Tae: Talonian Warriors (A Sci-fi Alien Weredragon Romance)

by Celeste Raye

  They asked, "Will it itch?"

  Josephine smiled. "There will be a little itching as the wound heals. It won't be anything compared to what you are feeling now. I will give you a medication to stop the allergic reaction. It will ease the itching tremendously."

  She gathered supplies and began on her first patient. She numbed and cleansed the area before removing the stitches. She cleansed it a second time and applied the glue. A shot was given to stop the allergic reaction, and then she turned to the second patient.

  It must have been too quiet for them, because they began asking questions. "What is happening outside? No one comes in except Ixia. He will not tell us anything. He claims we need to heal and not think of other things. Yet, it is us who first faced the enemy."

  "They might not have become your enemy if you hadn't used the terrabots to run over their equipment. You should be ashamed of causing such needless destruction." Josephine put her hands on her hips and waited for an apology.

  "It was their fault for arguing. Besides, the leader tried to kill us. It was punishment enough," they argued.

  "Your companions told me that the warrior did not strike at you. He was trying to knock the controllers from your hands in order to stop the destruction. Hitting you was an accident. He is very sorry for your injuries.” She tried to soothe their fear.

  "How do you know that he is sorry?"

  "I went to speak to him," she replied. "I wished to negotiate a truce or get them to leave. It didn't work. Both the Milisarian and Ixia are too stubborn to listen. Neither will give up the planet nor agree to share it."

  "Our leader would have Ixia imprisoned if he gave up this planet. It is too difficult to find ones that are useful and not inhabited."

  Josephine was surprised. "I thought Ixia was your leader."

  They answered, "He is the leader of our expedition, not of our planet. As long as we are here, we must obey him. He was given complete authority to take over this planet."

  "You said he was to take over the planet. So, that means your leader knew it was claimed by another species. Why did he set his sights on a planet claimed by someone else?" she asked.

  The pair looked at her like she was an ignorant child. In this matter, she guessed it was the truth. They answered, "All uninhabited planets are claimed by someone. If you need it, you must fight for control. Sometimes, you can take it over by settling there before the true owners find out. Then they usually let it go without a fight."

  Josephine stated, "This time you came prepared to fight. Ixia is assembling the battlebots now. How many does he have?"

  "Only four or five. They are too heavy for the ship to carry more when there are terrabots aboard. It is all we will need."

  "You believe that four or five battlebots can overcome the Milisarian Knights?" Josephine wasn't so sure. "The knights are powerful warriors. They have conquered many worlds and now hold them under their domain. What makes your species any different?"

  Only one patient answered, "The battlebots are not our best weapon. We have another."

  "What is it? What will it do? Is it on board the ship now?" Only silence filled her head. They refused to answer and betray their leader's secret.

  Worry followed Josephine from the infirmary. What terrible weapon was Ixia hiding? What damage would it do? He was always so calm and confident of winning. It must be an impressive weapon if he wasn't worried about the mighty Milisarian warriors. Should she warn Urim? Could she? She certainly wouldn't be able to steal another hovercraft. Ixia was always watching her now. Hopefully, he was still spying on the Pura and would see this new weapon in time. If it was frightening enough, he might take his warriors home to spare their lives.

  The ship was empty. All the Pura were outside assembling the battlebots. Josephine decided to search the ship for clues to the weapon. If she could gain access to their communication center, there was a small chance she could reach out for help. She opened doors to sleeping chambers, food storage, and a conference room. She had a hard time understanding why it was needed. They could access each other’s minds from anywhere and block out the ones they didn't want listening. So far, there were no clues to the weapon. The next door was locked. Due to its location, she imagined it was Ixia's chamber. She tried to override the computer lock, but it was impossible. The only other room on this level was the main control room she entered each day. She would have liked to search the lower levels but had not found a way to reach them. There were no stairs, ramps, or elevators in sight. She took her only option and entered the control room.

  It was still an awesome sight. The room appeared to be carved out of one piece. Even the electronics seemed to grow from the walls. It all gave the impression that the spaceship was alive, and the computers were its organs. The seats and consoles would be its arms and legs. Josephine couldn't resist trying out the seat that obviously belonged to Ixia. It stood in the center of the room and had controls on each armrest. She ran her fingers across the controls, hoping for a response. Nothing happened. She pushed every button. The screens remained blank. Oh well, it was time to try the other stations. She went through every one of them. No controls responded, and she found nothing that indicated a weapon powerful enough to destroy the knights.

  Outside, she discovered that two of the battlebots were complete and stood as sentries by the waterway. Ixia confronted her, "You were inside a very long time. Are the patients getting better?"

  Josephine replied, "They are healing. There was a rash. It seems they were allergic to the stitching materials. I removed them and used a skin glue instead. They will be more comfortable now."

  He asked, "Did you enjoy your exploration of the ship? The control room is quite impressive. My seat is very comfortable." Seeing confusion on her face, he added, "You must understand that you cannot hide from me. You have no secrets that I will not uncover. I assume that you did not find whatever you were looking for and the ship did not respond to your human touch. That is as it should be. Go now. Find something else to occupy your time." He dismissed her with the wave of a hand.

  Chapter 8

  Josephine

  Ixia was infuriating. Josephine stalked away and hid inside her tent. How did he always know what she was doing? She no longer trusted anything he said or did. The rift between them was growing wider. He had never trusted her, so what was the point of bringing her here to help? She had saved his crew members from dying of their wounds, but they had informed her that Puras usually died from deep cuts. To her, that meant there was no medical care of consequence on their planet. So, why did they want it so badly now? Ixia held too many secrets. She was willing to bet that Earth would break off the relationship with them if they knew the truth. None of the information they had given her to study on the Pura was correct. She had been told that they remained childlike all of their life. These were no children. They might look that way, but they had a hard edge to their personalities. They built weapons and stole planets. These were not the attributes of children. The Pura were wolves in sheep's clothing.

  Two days passed without incident. Josephine tended to her now silent patients and stayed far away from Ixia. She took long walks and bathed each day in hope of meeting Urim. She wanted to warn him that the Pura had another weapon. If he was watching, he never showed himself. The battlebots were all assembled and stood guard over the encampment. They were a menacing sight. Their presence made the camp feel more like a prison than a home. The terrabots were making progress as well. The mountainside was changing in appearance. Even now, plants with red bulbs were being planted. It must be the vegetables the sick Puras had mentioned as their favorites.

  Josephine wondered if the Milisarians were making progress. Were they planting crops too? Did they have hidden weapons? If only she could speak to Urim, she would be reassured. She felt so alone and left out. She now knew that the Pura were not her friends and never would be. Urim wasn't really a friend either. He had saved her, so at least he had proved he didn't wish her to die. He
spoke to her like an equal most of the time, whereas, Ixia spoke to her as if she was no better than an annoying child. She wanted to go back to Earth where she was loved and understood. The Pura used only logic and anger to survive. The Milisarians used brawn and strategy. Humans used all of those and more combined with compassion. She was the lone voice of reason on this world. No one listened.

  She slept fitfully that night. The same nightmare came every time she closed her eyes. She saw the water sometimes. It was green, not blue. Wherever she was in the dream, it wasn't Earth or this planet. The children's faces broke her heart. She always woke up crying. Who were they? Why was Urim there? Sleep brought no comfort from her worries. It only added to them.

  Morning brought the first rain Josephine had encountered on the strange new planet. The terrabots were silent on the mountainside. She thought the Pura were staying clear of the rain inside the ship until she noticed the hovercrafts were missing. Their disappearance gave her a feeling of dread in her chest. She feared that Ixia had grown tired of waiting and considered his promise fulfilled. The battlebots remained at their stations, ever watchful for the enemy. If Ixia had gone to attack the Milisarians, it wasn't with the battlebots. The world was silent, except for the rainfall. It was a possibility that Ixia was spying on Urim's camp the same way he had spied on them. She ate a package of freeze-dried strawberries for breakfast and waited in the protection of her tent for something to happen.

  Morning turned to afternoon and the skies cleared. Pura scrambled from the ship and stood watching the blue sky intently. They seemed to be waiting for something. She figured it must be time for those in the hovercrafts to return, although the small crafts didn't normally fly so high off the ground. A shadow came over the mountains. Josephine figured the clouds must be rolling back in. As the sky darkened, she stepped out of her tent and looked up. She didn't see clouds. Her body shivered, and her skin became covered with goosebumps. There was an ominous charge in the air. A gigantic spacecraft hung overhead. Its markings showed it belonged to the Pura. The hovercrafts zoomed down the mountainside and stopped directly below it. Ixia opened the roof of his craft. He had a slightly larger version of their handheld controllers. He was using it to maneuver the giant ship. The bottom of it opened, and a section slid down. It was separated into about one hundred and fifty compartments. Each compartment slowly opened and revealed its contents. Androids in armor were released on to the planet. As soon as the section emptied, it rose back into the ship, and another dropped down. The process continued until there were a thousand armored androids standing in formation beside the water.

  Josephine felt her knees go weak and her lungs gasp for air. She fell to her knees in horror. This had to be Ixia's secret weapon. The sight was terrifying, yet beautiful to behold. The craftsmanship was a true work of art, and the mechanics awe-inspiring. Their purpose was deadly. Tears stung her eyes. The knights, though strong and born for battle, did not have enough warriors on the planet to defeat this army. The androids wouldn't bleed, feel pain, or stop if they were injured. They would continue fighting unless Ixia shut them off. They didn't need to see or hear an opponent. They would be controlled by the Pura, who stayed out of reach, never being touched by the bloody battle.

  Ixia and the Pura were geniuses. No wonder he wasn't afraid. They could destroy their enemies without leaving the safety of the ship. This was not okay. It was a death trap. Urim needed to be warned. She had no idea how to get to him. The battlebots would blow her out of the sky if she tried to take a hovercraft. If she snuck out and tried to walk all the way, the androids could pass her by and start a war before she got anywhere near the Milisarian camp. She prayed that somehow Urim was seeing this. Maybe he could see the ship in the sky. That thought made her wonder. Where had it come from? Had Ixia sent home for it? Was that why he had been willing to wait instead of attacking? If so, then his promise to her had meant less than nothing. It was only a stalling tactic as he waited for the androids to arrive. It also meant he had used her to keep the Milisarians at bay. They might have won if she had not asked them to wait. If Urim died, it would be her fault. The guilt was back on her shoulders, heavier than ever.

  She didn't know if he had ever come back there, but it was her best chance of warning him. She was fully aware of Ixia's all-knowing eyes following her. She let her body sag as if she was defeated. She dragged her feet and allowed repressed tears to fall. She realized how pitiful she must appear to Ixia. It was exactly what she wanted. If he thought she had given up, there was no need to follow her. Urim and she would be safe from discovery. That is, if he showed up at all.

  Josephine sat with her back braced against a rock. She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. It was peaceful here in her own small corner of the planet. She shut out the sounds of the encampment and let her mind relax for just a moment. It was the only way to retain her sanity. She wiped at her tears and breathed in the cool air brought by the morning's rain. She felt eyes on her and spied a Pura peeking over a rock formation. He must have been sent to make sure she was alone and not sneaking off to the Milisarian camp. She ignored him, and he soon left to report to his leader. Her mind wandered to what this world could have been. She imagined little Pura children splashing in the waterway and laughing under one of the waterfalls. Their parents would treat them to their favorite red vegetables that grew in abundance in the mountains. Homes dotted the landscape. Neighbors shared the fruits of their labors. She switched to the Milisarians. She could see the knights as they practiced swordplay in the shallows, or bathed their magnificent bodies in the waterfalls. Their colonists were safe and happily gathering food for their homeworlds. Children of many species played together in this cove, watched over by Urim. Both scenarios were lovely, but neither was based on reality. There would be a war. She could not stop it. The most she could do was keep down the number of casualties by warning Urim. She would treat the injured from both sides until she ran out of supplies or died.

  Urim wasn't coming today. She needed to leave him a message. It had to be something that would withstand wind or rain. It had to catch his eye from afar and warn him of the new weapon. She searched the area for an idea. A large, flat rock face caught her eyes. It faced away from the Puras camp and was sheltered from the weather by an overhang of stone. She could write a message on it for Urim, and it would not be seen by Ixia. She had to find something to write with. She tried using a stick as a pen and mud as ink. It was useless. Then she discovered a sharp rock and tried to scratch a message into the stone. She managed to scratch in one letter, but it had taken forever and was invisible unless you were only inches away. She needed a brighter color and a faster method. If she was gone much longer, Ixia's spy would return, and she would lose her chance. Sunlight sparkled against the mountain, and she found her answer. The Pura had unknowingly provided her with the perfect color and pen. She carefully climbed the terraformed ridges and picked two of the red bulbs dangling from the plant they had just installed.

  The juices from the red vegetable ran down her fingers, staining them instantly. It was bright and easy to work with. Now, she had to decide what exactly to write. Would Urim know what an android was? He had understood about the battlebots. She had to try. She wrote, ' Pura have a thousand armored androids. Deadly mechanical men. Pura not fighting. Androids are. Cannot be killed.' She had started drawing a simplified picture to illustrate an android when she heard a noise. She feared being caught by Ixia's spy and hurried to hide. If they found her here, they would also find the message and destroy it. She would never be allowed out of the camp again. She climbed up the rocks on the other side of the cove and slid between two tight outcroppings that created a crevice just her size. She slowed her breathing and waited.

  Chapter 9

  Urim

  Urim had seen the battlebots with his own eyes. In pieces, they had been menacing enough, but once they stood completed, it was much worse. There were not many of them. There had to be a way to stop them. If the
knights could get behind one, maybe they could cut wires or explode the inner workings. The battlebots could not cover all the knights at once. They could still win the war, but there would be many casualties on both sides. He wanted to be a good leader and do the right thing. The choices were more difficult than he had dreamed. How had his predecessors done it? Where did they find the knowledge and bravery they needed? Nabvan had once told him that courage came from a strong heart. If he listened to it, he would always do what was right. If a battle was lost, it was meant to be. You were victorious if you remained courageous and followed your heart.

  The knights gathered around the ship. Urim stood tall in its doorway and declared, "War is imminent. The Pura will not back down. The human female has tried to negotiate with them. They will not listen. I know they look weak and childlike, but it is not them alone we must face. They have weapons that we do not. I have seen them. They are called battlebots. Sophisticated, handheld computers, like the ones that controlled the terrabots, are used to control the battlebots. They are huge and can destroy their enemies from afar. I have counted only five. Do not be downhearted. We can still be victorious. It will take more than swords to win. We must ready the foreign weapons. It is their use that will be our salvation. We must find a way to get behind the mechanical monsters and destroy their circuitry. Without them the Pura are helpless. Some of us will die in this war and not return home to our loved ones. We are warriors, Milisarian Knights. It is our honored duty to give our lives for our world. Win or lose, live or die, we will do what must be done to protect our species."