Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1)

by Shaun F. Messick

  **********

  Bantyr slowly opened his eyes. He noticed that outside of his cockpit, dawn was fast approaching. He grabbed his head, which felt as if a hundred horses had trampled over it. He felt a large gash across his forehead and, slowly pulling his hand away, he noticed blood. He winced in pain and kicked his canopy open.

  As he crawled out, he felt two hands grab him from under his armpits and yank him out of the mangled Chati. Whoever grabbed him threw him about twelve feet to the left and into a tree. His head slammed against the bark, and he felt the skin of his scalp give way. He looked up and saw two Gnols, dressed in black battle suits and black battle helmets with tinted visors covering their eyes, approaching.

  Bantyr quickly tried to grab his sidearm, but it was kicked away by the first Gnol that reached him. The Gnol raised his rifle, swung down hard, and caught Bantyr on the right jaw with its butt. Bantyr fell to his left and spat blood and a tooth into the wet, melting snow.

  "Knock it off," said the second Gnol. "General Gar will want to question this one."

  Bantyr tried to scramble away, but the Gnols' strength was too much. They grabbed Bantyr under each arm and dragged him along the snowy, muddy ground.

  A few moments later, the two Gnols dropped Bantyr at the feet of another Gnol. Bantyr looked up and saw that he was dressed in the same black fatigues and battle helmet, but he had two gold stars on each shoulder and a long black braid extending out of the back of his helmet. Behind the Gnol was a massive army of Gnols, assault vehicles, Chaties, and aircraft.

  The Gnol pulled off his helmet, reached down, and grabbed Bantyr by the collar of his red flight suit. Bantyr was within an inch of the Gnol's goateed face and stinking breath when the Gnol spoke. "So, we have another one, do we?"

  Another one. Who else do they have? Bantyr thought.

  Bantyr let his eyes scan to his left and his right. On his right, he saw Captain Shaonal on his knees in front of another Gnol, who had his plasma rifle pointed directly between his eyes. Bantyr noticed that Shaonal had his hands tied behind his back and he appeared to have been beaten severely.

  The Gnol holding Bantyr pushed him away. He could barely stand, feeling the effects of his head wounds and the blow to his face.

  "Do you know who I am?" said the Gnol with the goatee.

  Bantyr didn't answer. He just put his chin to his chest and looked down. His father had taught him not to speak if he was ever captured.

  The Gnol laughed and began to walk around him. Bantyr still held his head in the same position.

  "Well, if you won't tell me, I'll tell you who I am. I am Dorange Gar, Commander and General of the Gnol armed forces. I answer only to our lord and savior, Koroan Chast."

  Bantyr still did not speak. He glanced at Shaonal, who slowly glanced back and nodded groggily. Suddenly, Bantyr felt a blow to his right kidney. He fell to his knees and tried to regain his breath.

  Dorange walked back to face Bantyr, grabbed him by his left ear, and pulled him up. "Is it my mistake, or isn't it a common courtesy that when someone has introduced himself, the other should introduce himself as well?"

  Bantyr continued to stay silent and kept his face down.

  Dorange continued. "Oh well, there's no need to introduce yourself. I can see your name on your flight suit."

  Bantyr stole a quick glance at Dorange and noticed that he looked surprised as he read Bantyr's name.

  "Captain Bantyr Palmer. So, ? you must be related to the famous rebel leader, Adrian Palmer?"

  Bantyr still did not answer.

  "Answer me!" Dorange yelled as he threw a right hook into Bantyr's already swollen face.

  Bantyr managed to maintain his balance. There was no way he was going to give any information to this Gnol scum.

  "Well, if I can't beat any information out of you, perhaps you will be persuaded to talk some other way?" Dorange looked at the Gnol who held the rifle to Captain Shaonal's head. "Commander, when I count to five ? kill Captain Palmer's friend."

  The Gnol holding the plasma rifle gave Dorange an evil smile and replied, "Yes, General."

  Bantyr looked up, opened his mouth, and then closed it again. He noticed that Shaonal looked petrified.

  Dorange turned his attention back to Bantyr. Bantyr met and held his gaze.

  "One ? two ? three ?"

  Bantyr looked back toward Shaonal and the Gnol. The Gnol with the rifle began to squeeze his trigger.

  "Four ? fi-"

  "All right! All right!"

  Dorange smiled. "Now, see Captain Palmer. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

  Bantyr looked back at Shaonal, who looked disappointed.

  Dorange continued. "I will repeat my question, Captain Palmer. Are you related to General Adrian Palmer?"

  "Yes."

  "How so?"

  "He's my father."

  Dorange's face seemed to gleam with Bantyr's response. He looked back at his men who were surrounding him. "I will speak to Captain Palmer alone." Dorange looked back at the Gnol with Shaonal in his deadly sights. "Commander, when Captain Palmer and I reach that tree, ?" he pointed to his right, " ? over there about fifty feet away, kill Captain Shaonal."

  "No!" Bantyr screamed.

  "Yes, General," replied the commander, who now seemed happy to finally be given permission to kill someone.

  Dorange grabbed Bantyr by the arm and forced him to the tree. Bantyr struggled, but he was too weak from the blows he had already suffered.

  When they made it to the tree, Dorange slammed Bantyr against it. Bantyr felt a small, jagged branch penetrate the flesh on the back of his left arm. He heard a blast and looked past Dorange just in time to see the lifeless body of Captain Shaonal fall to the wet, muddy ground.

  Dorange grabbed Bantyr's face. "Let me ask you. What do you know about your father?"

  Bantyr gave Dorange a look that could kill. "I know that he is a great man; the man that's going to lead the defeat of all the Gnols."

  Dorange laughed. "A great man ? you don't know him at all."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Tell me, Bantyr ? do you know where your father comes from?"

  Bantyr gave Dorange a puzzled look. "Of course I do."

  "Where?"

  "He comes from Talead."

  Dorange laughed again. "Maybe you didn't hear me right. I am asking, where does he come from? Because ? I know for a fact, it's not from this planet."

  Bantyr's eyes widened. "How would you know that?"

  "Oh, there's a lot I know about your dear father. Tell me, Bantyr, did your father ever tell you how he arrived on this planet?"

  Bantyr didn't answer. How would a Gnol know that his father didn't come from Terrest?

  "Answer me!"

  Bantyr now felt a surge of energy. He didn't care anymore. He knew that Dorange would kill him anyway. He rapidly lunged for Dorange's throat with his hands. Dorange sidestepped, which caused Bantyr to fall on his chest.

  Bantyr quickly turned around in just enough time to catch the boot of Dorange's right foot in the chin. He felt two of his bottom teeth crack as he fell back into the wet snow.

  Dorange lifted Bantyr back to his feet and slammed him into the tree again. He held him in place as he put his face within a few inches of Bantyr's. Dorange gritted his teeth and spit as he spoke. "Now listen, you worthless scum. There won't be any heroics today.

  "If you won't answer me, then I'll tell you where your father came from. He came from a planet called Earth. He arrived here almost twenty-five years ago. It was his fault. He was the reason we were stranded here on this planet."

  Bantyr's eyes widened as he began to realize what Dorange was saying. He reached up and wiped the blood that dripped from his mouth. "You're ? you are Donald Garrett!"

  "You catch on quick. And ? I can see that your father told you about me. But no worries ? in about thirty minutes ? I will get my revenge."