Chapter 7: Trail to Scheralt
Morning finds Chaytan and Enapay waiting with both dressed to travel and the judicial escorts gone. Jake and Katree are subdued and quiet. Marissa glances at Jake as he sends her a questioning look. Marissa responds shaking her head, indicating that she did not enter the industrial complex. She then forces everyone to wait while she empties the trade account by purchasing red crystals through the Trade Center Exchange. It efficiently handles the transactions and sets up the transportation to deliver the crystals to the spaceport as Celeste’s property. A few moments later, Marissa is ready to leave.
Chaytan sets the travel itinerary, “With the storms active, the rails are operating. We can travel using the magnetic rails until noon, then by kirtag for a day. In two days, you will be at the spaceport. This route takes longer if we were to use only the kirtag for the whole distance but the rail shortens the trip.”
The rail station is similar to the tram station but the cars are larger with individual cushioned seats that recline and have a retractable footrest. Chaytan directs the traders to the car that will detach from the train at the correct stop. A small vibration and hum increases as the car starts to accelerate becoming a steady background noise when the car settles into a constant speed. With Jake and Katree not speaking with Marissa, she feels isolated and alone which the car's hum reinforces and slowly lulls her to sleep. A slight jolt wakes her when they arrive at their destination.
The traders wait until the other passengers disembark then gather their packs. They find waiting two Klarn with kirtags and packed travel gear. Chaytan introduces the new Klarn, Yahto, and Napayshni, and then everyone mounts following Chaytan out onto the plains. The Klarn follow Chaytan’s lead remaining cold and aloof from the traders. There are no friendly greetings between the traders and the natives. Even Enapay is keeping a distance more like guards than as guides.
That night the Klarn set up the camp. After the silent afternoon ride, Marissa is surprised when Chaytan invites, “Want to see more wildlife of Ninovan?”
Marissa nods her agreement accompanying Chaytan a short distance outside of the camp where he shows her a den. A head with black mask around its eyes peeks from the burrow. Just as dusk starts to obscure the opening, a larger version with black paws dashes in carrying a smaller animal in its jaws.
“Merrit and kits. She has kits to feed and will work all night then sleep all day like you.” teasing Marissa about falling asleep in the rail car. “She is also vicious in defense of her den. We do not go any closer.” Marissa is relieved that Chaytan unbent enough to show her more of Ninovan's wildlife.
When they return to camp, night has fallen and Jake has disappeared. Annoyed, Chaytan quizzes Enapay then strides out of camp searching for Jake.
For a while, the camp is quiet then the kirtags become disturbed distracting Enapay. Next Jake strolls into camp with two strangers wearing malicious grins strutting behind him. Both are taller than Jake is with their bald or shaved heads branding them as career spacers. Their cold eyes dart around the camp as if gauging a threat and evaluating the camp. Jake leads them directly to the Klarn. As he passes Marissa, she spots an illegal laser pistol that the stranger is holding ready to fire.
One stranger turns and aims a laser pistol at Katree and Marissa, then brutally commands, “Do not move.” Marissa freezes in place holding her breath watching for the stranger's next move. Katree stares wide-eyed at the newcomers visibly shaking as she stares at the laser pistol.
The Klarn slowly stand recognizing the pistols. The stranger shoots Napayshni killing him immediately. The second shot flickers then fails but severely burns Yahto who collapses screaming. Marissa is sickened at the unprovoked cold-blooded killing and is afraid that the traders will be next. Katree shudders then looks to Jake for a hint of the appropriate response.
Calmly without acknowledging the death that occurred, Jake introduces, “This is Oust and Jeffrey” pointing first to the one that killed Napayshni and then to the one aiming a laser pistol at Katree and Marissa. “The Xeres representative sent them to pick us up, except the storm disabled their transport. We need our com to call the base to dispatch another transport for us all.” Neither look nor act like corporate employees. They have the vicious hardness of mercenaries or pirates.
Glancing around the camp Oust orders, “Tie him up.” Jake ties Yahto’s hands behind his back then Oust bashes the defenseless Yahto’s head with the laser pistol silencing him.
Turning his back to Yahto, a worried Jake asks, “Where are the other two?”
Katree quickly answers, “Chaytan went to find you and Enapay is with the kirtags.” as she glances at the kirtags for Enapay. Katree breathes a sigh of relief when she finds the pistols are in their holsters.
Oust demands, “Where are the weapons?”
“They were unarmed!” Protests Marissa as she resentfully watches Oust opening packs and tossing the contents. He walks away tramping on the scattered contents while Marissa silently fumes at the callousness.
Jake informs Oust, “The two missing Klarn, Chaytan and Enapay, had the only weapons not these two.” It is almost a protest on the killing but not forceful enough to be considered criticism. Nor does he tell about the knife that he is carrying. Apparently, he does not fully trust his new friends.
Turning to Jake, with a disgusted look at the weak protest, Oust directs Jake, “Then, make the call.”
Coolly Jake explains, “It is too early. I have to do it at a specific time because of the storms. In addition, the long distance tracer no longer works on this system. We need to return to your transport to use its transponder to send the location signal. The magnetic storms do not easily destroy transponders so yours should still function.” Jake fears that calling the base will not produce the transport.
“How long until you can make the call?” demands Oust as he prowls around the camp searching.
“Not for at least 2 hours. I want away from here before the other two Klarn return. With your laser pistols unable to fire, that leaves the other two having the only weapons even if they are primitive.” He is worried that Chaytan will soon return and blame him for Napayshni's death because he brought the two spacers to the camp.
Thinking about the mercenaries and hoping for a clue to their intentions, Marissa asks, “How did you find us?”
Jeffrey rotates his arm to turn a wristband toward Marissa, “A short range tracker in your medical wrist band.” Indicating the military had given the mercenaries the means to locate the traders. The wristband tracker is sophisticated and restricted to police and the military.
With a snort at the mess he created, Oust points to Katree and Marissa, “Pack up the field rations and crystals.” He turns to Jake, “Pack the com.” Katree and Marissa each quickly grab a pack, sort through the debris selecting field rations, quickly stuffing the packs, and then converting them to backpacks.
When Jake finishes packing the com, Jeffrey orders, “Let’s go ladies” sneering on the term ladies. He jerks Marissa to her feet, hands her a backpack and pushes her toward Katree. Fear compels Marissa not to antagonize them by even the slightest resistance.
In the dark, the rough terrain makes walking difficult with Marissa forced to follow Oust and Jake. The second mercenary follows Katree and Marissa carrying his small dim light that does not extend beyond his feet. As a result, Marissa and Katree keep tripping on unseen hazards. Marissa's foot drops into an unseen hole causing her to fall on her hands and scraping her palm. The mercenary grabs her pack forcing her upright. She hears her tunic start tearing; the mercenary laughs then pushes her to stumble forward. Marissa fears that he is like a predator stalking her ready to spring. No one pauses or looks back, as they rush through the night.
Blindly stumbling into the mercenaries’ disabled transport, Marissa uses it to keep from falling again and immediately shrugs off the pack. She slowly slides down and sits alongside the
transport.
Turning her back on Marissa, Katree joins Jake and the mercenaries. “How soon will you be able to send a message?” Katree asks, trying to gain the favor of the mercenaries, the current power in the group.
Jake sets up the portable com while cheerfully holding out a hand to Katree inviting her closer. Jake explains for Oust’s benefit, “Not for another 30 minutes. I have to wait until the next lull in the magnetic field.”
Disappointed with having to wait and spotting the packs, Jeffrey rummages and retrieves some field rations passing a packet to Oust. When he finishes eating, Jeffrey smirks, “I am going to enjoy my waiting.” He then walks to Marissa, forces her flat on the ground. He clamps both of her wrists in one of his hands and uses the other to pummel her until she quits struggling. By then her face is a bloody mess from cuts to her head and mouth. Her face throbbing with pain as Jeffrey continues his assault. When he is finished, he gets up from a moaning Marissa leaving her half conscious.
After a few minutes lying alone, Marissa realizes that it is over; she rolls to her side, slowly sits, and begins piecing her clothing together. She feels mentally numb refusing to think beyond keeping as still as possible to minimize the pain and not draw further attention.
Neither Jake nor Katree will look at Marissa, or offer any help. Jake clears his throat and powers the com unit. On reaching the base, he reports, “Tell Goliath that I have a recording of the industrial complex in Dansk and a blue crystal. I also watched the processing in the Klarn plant. With the Klarn constantly present, I could not write a report.”
Grudgingly Marissa listened to Jake taking full credit for finding the blue crystal but did not include that the crystal is flawed. He also implies that he has the processing information that Xeres desires making him important enough to keep alive.
Next, Oust takes the com. “This is Oust. Send a transport before another storm.” The rest of his conversation consists of yes and no. When he finishes, he takes the wrist recorder from Jake and the blue crystal placing them in a compartment in his belt. Now, Marissa fears that the mercenaries have everything that they were to retrieve. This makes the traders expendable like the Klarn. The mercenaries look able to kill the three traders with their bare hands.
Relaxed and smiling, Oust grabs Katree. “It’s my turn to take care of an itch. Jeffrey, you got the watch.” Katree smiles at Oust, cooperates, and distracts the mercenary. Both Jake and Jeffrey are concentrating on Oust with Katree that they are unaware of Enapay slipping behind Jeffrey and easily subduing him. Chaytan brushes past Jake, places a knee in the middle of Oust's back almost crushing Katree beneath them and forcing Oust’s hands behind his back.
With the mercenaries subdued, Chaytan stands over the mercenaries and demands, “Why did you attack the camp?” Receiving no answer, he continues, “You have broken the treaty by traveling on Ninovan without permit, with illegal weapons, and killing Napayshni. You will be taken to a magistrate for judgment and punishment.”
Chaytan turns to Jake, “With Katree and Marissa riding double we can start for the base when Enapay returns bringing the kirtags.”
Jake haughtily tells Chaytan, “A transport is being sent by the base; we do not need the kirtags and will be gone before Enapay returns.”
Before he leaves, Enapay checks Katree finding her unharmed then he disappears into the night.
Gentle hands lift Marissa’s chin. She finds Chaytan kneeling in front of her assessing the damage to her face. She knows it is not a pretty sight with her left eye nearly swollen closed, her jaw aching, her mouth sore where her teeth cut her cheek. The rest of the cuts and bruises she feels but the clothes she pieced together hide them. Chaytan turns the wrist with the medical wristband and observes the lights flashing both yellow and red indicating serious injuries. He then glances at Jake and Katree’s bands noting both have more green than yellow lights.
Marissa mumbles through the swollen and cut lips, “Pain Meds.” She hopes that she is coherent enough to be understood. Her left side is the most damaged including her hearing from blows to her ear and jaw.
Chaytan hands her two pain tabs but her trembling hand makes taking the meds impossible. Noticing her problem, Chaytan takes the meds and slips them between her lips. The meds start dissolving on her tongue leaving a bitter taste but immediately numbing the cuts in her mouth. She refuses the water knowing that it will only spill and dribble out her lips.
While Chaytan attends to her cuts on her face, Marissa watches Jake stand next to the mercenaries. Although tears blur her vision, she sees Jake and the mercenaries with their heads together as Jake quietly releases the mercenaries. Marissa catches sight of Oust creeping upon Chaytan; she whimpers, “Behind you.” as her face contorts in fear.
The warning sends Chaytan, spinning around disrupting Oust’s attack by slamming his body into Oust’s knees causing him to fall. Jeffrey attempts to aid Oust’s efforts but tangles instead with Oust’s sprawled legs as Chaytan rolls away and onto his feet. He draws his sword using it to keep both mercenaries at bay. By splitting apart, the mercenaries attack Chaytan from two directions. One attempts to jump Chaytan from behind while the other distracts his attention. The mercenaries fail to subdue Chaytan but with two antagonists circling and unsure of Jake, Chaytan is depending only on his sword skills.
Marissa slowly edges away from the fighting; slipping into the night. She cannot afford any more physical damage nor can she aid Chaytan. Both Katree and Jake skirt the fighting entranced by the battle. The arrival of the transport interrupts the fight by firing a warning shot just beyond the antagonists.
The transport lands near Marissa where she feels the heat and a blast of air causing her to stagger. Jake and Katree abandon the com unit but grab the packs with the crystals. They rush to the transport arriving as the transport doors open.
The mercenaries abandon the fight and race to the transport. Marissa edging to the transport hesitates at the door, not wanting to travel with the mercenaries but knowing she must eventually return to the base. In the rush to get to safety, the mercenaries push Marissa through the door. Her head hits the floor; she blacks out missing the transports rise and Mike, the pilot, burning the area where Chaytan stands.
Chaytan slips out of the disabled shuttle where he hid after the transports warning shot. He stares at the spot where he had been standing seeing the burned and charred grass and ground. Relief that he ducked in time, does not stop the surge of anger at the loss of his prisoners. With a shrug, he starts walking to meet Enapay, but his left leg starts to burn. Chaytan finally notices the burn. His boot suffered the most damage and protected his calf but the upper thigh has his trousers burned away and blisters forming on the burn.
Chaytan turns back to the transport, finds the emergency medical kit, treats his burn, and takes some pain medicine. As he resumes his walk, Chaytan plans the recovery of his prisoners. He gets little comfort that he had the forethought to have a scout trail him as they left the station. After escorting the traders to the spaceport, he was going to use the scout’s scooter to return quickly to his duties in Dansk. Instead, the scout summoned aid for Yahto. It was not enough to stop Napayshni’s murder.
Now he needs authorization to recover the mercenaries. He is assuming the Klarn council will demand the return of the mercenaries to Klarn custody, and that the spaceport commander will deny it. Since the prisoners escaped on a transport shuttle, they will be at the spaceport. The magnetic storms will keep them on the planet allowing enough time to plan a full military raid. Chaytan smiles grimly, anticipating the raid and the spaceport commander’s shock at the vulnerability of the port. Additionally, the raid leader will be in debt to Chaytan for the opportunity of an actual raid rather than assigning training exercises to his troops. Chaytan is mentally evaluating the militia teams that are near and available.
First step is the medical treatment for Yahto. With that reminder, Cha
ytan's anger increases, his fists open and close at his sides in frustration wanting to get the mercenaries back in his hands. Second is the activation of the pulse cannon and its support staff. The last is the assembly of the raiding party. All though the main council on Ninovan must approve a raid on the spaceport, Chaytan feels confident enough to plan a raid. He wants the mercenaries punished for Napayshni’s murder, Jake, Katree and Marissa held as witnesses or as accomplices to the mercenaries, and Mike for burning him. For Chaytan, the treaty violations are a minor part of the offenses. Napayshni’s death is the major offense.
Dawn is just breaking when Chaytan spots Enapay and four Klarn all on scooters. The initial report sent by Chaytan authorized a military alert and full support to deliver the prisoners to the magistrates. The scooters were to expedite the prisoner’s delivery and Chaytan’s return to the rail station. They already dropped Klarn to retrieve the kirtags, gear, and any evidence from the campsite. Additionally, Chaytan learns that the council views the matter as a serious breach of the treaty and assigns it a priority rating.
Soon after arriving at the rail station, Chaytan sends a second report detailing the escape of the prisoners with the aid of the traders and asks authorization for a military raid to recover the mercenaries and traders. The council’s answer is the arrival of Captain Ohanzee, his military unit and the pulse cannon specialists.
Captain Ohanzee salutes Chaytan, “The council has authorized the raid. What are your orders?”
Chaytan returns the salute and tiredly states, “This raid is under your command. I am injured and have not had any sleep for two days. Additionally, you trained these troops. You know their abilities. Only Enapay and I have seen the mercenaries and will have to be added to your teams as advisers only.”
Smiling in relief, Ohanzee informs Chaytan, “We have been breaching their electronic barriers with single operators and infiltrating as part of the training. Before the pulse cannon can disrupt the power on the base, we can capture the targets then during the initial confusion remove them from the base. I do not expect co-operation from any of the targets and have authorized force to subdue them. We need to be able to identify the targets.”
Grimly smiling Chaytan divulges, “Dansk security has pictures.” Chaytan watches the troops emerge from the rail cars. They are dressed in a new style black uniform with an attached hood. With few spoken commands, they efficiently assemble their equipment and break into small groups.
“Good.” Ohanzee is relieved. The pictures make identification a lot easier and security pictures are the best. “I will have a set sent to Paytah. He will provide the target locations. His children have sharp eyes and miss little that occurs outside the buildings. Also, the spaceport personnel are used to seeing the children playing and working in the fields outside the base and take little notice of them.”
Pleased with the display of well-trained troops Chaytan asks, “I know Paytah, what will we owe for his recognizance?”
Ohanzee astonishes Chaytan with the revelation. “It is Paytah’s militia duty that he elected to monitor the base. The children drive the hardest bargain when we used them before. They are sharp and thorough. I fully expect one to ask to operate the pulse cannon when they learn it is operational.”
Nodding his agreement with Ohanzee’s opinion but impatient Chaytan asks, “How soon can we move?”
Mika, a female Klarn and head of the pulse cannon specialists, answers instead, “By night fall the cannon will be assembled and with a storm tonight the optimum time is midnight. Earlier, I cannot guarantee complete and immediate power failure but an incremental failure as the magnetic storm strength increases. Will this be a single attack? Will we be disabling the spaceport as they repair it? I have a new targeting system that may allow us to selectively target buildings that I want to try.”
“For now, a single attack but everyone remains on duty because that may change.” Chaytan advises her. He knows she will gladly wait for the chance to test her new system.
Ohanzee informs Chaytan, “There is time for you to have a healer treat that burn since we will be the last to leave here. The troops are using infiltration tactics to enter slowly the spaceport. It is good training and will not alarm the port if they do not see a large number of Klarn advancing in their direction.”
Curious Chaytan asks, “How have you managed not to activate the spaceport intruder alarms?” He questions Ohanzee’s confidence in infiltration the spaceport.
Glowing with pride, Ohanzee describes, “The weaver clan developed a new material containing shielding fibers. When wearing the new cloth, you feel a sharp pain as you breach the barrier, but you are not disabled. Initially, the spaceport investigated the alarms. From some of the comments overheard, the spaceport believes the alarm is triggered by a small animal or bird.”
Concerned that Ohanzee might be over confident, Chaytan points out, “There is a complete 24 member unit entering the spaceport tonight.”
Ohanzee describes the past performance of his unit. “Only the five section leaders will meet with Paytah to get the target's locations. Everyone else will be on the base at his assigned assembly area. I will admit that we placed the whole unit on the base only once before.”
There is one flaw in the plan that Chaytan needs Ohanzee to address. “Neither Enapay nor I can get on the base until the barrier is down.”
“We brought extra cloaks. These are the first prototypes.” Ohanzee signals to have a folded black cloak handed to Chaytan. “They work best if you allow them to drag on the ground.”
Night just outside the spaceport finds the raiders ready except for the target locations. Paytah appears with three teenagers approximately 16 to 19 years. Chaytan feels better about the recognizance with these three mature enough for their first militia training.
Paytah discloses to Ohanzee, “The traders and three strangers are in the building that they call the slums, Mike is on the first floor north side of the military barracks, and Marissa possibly is in the building called the brig. The guards escorted a female dressed like a Klarn to the brig. Since Marissa is not anywhere else, I assume she is in there and the only occupant. The identification, in this case, is by the battered dress.”
“Accurate locations?” asks Ohanzee
“These join the watchers,” pointing to the teens. “They will report to you if there is a change.” Paytah expands on the surveillance, “There is an additional stranger staying in the Administration Center. I do not believe that he is military. Now, I have a question. Will there be fireworks? The little ones want to watch.”
Ohanzee shakes his head, “You raise a malicious bunch of demons that enjoy destruction as much as you. Yes, the transports and the transport storage hanger are targets for the explosives. Keep them away from those. I am surprised that you did not ask to help with the explosions.”
Paytah sadly reports, “My Matre has demands that I must obey.” Both Paytah and Ohanzee smile in good-natured amusement at his reply.
Getting back to business, Ohanzee assigns four teams. He places Enapay with the largest group to extract Jake and Katree hoping two of the three strangers are the mercenaries. The six demolition experts are to destroy the transport storage depriving the spaceport of transportation and creating a diversion. A six man team is to extract Mike from the barracks leaving Chaytan to accompany Ohanzee to the brig incase the mercenaries are there.
Ohanzee addresses the teams, “Force is authorized to make the targets tractable and quiet. Use gags and restraints. Remember that these have murdered unarmed Klarn. Use infiltration tactics until the power is cut or an alarm. Return to the scooters using the front gate and take the target back to the rail car. Do not wait. The alternate extraction point is behind the Medical Center with rendezvous at Paytah’s home. Good hunting”