Test of Magnitude (The Torian Reclamation) (34 page)

“Hell yes!” Perry pounded a fist into his hand. “Let’s go get them. You guys want to come along?”

Brandon and Mip7 looked at each other for a moment and remained motionless.

“Sir,” Brandon said to Mulut8, “I want to apologize for jeopardizing the mission. What happened is my fault. The injury to my fellow Earthling, and the loss of the ITF1, was due to my insolence, sir. I broke procedure and make a second run at mark two when the battle plan clearly instructed me to clear out. My selfish attempt at glory cost us a ship and a crew member, and…and—”

“Son,” Mulut8 said, putting his large hand on Brandon’s upper arm, “I’ve been tracking results. Your crew took out more significant enemy weapon installations on each run you made than any other crew has on any of their runs. Thanks to you, this mission is much more secure than it would have been. You knew the risk when you turned at mark two again, and made the decision to try and finish her off. If I had the skills you do, I would have made the same decision. You have nothing to apologize for. It is we who, once again, owe you a debt of gratitude. Get ahold of yourself and look at the entire situation. This is war. It’s a dangerous business. Do you want to go on the ground mission or not?”

Brandon looked at Mip7 and then at Perry.

“I should probably stay with Jack,” he finally said, “in case they need me for something.”

“Up to you,” Mulut8 said. “Erob knows you have already done more than enough for us. I understand if you want to be by your injured crewmate’s side. That is an honorable thing to do. But understand there is nothing you can do for him, other than comfort him should he regain his senses. I just wanted to offer you the opportunity to join the last ground crew, especially since your friend, the other Earthling, is in this last group we’re going after.”

Chapter Sixteen

The saucer was now flying at a low altitude, just a few miles off the ground, in an effort to come in unseen. According to the information the commander had given, this particular segment of the operation had the potential to become hazardous. Two conventional fighters had escorted them into Milura’s atmosphere, but pulled out when the landing craft started maneuvering down through the gullies and canyons.

The landscape was beautiful, even more so than those Utah state parks back home. Brandon was glad he decided to come along rather than sit at Jack’s bedside and wonder how the mission was going. Once he learned this was the crew who would attempt to rescue Derek, he didn’t feel he really had a choice—and being ultimately responsible for what happened to Jack, Brandon now felt obligated to try and make up for it in whatever way he could. Maybe that would help balance his emotional scale, which was heavy on one side with guilt at the moment. If he were to be killed on this mission, so be it—at least it would happen while attempting something valiant, and something where his lone decisions were not putting an entire crew at risk. Brandon figured he would simply follow Perry and join in on some Marine-style heroics. Not for his own glory this time; just to make things right, to do the job they came for, to rescue innocent people.

Before boarding the landing craft, he and Mip7 had been rushed to the armory and issued weapons. The weapons were …interesting. Brandon was happy they were in rifle form. He had never been all that interested in guns back home, but he had been to a firing range a few times, and had long since decided rifles were much better protection than pistols. Unless, of course, you found yourself suddenly thrown into close-range combat—but the armory clerk had issued them devices specifically designed for that undesirable consequence as well.

The landing craft began to slow down. Brandon could see magnificent rock formations outside the window, and remembered his vision in the halcyon arc at Landen. These were those types of structures, so he became more convinced the vision he had was real.

The saucer hovered and landed. After a minute or so, the door opened and the walkway extended to the ground. The leader of this company of ground forces was a Banorian by the name of Tanel2. Mip7 had been talking to him during the flight. Brandon didn’t feel like talking to anyone. He had retreated into sullenness, and just kept telling himself over and over that what happened to Jack wasn’t completely his fault—but inside, he wasn’t buying it.

There were twelve commandos in this company counting Perry, fourteen counting the addition of Mip7 and Brandon. Six additional crewmembers would remain on board the landing craft, including four armed guards.

“All right,” Tanel2 said. “There are only five of them here, four Sheen and the Earthling. Sounds like we got the easy assignment, right? Our sensors have located them nearby. One of them should be very close—my guess is on a trail just below the mesa we landed on. The others are farther down in the canyon. Head straight out from the ship and go downhill. Carefully! There are hundreds of alien life forms in the area, including some with the hostage closest to the ship. Chances are they are all Azaarians. We don’t know what type of natives might be living here, but it’s best to assume they are sympathetic to the enemy and not to us. The Azaarians have long white hair and large heads with straight, thin face-whiskers. We know at least some of them are prone to wearing robes.

“Try to take the hostages peacefully, since we are drastically outnumbered if they choose to put up a fight. But shoot if you have to, especially in the beginning. Don’t use the Reep-1 rifle if a subject is adjacent to the target. Our landing craft will emit a loud whistle—one that sounds like a tensun bird—every time a hostage has made it back to the ship.”

Tanel2 turned towards the cockpit. “Sound it once for us, Navigator.”

The whistle sounded. It started off with a fast series of chirps but then trailed off in a long shrill fading note. It was quite loud and Brandon thought it was unlikely to be mistaken for a real bird, so their cover may have just been blown.

“When you hear the whistle sound five times consecutively,” Tanel2 continued, “that is the signal to return to the ship immediately. It means we have either retrieved all the subjects, or the ship urgently needs assistance. All right, let’s go.”

Before they were even on the ramp, however, a voice from the ship’s cockpit shouted into the cabin.

“Commander, one of the subjects is already approaching the craft. He is accompanied by a group of aliens. They appear to be unarmed.”

“Company, move out!” Tanel2 shouted.

Tanel2 led the way. Perry was right behind him, followed by the ten Torian commandos, most of whom were Amulites. Mip7 and Brandon brought up the rear. They all jogged down the ramp on to the hard, dusty Milurian soil. Brandon noticed Mip7 wasn’t leaving his side.

The first members of the company to hit the ground already had weapons aimed at the approaching figures, who were all wearing cloaks and shining from their faces and hands. The one in front was smaller than the rest, and held up a hand in front of him.

“It’s Arkan9!” Mip7 said.

Brandon shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight. Yes, that was Arkan9 leading the group towards them! Brandon wanted to run out to him in order to prevent any accidental friendly fire. Mip7 must have sensed that, because he had a strong hand clenched on to Brandon’s shoulder, restraining him.

“Don’t shoot!” Brandon yelled. “That’s the prophet!”

“Hold your fire!” Tanel2 said.

Six large beings were behind Arkan9. As they drew near, Brandon could see that only Arkan9 was a Torian Sheen. The others were much different looking. Then again, they resembled the Sheen in many ways. Their bodies gave off light, they wore similar cloaks, and they had long fingers. But they were larger in stature—their heads especially—and they had thin cat-like whiskers on their slightly pointy faces. Were these Azaarians? Their skin was different, too. Not tough-leathery like a reptile, but short-hair furry, with exposed patches of bare skin that resembled the hide of a mammal such as a horse or yuquil.

In spite of the weapons pointed at them, they showed no hesitation and walked right up to Tanel2.

“Tulros,” Arkan9 said. “We are friendly. I can direct you to the others you seek. Thank you for coming for us!”

Brandon couldn’t take it anymore. He wrestled himself free of Mip7’s grip and ran around the rest of the company, up to Arkan9, where grabbed ahold of his Sheen friend’s arms with both his hands, and released an uncontrollable smile.

“Arkan9, it’s so good to see you!”

Arkan9 reached out with his free hand and rested it on Brandon’s shoulder—the one that was now sore from Mip7’s grip.

“Brandon, to see such a smile on your face brings my heart joy I cannot express. You have been through so much. I wish I could tell you it was over. If I had but a tenth the power now falsely ascribed to me, I would cause your face to shine so permanently.”

Mip7 was now standing next to Brandon. Arkan9 turned to him, and moved his hand from Brandon’s shoulder to Mip7’s upper arm.

“You are doing well, Mip7. Brandon here is safe, and I see you have been successful in the task I was forced to leave you with.” He looked over at Perry, who then stepped over to join them.

“Arkan9, this is Perry,” Brandon said.

Arkan9 bowed. “Tulros.”

“Tulros,” Perry said, and returned the bow.

“It’s not that successful yet,” Mip7 said. “We have only revived an additional 23 Earth subjects, all young males. And, I am sorry to report, we have lost one here, hopefully only temporarily.”

Arkan9 closed his eyes and said, “I’m afraid losses are now inevitable. Much will become lost in Tora, some of which never should have been there. It is a shameful affair, and a crime against Erob, but it is what will be. All good things now come at a price.”

Brandon noticed several weapons were still being leveled at the aliens. Tanel2 pushed Perry aside and spoke to Arkan9.

“I’m sorry to break up this little reunion, but I have a job to do—and you, sir, are an important asset to my mission. Can you direct us to our other subjects, and relay the disposition of the aliens, native or otherwise?”

“Of course, Commander.” Arkan9 turned and extended his hand toward the beings standing behind him. “These six must accompany me, and return to Tora with us. They are natives here on Milura, and represent a special delegation. As you can see, they are unarmed and pose no security threat.”

“I’m sorry, that’s impossible,” Tanel2 said.

“It is not only possible, but necessary,” Arkan9 said. “If they do not come along, neither do I go with you.”

Tanel2 stood thinking for a few seconds.

“Who exactly are they?”

“These are Chenel, half-brothers to the Sheen, the Erob ‘half-breeds’ as you would so eloquently put it, spawned from the Azaarian race more than two millennia ago. These were born and raised on Milura, however, as have all Chenel for four generations now. The Chenel have no allegiance with Azaar, political or otherwise.”

“What about the enemy?” Tanel2 asked.

“Yes,” Arkan9 said, and pointed over the nearby cliff. “You will find them there in multitude, but you will discover they are largely incapacitated, a consequence of their own will, or lack thereof. They should not be much of a problem for you now. They are sick, suffering from dehydration and malnutrition, rendering hundreds of them no match for several of you.”

Tanel2 cocked his head. “We have water and rations on board, more than enough for you and your friends, plus intravenous transfusions of nutrients if necessary.”

Arkan9 shook his head and held up his hand again. “We are all in fine shape, Commander. The mineral water and plant food source on this world is excellent. We are all currently healthier, in fact, than we could ever be in Tora.”

“Then why is the enemy suffering from nutritional deficiency?”

“You will see for yourself when you descend into the canyon, Commander. Two of your subjects can be found below the immediate ridge, a short distance to your right, accompanied only by several friendly Chenel. They are probably expecting you, and will be glad to cooperate with your mission. The other two subjects, including the Earthling, are at the bottom, on the canyon floor, among the enemy encampment, near the bright green glow. Divide your company and retrieve them. All will become clear to you—including, eventually, my words of the self-imposed losses we will experience in Tora upon our return.”

Tanel2 turned and looked at his company behind him, then turned back and looked at Arkan9. Then he turned back to the company again and waved his arm down. They lowered their weapons. He motioned to two of them.

“Take these seven onboard. Scan them first.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Arkan9 said. “I will see you on board shortly.”

Arkan9 and the Chenel walked over to the two crewmembers assigned to them and headed towards the boarding ramp.

Brandon ran after them. “Arkan9, is Derek okay?”

“Yes, your friend is fine. All of us have come to appreciate his special insights. You will find him in the canyon, at the bottom of the trail. Follow the green glow, and you will come to him, just as you have yourself foreseen.”