by J Bigby
"I just feel like I'm hiding too many secrets and it's all going to blow up in my face," Sh'kar says.
"Don't worry I've been doing this since I was a cub," Kai replies. "So what's this do?" he continues as he points to the device Sh'kar is working on.
"It's a weapon for hunting," Sh'kar answers.
"Didn't know you were much of a hunter?" Kai questions.
"Thought I would start."
"Okay, well let me know if you need anything," Kai says walking out of the room "Want me to steal ya something?" He says peaking out the door.
"God no, just be careful," Sh'kar answers, Kai waves and leaves. Sh'kar goes back to his desk and continues working when suddenly blue sparks start flying out of the device "not again!" he shouts. Sh'kar tries to fix the issue but it becomes worse and worse until he has no choice but to run out of the door and get to safety. As he runs as fast as he can a massive explosion follows close behind him.
Sh'kar sees a large ditch not far from his workshop, he jumps down and lands on his feet. He pushes his back up against the wall of the earth. He leans against it as hard as he can clinching his eyes closed as the blast from the explosion passes over his head. Sh'kar uses his claws to pull himself up and sees the whole area scorched in flames.
"Oh no, I'm in trouble," he says to himself with a blank expression on his face.
A blade's tip presses against the back of Sh'kar's neck.
"Your under arrest for the use of technology!" A lion guard shouts.
Sh'kar lifts his hands slowly in the air to surrender, the guard grabs Sh'kar's arm one at a time and puts them in chains. The guard takes him to the king's fortress and slams his body to the ground, in front of King Sh'kan and Sh'kar's half-brother Link.
"I've got half a mind to kill you and the other half agrees but unfortunately I can't since you surrendered and the law is clear," Sh'kan says. "After you killed my wife, your mother, I thought you would have learned that technology is wrong! You could have killed someone or everyone!" He continues.
"Mother loved technology, she would want me to make it legal again!" Sh'kar shouts.
"I've had it with you! Your nothing but a disappointment and I'm done with you. Lock him up and don't be afraid to give him the full treatment," Sh'kan says to Link. He smiles as Link grabs Sh'kar's dreadlocks and drags him away to the prison cells.
"Arghh!" Sh'kar snarls in pain. "Don't do this brother," Sh'kar begs.
"Don't even bother, You're not my brother. You're the man who killed my mother," Link says without any remorse on his face.
They arrive at the cells and Link throws Sh'kar by his hair into a cell. "Have fun, you'll be in there for a while." Link laughs as he walks away.
Sh'kar lays there, not moving from the position he was thrown into. He thinks about everything, about how he blames himself for his mother's death and how he almost did the same thing moments ago.
As the guard sleeps, a tap on the cell bars echoes through the prison. Sh'kar looks up to see Kai.
"What are doing here?" Sh'kar says with a happy surprise on his face.
"I've come to tell you that they are planning to execute you in front of everyone as an example," Kai whispers to Sh'kar.
"But it's illegal to kill a Felidae who surrenders. He could get overthrown for it," Sh'kar whispers back with a look of confusion.
"I heard him say that the people wouldn't care if he killed the prince, who murdered their queen. You have to get out of here," Kai warns him.
"You know I didn't do it!" Sh'kar shouts.
Kai shushes Sh'kar. "Look I know you didn't but no one else does. Please take this key I stole from the guard. Just run as far as you can then kept running." Kai says.
He slips the key through the bars. "Please go," he continues as he runs toward the prisons secret entrance, to avoid being detected.
Sh'kar stares at the key intensely, thinking carefully about what could happen if he leaves. 'If I go they could legally kill me for escaping but they are planning to kill me anyway, at least it will be on my terms,' Sh'kar thinks before picking up the key and sliding it into the lock.
The lock falls off and the cell door opens as Sh'kar sneaks out, grabs his gear and heads toward the secret entrance. He opens the passageway by placing his hand over a brick and pushing it into the wall. He crawls through the tight passage with a bit effort. He approaches the end of the tunnel that leads straight to the forest and climbs out. He runs as fast and as far as he possibly can, his legs getting more and more tired with every step until he can't run anymore.
Meanwhile, at the king's fortress, Sh'kan discovers Sh'kar's escape and in anger, he runs out into the forest using his tracking skills to try and find his step-son. It's not long before King Sh'kan finds his tracks and follows them to find Sh'kar laying under a shelter he built for himself.
"Well peek a boo," Sh'kan whispers to himself trying not to startle or get Sh'kar's attention. Sh'kan sneaks up to the shelter but just as he gets up close, he steps on a flat circular device, letting off a blast of noise, alerting Sh'kar. Sh'kar quickly gets up to see his step-father and uses a gauntlet that's attached to his right arm, he extends two sharp curved blades out from it.
"You're really going to use that against me?" Sh'kan asks.
"If I have to," Sh'kar replies. He charges at Sh'kan with the blades aiming directly at his face but as soon as Sh'kar gets in range, Sh'kan calmly steps to the side, avoiding the strike and uses his claws to grab the bottom of the gauntlet to slide it out from Sh'kar's hand.
Sh'kan looks at the gauntlet before throwing it away and Sh'kar stands there with a look of shock on his face but soon turns to a look of anger. Sh'kar throws a flurry of wild attacks as Sh'kan dodges them with ease. He kicks Sh'kar down with a powerful front kick, sending Sh'kar back, landing on the harsh ground and sliding to the edge of a nearby waterfall.
"If light can't escape me, what chance did you have. I knew you would try to escape and you know what?" Sh'kan says as he looks down at his fallen step-son. He places his right foot on Sh'kar's chest. "I'm glad you did, this way I get to enjoy killing you... then I'll go for your friend who helped you escape," Sh'kan continues as he laughs.
"No!" Sh'kar yells out in pain "Leave him alone, I did this!"
"You both did," Sh'kan says staring into Sh'kar's eyes as he pushes Sh'kar closer and closer to the edge with his foot. Sh'kar falls off the edge, hurdling down towards the water.
Sh'kan looks down to make sure that there is no trace of him surviving. "Good riddance," he says as he turns back toward his fortress. Sh'kar using his cloaking tech attached to his chest becomes invisible as he falls fast through the stream of water to make Sh'kan think he has already hit the bottom.
'Come on! Think!' Sh'kar thinks to himself as he looks around, he looks at his claws 'that's it!'
He reaches out to the rock wall, that the water slides down and grips it with his claws as sparks fly from them. He yells out in pain till he comes to a complete stop, hanging off the side of the waterfall.
"Can't believe that worked! Guess my natural abilities are just as important as my tech."
'Got to help Kai, he might be in trouble, luckily I gave him a commutations device just in case something like this happened.' Sh'kar pulls out his device with one hand while the other holds him in place on the wall and tries to contact Kai.
The device rings until a hologram of Kai's head appears above the flat circular device "Kai! This is very important Sh'kan's coming after you, he found out you helped me. Now he wants your head," Sh'kar warns.
"Thanks for letting me know. I have somewhere I can go to keep safe but what about you? Where are you going to go?" Kai asks.
Sh'kar looks around "There looks like a cave at the bottom of this waterfall. It seems safe enough but please just be careful. We shouldn't contact each other anymore and destroy your device just in case. Goodbye old friend." Sh'kar crushes the device and uses his claws to abseil down the rock wall till he reaches the bottom.
Meanwhile, at the fortress, Kai walks down the corridor towards the throne and goes up to Link.
"Where's the king?" Kai asks.
"Coming back from dealing with our little problem. Thank you by the way couldn't of done it without you. I mean, genius idea to tamper with his device so it would recreate what he did to the queen. Not once did he suspect a thing," Link says to Kai with a smile on his face.
"Of course, I live to serve the king, not that traitor. I came to tell you that Sh'kar survived. He contacted me straight away and even better I know where he is. He's in the cave near the waterfall," Kai replies.
The smile disappears from Link's face "Damn it!" Link shouts punching the wall, leaving a hole in it "I'll deal with this myself," he continues as he grabs his sword and rushes out of the fortress door.
Meanwhile, Sh'kar gathers wood around the cave. He finds a little spot inside to light a fire to keep himself warm during this cold night. All of a sudden a shadowy figure is cast into the cave, warning Sh'kar someone is coming. Sh'kar uses his invisibility device to hide
"Come on out! I know your there brother!" shouts Link. "Don't make me find you," he continues searching around.
"How did you find me?" Sh'kar asks while still hiding.
"You don't have as many friends as you think you have." Link laughs.
"No... Kai, how could you," Sh'kar says to himself, his face shocked by the betrayal of his only friend.
Link hears this and uses his sword to flick dirt up in the direction of Sh'kar's voice and hits him, giving away his location. Link charges at him, smashing Sh'kar's body into the cave wall, damaging the invisibility device in the process, exposing Sh'kar. Link lands hit after hit with his fists while Sh'kar is pinned to the wall. Sh'kar uses his body weight and kicks off the wall with his legs, slamming Link onto the ground and into the fire burning his back. Link quickly uses all of his strength to kick with both legs, sending Sh'kar straight up, slamming into the ceiling of the cave and falling back down, unconscious.
"Funny that, always thought cats landed on their feet," Link says dragging Sh'kar out of the cave. As Link dragged Sh'kar close to the water, Sh'kar wakes up hazed.
"Link... please stop this," Sh'kar begs. "I know you think what your doing is right but this isn't the way, killing your own brother in cold blood. I know you think I killed our mother and I know you wished it was me instead, trust me I wish that every day," Sh'kar continues.
Link looks down at his brother and feels pity for him. "I can't just let you go, I'm sorry big brother," Link says with remorse on his face.
"Arrest me... I promise I won't escape again," Sh'kar says sincerely, hoping his brother had any moral code. Link stares at Sh'kar for a moment and walks away from the river, changing his direction towards the fortress.
"Don't make me regret this or I will hunt you down and end you," Link says focusing on the road ahead.
As they enter the fortress, Sh'kan sits there on his throne with the look of disappointment on his face. "Leave us!" he yells out to the guards.
"How come he is not dead!?" Sh'kan continues as he slams his fists down in anger.
"He surrendered and by law, I could not kill him," Link replies.
"I don't care about the law! We talked about this Link. He must die for murdering the queen! Why do you think I made Kai release him!"
"He will pay, living out his pathetic life in the cells, if you ask me that's worse than death," Link says looking directly into his father's eyes.
Sh'kan clenches his jaws and sighs deeply. "Fine... but one little peep from you and I will cover the cells with your organs," Sh'kan says to Sh'kar then flicking his wrist at Link, telling him to take Sh'kar away to the prison cells.
Link drags Sh'kar down to the cells and throws him in, locking the cell door behind him, not looking back.
Chapter Five: The Break Out
Back on Fury's ship, The Fury Fighter, the team are figuring out a plan on what to do next.
"This is a very big planet, how do we find this Sh'kar?" asks Fury.
"He has a workshop around here, where he tinkers around without being noticed, not to mention, he's a damn prince. He shouldn't be that hard to find, everyone knows who he is," Hotshot remarks. "The hardest part will be getting the people to talk to us, we don't exactly fit in," he continues.
"Well there's no time like the present, we need to go to his workshop and ask him to fix the hyperdrive, if he's still alive." Dex states "If the king hired you to kill his son, a long time ago, how can you possibly think he's still alive?" Dex continues as he asks Hotshot with a look of concern.
"Trust me, that little bastard is more resourceful then you might think," Hotshot says as he smiles. "It's not like the king can just kill him in cold blood, there have been laws placed down, made centuries ago but hey if you're so worried then we should get our asses moving."
Hotshot extends his arm out towards the exit, giving a little bow. "Cranky before sexy," he jokes. Fury rolls his eyes and exits the ship then Dex turns to Raygan.
"Stay here. Your no good to us dead," he says before walking off the ship. Hotshot looks around and grabs his two laser pistols and stashes them in his coat. Raygan looks at him with confusion.
"What? I never leave my baby's behind," Hotshot says. He walks out of the ship to meet the others. "Okay, I think it's this way to his workshop. We have to cut through the markets but be prepared to be constantly stared at. Not many of these cat people have seen people like us before," Hotshot states as he walks past Dex and Fury.
Dex, Fury and Hotshot walk into the markets as people from all different tribes stare and point at them, looking both scared and shocked.
"What are they?" a little kid asks his mother.
"I don't know, maybe aliens from one of the crashed ships," the mother replies as she holds her kid away from harm.
"Why are they so afraid of us?" Dex asks Hotshot.
"Well, maybe because we are unknown to them. People are always afraid of the unknown or maybe because I tried to murder their prince. I don't know could be anything," Hotshot replies casually.
A grey blur streaks through the streets of the markets, the contents of the stalls become lighter. A petite cat girl stops in her tracks as she appears in front of them with a large sack swinging over her back, filled with food and waves at the team before disappearing in the wind.
"Is that normal here?" Fury questions.
"The cat tribe stealing? Very common. They are considered filth and have to steal to survive but a cat or any Felidae going that fast? I have never seen anything like that before," Hotshot says looking confused.
They walk through the markets and head down a path that leads straight to Sh'kar's workshop. When they get there, the workshop is burnt to the ground. Pieces of wood and materials are scatted everywhere on the ground.
"I'm afraid we're too late. Sh'kar must have been killed," Hotshots says bowing his head in disappointment.
"We can't give up! You said Sh'kar is very resourceful. He must have escaped or hidden or... or... something," Dex desperately says.
"Did you say Sh'kar? The prince?" An unknown voice questions from behind them. The team quickly turns around to see an old panther man with a cane holding him up.
"I know of Sh'kar, he saved my life from Sh'kan, the tyrant ruler of this once great world," he continues.
"Sh'kar? Sh'kan? What is it with these names. I thought they weren't related. Why are their names so similar?" Hotshot asks.
"It's a very common sounding name dating back to the technology era," the old man says "The point is, I know where Sh'kar is. He was locked up for using technology and blowing up this here workshop."
"Why are you telling us this? And why aren't you afraid of us like everyone else?" Dex questions.
The old panther man looks down at a worn out necklace, that carries a piece of metal from technology long ago.
"Let's just say, not all of us hate technology, in fact, some of us want to st
op it from being criminalised and make it legal again. The only reason it's illegal in the first place, was so the lion tribal could rule with an iron fist," the old man says in anger.
"Okay then, we have to rescue him so he can fix our ship. Then he can help free his people while we can help our own people," Dex states with determination.
"That's not going to be easy," Hotshot says with a bit of a worried look. "But it will be easy to find him. He will be the only lion in the prison, they don't usually lock up their own kind."
Hotshot pauses and looks at Dex "Look it took me a while and a lot of patience, not to mention skill, to figure out how to break into that fortress."