Arnica

by I. Christie

  "Where would we put it?" Ji'am asked.

  C'Lea added, "Aside from being a wandering entity…we don't know where to direct it."

  "What we do know, is that it attached itself to one of the colony ships. Who it latched onto is uncertain but I don't believe it was a person. It had created pockets of an energy it felt comfortable with. Not something that is good for Arnica. Living things that once thrived in that area died when it settled there."

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  "So given a chance it would go back into the ground," Alexandra thought outloud.

  Ji'am shook his head. "We already discarded that idea. We cannot let it into the ground around Allint for it may perish or anywhere on Arnica where it will either perish or cause strife."

  "Well, I was thinking of an anchor. You see," she hurriedly explained when the others were looking at her with blank stares, "you surround the ground so that it cannot escape anywhere but into a person, who is holding a Djed…which it will escape into."

  What she pictured in her mind was the way she hoped it would happen.

  "A Tjet!" three voices identified.

  "Well, no." She got the image of what they were picturing. "You need to make it intricate and full of meaning and complicated like a maze or labyrinth. It needs to be interesting. I think what makes the planet interesting is because there are so many different forms of life it can experience. Since it latched onto the Queen Mother, I will guess it is because she is connected to more than what is here on the planet."

  Kaili Maipuga nodded.

  "The next question is, who will be the person? We cannot use mother. It knows her and therefore everyone on this planet." Queen M'Lu looked over at Alexandra.

  "Oh, gods. Last time I volunteer information," she nervously joked. The others laughed. But she knew it was true. In order for it to leave its present vessel it would have to be something that intrigued it.

  "So Ji'am, we need the monks from Ilo that make ritual pieces to begin on the piece Lady Alexandra has suggested. We will take this show to Lilith Island. No one, including the creature will be hurt. Kaili Maipuga let it slip to these people that have our Kiuzi warrior, Jina Gari, where we are heading. They will not pass up capturing two offworlders." She turned to the others. "The royal house will not be going. Mother is all that I can risk."

  The others nodded. "We will meditate and guide from here," C'Lea assured her sister. Both were feeling the fear of letting their mother, only protected by an offworlder, to be alone on an island and with people that wished to do the royal house harm.

  Kaili Maipuga frowned and Commander O'Malley appeared to be ready to object, however the Queen continued, "WE are finished here. When the ritual object is completed, Lady Alexandra and the Queen Mother will be taken to the island. No one else," she stated firmly. She did not consider it fair to gang up on a creature that was confused and upset about what it considered being locked away against it's will.

  Chapter 20

  JG moved easily through places that she had seen before with the Sha'Kar. This time however, she was looking for someone. Her Sha'Kar. Where had he gone? She searched for a river to dip into and contact him but the currents to the rivers of energy moving in the galaxy were not right.

  Something was compelling her to consciousness, but she felt protected in her cocoon of darkness. She returned to her search for the Sha'Kar. He could tell her how Alexandra was. As soon as she thought of lover she could feel herself being drawn quickly back to consciousness. She couldn't see and she was sure her eyes were open.

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  Then the physical pain burned her consciousness. She kept her head down but someone pulled her head up by her hair.

  "Where is your mate?" the metasoldier's voice demanded. "Contact her!"

  Ow! Damn. Now I remember. They want Alexandra. I didn't have the key toAlan's ship.

  A slap across her numb face only rocked her head. Then she remembered that the others in the room could read thoughts. She dropped back into unconsciousness. A handy skill to know.

  Malchi's A team reported back that Colonel Zohra was captured by the enemy.

  Malchi's ears burned, but she gave the order. "We are not to do anything yet. The locals will handle it."

  "Well we can't let them slap her around like that!" SgtM Helenski objected while she paced the small deck of the SEC ship. Two steps one way and two the other.

  "How much longer before the SEC ship is ready to sail," Captain Malchi asked irritated. Her soldiers were too agitated to not hide their feelings and would give away the plans for the rescue if she informed them. Instead, Malchi had them check the metrasoldiers once again. They could do that while the ship's systems were brought on line. It only had enough fuel to take it to Jeazua where the orbiting outpost was experienced in chip implants. The soldiers would then be shipped back to their home planets following their debriefing and erasing their memory if need be. Her hands were itching to go back and look for the one soldier that got away. Commander O'Malley's 389

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  agent claimed she was Alan's top cop. She could roam anywhere and gather information and process it and act independently.

  The SgtMajor was looking at all the gages and monitoring devices that showed progress. "Another hour. Air in incubation room is too rich, Captain. I think we need someone to check it out."

  "Linda. Go and check it out. Take a squad. It doesn't sound right so treat it as a possible break out. Helgas bloody moon. Doesn't anything run smoothly around here?"

  she muttered. She had expected the worse and it was about to happen, she thought.

  Mentally she began to weave a different ending, all with the prisoners leaving the planet secured in their pods and no loss of life; however, her alarm went off. She slapped the lock down signal to red and decided weapons were not going to be the choice of toys to play with.

  "Hand-to-hand, girls and boys," she whispered over her communicator. "Get the weapons off the ship, Johnnie," she ordered. "Dump them in the shuttle's life boat and get them out of reach…now," she ordered.

  "Aye, Captain. Weapons away."

  They all knew metrasoldiers were suicidal and would use a captured weapon to send them all into the galaxy as drift matter.

  She jumped onto the escalator. Someone had called for it and she was ready to make sure it was not a metrasoldier.

  The moment she saw no one waiting she was leaping out and to the side, spinning on her back and catching the falling soldier that dropped to take her out. She caught him 390

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  in the groin and solar plexus, then kicked him into unconsciousness. After looking around she snapped a restraining collar on him. Someone had freed the soldiers. However, the soldier was not that difficult to take out, which had her suspicious that this was merely a distraction.

  "Gang five-o-four, mutiny afoot," she whispered in her com. She smiled. They had a real challenge finally.

  She moved her unconscious soldier back up to the sleep chambers. She needed to put him back and find out just how many escaped.

  She found a few of her troops lying about. After assuring herself that they were not dead she moved on.

  Lt. Visu was quickly at her side.

  "Captain. Did you notice something odd going on about this break out?"

  "Yeah. They aren't fighting like a metrasoldier would."

  Visu nodded. "Whoever broke them out doesn't realize that in order to get them motivated with a killers instinct, they have to take ownership of them. Obviously, they have not."

  "So, they're in a daze."

  "Have you figured out who it is?"

  "Alao. I was reading his bios before the breakout. It seems Alan has a backup in his brain. He mentally unlocked himself, and got the computer to release the others. He didn't seem all that smart when we were interrogating him."

&nbs
p; Malchi nodded. "No, he didn't. Well, let's round them up and get someone over here that knows more about these chip implants and how to locate them. I want this to be discussed at length at our next briefing. This could be a problem for the trip home."

  "Well, take heart, Alao was the first person we captured. He was trying to get in one of the trash dumpsters."

  "Suicide?"

  "No. He thought it was a life pod."

  "Oh, helgas moon." She touched her ear piece. "Malchi here. Go, ahead. I read you. Bring them back to bed, Malchi out." She nodded at Visu, "You're right. Seven were released and all seven have been recaptured. Help me get this guy."

  "Gladly. I want to get off this ship and join the party they're throwing for our wedding couple," Visu smiled grimly as she grabbed the other shoulder of the large man.

  Chapter 21

  Tukuli wrapped a rag around his blistered hands, and then grabbed the handles of the cart. With determination, he leaned forward and began to pull.

  "Go!" Diami shouted to the others, and everyone pushed.

  They had found a discarded vegetable cart on their trek back to the village and while resting, Tukuli's curious hands found the problem. Then some of their fellow travelers fixed the axel. Since the monk had okayed its use the others quickly piled their rocks into it. This allowed many to return to the quarry for more.

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  The cart moved out of the rut and back onto a smoother part of the road. While Tukuli pulled he joined in the blessing song that continued once they were on the move again. The song spoke of lighting the load of life by sharing in joyous celebrations, and rituals with neighbors, and called for blessings on all the things that went into the rebuilding of a temple, including the builder's sweat. Hearts were opened and all voices reflected their communion with goodness.

  Water was passed as throats became dry, and Tukuli grateful sucked on the water bag when it was presented to him. He sniffed the air periodically to see how close the storm was. This time the closeness startled him.

  "Take shelter!" he hollered in a language only Diami understood.

  "Eeee!" voices shouted down the line.

  Diami tugged on his arm. "There is no shelter around here!"

  "What is around us," he sniffed and listened to the escalating wind. "Branches! I can weave a shelter if there is enough leaf."

  The rain came after three small shelters were constructed, however they needed more. Tukuli continued to work in the downpour. Others brought what was needed for him to work. While he weaved, they erected the frames his walls and roofs would cover.

  They were not completely dry, but with the crowding together, they were warm enough.

  It lasted two hours, not long for a storm. The time was spent listening to one of their members sing or another recount stories that were related to the building of a temple. Thus keeping them all focused on their task.

  The storm blew past them and back the way they had come. Quickly, they moved back to the road, wanting to make it to the hostel for the night. Their thoughts were on the food that would be awaiting them. Anticipation pushed the group faster, and feeling blessed that the road was in good repair, their spirits were high.

  Chapter 22

  Alexandra looked over the Djed. It was as beautiful as it was complex. There were two eyes that looked out of its column. She was fascinated at their realness. The object was two feet by four inches in some places. She was admiring the piece when she felt the air around her change. It was a curious feeling, nothing threatening. Looking around her she realized a shadow in the corner of the plane was watching her. Alexandra had been rushed onto the plane still partially asleep with the Djed thrust into her hands.

  She had no time to notice any other passengers. The shadowed figure remained where it was not attempting any conversation.

  The plane had only been in the air for thirty stan minutes when it began a quick decent. The door popped open the moment they touched ground. Obviously there was an urgency to this. She clambered down the ramp and looked around her. She could hear another set of footsteps behind her but she ignored them and moved off to explore the island. She was looking for a place. It did not take long to find it. She turned to face the woman who was following her and nearly called her by name; however, she realized it could not be Queen M'Lu but an older version. They were so strikingly alike. The older woman walked around Alexandra, seeming to check her out. The movement was so 394

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  quick, one moment she was watching the woman circle out of her sight and then her vision changed and up into the Djed it went.

  Alexandra sat the ritual object on the stone floor of the cliff looking at the object and trying to understand what she was missing.

  "Do not stare at it. It will mesmerize you," the soft voice warned her. Alexandra turned to look at the Queen Mother. She had straightened up and carried herself with more authority. "Come, we will prepare it for its passage."

  The Queen Mother showed her the herbs and flowers to pick. They gathered them until they had five big bunches. Alexandra was then showed how to prepare a wreath of the mixture. After an hour of preparation they placed the wreathes around the Djed.

  "Now, we wait."

  "What are we waiting for?"

  "Its tribe. It got lost in its wandering and became trapped. However, if I had loosened it on Arnica, it would have hurt both the planet and itself."

  "Is it a Sha'Kar?"

  The Queen Mother smiled and nodded. "Yes, friend of the Sha'Kar. It recognized you and the familiar energy you have about you. That is why it left me."

  Alexandra closed her eyes and called to her friend the Sha'Kar. She was in deep meditation and did not hear the arrival of soldiers. Opening her eyes when nudged she looked at the red shirted men that surrounded her. A tall figure dressed in black joined them.

  "Get up or we will kill your bondmate," she threatened.

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  Alexandra took a sharp breath in as her eyes fell on the unconscious form of Jina Gari hanging between two soldiers. She stood up not looking around for the Queen Mother. She was hoping she had escaped. Into a ship she was pushed, but not allowed to get near JG. However, as much as she seemed to be hurt, Alexandra could tell by the colors around her that she was not as bad as it seemed.

  "What do you want me for?"

  "We were going to ask you to unlock the ship that is in the castle of the Black Soldiers, however, there is a ship large enough for us all that is powering up just North of here. You will get us on that ship."

  "What makes you think anyone is going to turn over their ship to me?"

  "You will find a way to get us aboard. We will do the rest."

  "We're being hailed, General," a voice hollered back at them.

  "Get up," the General waved her gun.

  "You know, if you shoot that off…we all will become one with space vacuum."

  She ducked as she walked onto the bridge of the short flyer. She took the mic from a soldier.

  "This is Commander Harriet Montran to ship to starboard of us, come in whydon'tcha."

  "This is Captain Malchi of the right honorable SCE, coming back atcha."

  Alexandra frowned to keep from laughing. "I have passengers that would like to take passage on your ship homebound, whydontcha."

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  "Any extra luggage other than carry ons is not gonna happen, backatcha," Malchireplied.

  "She says that she has seating for extra passengers but if you have a lot of…"

  "I don't care what she wants. Get us on the damn ship!"

  "Roger, roger, Honorable SCE. Passengers have carryons and are willing to pay a bonus, whydontcha."

  "Well, get them on over here. Pull over to the side hatch marked B forbothersome. It's got air and the crew's quarters nearby. Hey, we only g
ot twentybeds…just how many you got over there, backatcha?"

  "Five, by five and two," she glanced at the irritated General. She could feel JG

  now. "That means five people and suitcases and in two minutes we'll be docking," she translated for the officer. "He does know how to dock, right?" By the nervous looks she gathered not.

  "Do you mind if I do it? I don't want to be splattered…"

  "Just shut up and do it!" She turned to one of the men and said something.

  Alexandra flexed her fingers and wished she had more time to practice this. She had not done this for…hmm. She did not want to think about that.

  "Round about, baby, easy, easy," she coaxed. How these men had gotten the shuttle she could only guess. They had it long enough to learn to fly but not much practice with mating up with another vessel.

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  "Hey!" a hoarse voice called softly. "You're coming about too fast. Ease up Commander," JG was seated in two seats behind her but with a view of the screens that was showing her approach.

  "It's not like I do this more than once a year," she muttered as she checked her suction between the two ships. The connection was with a thump. Nothing damaging.

  Alexandra released the seal when the gages read okay. She was about to turn to speak to JG when she spotted the grenade being tossed their way and the hatch was slammed shut.

  She could hear it being locked into place. JG quickly grabbed the explosive and tossed it into an ejector chute.

  "Don't blow yet, don't blow yet," Alexandra whispered as she moved over to JG.

  "It's just a gaser. They can't afford to blow this ship until they're over there," JG

  muttered. "How in the heavens name have you been Lady Alexandra?" she asked trying to grin through bruised lips.