by M J Dees
He produced a small packet with two capsules.
"I would only take one of them," he said. "You don't want to be so far under that you can't wake up."
Ay-ttho took the capsules and swallowed one.
"How long does it take to work?" she asked.
Tori shrugged.
"Let's hope it's quick, the fight's about to start," she said.
The small black creature had been busy bouncing around the room, screeching at all the others who seemed to be very excited about the prospect of fighting an ex-corporation security officer.
Other creatures had left the room to spread the word and soon a fighting area was being cleared. A crowd had gathered placing bets on who they thought would beat whom.
"I'm not even feeling the slightest bit sleepy," said Ay-ttho taking the other tablet from her pocket.
"Be careful," Tori warned, but it was too late. Ay-ttho had already taken the pill.
The small black creature returned and screeched at them. Tori walked into the centre of the space, which the creatures had cleared for the fight, and laid down.
The first opponent was the large hairy beast which Sevan had seen spinning on various parts of its anatomy when he had first entered. The beast entered the fighting space and stood facing Ay-ttho, who laid down on the floor and closed her eyes.
"I hope she knows what she's doing," Sevan commented to Tori.
The small black creature signalled for the fight to begin and the crowd began making a host of excited noises.
The hairy beast waited a moment for Ay-ttho to get up but she remained where she was, lying on the floor. The noise of the crowd dropped to a murmur and then they fell silent, bemused by Ay-ttho's unorthodox approach to the fight.
For a moment, the silence lingered and Sevan sensed the tension in the room. Then the silence was broken. The sound appeared to be coming from Ay-ttho herself. The crowd listened. The sound was unmistakable, Ay-ttho was snoring.
The crowd was outraged, but the angriest was the hairy beast. It reached down, picked up Ay-ttho's limp body and dashed it to the ground.
"Come on, Ay-ttho. Wake up," Sevan urged her.
The beast waited for Ay-ttho to respond and, when she didn't, it picked her up again and threw her to the ground again.
Ay-ttho's body bounced like a doll but she did not wake up.
"The dose might have been too strong," Tori worried.
"We have to do something," said Sevan but as he moved forward the small black creature screeched and two of the large hairy beast's large hairy friends held him back.
The large hairy beast itself had appeared to have already got bored with the fight and looked like it was ready to finish things. It picked up Ay-ttho once more and lifted her high above its head, ready to dash her down with enough force to break most of the bones in her body.
At the zenith of its lift, Ay-ttho opened her eyes and the most furious expression covered her face. She released herself from the beast's grasp, stood on its shoulders and grabbing an arm in each hand she pulled upwards, dislocating the beast’s arms from its sockets. She leapt off the beast as it fell to the floor and prepared herself for the next competitor which turned out to be the black armoured, six legged creature with huge pincers.
Ay-ttho leapt up, swung around one of the pincers and landed on the creature's armoured back. In a similar move to that which she used on the hairy beast, she grabbed a pincer in each hand and launched herself backwards, ripping the pincers out of the creature's head and taking half of its brains with it.
Climbing over its quivering corpse came the next opponent, a slimy and colourful quadruped creature.
Ay-ttho and the creature circled each other within the fighting area for a while, then the slimy creature, standing on one leg, kicked Ay-ttho square in the chest, sending her tumbling across the fighting area into a pincer she had separated from the armoured creatures head.
The slimy creature, leapt in the air, aiming a deadly kick at Ay-ttho's head but Ay-ttho, grabbing the pincer, plunged it deep into the slimy creature’s chest, suspending it above the floor until she cast it aside.
Before she could plan what to do next, a fat scaly creature had come up behind Ay-ttho and, using its shovel shaped head bone, had thrown her into the air and across the fighting space and into the crowd at the far side.
Ay-ttho got back to her feet but had barely made it through the crowd before a long tongue fired from the mouth of the scaly creature, punching Ay-ttho hard in the face.
The creature turned, as if to receive adulation from the crowd and, as Ay-ttho was getting to her feet, it whipped its tail and sent Ay-ttho sprawling into the crowd again.
Instead of standing back up, Ay-ttho crouched and then leapt into the air but the scaly creature reared up on its hind legs and swatted her to the ground.
A large flying insect joined the scaly creature and also a black feathered creature with a sharp serrated beak.
"Hey! I thought it was one at a time," Sevan complained.
The small black creature screeched and the hairy beasts tightened their grip.
The insect and feathered creatures took it in turns to swoop down on Ay-ttho while the scaly creature alternated strikes between its tail and its tongue.
It appeared to Sevan as if Ay-ttho was tiring. Her suit had torn, and he wasn't sure how long she could resist.
"We have to do something." said Sevan, but the beasts held on tight and more came to secure Tori before he thought of trying anything.
During one of its dives, Ay-ttho grabbed a wing of the feathered creature and swung it around, releasing it so it catapulted into the path of the insect, sending them both spiralling into a wall resulting in a series of sickening crunches.
The scaly creature's tongue shot out once more but Ay-ttho, ducking to one side and, grabbing it, spun around a pillar supporting the roof and tied a knot in the tongue, securing it to the post.
Sevan saw a scaly tail whip towards Ay-ttho, who leapt into the air, leaving the tail to swipe the roof support away, bringing down a roof beam impaling the scaly creature in the back of the neck.
Ay-ttho didn't have any time to celebrate her victory because at that moment, the front of the building was blown out by an explosion in the street.
CHAPTER 3: THE PANDORIANS ARE INVADED
Ay-ttho headed for the small black creature who was screeching and looking like he might prepare to flee.
She screeched back at him and he handed over a bundle of credits.
"Let's go," she said to Sevan and Tori whom the hairy guards had released.
They followed Ay-ttho through the crowd of panicking creatures some of whom appeared to be arguing over whether they should escape or make good on their wagers.
Climbing over the bodies of those creatures who had been nearest the front of the building, and therefore caught the full force of the blast, Ay-ttho led them out into the street where more blasts had hit other constructions.
Sevan could see that the source of the blasts were a collection of Corporation and Republic patrol ships hovering at the far side of the settlement. Fortunately, thought Sevan, the opposite side of the settlement where they had parked the Mastery of the Stars.
Ships were already taking off all over the settlement and the patrol ships were picking them off one by one. Flaming ships were crashing down on the settlement, which was bursting into flames.
Ay-ttho rushed along the street and they followed her as best they could while evading falling debris and the occasional blast aimed at nearby constructions.
They reached the establishment where they had met the assassin. It was still standing, although damaged and on fire in places. As they entered they found a deserted room.
"Why would he hang around?" Tori commented.
"Let's go," Sevan suggested.
Ay-ttho sighed with disappointment but then noticed a colourful star on one of the remaining walls. She approached it, examining it closely, sniffed it and then took a s
mall device off her belt and held it up to the star, reading the display.
"Where did he go?" She spoke into the device and then held it up to the star. After a moment she took the display back and examined it.
"Sure," she spoke into the device once more holding it back up to the star before removing the star from the wall and handing it to Sevan. "Look after her. Don't break her."
"Her?" said Sevan taking the star.
"What did she say?" asked Tori.
"He's gone," said Ay-ttho. "We'd better go before the patrol ships get to the Mastery of the Stars."
They ran along the burning street, towards the freighter park but when they arrived, they stopped in their tracks. The Mastery of the Stars had gone and so had the freighter park owner.
"Oh, for fushies sake!" said Sevan.
"Where in the name of the Giant Cup is she?" said Ay-ttho. "Ron wouldn't allow anyone to steal her.”
Sevan heard a noise and turning he could see, in the glare of the twin setting suns, the silhouette of the Mastery of the Stars flying low towards them.
It landed in front of them and the door opened revealing the owner of the freighter park inside.
Sevan wasn't sure what Ay-ttho was shouting at the owner of the freighter park but she didn't sound happy.
"Take the weapons seat," Ay-ttho ordered.
"What about this?" Sevan asked.
"Ron?" Ay-ttho asked the ship's navigational computer.
"Give her to the fungus," Ron told Sevan who handed the star to the freighter park owner who skulked off to the interior of the ship.
"Where is he taking her?" Sevan whispered to Ron who was also discussing with Ay-ttho the necessity to fly low to avoid being picked off by the patrol ships.
"I am preparing two rooms for them which will provide them both with environments to which they are more accustomed," Ron replied while advising Ay-ttho about the best escape route through the mountains.
"Why are they coming with us again?" Sevan asked.
"The fungus is paying for his passage by waiving the parking fee."
"And the star?"
"Ay-ttho has agreed to give her a lift for information."
"Information?
"About Lopez."
"What about the thing with the tentacles?"
"Ay-ttho seems to think Lopez will be a better bet."
"Who is Lopez?"
"He was a member of Corporation Security, like Ay-ttho. He disappeared and joined a cult."
"The last assassins?"
"They were just called assassins in those days. A bit of a misnomer, if you ask me."
"I am asking you. Why?"
"Most of them never killed anyone. It was all about discipline and mindfulness, but some of them sold their abilities to the highest bidder and many of them ended up fighting each other until only a few remained."
"Lopez was one of them who sold his services?"
"He is now."
The Mystery of the Stars shuddered and Sevan fell off his chair.
"What's happening Ron?" he said.
"We are being chased by a Corporation patrol ship. Would you mind if I devoted my full attention to Ay-ttho and Tori who are firing the shots and steering the ship?"
"Be my guest," said Sevan, trying to get back into his seat and strap himself back in.
Ay-ttho piloted the Mastery of the Stars as low as she could through the steep valleys between the mountains of Pandoria. Sevan tried not to look out the observation windows at the rock faces, which whizzed past far too close to the ship for his liking. A section of one mountain exploded in front of them.
"They're shooting at us!" Sevan exclaimed.
"Shut him up Ron!" Ay-ttho shouted.
"Sevan, do you think you should go for a little lay down?" said Ron in a low voice.
"You expect me to go for a lay down while we are being shot at?" Sevan whispered as loud as he could.
"Up to you," said Ron.
Sevan stayed where he was and kept quiet. Tori was busy firing everything the Mastery of the Stars had towards the patrol ship, but because the ships were winding in between the narrow valleys, it was very difficult for Tori to hit the ship rather than the valley wall.
Ay-ttho was concentrating on piloting the Mastery of the Stars through the narrow, almost labyrinth like topography of Pandoria.
A blast from the patrol ship shaved the side of the Mastery of the Stars and Sevan tried to tighten the strap holding him into his seat.
"We need to shake it," shouted Ay-ttho, stating the obvious. "There are some caves ahead."
"Are you losing your marbles?" asked Sevan.
"My data on the geography of Pandoria suggests that Mastery of the Stars should be able to navigate within the caves, they are large," said Ron.
Sevan winced as Ay-ttho steered Mastery of the stars into the entrance of a cave. It didn't seem big enough to him and he was glad he was not the one doing the flying.
The patrol ship, smaller than the Mastery of the Stars, negotiated the entrance to the cave with ease and followed the freighter through the winding tunnels, which riddled the mountain.
Mastery of the Stars was rumoured to be the fastest most manoeuvrable freighter in this part of the galaxy and Ay-ttho was as good a pilot as any, better than most, but the patrol ship was small and agile and in addition to navigating through the tunnels, she had to focus on avoiding the blasts of the patrol ship, most of which exploded into the tunnel walls, sending showers of rocks over the two ships.
The tunnel opened up into a huge cavern with many more tunnels embedded in the cavern walls.
"I'm going into one of those tunnels," said Ay-ttho to Tori, as she banked the freighter around the cavern. "When I do, shoot out the roof of the tunnel."
"You have lost your marbles," said Sevan.
Ay-ttho veered Mastery if the Stars around and headed for the tunnel from which they had just emerged.
As they entered the tunnel, Tori blasted all his cannons into the tunnel roof causing a shower of rocks to fall down, blocking the entrance where the patrol ship, unable to take evasive action, collided with the debris and exploded.
"Excuse me, I need to discharge my waste products," said Sevan, unstrapping himself from his seat.
When he returned, the Mastery of the Stars had emerged from the tunnel and had turned down the valley away from the settlement where they would expect to encounter more patrol ships. The end of the valley led into two more valleys and it was in one of these, Ay-ttho found another cave and set down the Mastery of the Stars far enough inside so the patrol ships could not see it from the entrance.
"I’ll interrogate the star," said Ay-ttho as she unstrapped herself from her seat and headed off into the interior of the ship.
"Ay-ttho?" Sevan called after her. "I hate Barnes as much as you do but is it worth it, risking our lives to get some kind of revenge, and for what?"
Ay-ttho stopped and turned to face Sevan.
"Yes, it will be worth it," she said and walked off.
Sevan went back to the bridge where he joined Tori.
"Can't you have a word?" Sevan pleaded. "We all hate Barnes but Ay-ttho is out of control. She will kill all of us by following this obsession."
"Ay-ttho is very strong willed," Tori observed. "Once she sets her mind to something you'll never dissuade her. She needs to get it out of her system. Be thankful she's sensible not to kill Barnes by herself."
Sevan slumped into a seat. He was not satisfied.
"Ron? Can't you have a word with her?"
"What makes you think she would listen to me?" Ron asked.
"She respects you."
"The only thing preventing me from taking up your suggestion," said Ron. "Is the overwhelming desire to avoid Ay-ttho from reformatting my central processing unit."
Sevan sighed.
They waited in the cave until Ay-ttho had finished interrogating the star. When she returned, her mood seemed to have lifted.
"He is he
re on Pandoria," she said. "Get yourselves ready. We're going on a hike."
"A what?" Sevan thought about arguing but then decided against it.
Ay-ttho provided them with new respiratory masks and wore the star in a harness on her back.
They stepped out of the Mastery of the Stars into the cave's misty interior. They followed Ay-ttho, who was taking instructions from the star, further into the cave's interior.
"Are you sure it's safe to leave that fungus alone in the Mastery of the Stars?" Tori asked.
"Don't worry," said Ay-ttho. "Ron can handle him."
They descended further into the narrowing cave until they reached, as the star had predicted, a smaller passageway climbing upwards.
The passageway was only just large enough for Tori to negotiate and Sevan felt anxious enclosed by all the rock. They illuminated their way by lights attached to their suits which cast ominous shadows on the passage walls.
Sevan was relieved when they spotted light ahead and after a little more climbing, they emerged into what appeared to be natural light but couldn't be as the Pandorian suns had already set. They had emerged into a cavern, the roof of which was covered in thousands, possibly millions, of tiny glowing insects.
The cavern itself was filled with purple vegetation. Ay-ttho followed a visible path through the vegetation until the cavern narrowed until it became another cave, devoid of vegetation. They followed it to the mouth where it opened out on a lush valley illuminated by three of Pandoria's moons.
From the cave mouth, a trail led into the valley and they had not followed it for long before they arrived at a small shack. Looking through a window they could see a fire was burning, but the shack appeared deserted.
The small device Ay-ttho used to communicate with the star began sounding an alarm.
The group turned to see a bigger version of Tori, dressed in robes almost identical to those which Barnes used.
"Lopez?" asked Ay-ttho.
CHAPTER 4: SEARCH FOR LOPEZ
They sat in the small shack eating a thick purple soup.
"So, if you are not Lopez," asked Ay-ttho. "Who are you?"
"They call me M'Sychu. I was the apprentice of Lopez until he hung up his robes."