Planet of the Valkyries

by Callista Hawkes

  “Greetings.” One speaks as you step forward. “You are here to meet with Tobis. We are to take you to him.”

  “Where is he?” You ask, glancing at the marines who shift uncomfortably, their weapons still drawn but lowered.

  “He is in our village in the treetops.” She replies. “We are to carry you up to meet with him.” You open your mouth to object, but Ambassador Hathaway steps forward.

  “Very well.” She replies, casting you a warning glance. You sigh and nod to the marines. Valkyries step behind each of you, wrapping their arms around your chests before with a powerful beat of their wings, they lift you all into the air. It feels almost like a fevered dream as you fly through the trees, banking and climbing before you rise through into the upper branches of the treetops. You notice that the trees are linked together by the network of timber walkways. More of the Valkyries watch as you are carried towards a large circular platform, suspended high above the ground. The Valkyries gently lower you and the others onto the platform.

  “Greetings.” One of the Valkyries steps forward. Her braided blonde hair hangs down around her shoulders and she carries herself with an air of authority. Her piercing blue eyes study your faces. “My name is Cresilla and I speak for my people.” She sweeps her hand around her at the others.

  “An honour to meet you.” Ambassador Hathaway begins, smiling politely. “I am Charlotte Hathaway, ambassador for the Earth Alliance.” She glances around at the assembled Valkyrie before raising her eyebrows. “Where is the Aurigan envoy, Tobis?”

  “He is here, but as our prisoner.” Cresilla replies. Ambassador Hathaway’s eyes widen and her mouth drops open while the marines tense up and glance questioningly at you.

  “What is the meaning of this?” You demand, pushing past the ambassador.

  “The Aurigans think Tobis died in a shuttle crash six months ago.” Cresilla replies. “The truth is, we captured him and faked his death. He was then… persuaded to contact you on our behalf.”

  “But why?” You ask, feeling the blood drain from your face. “If we are not invited, our presence in Aurigan territory is an act of war. The whole galaxy could be consumed by it.”

  “Precisely.” Cresilla nods. “My people are but one of numerous races that suffer each day under the brutal and cruel Aurigan Empire, a regime that understands only strength and violence. We have lived for generations beneath the heel of their suppression and need the Earth Alliance to intervene.” You barely hear her words as you reel with the dire implications of your situation.

  “We need to get you back to the Ranger and get out of here.” You tell Ambassador Hathaway.

  “Agreed.” She replies. The marines fall in around her. The Valkyrie warriors step forward and surround you, brandishing their spears while the marines reach for their blasters.

  “Wait!” Cresilla calls out. “This doesn’t have to end in bloodshed!”

  Tell the marines to open fire

  Order the marines to stand down

  “Let’s see if we can find them.” You reply. “Marines.” The four marines immediately form up around you and you cautiously step beneath the shadowy canopy of the forest. Sunbeams shine through the gaps and the chirping of the unseen creatures seems louder as you venture deeper beyond the treeline.

  “When I first negotiated with the Aurigans twenty years ago, it was in an orbital facility and impeccably organised.” Ambassador Hathaway muses as she walks alongside you. “This is very different.”

  “You think this is some form of deception?” You ask her. “You think the Aurigans have lured us here to capture you or perhaps ambush the Ranger?”

  “I’m sure there’s a much less dramatic explanation.” She replies, though she certainly seems tense.

  You walk deeper and deeper into the forest but see no signs of any settlements or civilisation of any kind.

  “I think perhaps we should return to the shuttle.” Ambassador Hathaway murmurs, gazing up at the vivid purple leafy canopy high above.

  “I think you might be right.” You reply. As you turn to retrace your steps, you glimpse something moving away to your left in your peripheral vision. As soon as you glance towards it, it seems to fade into the undergrowth. “Movement.” You growl at the marines, pointing in the direction of the unseen stalker. The marines fan out, their blasters drawn and close in on its position.

  “What did you see?” Ambassador Hathaway asks, her voice low.

  “I’m not sure.” You reply, your gaze fixed on the point in the distance where you last saw movement. “But I don’t think it was our Aurigan friends.” The ambassador glances nervously around her. As the marines close in on the last known position, you hear a deep growl behind you. Ambassador Hathaway gasps and you tense up as you turn around. A low, muscular creature covered in purple scales emerges from the undergrowth. It stalks towards you on two legs, its thick heavy tail balancing the weight of its broad body. Its insect-like compound eyes seem to study you before it’s wide mouth opens, displaying rows of dagger-like silvery teeth. You curse yourself for allowing the ambassador to persuade you to leave your blaster back at the shuttle. As you take a step backwards, the predator moves closer.

  Run

  Call out to the marines

  “Marines! On me!” You shout, sidestepping to try to keep the creature’s attention on you and not the ambassador. You can hear the marines crashing through the undergrowth as they charge back towards you. The creature’s head twists sharply towards the sound before snapping back to you. It growls again, this time much more ferociously before it sinks lower on its broad, muscular legs. It springs forward, smashing into you and knocking you to the ground.

  “Quickly!” You hear Ambassador Hathaway’s voice call out, her voice quavering with fear. The creature’s foot presses against your chest, pinning you to the ground, its sharp claws piercing your uniform and your flesh beneath. You grunt in pain as its weight crushes you, ribs cracking. The marines are yelling and shouting, blaster fire streaking through the forest around you. The creature’s terrible maw looms over you, its fetid breath in your face before its jaws stretch wide open and it sinks its teeth into your skull. Your scream of terror and pain is abruptly silenced as with a sharp twist of its neck, it tears your head off.

  THE END

  Go back a few moments and rethink your actions

  You cast a sideways glance at Ambassador Hathaway.

  “I’m going to try and draw it away.” You tell her, sidestepping to one side, the creature’s attention remaining fixed on you. “When I do, get to the marines as quickly as you can.” She nods and you abruptly turn and begin sprinting through the undergrowth. The creature howls with fury and you hear its feet thumping on the ground behind you. Your pulse races as you pump your legs, crashing through the forest and trying not to think about the vicious predator eating up the ground between you.

  “Commander!” You hear one of the marines shout out behind you, but you are too preoccupied with your life or death sprint to glance towards him. You can hear the heavy footfalls of the creature closing in as its longer legs bring it closer and closer. Your muscles ache painfully in protest as fatigue begins to set in. Your pursuer’s jaws snap behind you and you know there is no escape and no hope. Your toe smashes into a fallen branch concealed in the undergrowth and you fall headlong over it. Time seems to stand still as you are thrown forward, your arms outstretched before you. You wince, knowing the creature will be upon you, tearing you limb from limb. The ground rushes up to meet you and you grimace, squeezing your eyes shut as you prepare for the inevitable. Instead, you never hit the ground, feeling pressure around your chest and hearing a howl of frustration from the predator. You open your eyes to find yourself flying through the forest, arms wrapped around you. Blinking in surprise, you glance over your shoulder and look into the face of a winged warrior woman who looks like something out of Norse mythology. Her broad feathery wings beat rhythmically as she carries you up through the trees.


  “Thanks.” You tell her. Her eyes momentarily flit towards you, but she remains silent. As you rise through the upper branches of the trees, you notice the treetops are linked together by a network of timber walkways. More of the Valkyrie-like women watch as you are carried towards a large circular platform, suspended high above the forest floor. You can see Ambassador Hathaway and the four marines have already been carried up. The Valkyrie gently lowers you onto the platform and immediately flies away, disappearing into the trees.

  “Are you okay?” The ambassador asks as you scramble to your feet.

  “Fine.” You reply, glancing around you at the Valkyrie warrior women. They all gaze curiously back at you, standing tall and proud with their wings folded behind them. Each of them wear leather armour on their upper bodies, augmented with metallic plates which glint in the sunlight. Their tanned, toned midriffs are exposed and they wear long loincloths which just about cover their modesty. Their boots are secured in place with long leather straps which criss-cross their lower legs up to just below the knee. Long metallic bracelets cover their forearms while their long hair is gathered together in braids. The low-tech appearance of their attire and the fact that several are armed with spears, suggests they are tribal in nature.

  “Greetings.” One of the Valkyries steps forward. Her braided blonde hair hangs down around her shoulders and she carries herself with an air of authority. Her piercing blue eyes study your faces. “My name is Cresilla and I speak for my people.” She sweeps her hand around in the direction of the others.

  “We thank you for your assistance.” Ambassador Hathaway begins, smiling politely. “I am Charlotte Hathaway, an ambassador for the Earth Alliance. We were expecting a delegation of Aurigans. They invited us here to forge an alliance with my people.”

  “There is no delegation.” Cresilla smiles humourlessly. “If you knew the Aurigans like I do, you would have known such a proposal was never genuine.”

  “What is the meaning of this?” You demand. Ambassador Hathaway puts a hand on your arm and takes a step forward.

  “But I saw Tobis.” Ambassador Hathaway replies. “I spoke to him!”

  “You did.” Cresilla replies. “The Aurigans think he died in a shuttle crash six months ago. The truth is, we captured him and faked his death. He was then… persuaded to contact you on our behalf.”

  “But why?” You ask. “If we are not invited, our presence here is an act of war. The whole galaxy could be consumed by it.”

  “Precisely.” Cresilla nods. “We have lived for generations beneath the heel of Aurigan suppression and there are countless other races who suffer as we do. We need the Earth Alliance to intervene.” You barely hear her words as you reel with the dire implications of your situation.

  “We need to get you back to the Ranger and get out of here.” You tell Ambassador Hathaway.

  “Agreed.” She replies. As the marines fall in around her, the Valkyrie warriors step forward and surround them. As they brandish their spears, the marines reach for their blasters.

  “Wait!” Cresilla calls out. “This doesn’t have to end in bloodshed!”

  Tell the marines to open fire

  Order the marines to stand down

  You give the marines a nod and they draw their blasters, firing at the warriors surrounding them. They scream in agony, falling away as the laser bolts sear through their flimsy armour.

  “No!” Cresilla cries out in anguish.

  “Protect the ambassador!” You call out as you push through the dead and wounded Valkyries. As you reach the marines, you hear the branches of the trees creaking above you and the powerful beating of wings. Dozens of Valkyries swoop down on you from above. The marines keep their cool, picking their targets and firing. More screams as the winged warrior women drop out of the sky, but there are too many of them. One of the marines yells in fear as he is hauled off his feet and carried up into the sky. His scream of terror fills the air as he is unceremoniously dropped, plummeting to his death.

  “I didn’t want this.” You hear Cresilla call out over the panicked shouts as another of the marines is dropped to his doom. As a third marine is snatched up into the air, his blaster drops to your feet. You stoop and collect it, bringing it to bear on the Valkyrie leader.

  “Call them off!” You shout out. An instant later, you feel an agonising pain in your back. You glance down, seeing the bloodied tip of a spear protruding through your chest. The blaster drops from your fingers and you sink to your knees. The spear is ripped free and you fall onto your back.

  “I’m sorry, it wasn’t supposed to go this way.” Cresilla tells you sadly. You are dimly aware of Ambassador Hathaway’s hysterical screams and you hope she at least may survive this. High above in the sky, you see several flashes of red light. Ships emerging from hyperspace. You watch in horror as they all open fire, flashes of laser converging on a single point. Moments later, the target erupts in a brilliant flash of light. An explosion. Your last thought is one of grief, knowing that you have just witnessed the destruction of the Ranger.

  THE END

  Go back a few moments and rethink your actions

  “Stand down.” You bark at the marines, who reluctantly do so, the Valkyries warily draw back their spears, though they still surround the marines.

  “Commander, walk with me for a few moments.” Cresilla asks you. Glancing around you at the numerous Valkyrie warriors, you don’t have much of a choice.

  You walk beside Cresilla along one of the timber walkways that winds through the treetops. Two of her guards follow at a respectful distance.

  “We are not your enemy.” She tells you.

  “You say that and talk about the evils of the Aurigan Empire,” You reply, “But it is you and your people who have lured us here. You who refuse to allow us to return to our ship. You who are attempting to start a war between my people and the Aurigans.”

  “If only there was another way.” She replies sadly. “But there isn’t. This is an act of desperation and I apologise for the deception. However, I can assure you that our motives are pure. Look at how we treat our enemies.” She gestures towards a figure approaching in the opposite direction. You recognise the feline appearance of an Aurigan and know this particular one’s identity too.

  “Tobis.” You remark.

  “Yes.” Cresilla replies. “As you can see, he is alive and well. He is free to walk about our settlement as he pleases and lives in relative comfort. A far cry from the savage beatings and torture my people would suffer if our roles were reversed.

  “Greetings.” Tobis smiles grimly as you reach him. “You must be among the poor Earthmen who were deceived by my transmission. My apologies. It would seem our people will soon be enemies. A full scale war between the Aurigan Empire and the Earth Alliance will be disastrous. Millions will die. But perhaps it’s not yet too late.”

  “The Aurigan is mistaken.” Cresilla tells you. “We intercepted transmissions from outposts along the edge of the demilitarised zone. The Aurigan Empire is already aware of the Ranger’s presence and have dispatched a battle group to intercept and destroy her. Please, Commander, call your ship and send them away. There is no need for them to die today. War is already inevitable.”

  “It doesn’t have to be.” Tobis interjects. “There might be a way to avoid war, but it will cost the Ranger and the lives of everyone aboard.”

  “Silence!” Cresilla snaps.

  “Just hear me out.” Tobis implores you.

  Save the Ranger at the cost of interplanetary war

  Hear what Tobis has to say

  “I want to hear what he has to say.” You tell Cresilla firmly. She glares at him for a moment before her shoulders sag slightly.

  “Speak.” She sighs.

  “Don’t warn the Ranger.” Tobis tells you simply. “Allow the battle group to arrive and destroy her.”

  “You expect me to sit back and allow my captain and my entire crew to be killed!” You reply incredulously.

&
nbsp; “Yes.” Tobis nods sadly. “But their deaths will not be in vain. The dead tell no tales, but you can. Perhaps there was a mutiny. The captain murdered, the first officer and a handful of crew exiled to this planet. The extremist mutineers then deliberately and recklessly engaged the Aurigan Empire and suffered the consequences. End of story.”

  “Your Empress will never believe that.” You reply doubtfully.

  “She will if she hears my voice next to yours, backing up your statement.” Tobis tells you.

  “You’d do that?” You reply.

  “You can’t actually be considering this?” Cresilla interjects. “Save your people while you still have a chance!”

  “Don’t listen to her.” Tobis glares at Cresilla. “She has a vested interest. By her own admission, she welcomes war.”

  “You don’t know what you’re asking.” You reply, glancing up at the heavens and knowing you must make a decision before it is made for you. It’s an impossible choice and yet you have to make it.

  Sacrifice the Ranger and avoid war

  Save the Ranger at the cost of intergalactic conflict

  While the choice of a few hundred lives compared to potentially millions should be an easy decision, weighing up the lives of a crew and captain you know compared to many more faceless victims is not so easy.

  “I won’t warn the Ranger.” You reluctantly tell Tobis. “I’m putting my trust in you that you will hold up your end of the bargain.”

  “You are a fool.” Cresilla glares at you. “You cannot trust him!”