Angel Mine

by Vijaya Schartz

  She severed the communication. “Computer, set course for Calderona.”

  “Aye, aye, captain,” the synthetic feminine voice chimed.

  Fianna’s eyes lingered on the small angel statuette stuck to the command console. Acielon. “I’m coming for you, my love.”

  After the initial space jump, hoping no one would double-check and notice her change of coordinates, she announced, “Computer. New destination. Set course for Azura.”

  “Aye, aye, captain. New course set. ETA five standard hours.”

  Fianna suddenly remembered her brother in the hospital. She’d let him down again. She’d promised she would meet him at the hospital tomorrow, but at the time of his release, she would be far away. She wished she could talk to him, but his room was monitored. Any communication with the station at this point would betray her secret destination and endanger Azura.

  So much for keeping her word. Maksou would have to manage on his own... again. He would hate her for it. She felt bad about abandoning him, but he was fine and healthy, and capable.

  Acielon, on the other hand, would certainly die if she didn’t help him right away.

  She took a deep breath to clear her mind. She was going into a fight, one she might not win, but even though she could end up facing death with Acielon, she had to do something. “Computer, list our arsenal.”

  The front screen scrolled with names, images, and numbers of blasters and various guns, missiles, torpedoes, and other sophisticated weapons.

  “Correction. List only the arsenal that doesn’t require electronics of any kind.”

  The list was much shorter, but not without bite. Various swords, knives, throwing blades, old-fashion hand grenades, explosive devices, percussion guns with bullets... but could these simple weapons make an impact on immortals with the power of flight, and instant healing abilities? From what she had seen, they could generate bolts of light stronger than explosive devices.

  Besides, they had already survived and won a war against the Trade Alliance in the faraway past. What made her think she could win against them alone? She wished she could use the power of the crystal embedded in the ship, but she had no connection to it.

  She pulled the black angel feather from her belt and examined it. Why did it make her shudder? The Archons’ strength didn’t matter. Fianna had no other choice but to confront them... and she needed a plan.

  First, land as inconspicuously as possible. Surprise would be her best weapon. Then find out where Acielon was detained and ascertain his condition. Only then could she decide on a definite course of action.

  But if the Archons had found Acielon on Byzantium-5, he could not hide from them anywhere in the universe. Something had to be done to change his status on Azura. He must be rehabilitated, cleared of all charges against him, and allowed to roam the universe freely. Only then would Fianna be satisfied with the outcome.

  * * *

  Acielon flinched as he shifted on the hard stone floor. Darkness surrounded him. The cold made him shiver and the raw skin of his upper body screamed in pain. At least, he wasn’t tied up like before. He felt sorry for the simple humans unable to heal their hurts. And now, he was one of them. He could feel his flesh festering. His head pounded, he was burning up and had no strength left, only suffering.

  Where was he? His labored breathing echoed like in a dome. Azura had domes, but they were light and blue and full of life force. This place was dark and cold, filled with the stench of death.

  “I see you are awake.” The suave voice of the Prince of Darkness pervaded the space.

  Faint, discordant percussion sounds reached Acielon’s ears. Red eyes glowed in the penumbra. A flutter of wings fanned the stinky air.

  Acielon shivered with more than cold or fever. “Where am I? Am I your prisoner?”

  The dark angel chuckled. “You disobeyed the Archons. You exercised free will. You deserve your impending death, but worse, death will not mark the end of your suffering.”

  Acielon’s entire body shook and shivered. “The Formless One inspired me to do what I did.”

  “Blasphemer!” the voice thundered.

  “I followed my heart. I only want what is best for my fellow Azurans. I believe they should have free will. A good deed has no value if you do not choose to do it freely.”

  “Dangerous ideas indeed...” The dark angel’s voice trailed. “I see why the Archons of Azura want you dead.”

  “I do not.” Acielon’s voice rose and echoed inside the dome. “Free will should be a universal right.”

  “I disagree.” The dark one flapped a black wing and hovered higher. “What if everyone on Azura chose to leave the planet, or not to participate in the daily meditations?”

  “You of all people should be happy about it.” Such almighty attitude irked Acielon. “Does the Prince of Darkness not thrive on discord and chaos? Are you not the master of evil deeds?”

  “A common misconception.” So much disdain in the voice. “I am an emissary of the Formless One, the ultimate enforcer of the universe.”

  Acielon shuddered. “So, you work for the Archons, doing their dirty work?”

  “No. I am above the Archons.” The dark angel’s voice boomed. “I only answer to the Formless One.”

  Acielon snorted. “A glorious title for a despicable job. Do you even have free will?”

  “Certainly not.” The dark angel paused. “Free will is a dangerous gift. Only simple humans have it. And they misuse it all the time. Imagine powerful Archons making deliberate choices based on personal feelings and perception? The consequences of their mistakes would be dire.”

  Acielon sensed a change in the angel’s breathing. Time to drive his point. “Do you not want free will? Do whatever you please? Enjoy your life?”

  The Prince of Darkness held his breath. “You are a corrupting force of the worst kind.”

  Acielon could sense the confusion in the dark angel and enjoyed sowing doubt in his powerful mind. “I am the voice of change.”

  “I understand why the Archons of Azura ordered your isolation until your trial, so you cannot spread your poisonous message.”

  Acielon attempted to sit up, but flinched at the excruciating pain stabbing his raw back. “So, am I human, now?”

  “No, but you might as well be.” The black angel hovered closer.

  Acielon straightened. He would not be intimidated. “I do not understand.”

  “You were born on Azura. You will never be human, but your angel abilities have been suppressed.”

  “Suppressed? How?” Acielon experienced a strange feeling. Fear?

  The dark one straightened his wings in the deep shadows. “This dome isolates you from the healing power of the crystal, and I am your jailor. Here, your condition can only get worse. Your wounds will never heal, only rot. You are doomed to suffer.”

  What a dismal fate. “But I did not get a trial!”

  “Not yet, but it will come soon.” The angel grinned. “You should know that there is no door to this dome, no way in or out, unless you can teleport.”

  Acielon resented the angel almost as much as his painful condition. “Will the trial take place publicly, on the temple square?”

  “Of course. The rules dictate it must be so.”

  Despite his pitiable condition, Acielon allowed himself to hope. He would see the light of day again, at least once. And maybe he could convince the Archons at his trial to give the Azurans the free will they deserved.

  And if he failed in his quest, he would face his death knowing he had done his very best.

  He thought of Fianna. It all happened since he met her. She had opened his mind to infinite possibilities, and he loved her for it. He missed her smile, her fierce demeanor. Even if he died soon, loving her was the best part of his life.

  Only one thing bothered him. The Prince of Darkness insinuated that death would not mark the end of his suffering.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Approaching destination,”
the disembodied female voice of the Silver Angel’s computer announced overhead. “Vicinity of Azura. Warning beacons. Forbidden zone. Danger. Do not cross. Those who cross never return.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Been there, done that.” The crystal pendant warmed Fianna’s chest. She pulled it out and it glowed brightly, as if the planet called to it. Amazing how it regenerated from Maksou's healing in such a short time. “Initiate stealth mode and proceed toward the planet at reduced speed.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.”

  Sheba opened her eyes and raised her head from the gel block where she had napped. The cat’s ears straightened as she rested her head on her paw but kept her eyes open, alert to the new activity on board.

  Fianna wondered whether this decision to return to Azura was the right one. After all, the Archons almost destroyed the Silver Angel last time. What if they attacked again and Acielon wasn’t there to shield it? “Computer? What are the chances that Acielon is on Azura?”

  “Unknown.” The A.I.’s indifferent tone bothered Fianna. No matter how advanced, artificial intelligence remained cold and uncaring. Even Sheba with her limited vocabulary showed empathy.

  “Can you compute, or elaborate?”

  Scans showed up on the screens. The A.I. chimed. “There are no recent ion trails to indicate a ship approached this planet since we left it.”

  Of course not, that would be too easy. “What if the Archons don’t use ships?”

  The A.I. took a few seconds to answer. “Insufficient data to elaborate on this theory.”

  Fianna sighed. She suspected the Archons had powers of teleportation but she had no concrete evidence of it. Could they teleport other people? How far and how fast could they travel?

  She turned to the cat. “Can you feel Acielon down on the planet?”

  The puma blinked a few times then sighed. “Sheba not feel Acielon.”

  Was he dead? Fianna’s heartbeat raced. No. she refused to consider the possibility. “Could you feel him if he lost his powers?”

  “Sheba not know.”

  Triblets! It seemed foolish to risk death and destruction if Acielon wasn’t there. Then again, if he were on the planet and needed her help, she would never forgive herself. Worse, she couldn’t imagine a future without him.

  Fianna stiffened against the despair threatening to trap her. “Acielon has to be here. Where else would an Archon take him?”

  She drew out of her belt the black feather she’d found in Acielon’s cell in the Blood Eagles’ lair and offered it to Sheba to sniff. “Can you track the owner of this feather?”

  Sheba’s ears perked up. She sniffed the feather then licked it. “Sheba can track.”

  “Is that angel with black wings on Azura?” Hope sprouted in Fianna’s mind. If he were, it would mean Acielon was here as well.

  The cat’s eyes narrowed to slits, then she shrugged as if to expel water from her pelt.

  Fianna stepped back to avoid the imaginary drops. “Well?”

  The puma sat up and licked her paws furiously, as if to distract herself from her disquiet. “Mean Prince of Darkness here.”

  “Prince of Darkness?” The very name sounded ominous.

  “Mean prince say not rescue Acielon. Acielon guilty. Acielon suffer... Acielon die.” The puma rounded her eyes pitifully. “Acielon die?”

  Fianna patted Sheba’s muscular shoulder. “I won’t let that happen. I don’t take orders from this Prince of Darkness... whoever, or whatever he is.” Her hopes sank, leaving her empty. “You were not supposed to make contact. Now our enemy knows we are here.”

  The puma stopped grooming. “You ask. Sheba find.”

  “Sorry, big girl. My mistake.” So much for her secret mission, but one tiny hope remained. “If he warns us not to attempt a rescue, it means Acielon is alive, on Azura. And the black angel is afraid we might succeed.”

  Sheba’s paw jerked and she shuddered. “Prince of Darkness say not come or else.”

  “Damn this Prince of Darkness.” Fianna stiffened her jaw. “Stop tracking him. I don’t want him to know where we are.”

  The cat draped herself atop her gel block. “Sheba not track.”

  “Good.” But if the cat could sense the black angel, the dark one might find Sheba as well. That would complicate things.

  Fianna strode to the command console and checked their trajectory. “Computer, take us down to the planet. Same coordinates and same procedure as previous landing.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.”

  Fianna picked up the thick pad of translucent rubbery gel sitting on the deck and easily lifted it. She pulled it open and popped it back around the console. Perfect fit. She hoped this time she would not crash. If she damaged this ship, she and Acielon could be trapped on Azura forever.

  * * *

  Acielon sensed the presence of the Prince of Darkness, looming over him. The angel’s red aura glowed in the dark.

  “Why have you come?” Somehow he would not like the answer.

  A fluttering of wings stirred the stale air. Fiery eyes glared at Acielon through the gloom of his prison. The angel alighted before him. “I have news for you.”

  “News?” Acielon’s voice remained a whisper. In a supreme effort, he managed to sit up against the cold wall of the stone dome. “What news?”

  The Prince of Darkness stared at him through the gloom and smiled. “Your little friend and her hellish cat have come to rescue you.”

  “Fianna?” Hope flashed in Acielon’s chest and died in the same instant. She was in great peril.

  “Yes, Fianna. And any attempt to save you will bring about her death... or worse.”

  “Worse?” Acielon could scarcely breathe. “Please do not unleash your anger upon her.”

  “Anger? I do not anger. I wield righteous wrath. I impart justice. I maintain the balance of the universe by enforcing the sacred rules. Your friend already broke several of these rules. She landed on Azura against my warnings.”

  “She knows of you?” Acielon swallowed hard. How could she know?

  “And I am very familiar with her.” The dark angel grinned. “She is now my best instrument of torture. She will suffer a terrible fate, and you are powerless to stop it.”

  “No!” Acielon’s desperate cry echoed in the empty space. “Please, do not torment her. She is innocent... acting out of love... she is a good person.”

  “No one is ever as good as they think they are.” Disturbing glee tinted the dark one’s voice. “Most beings deserve to be taught a hard lesson.”

  Acielon’s throat clenched. He could not abide Fianna’s suffering... and he could not help her. Warm tears rolled down his cheeks. He alone had brought the dark angel’s wrath upon the woman he loved.

  Something in him refused to accept such injustice. As long as a glimmer of life remained in his body, Acielon would keep fighting for the forces of good... even deprived of his gifts, even when the line between good and evil blurred. He refused to watch the innocent suffer. Fianna did not deserve the dark one’s wrath.

  * * *

  Fianna stepped out of the Silver Angel after Sheba into the orange light of the planet. She closed the hatch behind them and secured the ship’s manual lock. The cloaking device would come handy just now. Too bad it wouldn’t work here.

  With her eye software, thankfully immune from the planet’s effect since it was imbedded in her brain, she scanned the surrounding clearing and jungle. No sign of an enemy. Only animal life. Then again, on her previous crash-landing, she had not detected Acielon while he remained invisible.

  She adjusted the blades at her belt and the percussion gun at her hip. Then she descended the few steps to the ground and the landing ladder retracted automatically, thanks to mechanical spring gears. She marched toward the cover of the thick jungle.

  The puma turned a greenish khaki with tiger stripes as she loped at her side. “Sheba hungry. Sheba hunt rabbit.”

  “All right. But be quick about it. It’s mid afternoon, and w
e don’t want to be caught in the jungle after dark.” Fianna shuddered at a recent memory. “Remember the night-crawlers.”

  The cat snorted. “Sheba remember.”

  “Be careful, girl.” Truth be told, Sheba would be fine, but Fianna might not survive without her.

  “Sheba see rabbit!” The cat took off in one leap, chasing a small furry prey.

  Fianna had no idea where the Azurans held Acielon, but in order to find out, she would have to spy upon the small town. So she headed in that direction through the bramble and the thick tropical vegetation.

  She wished she could fly. The crystal on her chest glowed and pulsed. A strange lightness animated her. She leapt lightly from tree roots to mossy mounds and protruding rocks, grabbing low branches, and swinging above prickly bushes and quagmires. Never in her life had she felt so light and free on a strong-gravity world like Azura.

  Yet her heart weighed her chest like a titanium ingot. Acielon remained a prisoner among his enemies. Could she save him? She would not rest until she freed him or died in the process. The realization stopped her in mid thought. She would gladly die to save him. She truly loved him. Slowing her pace, she considered the sobering thought of self-sacrifice.

  As she neared the edges of the invisible wall bordering the town, she hid behind the thick foliage to observe. On the forum, around the square temple with a central blue dome, Azurans walked leisurely along the shaded pools of turquoise water. Others sat on benches to admire the sunset. All seemed peaceful. No sign of excitement or impending doom.

  Trials took time. It might take days before they decided Acielon’s fate. She held on to the knowledge that he still lived, somewhere near, and she must find him.

  The shadows thickened and lengthened as the orange sun dipped lower on the horizon. Soon the night-crawlers would come out to feed.

  “Sheba? Where are you?” Fianna craned her neck and scanned the dark bushes behind her. “Come back to me, girl. Time to get out of the jungle.”