The Relissarium Wars Omnibus

by Andrew C Broderick

  “So, who is the leader of this shelter we’re supposed to meet?” The word ‘shelter’ still felt odd in Theo’s mouth, but it was what the Carbonari preferred to call their smallest outposts. He was still getting used to all of their jargon.

  “Your contact will be Naia. She’s from Verbash. You’ll make contact with her once you arrive. Naia will be the one to tell you what to do. She has your operational instructions, and standing orders. You’ll receive information from her on the particulars of the mission. We'll let her know how long we expect you to be there. Obey her as if she was a Master of the Grand Council.”

  Cherish tilted her head to the side, a little confused. “I’m a bit surprised you’d send someone from Verbash down there. She’d be noticed right away. Wouldn’t that risk a compromise of the mission?”

  Theo leaned over towards Cierra, and whispered so that only she could hear him. “Why does she think that? What’s so different about the Verbash?” He had never encountered one personally, and couldn’t remember any details he may have heard in passing.

  “You’ll see.” Cierra whispered, without averting her attention from Master Francesca. Theo felt a nervous knot tense in his stomach.

  Leaning her arms on the podium, the master addressed Cherish’s concerns. “She doesn’t leave the shelter location very often. The rest of her shelter brothers carry out her instructions. They have some locals in the shelter who can move about freely. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

  “What about the drop?” Makram’s face was grim. “The last time, we nearly took a missile hit. This time, we’re going down in pods. I’m a bit worried about what happens if the Sirsette Regional Militia shoots us out of the sky on the way down. You can’t exactly dodge missiles with a pod.”

  “This time you don’t have to worry at all. The local government isn’t very strong, and doesn’t even have an air defense. The empire ignores the place, for some reason, and barely even knows it’s there. The Yasta are the only real organized unit on the surface, and they don’t bother with long-range weapons.” Makram listened to Francesca’s words, but Theo could tell he was far from convinced.

  A light dinging sound echoed in the lecture hall. Hubard lifted up a tablet to check the notification that had just come through. “The ship is ready now.”

  “Very well.” Master Francesca searched each of their faces. “If there are no more questions, then Makram, will you please take Cherish, Cierra, and Theo to the loading bay? You four will be our infiltration team. The rest will stay behind.”

  Theo followed the group through the base to the loading bay. He didn’t think too much about the others being left behind. Hubard was working on some more Relissarium research, and Irane was never far behind the older man. Hojae had been helping train other new recruits between Theo’s field sessions. Besides, the infiltration team was made up of the same members that went on the Hilarion monastery mission. They had done well together, and the Carbonari had taken note.

  The four of them clambered aboard the ship, as it made ready for departure. Makram sat down on one of the passenger couches. Cierra sat on another. One look at Makram’s face told Theo he wasn’t welcome in such a close seating arrangement. He veered to the side and plopped down beside Cierra instead. Cherish took the other seat beside Makram. The pilot brought back two injection guns. He handed one to Cierra, and one to Makram.

  “What’s that for?” Theo glanced over Cierra’s shoulder at the gun.

  Cierra appeared to be looking for something. “Theo, can you pass me the bag on your side of the couch in the floor?”

  “Sure.” He looked in the floor for a second. “I don’t see—Ouch!” A sharp pain jabbed his upper arm.

  “Oh, hush, you big baby. It’ll make the journey easier for you.”

  “What was it?” Theo felt his eyes beginning to get heavy. His tongue felt fat in his mouth, and he slurred his speech.

  Cierra pressed the tip of the gun against her own arm, and pulled the trigger. A small needle darted out of the tip, and the rest of the liquid in the chamber shot into her arm. “Think of it like heavy-duty motion sickness medicine. It’ll keep you from having to deal with the side effects of portal travel.”

  “Oh.” Theo tried to listen to her voice, but it echoed and sounded far away. His head lolled to the side and landed on her shoulder. Rolling her eyes, Cierra managed to shove him off her before her medicine took hold.

  “Two minutes till drop!” The intercom called out.

  Theo groaned as it jarred him awake. It felt like no time had passed at all, except for the crick in his neck. He knew he’d been laying in an awkward position for hours without moving. The other three were already unbuckled from their seats.

  “Rise and shine, princess.” Makram smirked at him. “Although looking at you, you might could have used some more beauty sleep.”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny.” Theo rubbed his neck, and unsnapped his harness. The group floated to where their storage pods were docked in the belly of the ship.

  The drop area of the lift was supposed to resemble a storage bay. Although the area wasn’t that big, it was important that it be disguised as a regular shipping compartment, in case a customs inspector came knocking. The pods themselves were wedged between crates and boxes. As Theo floated into the drop area, he knocked on one of the boxes. It had an empty, hollow ring. They were clearly there as a mere red herring.

  Theo climbed into his pod, and flashed the others a smile. “See you all on the surface!” He strapped himself in, and closed the door behind him. It sealed with a small whooshing sound.

  Once inside, Theo spotted a green camo disguise. It would help him blend into the foliage on the surface. He quickly changed his garments. The space was cramped, but it was doable. Theo made sure to check the pod for weapons and provisions. They were mounted next to him on a rack. The supplies would be easy to remove on landing. He double checked his harness, and looked up at the ceiling. A chronometer counted down the seconds until the descent would begin. The pod was completely automatic. It was built for a one-way trip. All he had to do was hang on.

  The moment the clock went to zero, Theo was pushed up against his harness, and was then completely weightless again. His stomach fluttered up into his chest. The pod was on its way down. The chronometer reset itself, and he watched as it began to count back down. The next time the timer hit zero, Theo would be on the planet’s surface.

  The pod shook violently, as it encountered Sirsette’s upper atmosphere. Momentary panic seized Theo. He tightly gripped two handles beside his seat. The harness held him in place, but his lack of control put him on edge. At the one-minute mark, he was thrown forward in his chair. Theo could hear the roar of the hydrogen jets as the engines fired. The shuddering of the small capsule stabilized, and Theo was pressed down into his seat again. Soon afterwards, he felt a bump, and the words, ‘Please Exit Now,’ appeared over him.

  Shaken a bit from the ride, Theo unsnapped the harness that held him in the acceleration chair. He stood up, and reached over to grab the weapons harness. His knees wobbled underneath him. Theo strapped the harness over his upper body. Theo looked down and was pleased to see the lasana blade, a laser, and a sonic gun. He reached out and pulled the release handle on the door in front of him. Theo grabbed his survival kit on the way out. He prayed his legs would stabilize before Makram saw him.

  He staggered out to a landscape that smelled of pine needles and aromatic oils. The pod had landed in a forest. Theo felt heat on his hands and face, and looked down. Beneath him was the scorched earth created by the pod’s jets. At least it made for a quick landing. Theo turned around, and looked at the pod. The scorches from the controlled entry were all over it. A few scratches from tree limbs scarred the exterior. The spherical pod stood on three landing legs. A few wisps of smoke drifted up from the burnt ground.

  After a bit of searching, Theo found the kill switch on the outside of the pod. He punched through a coded set of instr
uctions, and took four steps back. He watched as it dissolved, from the complex series of reactions designed to eliminate any evidence of a secret landing on the planet. In minutes, all that remained of the pod was a wet spot on the ground next to the trees. In a few days, the burnt earth would be reclaimed by the local plant life, and life would continue as if he had never been there.

  Makram double checked the chronometer on his wrist. “We’re supposed to meet Naia and her shelter brothers in a few minutes.”

  “Where are we supposed to meet them?” Theo hoisted his pack higher on his shoulder. He noted that the others already had cloaks on that concealed their weapons. He quickly dug his out of his supplies, and tossed it over his shoulders.

  “We’re supposed to meet them a mile from here, due north.” Makram pulled his compass out, and tapped the thick glass. “Strong magnetic field on this planet. Shouldn’t have a problem.”

  “That won’t be necessary, commander,” An unexpected voice drifted to them, from the other side of the clearing. On instinct, Makram and the others reached for their weapons.

  A thin woman stood in the middle of the clearing. She wore a loose gown that gathered over her chest and fell down below her waist, just high enough to show her well-defined legs. Both Makram and Theo returned their lasers to their holsters. A few seconds later, Cierra and Cherish did the same.

  “I am Naia.” The woman bowed to them slightly. Her movements made Theo think of a sapling bending in the breeze. It was clear that she was a plant lifeform with humanoid features. Her black hair was gathered in one, long braid that fell down her back. Her voice was high pitched, and light. As she walked towards them, Theo noted she wore no shoes. It was a bit odd given as to how rough the underbrush appeared beyond the clearing. Her face was narrow, and her fingers long.

  For Theo, the most disturbing thing about Naia was her skin color. She was light green.

  A series of marks, similar to human skin blotches, ran up her left arm, and down her gown, terminating on her left leg. The marks appeared to have a life of their own. They changed patterns and hues as he starred at them. It was entrancing. Suddenly, he felt a finger on his chin. Cierra pushed up his jaw, and closed his gaping mouth. The tips of his ears turned a ruby shade, with his embarrassment.

  “The mottling is natural.” Naia’s eyes gazed at Theo, when she caught him staring. “From the look on your face, you’ve never been around my people before. The patterns and shades reflect our mood, similar to the way many of your species blush red.” Her words made the crimson spread to his cheeks.

  “My apologies.” Theo squared his shoulder, and stood up straighter, before offering her his hand. “I’m Theo.” The other three members of the team introduced themselves.

  “You can come out now.” Naia glanced over her shoulder into the trees. On the other side of the clearing, six figures appeared, all of whom carried lasers. Most were human, but not all. “I will introduce my group as we walk. It’s best if we are not away from the shelter for too long. Gyrra is our pilot. She may look young, but I assure you she is very capable. Next to her is Yudo. He handles most of the technical work I need accomplished. Baka is my muscle; he’s from the same world as your friend Kurga. Where is Kurga, anyway?” Naia glanced around at their group, as they picked their way through the dense forest.

  “We had to leave him behind on this run. There was limited space.” Makram’s head was on a swivel, constantly searching for danger.

  “I see. They are a rather large and lovely species, are they not? Anyway, on the other side of Baka is Eri. She’s a new recruit, as is Tsuto, who is on her left. Last but not least is my dear Mbat. He was one of my first recruits to the shelter.”

  It was a short walk to the shelter. Theo noticed Naia had a powerful presence about her. She had no need of barking orders. Her team seemed to work together seamlessly, without being told what to do. They remained quiet for most of the trip, and avoided any obvious trails. Soon, Naia led them to a grove of trees in the hills that overlooked their landing site. She walked around in a circle, to make sure no one followed them.

  Naia turned gently to one of her members. “Mbat, go up there and drop the ladders. They’re not used to climbing up there, the way we are.” Mbat nodded, and scaled the nearest tree with incredible speed.

  Theo turned, and looked at Cierra with confusion. Where was the shelter they were supposed to reach? He lowered his voice, and spoke softly. “I don’t see any place for us to stay. Am I missing something?”

  “You don’t see it because you don’t know what to look for.” Cierra’s voice seemed a little colder than usual. “You’ll soon find out.”

  Theo was drawn to Naia’s charisma. She stood in the middle of the copse of trees, and looked up, a goddess in green. Although he didn’t expect anyone who resembled a human, Naia was close enough to pass for one in the shadows of the forest. Her skin color blended with the surroundings. She was nothing like what he had imagined back in the lecture hall.

  Theo ducked through the opening into a large room, 100 feet above the forest floor. He was the last one in. There was a round table in the middle with a fireplace to one side. He stopped to listen to the pattering sound of rain on the roof. He was glad he had made it across the complex system of rope bridges before the shower started.

  Naia flourished her hands to gesture around the room. “Welcome to Shelter Fifty-Six. This will be your home while you are on Sirsette. Most of my crew is from this world, and they can answer any questions you might have about it. The rain will continue into the night. Don’t worry about the thunder. We have lightning rods to alleviate that danger.” She walked over to the table and sat down. Her body seemed to glide like a leaf on a breeze.

  Theo caught himself staring again, and quickly averted his eyes while he joined his team at the table. He took a seat by Cierra. “The climb wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.” Instead of responding, she simply turned away from him. Her snubs were starting to get on his nerves. What was her problem anyway?

  Naia’s voice floated across the table. “I would like to welcome all the brothers who’ve traveled so far to help us. We are not a large shelter, and we are the only one on this planet. The population isn’t very large, but we still take measures to stay unnoticed. The planet has little in the way of imperial government. The small amount of police force that is here is part of the Emperor’s household. I’m under the impression that they get assigned here as a punishment for failing in their duties. That would account for their lackluster performance.” This drew a few chuckles from around the room.

  Makram looked at Naia hopefully. “Thank you very much. I hope we aren’t an inconvenience to you for very long. I don’t know how long we will be here. We don’t even know what our objective is yet. I had hoped you would have heard something from the Council as far as that matter is concerned.”

  “Sadly, we have not.”

  Theo could see the look of disappointment on Makram’s face. They’d all wanted to arrive, find what the Carbonari needed, conduct a quick blow-it-up-and-run mission, and leave with the prize. Hurry-up-and-wait was not in their nature.

  By now, it was dark, and a solitary moon was in the sky. The inside of the hall was lit by small candles. Theo noted one of the women in Naia’s group closing the shutter doors the moment the candles were lit. The low lighting mixed with the sound of soft rain made for a cozy environment.

  Naia let out a contented sigh. “There’s not a lot to do after the sun sets. I have a space organized in the next room, where you can sleep. It’s directly connected to this hall, so you don’t have to worry about falling off a guide rope at night. Eri will show you to your quarters. I’ll have someone wake you, if anything happens later. I’ll be up manning the radio, if anyone needs anything. All you have to do is pull on the rope in the corner. It will ring a bell in another barrack, and someone will come to check on you.”

  Theo and the others picked up their gear. The team walked through a smal
l connecting room to their lodgings. It wasn’t a large room, but it had four separate hammocks in which to sleep. Theo picked one, and placed his pack beneath it. He unsnapped his utility webbing and placed his weapons next to it. After wearing it for hours, he felt much lighter.

  There was a small table with four chairs in the room. Theo sat down with the others, and pondered over what to do next. The room was lit with the faint light of bioluminescence. All the windows were already shuttered. The shelter swayed slightly in the breeze.

  “This isn’t what I expected.” Cherish seemed a little disheveled. “I thought we would at least know our final objective after we made contact.” She attempted to remove the tangles from her hair, but the humidity only increased her frizz.

  Makram walked over to a hammock, removed his boots, and swung his feet into it. “I’m certain the council has their reasons for holding back information until the last minute. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m turning in for the night.”

  The rest of the crew soon followed. Theo was the last one, so he placed a cover over the bio-light on the table. The gentle swaying and soft pitter patter of rain was like a lullaby to his tense body. Soon he, too, was sound asleep.

  Two

  When Theo awoke, all was dark and still. The soft, rhythmic breathing of his team whispered through the room. He swung himself out of his hammock, and peeked through the shutters. The world outside was still black. The moon was down, but dawn had yet to break across the horizon. Theo had no clue as to the exact time and, strangely, he didn’t care. It just didn’t seem to matter in a place that could pass for a treetop resort on other worlds. He strained to hear the sounds of the forest at night. The soft trilling of crickets rose up from the forest floor below.

  Bored, Theo decided to see if anyone else was up in the main hall. Hadn’t Naia mentioned something about manning a radio? He walked to the passageway between the two sections of the shelter. Theo stopped outside the radio room. What if he walked in on something he wasn’t supposed to hear? He hesitated momentarily, before pushing the door open anyway.