Saurians

by Timothy Manley

  “Conservation of efforts is needed,” Raoulf said. “When I met them they showed much power at close range. The major problem is their missiles and their close defense systems. We are in a Deklyn loop. We cannot get too close to kill or we die and if we stay far away we die. We must sit invisible and try for best maneuvering.”

  “That is why you control the ground forces, Kaliif,” Rigaar turned his attention to Kaliif who was absently tugging on his ear. “They will get close enough to land ground forces. We cannot stop them. We must stop them from taking the power plant and the production facilities.”

  “Do you think we'll lose?” a younger one asked. Rigaar knew him barely. He was a commander on a Protector ship, not very experienced. “Usually if we lose we run away.”

  “Not this time,” Rigaar put the gravel edge into his voice. “If we run away from this fight more will fall, maybe even your homes.”

  “I was always hoping to be able to die in space,” Kaliif said, staring into the stars.

  “Do this right and all of us will die in the stars with grey fur in our ears.” Rigaar stood followed by the others who turned to face him.

  Styllia looked to this strange one. She had read the Teckton files on this race after being appointed Controller. She knew the truth. She hoped that they never would.

  Everyone left without saying a word, leaving Styllia and Rigaar alone.

  “They will die, Rigaar.”

  “I hope not. They are good, they will survive.”

  “But they will lose.”

  “Losing and dying are different.”

  “Won't they heed your warning and sacrifice themselves?”

  “No,” Rigaar laughed. “They are pirates. The Protectors might, but not the rest. They value their fur too much.”

  “Then they will break and run.”

  “They will hide and kill,” Rigaar sat back down into the chair, letting the weight of the gravity environment pull on him. He missed space. He missed Skyla. “They have all fought outnumbered before. They know what it is they do.”

  “This is different.”

  “I know.”

  Tai Pan means Holy Place, second only to Ever Haven, in a language long lost to the Reggf. Every reggf believes that they began in this system. They understand their civilization to be almost a million years old. They believe that they have gained starflight and lost it over a hundred times, the explanation from the scholars to explain their spread throughout many different systems and losing knowledge. They call it the theory of the circle. Many reggf philosophers believe that their people have been trapped in a time circle forced upon them by The Creator as punishment to them for their inability to change their ways. They fear their inherent violence is their downfall and they will never discover peace. Most don't care. But, no matter how or what they believe, Tai Pan garners their respect, and their love.

  Kaliif shifted into real time. He saw the glowing yellow tan ball that he believed started life. He felt guilt and hoped the Creator would see his sacrifice and grant him amnesty. The members of his crew looked at him with fear and awe, willing to open their own veins at his word. Kaliif’s eyes began to fill with tears.

  Kaliif had killed more times than he could remember. The first time though, the very first time, was still fresh in his mind, as if it were yesterday. Back then, in his youth, he wasn't strong enough to fight the lust that infects all the reggf when they kill. He wasn't good enough.

  Kaliif saw his mother burned by the troops of the Grand Protector. He saw the soldier use his flame-thrower to spread flame over their home and kill all his siblings. He hid and watched, holding back the yelping scream that threatened to erupt in his throat. He loved his mother. He hated the Grand Protectors, the soldiers from Tai-Pan.

  Many called Kaliif a butcher. He killed with seeming enjoyment. They all did. His was a race of beings captured by blood lust. When they stopped hunting animals they turned to each other.

  “There is no past here, Thuvar. I will not kill today,” Kaliif muttered out the window, to the giant yellow orb before his viewing port. He engaged the gravity wells and accelerated toward the gas giant.

  The melody the crichee played lulled Thuvar into a restful drowse. He swayed with the hypnotic melody and dreamed of mists flowing through the blueness of empty sky.

  “Reegarf,” the young female entered timidly, lowering her body as submissively as she could. “A messenger from Riirar-no-Crrio's Rirft is here.”

  “Send him in.” Thuvar stood from his chair and waved the crichee away. They scuttled into the shadows, fearful of their master.

  “Reegarf,” the female hesitated, “it is Kaliif that bears the sash of the messenger.”

  Thuvar grinned. “Today is to be doubly pleasurable, then.” He smiled and walked to his chair where he pulled an ornate pistol from under one of the folds of satin cloth that covered the chair.

  “Send him to me.” He grinned, holding the pistol down at his side, hiding it behind his leg.

  The young female left the room and soon after Kaliif entered. He smiled at Thuvar and nonchalantly pressed the button on the box at his belt.

  “You pirate,” Thuvar waved with his hand, “how grand it is to finally meet you in person.”

  “I thought you would fear me, young one.”

  “Fear? No, pirate, I am glad to have the opportunity to end a menace.” He raised the pistol.

  “Do you wish to commit the crimes of your father? I am here wearing the sash of the messenger. Do you disregard all the common laws?” Kaliif rested his thumbs in his belt.

  “Why do you come, pirate?”

  “You have ignored the requests of Rigaar-ke-Roggg, and I am here to convince you to his side.”

  “I do not wish to join him in his bid to battle space demons,” Thuvar laughed. “I can recognize a plot when it comes to me.”

  “You are a fool, little one.”

  “No, pirate, you are the fool.” Thuvar fired. The slug stopped centimeters before Kaliif's face and fell to the floor.

  “You will submit, Thuvar. I have come as a messenger, nothing more. But if you resist I will kill you and assume control of your rirft.”

  Thuvar's face fell, his lips flapped open and he fired again. The bullet stopped before the face of Kaliif and fell, again, to the floor.

  Kaliif ran to Thuvar and struck him across the face. The inertia screen slammed him to the floor, knocking the pistol from his hand. Kaliif struck him repeatedly in the face, smashing teeth and sending blood splattering across the floor.

  He stopped and looked at the young one weeping in his own blood. He felt pity. “I will not kill today, Thuvar. I assume control of your rirft.”

  “That is not wise, pirate.” The voice came from behind him. Kaliif spun and faced the door, the energy pistol in his hand. A tall, thin reggf stood in the door. His forehead was abnormally large and he wore a floor length purple robe.

  “You will release him,” the reggf said.

  Kaliif felt a strong tightening sensation surround his temples and he stumbled backwards. The tall reggf stepped closer. Kaliif raised his arm and fired the energy pistol. A thin blue beam streaked across the room and struck the tall reggf in the center of his chest. The lanky figure fell to his knees and raised his arm. Kaliif felt a strong blow slam against chest, cracking ribs. He was tossed to the floor, sliding until he struck Thuvar's chair.

  Kaliif fired again. The beam struck the other reggf in the forehead, causing the top of its head to explode. The body of the tall reggf fell to the floor, twitching spasmodically. Kaliif forced himself to stand.

  “I am now Reegarf here.” He walked over to Thuvar and pointed the weapon at his head. “Call in your council.”

  Thuvar stood and walked to the wall. He pressed a white stud and began to speak. Kaliif raised his weapon.

  “I call the presence of the Council of Law to my hall, now.” He released the stud and slumped to the floor.

  The passing moments stretched. K
aliif, not knowing how long the inertia screen would last, turned it off and stood away from all openings.

  “You hate me, Thuvar,” Kaliif smiled at the younger reggf as Thuvar made his way to his chair and fell into it. “It is not the time of old any longer. To survive we must grow as one. There is no need for a Reegarf, except one.”

  Thuvar avoided the piercing stare of Kaliif as he listened to his ranting. He would not stare into Kaliif's eyes, fearing a duel that he was sure he would not win. His jaw hurt, he thought it broken, and he felt lost.

  The sound of steady and regimented footsteps came from the outer hall. The newcomers rounded the corner, two of them wearing the uniform of the Council of Law and carrying sidearms.

  “Kill-” two beams shot from the corner, felling the guards before Thuvar could finish the order.

  “Enter, Council, your wisdom is needed here,” Kaliif said. Two of the twenty one council members entered. These two were not wholly supportive of Thuvar. He knew he had to react quickly to defend himself against the pirate.

  The older of the council members looked to the corner. “Why do you wish us, pirate?”

  “I defeated this cusp in open duel and wish to assume the place of Reegarf.”

  “Is this true, Thuvar?” Both council members turned to face him.

  “No,” Thuvar breathed heavily, “This intruder has invaded my chambers and attacked me. There has been no duel. Sound the alarm.”

  “I will do it again, if the Council wishes,” Kaliif said stepping into view.

  “That is acceptable,” said the older council member. Thuvar stopped himself. He almost contested the call, but realized that would show he had lost before. He stepped off his chair and turned to face Kaliif.

  Kaliif stood facing the group, hunched over to his right side. Thuvar smiled, Kaliif was hurt worse than he. This would be an easy duel.

  “I am Reegarf,” Thuvar said and stepped to stare into Kaliif's eyes.

  “I am Butcher,” Kaliif whispered and raised his lip, showing the canines.

  They were locked. Thuvar refused to let go, he forced himself to hold the lock. He saw the evil eyes of the enemy. He saw his throat torn open, his own blood on Kaliif's teeth. His black lips quivered, and he faltered for an instant, an imperceptible instant, but it was enough.

  “We have seen,” the older council member said. “We will deliberate.” Both turned and left the room.

  Thuvar fell to his knees, waiting for the death he knew would come. He had heard stories of Kaliif the Butcher, and waited.

  “I told you, Thuvar,” Kaliif wheezed, “I will not kill you today.”

  Tai Pan celebrated luxuriously, content under a new master. Her people worked tirelessly preparing for war.

  Out of black nonexistence one hundred ships appeared in real-space. They thrust in on warp, pushing the ships to sixty percent the speed of light, each one looming closer to the gas giant.

  Before the path of the oncoming ships there winked into existence fifteen magnetic field signatures. The missile boats riding in silence waiting until they were needed. From them thrust forty-five small missiles. The missiles accelerated at relativistic speeds and struck many of the giant ships. Explosions erupted from the hull of the incoming ships, rupturing their skin and blowing them outward. All of them returned fire. Many other small ships appeared.

  Chaos flew in the orbit of Tai Pan.

  Trees soared, giant and untouched since they sprouted thousands of years earlier. The forest floor was light brown, covered in a thick carpet of dead needles. The dome was partially buried, hidden except for its telling electromagnetic signature. Surrounding the low grey dome were scores of Reggf wearing camouflage kinetic vests. They sat and looked, waiting, their assault rifles slung, some held. Rocket and grenade launchers were checked and rechecked.

  Captain Relf-pi-Loki and his men looked to the sky. Even though the daylight was bright, and the yellow tan form of Tai Pan filled the entire sky, they could see the bright flashes of light coming from the battle above. They all fidgeted, tired of waiting, eager to fight.

  The nimble ships of the Reggf swarmed the giants. Plasma and accelerated particle beams arced between them. Many of the smaller ships were hit by the plasma and ruptured, blowing their melting contents into the frigid vacuum of space. Heavy fat assault ships pushed past the reggf picket ships while their escorts ringed about them, taking the fire from the smaller ships onto themselves.

  Many of the reggf left, shifting out of real space when their ships were damaged or their units decimated.

  Katsurani climbed into their battle armor and loaded their landing spheres. The large balls were stacked onto the primary door five high and twenty deep. With the bleating of the klaxon hatches closed. The primary door opened showing the inner skin of the secondary hull. The order was given and all the ships blew their secondary hulls, ejecting the small assault spheres, each one carrying a katsurani warrior dressed in battle armor.

  Spheres fell to the planet below, thousands of them filtering in through the heat barrier and then raining down. When only a few hundred meters above the ground the spheres were blown open and parachutes deployed. Each katsurani fired his plasma weapon as he fell, raining down liquid heat that melted everything it touched.

  Reggf scattered. They ran for cover and fired their air-defense missiles. Some of them watched the giants fall from the sky and froze, unable to move. They had never seen a creature such as this before. The armor they wore was incredible. The weapons melted everything.

  Troops from the sky hit the ground. They were surrounded, slug throwers sprayed led onto them. Nothing penetrated the armor of the alien giants.

  Relf-pi-Loki organized his men, they sat with rocket launchers and waited. Their hand sensors showed the giants coming. Their armor was not invisible, it gave large signatures, easily picked up. They were stupid. Relf-pi-Loki fought back the blood rage that thrived within him. Three giants broke through a group of small trees, spreading their flame onto the troops that were there. He gave the order, his men launched their rockets. Long streaks of flame shot from the tubes each reggf held. The small rockets sped towards the alien trio, erupting in an explosion of body parts.

  “Behind us,” Relf's sensor man yelled. He turned and looked at his man with the heavy sensor back pack. The sensor man jerked, his head tossing in an odd angle. Blood erupted from the reggf's body and covered Relf. The sensor man fell, and behind him Relf saw one of the armored giants firing a silent weapon that ripped his men apart.

  Relf mechanically raised his rifle and sent a round from the grenade launcher into the giant's chest. The explosion knocked the alien onto its back. It started to climb back to its feet, seemingly uninjured. One of Relf's men picked up a rocket launcher and fired at close range. The explosion blew them back, singeing their fur.

  Another giant came from the trees, just stepping out enough to fire the plasma projector without burning its cover. The plasma splashed two of his soldiers. The rest broke, their blood-rage overcame them and they charged. The giant tried to fire, but it was covered in reggf. The plasma projector was knocked from its hands. Reggf swarmed him, covering his body with knives, teeth and handguns.

  The giant would not fall. It would grab a reggf and throw it to the ground, only to have another leap upon its body again. Relf could not stand still. Reggf were tossed as if dolls, their backs snapping, their limbs breaking, but still they rose to fight the giant, their rage uncontrolled. He could control it no longer. The blood rage filled him. He pulled the small hand beamer that Kaliif had given to all officers and leaped among his men. He climbed to the giant's head, a large armored arm reached up and grabbed him by the shoulder, slamming him to the ground. Relf climbed to his feet again, snarling with the pack. He climbed up the giant's back and wrapped his legs around the helmet. At the base of the skull he pressed the beamer and fired. The beam slowly heated the strange metal until it burned through. Green black liquid splashed against the inside of the vis
or and the giant went limp, falling to the ground.

  Five other giants came from their right flank, tearing his men apart with their weapons. Relf's arms were torn up. He felt no pain. His men returned fire, most falling, all shooting their handguns until they were dead. Wounded fought without fear. In a single smooth motion Relf scooped up the giant's fallen weapon, lifted it and pressed the thumb stud. A stream of plasma splashed across the clearing, melting the aliens.

  Relf-pi-Loki stopped firing. He fell to his haunches and looked around him. He couldn't lift his left arm, it hung limp and lifeless at his side. He saw his men were no better, most were wounded and over half were dead. He looked to his fur, matted with his own blood, and held back a whimper. It was going to be a very long day.

  Chapter 6

  “It must be done,” Cottattanie clicked, its multi armed figure hidden in the flowing robes of Teckton political class and the only way for non-species to determine who they were.

  “The Council will not approve,” Syntanian spoke to her friend, clicking in the Teckton language as skillfully as the larger creature next to her. Her slight face showed lines around her lipless, expressionless mouth, a feature that had just appeared after seven hundred years of life.

  “We were unable to stop them, the reggf are unable to halt their advance. Past them lies only non-faring races. Next is your people. They can ignore their own pain while we cannot, the reggf have the ability to fight them, but not the technology. If we had given them what they needed they could have been stopped. But now their technology is equal to ours, their abilities superior.” The clicks were softened by the plush wooden walls, a rarity on the planet.

  Syntanian looked to her friend trying vainly to read her actions. She had known three Cottattanie in her lifetime, their shorter life-span meant a higher position turn over, and was still only barely able to tell the meaning of the body movements. For the most part they sat perfectly motionless and were impossible to decipher. She knew that the truth was being given, Tecktons had no ability to lie. That act they weren’t capable of. They would, however not give the whole truth and Syntanian felt that Cottattanie was doing just that.