by Paul Centeno
“Unbelievable,” he muttered to himself.
He tried contacting his sister via KLD but couldn’t establish a connection. Despite his extreme frustration, he remained composed and carefully laid the sandstalker against the last step. Taking a few steps forward, Khal’jan observed his surroundings. Though dark, his kinetic link device’s light allowed him to see the pit. Just a few steps away from reaching it, he heard something snap.
Glancing up, Khal’jan saw a crystallized stalactite falling. Gasping, he leapt aside fast. The stalactite landed, shattering in the place he had last stood. Another snap within earshot caused him to run. Countless stalactites started to fall, their destruction echoing throughout the chamber while Khal’jan desperately sprinted out of harm’s way.
The archeologist returned to where he had started. Lifting his comrade, he retraced his steps toward the pit. Nearing the first stalactite that had dropped, he carefully walked around it and soon arrived at the edge of the pit. Raising his gun, he fired several beams below to see if there was an invisible bridge. Nothing obstructed the rays from blasting the lower escarpment opposite him.
“By the eternal Goddess, what must I do to get across?” he asked himself. “Think, Khal. Think.”
After a short time, his eyes widened. Remembering that his environmental suit had G12 gravity modifiers built into his sabatons, he activated them. Leaping off the ground, he soared across the pit. When he landed, a poisonous miasma rose from the abyss. By chance, from the corner of his eye, he saw its greenish form rise before moving onward.
“I guess that’s the price for cheating.”
Disabling his gravity-modifying sabatons, Khal’jan made haste toward the glowing door. Keeping the assassin astride his shoulders weighed him down. Nevertheless, he ran as quickly as he could. When he drew closer to the door, it vanished. Khal’jan stopped, a baffled expression carved on his pale face.
“Another trick...”
Miasma continued to fill the cavernous lair. He checked his surroundings twice but didn’t see anything significant. His face grew paler. Turning, he focused on the pit itself. Even though Khal’jan thought his new theory was crazy, he broke into a run and jumped into the pitch-black abyss.
While falling, he activated his G12 technology. The lower region illuminated by itself, revealing to him a vaulted, triangular-shaped ceiling. Still descending, he noticed an obelisk atop a plinth suspended at the center of the chamber. By a miracle, it seemed to him, he was near the floating platform and landed smoothly atop it.
Once again, the archeologist laid Rah’tera down. He approached the stony obelisk, which was covered in innumerable carvings; they were all a form of calligraphy. Only one part was empty—the center. Observing the markings, he noticed they almost seemed to be connected. With several links missing, however, it made him hesitate.
“Hmmm...what if these markings are so old that some have faded?”
Not having much to lose, the archeologist extended his hand toward the central console and drew interwoven lines swirling in all directions. Once he had finished, it appeared as if the symbol he’d drawn was linked to the others surrounding it. Moments later, the obelisk shook. Then the calligraphy glowed.
Khal’jan took a couple of steps back, stunned by the majestic glow. Illuminating as one whole symbol, the central piece opened. An orange gleaming cube with intricate designs carved all over it was inside. The archeologist stared at it in awe. After a short moment, he approached the primordial relic.
“Can it really be?” he said out loud. “Is this truly the fabled, enchanted Eye of Soth’yugon?”
Although wary, Khal’jan reached out for the artifact and seized it. As he held the relic, it stopped glowing. Yet another tremor struck. This time, the entire chamber shook. Parts of the vaulted, upside-down ceiling cracked, at which point the apex beneath them shattered. Within seconds, both Rah’tera and Khal’jan were sucked out into space.
V
Safeguard
The quake extended throughout all of Vei-Pyirye’s Remnant, causing Marauder to tremble. Like many of the soldiers, miners, and archeologists stationed there, Shirakaya and her entourage lost their balance during the tremor. Several turrets malfunctioned, one of them exploding when the uneven ground cracked open beneath it.
“Holy smokes!” gasped Myris. “This is flippin’ crazy!”
“What should we do?” Yarasuro asked.
“Shira!” called out Narja via kinetic link. “Our sensors are showing two people drifting beneath the asteroid. I think one of them is Rah’tera.”
“What? I’m on my way. Prepare for takeoff.”
Shirakaya signaled the mutant and young oracle to follow her. Meanwhile, the military commander passed the Shadow Mercs without so much as a glance, running toward his crooked command center in a frenzy. Knowing she was free of him, Shirakaya boarded her starship and returned to the bridge.
When the pilot saw Shirakaya and her entourage return, she disembarked from Vei-Pyirye’s Remnant. Flying the battleship soudaria, she reached the upside-down pyramid’s shattered apex and searched for the two life signs on her radar. With little time lost, the crew spotted two figures drifting in space amid countless particles of votrigon.
“That’s my brother!” Shirakaya yelled in a panic, rising from her chair. “Open the docking bay. I’ll get them myself.”
Yarasuro grabbed her arm. “Someone’s two steps ahead of you.”
He gestured toward the windowpane where they saw Dojin in his spacesuit using a jetpack to reach the drifters. Upon seizing both of them, the renegade gave a thumbs-up, at which point Xorvaj launched a pre-stabilized gravity grappling hook whose flukes caught the trio. Shirakaya used a camera to zoom in on the docking bay, watching the ghensoth heave them inside.
The crew cheered with relief. Shirakaya cracked a smile, pleased to see Dojin helping. She promptly made her way to an X-Phaser, teleporting to the docking bay. Upon materializing, Shirakaya sprinted toward her shivering brother. Dojin, meanwhile, injected the sandstalker with an MS-783 medical syringe.
“Let’s hope the adrenaline keeps him alive,” the ghensoth said.
Without further ado, Xorvaj carried the sandstalker toward a pod and transferred to Marauder’s medical wing. In the meantime, Dojin helped the groaning archeologist stand on his own.
“Dojin,” the freelancer called out, “thank you.” She approached her brother and hugged him. “I am so glad you’re safe.”
“I’m confused,” he said, looking haggard. “What’re you doing here, sis?”
“Quite frankly, I have an arcane book that requires your expertise. But can you first tell me...what happened to Rah’tera?”
Khal’jan sat on one of many cargo boxes with a sigh. “He somehow slipped through the security and entered that pyramid where I was ensnared. Together we made our way into its depths when a trap conjured some kind of elemental beings of fire. If it weren’t for him, I’d be dead. But he got wounded before I could finish the last one off.”
“I’m gonna check on him,” Dojin said, leaving.
The freelancer gave a quick nod. “What were you doing in that temple anyway? Surely you had to know there’d be traps.”
“Commander Jeyphen forced me to investigate it despite my warnings. Now he’s paying the price for it.” Glancing at Vei-Pyirye’s Remnant through a porthole, he witnessed the asteroid gradually crumble apart. He then revealed a glowing cube to his sister. “Thank the divine I managed to grab this before all hell broke loose.”
Shirakaya stared at it in awe. “What is that?”
“If my theory is correct, this might be the lost Eye of Soth’yugon. In fables about the ancient Heigon civilization, long before Vei-Pyirye’s destruction, it was described as having immeasurable power. Detecting enchanted artifacts, unsealing hidden gateways to other realms, and possibly even being a key to an ethereal prison for cursed spirits...you name it.”
“Incredible,” she said, a hint of fear in her
eyes. “What evidence—”
“Shira,” Narja interjected via KLD, “we have a serious problem. Commander Jeyphen is demanding temporary sanctuary for his platoon and himself. He also knows your brother is here and wishes to speak with him.”
“Damn it,” Khal’jan muttered, porting the cube away.
The freelancer hesitated, cursing under her breath. “Bring them aboard and let them stay in the cafeteria. Anyone who’s injured can be brought to the infirmary. As for the commander, have him escorted to Rah’tera’s room in two minutes’ time.”
“Aye.”
Ending the transmission, Shirakaya and her brother teleported to the medical wing in an X-Phaser capsule. Rematerializing, they exited the pod and made their way to a room where Rah’tera was lying on a bed. Dojin and Xorvaj stood there too. Utterly dismay, Shirakaya stared silently at the crippled sandstalker who struggled to breathe.
“How did you know they were in danger?” she asked the renegade.
“Well, as much as I hate to admit it, cyber dick informed us. He apparently heard Narja sighting them and gave us the coordinates.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
“Yes,” her brother said. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Rescuing you was easy,” Xorvaj said.
Shirakaya grimaced at the sight of Rah’tera. Thinking back to when she had been stabbed and poisoned during the last rumsira, she remembered that it was he who had ultimately guided the crew to getting an antidote for her. While she held his hand, a multitude of footsteps came within earshot.
In a matter of seconds, Yarasuro stood by the door. “My lady, Commander Jeyphen is here to see your brother.”
At her nod, the commander stepped inside with four soldiers.
“Where is it?” he said wrathfully. Observing the archeologist’s dumbfounded expression, he stomped over until standing right in his face. “Don’t play stupid with me, Khal’jan of Aarda. I know you have whatever it is the others were hoping to find.”
The archeologist winced, raising his hands in surrender. “I swear by the eternal Goddess there’s nothing.”
“Why do I feel like you’re lying and should be arrested?”
“Commander Jeyphen,” he replied with composure, “I warned you about the pyramid. My colleagues were overly ambitious and excited. I certainly don’t blame them. If it wasn’t for my dreadful experience at the temple of the fifth moon, perhaps I’d have been the same. But the fact is I warned everyone. I knew there would be traps. And now, whatever treasure may have been hidden is lost to us.”
The commander clenched his teeth. He didn’t have to tighten his fists to show that he wanted to punch the archeologist.
“We’re lucky we escaped with our lives,” Khal’jan added, gesturing at the sandstalker.
Commander Jeyphen glanced at the wounded alien with curiosity. “Who the hell is that and what does he have to do with you?”
“That would be my fault,” Shirakaya said. “He had the ability to cloak himself, so I had him sneak inside when trouble started,”—Jeyphen turned to her with fury in his eyes—“I deeply apologize. Truly. I know that I disobeyed a direct order from you, but this is my brother. He’s dear to me. Please understand. I was only trying to protect him.”
“Show me see your KLD’s registered equipment,” Jeyphen demanded of Khal’jan, ignoring what Shirakaya had said. Wasting no time, the archeologist revealed his databank. The commander checked every single item. “Hmmm...”
“With all due respect, sir, I am not a liar.”
Jeyphen glanced at the wounded mercenary again. “My captain entrusted this mission to me. A thorough investigation will commence around these ruins. Despite its destruction, we will uncover any relics that are here. If you’re withholding anything that belongs to us, then know this: You will all be arrested for conspiracy and stealing. Furthermore, this battleship shall be confiscated. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir,” the siblings said in unison.
The commander let out a sigh. “I’m a bit unnerved after what just happened, but I do appreciate your help, Shirakaya. Take your brother if need be.” He turned to leave the room while adding, “One more thing, Khal’jan. If I decide to call upon you, failing to comply will result in excommunication like your sister.”
Dojin couldn’t wipe away his smirk. Once the commander and his soldiers teleported out of the wing, Shirakaya turned her attention back to Rah’tera. She didn’t care about empty threats. At this point, all she cared about was getting her power back, expanding the team, and keeping them alive.
“What happened to the relic?” she inquired.
The archeologist shrugged with a smug expression on his face. “I’m not sure. Maybe there was an unforeseen anomaly that made it transfer over to someone else’s kinetic link device...like yours.”
Xorvaj let out a subtle cackle. “He is definitely your brethren.”
“Very smart, Khal. Now I need you to help me convince our sister to become a permanent member of my crew so she can treat Rah’tera and your colleagues.”
Inner Balance
The infinite stars are your greatest ally. Let their perpetual light soothe your soul like a wellspring of life. Within the everlasting radiance, you shall find the essence of my boundless warmth. I have given all my children life, and, just as my spirit rejuvenates yours through faith, so too do my angelical stars replenish your corporeal form with energy eternal. Yet, like all forms of existence, balance is essential. Let not their abundant power be abused—for the day may come when my precious stars are hurled into chaos. Discover cosmic equilibrium, and the sanctity of every sun shall remain pure forevermore.
Gathas of Maz’hura 2:17
Chapter Two
Upon the Precipice of Diplomacy
I
Priorities
One hour passed since Vei-Pyirye had crumbled into oblivion, the planet’s last remnant wiped from existence. During this time, Shirakaya brought her brother up to speed with everything that she had been through. She was surprised when Khal’jan appeared fascinated by her allegiance with Vokken, expecting him to be furious considering the former emperor had almost killed them one cycle ago. Her brother’s quirky mentality and passion for discovering extraordinary things sure came in handy, she thought to herself.
In the meantime, Narja navigated out of the asteroid field and nebula. Since all forms of communication had become available, Shirakaya and her brother contacted their sister and managed to convince her to help Rah’tera as well as the wounded miners and soldiers whom Commander Jeyphen was overseeing.
“Thank you, Doctor,” the commander said, watching her across the patient’s bed.
“Oh, I’m just a teacher of medicine,” Radesha said, applying an antibiotic ointment to an officer’s gashed leg. “But you are most welcome.”
Though the commander appeared concerned, he did not respond.
“She’s much more than a teacher,” Shirakaya said, entering the room. “She’s a professor, teaching at Reun Uyae University of Medicine. If you ask me, she’s the best undocumented nurse in Ensar.”
Jeyphen shrugged, turning his attention to the freelancer. “So long as my soldiers survive, I won’t question your methods.”
“My methods?”
He let out a brief laugh. “Your crew is composed of an illegal doctor, a mutant, a disabled teenager, excommunicated soldiers, and aliens whose leaders are not allied with the Tal’manac Order. Yes, your methods. But like I said, keep my men alive and I won’t question whatever it is you’re doing.”
The commander exited the infirmary. An awkward moment of silence fell, broken only when the patient groaned.
“This isn’t good, Shira,” Radesha said.
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t stay here.”
Shirakaya lowered her head. “We need you. I can’t keep going out on dangerous missions without a nurse on board. And don’t get me started on the whole ‘not a nu
rse’ nonsense. I know deep down inside this is your passion.”
“The semester isn’t finished yet. I still have another three months of teaching before classes end. Let’s face it, you need to hire a fulltime doctor.”
“There’s no way I can afford that. And right now, even though it’s sort of a secret, I’m trying to save money for Myris to undergo a medical operation so she can walk.”
Radesha finished wrapping a bandage over the soldier’s wound as she went on, “I don’t know what to tell you...”
“I get it. I’m way in over my head. Can you at least stay here when you’re not teaching? I have plenty of cabins. You’ll be very comfortable. I’ll also pay you ten thousand reons every month.”
“Ugh,” uttered Radesha, grabbing her medical bag. “I don’t want your money.”
The nurse left, making her way to the sandstalker’s room. Shirakaya followed her, but as soon as the pair arrived, they froze and stood still, shocked to see Rah’tera standing strong beside his bed. Shirakaya focused on his face; the upper portion of his environmental helmet had been removed. For the first time, they saw half of his facial features: crimson skin, amber irises, subtle veins across his long forehead, and dreadlocks drooping to his spine.
“You’re all right!” Shirakaya rejoiced, her eyes wide.
“If you’re referring to my body being exposed to a different atmosphere, artificial or not, then we’re equally astonished.”
Since the lower half of his elongated face was covered with a gasmask, Rah’tera’s voice still had a husky tone to it. Radesha rushed over to treat his burns, but he nudged her away with his scarred hand.
“I can help your skin heal. Please. Let me help.”
“Your aid is appreciated but not needed.”