Humble Beginnings (Tri System's Edge Series Book 1)

by Ron Schrader

  The two guards turned to face Kalla, a look of amazement on both of their faces.

  “How’d you do that?” one asked.

  “Yeah, do you read minds or something?” followed the other.

  Jarek burst out laughing and almost dropped the container still resting on his shoulders. After regaining his composure, he looked sternly at the soldiers with his intimidating presence. “We’ve already played this game. Put your little sticks down and we’ll just be on our way. Reav’s expecting us.” Jarek then led the way as he and Kalla walked past the guards, who cowered slightly.

  “See, I told you there’d be no need for my charm.” She smiled at Jarek, who only glanced over at her, taking no other action to acknowledge what she’d said.

  As they reached the large building, Kalla walked up to the guard at the door. “I need you to go get Reav, please,” she asked politely.

  The guard complied without question, and a few minutes later he appeared at the entrance, followed by the commander.

  “I’m glad you came back,” Reav said with a smile.

  “Brought you an undeserved gift, too,” Jarek mumbled as he dropped the large container on the ground directly in front of Reav.

  “This will protect you.” Kalla quickly said, interrupting Reav as he was about to speak. She wasted no time opening the container. “Officially, it is Directive property, but they don’t need it like you do.”

  “Is it a weapon, then?” Reav began to grin with excitement. But his excitement faded slightly as Kalla began to shake her head.

  “It’s a shield,” she countered. “This one alone won’t be enough, but I have more that I’ll give you, only after you do something for me first.”

  “All right,” Reav said curiously. “Go on.”

  “You know where the part for my ship is, right?” she asked.

  “Yes,” replied Reav with some hesitancy.

  “You’ll go with Jarek into the ship and get the part.”

  “What?” Reav asked, his mouth wide open, a look of shock on his face. “Are you joking? That’s suicide for all of us!” He turned and paced in front of the building, his hand across his forehead, mumbling how ridiculous her idea was. “There’s no way!” he finally called out, throwing his hands up in the air.

  “You haven’t heard the best part,” Kalla said, unbothered by Reav’s discouragement. “I’m going to distract the Vie and buy you some time.”

  “I actually think it could work,” Jarek added. “If she can draw enough of them away, I can handle the rest. All you need to do is show me where to go.”

  Reav continued shaking his head, still not sold on the idea. “I . . . I just don’t know,” he said, still pacing back and forth in front of the building. “How will you lead them away?” he asked Kalla. “They’ll kill you if they catch you.”

  Without giving too much away, Kalla smiled and responded. “Just trust me on this, Reav. They won’t catch me.”

  Still clearly struggling with the prospect of what he was being forced to consider, Reav remained silent for a moment. Finally, he stopped pacing and replied, “If this shield really works, there’s no doubt that we need it, but I’m not sure I’m ready to risk my life for this.”

  “Then do it for me,” Jarek said with a stern look on his face. “You tried to kill me once. You owe me for that.”

  The look of guilt on Reav’s face was clear as he nodded. “Can you promise to get me back here alive?” he asked softly, making eye contact with Jarek.

  “No,” came Jarek’s sober reply, “but I promise I won’t let you turn.”

  “Not exactly what I was looking for,” responded Reav. “I don’t like this plan at all, but without your help, there won’t be anyone left to protect the people.” He looked away in thought for a moment longer before continuing. “So when do we do this?” he finally asked, trying to force a smile.

  “Tonight.” Kalla responded. “They’re more likely to be outside the ships at night, so that’s when I should be able to draw most of them away.”

  “Tonight it is, then,” said Reav.

  Jarek nodded in agreement.

  “This is suicide, you know,” Reav added before turning his attention back to Kalla, who was ready to show him what she’d brought.

  “It will work,” Kalla said confidently as she turned toward the container on the ground, opened it, and carefully removed the large metal cylinder. Holding it upright, she propped the spiked tripod open and slammed the spikes deep into the rocky ground.

  “So here’s how this thing works,” she said, twisting the top of the cylinder just below the attached sphere. In telescope fashion, the cylinder extended upward until the sphere was about seven meters in the air. Kalla then pressed a button on the top of the cylinder, just below the sphere, which mechanically ejected a control panel.

  “Pretty fancy toy,” Jarek commented.

  “Yeah, this technology is definitely top-notch,” Kalla replied. “Now pay attention, Reav,” she said, motioning him to come in close. “This is how you control and configure these generators.”

  Reav watched as Kalla showed him how to configure the device while she prepared it for a test run.

  “Now, both of you come stand next to me,” she said, looking around to make sure the perimeter she’d set—a three-meter radius extending from the device—was clear of people. “Just enter the distance here and press this button.”

  Reav and Jarek both watched as she activated the shield, which quickly created a dome extending around them from the sphere above, going no farther than the distance she had programmed into the device.

  Visually, the dome looked like nothing more than a light blue tint that surrounded them, so Jarek attempted to walk through the shield which easily stopped him as if he’d walked into a wall. “There’s no way this is strong enough to keep Vie out,” he said with noticeable frustration. Drawing his arm back in preparation to throw a punch, he launched a powerful blow that didn’t even seem to phase the shield. After several more failed attempts to break through he walked back toward Kalla and Reav. “Okay, maybe I’m wrong,” he admitted.

  Kalla coughed in attempt to hide the building laughter inside her before finally turning off the device. “I can give you nine more of these, which should be enough to shield at least most of your village. As soon as my ship is working, I’ll bring the rest to you,” she said to Reav who, by the look on his face, was quite excited about what he’d just witnessed. “Now, here’s the plan for tonight,” she continued, going over the details one last time.

  “I may have something that will help as well,” offered Reav as soon as Kalla had finished her speech. “I’m pretty sure we have at least one Ghost with enough power to make a round trip,” he said, pointing toward a row of rectangular-shaped crafts.

  Resting on the thrusters, two on each side that doubled as landing gear, the Ghost was named such for its quiet yet powerful engine. Its shape was rectangular, with rounded edges and a nose that tapered out and downward. The short triangular wings helped with lift and steering, while the thrusters provided vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, making it the perfect vehicle for Paradise. Its single drawback was the aging power supply that required a special generator to charge from, a generator the residents of Paradise never did get the chance to build.

  “I’m surprised those things still fly,” Jarek commented.

  “We’ve been careful to use them only when needed,” responded Reav. “Still, those older-model battery packs have even surprised me. They’ve held their charge for years now.”

  “That could work,” Kalla interjected. “You fly me in close enough to get right in the middle of things and then hover out of sight until it’s clear.”

  All in agreement now, Reav excused himself to go and prepare, the sun beginning its descent across the sky. “I’ll meet you back here in an hour,” he said as he walked away.

  It would be dark soon enough, and not knowing for sure if her plan would actually
work, Kalla decided to take a walk through the village to clear her mind. With nothing better to do, Jarek accompanied her, the two walking mostly in silence.

  As they walked side by side, the people around them moved busily about, only stopping occasionally to stare at the two strangers. Kalla smiled at anyone willing to make eye contact with her, though most villagers would quickly turn away when she did. Still, it was peaceful, even a little romantic, being there with Jarek by her side.

  The two walked until the sun began to sink into the horizon, signaling that it was time. They headed back to the row of Ghosts, where they would meet Reav and be on their way.

  As Reav approached, he motioned them to follow as he walked to an opening in the side of one of the Ghosts. “You ready to do this?” he asked, his face pale with fear.

  “Are you?” Kalla responded as she climbed aboard the Ghost, feeling just a little guilty now for making this deal. But she had to get her ship fixed, and she couldn’t do it without Reav’s help.

  “I’ve seen what the Vie can do,” Reav replied. “Just promise me this,” he said, stopping Jarek before he walked aboard. “If they do get me, please don’t let me suffer,” he begged, a half smile appearing.

  Jarek paused, then responded with a nod.

  Chapter 13

  Davis awoke to a blinding light and pounding headache, and he attempted to sit up from where he lay. As he struggled to focus, still somewhat dizzy from the blow to his head the night before, he recognized that he was still outside as the morning sunlight spilled through the tree line a few feet away.

  Slowly getting his wits back, he stayed still as he watched several people scurrying about in the small opening, the fire from the night before now barely smoldering, having burned itself out during the night. As he continued to regain more of himself, he noticed the filter mask on his face was still there, indicating that these people didn’t want him dead—at least not yet.

  Finally sitting upright, two men began to approach, one carrying the rifle Davis had been forced to hand over. Although they were talking and laughing as they approached, Davis wasn’t about to let his guard down. He didn’t know these people, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if they had friends and family back at the mine. All he could do was hope they would listen to his story. If he could get them to do that, perhaps they could work together to free the slaves and get him off this planet, far away from General Quinn.

  “Good morning,” he said politely as the men reached him and responded to his good manners by pinning him facedown on the cold ground.

  “Come to take more of us, have ya?” said the man, now resting on Davis’ back and smashing Davis’s head against the ground. The filter mask, while strong enough to endure the pressure, was slowly sliding off his face.

  “Please,” he begged. “I need your help.”

  The two men, both dressed in dirty white button-up shirts and brown slacks held up by suspenders, looked at each other in disbelief.

  “He’s lyin’!” said the man holding the rifle. “Let’s just shoot him and be done with it.”

  Davis closed his eyes and held his breath as the man on top of him continued to press his head against the ground, the filter mask continuing to slide off. Then, unexpectedly, the man released him, allowing him to reach up with his bound hands and readjust the mask.

  “Thank you,” he said as the men backed away. “I really just need your help.”

  In spite of his begging, the man holding the rifle aimed it toward Davis. “Please, let’s just shoot him, Dal!”

  “Colban wouldn’t want that, Tuck, and you know it,” said the other man as he began to wrestle the rifle out of his friend’s hand.

  Both men were rather average in build, neither overly muscular, but they were fit looking. Tuck had shoulder-length dirty blond hair, while Dal’s dark brown hair was a bit shorter in length. Both men looked like they hadn’t shaved or bathed in weeks, giving them a rather rough and threatening appearance.

  “Tuck?” Davis then asked with surprise as he looked up at the man ready to shoot him.

  “Yeah, who’s askin’?” Tuck replied.

  “Then Colban’s your father,” Davis said as he hunched back down and stared into the dirt.

  “How do you know Colban?” asked Dal, grabbing Davis and pulling him to his feet.

  “I . . . I knew him. He saved my life.” Davis couldn’t make eye contact, instead continuing to stare at the dirt floor of the forest, searching for the right words.

  “What do you mean, ‘knew’ him?” asked Dal as he released Davis and stepped back, his answer written all over Davis’ face.

  “I’m sorry,” Davis finally said, “but Colban died saving my life.” A tear escaped his eye while he pulled his arms up over his head, expecting the men to extract their vengeance right then, but to his surprise, the two natives responded in a way he didn’t expect.

  “Sounds like something he’d do,” said Dal as he sat on the ground, tears filling his eyes.

  “Maybe if you’d have left us alone in the first place, he’d still be alive!” Tuck yelled out as he began to cry. Finally letting his anger get the better of him, Tuck made a rush toward Davis but was intercepted just in time by Dal, who jumped to his feet and grabbed his friend.

  “You know this isn’t what he’d want,” Dal insisted in his attempt to calm Tuck down.

  “I know!” yelled Tuck as he pushed Dal away and stormed off, kicking the ground as he walked away.

  Dal turned and walked toward Davis, pulling a folding knife from his pocket as he moved in close. He carefully pulled the blade open, locking it in place. Davis began to slide backward, knowing full well he couldn’t get away with his hands and feet bound, though instinct said otherwise.

  “I’m not gonna hurt ya,” Dal assured him as he grabbed Davis’ feet and cut the rope loose. “Give me your hands,” he then ordered, preparing to cut that rope as well.

  “Are you letting me go?” Davis asked, his hands and feet now free.

  “Ya don’t seem much of a threat, and we got yur gun,” replied Dal with a smile. “So ya knew Colban, huh?”

  “Not for very long.” Davis bowed his head again. “I’ve stood by and just followed orders for so long,” he continued. “My commanding officer ordered Colban’s death, but I just couldn’t go through with it. I was caught trying to free him. Things happened so fast, and then . . .”

  Dal listened, his eyes locked on Davis, who struggled to get the words out.

  Tuck stood not far behind, a small stream of tears running down both sides of his face.

  “There just wasn’t anything I could do. If Colban hadn’t stepped in front of me . . .”

  The three men remained in silence for a moment as they all remembered Colban, who’d had a seemingly insignificant but most powerful impact on Davis.

  “Follow me,” Dal finally said, breaking the silence. “Let’s get us some food.”

  The men then proceeded toward the small group of mostly women and children, with only a couple other men scattered in the crowd, all sitting and eating. They walked over to a large cauldron resting upon a pile of glowing hot embers. A mouthwatering aroma filled the air, and Dal reached for some bowls that hung on a sad-looking wooden rack made of tree branches. He filled one of the bowls with the contents in the cauldron and handed it to Davis, who wasted no time as he sat on the dirt floor and removed his filter mask long enough to take a slurp from the bowl before quickly replacing it. After repeating this process a few times, Davis finished the meal he’d been given and set the bowl on the ground in front of him.

  “This doesn’t look like you live here,” Davis said as he observed the area, no permanent dwellings to be found within his view.

  “No,” replied Dal as he shook his head slightly. “Soldiers wrecked our houses. Burned ’em. We’re all the one’s that got away.”

  “I’m sorry.” Davis said sincerely, glancing downward, not comfortable making eye contact with them. He paused as h
e thought about what he’d been a part of for so long. “I’d like to help free your people,” he finally said with some hesitation as he looked up at them, still not sure if he was ready to go down this road.

  “We got no weapons, and most of our men was taken,” Tuck interrupted. “A few men ain’t no match for an army, and we got no way to send for help from the Directive neither.”

  “If we can get to her, I know of a girl who can help us,” Davis interrupted, knowing full well that his plan could backfire. He was there when she’d been captured. If she recognized him, she might just take her revenge out on him. Of course, they had to actually rescue her first, something he wasn’t sure would even be possible.

  “A girl? You think some girl can help us?” Dal laughed at the prospect of what he’d heard. “Ain’t no way a girl’s gonna help us.”

  “Trust me,” Davis said as he leaned in toward the group. “She’s no ordinary girl.” He began to recount in his mind, the events that had taken place from the time he’d first seen her, just before they had come to Esaria.

  It had been a hot morning on the barren planet of Asherah, where he had met her for the first time. She had a companion, a rough-looking man who’d stood inside the cargo-hold doors, and she’d come as instructed, expecting to sell the goods on board her ship. Davis had accompanied the general to his meeting with her that day. What he didn’t expect was the large squad of militia soldiers the general had ordered to accompany him that day. Before the meeting even began, the general had announced his true intentions. Then the gunfire commenced.

  “Hey!” Dal yelled for the third time, finally waking Davis from his daydream. “What’s so special about her?” As though annoyed now from being ignored, Dal scowled as he stared at Davis, waiting for a reply.

  “She’s not like us. I can’t really explain it, but how they captured her, it was . . .” Davis looked toward the ground, eyes wide, head shaking slowly from side to side as he searched for the right words. “I just know she can help us. Can’t say for sure she will, but she’s our best chance.”