on the emotionless Tazalian. They would chatter about things that seemed senseless to her, old farmhands, children who had moved away, grandchildren they had only met over transmissions. None of it mattered to the former Seeker. After awhile, though, Kahluna began to smile lightly at their jokes or tall tales. She had even laughed once. And so, the scarred Tazalian slowly learned what it was like to live a natural life. It made her resent Salianos even more. This was the life he had robbed her of, the life he had taken from Umelia.

  The elderly couple, extremely pleased with the extra earnings from the early harvest, paid Kahluna double what they had offered. Kahluna had enough to refuel her ship and more, but she decided not to leave. She spent another eleven standard years with the elderly couple before her happy days ended. She had gone into their tiny home after a long day of harvesting when she had caught the scent of death. She found the couple lying on their small bed, eyes closed and bodies still. They had fallen ill a week before and Kahluna had watched over them and made them the remedies they had shown her. She had refused to leave their side, but finally had when they insisted that she go back to the harvest.

  She stood over their calm forms. Tears flowed from her red eyes. In Tazal, for a Seeker this show of emotion would have been a sign of weakness and punishable by several strokes of the claw. She didn't even bother wiping away the tears when she contacted the couples' family. When she told the family of the couples' passing, she was horrified to find greed, unconcern, and even glee. They all showed fear as she yelled at them, rows of fangs flashing with each word. How could they have treated two kind beings like garbage? If they had Salianos for a father…

  Kah
luna left the planet shortly after burying the couples' bodies near their homestead. She tried to bury her memories with them, but the former Seeker had learned much from the elderly couple and she found it impossible to forget them. After that stay on Jensola, Kahluna went to a planet free of sentient life. She remained there for several years using the skills she learned on the farm to harvest food and her abilities as a Seeker to hunt the creatures around her. Her ship became a homestead.

  The former Seeker remained in solitude for nearly fifty years. One night while she hunted, a fog formed around her. Figures of Tazalians formed in the fog each one the same as the other. She had been found out not by Seekers, but by the Ancients. They gave her the mission to protect the guardian of the relic on Earth. It took her nearly forty-three years to reach the planet as she had to stop on other planets for supplies and fuel, earning quick money by completing assassinations. And so, the blue-green Tazalian arrived on Earth just as the Tazalians began their invasion.

  Now standing unsteadily in the half-collapsed building, the sleeping form of Jonah reminded all too well of the time on Jensola. The young man had his happy life torn away just as it started, and Emma… Kahluna bent her head, eyes closed. Emma would miss out on a normal life now. She had failed to protect her. No! The former Seeker balled her hands. She would go to Tazal and rescue the girl.

  Kahluna picked Jonah up by the strap of the shoulder bag. The young man struggled before realizing what was going on. Kahluna's voice rasped out masking the pain coursing through her body, “Time to go. We have a ship to inspect.”

  Jonah nodded, and Kahluna placed him on his feet. She walked out of the building into the desolate, morning-filled streets. She had been out far too long. No doubt Zaharak was already on his way to Tazal with Emma. Jonah explained how he was only able to drag her about two blocks towards the ship. Well, two blocks was better than none.

  They started down the street at a brisk pace. Jonah had more energy after his nap. His green eyes roved over the remains of buildings, signs, bridges, and even bodies. Both armies had moved on to a different section of the city. Any soldiers they did find were mainly Tazalian, which they carefully avoided. Kahluna was in no mood to fight. Occasionally they would find a human survivor who would only flee at the sight of the scarred Tazalian, despite Jonah standing next to her.

  After eight blocks of silence, Jonah tried to start a conversation. “What is Tazal like? I would like to know about the planet my little sister is going to.”

  Kahluna's eyes never left the streets. “It is a planet much like your own was before your race killed off all other life. We have integrated our cities into the mountains and plains. Our oceans still flow freely, not confined underneath expanses of city. Our jungles are still filled with life. During the day herds of Kiadyls can be seen roaming the grasslands and at night wild armyxes prowl.”

  Jonah looked over at the solemn Tazalian. “It sounds like a nice place. But I thought the Elders were all corrupt; why would they keep the planet healthy?”

  “Lutianist, the wisest of the Elders, understood that without nature our rebuilt culture could collapse once more.” She waved a claw towards the destroyed buildings. “Your own planet could very well fall apart like these structures and without nature how could you hope to rebuild?”

  Jonah looked down at the metallic street, he had never thought about it. In fact, he doubted any modern human thought about it anymore. Mankind had become so reliant on its own creations that if such a possibility did happen… Jonah shivered, he didn't want to think about it. Now wasn't the time to talk about complete human extinction, what with a Tazalian army invading.

  “Will Emma be okay? Tazal's atmosphere must be similar to ours if you can breathe easily.”

  “Many of the planets that support sentient life have very similar atmospheres, although there are some that support other chemical-based sentient life forms, such as phosphine breathers. If you are wondering whether Emma can survive on Tazal, the answer is yes. Tazal's atmosphere is much like your own, save for being slightly thinner. For Emma it would be like living on a mountainside.” Kahluna glanced at his concerned face, “I can tell you are still worried about her safety. I can't promise that no harm will befall her, but Tarline the Torturer is here. She is at least safe from his claws.”

  That didn't make Jonah feel any better. The rest of the journey he was silent, his mind numb. The odd pair came upon the ship at a quarter to noon. From the outside, the ship still looked functional if a bit scorched. Their next problem was a group of bedraggled humans gathered at the loading platform apparently looking for a way off the planet. Kahluna let out a growl and ran at them, scaring them away.

  As they scattered the blue-green Tazalian hurried aboard the burnt ship. She examined the scorched interior with relief. The onboard fire suppressant had put the flames out before any real damage could be done. Kahluna hurried to the rear of the frigate to examine the engine monitors. Each screen showed her a different problem. One of the engines only needed minor repairs, while the other needed new distributors. Without them the ship wouldn't be able to make it off the ground, let alone make a jump to Tazal. She could pull the parts from a Tazalian dropship or modify them from a human ship, though she doubted the human pilots would willingly allow her to do so.

  After checking the engines, she went to the control room and found it nearly untouched by the flames. It was clear that Zaharak merely wanted to cripple the ship, not destroy it entirely. That meant he knew she would go to Tazal and that, in turn, meant he was sure of capturing Emma from her. Such arrogance! She understood that in only partially damaging the ship, he was giving her a choice—she could try to rescue Emma and confront Salianos or she could change her mind and go on her way. For her, her choice was clear. Yes, she knew Death would be waiting for her on Tazal. She wasn't going to disappoint it. Once Emma was free, Kahluna would be ready to meet her fate. She had lived in hiding for far too long.

  The former Seeker was nearly finished with her inspections when she heard Jonah yell her name. The Tazalian was a streak of blue and green as she raced out of the control room. Outside the humans had returned, only this time in greater numbers. Nearly a score of ragged and angry-faced humans gathered around the ship. Three of them held Jonah pinned to the ground. They were unarmed save for broken pipes, pieces of metal, or other types of rubbish that could be used as weapons.

  When Kahluna appeared on the ramp, they desperately tried to hide their fear. Men, women, young and old all stood their ground. One of the men walked towards Kahluna. He was tall and well built for a human. In one hand he held a metal club which he pounded against the palm of his other hand. He was trying to intimidate Kahluna, who made no response to the motion. His brown eyes tried to pierce the former Seeker's red eyes but failed pitifully.

  He spoke in a thick accent, “We're taking this ship. My pals say it looks fine.”

  Kahluna sized the group up, noting distances from one human to the next, all without moving her eyes from the man, “My ship isn't in running order at the moment. Even if it were, no one would be taking it from me.”

  The man pointed the piece of metal at Kahluna, “Listen, lizard brain, we didn't come here to beg. If we have to take it by force so be it. It would be a small retribution for all the people you've killed.”

  Jonah struggled under the three humans holding him down, “She hasn't hurt anybody. She's on our side.”

  The man turned his head towards Jonah. “Yeah right. We're supposed to believe you? You probably work for them, eh, spy?”

  “I don't work for them. Kahluna is helping me rescue my little sister.”

  “Save your lies,” the man looked back at Kahluna, “What's it going to be, lizard? There's eighteen of us and only one of you. No back up for you is going to get here in time.”

  The crowd drew back as Kahluna stepped down the ramp, “I have no back up. I am not one of them. The boy is right, I have not harmed any human.”

  Jonah reco
gnized the tone of Kahluna's voice, she was about to spring. “She's telling the truth. Leave us alone. All I want is to save my sister.”

  “Shut up!” The man shouted at Jonah, “Most of us lost our families to these things. Now I am only going to ask you one more time, either give us the ship or we will…”

  The man's sentence ended in a yell through gritted teeth as Kahluna pinned his arms behind his back. He squirmed in her hold, unable to break free of her steel grip. The other humans murmured uneasily to each other. They had picked on the wrong Tazalian.

  Kahluna bent her head, resting her snout on the man's shoulder, “Stop moving! I am not going to hurt you.”

  The man continued to try and wriggle out of her hold, “The hell you aren't. Let me go, slime face.”

  Kahluna snorted, “You will have to try an insult better than that to get a reaction from me. I am not letting you go until your three friends let Jonah up. Eye for an eye—that is how your human saying goes.”

  The man gritted his teeth and nodded, “Let the boy go.”

  As the three humans let Jonah stand, Kahluna released the man. “Good, now I simply ask you to refrain from doing anything,” the man swung the metal bar towards Kahluna's long snout; catching it in one hand, the blue-green Tazalian bent it in half as she finished, “stupid.”

  In another quick motion she twisted an arm around one of his arms. The man screamed as bones broke. His hands released the bent piece of metal. As it clattered to the ground, Kahluna shook her head, “I never wished to do that.”

  The crowd began muttering even more. Their anger flourished at the sight of their pain-stricken comrade. Raising their make-shift weapons, they charged towards Kahluna, one of them shouting, “She hurt Marcus! Get her! She's no different from the others.”