Fall and Rise of the Macas

Chapter 2: The Enemy

Chapter 2: The EnemyThe asteroid was a cold and dreary; a barren rocky outpost of sand dunes shifted by fierce winds that screamed through the rock canyons. From high above, scanty moisture dripped to feed what few life forms existed before evaporating away in the open. Any falling water that might hit the sand disappeared. Any warmth at midday vanished within two hours. The De'Chins had claimed this desolate place to mine for the depleted mineral and ore supplies on their home planet. There were two known inhabited outposts.

A quick survey of the landscape turned up the aliens' fighters and the De'Chins' outposts. The De'Chin vessels and one of the outposts were melted into lumps of odd angles and twisted metal. Jarvis remained wary. He set his fighter down and walked with Lillie and Pillar, Captain of Troopers.

“There should be ground cruisers, De'Chin, or the attackers. Where are they?”

Jarvis answered Pillar's question. “They are waiting to draw us into a trap.” he turned towards Pillar. “Would the De'Chins have started another outpost and nay had time to install the power source?”

“Aye, there could be another either for a new mining shaft or for defense.” Their voices buzzed in their ears through the protective helmets. “I would have another fighter underground. It would be essential for survival. It could even be used for a retreat to their home planet with the right two people and a starpath finder.”

“Aye, have your troopers shield for battle. Ye will take a quick turn in the fighter, but nay hover if ye find them. Ye can order those above to fire.”

“Captain, if ye stay afoot, request to do the same. All Captains are trained to observe from a fighter.”

Jarvis grinned at the man. Pillar was a true Thalian Warrior. The arena would seem tame after today. “Where would ye say the probable location tis?”

“They would situate it like the other outposts for mining. That means set into a canyon with protecting ledges and/or walls as a buffer against the winds.”

Jarvis nodded and contacted the waiting troopers. “All advance, except the five chosen to remain in our ships. Captain Beni, take one of the fighters and locate any life forms and relay the coordinates. They should be within a five mile radius. We'll check the other outposts till ye tell us different. Just execute a fly over and dinna hover; nay do ye attack. Keep an eye out for any hidden fighter.”

“Aye, Captain,” said Beni and she ran toward her fighter.

They waited in the cold sand swirling up to their knees as they watched the fighter move along the base of the foothills, then move higher until it was a spec sweeping under the clouds. They were fifteen men and women waiting for a battle they had trained and trained for but didn't expect in their four hundred year life span since the peace imposed by Thalia was now almost one hundred years in effect. The winds swirled the sand upward, then shifted the grit and dust downward. Over the howling wind, someone could be heard muttering on the com line, “I wonder if they breathe this piss naturally.”

Their weapons were ready, set to drop any known being, but not kill. The Guardian of Flight had given orders that prisoners be taken if contact made. The Justine League would need a live De'Chin to prove Thalia was nay the attacker. Ten minutes later, Captain Beni's scouting message sounded in their ears.

“Captain Jarvis, life forms three miles to your right. A deliberate cloaking cover has been designed over the area. There are two types of beings: four are De'Chins, the other ten are nay recorded. One fighter tis under rock cover and two ground cruisers are there. One of the cruisers tis the De'Chins'. Ye could drop a party just above them.”

“They would use the fighter if we dropped too low. Will they be able to see us as we approach?”

“Aye, Captain. If ye try to go straight at them, the wind twill sweep the sand in a different direction and give a clear view for a while.”

Jarvis looked at Pillar. “Any suggestions?”

Pillar, once a Tri from Don, had worked his way through the Army ranks after it opened for men. In truth, most of his crew were of Tri origin, nay House. Thalia's Houses had been depleted during the Justine Wars, and the imposed Sisterhood rule had completed the decimation.

Pillar pointed upward, his dark eyes shaded by a helmet. “We move into the foothills here, work up and around, and then down.”

“They will be expecting us.”

“Aye, but once we're out of sight, we break into two parties. One group will take a twenty minute lead, climb higher and then descend.”

“They could be using field scanners.”

Pillar shrugged his broad shoulders and grinned. “Tis a chance we will have to risk.”

Jarvis nodded and was disappointed when Lillie was drawn to proceed with the first group. He did nay wish to explain to his Guardian of Flight how his darling lassie was killed. Ye worry too much, he reminded himself. Lillie tis a Don Warrior.

Pillar left with his six people and the rest marked time. Silence was maintained. After twenty minutes Jarvis signaled with his fist to proceed.

They were sweltering in the protective suits by the time they reached their objective. Rivulets of water ran down their chests, backs, and legs, and was flicked up and recycled through the condenser and dripped into an expandable pouch. Jarvis led them down to an outcropping that protected the canyon outpost to wait for Pillar to start the attack.

Every head jerked when the roar of a fighter echoed against the sides of the stone outcroppings. Jarvis set his weapon to full fire and stood as the fighter started to rise upward and raked its side. The fighter wobbled as fire from the Thalian fighter raked downward.

I need to commend Beni, thought Jarvis as the fighter flopped over and burst into flame. A tall, brown clad being jumped out of the fighter's door and onto the sand. It didn't look like the being had on protective suiting. There was a clear helmet, or at least a plas-like helmet, but it was split. No sound reached them and the being rolled over and over, and then lay still, twitching a brown clad, muscular leg.

“Move out!” Jarvis reset his weapon to stun, and they descended to the last of the boulders to rejoin Pillar or for a retaliating volley from inside the outpost. An uneasy quiet descended over the group and the fire still consuming what was left of the fighter spread a blue-gray sheen through the dust laden air.

Jarvis studied the being on the ground. What skin showed through the torn material seemed to be brown. The face covered by the transparent plas-like helmet had an elongated jaw, a less imposing nose than his, and the eyeteeth seemed fang like. Inch long, honed nails protruded from the one extended hand. There was a backpack with tubing running to the helmet. This group of beings needed their air supply. He couldn't tell what color the eyes were, a condition he didn't deem important. Nay but the beings on Brendon, the slavies of Ayana, or the Laird's Earth had any eye coloring other than brown.

Pillar's voice boomed over the com and down to the outpost. “We dinna wish to destroy. We will take prisoners and arrange for an eventual return to your home base. It tis your choosing.” Whether the new beings could ken Thalian was nay important. The De'Chins would ken.

It was a De'Chin's voice that answered in a high, rapid yapping sound to their ears. “We thought you were more of them. We held this outpost. You are welcome to enter.”

Pillar did the expected. Weapons went to full fire and flames hit the outpost and surrounding fortifications. The rock ledge above the opening came crashing down.

“I'm afraid it's a swabbing operation now.” Jarvis's voice on the com was slightly apologetic. “Advance with caution. It tis possible for them to survive if they are deep enough inside.” He nodded at his group and the formed into a unit of twos. They bent low and used the fallen rock for cover and stopped at the last line of stones.

Jarvis noted that Pillar had similarly divided his group for moving downward. Corded muscles bunched and tightened as they waited for a response from the jumbled opening. Pillar's group was almost even with them when a blond haired De'Chin female crawled out of the rubble. Her face was cut and bleeding. Blond fuzz covered her gashed arms where dark red was oozing out. She was naked, no protective clothing or plas helm. Her teats on her four mammary glands were torn and she was so dazed she did nay call out. She simply crawled towards them on all fours, gasping and struggling for breath.

“Shall we call in another fighter?” asked Lillie while recording everything on her crystals.

“Nay yet, as this could be but a ruse.”

Once he had answered, Jarvis continued to watch the De'Chin. The wind was lifting the woman's hair. He realized everyone was as fascinated by her struggle as he was and not watching the opening, and he shifted his view to the outpost. The De'Chin had emerged from the side where a portion of the roof was supported by a half-melted beam.

“She will make it,” someone grunted over the line.

Jura, a trooper from Ayran reached out and dragged the De'Chin behind the protective rocks.

A brown, plas helmeted being leaped from the opening, his weapon trained on them as Jarvis and Pillar let loose their stun bolts. The alien's yell stopped at mid-crescendo and he crashed onto the rocks as flames spurted from someone's weapon. Pillar could attend to the trooper who had nay reset the fire power. It was a beautiful strike, except this one was useless as a hostage or prisoner. The full beam had sheared off the being's arm holding the weapon and part of his head. What was left of the being was stretched out on the rocks, an odd caricature of a muscular being.

Pillar's voice was in his ear and he caught the motion of someone ducking down inside the outpost. “Captain Jarvis, there are more inside. Do we fire or attack?”

“What information from the lass?”

“There tis nay but babble. We are sharing our air, but she keeps begging us nay to hurt her or bed her.”

“Fire, your weapons at full force.”

The flames shot out and stones and wood melted together to form an impassable barrier. They could see the rock vibrating as though those caught inside were firing their own weapons.

Jarvis eyed the stunned being lying by the fighter and exposed to fire and considered the possibility that it still lived. He gauged the distance. It was worth the risk. He motioned the others to remain hidden and swung over the rocks. Twenty strides brought him alongside the being and he bent, hefted the being over his shoulder, and charged back to the others through the shifting sands. The weight was like two hundred and forty pounds or a bit more.

“Move out,” commanded Jarvis and they filed out away from the fighter. Then he punched the com for Beni in the fighter.

“Take out the rest of the outpost.” They felt, rather than heard the vibrations from their fighter's blast completely destroying the outpost.

“We can slow down now,” said Pillar.

It was Jarvis's turn to share his air with the De'Chin female and the group stopped.

“Pick up now.” Jarvis gave the command after retrieving his air. He kept the other being on his shoulder afraid that the sand would cover the being's nose or mouth in this open area and having his one prisoner dead was nay to his liking.

* * *

Jarvis and Kahli sat hunkered down beside the runnel. “The water tis metallic,” was Kahli's comment and he pushed the small analyzer back in his carrying bag. “The bios here are ill and nay worth the bother. They all contain lead and Gar kens how many other metals. We have nay the water to spare for cleansing.”

Beneath his helmet, Kahli's ruddy face was twisted in disapproval. His slim hand reached down and savagely crumpled the sand clod. Always slender in youth, he had remained so at coming of age.

“Will we make it back to Thalia?”

Kahli looked at Jarvis and nodded. “Aye, we will, but it will be rationing and somewhere we must find a place to stop and replenish our bios. Do we head for the De'Chin's planet first?”

“Nay, tis out of the way and would add two months' time to our return.”

Kahli rocked back and forth on his heels. He turned back toward Jarvis. “Our first stop tis where? The Justine Refuge?”

Jarvis grimaced. “Nay, they would insist on keeping the prisoner for questioning. It tis for Thalia to decide his fate.”

Kahli nodded and used his fingers to trace a pattern in the sand. “That means our first stop tis Brendon.”

“Aye, how does the Supply Director feel about that?”

Kahli grunted and stood, then flung his arms wide. “I dinna care. We two at least ken going hungry. The rest may nay.”

“Ye would mention that.” Jarvis stood. “Kahli, how bad?”

Kahli shrugged. “The temperature may nay be comfortable in all areas. Once ye make your announcement for our return and first destination, I'll distribute the last of the brew. There tis nay water enough to continue making more.

“Thalians without their brew? Man, ye are cruel.”

“There tis more,” Kahli's grim voice continued. “There will be but a shower every other day, mayhap we will need to cut that to once a week.”

Jarvis heard the blasphemy with wide eyes. “Their tempers will shorten.”

“Mine tis already short. Do ye ken how long it has been since I've bedded Lania?”

Jarvis had no answer. Of course he knew. Lania was Kahli's counselor to be. They had announced their intent to Walk the Circle at the earliest possible age. She was a Director's lassie from the Laird of Don's home. They had met when the Laird took Kahli off the Ab list to anger the old Martin. Lania had been his true love then and remained so in his heart. Jarvis brushed such matters aside. “For Gar's sake Kahli, ye have been bedding.”

Kahli turned to him, fury lashing the brown-red skin of an Ab born even redder.

“Aye, I bed because I am Thalian. Do ye ken the guilt that gnaws at me when the vows are broken; the anger that rises when I ken that Lania tis driven to act the same?” He clenched his fists and drew in a deep breath.

“Jarvis,” and he forced his voice lower, “do ye nay ken? This tis the last space journey I make. I am nay a Warrior.” He nodded at Jarvis and moved away.

Slender he may be, thought Jarvis, but even under the protection clothing Kahli's corded muscles rippled. For Kahli was never truly at rest, energy surging through him like volts in a storm laden cloud. If Kahli were motionless, it was as though the lightning was ready to strike. When they were young, Kahli was one of the few to stand against him by using rapid blocking moves and then move in closer to land a blow. Kahli was Ab born, but he had won the respect of the others at the Academy.

Jarvis grinned and hurried after him, his powerful legs pumping to match the long strides of Kahli. When he caught up, he threw his arm around Kahli's shoulder and cursed at the suits that kept them from touching. “Old friend, it tis nay the time to quarrel.”

Kahli stopped. “Jarvis, it was nay a quarrel. I said what was in my heart.”

“Aye, and ye have a temper as bad as your brither's. Now about that flight home, tis there anything else I need to ken?”

“Nay, not till something else goes wrong.”

They walked back, arms thrown around each other's shoulder, at a comfortable matched stride.