Copyright 2024 -- Daemon D. Hart
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The Human Bearer
There were no festivities, no cohorts of weeping friends to see them out as they walked down a long corridor, similar to the one Kyle had taken him to the other day to present him his little project. They were, however, led by Marn, who slithered his way in front of them at a fast pace. Riordan had been learning to keep up by walking faster, although Frontis had offered to carry him. Since he was no longer a pregnant bearer, but a combatant, just like them, he had refused.
The doors that opened into the vessel they would use to carry them to Galatea offered a different view from Kyle's repurposed escape pod. This one was large, sleek in appearance, and only because now Riordan knew a lot more about how to activate the holograms that allowed access to the functionalities of the ship, he wasn't surprised by the lack of anything such as buttons, levers, clocks, and sundry. Kyle's escape pod would look ancient by comparison. Had Xana ordered the bot to dismantle his creation? That would be a pity, because Kyle had put his soul -- what counted as that in the depth of his circuits -- in it.
Lakni immediately took the helm, making lines and lines of symbols appear in front of his eyes. Riordan observed the young Xeno's calm moves as he picked the itinerary. They would have to use the occasional meteorites floating by to conceal their presence, and move in short rapid jumps so that the general ship's systems wouldn't pick up on strange activity.
"For you, Riordan," Marn said and pointed at a long black case on the floor.
He crouched and opened it. Weapons. The Xenos didn't need them because they were the weapons. Over the last days, Riordan had learned to use them all. As always, it surprised him how light they were. Both the technology and the materials used by whoever made them were light-years away from everything the Earth had ever produced in terms of weaponry. They were mostly used by elite guards, which was why he was lucky to have them now. Even the case was designed in such a way that a push of a button turned it into a thick backpack that Riordan could carry with ease.
As taught, he examined all the weapons available. They were mostly energy-based, the principles of which he hadn't bothered to learn as the Xeno teaching him agreed that he didn't need to become a physicist and only had to be able to aim and shoot. Only after he deemed that everything was in order, he closed the case and activated the button for transforming it. Even as light as it was, the backpack full of weapons gave him the assurance he needed for when they would breach Galatea.
Their orders were simple. They were to infiltrate so that they would reach the general's quarters without anyone noticing them. That was the ideal scenario. Otherwise, they had orders to eliminate anyone standing in their way. Without triggering any alarm. It was straightforward, but difficult.
Marn had shared with them the design of Galatea. There was no telling what sorts of changes Gamni Gafilos must have made to the structure of the ship. Seeing how that fucker could create new designs and things like that metal parasite where he had kept Florent and Riordan as his prisoners out of seemingly thin air, the information they had could be only partially accurate. Still, it was better than nothing. According to Lakni, regardless of the general's desire to modify Galatea extensively, some things were impossible to change. Even Xenos had to obey the laws of physics -- some of them Riordan suspected to be quite different from what he believed them to be -- and that included what counted as the vital structure of their ships, as well.
"It is essential that you're not seen by the enemy. Galatea is a warship and has numerous ways of eliminating an enemy trying to attack from the outside."
"That is why we will attack it from the inside," Lakni replied promptly. "We will get inside, Your Excellency."
Marn nodded curtly. "Do not waste time on petty conflicts. Eliminate opposition swiftly. Move fast with proper caution. From the moment you are aboard Galatea, you will be on borrowed time. Every second, every breath counts."
The way Marn talked about the operation didn't make it sound like such a suicidal mission. He made it sound difficult, yes, but not impossible. Maybe that was his way to give them hope.
"Riordan."
He stood straight as he heard his name being called. "Yes, Your Excellency."
Marn smiled. "We're yet to make a soldier out of you. Your goal is to find young Xeus. Remember that. That means that even if your companions might find themselves in particularly challenging situations, you will have to continue your mission."
He knew what Marn so elegantly put out there, for all of them to understand. The three Xenos on the same mission as him could take care of themselves, and if they couldn't, he wasn't supposed to try help them. It was a harsh recommendation -- no, more like an order -- and Riordan understood it. He didn't know if he'd be able to follow it to the letter. After all, Lakni, Blaise, and Frontis were here because he wanted to save Xana's son and his. They could just as well choose to remain aboard Tu'lek and live their lives happily by Lewis's and their Xenolites' side, while Marn ordered the destruction of Galatea. It was a matter of loyalty that Riordan didn't know if His Royal Chancellor could understand. According to Cario, their brains were just wired differently.
"Yes, Your Excellency," he agreed, despite all the moral quandaries he expected to meet soon.
"Once the general is eliminated, and you have the Xenolite secure, return to Tu'lek immediately. Your mission is not to destroy the entire population of Galatea. Although our systems do not pick any other signals besides it, we have it on good authority that there are other ships nearby."
Because of Florent. The prisoner knew about Gamni's fleet and had passed the information along. It looked like Marn was inclined to believe him.
"Therefore, the longer the time you spend aboard Galatea, the slimmer and slimmer your chances of escaping it. Think of it as a trap that starts to close in on you the moment you are there."
The Xenos immediately took their places and seemed ready to go. Riordan, however, had one last thing to ask. "Your Excellency, a word?"
Marn gestured for him to step outside. "What is it, Riordan? Having doubts about the mission?"
"No. But I must ask while I still have the chance. Why did you approve it? The mission, I mean. According to your calculations, we have no chances."
"You, humans, have a tendency to believe in miracles. I thought you would give me a speech about the power of hope."
"And you, Xenos, believe in logic and nothing else. So, why?"
Marn leaned over, looming above from his impressive height. His eyes were, however, kind. "Because a lot of things have happened that contradict the ways we're used to. I am not one to ignore evolution. I recognize it for what it is. Is it a bet I'm taking by letting you endanger your lives?"
With Xenos, it was rarely a rhetorical question when they asked you something. So, he replied, "Yes, it's a pretty big bet."
Marn seemed pleased with his answer. "I'm betting on you, Riordan. You are brave for a human. And even for a Xeno."
"And that's your way of calling me illogical, I bet."
"You bet, too. I think I like myself a gambler."
Riordan pondered for a moment. "Will Xana be alright?"
"He will," Marn replied promptly.
"I've heard you're not fond of his choice of bearer."
"You've heard," Marn said slowly. "Of course, no one can stop the power of gossip when it comes to humans. No, I do not agree. Xana deserves a bearer who doesn't busy himself to trade favors all day long in exchange for the use of his warm holes."
So, Marn was very much aware of Jasno and his questionable character. But Cario had warned him that even that wouldn't mean too much to the logic these Xenos held so dear. Marn probably saw Jasno as a whore and not much else, certainly not as the ambitious opportunist he was in his mean little heart.
"People like him can cause a lot of trouble wherever they go," he said, not wanting to voice Cario's exact words. Marn didn't have to know what Drato Menor's sharp as a tack bearer was up to. The several vials of sangar were stashed safely in his chest pocket. He would be able to access them at a moment's notice if the need appeared. It would appear, without a doubt.
"I plan on making sure he doesn't have time for it," Marn assured him. "Xana might have to wait to put his egg inside Jasno's womb, as the others are ready. As blissful as he will feel once his belly is full, he won't have time for petty rivalries."
Riordan nodded. Would it work for Jasno? Hopefully, yes. And then Cario would have one thing he no longer had to worry about.
He smacked his heels and saluted. He vaguely remembered a quote he had heard somewhere about how soldiers from ancient times saluted their emperor under similar circumstances to his at the moment. "Thank you, Your Excellency," he said instead.
Marn touched his shoulder briefly. "Safe return, Riordan. Prove yourself once more."
He didn't ask what that meant. He turned on his heel and hurried into the vessel to join the others.
It seemed that everything was going according to their plan. Lakni was truly incredible in his role as navigator. Riordan didn't know a lot about what other sorts of navigators Xenos prepared, but Lakni was, certainly, the equivalent of a prodigy. He commanded their small ship with a firm hand, making those bursts of movement appear as something from a science fiction movie and even more than that. Riordan had very little basis for comparison to know, but what he did know was that Lakni was keeping them alive and away from the scanning and radar systems Galatea was equipped with.
And it was the same Lakni who knew where to take them, because Riordan was nervously looking at the large screens, seeing nothing. Where was Galatea?
"The general knows his ship well, as well as his battleground," Blaise explained, as if he was reading his thoughts. For all that Riordan knew, he probably was doing just that. "Galatea is hidden behind that big asteroid." He pointed at something in front, and Riordan stared without seeing a thing.
"Is something there? I don't have eyes as good as yours."
"It is," Blaise confirmed. "That just helps us, too. The general cannot use his systems at full capacity as long as he's forced into hiding."
At least, they knew that the ship was still there. Riordan hoped that Gamni Gafilos hadn't somehow managed to run, along with his ship, with Xeus on board.
"You can sleep," Blaise said. "Unlike you, we don't need as much rest. But all this meteorite-hopping will take a while. We'll wake you up."
It seemed such an unfathomable thing to go to sleep while his companions were engaged in navigating the ship. He lay inside the pod installed there especially for him only to show that he didn't mean to be in the way. However, as his thoughts concerning Xana, the mission, the baby, and most of all, the hate he felt towards the general, engulfed him, so seemed to happen with sleep.
He woke up with a start as a deafening noise cut his dream in half. He was barely out of the pod that Blaise threw a helmet at him. It was a special thing equipped with compressed oxygen tanks on all sides. He put it on, as he heaved and his chest burned. Everyone was moving around, with purpose, which felt strange compared to the loud hiss he heard.
Depressurization. The shell of their vessel was cracked right in the middle across the front window. What could have happened? Had they hit something? Worse -- had they been discovered and fired at by Galatea?
It didn't matter. It was time for them to put on their special suits. The holes that let the breathable air inside the vessel get sucked out by the vacuum were small, but the crack looked like it was about to turn into a gash. That meant they had no time.
His moves were mechanical, already trained and conditioned for this type of situation. He was barely inside the suit when the vessel broke in half and they were pulled out, barely missing the jagged edged of the destroyed window.
Someone caught him by one arm and he found himself dragged along. What made Xenos special and different from humans was, among many other things, that they could move through space due to their long tails. When Xana had saved him, Riordan had noticed vaguely how his former master and lover had lunged over the distance between them to bring him back.
He could hear his pulse ringing in his ears, and his shallow breathing. He needed to calm down. They were without a ship. That lowered their chances to return, but they still had a mission to follow.
As his eyes darted around and he tried to calm himself down, he saw it. Galatea rose before them like a dark tower from a horror story. It was a monstrous thing, ring after ring of structures that jutted out in places, destructive weapons aiming in all directions. The whole thing looked like a large section of a Xeno's tail, or at least that was what Riordan was imagining.
It didn't matter that they lost their vessel. They were there, and they would get aboard Galatea either way. He let whoever held him drag him towards their destination.
Frontis worked fast and methodical as he worked a breech into the wall of the ship. Depending on luck, they would quickly get inside one of the chutes that would re-pressurize itself quickly after they entered. Another option was to cause a breech in an area where such features weren't in place. That would be definitely unpleasant for the guys happening on the other side, because they would be pulled by the vacuum outside their safe environment. That mattered little. They were there.
Riordan looked over his shoulder. The remains of their ship were already far, looking like space debris and nothing else. If Galatea had shot at them, that would also mean that they would find serious opposition on the other side.
He was pulled along again. By Blaise, as he had quickly understood. Frontis and Lakni already snuck inside. Blaise pushed Riordan in front and followed right away.
When he saw the others taking off their helmets, he did the same. They were inside one of those self-pressurizing rooms. The hole made by Frontis was only a dot now and Riordan felt his ears making a popping sound as the pressure equalized.
"What happened? Did they shoot at us?" he asked, as they quickly shed their suits so that they weren't encumbered further in their moves.
"No," Lakni replied. "Worse than that."
"What do you mean?" Riordan continued, as they all moved like the same body towards the doors that should open to allow them entrance to the belly of the beast.
"No one shot at us. We didn't get hit by some random asteroid. That leaves just one thing," Lakni said as he pressed himself to one side and gestured for Riordan to follow his lead, while Frontis turned invisible and Blaise covered his entire body in thin sharp sheets of metal. "Sabotage."
Riordan felt a dark chill down his back. That wasn't a word he wanted to hear. It meant that they had enemies aboard Tu'lek.
It didn't matter at the moment. They had enemies here, on Galatea.
And they were in.
Frontis slithered in front. That was mostly Riordan's guess per their training, not that he could actually see what the young Xeno was doing. The doors had opened with the usual hydraulic hiss, and the dark corridor in front of them seemed empty.
Once inside, Blaise and Frontis were both the spear and shield. Lakni used some light weaponry, the same as Riordan, but he had other weapons by his side, as well, mainly, his Xeno body that allowed him to squeeze through narrow enclosures.
"It's safe until the next checkpoint," a whisper came out of thin air.
That had to be Frontis, who has already scanned the place in front for enemies. A ship as big as Galatea was supposed to have a crew in the thousands, but seeing the rift caused by political strife in the Xeno society, the number of possible enemies had to be lower. Unless Galatea was without a fleet to follow it, which Riordan doubted as he remembered Florent's warning, it had to work with a reduced number of personnel.
Frontis had estimated that number to be anywhere between one hundred and several hundreds. All Xenos involved in the military, one way or another. That without counting the maintenance personnel made by lizard guards and other species that had to ensure the good functioning of the ship.
That only meant that the ship had to be busy with activity at any hour. Incapacitating anyone who wasn't a Xeno was an easy job, but they didn't look forward to leaving a trail of dead lizard guards and whatnot in their wake.
The more time they spent concealed from the view of the enemy, the better. Although Frontis was their eyes and ears, Riordan continued to throw nervous looks around. He needed to be aware of his surroundings. He patted his chest pocket. The presence of Cario's vials was comforting. If push came to shove, he'd have to use them.
"Isn't it strange that it's so quiet?" he asked in a whisper that seemed too loud, given the circumstances.
"I don't like it, either," Lakni confirmed. "The only way is forward. And we'll know."
Whoever sabotaged them could very well be in contact with someone aboard Galatea. Not just anyone. Gamni Gafilos, most likely.
"Get down," Frontis hissed at them, and they made themselves one with the wall or floor, whatever was closest.
Whatever was that made Frontis invisible, Riordan had learned, wasn't some technology he'd had installed. No, it was something he had been born with. It looked like Mother Nature had given him something in return for making him short. Just as was the case with everyone in their group.
That meant that, unfortunately, they couldn't all become invisible as they saw fit, something that would have come in handy on this particular mission. However, their bodies were covered by materials that didn't reflect light and were as close to the technology used for invisible planes on Earth as Riordan had ever seen. The darkness in the corridor helped some, as well. All the Xenos had excellent vision, but Riordan had received a pair of special goggles to see in low light conditions, which now came in handy.
The doors at the end of the corridor opened and a lizard guard walked in. He seemed to be on patrol. For a moment, he stopped to sniff the air, and Riordan clenched his hand on the long staff he had decided to start with. It had the longest range and except a swishing sound, it was silent. He could pick up his enemies one by one from a distance, and that was one great asset to have.
The guard, whatever he thought, began to move down the corridor, towards them, and the doors closed behind him. He seemed completely unaware of the danger he was walking into. The guard seemed different from the ones Riordan had seen on Tu'lek. He was taller, broader and wore thick armor on his torso.
His steps followed an even cadence. On this side, neither of them was breathing. And then, the guard slowed down and seemed to sense that something was amiss. Just as he was about to turn, he stopped abruptly and his large mouth opened in a silent cry. A terrible noise of bones and tissue ripping, followed by the gurgling of blood assured Riordan that that guard wouldn't be able to sound the alarm.
tbc
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Alex abandons his bride's bed to end up on the sofa in the man cave belonging to his father-in-law. His wedding night turns even stranger since his is the only cherry popped and not the `blushing bride's'.
Alex marries Diane under duress since his family, all gilded aristocrats on the outside, but a literal ruin on the inside needs saving. To say that he doesn't love Diane is an understatement since he knows how much she cheats on him, so much to the point that he's rendered impotent in her presence.
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