by S. E. Smith
Chapter Two
The distinctive hum of an aircraft alerted Sergi to the fact that he wasn’t alone. He moved under the protective cover of a fallen tree trunk, and saw an alien transport soar over the trees.
A curse slipped from his lips when he realized what they might be looking for – his emergency pod. There was the possibility it had been sighted or had registered on some type of radar, but more than likely the emergency beacon was emitting a signal.
His gaze moved back toward the direction he had come. He was less than a kilometer from the capsule. Looking up at the sky again, he debated whether he should go back. With a muttered curse, he moved out from under the tree and retraced his steps.
Less than twenty minutes later, a long line of expletives was silently slipping through Sergi’s mind as he crouched behind a thick log and studied the alien walking around his abandoned capsule, apparently scanning it with a device in his right hand. The alien was thankfully humanoid: one head, two legs, two feet, two arms and hands of typically human proportions, roughly average height, and a slender build. Sergi could see the gun in the alien’s gloved left hand, but he couldn’t see the alien’s face. The person’s head was covered with a dark brown and black hat with a wide brim. Goggles and a thick scarf covered the alien’s eyes, nose, and mouth. A long, mud-splattered coat covered the alien from neck to knees. High, black boots, coated in mud, protected both feet.
Sergi quickly scanned the area, but he didn’t see an alien transport nearby. The alien stopped near the top left corner of the pod where the instrument panel and the emergency beacon were located, stashed his device in his pocket, and pulled something from a pouch at his waist. Within seconds, the alien had opened the panel and disconnected the emergency beacon. An appreciative grin curved Sergi’s lips when he saw the man expertly twirl the tool in his hand before replacing it in the pouch.
Sergi intently watched as the alien raised his wrist to his covered mouth and spoke. He was too far away for him to understand what the alien was saying, but Sergi would bet the man was calling for assistance. The alien moved his hand along the top of the pod. The sound of a loud click followed by the hatch opening made him grimace. It was going to be obvious that someone had been in the capsule and escaped.
He took advantage of the alien’s distraction to back away. In seconds, he had left the capsule and the alien behind him. He would move out at a rapid pace until there was enough distance between them, then worry about covering his tracks while he circled around and tried to determine where the alien had come from. Once Sergi knew a little more about where he was, he would plan a course of action. At the moment, his main concern was disappearing.
One thing is for sure, he thought as he broke into a steady jog, this is going to take every ounce of my training to survive.
La’Rue gripped the side of the capsule as she looked inside. A shiver ran through her, and she looked over her shoulder. There was no denying that someone had been in the capsule and whoever it had been was now gone.
She reached inside and pulled out the bulky suit. There were colorful patches on the front and one arm of the suit. Slinging it over her shoulder, she decided she would take it back with her to get a closer look then. Her gaze swept the interior. Bending forward, she ran her fingers along the ripped material. Whoever had been in here had cut up the inside pretty good.
She pulled back a section and saw the indentations in the soft material underneath. Running her hand along the rips, she thoroughly checked each of them. One after another, she could tell that there had been items stored under the fabric. A wave of unease swept through her. She needed to get back to the freighter and grab one of the equipment skiffs she had on board. There was no way she could pull this thing through the woods without a heavy duty piece of equipment to help her.
Looking up, she saw the silver cloth tangled in the trees above. She wouldn’t have much time to retrieve the capsule. At least one scouting transport had flown over this area. Disabling the signal the capsule had been sending out would only give her a short reprieve. She was positive there would be others looking for the thing – and whoever had been inside.
She started to close the lid when a glint of silver caught her eye. She ran her hand along the seam. Her fingers tangled in a metal chain. She tugged it free and lifted the chain so she could study the metal tags. At the end of the chain were two, small rectangular metal plates with an indecipherable inscription on them.
She pocketed the chain and reached up to pull the lid down. A quick glance at her wrist showed that another transport was coming. She really hoped that her freighter’s digital paint camouflaged the ship enough for it to go unnoticed, because if not, HL-9 was going to have company. The last thing La’Rue wanted was to be stuck on this shithole of a planet with only an antiquated pistol and a rodent stunner.
“H, did you get the video feed I sent of the capsule?” La’Rue asked in a soft voice as she stepped away from the metal box.
A single light glowed on and off several times on the communicator on her wrist. The lights were HL-9’s way of telling her that the video feed transmission had been successful. La’Rue adjusted the bulky suit on her shoulder and began her return trip to the freighter. Now, if she could just get the capsule back to her ship and get off this planet before dark, she could be on her way to kissing Slate and the debt collector goodbye once and for all.
Chapter Three
It didn’t take long for Sergi to find the tracks the alien had left. Cutting between trees, he maintained a parallel path to the tracks, and slowed his pace when he saw a break in the trees up ahead. So far, except for the alien and the spaceship that had flown overhead earlier, he hadn’t seen any signs of life. The ground varied from hard rock to slushy mud. The trees were all the same dark ash color and devoid of leaves. He didn’t know if they were alive or dead. The driving rain was just as intense as it had been when he’d left the pod an hour and a half before. The sky was a blanket of dark clouds in every direction. He wondered if it ever stopped raining in this place.
The terrain was dotted with large boulders, and he had found a few places where he could create a temporary shelter if it became necessary. He wouldn’t, of course. He needed to distance himself from the capsule before he could think of seeking shelter.
Sergi peered around a wet tree trunk to scan the small clearing in the trees. He frowned. Something was off. He bent his head, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a cloth to clean the water from his goggles. Replacing the cloth, he studied the area in front of him once more.
The clearing looked empty, but there was a difference between what his eyes and brain were telling him and what his gut was saying. It took him a few seconds to realize what was wrong. Amidst the rain, there were mini waterfalls flowing down – from thin air.
Curious, Sergi slowly squatted. His eyes widened when he saw the black underside of a spaceship. He rose to his feet, keeping his gaze trained on the spot where the water was falling. Appreciation swept through him at the cleverness of the paint. It had a reflective surface, making it almost invisible to the naked eye unless you saw something unusual – like small waterfalls flowing from out of the air.
He turned when he heard footsteps in the mud behind him. Crouching down once again, he kept his eyes on the alien who had discovered his capsule. He scowled when he saw his spacesuit draped over the alien’s shoulder.
Sergi turned to keep the alien in sight as the slender man walked by him, ducked under the spaceship, and walked to the center of the clearing. He pressed a control on his wrist, and Sergi watched as a round platform descended from beneath the spaceship. A minute later, the man stepped on the platform, which rose until the alien had disappeared inside the vessel.
Sergi contemplated what he should do next. Without any knowledge of the area or the people, he was at a huge disadvantage. He needed to find a way onto the spaceship, and it would be nice if he didn’t find out the hard way that the alien had companions in there.
The sound of a hydraulic door opening drew his attention. His eyes narrowed when he saw a large hatch lowering from the back of the spaceship, and he smiled when he saw the man emerge on a hovering forklift.
Sergi knew at that moment exactly where the alien was going – back to the capsule. He maneuvered the machine out of the large bay and down the ramp, pausing at the bottom. Sergi peered through a gap in the trees as the man turned and called out to someone behind him in the spacecraft.
So he is not alone, Sergi thought with a disgruntled frown.
He had two choices. He could return to his capsule and overpower the man there to discover some information, or, he could remain here and wait for the man to return, which would require moving out into the open to overpower the alien while he was preoccupied with loading the capsule on the ship. The problem with that was it would leave him exposed to whoever was inside the transport.
Deciding his first choice might be better, considering that he had no idea how many people were on board, he rose and turned to follow the alien. Even hovering, the large machine would have to move slowly through the forest, picking out a path between fallen trees and boulders. That slow movement would make it easy for Sergi to keep up with him.
Sergi followed almost a kilometer behind the hovering forklift. They were half way to the capsule when a dark shape rose from a group of boulders and fired on the alien he’d been following. Sergi instinctively crouched down as the slender man tumbled off the forklift and fell to the ground.
He cautiously scanned the area for any others. The alien on the rock jumped off and landed on the far side of the forklift. He didn’t have any difficulty seeing the facial features of this alien. He had dark green, leathery skin with long scars etched into the side of his face, and his mouth was full of sharp, jagged teeth. The alien had thick, muscular arms, torso, and legs. His upper body was devoid of clothing while his lower half was covered in dark brown, leather pants and boots. A leather harness filled with weapons crisscrossed his torso. From this vantage point, Sergi could see the alien had a long thin tail that whipped back and forth behind him.
The green alien stepped around the forklift, and Sergi’s eyes widened when the huge creature suddenly flew backwards. A loud snarl filled the air as the green alien surged to his feet. Two short blades were tightly gripped in each of his hands.
Sergi looked at the alien he had been following. Blood soaked the man’s shoulder, and he held a rod in front of himself as he faced off with the green alien. The slender man’s stance indicated he knew how to fight, but even still, if Sergi were a betting man, he would have placed a hefty wager on the green alien.
Unfortunately for the green man, Sergi needed information. If he had to choose an ally between Alien One or Alien Two, he’d go for the first one. Decision made, Sergi slipped away from the two and began working his way toward the boulder where the green alien had first appeared.
A Few Moments Earlier:
Pain radiated through La’Rue’s shoulder, but she ignored it. Silent curses ran through her mind as she simultaneously reached for the stun rod lying in the mud next to her and pulled the pistol from the holster at her side. She had seen the movement a split second too late.
At least you saw him, otherwise you wouldn’t be feeling anything, La’Rue, she silently reminded herself as she rolled onto her back and waited for her chance to strike.
She had seen the Turbintan rise up out of the corner of her eye and had already been rolling off the loading skiff, but if she had been more attentive, she wouldn’t be injured right now. She tightened her grip on her blaster. She would probably have one chance if this was one of the trained assassins.
Her lips tightened in a line of determination. She wasn’t going to give up without a fight. Her finger was poised on the trigger.
Wait for him to come around, she silently cautioned herself. You need a direct hit between the second and third ribs.
La’Rue ignored the chill of the mud seeping through her clothing. It was the least of her worries at the moment. Time appeared to slow down as she waited with her eyes closed, listening.
It took every ounce of her courage not to turn and flee when she heard the Turbintan come close to the skiff. She stayed limp, her left arm extended, her fingers open with the stun rod lying in her palm. Her right hand was down by her thigh, half hidden by the coat she was wearing.
The second the assassin rounded the skiff and turned to face her, La’Rue lifted her blaster and fired on the Turbintan. A huge sense of satisfaction washed through her when the man flew backwards. Rising stiffly to her feet, she held her position. She had seven shots and it would probably take every single one of them to kill the bastard.
As she aimed the gun and tightly gripped the stun rod in her other hand, the deep gash in her left shoulder and she could feel blood dampening her sleeve under the slicker. The Turbintan hissed at her, opening its wide jaws to show off his mouthful of sharp, jagged teeth.
La’Rue ignored him. Her eyes were on the wound in his side. The second he moved his hand, she fired the blaster again. He didn’t fly back as far as he had the first time, and he quickly recovered and moved closer. She backed up carefully to keep her balance in the slippery mud. One swipe of his tail and she would be dead.
Her arm shook when she stumbled and fired another blast at the scarred, green man. This one hit him in the shoulder. She pulled her elbow in and tried to keep her arm steady as she aimed for the gaping wound in his side. The blast hit his hip.
“You will die a slow death,” the Turbintan growled.
La’Rue shook her head. “You are the one who will be dying,” she bravely retorted.
A menacing chuckle echoed through the air. “I will enjoy tearing your guts out and eating them while you scream,” he snarled, advancing toward her.
“I hope you know that is completely gross and not normal,” La’Rue snapped, jerking backward, aiming for the wound in his side, and pulling the trigger again as he swung one of his sharp blades.
“It is normal for me,” he replied with a sharp-toothed grin, not even wincing when the blast hit him.
La’Rue fired again and again at the wound in his side until the charge was depleted on her blaster. Tossing it aside, she held up the stun rod with both hands. Her teeth rattled when the Turbintan’s blade struck the rod.
As she stepped backward, her heel caught on a half-buried log, and she fell on her back. The assassin’s laughter mixed with the sound of the rain as he nonchalantly tossed one of the blades up in the air and caught it by the handle. He lunged forward, swinging his tail toward her. At the same time, she sat up and shoved the stun rod into the gaping wound in his side. Depressing the button, she discharged a powerful burst from the end of the rod.
Out of her peripheral vision, La’Rue noticed movement behind the Turbintan just before a ghostly figure yanked her attacker’s wrist backward. She watched in shock as the man savagely rotated the Turbintan’s arm behind him. The sound of the Turbintan’s bone snapping sent a chill through her. The man then forcibly bent the man’s arm and drove the curved blade up through the Turbintan’s back where the tip emerged through his chest cavity.
The assassin’s eyes rolled back in his head, and his body fell toward her. La’Rue shoved against the full weight of the collapsing body with all her might. Jerking the stun rod free, she rolled to the side under the trunk of a fallen tree. The assassin slumped face first into the mud – dead.
Her eyes jerked up to the man standing over the assassin. The stun rod had lodged in the trunk of the fallen tree as she’d rolled under it to avoid the Turbintan’s falling body. She tried to scramble to her feet, but by this point she was so covered in mud that she kept slipping. The fallen tree was slick with moss on this side and there was nothing else to brace against.
She scooted back when she heard what sounded like a muttered curse in an unfamiliar language. Her heart raced, and she tried once again to move away when the man stepped toward
her. Her mouth dropped open when he suddenly stopped, stared down at her, and spoke in a soft, calm voice. He was using the same unknown language that he had uttered a second before, and she didn’t recognize a word.
La’Rue put pressure on her bleeding shoulder and warily watched as the man held his hands out in front of himself and slowly sank down into a crouch. Her gaze swept over what she could see of his features – which wasn’t much. Like she did, he wore a mask that covered most of his face. The rest of his face was covered with a pale cloth the color of the mud.
He blended in with his surroundings, but the clothing looked different from what she was used to seeing. His hands were covered in a pair of thin gloves that were molded to his fingers. Her eyes swept over the weapon he had over one shoulder before moving down his chest and pausing on the other weapons he wore at his waist.
“I don’t speak your language,” she said, speaking in Galactic Standard. “What planet are you from?”
The man pulled his arms back to his sides and rested them on his thighs. He didn’t answer her at first. After a few seconds, he made a sweeping motion with his hand.
“Take off your helmet and scarf,” he ordered with an accent that she couldn’t place. Her lips tightened in annoyance, but she decided she didn’t have much choice.
If he was another Turbintan assassin, he really needed to go back for more training. Just after that thought ran through her mind, she looked at the dead assassin next to them. The man had silently come up behind her attacker and expertly used the Turbintan’s own weapon against him. Those were not things a rookie could do.
Keeping her left arm still, La’Rue used her bloody right hand to angrily pull her scarf down before removing her goggles. She stared back at the man with unblinking eyes. Lifting her chin, she waited for him to decide what he was going to do next.
