Seers of Verde: The Legend Fulfilled: Book One (4 page)

9

“How far behind us are they?” Lar shouted as he guided the lander through Wald’s obstacle course of a valley. The two ships could barely navigate through the rock outcroppings that were everywhere.

“Two to three hours,” Riss Nels answered the security chief. “At least the Tanlians have to slow down through this rock maze, too.”

“True enough, lieutenant. Their ships aren’t much bigger than our landers. How is the other lander faring?”

Riss checked the comm and smirked. “Lieutenant Dhar doesn’t appreciate this obstacle course, either.”

Geologist Wald Bergmann signaled the ships. “Landers, you’re only five Kms away. Prepare to set down.”

“I would if I could see where,” Lar snapped.

“You will see a gorge shortly. Land there. We are in the caves right above there,” Wald answered.

“I see it now,” Lar said. “Signal Dhar to follow me. We need to get these ships down, and the people need to get out quickly.” The colonists poured out of the ships in a rapid but orderly fashion, helping each other when needed.

Wald hurried over to Lar. “The caves are ready, security chief. Once your people are inside, the Tanlians will have trouble finding them.”

“Thank you, Wald, excellent,” Lar said, slapping the geologist on the shoulder. “But we have some able bodies who want to face them out here. Those who don’t have weapons can follow you.”

“Very good. My people will guide them to safety. We have arranged a welcome for the Tanlians.” Just as he spoke, the roar of flyers echoed in the valley, sending the landing parties scrambling to safety.

Tanlian pilot Rolid Halpan guided his collector through the jagged valley. “I’ve flown through worse,” he bragged, while his crew grew more nervous with every near miss of hitting a rock outcropping. “Tell number two to keep up. We need to get down there before they have a chance to hole up.”

Wald cursed as Rolid’s ship streaked through the canyon. “We missed that one, but here comes the other,” he said to Lar as they hunched behind two boulders that had been maneuvered into defensive positions.

As the roar of the second Tanlian ship grew, Wald flicked a switch on a handheld remote. Explosions rocked the narrow canyon. The walls disintegrated, sending boulders flying like missiles.

The second Tanlian ship was knocked out of the air. It somersaulted to the ground and lay buried by debris.

Lar smiled. “Good work. Now we only have to worry about one Tanlian flyer.”

Seeing the explosion destroy the second collector, an angry Rolid guided his transport out of the canyon and returned from the other direction. The two grounded Earther landers were perfect targets. They exploded under a barrage of energy bursts from the Tanlian ship.

Rolid then swung his collector around and released sonic and gas bombs, hoping to knock out his opponents long enough for him to land and release his trained killers upon the colonists. Lar and Wald were prepared for this tactic. All their people on the ground had been given ear plugs and safety breathers.

“No one move,” the security chief spoke into his comm. “Let them think the bombs worked. Wait for my signal.”

Rolid made one more swing over the area. Seeing no movement, he set down his collector ship. “Kill all those damn men and take every woman or girl you find,” he ordered. Fifty armed Tanlians came storming out of the ship, found defensive positions and crept toward the caves.

At Lar’s signal, a woman in one of the caves screamed. The Tanlians rushed forward like a pack of Earth wolves advancing on helpless prey. A second signal launched a barrage of weapon fire on the Tanlians. Energy bursts, pulse grenades and bullets filled the air and brought down half of the Tanlians.

The surviving attackers didn’t stop. They rushed the cave only to be confronted by Lar and his men. Too close to use weapons, the Tanlians and
Colonia Nueve
defenders fought hand to hand. Trained to fight as a unit, the security force formed a defensive circle to fend off the Tanlians. Although fierce and having the advantage of greater numbers, the attackers fell one by one.

Lar took quick stock of the situation. Seven of his men were badly wounded, but none were killed. Dozens of Tanlians lay dead. The defenders had no time to rejoice. The roar of an engine filled the air as the Tanlian collector lifted off and shot out of the canyon.

“That damn pilot didn’t have the courage to join his men,” Lar shouted to Wald, who emerged from his hiding place. “Can’t we shoot him down?”

“We have no rockets, security chief,” Wald yelled back. “We’ve used all our explosives.”

¶ ¶ ¶

Stunned by the outcome of the short-lived battle, Rolid fired his engines, concerned now only with escaping this planet and returning to the Tanlian mother ship, even though it would be in disgrace. Shaking with fear, he flew out of the valley. Several times he swore his altimeter gave him the wrong reading. With sweat dripping down his face, he wiped his eyes to make sure he could see.

“The instruments are never wrong,” he thought to himself, as his ship exploded into thousands of pieces of debris.

¶ ¶ ¶

“What just happened?” Wald asked, his mouth agape at seeing the collector crash into the mountain.

“I think our Seer has become a weapon,” Lar said, smiling. “Let us hope she uses her talents wisely.”

On the other side of the mountain range, a pale and shaking Taryl Ryann looked up at Uri Rabakov. “All four Tanlian ships are destroyed, Lieutenant. As well as our landers.” She paused. “I’ve killed today. I’ve broken the ancient code not to do harm.”

Uri knelt beside Taryl. “You’ve helped save almost two thousand people who would have been killed or captured. What you have done here will never be forgotten by our people,” he said, holding the trembling Seer as tears streamed down her face.

10

Yermak Halpan could not believe his good luck. The escaping ship offered no resistance. The Earth craft had been built for deep-space transport and sported no weapons to defend itself. However, the Tanlian commander was angry the Earth captain had refused to stop the colony ship. Both vessels had barely broken out of orbit.

Yermak wanted to take the ship back to Tantalum 2 as a trophy, but the other captain was forcing his hand. “Very well, we have no choice. Target her engines — fire.”

Two energy-pulse missiles shot out of the Tanlian ship, hitting the
Colonia Nueve’s
engine compartment. The Earth vessel was finally forced to halt.

“Prepare to dock. Fasten all clamps,” Yermak ordered his navigator. “Tell the crew to be careful. We don’t know how many armed men there are on board. Kill any who resist.”

¶ ¶ ¶

Hector stared at his command console. He heard the screech of the alarm on the docking port. It was just one of many warning signals sounding through the ship, but it was the one they had been waiting for.

“Are they attaching their docking clamps?” he asked his comm operator.

Yes, Captain. Their clamps are descendng,” Yoshi Watanabe answered.

Hector nodded. Yoshi had determined that the Tanlian ship was built as an old Earth-class transport. It had forty attachable clamps, as well as another forty clamp ports aligned with the
Colonia Nueve’s
design.

“Give me a countdown on those clamps”

Yoshi took a deep breath. “Ten seconds, nine, eight, seven, six…”

“Attach clamps,” Hector ordered. At his signal, forty of the colony ship’s docking clamps ascended and locked into the Tanlian ports. The Tanlian ship shuddered after the docking was complete.

“That was a rough one. Is there a problem with the dock?” Yermak asked Ossor Vallon.

“Docking was successful, Commander, but …" Ossor studied his console, puzzled.

“Well, what is it?” Yermak demanded. “We have the Earth ship.”

Ossor looked up. “The readouts are unusual Commander. There are twice as many docking clamp confirmations than there should be. Our forty clamps are secure, but I have eighty confirmation lights. Very strange.”

“Sounds like a problem for engineering,” Yermak snapped. “Turn these ships back to the planet. We may get some decent salvage out of the Earth ship, as well as that hulk it left behind. Why haven’t I heard from the boarding party? Stetter, are you on board yet?”

Tanlian lieutenant Jor Stetter winced when he heard Yermak’s voice. “The main dock entry has been sealed shut commander. It looks like they have tripled-shielded hatches.”

Yermak was livid. “Well blow them open, Lieutenant. Get into that ship.”

“Yes, Commander, but it will take a few minutes for us to burn through each dock.”

Hector studied his console. Alarms started screeching as small explosions echoed through the ship. His console flashed: “Docking port one open. Unauthorized entry. Docking port two open. Unauthorized entry. Docking port three …"

He turned toward his crew. Their eyes fastened on him. “I’m proud of you all. We have given the colonists their best chance to survive. Now it’s up to them. Let’s give the Tanlians a warm welcome.”

Hector whispered a quick prayer. “Grandfather, I pray your dream comes true. May Verde Grande flourish.” Hector then entered in his last command code, signaling the self-destruct program. The explosion from the
Colonia Nueve
swept through the open ports the Tanlians had just opened and enveloped their ship as well, giving the intruders no time to react. Yermak Halpan only had time to hurl one last curse at Hector before the firestorm enveloped both ships.

11

Colonists on both sides of the mountain range were regrouping in the early evening hours on Verde Grande. The wounded needed to be attended to and meals were being served from rations left over from the
Colonia Nueve
.

The first of Verde Grande’s two moons, the giant Luz Primo, was climbing on the horizon. It would be several hours before the smaller moon, Luz Nino, joined it in the sky.

“It’s no use. Our communicators aren’t powerful enough to reach the other group,” Uri Navrakov said as he approached Taryl. “We need the
Colonia Nueve
to relay our signal to them.”

“I am very tired. Today has been terrible,” Taryl said, still looking withdrawn and pale. “I know what you want. I will try to see the others.” With a heavy sigh, the small woman sat upright and closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed to a steady, rhythmical pace.

Uri looked at the Seer, hoping the exhausted woman could use her talents once more. As if in answer to his unspoken question, Taryl lifted her face, her eyes still closed.

“The others have survived the Tanlian attack. They have many wounded, and some have died, but they have shelter and are being cared for,” she whispered. “They are talking about the colonists on the other side of the mountain — us. Their landers have been destroyed. They cannot get to us or we to them.”

Mixed emotions flooded Uri. He was thankful the others had survived. But how would they reach each other without the flyers? How would they reach the
Colonia Nueve
, if it had survived?

If the mountains were as treacherous as he had seen, it would be a dangerous task to attempt a climb, but they may have no choice.

As Uri gazed up the mountain, pondering the situation, a thunderous clap broke the silence. The sky was illuminated by what appeared to be a giant meteor falling to the planet. Fire trailed it for hundreds of kilometers.

Wald Bergmann jumped when he heard the explosion and searched the sky. “Are the Tanlians returning?” he asked, desperation giving away his emotion.

Not getting an answer, he turned toward Lar Vonn only to see tears streaming down the security chief’s face. The geologist paused and gulped. “The
Colonia Nueve
?”

Lar cleared his throat. “In all probability. If I know the captain, the Tanlian mother ship is part of that, too.”

The colonists in both valleys stood as one gazing into the sky, watching the blazing ships fall to the planet. Prayers to all of Earth’s gods, saints, and holy people were murmured in thanks as well as in final tribute to the ship that had safely brought them to the planet.

12

“Damn Tanlians, they must have gotten to the colonists before they could get to the planet. Two thousand people lost,” said a red-faced Jamison Gresser, Director of Colonization Alliance of Independent Nations, as he slammed a fist on his desk.

“Are you sure? What was the last communication from Verde Grande colony?” asked Per Vosberg, chief of Universal Mineral.

“Captain Nandez reported Tanlians were attacking the colonists on the planet and he was trying to draw the mother Tanlian ship away,” Gresser said. “That was three weeks ago. There’s been no communication since.”

“No communication satellite was launched?” Vosberg asked. “All those people,” he shook his head.
All that equipment and investment
, he thought.
Wald Bergmann finally chose the wrong project. Too bad I can not tell him personally.

Jamison was now pacing around his office on Sirius 7, the launching point for all CAIN’s colonization efforts. “Verde Grande is too far away to send military flyers,” he said. “It would take them years even at trans-light nine to reach the planet.”

Per shifted in his chair, frowning. “I apologize for putting this loss into financial terms, director. However, Universal Mineral cannot afford another loss like this. We are facing too much competition from the Galaxy Exploration and Minerals Syndicate. Combine that with the danger from the Tanlians, and it is too much of a drain.”

Jamison nodded. He knew dramatic changes to their colonization efforts needed to be made. The Tanlians were forcing new colonies to shore up defenses. The Syndicate was seeing success with their colonies. Jamison and the other CAIN officials were unaware of how their competitors were avoiding these troublesome raids.

After four years of unsuccessful attempts at fending off the Tanlians, Galaxy Exploration and Minerals Syndicate sued for peace during secret negotiations. Each GEMS planet agreed to pay an annual “tribute" to the raiders. In exchange, the Tanlians agreed to leave those worlds in peace.

The Colonization Alliance of Independent Nations had refused to deal with renegades, thus starting decades of attacks and kidnappings. The Tanlians had successfully defended their home world against two invasions by CAIN forces.

The Earth people had underestimated their opponents’ skill, determination, and size of their force. CAIN could not muster the number of ships and men needed to take back the ship-building planet.

The Tanlians soon learned women were the most valuable commodity among the expanding Earth colonies. Due to the shortage of females, especially on GEMS mining camps and security posts, officials often looked the other way when Tanlians delivered the precious cargo. After all, women were in great demand by their inhabitants, no matter that it came at the cost of human suffering.

The women were stolen from CAIN colonies. So it was no concern to the Syndicate, which often had trouble competing with its rival for scarce new planets that could be bioformed.

The Tanlians were paid with fuel, food and raw materials they could trade for the latest tech gear or light weapons. Now those raiders apparently had taken their biggest prize — an entire settlement of colonists.

Per studied Jamison, who was gazing out his window, deep in thought. “How much longer do we wait until we count Verde Grande as lost?” he asked the director.

Jamison looked at the mining chief. “If we don’t hear from them in one more lunar cycle, we will withdraw all interest from the planet. Excuse me, Per, I have two thousand souls I want to pray for.”

¶ ¶ ¶

“It is not like Yermak Halpan to be late,” Tanlian transport commander Masat Ebber complained. “Are you sure these are the coordinates we were given to meet his ship?”

“Yes, Commander. Tantalum 2 moon base Octavius 7 were the coordinates they gave us,” comm operator Kor Vens said. “I have sent messages every thirty minutes. They have have not answered.”

Masat stared out of his command cabin’s window. “Eighteen hours is too long to wait. We need to get our perishables to Tantalum 2.”

The ship was carrying food, oils, live animals, and vegetation from New Arabia 3. Officials on the GEMS colony were generous in paying their tribute to the Tanlians.

“How many colonies are within minimum traveling range?” Masat asked Kor. “Yermak said he was low on fuel or he wouldn’t have asked for our assistance.”

Kor frowned as he scrolled through the star charts on his console. “The only established colony is eight lunar’s travel, and that is Nouveau France 4.”

“Too far away, plus even Yermak wouldn’t dare attack a Syndicate world. Not with them being so generous to us,” he smiled. “How many seeder worlds are being bio-formed?”

Kor shrugged. “My guess is more than twenty, commander, and those are the worlds we know about. We may not be aware of all the bioforming activities, especially with the CAIN Earthers.”

Masat nodded. “Yermak is out there somewhere. Perhaps he stumbled upon a fat trophy and is taking his time. Launch a signal beacon along the route he was taking. If he needs assistance, he can send another message.

“Chart the bioformed worlds we are aware of. We will return and try to find our wayward brother after we make our delivery to Tantalum 2. If Yermak has found his favorite trophies, I’m sure he won’t mind sharing with his fellow Tanlians,” Masat smiled. “Lay a course for home. We are late as it is.”