Tha-lah (2 page)

Of late, Tha-lah had been plagued with jumbled dreams and visions. Something big was coming, and ready or not, she was part of it. Without the tri’lu stone, she couldn’t focus her energy to decipher their meaning.

Her hope of becoming a consecrated priestess had been shattered five years ago. Although the practice of indenturing was commonplace on Trac’xia, she’d never imagined her father would resort to it. What still pained her to this day was how he had sent her away in the middle of the night. Just like that, no warning, no comforting words. She’d woken up in the service of Mistress Dal’vyaa.

“Mistress, I’ve come to say goodbye. Thank you for all your kindness.”

She spoke the truth. Without Dal’vyaa’s guidance, she would’ve been lost. The older female had taken her under her wing upon her arrival. Tha-lah hadn’t been initiated by a callous male, but under the gentle handling of a Trac’xian Pry-muth.

“Is there anything I can say to dissuade you, my daughter?”

Dal’vyaa had offered her a coveted apprenticeship position, but she didn’t have the heart for it. After her contract had ended last year, Tha-lah had decided to stay longer and earn more credits to buy a fully outfitted shuttle.

“I’m deeply touched you think me worthy, but my mind is made up. My shuttle is ready, and I’m leaving in the morning.” To be a mistress of such a respected house was an honor. If she stayed, her rank would change. She wouldn’t be expected to service anyone unless she chose.

Her duties would’ve included keeping new arrivals healthy, happy and teaching them house protocols. Mistress Dal’vyaa only accepted well-bred clients. She commanded high prices because her charges were the best trained in the quadrant.

“I understand you’ve made up your mind. Your ul’naah craves the peaceful settings of a shrine.”

The twin galaxies were vast with countless outposts in need of spiritual guidance. Among them was a place she could become the goddess’ instrument. Her first stop would be Glaxia Prime for purification. They possessed a mystical spring with untold restorative powers.

“Yes, I can’t wait to cleanse my body and receive the goddess’ blessings. I wish you great riches and health to enjoy them, mistress.”

“In her mercy we all thrive. Go in peace, my daughter.” Dal’vyaa’s voice held a tone of sadness as they embraced for the last time.

Tha-lah headed to the public docking area, wearing her modest priestess robes. Her used but reliable ship waited to take her away. She would’ve never been able to afford it even second hand.

A couple months ago, she’d received notice from the repository, alerting her of a substantial credit transfer. She’d been astounded by the large sum. Goddess of mercy, she’d thought, glancing at her data pad. The message was from Briq and it simply read
, My deepest gratitude.

A new sense of resolution came over her as the goddess’ plan became clear. Tha-lah lit an urn filled with aromatic herbs and performed the consecration ritual. This shuttle was her shrine. She would become a wandering priestess.

“AI, call the port master and request permission to depart.” Destiny awaited her in the vastness of the galaxies. Tha-lah was ready to face it.

“Opening communications. Pra’mm station, this is shuttle
Divine Light
requesting permission for departure.”

“This is port master. Removing clamps. You’re clear.”

“AI, set a course for Glaxia Prime at maximum speed.” She’d sent word to her father. So far he hadn’t answered. Tha-lah decided to wait a couple days before going in stasis. She still hoped to hear from her family.

Chapter Three

K’luk
prison, day of the Kreeh-nosh attack

Groo’lat woke up in a pool of his own blood. He sat up gingerly, looking down at the patch of gly-urq on his chest. Memories of the past few hours rushed through his mind. How could he have been such a fool? He’d fled Pendo’rah, breaking his family’s covenant to be with the female he loved.

She’d betrayed him, running him through with a ro’traal. It was clear now that Gaal’ya had used him in her mad ploy to hurt the jid’rahal’s mate. She’d conned him into stealing sensitive information, and he’d believed in her innocence. He’d grasped the truth too late. His lover had been working with the Kreeh-nosh to disable the prison’s security systems.

He raced against the clock to restore power. It was up to him to make sure the message left behind by the Kreeh-nosh reached Pendo’rah without delay. Security Chief Mah’yanna’s time might be running out. Working as fast as he could, Groo’lat activated the portable satellite.

Now he needed an escape pod, and he knew exactly where to find one. Flying to Pra’mm would be dangerous. By now, it must be on high alert. He didn’t have a plan on how he was going to stop the Kreeh-nosh. For his family’s sake, he’d atone for his mistakes. He was as good as dead whatever the outcome. For Groo’lat, this was a suicide mission. He’d reached the point of no return.

The prison was now a battlefield with convicts trying to escape from the enemy. Those captured were either eaten on the spot or stored for later use. Groo’lat knew Zu’thro’s crew practiced dh’ram, consuming live prey. Aiding the Kreeh-nosh was a ruthless pack of Jog’nafan.

He didn’t have time to help anyone. Only one thing mattered—rescuing Security Chief Mah’yanna. This would be his last act as a warrior. Bending over, he’d picked up a dead guard’s ro’traal and then hacked his way through the melee.

Screams of agony mingled with battle cries as the brutal enemy made his way through the prison. Groo’lat’s wound opened again, and his vision blurred. Dense smoke filled the corridors, making it hard to breathe. He thought he saw some warriors fighting, but couldn’t tell which unit they belong to.

Groo’lat ignored pleas for mercy, running down a darkened corridor. If his memory was correct, there were a couple escape pods in the medical bay. He hoped to find at least one since few people knew about them.

“Warrior,” a squeaky voice called from the shadows. “I know where you’re heading. Let me come with you and I’ll override the pods’ security locks.”

Groo’lat turned around and faced Fael, the treacherous Labonian. It didn’t surprise him that the critter knew about them. Fael was an expert hacker, after all.

“Why would I do that? You deserve to die like the miserable traitor you are,” he ground out, barely looking at the insignificant wretch.

“Because I know T’zaal’s plans for Security Chief Mah’yanna. You see, he created a new bioweapon, and will use her to test it.”

He hesitated for a second. “Do you have proof? The word of a dirty Labonian holds no value.” Right now, he didn’t care about anything beyond saving his commanding officer.

“I have all you need stored in a data module. Just take me with you and you can have it.”

The slimy critter was trying to negotiate safe passage, because he knew he’d never make it out alive on his own.

“If you’re lying to me,” his face inches from Fael, “I’ll cut you into little pieces. Do I make myself clear?”

“Absolutely. We must hurry. She doesn’t have a lot of time.”

“Stay behind me. I’ll clear the way, but I won’t wait if you can’t keep up.”

He didn’t give a frackk if the smelly rat got what he deserved. Groo’lat could probably figure out the security lock, but the Labonian would do it faster. That was the only reason he’d agreed to the deal.

They reached the medical bay, which contained two hidden pods. Designed to evacuate medical personnel in case of attack, they were hidden behind the medical equipment. At the first sign of a takeover, the medics could clear out without leaving their restricted location.

Evidently, no one had been prepared for what happened, judging by the three dead medics on the floor. The place had been ransacked, and Groo’lat was sure the rest were taken to the Jog’nafan ship.

“Get to work,” he said, pushing the Labonian toward the hidden door. “If you try anything, I’ll run you through.”

“No need for that. See, I’m done already.”

Fael tried to rush to one of the pods, but Groo’lat cut off his head with one swipe. He quickly retrieved the data module from the Labonian’s tunic. Killing an unarmed critter such as that was dishonorable, but then again, he’d none left.

After stumbling into the empty pod, Groo’lat entered Pra’mm’s coordinates and then prepared for launch. He was bleeding again. All the fighting on his way there had reopened his wound.

“Activate holo-vid.”

The recorded confession would exonerate his family and hopefully bring the house of Mal’cious to justice. He wasn’t giving up yet, not until he saw this through.

Chapter Four

Pra’mm Station

Free, she was really free now. This was the beginning of her true destiny. Tha-lah maneuvered the shuttle out of the station’s docking bay. She couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling inside. Her joy was short-lived as the shuttle shook violently, throwing her off the chair. The emergency alarm blared loudly.

“Warning, an explosion has occurred at the station. We are too close to avoid fragments. Brace for impact.”

“An explosion?” Tha-lah’s heart raced at the thought of the friends left behind. Were they safe? “AI, open commlink to Mistress Dal’vyaa’s house.”

“That function cannot be executed at this time.”

“Explain.

“The main satellite has been destroyed. I am picking some communications from ships near the area. The station is under attack.”

“Under attack? By who?” No one was crazy enough to attack a station like Pra’mm.

“A pack of fifteen Jog’nafans ships are position between the K’luk prison and station.”

Their sensors picked up two more crafts. Tha-lah couldn’t believe the AI’s report. Two Kreeh-nosh ships were closing in fast. Their target was the prison, but they opened fire on the station as well.

“Is there anything we can do to help?”

Pra’mm was vulnerable without their satellites, which left them with short-range weapons only. That meant the enemy had to be at their very door for them to be effective.

“Negative, we are not equipped with heavy-assault weaponry.”

“AI, perform a strategic analysis, factoring in all scenarios, and propose the best plan of action.” There had to be something they could do. She wasn’t going to idly stand by, watching her friends die.

“Analyzing…the best course of action is to conceal ourselves. We can attempt to reach K’luk in a couple hours.”

“Can we get there safely?” Dozens of ships swarmed the area, trying to get away.

“They are not under heavy fire. It appears the main targets are the station and prison.”

“Okay, we’ll wait.” She wasn’t leaving the sector until she was sure her friends were all right.

How could the Jog’nafan get so close without being detected by the sensor net? Pra’mm had the best detection grid in the galaxies. Their security algorithms were virtually impregnable. Their defenses swift and deadly. Built by the Glaxians, the station was a combination of several technologies—Pendo’rahn, Labonian and K’luk.

It saddened Tha-lah to think someone had betrayed the Protectorate. One of the first lessons she’d learned upon arriving at Dal’vyaa’s house was everyone had a price. What was the price of duplicity?

“Sorry to intrude, but I have plotted a course for the planet. I detected a large piece of metal from the station that should mask our signal. I suggest we power down and wait.”

“Have they spotted us?”

She couldn’t help the fear that crept into her voice. She’d heard horror stories about the Kreeh-nosh and Jog’nafans. One experimented and consumed their enemies. The other tortured and abused them until they begged for death.

“No, they’re focusing on the prison while ignoring small ships and the planet.”

The AI steered the shuttle into a debris field and then powered down. There was nothing left to do but wait.

Tha-lah woke up hours later a bit disoriented. It took a moment to remember where she was. This was her shuttle, and she’d just left the station when it had come under fire. She sat up with a start. Were her friends alive?

“AI, update, please.”

“Partial communications have been restored.”

Pra’mm was back online, goddess be praised.

“Give me a full report, please.”

“Pra’mm suffered a dozen casualties, none on the planet, over ten thousand at the prison and mounting.”

“Would it be safe to open a commlink to Dal’vyaa’s house?”

Tha-lah feared for her dear friends. They had guards that weren’t trained in the art of combat. Just some muscle mistress had hired through the years. While extremely loyal to her, they lacked the training of Pendo’rahn or Trac’xian military.

“Tha-lah, are you faring, good daughter?” Even in the face of danger Dal’vyaa’s concern was for her.

“Yes, I took cover among some of the rubble. Dal’vyaa, is everyone unharmed?” She no longer addressed the other woman as “mistress” since she was free.

“We hid in the secret chamber until it was all clear. Everyone’s fine.”

“I wanted to go back to K’luk and offer my help.”

“You don’t need to. Full communication was reestablished, and Protectorate reinforcements are on their way.”

“What of the prison? What’s become of them?” Tha-lah showed compassion, even for the hardened criminals. The goddess spark was within every living creature.

“The elite warriors arrived shortly after the assault began. I heard most of the prisoners offered no resistance. In fact, they were glad to see them. Now it’s just a matter of time before the
Toq’ma’lal
returns.”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll reset my heading for Glaxia Prime.”

“You should be safe to travel, Tha-lah. May the goddess shadow your journey.”

“Thank you, friend. In her wisdom, we all thrive.”

Tha-lah ordered the AI to resume the course for Glaxia Prime. Thank the goddess her friends were spared.

“I am picking up a faint life signal. It is coming from a pod two hundred miles from our current position.”

“Can we get closer and bring it on board?” Whoever was inside was from the prison. It didn’t matter one way or the other. Her duty was to help.