The Circle and Star

by John Foster

  “You see before you the best claw and tooth squad of the Nafti. Claw, Tooth, and Beam squad now,” said Cerix interrupting them, strutting about with his weapon raised above his head and his back crisscrossed with lash marks. The other Saars raised their own weapons and cheered which sounded more like a roar. Tuslo and Zerg glanced at each other over this interruption and then looked back at Cerix who was now looking at them with narrowed eyes, the tips of his fangs gleaming white in the darkness. “So, you are, and now you’re going to earn your new weapons,” said Zerg. The Saars gathered around them, and Tuslo felt distinctly uncomfortable with these new killers. He reached out with his mind to touch them but he felt them swat his own thoughts away as if they were flies.

  Zerg drew out a small tablet that he held out in one hand and with a press of a button, it unfolded into a large board that had a small hologram of the city of the Kaa’s on it. Zerg pointed to one spot on the image and looking up to Cerix said, “This is where the Terrans fought off the Sovar, you will go there and engage and kill all the Terrans you can find. Keep the female prisoners as I have plans for their genetic material. You may go.” The Saars raised their weapons overhead, roared their blood lust, eyes gleaming with delight, and took off on a fast march into the caves and out into the desert beyond, to the distant city.

  Tuslo looked over to Zerg who watched the lizards march away. “Can you control them?” said Tuslo.

  Zerg turned suddenly and gripped him around the neck, “You dare to question my control? You pathetic little creature, I should let them eat you, but they might like the taste and I can’t afford that particular risk.” Zerg shook him once and then let him drop to the ground. The strength of Zerg astounded Tuslo and with growing horror he realized that Zerg was also taller than the last time he saw him. He was using the growth hormones that he used on the Saars. He was becoming more like them. Tuslo also realized that he would have to be very careful around him. Tuslo was well aware of how feral the Saars were and how tenuous Nafti control over them was. It was usually easy to control the Saars but when they smelled blood, control became questionable at best.

  Cerix howled as he ran across the desert, the wind blowing around them, the sand kicking up as they ran snarling and growling. Yes, they were going to kill and then eat, real prey, real food, and then they would dance as they once did on their home planet now almost forgotten, lost in time.

  West was taking Amal, Volkum, Cesar, and Kal the best of the fighting force and the most skilled. The first task was finding the downed fighters and that was going to be difficult. West was gambling that the destruction of one of the fighters would trigger an alert that the Sovar would pick up and prompt them to come running. West had a rough idea of where the ships were because of Amal’s vantage point in the tower during the battle. She had seen where several landed, although finding them in the aftermath of the storm was going to be difficult. West realized that even if they only destroyed one, it would attract the attention of the Sovar and they needed that most of all.

  Theo, Madison, and Rae stood to one side as West and his team prepared to move out. The scouting team would start out from the north side of the complex to begin their search for the fighters and then west and then south making their way to the Paradig where they would sabotage any of the Sovar’s supplies and gear, particularly any fuel supplies they had cached there.

  The group walked out in silence. Each person immersed in his or her own thoughts about the recent battle. West stopped at Theo and nodded and then walked out into the swirling red sands and out of sight. Theo looked over his forlorn crew and smiled, “Hey, we get to see mammoth bones and how often do you get to see that on an alien planet?” There were a few ragged grins and they marched to the tower shaft and prepared to descend down into the depths.

  Dickens had gone ahead and was sitting at the bottom pondering what to do. He had jumped at the chance to get away from the others so that he could contact Dragaan, but as he thought about it, he worried that his erstwhile friend was acting much more aggressive than Dickens liked. It was one thing to try to take them prisoner but quite another to bomb them and storm their positions. Dickens knew that trusting the Sovar commander was risky but he had been shocked at how quickly he had been forgotten. There hadn’t been any warning of the Sovar attack and it would have been quite easy to do so, just a simple signal was the prearranged agreement, but it had never come. Dickens considered that he would wait to find out what Madison and Theo discovered, so that he would have something to barter with. Dragaan would have to wait in the dark until then.

  West and his team moved single file into the dark blowing sand. They had covered their head and eyes with helmets they had secured from the dead Sovar troopers and to their delight found that the radios still worked. It didn’t take too long for Kal to figure out how to use the local channel so they could communicate just within their group. The helmets had a heads-up display (HUD) in each, showing their positions relative to each other and a map overlay indicating their position in the city. West had heard of these HUDs and was astonished at how useful they were. Each person showed up on the visor as a blue dot indicating friend. The helmet visor protected their vision and, the lights mounted on the side, gave them additional sources of light. They moved with a renewed sense of confidence. Volkum radioed to the team, “I’m picking up a heat signature ahead of us about three hundred meters and it seems to have a blue star around it. I think the icon means a fighter ship.”

  West could now see it too as he caught up with Volkum. If it was indeed a fighter, their job just got easier and the possibility of finding and destroying one was suddenly within reach. They hurried through the windblown sands with a renewed sense of purpose that they now had a chance to hurt the Sovar badly if not defeat them outright.

  Not too far away, Cerix and his companions reached the city outskirts. The blowing sand did not affect the Saars, as they had a nictitating membrane that reflexively closed over their eyes giving them protection from the elements. Their home world had been a desert where they had evolved and they were supremely suited to survive in that environment. They moved with ease over the fallen rubble and headed for the ruins that West and his squad had lately quit.

  West and his companions came upon the fighter sitting out in the middle of a broad street, a small light flashing in the cockpit showed the ship’s homing beacon was active and this was what West had been hoping for. With the beacons lit up, they would be able to find all of the Sovar craft and destroy them or at least put them out of action. It was locked so the craft couldn’t be flown but Volkum placed a grenade on the wing with a remote and they moved off behind a building and the appropriate button was pushed. There was a huge explosion and a fireball erupted lighting up the entire block momentarily until the wind blew the smoke away and sent the remaining flames horizontal. “One down,” said Volkum. “Any idea of how many more?”

  “No, and it seems like this HUD only works in close proximity,” said West.

  “Hey Boss, check this out,” said Cesar. He held up his HDA and showed it to West. “I got an alert from the tunnel rats we left at the Alamo. Let me back it up a bit.” There was a blur of images and then Cesar rewound it.

  It was a ground level view of the tower area they had just left and West immediately knew it was footage taken by the tunnel rats that had been sent out to booby trap the area around the Alamo. Passing in front of the camera were alien looking legs, but of what? With sudden horror West knew what they belonged to. “Damn, it’s the lizards and they’re on the move,” peering down at the HDA. “Just to add to this great news, they’re armed with plasma rifles now,” said West. “They’re moving quickly too, and possibly this way.”

  “They probably heard that blast and are coming to visit us,” said Cesar. “I’ve got some pay back I want to send their way.”

  Amal asked, “How many are there?”

  “Can’t tell, the picture was blurry from the wind and sand but it looked like a good-si
zed patrol, maybe 10 or more,” said West looking back over his shoulder into the blowing sand.

  Dickens had volunteered to lead the group to the Museum and Theo had wondered at Dickens’s new found helpfulness but was grateful that the man had finally stepped up and started to take some responsibility. They had an important mission, dangerous, and difficult to pull off without everyone pulling together. Theo was also worried about Madison she didn’t speak much, and shied away from being with other members of the crew. The shock of finding Thomas alive and then having him die so quickly had shattered Madison’s equilibrium and she was adrift right now. That she blamed West had also deprived her of one of her anchors and the refuge she would typically seek if she were troubled. Theo was another refuge of hers, but she hadn’t gotten to the point where she would share her emotional turmoil with him. It was too bad that the brown stuff didn’t fix emotional trauma. Theo had to muddle through alone for now. He felt a bump behind him and looked back to see Rae smiling at him. “Don’t look so serious Theo, we’re only castaways on a forgotten planet in the backwater of some galaxy, being pursued by giant lizards and nefarious bad guys who want to see us dead. I mean what’s to worry about?”

  Theo could see the mischievous glint in her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh and say, “You’re right, we don’t have much too worry about, and by the way, what’s for lunch?”

  Rae clapped him on the back, her eyes twinkling, and several other crew members picked up on it and started to smile. Theo looked around and grinned, they were coming out of it and that would help with what was waiting for them ahead.

  The party of Saars ran through the abandoned streets like dogs off the leash, dashing here and there, enjoying their freedom and knowing there would be a fight at the end of their short journey. Cerix relished the freedom he was experiencing particularly in the company of his fellows, this must have been what it was like when his ancestors roamed their home world, hunting in groups, finding their prey, killing it, and rejoicing at the feast. He looked around, feeling the sand fly across his scaly skin, the gusts pulling at him, and sent him on to his destiny as a hunter, the ultimate hunter. He grinned in anticipation. As he ran, he tried to calm himself as he felt the blood lust that was draining him of his control and purpose. His rational mind instilled by the Nafti was fighting his natural instincts as a hunter. He would have to be the one with purpose. He could run riot later. He nodded at the compromise and snarled with renewed determination and his fellows sensing his energy and promise growled their support and hunger. The pack was always hungry. Moments later they heard an explosion ahead and could see a fireball flash and smoke billow up and then drop as the wind blew it down. Cerix, roared and ran in the direction of the fireball followed by his eager fellows.

  West turned from Volkum’s HDA and said, “They’re not that far away and running hard. I want Amal and Cesar up on that balcony overlooking this spot,” pointing to a building down the street. “Volkum and Kal on that side across the street on that balcony and that will give us the cross fire we’ll need. I’ll be lying in front of the burning fighter and firing at them as they come around the corner to lure them in. Once they’re committed, you guys take them out. They’ll have trouble seeing me with the fighter burning behind me. You can’t let them get behind you or you’re dead meat. Don’t forget, even though they have plasma rifles, they’re made for close in fighting and that’s what they’ll resort to when they get close. Good luck!” and with that West sprinted down the street and got as close to the burning fighter as he could. He was less than 50 feet away from the corner and wouldn’t have much time to fire before they were on him. He was counting on the fact that their night vision would be destroyed by the flaming wreck and that should be sufficient to give him a few shots at them.

  Cerix knew that the direction they were coming from wasn’t optimum for the attack as the enemy could smell them long before they were at the scene and although he knew the humans and clones couldn’t smell the way he and his kind did, it was hard to ignore thousands of years of hunting instinct, so he sent two of the Saars around the block to come from the back of the street to take the enemy from the rear. The two chosen howled their outrage and initially refused, but Cerix sliced one open from chest to groin with one smooth cut of his claw and that creature was immediately with his ancestors. Cerix chose another and the two ran off angry but not brave enough to challenge their commander. Cerix halted his squad to give his scouts a chance to make up the distance. Some started to move about in their clan dance steps but were halted since Cerix knew they would soon drop their weapons and fight without thought if the old ways took over. Tonight, Cerix would make history and the Saars would prevail. After a few moments, Cerix caught the eyes of his team, gleaming with anticipation, and, with the wind whipping about them, they sped off towards their destiny. They could see the glow of the fire still burning and they turned right on to a broad avenue and then turned left onto the street with the burning wreckage. The wind was blowing harder as they arrived. They fanned out as they turned the corner and with weapons leveled they started to fire their weapons in the direction of the ship and then stopped hesitantly when they didn’t see anyone. Then the man next to Cerix dropped when a laser hit him in the mid-section and a hole appeared, burning and cauterizing the wound as it did. The shots started to flare out in short bursts but Cerix could see they were coming from the wreck and couldn’t understand how that could be but ordered the others to fire on the wreck and they did so in a fury of bright flaming beams.

  The very air around West started to burn and sucking sounds could be heard as the super-heated beams cracked the pavement around West. He instinctively ducked and held his hands up to protect his helmeted head and then realized how futile that was but he stopped firing. He then heard more laser shots as the rest of the team opened fire on the lizards. Take that, scum, he thought as he brought his helmet down hard on the pavement to escape the blasts erupting around him.

  Cerix was puzzled at first as his men dropped around him and then saw with amazement that they had been ambushed by other Terrans who were shooting down from balconies on either side of the street. They had been lured like grass eaters to be butchered without mercy. It was too much for Cerix’s pride to bear and he roared his rage and fired his weapon once at the balconies and then threw a grenade at the darkened figures crouched upon them, then he was running, jumping, and dodging around his men to get to the entrance to the building while yelling at his team to do the same. The crack and burning ozone blistered the area as the laser and plasma beams crisscrossed each other seeking out their targets. As Cerix made it through the door, he heard an explosion from above as a hand grenade blew up. The center of the balcony had ruptured and fell to the street below. As he searched for a way up to the second floor he saw a laser rifle fall to the street from above and snarled, shaking his rifle in victory and revenge. Seeing a hole in the ceiling he ran to it, jumped and grabbed a hold of the edge, and easily pulled himself up but dropping his rifle in the process. He hardly noticed, this was the time for close killing, and the plasma weapon wouldn’t strike half as much terror as his killing claws. The images of killing swam through his mind and loosened all restraint as he sprang forward to the door to the balcony. In one swift motion, he opened the door and ran out only to realize that the center of the balcony was gone and he fell face forward off the ledge but his augmented legs and reflexes allowed him to land in a crouch on the street below. Two more of his companions made the same mistake but this time a hand grenade followed them down. The explosion threw Cerix forward knocking his head to the pavement and the last thing he remembered was Terig who was up and running to the opposite side to try to take out the enemy there.

  Terig threw himself against the building door which burst open against his weight and force. He looked around and was just in time to see a laser weapon thrust down through a hole in the ceiling firing. He danced away dodging the cutting ray and whirled about trying to shake the gre
en death of the weapon. He ran to the next room and saw another hole and jumped up, caught the edge and in a moment, was up and into the room. He ran into the next room where the laser was shooting down from. He saw a Terran firing blindly through the hole and ran to him, raking the back with his claws and snapped its head up to slit his throat. Terig’s vision was blinded and his head was thrown back by a hard blow that smashed him in the face palm first and then hammered him with repeated boxing punches forcing him backwards. His arms cartwheeling as he was pushed back, the blows were hard and sharp, the blood rushing down his face and then realized his attacker was a helmeted Soshi and ducked under the last blow and came up holding the Soshi in his arms squeezing as hard as he could. With a snarl, he tried to bite the face of the gray being but his teeth bit into the chin of the helmet, breaking his teeth, and couldn’t reach the neck and his fury exploded out of control.

  Amal knew she was in trouble as soon as she hit the creature and could feel his enormous strength but she relied on her training to back him up and take the initiative from him while hoping her companion would rise to her aid. She was smashing the lizard as hard as she could but she knew they were almost to a rear wall and then he would recover the initiative, and she would be in trouble. She punched but he ducked under her arm and thrust himself between her arms and grabbed her around the waist squeezing and using all his muscles to break her back and then bit into the lower part of her helmet, shattering the heavy plastic and spewing blood over her face from the wounds in his mouth and face. They moved back and forth like some drunken couple dancing. He continued to bite at her, his teeth slashing at her, opening wounds, and her own blood spurting out and across his face. She grabbed her quiver and pulled out an arrow just as he realized she was reaching for a weapon and he swung her around and smashed her into the wall causing her to drop the quiver but she managed to hold onto one spear and raised it up to stab him in the face. He saw the little stick coming and laughed and that gave Amal the opening she needed and jammed the little arrow down into his eye as hard and as deep as she could go. The monster screamed and tried to shake her again but she felt his grip loosen and his shrieking started to slur, and then one of his arms suddenly dropped and then the other and he just leaned against her, his mouth opening and closing and blood flowing out of his eye. In one of those surreal moments she watched in fascination as the multiple eyelids tried to close over the spear shaft and tried to bend around it to close but they slowed and then the creature fell back and slumped against the wall. The crash and scream of plasma rifles and lasers slowly penetrated her head and she turned to see Cesar crumpled on the floor his rifle hanging through the hole in the floor. Blood was streaming from under his helmet. She pulled him over and could tell he was breathing and reached into her medic bag on her belt and laid some of the brown stuff on the only wound she could see and then ran for the balcony to see what was happening.