by Karl Morgan
“But this book seems ancient,” Altamar argued. “Can we be certain this is not just a fairy tale?”
“Not one hundred percent certain. However, our spies have reported two more fleets headed in that direction, one from Paxran and another from Gallia. If it’s a ghost story, then half the galaxy has fallen for it,” she answered.
“What do you guys think?” Altamar asked Pandofar and Deela. “Your lives are tied up in this wild goose chase too.”
“I’m with you sir, whatever you choose,” Pandofar said.
“Uncle, this seems the perfect adventure to me,” Deela replied. “Imagine a new rich world where we can be far from our enemies. Each of us can live in a large mansion being pampered by hundreds of servants while we plan our next move. I think we deserve that after all we’ve been through.”
Valamar laughed. “There is one other thing, dear uncle. It is rumored the planet is also a natural Hive.”
“Won’t that Hive destroy the Maklakar ship and us?” he asked.
“Alta, the humans living on Fistan know nothing about us,” she smiled. “They have no reason to attack. They might form an alliance with the Maklakar since both live on the edges of the galaxy. Even if the Paxran or others want to find and kill us, we will be far away and the masters of our own Hive.”
“Okay, I’m sold,” he replied. “Let’s work on getting the course changed.”
Chapter 45
Um-lu-Ka rose quickly in rank following his first mission on De-o-Nu’s cruiser during their trip to the Andromeda Galaxy. Now he was the helmsmen on the battle cruiser Bantu-Fa, which was serving as Fa-a-Di’s flagship. The ship left Gallicea two weeks ago with the general and his team who were rushing to catch up to the Maklakar battle station heading for Tak-Makla. “General, I think we have a problem,” he squeaked.
Fa-a-Di laughed. “Listen sonny, my best friend is missing in space and time, half the galaxy is forming an alliance against us, and the Maklakar are going to attack the tekkan planet again. What other problem could we possibly have?”
“That’s just it, sir,” the helmsman replied. “The Maklakar ship is changing course.”
“What?” the general shouted as he jumped up from his seat and rushed over. He pushed the lieutenant away and looked as the screens. “Well, I’ll be damned. You were right. Can we tell where they are headed now?”
“It’s possible their turn may take some time to complete, general,” Um-lu-Ka responded. “Right now, there are no known systems in the direction they are headed. If they stay on this course, they will leave the galaxy in a few weeks.”
De-o-Pa has risen from his seat next to the general and was also looking at the screens. “I recognize that sector of space, sir. If you check with my brother, I think you will find he is heading in that same direction as well.”
“Why would the Maklakar be traveling toward a fictitious planet too?” he asked. “That just seems crazy.”
“I don’t know Fa-a-Di. But this doesn’t smell right to me,” the Prelate replied.
“There is another problem, brother,” Darlene said as she approached them, wearing her bubble pressure suit. “Have you read the recent reports from the maklan operatives in Paxran territory? There is a fleet of their ships heading in that same general direction. This is getting too consistent to be ignored.”
“The Battle of Lubna,” Fa-a-Di laughed. “Is that what this is about? Half the galaxy going after a legend?”
“Don’t brush this off so easily, general,” De-o-Pa growled. “The Paxran and Maklakar have no knowledge of our ancient texts. Perhaps they have other reasons to go to Lubna.”
Fa-a-Di sat heavily in the command chair and held his head in his hands as though trying to force a memory into his mind. “There was one thing that Dave said. What was it?” After a minute, he shouted, “Fistan is a natural Hive! That’s got to be it!”
“We could all be in big trouble if the Paxran take that Hive, brother,” Darlene warned. “We have to get there first and find Dave.”
Fa-a-Di took her hand and said, “Dave isn’t there, Darlene. He may have been there long ago or in the future, but he is not there now.”
“But maybe the Hive on Fistan can help us find him, brother,” she cried. “We’ve got to try!”
He patted her hand. “Don’t worry sister; we are going to do a lot more than try. I’m going to send a larger fleet to join De-o-Nu and Jon Lake. Then we’re going to convince the Maklakar to join our side. If the Paxran have any brains, they’ll run the other way.”
General Abala Konole had eagerly agreed to lead the fleet of fifty Paxran cruisers toward the legendary planet Fistan. Completing a great mission and becoming a close friend of Reverend Raza Intepam could only help him get off the isolated planet of Tak-u-Baka and back to the home world. He had worked tirelessly protecting the frontier while watching his classmates from the academy being promoted over his head. It was his agents who discovered the Donnaki plasma bomb device, but that was deemed dumb luck by his superiors. It was crafty espionage and Abala knew it.
It had been a fairly simple task to locate a potential natural Hive. Civilizations around the galaxy had ancient tales about magical places. A team of scientists correlated the data from several texts and found remarkable similarities. Even the Bolofas, the great religious tome of Paxran, mentioned such planets, including one just beyond the edge of the galaxy. Within one month following the staff meeting on Paxran, the fleet was assembled and staffed with scientists and religious leaders from around the Paxran Collective.
The world of Fistan was mentioned in Gallicean texts as a moon circling a mystical gas giant where incredibly large snakes guarded the secrets of the system. A similar system had been mapped long ago by the explorer Inka Konole, one of Abala’s own ancestors. Now he and the fleet would return to that place and hopefully find the power they desperately needed to protect themselves from the Donnaki.
“You seem lost in thought, General,” Raza said as he sat next to Abala. “Is there a problem I need to be aware of?”
“No. Not at all, Reverend,” Abala replied. “I was just going over the mission in my mind. I want to make certain we don’t miss anything our Dear Leader asked us to consider.”
“You know General, you and I will be spending months together on this journey and I think we should become friends. If you wish, you may call me Raza. There is no need for formality here.”
“Thank you Raza,” he smiled. “And you can certainly call me Abala. I appreciate your offer of friendship very much.”
“I have had some premonitions about what we may find in that system, Abala,” the priest confided. “My visions have an odd habit of coming true, you know.”
“Tell me about them, Raza,” the general replied. “We can take precautions if we are forewarned.”
“Frankly, I’m surprised at your response. The Dear Leader usually just laughs at me. When my vision comes true, he simply denies I ever made the prediction. Thank you for the vote of confidence,” Raza smiled. “Perhaps you can join me for dinner tonight in my quarters. I don’t think I should speak so candidly with the crew about.”
“Of course, Raza,” Abala replied. “I understand completely.” In reality, he did not understand at all. “If you like, we can go to my ready room now. It is very private.” The two rose and left the bridge. The other officers exchanged confused looks for a moment and returned to their duties.
In the small office, Abala pulled a bottle of liquor from his credenza along with two glasses. “Please sit down, Raza. Would you like a drink?”
“I think that’s an excellent idea, Abala,” the priest replied. The general handed him the drink and the two touched their glasses together in a toast. “To our health, friend.”
“To our health, Raza,” Abala replied. They sipped the brandy which was the finest on Paxran. “Okay, Raza, let’s hear about your vision.”
“There are others seeking the power of the Hive on Fistan. Given the relative speeds a
nd distances of the various fleets, we may all arrive at precisely the same time,” Raza said.
“That’s definitely not good,” the general answered. “Do you foresee a battle for control?”
“Maybe. I wish I could be more definite, but I’ve seen different outcomes in my visions. If there is a battle, we might well lose. I have not had a vision where we defeat the others,” the priest said. “But I have seen cases where there is no fight and all join together to share the power of the Hive.”
“Hmm. I don’t think our Dear Leader will accept that,” Abala said. “I think he might prefer our deaths in battle to acquiescence. Are the Donnaki involved in this fight? That would be the worst case scenario.”
“Not that I have seen, Abala,” Raza continued. “But the Maklakar and Predaxians are involved. I fear the Predaxians might gain control over the battle station and use it to destroy our fleet. You remember the Maklakar plasma bomb technology doesn’t have the same flaw as the Donnaki system. The results of such a battle would certainly include the destruction of the fleet.”
“You paint a troubling picture, Raza,” Abala winced. This scenario was too terrible to imagine. Now Abala would never get the promotion to the High Command. Instead, he and his crew would be blasted to ashes by the Maklakar, finally getting their first taste of revenge for the crimes of his ancestors. After they learn how weak the Paxran fleet is, they will leave Fistan and head to Paxran, laying waste to the entire civilization from their battle stations. “Perhaps the option for peace would be preferable, Reverend.”
“Well, I hope that remains viable, Abala,” he smiled. “Frankly, I think our destruction is the more likely outcome. But a part of me senses something working in the background of this adventure which may help save us all.”
“So, you think God is on our side?” Abala whimpered.
“That might be too presumptuous, friend,” he smiled. “But I certainly hope someone is.”
Chapter 46
Dave Brewster was not doing well with his wedding vow. While Lini had been a bit aggressive at first, over the ensuing weeks, she settled into her role as Dave’s sister, although she did kiss him every morning and night and say she loved him. By their best calculation, they had been on Solander for three months now. That was just an estimate because it was not easy to gage the passage of time on this moon. Something in this system affected the flow of time. Dave noticed it within the first couple days when he saw his chronometer running backwards and then forwards. Sometimes it would stop altogether for quite some time. The rotation of the moon was very regular, but the combination of the moon’s rotation and revolution around Lubna along with the revolution of the planet around the sun created a variety of different types of day and night.
The black-out drapes Lini made were a fantastic addition. That helped them both sleep when daylight seemed to stretch far beyond the length their bodies could endure. Sleeping was the biggest problem. Dave searched the cottage and pantry for days looking for something to make a second bed. They both searched the surrounding area using their flying vests and found nothing to help. Fola Untor intended Dave to live his life in solitary confinement, so a single small bed was adequate. Every night her body was pressed against his, making it almost impossible to fall sleep. When he did sleep, he often dreamt of holding Lini in his arms and caressing her body. On more than a few occasions, he would wake in the middle of the night, very aroused, to find her arms and legs wrapped around him. When he tried to extricate himself from her grasp, she would wake and notice his condition and smile at him again, caressing his face with her soft fingers.
The morning was Dave’s favorite time. He would rush out of bed and take a shower, washing the fragrance of her perfume off his body. Then he would put on the flying vest and investigate their surroundings, which was his way for getting away from her before he did something he would regret. Very little ever changed on Solander, at least in the time they had been there. Today was a bit different. When the sun would rise, the temperature would shoot upward to well over one hundred degrees. This morning when he stepped outside, he found frost on the windows and some of the cactus. Lubna was not visible, but the sun was twenty degrees above the horizon. Perhaps there was a cool season on this desert planet. It was Dave’s day to travel southwest to check things out. Ten minutes from their cottage, he saw a herd of animals passing by. It appeared their path would intersect with the cottage. The animals were not large, about the size of large dogs on Earth and appeared to be eating the sparse plant life. Far in the distance he could see a large storm system coming toward him as well. He decided to cut his trip short and return to tell Lini about the sightings.
As he approached the cottage, he could see Lini outside working her small garden. She had decided to plant some of their vegetables in order to extend their supplies. With the large water supply, this could help them survive until help arrived. When he was only two hundred yards away and one hundred feet up, he saw two animals rushing toward her. She had not noticed them and was calmly watering the new growth. Dave pushed the vest into overdrive and shot in her direction. He tried to reach her on the com-link, but she had a bad habit of leaving it inside. He was fifty feet away and screaming at her when she spun about and shot the closest animal with her blaster. Before she could fire again, the second beast jumped on her, knocking her to the ground. She was pushing it back as it tried to rip out her throat. Dave heard her scream as he landed five feet away and jumped on the beast, grabbed it by the tail and flung it away. It landed on its feet and rushed him, but he had his Nak in his right hand and stabbed it through the chest. It whimpered and fell dead at his feet.
He turned and rushed over to Lini who was covered in blood. He grabbed her, threw her over his shoulder and rushed inside, slamming the door behind them. He rushed her into the small bathroom and tore off her clothes to check her for wounds. She was sobbing uncontrollably now and shaking with fear. He wet a towel and began washing the blood off her trembling body. Finding only a few minor cuts, he picked her up in his arms and hugged her to him. “I’m so sorry, Dave,” she cried. “I know I didn’t have my com-link. I promise I won’t forget again. Please forgive me.”
He kissed her passionately and continued to hold her against him until she calmed down a bit. “Don’t apologize, Lini,” he said. “I’m just happy you are okay. I was so scared when I saw those things attack you. I thought I’d lose you forever.” He kissed her again and carried her back to the main room where he wrapped a sheet around her and the two sat on the bed. After a few minutes, Dave’s heart calmed down enough that he could stand and walk over to the window. Ten more of the carnivores were out front devouring their cousins. “I wonder if Fola knew about those things.”
“Thank God he left the blasters or I’d be dead right now,” Lini sighed. “It really makes you think, doesn’t it? Life should never be taken for granted. It is an exceptional gift that can be lost at any time.”
The sound of distant thunder could be heard rumbling. “I saw a big storm heading this way and a herd of herbivores. The beasts that attacked you must be watching them.”
She stood and walked over to Dave and put her arms around him. “Dave, no more flying alone. We have to stick together, you and me. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
“Now are you ready to admit you should have stepped away on Zulanan?” Dave laughed. “You’d be safe if you had, you know.”
“Not a chance, Dave,” she smiled and kissed his cheek. “You’re my great protector, and I am yours. Together we can do anything and survive anything, including this damned planet!” She looked out the window and frowned. “Those stupid things have trampled on my garden. Now I have to start over.”
“Not anytime soon, Lini. That herd is headed this way. You’ll just be feeding them and wasting our food. Why don’t you get dressed and we can pick up where we left off on Ten Years to Gallia?” Dave suggested. He regretted the words even before they finished coming out of
his mouth. She relished any opportunity she had to show him her body. She let the sheet drop to the floor and stood there a moment, just smiling at him. He tried as hard as he could to look away, but she was too beautiful not to look for just a few seconds. She giggled and turned to pull clothes from her bag. Dave grabbed the large book and sat on the bed, waiting for her. Her hair had grown out a few inches since they had arrived and flowed like silk around her shoulders. At night he could smell her hair next to him. Her perfume was locked in his mind now. He would never forget that.
“Okay, where were we?” she giggled as she sat next to him. “Before we start, I want you to know your Gallicean accent and vocabulary are excellent. I know Fa-a-Di will be amazed at how much you’ve learned.” She kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, but you really deserve all the credit,” he replied. “Your grasp of English from my planet is perfect too. Next you need to teach me the Nan language.” He put his hand on her knee and she blushed. “We make a great team, Lini.”
Her face became ever redder. “You embarrass me, Dave.” She opened the book and turned to chapter three. Even though this edition of the book said Fa-u-Di led the mission, after Dave told her the real story, they used Fa-u-Bay’s name in place of his brother’s. “Now, I’ve read this to you in English a dozen times, but I want you to read it to me in Gallicean. If you find any words you don’t recognize, just ask. Now go ahead.”
Chapter three of Ten Years to Gallia was the story of the first homeward leg of the flight of the Pal-No-Fa after visiting the Lubna system. Their terror of the giant snakes kept the crew from visiting the only habitable place in this system. After exploring the two moons from space, they set a course along the path they had traveled to get here and left orbit at top speed. The Lubna system was some distance from the rest of the galaxy and it took them four weeks to reach the first star, which was a white dwarf with five dead planets in its orbit. They laid in a course for the next sun which was another week away. Unrest among the crew was growing on the long trip cooped up in the ship. Fights broke out almost daily as crewmates became disgusted with their former friends. Two days out from the next star, their sensors recorded two gas giants in the new system. All the anger and frustration melted away as they anticipated breathing fresh air again. The ship’s air supply was down to twenty percent as the ship slipped into orbit over the planet Fa-u-Bay named Basangi, which means salvation. It took another two days to determine the atmosphere was breathable and food was abundant.