by B R Flores
“Hang on Cody, I’ll help yank that thing off you,” shouted Clyde.
Cody tried flicking the Crozin one more time, then slammed the limp carcass onto the floor. Clyde stood on top of the dead carcass, “Alright, pull your hand out.”
It sounded as if Cody was pulling his hand out of a jelly jar… vuump, and he was free.
Zeta was injured; she’d been fighting two Crozins at the same time. One of the Crozins got off a laser blast that left a gash across her leg. Purple blood ran down her thigh, leaving a trail behind with each step. She had killed the Crozin who’d shot her and was decapitating the second Crozin with her hands. No one dared to intervene. Zeta raged on long after he was dead, and was now mutilating the carcass by ripping his legs and arms from his torso. Her stripes softened from purple to red, and her frenzy calmed. Exhausted, she slumped to the floor holding the gaping wound on her leg. Clyde tore a uniform shirt off a dead Crozin and ripped it into strips.
“I can dress that if you’ll let me? I served in more than one war on Earth. When I was too old to be a Ranger, I retrained as a Field Medic.”
She lifted her hands, revealing a deep open gash across her thigh muscle. Clyde wrapped the torn shirt around her leg, dressing it like a pro.
It was over in less than five minutes. The Crozins on the bridge were dead and the battleship was their sword to wield. They were minutes from Europa and not slowing down. Roon fired a hyperbaric wave at the Crozin Wing-battleship. The monitor screen flashed white, followed by a sonic boom pushing their ship backwards from the impact. Victis flipped head-first over a bridge railing. Roon, Nikki, Clyde and Cody slid across the deck and Zeta slammed into the corner of a step. The wound on her leg was bleeding a tannish color through the bandage and her back appeared disfigured.
“Who’s hurt?” Victis called out.
Clyde was already on his feet running to Zeta’s aide.
Roon hit his mark, the hyperbaric beam destroyed the Wing-Ship.
The Crozin mothership pitched forward and rolled. They were preparing to return fire. Akio’s timing was perfect. Before they could complete the rotation, Akio fired a barrage of pulsating beams. The mothership exploded in space. It was a direct hit, taking out most of the starboard hull. Debris flew out in space as the crippled ship sped past Victis. Roon enabled their Crozin ship communications to transmit directly to Akio’s coded systems. Ship to ship Victis concurred, “Akio success, we have another battleship in good shape. Do not pursue the Crozin mothership. I don’t think they’ll make it very far; let them die a cold death in space.”
AZHA HAD CONSIDERED DOCKING THE shuttle on the Ryquat battleship during the siege. That thinking was foolhardy. Odds favored the shuttle being destroyed by crossfire, and leaving Quetzal behind was not an option. Best case scenario was to reduce the thrusters and hover in space outside the combat zone. In the distance, he caught a glimpse of three Trekachaw lights. They buzzed outside the shuttle, then flew into the cockpit. The lights morphed into Traitor Myosis and two Leader Gystfins. Quetzal dimmed herself into a small glow and hid inside a boot at the bottom of a foot locker. She wept, fearing Azha would not survive the attack. They had him backed into a tight corner and there was no room to maneuver.
Think fast… Azha thought to himself. Calculate their plan of attack to optimize a defense tactic.
His odds were grim. One advantage, Gystfins were predictable. They preferred to attack from behind, severing their prey’s spine with their long claws and fangs. The narrow cockpit made it difficult for them to attack from behind or the side. This gave Azha a fighting chance. One of the Leaders was hesitant and showing signs of fear. Azha noticed a thick, metal rod used to open a control panel lying on the floor beneath him. He bent over and snatched the rod off the deck and stabbed it into the Leader’s chest. The Leader’s reaction was faster than Azha had anticipated; he had aimed for his head. The Beast stepped back, screeching in agony trying to pull the rod out. Quetzal floated out of the boot next to Myosis.
“No Quetzal!” screamed Azha.
She darted back into the safety of the boot. Myosis roared with laughter and snatched the boot from the footlocker. He tried to stick his enormous hand down it but was unable to, so instead he threw it across the cockpit. Azha grabbed the rod and pushed it out the other side of the Leader’s chest. Traitor Myosis grabbed the end sticking out of the Leader’s back and held on firm. A tug-of-war ensued until the howling Leader turned into energy and flew out of the shuttle. Traitor Myosis roared, “Let go and I kill you quick.”
The second Leader Gystfin jumped up and down behind Myosis ranting, “Kill, kill Azha. Bite his head, suck him dry.”
Myosis was strong, too strong to take the rod away from. Thick strings of drool hung from his mouth and were sticking to his fur. Myosis was rabid; his fangs were chattering in desperation to chew Azha’s head off. They were deadlocked, pulling the rod back and forth and getting nowhere. Myosis dropped to his knees and yelled at the Leader behind him, “Go over top of me. Slice him… don’t kill. Azha, you lose. Let go, the Quizan live.”
The Leader behind Myosis had crawled onto the flight deck panel and was squeezing himself between it and the ceiling. Both he and Myosis were now wedged together and unable to move freely. Aroused by the violence, the Leader grabbed himself and began humping Myosis’s shoulder. He threw his head back and hissed, showing his yellow fangs. Saliva dripped out of his contorted, stretched lips and down the side of his chin. His fangs chattered in excitement and his eyes rolled back into his head. He groaned, jerking himself wildly until thick urine sprayed in spurts across Azha and Myosis. Satisfied, he relaxed and let go of himself. Myosis was outraged but refused to let go of the rod. “Slice Trekachaw, do it now!”
The Leader stretched out as far as he could, swiping his claws back and forth. Azha was trapped while in body-form. If he turned into energy he’d have a good chance of outrunning them, whereas Quetzal would be as good as dead. Closer and closer, the Leader stretched his body, until his long claws sliced across Azha’s chest. The pain was blinding, and he tried to press himself further into the corner. Again, the razor-sharp claws swiped past his head and sliced his stomach open down to the middle of his thigh. He could feel his flesh burn and blood gush from his body. Myosis let go of the metal rod and body-slammed Azha, forcing him out of the corner. He fell to his knees with Myosis clinging to his back. He couldn’t stop his body from spasming out of control, and his mind was filled with flashbacks of his life with Rodia. Myosis buried his fangs into Azha’s shoulder to hang on while using his long claws to shred the mighty Trekachaw into pieces. Azha felt himself dying.
He saw Quetzal’s light leave the boot and fly into a grate on the floor. Azha turned into energy and escaped, leaving the shuttle and Quetzal behind. His pain was excruciating, beyond anything he had ever endured. Looking back, he saw two Gystfin lights on his tail. They had not given up; the chase was on.
THE TREKACHAWS DID ONE MORE sweep of the cargo ship to check for any wayward Crozins. Clyde, Cody, and Nikki discovered an injured Beast curled up in a ball sleeping beneath a dining hall table. It resembled a Gystfin, but different and much larger. Cody and Nikki gladly volunteered to keep an eye on the slumbering Beast while Clyde informed the Captain.
Clyde flew onto the bridge and described the strange Beast to Victis and that it was asleep in the dining hall. Victis jumped out of his chair and ran down the corridor towards the dining hall holding a Neco weapon.
Quietly they crouched down to get a better view of the foul-smelling thing. They snickered at how loud it snored with its long tongue flopped out sideways quivering on the floor. The Beast was disgusting, yet funny at the same time. Victis barged into the dining hall, all fired up with purple stripes.
“Move out of my way,” ordered Victis.
He aimed and fired the Neco gun at the Beast. It uncurled and shook out of control, knocking dining tables over and chairs across the floor. He then laid flat on his back, stunned, with hi
s eyes open.
“Stay on the floor, or next time I’ll evaporate you,” hissed Victis.
The Beast moaned and rolled onto his side in pain. It was nothing more than an act to hide its aura before flashing into energy. Victis wasn’t fooled, he fired the Neco and a thin white beam sliced off a foot. The Beast shrilled in pain and thrashed about on the floor, cradling the stub of his bleeding ankle.
Victis’s eyes glowed yellow, “Why did you betray us?”
Puzzled, the Beast howled, “Who are you?”
“I’m Zygo,” said Victis.
“My brother?… cut off my foot?” the Beast wailed.
“You stopped being my brother when you stole a Gystfin’s body and joined our enemies to slaughter Quizans. Show remorse and tell me where Myosis is.”
“We killed Azha,” the Beast mocked.
Victis stumbled back, “No, you didn’t. You’re lying.”
“Dead. Quizan, too. Trekachaw die in shuttle. Look, my shoulder. Azha try to kill me. You care Azha stabbed me, brother?”
Victis ran towards his traitor brother, flipping chairs and dining tables across the room to clear the way. Scrambling across the floor to the other side, the Leader braced himself against a wall. You could see the fear in his eyes as he postured in a feeble attempt to show strength. Victis pounced on top of him and smashed his face into the floor. Fighting with all his might, the Leader was able to flip over by flailing his arms and kicking his legs. Victis straddled the Leader’s chest and stared into his eyes. Slowly he wrapped his hands around the Leader’s neck and squeezed. The vile Beast fought back until he passed out. Before the Leader died, Victis released his hold, allowing him to breathe. When he was cognizant of his fate, Victis would slowly squeeze his neck again, listening to the Leader gasp for air. Whether or not he meant to, Victis finally choked the Leader until there was no life left in his bulgy eyes. Victis rolled off the Leader and sat on the floor, rocking back and forth in anguish. Sorrow… gut wrenching sorrow. The Leader had to have been lying. Victis cried out, “Azha!” His souls were dead, and he felt as cold as ice. Azha was his brother, not this wretched monster lying before him.
Nikki sat beside Victis and wrapped her arms around him. The fearless Captain began to sob. For Victis, nothing would ever be the same without Azha.
twenty one
EUROPA
“Death comes swift for those who wait.”
MYOSIS and the Leader were steadily gaining on Azha, and he was too injured to fly any faster. Hiding in Jupiter’s massive red cyclone gave him a slim chance to evade the relentless Gystfins. Out of options, Azha dove headfirst into the violent storm, leaving them behind. The cyclone was blinding with dense, swirling debris, and his energy was being ripped apart by razor sharp particles passing through him. When he could no longer bear it, Azha flew out of the cyclone expecting to face the Gystfins. But they were gone, and he’d survived for the time being.
Severely injured and drained of energy, Azha flew on instinct, in and out of consciousness. Evidently, the battle had gone well for Victis. There were no signs of debris from his ship. Though desperate to find the shuttle, he knew those odds were slim. Earth was the nearest safe-haven, and he could see her blue orb in space. Perhaps, he could find the strength to fly there and rest.
It wasn’t long before he felt himself fading. Earth was too far away; he wasn’t going to make it. His only regret was that he didn’t want to die alone. But he took comfort in knowing that his life had made a difference.
A small speck in space caught a reflection from the distant sun. Was it an illusion, perhaps a figment of his imagination? No, it was not. Against all odds, he’d found the shuttle miles off course, drifting in space. To Azha’s surprise, Quetzal had survived and was sitting on the hull soaking up the sun. He knew in his heart that she would’ve drifted in space forever waiting for him. Overjoyed, she streaked to his side and closely followed him into the shuttle. Azha morphed into body form and collapsed. His back was on fire and the slashes on his legs were so gruesome they were difficult for him to look at. When he tried to get up from the floor, the gash on his leg gaped opened and he could see his bone.
Quetzal buzzed around Azha’s head telling him about her discovery. While searching for him, she found a cave on Europa where they could hide. Azha hung onto to the navigation station and pulled himself up to sit in the chair. His head was fuzzy, making the controls difficult to see. He set the auto-pilot to Europa and closed his eyes. Quetzal kept buzzing in his ear to keep him awake until they reached the surface. With her help, Azha navigated the shuttle to a moon-shaped cavern. He must have passed out after landing the shuttle because he could not remember doing it. Quizan was buzzing around his head shouting for him to get up. Azha drew his last strength from her determination to save his life. They turned into energy and flew far beneath the icy crust of Europa into an unexpectedly, large cave. It was beautiful inside, with high ceilings cast by shadows of soft, flowing colors of yellow and orange. The cave was soothing and provided energy as inviting as the Targus Sun. She’d saved him from certain death and given him a fighting chance. Quetzal touched Azha’s wounds and wept. Exhausted, they curled up together and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
twenty two
REQUIESCAT IN PACE
SIX hours had passed since the knowledge of Azha’s death. Old wounds resurfaced, opening painful forgotten memories of his wife and child. Victis tried not to think about them… it hurt far too much. Connie had given him a beautiful daughter while on the long trek to a new planet. His crew and family were the first to step foot on the blue planet he’d named Trinite. This virgin world was going to be their home for the next ten years. How long had it been since that horrible day? Five years?… yes, almost five years. His dreams were uneventful now, unlike the chilling nightmares that haunted him constantly in the beginning. Still, from time to time, sleepless nights cruelly forced him to awaken in night sweats. He wondered if they would ever completely go away. Azha had given him a new life, a new beginning. But his friend was dead, and all those old feelings of loneliness and sadness were back. Everyone he loved had died a violent death by either the Crozins or the Gystfins. Thinking back, he would’ve done things differently. Such promise to have gone so wrong.
UPON HIS GRADUATION, THE FIDUS Achates offered Victis a cutting-edge battleship in the southern quadrant of the Orion Belt. He declined the offer in lieu of a vanguard research ship assigned to establish an outpost on a remote, newly-discovered planet located between Palatu and Earth. Connie would have supported Victis either way, but she was relieved to hear his choice.
His decision did not come without guilt; the war was not favoring the Ryquats. Young Officers were being promoted to Captain fresh out of the Fidus Academy due to shortages caused by war casualties. In addition, the Crozins were depleting the Ryquats’ fleet and resources. He’d heard rumors that a previous silent ally called the Umduls had joined forces to defeat their common enemy. Collectively, the Ryquats’ odds improved significantly.
Word spread quickly within the galaxy how the Umduls were collaborating with the Ryquats. This caused a wave of dissension among those species who before the coalition had been neutral. One such species was a vile, vicious race and distant descendants of the Crozins. The Gors evolved on a planet not far from their ancestors into smaller, thick-skinned beings with armored scales covering most of their backsides. If threatened by a superior opponent, the Gors curled into an impenetrable, tight ball. They were difficult to kill and multiplied quickly. One saving grace was that their life span was short; on average, they lived thirty Earth years.
Victis’ mission was to establish Trinite into a viable outpost for Ryquat inhabitants. This new planet was fundamental as a safe refuge in case Zaurak was sieged or destroyed. Rather than being captured by the enemy, suicide by any means was by far the preferred method to insure a humane death. The Gors and Crozins were known to take great pleasure in torturing male adversaries. All male chi
ldren and most of the female children under ten years were immediately slaughtered for food. Adult female Ryquats, or those close to puberty, were brutally violated and used as slaves by the Crozins until they became too old or ill. Fortunately for the female Ryquats, Crozins were unable to impregnate them, even though every vile method had been forced upon them. However, if ever a viable pregnancy was achieved, the father would be richly rewarded and held in the highest esteem.
TWO YEARS HAD COME AND gone since their arrival on Trinite. The war was in full force and favoring the Ryquats. To their credit, the Umduls had made a pivotal difference. Zaurak was safe for the first time in decades, and prosperity had returned. Several transport ships from the home planet were en route to Trinite carrying supplies and additional personnel to assist with new, sustainable industry and housing expansion. The Fidus Achates Council did not want history repeated with the same mistakes made on Mars. If it were to happen again, Trinite would be operational and established.
Trinite was a garden paradise. It was easy for the Ryquats to become complacent. Connie was pregnant again, and Heidi had grown into a happy, curious, little girl. Victis loved watching her play with the other children and run about the compound exploring everything in sight. Some of the indigenous animals and birds were friendly and made wonderful pets. The only real predators on the planet were carnivorous plants. Four of the larger, voracious, flesh-eating plants were exceptionally dangerous even to the Ryquats. Though strikingly beautiful with bold white flowers, the plants were destroyed around the compound as a precaution in case children happened to wonder outside the perimeter. One of the innovative chefs suggested testing the carnivorous plants for consumption. Low and behold, not only were they safe to eat, the stalk tasted like tender Chovo and the petals were a close match to Tuki fish. Life was good, but all that was about to end….