Anders: An Auxem Novel

by Lisa Lace

  "Get dressed and wait here." Play time was over.

  Gabriella stumbled out of the cot and slipped back into her jumpsuit. I pulled my shirt over my head. Sliding a gas mask over my face and grabbing a pair of binoculars, I headed outside to investigate.

  Outside the tent, I saw the messy remnants of an after party. A breeze carried a hint of smoke from the warning fires coming from a pile of charred logs in the center of the camp. The inexperienced drinkers who couldn't hold their liquor lounged around the bonfire; some had drool coming out of their mouths. Everything appeared to be in order. The tents were undisturbed, with light, rhythmic breathing and an occasional cough coming from within.

  Footsteps rustled on my right. Ganto, one of the crew technicians, stepped out from behind a thicket of dangling gray trees. He had red hair, which drew attention to the freckles on his pasty face. Ganto looked ill.

  "Greetings, Ganto. What's the status on our shuttles?"

  "General." Ganto rubbed the back of his neck. "My apologies – the stew from last night didn't agree with my stomach. I've been running back and forth for the past couple of hours. The last time I checked, the team was still working on the main shuttle's communication systems. We're in the process of getting a signal from Maztek, but there's something causing interference. We can't wrap our heads around it."

  "How long will it take for you to figure it out?"

  "I can't say for sure, General. I estimate another two hours at least."

  I pointed the binoculars at the work site and peered into the eyepiece. The machinery was still operational. We had attached long hoses to the tanks, actively pumping fuel into the shuttles in preparation for the flight home. Half-loaded equipment and tool boxes stood next to a shuttle with an open compartment door. As I scanned the rest of the spaceships, I noticed something was missing.

  "Why isn't the crew working?"

  A glowing light lay on the dirt ground. My stomach lurched as I swept the scene. I finally saw them on the outskirts of our surroundings.

  Someone had piled the bullet-ridden bodies of the entire crew behind a shuttle. They had concealed the corpses to pass a casual inspection. What happened to the guards? I shifted my binoculars to find that the young Maztek soldiers assigned to guard duty were out of commission.

  "They must be working. Have you looked everywhere? We're running constant shifts."

  "Ganto, I think we need to get down right now." I lowered my binoculars and dropped to the floor, reaching out to pull him to the ground. I was too late.

  A steel bullet flew through the air, hitting Ganto straight in the forehead. I never knew what he was going to say to me. He died with words stuck in his throat. As indigo liquid trickled out of the circular hole in his forehead, he fell to his knees and hit the ground.

  Even in death, Ganto would still assist his team. I reached out to grab the lakstar tusk from his belt, intended for only the direst emergencies. My cheeks swelled as I blew into the horn. The blaring call resonated throughout the campsite. "We're under attack! Protect the King!"

  It was too early in the morning for most soldiers to be awake, but they roused themselves quickly, rubbing their eyes and getting their weapons ready. As some started to form defensive positions, and others made a dash for King Jacquim's tent, the Xylo forces revealed themselves. The distinct red and black colors appeared all around us.

  We outmanned the small Xylo strike force, but we were unprepared and had foolishly spent the night celebrating. Those of us who still had booze in their systems were the first killed. Sniper shots caught them off-guard, sending them toppling to the ground.

  Dallas' Herculean frame lumbered through the chaos, heading straight for the brides' quarters. I ducked back into my tent to arm myself.

  "What's going on out there? It sounds like a war is happening right outside the door."

  "Synic and her men found us." I pulled out my laser pistol, checking the charge and turning off the safety.

  "Why would she do that? We captured most of her team already. Whatever misfits she scraped together aren't going to have a chance against your forces."

  "Normally that would be true, but they have the element of surprise. But I think it's a suicide mission." I handed her a spare laser. "Stay here. Don't try anything stupid. If you ever think about listening to me, this would be the time to stay here and not go wandering off."

  "I will." Gabriella nodded. She stood on the tips of her toes, wrapping her arms around my head and kissing me on the cheek. "Be careful."

  Outside the tent, the world was a cacophony of blaze and gore. I felt calm and ready for battle. Distinct sounds called out to me, directing my shots as I fired laser blasts at the enemy.

  Around me, soldiers took cover behind raised shields and carefully aimed their weapons. It had taken a few minutes, but the imminent danger had finally focused the men. A separate group of soldiers engaged the Xylo forces in hand-to-hand combat. King Jacquim fought in the thick of battle. He disarmed one of the Xylo, snatching his opponent's laser. After smashing the enemy in the head with the butt of the Xylo's weapon, he pulled out a knife and sliced it cleanly across his attacker's throat.

  Three Xylo equipped with spears and lasers charged towards me. I managed to shoot two of them before they had time to pull their triggers. I lunged at the remaining guard, twisting the pike out of his slippery hands in one swift motion. As I gutted him with the long spear, his eyes swelled out of their sockets. I growled, driving the skewered Xylo into the trunk of a tree.

  I started to look for the next enemy to engage, but an unseen force ripped my laser out of my hands. It sailed through the air, landing about a hundred feet away from me.

  Synic stood at the foot of the hill, without a mask. She gathered her long black hair on one side of her neck, letting it flap in the blowing breeze. Her right hand was raised and the corners of her mouth curled in a thin-lipped, sinister smile.

  I leaped toward my weapon, but I was thrown off my feet once again. It was difficult for me to think. I needed a weapon. Anything would do. I lunged for a dagger next to a stiff Xylo corpse. Even though it wasn't a throwing knife, I tested the weight and launched it at Synic. She dodged my clumsy attack, and the blade penetrated into the bark of a tree next to her.

  Maybe I didn't need weapons. I made a fist and ran straight for the despot. Unprepared for my foolhardy assault, she let me spring on top of her and pin her hands. My hair knot collapsed when I collided with Synic and hung loosely over my face. Synic smelled horrible. The stench of rot leaked out of her mouth. When I positioned her cold wrists together to apply the restraints, she freed her legs and hooked her boots around my neck, forcing me off of her.

  I flipped over in the air but managed to land on my hands and feet. As I started toward Synic, I felt my body slowly lifting off the ground. Synic's shoulders bounced as she snickered, her steady hands pantomiming an invisible choke-hold. It felt like someone had their hands wrapped around my neck. I was finding it difficult to breathe, and my vision was beginning to go dark.

  For some reason, I still tried to speak. "You...you'll..."

  "Save your breath, General." Synic turned out her bottom lip, batting her eyes at me. "You're pathetic. My parents said I wouldn't succeed in a man's world. I wish I hadn't cut out their tongues. If they could see me now, they would be able to tell me how wrong they were."

  As I impotently brushed my throat, gurgles were the only thing that came out of my mouth.

  "Any last words?"

  While Synic was distracted talking to me, King Jacquim crept up behind her. He carried a large rock and bashed it against the side of her head. I plummeted to the ground, gasping as fresh air surged back into my lungs. The King crawled toward me, stretching out his hand.

  I looked past the King and saw movement. Synic was slowly sitting up on the ground. A stream of blood was pouring down the side of her face.

  She reached for a fallen rifle and aimed the barrel at us.

  I didn't wan
t it to be the King's time to die. "Get out of the way, sir!" I tried to leap to my feet, but I was too late.

  Synic fired two shots. With an expression of peace on his face, King Jacquim slumped to the ground.

  "No!"

  The shriek came from Gabriella, who dashed out of the tent. She ran to King Jacquim, miraculously evading live fire as she dragged him inside. I felt numb as adrenaline took control of my body.

  I yanked the dagger out of the tree branch. As Synic hysterically laughed, I pulled her off the floor. Pinning her up against the tree, I looked into her glossy black eyes, shoving the blade into her gut. I twisted it violently until I made sure I saw her struggling, short-winded breath fade into the wind.

  I tossed the empty husk aside and raced back to my tent. Gabriella was on the ground with King Jacquim's head elevated on her lap. Her hands were wrapped around his when she looked up at me with teary eyes. She shook her head sadly.

  "King Jacquim. Hold on. We're going to get you help."

  "Don't bother." Even in his predicament, the King could laugh. "I'm aware there isn't much time left. You've got a good woman here."

  "It's not over, my King."

  "Stop. That is an order." His voice grew softer with every word, and his eyelids were taking longer and longer to open. "Promise me something, Laz."

  I got down on one knee, bowing my head.

  "Look after my beautiful planet, but most of all, take care of Ayala for me. With Synic's reign at an end, do everything you can to keep the peace."

  "You have my word, King Jacquim."

  "Good, good. Be kind to one another, naimas."

  The King breathed out deeply, shutting his eyes for the last time.

  Chapter Twenty

  GABRIELLA, THREE WEEKS LATER

  I leaned forward, laying a bouquet of white and blue poppies on the stairs in front of me. Taking a step back, I looked all the way up, admiring a ten-foot tall statue on a bronze pedestal. Talented Maztek sculptors had chiseled the majestic form from jade, and encapsulated Dad's likeness in exquisite detail. The statue depicted Dad wearing a lab coat. His initials were prominently displayed on the chest pocket. A pair of gold-rimmed frames fashioned from real gold sat on his nose. With one hand fixed on his hip, he gazed out into the distance, his grin set for eternity.

  The park custodians were taking excellent care of the statue. The fifteen-year-old sculpture looked perfectly polished and the dazzling rays of the sun bounced off the surface.

  When I first saw it, I thought it had been erected last week.

  "Look at you, Dad. You look incredible."

  Hiking up the flowing raven-black fabric of my dress, I dropped to my knees. I reached out to the silver-plated plaque, touching each word with my fingers. "In remembrance of Dr. Keith Marshall Hathaway – a brave soul with unmatched integrity, and a human who truly valued love and understanding above all. May he forever rest in peace."

  "I miss you, Dad. Wherever you are. I wish you could see how much you've done for the Maztek, and how much you've done for me."

  A tear rolled off my cheek, splashing against the year indicating my father's demise. It marked the end of a life cut short before its time.

  "Excuse me. Are you all right?"

  I wiped my cheeks hastily and turned around. A Maztek woman with a braided ponytail stood in front of me, carrying a basket of groceries in her arms. She set down her basket and approached me slowly.

  "Don't mind me," I assured her with a tear-eyed smile. "I'm fine. I was just admiring the statue, that's all."

  "Ah, yes. Dr. Hathaway. What a beautiful human." She touched the small pendant around her neck, twirling the tiny pink gem pensively. "Are you his daughter?"

  "I am. How did you know?"

  "We all know. You have Marshall's eyes. I could recognize them anywhere." The woman's lip trembled as she lowered her hand to her chest. "He's not dead, you know. He lives through you."

  "You know something? All my life, no one ever mentioned my Dad on Earth. But now that I'm on a different planet, that's all I ever hear from anyone. It's bizarre."

  "Maybe so, but you'll get accustomed to it. Your father touched all our lives – some more than others."

  "Did you know him, too?"

  "Not personally." The woman's voice was filled with emotion. "We were strangers. That made what he did for me incredible."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "At the time, I was fifteen, and eight months pregnant. The father of my child had abandoned me the moment I informed him of the pregnancy, so he was no longer in the picture. Both my parents had perished in the Fallgold incident and I was living on the streets. My baby decided she wanted to come out earlier than expected. I was bleeding and couldn't understand why. Every doctor turned me away when they found out I was poor – everyone except Dr. Hathaway."

  The woman paused for a moment, lost in thought.

  "If I had run into your father only thirty minutes later, I would have lost my baby. Dr. Hathaway did not specialize in deliveries, but he called in some favors and a team appeared like magic. Four harrowing hours later, she was born."

  "That's absolutely beautiful," I whispered. My heart swelled with so much pride that it threatened to burst from my chest. "It sounds like something Dad would have done. I'm glad to hear your baby made it."

  "She's not a baby any longer." The woman pointed out a young girl with a short, spiky haircut, sitting by the stream. The teenager picked flowers from the grass and took apart the petals, making small homes for the insects. "She's the reason I wake up every morning. Her name is Marleigh. I named her after the kind doctor who helped bring her to this world."

  "That's a pretty name. I..."

  "Gabriella?"

  Cheyenne ambled up the path from my left, dressed in black robes similar to mine.

  "Come on. It's starting."

  "I have to go." I smiled at the woman one more time, touching her gently on the arm. "Thank you."

  A somber mass of thousands of Maztek bodies left no spaces in the bleachers around me. The breathtaking circular dome of the Fallgold Colosseum was packed, but the air was supernaturally quiet. It seemed like everyone was holding a glowing candle, brightly illuminating the dome. Garlands of flowers weaved in and out of the pillars. Gold and white tapered candlesticks hovered over the triangular center stage. The ceiling of the dome displayed a moving image of diamond stars on a mystical violet night background.

  "...Specialist Artillery Gunner Maxwell Radley, Specialist Sniper Scout Jarrod Woodacre, and last, but not least – my father, Jacquim."

  I stopped looking around the dome and focused on the stage. The tiny figure of Princess Ayala dipped its head forward, her white-blonde locks of hair cascading around her shoulders and shielding her face. She removed her crown, holding the circle of intricate gold thorns encrusted with pearls and precious stones over her heart. I spotted Laz, Dallas, and Kraig in the front row. Their chests glinted with arrays of shiny medals and pins. They too bowed their heads for a moment of silence.

  Princess Ayala turned to the podium next to her and raised a silver champagne flute. "Tonight is a memorial to the dead. We give unending thanks to our military for bringing the hostages home safe and sound, as well as finally defeating the Xylox oppression. We remember the fallen souls for their bravery and for playing a crucial role in restoring peace and sovereignty to Maztek. May their memories live on forever, and may their legacies continue. Malam gambi."

  "Malam gambi."

  Voices echoed throughout the dome in unison. Simultaneously, we blew out our candles, enveloping the room in a solemn darkness. The lights in the Colosseum slowly flickered back to life.

  As I started to make my way down the bleachers, Cheyenne rose from her seat next to me. "Gabriella." She tugged on my wrist. "Princess Ayala would like to see you."

  "Me?" I raised an eyebrow. "What, like right now?"

  "No time like the present," Cheyenne said enthusiastically, nudging me down the steps
of the bleachers.

  "Alright, alright – I'm going!"

  As we reached the landing, Cheyenne flashed me a giddy wink before disappearing into the crowd. I waited by the foot of the stage. I wasn't going to burst in on alien royalty. Princess Ayala had her back to me. She was speaking to a group of kingdom attendants. One of them motioned to her, and the Princess stopped abruptly.

  "Wonderful. She is here." She clapped her hands together and gestured at me. "Come on, ladies, there is no time to waste!"

  That was the last thing I remember hearing before a mob of servants closed in around me. Two women slipped their arms around mine. They led me to a place I had only seen in passing: the back rooms of the dome. The princess walked smoothly down the stairs next to us.

  The attendants led me behind a thick black curtain, pushing me into one of the dressing rooms. Before I knew it, two women were undoing the ribbons tied around my shoulders. As they pulled my black dress over my head, an attendant appeared at my side. She held a white gown which reached to the floor and had a lace, gold-accented train behind it. There were accessories, too. Rose pearls adorned the belt and shoulders of the draped Grecian sleeves.

  "Is this for me?" My eyebrows shot up my forehead in disbelief. I wasn't in control of anything. The attendants slipped the gown over my head, smoothing it over my body. I spun around in a circle, gazing at the mirror which appeared front of me. The dress fit like a dream. The attendants behind me began combing out my hair. The ones in front of me attacked my face with powder puffs and sparkly makeup. "Why am I getting the Princess treatment?"

  "I know you were the last person my father saw before he died." Princess Ayala placed a hand over mine, gently squeezing. "Thank you for not leaving him to die alone."

  "Of course. Anyone would have done the same thing."

  As soon as the attendants finished fussing over me, Princess Ayala took me by the hand. She guided me out the dressing room and walked me toward the back doors of the Colosseum. The doors opened with a wave of her hand, allowing a radiant splash of afternoon sunlight to spill into the room. Princess Ayala took a colorful bundle of orchids, roses, and daisies from her attendant. She handed it to me with a smile.