Free Trader Complete Omnibus

by Craig Martelle

  Micah was the first to see one of them. He stood, looking out the window, watching as the carnage advanced toward him. Micah pointed and together with the Wolfoids, they fired at the window. The lightning from their spears blasted the glass while Micah’s narrow beam brushed the sill. She caught a glimpse of the Lizard Man being thrown backward.

  They started to run. There were at least three more of the ancient creatures. As they approached the building with the black scars around the window, an Overlord head appeared. In his hand was a blaster. Micah dove to the side, and the Wolfoids followed suit, scrambling for cover.

  Aadi swam near Pik, knowing that he couldn’t get out of the way quickly enough.

  The Overlord hesitated when he saw Pik standing there. Their eyes met. Pik shook his head briefly before triggering his own lightning spear, blasting the face that looked like hundreds of others from the ship. Holly’s suggestion that Pik and Dal get lightning spears instead of blasters had been a good one. They blended in better and Pik had just put his to good use.

  Two down, two to go.

  A commotion started to the east and one to the west as well. Micah looked ahead and saw Braden running toward the buildings with two Rabbits, two Lizard Men, and two Wolfoids close behind. Zyena screamed as she dove through the trees and into the face of an enemy warrior who sought to block Braden’s path. Braden jumped over the writhing body and Akhmiyar put the enemy out of his misery.

  The group pushed forward. Micah waved them toward the second building as her group descended on the one that Pik had chosen. Skirill flew past, wings beating hard as he joined his mate to help clear Braden’s path.

  Laser beams reached out in brief wisps of deadly light, knocking enemy Lizard Men from their hiding spots in the trees. The Rabbits jumped high into the air to help them get a better view. Another shot, another dying Lizard Man.

  Flames erupted to the east and west, but they couldn’t see the cause. Bounder fired his lightning spear at a shadow in the trees. Gray Strider looked for a target, but couldn’t find one. Pik made it to the window and crouched below it for a heartbeat before popping up and looking in. He raised his spear and fired twice, then walked around the corner to the door.

  The remaining enemy warriors broke, throwing their spears down and racing into the rainforest. Braden stopped running and took a knee to get his breath back. The Rabbits’ fur was dirty and wet, and their noses twitched as they watched the enemy run away. Their ears were up as they listened carefully.

  Braden asked them to check on Bronwyn. They were away in a flash and hopping back into the trees. Braden stood. With Akmiyar and his lone surviving warrior on one side and the Wolfoids on the other, they walked toward the second building.

  Akhmiyar twisted and prepared to throw his spear, but Braden caught his arm as he saw Pik Ha’ar walk around the corner. Braden waved to the Lizard Man and he waved back. Akhmiyar was confused. It took Braden a series of hand and arm motions to convince Akhmiyar that these were the two they brought from the ship and that they were friends.

  A blaster appeared in the doorway and fired. The beam hit Akhmiyar’s woven armor and knocked him backwards. Braden snap fired, throwing flame across the doorway. He held the trigger down, burning the door while running toward it. The Wolfoids chased after him.

  Braden jumped and hit the flaming door with both feet. This was an ancients’ door and even though it was old and had been in the rainforest weather for hundreds of turns, it held. Braden bounced off and fell to the ground. His Old Tech clothing protected him from the flames as he rolled into a nearby puddle just to make sure nothing was on fire. Loper and Sunny stopped, aiming their spears at the intransigent door. It cracked open again and the blaster’s barrel was pushed through the slight space. Two lightning beams flashed at it, blowing the door wide open.

  Braden scrambled to his feet and ran into the building, blasting the stunned Overlord rolling on the floor. Without a second look at the smoking remnants of the creature, he squinted into the darkness of the single room, looking for any other threats. A Lizard Man with a spear cowered behind what looked like a desk with Old Tech panels arrayed on the wall behind it. Braden raised his blaster, but couldn’t fire. The Lizard Man covered its head with its three-clawed hands and whimpered. Sunny Day prodded him with her spear tip and he dropped to the floor, curling himself into a ball.

  Loper retrieved the Lizard Man’s spear while Braden picked up the Overlord’s blaster. Sunny nudged the Lizard Man on the floor and prodded him until he ran out the door, disappearing into the rainforest beyond. Carrying two blasters and an extra spear, they left the room on their way to the last building.

  Pik had cleared the other building by himself. Two Overlords and two Lizard Men were dead inside. Dal remained behind to guard the building while the others headed toward the third. Micah caught sight of Braden and smiled. He returned the smile, feeling warmth radiate throughout his body. He nodded back to her and turned toward the last building as the door popped open and two Lizard Men jumped out with their spears leveled at the humans.

  Braden pressed the trigger but his blaster was out of energy. Micah fired hers and waved flame across both of the enemy. As the dying creatures fell, an Overlord appeared and raced west into the rainforest. Micah fired again, but the beam was too wide, splashing fire against the wet tree trunk and leaving their enemy free to run. Braden fumbled for the second blaster and started after the Overlord.

  In front of him, he saw flames and beams light up the trees. The Overlord ran back toward them, pulling himself up short when he saw what was in front of him. He dropped to his knees and put his hands on his head.

  A Security Bot burst from the trees and hovered nearby. They all looked at it oddly. From the other side of the stronghold compound, a second Security Bot appeared.

  “Holly, leaving nothing to chance, I suspect,” Braden said as he took Micah’s hand. “So what do we do with that?” Micah shook her head.

  ‘I will secure him,’ Pik offered. The Overlord looked strangely at his fellow Lizard Man.

  ‘Where have you come from?’ the Overlord finally asked.

  ‘I was born on the space ship called the Traveler. I came here to stop you and restore the human’s faith in our species, taking our rightful place at their side as an equal.’

  ‘But that’s all we were trying to do,’ the Overlord pleaded.

  ‘No, it was not. Your time has come to an end,’ Pik said.

  It seemed like it happened in slow motion as they watched. Pik took half a step backward, leveled his spear, and thrust forward into the Overlord’s throat, twisting it upward until the spear tip stopped when it hit the inside of his skull. Pik lifted upward and then drove the butt of the spear into the ground. The Overlord was held upright, his body leaning against the shaft while his lifeless eyes peered from a head transfixed by the spear’s point.

  “Bronwyn,” Braden said and with Micah in hand, they retraced his steps into the rainforest. He sighed in relief when he saw her walking toward him, Ferrer and Brigitte each holding one of her hands while G-War leaned against her legs. She smiled weakly at Micah and the others. Two Hawkoids circled through the trees around the little girl to make sure no enemies threatened her.

  A Reunion Long Overdue

  Braden and Micah took stock of the survivors huddled with them in the largest building. Pik and Dal had removed the bodies and dumped them unceremoniously in the rainforest. The rest thought it was nice to finally be out of the rain. Braden was able to start a small fire using some of the wet wood. It smoked while burning, but with the door open and the window blasted out, the smoke readily found its way outside.

  Two swordsmen from Village McCullough, both wounded but not critically, were lying next to the fire. Akhmiyar was alive, but his arm was damaged from the blaster shot. There was no processed numbweed remaining, and it wasn’t a wound that could be sewn up. Akhmiyar’s warrior was uninjured and vowed to take care of his leader, seeing that he returned to his
people with the honor that he deserved.

  Brigitte and Ferrer were uninjured, as were Zyena and Skirill. Braden was bruised, but his Old Tech armor and clothing had protected him. G-War huddled next to the fire, leaning against Bronwyn. He wondered what it would be like to be dry, claiming that he couldn’t remember the feeling.

  Aadi apologized for not contributing as they confronted the Overlords. The humans and the others moved far too quickly, leaving the Tortoid struggling to catch up. Braden was happy to see him and told him to stop apologizing.

  The Wolfoids all limped in one way or another. The pads of their paws weren’t made to be wet as long as they had been. Everyone needed time to recover. Braden pulled the radio from his pack and turned it on.

  “Holly, are you there?” Braden asked.

  “Yes, I am, Master Braden! How good to hear your voice. I’m told that you have dispatched the Overlords,” Holly said cheerfully over the radio. They heard cheering in the background. Micah leaned in close to hear.

  “We’re in one of the buildings trying to dry out before we go get wet again. How’d you know, Holly?”

  “The Security Bots informed me, of course. I hope that my sending them didn’t violate your instructions. I didn’t want to see anything happen to any of you and figured that although we couldn’t use our infrared sensors to track the Amazonians, we could use them to track you,” Holly stated matter-of-factly.

  “Got it and thanks, Holly. It was nice to have their help at the end. I doubt we will have any more problems with those led astray by the Overlords. I think the other Amazonians will humbly beg to be allowed to live. We have a lot to do to put our world back together. We have fields to plant and nurture under the wise guidance of our Rabbit friends. We have Aurochs to rescue from Toromont’s Run. We need trade!” Braden exclaimed with a broad grin.

  “What he means, Holly, is that he wants Coldstream to get back into the sweetened, smoked pork business,” Micah added.

  “I have to quote you on this, Braden,” Holly said cryptically. “I think you would say that you make your own luck. I believe that it won’t be long before Coldstream is back in business and the traders are back on the roads that you pioneered with your caravan,” Holly delivered smoothly.

  “Sometimes you make it hard not to like you, Holly. So what secret are you keeping from us that we should know about?” Micah chuckled as she pulled Braden to her.

  “Oh, Braden, sometimes I don’t understand your sense of humor. Dr. Johns is showing me the Aurochs herd moving north. It looks like the villagers from Trent are all lined up to watch them pass. I count three-hundred, forty-seven in the herd.”

  “Three-hundred, forty-seven! And Brandt is moving them from the weeds of Toromont’s Run. That is good news and a secret well worth sharing,” Braden said with a smile. “Thanks for that, Holly, and thanks for sending the Bots to look out for us. Gotta run now. The warmth from the fire is going to waste and it’ll be nice to feel dry, if only for a short while.”

  Braden thought about powering the unit down, but then changed his mind. He didn’t know why, but he felt more comfortable connected to the world. During the journey through the Amazon, he felt lost and alone, even though he was accompanied by some of those he trusted the most.

  “I know how you feel,” Micah said. He missed that, too, her constant presence in the back of his mind. He knew what it had been like to have it all and he wanted that again. They’d have plenty of time to talk on the return journey.

  Bronwyn

  Brigitte and Ferrer moved aside to let Braden and Micah get close to the young girl, embracing her as they watched the small fire crackle and pop. G-War flopped in front of them and rolled onto his back, exposing his unscarred belly to the fire. His back legs dangled out to the sides.

  “C’mon, G! You should be embarrassed doing that,” Braden scolded.

  ‘While I am drying a part of my body that should never get wet, I will contemplate your demise on our trip back to New Sanctuary. I think that I’ll wait for you to sleep and then put a leach on your neck, but that wouldn’t give me as much satisfaction as personally rending your flesh,’ the ‘cat said casually.

  “We are all wet where we shouldn’t be, my little orange man. Let’s dry out and then we’ll go home. Once we are in New Sanctuary, you can lay by the lake as long as you'd like. All of you!” Braden declared with a sweep of his arm.

  Micah leaned her head against Bronwyn’s. Braden knew they were speaking privately as Bronwyn would nod every now and then. G-War could probably hear them as he purred, occasionally resting a paw on her knee as he continued to lie on his back.

  The Wolfoids were sprawled on the hard floor, fast asleep. Micah waved at Braden to let him know it was okay to leave. Sometimes, he needed to be by himself to think about what to do next. He walked outside where the two Security Bots hovered at strategic points around the clearing as they protected the President and all the companions. Pik and Dal were outside, leaning against a tree with Aadi floating serenely nearby. Braden waved as he walked around, thinking.

  Micah held Bronwyn close while G-War caressed the young girl’s mind. As she was capable of taking physical pain away, the ‘cat tried to take away her pain, the images that the Overlords flooded into her mind.

  Bronwyn tried to shove it into a dark recess and hide it there, but Micah knew the pictures would haunt her dreams. G-War reached into her mind, deeper than he’d ever been before, and pulled on the memories. Bronwyn gasped as the images raced into her mind’s eye. He kept pulling while Micah soothed her with thoughts that although the evil was real, the images were not. They wouldn’t let anyone hurt her, as the companions had demonstrated over and over. How they put their bodies between her and harm.

  Ferrer and Brigitte worked their way in behind Bronwyn to add their thoughts of how it was their responsibility to keep her safe and warm. With a final tug, G-War pulled the false Overlord memories free and took them into his own mind, where they evaporated like water on a hot rock.

  Bronwyn took a deep breath and collapsed. Her breathing was slow and steady. The Rabbits patted her small head and wiggled their ears in contentment. For the first time in half a moon, Bronwyn was sound asleep.

  G-War rolled toward the fire, letting one scarred side warm up and start to dry. He wondered when they’d make it back to Cornwall.

  Micah left the young girl alone to sleep under the watchful eyes of the Rabbits as they snuggled in and prepared to sleep. She went outside and found Braden leaning against one of the other buildings. She strolled up to him and hugged him tightly. He pulled her around the building as they removed their own wet clothes to stand before each other, naked, water running down their bodies. They looked around for a place to take care of the rest of their business…

  Still Wet

  Akhmiyar and his fellow warrior led the two Village McCullough swordsmen back north. Braden and Micah were hesitant to reveal the existence of New Sanctuary, so they asked the two women to take word of the victory back north. Akhmiyar and Pik had talked for a long time and they both agreed that the war was over. They expected no further attacks, no more uprisings, and no more coordination between the sharkfish and the cold-water crocs.

  The journey from the rainforest took every bit as long as the journey in, but it went by quicker. There were no feeling of dread. They rested often and talked openly. Bronwyn was between Braden and Micah for a great deal of the trip, skipping as they held her hand. She looked much older than when they first met her. She was nearly thirteen cycles, but already had worry lines around her young eyes.

  Braden felt horrible, which earned him a scathing look from his partner who, with Bronwyn, was sensitive to other people’s feelings. If he felt badly for things he’d done, then he’d drag the others down, so he was not allowed the luxury of remorse.

  “But…” he started to say. He had nothing.

  ‘Remember when we used to enter the villages and everyone would cheer?’ Micah knew how Braden felt a
bout that. He perked up within a heartbeat at the thought. ‘We’ll see that again, and soon. Think about the good things to come instead of what’s in the past. And you know, there’s nothing we could have changed, besides letting Dr. Johns push the button and start a new ancients’ war. You know we couldn’t do that either, so when it comes down to it, we had no choice in all of it, and now it’s over. It’ll be nice to get home and be dry.’

  “When are Patrice’s babies due?” Braden asked, thinking about what waited for them in New Sanctuary a little more than a turn’s walk away.

  “What?” Bronwyn asked. “We were together for all that time and you never thought to mention that Patrice and Delavigne are having babies?”

  Micah shrugged as she looked at Braden.

  He looked at his mate. “She’s starting to sound like you,” Braden said flatly, earning himself a punch in the arm. “I’m sorry, but yes. We will have baby Rabbits and I have no idea how soon.”

  G-War strutted by, tail up and tip flicking as the rain finally stopped, more than thirty turns after they had entered the rainforest as they approached the southern border. The Security Bot was already in the sunlight, shimmering as the Bots did.

  ‘I think the seven little ones will be waiting for us when we arrive,’ came the smug ‘cat voice. Ferrer and Brigitte hopped with glee, running out of the rainforest into the open field and sunshine. Braden had forgotten what they looked like dry. He thought they’d been fluffy, but could only see two skinny creatures with big back legs and big ears, pink eyes on the sides of their heads. They had a small harness on which they carried their laser pistols and that was it.