OMEGA Allegiance (16 page)

Dovit replied, "I just need a few minutes to settle myself. Give me that and we can be on our way."

The shuttle again emptied. I walked with Joni as Raptor sniffed and poked his way through the half-meter high grass beside us.

Joni crossed her arms. "It looks like they are growing tired of our nosing around after less than a day."

I glanced up at the sun that was beginning its trek towards the horizon. "I had the same thought."

Raptor began to growl as his back stiffened. I turned in his direction just in time to see three of Dovit's officers walking in the grass fifty meters from our location. My eye caught the motion of a two meter long lizard darting at them from a group of stones. I ran towards the Moddles and yelled. The lizard struck while at a full run, knocking all three men to the ground. Before I could reach their location the lizard was on top of them, chomping and slashing away at the screaming men.

I dove and rolled out, taking the lizard by the throat as it ripped flesh from the officer we called Oleve. I pulled the raging reptile close as it ripped at my battle suit with its sharp claws. Once under my control, I pulled back my right arm, slamming my fist repeatedly into the attacking animal's skull until it caved. As the lizard fell silent I rolled over onto my back. Joni was standing next to me. Raptor sniffed over the dead reptile.

Joni asked, "Are you OK? That thing came out of nowhere!"

Joni looked over the three piles of torn flesh that had only moments before been walking, talking, living beings.

A look of dismay came over her face as the carnage sank in. Dovit, and his remaining officer, Tobik, were soon standing beside us.

I sat up, checking my arms and torso before I stood. "I'm OK. I think we just got our first look at a local predator. Dovit, I am sorry that I could not move faster. Oleve, Bost, and Relv were good men. I would suggest we care for the dead and board the shuttle, head back to the city. I can handle an attack from one of those, but not more."

After an hour of digging graves and saying a few words, we turned back towards the shuttle.

As we walked, Joni said. "I don't think I've ever seen someone run that fast. And you were talking about not being able to make snap decisions. You almost saved their lives."

I replied, "I just wish I had seen the attacker sooner. No one deserves to die from such a beast. Perhaps if Raptor had gotten there before me."

Joni shook her head. "Against that thing? It was huge, and fast! I love my dog, but I don't think that would be a good match-up. Let's just get on that ship before any more come rushing at us."

Twenty minutes later we were touching down in the courtyard in front of building D41. When we walked through the doors, the two guards who had been there before were sitting expressionless at their posts.

We climbed the stairs and turned the corner into the community room. Dovit stopped in the doorway. "I had hopes of never returning here. Today has been a day filled with emotions, both good and bad. Oleve, Bost, and Relv will never again see their homes or loved ones."

Joni flipped her hand at the table full of food. "That's fresh. They knew we would be back here. I now have to wonder if that lizard was some kind of test."

I replied, "Not possible. That site was a random location."

I turned and stood looking out the window as the sun began to set. The yellow ball of fire turned bright orange and then blood red as its rays filtered through the thick Doomlight atmosphere. The city we occupied was near the equator. I wondered if areas further north or south were temperate as well. On our approach from space I had taken note of the two large oceans that covered much of the planet. It was not unlike my home world of Balimus II.

Thoughts of home brought with them thoughts of my family. Were my children progressing well in their studies? Was the family farm as productive as it had been? How were the galligs doing? I was certain my wife had it all under strict control. I stroked Raptor's forehead as he stood by my side. The answers to my questions were a galaxy away.

The following morning we were all up early.

"I thought we would go back to the hangar and load up on the supplies. It won't hurt to have the shuttle ready should we decide to leave," I said.

The others agreed. After a run to the hangar and an hour of stocking, we sat for a break.

Dovit and Tobik were in mourning.

Joni looked over the controls in front of her chair. "I think we should try to leave this area again. If they won't let the shuttle travel beyond the city I say we take that cart and go wherever we want."

Dovit looked up. "Where would we go? We have no weapons to defend ourselves. What if we encounter more of those creatures?"

I replied, "Arming ourselves is not a bad idea. Those arms would be passive, such a knife or a spear, but they would at least offer us a minimum amount of protection. I noticed cleaning supplies in that storage room. Broom handles make excellent spears."

Joni nodded. "We had knives back at D41. We never tried to walk past the Doomlight guards with them, but who's to say they wouldn't let us?"

I smiled. "I think we have a plan."

After several attempts to leave the outskirts of the landing fields and of the city, we parked the shuttlecraft in the hangar. The four of us, along with Raptor, piled into the mechanized cart we had first used to escape the city. A methane storage facility was found on the landing field properties and the fuel tank topped off.

Joni pointed towards the area we had previously believed to be the battlefields. Two hours of bouncing around in the small cart found us pulling into a complex that bordered one side of the battlefield valley. We stood on an observation deck at the complex, a view of the valley spread out before us.

Dovit waved his hand over the field. "This is where the first battles were fought. I witnessed video of a hundred thousand men from each side rushing into the middle. The field was covered with bright flashes from our lasers as well as from your ion blasters. Battle lines stretched for three kilometers as ammunition supplies were exhausted. Whichever side ran out was the first to make the hand-to-hand assault happen. They would race towards the others line and were always met two-thirds of the way there. The fighting would continue until one side or the other had no one left standing."

Joni placed her hand on Dovit's shoulder. "Were you in one of the battles?"

Dovit shook his head. "No. By the time my forces reached this planet, the Doomlighters had taken full control. My officers and I were taken from our transports and placed in the building. When it first happened, we were told about the arenas. I now have to wonder if those stories are true. The behavior of the Doomlighters of late has been strange."

Tobik leaned over a railing as he looked down into the valley. "Sir, if battles took place down in those fields, could we possibly find weapons down there? And perhaps body armor? If Oleve, Bost, and Relv had battle suits, they would perhaps still be alive."

Dovit slowly nodded. "That is an astute assumption about the fields below, Tobik."

Dovit turned my way. "Should we venture down there and see?"

I gestured towards a nearby, wide set of stairs. "Lead the way."

Fifteen minutes of descent found us two hundred meters below on the valley floor. Another fifteen minutes of walking placed us at what appeared to be the first set of reinforced battle-walls from where the initial fighting would be done. Pieces of battle-suit were strewn along the ground as we climbed up a set of steps onto the wall. A look over brought the sight of mounds of bones and armor stretching before us. The opposing wall ended the killing field.

Dovit offered a sad expression. "Tens of millions of both of our peoples have died here. This field is an atrocity to all who are alive and all who have ever lived, or will live. I have always been a very patriotic Moddle, but this is beyond reason. The images I saw must have been from early in the war."

Joni hopped down from the wall and walked out onto the field. She stooped and then walked again, analyzing the carnage that lay before her. Raptor bounded from pile of bones to pile of bones.

As Joni came to a particular pile, she stopped. "Hey, Knog, come out here!"

I followed Dovit and Tobik over the wall.

Joni pointed. "This pile. It doesn't belong to any Alliance species I know. Dovit, were there other species fighting alongside your people?"

Dovit squatted and pulled at several of the bones before standing in thought. These do not appear to be from our people. Although, they might be a good fit for that farmer we came across."

We walked the killing fields for several hours. Thousands upon thousands of the decayed bodies scattered about were of the unknown species. The bodies were easily identified by their short torsos, wide shoulders, and long necks. The only conclusion we could render was that the true people of the planet were heavily involved in the battles that had taken place.

Tobik yelled. "Hey! Over here! I think I see a weapon!"

Protruding from underneath a mound of bones was the unmistakable butt of a blaster rifle. I moved the heavily decayed remains of several soldiers to reveal a blaster that was, other than being dirty and battle worn, in excellent condition.

I shook off the dirt and followed with a quick inspection. "Tip looks good, but the power cell is empty."

Dovit looked over the field. "If the stories were true, then very few weapons entered the field with charges. Most power cells would have been depleted. If a charged cell is to be found, I would think it would be near one of the walls."

I replied, "Well, let's spread out and we'll see what we can find. Look for anything you think we might be able to use. Joni and I will take the far wall, you and Tobik take this one."

As we walked along the far wall, Joni came to a stop and she stared across the field. "Hmm."

I replied, "What?"

Joni gestured to herself and then across the way. "When we came here we were enemies of the Moddle. They are now over on their wall and we are on ours. It's just interesting that we are now on the same side."

I nodded. "I suspect that if we had met with the Moddle on diplomatic terms, before any fighting was done, there would not have been war between us. Even though five officers was a small sampling of their population, it was a sampling of their military leadership, and from that they seem to be reasonable people."

Joni continued her search as Raptor darted about. "I suppose. But what if their political leadership is like our political leadership? I can see a war coming about with almost any species who doesn't see eye to eye with my uncle or his cronies. All you have to do is ask yourself why we're here. Because it sure doesn't look like it's to save the empire."

I jumped down off the wall, pushed aside a pile of debris, and retrieved a blaster pistol. The power cell was one-third full. I aimed the weapon at another pile and pulled the trigger. Dirt, rock, bones and other debris scattered to a loud thud.

I turned and smiled. "Not as powerful as a rifle, but it will certainly do in a pinch."

Joni laughed. "Run across that field with it and we can end this war right now!"

I replied, "I would be careful with that humor. Our friends across the way might not find it funny."

Joni shook her head. "Don't worry, I wouldn't dare say that to them. I'm sure they are just as suspicious of us as we are of them."

I nodded. "Unless they have both been trained as superior agents, I would have to believe they are who they say. However, we don't know their thoughts and have no way of knowing if they have an agenda. If this pistol were in their hands, would they shoot us both and try to flee in that ship? I am certain that thought would cross their minds as it has already crossed mine. Not mine for us fleeing of course, just that they would consider taking that action."

Joni smiled. "I knew what you meant. Hey! Over here! I think we have a rifle! It has charge!"

As Joni pulled the blaster rifle from a pile of bones, I placed my hand on her arm. "Don't fire it. The blast from this pistol was small enough that it would not have alerted them to our find. They would feel and hear the result of a rifle bolt dissipating. How much of a charge does it contain?"

Joni turned it on its side to check. "It shows 78 percent. That's practically a full load!"

We continued our search for another five hours. When the end of the battle-wall was reached, we turned and headed back across the field. Dovit and Tobik had found three functional laser pistols.

Dovit inspected his latest find. "This one only has enough power for a half dozen shots, but it looks to be in good working order. What did you find?"

I showed our blaster rifle and pistol. "They both have adequate charges. I think this was a good outing. We now have weapons, and we suspect the true locals fought here as well. The number of dead out here is staggering. I saw a number of species that I didn't know had been conscripted. Some had people whom I considered good friends."

Joni took aim at a mound of bones with her ion blaster. "It might behoove us to head back to the hangar. We don't have a lot of daylight left out here, and besides, I'm feeling a bit hungry."

It was a long walk up the stairs and back to the cart. We had no sooner left than the sun began to be low in the sky. Several hours later we pulled into the hangar. The stars overhead were shining bright. We boarded the shuttle, opened a food container and got down to the business of feeding ourselves.

Dovit finished off a packet of gulluman sticks. "I was thinking that perhaps tomorrow we take this ship up into space. This planet has two moons. We should attempt a visit to one of them to make sure all systems are working properly."

I replied, "They work. I already took it to the top of the atmosphere. The space beyond that is all the same."

Dovit sat back in his chair and crossed his legs. "Just the same, we have time to kill. I would like a trip out if only for my own sanity."

Joni looked up. "It would put me at ease too."

Tobik nodded.

I sighed. "Very well. I suppose it wouldn't do harm. If we decide to travel to another city, it might be good for us to map it out from on high first."

As the sun broke over the horizon I pressed the button to bring the shuttle generators to life. After a short taxi out of the hangar, we rocketed skyward. The ground moved away quickly. Only seconds had passed before the light of the atmosphere turned into the cold dark of space.

I glanced back at Dovit. "Which moon would you prefer?"

Dovit pointed to a nav screen. "I say we try the larger of the two. If I recall, I believe it had the remains of a city or an outpost or something on it. I say remains because it had obviously seen war by the time I saw it. I've often wondered why no attempt was made to reopen it. I would think it would be of strategic value to whomever controlled it."

Joni zoomed in on the moon on her display. "You have to wonder what drives any of the decision making around here. Aside from the obvious reason of them wanting to follow one of us back home, why else would they let us come out here?"

The conversation continued for the five minutes it took to arrive in orbit around the moon. As we approached the far side, the ruins of what was once an immense complex came into view, and the remains of a great dome, its crumpled edges surrounding the complex.

Dovit pointed. "There. That looks like a landing port. Take us in for a look."

The complex had once been divided into three large areas under one dome. The closest section, the one that housed the landing port, was our target.

Joni panned across the image on her console. "Going out from the port I would say this was power generation and other utilities, and this section looks like housing. Maybe military housing to guard the port. And that looks like a structure for entertainment, something like the arenas that Dovit spoke of."

Dovit leaned forward as he gazed at the images in front of Joni. "Those spines would be transportation. Trams or trains. This section appears to be warehouses, which you would want near a port."

I slowed the shuttle over the port and set her down on the only landing pad that was intact. Each of the others had taken multiple heavy cannon hits. From our perspective and distance, it was difficult to determine if those strikes had been from ion or laser. Whichever, the result had been near total destruction. The shuttle came to rest.

I looked back at the others. "I saw several bio-suits back in the storage area. None will fit me, but the three of you might find accommodation. I won't be joining you without first acquiring a helmet."

Joni looked up. "What are you saying?"

I shook my head. "What I'm saying is that I believe it to be a good idea for the three of you to go explore those ruins. It might give us a few more clues as to who the original Doomlighters were. If it was the farmer we saw, there should be further evidence of that out there in those buildings. You each have a weapon. Get a suit, go explore. Raptor and I will wait here."

Joni nodded. "OK, no need to get in a huff."

Dovit asked, "What is a huff?"

Joni laughed. "It just means 'don't get upset, don't get worked up over it, don't let it bother you.'"

Joni and Dovit continued their conversation as they left the cockpit for the storage lockers. Ten minutes later the three were suited up and standing behind me.

Joni held up a device. "We found these radios. See if you can pick them up on the comm console."

Joni powered on her radio and a link was established. "Hello? Can you hear this?"

I turned and replied, "It appears to work. I can run the airlock from here. You three stand by the hatch and I'll have you out in a sec."

I stopped Joni as she turned. "That device on your helmet, is it a video link?"

Joni replied, "It might be. We couldn't figure out how to turn it on."

I stood and looked over the helmet. "Here. This appears to be a button of sorts."

An extremely bright light came to life, shining directly into my eyes. I turned quickly away, dark spots on my retinas.