Untamed Skies

by Mirren Hogan

  “FIRE ALL WEAPONS!” Dahgan screamed, hitting a few buttons on a control pad. “This is Captain Dahgan of the Vanquisher, Red Sector Fleet of the space station Vèniri HG2tG-42! We are under attack by a rebel force of Strevohnian ships! They have demanded we leave under penalty of war without having Black Sector permits to be in Cavriem airspace! Please be advised we are under attack and need assistance immediately! We are here under a peace mission with the Cavirq people! Once again, we are here on a PEACE MISSION and are under attack!”

  Another hit to the ships shields sent the lights and the electrical system into a frenzy, making the bridge a flashing zone. He ran over to the system and yanked a panel back, revealing wiring. Taking a blade from his pocket, he took a breath and studied the wiring for a few seconds. He needed to act fast. Black, green, red, blue and yellow. He cut the blue and the red and wired them together. The ships systems all came back online, including the shields and the bridge started cheering.

  “So glad that I spent my child hood hijacking ships for fun. Learning to take control of all the systems and convert them to back up power is coming in handy now.”

  The crew laughed at him and went back to work, firing on the Strevohnian ship. Within minutes, the other ships in the sector came into view. His fleet moved to engage them. He watched in slow motion as the war between a total of 59 fleet ships, 25 Strevohnian and 34 Qan'ul started sending weapon fire out at each other. He watched as the Vanquisher sent out four missiles aimed at the Strevohnian flag ship. As they hit, one by one, the vessels defenses failed, and the ship exploded… rocking the entire Sector with a sonic boom. As it slammed into the Vanquisher, Dahgan hit the floor; his head hitting a panel on the way down.

  He turned over on his back and laid there for what seemed like hours as time slowed. He turned his head to the side and watched at the fleet took out the intruder ships one at a time. Each one creating another sonic boom. As the last ship blew, the lights within the bridge of the Vanquisher failed and everything went black…

  The sounds… fire crackling, metal smashing and crumpling… the screams, oh god the screams! Alarms blaring. Footsteps running. Air from space smooshing around them. Explosions and weapon fire. Panels slamming into the floor.

  Captain! Captain Dahgan! Captain!!!

  Dahgan groaned. His entire body felt as if it had been pulverized by missiles. Attempting to turn over to his stomach, he started coughing. He stopped and smelled the smoke and ash, letting his eyes adjust. The world around him sprang to life as he focused.

  “What the hell happened? Where am I?”

  No answer came as he lifted his head. The purple tinted trees and blue flowers around him made him feel as if he were in a dream. He started to sit up, staring at the sky that was a mix of black, grey and orange. He felt his heart drop as he realized that was what was left of the battle… a mix of smoke and burning ships. Pieces of the burning wreckage was falling to the land at random. He stood up, feeling like hell. Looking around him, he saw the bridge of the Vanquisher behind him. Or what was left of it. Then he spotted Kiall in the wreckage.

  “Kiall!” He took off flying to him, hobbling with the now bum leg working hard to carry him. He fell to his knees at his side and wiped the blood from his face. “Kiall, oh god, please… wake up!”

  Kiall groaned and opened his eyes. “Hey, Captain… I think we won.”

  Dahgan chuckled and nodded. “Not that it matters now. How are you feeling? Are there any other survivors?”

  “Much like a ship exploded with me inside… oh, wait… it did.” He smiled and chuckled. “I think we are the only two, Captain. I am hurting, but I think I will make it. Where are we?”

  Dahgan smiled. “If my studies were for any purpose, it is this. We are on Cavriem. At least I know how to survive here, right?”

  Kiall chuckled and coughed. “I consider myself to be in good hands then. Help me up to my feet, Captain.”

  He helped him stand and steady himself before he laughed. “One thing. Don’t call me Captain here. Call me Dahgan.”

  Kiall nodded. “Okay then. Where to, Dahgan?”

  Dahgan looked for others, concluding that Kiall had been right. Out of the 467 people aboard the fleet’s ships… they were the only two who made it that they knew of. He sighed as he felt his heart hurt for all those who lost their lives before they moved on.

  For two hours, they found themselves wandering along the planet’s forest areas. The forest was humble, murky, and budding. Its canopy was claimed by plairian, lavaeal, and hyndea trees, who allowed adequate light to pass down for a collection of shrubs to flourish in the soft, rich soils below. Thin creepers drooped from every tree, and a potpourri of flowers, which claimed quiet corners, spruced up the otherwise brown lower level. A mishmash of animal noises, most of which were foraging beasts in the deeper parts, brightened up the forest, and drowned out the occasional sounds of breaking twigs beneath the feet of larger animals. Dahgan had found them drinkable water and they had washed their wounds, binding them with a first aid kit they found in the wreckage. Suddenly, something caught his attention.

  Dahgan stopped and ran over to the bank along the small waterway. “Oh my! Those are darlong purushas plants!”

  Kiall stared at him and blinked, amused. “Excuse me? You found what?”

  “One of the rarest plant species in the black sector! The darlong purushas are amazing!” Dahgan got down on his knees to examine the plant.

  “We are seriously stopping to what… smell the flowers?” Kiall wasn’t impressed.

  “The darlong purushas is a very uncommon, small-sized plant and can be found only in some forests on Cavriem. It blooms once a year, for 4 months. It has narrow, circular leaves, which are usually red and pink to warn off animals. It also grows small flowers, which can be pink, red, white and gold. The smell is a sweet nectar smell; it is used to lure grim beetles which will carry the pollen to and from the flowers while eating the juicy nectar it will produce all season long. These plants grow in small groups, but it's near impossible to control and maintain their growth. They can be dried and used in cooking. As a defense mechanism, the darlong purushas is poisonous for most creatures except the Cavirq. Once pollinated enough at the end of its cycle, the flowers shrivel and turn hard.; they grow fairly large, delicious nuts inside the shriveled flowers that anyone can eat. Unfortunately, most larger animals try at least once to eat the plant before the nuts start growing and wind up becoming very ill or dying. Which is why you hardly see any larger animals on the trails here. On the other hand, the smaller animals survive off these during late hotter months. Aren’t they amazing Kiall?”

  Kiall glanced at him and laughed. “Yeah, it is a plant. Never knew you were such a nerd, Dahgan.”

  “Book nerd to be precise. Might want to give it a shot every now and again.” Dahgan chuckled at his expressed look of disappointment. “Don’t look so glum, I am just trying to lighten the moment. Let’s keep moving.”

  They scoured the hills around the lake to find a patch of Belaries Cones, a fruit similar to Earthen Coconut/grape mixture in flavor. Dahgan knew from his books they were safe to eat. He gathered enough for them a good filling meal and some to snack on till they found a Cavirq colony where they could ask for help.

  As they moved, Dahgan was even more amazed at the planet than he was before. The plant life was so much more fruitful and vibrant than any he had ever encountered. The trees were taller, and there were some fruits, vegetation and flowers that were as big as his head. He breathed in the air. It was easier to breathe here because the air had more Carbon Dioxide in the chemical make-up. He made sure to feel of the plants leaves, the smooth fur on the base of the hyndea trees and the spikes on the Hybrid Sandzinias. When they cleared the tree line finally, they stared out over a small glassy lake of bright green with lush vegetation around it. It was surrounded by Cavirq beings.

  “Um, these things aren’t going to eat us or anything, right?” Kiall laughed, nervously.

>   Dahgan shook his head. “No, they are peaceful beings. They should welcome us, especially since we are on a peace treaty mission with them.”

  Kiall chuckled. “Leading me to the next question… how are we going to get the information back to the Embassy if they ACCEPT said peace treaty?”

  Dahgan stopped cold. He hadn’t considered that as he had a ship before. Now… well, now he didn’t and parts of it scattered the surface of Cavriem. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know. I am determined to do it though, one way or another. Maybe the Embassy received the message we were under attack and will send help.”

  Kiall nodded. “Possibly. Let’s keep hoping for that for now. They are all staring at the current moment making me extremely uncomfortable. What do we do?”

  Dahgan glanced around him and nodded. “You stay here while I attempt to talk to them. And hope they can understand me.”

  Kiall glared at him. “HOPE they understand? I thought you were an expert on these things!”

  Dahgan laughed. “I am. I just don’t speak their language.” Kiall’s jaw dropped, staying glued to that spot as ordered while he watched Dahgan walk forward, smiling.

  He approached slowly, hands up in the air as a sign of non-hostility. The Cavirq colony all stared at Dahgan in wonder. A few of the women walked over and touched his fingers, one even running her hands through his short hair. He had to chuckle. He had never had several women interested in hm at the same time before. This was a first.

  “Tremolo grpelodnih afaubieb?”

  Dahgan shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

  One of the females walked forward and cocked her head to the right, her piercing silver eyes scanning him. Without warning, she reached over and touched his chest. He felt a burning and blinked, grunting.

  “What are you doing?” He stopped and shook his head. Did he just SPEAK their language??

  She looked at him and backed off, the pain in his chest dying out. “Who are you?”

  Kiall stared in amazement as the woman and Dahgan spoke. “I am Captain Trep Dahgan of the Vanquisher. I am from the space station Vèniri HG2tG-42. We originally came here for a peace treaty with Cavriem. We were attacked by Strevohnian war ships claiming to be in their airspace and our ship crashed into your planet.” Another woman walked over and grabbed Kiall on the chest. Within a moment, he was hearing the conversation and could speak with them. “That is Kiall, my first in command. We mean you no harm.”

  “Welcome, Qan'ul soldiers. I am Damya. Come, we get you fed and cleaned and talk peace.”

  She turned and Dahgan glanced to Kiall… who still looked in shock. He chuckled at his first in command. He knew that Kiall wasn’t used to things like this; this was his first experience being on a strange planet. He usually watched the ship while Dahgan went to the surface. Dahgan could tell he was intrigued by the attention and the powers this woman had over his vocal chords.

  They followed them to a beautiful shelter. When they went inside, he was greeted with machines everywhere. Deciding that this must be their command center, he cleared his throat and started asking questions.

  “Is this where your base is?”

  Damya shook her head. “This is science.”

  Dahgan chuckled. “This is your science lab. What are we doing here?”

  She smiled and touched his head….

  He woke up and stared at the celling. A million thoughts ran through his head, causing him to contract in pain. Screaming, four Cavirq males held him down. He started yelling, still in Cavirq language, about what was going on. After a moment, his mind calmed and he blinked. His eyes focusing, he looked up and saw Månen.

  “Månen? Is that you?” She nodded and released his restraints. He stood up beside her and grabbed the table to steady himself. “What did they do to me and where is Kiall?”

  She smiled and rubbed his face. “Kiall is fine. You have returned home to me.”

  He froze, chills running down his spine. “What do you mean HOME?”

  She smiled and unbuttoned his shirt, removing the half sphere from his neck. He looked at it and shook his head, remembering the dream, but he hadn’t seen the sphere any other time but that. She glanced at his eyes, sensing his confusion. “This is HOME. This ball reminded you it was time you returned. See?”

  She took it and touched his head. For a moment, his head swam as if it were in murky water. When his vision cleared, he was looking out from the ball on his body. He watched as she opened a panel on his arm. What the hell?? He had never noticed that before and what was that anyway? What was going on here? He watched as she punched a button and then carried him over to a male Cavirq body in a stasis unit. Placing the orb to the body’s chest, he felt a pull and opened his eyes. His memories settling back into his mind, one at a time.

  He had been with the Qan'ul fleet for 18 years. He had spread the message of his people to so many species and planets. He had taught so many of their daily lives, their environment, their way of peace and happiness. He had experienced the life and ways of so many others and brought back that information with him. There was so much he had done, so many people he had become friends with. He had fulfilled his duty and now…

  He looked at her and smiled, kissing her deeply. “I remember. What will happen to Kiall?”

  “He will be sent back with the message of peace to your Qan'ul Admiral. Alaife will be happy to know you made it safely home.” He stopped and smiled. The admiral was one of them, too. Now that all made sense. Dahgan was sent to do this on purpose, knowing he could settle things and that he was ready to return home. “And the video your Qan'ul machine body recorded of the battle along with it to prove it was a misunderstanding. The Red and Black Sectors will be at peace again. We will take over the colony as planned, Ethern, my love.”

  Thinking back at the time he had spent within the machine with the Qan'ul, he was proud of his accomplishments… but was even happier to be home with his mate and people. Perhaps, the information he inserted into the minds of all the planets he had visited in his time would set the record that the Cavirq colonies were peaceful and bring more outsiders to their home. To experience the wonderous world of Cavriem for themselves.

  Ethern and Månen went on to rule happily as mates. The new peace order, Månen’s Order, would reign for the next century, insuring the ways and safety of the Cavirq colonies would be intact until the next rulers were born…

  If you liked this story from Lianne Willowmoon, you can read more from her in Rogue Skies. Preorder for 99c.

  About the Author

  Lianne Willowmoon is from Surgoinsville Tennessee. She was born and raised in Kingsport Tennessee where she graduated from Dobyns Bennett High School with a major in creative arts. Along with her writing, she enjoys anything outdoors, reading, crafting, jewelry making and horror movies. She is a stay at home mom of two; a daughter who she home schools at age 8 and a son that is 2. She also runs two businesses outside of her writing; a handmade jewelry business (Gothic Nightmare Jewelry and Acc.) and a book trailer/promotional business (Hydra Custom Made Book Trailers) for authors. Her specialties include the genres of Horror, Paranormal, and Dark Fantasy.

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LianneWillowmoon/

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/LWillowmoon

  Newsletter: https://liannewillowmoon.wixsite.com/mysite

  Copyright © 2019 by Rae Hendricks

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  A Change in His Stars

  Rae Hendricks

  Chapter 1

  I pulled out my sword, admiring the way the curve reminded me of the beauty of a woman's body. Though, the shining metal was much more trustworthy in my hands than the treachery of another being. I had been taught to trust only a few, and ev
en then, sometimes, those few disappointed. It was an inevitability. This sword, though, would take its aim and hit the target as long as my hand was sure and steady and my cause righteous. As the ship descended, a smile came across my face, and I pulled my gray hood on. This was a large colony. If The Galaxy Watchers prevailed here, it would serve to send a message all around the universe; we are coming.

  A fellow comrade came by and slapped me on the shoulder. I was moving up in the ranks quickly. This was something I knew would make my family proud, if I ever found them again, to tell them. I doubted that I would. They were the reason for all of this; the reason that I had joined the ranks of the Galaxy Watchers. I had watched them suffer at the hands of those who are not human; of those who sought to mingle. mix, and take over humanity, in its entirety. With their technology and their knowledge, they all thought they were better than us. We were what was better. We had hearts. We had strength. We had morality. These creatures now breeding with us and spreading across the stars, were taking what was our right as human beings under God. They were nothing.

  Today was my first day without Raul by my side. He was my leader, my trainer. He was our commander and was considered to be the greatest commander the Galaxy

  Watches had ever seen, able to expand us further than we have ever been before.

  I had never seen so many humans until I was 13 and went to train with him.

  Here, today, 13 years later, I still work proving myself. Everyone thinks I will be the next Commander. I will take Raul’s place, but this is a big job. If I don't get this right; if I don't win this for us, then this is it. I am useless, and I have failed.