Resurgence: Katieran Prime

by KD Jones

  “Wait,” AkER held up his hand trying to get her to halt.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Shhh…”

  Stopping and remaining still, Jenny strained to listen. If only her senses were as good as the Katierans. Unable to see clearly from lack of glasses, and not able to hear what was happening around her, she felt vulnerable, and a little scared. AkER had a weapon, but unless she scoped somebody to death, she wouldn’t be any help at all.

  “There,” he whispered, pointing to a place a few feet ahead of them. He pulled out his phaseray gun. “Come out and show yourself!”

  She watched as multiple shadows fell from the trees. Once they stepped into the moonlight, she could distinguish them better. There were three tall men. Muscular and shirtless. They looked at her curiously and their intense gazes made her shiver.

  “You are the medic?” the one with the strangest skin coloring asked her.

  She nodded finding it hard to speak. They were handsome, and showed way too much skin, but she found them intimidating.

  “I’m Lt. AkER, and this is Medic Jenny Sampson. Our shuttle was hit by an unknown enemy.”

  “Where is ZenIM?”

  Jenny felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Did they think she and AkER did something to ZenIM? She took a step closer to AkER.

  AkER answered without lowering his weapon. “He’s keeping an eye on our foe while we make our way to the safety of the village.”

  “Who attacked you?” the man with the strange skin color asked, moving slowly around them.

  “We don’t know. ZenIM is the only one who saw them, but he says they kept their uniforms and helmet on.”

  “Where is ZenIM?” the male with the strange colored skin asked again.

  Did they not believe them? This was getting ridiculous. Jenny answered him this time.

  “He’s at the ravine. He helped us across the bridge then cut the ropes so the attackers couldn’t cross. ZenIM insisted we continue on to the village and send help his way. Please, he’s alone out there.”

  “VegON will take you to the village. We’ll seek out ZenIM.”

  She felt relief. “Hurry, he’s outnumbered.”

  Jenny watched as the man with the camouflage skin made the plans. That’s what it was, his skin changed to reflect his environment like a chameleon. Fascinating. The doctor in her wanted to study him and ask questions. Hopefully there would be time for that later after ZenIM was safe.

  Two men disappeared in the trees leaving the youngest looking with her and AkER. The kid had to be sixteen or seventeen. No matter how young, he was definitely in charge.

  “Come this way,” the teenager motioned for them to follow him. When she pushed the chair, the young warrior halted her to take a look at the chair and toolbox rig. It was clear he found the set up quite interesting.

  “What is this?”

  “Lt. AkER was injured in the crash. ZenIM rigged this up so we could carry AkER through the jungle while he healed.”

  The teen smiled wide. “Our leader is a genius.”

  “Yes, he his,” Jenny agreed, smiling.

  “I’m VegON,” the teen said.

  “Nice to meet you VegON. I’m Medic Sampson, but you can call me Jenny. How much farther before we reach the village?”

  “Not far now.”

  That didn’t really answer her question. “Will there be other warriors sent out to help ZenIM?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Are you in training?” AkER asked.

  “Yes.”

  She met AkER’s eyes, and he shook his head in frustration. Okay, so this teen was not a talker. She didn’t care if any of them were big on talking as long as they helped to keep ZenIM safe.

  Chapter 12

  ZenIM traveled slowly down the side of the ravine, keeping his presence hidden while tracking the enemy as they made their way down the other side. He could only make out four of the males in uniform as the moonlight shined. He couldn’t trust there weren’t more out there. Where had they come from? Was there a transport awaiting them? Would others come looking for them.

  He reached the bottom of the ravine before the enemy. He needed to find a way to take the males out one by one. There was no way he could risk trying to take them all on by himself. He was sure they carried weapons and he only had his hunting knife. No, the best way to handle the situation would be to separate them until his warriors arrived to assit.

  Moving toward the river, a plan began to develop. Looking around for what he needed, a vine caught his attention. He had to act quickly. He may only have one chance to make this work, so he had to make it count.

  Upon entering the river, the water reached his waist. ZenIM stepped cautiously so the strong currents would not make him lose his balance. He found a few large boulders sticking out of the water where he could hide. Reaching into the water and feeling around, he found a pumi stone about the size of his hand. Pumi stones were heavy enough to stay just below the surface of the water but still light enough to float with the current. It was perfect. He tied one end of the vine to it. All he had to do now was wait.

  It felt like he had been waiting hours before he finally heard the shuffling of four pairs of footsteps coming closer to the river. Glancing around the boulder he hid behind, he watched as the males came closer to reaching the river’s edge. One by one, they entered the water, slipping until they got a good foothold.

  ZenIM sucked in a breath and ducked under the water. Using his strength, he made his way upstream. He could see under the water good enough to make out the legs and feet. Before he acted, he said a silent prayer.

  Goddess KatieRI, forgive me for what I am about to do.

  He reached for a leg and jerked, making the male fall. Holding him under the water with one foot, he quickly wrapped the vine around the male’s arms and legs.

  The male fought as he took in water. He glanced back but the others were too busy crossing the water to notice what was taking place behind them.

  Once he had the vine in place, ZenIM took the stone and tossed it in the water then let go of the male, allowing him to be dragged down the river.

  After swimming back to the large boulder, he came up, making sure to be as quiet as possible. He took in breaths without giving away his location.

  The male he had tied with the vine came up for air and screamed, but his screams were carried away with him down the river. The other males growled in frustration but didn’t go after their fallen buddy.

  Instead of helping, they turned their backs on him and continued their path across the river and onto the rocky bank. There, the three stood looking in the direction the river took their comrade. The tall one was more vocal. ZenIM had noticed him earlier and assumed he must be the leader.

  “Vani tool asti!”

  The language was strange but somehow familiar. He didn’t have a translator implant. He didn’t need one to understand the leader was telling his friends to leave the fallen guy on his own.

  He watched as the other males began their trek up the ravine. He had to plan his next move. A sound from above had him smiling. He wasn’t alone anymore. That also meant Jenny and AkER were safe.

  Slowly, he made his way out of the water. The three males were out of sight, but he could hear them clumsily moving up the side of the ravine. Some places only had rock protruding from the side, and if a person didn’t have a good grip, they could easily fall.

  ZenIM had a better way to go—the trees. He climbed until he reached the first rim of trees, then scaled up the trunk with ease. Once he was high enough, he moved from one tree to the next. It didn’t take long before he passed the enemy. Once he reached the top of the ravine, he stood waiting.

  A body dropped beside him quietly. ZenIM didn’t have to turn his head to know who stood next to him.

  “RidlEE.”

  “You should have waited for us to help you.”

  “There was no time. The Katieran shuttle was shot down
from the sky. I had no idea if anyone would survive. I also couldn’t leave them vulnerable for another attack. Did Jenny make it to the village okay?”

  “You mean Medic Sampson?” RidlEE gave him a knowing look.

  “Yes, Medic Sampson. The pilot was injured, and Medic Sampson has problems with her vision.”

  “I guess that’s why she kept squinting at me. I thought maybe she was flirting or something.”

  ZenIM growled. He had no reason to be possessive of the female, but the thought of her flirting with another male made him uncomfortable. It was too soon to form an attachment to her.

  “Who came with you?”

  “SporAN is in the trees. VegON is escorting the medic and the injured male to the village. DesIN is in charge of securing the village while we’re gone. When you didn’t come back, we put the whole village in alert mode just in case.”

  ZenIM nodded his approval. “Well done.”

  “So...who are these enemy? More rebels?”

  “I don’t know. They have kept their faces hidden with their helmets. I was close enough to hear them speak briefly. There was something slightly familiar about the language, but I didn’t have a translator.”

  “The uniforms aren’t familiar?”

  “Not like anything I’ve seen.”

  “There are only three of them?”

  “Four. I made one of them go down the river. We’ll need to send someone after him to make sure he does not return.”

  A whistle above tilted their heads up as SporAN leapt past them from tree to tree heading down the side of the ravine.

  “He’s on his way. That leaves us to deal with the other three. Is this a capture and question situation?”

  ZenIM wanted to say no because of the attack on the shuttle, on Jenny. However, they needed to know who these attackers were.

  “Capture and question.”

  “What if they fight us?”

  “Kill only if necessary to protect you or others.”

  “Capturing three males with weapons is not going to be easy.”

  “We’ll have to separate them, lay a trap or two.”

  “It will be tricky. The suns will be rising soon.”

  “Perhaps that might help us. They rested during the daylight last time. If they do again, we could take at least one of them unaware.” ZenIM was still bothered by something. His friend knew him all too well.

  “You seem worried. What is it?”

  “It just seems strange that four strangers attack a shuttle traveling at night, no one knows about, and they are the only ones? Where did they come from? Are there more out there?”

  “And you can’t contact Leader LarIS until we get these on the ground under control. Otherwise they could alert someone.”

  “Exactly.” ZenIM looked down the edge of the ravine and caught sight of the males. “Let’s take to the trees and bide our time.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter 13

  “What do you think?” VegON asked.

  AkER didn’t say anything. He had been testy wanting to get out of the chair. Jenny smiled at the young man. “It’s dark and I can’t see very well but it’s like a hidden treasure. I definitely would never have found it on my own.”

  It had been the right thing to say. VegON smiled back. “We take pride in our home.”

  Back on Earth, Jenny had traveled to plenty of underprivileged communities and even volunteered with Doctors without Borders for several years. She also spent time working in free public clinics in the poorest areas of large cities. None of that could have prepared her for what she actually found—a forgotten village built on top of a mountain. It was hidden away by the lush jungle and blended well with its natural environment. A beautiful stone pathway, well kept from dirt and weeds, led them to the village.

  “I like the way the little cabins and cottages line one side of the pathway,” Jenny said.

  VegON puffed out his chest. “We take pride in our homes. The pathway leads to the center of the village.”

  She noticed the trail opening up ahead into a large circular palladium with benches. Overhead, ball-shaped laterns covered with a muslin material shed a soft, yellow glow on the beautiful tile work.

  “How do the lanterns float like this?”

  “Each lantern has a mechanism similar to the toolbox and they are all solar powered.”

  As she stood in the center of the palladium, people stepped onto their porches to check out her and AkER. She could see their wariness mixed with curiosity. It was understandable. Two strangers showed up in the middle of the night, one of them injured. If she were in their place, she would be wary as well. A plump elderly woman with wild gray hair approached them.

  “I’m one of the elders. You can call me TilEE.”

  “I’m Medic Jenny Sampson. This is Lt. AkER,” Jenny said.

  “Oh yes, you are the medic that came to help Zander and HonORa with the birth of their young.”

  “Yes.”

  TilEE looked over AkER sitting in the chair. The curious look came over her face at the sight of the floating toolbox with a chair on it. When AkER didn’t stand, her look turned concerned. “Were you injured?”

  “Of course, I’m injured. Our shuttle was shot down from the sky. We crashed and had to trek through the Goddess forsaken jungle in the middle of the night!” AkER responded, trying to get to his feet. He growled low when Jenny tried to steady him. She had all she was going to take, and she would not accept his attitude any longer. Not only had he refused her assistance, but now he was taking out his anger and pain on people who were welcoming. Enough was enough.

  “You are acting like a royal arse! Fine, you want to walk on that ankle when it’s not completely healed, it’s on you if you fall on your backside. I won’t be breaking my back to help you get up this time.”

  She turned to TilEE. “I apologize for his rude behavior. I would say he’s speaking out of term because of the pain from his injury, but really, there’s no excuse for him treating you or anyone from your village with disrespect. I, for one, thank you for your hospitality.”

  Her treatment of AkER seemed to shock everyone except TilEE. The elderly woman burst into laughter. “I like this one. She has fire.”

  AkER’s face turned red with shame. “I apologize for my rude behavior. Jenny is correct, you have shown nothing but hospitality.”

  “I can forgive you for having had a bad day or two. VegON, take them to their cabins, and I’ll arrange food and water to be brought.”

  “We would greatly appreciate it,” Jenny said, feeling a little embarrassed over her outburst.

  “No problem, dear.”

  Jenny hesitated, wanting to ask her something else. “I met someone earlier who had a similar name. I was wondering if there is some relation. His name was…”

  “RidlEE?”

  Jenny nodded as she followed the elderly woman down another stone pathway.

  “That’s my grandson. He’s a fine warrior, and single in case you are interested.” TilEE raised an eyebrow at her. Jenny blushed and tried to change the subject.

  “Have you lived here for long?”

  TilEE shook her head. “We moved up here right after RidlEE was born. My son had died in a battle, and my daughter-in-law withered away from the loss of her true bond mate. I practically raised RidlEE myself.”

  More cabins lined each side of the pathway. Some were two story. They looked well built. “Your homes are just lovely.”

  TilEE smiled with pride. “Our people are talented with building structures. Each cabin has its own living space, kitchenette, sleeping quarters, and a wash room so you can freshen up. It may not look it, but we do have modern conveniences like solar power, heat and cooling, and running water.”

  God, she would love to have a hot shower. Jenny felt covered with dirt and insects. “Thank you again for welcoming us into your village.” Jenny hoped that she and AkER were given different cabins. She wanted to be alone for a while. So much h
ad happened, more excitement than she had experienced since leaving Earth, and it would be nice to process it all.

  Jenny started to reach for the floating chair but realized she didn’t have to push it anymore since AkER was insisting on walking, or limping, his way through the village. She moved the chair over to AkER. “If you won’t sit in it, at least use it to help keep your balance and not put too much weight on that ankle. It’s still not completely healed.”

  “Fine.” The male gripped the top of the chair and began walking behind it as he pushed it along.

  She followed behind him, hiding her smile when she noticed him leaning more heavily on the chair than he probably intended. Jenny felt a bit guilty not being as sympathetic. She pushed him through a jungle and up a mountain, took care of him all the while, and had to put up with his sour attitude. Even she had her limits. She was only human after all.

  VegON took her to a nice little one-story cabin, and her neighbors were out. They were blue—the Norads. A very tall, blue, handsome man approached.

  “I’m Zander, leader of the Norads.”

  Oh, he was the father of the child she was there to help. She gave him a tentative smile.

  “Hi, I’m Medic Jenny Sampson.”

  “We’re relieved you made it. My mate is resting, but she will be glad to know you arrived safely.”

  “Zander, the medic needs to get some rest. Her shuttle was attacked.”

  “I did not know. Are you okay?” his concern was real.

  “I’m fine, really. I just need to take a shower, eat something, and get some rest.”

  “Of course.” Zander moved out of her way to let her pass.

  VegON escorted her to the steps of her cabin. “Most of our cabins are designed similarly. You’ll find a kitchen with a dining table, a sitting area, a bedroom and bathroom. We have some supplies already set up for you, but if you need anything else, let us know.”

  “Thank you, VegON.”

  She noticed that her assigned cabin was conveniently located next door to Zander’s two-story cabin, the first she’d seen. Jenny looked at her small cabin with the cutest front porch, and even a rocking chair. Making it up the steps and inside, she sighed with relief. Alone at last.