Chapter Twelve
Strangers of Old
Ellanara didn’t like what she was seeing. Had they but left one scene of destruction to settle in another?
She had scanned the entire planet for any sign of current human habitation and found none. All she’d found were ruins, such as the one they now glided over top of. It was the largest ruin and she would’ve liked to have seen it in its glory, because it must’ve been a spectacular city to behold.
Something about its ruins bothered her though. She’d analyzed them several times and she kept coming up with the same answer. The culture that had once lived here and that must’ve numbered into the many millions had neither been of her ancestor’s lineage or of the Orlandian’s lineage. It was an entirely different culture.
Why would the only thing known of the galaxy in which her ancestors had lived in for thousands of years be the location of this planet that only bore the remnants of a foreign culture? Something wasn’t adding up right.
Why would Tadias have not left better description of the worlds of this system and what had taken place here. There had been a great battle in this galaxy, but that was the gist of all that she knew, other than that her ancestors had lost it. She had certainly found evidence of that battle in the ancient past. The space around the planet was a jumble of debris that must have once been defensive weapon arrays and airships.
Where had all the people gone? Had they all been killed and then if so by whom?
Ellanara initiated the landing of the bar-Trinity at the outskirts of the once great city. They would investigate the city in the morning. Hopefully there would be clues as to discerning what had taken place here so long ago. Her mind seized on something for a moment and she clutched at her head at the sudden wrench of her thoughts.
Loric steadied her and she could hear him asking if she was all right. Was she?
She wasn’t sure, but she nodded anyway and pushed away from him and completed the task of landing the ship. Abby came up alongside of her with a look of concern and asked, “What was that about? You looked…….” Abby trailed off not finishing her words.
Ellanara looked at her, “I looked like what?” She asked breathlessly.
“Out of control.” Abby responded in a whisper.
Ellanara looked down biting at her lip hard. That described exactly how she’d felt and she didn’t like it at all! She’d only sensed the presence of something or someone for a moment, as if her thoughts had been in the process of being delved through and she had panicked and the intruding presence was suddenly gone, but she had been shaken to the core.
It was agreed that the investigation of the city would commence in the morning, which Ellanara suddenly was not looking forward to like she had been earlier. She begged leave and escaped to her quarters not wanting to be around anyone for a while. She felt the questioning gaze of Loric on her, as she left the room, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to get away.
It was dark and the night was silent. The strangers’ ship was softly illuminated in the darkness, which was foolish of them. I sensed that they could not know the condition of the times that had befallen these worlds, or surely all the lights would have been off. They had much to learn, if they intended to survive.
I stepped through the night confidently towards the impressive ship, careful to be quiet lest I alerted the guards of my presence. They could not see me because of the cloaking device I carried, but they could still hear me as I walked so my feet found their way cautiously in the dark.
The guards outside had the look and presence of extremely capable warriors. It was not their fault that I had slipped through their defenses. You can’t guard against what you can’t see. How bitterly well I had learned that lesson.
I walked up the lowered access ramp directly into the ship’s interior. Everyone else must’ve been retired for the night, as the ship seemed devoid of active life. I had sensed in my scans equal numbers of males to females with their just being one extra female in the group. There were surprisingly few people for such a large ship. I had noted that all of the other females, except for the one, had the unique signature indicative of another life growing from within.
I looked at the motherhood status of the majority of the woman, as a positive clue, as to these people’s moral framework. If the men could still be unabashedly held by the charms of their women than as a society they had clearly not rotted, as the Orlandian’s had long since done.
There was one other entity that I had sensed in my scans, a network program. Not just any network program, it was in fact the most powerful one I had ever encountered and I guarded against it most, as it would likely see directly through my cloaking.
The network system appeared out of nowhere directly ahead of me in the form of a modestly dressed woman, which was far different in appearance than most Orlandian systems were known to showcase themselves by. It was another positive sign, but I did not like the fact that I had been found out.
I wasn’t sure why I found myself hesitating to push the kill switch button by my side that would de-integrate her network pathways and stop her from alerting the crew to my presence. The system performed a perfectly coordinated ceremonial bow before me that had been a custom of my people for an untold number of centuries.
With her head still lowered the system said, “Welcome Salanicus, son of the last Salaheyin King, only heir to the throne of the mighty Sallaconese people.”
I stared at her trying to hide my surprise, “How do you know of me? You are strangers to these worlds are you not and why is it yet that you seem familiar to me?”
I’d analyzed her again, I was beginning to doubt whether she was a network at all, because there were several key differences within her makeup. She looked up at me and I could see fear on her face that she didn’t bother to hide, her further openness only served to impress me further. She was unlike any system I had ever encountered. She had an air of honesty to her that had long since been absent in any Orlandian design of technology.
She spoke, “You have not seen me before, but it is likely that you recognize me because you saw my father, whose name you were named for as your middle name, which is Tadias.”
My nostrils flared wide, as I sucked in breath, even as hot seething anger boiled throughout my being in a silent roar of hate filled wrath. So the cowards among all nations had finally returned at long last! The Vallian scum had returned to inspect their handiwork!
I felt myself begin to descend into a killing rage and every weapon on me lit up. The network flung herself onto her knees before me crying and sobbing in desperation, “Please! Please don’t! Don’t hurt them!”
I reached for my cane, just as something blew across my face. I snatched the object out of the air. It was the flower blossom from earlier. What did it mean?
God surely couldn’t want me to spare the lives of these murderous wretched cowards, but what else could the sign of the blossom mean? I crushed the blossom in my hand.
Trying valiantly to fight down my hatred for these people I looked down into the network woman’s eyes and asked, “Why? Why should I spare your wretched lives? Tell me, I want to know!”
The network looked down and then back up into my hateful gaze, “These people, they don’t know what their fathers did in the time before.”
“It does not matter! They are of them and thus guilty by birth!” I fired back hotly.
The system responded back in equal passion as mine, “That is not how your father would’ve spoken! Such generalized statements of guilt by association were not to be found in his wise heart!” The system said, as she got back up to her feet.
“Perhaps not, but he’s dead, as are the rest of my people, save for a tiny remnant of them that could be wiped out in a moment’s time!”
The network system repeated herself, “These survivors of my father’s house do not know of their ancestor’s sins. If you do not believe me ask them. All they know of the time before is the location of this planet, which is all Tadias wanted them to know of. You know my father had nothing to do with what happened to your people!”
My anger cooled ever so slightly, “I know that, but it makes little difference as to how I feel about your people. You said survivors, explain what you mean by that.”
“The men of this ship are all that remain of my father’s tribe. Most of them are related in some way to my father’s blood line directly. There is also one direct descendent of Tadias on board. Everything that was is now gone.”
My anger abated a little more, “So the curse of your people’s cowardice found them out and destroyed them. Why have you upon escaping the calamity of your own people fled back to the source of the curse’s origin?”
“Because of your father and my father and what they agreed to.” Abby said softly.
What did she mean by this? “Explain!” I boomed out more than ready to hit her kill button, of which she seemed fully aware of.
Quickly she explained, “Divine insight was given to both of our fathers by the Creator, as to the future desecration of our two peoples. As best friends they made a pact between each other, a plan to save the remnants of their peoples and unify them as one people and one blood.”
My anger returned in full fury, “My father told me nothing of this! As to unifying our blood with yours, never!”
Surprisingly the system approached to stand directly in front of me. Looking up at me steadily she spoke without fear, “Why are you still here Salanicus? Why have your years been stretched out so long? I’ll tell you why. It was so that you might protect the remnant of your people that is left from being totally annihilated. Tell me Salanicus how is that going? Have you won a never-ending war yet by yourself that the great and mighty power of your people from ancient times, with far more resources than you can claim by yourself, could not win? Do you still have hope to save your people by yourself? What I have said is the truth! Tell me Salanicus, if you could have carried your people away to a safe place, where they could grow and flourish again, instead of living in the fear and failure of these worlds wouldn’t you have?”
I could see the passion, in this mixed up combination of a woman and a network system, of the fighting spirit that had been in her father, who had mentored me as a boy.
“Yes! I’ve focused on nothing else, but what I seek cannot be done!” I said roughly back at her.
She took a step back from me her face calm, “Yes it can Salanicus.”
I stared at her in consternation of thought, “How? The only place I know to take them are the Haven Worlds, but I do not have a ship to take them there that would survive such a journey. This ship would make it, but I could not fit all my people within it and I am not willing to make such a further sacrifice of my people by leaving any behind for the Orlandian’s to feed upon! Besides that I wouldn’t be able to find the Haven Worlds, because the relic and its map keys were taken by the Orlandian’s and I can’t find out where they took them! It is hopeless!” I said passionately, but something about her face hinted that she knew something that I didn’t.
I studied her and apprehension began to take hold of my thoughts, “What did my father do?” I asked slowly.
“He knew that a disaster he could not overcome would occur and so he did his best to secure the safety of the Haven Worlds, as a place for his people to flee to in the future. He gave the map keys to Tadias. The Orlandian’s have the Relic of Perth, but you will be able to find it with the map keys. In order to find the relic though our people will have to work together as one and be one flesh.”
I had gone completely still at her words, “The map keys are here! Where?” I demanded.
“She has them.”
I knew exactly who she meant by that cryptic response, “Who is she?”
“She is Tadias’s direct descendent and your father intended for you to take her as your wife, as is the custom of the bearers of the map keys. He hoped that by joining our peoples together by blood that it would usher in a newer and brighter future to be shared by all of us and that the wrongs of the past would be forgotten in forgiveness.”
My jaw worked in emotion, as I took in her words I longed to deny as false, but I could tell she spoke the truth, which was further testified to by the fact that I knew that this was exactly like something my father would have done.
“My people, how in this plan are they brought along?” I asked questioningly.
“I do not know the exact details of that, only I know that it can be done. Ellanara knows a way of what you need to be accomplished, but she alone knows it. Search my network, if you believe I tell a lie.”
I already had, but it was the shock of the girl’s name that grabbed me the most. “Ellanara?”
“Yes that is her name. Why is that a surprise?” The system asked inquisitively.
“Never mind!” I gritted out from between my teeth, as I felt the trap that her words had conjured up closing in around me cutting off all chance of escape. In Sallaconese ‘Ella’ meant ‘wife’ and ‘Narra’ had been my mother’s name, which meant both ‘loving’ and ‘loyal’. Put it all together and you got, ‘wife that is loving and loyal just as your mother was’.
The meaning of the name that seemed to press down into my soul evoked a powerful emotion, but I rebelled against trying to hold back my anger. I walked around the network and continued on into the ship. I knew where she was, because even in her sleep she emanated a powerful vibe of thought.
I opened her door and walked inside noiselessly. The room was softly lit and she lay on her bed facing away from me. I could tell that she was exhausted. She hadn’t even bothered to get more comfortable by changing her clothes before she collapsed on the bed.
It was impossible not to admire the desirable feminine outline of the dip in of her waist that then sloped up to the rises of her hips and shoulder to either side. I hadn’t even seen her face, but looking at her reminded me of Evala, the wife of Tadias, only she’d had black hair. Evala had been like a second mother to me.
The mass of vibrantly colored red hair that was spilled out over the pillows was temptation itself. I felt myself being drawn into her and I closed my eyes trying to stop it. It had been a very long time.
Something caused me to abruptly open my eyes and they widened, as I gazed at her. Her body had begun to shake on the bed and then I could hear her moaning. I let my thoughts delve into hers and winced, when I saw the terrible nightmare that she was being gripped by. I quickly threw up a mental block in her head and the nightmare was shut off, but she now knew I was here.
She sat bolt upright in the bed and looked all over the room fearfully and I sucked in my breath when I saw her eyes. They were stunning, as was the rest of her. I wanted her! As much as I hated her people I could not but want her.
Her alluring body was only where it started, when it came to wanting her. The thought construct of her mind was exquisite and so clean of the issues commonly found within humanity. A mind built along such clean lines indicated a heart not much different, or perhaps even better. I could trust this woman with anything, I realized in amazement.
I couldn’t have said that about my own people in the last several hundred years. If she gave me her word on a matter of importance she would keep it. She had honor, integrity, decency, and even humility. She was amazing!
She grabbed at her head crying out painfully and I knew I was allowing my thoughts to delve too deeply into her core make up and the activity was causing her pain. I drew my thoughts back from her completely and as I did she jumped from the bed breathing hard, as she surveyed the room with those beautiful glowing eyes, which after having partially delved into the treasure trove that was her mind, I now knew the reason for and my respect for her had only increased.
My pursuit of her mind’s secrets stopped, as I once again scanned over the physical makeup of her. In my mind I had already capitulated to my father’s wishes to be one with this woman, but at first it would be difficult for her. Worriedly I acknowledged that it might always be difficult for her. She was slightly above average height by Vallian standards and had the sturdy structure of her warrior heritage, but even then by Sallaconese standards she was small. Would she even be able to bear a child into the world that was half Sallaconese? My eyes drifted down to her wide hips and I relaxed slightly, which caused me to realize just how much I already wanted this to work out despite everything there should be against it.
She started to run for the door in a panic and I smoothly reached out and grabbed her, as she was about to run past me. My hand closed over her face cutting off her shriek of fright. I brought her head back to my chest and I held her off her feet with just the hand on her face, as she kicked and struggled to be free, both of her hands tugging at mine, but to no avail, as with my other hand I pressed a pressure point that would render her unconscious.
She fought against succumbing to unconsciousness longer than I had ever experienced a person doing before. I felt the touch of hot salty tears against my hand, which caused me to sharply regret the terror I was causing her to experience. She slumped against me as all the fight left her.
I picked her up in my arms and left the room heading for the exit of the ship, because I had seen the map keys on a chain around the girl’s throat. I had everything I needed and I was leaving. The network called Abby still stood where I had left her. She was anxiously wringing her hands that did not exist in reality, as she stared with concern at the woman passed out in my arms.
As I drew close to her she said pleadingly, “Please don’t hurt her! What are you going to do with her?”
She was such a strange system network. I had never encountered one like her before, perhaps her strangeness stemmed from the fact that she had once been human. I stopped deciding to humor her, “After she tells me everything she knows I will return her. The ship and its crew stays here, until I return with her understood!”
Abby nodded and I walked out into the night with my captive bride. I took her to the solarium. One place at least that was still undamaged in its construction. In a way I guess I wanted her to see the grandeur of what my people had once been a people that hers had left to be destroyed. From my earlier probing of her thoughts I’d seen though for myself that the network had been right. They really didn’t know what had happened in the past and like it or not that made a difference in how I thought of the survivors of the cursed Vallian kindred.
Reaching the solarium I went inside and hooking a blanket off of a table I spread it out on the ground and laid my burden down onto it. This woman was such a treasure of information. Gently I placed my hands on either side of her head in order to facilitate a more direct transferral of her knowledge, but I stopped shocked.
She was blocking me!
Earlier I hadn’t encountered one mental block at all! In fact I don’t think she knew how to construct them. How did all these masterful blocks appear out of nowhere? They were almost like mine with her own twists to them.
I stopped dead in my thoughts and leaned back to stare down at her in frank admiration, as much as it was frustrated astonishment. She had copied my block that I had used to shield her from the nightmare and changed it just enough so that I didn’t have its key. She’d put all these blocks I felt in place under the duress of me rendering her unconscious. She was truly special, but this was going to make it a lot harder to get what I needed from her, perhaps even impossible.