Sisterhood of Suns: Pallas Athena

by Martin Schiller

  “We should not be here,” Keela said gravely. “It is never good to be near the ghost flower, even here.” Her companion nodded in agreement and began to un-sling her rifle.

  Up in the front of the ‘lifter, their tour guide was speaking through her ear-bud to someone at the lodge. “What happened?” Shirleese asked, her professional polish cracking as her voice took on a note of alarm. “What are you saying?”

  A look of concern came over her pretty features and she turned towards her passengers. “Gentleladies,” she started to say, “there seems to have been some kind of problem--”

  There was a rush of air, as something too fast for the eye to register swooped into the open craft and out again. It took Maya a few seconds to come to the horrible realization that Shirleese’s body no longer possessed its head. The woman’s corpse stayed erect for a moment, before collapsing onto the deck with a sodden thump. The blood spattered pilot near her screamed in terror and banked the lifter hard and to the left as she accelerated.

  It was the wrong manuever. Instead of getting the ‘lifter clear of the trees, the edge of the craft caught on a huge limb and flipped over. To Maya’s surprise and horror, her harness unbuckled and she was thrown violently from her seat and out into space.

  Everything around her became a green blur for a few seconds before she hit a branch. The impact knocked the air out of her and she very nearly tumbled off to the forest floor below, but an instinct from somewhere deep and primeval made her reach out and catch herself.

  Using all the strength she had, she pulled herself up and looked around for Felecia and the others. Someone was screaming nearby and she tried to spot the source, but the canopy was too dense for her to see where the woman was, or identify her.

  She decided to try to climb down, and gingerly lowered herself to another branch just beneath her. As she stepped onto it, she heard a mew of fear. Human fear.

  She looked down and spotted Felecia, clinging with her fingers to another tree-limb, but just barely. The girls’ body hung in space with only her tenuous grip preventing her from falling to her death. “Help me!” she whimpered, her eyes bright with terror.

  “Hold on!” Maya urged, “For the goddess’s sake, hold on! I’ll come to you.” She tried to lower herself and reached out, but she missed Felecia’s hands by a good meter.

  “Please!” Felecia cried, “I can’t hold on much longer!”

  Maya’s mind raced, trying to figure out how to save her lover. Then she remembered her flight jacket’s special features. Thanking the Goddess and Apee Corporation, she unzipped the compartment in her right arm and withdrew the length of monofilament rescue line. Making a crude loop, she lowered it down to the girl. “Grab the line,” she instructed. “I’ll pull you up!”

  Felecia made a grab for it, but only succeeded in missing the line. Suddenly, she was hanging by only one hand and flailing wildly to grab a hold with the other. “I’m slipping!” she screamed in alarm.

  Suddenly, Maya was no longer alone on the branch. It was Keela. Without saying a word, the woman wrapped her prehensile tail around the limb for support and lowered herself downwards, reaching for Felecia. But just as she was about to make contact, Felecia gave out a cry, and lost her grip.

  The Nemesian reacted with superhuman speed and just managed to get hold of the girl’s arm before it dropped away. Grimacing with the effort, Keela hauled Felecia upwards until she was able to raise herself up onto the branch.

  “Oh, goddess!” Felecia sobbed, coming into Maya’s arms, “I thought…” The rest was lost in her tears. Holding her close, Maya turned to Keela. “What happened?” she asked.

  “We were attacked by the neversaw,” Keela answered. “The impeller fencing must have been sabotaged, and I think the same evil hands made certain that our harnesses failed.’

  “Now we must get away from here. This is no longer the Tamed Wood, but the True Forest. The neversaw will be close by, and other creatures just as dangerous will soon arrive.”

  Right then, a scream of agony sounded from somewhere below and off to the right, gruesomely punctuating the Nemesian’s statement.

  Keela addressed Felecia. “Quickly, climb onto my back and lock your arms around my neck. I will carry you down, then I will return for your mate and we will make our way on the ground. It is not as safe as the Green Road, but neither of you is skilled enough to travel that.”

  Felecia looked fearfully at the distant forest floor, and then at Maya. “Please, isn’t there another way?”

  “She’s right,” Maya said, not sure what Keela had meant by the ‘Green Road.’ “There’s no way my escape line will reach the bottom of this tree. You’ll have to do as she says. She knows what she’s doing.”

  “But--”

  “There is no time for arguments, girl!” Keela snapped. “The neversaw will find us up here. Now climb on!”

  Felecia glanced doubtfully at the ground again, but with a nod of reassurance from her lover, did as the forest woman had ordered.

  “You,” the Nemesian said to Maya, “secure yourself to this limb with your line. If you are armed, be ready with your weapon until I return for you.”

  Maya immediately tied one end of her escape line to the branch. It took her a moment to figure out what to do with the other end, but then she recalled the large metal ring she had found inside a flap alongside her jacket’s zipper. She pulled this out from its hiding place and fashioning a loop, clipped the monofilament line into it. Then she zipped the jacket up and tested the connection, letting out an audible sigh of relief as she realized that it was securely fastened to the limb. After this, she took out her needlegun, checked its ammunition level, and cocked its action.

  Keela nodded approvingly, and then scrambled down the branch with Felecia on her back.

  “I will return momentarily,” she said back up to Maya. “Keep a sharp eye out for any movement in the canopy and do not hesitate to fire at it. The neversaw will not give you any time to verify your target.”

  Without waiting to see if Maya understood, she continued her descent to the forest floor with Felecia holding on for dear life. At the main trunk, she sank her claws and foot talons into the softer vines that were covering it and started down. Her passenger squealed with momentary alarm, but Keela’s grip was firm.

  They were about halfway down the great tree when Maya thought she heard a rustle in the treetops nearby. She brought her pistol up, seeking a target, but failed to locate anything lurking amidst the dense mass of leaves and branches around her.

  Something was out there though. She couldn’t see it or smell it, but her talents could feel it. It was out among the branches, watching her with malevolent eyes and considering its next move. Her palms started to sweat as she ranged the barrel of the needlegun in front of her, trying to spot the creature.

  In the next instant, it came at her, a shadowy form half-hidden by the foliage. Maya fired and another scream issued out through the canopy, but this time it came from nothing even remotely human.

  The enraged creature burst into view on a nearby branch; a blur of teeth and claws, and it was Maya’s turn to cry out as it lunged at her again. Overcome with terror, she forgot where she was and took a step backwards, but there was nothing for her feet to find purchase on. Instead, she slipped and fell backwards off the limb, smashing through several smaller branches before she reached the end of her line and came to a bone-jarring halt.

  Up above her, on the limb that she had been perched on was the neversaw. The creature looked vaguely like a tiger from Old Gaia, but with too many limbs and eyes to even pretend a shared lineage. It looked down at her with a giant wedge-shaped head filled with thin razor sharp teeth. Howling with frustration, the predator flicked its prehensile tail and began to work its way down to her.

  Maya brought her needlegun to bear for another shot when something dripped down into her face, instantly burning her skin and eyes, and robbing her of the chance to see her target clearly. It took her a m
oment to realize that the stuff in her eyes was what the predator used for blood. She wiped as much of the loathsome substance off with her arm as she was able and fired a burst upwards. The neversaw leapt away, leaving her unsure if she had even hit the thing.

  Maya also didn’t intend to stay and find out. The ground was still a long ways off, but the prospect of hanging in mid-air by a thin line with a wounded predator lurking nearby, was less attractive than risking the drop. She let out the line until it reached its end, took in a deep breath and detached.

  She fell like a stone. The soft ground turned out to be much closer than she had expected, and she landed hard. Stars filled her vision for a moment, and as they cleared, Felecia and Keela ran over.

  “Oh, Maya!” Felecia cried. “Are you okay? Are you all right?” Maya let Keela assist her to her feet and waved Felecia back.

  “I’m fine,” she replied with a weak smile, “just a little meteor pitting and some scraped paint. No worries.” In fact, everything hurt, but nothing seemed to be broken.

  “Can you walk?” Keela asked.

  Maya nodded.

  “Good. We need to be away from here.” There was a rustle overhead and Keela brought up her chemical rifle, letting off a burst of automatic fire. Another unearthly shriek issued from the canopy above them, followed by a shadowy form moving rapidly away from them across the treetops.

  Keela nodded to herself in satisfaction. “Follow me and do not let yourselves stray too far behind,” she said. With that, she started off.

  Because the giant trees blocked off most of the life-giving sunlight, the forest floor was relatively clear of undergrowth and Maya and Felecia were just able to keep pace with the Nemesian. The woman set a brutal pace, but after her own encounter with the neversaw, Maya had no objections and urged Felecia along. Once or twice, the city-born girl stumbled on a root, or an uneven patch of earth, but Maya was there to help her and kept her moving.

  Reaching a small clearing, Keela gave them a moment to sit and catch their breath. While she waited for them, the woman sniffed the air and listened carefully to the noises around them with her long pointed ears, ranging around her with the barrel of her weapon. When her stance relaxed slightly, Maya could tell that nothing dangerous was lurking nearby. For the moment.

  “The nearest large clearing is still far from here,” the Nemesian announced, “and we cannot know if our personal rescue beacons have been received; the trees can sometimes block out a signal. We will have to move much faster. The Mother Forest is no place to be after full dark.” Maya pulled Felecia up to her feet and followed Keela as she led the way.

  Darkness swallowed up the forest around them like a living thing, and on its wings came the same weird cries that Maya had heard from her room on their first night. But they were closer and more frightening without an impeller fence to keep whatever had made them at bay. She gathered Felecia in and kept her needlegun at the ready, staying alert for any sign of danger.

  Abruptly, Keela stopped and raised a hand in warning.

  Suddenly, a huge multi-eyed creature with a muscular back and short, powerful looking legs sprang at them, its jaws opened wide. Felecia screamed in terror and Maya fired wildly at the monster, her needlegun flashes creating a bizarre strobe effect against the things pale hide as it charged fowards.

  Keela fired at the same time and there was a wet splat as she scored a direct hit in one of the things primary eyes. The nightmarish creature shuddered and gave out a shriek that threatened to rupture Maya’s eardrums as it skittered back and scuttled off into the shadows.

  “The wasauk will not return,” Keela stated, calmly changing her rifle magazine for a fresh one. Then she slung her weapon, took out her Tej knife and slashed her upper arm, twice. Watching her perform this ritual, Maya finally understood the meaning behind the scars there. Each one represented a battle that the Nemesian had won. And both of Keela’s arms were covered with them.

  Keela re-sheathed her blade. “I injured the beast and it should keep its distance now. Even so, there may be others of its kind nearby. Get your companion to her feet.”

  Maya looked down and saw that Felecia had collapsed during the attack. She tried to coax her into standing, but her lover was at the very limits of her resources and clung to Maya’s legs like a child, sobbing uncontrollably and whimpering for her mother. Finally, she bent down and caressed the girl’s head, whispering soft nonsense into her ears until at last, Felecia allowed herself to be pulled upright. Finally, they started off again, and Maya kept a protective arm around her, gently urging her along.

  Although the native woman made no comment, the contempt in her eyes was plain, and she didn’t bother to slacken her pace one nano. It was obvious that she regarded Felecia as the quitessential hwa’ni’tem. Only the fact that she was being paid to protect her, and the ire that her people might face from Felecia’s powerful mother, were what prevented her from simply abandoning them both to their fates.

  Not that Maya cared. What really mattered was that Keela was there and giving them the edge that they needed to get out of the forest alive.

  The minutes passed, and finally they reached the edge of the large clearing that the Nemesian had mentioned. Seeing the saw-toothed mountains rising in the distance, Maya realized that she was looking at the Chasadaans, which meant that they were somewhere on the border of the Modrel Valley.

  Reassured by something even remotely familiar, she started to walk out into the clearing, but Keela signaled for her to wait. Once again, the woman listened, and smelled the air. At last, she relaxed and waved them forwards.

  “My hunting sister is nearby and others of your kind are with her,” Keela declared. “We will join them and wait for rescue.”

  She gestured towards a small fire that had been lit in the center of the meadow. A group of women were huddled around it, and even from that distance, Maya could make out Laa’ret’s wiry form, standing watch over them.

  Keela waved them past her, keeping her rifle trained on the treeline, and after they had gone a little ways, she retook the lead.

  “Our rescue beacons should be readable from here,” Keela said as they reached the group of survivors. “If there is not too much trouble back at the Lodge, we should expect rescue by dawn.”

  “The Lodge!” Felecia’s eyes became bright with alarm. “My mother, and all those people!”

  “We cannot help them,” Laa’ret stated flatly. “We can only remain here and hope that they will be able to win their way to us. Until then, we stay. This is the only safe place for offworlders. Get some rest while you can.”

  “I’m sure that your mother is all right,” Maya offered. “She had a full contingent of security staff with her and my crewmates. I’m sure they got her to safety.”

  “Do you really think so?” Felecia asked in a small voice. Her eyes were bright with hope and fear.

  “Yes,” Maya replied. “I do. Come, let’s sit by the fire.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Unnamed Settlement, Second Planet, HSL-48 2124A System, Unclaimed Territory, 1043.03|02|02:38:33

  Jon fa’Teela rose up onto his elbows and peered into the display screen of his manoculars, scanning the town ahead of him. In many respects, the buildings were familiar enough, but he still couldn’t see anything that resembled a church. If the town were a Marionite settlement like they thought, there would have been one. But the Marine Marauder team had made a full circle around the community, and there simply didn’t appear to be a House of the Faithful anywhere within its boundaries.

  His psiever flashed with a message from the Troop Leader. Well? What’s bothering you, Neo?

  Jon shook his head. Nothing. I just don’t think this is a Marionite colony.

  We’ll see, the woman replied doubtfully. I think your friends here just aren’t as obvious about it. We’re going to move in closer. We need more intel.

  The team moved forwards, keeping low to the brushy ground and making their way towards a road that led ou
t of town into the surrounding fields. Tall bushes lined the side they were on, and this feature, along with the uncertain pre-dawn twilight, made it relatively easy going, even for Jon, who hadn’t been on night maneuvers since Basic.

  They stopped at the edge of the road and halted when they heard something. Jon thought it had been a woman’s voice, singing a simple song, and he turned his head in the direction of the sound. A young girl, possibly 13 standard, was on a bicycle, riding right towards their position. The single headlamp on her vehicle bobbed wildly as the girl interrupted her tune and stepped into the pedals to get her bike over a small rise in the roadway.

  She crested it, and as she slowed for a moment, the nearest SpecOps member jumped up and seized her while another Marine took control of the bicycle. It was the perfect kidnapping. In an instant, they had the struggling girl and her bike off the road and out of view. In another second, they had tied her hands, taped over her mouth and covered her eyes with a kerchief.

  You! Neo! the Troop Leader thought to Jon. You can finally do something useful. Carry the prisoner on your back. We’ll cover your exit. We’re going to waypoint Dana-Eleen. We’ll question her there.

  Jon hoisted the girl on his back without comment, bringing her manacled hands over his neck and using them to keep her weight steady. While they moved away from the ambush site, he tried to monitor her breathing, just in case the girl had swallowed her tongue. With the load he was carrying, the trip back to their gathering point proved tougher than it had been coming in, but he managed to get their prisoner there without incident, and he set her down as gently as possible.

  At a nod from the Troop Leader, Jon removed the bandana from her eyes, and then carefully peeled the tape off of her mouth.

  “Who are you?” the Troop Leader demanded.

  The girl looked up at her in confusion, and the trooper repeated her question with the same result.

  “Who… are… you?” the trooper asked, pointing towards the girl and then herself. “I… am… Troop Leader… Annasdaater.”