Chapter 12

“Incoming transmission sir!”

“Put them through at once, lieutenant,” Roy said as calmly as he could through the thumping of his heart. Five nerve-racking hours had passed since they got word of a rogue Progenitor on Kanchi. Roy’s mind had dwelt on his wife and kids back home during the shuttle ride to the Amani command ship orbiting Kanchi. There was a pit of guilt in his stomach and the sting of his own foolishness; he had made promises that the war was far away. Now, Roy was laser-focused, ready to quell this incident as quickly as possible and resume everyday life.

“It’s the team at Mabahse’s palace,” said the lieutenant. Just then, two blue figures sprang up from the large holo-projector located at the center of the starship bridge. “Team Toron’s Musk, the channel is encrypted: you may report your findings now.”

“We have good news and bad news,” one of the figures gargled through the gritty reception.

Roy stepped in, “Bad news first.”

One of the blue figures began to speak, but static and electronic squeals drowned their voice out, and the holograms began to phase in and out.

“Lieutenant,” Roy said urgently.

“I’m trying, sir.”

“Our…fears have been…firmed. But…one…genitor and the other…drone. We…pursuing…” Static completely engulfed the two blue holograms.

“No!” Roy commanded, “Do not pursue. I repeat, do not pursue them!” But his words only fell on static.

“I’m sorry, sir, we lost the transmission…I’m trying to raise them again, but the Hazog Canyon’s natural interference...”

Roy silenced him with a hand motion. “Send an order to Toru instead, have him prepare my ship; I’m going down myself. We could be dealing with some of the most dangerous individuals in the galaxy.” Roy spun around and hurried off to the hanger bay.

***

“Are you sure this is the right way?” Abel said wearily, panting, and wiping sandy sweat out of his eyes. “I thought Mabahse’s palace was built into some canyons.”

“No, Commander, my orientation matrix is malfunctioning,” Rex said, her electronic voice heavily sardonic.

“Orientation matrix, is that a real thing?” Abel asked as he trudged up a sand dune.

“No, commander.”

For hours on end, Abel and Rex walked through Kanchi’s Grand Dunes. After their flyer broke down and a heated debate on what to do next, Abel decided it best to walk the rest of the way, seeing as there was no way to call for help without a communicator. The soft grassy plains had given way to a harsh and mountainous desert with vicious predators and sweltering heat. For Abel and Rex, fending off any hapless creatures was easy enough with a plasma rifle, but the heat was another thing. Five hydration packs later, Abel carefully rationed his last remaining drops of liquid while swearing he would never take water for granted again for the rest of his days. The comforts of the Tuyet Voi palace were sorely missed. The heir to the throne would want for nothing with servant drones at his beck and call. At this point, Abel would settle for a climate-controlled shack. Despite all his training and abilities, Progenitors succumbed to extreme weather just like anyone else.

“How old was that junk flyer anyways?” Abel asked as he continued climbing up after Rex and shielding his face against the harsh sun.

“Oh, I stole it off the street back in one of the towns.”

The long walk gave Abel time to consider how he would approach the coming situation: was there proper decorum to exhibit? That hardly seemed necessary since Mabahse usually dealt with scummy dust dealers and bounty hunters. But what would even be said? Rex could translate if there was a language barrier. There was also the strong possibility that Mabahse would just shoot them on sight.

Dealing with brutish leader figures was nothing new to Abel; he had listened in on many trade deals between planetary governors and Tuyet Voi royal dignitaries, though all Abel did was sit quietly taking notes. Back then, there was no stepping out of line, one false move, and the Emperor’s guard would jump in. No one was around to help this time, no hand-holding from father. Rex certainly lacked any diplomatic subtlety. Abel was on his own.

Night fell on the dunes and the winds calmed to a stale coolness, which came as a relief to Abel, whose profuse sweating had brought him dangerously close to dehydration. “You’re lucky not to be human, Rex.”

“I too am grateful, commander. Were I to have squishy innards and have feelings, then I think I would be better off dead,” said Rex with a hint of disgust.

“I meant the weather. Are you saying I’m better off dead?” Abel called back, chuckling knowing how his companion would react.

“Of course not, commander!” Rex shouted eagerly, “I only meant that I am not suited to be an organic. Oh, how I would miss my circuits and assassination programming.”

“Would you give all that up to have the powers of a Progenitor? To have the ability to foresee each of your opponent’s moves, the agility to dodge plasma bolts, to know when one is lying?”

“I’m afraid not, commander.”

Another hour passed in peace. The skies above were filled with a tapestry of milky white stars and gleaming moons, which lit the desert well enough to see clearly. Kanchi’s closest planet loomed overhead just close enough to make out the shapes of its continents and oceans. Abel let the cool pleasant air breeze over him as he walked through the soft sand. Chirps and buzzes could be heard from unseen insects. A faint rumble occasionally shook the ground.

“So, commander. What’s it like being the Tuyet Voi prince?” Rex began. “This is like a lowly assignment for someone of your position. Is this punishment for killing She-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named?”

Abel bristled and gritted his teeth to suppress an outburst. “I thought I told you not to bring that up. And don’t call me prince!”

“Actually, you said: I forbid you to even utter the word empress around me,” she said in Abel’s voice.

“Real clever. All you need to know is that my father despises me and I’m here to prove my worth.”

As time went on, the rumble in the ground steadily grew stronger, although it remained little more than a shiver. “Do you feel that…wait,” Abel stopped abruptly. “We’re not alone.” His senses went on high alert and his breathing quickened. Eyes darted in all directions, he realized they were standing in a basin-like area with tall sand dunes on all sides. A natural death trap.

“Powering up my rifle now, commander,” Rex said darkly. “It would be prudent of us to find cover right away.”

“C’mon, let’s head for the top of that hill.” But, before they could go anywhere, eight figures of varying humanoid sizes emerged at the crest of one of the dunes. Two humans, five lesser torons, and the largest of them had a thick sweeping tail and jagged frills on his head, a red ashan. All of them were heavily armed with plasma rifles and stun pikes. Their thick armor bore no discernable insignias to betray their allegiance.

“Abel Reyleonard, the kid with the red eye, we found you at last!” A raspy-voiced hissed loudly from the large reptilian ashan.

“What do you want?” Abel shouted back rhetorically; he already knew though. He sensed their motivations clearly; each individual could be read separately and easily like children’s texts. Each one was scared to their core, but the prospect of a great reward emboldened them just enough to risk life and limb. The red ashan was a different story, he exuded brash confidence which was reflected in his cold focused eyes. That one fought for more than monetary gain. They all shared a common feeling, however: capture Abel Reyleonard. Abel would be damned to let some low-life bounty hunters stand in his way.

“You’ve got a bounty on your head, and we’re here to collect!” the lizard shouted. “Come quietly,” he snarled, “or don’t. No one said they need you with both arms still attached.”

“I’m warning you filthy organics. Threaten the commander again and I will begin shooting,” Rex said with her rifle pointed directly at the ashan.

“Hold on Rex,” Abel whispered. This was a simple fix; growing up in the royal Reyleonard family did come with some valuable lessons in politics and persuasion. Money was the great equalizer, and Abel had plenty to spare. “If it’s credits you want, then I will double whatever the bounty is! If you leave us now, I will make each of you rich!” Abel felt the sudden conflict and excitement bubble in each of the bounty hunters. They turned to one another to talk it over among themselves, all except the ashan.

“We do not betray our clients! We hunt for more than just credits,” the lizard said coolly, “-a Knight of the Tuyet Voi will garner great honor among my people. Come quietly, and I will not claw your flesh,” lied the ashan.

“Who are you anyway?” Said Abel buying time to plan his attack. There were eight in all, but most of them were scared witless, hardly keeping their rifles steady. Still, closing the distance would be a problem, shifting sand and a fairly steep dune stood in the way. Even with the prospect of a greater credit reward, the other bounty hunters definitely had fearful loyalty to the ashan, they would likely remain united if it came down to the wire. Victory though a straight fight was implausible, even with Rex as backup.

“My name is Rougar, son of Rahhara of the Numian clan,” the creature said proudly. “Lay down your weapons, you are outnumbered, and your corpse isn’t worth anything.”

Another presence wafted into Abel’s senses, another large group. Great, he has even more backup…what do I do? Abel felt the impending overwhelming odds bearing down on him; there really was no escape.

“ROUGAR!” A grizzly voice boomed from behind. Everyone turned to look. On the other side of the basin was another group of heavily armed humans and aliens.

“Back off Numar!” Rougar roared back. Both sides pointed their weapons at each other.

Abel easily picked Numar out of the group, much larger than the rest, trodarian by the looks of him. Typically, trodarians were mean-spirited, powerfully built warriors with well-groomed shiny fur coats and sharpened quills running down their backs. Numar, on the other hand, was rather plump, his fur oily and matted. He stood atop of the dune brandishing his rifle, ready to kill, yet somehow his fat fuzzy brown face maintained a friendly demeanor.

If Rougar’s men couldn’t be bought, then maybe this other group could. “Numar!” Abel shouted. “The Tuyet Voi will reward you far more than the price on my head!”

The armored aliens standing around Numar did not budge physically or emotionally on the offer. Numar shrugged, “oh- sorry kid, great offer but, you’re in Mabahse’s territory. We gotta bring you in, just doin my job- hope you understand.”

“Actually, that’s great; I need to have a word with your boss! Abel was relieved by the turn of events. “And you seem like a truly kind trodarian!”

“Oh- yeah, thanks, I’m trying to overcome those stereotypes out there!” He shot back gregariously.

“HEY!” Rougar shouted with a nasty growl and shot a red bolt into the air. “You think this is a joke? I should have poisoned your ale back at the palace when I had the chance, Numar!”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Don’t think Mabahse didn’t smell your foul stench in his throne room! The only reason we didn’t kill you then and there was because he didn’t want your vile green blood stained on his floors,” roared Numar.

“You honestly believe you can take me on; when was the last time you even fired that thing?” Rougar chortled.

The two went back and forth for several more minutes, slinging taunts and making lots of roaring and grunting sounds. Rougar’s men were losing more of their nerve by the second; Numar’s, however, had wills of trasteel. This rationale started to dawn on Rougar. His bravado began to diminish, Abel wanted to seize the opportunity to retreat towards Mabahse’s men, but he did not dare move with so many guns pointed at him. Another rumble rocked the ground; considerably stronger this time, enough for everyone to take notice. Murmurs from Rougar’s group broke out, their fear grew more and more.

A long moment of silence passed, Rougar’s yellow eyes darted back and forth, searching for another solution. But he, along with everyone else, shifted their attention to a blinding light racing toward them from the sky. The sound of an aircraft whined in the distance until it swooped in with deafening loudness, kicking up billows of sand that lashed Abel’s bare skin and clanked against Rex’s body.

“Attention, scum rats! By order of the Amani navy, you are all to lay down your weapons and surrender,” called a voice over a loudspeaker. The Amani used the bright lights and the roar of their engines to disorient the crowd.

Abel shut his eyes tight, but he figured he was the only one that could make sense of everything happening; he could feel Rougar determined not to back down, Numar the same, and the people in the shuttle were feeling very superior. But the ground shook once more, this time so violently that maintaining a firm footing was impossible. More and more, it shook until the sand around the shuttle exploded upwards as if a bomb dropped. A massive creature burst forth from the sands and caught the shuttle in its great jaws.

Immediate chaos ensued; bolts rang out in a flurry from every direction, terrified screams intermingled with the monster’s horrid roars, and the fireball erupting from the shuttle lit up the sky. The ground shook beneath each step the beast took, and with a swipe of its ship-sized tail, it pummeled a group of fleeing aliens.

“Now would be a good time to make our escape commander!” Rex shouted as she pulled Abel in the opposite direction.

Abel’s heart was like a caged animal trying to escape as he fled the scene. The monster roared again so loudly that it reverberated through Abel’s body and into his ears. Where they ran did not matter, all he knew was that he needed to put more distance between him and that ten-story creature.

Lightning reflexes took over Abel’s body and spun him to the ground, narrowly avoiding a streaking red flash. The bolt barely registered on his conscience as it sailed past him, exploding into the sand. He spun around sword drawn, its blue light shined brightly in the darkness and sandy haze. Rougar stood not twenty yards away, his rifle trained on its target. His armor was thick, made from angular plates of nano-carbon weave that would easily fend off most blades and blasts, it might even give a cadami blade pause.

”You’re not getting away!” Rougar hissed as he fired off several more rounds.

Abel nimbly dodged each one, puffs of sand kicked up in his face. “Let him have it, Rex!” He shouted as he charged towards Rougar, a volley of green bolts arched overhead, exploding into a cascading blue sphere around Rougar, sending sparks and smoke in every direction. An energy shield.

The smoke cleared, Rougar bore his razor teeth in a shrewd smile.

I’ll wipe that smile off your face! The diversion gave Abel plenty of time to close the distance; his cadami blade would cut right through that shield.

Rougar’s eyes went wide as he tried in vain to shoot the figure darting towards him. In a flash of blue light, Rougar’s rifle fell to the ground in two pieces, the metal reduced to molten orange slag. He hissed and drew a pike-ax, swinging it viciously, just barely missing the mark.

Abel could see each attack carving through the air before they ever happened, but they came so quickly he could barely keep up. Dodging each blow took every shred of concentration he could muster, one slip up would mean losing a limp, or a bloody demise.

With each passing second, Rougar’s ax blade got closer and closer. Abel tried simply cutting the weapon in pieces, but Rougar twirled his polearm away and followed up with quick counter attacks every time.

“You’re not the first Progenitor I’ve battled!” Rougar shouted over the whooshing of his weapon.

An overhead slash came at breakneck speed, Abel twisted out of the way; the blade caught a little bit of cloth from his tunic. He tried countering with a wide swing, but Rougar ducked low and smashed the blunt end of his weapon into Abel’s chest, which sent him tumbling through the sand.

Abel clutched his chest gasping for breath; it felt like a metal bar had been lodged between his ribs. No more attacks came for the moment, Rex was already unleashing another volley of green plasma bolts, but they only deflected off the energy shield or exploded into the ground sending large plumes of sand into the air. That gave Abel an idea.

“Rex, focus your fire on the sand around his feet,” Abel said, finally regaining his breath. Rex complied instantly and barraged the ground to create a sandy curtain. Adrenaline dulled the clamping pain in Abel’s chest as he charged forward, cadami sword in hand. He felt Rougar’s cold focus prepping for the oncoming strike, but it would not be enough. Using the sand cloud as cover, Abel sliced upward, severing the pike-ax into several pieces, and followed up with a swift kick knocking Rougar on his back.

Between heavy breaths, Abel savored the ashan’s rage as he lay there helpless. This must be the ecstasy of battle I’ve heard so much about. It was a new experience, winning. The other boys and girls from the Academy had continually bested Abel, but tonight was his turn.

“Kill me, you coward!”

Abel breathed like he just sprinted a mile, sweat ran down his face. The tip of his sword inches away from Rougar’s throat. Again, he reveled in the moment; the labor of dodging certain death and the thrill of victory was euphoria unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. It was an invigorating warmth like no other.

“You dishonor my clan by toying with me!” Rougar growled between exasperated snarls. “I said kill me!”

“You dishonor your clan by losing-“ Abel began slowly, letting his nerves settle down, “-I’m not killing you. I need you alive.”

Rougar barked out a laugh. “Mercy from you? The boy that killed the Tuyet Voi empress, his own mother.”

“YOU SHUT UP!” Abel stomped the ashan’s face burying it partially into the sand. “You don’t get to talk about that, you bounty hunter trash!”

Rougar wiggled, grunted, and coughed, trying with all his might to get free. But Abel had leverage, he applied so much force that he thought he might crush bone. The ashan hissed meekly, an involuntary plea for mercy. Finally, Abel removed his boot, his anger satisfied for the moment. “Now tell me, who contracted you to hunt me down?”

“The Numian clan would sooner die than betray its contracts,” he said truthfully after spitting out some sand. Ashans were notoriously loyal to their clans; often, they were prepared to suffer torture, even die, before compromising their culture. Rougar was annoyingly no exception.

Abel wanted nothing more than to plunge his sword into Rougar’s throat for mentioning his mother, but he hesitated. He had never killed anyone before. Striking Rougar down would ensure that there would be no retaliation; it’s what father would demand. Abel retracted his sword. No, I’m not killing a defenseless opponent.

“Commander, shall I eliminate this filth for you, please?” Rex asked with excitement. “There are a number of methods I wish to test: blunt force, decapitation, electrocution, all work well.”

“No,” Abel said with a degree of shaking uncertainty, “no, we need him alive. I need to know who sent him.”

“Is that wise, commander? I predict that there is a ninety-nine percent chance this organic will seek vengeance should we spare him now,” said Rex in polite protest.

“Ha, that’s right, kill me now…I’ll die before I help you!”

Abel sheathed his sword satisfied that Rex would keep their prisoner at bay. Rougar would be resistant, but no one could hide the truth from a Progenitor for long. Abel took a moment to consider their next move, but something dawned on him: the roar of the giant monster had gone silent. Looking over, he saw nothing but the orange flames rising in the distance from the crunched-up shuttle.

“Where did it go?” Abel asked urgently, looking over to Rex.

“The pesok are towering creatures-“ Rougar cut in, “-but they may choose to move in silence while they stalk their prey,” he concluded with a laugh.

Abel fell into a light trance, stretching out his senses; he could sense himself, Rougar, and another. Then something else, bigger, as if a storm was coming. Abel had just enough time to leap out of the way as the pesok erupted from the sand like a volcano, its jaws wide open bearing thousands of small spiky teeth. For just a moment, Abel caught a solid glimpse of its beady black eyes mounted on the side of its skull staring down blankly. Not an inch of bare skin was exposed beneath its dress of shield-like scales. It reared up on its hind legs, roaring, swinging with its massive claws, and swiping with its bristly tail. The ground quaked, and sand showered up and down with each move it made.

Abel spit out some sand and caught a glimpse of Rougar making a break for it. The pesok’s tail slapped the sand with tremendous force just inches from Abel's face. Following Rougar was the only option, Abel sprang up, and trying with every fiber of his will to ignore the biting pain in his chest, he bolted after the ashan. He has a ship! Abel could feel Rougar’s intentions clearly. Rex fell into step, popping off a few rounds towards the monster; each bolt bounced off the beast’s sandy scales.

“Don’t shoot Rougar!” Abel panted, “he’s headed towards a ship. It’s our only chance!”

The pesok was in full lumbering stride, pursuing its prey. Abel ran faster, pushing his body further and further, the hairs on his neck tingled, the beast barreled down closer and closer. Where is that ship? It must be somewhere!

Sure enough, after rounding a dune, there it was: a tarp tied down covering the distinct shape of a small shuttle. Rougar got there first, cut the ropes with a knife, and hopped into the pilot seat. The engines howled energetically, and the craft began to hover skyward. We’ll never make it…it’s too far. But the shuttle did not move; it hung just a few feet from the ground; a long panel opened from its side.

Rougar stood just inside, beckoning and calling over the whale of the engines, “C’mon!”

Abel sprinted more quickly, finding endurance he never thought possible. The foul stench of the pesok’s breath filled the air, its snarls and pounding footsteps close behind.

Rougar pulled out a long rifle, Abel expected to find the urge to dodge, but it never came. A red bolt streaked through the air right past him, a bloodcurdling roar boomed from behind.

Abel and Rex didn’t stop to look back. They continued running until they finally barreled into the shuttle. Immediately they were carried off skyward, narrowly avoiding the monster’s reach.

Several minutes passed as Abel caught his breath while resisting the urge to vomit. Rougar didn’t attack, he was too busy operating the controls. The shuttle was small; the seven others that were with Rougar must have been cramped.

“Looks like you’re coming with me after all, “ Rougar called over the hum of the engines, “-the drone is a nice bonus. And don’t even think about attacking me now…we crash, we all die.”

“Take me to your master now,” Abel commanded, his breath still not fully caught up.

Rougar belted out a laugh, “Don’t worry! You’ll see him soon enough, along with his army. Not even a Progenitor can take on overwhelming odds.”

The droning hum of the engines and Abel’s labored breath were the only sounds. Abel furrowed his brow in concentration and felt terrible exasperation. Great, there’s more.

Something was coming, as if the pesok was on his heels again, but this new presence was sentient…the unmistakable presence of a Progenitor. Before he could react or say anything at all, something struck the shuttle tumbling Abel off his feet, plastering him painfully to the wall. Black smoke poured into the cabin, lights flashed, alarms beeped, and the engines wailed in protest.

Eyes shut tight, plunged into darkness, the alarms and deafening engines died out sailing far away, Abel flew through the air, sand wrapped his skin, bits of metal torn through his flesh like hot knives, and just as soon as it all started it was over. All was still black.

***

Carefully, Abel opened his eyes, afraid that a pointy piece of metal might poke him; thankfully, that was not the case. All was still black, though. He reached out and touched something metallic; after a moment, he realized he was under a piece of the shuttle’s hull that landed perfectly on a mound of sand so its full weight did not squish him.

Footsteps scuffled not far away. Heart beating painfully, Abel steadied his breathing the best he could. The Progenitor, he’s here.

Exhausted, bleeding, scared, and with a splitting headache, Abel could hardly make sense of anything he felt beyond the piece of metal covering him. I’m sure it’s the Progenitor…I think…agh my head…

The footsteps grew louder; they walked definitively towards the piece of hull. Abel braced himself for what was to come; the metal creaked as it shifted out of the way. Cool wind washed over his face; still night out. The silhouetted figure knelt down.

“Commander, are you all right?”

“Rex!” Abel croaked, “I thought you were…what happened to the Progenitor?”

Rex’s orange eyes stared back. “He left hours ago, commander. It would appear he thought that Rougar was the only one in the crash. He was apprehended and taken away. I have been searching for you ever since…oh commander, how I was frightened I would never find you,” she added with grief.

Sitting up, Abel held his aching head, beyond happy to be alive. “Am I bleeding?”

“Err…yes, Commander, quite badly in fact, but I found some medical kits from the wreckage. I will repair your unwanted wounds at once.”

“They’re all unwanted Rex,” Abel chuckled.

Rex took a canister and sprayed a blue liquid over all of Abel’s cuts.

With great pain, Abel stood up and limped over to the smoldering wreckage. A trench was carved through the sand, although the desert winds were already overtaking it.

A presence itched at Abel’s mind; someone else approached. Great, even more trouble. The full weight of exhaustion weighed on his shoulders as he whipped around, his blade drawn. A prominent round figure appeared walking towards them. “Wait, is that…”

“Oh- hey there you two, I’ve been lookin for ya!” bellowed the furry mound of muscle approaching them with a wide grin which was mostly concealed by his coarse beard. “I’ve got a shuttle to take ya back to the palace. We also have a doctor that can take a look at ya, ya know. Oh- and don’t worry, that pesok is long gone.”

Relieved, Abel sensed no hostilities within Numar. Rex, however, was not at all pleased. “How can we trust this organic, commander?” Rex said with her rifle raised. “Trodarians are as cunning as they are ugly.”

“Rex relax,” Abel said as he lowered his companion’s weapon. “He’s not a threat. And besides, he’s our ticket in to see Mabahse.”

Numar led them to a shuttle and they all piled in along with a handful of other survivors, not all had escaped the pesok. As they lifted off into the night sky, Abel could not help but wonder about the bounty on his head and that Rougar hunting him. How could he have possibly known about Abel’s arrival on Kanchi? Maybe Mabahse would have answers.

“Sorry, kid, this is the part of the job I don’t really like,” Numar said.

Abel didn’t even have time to open his mouth before a sharp pain jabbed his ribs, his muscles tensed, and all went black.