CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
When Joey awoke he found himself in his and Lezura’s little house in the camp. There was a split between the red curtains hung at the opening that snuck in some light.
But Lezura wasn’t in the room. He checked for the key around his neck, found it.
And he yelped.
He was holding the compass with the arm that was supposed to be blown off.
“What the hell?” he said.
He followed his hand all the way up to his shoulder. It was hideously scarred all around, and still throbbing and pulsating with the last of the healing process. Whether by lazhinian blood or Lezura’s faery magic, he couldn’t tell, but was sure as hell glad he had it back on!
Though a robotic arm that shoots lasers would’ve been nicer!
He got out of the bed, realizing he was only in his underpants. It crossed his mind as to who might have undressed, and hoped it was one of the women he knew.
He looked around for a new suit of clothes and spotted something on the bed. It was piece of paper, yellow with age. Joey took it up and found some writing in English that had to be Lezura’s.
“Meet us outside” it read.
Joey put on a dusty pants and a yellow top with some brown stains he accepted wouldn’t come out even if he washed it over and over again.
He didn’t bother putting on his shoes, and strode out into the sunlight. His mouth tasted bitter with blood, his head hurt and his shoulder felt like a furnace had been built there.
He found that most of the people were in the center of the camp, with a few individuals moving around without notice for what congregated the others, more interested in their daily chores.
One relief was that they didn’t bother to bombard him with the wild, fan-crazed cheers, but with simple “helloes”, “hi” and “hey” as they went by.
As Joey reached the crowd he could identify what had gathered the people there.
“A generator…?” he said to himself.
It looked similar to the one back at the Hapchenan community, except a little more rusted, even with a large dent, and with less tubes spilling out of the top.
“Wait, because we’re refugees they couldn’t give us a better one?” Joey said silently. He shook his head and chuckled. But at lease the people here had one now. It was a start, and for that Joey overlooked everything else.
Someone at the back of the crowd spotted Joey and notified everyone else. They made gestures to the generator, some even urging him to fill it up. He was guided through the crowd, were he encountered S’us. He smiled and hugged her.
“You finally came!” he said. He realized S’us didn’t have the translator, and settled with just saying hello.
“It’s good to see you up and about already,” S’us said, “though it’s quite astonishing. With that much blood loss I am surprised you didn’t die instantly. Oh…!”
S’us clipped her translator. After which Joey said, “That’s the Rakai for yah! I doubt even the other ones could survive something like that. By the way”—Joey undulated his injured shoulder—“thanks for snapping on back my arm.”
“It was Tet’s blood,” said S’us, “but Lezura helped as well.”
“That tramp and her faery magic didn’t do squat,” I’us said.
S’us frowned.
Joey said, “Is something wrong?”
S’us went to say “no”, but something that she had been pondering for a while now took the front seat of her mind. “Actually, yes,” she said, “but I wish to speak to you about if after you’re done here, in my abode. Do you mind?”
Joey saw his chance to finally be alone with S’us. He smiled and said, “Sure.”
“Thank you,” S’us said.
“You know he wants to screw you, right?” I’us said.
“Would you shut up?” S’us said.
Startled Joey said, “What—” he remembered something about S’us sister and paused.
S’us quickly said, “It’s nothing—sorry.” She rubbed her head. “See you later.” And she walked off.
Joey met up with Clastaan and Tylin, who he embraced tightly. He remarked to Tylin about the technique he did back at the fight with the general.
“You seem to be passing out a lot after every confrontation,” Tylin had said, “you’re still weak…”
After that slicing comment in his hide Joey went to greet Tet; a pleasant mannered man like Clastaan, and thanked him for his blood. Podge he greeted with the usual grunt and nod. Podge didn’t mind, for he greeted him the same way.
But the day didn’t bring a bounty of good news. Joey was saddened to learn from the Sekku and wyassies that Bensaur hadn’t survived the battle. It was like someone snuck a hot pipe in his ribs.
But seeing Heliri she reminded Joey that such was Zongat’s will, reassuring him that the blood split in combat would later bring forth new life from the land.
It helped somewhat, but mostly Joey just decided to focus on the people alive.
You have to fight to keep them that way, he thought.
He met up with Nesten, Dinon, Coenter and mayor Cassim; all looking quite okay.
At the front he saw Lezura and the captain.
“How is your arm?” Lezura said.
“It stings a little but its fine otherwise,” said Joey. He gestured to the generator, “So I’m guessing you all want me to full this up…?”
“We did not bring it here to scrap for parts…” the captain said, slipping a sip from a bottle of blue liquid.
“Geez…” Joey said, “You know you guys could at least give me a day’s break…”
The captain slipped Lezura a glance that aroused his suspicion. Joey looked at Lezura and saw her eyes quickly look away.
Joey slowly put his hands on his hips and shifted his stance. “Okay…what the hell’s it now…?”
“Joey,” Lezura said with a soft, angelic voice. She placed her hands on his shoulders. “I know you are very tired, and also at a time like this you would be very hungry….but—”
“Skip to the end, brace-face,” Joey said.
“The military’s radio station picked up a fleet of orderran ships coming our way,” said Lezura.
“We all know that they’re coming…so…?”
“They are a day away,” said the captain, “If not a few hours…”
Joey grimaced, spreading his mouth into a wide smile like he was trying to show someone he was happy despite the agony.
“Is he okay?” said someone nearby.
“Joey?” Lezura said cautiously.
Joey laughed slowly. He said, “So…yesterday I had to deal with giant robots and get my arm ripped off…And a few hours from now, I’ll have to deal with giant robots—and werewolves?”
“Lycans,” said Lezura.
“AWESOME!” Joey said.
Heliri who was next by threw her arm around Joey and said, “All right! We’re goanna kick some more ass!”
“Yeah,” Joey said.
Lezura punched the two of them on their injured shoulders and got their attention. “We need to know what the military is planning first,” said Lezura. “This is not like the last time, Joey. This time the orderrans have brought with them ten airships; I can only assume they have heavy weaponry capable of leaving only particles of us floating around the place.”
“Yeah,” Joey said, realizing the dread of the situation and that people were going to die. Damn! If only this were a video game—we could just revive back everyone!
Lezura said to the captain, “Captain, when will you be in contact with the commander-in-chief and the prime minister?”
The captain took a huge gulp and winced. “Gaah…! As soon as this kid fills the generator we can get them on the channel in one of the trucks,” he said.
And Joey did just that; after which electrical equipment were loaded out of the trucks and brought into the camp, along with tinier generators for the homes. All of these would be supplied with energy from the main generator by wires.
Lezura, Joey and Heliri were escorted out of the camp by the captain to one of their operational vehicles.
Since the immigrants were left at the camp the trucks were fitted back with their seats and computer equipment. The roof was covered up completely, and small blue light illuminated the inside. There was a black-haired nycarman woman sitting by herself, wearing military gear and her hair tied in a bun.
The captain went to her and said, “Private, get me in touch with the prime minister and the commander…”
“Yes sir,” she said.
She switched the channel on the radio, pressed a bottom near it and said into a small mice, “This is Private Syen of the immigration security division. On behalf of Captain Osna I am requesting audience with the commander-in-chief and the honorable prime minister, over…”
Three seconds the later the reply came, “Understood, private, please wait a moment while we get in touch the commander and prime minister…”
“They can call the prime minister just like that?” Joey said.
Captain Osna said, “When half the country is decimated, it is easier to keep in touch with the other half, lad…”
Nearly two minutes later, and the large monitor before them split in two. On the left was the prime minister; a Uola nycarman with a square face, cropped black hair in a light blue tunic with a huge white collar.
The commander-in-chief wore a uniform of a dark green, with grey epaulets and his barreled decked in accomplishments; even more than that Stralin fellow, Joey realized. He was an Outo nycarman with a bald head, showing the wavy creases that creped from the sides of his round face and forehead over his skull. His big arms were folded on the table before him like logs.
“This better be a good reason to call me all the way from a meeting,” said the prime minister, wiping some soap from behind his ears.
“Mr. prime minister,” said the captain, “please excuse us for disturbing you, but we need to speak with the you on something extremely important.”
The prime minister arched eyebrow. “We…?”
Lezura, Joey and Heliri smashed their faces together on the screen and said, “Hello!”
The prime minister yelped and pushed himself away, nearly toppling his chair over.
“What the devil is this, captain?” the commander said.
Osna ushered the children from the screen so his superiors could see his face. “Sirs,” he said, “the young alien male you just saw is the new Rakai?”
The commander almost smiled. “Eh, so you are the one who pissed off the orderrans back in Suride Town…”
“That’s me!” Joey said proudly.
The prime minister gawked, pointed at Joey, “Wait a bloody minute—that is the Rakai! He is just a brat!”
“And you’re an old fart!” Joey said, the speakers in the mike translating his words clearly for the other side to here. “Hey, you all stop treating me like a kid already. I took down that stupid racist army dude that was trying to kill us all—no thanks to you guys!” and Joey even scowled at Osna.
“You little punk!” the prime minister said. He punched Joey on his side, which meant he punched his monitor. Everyone could hear his knuckles crack, and they all winced. The prime minister clutched his hand and wailed. “Blast!”
Joey and Heliri ran out of the truck laughing. Joey tripped at the door and landed face-first.
The commissioner slammed his huge fist on the table. “Captain Osna I am not in the mood to deal with little children!” he said. On the other side the prime minister’s aid, a woman in a tight black dress, came and put some bandages on his fist and hurried away. “Whatever you have to say, say it quickly so I can deal with the orderran situation.”
The prime minister gasped. “Orderrans?” he said.
“I am sorry, commander,” Osna said, scowling sideways at Lezura who threw her hands up in a gesture of confusion and innocence. Osna turned his eyes back to the screen. “It is precisely that, sir; will all due respect I hope you realize that we cannot allow them to enter the heart of the country where most of the population is.”
“Why did anyone not tell me about the orderrans?” the prime minster said, his eyes wide and shaky and his creases filled with sweat.
Everyone ignored the prime minister, who had since the Third Great War broken down to a man who could barely make decisions on his own.
“I am well aware of that, captain,” said the commander crisply, “and I hope you are aware that we stand no chance of resisting the orderrans if they really do decide to kill us all. We either run to our neighbor or we stay, fight and all die a glorious death. Personally speaking, I do not think that Kafinifa will be willing to take us in. They do not have the space, and we will just lead the orderrans to their side and make them hate us more.”
“There might be away,” said a voice.
Everyone turned to the door to see Joey and Heliri stepping back inside with watery eyes. But the words didn’t come from their mouths. They made way to reveal mayor Cassim.
“Umm…” the private said “…since when did inside this place become a hotel…?”
“Easy, private,” said Osna. He said to Cassim, “What do you have to bring to the table, old man?”
“Is the commander willing to listen?” Cassim said curtly.
“As long as he can get rid of the orderrans he and I are friends!” said the prime minister, his facing dripping with sweat.
“Go ahead,” said the commander.
Cassim said, “Thank you. First off, I think the orderrans are more interested in getting their revenge on the Rakai than anything else.”
“What?” Joey said.
“I am listening…” the commander said.
Cassim said, “So if we present a force to confront them including their worst enemy, then they will probably not stop until they kill their most hated enemy and all of his companions. Even it is means chasing them to the ends of the continent, as we can all see…”
Heliri’s smile was a huge toothy gape. “I see,” she said, “You want to use the Rakai as bait to lure them from the city.”
“What—bait?” Joey said, scratching his head. When the full meaning of it hit him he said, “Whoa, wait a minute, what do you mean ‘use me as bait?’”
“It could work,” Lezura said, gazing thoughtfully at Joey.
“It could?” Joey said. “That shit actually could?”
“They pretty much hate your guts right now,” said Heliri, “and I can bet they want to rip them right out like good ole’ lycans love to do.”
“Joey,” Lezura said, “remember that our escape root in on the north coast, that it where would try to lead them. We can make our escape then.”
“I guess,” Joey said.
“It could buy us enough time to come up with another strategy, commander,” Osna said.
“I suppose it could,” said the commander.
“Yes!” said the prime minister, leaning forward so fast droplets of sweat flew from his face onto his monitor. “Do whatever it takes to get them away from the city. This country is already in shambles; no way can we stand another hit.”
“If you are going to be on the front lines, Rakai,” the commander said, “you need to be with us. We will be deploying our forces immediately to the southern plains to intercept them. We will pick you up on the way; in the next four hours or so.”
Joey nodded. “Okay.”
“We should tell the Dielengann Path,” Heliri said, “They’ll want to know when you depart.”
“You’re right,” Joey said.
“I will tell the camp the situation and what we have decided,” Cassim said, leaving the truck.
Joey turned to Lezura and said, “Hey, I wanna do something first.”
Minutes later, Heliri went back to the Dielengann Path’s secret location, to ask them for help if possible. Cassim told everyone at the camp of the plan, and even asked if there was anyone willing to fight in the aid of the Rakai. The volunteers for such a quest were Tylin, Podge and Tet.
“I as well!” S’us said, stepping forward.
“No, S’us,” said Clastaan, “This is too dangerous and you are too young, I cannot allow it.”
“Clastaan I’m not going because it’s something I just decided along with the Rakai” said S’us, “I have my reasons for going. I have to find my sister’s body.”
Clastaan placed a clawed hand on S’us shoulder, said, “S’us, Tylin, Podge and Tet and more skilled fighters than you are, you will only get in the way when troubles surfaces. Please, just stay here with the rest of us.”
“But—”
“He said stay here, S’us,” Podge said, “You are just a child. Listen when the adults around you speak.”
S’us took a deep breath like she was about to protest again, but it ended in a long sigh. She nodded, and went back to her dwelling.
Meanwhile Joey and Lezura took a trip back to Ussia Town, were they found that the military on command from the commander-in-chief had set up posts within and outside the community.
There were people from the religious sect negotiating the release of the bodies of their slain people to be given a proper burial. They strode pass these trucks which had the bodies in air-tight plastic bags.
They reached the gate, where upon showing them the pass they got from Captain Osna, were allowed to enter the community.
They got the usually looks from the people like the owned them money, but with their weapons confiscated and the soldiers doing routine walks throughout the community they couldn’t do much but fight with their eyes.
The two aliens made their way to the warehouse were the generator was. They got off Redbolt, tied him to the doorframe and went inside. There they found out that computer terminals had been installed around it, along with work tables and chairs. Including about three civilians, military personnel were at work.
Luck was on their side; Oleon was there speaking with a soldier they assumed was of a high rank.
“Hey, racist boy!” Joey said.
Oleon slowly turn to look at Joey approaching him with Lezura. The officer he was speaking to raise a finger to Oleon and went to meet them.
“Is there something I can help you two with?” he said.
“We wish to speak with the Oleon,” said Lezura. She showed the soldier the pass-card. “We have been granted permission to question him; on orders from Captain Osna passed down from the commander-in-chief.”
“And if that’s not enough,” Joey took out his compass and almost shoved it in the man’s face, “I’ve this to use on your assess! Whooopaaa!”
The soldier stared at Joey long and hard before dropping the goggles over his eyes and took the pass-card from Lezura. After examining it he gave it back to her.
“Oleon,” he said, gesturing to Lezura, “These two want to speak to you…”
Oleon sighed and shook his head. He pointed to the door where Joey and Lezura went to meet him.
He folded his arms in his beloved yellow sweater and said, “What do you two want now?”
“Actually,” Lezura said, “the Rakai has something to ask of you…”
Oleon took a translator out of his pocket and put in his ear.
“I want you to fight with me?” said Joey.
Oleon’s ears poised back. “Excuuuuuuuse me…?” he said.
“The orderrans are coming here,” said Joey, “they’re coming from the southern plains. I’m going with the military to draw them away from the heart of the country around to the coast.”
“Good luck with that one, kid,” Oleon said.
Joey’s bushy eyebrows almost completely smothered his eyes. “Hey, you deaf dude? The orderrans are goanna come here and blast this place to the other side of the galaxy if you don’t help us.”
“Are you blind?” said Oleon, gesturing inside the warehouse and around the town, “The military has taken over control and confiscated our weapons. Even if we wanted to help you, which I very much do not, we would not have the resources to do so!”
Joey folded his arms. He said, “Really? You expect me to believe that you got all your weapons taken away?”
Oleon unfolded his arms. “You two get out of here?” and he walked away.
“Yeah,” Joey said loudly and scornfully, “just as I thought, you little bitch!”
Oleon stop, spun on the spot and said, “What did you just say?”
Joey stepped up into Oleon’s face—at least he had wanted to, but Oleon was a foot taller. Joey said like whispering a deep dark secret, “You little rats love to pick on defenseless people like the immigrants, but when the bigger guys turn up you all have to keep your little assess quiet.”
Oleon inhaled as if he were going to blow down Joey, which with his size and a little honoi added was possible. A sudden air of tension enveloped around them that even the corporal sensed and inched close to them.
“Stralin was the one who decided to attack the camp, not me,” Oleon said in throaty voice. “I hate fighting because I lost my wife to stupidity like that. No matter how much I kill, it will not bring her back…”
Lezura put a hand to her mouth, said, “Oh dear…”
Joey saw Oleon’s eyes shimmer, and help him out of his situation by saying, “Let me fight for you. Let me fight for your people.”
Oleon stepped with a slight, puzzled look. “You would really risk your life for us; after what we did to your people?”
“I will now that I see you aren’t a dick like the last guy.”
Oleon frowned at Joey. Lezura wanted to clap Joey for his bravery but was telling herself to get out of the habit. He wasn’t her child. She already had one—who she hoped and prayed would see be reunited with.
Oleon stepped closer and whispered, “Follow me.”
As they walked off the corporal said, “Where are you all going to?”
Lezura turned to him and said, “This gentleman wishes to further discuss matters somewhere where very confidential information will not be leaked to unintentional ears. Now, if you object, I am sure the commander-in-chief will understand why you delayed any information that the Rakai and I specifically were to obtain from this man and bring forth to him.” Lezura added a light smile.
The corporal and others of the military stared wide-eyed at Lezura, shocked by her smooth insertion of her authority over them and her frankness behind it.
The corporal squeezed his hand behind him. He nodded curtly and said, “Very well.”
As they turned and left, Oleon whispered to Joey, “Is she always that scary?”
“This isn’t scary,” said Joey, “you wanna see scary, trying interrupting her when she’s giving a lecture.”
Oleon led them from the community to a small knoll, surround by two ethanol factories and a welding shop. There was a cluster of arrow-trees that Oleon led them through, finally into a small clearing with a litter of leaves ankle deep.
Lezura wanted to point out that obviously beneath would be some secret door leady to a secret entrances, as she sense no root systems from the bushes on top, but she figured everything would go smoothly if she kept silent.
Sure enough Oleon searched the ground and found a small knob. He told Lezura and Joey to back up some more and off the door. He unlocked it. With a strained grunt he lifted the huge door and threw it on the other side with a boom.
The filtered light through the trees fingered into the darkness, touching and revealing crude stone steps that led into the room below.
Joey folded his arms and scowled at Oleon. “Uh-huh; you don’t have any more weapons, you say?”
Oleon turned to Joey and said with playful smile, “What makes you think I have weapons down there?”
“Oh!” said Joey in mock surprise, “I didn’t know you elves took hiding your gold so seriously!”
Oleon took a flashlight off his waist, clicked it on and stepped inside.
The inside was cold and dray, and smelt earthy with a hint of the acrid smell of metal.
At the end of the steps some twenty meters down, Oleon found a large switch on the wall and clicked it on. The florescent, light blue bulbs flickered for three seconds before showering the place with blue light.
Surrounding them were crates upon crates upon crates on the ground flattened with stones and blocks.
“Holy crap!” said Joey, grinning as he looked around, “you guys have enough ammunition to take on an entire army of kids chasing the ice-cream truck!”
“Stralin always liked to be prepared,” Oleon said as he covered his nose and move tarpaulins off some of the crates, “too bad he never got to use them.”
Lezura spotted something that made her body burst with excitement. “Oh my,” she said.
They turned around to see Lezura quickly striding towards a huge machine in the back, lit with a single bulb over it like a sports car on display.
“Cool!” Joey added, hurrying next to Lezura.
He stared in awe at the mechsuit before them, standing on a metallic platform three feet off the ground.
“This is not just some ordinary mechsuit, Joey,” Lezura said.
“This is the Jagger type mechsuit,” said Oleon, strolling to stand next to them.
The mechsuit in front of them, poised like some godly effigy, was six meters tall. It had heavy armor plates of a creamy color with scratches, scars and bits of rust that made it seem like a man wearing body armor. The shoulders were more rounded, were dark green, and with a set of six rim-rimmed barrels on one shoulder and a larger one on the other. One green-black hand held a giant version of the heavy-assault lancegun; the other had a larger rocket launcher—something like a big black tube with a smaller one extending into the barrel and a rounded back-half. Nearly twice as long as Joey’s body.
Lezura turned to Oleon and said curtly, “I wanted to say that!”
“Then say the rest,” said Oleon smugly.
Lezura beamed, she said, “This type of mechsuit was based off the design of the orderran Narcom robot, only it is not an AI as the Narcom, as it requires piloting. As be plainly seen with the Jagger it has stronger armor than the Viceken, is equipped with flares on the right shoulder and shield projector on the left. Both weapons are chain fed from ammunition cases on the back. And the best part—” Lezura climbed onto the platform in front of the mech, she took her spear, extended it and pointed to the left arm of the mech—“it even has a Fizzy-Blade!”
“Fizzy-Blade?” Joey said incredulously.
“A melee weapon, usually a knife, attached to an electronic handle with a machine called a Fizzer that vibrates the blade to incredible speeds that it acts like a high-powered chainsaw,” Lezura said.
“Now that’s some cool stuff!” Joey said. He turned to Oleon and said, “Hey, why didn’t any of the guys use this on us?”
Oleon arched his back and folded his arms. “Well for starters we only had one,” he said, “and mechsuits of this quality are extremely hard to come by. They are the best on the nycarman military.”
“Actually,” said Lezura, “they were first introduced by the United Military Force of Narz; under the name light-jumpers.”
“No!” said Oleon with a sudden surge of energy.
Lezura scowled at Oleon with hands on her hips. “What do you mean ‘no’?” she said.
Oleon said, “The suit you are talking about that was designed by the largaph was supposed to be called jumper-armor. That was because it was designed to be heavy body armor lightened with strategically placed pods of antigravity orbs that increased the wearer’s speed and jumping capabilities while wearing it—in addition to allow the user to lift heavy objects that was have normal given a yautgan lower back pains in the mornings.”
Lezura said, “It was not an armor, it was a suit, you ninny! It covered the entire body much as any mechsuit does. The only difference is that it was much smaller to fit over the body. Besides that fact it was designed exactly like the Jagger—and the nycarman designers admitted to buying the blueprints for one hundred billion yerks from the largaph—who in turn said that the larger design of the Light-Jumper was based on the Narcom!”
“Who are you calling ninny, brace-face?” Oleon shot back. He gestured to two different angles and continued, “There is a difference between a mechsuit, and body armor. Armor is designed to give the wearing protection from damage inflicted by an enemy or the environment. A mechsuit is vehicle that is piloted by someone, not worn.”
“You big ninny,” Lezura said, stomping the ground at the last word. “The light-jumper is a suit! Armor only covers a portion of the body, but a suit covers the entire body…” Lezura tapped the Jagger with her spear “… just like the mechsuit does. The only difference is that a mechsuit is large enough to be fitted with weapons! That means the Jagger is just a larger version of the light-jumper—which is a suit!”
Oleon grimace at Lezura. “Are you stupid woman? Armor can cover the entire body as well. Why do you think the Jagger has armor plating over it?”
“Because it is a suit,” said Lezura in a soft voice as if she was speaking to a child, “not armor, dear.”
“You moron,” Oleon said with clenched fists. “How can they both be suits, when the term is applied to a pe