by S. E. Smith
If Madas hadn’t come to her, she would have never known what had truly happened to Jazin. He would have been left to die at the hands of Tai Tek and no one would have been any of the wiser. He might still die but Star refused to believe that she could come so close to finding him and he not survive. He had to be alive. She touched her chest, feeling the steady beating of her heart and drew strength from the thought that it still beat because his did as well.
“It was the Gods who gave you the guidance that you needed. I am merely their messenger. Plus, I was ready for an adventure. It is not fair that Gril gets to have all the excitement. It will do him well to remember that I am a warrior as well. Your mate will learn that about you too, little warrior. You were right when you said you might be smaller and more delicate but you have a strength inside you that one does not often see, even in the biggest, fiercest warrior. Your heart will guide you in your journey,” Madas stated confidently. “I consider myself fortunate to call you my friend and to stand beside you in battle.”
Star rose up out of her seat and flung her arms around Madas’ neck, holding on tightly as she hugged her friend. Madas was truly the first person, or species, besides Walter that made Star feel like she was just as big and strong as everyone else. She buried her face in Madas’ soft neck before leaning back and giving her unusual friend a kiss on her silky cheek.
“Thank you again,” Star whispered looking up into Madas’ dark eyes. “I’m glad you are my friend.”
“It is my pleasure, little warrior, it is my pleasure,” Madas replied, smoothing a strand of soft blond hair back behind Star’s ear.
*.*.*
“Focus, Star,” Armet growled out as he and Dakar circled her with a set of training laser swords. “If you are found, you will more than likely have more than one warrior coming at you. You need to know how to defend yourself.”
“Yes, but why do I have to only defend myself this way?” Star asked in frustration as she shook off another sting from where Armet’s sword had struck her shoulder.
“We are trying to teach you how to defend yourself against one or more aggressors at the same time,” Dakar bit out. “You would be dead half a dozen times by now,” he snarled. He glanced at Armet in frustration. “There is no way we can let her do this, Armet! She is going to get herself caught or killed. Either way, she poses more of a danger to Jazin. If she is captured they will use her to get whatever information they want out of him. If she is dead, Jazin will soon follow.”
Star turned and attacked Dakar. To hell with them, she thought savagely. She didn’t have time to learn how to fight the way the warriors were trained to fight. They spent years learning. She had a few days! Well, she would should them some of the ways a circus performer learned. More than once, the performers had been on the receiving end to a few rowdy townspeople who thought it would be fun to pick on the ‘freaks’. Even Walter knew a thing or two about how to fight. It wasn’t always fair and it wasn’t always fancy but it worked.
Star used her strength, her agility, and her natural athletic ability to guide her through strike after strike. When the men started fighting back in self-defense, she used the layout of the room to help her. Running at Dakar, she tucked down bringing the laser sword across the front of his legs. As he fell, she did a one handed flip over him slicing the sword across his neck before flipping gracefully in an arch and rolling behind Armet and slicing him twice, once across the back of his knees and the other across the back of his neck.
Star rose as both men gasped at the stinging shock from the laser sword. “I will be going and I will get Jazin. No one, and I mean no one, is going to stop me,” she hissed out coldly.
Armet rolled onto his back and grasped the back of his neck which was burning. “You have your sword turned up to full power, don’t you?” He croaked out. “Because I have to tell you, this hurts like a….” He stopped and looked at Madas who was laughing at him and Dakar.
“I told you. She is the warrior from the Prophesy and not to underestimate her,” Madas said smugly. “I was the one who turned the power up. You both needed to know what she was capable of.”
Star looked down in dismay. The two warriors’ faces were twisted in pain. “Did I really hurt them?” She asked looking at Madas in question.
“No, they will be fine in a few minutes. You just showed them that there are many ways a warrior can fight. Come, let us go through the items you will need. I have made some explosives for you. One of them is unique to the Tearnat. The powder in them will knock everyone out for several hours. It is important that you do not breathe it in. I want to go over with you how it works,” Madas said as she drew Star away by the arm. She turned as she reached the door to cast one last look at the men who were now sitting up. “Now, I will show her how to fight like a Tearnat.”
“Great,” Armet muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck again. “Just great.”
*.*.*
“These are small but they are very potent,” Madas said as she showed Star several small, round balls that looked like they were made out of clay. “If you throw them, they will break and a dust cloud will be released. The dust is pollen from a plant found near my village. It is used mostly when someone is injured and needs to be put to sleep so they can be healed. It can also be used to help incapacitate our enemy without killing them. The only thing that can protect you is this,” Madas said pulling a small woven mask of plant fibers. “This is a natural absorbent for the pollen. If a warrior tries to use a filtering mask it will not work, the pollen is so fine it still finds its way through the masks. It might not stop them totally but it will slow them down.”
“I look like a ninja,” Star said with a grin as she put the woven mask on. “It is so light it’s like not having anything on!” She exclaimed in surprise.
Madas chuckled. “That is why we like it. Otherwise, it would restrict our breathing.”
“Here are the weapons you had me pick up from Lady River,” Madas said pulling out the small crossbow that Star excelled at using, in addition, to several small throwing knives. “She said she would give us a one day head start before she told her mate. She is not aware that this star ship is faster than even the Kassisan warships. Still, I am sure they will be here to support us by the time we have need of it.”
Star looked at Madas puzzled. “Did you tell them where we were going?”
“No, but between Gril, Ajaska, and Torak I am sure they will be able to discover our location,” Madas assured Star. “Do not worry, little warrior. I would not risk your mate. I suspect if Tai Tek feels there is a possibility that his prison base had been discovered, he would have already killed Lord Jazin. It is better that only a small group are aware of what is happening until he is safe.”
Star nodded in agreement. “I hope you are right.” She looked at the small three-dimensional image of the fortress and sighed. “I hope you are right,” she repeated quietly.
*.*.*
Jarmen lowered his head as he walked by a small group of guards. The small device attached to his cloak rendered him invisible to the eye for the most part. The only thing that could still be seen were his glowing eyes, a left over from his days in the Mendes Research labs where he had been created. He pressed along the side, sucking in his breath when one of the guards staggered slightly, almost running into him. He might be invisible but he could still be felt. It had taken him longer than he expected to gain entrance to the prison. He had landed his small transport several kilometers away and hiked closer to the fortress four days before. He had camped just outside the dead zone, trying to figure out how he was going to get in. His luck changed on the morning of the fifth day when a small group of guards had driven a series of transports out through the entrance to discard waste in a nearby ravine that had broken open probably a thousand years ago. He waited until the last one backed up before grabbing a maintenance grip and holding on for the journey back to the prison.
He had searched section after section, level after lev
el for where his friend was being held. He had almost given up until he rounded a corner and almost collided with Tai Tek. If one of the guards hadn’t called his attention at the last minute, Jarmen would now probably be enjoying the bottom of the deep ravine with the trash.
He had followed Tai Tek for almost an hour before the traitorous councilman finally made his way down to Jazin. Jarmen closed his eyes and cursed silently as his friend was tortured. There was nothing he could do to prevent it. He had been unable to follow Tai Tek into the room because of the number of guards standing in the way. The coward never went anywhere with less than twenty men surrounding him. It was only after he left that Jarmen was able to sneak into the cell and release his friend. He regretted he could not do more. He had slipped a dissolvable pain patch on Jazin but he could do nothing else until the huge Tearnat arrived with Torak’s and Ajaska’s forces. He had been shocked when the female mate of the Tearnat Leader had not only recognized him but told him things she shouldn’t have known. It was only her insistent demands that Jazin hadn’t been killed that had finally gotten through to him. He had done a little research and discovered the real video surveillance from the Uri Spaceport docking bay that Jazin had refueled at but had been skeptical until he had shown the video to the female. Once he saw the evidence for himself, he had contacted the female again and given her the prototype he and Jazin had been working on so it could be used to rescue Jazin. He knew only a small, stealthy team of warriors would be able to save Jazin before he could be executed. In the meantime, he would do what he could to help his friend survive until the warriors arrived.
Jarmen lifted his head and walked silently back down to the prison cell holding Jazin. His thoughts turned to a time when it had been him in such a place. His torture had been different. His tormentors had been the scientists experimenting on ways to create the ultimate warrior. They had succeeded to a certain extent. His body and mind were that of the perfect warrior. He could move, think, and kill faster than any other. The one thing they failed to do, though, was eliminate his conscious, no matter how many times they tried.
Jazin had discovered information about the illegal research facility from a drunken guard on leave. The man had a video chip of some of the experiments. He swore it was the only thing that kept him alive. The man told Jazin that other guards who decided to leave the research facility would disappeared only to later become one of the casualties of the researcher's experiments. He was determined he wouldn’t end up becoming a monster like what the doctors had created or dead like some of the other guards he had known. He had shown Jazin the disk. Jarmen had been the monster they had been working on at the time. A fortnight later, Jazin and a small group of his elite guards had entered the facility determined to shut it down. The battle had been brief but deadly. The researchers had ordered all experiments to be terminated immediately if the facility was breached. Jarmen wasn’t sure how many there had actually been but he knew he was one of the few to have survived from the records he had been able to hack into before the files were destroyed. He had been severely wounded by the guards. It had been Jazin who had saved him and taken him to the small isolated planet he now called his own. He had built a home and research lab of his own and only communicated with the young Kassisan prince who kept his existence a secret. He owed Jazin his life and more.
Jarmen had breathed a sigh of relief that Tai Tek had been called away. It would appear the elusive group of alien warriors he was trying to deal with wanted to meet with him and see what he had to offer in person. Jarmen could only hope they would take one look at the councilman and slit his throat but he didn’t hold too much hope for that simple of a solution. Still, this would give Jazin a day or two to recover before he was subjected to more torture. Jarmen had weakened several links on the chain to make it appear the links gave out from the weights attached and not through the help of someone. He did not want to give the bastard any more warning of the impending invasion than necessary. He opened the door to the Jazin’s prison cell, stepped in and shut it quietly behind him.
“Either an apparition with glowing amber eyes just walked into my cell or the Gods have sent me a savior,” a hoarse whisper sounded in the darkness.
Jarmen grinned and lifted the cloak from his head. His dark amber eyes glowed with an eerie light in the darkness. “Neither, my friend. Just a monster to keep you company.”
Jazin’s dry chuckle hurt so much he drew in a breath until the pain faded. “Don’t make me laugh, Jar. It hurts too damn much.”
Jarmen moved silently closer to where Jazin was sitting up against the back wall. He held out a small container of water and a power vitamin. He turned and sank down on the cold floor next to his friend. He didn’t say anything for several minutes while Jazin drank the water and took the small capsule.
“So, what’s the plan? How did you know where I was?” Jazin asked in a slightly stronger voice. “And do you have any more pain patches? I hurt so bad I can hardly think.”
Jarmen looked at the torn flesh on his friend’s shoulder and felt bad he couldn’t have sneaked a regen bed or something in. Instead, he pulled several patches out of his pocket and handed them to Jazin who placed one on his neck with a sigh of relief. Jarmen watched as the tension slowly ebbed out of Jazin’s face as the medicine took the edge off.
“I was contacted by a friend of yours. She told me that you lived and needed help,” Jar answered in a rusty voice.
Jazin’s head jerked up and he stared at his quiet friend intently. “Who?” He demanded in a harsh whisper.
“A female named Madas Tal Mod. She said she had a dream,” Jar said, handing Jazin an energy bar. “Eat. You will need your strength. She said she is bringing the fiercest warrior in Kassis to save you.”
“The fiercest warrior in Kassis?” Jazin said with a frown of confusion. “Torak or my father?”
“I do not know. She just said the fiercest warrior in Kassis. She said the Gods sent the warrior to help you,” Jarmen said resting his head back and looking around the ragged rocky surface. “My prison was bad but at least it had a cleansing room and bed,” he commented in reflection.
The energy bar hovered halfway to Jazin’s suddenly dry mouth. His throat closed as Jarmen’s words replayed in his mind over and over. The warrior sent by the Gods. The fiercest warrior in Kassis. Star.
His hand fell weakly to his side. “Stop them. Tell them to leave me here. Contact them and tell them whatever you have to but make sure they do…. not…. come…. here!” Jazin bit out savagely. “Now! Before it is too late.”
Jarmen turned to look at Jazin puzzled. “It is already too late. I have been monitoring the star ship we modified. They are not only on the surface of the planet, but at least three of them have disembarked from it. I do not know their location at this moment. They do not have a communications device activated.”
“Damn you,” Jazin cursed trying to stand weakly. “You have to find her. You have to stop her before she gets herself captured or killed.”
“Who?” Jarmen asked puzzled.
The huge Tearnat looked more than capable of protecting herself, Jarmen thought in confusion. He rose and grabbed hold of Jazin’s arm when he staggered drunkenly.
“Star!” Jazin hissed in frustration and fear. “My mate! Star is the warrior Madas was talking about, not my brother, father, or warriors. She is sending Star in. I’m going to kill that lizard if anything happens to my mate,” he vowed, shaking off Jarmen's hand as he tried to make his way to the door.
He had only walked a couple of steps before his legs gave out on him and he sank to his knees. His fists pounded weakly into the cold, hard floor in rage and helplessness. He couldn’t even walk much less fight, how was he supposed to stop his mate from trying to rescue him. It was a suicide mission.
“I will do what I can,” Jarmen said helping Jazin back up and gently settling him back against the wall.
“I won’t last another beating,” Jazin said in a tired, dead voice. “I
t is better for her to leave me. I can’t even walk. There is no way I can make it out of here without getting her killed.”
“You are not alone. With help, we will get you out,” Jarmen said stubbornly. “You made me believe in you. Now it is time for you to believe in me,” the normally calm voice sounded harsher, gruffer than Jazin had ever heard it before.
“I can’t lose her,” Jazin said quietly. “If Tai Tek gets his hands on her, I would give him anything he wanted. Even then, he would still kill her. You have to promise me....,” he said swallowing the bile that rose in his throat. “You have to promise me that you will protect her with your life and,” he paused again as his throat tightened in grief. “You have to promise if she is captured you will kill her swiftly before Tai Tek can harm her. I won’t let him torture her.”
Jarmen frowned as he watched the emotions flickering over Jazin’s face. “You would have me kill your mate if she is captured?” He asked in a tight voice.
“Yes,” Jazin responded softly. “You’ve read the reports of what Tai Tek has done to other females. I… won’t let that happen to my Star.”
Jarmen’s mind brought up the reports he had downloaded from Tai Tek’s personal files. That was another thing they had worked on this last visit. It had taken Jarmen a while but he had finally been able to hack into Tai Tek’s private accounts to help locate him and determine what he was up to. In those files were records of the hideous things the ex-councilman had done to some of the women in his House.
“I promise,” Jarmen said reluctantly. “I will not let your mate suffer.”
“Thank you,” Jazin said staring blindly up at the ceiling. “Please keep her safe,” he whispered on a quiet prayer.
Chapter 10
Star leaned forward and wiped the sweat beading on her forehead away against her sleeve as she balanced on the narrow ledge she had stopped at to rest for a moment. She looked up at the side of the cliff they were scaling. They were almost to the top, thank goodness. They had landed a short distance away not wanting to take a chance of being seen disembarking from the star ship. It might be invisible to the eye but they were not. She could tell Armet had fought a fierce battle with himself before he gruffly told her she better not get hurt or he was going to personally whip her ass. He had spoken quietly at length with Dakar before he had glanced her way one more time before closing the landing platform door. She and Madas had stood off to one side near a small cluster of rocks while the two men hashed out whatever was bothering them.