Trekachaw

by B R Flores

  “Connie? Are you sure she’s Connie?”

  “I’m positive,” assured Pax.

  Victis looked as if he were about ready to faint again. Rather than taking a chance, Azha helped him over to a chair and told him to sit down.

  “Connie died on Trinite. I found her blouse on the floor ripped to pieces… soaked with blood. Azha, if this is true, if I had known… Pax, I didn’t know. She must hate me for not rescuing her from those monsters. Azha, can you take over here? I need to go.”

  “Yes, Victis. Don’t worry, Akio can manage your ship just fine and I can stay here on the cargo ship. Do you want Roon and Clyde back on your ship to help Akio?”

  “Yes.”

  “Go, we’ll be fine,” insisted Azha.

  Victis turned into energy and disappeared.

  “Akio, are you listening in on the com? Did you hear what Pax told Victis?” Azha asked.

  “Yes, I will match your speed. Can the cargo ship Hikari?” Akio asked.

  “I don’t know? Atue are you listening? Do you know?”

  “Yes, I had help from a friend that knows this ship. He’s also the one who told the Fidus Achates about the Gystfins and the bad Ryquat slaughtering us. I’d like to introduce him, but you must promise me you won’t hurt him?”

  “Why would I hurt him? He saved us,” asked Azha.

  “Promise me,” replied Atue.

  “I’m going to hurt you, if you ask me again,” warned Azha.

  “His name is Boo and he’s a Gystfin,” said Atue.

  “Are you out of your mind? A Gystfin? You’re protecting a Gystfin?”

  “Azha, you promised. If you try to hurt him, I’ll stop you.”

  “How do you know he’s not a spy? Who else knows about this Gystfin?” Azha demanded.

  “He’s not a spy. All the Human Trekachaws like him. Two of the Trekachaws found him living inside a crate.”

  “How long has he been on the ship?” Azha asked.

  “He was on board when you stole it. Kogbor exiled Boo from Palatu because he refused to kill or suck grey-death energy from us. Boo was Kogbor’s Chief Engineer. That’s the only reason he’s alive. I can understand why Kogbor didn’t kill Boo; he is an excellent Engineer. He’s not like any Gystfin we’ve ever met. Boo is good, not a monster.”

  “We’ll see. I want to meet Boo first, then I’ll make the decision whether he is or is not of value,” Azha said in anger. “Where are you?”

  “In the cargo bay next to the bridge. I’ve never asked you for anything. Boo is my friend. I’m asking you not to hurt him.”

  “I’ll be right there,” barked Azha.

  Azha morphed into body form next to Atue.

  “Victis trusted your judgement and you got five Trekachaws killed. Why should I trust your judgement?”

  Atue’s stripes flared purple and his eyes turned yellow, “Take that back Azha. No, don’t even try. I don’t care what you think of me anymore. I have six Trekachaws who will stand with me to protect Boo,” Atue warned, preparing himself to fight. “Boo risked his life to save Quizans. Kogbor tried to kill him when he found out that he was the one who told the Ryquats. Boo hid in the ship to stay alive.”

  The weary Gystfin shuffled out from behind a monitor and surrendered himself.

  “Atue, Boo die now. Do not fight.”

  Boo lowered his head, “Azha, kill Boo fast. Not suffer.”

  Six Trekachaws stepped between Azha and Boo.

  “Stop! You’ve made your point. Gystfin, look at me and remember my words,” threatened Azha.

  Boo raised his head and shivered.

  “I will not kill you now. When I have proof of what you say, be it truth or lie, that’s when we’ll speak again. Have I made myself clear?” Azha demanded.

  “Yes,” Boo nodded.

  “Akio, are you still listening?”

  “Yes, Azha.”

  “Send the Trekachaws on the battleship to the cargo ship with instructions to meet me on the bridge. Do you want Roon, Clyde, Nikki, and Cody to remain on your ship?”

  “That would please me,” replied Akio.

  “Is Roon on the Bridge?” Azha asked.

  “Yep, standing next to Akio. How can I help?”

  “Our mission is to fly these two ships safely to Palatu. Assist Akio with monitoring any anomalies or threats en route. If either of you suspect anything, no matter how trivial, contact me immediately.”

  “Understood. Zeta, Clyde, Takeda, and nineteen Trekachaws are energized and ready to go.”

  “Send them now,” Azha confirmed.

  “Anzen’na tabi.”

  “Akio, I didn’t copy your last transmission?” Azha asked.

  “Anzen’na tabi. Safe journey.”

  “You too, Akio.”

  VICTIS REFUSED TO BELIEVE CONNIE was alive; Pax had to be wrong. Crozin captives rarely survived for very long. Personally, he had never met one. Rumors told, it was better not to survive. Painful memories flooded his mind, none of them pleasant, none of them he wanted to remember. Heidi would have been eight years old.

  What would he say to her, if she was Connie? How could she ever forgive him for assuming she was dead? There was no excuse for his unforgivable mistake. Nothing he said now was going to change the hell she endured. Pify’s battleship came into view.

  The bridge was bustling with colorful Umduls. Right away, Pify noticed his energy light and waved. Victis morphed into body form next to the old Captain.

  “Welcome. Pax meet family thought gone. Daughter delight, not so your wife. Together we go, Connie afraid. Have patience today, tomorrow we’ll see.”

  Victis knew it was bad if Pify felt the need to escort him. The corridors were closing in on him and he was lost for words. Pax greeted them at the door. His worst fears had been confirmed, the look on Pax’s face said it all.

  “Before you see her Victis, sit down. I need to explain a couple of things. After you visit Connie, I’ll introduce you to your daughter and the woman who cared for her.”

  Victis felt dizzy and his legs were weak. Pax shoved a chair underneath him and told him to sit down.

  “We can do this later,” suggested Pax.

  “No. I want to see her.”

  “Connie’s improving, but she’s extremely psychotic. She’s disfigured and has quite a few physical scars. And she doesn’t trust anyone except for Marilyn, the older woman. So, don’t be offended. Do you want me to continue?” Pax asked.

  “Yes,” replied Victis.

  “When the Crozins attacked Trinite they took Connie as a breeder. Marilyn told me Heidi died on Trinite.”

  “I know she’s dead Pax. I watched the Crozin Ukaru rip her heart out. Don’t you remember?” Azha snapped.

  “No, forgive me. I passed out when they killed Bruce’s family. We’ve never talked about it since that day,” replied Pax.

  “I’m glad you forgot. I wish I could forget,” Victis said with remorse.

  Pax grabbed a chair and scooted it over next to Victis. Unable to talk, he sat down and covered his face with his hands. Pify shuffled over to them and grunted. He patted their cheeks with his fat little hands trying his best to comfort them.

  “Better I say to Victis, Connie not well. Connie afraid of dark. Connie’s mind is haunted, sees monsters where there’s none. I go too, when ready,” offered Pify.

  “I’m ready,” said Victis.

  Victis lied. He was never going to be ready.

  Pax stood up and waited. Victis stood up slowly. Pify grunted, “We all go,” and shuffled towards the door. Pax wiped the tears from his eyes and followed Pify. Victis concentrated on Pax and Pify walking in front of him, trying not to overthink what he was about to see.

  At the end of a corridor was a locked metal door with a small window at eye level. Pax unlocked the door and stepped to the side. Inside, the lights were dimmed, and the room was barren of conventional furniture. Connie was sitting in a chair that was bolted to the floor. Next to the wall, a sm
all bed with restraints validated the severity of her paranoia. She looked disoriented and old, much older than her years. Pax and Pify entered the room and stood against the wall adjacent to the door. She recognized Pax by her willingness to look at him. As Victis entered the room, Pax pointed at him and spoke softly, “Connie, this is the other Trekachaw I was telling you about. Remember I was Jacet. This Trekachaw was Victis.”

  It was painfully clear Victis was not welcomed. Her eyes turned crazy with fear and she hissed at Pax.

  “You liar. That’s not Victis. Get him out of here,” she screamed.

  Connie squirmed out of her chair and slithered on her stomach across the floor to hide beneath the bed. One of her legs was horribly disfigured. It looked as if it had been broken and healed on its own. When she was screaming at them, Victis noticed that her face was swollen and most of her front teeth were either cracked or missing. Her cheek bone was dented in, causing her eye on that side to droop, and her nose was crooked from being broken more than once. She was far worse than he’d imagined. Pify grabbed Victis by the arm and pulled him out of the room.

  “Connie special care, Pax knows best for sure. Tilly waits for father.”

  “Pify, what the hell did they do to her?” Victis cried.

  “Pax care for Connie. You meet Tilly. We go,” said Pify pulling on Azha’s arm.

  Two Umdul Toogus aids ran past them into the room and shut the door. Victis followed and looked through the window in the doorway. Connie had crawled out from underneath the bed and was throwing herself against the wall trying to hurt herself. She was screaming profanities at Pax and accusing him of being a lying Crozin. She ran to her bed and jumped on top of the mattress screaming that if any one touched her she’d kill them. She began ripping her clothes off and screaming, “Fuck me bastards, I don’t care. Come on, stick it out, I’ll bite it off.”

  Victis looked away. Seeing her like this was more than he could take. He heard sounds of cloth ripping and a scuffle. Connie was screaming over and over, “Victis not here, Crozin Bastards. Victis not here, Crozin Bastards.”

  Pax spoke to her in a calm monotone voice, but Victis could hear a hint of urgency in his words.

  “Connie, I’m not a Crozin. If you’ll calm down, I won’t have to sedate you again.”

  He warned the Umdul aids to be careful, that she had bitten him and other medical staff. Victis listened to the struggle as they held her down. Pax had no other choice than to sedate her.

  Victis slid down the wall and sat on the floor. That was not Connie. This was far worse than death. She was completely insane and disfigured from years of abuse. What did the Crozins do to her and why would they keep her alive? Connie was right, he was not her Victis. No wonder she saw him as another monster. Unless a Quizan was willing to merge with her, their life together died on Trinite.

  Pax and the Umdul aides walked out of the room and locked the door behind them.

  “She’s better now. This will take a lot of patience and rehabilitation. Would you like to meet your daughter? She’s not afraid of me, anymore.”

  “Anymore? Was she afraid of us, too?” Victis asked.

  “Very afraid. Marilyn is like her grandmother, so she listens to her. Without Marilyn, Tilly would’ve been an hors d’oeuvre at a Crozins dinner years ago. I don’t know how she did it, but she protected her, “said Pax. “Do you want to know any more about Connie?”

  “Might as well. I don’t see how it could get any worse,” said Azha.

  “We can stop if it’s too much. Connie believes you’re on Zaurak or Trinite. She keeps asking to go there. I had hoped when she saw you, something would’ve clicked. We can try it again while she’s sedated, if you want?”

  “Maybe. Whatever’s best for her,” said Azha.

  “On a different note, I spoke with Vexy about transporting them to Zaurak. For now, that’s impossible. The Crozins and Gors are trying to occupy Zaurak while the Umduls are at an impasse,” advised Pax.

  “You spoke with Vexy?” Victis asked.

  “Yes, yesterday. She told me as soon as the Umduls left Zaurak space, the Crozins were waiting to attack. If you ask me, they were tipped off. Zaurak is going to lose this war. I can’t understand why they won’t negotiate with the Umduls. None of this makes any sense,” said Pax.

  “Is Vexy safe?” Victis asked.

  “For the time being. She claims to have an escape contingency plan if necessary. The Fidus Achates are reviewing the proposal and are entertaining a re-vote to side with the Umduls. In the last couple of days, she was able to sway some of the Ryquat Council members. Vexy’s afraid that if she continues to speak out on your behalf, she could be in danger. We both know she’s a cunning and resourceful woman. When it’s not safe, she’ll find a way out. Vexy’s worried about you. She told me to tell you, good luck and if you need anything she’d do her best to help.”

  “She’s always had my back, even when I pushed her away. She gave our marriage her all. I never gave her the credit she deserved,” said Victis.

  “I think she knew you weren’t ready for a relationship. She pushed you into a marriage thinking her love was enough for both of you. Believe me, she doesn’t blame you,” assured Pax.

  “I was not a good Ryquat and I’m not a good Trekachaw. Look at what I’ve done. Connie, and now I feel guilty about Vexy. Pax if I spend too much time on this, I’ll compromise everything the Trekachaws have accomplished. I can’t allow myself to be distracted by them or anything. Can you take care of Connie and Tilly?” Victis asked.

  “Of course, I will,” replied Pax.

  “You must think I’m incredibly selfish.”

  “Victis, it’s impossible to please everyone. You are a Trekachaw, not a Ryquat or a Quizan. We are fighting for our very existence in the galaxy with more enemies than we have friends. Before this is over, you’ll be forced to compromise yourself time and time again. Stay strong for us. We need to find a new planet we can call home.”

  “You’re right, I can’t allow myself to be distracted from what we’ve started. There’s too much at stake.”

  Tilly was waiting with Marilyn to meet her father. Victis knew he was no more a father than he was a husband. For her sake, Tilly would remain with Marilyn on Opus or Zaurak where they’d be safe. Victis continued walking down the corridor with Pax to a conference room questioning, why? If he wasn’t going to be a part of her life, why confuse her? Outside the room, Victis stopped. He saw his past, that other life that existed only in his dreams. Sorrow, an overwhelming burden of grief, made him want to block the images of Heidi playing outside their home on Trinite. They were vivid, as if he could reach out and touch her. Sounds of Connie laughing reminded him of the love he once felt for her. Those precious memories were replaced by screams and the Ukaru Crozin ripping out Heidi’s heart. He wanted to forget the pain, the helplessness, the lives he could not save. Pax was saying something. Victis felt himself wanting to fly away.

  “Victis, do you want to do this some other time?” Pax asked.

  “No, I should meet my daughter at least once,” replied Victis.

  Pax opened the door. She looked exactly like Heidi, same smile, same perfect little girl. To his surprise, she let go of the woman’s hand and boldly walked up to him. She reached up to grab his finger and pulled him over to a chair next to the old woman. Victis sat down and waited for Marilyn to speak.

  “I am honored to meet you, Captain Victis. This is Tilly, your daughter. Would you like to hear about her?”

  “Yes, I would, very much so,” replied Victis.

  “The Crozins assigned me to Connie when she was bastilled on Galak. I helped Connie with her delivery and tended to her needs until she was strong. Tilly has been with me since she was born. My hope is that you’ll allow me to remain with them,” asked Marilyn.

  “You have my promise. Can you tell me what happened to Connie?” Victis asked.

  “Of course. Connie was pregnant with Tilly when she arrived on Galak. The
Ukaru who captured her wanted Connie for his own breeding. Why he didn’t immediately terminate Connie’s pregnancy is a mystery. I believe in the beginning the Ukaru kept Tilly alive because he knew she was your daughter. After Tilly was born, he became attached to her in his own way. He assigned me to Tilly and protected both of us from Crozins who wished us harm. From the time she could crawl, Tilly was free to roam his ship. We were genuinely liked by most of the Crozins, the Ruks, and especially the Ukaru. Tilly adores the Ukaru and has no fear of them. Connie was detained in a bastille by herself and for the most part isolated from Tilly. Every so often, I was given permission to escort Tilly to the bastille where she’d visit her mother. The Ukaru used Tilly to control Connie. When she fought him, he would threaten to hurt Tilly unless she cooperated.”

  “What did he make her do?” Victis asked.

  “A Crozin and a Ryquat’s reproductive genitals are very similar. The Ukaru tried to impregnate her for years. During that time, he kept Connie for himself and protected her from the Ruks. The breeding was unsuccessful, so another Ryquat female was gifted to him. Normally, when a Ukaru discards a breeder, he kills her, then eats her to demonstrate his dislike for her failure to reproduce.”

  “Why do they want to create a Ryquat-Crozin hybrid?” Victis asked.

  “Besides Crozins being very attracted to female Ryquats, they believe a hybrid would be physically stronger and the skull would be reduced. The Ukaru should have eaten Connie. Instead, he gave her to the Ruks for pleasure, never to be killed. This was the only way to keep her alive without compromising his position. The Ruks rarely have an opportunity to breed a female Ryquat. Unlike the Ukaru, they took pleasure in torturing Connie before, during, and after breeding. For a while, they tried to remove her eggs for an artificial reproduction program. When that failed, she was given back to the Ruks. Eventually she stopped fighting them.