The Battle for the Ringed Planet (7 page)

“Are they dead?” She swallowed.

“Yeah, plasma canons got them. We were spared because the Prox shield distorts targeting trackers, especially from a distance.”

The blonde girl turned away, choking back tears, “I didn’t want that to happen to them.”

“After what they did to you?”

“I grew up with Brant and Mikael. We were in the same school grade and the others … what they did to me… because of the voices … they just follow orders from Father Jarlan.”

He tenderly gripped her shoulder and whispered close, “We have to go.”

“Where?”

“How far is the village?”

“Please, not there …”

“Siiri, there’s going to be a fight. We have to warn your people. The rebels are probably going to send other cruisers.”

“My people will try and kill us.”

“I’ll deal with that. What about your parents? Do you want them harmed? They can’t think you’re a Demon Spawn!”

She lowered her eyes, “No ...”

“Then we have to hurry; the enemy may land troops.” Firmly Torian took her hand and began to lead her through the torn up terrain, keeping close to areas that could offer cover, and glancing anxiously at the sky.

The pair skirted around the burning mass of twisted charred metal that used to be an enormous warship, moving north with the river to their right until Siiri pointed, “If we follow along the river there are some falls ahead and a path that the scavenging parties use.”

After ducking under uprooted trees and hunks of metal, the trees thickened, and many broken branches and chipped bark bore evidence of the flying debris from the Callisto. They cut though an opening and found a path lined on either side with tire ruts.

Pine and fir trees blanketed the path and blocked the view of the Norstrom River, but Torian noted the water was rushing faster, “Are there rapids nearby?”

“No, falls, the entrance to Grondalle.”

Striding further along the path, through a gap in the trees, Torian spied a magnificent waterfall, at least one hundred meters tall. Rocks lined the banks, worn away by the fast moving white water. Inching closer he gazed at the mist rising from the chasm below.

Then he sighted a long wide green valley in the distance, “Very scenic.” He remarked, “How do we get down?”

“The path goes the long way around, but there is also a tunnel that goes down to the village and also leads back to Kaarina. That’s where they dragged me.”

Placing his hands on his hips, surveying the valley and the falls, he turned to the girl frowning, “So, do you hear the voices a lot?”

At first she hesitated, but then relented, “Sometimes once a week, maybe more.”

“What do they want?”

“Just to do things, like stand by the river and feel the water, or smell flowers, weird stuff like that.”

“And you don’t know who they are?”

“They have names...” fleetingly glancing away her voice trailed.

He decided not to press her, instead studying the valley below, he pulled out the binoculars, “Is the village down there?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t see any buildings.” He checked his Con, “Just fields of wild wheat and barley, some herds of sheep, cattle, no people.”

“Didn’t you say you were a reconnaissance specialist? You’re not doing it well.”

“You sound like my flight sergeant. Ok, trees line the valley walls. You said you lived in tunnels. That’s clever, with the trees camouflaging the entrances.” Torian looked up in the sky; the smoke from the wreck was dissipating where they had traveled, “Hard to see from orbit.”

“Father Jarlan designed everything so that we would be hidden from the Sky Demons. There are sentries posted, alarms and underground shelters.”

“He must know why I am here, because I sure don’t.”

“Can’t we just go back to the city and hide waiting for your fleet?”

“No Siiri, that’s probably where the fight is going to be. Battle cruisers can level entire cities, believe me, we don’t want to be there.”

“There will be a fight down there when they see you.”

“Well, maybe I can reason with them.”

“Then I hope you know what you’re doing. The tunnel down to the valley is over here.”

Through the pine trees and blueberry bushes was a thin perfectly rectangle entrance. Siiri picked some berries, and then offered him some as she swallowed a handful, which he accepted with a grin, “Those are good.”

“Mmm, come on then, let’s get this over with.”

The tunnel was manmade and the walls stone and perfectly smooth, “Hey, it’s lighted?” Torian glanced up at the small round embedded lights in the ceiling.

“Of course.”

“How are they powered? I didn’t see any energy fluctuations in my scans.” The thundering noise of water plummeting into the abyss drowned out their voices when they came close, so Torian had to shout when he saw an object spinning behind the falls, “A generator!”

“What?”

A long cylindrical drum the length of the waterfall across with curving paddles on the surface spun continuously with thick black cables protruding from each end, “You get power from hydroelectricity and the force of the waterfall masks the signature of the generator!” Torian scanned it with his Con, “You don’t know what I’m talking about?”

“No!” she grinned and stood on a small ledge above the generator protected by a steel railing. She leaned over and wet her hair and face in the spray, spreading her arms and splashing water on her neck, “Oh that’s so good!”

“That’s a lot of power!” He studied to holo column of numbers.

Then Siiri giggled and splashed him. He turned away, slightly annoyed, “Hey!”

“Oh good, you don’t melt, Sky Demon!”

The roar was deafening but the water on his face felt refreshing. There were many waterfalls on Kanata, but Torian could not remember ever having been behind one.

Siiri’s dress was soaked from the waist up revealing her linen slip underneath as she splashed Torian again, “Hey!” she hollered, “Your clothes don’t get wet!”

“It’s the material, different then yours.”

“That’s no fun!”

The tunnel went off in two directions from the falls, stairs down to the valley and a long branch towards Kaarina. He was impressed by the perfectly chiseled flight of steps as they descended to the bottom. The passage turned away from the waterfall and continued straight until they came upon a large room with a double wooden door in the wall full of steel barrels and crates.

“This leads out to the valley, Torian Sky Demon. Everyone will be inside because of the Sky … I mean your Callisto sky ship that crashed. Sentinels watching in the trees will spot us and give warning with electric signals.”

“We can detect them.”

“I’m scared.”

“Crossbow bolts cannot penetrate a Prox shield.”

“Father Jarlan has Sky Demon weapons and other equipment he makes the scavengers give him.”

“I can target anything he has.”

She stopped him planting her palm on his chest, “Your fancy gadgets and pistol won’t stop a fanatic crowd of hundreds.”

“Will they listen to reason?”

“Not from a Sky Demon.”

“Why?”

“Because, I told you! The Sky Demons killed all the people in the city! Father Jarlan knows everything; I doubt you can disarm him or that he will listen to you. He’ll just kill us.”

Torian frowned, “I doubt this priest of yours knows what’s coming, or anything about Imperium Marines. You said they were all inside the tunnels, well, we can just tell a few, and maybe they’ll spread the word.”

“Oh, they’ll spread the word all right.”

“They have a communications system?”

“An intercom system.”

“Well, you can wait here if you want.”

The blonde girl gave him a reflective gaze, “Give me a plasma pistol.”

“No.”

Audibly sighing, “This is a stupid idea,” Then she gave him a hard stare, “I suppose I have no choice.”

“That’s the spirit.” Torian pushed open the double wooden doors and sunlight poured into the dimly lit room. The outside was wooded, green and lush. Siiri moved up close to him glancing nervously at a thicket holding her Con.

“Torian, there is a sentinel in the trees ahead.”

“I see him,” his Con produced a holo display of a crouching young man in a tree blind holding a crossbow.

“It’s Alvarr, my sister’s betrothed, the worst shot in the whole village. He’ll probably wet his pants when he sees you.” Torian strode with his pistol drawn under a tall fir tree with a well-camouflaged platform a few feet up and a lone figure watching across the wide green valley.

Peering up and walking around, the flight specialist called up, “Hey!”

A man about Torian’s age peered down and gasped dropping his jaw, and as he fumbled with his crossbow, it slipped out of his hands, “A Sky Demon!”

“Hi Alvarr.” Siiri poked her head out from a tree near Torian.

“You brought him here? You traitorous demon witch!”

Then all stared at his crossbow on the ground next to Torian’s feet, “Well, Alvarr, I guess you’re at a disadvantage.”

“He shot himself in the foot once, so it’s better he’s disarmed.” Siiri folded her arms.

Alvarr was frantically signaling by pressing a button attached to the trunk of the tree, “You may fray me alive, Sky Demon, but now the whole village is alerted!”

“That’s if they believe you, Alvarr, the last time you pressed panic button we all enjoyed a fine meal of venison.”

“Filthy evil Demon Spawn!” He kept pressing.

Picking up the crossbow Torian handed it to Siiri, “Are you any good with this?”

“I’m the best girl shot in the village.”

“Is she, Alvarr?” Torian glanced up at the red haired man still pounding the signal button.

“Yep, she’s better than most of the boys, too.” He commented honestly.

“Impressive.” Torian glanced at Siiri who shot him a smirk and then back up at Alvarr, “Why don’t you climb down.”

“You’ll strip me naked and flay off all my skin, and that would be awfully embarrassing in front of the filthy demon spawn girl.”

“I’ll look the other way.”

“And I’ll give you a running start.”

“Really?”

“But you have to tell everyone I just want to give them a message, and not kill them all.”

“I promise!”

“Tell them I mean no harm.”

“Sure sure!”

“I’ll count to five, now come on down.”

“Don’t flay me!”

“One …”

Alvarr clambered down the tree and sprinted towards the river, turning sharply, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Help! Help! A Sky Demon is here and he’s going to flay us all!”

Torian glanced at his Con, “And he’s going to marry your sister?”

“There is a shortage of eligible bachelors in the village.”

“Well that sounds promising.”

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up. They’d line up in droves to marry Alvarr before consorting with a Sky Demon.”

“Their loss.”

“Right. You would love them and leave them anyway, just like in the holos.”

“And die in some far away space battle?”

“Yes.”

“Like here?”

“I’ll bet you’ve left a few girls at far away space ports.”

The tall military man examined the crossbow in Siiri’s hand, “No, too many cynical girls watched the same holo as you did. Five bolts in the box, pretty smart.”

“Father Jarlan invented it, he said that way Sky Demon’s couldn’t detect plasma bolts from more modern weapons.”

“I have a feeling I’m not going to like this Father Jarlan.” Walking cautiously with Siiri trailing close, Torian scanned the area towards the fast moving waters of the Norstrom River. A green meadow of clover preceded fields of barley and wheat that flowed in the breeze like waves in a golden ocean. The grains, loosely segregated from the other crops, gave the appearance from afar that they were growing wild.  

“How do you know what field belongs to each farmer?”

Siiri responded with clear worry in her voice, “There are small stone markers with names and measurements.”

“Measurements … you must have had a lot of disputes.” As he examined his holo data she remained quiet while he added, “You didn’t fool me. I live on a barley farm and the lack of undergrowth on the fallow fields gave you away.” 

“Who knew Sky Demons were farmers? I guess Father Jarlan missed that.”

“People coming, in a loose arrowhead formation...” Torian announced glancing at his Con as he walked over to a large Oak tree on a small hill near the river that spread its shadow over a large field of clover. He motioned for the blonde haired girl to follow him under the tree.

“Hunters.” She grimly sighed, “We can still make it back if we run.”

“Aye.” He gazed across the fields, “About 40, I can target only 25 at a time …” Torian dropped the navy blue back pack and pulled out Chang’s pistol and holster, fastening it to his utility belt so that he had a gun on each side. Then he manipulated the floating screens on his Con, “But with both pistols I can get them all.”

“You can shoot that many?”

“Yeah, a pistol can target 25 targets maximum. An assault rifle can target 50.”

“The leader is Lexor, the one in front with the long brown hair. He has a scavenged city weapon.”

Glancing at the Con holo, “A shotgun, old style projectile weapon, with only 6 shells, I’m going to target all the weapons, but I can’t guarantee that the plasma bolts won’t injure or kill.”

“Will the … um shield thing stop the weapon Lexor has?”

“A military prox shield is designed to stop low velocity projectiles, so yes.”

The group of armed villagers came into view through the tall grass beyond the clover field. They were clad for the most part in the same leather camouflaged shirts and assorted helmets that Torian and Siiri had seen on the first group at the Callisto wreckage. Almost all carried crossbows, though a few had normal bows and the leader, Lexor, a tall stocky balding man with long hair in the back, wielded the heavy shotgun.

Slinging his backpack, Torian started forward towards the group of men with Siiri expertly leveling her crossbow. The advancing group was fifty meters away when the off-worlder soldier halted halfway down a small slope. He quickly drew his right pistol and began to twirl it then slip it back into the holster. Then he drew his left the pistol, spinning it expertly and sliding it easily back. With both hands, he pulled out both Glock-Ruger 27 plasma pistols twirling them dexterously and easing them back into their respective holsters.