the nearest of the fallen stars. “Why do they only have one eye? It shines so brightly... like a star, yet it is long and thin.”
They edged closer still. The resonant hum of the beasts had quietened. The coloured lanterns on the legs of the beasts dimmed while the lights from the jaws grew brighter. A gasp of air escaped and perspective changed forever. Familiar shapes emerged from the mouths of the animals thought to be gods.
Bipeds.
The realisation struck Sedron that these creatures were not gods but enemies. A pulsing of blue light flashed near the ships; a thunderous blue flame roared past the hunting party with a howl like none had heard before. They had been spotted. Another flash and then a lagging roar of flame ripped past their heads once more.
“We need to get out of here,” Sedron bellowed.
Alfron made no sign of protest, even he had accepted the inevitable. These creatures were not gods. Their silhouettes made them look like men, albeit these were men who had travelled in the belly of a metallic beast. These were men who had appeared to fall like stars from the heavens.
Another roar of flame. Sedron threw himself to the floor and narrowly avoided being hit. He looked up and saw Cotyr standing with on one leg, the other had disappeared. Cotyr mouthed a silent pain then collapsed to the snow. Before Sedon got as far as Cotyr another burst of fire struck Alfron and took him directly to the heavens. He was gone.
Sedron looked to the deceased’s sons, his nephews, they had dropped to the floor and huddled together. He saw a fear in their eyes, one which mirrored his own. His brother was gone but there was no for time tears.
Cotyr wasn’t fit to make it back to the village. They knew the rules. With Alfron gone then only three of the hunting party would return. In all of the commotion Sedron had lost sight of Elsar; who knew where he was? They called out for him but heard no reply.
With the party in shambles and the threat of a superior foe not far behind them Sedron wondered if it was even possible to return home. What then? This enemy would not stop. Death would come for them sooner rather than later. Sedron would lead them to his family and they would die alongside him.
“We must make it back to the village, we must warn the others and hope they can flee to safety,” Fomel shouted to Sedron.
“We’ll be leading the enemy to our homes.” Sedron replied.
“They will find our homes whether we lead them there or die tonight.”
“Aye! That be true.”
The three of them spread out and ran as fast as they could across the snowy terrain back to the village. The wolves had survived, they had kept low when the shots were fired, and emerged from hiding when Sedron and his nephews decided to run home. They had to get home and tell the others. It wasn’t safe; they had to escape, but where? Anywhere, but here.
Story Three – The Pirate Queen
Zsilana awoke with the taste of blood on her lips and a pounding headache. She felt around to see if her clothes were still intact. ‘I wasn’t raped, at least,’ she concluded in silence while surveying the cubic room in which she lay. Only a single door and no window.
“How’s the cell?” At first she thought she dreamt the voice but there was a shimmer of light and shadow through the gap in the door.
“Go die in a hole scumbag.”
“That’s no way to get released.” said a muffled masculine voice with no obvious accent. Moments passed where nothing was said. “That ship you knocked off, bet you think that was funny.” The voice did not echo once but vanished into silence. “You won’t be laughing if you knew who I was. You better wipe that smile off your face, that was my ship you tried to knock off.”
“Yeah… that’s nice.”
“Don’t expect me to take this lightly.”
“Sure buddy, I jack ships like that all the time. Now throw me the key and I’ll be on my way.”
“Oh, but you haven’t jacked my ships before… and that’s why you were lucky, until now.”
“Sounds like you were the lucky one.”
“When captains lose ships, they lose reputation. When I lose ships I lose billions of credits. I have zero tolerance for piracy, and zero tolerance for scum like you.”
“What’s a few billion gallons of Jumu cola between friends?”
“Funny. I’ve seen your work before, I know fellow business owners that have been damaged by your exploits. Those vac-missile drones rip holes in the side of the hulls and if the ships aren’t destroyed then they are forced to limp home with an injured crew. The size of the holes are larger than this security cabin. Do you think about the crews when you perform your heinous acts?”
“Casualties are part of the job. Flying through space is a dangerous way to live. If it isn’t an asteroid that gets you then it’s the damn pirates.” Zsilana laughed.
“Do you know who you stole from?” he barked, “do you know who I am?”
“Everyone, anyone. I do my research, I know what’s on each vessel before I take it but I’m not so picky; Jumu Cola today, Azorn Minerals yesterday and who knows what tomorrow brings?”
“Both companies have legal rights to safe passage in Terosan space, as documented in the Kyopix agreement.” His monotonous voice was beginning to irritate Zsilana. Where was he from anyway? “Safe and unhindered passage, I should add.”
“We’re not in Terosan space, and since when did Kyopix care so much about their workers? I’ve met hundreds of former Kyopix workers in Indie sectors before.” Zsilana replied.
“The ships are owned by Kyopix. They are my ships. I don’t like it when people damage my vessels. The cola is less of a concern but I do own 30% of the company’s stock.” That had to be the smuggest voice in the whole galaxy, perhaps he wasn’t always so monotonous.
“So I can keep 70% of it and you can let me out?”
“Zsilana...” the wall began to vibrate accompanied by an awful whirring sound. A viewport appeared on the blank wall that gave Zsilana a view of the space outside. “Take a look outside. I’m not playing games.” An explosion roared in front of her. An intense shock of shrapnel bounced against the hull of the security cabin.
“Am I supposed to be impressed by the bright lights?”
“That was one of your ships, CAL 34. Designation, light freighter, if I’m not mistaken.”
“And my crew?”
“They’re safe. I’m not a murderer but you need to learn your lesson.”
“I have more ships, one isn’t a big loss,” Zsilana said.
“Is it not? I don’t enjoy losing a ship and I would gauge that you don’t either. You hide your feelings well. Keep watching.” Another explosion occurred outside.
“I don’t think that’s legal, not this close to the station.”
“Legal? Don’t make me laugh my pretty. You know nothing of legal.”
“So why are you talking to me if I am to be punished?”
“It amuses me to see you in there. I’ve heard much about you, Zsilana, but never had the good fortune to meet you, and now favourable circumstances have presented you here with little effort from myself. It was like I just had to think it and you put yourself in front me. Just when I need you. Perhaps it is serendipity?”
“You? Need me?”
“I have a proposition... one that will let you out here, without punishment... but I’ll be taking back the Jumu cola. All of it.”
“What will I have to do?”
“What you normally do: steal. There is something that I would like to have. Something that Kyopix feels it could benefit from but it isn’t something that we can acquire so easily ourselves. You see, Terosan recently purchased an intergalactic propulsion system. Not star to star, but galaxy to galaxy. Can you imagine the wealth we could reap with such a device? Why fight over congested starlanes and limited resources when you could jump to a whole other galaxy with a whole load of other resources. We’d be rich beyond belief.”
“Isn’t the Kyopix Consortium already rich beyond belief? Don’t answer that. I know the a
nswer already. I have to say I’m curious, I didn’t know such technology existed… or could exist. How exactly did Terosan ‘purchase’ this device?”
“Ah, with great cost I assume... from the Hayf Imperium. Unfortunately, Terosan has no intention of sharing this technological wonder… and, well, we want it…” She had a feeling he was smirking but the next thing he was going to say was inevitable. “And you will get it for us.”
“Hayf? As in the Hayf Imperium?” She expelled her breath in disbelief, “Nah, now you are just making fun of me. I don’t believe it. Not for a second. First, it was an intergalactic drive, then you make it worse by suggesting the Hayf traded it to Terosan. Perhaps you want me to walk over space there, naked, and simply pick it up with my bare hands? Well, of course I’ll knock their door first. I best be polite about it, right?”
“Hayf, as in the Hayf Imperium. Yes, the same people. We were astonished by it too but that’s what our intel tells us and we know the intel is reliable. I can show you the archive of our doc-streams. Terosan did an impressive job of keeping this one quiet, very quiet. We only learnt about the deal after the delivery was concluded… and I can’t think of a single other times that’s happened… at least not for a long time. What terms Hayf accepted are unknown, but we both know technology like that can’t be cheap. Such a device would lead to untold fortunes and power. I assume that you want to be there along for the ride, don’t you?”
“Why me?” Zsilana asked.
“Are you not the best person for the job?”