The Face of Earth

by Kirsty Winkler

The ship settled with only a small shake to indicate the landing, and the engines wound down. Karina twisted the wheel to open the outer hatch. There wasn’t even a squeak as she pulled the door up and slid it open. Obviously this exit was well-maintained to ensure a silent retreat. Karina lay on her belly and poked her head upside down through the opening. She was next to the right rear landing post. She saw Sharra and Rathor walking away and the boarding plank retracting back into the ship. Bitowan soldiers surrounded the ship, standing at ease but keeping a watchful eye on their unwanted guests. Karina quietly lowered herself to the ground, closing the hatch tightly behind her. She sat next to the landing post and waited. Since she was wearing the necklace that hid her from sensors, there was no alarm from the Bitowan defenses.

  After about half an hour, one of the guards yelled something to the other guards. They formed up and marched out of the docking bay. As soon as they were gone Karina went to the enclosed guard station at the end of the bay. She tapped on the window. The guard, who was watching as the ship prepared to leave, jumped. He opened the door and pointed a weapon at Karina, gesturing for her to enter. He spoke harshly to her in Bitowan. Karina shook her head mutely and gave him the note Sharra had written for her. He quickly scanned the page, then smiled, speaking in thickly accented Yalsan.

  “Karina?” Karina nodded. “As friend to our empress, be welcome.” He lowered the weapon. “Wait while I call someone to come and escort you to her.”

  She waited, watching as the ship carrying Agnar and his crew left Bitowa. Within a few minutes a tall, willowy woman arrived to escort Karina to the empress. After navigating numerous hallways and open areas, they arrived at the throne room.

  Sharra greeted Karina with a smile. “I hope you intend to stay on Bitowa for awhile. There are many delightful places I would like to show you.”

  Karina smiled apologetically. “I would like that, but I don’t feel right enjoying myself while Tresar and Flavoi are in trouble. They did rescue me from a frozen grave, and I feel responsible for their current situation.”

  “I think I am somewhat responsible for their predicament as well,” Sharra said. Rathor cleared his throat and came forward. Sharra turned to him. “Yes, uncle?”

  “While I appreciate the restoration of family and culture you have given me, I do not think I can endure life on Bitowa. And I am not one for the military, as I prefer not to kill unless absolutely necessary.” Rathor smirked. “It must be my Yalsan blood.”

  Sharra laughed, startling some of the guards, who were unused to hearing such a sound in the throne room. “Are you volunteering a rescue mission?”

  Rathor grinned, flashing his teeth. “Absolutely.”

  “Very well. Take whatever and whoever you need. And good luck.” She turned to Karina and clasped her hand. “Good luck to you as well, my friend.”

  Karina squeezed Sharra’s hand gently. “Thank you. I’ll return as soon as I can, so you can show me your beautiful world.

  * * *

  Preparations to leave took time, and it wasn’t until several hours later that Karina found herself aboard a Bitowan cruiser with Rathor and a small crew.

  Before they departed, Sharra took Rathor aside. “You may need something to bargain with, uncle. I have stowed a guest in your brig.”

  He grinned at her. “Who?”

  She smiled back and handed him a small data disc. “His history. Enjoy.”

  Rathor took the disc, embraced his newfound niece, and escorted her off the ship. They left the planet and headed toward Bellos, where they hoped to find information on Tresar’s and Flavoi’s fate. A pleasure planet for all, Bellos had so many different species of humanoids on it that information flowed freely.

  After an uneventful trip they arrived and set down at the central spaceport. They disembarked, and Rathor took charge of the mission. “Karina, you will stay here where you will be safe. My men and I will return when we have heard something.”

  Karina opened her mouth to say something scathing about male chauvinists, but they left before she could utter a word, melting into the diverse crowd. Karina folded her arms across her chest and grumped. How dare they leave her out of the mission! She sat on a bench and sulked for awhile, but not one to remain angry for long, Karina soon stood up and looked around the spaceport.

  Out of the large windows she could see ships coming and going. There was more traffic here than at the spaceport on the other continent where she, Tresar, and Flavoi had stayed before this mess with Agnar and the Yalsan government. It wasn’t that long ago, but with all that had happened, it seemed like ages. Karina wandered along the outer edges of the spaceport, near the windows. It was a roughly circular building, and it seemed as if a new and more beautiful sight would appear at each turn. Every window held a different scene, captivating Karina. She paused for awhile at a cascading waterfall. Children of different species played together in the pond below it, laughing and romping. Bellos truly was a paradise.

  The scene around the next bend took Karina’s breath away. This window was longer than the rest, and had a revolving door in the middle of it. Through this people were coming and going in a steady stream. It showed the most appealing white sand beach and sparkling green sea Karina had ever seen. She couldn’t resist going through the revolving door and down to the water’s edge. She took off her shoes and strolled along, enjoying the sand between her toes and cool water around her feet. She watched strange birds and stranger people play in the waves. Following the shore, she lost track of time. After awhile she noticed that she couldn’t hear the sounds of people anymore, and the sound of birds was considerably louder against the cliffs. She had come to the end of the beach. She turned and shaded her eyes from the light of the two suns and looked back the way she had come. The spaceport was a speck at the edge of the ocean. It looked as if she had walked several miles. She sighed and turned back. There were hardly any people here, and since she had been gazing out to sea on the way down the beach, she hadn’t noticed. Walking back, she saw only one man sunning himself on this length of beach. As she approached him, he stared at her intently. Karina’s skin began to crawl. He was between her and the spaceport, and it was still more than a mile away. The nearest other person was a speck in the distance. They were effectively alone.

  He grinned, showing white teeth against tan skin. “Well. This is the last place I expected to see you, Karina.”

  Karina stopped and adopted a defensive pose. Her voice was flat and expressionless. “Son of a bitch.”

  “I’m glad to see you, too. I was somewhat disturbed by your abrupt departure.” Agnar rose and stood between her and the spaceport. “I was pleasantly surprised to see you roaming down the beach. I didn’t bother you earlier because I was down that way and found only impassable cliffs, so I knew you would have to come back this way.” He paused and grinned wickedly. “I’m extremely happy to run into you again, Karina.”

  The way he said her name made the hair rise on the back of her neck. “What do you want, Agnar?” she hissed.

  He smiled impishly and took a step toward her. “I want you, Karina.”

  Karina backed up, dropping her shoes. With the cliffs behind her and along the beach, the only way out was past Agnar. Agnar lunged toward her. She dodged his grasp and ran around him. Because she was already tired from her long walk and found it difficult to run in the soft sand, Agnar caught up to her easily, tackling her from behind. They fell to the ground, Agnar’s arms around her waist. She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into his face, momentarily blinding him. He cursed and blinked his eyes, but didn’t let go. She scrabbled to free herself, but he used his greater weight to pin her down. She struggled ineffectually, only succeeding in turning herself to face him.

  “Damn it, woman, you are more trouble than a herd of zenothars.” He pinned her wrists over her head with one hand. He reached into his pocket with the other, pulling out his remaining halaband. When she saw what he intended to do, Karina began to thrash violently. She
managed to knee him in the groin. Agnar groaned and doubled over, freeing Karina. She rose and ran as if the devil were after her. A very blue-faced Agnar jumped up and gave chase, slower but still able to close the distance between them. He dove and grabbed her ankle, bringing her down again. He crawled on top of her, holding her face down. He put the halaband around her neck and fastened it. Karina convulsed as it took hold, then went limp. Breathing heavily, Agnar sat back and brushed off the sand.

  Karina rolled over and sat up. There was sand on her cheek, and Agnar reached over and gently brushed it away, letting his fingers linger on her skin. She glared at him venomously. Agnar ignored her look. He leaned over until their noses were almost touching and stared into her eyes. Then he kissed her softly on the lips. The kiss lasted only a moment before Agnar sat back again.

  Karina was shocked by the tenderness of that kiss. She looked at Agnar with new eyes. Could he be in love with her? Impossible! He had captured her again, and was only interested in her for her monetary value. There was no way his interest went beyond that. He was toying with her.

  “I want you to come back to my ship with me, Karina.” He stood up and went to retrieve her shoes, then returned and held out his hand. “Let me help you up.” Unable to resist the compunction to obey, she took his hand. He lifted her easily, keeping hold of her hand. As she moved to take it away, Agnar gripped it tighter. “No, Karina. Hold my hand and walk with me.” Fuming inside, Karina did as she was told. They strolled back to the spaceport and Agnar’s ship, where Karina would become a prisoner yet again. The walk back seemed endless.

  As they neared the spaceport, Agnar paused. “Who came with you, Karina?”

  Karina was unable to lie. “Rathor, and a Bitowan crew.”

  Agnar laughed. “Well, they should be easy to avoid. It’s not every day you see a Bitowan on Bellos.” His brow furrowed. “Although it does seem to be more common of late.”

  Agnar led Karina through the revolving door and turned toward the private docks. This was where people with money and agendas parked their spacecraft so their ships would be hidden from public view. He led her to a locked door where he palmed an identification plate, opening it. In the dock was the ship Karina had escaped from the day before. Equaria lounged in a chair at the end of the cargo ramp, watching as her crew loaded cartons onto the ship. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing Karina with Agnar, but then she noticed the halaband and knew Karina was a prisoner yet again.

  “Well, well. Look what the captain has brought back.” She grinned evilly at Karina. Karina glared and stuck her tongue out at Equaria.

  Agnar chuckled. “Now, now, ladies. Since we’ll be living together, we must at least be civil.” He escorted Karina into the ship, leading her down the corridor past Sharra’s quarters and its secret exit to a room beyond. He palmed open the door and bowed to Karina. “After you, my dear.” There was a definite teasing tone to his words, but since Karina was unable to do anything about it, she ignored him and entered the room.

  It wasn’t as luxurious as Sharra’s room, but still well-appointed and quite comfortable. She heard the door close behind her and turned to see Agnar leaning against the wall, contemplating her. She disregarded him completely and explored the room, opening closets and fingering the clothes within, poking her head in the shower room, and generally acting as if his eyes weren’t following her every move.

  “Karina.” Agnar’s voice was quiet and commanding. The halaband compelled her to turn toward him. He had moved away from the wall and was standing in the middle of the room. “Come here.” Unable to resist a direct order, she moved to him. He lifted the necklace Tresar had given her to hide her life readings and examined it. “This must be what allowed you to escape me on Bitowa. Is that correct?”

  “Yes,” Karina sullenly confirmed.

  Agnar let go of the necklace and it fell against Karina’s chest. “Hmmm. Well, I see no reason why you can’t keep it. It might be useful in the future.” Agnar lifted his hands to Karina’s throat, gently tracing the intertwined lines of the halaband with his fingers. Then he took his hands away, and with them the halaband. He put it in his pocket as Karina put her hand to her neck in surprise. Agnar chuckled and smacked her on the rump. She jumped in shock and anger and lifted her fist to punch him. He caught it easily and wrestled her hands behind her back, holding her in an unwelcome embrace. He kissed her on the mouth as she struggled, kicking him in the shin. He released her and stepped back, laughing.

  “Yes, I like you much better this way. Never could stand a weak or docile woman.” He went to the door and opened it, standing between her and freedom. “Be good, Karina. I’ll be back to check on you later.” With that he shut the door and was gone. Karina ran to the entry plate and palmed it to no avail. She felt like screaming. This long life of hers was off to a bad start.

  * * *

  Rathor and his crew returned to the spaceport with good news. They had found a Yalsan soldier in a seedy bar, and like all his type, he had become quite garrulous after a few strong drinks. He told them about a crazy scientist who they were forcing to design a number of useful items for military applications. He laughed as he told them that they were holding the scientist’s friend hostage, and every time he wouldn’t cooperate, they tortured his friend. Despite having been a smuggler, Rathor found himself disgusted with the soldier, but he continued playing the role of the friendly drinking buddy until he had the location and the names of the people involved.

  Once he had all the information he needed, he returned to the spaceport and looked around for Karina. She was nowhere to be seen. He had his men split up and search the place, but when they met back at the ship, no one had seen her. Rathor was somewhat irritated by her lack of discipline, and gave the order to board the ship and start the engines. If Karina couldn’t be responsible enough not to wander off, then he’d leave her here. She had enough money to survive a few days on her own, and Bellos was one of the safer planets in the galaxy. Besides, he had a mission to complete. With his rationale intact, Rathor didn’t hesitate to give the command to lift off. Soon they were on their way to the Yalsan Solar System and military planet Callos 4.

  When they arrived at Callos 4 a day later, a group of fighters known for shooting first so they wouldn’t have to ask questions later greeted them with fire that rocked the ship. Rathor wasn’t worried, though. His Bitowan warship was plated with quarinium. If any fire could get past the shields, it wouldn’t penetrate that metal. Yalsan weapons just weren’t advanced enough.

  “Captain, shall I return fire?” The Bitowan at the weapons console looked ready to obliterate the tiny ships.

  “No.” Rathor watched as the Yalsan fighters ineffectively assaulted his ship. “We do not want to start a war. We are here only to negotiate a prisoner exchange.”

  His crew looked confused at this, not knowing that they even had a prisoner. The fighters, unable to inflict any damage, finally gave up as Rathor’s ship inexorably drew closer to the planet. The fighters formed an escort around the Bitowan ship. The comm chirped, and Rathor gave a nod to his communications man, who brought up the connection through the viewscreen. An angry Yalsan officer appeared on the screen.

  “You are entering a Yalsan restricted area without authorization. Proceed with our fighters to interplanetary space.”

  Rathor remained calm and non-threatening. “Had this not been a Bitowan ship, I would not be alive right now for you to order me away.” He looked the Yalsan officer right in the eye. “I am here for a reason. I have General Halvorea with me.”

  The officer looked shocked and there was some arguing off-screen. A higher-ranked officer appeared and pushed the previous officer out of the way. “General Halvorea is dead. He was killed in a battle in the war with Bitowa four years ago.”

  Rathor smiled evilly and ordered two crewmen to bring the man in the brig to the bridge. They were puzzled, since they hadn’t realized any prisoners were on board, but left to carry out Rathor’s order. Rat
hor turned back to the viewscreen. “The general has been our guest on the off chance that we might have some future use for him.”

  The officer sputtered, “But Bitowans don’t take prisoners!”

  “That is true, but as I said, he was our guest.” Rathor emphasized the word guest. The officer looked sick as Rathor’s crew snickered. Then he paled as the prisoner was brought onto the bridge and into his view. The unrecognizable Yalsan man was thin and filthy, dressed in rags that were barely identifiable as a uniform and sporting a beard down to his waist. The officer glared at Rathor.

  “Is this some sort of joke? That’s not the general.”

  Rathor turned to the emaciated man. “General Halvorea, would you kindly tell this man the entry code to the top secret weapons armory of Callos 4?”

  The dispirited man spoke in a quiet voice. “Alpha 236, zeta 401, omega 32.”

  The officer said something aside to an aide, who then rushed off. He and Rathor stared at one another, waiting.

  Within minutes a general showed up, looking pale. He peered at the dirty prisoner. “Cantor?”

  The prisoner perked up at the sound of his birth name. He seemed more aware of what was going on around him. “Shardor? My brother?” A hopeful tone crept into his normally expressionless voice.

  Shardor spoke to Rathor, not taking his eyes off his brother. “What do you want?”

  Rathor came straight to the point. “A prisoner exchange. Tresar Convy and Flavoi Fierra for your brother, General Halvorea.”

  Shardor didn’t even hesitate. “Done.” The officer standing at his elbow began to protest, but Shardor cut him off. “I said done! Make the arrangements.” He turned back to Rathor. “Follow the fighters in. I’ll be waiting at the spaceport.” Then the connection was terminated.

  Rathor nodded to his pilot to follow, and then told two crewmen to get the general cleaned up and into presentable clothing. By the time they landed, he had been washed and shaved. Although he was quite weak, he walked without help down the boarding plank, anxious to be free. Rathor and his crew surrounded the prisoner, bristling with weapons. They watched as a delegation of Yalsan soldiers made their way across the field toward them. Tresar and Flavoi walked in the soldiers’ midst. Tresar seemed none the worse for wear, but Flavoi was covered in dark bruises and leaned gingerly on Tresar for support. The soldiers stopped several meters from Rathor’s crew. The two groups contemplated each other warily.