Chapter 28.
Love and Loss.
Situation under control, remaining forces intact, perimeter secure, all elements are working at maximum efficiency, I have sent out observation flyers to seek out enemy forces and report on their position and battle strength, I am in constant contact with our remaining forces in orbit and will use them if necessary.
Status report from Ivar-Anoon, first General of the combined forces of the Mac-Mar Alliance.
Ivar-Anoon believed in no Gods be they small or large he only believed in the power at his command and the victories it brought him, there was no afterlife, paradise or golden hall where you spent eternity and no Pit of Marloon where you suffered endlessly, to him there was only this life and death, but if there was any place he wished to be it was the place he stood now.
The General stood outside his well-guarded mobile command station dressed in his armored battle fatigues and looked out over the mass of combat hardened soldiers and superior equipment that covered the rocky ground around the fallen city of Del-Godar, and it was truly a site to bring a smile too the stern lips of the cold-hearted commander for what force could withstand such an army?
There were the warriors of course, strong men and woman from far distant worlds, Hidraga, Upars, Bolec’s, Youngonrie, Salocans and many more, all with one thing in common, they loved to kill, they would kill without mercy, the young, the old, the weak and the strong without hesitation and that suited Ivar very well for what was an army if they stopped to think? No, Ivar did the thinking for them, they need only to obey.
Their weapons were the latest in power and destruction, flesh blasters and sonic pulse guns, hover carriers and flyers, long range cannon and point blast missiles all at his disposal, and if that wasn’t enough he could always contact his massive fleet in high orbit and activate the planet rippers!
It’s a good day the General thought, soon I will be victorious and this world will be mine.
The plague that had infected him and many of his soldiers had been removed thanks to the green crystals that were given to him by the strange man from underground. Tark or Servant as he was known to the General had kept his word and supplied him with the much needed salt, and it was also true that his power weapons now functioned along with his energy based war machinery.
I will destroy all who oppose me, he told his mind, and if anything or anyone stands in my way they will die.
Just then a young lieutenant snapped to attention near the Commander.
“Yes, what is it?” Ivar asked.
“Sir, the flyers are awaiting instructions to begin their search”.
“Very well” the General replied, “Order them to survey the area within five hundred kilometers and report back what they see, and if they are fired upon they will destroy the attacker”.
“Sir, at once” replied the Lieutenant and then ran off to carry out his orders.
Ivar once again gazed out over his army; it is a very good day, a very good day indeed.
Kalgar-Rune also had an army and they were far superior to any warrior of the Outer-Rim for they were genetically created for war and hardship, but they had failed in finding the Holy Mother and this did not sit well with the leader of the Thungodra.
“What do you mean she is gone?” screamed the huge warrior.
Before him stood a young Thungodra and he dare not look Kalgar in the face, “We looked everywhere but we found no trace of her”.
The great meeting dome of the Akuna was now the dwelling of the leader of the protectors of the faith, it had been stripped of all decorations and comfort for that was a sin in the eyes of Kalgar-Rune and he was on a mission to save the righteous and destroy all those who had strayed from the truth of Isarie. The dark armored warriors stood waiting for an order from their commander. Kalgar-Rune sat on a makeshift dais in the center of the hall and nervously gripped the handle of his war ax. “She must be found” he shouted, “Look behind every rock, search every cave and dome and find her!”
The warrior of the Chosen made their way out of the huge dome leaving behind only a small compliment of guards and they were hardly needed for over the past days they had rounded up anyone who opposed them and placed them in strong cells where they could do no harm, and with the disappearance of Arn and Cian there would be no one to lead them even if they did rebel against the will of the Gods.
But his was of little meaning to Kalgar for he did what he did not for the glory of the Goddess but for his own selfish needs, but this was a revelation that the Thungodra leader had yet to realize.
I will find her he thought; I will find her and keep her safe from those who have been corrupted by sin.
There was an old Nomad saying, “Those that see sin in others are only looking into a mirror.”
The idea of sin was still a rather new concept for Endo and Rawna for they were Sandjars and they lived a hard life and did what was needed to survive, now as they sat around the morning campfire Endo looked over as his mate with new eyes for she was carrying his child.
I must keep her safe the thought, she bares my child and nothing must stop me from becoming a father. The word “father” had no equivalent in the guttural language of the Sandjar for they did not bond with their mates or their offspring, it was merely a demand of nature to carry on the species, but Endo had been raised by Osh a human and that upbringing now showed on the face of the Scavenger for his large eyes held the look of love.
Rawna filled her mouth with fat ground worms for she was going to give birth and every Sandjar knew that worms were the best thing for that, “Is your meal to your liking?” she asked.
“Delightful” replied Endo as he filled his mouth with dried Rimar meat.
Rawna knew it was not his favorite food but it was all she had time to prepare for she had been up before dawn digging for worms, “Have you thought of name for our child when it is free of my body?” Endo shook his head. “No, I thought we could do that together”.
This made Rawna smile for males always picked the name of the newly born and hearing that she would have a say made her very happy, “very well I will be thinking of names as I dig for more rough worms, perhaps I will dip them in Ulon spice to add to the flavor”.
The Idea that she would mix that fiery seasoning to already tasteful rough worms made the Sandjar male shutter, but he knew that females about to give birth have very strange cravings.
It was then that a humming sound caught his sensitive ears, and looking up he saw a dark shadow against the morning sky.
There were others who heard the unfamiliar sound for Anais and Kela had just finished their Morning meal of Hagar soup when the woman looked up to see the same dark shape.
“What can it be?” asked Kela as she held up her hand to shade against the rising suns.
Anais had no need of shading for he could not see but that did not stop him from rendering a comment, “It makes no warning call so it cannot be a Screecher”.
“It is large in shape, perhaps it is an Arabus bird?” The former Handmaiden replied.
But the Blind prince shook his head, “We are too far from the Belt of Isarie and that is the only place they hunt in”.
At the back of their Karrack Captain Romar also heard the whirring sound and saw the dark shape in the sky but unlike his companions he knew exactly what the mysterious mass was, flyer he thought, a maned reconnaissance ship out on patrol.
But before anyone could react the dark shape fell from the sky and with a loud rushing sound it swooped down over the camp of the Tribe of Many causing panic for they had never seen such a horrific mechanism before, even the ferocious Drogs Delgar and Jumo took refuse under the wagon and howled like Sagar cats in the night.
“A demon” a warrior cried, “Arm your selves!”
“It is a God of the sky” said another.
“All is lost” screamed an old woman as she ran for cover.
Anais and Kela were also afraid but being leaders of their tribe, they gathered the
ir courage together.
“It is a machine that flies” Kela shouted to her mate, “Where did such a thing come from?”
“I do not know” replied Anais, “But it caused no harm only noise let it go its way”.
“NO!” Shouted Romar, “It will report back to headquarters and soon soldiers will come to destroy you!” “How can you know this?” asked the Blind prince.
“Because I was once a commander of such craft”.
Endo knew nothing of reconnaissance ships or headquarters, all he understood was the thing from the sky threatened his family. “Hide yourself under the wagon” he called out to his mate as he saw the flying monster curve around towards them, and not wishing any harm to the life inside her Rawna took refuse under the strong timbers of their Karrack, then Endo went to their carry wagon, drew back the covering and took out the blast rifle hidden there.
I have power now he told his mind, and with it I will save those I love.
Hit press the charging button and the metal weapon began to emit a high pitched whine.
The Flyer once again passed over the Nomads camp all the while its crew sent back vital information on the enemy’s troop strength and location.
“What are you talking about? Asked Anais to the man they had rescued.
Romar could see the hover craft making another run, “We don’t have time now, that ship might attack at any moment we must find cover”.
But Kela as skeptical of the danger, “Attack? What can that machine do to us? It has no claws or beak to tear the flesh”.
The young Captain shook his head, “It can destroy us all!”
Romar could not have known that the Flyer’s crew was under orders not to attack unless fired upon, but that soon changed.
Endo saw that the weapon in his clawed hands was ready to fire so he turned and bracing himself against the wheel of their wagon he too carful aim at the intruder from the sky.
“No one will harm to my child” he said under his breath, “I am no longer a slave, now I have the power!”
Then as the Flyer drew near he fired.
“BLAM!”
A bolt of white hot light shot out from the rifle’s end and caused Rawna to scream in terror once again. Endo was expecting the metal bird to fall from the sky but his shot went wide and that would be a mistake he would regret for the rest of his life for the machine swung around once more and began to swoop down on the defenseless Outlanders and this time it would not leave then unscarred.
Anais and Kela were still not convinced of the danger drawing near them but when they looked into the eyes of their companion they decided to heed his warning.
“Lead us” the Handmaiden said.
“We will follow” added the Blind prince.
And with Jumo and Delgar howling behind them Romar lead them to a cluster of rocks nearby and they all hide themselves from whatever might come.
The crew of Flyer 1390-Beta wing were highly trained in aerial combat, they were both veterans of the Pirmax-3 war and had earned decorations for bravery, so seeing that the inhabitance of this primitive world had nothing in the way of airborne defense they indulged their thirst for destruction, they flew in low and opened fire on anything that moved. The rain of death was unlike anything a Nomad had faced before, they always fought face to face or used long range cannon but none had ever seen a machine kill from the air and it terrified them, it was true that some of the warriors flung their ax’s as the metal bird came near but they inflicted no damage, others fell on their knees and prayed to the Goddess to save them, but both the strong and the weak died under the onslaught of the beast from the sky.
Endo continued to discharge his weapon at the fire spitting foe but the machine was fast and the Sandjar was unexperienced with the lethal armament.
Clouds of dust and debris rose into the air as Karracks caught fire and Trofar’s roared in pain, the blood crazed Whiptails broke loose from their moorings and raced off across the plain as wild Rimar stampeded in panic.
Rawna shook in fright as blast after blast struck the ground, “ENDO!” she called out, “MY LOVE!”
But the Sandjar did not hear her words for his mind was sent on destroying his enemy and as the sky machine came in low and discharged its weapons he fired!
The ground around them blew up in fire and smoke but the Coraw of the Scavengers had found his mark and the Flyer 1390-Beta wing burst into flames and fell crashing to the ground.
A great cheer went up from the remaining Nomads and Sandjar but their gladness was short lived for about them lay the dead and the dying.
A smile crossed the scaled face of Endo for he had destroyed his enemy with the power in his hands, “I am strong” he whispered, “No one will harm me or my family again”. Then he turned happy to see his mate safe and unharmed, “Did you see? I destroyed the monster, you were wrong about the weapon, it saved our lives!”
As he looked at her he could see that something was wrong so tossing down the rifle he rushed to her side under their Karrack, “Are you well?” he asked softly rubbing the back of her head, “Has someone hurt you?” Rawna said nothing as she lifted her thin hand from her stomach and there her mate could see blood stains on her robe and clawed fingers.
“What have I done?” Endo asked as his eyes began to fill with tears, “I thought I was protecting you but I brought you only pain, forgive me, forgive me!”
Rawna lifted her hand to his face and touched it gently, “There is nothing to forgive, you took me from under the earth and now I shall return there but do not weep for me for I will not be alone I will have our child to comfort me and I will comfort him”.
And saying those words she closed her eyes and passed into another world.
Some say that Scavengers have no feelings, that they are mindless creatures without a soul and without a God, but if anyone saying such things had looked into the eyes of Endo they would have known that love is not for the Chosen but for all beings under the heavens.
The attack by the Flyer had been devastating and there was much weeping and prayers as the Tribe of Many buried their dead, those that were injured were taken care of and those who were spared wounds vowed that revenge on those responsible would be swift and strong. But who was there to fight? The monster from the sky had been destroyed and there was no enemy crossing the lands around the great lake so the warriors could only grip their weapons and grumble about what they would do to those they met in battle. But there was one who knew what was to come and face of that enemy.
“We have to move out, Now!” Romar had reverted back to his military training and spoke those words like he was still on his command bridge, but his companion’s only saw it as concern for their wellbeing.
“But we are safe now” said Anais, “The monster is dead and cannot hurt us anymore”.
But the Captain knew the truth, “No, you don’t understand that machine sent back information to its command headquarters and soon others like it will come and when they do the damage will be a hundred-fold.”
Kela knew it was impossible for a message to be sent without the aid of signal horns or riders so she put the young man’s comments down to lack of age, “You said you once controlled such a beast but how can a man train a machine?”
Romar knew there was no time for explanations of communication data or attack strategies, “You must trust me, there are many more like that thing and they will be here soon, you must find a place to hide or there will be no one left alive!” Anais could not see the look on the Captain’s face but Kela could and she knew that he was telling the truth, “I believe you” she said softly, “What must we do?” “Are there any caves or bunkers nearby?”
Kela knew nothing of Bunkers but she did know of an opening in the earth a short journey away but that was a forbidden place and no Outlander is permitted to seek shelter within that hollow.
“There is only the Cave of Iron but we must not enter”. “It is you’re only chance” Romar repli
ed.
Anais knew of this place and the law against entering there but what choice did they have?
“We will gather the tribe and travel to the Cave of Iron” but Anis was careful not to say that they would enter for like any good leader he wish to know more before risking the lives of his people.
So gathering up what remained of the tribe and made their way towards the forbidden place and prayed that the Gods would not be angry with them, but it was far from the strong clan they use to be for there were many dead and the Sandjars had run off in panic when the metal creature attack them and as for their Coraw or leader Endo was nowhere to be found, only his burned out wagon, a discarded blaster and a fresh mount of earth remained at his campsite and although they called out for him they heard nothing in return.
The tribe traveled by night and being cold blooded the Whiptials and Romar had insisted that Rimar hides should be kept wet and cover all wagons and warriors so that their heat registers would not be picked up by the thermal detectors of the Flyers, still it was a difficult journey for the land was rocky and filled with the remains of ancient machines of war.