THE MORNING SUNLIGHT BURST THROUGH THE VALLEY TO WAKE THE VILLAGERS. Despite the celebration the night before, their work was not finished. The bell rang out in the distance.
Tarak stretched his long limbs before cradling the woman next to him. Hervor smiled, feeling him close as he kissed her bare shoulder from behind. “We should get up,” she said with a moan.
“Really? With this?” He pressed his body closer to her and moved his hand to her hip.
She bit her lip with his erection teasing her from behind. For hours the night before he had made her body feel like she hadn’t in years. And what she lacked in youth, she had in experience. For so long it felt wasted, until now.
Her inhibitions and insecurities had fled as the years rolled by. Very little made her blush in the bedroom.“How can I refuse the pleasure of that again? I think we have a little more time… the first bell is only a wakeup call.” She turned towards him and pushed him onto his back.
With a lustful gaze, she looked at his chiseled body and smiled, knowing what some of the villagers whispered about him, his striking looks. Her tongue and mouth traced the ridges of his smooth chest and belly, that rose and fell in anticipation as her loose hair trailed after. His eyes snapped open and his mouth opened to release a long groan as she took him all the way into her mouth. He looked down to watch her use her tongue and lips with abandon, with quick flicks and deep gulps, while her fingers created a titillating magic of her own between his legs.
She didn’t leave an inch untouched. When satisfied with his arousal she crawled towards him to sit directly on top of him. “Where did you learn to do that?” he quipped.
She smiled and chuckled as she began to move her hips. “I was married for thirty years. You learn to keep things exciting and you learn about yourself… what you like.”
He gripped her hips to guide her grinding as she swayed at just the right tempo to make herself moan. His hips bucked to be in sync with her. She moved his hand to touch the remaining soft flesh exposed between her legs. It made her cry out further until the tension couldn’t be contained any longer. She trembled in ecstasy.
Tarak tightly clasped her hands and continued to thrust, watching her pale skin turn pink from the glow of orgasm and her breasts softly bounce. His body spasmed and released with the explosiveness of making this moment count. It could be the last time either of them felt this again. They both collapsed with only minutes to spare before the bell would ring. Another reminder of impending doom.
After the second gong of the bell, the villagers began to gather in front of the longhouse, where Hagen stood next to Titus. “Alright. Today we begin the preparation for our defense. We start by moving the grain into the village, so they can’t shoot us from orbit without risking its destruction. Then the weapons left behind by the Imperium will help us hold our ground. Gather and account for every hunting rifle, every knife, every round of ammunition in the village, along with every Veldtian known to partake in the hunt. Take all your weapons to the granary. The river… That is where we will take our stand. Those who aren’t working will practice shooting or combat. We will assign the weapons to those who prove the most adept. Finally, Kora and Aris will retrieve her dropship. Questions?”
The villagers looked at each other in silence with no one having much to say.
“Let’s get started then.” He watched them rush to find weapons. Hervor still had her late husband’s rifle. Others scoured sheds, barns, locked chests that had not been opened for years.
Milius helped the villagers haul sacks of flour from the granary to various important points in the village, including in front of the longhouse. They formed a long row of sacks, piled high. From above there would be no clear way to avoid destroying all the much-needed grain. The village children watched on in curiosity and a little fear. The revelry of the completion of the harvest had fled. The final phase, the one that might lead to their demise, had begun.
Hagen left the bell to join Titus, Kora, Gunnar, and Aris in the granary. Gunnar was accounting for all the weapons in the the same way that he kept account of the grain. Most of the large crates left behind by the Imperium remained unopened.
“I wish Jimmy was here. He would know all about this stuff. I was just beginning,” said Aris.
Kora inspected the crates. “I’m sure he is okay and perhaps closer than we think.” She noticed a bar with a sharpened point at the end. “Only one way to find out. Let’s open these and see what we are working with.”
She pried open one with Titus and Gunnar helping to pull away the loosened wood with their hands. “That’s the last of it,” she said, looking at the weapons.
Titus nodded his head in approval. He picked up a large rocket launcher. “This will do nicely.” As more weapons were uncovered, his eyes went large upon seeing a blunderbuss. He put the launcher down for the other weapon. “Now we’re talking.”
Gunnar went to work laying them out and keeping tally. Not long after, villagers began to arrive with weapons in hand. Hagen graciously accepted them and laid them with the others to be accounted for. “And the uniforms of the men left behind?”
Gunnar pointed to a pile of folded clothes on a barrel. He walked over them and held one up. “Blood won’t come out easy, but we can try.”
Kora glanced at the fabric. “No. Leave it.”
“Right. I will get the targets ready. We have the weapons, now we need to know who will use them,” said Titus.
Gunnar looked up from his paper and pencil. “There are quite a few scarecrows in the old uraki barn, plus bales of hay to pin targets. I’m sure you can also find used bottles at the longhouse.”
Titus took one of the weapons with him. “Good. Those will work just fine.”
Kora looked to Aris. “Let’s go to the dropship.”
* * *
The warriors set up targets in various stations in the fields with Hagen on a gravity-deck handing out weapons to those who knew how to use them. Scarecrows propped on spikes with old clothing blew in the breeze. Cloths with crude targets drawn on were pinned to stacked bales of hay and old glass jugs stood at attention on more bales of hay. Sam scanned the weapons before picking up the blunderbuss. She walked into the field with an empty target, an ugly scarecrow in a tattered shirt and trousers. Her eyes searched the target before aiming and pulling the trigger. The chest burst open with a flurry of hay and insects before falling to the ground.
“Impressive.” She turned to see Titus bowing his head. He walked on to see more villagers using some of the Imperium weapons and the old rifles found in the village. Their ability was better than he expected for farmers. Hay and glass filled the atmosphere with the pop of ammunition. Tarak stood near Nemesis with a group of villagers being taught the basics of hand-to-hand combat with a blade. Even little Eljun, who had become Nemesis’ shadow, watched on. Milius had a scythe in their hand as they demonstrated various moves to use in a fight. The metal sliced the air in large arcs. The villagers copied their movements with enough distance to not catch each other. There were also pitchforks propped on bales of hay to be used next. Titus made his way to Tarak after seeing the progress the villagers had made.
“Are you ready?” Tarak asked.
Titus took a deep breath and a swig from his flask. “One is never ready for battle. Battle takes on a life of its own. We will see.”
When the villagers moved on to practice on their own, Eljun looked at the blades and chose one. He showed it to Nemesis, who watched him. She inspected the blade. “This is a good one.”
She couldn’t help noticing him not looking at the knife. “What is it?” He averted his eyes. “Why do you always wear those gloves? Is there something wrong with your hands?”
Her eyes softened. “These are my hands. If I took them off, I could not hold my swords or anything. That is the price I paid for waking the knowledge in my blood, which showed me the way of oracle steel. Together they create a source of tremendous power and reasonability.”
“Should I get gloves too? Will they make me stronger?” He looked into her eyes with the innocence only a child possesses.
“You don’t need them. You have your own strength and in time you will find your own path.” She handed the blade back to him with a smile.
“Thank you.” He cocked his head and continued to look at her.
“What is it, child?”
“Do you have children somewhere?”
Nemesis gave him a little smile, knowing this question was not meant to inflict pain even though it did. It reminded her of her own children’s curiosity when they were alive.
“I did. But they are no longer with me. Perhaps one day I will see their faces again and join them wherever they are.”
“Oh. I hope so too… I guess you will fight for them… to see them again.”
“I fight for you now so that you may live a long and good life.”
Eljun moved closer and wrapped his arms around her waist and embraced her. “Thank you. I know you won’t let us down.”
* * *
Kora and Aris left the granary for the dropship. It wasn’t a long journey, which was good because they had no time to spare with the fight nearly on their doorstep. When Kora could just see the ship through the trees, she rushed forward. She stopped just before opening it. Memories washed over her. Her heart broke all over again, remembering the events that led to her bloody departure. She swallowed hard before burying her emotions. Now wasn’t the time to dwell. “How’d you fix it?” she asked.
“It wasn’t me. Remember that Jimmy we brought? It was him. I think he also set us up with food one night at camp when he fixed it. He’s like this silent guardian in the forest. I wish he would join us. No one would harm him.”
“Let him come to us. Come on, let’s get this back to the village.”
Kora opened the ship whilst steeling her nerves. She didn’t think she would ever be inside an Imperium ship again, let alone part of a rebellion against them. Her fingertips hovered over the controls.
“I can do this if you want,” said Aris.
Kora looked ahead and gripped the controls. “No. I have to do this.”
The ship roared to life and lifted from the ground. Part of her lightened, as if she had come full circle. This could be the beginning of the end or a new beginning. She set a course for the village and raced off. The speed and adrenaline returned to her body as she remembered how to maneuver. Aris watched her with intense concentration, soaking up everything he observed. When they hovered above the end of the field near the bridge, she landed the ship. She exhaled as the ship came to a stop and she swiped the motherboard to open the ramp. Titus and Tarak stood on the bridge and approached Kora.
“One final weapon… You in that ship,” said Tarak.
She smirked. “Pray it works.”
* * *
The Hawkshaw stood at the cliff’s edge observing the village with high-powered binoculars. He had targeted the dropship. Two other Hawkshaws organized their supplies and weapons for their continued surveillance until the Dreadnought arrived. They all wore thick pelts as the climate had an uncomfortable chill for their species. “They have a dropship. Prepare to transmit. This is something The King’s Gaze will find interesting.”
“I hope interesting enough to pay more.”
The Hawkshaw in charge looked at his first in command. “Just get the transmission ready. We will negotiate at another time.”
The Hawkshaw nodded and turned on the hologram. The transmission blinked red as it went through. Then Cassius appeared within the glass. He seemed agitated, which was a first. “What is so urgent that it couldn’t wait until your normal report?”
The leader glanced towards the two others, who sniffed the air. He turned back to Cassius.
“Sir, the village has an asset. We just discovered they have a…”
A deafeningly loud blast burst upon them, and shards flew in the air. The Hawkshaws looked towards the shots fired. They were all stunned when Jimmy appeared with sharpened horns on his head and his cloak floating in the wind. Two large strides and he had the leader’s neck in his hands. He smashed the Hawkshaw’s face against a boulder, then the transmitter.
As he fell to the ground, a Hawkshaw unloaded two rounds towards Jimmy. They bounced off of his metallic body. Jimmy rushed towards him and backhanded him hard, knocking the weapon from his hands. Jimmy turned to the other Hawkshaws and fired. Both fell to the ground, dead. Jimmy surveyed the equipment then looked towards the village. This was very bad. The Imperium had to know everything the village was planning. The Hawkshaws were excellent at what they did and lived up to their reputation.
* * *
Anura. Home world of the Anuran species, who were especially adept to Hawkshaw work because of the evolution of their unique features and abilities on their world. The lowlands of Anura were green and wet with high humidity. Vast jungle and wetlands made the world nearly impenetrable in some parts. Large carnivorous plants the size of an average human bloomed from the muddy banks, while tangles of vines were home to fierce animals and poisonous insects. From the sky, part of the planet looked like a green cocoon. The Anura knew how to navigate the harsh environment, using it to their advantage in battle and for everyday needs.
They were just as tough as their world. Their mottled skin could be used as camouflage: some from the deepest jungles could change their skin color when in fight or flight, or could trigger bioluminescence. Their upturned nostrils could pick up scents that others could not detect and their yellowed eyes worked well in the dark. It was essential. Anura was either thick jungle canopy, murky water, or darkened caves.
The Anura lived in clans with an alpha female and male who assumed leadership based on their ability to battle for the title. It wasn’t just single combat. They had a small army that battled with them. Whoever had the least casualties and survived took control of the clan and their lands. They had their disagreements, but the clan elders did agree on one thing. Outsiders were immediately slaughtered. This edict came to pass as an alien species attempted to make contact, but instead spread a fungus that decimated thousands of Anurans and indigenous wildlife. It took decades for them to repopulate.
Their mating was unique to their world and species. There was no intercourse between the male and female. The act enjoyed by humans repulsed them, thinking humans filthy. The female emitted strong pheromones some would call unpleasant when her body ovulated. The chosen male would sit in a rock pool in underground cave water. He closed his eyes and fell into a meditative slumber. This allowed his body to give his seed the energy they needed to excrete from his body and survive. The living tadpole-like creatures swam in the cool waters until awakened by a female. He would leave the water, so up to ten females could sit inside the same pool with their legs spread. They would fall into the same meditative slumber for hours until none of the male seed remained.
When contact was made after that, any alien force was slaughtered and their technology taken. This created their own tech from whatever they salvaged to serve their way of life.
And then there were those in the mountains. The terrain moved from low elevation to rolling highlands that were cooler. This is where the dead were taken to return to the earth, as well as any invaders and unwanted tech to be burned or buried. The land knew best how to cleanse. No one lived there because it was sacred ground. It was also devoid of any cover from above, leaving them vulnerable. Only wildlife and stone temples had to endure the storms that brewed at the highest peaks of the highlands. Then it sloped higher, the land turned rocky and barren with snow, ice, and frigid waters that in spring flowed to the lowlands.
The Anura who dwelled at high altitudes had lived there for so long their skin had become thicker, mimicking the color of rock and snow. They were also larger, to accommodate for bigger lungs in the highest of altitudes that would kill a human in hours. Any outsiders who wandered their way died from the harsh elements of the mountains or in the jaws of the Sherpanura (as they were called). They developed their own culture and rituals that centered around the mountains.
When the Imperium first landed on Anura hundreds of years before, they killed thousands in the lowlands, believing them unevolved animals. Acres upon acres of jungle blazed. However, the clans united and killed Imperium soldiers with stealth. Beasts beneath the surface of the swamps pulled many soldiers to their death without a trace.
The stings of arm-length insects tossed out of their hives by the destruction caused chaos amongst the soldiers. The bullets hit some, but the insects were not easy targets as they darted through the air. You can’t kill what you can’t see coming.
The only source of sustenance the Imperium soldiers could rely on were the supplies they brought. It was hard to tell what could and couldn’t be consumed by humans, after what looked and smelled like sweet fruit caused a handful of soldiers to vomit until they could not stand.
The Anura could digest the fruit, however. Through their vomit, the humans served to spread the tiny spores that created more of the plant. The mechs that stomped through the jungle in pursuit of the Anura were crippled by what seemed like invisible forces. Their heaviness made them sink into the wet earth and they could not be retrieved. The Anura led them to the places they knew were not stable enough for the weight of the mammoth-sized machines.
Admiral Juno had two minds about this species as he surveyed the damage they caused. They could be obliterated out of the universe from space, but this would mean returning from a campaign empty handed with a lot of collateral damage. Senate seats and career advancement were made by successful campaigns. And Admiral Juno needed a win. He watched his men disappear into the jungle and not return, and it occurred to him this species could be used in another capacity.
This species were natural hunters who acted on their feet, and they looked terrifying. Admiral Juno had his remaining troops retreat to a burnt clearing. He knew they were being watched. The soldiers remained at the back of the clearing with their weapons close, but not drawn. He had crates of supplies unloaded in the center of the ashen clearing. The sun blazed and loud croaking from the giant amphibians indigenous to the world filled the air. He looked around, feeling every drop of sweat bubble from his pores. The Imperium uniform was not made for such an environment.
He lifted his hands with palms facing forward and began to speak, knowing they would not understand exactly what he said, but hoping it might bring one of the leaders out. “I know you have eyes everywhere. This is your land. I want to speak. And I offer a gift.”
With Admiral Juno was a young scribe from the seminarian whose job it was to gather information about non-human species. He was taught to extract it by any means necessary. On Anura, he already had done his own dissections and probing, causing the greatest body count to date. He did his best to translate based on the language of Anura they had captured and killed. There was no response from the depths of the trees. “The crates,” he said to the darkness. A soldier moved to open the crates and removed bottles of the admiral’s finest alcohol from Moa and other delicacies. The second crate was filled with weapons. “Gifts! Let us be allies and not enemies. I have underestimated you.” Admiral Juno gave a short nod to his enemy, watching and waiting.
There was a rustle in the distance. Out came two of the Anura, who appeared like the other warriors they had encountered. There were blades strapped to their bulky legs and arms. One had a type of rifle made from different tech slung across his chest. Both wore loincloths made from amphibian skin. They walked across the mud until they faced the admiral and sniffed the air. One of them grabbed the cured leg of meat with the hoof still attached at the end, and the other a bottle. “May I?” Admiral Juno took one of the bottles and opened it. He took a large gulp. Both Anura sniffed towards the bottle. They turned and walked back in the direction they came from.
Admiral Juno smiled. “Make a fire,” he told the soldier. “I think we have a bit of a wait before we settle this.”
When the dense stars looked like flowing silk in the night sky and the temperature dropped to almost pleasant for humans, a torch of fire blazed in the distance. The admiral looked up and stood to greet, who came his way. There were ten of them. In the back was an Anura who had to be the leader. He held the bottle and walked slower than the others. The admiral tapped the scribe to wake. The group came to a halt when they were face to face. The leader stepped forward.
“I speak some of your language. Traders, trappers landed here when I was very young. My father’s father kept one to teach me their technology and language. Then we killed him and made him an offering for the Sherpanura.”
Admiral Juno smiled. He glanced at the bottle. “Did you enjoy that?”
“Not particularly. We have our own. But my warriors do… What do you want here? You have done much damage to our world and killed many innocents. It is a disgrace how you fight.”
Admiral Juno could not believe the boldness. “So have you. Many of my soldiers died terrible deaths. That is why I want an alliance. The Imperium could use warriors like yours. Not for the battlefield to wear our uniforms. Other work, suited to your abilities. I like the way you hunt. You can offer something we do not possess.”
“We are good at what we do. It is our way of life. But fighting for sport is not.”
“You mentioned the Sherpanura. What is that?”
The leader glanced back. “Those who live in the mountains. Like us, but not interested in anything but their world up there. Their ancestors explored and never came back. Every few seasons they come down at the highest and brightest moon to choose females who are willing to go. We keep the peace. Do not go up there. They would destroy the entire mountain range under your feet if you attempted contact, even if it meant none of them would be left alive.”
Juno could barely see the peaks of the mountain range in the darkness. “I see. When we arrived it did appear like there were large stones up there, not part of the mountain. I took it as nothing.”
“That is your problem. You thought nothing of it. Those are temples. That is all I will say about that.”
Admiral Juno didn’t want to press his luck. The others were inconsequential if they kept to themselves and were hostile. He had incurred enough losses already. “Thank you for being so honest with me.”
“Now your turn. What do you want. Tell me in plain words.”
The admiral looked at the male and female warriors next to the leader. “I want a few of your warriors to come with me for training. If they do, we will leave you in peace on the grounds we will occasionally return for any others who wish to join our ranks. They will see places well beyond your planet, as beautiful as it is. They will have more of any of these things we offer.” He stepped away from the supplies.
The warriors looked on in curiosity. The leader walked towards a weapon in a crate and picked it up. He inspected it before tossing it down again. “We cannot do this until it is light. We will call everyone out. Then we will see who wants to go. Wait until I arrive.”
The leader turned and walked back into the jungle. The mist rising from a nearby lake blew across the dirt, shrouding their exit. Admiral Juno exhaled, feeling proud of this turn of events. He could hear it now, his name being whispered in the halls of the Senate. Their leader said fighting was not their way, but he didn’t believe that. The ones he took with him would incite fear just by their look. They would also be trained to be loyal, and to want more of what the universe offered.