by Grey, Lena
Morkon and Cyana share a look before he speaks again. “Your mate is accepted into the tribe. However, we must approach the others with caution. We will need to speak to the other tribe members about the situation. Our understanding is that there are still several missing females.”
“Yes. Remmel and I fear for their safety. We request that a search party be dispatched at first light.”
“Your request is granted. Cyana and I will choose who to send on the search. Once the other females are retrieved, we will meet with them before making a decision about their status.”
Accepting Ken-zee into the tribe gives me hope that the elders will accept the other females as well. How could they not when so many of my warrior brothers are without mates?
Chapter 21
Kenzie
* * *
For the second time since landing on UD237, I groan as I slowly regain consciousness. Still in the South Caves, I’m laying flat on my back next to the fire pit with five pairs of eyes staring back at me.
“Wh-wh-what happened?”
“You fainted.” Jillian brushes my hair away from my face. “Layla’s reflexes are lightning fast, though. She caught you before your head hit the stone.”
Layla is definitely the most athletic one of our group. “Thanks, Layla.” Slowly, I pull myself up to a sitting position. “How long was I out?”
“Just a couple of minutes,” Jillian says. “We were just about to ask for the healer when you started to come around.”
“When was the last time you ate?” Emily asks, handing me a protein bar and a water canteen.
“A while, I guess.” I’m not hungry, but nibble at the bar anyway. I have to think about the tiny life growing inside of me. “I’ve never fainted before. Finding out I’m part of a secret military experiment was a shock to my system.”
“We were all shocked,” Reese says. “What I want to know is, why have they done this to us and what do they hope to learn from this experiment? Those are questions that Jade hasn’t been able to answer yet.”
Jade holds up her tablet. “Working on it. Opening these files is a slow process but I should know more in a few days.”
“My question is, why make us horny?” Jillian muses. “Most healthy young women are already interested in sex. Given time, we’d probably end up banging the hot barbarians on our own. So why program our TEASE implants to dial up our desire?”
Jillian looks at me in a way that says, Don’t you have something you want to add to this conversation? It’s the perfect opening for me to confess that I’m pregnant and tell the others that my TEASE initiated early ovulation. The information could be helpful, but I’m just not ready. I’m grateful when Emily changes the subject.
“Hey, when we find Gia, do you think she could build a spaceship using our pod parts?”
Jade shakes her head. “Not one that would be powerful enough to maneuver away from the planet’s gravitational pull.”
“Oh, right.” The hope on Emily’s face fades away.
“Once the other girls are found, we should begin integrating with the Rakui people,” I say. “You know, become part of their tribe.”
“Easy for you to say, Kenzie. You’ve already got a Rakui boyfriend.” Emily sounds almost jealous. “Shouldn’t we all have a say in where we live?”
“Would you rather take your chances in the unprotected forest? I’m sure the rogues would love to pass us around like playthings.” It’s not like me to be so snippy. Must be the pregnancy hormones. “At least the Rakuis are respectful of women and they have a real community here.”
“This is a big planet. There might be other alien tribes,” Emily argues. “There might even be real cities somewhere.”
“If those tribes or cities exist, how will we find them? Did you bring a drone in your survival pack or something?”
“Jesus. You two need to chill the fuck out,” Jillian scolds. “I get that this is a tense and scary situation, but fighting with each other doesn’t help.”
I sigh. “Jillian’s right. I’m sorry, Emily.” I don’t add that I’m staying here with Trauhn even if the others move on.
“I’m sorry too, Kenzie.”
Emily and I are just about to hug it out when a series of loud explosions rock the cave, rumbling the floor beneath our feet.
Reese screams. “What the hell was that, an earthquake?” We all jump up, ready to run.
The explosions sound similar to the bomb Trauhn and I encountered on the way to the village. “I think it’s a rogue attack. They have explosives!”
“Oh God, we should have stayed in the North Caves with the elders,” Emily cries. “What should we do?”
“Stay here and stay calm,” Layla responds, her voice steady. “If those were bombs or grenades, they didn’t explode close to us. Let the Rakuis handle the attack.”
The thought of Trauhn using knives and swords to fight rogues with guns and hand grenades makes me feel sick. More explosions sound outside. “Shouldn’t we do something to help?”
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do to help, but we should arm ourselves,” Jillian says.
“Right.” My stun gun is still tucked into the waistband of my leggings. Startled by a sound coming from the entrance to the caves, I pull it out, remove the safety and aim it toward a hulking shadow.
“Drop your weapon, Terran, or this will not end well for you and the other females,” a booming male voice commands in perfect Galactic Common. A mammoth, gray-skinned alien with spikes covering his head and shoulders and fangs the size of my forearm steps out of the shadows with his high-tech laser weapon pointed directly at me. I’m frozen in place from fear and unable to move.
“I said, drop your weapon.”
“Take it easy, big guy,” Jillian says as she pries the stun blaster from my hands and tosses it aside.
Two more aliens enter the cave. Each one looks like a different species, but they’re all big and menacing, and dressed in filthy mercenary-style uniforms.
Layla takes a step forward, assuming the role of our de facto leader. “What do you want from us?”
“Silence!” Spike bellows, pointing his weapon in her direction. “Do as you are told and you will remain unharmed.”
Jillian and I grab Layla’s arms and pull her back toward our little group, which huddles together near the fire pit.
“Line up with your hands behind your head,” Spike barks. “Now!”
Since there’s only one way in and one way out of the caves, we’re trapped. And even though we outnumber the aliens, there’s no way we can fight them with our bare hands. Our only choice is to do as Spike commands and hope the Rakuis come to our rescue.
“You will exit the cave in an orderly fashion. Do not scream, resist or run, or you will be destroyed.”
Prodded like cattle by the barrel of Spike’s weapon, we follow the biggest, ugliest, smelliest alien out of the cave where more hideous mercenaries are waiting. Next to the entrance is a single Rakui laying in a pool of golden blood. He’s not moving and I pray he isn’t dead.
“That’s Stromm,” Emily gasps.
“I said silence!” Spike strikes her cheek with the side of his weapon and she stumbles to the ground. “We must go while the barbarians are preoccupied. Grab the females. Hurry!”
Without further direction, six of the aliens toss us over their shoulders and run into the fading, late afternoon light. We kick and scratch and scream at the top of our lungs, but we’re were no match for their size and strength.
“You’ve made a big mistake asshole,” I yell in Galactic Common at the guy carrying me, pounding his back with my fists. “My mate will hunt you down and make you pay for this.”
The brute just laughs. “Not if he’s already dead, Terran.”
Trauhn isn’t dead. He can’t be. It’s strange, but even now I can feel the cosmic connection between us, pulling him toward me.
I was abandoned by my mother and betrayed by my government. But my faith
in Trauhn is absolute. He will come for me. He will find us.
And when he does, these rogue aliens won’t know what hit them.
Chapter 22
Trauhn
* * *
My meeting with the elders concludes and I am about to leave the ceremonial enclave when loud sounds erupt somewhere in the village. The elders and I hurry toward the entrance of the North Caves. Xvar has been joined by Stromm and they block the entrance, their weapons drawn.
“What is happening?” I ask.
“Rogues have attacked the west side of the village by the Rakui River,” Xvar says. “Rykana and Yola are gathering the other females and the kits. Go and fight, Trauhn. We will watch over the elders.”
My first instinct is to protect my mate. “I must find Ken-zee and keep her safe.”
I feel Morkon’s hand on my shoulder. “You are one of our fiercest warriors, Trauhn. For the sake of the tribe, go toward the battle, for that is where you are needed most. I will send Stromm to the North Caves to guard the females.”
I do not like it, but Morkon is issuing an order not a request. Still, I wrestle with his command. It is my duty to protect my mate. But disobeying Morkon’s order could get me banished from the tribe. And if I do not join the fight, many lives may be lost.
“Go, Trauhn,” Stromm urges. “I will protect your mate as if she were my own.”
I nod in agreement because I have no other good choice. With my sword drawn, I run toward the battle where the air is thick with smoke and fire.
* * *
The attack ends almost as quickly as it started, with the rogues throwing many of their magic fire balls before making an abrupt retreat via the river in a vessel that moves swiftly across the water.
When all the small fires are extinguished, we assess the damage to our village. Two unoccupied huts were destroyed and the tribe’s fishing nets were damaged, yet they can easily be repaired. No rogues or Rakuis were killed, although several of my tribesmen have from minor injuries.
Something about the attack does not feel right. I pull Remmel aside and we approach Vauss, our most experienced warrior.
“This attack does not make sense. Why would the rogues create such chaos just to leave?” I say.
“Maybe they were testing our ability to fight them off as part of a larger attack plan,” Remmel suggests.
“That is a possibility,” Vauss responds. “Or perhaps the attack was a diversion to draw us to the river side of the village so they could gain access to our most valuable assets in the Cavern of Memory. We should check on it at once.”
At the suggestion of a diversion, my gut clenches. To the rogues, our most valuable assets are not the memories of our ancestors. They are the rare treasures from Urth.
“They did not come for our memories, they came for the females, for my Ken-zee. We must go!”
With an anguished cry, I race toward the South Caves with Remmel and Vauss following close behind. When I see Stromm outside the entrance, I know we are too late.
“Fetch a stretcher to take him to the healer,” Vauss tells Remmel.
I kneel beside the fallen Rakui. He is unconscious but breathing, and he has lost much of his blood. “Hold on, my warrior brother. Help is coming.” I turn toward Vauss. “I will check the caves.”
Leaving Stromm in the care of Vauss, I enter the South Caves with my sword drawn only to find them empty. As I suspected, the females are gone. The rogues have taken Ken-zee and her friends.
Pain pierces my heart and I drop to my knees in agony. Instead of protecting my mate, I failed her. With my head bowed in shame and grief, I fight to control the emotions churning inside of me. When going into battle, a warrior needs clarity and focus. So I push aside my pain and concentrate on the one thing I must do: find my mate.
The glint of familiar metal catches my eye. It is Ken-zee’s stun blaster. She must have dropped it when the rogues took her away. I pick it up, slide it into my boot and exit the cave.
While I was inside, Remmel returned with more Rakuis, including Morkon, and Stromm was taken to the healer. “Will he live?” I ask Vauss. He has more experience than I do with such severe injuries.
The look he gives me is grave. “Stromm is a strong warrior and Yola is the best healer I have ever known. All we can do is pray for his recovery.”
I turn and address the elder. “I must leave at once to retrieve my mate and the other females.” The rogues have a substantial head start and time is critical.
Morkon nods. “The females are under our protection. It is our duty to free them from their captors.” He faces the warriors who have gathered around us. “With nightfall upon us, this will be a dangerous mission. Who among you will go with Trauhn?”
Remmel is first to step forward. “I will go. I wish to make these rogues pay for their assault on our tribe.”
Blood brothers Deek and Darht step forward next. “We will go, too,” Darht says. “We cannot allow the females to suffer at the hands of our enemy.”
Then Zeleck, Lukka and Harek volunteer. They are all strong warriors and excellent hunters and I am grateful for their assistance.
More of my tribesmen come forward but Morkon stops them. “Seven warriors is enough. The rest of you must stay here to guard the village in case the rogues return.” He addresses our group. “Arm yourselves well, with extra knives and swords.”
We gather our weapons while Remmel tracks the rogues’ footprints. “They are headed in the direction of the salty black water,” he tells us.
I raise my fist above my head, rage and revenge fueling my urge to fight. “Then that is where we will go.”
I am confident that seven Rakui warriors are mightier than a hundred thieving rogues. My only fear is that Ken-zee and the other females will be harmed before we find them.
Chapter 23
Kenzie
* * *
“This is far enough. We will camp in this small clearing for the night. Secure the perimeter and find something to feed the females.” Spike speaks an alien language that our cochlear implants translate but I don’t think he realizes we can understand him.
It’s dark now, although the twin moons cast an ambient glow across the forest. His thugs drop us in a heap and we huddle together on the damp ground for warmth and comfort. We traveled at an all-out run for what felt like an hour which puts us miles away from the Rakui village.
“What do you think they plan to do with us?” Emily whispers. There’s dried blood on her cheek where Spike smacked her.
“I don’t know,” Jade responds. “But none of the possibilities are good.”
Jillian scoots closer to me. “Creeps like these guys have only one use for young women. I’d rather die than become a sex slave.”
A thought occurs to me. Trauhn claimed me as his the moment he saw me. “I don’t think they’ve captured us as sex slaves, at least not for themselves. If they did, they’d be fighting each other because there aren’t enough of us to go around.” There’s ten of them and only six of us. “The leader would have called dibs on one of us already.”
Reese shudders. “Maybe they like to share.”
“Maybe, but I doubt it.” I say. “Either way, It doesn’t matter because the Rakuis will come for us.”
“I’m sure they will, but we can’t count on being saved by them,” Layla argues in a hushed tone. “These aliens have real guns while the Rakuis fight with spears. We need our own escape plan.”
I don’t see how escape is possible without weapons but I don’t point that out.
Two green-skinned aliens return to camp with a dead animal. One of them builds a fire to cook it while the other one preps the meat. Unlike the gryzen Trauhn hunted, this beast smells gamey and my stomach churns at the thought of eating it.
Layla gets up, steps away from our group and addresses Spike in Galactic Common. “We need to relieve ourselves. In private.”
One mercenary grabs her around the waist and squeezes her breast as she struggle
s to get away. “I will take you somewhere private, my pet, where we can both relieve ourselves.”
Spike raises his weapon and points it at the mercenary’s head. Without the slightest hesitation, he pulls the trigger.
Zzzttthhhhttt.
A beam of laser light fries the mercenary’s brain and he drops to the ground like a swatted fly.
“Our orders are to deliver the females untouched,” Spike says in the alien language. “Get rid of him.” He waves his weapon toward another thug who drags the dead alien away from camp. Now there’s one less captor for the Rakuis to fight.
Layla’s visibly shaking as she rejoins our group. Her stunt confirms two things. One, escape isn’t happening and two, these guys didn’t grab us for themselves.
When the meat is ready, we eat our portions in scared silence. I choke down as much of it as I can, even though it’s greasy and tough. My baby needs me to eat, to stay strong, to stay alive. A skin of water gets passed to me. I take a drink and pass it along.
The mercenaries sit around the fire, chatting in their alien language and bragging about their various missions, including this one. Evidently, they didn’t crash on UD237; they were dropped off here. I keep hoping they’ll say who hired them and why but they don’t get that specific.
These guys aren’t the rogues Trauhn told me about, the ones who’ve crashed here during solar storms and now call this planet home. These aliens came here on purpose and have a way to leave when their mission is complete. What spacecraft can navigate through the planet’s gravitational pull?
When the guys get too chatty, Spike yells at them to be quiet and directs them to get ready for the night watch. One by one, they take us into the woods so we can pee. After the handsy alien was shot dead, I’m not too worried about being attacked, but I do my business as fast as I can and try not to tempt the guy who’s guarding me by flashing my bare ass his way.