Explorer X Alpha (28 page)

Terror wasn't an expression seen or used by many Femoh. When Gitab saw the look in Finul's eyes, he was reminded not to take these beings lightly. If they were indeed descendants of the ancient race that had visited their planet thousands of years before, they could destroy them all in a way that would mean an eternity of pain beyond their current understanding. The only reason the beings left their planet was to explore and dominate others. However, no one knew why the beings never returned. They left their spacecrafts behind, as if one day they would return, but they never did. Gitab pulled his thoughts back to the present and to what he had to accomplish today.

“Well, I am on my way. We have good news for Heno, so we shall live today, my friend,” Gitab said as Ketah came in looking at him angrily. Gitab knew that his welcome was over.

He left Finul to be met on the way by Triab, as he walked to Heno's quarters. They walked into their leader's meeting court.

“Master, we have found the solution to starting and replicating the shilmena. The female being we captured has the genetic markings of the Tumas. It is very faint, but she has enough power to start at least one of the shilmena. If we capture her and the male that crashed with her, we will have more than enough power to start the one we have and replicate others. They used this power to injure our men and nearly killed Finul,” Gitab stated to the Femoh leader, Heno, in his meeting chambers with Triab beside him.

“Is that so? Excellent. This could be the beginning of our quest to regain our former power and ability to conquer and enslave worlds we traveled to in the days of old. This is indeed the report I've been waiting for. How long will it take the team of Shinites to replicate the shilmena we have taken a century to repair?” Heno questioned, staring hard at Gitab from his seat at the head of the table. The Femoh leader had nails strategically piercing his skin on his arms, legs, and back, as he loved to experience pain as well as give it. Gitab, although he liked giving pain, never wanted to be on Heno's victim list, so he stood a comfortable distance away from Heno and Heno's son, Pelaan, the Captain of the Femoh warriors.

“They say it will only take about six months to replicate four ships from the design we made of the repaired vehicle. We don't have a power source on this planet that can start them, nor the genetic markers for pushing these ships into hyper-speed to open the wormholes, which will allow us to capture beings from the outer galaxies. Although, we can use these two beings to do so,” Gitab added smugly.

“Well, it seems to me you had a problem holding her before. How did she escape, and how to you plan on recapturing her?” Heno's son Pelaan asked skeptically. Pelaan looked at Gitab with an evil smile. He knew that if Gitab's answer didn't please his father, Gitab would be the one suffering under Pelaan's and his army's torture this night.

Gitab's hands slightly shook as he turned his gaze from Pelaan to address Heno with his answer. “Master, we have a stun device that worked well on the female when we held her. Finul got careless and didn't subdue her with it over time, since she rarely fought us. As a matter of fact, she never screamed, and she spent most of her time in our care unconscious. A male child of similar species saved her. Sir, I must add a bonus to our discovery… they had Jantik with them, the son of the Nutah leader. We had thought that race of beings had disappeared or died off, but they are alive, and they are holding those beings within their hidden borders. We have their location and can attack at anytime in the near future,” Gitab added, feeling a bit giddy at being free of Pelaan's disdain as Heno started to smile.

“Gitab, I can whip you, I am so happy. We will be able to capture the girl. She has a male with her with the same genetic marker, I bet, and finally, we can destroy those Nutah, which are an abomination to our kind. We should have destroyed them all at birth. However, my grandfather thought enslaving them would be a better idea, only for them to escape and become a thorn in our sides ever since,” said Heno, hitting his fist on the nails of his chair and wincing in distorted pleasure and pain as his smile grew.

“Pelaan, prepare our warriors to attack. We attack at dawn tomorrow, at the second sun's rising! Gitab, you are dismissed,” Heno said, and Gitab didn't waste any time as he ran from the room.

 

 

Quetek ran quickly to the meeting room. He was elated at the news his spy had gathered for him. He was also angry that he had the male species the Femoh wanted so badly in the palm of his hands, only to lose him. Oh, he would get him back all right, and the female too. He had a plan that would please their leader and give them all freedom from this hateful planet. Petin was at his heels and also in his confidence. All of the warriors with him when he captured the being, and Jantik the Nutah leader's son, agreed to keep a secret their folly.

The meeting room came into view, and they ran through the large opening of red rock that was carved out of a mountainside. Quetek didn't hesitate, as he wanted to be the first to speak to their leader, Olinu, before anyone would spill the story that Quetek and Petin lost their captives.

The meeting room was filled with pure-blood Katek. They were all sizes and shapes, but all were red with red eyes and huge muscles. Their skin was reptilian, as were their features, and they spoke freely as Olinu, their leader, had not entered the chambers. Quetek and Petin pushed roughly through the crowd to stand directly in front of Olinu's seat that allowed him to look down at them all.

Olinu had came into power because he was a member of the original Katek who fought and destroyed the Femoh when they all had started the Katuluk, which was when they changed into a Katek warrior. As children, when they were taken from their homes, their bodies were soft and not fully muscled. Their strength was limited, and their innate desire to destroy, challenge, and wage war was not developed. That quality came when the Katuluk started, and it happened quickly, for usually within two full moons, the cycle would be complete. The young Katek would shed its youthful skin and become the warrior it was meant to be. The full-grown Katek's skin would be deep red, thicker, stronger, and hard to penetrate. It caused the Femoh major problems when the full-grown Katek could not be contained. The Femoh ritual of pain only made the Katek stronger and angrier, causing the Katek's retracted teeth to become exposed. This was a quality the Femoh had underestimated. It was the secret that had won the war for the Katek.

Olinu finally made his entrance, and all of the Katek kneeled on one knee. All of them were deeply respectful of their surly leader, knowing that he was part of the reason they were all free. Quetek and Petin impatiently kneeled, as they were anxious to get their warriors ready for the attack and capture of the beings from the sky.

Olinu looked down on Quetek, and seeing his lead warrior fidget, he knew that Quetek was anxious to share important news. He motioned for all to stand and sat watchful of Quetek as the Katek got settled for their meeting.

Quetek stepped forward before the crowd of subjects to speak to Olinu, and Olinu gave him the signal to wait.

“Quetek, I would hear from Lentif first,” Olinu said, then moved his eyes to Lentif. Quetek could barely hold his anger in check. Lentif was his brother and his biggest rival. Lentif was the oldest and led the band of warriors that went on the Femoh attack missions. Their sole purpose was to hunt and kill the Femoh and the Nutah. Quetek's job was to protect the Katek lands, but he was about to be elevated to Lentif's job if he could help it. That was the reason why he was in the outer rim the day he had captured the being and Jantik.

“Olinu, thank you for letting me speak. I come today with news regarding the capture and loss of a valuable captive. It was bought to my attention by my second-in-command, Samil, that Quetek's band was in the outer rim,” Lentif said while in resting stance with his arms across his massive chest.

“Our leader, if I could explain. I have something of importance to share with you,” Quetek interrupted as he stepped closer. Lentif, never being one to be challenged, turned toward Quetek, baring his sharp teeth, which extended from the top corners of his mouth. Quetek responded in kind as the Katek's could never turn away from an attack. They would die fighting.

“Enough!” Olinu growled, his teeth and claws extracting as he stood. “Lentif, you will finish, and you, Quetek, will have my ear thereafter!” Olinu said, as his simmering red eyes laid on Quetek. Quetek reluctantly retreated and stood behind his brother Lentif.

“Olinu, it had also come to my knowledge that Quetek's band captured the son of the Nutah leader, Jantik. He also had the being that came from the sky,” Lentif said, and now smiled with his teeth still extracted. He stepped closer to Olinu's chair as he breathed deeply to add to his story. “However, he let them escape!” Lentif growled his anger and disgust at his brother, obvious to all.

“What? Let them escape! No one has ever escaped a Katek! Quetek, explain yourself, before I finish you here and now!” Olinu roared, teeth extracted, chest bursting free of his robe, as his eyes turned red with fire, and his claws extracted.

“Let me explain, sire. I let them go on purpose, sir. The male being was searching for the female of his kind. The Femoh were holding the female because they believe that she holds the key to powering up the shilmena. My spy at the Femoh lands told me the location of the shilmena and the Femoh's plan to attack the Nutah. If we wage war on the Femoh and the Nutah, we can kill off thousands of Femoh, and Nutah. When we capture the female, the male, and Jantik, we will ensure that the beings will help us start the shilmena, which would allow most of us to go home,” Quetek rushed out.

“Hmm, I like your plan. You may live today. However, if this goes astray, I will kill you myself, Quetek,” Olinu growled.

“It will be so, my leader” Quetek said and kneeled down on one knee.

“When will the Femoh attack?” Olinu asked, now seated and his teeth retracted.

“At the dawn of the second sun,” Quetek added, barely holding back a smile at his triumph over his tattletale brother.

“You will lead the war, Quetek. Lentif, I will trust you to capture the beings and the boy, Jantik. Dismissed!” Olinu said, as he stood to take his leave.

Lentif sliced his nails down Quetek's face, causing blood to flow and Quetek's teeth to extract as a growl built deep within his stomach.

“I will not forget your lie, Quetek, or your treachery. I will not, and you will pay dearly for your folly!” Lentif said as he and his warriors walked out the door. Quetek watched his brother leave and knew at that moment he would kill him during the war. Quetek would be the one to bring back the captives and get the glory, but Lentif would die by his hands.

 

 

Eirena and Aadi walked the outer rim of the Nutah lands. They realized that only part of the land was protected by the hologram that appeared as a mountainside to most outside observers. The back end of the lands looked out onto a barren wasteland of dirt and rock. They walked quietly, both having a lot to say and not knowing whether to say it.

Aadi stopped and turned toward Eirena and said, “Eirena, we need to talk.”

“About what, Aadi? There is nothing I want to talk about. There is nothing to say,” Eirena said and turned away from Aadi to look out toward the large rocks and cracked red lands.

“Yes, there is. Since you were captured, you have changed. You are angry all the time and seem on edge. You know the Katek captured me when I was trying to save you. I know how you feel, being abused and hurt. Those things don't change your inner self. No one can change you but you. Fighting for your life and killing for pleasure are two different things. I don't want you to kill for pleasure. If we kill them just because we can, we have become what TEGRC wanted us to be and what the sick Femoh wanted. They wanted to break us, but I won't be broken. I won't let you either,” Aadi said and touched her shoulder to get her attention.

She jerked his hand off her shoulder and turned abruptly around toward him. “How do you know what I went through? They tortured me until I had no more tears. I want them dead! All of them, and I want to be the one to kill them! No one - and I mean no one - should ever go through that amount of cruelty! The Femoh are evil, and I can be evil too!” she said, breathing hard, so angry that tears ran down her face in continuous rivers. Aadi reached out and turned her to face him.

“Eirena, killing them in the way in which you would, hurts this planet and hurts you. How many of them do you need to kill before you become like them? Twisted and evil but justifying it all because they hurt you? It's one thing to defend yourself in a war like this one, but it's another to enjoy the killing,” Aadi said as he pulled her to him in a hug. She hugged him back and cried as he stroked her hair to give comfort to them both.

“Aadi, I don't know how to stop this. When I think of it, I get so angry, hurt, and scared. I don't know if I can ever get past this. I don't think I will ever be the same. I believe that more than my body changed… but me, I changed… on the inside. Sometimes it's hard to feel, to forgive,” she said and pulled away from him.

“Eirena, I am your friend. I am patient, and I will be here for you. I would never let anyone hurt you as long as it's in my power to help. We are stronger now, different, but we are now hunted. We have to fight, but I don't want you to enjoy or find pleasure in hurting or taking lives. Can you promise me you'll try to hold back just a little?” Aadi begged, now looking at a calm Eirena. Aadi released her, and she stood and returned his gaze as she took a deep breath.

Eirena looked as though she was deep in thought, and she looked directly at Aadi and said, “Yes, Aadi. I will try.”

“Aadi, Eirena! Come quickly! We are meeting in the town square for preparation of war!” Jantik said as he ran toward them. Eirena looked toward Aadi and gave him a smile that finally reached her eyes as they walked to meet Jantik and Ebu.