by Petra Landon
“It is a great honor to present to you Star Captain Zh’hir Mu’raat, whose Ur’quay Fleet has created history by forcing the Imperial Forces to retreat — and by redrawing the boundaries of the Empire for the first time.”
For a moment, no one said anything in the clearing. Their stupefied amazement was reflected on the view screen as the screaming crowd on Terola went deathly silent.
“Ur’quay” — the shout went up on the view screen, just as the Hadari’Kor in the clearing turned their stunned eyes on the warriors with Zoran.
“You are Ur’quay?” a mercenary muttered, allowing his disbelief to override Hadari’Kor tradition.
“The Juntafeyore has been working with the Ur’quay for over eight months” Zoran explained. “We honored Commander Kerovac’s request to keep their presence here a secret.”
There were murmurs and exclamations, before someone put two and two together.
“They made the clandestine trips to Budheyasta for the rebels” interjected one of the mercenaries. That was a mystery none of the Hadari’Kor had been able to solve. The rebels had always talked of an advanced Hadari’Kor ship used to transport them, one different from the rest.
“Yes.”
Sila let the interjections and questions flow around her, her eyes on the view screen and the warrior who stood alone to face the crowd as Commander Kerovac stepped back. The lens zoomed in on him and familiar gold eyes met her gaze.
“Citizens of the Alliance, the Ur’quay stand with you. We will not rest until every citizen and world of the Alliance is safe and Sector Araloka is free.”
Sila smiled as the familiar guttural tones washed over her.
“He speaks Alliance Standard” muttered one of the mercenaries in the clearing.
“Fluent Alliance Standard” exclaimed another wonderingly. “With barely a hint of accent.”
Yet another turned to address the Ur’quay amidst them. Already in awe, his respect seemed to soar for the legendary warriors. “You speak Aralokan languages?” he asked.
“Not us” answered one of the Ur’quay in his own language. “Only him.”
Zoran chuckled, his amusement clear. “Zh’hir has an Aralokan wife” he explained to the Hadari’Kor.
In the stunned silence that followed, Saakshi turned to Sila, her eyebrows arched. “I didn’t know you were teaching him Alliance Standard, Sila.”
“I haven’t” Sila assured her.
Though she had spoken in a low voice and few had heard the words, it served to draw attention to Sila.
“You are married to the Commander of the Ur’quay Fleet!” exclaimed an astonished Darmil Kor-Jerin-Hadari to Sila.
Surprisingly, it was Belur who confirmed it. “Yes, Darmil, Sila is married to the Star Captain.”
Belur, who had once asked his friend to look up Sila on TF124, understood the consternation in Darmil. Sila spent few nights in the encampment, with the Henia always in Autoporter distance while they waited for orders to deploy. Darmil, like the other Hadari’Kor instructors, had assumed that Sila was romantically involved with a mercenary on the Juntafeyore, much like Saakshi. It had also explained her unlikely presence in the encampment on Hadari. Barring Sila, there were no other Alliance personnel in the camp.
Up on the view screen, the Alliance Commander was speaking again, with the Star Captain by his side.
“The Alliance is now six hours from the world the Ketaari claim as the crown jewel of their Empire. Today, we give notice to the Imperial Forces. The Armada and its friends advance deep into their territory as we speak. We will not stop until we have freed Budheyasta and the other worlds, and the Ketaari have been driven back to where they belong — Ketaraana.
Deafening cheers erupted on Terola, as the Alliance celebrated. A relieved Sila glanced around her. She sensed hope in Saakshi — for the first time, the Budheya girl believed that her people might be free in her lifetime. The Alliance citizens celebrated wildly, their faith in the Armada replenished and their spirits raised by the spectacular victory. The suppressed excitement on the faces of the reserved Hadari’Kor as they beheld the warriors told Sila that Commander Kerovac had been right about the Ur’quay as a symbol of optimism for Sector Araloka. Not only had the Ur’quay Fleet delivered him a decisive victory and the Alliance renewed hope, it had raised the morale of its weary citizens. The battle was far from over. There would be many bloody skirmishes to come — the Ketaari would fight to hold on to every inch of their territory. But today would be remembered in Aralokan history — a gauntlet had been laid down to the Ketaari. For the first time, status quo had been demolished. The Empire was on the back foot and the Alliance would now fight with renewed purpose and vigor.
On the view screen, the Alliance Commander’s personal guards were attempting to keep the excited crowd from converging on him, while Commander Kerovac introduced the Star Captain to the Senators. At a signal from him, a young lady strode up to join the Commander. News of Un Kieto Maal’s formal Iovac betrothal ceremony had spread like wildfire in the Alliance. It had generated consternation in many quarters. Sila had been introduced to his betrothed on one memorable occasion. In some ways, they were kindred spirits. Like her, the TiraOpian girl hid a dangerous secret, one that made her a target in the sector. Except, unlike Sila, her secret was harder to hide because it had a physical manifestation. As the three walked towards the exit together, the Star Captain glanced back one last time and the lens panned to him. Sila’s eyes drank in the sight of him.
“The Ur’quay turned the tide, Sila” Belur remarked somberly to her. “They were the difference. Now, their engineers are working to find a weakness in the hastily adapted security net that protects the Empire’s northern border, so the Armada can open another front there. We smashed the one protecting Budheyasta but they plugged the loophole in the remaining net.”
The Ur’quay scientists had worked for months to decode the Empire’s border security net and exploit Zoran’s loophole to bring it down. Before, the goal had been to clandestinely slip through their net without the Empire being any wiser. That had been near impossible to accomplish for an entire fleet. But fracturing the net by exploiting a loophole had been easier. Sila was confident that the Ur’quay would succeed in bringing down the hastily patched up net at the northern border too.
“And then?” she asked quietly.
“Then, the Ur’quay Fleet and the Hadari’Kor push through the northern border to advance into Empire territory, while the Armada fights their way to Budheyasta. The Ketaari will confront multiple fronts where their border security net no longer protects their space, forcing them to deploy their Brutaniyrs along their long border, thus spreading the battleships thin.”
Belur shot a sidelong glance at Saakshi who was listening to Zoran and Jolar.
“The Alliance anticipates that the Armada will be at Budheyasta in one week. The Ketaari will make a last stand there. The fall of Budheyasta will signal their Empire’s collapse — an Empire they named after the Budheya. That last battle for Budheyasta will be bloody. But after that, it will be easier, though slower going. The Ketaari will be hemmed in, and no danger to others, but forcing them to retreat to Ketaraana will take a while. The Armada is lucky — the Ur’quay starships and technology will minimize casualties.”
Sila understood. The war would not be over any time soon but the threat of the Ketaari would be negated for Sector Araloka. With the Imperial Forces forced to defend their dwindling territory, they would have little appetite or time to conquer other worlds.
Her Ur’quay arm-band pinged discreetly. It was the Star Captain.
“Sseela” he said into her ear. “I’m on my way to you.”
“I’m waiting” she said softly.
Belur handed her a goblet of bright yellow liquid.
“Fermented nectar from the zidga flower” he said.
Beside her, Saakshi took a tentative sniff of her goblet. “Hadari’Kor?” she asked Jolar.
He clinked his goblet
with her. “Rare and brought out only for very special occasions, Saakshi.”
Zoran raised his goblet in the air. And the Star Captains beside him imitated his gesture. The other Hadari’Kor in the clearing followed. Sila raised hers with Belur and Saakshi.
“To the Alliance and all our friends” Zoran said soberly.
“To the rebels” added another of the Hadari’Kor.
“To freedom” Saakshi said softly.
Zoran turned to the Ur’quay. For a moment, they seemed nonplussed.
“To a future for the Ur’quay” one of the warriors pronounced stoically.
The others took the cryptic toast in stride, assuming it to be an Ur’quay salutation, but Sila and Zoran, who understood the hope behind the simple words, added their silent wishes to the warrior’s.
The Hadari’Kor downed their goblets in one go. The Ur’quay did the same but when Sila brought her goblet to her mouth, Belur said softly. “Steady, it can be potent if you’re not used to it.”
Sila shot him a glance. “I’ve only ever had country liquor during harvests, Belur” she said uncertainly.
Readying to deliver a similar warning to Saakshi while Zoran played host to the Ur’quay, Jolar let out a guffaw. He turned to Sila. “If you’ve imbibed moonshine before, Sila, zidga should go down real easy.”
Nevertheless, Sila took a tentative sip of the nectar. Unlike her friend, who took an unwary one, only to almost go down coughing and sputtering.
Zoran, in conversation with the Ur’quay, turned to her in alarm. “Careful, tseriya.”
“Oh Pura, Zoran” she gasped out. “What is this?”
He took the goblet away from her. “Clearly not meant for you, tseriya.”
She looked at him, her eyes watery. “And I thought Terilian ale was fiery.”
Reminded thus, he smiled at her.
She glanced at the goblet in his hand.
“I want to celebrate today, Zoran” she said wistfully. It wasn’t every day that wild hope lingered on in her heart, or that she could almost touch the dream that had always seemed out of reach.
“We must, tseriya” he agreed. He cast an assessing glance at the sky. There were a few hours of sunlight left. “It is the perfect day to teach you to swim.”
Excusing herself to her companions, Saakshi followed him eagerly out of the clearing. He had told her that one day he would take her to his world and teach her to swim in its many waterholes. And he had promised her that the Ketaari’s imperialistic ambitions would lie in ruins one day. Today, all his promises seemed to be converging. It was a day to be celebrated.
When her Star Captain autoported into the clearing to startle the Hadari’Kor who knew nothing about the Ur’quay Autoporter, Sila was pleasantly buzzed from the zidga. He had a quick word with Commander Jolar and the Ur’quay before going to her.
“Come for a walk, Sseela” he invited her. The sun had set and the moons cast a silvery shadow on the clearing and the forest surrounding it.
Belur raised his goblet in a silent salute to the Star Captain that Zh’hir acknowledged. They made their way into the surrounding woods, Sila now familiar with the forest around the clearing.
“I saw you on Terola” she remarked. “Everyone is amazed at your Alliance Standard.”
“What do you think, Sseela” he asked. “How is my Alliance Standard?”
Perfect. For me. Like everything else about you.
His lips quirked, the gold eyes glinting in the moonlight. “There are Ur’quay in the camp, baithoni. If you want to use your gift, we should go to the shielded rest-chamber on the Henia.”
“Alright” she acceded.
But he made no move to call for the Autoporter, simply gazing at her in the moonlight.
“Will you be on Hadari long?” Sila asked.
“Commander Kerovac wants the Armada to free Budheyasta. He thanked us for paving the way into Empire space, but Budheyasta will be a symbolic victory for the sector and will boost morale for all Alliance. The Ur’quay will rest here until our engineers have a way to penetrate their northern border. Then, the Ur’quay Fleet will lead the assault.”
“What about the Hadari’Kor in the camp?” Sila asked curiously.
“While there are no rebels to train, they will fight with the Ur’quay.”
He studied Sila as she stood bathed by the light of the moons.
“You are not worried, are you, baithoni?” he asked, as she remained silent.
“A little” Sila admitted.
“Do not be. The hard part is done. Now, it will be a war of attrition. The Empire is in retreat and we have time on our hands.”
Sila sighed softly, somewhat reassured by his words.
“Today was the hardest day of the campaign, Sseela” he said gravely. “We have the Ketaari on the run. Once Budheyasta falls, they will retreat even more hoping to regroup. Commander Kerovac will not allow that. He wants an end to Ketaari aggression. And the Ur’quay agree with him. Sector Araloka cannot afford the Ketaari to remain unchecked.”
A webbed hand came up to caress her cheek with the back of two fingers.
“With our warriors and technology, the Armada is no match for the Imperial Forces” he said softly. “Do not worry your heart, Sseela.”
In the past few months, the Armada’s situation had improved greatly, Sila knew. Both the Juntafeyore and the Henia were occasionally tasked with special missions by Commander Kerovac, assignments he wanted to keep secret from the Alliance or jobs he believed needed the special skills the Hadari’Kor and the Ur’quay possessed. As a result, Sila knew a fair bit about Alliance politics and strategy. Since the encampment on Hadari, a few members had scrounged up ships and personnel to guard Alliance worlds, in response to Commander Kerovac’s request for sentries. Even the vigilantes from Ur’Segati had been pressed into guard duty. Once gaining traction, the raids by slavers and pirates had become less frequent on worlds like Terra Agri 5. This had also freed up Armada battalions to focus on the Imperial Forces. Now, with the Ur’quay Fleet on call, the Alliance Commander held a much stronger deck of cards than before.
Immeasurably relieved, Sila closed her eyes. “I have been worried, Zh’hir. But today was a good day.”
The war was far from over. But the worst was past. Things were looking bright for the sector and the Alliance. Hopefully, the Alliance’s ascendancy in Sector Araloka would also benefit the Ur’quay. The telepaths continued to be a source of concern for those in the know. But with the Ur’quay’s assistance and Commander Kerovac’s initiative, Sila was hopeful that the mind-readers could be helped and protected.
“It was a good day for many — the Alliance, the Ur’quay, the Budheya and Sector Araloka” he reiterated, drawing her into his arms.
Sila looked up into the exotic gold eyes, shadowed by the moonlight. “For us all” she agreed.
He smiled, a whimsical flash of white in the dark, to cock his head at a familiar angle.
“Who do you consider yourself to be, little Terran?” he asked.
Sila did not hesitate. “I’m yours, Star Captain.”
His arms tightened around her, as the gold eyes flared. “Always, my Sseela.”
SAMAPT
THE END
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Like The Mercenary, this too was meant to be a short story. But over the years, it kept writing itself and before I knew it, the story of Sila and the Star Captain had become a grand adventure.
To my husband, I could never do this without you. As always, your support and encouragement mean everything to me.
To my parents and extended family, your excitement and encouragement is contagious and inspires me to keep going.
To my sister-of-the-heart, thank you for always being there for me.
To Sheena Taylor, I cannot thank you enough. This story would not be ready without you — your patience, your time
and the fantastic feedback. A heartfelt thank you!
To Biserka, thank you for another gorgeous cover. I don’t know how you do it but you are a magician.
To Donna, a special thank you for making the time to give me feedback and help me add the final flourishes.
To the readers who let me know how much they enjoy my stories and give unstintingly of their time and encouragement, thank you so much. It is you who keep me writing.
PD – change
Books by Petra Landon
THE ARALOKA CHRONICLES
www.petralandon.com/The-Araloka-Chronicles
A SciFi Romance & Space Opera collection with passionate love stories & swashbuckling adventure
THE MERCENARY
THE STARFARER
SAGA OF THE CHOSEN
www.petralandon.com/Saga-of-the-Chosen
A rollicking urban fantasy with adventure, intrigue, suspense & romance
Book One – THE PROPHECY
Book Two– THE RAINMAKER
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