by S. E. Smith
Her voice faded when he picked up a stone and tossed it across the water. It skipped almost a dozen times before it sank. She looked up at the sky. It would be dark soon. She shooed L’eon back to her shoulder and leaned back again.
“Mother is already going to be furious when she realizes that I haven’t returned. I’m doing this for the good of our people. If the Sand warrior is here to attack us, then someone will have to stop him. It is my responsibility to keep our people safe,” she reasoned.
L’eon released another low snort before he circled several times and settled down with his tail over his nose. That was his sign that he was ready to ignore her and take a nap. She would do the same later while L’eon kept an eye on their visitor.
Twilight lit the sky in a kaleidoscope of soft pastels before darkness covered the forests. She loved this time of the day. Her gaze moved to the sky.
The stars were brilliant tonight, each one a pinpoint of light that cast enough illumination that no fire would be needed. There would only be a sliver of a moon for the next few nights, nothing that would take away from the beauty of the vastness of the galaxy. The view always took her breath away.
“One day, L’eon. One day I’m going to travel to the stars and see what is out there,” she murmured.
L’eon’s soft snore answered her. She smiled and stroked his head with her fingers before turning her attention to the warrior below her. He had risen to his feet while she was daydreaming. Her breath caught when she saw that he had removed the outer cover of his flight suit. Now he was clad only in a pair of form-fitting dark brown trousers and a light tan shirt.
He was pulling out several boxes from a compartment under the ship. He paused to roll up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing muscular forearms. Madas blinked and shook her head when she felt… drawn to him. She wanted to run her hands along his arms to see if they were as firm as they looked.
“I’m sure he’d get a surprise out of that,” she muttered with a tinge of self-disgust. “He’s old, Madas. He has to be at least two hundred years if he is a day! Way too old for you.”
She pursed her lips at her crazy thoughts. She needed to stay focused—on the ship, not the man. A plan began to form in her mind. Once he fixed the ship, she could lead him deep into the forest where he was bound to get lost, and then she could circle back and take his ship. She and L’eon would be long gone by the time he found his way back—if he was able to. There were plenty of wild animals in the forest that would be happy to have such a tasty meal.
The thought of him ending up as dinner for any number of wild animals didn’t sit well with her for some reason. Pushing the thought out of her mind, she decided she had better get some sleep. Nudging L’eon, she waited until he climbed down on the branch before she stretched out and folded her arms under her head to act as a pillow.
She continued watching him as the minutes ticked by, but soon her eyelids began to droop and she fell into a light sleep. A soft smile graced her lips when she felt L’eon climb up onto her back and settle down between her shoulder blades. Before long, dreams of a Sand-colored warrior filled her mind, much to her discomfort—and her delight.
3
Gril pulled the panel off the starboard engine to assess the damage. Shining a light on the engine, he tried to determine what had caused the multiple systems to fail. It didn’t make sense for so many safety systems to crash at the same time.
He opened the casing that enclosed all the circuit boards and began checking each one before replacing them back into their sleeve. It wasn’t until he reached the second to the last one that he saw the charring on the back side of the board.
There was something attached to the panel that shouldn’t have been there. Holding the panel under the light, he fingered the burnt remains of a small box. Lifting his finger to his nose, he sniffed.
“Ammonium nitrate powder,” he murmured.
There was also a faint residue of finely ground zinc powder. He ran a finger over the burnt hole in the metal casing—hydrochloric acid. The problems with his ship were not caused by an unfortunate accident. He had been sabotaged.
Gril stood back and looked at the fighter with a thoughtful expression. Curious, he placed the burnt circuit board on the wing and walked around to the port side. He quickly removed the panel covering the system control and carefully checked each board.
Gril turned over the guidance fuel control board. On the back, an identical box was attached, only this one was still intact. He carefully pried it loose. As he did, the casing cracked and a flash of fire lit the darkness. He dropped it to avoid being burned. The flames rolled across the sand as the chemical spread. He quickly covered the box and the spilled contents with sand, smothering the flames.
Whoever had sabotaged his fighter had planned for both engines to be taken out at the same time. If he had been exiting or re-entering the planet’s atmosphere when the boxes detonated, the fighter would have blown up. If he had lost both engines in space instead of one, he would have been unable to return to the planet at all. The damage would have taken out his thrusters as well if the flames hadn’t been extinguished so quickly.
He would need to go through the fighter. With so many system failures, there had obviously been more damage done, and he needed this ship functional again. The fighter had been in the hangar where hundreds of technicians and pilots had access, but a review of the security video could narrow down the suspect list. He’d need to get back to the base to do that, though.
Gril was so lost in thought, he jerked and grabbed the laser pistol at his waist when he heard a sneeze. He frowned when he turned toward the sound and didn’t see anything. Taking a step to the side, he scanned the area. It wasn’t until he felt sand spattering against his boot and leg that he looked down.
Gril stared down in shock at a strange little lizard scratching and sniffing the ground where he had buried the small explosive. The creature turned the scorched box over and sniffed it. Gril released an amused chuckled and raised his eyebrow when the lizard sneezed so hard that it sat down. He was surprised that he could still find levity in his current dire circumstances, but it was hard not to find the little guy adorable. The creature wiped his nose with his tiny reptilian foot.
Scanning the area once more to make sure there weren’t any more surprises, Gril knelt down on one knee in the sand. He carefully studied the creature who was watching him just as closely, and was struck by the intelligence in the creature’s eyes.
A contemplative frown creased his brow when the lizard lifted his tail and pointed it at the gun in Gril’s hand. He slid the pistol back into the holster at his waist.
“I apologize, my little friend. You took me by surprise,” Gril said with a rueful chuckle.
The lizard cocked his head to the side, and gave him a cautious, assessing look. Gril decided that the little guy was a curious creature. He remained still when the creature stood up, walked over to him, and sniffed his boots. A surprised chuckle slipped from him when it suddenly scurried up his leg to sit on his bent knee. Raising an eyebrow, he waited to see what the creature would do next. The creature appeared to be waiting, too.
“Well, I guess I passed muster. You are a trusting little thing. Most creatures would be keeping a fair distance. You should be more cautious. Appearances can be deceiving. I would hate to see you get hurt,” Gril gently commented, his eyes holding a hint of sadness at the truth behind his words.
He slowly reached over to touch the lizard’s head. The creature remained still, his head cocked at an angle. His eyes glimmered with curiosity.
Gril gently scratched the lizard behind his ear. It must have liked it because a goofy grin curved its mouth, his tongue hung out to the side, and one of his back legs began to thump against Gril’s knee. Another low chuckle escaped Gril and he grinned.
“Well, you’re one less thing to worry about, aren’t you, friend?” he added with a sigh.
Holding out his hand, he waited for the creature to climb
onto his palm before he rose to his feet again. He turned toward his fighter with another tired sigh. He had a lot of work to do. He wanted to rest, but it would have to wait until he had gone through the ship to make sure there were no more explosives aboard. He looked down at the lizard with a wry expression.
“You wouldn’t be any good at finding explosives, would you? It would really help if you could,” he inquired.
The lizard tilted his head again, then looked down at the burnt box on the ground before he turned his gaze to the fighter. Gril blinked in surprise when the creature jumped from his hand to the fighter and began to sniff intently. Soon, the creature disappeared inside the cockpit.
Gril climbed the ladder, and saw the tip of the creature’s tail under his seat. The faint sound of scratching followed by a snort made him wonder what the creature had found. A moment later, the small lizard climbed up onto the seat with something hanging from his mouth.
Gril stuck his hand out and the lizard opened his mouth and dropped a device into his hand. He turned the small cylinder over. There was no glow indicating it was active, but it was clear to him what it was—a tracking device. Whoever had sabotaged his ship wanted to make sure that he was dead.
The knowledge that his location might be known caused him to look up to the sky. He was virtually defenseless at the moment. He needed to repair his ship and return to base. Returning his gaze to the lizard, he reached out and rubbed a gentle hand over its head.
“Good job. Can you find more?” he quietly requested.
Gril blinked in surprise when the lizard nodded and disappeared again. He looked down at the tracking device in his hand, and thoughtfully rolled it between his thumb and index finger, surprised that it wasn’t still working. He pulled a small pen light out and aimed it at the tracking device. Along one side there was a small section of the metal that was melted. The metal was still warm, as if it had just self-destructed a second ago.
“Tiny little burns… localized, likely from a high voltage prong… Perhaps an exposed wire caused an electrical surge when the little guy was unplugging it,” Gril surmised.
Whatever the cause, it didn’t matter. He would need to proceed as if the tracking device had worked long enough to transmit the location where he had crashed. His gaze turned to the tree line. Earlier, he had sensed that he was being watched. He pursed his lips and his eyes narrowed as he scanned the dark forest. It was time to set a trap.
4
L’eon dug through the spaceship, his sensitive nose searching for anything that might be unusual. His ears twitched back and forth as he listened for the slight hum of an electrical charge.
He had left Madas sound asleep on the tree limb a while ago, curiously following and watching Gril for almost an hour as the male worked on his spaceship, and he’d discovered that this pale version of his Familiar was funny—much like Madas.
They both certainly liked to talk to themselves, L’eon thought with amusement.
L’eon had finally decided the ultimate test was to see what the Tearnat would do when he saw him. If he was as horrible and dangerous as Madas feared, he could kill the male with one touch and be done with it. Madas had enough trouble in her life just dealing with the horrid woman she called Mother. The male did not seem to be troublesome, though. He had been kind, and the spaceship needed to be fixed anyway.
L’eon focused on the screws holding down a panel. Each screw slowly turned counterclockwise until they were completely out. He held out his right foot and they floated over to him on an electromagnetic charge. Holding one of the screws up to his nose, he sniffed again. It had the same scent clinging to it as the tracking device and the black box.
Placing the screws to the side, he wrapped his toes around the handle and pulled it back. Inside, there were a dozen bundles of cables connected to different components. One of the protective black sheathings had been cut to reveal the wires inside. Several of the wires had been severed.
L’eon studied the wires for a moment, then he reached into the compartment, and held up the ends of two green wires that had been cut. He placed the ends together and touched the tip of his tail to where they connected. An arc of electricity shot from the tip of his tail and he soldered the wires back together.
He did the same thing to each of the other cut wires. His nose wiggled when he had finished, and his gaze moved over the other wires. He needed something else. He climbed back out of the compartment, and scaled the seats until he stood on the edge. He looked around. The male was working on a circuit board. The hot glow of a splicer created a halo around the male.
L’eon’s gaze swept over the modified work area. He noticed the roll of electrical sealant on the wing of the fighter. He scurried along the side of the fighter and hopped down onto the wing until he reached the tape. He froze when the male suddenly looked up at him with a startled expression.
He grinned at the male before he placed the tape in his mouth and retraced his steps. He looked over his shoulder when the male placed his tool down on the rock he had been sitting on and curiously followed him.
L’eon slipped down between the seats to the open compartment. Behind him, he heard the Tearnat climb the ladder and peer inside the cockpit. L’eon turned until he was facing the man and dropped the tape into the hole.
“What did you find?” the male asked, leaning in to see where he had gone.
L’eon climbed into the compartment and held up the newly soldered wires for the male’s inspection. The male hissed a curse and quickly climbed in beside him. L’eon climbed out of the compartment and watched as the male fingered each of the wires he had expertly repaired before looking at him with a baffled expression.
“You are more than you appear, my little friend. How did you know about this and how did you repair it?” the male demanded.
L’eon blinked at him. He was still learning the Tearnat dialect. It was not as easy as his native language. He had learned a lot from his Familiar over the last six months, but it was still difficult for him to make the sounds.
Jumping down into the hole, he sniffed the wire and looked up at the Tearnat. The man continued to watch him with a suspicious expression. L’eon tilted his head and frowned.
“Bro… ken,” he finally said in a rusty voice.
The male sat back and stared at him with an expression of shock. L’eon wiggled his nose and he wondered if he had said the wrong word. Releasing a snort of frustration, he pulled the tape toward him and pulled a small section of it loose before he used his teeth to cut it. He wrapped it around the wire, growling in irritation when it stuck to his small toes.
The male reached in and took the tape from him. “Hold up the wire,” the male instructed.
L’eon looked down at the wires, then bent and picked up the blue one and held it up. The male wrapped the tape around the wire. They did the same to the remaining two wires. Once the wires were protected, the male sealed the outer conduit.
“I wonder if you have a name?” the male asked once they were finished.
L’eon tilted his head. He grinned and nodded, climbing up the male’s arm when he lowered it for him. Once at his shoulder, L’eon jumped onto the side of the fighter.
“L…’eon,” he said, his name coming out more like a chirp.
The huge male Tearnat grinned down at him and held out his finger. “That sounded like you said L’eon, so I will call you that. It is a pleasure to meet you, L’eon. I am Gril Tal Mod,” Gril formally introduced himself with a slight bow of his head.
L’eon looked at Gril’s finger, then at his face. Reaching out one tiny foot, he wrapped his toes around Gril’s extended digit. He grinned when Gril moved his finger up and down.
“Do you think you can use your amazing nose to sniff out any more issues? I’d like to have my fighter operational before I end up with any unwelcome company,” Gril asked.
L’eon nodded and turned. For the next hour, he sniffed the fighter from top to bottom, front to back, and wingtip to wingt
ip. Two more undetonated devices were found as well as issues with the computer.
L’eon silently watched as Gril meticulously worked on repairing the damage, and an idea slowly formed into a plan.
He did not think that his Familiar could pilot such a ship. He had watched her play her brother’s game over the last few months. She crashed a lot. While he could survive such a crash, Madas could not. Gril, on the other hand, could fly such a machine.
L’eon quietly slipped down off the fighter. He blended into his surroundings, disappearing from sight. After running across the sand, he climbed the tree to the limb where Madas was still asleep. She mumbled under her breath when he carefully curled up next to her.
Yes, the pale-skinned Tearnat might work, he decided with a yawn.
5
Madas sat up and rubbed her eyes. She grimaced when she saw the faint light of dawn on the horizon. Smothering a groan, she looked down at the beach and mentally cursed when she didn’t see the pale-skinned Tearnat. Rising to her feet on the tree limb, she bent and picked up her spear before carefully surveying the area. This time she noticed his footprints leading off into the forest.
She glanced at L’eon when she felt him climb onto her shoulder. Biting her lip, she looked at the spaceship again. There were parts out on the wing and some boxes on the ground. It was obvious that he was still working on the repairs. The question was—where had he gone?
“Maybe he had to relieve himself and didn’t want to do it in the open,” she speculated to L’eon. “What do you think?”
L’eon just grinned at her in response. She shook her head and scratched her friend under his chin when he stuck it out. She climbed down the trunk to a lower branch to get a different angle—one that faced the direction where the pale-skinned Tearnat would emerge if he had gone into the forest. She stood on the branch, contemplating what she should do and decided the best course of action was to wait and see if he returned.