by Jay Key
“C’mon, Po’l. You can do it, buddy.”
“I know that you are actually quite intelligent.”
“Not bad,” commended Duke. “So, Ishiro—is it enough? Or should we make him grovel a bit more?”
“Duke, please,” Ja’a begged. “Enough. Stop this. You made your point.”
The ninja lowered his katana. Ishiro and Duke exchanged glances and then cackles.
“Not funny at all,” Ja’a steamed.
“Sorry. ‘Mr. Sharpshooter’ needed to be taught a valuable lesson.”
“And what’s that?” Po’l inquired with a tone of annoyance.
“If a person has a sword, don’t call him stupid.”
The bruises on Po’l’s face turned from dark violet to a shining red, signaling his embarrassment. It’s amazing that embarrassment looks the same on so many worlds and with so many species, Duke pondered.
“Let’s change positions before it gets too dark,” Ja’a said. “Like I was saying before, Po’l, you stay in the middle until you get your strength—Ishiro’shea will move from the right flank and join you. Ma’n, you take the right flank—where Ishiro’shea was. Te’o, you grab the left flank, where I was. Duke, you can replace Ty’n and Bu’r and be our scout. They’ll replace you in the rear.”
“Aye, aye captain!” Duke quipped as he performed a half-hearted salute.
“Let’s hope they do a better job than you.”
“Hey now, you enjoyed my company. Admit it.”
“What about me?” squeaked Uu’k.
“Uu’k, you stay by Ishiro’shea, please. In the center. With Po’l too.”
“Not a problem, Ja’a. I like Ishiro. He’s a good listener.”
“Hey, what am I? Erontian Camelcat liver?” Duke whined.
“Duke, no offense, but you’re more my ‘small doses’ friend.”
Po’l erupted into laughter.
“Okay, I guess I can’t argue with that,” replied Duke.
The tension seemed to ease a bit.
“Ma’n, Te’o,” Ja’a continued, “take your bows and be on alert. I want you to extend our flank a bit. I know it’s been smooth sailing thus far but I want to make sure nothing slows us down before the coast.”
“Yes. We’ll camp out in our new positions tonight.”
“Told you that they wanted away from Po’l and his cloud o’ funk.”
Ignoring Duke, Ja’a shouted, “Bu’r! Ty’n!” She turned. “That’s odd, I only see Ty’n. Duke, I might need you to go up ahead and relay the message to them that we’re going to rotate.”
“Aye, aye captain... again.”
Ishiro’shea slapped Duke on the back. Fine, I’ll stop.
The skinnier of the two watchmen on scout duty came sprinting back. “Ja’a! I came running as soon as I heard your voice.”
“Where’s Bu’r?”
“He’s up ahead. We’re close to his old village; he wanted to see if it was still standing.”
“He doesn’t know if it was taken over by Orbius?”
“No, he left to join up before they made it out this way. It could’ve avoided their control—it’s a good ways away from any other village.”
“It would be a nice place to rest—a true rest,” Ja’a said, thinking aloud.
“And real food!” shouted Ma’n.
“Yes, that would be quite nice.”
“Maybe some ploob kalarti,” Duke said hopefully.
“He should be back anytime,” Ty’n continued. “He said he was only going to check out a few miles ahead. Then again, that was a good while ago. Regardless, once he sees that I’m not at the post, he’ll come back here.”
“So not every village is under Orbius’ control?” asked the bounty hunter.
“We don’t know, Duke. There could be some that survived but they would likely be quite remote. We’ve been trying to find holdouts to help our recruiting efforts and strengthen our numbers. We just don’t have the manpower and resources to engage in battles for every town to land a few able-bodied soldiers.”
“But if one was entirely free of Orbius, you’d get supporters without any bloodshed.”
“Exactly.”
A few moments passed.
“There’s Bu’r!” exclaimed Ty’n, pointing beyond the grassy hill.
“He looks excited,” Uu’k noticed.
“Or scared,” commented Duke.
Bu’r was muscular and broad shouldered—bigger than Po’l but not as athletic in appearance. He was barrel-chested but his bulbous stomach extended beyond his belt. He was the only rebel that Duke had seen that did not sport any hair atop his head—it was completely shaven. He did make up for this lack, though: he sported a well-trimmed beard that extended from each ear to just before his chin. His chin was bare save for a thin patch of hair that extended from the direct center of his bottom lip to the midway point of his throat. Maybe it’s a regional look.
“He can run for a big boy, huh?”
The hearty-statured rebel decelerated as he approached. “I saw it!” he huffed, out of breath.
“Your village?”
“Yes, Ja’a. Only a few miles away. I know we can help them.”
“So, they’ve been controlled?” asked Ty’n.
“The village was dead but I saw movement around the entrance to the mines. They have to be digging for Orbius’ precious mustangsen.”
“Mustangsen?”
“The decorative stones that Orbius hoards at his palace in the north. He has our entire village performing these vanity tasks to prove how powerful he is—it’s how he controls us.”
“Bu’r, I’m sorry. We need to get to the coast. The village is a detour we can’t afford right now.”
“Ja’a—”
“I’m sorry, as much as I want to help your village—it could derail us from freeing our entire race.”
“I’m sorry, Ja’a, but I must go. I simply have to.”
“Bu’r, you can’t defeat an entire group of village guards by yourself—none of us can.”
“Duke and Ishiro can!” exclaimed Uu’k.
“That’s right, kid,” Bu’r concurred, “the off-worlders can save my village.”
“You know, Ja’a,” Po’l added, “we could use some fresh soldiers helping our cause. As much as I hate to admit it, the off-worlders do give us the ability to strike quickly and effectively.”
“Hold on. Saving villages wasn’t in the deal. I was going to go to your secret hideout, talk to your old timers, agree on a plan to get back my ship, and if I save your entire race as part of that plan—so be it. There was nothing on there about freeing villages.”
“He’s right,” Ja’a stated. “We cannot expect Ishiro and Duke to help us.”
“Borrowing a phrase from an old robot friend of mine, ‘damn skippy.’”
“And I don’t think that it’s wise. It’s too risky and takes us off course. In good conscience, I just can’t agree to this. I’m sorry, Bu’r.”
“Ja’a, there are people that are being tortured and forced to mine for wall art as their lives slowly slip away.”
“Bu’r, I get that. More than anyone, I get that. The horrors that Orbius has enacted on my family would rival anyone’s—but, bigger picture, we have to go at Orbius, not his lackeys that oversee rural villages on his behalf.”
“It’s quite an intelligent move on Orbius’ part,” Duke interposed.
“Excuse me?” Bu’r grunted.
“What better way to keep the focus off of him by enticing freedom fighters to charge after each and every enslaved village; he’s manipulating you emotionally. It’s a trap. Even if you succeed and free the villagers—it’d be a Pyrrhic victory at best. He doesn’t mind losing meaningless battles because it will help him win the war.”
“But what about the recruits? We could triple our numbers.”
“Possibly. But my guess is that those that are devoted enough to fight for the greater cause have already joined. Orbius’ gamble is
a smart one.”
“Shut up already, off-worlder. I’m with Bu’r. I will help you save your village,” said Po’l.
“Thank you, Po’l. You are a true Neprian patriot.”
“Me too!” Ty’n joined in.
“Us, as well,” shouted Ma’n and Te’o.
“I’m sorry, Ja’a,” started Po’l. “We respect your leadership but we aren’t going to let Duke scare us away from helping our people. He just wants to get his ship back—and what he thinks of as an inconvenience, we think of as our duty to the cause.”
“Is this really how you all feel?” asked Ja’a.
“Yes,” the rebels concluded in unison.
“Ja’a, you’re making a mistake,” warned the Nova Texan.
“Maybe so, Duke. I’ll admit, I don’t agree with this plan—”
“Aren’t you the commander? Command!”
“Duke, I don’t lead that way. That might be the way of your people or others that you’ve encountered—but I accept the fact that I can be wrong or that I can change my mind. We all have a say and I can see the emotion and desire of my team. That trumps my opinion in this case.”
“This is a mistake. Oh yeah, Ishiro and I are sitting this one out.”
“Duke, your help would be greatly appreciated.”
“Off-worlder, you’re in this with us now—you might as well do your part and help us. It will only help you,” said Po’l.
“And think of the recruits! We’ll have dozens of my fellow villagers—and I know we have some fighters—that will accompany us on our final push to the coast. Maybe even join up on your quest to get your ship back from Orbius!”
“You’re sure of that?”
“Yes, without a doubt.”
“Sorry if I’m not quite so optimistic. But I guess it does beat hanging out here in what could possibly be the most boring place in the known universe.”
Ja’a’s eyes caught Duke’s. She mouthed silently, “Thank you.”
“I do want us to camp here tonight,” she said to the team. “We can make our way to the village tomorrow and assess the situation. It can wait a night.”
“Yes!” shouted the Neprians.
“Great. Tomorrow the life of Duke LaGrange could end on a world of no importance during a half-baked raid of a farming village controlled by anorexic killer clergy. How’s that for an epitaph? Whatever. I’m heading up front to keep a look out tonight—I need to get away from you crazies just in case it’s contagious.”
“Wait up, Duke. I’ll join you,” Ja’a stated.
“Ja’a, you aren’t going to stay back with Uu’k and I?” asked Po’l.
“You’ll be fine. Ishiro’shea will guard you.”
“I don’t need guarding. It’s just—”
Ja’a and Duke headed out toward the scout locations previously occupied by Ty’n and Bu’r.
Chapter 20
A Good Night's Sleep
THE FLAME OF JA’A’S TORCH hissed as she sat at the apex of the knoll. To her left, Duke sprawled out against the downward slope with his arms behind his head.
“Do you really think I should’ve pushed back harder on the team?”
“Honest answer?”
“Yes.”
“Then, yes, I do. I’m a big proponent of leaders leading—and not this democratic, ‘it makes us feel good inside’ hogwash. If you really feel we should press on to the coast, we should.”
“They’ll go on to the village whether we’re with them or not.”
“Let them go.”
“I can’t, Duke. They’re my people. Each one has a role to play and can help us take down Orbius.”
“Not if we all end up dead and buried in the mines.”
“True—”
Duke interrupted. “Are you scared of ‘em?”
“Scared? No. Not at all.”
“Are you sure? Po’l seems to carry some weight in your decisions.”
“Po’l and I have known each other for a long time.”
“He likes you.”
“I hope so, we’ve been friends since childhood.”
“No, Ja’a. He likes you likes you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He likes you likes you means that he is interested in some amorous recreation. Some physical repartee. Some carnal deviance. Some—”
“I get it. I don’t agree—but I get it. We’ve known each other for so long; he’s a brother to me. I just don’t see him in that way.”
“You probably should tell him, then. Because he sees you in that way.”
“I think you’re mistaken, Duke. Our customs and interactions could be something new to you.”
“I doubt that,” Duke chuckled. “If there’s one thing that I know and have a keen intuition for—regardless of the planet or species—it’s lustful intent. Okay, also tracking down fugitives and all-around bad dudes. And I’m pretty handy knocking down any sort of booze. But, lustful intent—I can spot it a mile away.”
“That’s an interesting skill.”
“It’s an extremely rewarding skill in many cases.”
“Not something that I care to hear about.”
“It’s got me out of some tight pickles.” Duke tried to not make the obvious joke.
“So, you’re quite the seduction specialist, huh?”
“I don’t like to brag but I’ve been known to woo a pretty lady or two. Or three. This one time, in the Oscavian Caves—I lost count at seventeen.”
“Just because you’ve had some luck on that front doesn’t mean that you have any idea what Po’l’s thinking.”
“You’ve had to have noticed, right? He was about to piss his pants after you told him that you were joining me up at the lookout position.”
“No, he wasn’t.”
“Yes, he was. Most definitely. And when we were leaving the cave, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you. I don’t blame him, after all.”
“Duke,” she said shaking her head.
“Seriously, he digs you. The question is—do you dig him?”
“No, absolutely not.”
“Why? He’s a strapping young buck. He’s a bit of a meathead, but he’d help you breed out some little rebels to fight orbs, emaciated clergy, and crap.”
“Maybe so, but my love and devotion lies elsewhere.”
“And who’s the lucky guy?” Duke’s voice inflected upward.
“My cause. Destroying Orbius and saving my planet.”
“Oh,” the bounty hunter responded in a dejected tone. “Well, I guess that’s good. Won’t get you hot and sweaty and satisfy those pesky carnal needs—but I guess it’s a good thing to ‘love.’”
“It does the trick.”
“You know, this entire you-and-Po’l dynamic also explains why he doesn’t like me.”
“How do you mean?”
“You might not understand since you aren’t a guy.”
“Try me, Duke,” said Ja’a, rolling her eyes.
“He’s there playing his game to win you over, right? He might be playing a long game or he might just be a natural meanderer. Doesn’t matter. Regardless, out of nowhere, in comes this good-lookin’, ruggedly handsome galactic man of mystery.”
“Who’s that? I must’ve missed him.”
The bounty hunter ignored the playful jab. “It’s obvious, if you think about it.”
“Oh, it is?”
“Yes, Po’l feels challenged by me—as it relates to winning you over. He’s scared that your heart will not be able to withstand someone as ‘interesting’ as me.”
Ja’a remained stone-faced. She’s not buying this?
“I think you might be stretching to reach that conclusion.”
“Is that so?”
“Po’l really thinks—or thought—that you were part of Orbius’ plan. I really don’t think it’s anything more than that.”
“See, I knew you wouldn’t fully grasp this idea. You’ve got to be a dude.”
“Actually,
he thinks you are an egotistical, reckless, self-absorbed bastard,” Ja’a started, “that—in his opinion—still could be a mindless pawn in a twisted game of power and death initiated by the most heinous murderer that has ever graced our entire planet. How's that for grasping?”
“Ouch, sister. I guess we’ll agree to disagree.”
“So, is there a Mrs. Duke LaGrange?”
Thank goodness, she changed the subject, Duke thought to himself. Though it doesn’t sound like a real winner either.
“No. Not really a ‘settle down’ sort of guy.”
“Doesn’t that get old?”
“Not if you don’t let it. Always keep it moving.”
After a brief pause, Ja’a stabbed the bottom of the torch into the soft earth and slid down to relax in the same manner as Duke.
“What about Ishiro’shea?”
“What about Ishiro? I mean, he’s my best friend, but he’s not my bag if you know what I mean.”
“No, not that—what about Ishiro’shea, as in, what’s his story? Why doesn’t he talk?”
Changing the subject again. Thank you.
“Ishiro and I have been doing our thing for quite some time. He was Salutatorian, you know.”
“I’m not sure I know what that means.”
“It means that he’s a damn good partner. And has the paperwork to prove it.”
“That’s good. How did you meet?”
“On Earth, actually. A city called New Tokyo in an area referred to as Ireland.”
“Was it like Dre’en?”
“Way worse. Way bigger but mostly way worse. It was the center of the largest and most intense turf war in a hundred cycles.”
“Why were you both there? It’s not your planet, right?”
“See, Ishiro is half-Japanese and half-Irish—meaning his family was divided along the battle lines. His mother was Japanese royalty—or rather a descendent of the most famed samurai warrior in history. So, the one side wanted her as a rallying symbol of the conflict. And Ish’s dad was an Irish spiritual leader in New Tokyo—and a famed military strategist. So, it was obvious why they wanted him.”
“How did they choose a side?”
“They didn’t. They hated war. So, they made it very clear that they were going to remain neutral. Which, as you can probably guess, pissed everyone off. Being neutral on Earth is another way to say that you have no friends.”