by Nyk Nova
“Pan, please,” Arista pleaded.
“As newly appointed Emperor, what would you have me do, Arista?”
“As father would have. All of our people are alive because of Kade’s leadership on the battlefield. Surely, you could show some mercy.” She looked back at Kade with tears in her eyes. “Perhaps this is a worse fate but…banishment.”
“And if you were to choose where he shall live the rest of his days?” Pan asked.
Arista took a moment to glance at those in the room. None held any mercy in their eyes for the prisoner.
“A place deserving of the punishment but where he might be able to repent of his crime.”
“There is no escape from banishment, my dear,” the judge said.
Arista wiped the tears from her eyes and held her head a little higher, confident in her choice. Kade could still see the hurt she felt but he sensed some hope from her. Despite what she saw, there was s small part that believed in his innocence. Whatever her decision, he knew it was better than death.
“Planet Razen,” she said.
Kade’s shoulders slumped in defeat. It was a worse sentence than death.
7
The hover car came to a slow stop. Kade looked out the window, expecting to see even a small group of people to cheer his banishment. But the judge had done as he said. There was no public send off—maybe no public knowledge of his sentence. It didn’t matter either way. They all saw what he was accused of. He didn’t want to have to face their disappointment. It was bad enough he had to face the expressions of the officers. Some he had worked alongside in his days as one of them, before the war.
His door opened and two sets of hands reached in to pull him out.
“Let’s go, Assassin of Emperors,” one of the guards said.
“That’s not my name,” Kade replied
“Won’t matter what your name is on Razen.”
The guards led him toward a transport ship. On either side of the walkway were more heavily armed officers. Kade glanced around, noting the snipers on a nearby roof. While under the ship was another guard. This one was waving his hands around and staring blankly into the air. Kade looked skyward at a news craft as it circled the area. He had no doubt they were there to film whatever was happening on the ground. His eyes caught a quick shimmer of the air above the ship.
“A Veil spell?”
“Judge doesn’t want anyone knowing you’re here. But don’t get a big head,” the officer said. “You didn’t do anything to require this much firepower. Killing the Emperor was a big deal but it was still just a murder. Who’s on that ship, though? That’s a real killer. Too bad I’m not on that detail. I would love to see your face when you buckle in. Probably won’t even make it to Razen.”
“Who is it?” Kade asked.
“You’ll see.” The guards handed Kade off to one of the other officers who led him closer to the ship.
“Well, we’re just getting all kinds of celebrities today. Razen is going to be a popular tourist spot if this keeps up.”
“No one survives on Razen,” Kade muttered.
“That’s what I hear,” the guard said.”Get moving.”
He shoved Kade forward. The former General could feel the eyes of the other officers on him. Most were full of hate and disbelief. A couple had only pity for the man as he took his last steps on Osceria.
There was no sound emanating from the ship and even less from inside. The silence was stuffy, making Kade feel as though his ears needed to pop. He stepped off the final step where another guard grabbed his arm and walked him to a bench seat. There were three other prisoners in the ship, all of them restrained. Two appeared non-threatening. One was lanky and seemed very afraid. The other—a bald man—seemed calm considering their destination. But the third, a hulking bruiser, was the one that had Kade’s attention. Not just because of the man’s size but of how he stared at Kade. As if familiar.
Kade was seated on the unbending bench. It wasn’t supposed to be comfortable but he groaned at it anyway.
“Place your hands against the wall behind you and leave them there. Slide the rest of you forward,” the guard ordered.
Kade did as he was told.
The guard faced the front of the ship. “Prisoner Zero-Zero-Eight-One seated and ready for clamping.”
“Acknowledged,” Another guard said from the front. “Clamping.”
Kade could feel the cylinders as they moved around his forearms, engulfing his entire hands. The energy chain between the cuffs crackled as the clamps moved over it, disconnecting the cuffs. There was a hiss as the clamps closed. Kade could feel the padding inside getting tighter, making it impossible for him to move his fingers much less free himself.
“Prisoner is clamped,” the guard said. “Slide back,” he ordered Kade.
Kade slid back to the wall and leaned against the uncomfortable clamps as automated straps made their way in an X pattern across his chest. If there had been any doubt in his mind as to whether or not this was really happening, that doubt was gone.
“We are strapped in and ready for takeoff,” the guard said, walking to the front of the ship. He stepped to the cockpit and refaced the prisoners. “Enjoy your flight,” he said sarcastically as an energy shield was activated, separating the guards from the prisoners.
The scared man started rocking back and forth as best he could under the restraints. “Razen! Not Razen! It was just a building! No one got hurt!”
“Shut up!” the large man told him.
“Hey! You!” The bald man yelled at Kade. “What do they got you for?”
Kade didn’t even look at him, resigned to his fate but still confused by the whole ordeal.
“The three of us blew up a building. You must have done something pretty bad to get sent to Razen? What was it? Come on, man, we’re all going to the same place. Might as well make the trip enjoyable.”
“I didn’t do it,” Kade said.
“That’s right,” the bruiser said. “The hero types never do.”
Kade shot the man a glance.
“Yeah, I thought I recognized you,” the large man went on. “Kade’Tor Lorenth.”
The other two reacted as if they knew the name.
“That’s right, boys.” We’re getting banished with a highly decorated war hero. You probably don’t recognize me, do you?”
Kade stayed silent.
“It was back when you were just like these guys.” He motioned to the guards. “Back when you were just a sad little officer. You busted me for assault with a shatter club. Put me in the hold for five years.”
“Pol Wier,” Kade said.
“That’s right. Do you know what they did to me, in that place?”
“Maybe that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t been assaulting innocent people with—”
“That wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t arrested me. Just like whatever reason you ended up in here, you had a choice back then, too. And you chose to arrest me.”
“I’m not having this conversation with you. And I’m not a criminal. I don’t belong here or on Razen.”
Suddenly the craft jerked and everyone felt the sudden pressure of rising straight up. The pressure alone was bad enough but the straps dug into their shoulders as they were pressed into them by the force of the rise.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over.
The scared prisoner who’d been rocking back and forth had become stark still. His eyes darted back and forth, waiting for the next quick maneuver.
“You don’t belong here?” Pol asked. “You don’t belong here? Did you let me out when I said the same thing in the back of your squad car?”
Kade shook his head. He didn’t want to listen to the complaints of a serious offender. As it stood, he had been lumped in with them. And he had no doubts that Pol Wier had been thinking, for a long time, about his revenge on Kade.
“So, you were set free, and rather than making different choices, you went into t
errorism?” Kade asked. “That explains the heavy firepower.”
“That’s right. Because everyone in the Capital City knows how dangerous I am.”
“I don’t recall you being that difficult to detain,” Kade said.
The other two began to giggle at the remark. Kade cocked his head at the reaction, suddenly aware that they knew something he didn’t.
“Capture is one thing,” Pol said as his shoulders shifted around. “But I learned a thing or two in the hold. “You can catch me. But you can’t keep me.”
Kade heard a clank and both of Pol’s arms swung around to his front, still in the clamps but now with more maneuverability. The large man ran the clamps along the inside of the straps and pushed out, never once taking his eyes off Kade.
The straps broke free from the wall and for a moment, Kade considered calling the guards but said nothing. If he was going to die, it was better this way than on Razen.
Pol stood and sneered at Kade. He slammed both clamps together several times before they cracked open and slid off his hands. How he got them separated in the first place, Kade didn’t know but now that Pol’s hands were free, Kade did know they would soon find their way around his throat.
Pol stepped forward. “I don’t know what you did to get put here, Kade, but I know this is probably well deserved because of it.”
“I didn’t do it,” Kade growled, frustrated that an actual criminal was accusing him.
Pol launched forward, throwing his right fist at Kade. The accused tilted to the side, letting the large fist pass him and slam into the metal wall. Kade could hear the knuckles break.
Pol yelled in pain before throwing his left. Kade repeated the same thing, forcing the other hand to break. He didn’t wait to see what else Pol might do.
Kade kicked his feet up between Pol’s legs. It was a cheap shot but his options were limited.
The big man howled in pain as he keeled forward, bringing his head right down to Kade’s. The former military General slammed his own head forward, driving it straight into Pol Wier’s. The sound of skulls colliding was rather sickening but it was Pol who fell backwards to the floor.
“What’s all the noise?” the guard said, appearing behind the energy wall.
The other two prisoners looked at the guard and shrugged their shoulders.
“I didn’t hear anything,” the bald one said.
The guard deactivated the energy wall and stepped to the unconscious Pol. “What happened to him?”
The other said nothing. The guard turned to Kade. “You gonna follow their example?”
“He broke free and started hitting his head against the wall,” Kade said. He felt silly saying such a thing. After all, anything the guards did to him was going to be worse on Razen. But he’d been in the officer’s shoes before. The traditional answer was a pretty quick beating if prisoners had been fighting. Whether in transport ships or in prison. And unless he figured out how to free himself the way Pol did, there would be no defending against the guard’s baton. Sure, Kade might be able to move his head out of the way but those shots to the torso and the legs were less defensible. And if Kade had even a small percent chance of making it a day on Razen, he was going to need as many unbroken bones as possible.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” the officer said. “I knew it was just a matter of time before Pol Wier snapped. Lucky you,” the officer dragged Pol to the base of the bench and shackled his wrists to it. “Because we just entered Razen airspace. He’ll probably be the first to die. As big as he is, the natives won’t bother with the three of you for at least two hours.”
The guard grabbed hold of an overhead hand rail just as the ship slowed to a stop. The feeling was the opposite of takeoff. Instead of feeling like they were being pushed down, they all felt like they were being lifted up. The officer had to push back just to keep his feet on the floor.
And just as before. Suddenly, all motion ceased. The guard walked to the bay door and pressed a button, opening the door. Kade could tell they were still in the air, though he couldn’t tell how high. Broken bones were still a possibility.
“Welcome to your last stop, gentlemen,” the guard said. “Welcome to planet Razen.”
The sounds coming from the surrounding area were unreal and truly terrifying.
8
Kade stared down the gangplank at the ground below, looking for any sign of whatever was making that horrible sound. As far as he could tell, there was no movement and no sign of potential attack.
“They’re scared of the ship!” the guard yelled. “Give it time, though. As soon as we’re gone, they’ll be coming out from all angles.” The guard pushed the scared prisoner out.
Kade watched as the man hit the ground. His knees buckled and he fell to his side, clamps still firmly in place.
“But you knew that, didn’t you?” the guard asked.
Kade glared at the officer. It was true. This was a place he’d found himself on many occasions, ridding Osceria of the worst of the worst. A title he now wore for a crime he was sure he did not commit.
The bald prisoner did not give the guard the satisfaction of pushing him off. As soon as he was free of the straps, he dashed for the gangplank, bowling over the guard and nearly tripping over the still unconscious Pol Wier.
Kade took note of the prisoner’s leap. It was too far and with too much force. If he managed to land on his feet, it would only be to fall from a broken ankle. Luckily for that prisoner, it meant a very sore hip and shoulder as the man landed on his side.
There was no easy way to deal with the unconscious Pol so the guard unshackled the large man and dragged him to the edge of the gang plank. He used his foot to shove him off the rest of the way. In his limp form, the impact with the ground wouldn’t cause much injury to the bruiser. Kade almost envied him for that. But not the rude awakening once he hit the ground.
Kade glanced at the guard and found only an outstretched arm toward the open air.
“You’re not going to shove me off, too?” Kade asked.
“They didn’t tell me what you’re here for,” the guard replied. “But it must have been something extreme. Regardless, you still led our people to victory. That, at least, deserves some intact dignity.”
Kade said nothing but only bowed his head in gratitude.
“Survive as long as you can, Kade’Tor Lorenth.”
They were the last words he heard from anyone in service of Osceria. Kade stepped out into the open air and off the gangplank. He could feel the cool rush of evening air as he fell to the ground.
His feet hit the surface and he bent at the knees then rolled to his shoulder, popping back to his feet. He didn’t even bother checking his surroundings, but only to look at the transport ship as it flew skyward. Already he could feel the clamps magnetic adhesion weaken as the ship got farther away. He pried the clamps apart and finally brought them back to his front. His shoulder muscles ached as they reset to their natural position. The other two prisoners quickly went to work freeing their hands from the clamps, slamming them together as Pol had done. The arm entrapment devices cracked and slid off the prisoners.
“Look at this fool!” Pol said, massaging his own head. “How do you hope to stop me if you can’t use your hands?”
Kade grimaced. He’d hoped Pol might have stayed knocked out till he could come up with a plan. “I don’t have to stop you,” Kade told him. “Razen will do that for me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” the bald prisoner asked.
“No one told you about this place?”
“Not Razen,” the scared prisoner said. He rushed behind Pol. “Anywhere but here.”
“What about it?” Pol asked.
Kade finally took note of their surroundings. “They dropped us off here with no weapons and no way to defend ourselves. Except for the clamps.” He held them up.
The scared man rushed back to his restraints and lifted them, desperately trying to put them back on.
&nb
sp; “He’s bluffing,” Pol accused. “He’s just scared because he knows what’s coming when I get my hands back on him.”
“It took one hit to the head to put you down, Pol Wier. You are not what I’m afraid of.”
Suddenly the sounds in the area stopped and the air became deadly silent.
“Well, you should be,” Pol said, feigning tough amongst the sudden feeling of danger.
Without warning, the scared prisoner dashed away from them in a panic.
“Get back here!” The bald man yelled. “What is it we need to be afraid of?”
“Now is not the time for fighting, Pol,” Kade said. “If we have any chance of surviving the night, it’s together, watching each other’s backs.”
“I’ll watch yours break.”
Kade’s eyes shifted back to the trail left by the scared man. He returned them to Pol. “Then your fate will be whatever his was.” He pointed where the man had run.
Pol and the bald prisoner looked to see no one there.
“What happened to him? Where’d he go?” Pol asked.
“Razen has him, now,” Kade said in a whisper as he pulled the clamps in front of him as a shield.
9
A cool breeze blew through the air, gently rippling the inmate uniforms. On Osceria, it would have been a refreshing feeling. But on Razen, in the open with nothing for shelter, that cool breeze was blisteringly cold. Kade did not see the others shiver and was sure they had not seen him. All eyes were on the lookout for whoever or whatever took their scared prison mate.
“Did you see it?” the bald man asked.
“Just let it try that with me,” Pol said, trying to sound intimidating.
Kade said nothing. Boasting about one’s abilities or how strong they were meant nothing on the planet’s surface. Action and survival were all that mattered. And unless they found a place to shelter, their lives were going to be full of action. Far more than any of them could actually handle.
Fighting enemy soldiers was one thing. There were tactics to implement and a team to help. Soldiers had each other’s backs. But these criminals were not soldiers and would more than likely throw each other to the lions if the opportunity presented itself. It wasn’t a strategy Kade wanted to implement but things worked differently on Razen.